no grace What 's the reason Could he have none or would he have none To one I answer saith God he might have had grace and life and it would have pleased me to have enriched him with these To the other I will answer saith conscience This wretched soul would have no grace he loved iniquity and hated righteousnesse therefore is he here unrighteous he thought himself rich and vvell cloathed and therefore stands here novv poor and naked 'T is remedilesse wickednesse to deny free grace The miseries of man are many and yet there is but one remedy Free grace hath balm for every wound which rejected every wound is mortall The least sinne is death The wages of sinne that is of every sinne is death For bodily distresses there be many remedies if men will not pitty me when I hunger ravens may If Christians will not pitty when I am sore dogges may but in soul distresses there is but one remedy to wit what God will please to do if God will please to do nothing for me none else will or can No eye pittied thee to do any of these for thee Gods eye pitilesse and there is no eye pittifull nor can be to the soul 'T is storied of the balm that it groweth in the Holy-land and no where else which is the reason of that speech Is there no balm in Gilead Mercy for your souls is in the pleasure of God and no where else Sinners make no more of the favour of God then of the favour of man I live not upon one the heart layeth this conclusion and swelleth and lifteth up the heel Ah wretches you cannot say so of God you live upon one yea upon one thing in God upon the smiles of his countenance upon this that he is free in mercy that it pleaseth him to save souls This point hath been applyed to convince and humble and it may also be applyed in the next place to chear and revive There are burdened hearts I beleeve among you but let no distresse discourage you How great soever the wants of any be let them come to God it pleaseth him to lay out for you Are your wants more then Christ hath where withall to supply What ever Christ hath or can do and what is it that he cannot do it pleaseth God to the heart that he should imploy it for you Men under guilt fancy hard thoughts of God my sinnes are great and God will not pardon yes he will he is ready to forgive it pleaseth him to forgive he hath furnished Christ of purpose and laid out all upon this very designe which is reall demonstration of his pleasure this way If distresse lie any otherwise yet it should not distract because free grace speaketh supply to any distresse that you can mention t is a fountain a fountain open every one may draw and yet none draw drie Your straits are many and you cannot tell which way to get out remember the point in hand that it pleaseth God to contrive relief To undo knots is a troublesome thing especially such knots as unbelief knitteth in the soul and yet God is pleased with this work he is a God of peace made up of peace his whole pleasure as well as his whole imployment lieth this way The God of peace establish and strengthen you saith the Apostle The Apostles words are of great emphasis the Godhead bendeth strongly and delightfully this way to settle poore weak souls which can do nothing themselves Doubts cavills and complaints are many and God quieteth all because his pleasure and delight is in the peace and tranquillity of poore souls He is a God of peace his pleasure is to make peace and a Heaven where he cometh 'T is the pleasure of things to do things naturall to them 't is the pleasure of wicked spirits to torment and vexe and to make hell where ever they come and in this sense the devil may be called the God of warre so 't is the pleasure of God to do things naturall to him to comfort and cheere poore souls to strengthen and establish them to make a Heaven where ever he cometh as a God of and a God at this work Coloss 1.19 For it pleased the Father c. THe reason of what Christ is to man is rendered by the Spirit of God in this Text the cause of his greatnesse and fulnesse to maintain it is the will of God it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 'T is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word speak will and delight such a pursuit and such action as wherein there is transcendent souls rest Behold my servant which I have chosen my beloved which my soul hath willed Esay 42.1 In whom my soul is at rest saith the Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same word here in my Text which noteth that the will and the delight of God are in the furnishing of Christ for us Scriptures compared the word you see soundeth double the will and the pleasure of God are wrapt up in it which we shall unfold one after another Doctr. God shapeth every thing to man according to his own will The will of God is absolute he moveth by a perfect rule his motion is without errour and yet guided in all by that which is no guide in us his own will We have many things from earth from Heaven and all shaped out to us according to the will of God Things below man Things below man are many and various and yet God turneth and windeth them all according to his will Can you tell how many good bodies come out of the earth to wait upon one bad Not one of them would do this but that God giveth them such bodies and shapeth them by his will to such qualities and properties and to such ends and purposes as to give their life to keep up dying man That which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but God giveth it a body as he willeth 1. Cor. 15.38 Things equall to man 'T is the like respecting things equall to us No creatures would serve one another man would not serve man member would not serve member the eye would not serve the hand nor the hand any other part were they not all shaped to this by the will of God God hath set the members in the body every one of them as he willeth 1. Corinthians 12.18 A foot with so many toes a hand with so many fingers a head with so many hairs bodies with such variety of members soules with such variety of gifts have all their shape according to divine will But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will 1. Corinthians 12.11 One hath much wisedome another much knowledge another but a little of either onely enough for a toe to be carried and guided by a bigger and nobler member and yet as much
your affections burn and your hearts beat to be redeemed That 's well then there is but one step more believe and you are redeemed out of bondage and this will be wrought it will spring and grow insensibly out of those pantings and breathings which are upon you I have seen the bondage of my people and I have heard their cry saith God When bondage makes crying out O what shall I do and who shall deliver me Enemies are got into a body and are deadly strong a body of death besets my soul and in the midst of this body shall not I loose my soul Now the sinner is turned from iniquity and now the redeemer comes to Sion Let the redeemed admire and adore the redeemer this one thing I will touch and give up the point and I am the rather induced unto it because 't is the use made in my text In whom we have redemption through his bloud Which words are spoken in way of admiration and thanksgiving and are but the continuation of that thanksgiving which is begun in the verse fore-going The redemption of the soul is precious silver would not reach it gold would not reach it onely the precious bloud of Christ would do it precious bloud must stirre and precious spirits leap from this consideration as high as heaven and spurtle up in Gods face Freedome binds man all must be sent to heaven that is saved from hell Let the redeemed say this and say that saith the Psalmist Redemption is obligation who ever hangs by his harp a redeemed person must not because he hath his advantage with him above all others his lesson set and laid before him yea his instrument tuned and put into his hand his lips are opened as the Psalmist speaks 't is but stirre thy tongue and matter cannot be wanting nor affections be able to lie still He that died for us must be perfumed and carried home honourably and buried in his own countrey as Jacob was he that died for you on earth must be perfumed by praises and carried to his own countrey and buried in heaven You must not bury Christ in his works but take him up out of his works and words and carry him to heaven and bury him there Nature abhorres burying things in their own bloud you must not bury Christ in his own bloud but take him up out of his bloud and bath him and perfume him and lay him to sleep in the arms of his father The redemption we speak of here and would have you thankfull for respects your souls and your bodies what mercy comes to either is a blessing from Christ as a Redeemer Not a deliverance in these bloudy times but from the bloud of Christ from that great redeemer that sits in heaven Bodily redemption is but the outside of soul-redemption I hope the blindest sight will be able to see the out-sides of mercy Blind wretches look upon temporall redemptions which now Christ makes and see if you can blesse him for these you had not had the lives of your bodies nor the livelihood of your estates at this houre had not your redeemer pleaded for you had not he pleaded for you w th his bloud you had been all ere this tumbling in your own bloud you had had your bloud trod under foot by those which have long trod under foot the bloud of Christ One redeemer works all redemptions for soul and body one redeemer pleads in soul-cases and in bodily cases See a full plain place Prov. 23.18 Enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse for their redeemer is mightie he shall plead their cause with thee It is but one redeemer that pleads for us in spirituall things and in corporall and therefore in all mercies both spirituall and corporall let Christ be honoured and praised Coloss 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his bloud THe way of grace is here considerable life comes through death God comes in Christ and Christ comes in bloud to save The choisest mercies come through the greatest miseries prime favours come swimming in bloud to us Through a red sea Israel came to Canaan Many a man lost his life and much bloud shed the very land flowing with milk and honey made to flow with bloud ere Israel could inherit the promise seven nations were destroyed ere the land of Canaan was divided to the Israelites Acts 13 19. Israel came to Canaan through bloud and kept in Canaan through bloud Samson was strangled in his own bloud like Christ to keep bloud and life in that blessed people The harlot had her life by a scarlet thread and so had the rest of her faith As the promised land so the promised crown came swimming to David in bloud how many men died and how near was David death many times ere that promise of his honour did live Josephs garment was dipt in bloud and he dead alive for so many years and this was the way to his greatnesse and to the saving of the life of all the holy seed Sinne makes mercie so deadly hard in bringing forth to cristen every precious child every Benjamin Benoni every sonne of Gods right hand a sonne of sorrow and death to her that brings him forth Adam's sweets had no bitter till he transgressed Gods will one mercie did not die to bring forth another till he died One creature was a felicitie for another and none a death to or for another mercy generated mercy and man fed upon the cream and top of all and yet the bottom as sweet as the top mans felicitie was no creatures misery under him they were happy in him and he in them and all in the presence of God to each I will rain bread from heaven saith God to Moses and this was an extraordinary thing then and yet ordinary to Adam before his fall spiritually understood he had all his provision without cost or toil his felicity descended from heaven upon him as dew heaven and earth opened and not any ones sides or veins and so mercy streamed upon him he had his felicity with no more hardship then Angels Man would have his pleasure and God would have his too divine pleasure hath turned the course of love The sea hath runne so many thousand years in such a channell yet God can when he will turn it into another though so broad and big an element The sea is bottomlesse but not boundlesse 't is ordered by the pleasure of God and so is mercy the will of God bounds it orders it keeps it in and lets it forth through what channells it will life through death heaven through hell The first covenant was sealed with life the tree of life was the seal of Adams first grace and favour the second covenant is ratified with death the tree of life must die or else none could live by eating of it 't is not life out of life now as out of the first covenant but life out of death and this necessarily because
the least superiority that can be discerned Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth As Christ doth otherwise receive so he doth otherwise impart light then any other teacher Christ was taught none like him and he teaches none like him Christ teacheth internally eternally instantly Our teaching is discursive we can do nothing within Christs words are of authority and make their impression upon the heart not a word that Christ speaks but goes to the heart though many words which we speak come not to the heart yet every word that Christ speaks goes to the hearts Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he talked with us Christ sets the soul on fire with his breath blows up internall powers and breaks open everlasting doors The prince of darknesse fortifieth within us and Christ can mount ordnances where the forts are shoot off terribly within and destroy the works of the devil that is sinne or the soul at every shot Christ doth with his cannon within as you do with yours without rend and tear wofully You take off bodies in the very midst so doth Christs cannon take off sinnes and souls in the very midst as Beza renders that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle useth I will destroy the wisdome of the wise 1. Cor. 1.19 tollam è medio I will cut it off in the midst Sinne is in the midst of the soul and Christ can mount such gunnes as to cut it off in the midst As Christs ministery is internall which none of the Prophets was so it is eternall Christs words are words are words of eternall life or eternall death and this simply as his words We speak words and they stick but a moment Christ speaks words and they stick for ever We make wounds and you lick them whole in an alehouse Christ makes wounds that no art can heal Thy arrows stick fast in me saith the Psalmist The arrows which Christ shoot they stick fast none can pull them out but that hand that shot them Christ can instruct and seal it That is make things so impressive as beyond obliteration O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works Psal 71.17 so Psal 119.102 I have not departed from thy judgements for thou hast taught me Christ can teach beyond all other teachers he can open the understanding that is open powers to take in and then close up these powers to keep in for ever Christ can teach internally eternally he can do all this instantly his ministery is an instantaneous ministery We are long hammering and beating to make persons understand and yet all will do nothing but when Christ takes the work in hand he makes the most ignorant creature that is wise to salvation presently Then opened he their understandings c. Luk. 24.45 Then at that instant he made them see throughly what they never saw Use You see what an able teacher Christ is what hath he taught you The wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God I do not ask you how knowing you are in your particular calling as such and such trades-men but how knowing you are in your generall calling as Christians how knowing of Christ and your souls Light is come into the world a great light Do you see the way to heaven Confidence speaks not saving light but desperate blindnesse many ignorant men conceit they know much when they know nothing as they ought The fool is wise in his own conceit and the world is full of these fools yea the Christian world is full of these fools but Christ is emptying it Blindnesse and confidence makes us all bloudy at this day and the Lord grant it make us not bleed to death We have a Laodicean plague upon us and God seems to be spuing us out of his mouth and yet our Laodicean spirit lives in the midst of us We all of us think highly of our selves that we are rich in all spirituall excellencies and they that contradict our conceits are fools We are fools saith the Apostle but you are wise How strong and how generall this spirit is now you that are spirituall may see and what it presages Christ will explain fully if you can but hold fast a little Let every man look without and look within look abroad and look at home the plague of the multitude is it not your plague Are not you wiser in your conceits then your preacher is not spirituall preaching babbling When things touch your consciences then you rage and then the Minister is mad because you are mad Alas for us Lord thou makest us men of contention our life is a fighting with beasts that will not understand us nor thee If you had no other Prophets but us or did reject no other prophet but us some dispute might be made in the day of account but we will not judge you to the Father there is another prophet which you hear in us and yet will not heare and it is he that will judge you to the Father and to your own consciences If this will not beat off men from deluding themselves and from bearing off Christ I will go on Some spirits are wanton as there be light bodies so there be light souls such as go a whoring after lies Fansie sick longs after fresh speculation if this may be had it satisfies let it be in what it will in things as farre from Christ as earth is from heaven yea as hell is from heaven It is otherwise with the soul that is taught of God he hath a little light of Christ and now cares for no other vision all light is darknesse and all wisdome folly that relates not to make Christ more known I purpose to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Paul had many endowments but they were all sleighted Christ teacheth the heart as the heart is taught love burns nothing satisfies love but what stird it if such an object made love nothing but the fruition of that object will satisfie it You may know whether Christ hath opened any thing of himself to you by your love to him the purity of your light will speak out it self in the purity of your love and the purity of your affection in the purity of your action Should you say nothing yet a man that stands by you may tell what your light is and who hath taught your hearts Christ or the devil Some of you will swear and curse and lie some of you your love as fleshly as base as the earth it self Hath Christ taught such things as these No certainly the devil is the tutour of these and they will take their degree in hell I have a word to you all and conclude A loose life broadly speaks out an uninstructed heart what secretly swayes Christ sees and so shall all the world use what art you will to hide it wherein you are intractable to the teaching of Christ God will discover
But I am afraid he will be gone If Christ do go will he leave his dear ones behind him Doth not the eagle carrie her young so doth Christ I carried you upon eagles wings Coloss 1.18 The first born from the dead THere are two first-born mentioned in this chapter the first-born of every creature verse 15. and the first-born from the dead the one respects being the other respects well-being and Christ is first in both these first in being in reference to all the creation and first in well-being in reference to the new creation the first that came forth from under the power of sinne alive which is the first-born from the dead here meant which the Apostle calls the first-born amongst many brethren elsewhere that is the first in our nature in the state of divine favour Christ broke the ice as we speak in reference to that body of death under which the state of mankind lay and so the first that came forth alive from under the guilt of sinne and the killing justice of God This time is sad so is our text it leads us to behold a world of dead men From the dead c. The term is indefinite and speaks our condition universally We are all by sinne dead without power to please God and liable to wrath for ever and Christ the first that made way out of this condition the first that broke through that displeasure which spoild us all Bodily death is sad soul-death a thousand times more sad we must walk amongst the tombes for an houre we are to rip up the dead to set out the nature of soul-death Demonst 1. Breath is gone the spirit of God is not in a dead soul Union speaks life Sathan not Christ lies in a sinners heart he is alive to sinne affection strong action that is evil action free among the dead Such light hath such motion ghosts walk in the dark wayes of death dead souls walk in Spirituall death is a soul cast out from God a soul cast out from God casts out God the word of God the operations of God a dead soul fights against life quicknings are as stabbings sermons which stirre are conjurings his eyes stare his heart quakes let Paul be gone Felix will be in hell else before the time the words of life are death to a dead soul Felix soul is in departing whilest a world of life was imparted to him nothing will keep life in a dead soul but the departing of Christ and his quickning spirit The dead deny the resurrection they would not be raised out of their grave means that are used this way are to them as conjuring from the dead gastly Christs yoke is easie wisdomes wayes are pleasant so the devils yoke is easie and his wayes are pleasant the dead are at rest in sinne they feel no pain though in the way to hell till they come there Eyes closed this also belongs to the dead in sinne The dead see nothing godlinesse is a mystery and the word of life a parable to a dead soul Confusion covers the dead reason is rebellion doing is undoing and yet the soul thinks all is well Light is darknesse sweet is bitter life is death to a dead soul Jacob is Esau the blind miscall every person and every thing O that thou hadst known in this thy day The sunne brought out of heaven and set at the doore and yet not discerned the dead see nothing in the day time day is night to the dead sunshine darknesse Christ close by yet not apprehended by the dead Christ knocks at the doore the voice though just behind or just before yet not heard our Gospel is hid though this be light more sparkling more shining then all other light Pride buds as the Prophet speaks sinne spreads God frowns hell gapes yet the dead see nothing Spirituall death 't is spirituall understanding quite lost one not able to discern divine things however externally advantaged hold a torch to the eye of the dead yet he sees nothing and if ye could hold the sunne close to the eyes of a dead man yet could he apprehend nothing the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse in it self the wisdome of the Scriptures is even also the same to a dead soul he knows nothing as he ought not the things he gathers and looks upon in wisdomes house Carcase stinking The dead smell lothsome the dead in sins do so Malignity hath got victory the whole state is corrupted all the bloud black and filthy in the dead Temptations overcome what Sathan saith is law and Gospel imaginations evil and all so and onely so evil the whole bulk and carcase of Christianitie stinking to Christ Christians The dead are all dead all filthy from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot full of sores plague-sores and all run and bloud filth is wallowed in Spirituall death is the soul under the rule of sinne sinne ruling the heart sleights truth the heart sleighting truth life is evil and yet pleaded for as good this stinks abominably in the nostrils of God Havvoth pravitates wickednesses Spirituall death is the inward parts very wickednesse the heart given to a harlot a strumpet is base and stinking Affection false and your lungs are rotten the opening of your mouth to God is as the opening of a sepulchre Spirituall death 't is a man abominable to God person action in life in death the dead stink alwayes God hates a wicked soul forever Sinne is everlasting so is justice the soul that lies in it is an abomination from generation to generation The grave and hell do not purifie the dead Spirituall death is a soul eternally lothing and lothed Stretched out coffin'd and buried this is the last property of the dead Dead in sinne are stretched out with a witnesse conscience is racked Conviction is the proper divine operation in a dead soul men under the power of sinne are under the power of wrath here spirituall death is a heart under the mere sence and guilt of wrath Worms eat the dead conscience gnaweth souls that lie in their sinnes The dead are stretched out and buried the dead bury the dead There be black bearers below and they are fetched up when wicked souls depart and thousands of them stand ready to carry the dead to their place This night they shall take away thy soul A dead soul is stretched out carried forth and buried in the night saith the Text This night they shall take away thy soul Dead souls are all buried in the night in utter darknesse The summe of all is this Spirituall death is a soul seperated from God under pollution and conviction untill condemnation Vse 'T is a time of slaughter fields cities towns dipped and dyed in bloud Dead bodies are many but dead souls are more the dead are in every house yea almost in every bed and yet no Lord have mercy at the doore Husband dead wife dead child dead and
blessings A man out with God may have many things but no blessings Riches are no blessing honours no blessing knowledge no blessing to a man on whom God frownes The smiles of the Son comprehend all the vertues which do felicitate nature In the love of God is wrapt up our temporall and eternall felicity Peace and reconciliation speak the speciall love of God Definit Reconciliation 't is intire full and firm friendship between God and fallen mam by vertue of which his condition in all things is blessed Reconciliation speaks friendship God and man are enemies which falling out is sad but God can wash his hands because it began wholly on mans side he disliked Gods will and so threw it off and God disliked mans practice in this and so threw him off they are now far off one from another You that are far off c. Not far off according to presence but far off according to affection Man is a hater of the Lord and the Lord a hater of man Affection opposite and actions are opposite God and man fight they seek the life of one another fleshly lusts fight against the soule i. against God in the soul God considers mans venimous nature and pursues him that which riseth up against me shall die The soul that sins shall die Rebellion is death by divine Statute no man shall have his book in this case saith Justice Reconciliation is that act of Christ which takes off this deadly pursuite Let not this soul die I have died Reconciliation speaks compassion compensation yea advocation one pleads when the Sinner by reason of guilt is speechlesse If crime be crying and must have blood let my blood go for it saith Christ Reconciliation 't is Christ personating a sinner and pleading with a displeased God till he be overcome and think well of one whom he said he would ruine If we sin we have an advocate c. Reconsiliation hath advocation advocation closeth spirits and and things which differ and begets right understanding and so settles amity between such as were at enmity Christ hath slain enmity This friendship which Christ worketh between God and man is intire you have I known of all the people of the earth God knows some above all i. loves some above all other Reconciliation speaks peculiar love God carries a common respect to all he makes the Sun to shine upon the good and upon the bad as a creator he upholds the whole world which is great friendship this speaks not reconciliation Reconciliation speaks fatherly friendship Gods motion is wonderfull he comes very neer or goes very far off every one If he fall out he kills if he fall in he marries Reconciliation speaks conjugall love two united as Father and Son yea two united as Husband and Wife Christ personates a sinner i. stands under his notion in point of sin and wrath and works both off and then he priviledges a sinner he puts his own raiment upon him The King sets Moredeai upon his own horse and gives him royall apparel makes him stand in his own relation as a son We are children and heirs with Christ this speaks reconciliation intire union and friendship You fall out and can never get so far in as you were your hearts are naught you are reconciled yet remember something and for this keep your distance God doth not so Christ mediates and sin is put quite away so that God remembers iniquity no more the offender is laid where Christ is in the bosome of God Reconciliation it hath compensation advocation and remission There is no iniquity in Jacob nothing without nothing withing amisse in that person with whom God is at peace i. nothing amisse is imputed The expression sets forth that peculiar love which shines in Christ upon such as he mediates for they are the beautifullest in Gods eye of all the world Reconciliation speaks full friendship God at peace all is ours he could say so much to Job Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace thereby God shall come unto thee i. all good Job 22.21 Communion follows union if God become a Father Christ will get him to come along with him and feast with you a father goes oft to his children My Father and I will come and sup saith Christ Reconciliation speaks full communication feasting divine friendship is not as humane that works coldly and reaches out but a little lest it should over-do and undo divine friendship works freely because there is no feare of beggering the donor all his care is how to make the recipient receptive enough rich enough God at peace smiles the rayes of this Sun make a very rich Region I cannot tell you the prosperity that goes along with divine peace Secular peace wraps up all secular good in 't divine peace wraps up all good Secular and Celestiall My peace I leave with you Reconciliation is a legacy a legacie that hath all treasure in it In times of peace wealth comes tumbling in Reconciliation is a state of great income a soul sent to from heaven daily and presented with the choycest gifts that heaven will afford Reconciliation it is heaven gates set open and the soul given free egresse and regresse to ask receive and carry away any thing and this not for once but alwayes Reconciliation speaks firm friendship Love in God is not a passion as 't is in you you are off and on for trifles his kindness is everlasting kindnesse With everlasting kindnesse will I imbrace thee God lends his ear to be abused by none concerning any of his children Satan is an accuser of the brethren but God hearkens to nothing which he saith You cannot hearken to accusation but it takes impression and affection flattens which is your weaknesse You have many enemies one saith this of you another that and God hears all and yet lessens not love one whit but heightens it A reconciled person hath one friend sure let the world go which way 't will My love shall never depart c. Whom he loves he loves to the end c. There is no condition so tickle as secular favourites a man is an honour to day and cast out to morrow corruption is strong in all and therefore every little thing by asseth us about No state more sure then a divine favourite Principles within are pure foundation without firm to wit Christ Reconciliation speaks persons beloved for Christs sake love running thorow a sure channell and so becoming sure mercy to the soul God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Not a man in the world which God loves but in Christ which is a firm foundation of love Christ waxeth not old his beauty fadeth not that the Fathers love should decline thereby He is the same yesterday to day and for ever All 〈◊〉 into this that I have said Reconciliation is an intire full and firm friendship between God and fallen man by vertue of which his condition is in all things blessed
he will be at peace with you and you should plead it and build upon it COLOSSIANS 1.20 And having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse c. CHrist had dispensation made to him in order to use God meant to doe much by him and therefore gave much to him Christ had full reception and full imployment of the one you have heard and of the other you are now to heare Christ had all fulnesse all in Heaven and all in earth to reconcile all that are in heaven and that are in earth as full as Christ was God emptied out all he drew out grace he drew out nature to the last drop of bloud that was in him And having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse c. Doct. Observe the condition of this world here God gives and God takes Every condition in this world hath mutation A man weares a Jewel in his breast twentie thirtie yeares fortie fiftie yeares and then 't is snatched away againe The spirit returnes to God that gave it Yea Christ and all that Christ hath return to God that gave him Christ lives and then dies dies and then rises Where is Christ now and all the fulnesse that he hath but in that bosome from whence he came forth Hath not Christ bled out all into the hand of the first Doner 't is a brave condition which they have above there is all giving and no taking away every ones life is everlasting and as the silver coard is so are the Jewels that are hung upon it Above all things are everlasting but here nothing is so no not Christ whilst in this world Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more This world hath and then loseth the biggest blessings seeth me no more This world is a little while rich and hath all and then a great while poore and stript of all Seeth me no more Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation said God to Eli 1 Sam. 2.32 Christ is Gods habitation his speciall habitation yet is an enemy there Sin of man whilst Christ is here The noblest life dies Sin hath brought death over all over Christ Felicitie at first was fixed no mercy Adam had died transgression hath made mutation this is the worme that lies at the roote and gnawes and killes the greenest and pleasantest Goard that growes over us here The sin of the first Adam hath sucked the bloud of the second and not onely his bloud but the bloud of all things else That which followes in the place forecited is here applicable Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation and in all the wealth which God shall give Israel c. Much was made in a little time and marred in lesse Sin hath subjected the whole creation to vanitie the fall of the body of Christ which was so firmly knit is the liveliest demonstration of it in the world Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands but sin hath slaine its millions hath wounded every thing to the heart Christ not excepted he together with all the creation groanes bleeds dies Some things are venemous and deadly within such a limited compasse the destructive propertie of sin is universall it poysons and killes all the world over it changes times seasons Kingdomes worlds hath swept one world away and 't will sweepe another world away Sin makes the Heavens waxe old and passe away yea that which is more firme then the Heavens Christs glorious and heavenly bodie which was not as the Apostle saith of this creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin hath its influence into the mutation of things so hath the will of God Mutation speakes affliction Will of God affliction springs not out of the dust but from the will of God God sets one thing against another and makes fighting between creature and creature between man and man unto death I set all men every one against his neighbour Zach. 8.9 10. I set all men c. That there were men against Christ and took away his life that there were such men against Christ neighbours one in his owne familie c. God set them against him Christ was delivered by the determinate counsell of God Things are set their course divine determination byasseth every state to such an end conditions can be no otherwise then they are Knowne to the Lord are all his workes from the beginning The age of a man is set the age of the world is set it shall be an hundred and twentie yeares saith God Sin provokes justice decrees this makes condition vary necessarily every thing shall die rather then divine justice this overturnes all to keepe up it selfe Angels men the world he which is greater and better then the world Christ The will of God the wisdome of God Wisdome of God hath its influence into the mutation of things here below The being of all things is such that no man may be secure Mutation moulds up time into opportunitie and duty presses hard upon a mans spirit under such a notion it did upon Christ I have but a day to worke in saith Christ things will change quickly night will come and then there will be no opportunitie to worke If Christ made use of motive from the changeablenesse of his condition fallen man may much more God is wise condition is squared to quicken dutie God would have any thing die rather then your grace Were nothing dying holy action would not be lively Man is confident if not powred out from vessel to vessel he settles upon his lees Because they have no changes therefore they feare not God saith the Psalmist Fallen man is pursued in his own way to wit with the falling of things now one thing crackes and anon another thing crackes and these all eccho to one another and speake joyntly and lowdly to the soule that all will crack anon and fall Wherefore looke about thee sinner not a thing not a person comes into thy bosome but breakes there to breake the heart You mourne at the funerall of things groanes beget groanes The bloud and death of things when that cryes and preaches to us if there be any grace if there be any nature the heart cannot but stirre Wisdome hath ordered every thing to preach it selfe to death to you plants brutes men the choicest man that ever was that ever came into the world went out of it againe in his bloud to move and so to save the world Having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse All runs into this All conditions here below have mutation Vse This point preaches submission It hath been a long time of giving and receiving now 't is a time of taking away and peoples hearts rise at it God is dishonoured much by discontentednesse Had we said nothing to prove the point that all things here below are mutable the times in which wee live are a sad demonstration of it View how like himselfe God still moves this shall be our use
Christ then 't is maturated and shall meet us as so many royall Diadems to adorn us for ever You see now the way to work well thus work and your work will be work and wages 'T is a very sweet life to do all in Christ Things are very lively and contentfull in their own element Set a Lark to flie in the open aire 't is his element 't is his heaven he will flie upward upward which is very hard work and yet he will do this and sing too The breast of Christ is the proper element of a Christian and when here a man works nimbly he works and sings too goes upward towards that place above which is very hard work and yet sings as he goes because he has such silver wings from Christ If ye abide in me saith Christ ye will do bravely you will bring forth good works as a Garden as a Vine doth fruits smilingly Let 's work as Christ did and we shall finde our work as he did 't was meat and drink to him to do his Fathers will his works were all works wrought in God as the Apostle speaks Let a Christian set himself in Christ when he goes about any action and he shall finde his work will be very sweet work and wages his meat and drink No motion so free and delightfull as Christian motion where 't is purely Christian We set upon work out of Christ and then the Chariot wheels move heavily and we look sadly and are tired presently Christs sayings are so hard to be done by this a stumbling block is cast before men of the world the works and wayes of God evill spoken of To work divine works is the joyfullest the sweetest life in the world if a man take the advantage of his work that is Christ with him in every thing a Christian and Christ will do any thing with ease remove mountains sins harder to be removed then mountains and stand and smile to behold the plagues of death O death I will be thy plagues to be the plagues of the king of plagues is brave action indeed A man might speak more consolatory from this point Every workman in Christs Vineyard hath a peny here and Christs peny is more then any ones pound but I cannot stand to sum up this now COLOS. 1.21 Yet now hath he reconciled THe love of God is wholly dispensed as love 't is in giving out as in taking in all along free birth bears it not to this rather then to that Not many noble c. friends work it not there is but one Mediator but one favourite in all the world that appears in the presence of God about any such thing and he is no respecter of persons The vilest as soon as those that are more beholding to nature obtain grace And ye that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled Reconciliation in the formality of it I have already handled this therefore I shall not meddle with again neither is it that which the Holy Ghost doth principally point at here but as you see by reading the whole verse one inviting property of reconciliation is most aim'd at to wit that the favour of God goes forth to all sorts that there is nothing in one sort of persons more then another to invite or discourage God to dispence his eternall grace all sorts and all at one price may obtain the favour of God i. Doctr. The Grace of God unto life is in all respects free and this is that sweet property of reconciliation which according to the scope of this place and the necessity of many poor souls at this time I would demonstrate to you The love of God is compared to a Feast in feasting men are free if men be not God is and you will say so if some circumstances in his feasting be observed Vniversally God doth invite universally You make feasts but yet every one may not come God sets no such bound nor makes no such distinction of persons Ho every one as many as you shall find bid to the marriage Matth. 22.9 The heavens are generall in their influence not one grasse on the ground but dewed The Ark had of all sorts brought into it from the East West North and South come and sit downe in the Kingdome of God As persons are in estate so they invite and so they feast Christ is a great King over all the earth and so he invites over all the earth he hath one house that will hold all he hath one table that will hold all yea he hath one dish that will serve all and answerably he invites Ho every one that thirsts If there be any thing looked at in those which Christ invites 't is something within not any thing without If the man be lame blinde halt if he be bodily soare yet it s nothing if he would sit at Gods table and if he would have crums or flagons this is all that is looked at God doth universally invite and he doth affectionatly invite Affectionatly which loudly speaks his love free The world is deaf 't would discourage any one to make a feast for a company of deaf folks stocks and blocks that one must strain ones lungs to make them heare and yet it doth not discourage God certainly his love is very affectionate God doth lay his mouth to the eare of the deaf and cries aloud Ho every one that thirsts John was a crier in the Wildernesse he did Christs work so are we at this day and the injunction is to cry aloud like a trumpet spirits lungs nothing to be spared in expression of Gods affection to mans eternall good Souls are precious to God distresse is laid to heart as 't is bowels sound lungs sound Ho every one c. vocations interjections c. speaks very affectionate motion towards the distressed Why will you die O Jerusalem Matters of weight move not us we make expression from no impression God smites his heart again and again and then speaks and proffers love O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah how shall I give thee up God calls and knocks and waites he calls and beseeches calls and weeps what he utters is from his heart that it may go to our heart Things are so molded and shaped as to make their own way Every word of God hath so much Majesty and sweetnesse conviction and consolation which plainly speaks him very free and willing to be reconciled to man Who puts on such apparell when he wooes a Spouse as Christ does Who speaks such effectuall words or presents such precious jewels when he wooes as Christ doth I will give you something else to demonstrate this thing to you God pursues prerogative altogether in his gracious dispensations Grace must needs be in all respects free because no obligement is upon God to give to this rather then to that I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy The
counsell of Gods will is his guide Mercy goes forth and embraces this or that person and not from any respect else but Gods will he does all things according to the counsell of his will Prerogative carries all with him God is free and will be free to give what he will to whom he will he hath no respect nor obligement upon him nor will have I will have mercy upon whom I will men proffer to some persons this or that to induce them to do this or that for them and they say no what we do we will do freely God is such a noble Spirit The whole creation is spiritually turned into a Chaos darknesse is upon the face of the deep upon the deepest understanding every soule under heaven without form and void of God As all things were then materially as clay in the hands of the Potter free for God to shape how he would one to this another to that so are we now spiritually and as then he was led in the old creation by his will so is he now in the new creation and by nothing else the will of none interrupts or swayes a jot with God Of his own will be begat us by the Word of truth Jam. 1.18 Not any thing without God swayes him in what he does in the old creation or in the new and therefore all that comes forth from him is free and can be no otherwise I will give you an argument more of this nature and then the use of all not a creature upon the face of the earth that can present any thing of his own to God to draw love and to make friendship in the least kinde Distance and disparitie is so great between some persons that there is an utter incapacitie in one side to make and ingage the other What can a begger a vagabond present a Prince with to make his favour if he would be made with a gift The case is ours out of naught comes naught we are naught and nothing else and can present nothing else to him who is nothing but good There is no soundnesse in us Esa 1. 'T is a remarkable expression if we had any soundnesse and 't were but very light we might present that to attract and make friendship and love and so with something of our own help by art a bad condition but there is no soundnesse in us from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot What grace doth by degrees in a very long space of time that sin did presently Grace doth purge wholly but 't is long first The God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Sin corrupts wholly presently as soone as ever Adam transgressed it did as some strong poyson run quite over him presently so that we are become as the Psalmist saith Altogether filthy Psal 14.3 Such as are altogether filthy cannot offer any thing of their own altogether cleane and yet so it must be to him who is altogether so or else it obtaines nothing with him and therefore 't is that the Scripture speakes of our righteousnesse as menstruous ragges Vse I have now shewed you that mercy cannot be merited but justice may The favour of God goes for nothing in man but the wrath of God goes forth alwayes for something in man a course of sin should be trembled at ah Lord what will this bring about My goodnesse extends not to God but my wickednesse doth My grace merits nothing but my sin merits much A man may doe enough to deserve hell quickly The troubles of the whole Land are many every Country dyed with bloud I know how folkes speake of all this yet not a drop of bloud more shed then merited If thy many wounds and much bleeding prove mortall O England thy death will be but just desert 'T were well if what now is upon us were all we have deserved we should then give a guesse when our troubles would end whereas now we can give none A person or Nation pursued according to merit perisheth unavoydably The wages of sin is death Our remedie is free mercy that God breake off from what he is yet but entred upon to wit judgement for if he goe on to doe but justice woe unto us all he will finde matter enough to keep justice alive till every person in the Land be dead See Esa 9. He shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry and he shall eate on the left hand and not be satisfied they shall eate every man the flesh of his own arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh c. And for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still vers 20 21. Justice will finde worke a great while if this be onely imployed about a people 't will eate out all and looke over the hatch for more For all this his anger is not put away c. When justice hath destroyed a whole Land yet not a jot satisfied nor pacified but stands ready to burne it againe and againe Mercy finisheth her worke that consummates the creature justice finisheth her worke too and this consumes the creature When justice doth finish her worke yet then 't is righteous 't is in righteousnesse He will finish his worke in righteousnesse If this be the determination of God upon us that justice shall finish her work in the middest of us we are in a consumption and can never recover He will finish his worke in righteousnesse c. That 's a fatall sentence If free grace intercept not till justice hath finished her worke 't will eate us out all Wee have deserved to die all beate at heaven to know whether the heart of God be hardened as yours is and whether he be onely judiciarily bent against us And whom he will he hardens c. Flint to flint strikes nothing but fire God hardened and we hardened nothing but blowes and fire will or can issue out of this Plead with God for grace and compassion for the Land or we cannot live More particularly I would make application of this point Grace is free in soule distresses let us all feed upon this doctrine God doth not choose us and imbrace us for our beautie as Ahasuerus did Esther and yet this is it that makes many poore soules to shake off what they should take hold on I am very filthy preyed upon with this lust or that should such a one as I kisse the King of glory Is there any reason to thinke that he will take me into his armes and make me his delight Wee may not measure the wayes of God by the wayes of man Grace workes above reason that which we can give no ground for God doth his love passeth knowledge in the breadth length height and depth of it in the spring of it Why is this man or that beloved can any man give a ground more then that which Paul doth It pleased God to reveale his Son in me Nothing can be rendered as
that might speake matter of hope to thee Despaire in strength is very peremptory in conclusions but never deliberate in examinations of grounds 'T is a soule so tossed and tumbled between Satan and conscience day and night that it hath no power to ponder any thing Pressus ab exemplo discat sperare secunda Thou shalt goe to hell O my soule when thou diest Why I have sinned So did all the Saints that are in Heaven when they were in earth as now thou art did not David sin much in life and yet what a brave hope had he in death Sin enough in life to make him a type of Satan for bloud and unmercifulnesse and yet hope enough in death to make him a type of Christ Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave Yea but some persons sins have a very sad consideration over others have This is a truth but no sin or misery must have any such consideration as to sinke the soule Hold this position all that God doth is to bring us nearer to him If he whip us and strike never so hard or never so strangely 't is to bring us nearer him not to drive us further from him If he strike the body or the soule if he let loose Satan to tempt and let loose the heart to fall 't is to bring the soule nearer to God God doth nothing to drive away thy soule from him nor would he have any thing else doe it and wilt thou doe it thy selfe by every thing thou seest hearest feelest c Despaire makes use of externall senses all together more then of the Bible and construes all things amisse it harpes much upon the intention of God God intends my death he holds me for his enemie fury guides him in all that he doth about me one may run and read his frownes in all his actions Thou frownest alwayes O tempted soule and thou thinkest God doth so Thy soule is precious to Christ he doth not desire its death 't is more precious to Christ then to thy selfe Christ would save it and thou wouldest destroy it he meanes nothing else in the blackest saddest things that are upon thee but love and mercy therefore be not prejudized concerning his intention the saddest things that are upon thee if thou couldest but turne them upside downe thou shouldest see in them the smiling face of God Hold one position more that Gods intentions toward us are accompanied with the readiest means to accomplish them in us Good is long a coming this principle swallowed is destructive to Hope the next step will be this 't will never come Christ long a coming the next crosse makes the soule conclude he will never come Wee may not construe Christ tedious in his motion and yet 't is hard to doe otherwise when much put to it when tryals are sharpest mercy and deliverance is nearest The Heathen rage The Lord of hosts is with us saith the next verse Hold fast I come quickly When 't is as much as ever one can hold tryall being so strong then Christ makes hast and salvation is neare This principle well laid into the soule would make one hope to the end hope to the last man in a battell to the last breath in a sicknesse Jacob comes hindermost of the company Christ comes after all means are done Isaac which signifies laughter is a childe of old age Christ comes out of a withered womb the man-childe that makes us laughter comes out of means given up as barren When Christ throwes a man downe and throwes him very low then is he about to raise him When Christ kills then is he readie to make alive If this were received who could despaire Who would not hope of life when every one gives him over Yea of eternall life Finally hold one position more that Satan and thine own unbelieving heart conspire against thy tranquilitie hope is the joy of a mans life Satan hath none and it addes to his sorrow when he seeth any else have joy it greatens his hell when he sees any else have but a little of Heaven Finall despaire shuts up that cursed spirit and all those that are with him the worme that gnawes me will never die the fire that burnes me is unquenchable the chaines that hold me are everlasting chaines the pit I am in is bottomelesse no possible passage from hence not a drop of mercy falls in here to cole any scorched creature in the space of eternitie this is the tone of Tophet these are the dismall complaints which those restlesse soules below throw out as they role to and fro in that fiery furnace Despairing sinner Satan is fallen in with thy conscience to conjure thy soule into this condition Thou art in hell upon earth as that other phrase is of her that is dead while shee lives Tell me How dost thou sleepe How dost thou eate How dost thou walke How dost thou talke How dost thou looke Is not thy moisture turned into the drought of summer Thy body turned into skin and bones Alas for thee poore soule God never made such a way as this to Heaven 't is Satan and thy owne despairing heart one evill spirit tormenting another just as they doe below and the designe is to seale the soule up for wrath despaire is the black seale of the bottomlesse pit Lay all this together now and doe but thinke how unkindly you deale with Christ for all his love and paines which hath done so much for the tranquilitie of your life to make you hope here and possesse hereafter Christ hath taken upon him your debts there is not a sin that ever you committed not a trespasse against any rule but he will be accountable for it and in your stead and all to make you hope Some friends will undertake for part of ones debt to make one chearfull and this is much love too much to be slighted but then there remaines something behind and that sads and sinkes the heart How shall I pay that Bleeding soule Christ leaves thee no debt to pay no sin to answer for 'T is lively set out in that Parable Luk. 18.32 O wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desirest it shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-servant What should make feare when all is discharged If I did know it were so Dost thou not desire it should be so Wouldest thou not have all right and sweet between God and thy soule rather then any thing Yes Why this may be a demonstration to thee that all is right and even between God and thee Did I not forgive thee all thy debt because thou desirest me God forgives debts to Christ upon exact satisfaction but Christ forgives debts to us upon complaining of them and groaning under them and desiring their discharge upon a heart panting to be clean the voice goes forth from Christ I will be thou cleane Panting languishing soule for mercy thou hast obtained mercy thou desirest to
such heigths and depths of grace we account it a great mercy to finde our soules in such a frame here and yet this would be misery above there is no panting nor thirsting after any thing because no distance of any thing that is blessed there is no darkenesse no twilight no cloud of a hand breadth all that Heaven over to hide any thing from any soule to sad him all there have all plaine and open to them abundance of Revelations a Hyperbole of Revelations it is the expression of him that was there a little while 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Least J should he exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations 2 Cor. 12.7 t is abundance of Revelations indeed for t is a personall beholding of God and that is a Hyperbole of Revelations you will all grant and yet t is very true and me thinkes very plainly set out Exod. 33.17 18 19 20. at the eighteene verse this is Moses request J beseech thee shew me thy glory observe how God answers to this at the 20 vers thou canst not see my face by which is interpreted what is meant by Gods glory to wit his face what Moses before called Gods glory that God himselfe when he comes to English it to us calls his face but what then is meant by Gods face why this also in the next words God himselfe interprets There shall no man see mee and live expressing his person so that the glory of God according to Gods owne interpretation is a personall beholding of God and this is a hyperbole of revelations indeed and that which makes a hyperbole of joyes indeed thou shalt make mee full of joy with thy countenance Acts 2.28 which is a place paralell with the former and poynts at the personall vision of God which and which only makes full joy to the soule of man COLOS. 1.28 Whom wee preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdome that wee may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus 29. Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in mee mightily THe call of God by whom to whom and to what are the generalls exprest and amplified in these two verses The call of God now is by men whom wee preach and whereunto J also labour Sinne is punished weakenesse condescended to immediate commerce was our life it is now our death we cannot see God nor heare God and live take both in a parallel speach but wee shall doe both 'T was shadowed by the mediation of Moses who talked with God upon the Mount and in the Tabernacle which shadowed Heaven as our spirituall Tabernacles now do Face to face as a man talkes with his friend Exod. 33.11 there was very immediate vision and commerce though not personall yet as neare it as it was possible for our frayle condition to beare to be strongly preaching and confirming what Christ our Mediator will one day bring us to againe in that holy of holies that glorious Tabernacle where now he himselfe officiates The call of God is by men to men by some selected to all in generall whom wee preach warning every man and teaching every man Earth to earth Potsherds strive with Potsherds of the Earth wee must beseech and intreat every one and with every degree of patience wee must be beggers at every ones dore for Christ for earth to go to Heaven and if it will not be earth must shake off earth against earth we must shake off the dust of our feete against Adams sons Earth is used to save or to destroy earth Goliah is kil'd with a stone a little heape strikes downe a great Goliah some thinke may signify a great heape which if so name and person did agree and David who was but a little man and with a little stone strikes downe this great person Earth kils earth and earth buries earth earth rings the Funerall of earth by us though poore earthen Vessels Christ sounds and sets forth who are dead eternally You know the call of God by whom it is and to whom it is to what it is is the next generall particularly to bee spoken to Wee are cal'd to a perfect person and in him to a perfect condition That wee may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Divine vocation is in opposition to diabolicall avocation we were called from God by Satan and God cal'd us to him againe simply and circumstantially i not onely to him but as fully to him as ever to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toti dilecti wholly beloved Having thus divided the verses wee will begin with the first clause thereof whom we preaeh The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom we exactly shew or fully declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this composition notes a superlative and is to intend the expression like as it doth Luke 12.58 where our Saviour sayes of conscience that it should not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is throughly draw or perfectly draw The word thus opened that which I would stand on is this That Gospell administration makes exact illumination the Gospell hath a peculiar Idiom nothing speakes so plaine and so full of every thing concerning man as this doth 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 14.9 a word very significative i very plaine and very full every administration humane conducing to illumination speakes darkely and by halves no language yeelds vox bene significans therefore are they which leane upon these helps children of darknesse notwithstanding all their light their hearts and lives full of lyes a lie is in their right hand i. In that wherein they are confident they are intelligent they understand nothing Gospel adminstration makes that which the old Testament calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Col. 3.24 Noting certaine knowledge and the new Jadang * Isa 6.9 Perception a looking through things i. it makes every thing transparent manifest quite through out-side and inside Yee see indeed but perceive not 't is as if the Prophet had said yee doe not Gospelly apprehend your reception makes not perception not vision quite through as doth the Gospell therefore is the light of the Church of Christ compared to a stone most precious as Jasper Chrystall He carried me away in the spirit saith John and shewed me the great City holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven having the glory of God and her light was like to a stone most precious even like to a Jasper stone Revel 21.11 Like to this is Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning faire as the Moon cleare as the Sun By all which Metaphors is made manifest that what light the gospell gives is very cleare Vse Gospel-Administration makes exact Illumination what hath it done in you what is your light under all the meanes of light you enjoy paines is considered t is so with you t is so with God you observe
the Lord Jesus as you would blesse God highly for your sinne makes many miserable but your selves most though yet you feele it not surely Justice hath espyed us all carnall for Paul Apollo for Cephas for this thing for that for nothing cordially but our lust Sinners can you consider your selves can you consider this time you of this place your advantages are great do you know them it will not be long ere our glasse be out ere we meete before Christ the Sword of Justice is at all our breasts all that you have heard will be repeated all that you have rejected will be chronicled with the bloud of your soules to beare witnesse against you as long as Christ and your soules are Opportunity is more then eternity 'tas not so much time in it but 'tas more advantage you shall answer for all advantages which are the waightiest things in the world facility to Christ is now doubly needfull soule hardning blowes are strucke apace the Ax is to the root hypocrites are not so borne with now as formerly but ript up and carried forth from the sincere like Judas and Ananias and Saphira our misery is mercy in this sinkes are loathsome yet t is well that Christ so workes that basenesse cannot hide it selfe Drunken soules and drunken bodies pride covetousnesse malice blasphemy all sorts of sinnes that lay hid a great while now shew themselves in their colours speedy action and through action is now expected upon paine of speedy and through detection and rejection COLOS. 1.28 That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus THis terme perfection is not found in some Greeke copies but read onely thus That we may present every man in Christ T is a reading very honourable compared with other copies for it intimates that to be presented at the great day in Christ is all You may call such a soule what you will that is Noble holy unblameable unreproveable in Gods sight as this terme perfect is interpreted at the 22 verse of this Chapter or if there be any tearme amongst us more significative you may use it and apply it to him that is set downe before God in Christ you may call him eximium adultum a man come to full age a man singular chosen out from among thousands by royall favour such a one in whom the eye of God can see nothing amisse no defect no excesse no presence of sinne no absence of grace a man come to his journeys end all this the originall word will beare As soone as one comes into Christ then a mans journey as a Christian begins the soule that is thus come into the Arke when the Arke leaves floating and tossing the soule and lands it selfe and its fraught upon the mountaine in that place above where God Angels and just men made perfect are then t is come to its journeys end then is man a perfect man All our perfection is in Christ Perfection is of things above or below both are in Christ There is a creation here which gives all parts of a perfect creature and therefore cald perfect new all new Old things are past away and all things are become new but this is not till the soule be in Christ He that is in Christ is a new creature A man whilst in himselfe whatever parts he hath or advantage of externall tuition he is an old creature that is adhering to and led by that which God of old condemned in the Angels and in Adam private will selfe will and worth which is the originall of all evill within and without A man in Christ that is a man in the grace and strength of Christ renounceth this to wit himselfe his owne will which is the seat and spring of all carnall lusts and in no other strength whatsoever can he doe it My grace is sufficient The old man is bed-ridden never goes out of his chamber never out of himselfe what ever brave things you discerne him doe or say nor can Perfection here is the through death of selfe I am crucified Crucifixion speakes many deaths head hands feet sides brest all wounded nailed it notes much paine but through worke all powers and parts of selfe tortured crying out eloy much anguish and great earth-quakes but selfe at last quite giving up the ghost I am crucified the heart blood of all that may speake me in any thing that is good is out and this through death of selfe is wrought with no other engine but Christ that with which selfe is crucified is with Christ I am crucified with Christ This is the stone that slaies Goliah that sinkes into the braine of the Gyant Our being in Christ is the death of sinne and the life of grace as Jonas being in the Whale was the death of his pride this makes personall action truly pure that is of such rise and of such reach as fully suits the Gospell and without which none can be or act The Apostle gives this bound to sanctity if any be sanctified here t is in Christ to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.2 Sanctification and glorification is in Christ There is a fulnesse here and a fulnesse hereafter a perfection of quantity and a perfection of quality a perfection of quantity is that which Divines call a perfection of parts as a child hath every finger and every toe every limbe of a man though these not growne to a mans maturity Then there is also perfection of quality which Divines call a perfection of degrees when all parts and gifts are throughly come to maturity the eye so strong and so cleare as able to behold all things that are in God to blesse the soule and so the eare hearing all things the tongue tasting all things the hand feeling all things that are in and from that blessed being to make the being of the soule like it all this perfection is in Christ and this by the pleasure of God It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell grace glory Whatsoever God gives forth here whatsoever he gives forth above Christ is the continent in which t is laid With thee is the fountaine of life and in thy light shall we see light Psal 36.9 There are streames and broad rivers which runne to soules here the fountaine of these is with him that is the whole that God is to man in this world or will be to man in the world to come which is explained in that which followes with thee is the fountaine of life meaning Christ in thy light we shall see light In Christ wee have all the blessednesse that God gives in this world and in him we shall see that is actually possesse all that God gives above Therefore t is that David saith All my springs are in thee those that runne above and therefore also are the rivers of pleasure there said to be at Gods right hand the place where Christ sits In Christ wee stand and see God here in
is this when Christ would perfect a soule in himselfe he turnes a man off and out of himselfe out of creatures of Gods making and out of creatures of the mans owne making out of his prayers and all his duties and this he doth sometime by letting the man fall into sin when proud of any parts or workes and sometimes in a more mild sweet way where nature is more meek and sweet and then when the soule is turn'd off and turnd out of all he that is indeed all presents himselfe to him and woes and wins the soule I will be a husband to thee saith Christ friends riches honours whatsoever can be desired to make one blessed the great world is han'gd upon nothing so is the little world to wit a Christian brought first to be nothing in understanding but a brute nothing in action but worse then a brute a devill very poore very poore in spirit and then blest with a Kingdom and now the soule that was nothing nor could do nothing for Christ or against sin can do all having regnum he hath proprium regni having a Kingdome he hath the proprium of that Kingdome which is dominion over all hee that is made a King and hath a Kingdom doth not rule in this Town only or that Town but over all parts in the Kingdom and this order Christ will move in towards you that desire it for this Kingdom and all belonging to it is a perfect gift COLOS. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour TO take soules from off themselves and to set them downe in Christ beares much by divine Ordinance upon our calling and makes our worke very hard which is noted in this terme labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies such actions and industrie as faints wastes and weares out all such a labour as Solomon speaks of Eccles 10.15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to goe to the City This Emphasis of the word is held forth to the Thessalonians to worke them to a reverend esteem of their teachers We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which spend and waste themselves amongst you to take you off from sinne and selfe and to set you downe in Christ in whom onely soules are fully and perfectly blessed We are as Jonathans armour-bearer whither so ever our Master goes we are to goe after him though we creep upon all foure Your life is our death your fatning is our leaning your Raven-black haires are our milke white We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.2 Such as wax white with painfulnesse and watchfulnesse reading praing sighing mourning and groaning for your good Coaction with Christ is no idle imployment he doth not attempt small things neither is he of small strength to keep pace with such weak agents as we are 't is hard work to draw in yoke with one that is double and treble in strength above me We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers together with Christ he attempts the greatest things that are and the most desperate the taking of holds strong holds Canaanites Hittites c. which dwell in Towns which are walled up to heaven and founded downe to hell he attempts the bloud and death of all the conquest of this whole world the generall making such desperate attempts and taking onely Rams-hornes a sling and a stone such a fraile party as we are you may easily think our work to be desperate full of paine and perill Had man been set to fight with man one man with one man that had been painfull worke but man is drawn out to fight with beasts the fiercest beasts with Lions Beares Wolves Serpents Scorpions yea with devills there was never such a fight in the grand Circue at Rome We wrestle with such creatures as have no hold-fast to be taken of them which have no armes no legs no flesh nor bones we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places Ephes 6.12 We are drawne out to fight upon all the disadvantage in the world against creatures that are upon higher ground that have pitched field in high places that have no flesh to be wounded nor bloud to lose that can make ambushments at pleasure being the rulers of the darknesse of this world this is the Rhetorick of the Apostle We are Stewards of mysteries sentence is past upon us to dye according to the Law which we have broken onely we have the benefit of our book but this book is written as books of such nature usually are very mysteriously with an old strange Character our worke is to stand by and prompt soules concerning their neck verse which is very painfull and trembling worke the book in which sinners are to read for their life is written with bloud which is very inward and ominous inke The Characters and Syllables sutable when put together into words these words are spirit The words I speake saith Christ are spirit What is a more inward and hidden thing then this and yet this are we to interpret our worke is to be an interpreter betweene two of very remote parts that live as farre asunder as heaven and earth as heaven and hell I might say between Spirits the spirit of God and the spirit of man one whereof 't is more proper to say is in hell whilst out of heaven then in any middle place between Transactions between God and the soule are the deepest the weightiest the intricat'st things in the world A sinner is convicted sentenced carried to the place of execution his winding sheet wrapt about his shoulders his handkerchiffe tyed before his eyes his halter about his neck his sentence written upon his forehead in this shalt thou hang till thou bee dead and yet possibly no internall intention concurring or meaning the bloud of the soule Divining in this case at the foot of the Ladder what will become of him that is on the top on 't sitting trembling whether he will be turned off or fetcht downe with a pardon is extraordinary hard work to determine and yet beares not upon any extraordinary office no Angel is dispatcht from heaven to be an oracle in this difficult case but it lyes upon our shoulders by ordinance The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge If there be any divining in this extraordinary worke t is not by extraordinary but ordinary office there is not one from the dead to tell who shall dye next no one sent from hell to tell who is to come next thither Things belonging both to the death and life of the soule are made manifest by our ministration by our labour wee are the Heralds of Heaven the Trumpet of God in which he sounds Retreat and March fight and victory funerall and triumph we are to sound sad and dolefull sweet
is in its scope as others to obtaine i. the glory of God and salvation of the soule our fight of this kind is not onely to kill but to make alive to make an eternall death and an eternall life to make an eternall death to sin and an eternall life to Christ Vse Strife is common now all the world is on fire but t is so voyd of divine property that I know not what will become of us all t is hell fire that burnes onely to torment persons and augment sinnes such is our lung and tongue contests at this day as for other fights the Lord be gracious to us they are very bloody but what their nature is otherwise I am unskild to speake heart fight makes hand fight love was slaine before our wars began or we had never gone together by the eares with any weapon neither with tongue nor hand Justice hath found us out and turnd our inside outwards what will be in the end God knowes if the Spirit of Christ be wanting in contention t is the saddest worke in the world and of the most desperate issue and yet nothing puts upon greater temptation this way When a house is a fire a little winde will make the blaze very big big enough to consume all when David had his Sword by his side how quickly was he over-heated by a foole t is so in spirituall contests when friends meet to argue they are as souldiers with their weapons by their sides one foole now in the company a little folly throwne out over-heats and fires all of a sudden and sets all together by the eares if Christ be not very gracious Selfe must be first slaine in me before I goe to destroy any part of selfe in another otherwise I shall wound mine owne soule when I goe to cure anothers vain-glory is conceited such a man is a reformer of all but one this exactnesse because it cannot accomplish it selfe turnes into frowardnesse and now he that cannot mend all will marre all the froward soule sowes strife saith Solomon Prov. 16.28 These are the most dangerous persons of all there is a strife of words and a strife of matter reason not passion must onely fight against folly this makes conquest and honour strength and vigour of matter not violence and virulency of words and lust in this latter strife wee can doe nothing that is honourable to our selves or benificiall to others and therefore it s a strife utterly forbidden by the Apostle Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but iâ— lownesse of mind let each esteeme other better then themselves Yet let not what is honourable be condemnd with that which is dishonourable I am to strive with any to plucke a brand out of the fire men come not out of the armes of a harlot with ease t is not divine strife but diabolicall that is our plague at this day and this in no mans heart more then in theirs that cry-out most of the divisions of the Land sects schismes and factions I have not a word to say for any one that walkes besides rule That strife in sacred things which strikes at mens honours liberties and the like is fire not from above but from below and will keepe persons and Kingdoms low the sword will never be turnd into a plowsheare nor want worke in the world while this spirit lives Our weapons in divine things are spirituall if we make them carnall we shall abuse institution and attempt to kill the King of the Jewes in the Cradle to keepe our selves King truth shall no sooner bud but have its braines knockt out with a club which hath been the effectuall argument of Antichrist these many hundred yeeres and the argument of Episcopacy now on foot in the field which hath cost a great deale of blood to answer and yet we are necessitated to answer as we are opposed which should make us and posterity for ever after us to abhor such kind of strivings to advance the things that we thinke Christs COLOS. 1.29 According to his working DIvine action according to its first cause is here mentioned First Christ workes and then a Christian Christ is the Prince of life ye have denied the holy one and killed the Prince of life Acts 3.15 That is the prime and first maker and breather of life as Christ is the Prince of life so he is the Prince of all the acts of life that is the preparations of the heart in man as well as the answer of the tongue are from the Lord. Ere divine actions are attempted there are great thoughts of heart in a good man How shall I move in this action congruous to the will of Christ a Christian travels still to bring forth now these travellings of the soule as well as the birth it self are all from Christ the training and exercizing of armes as well as the fight and conquest He workes the will and the deed of his good pleasure There is a first mover in order to the whole and a first mover in order to the parts the will is the first mover in order to the parts not an organ or faculty stirres not a thought workes or sits up a moment with any content about any thing till first the will will it this first mover is not independent not the originall of its owne influence upon other faculties the first mover in order to the whole moves the will which is Christ he gives the very desires and inclinations of the heart to things that are heavenly according to his working wee stir and work the expression meanes this that what we are as Christians intentionally or actually in thought word or deed we are wholly of Christ Three words will comprise all that belongs to a Christian though three thousand words will not expresse it efficiency sufficiency al-sufficiency and all these are of Christ The first term comprises the very being of a Christian esse Christianum A Christian precisely so considered that is as divine life and soule is together as one would say and he is as Melchisedeske without father and mother without any propagator in all the world but Christ there is much variety of things in the world and yet all of very knowne and very low birth some are borne of bloud that is of very corruption of very filth and excrement which we call a praeternaturall Generation others are borne of the will of the flesh that is of a naturall Generation others of the will of man that is an artificiall Generation as all your structures of art and ingenuity which are the birth of mens braines but a Christian is none of these births he came none of these wayes into this World hee is of God which were borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God 1 John which is explained in the verses foregoing and applied to God-man to wit Christ to as many as received him meaning believers to
of love be to thee what I shall further do beside setting mine own weak house and heart in order to go home I know not more then breath out my dying breath in the bosome of Christ for thee that thou and all thy Worthies in thee may do well and worthily from generation to generation till Christ come Nicho. Lockyer To the READER T Was a very Christian expression that once a very Learned and worthy friend of another Nation and of another judgement to mine own wrote unto me Sir though there be two opinions between us yet I desire there may be but one heart to which my desire doth so concur that my requests to Christ are that this Spirit may be powred out amongst all his people in all the world There are many and I think too many opinions amongst the godly already but if there were as many more I hope I should be one in heart with them all which are in Christ and walk in him Variety of faces is not an affliction but matter of much admiration to behold to such as are but humanely ingenious So truly variety of judgements simply considered is not a grief but a glory to me to behold when one Spirit of grace and heavenlinesse is in them all for I account it a glasse of Gods own making wherein to behold his manifold Wisdome and I further think that he is setting many nobler spirits then mine own at work to dig up some pearle and precious truth for me which yet I have not I differ Reader with none but them that differ with Christ As for them that vary in judgement from me whose lives are holy I am jealous that they are better acquainted with Christ then I and so I lay my hand on my mouth and leave them alone to their Master and mine believing that we are as Laban said to Jacob * Chinissather ish meregnehu Because we are hid a man from his friend Gen. 31.49 but hid from one another neither hid from Christ Our light is so dark that a man a Christian man is hid from his Christian friend in matter of judgement but there is a Mitspah one God watching between us both which will bring us to see one another and himself plainly in heaven Let this be my Apologie for my spirit and opinion to thee Christian Reader and to all the people of God that so Satan by no spirit of prejudice hinder the profitable participation of this work which speaks of no controversie between Christian and Christian betweeen King and Parliament or between man and man but of that controversie which is between God and I fear all men in these Dominions under which we are and how this controversie will end give him that loves Christ and thee leave longer yet to study and pray ere he give thee in an answer under his hand As for errata's the Author Scribe and Presse are too full there need the lesse in the Reader or else things will be too bad A childe wrote from Christs mouth and another from mine which truly I had hardly ease or life to overlook and then when to be printed as hasty in this by other hands I cannot say by other ends then mine own for the undertaker I take to be truly godly as slow in the finishing of it three Presses were employed at once two in the City one in the Countrey and he hardly one that should review them so that doubtlesse many things will displease others more then my selfe who expect to suffer much in preaching and printing by them that have little in them and as for others they will be candid noble and do like themselves take in good part parts and fragments of him whom they honour more then I NICHO LOCKYER COLOS. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne FItnesse for heaven is generally acknowledged in the foregoing verse and particularly and fully explain'd in this and that which follows and put into two branches Deliverance from the power of darknesse and translation into the kingdome of Christ Who hath made us meet for the inheritance of saints in light c. What is that meetnesse He hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne Deliverance undergoes a double acceptation it means temporall deliverance sometimes Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutours for they are stronger then I Psal 142.6 Sometimes it means eternall deliverance soul-salvation deliverance from sinne it self and the dominion of it and not barely from such domineering evils as sinne sets up to make this life miserable Deliver me from all my transgressions Psal 39.8 Deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse Psal 51.14 These expressions speak soul-deliverance eternall deliverance and of this nature is that deliverance here mentioned in my Text as the words themselves explain Doctr. Man now is in soul-misery our eternall estate is undone our eternall life slain the bloud of our souls is spilt upon the earth There is death and death with Emphasis Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Soul-death is here meant man is spiritually slain stabbed at heart undone inwardly he needs a deliverance from this death So there is wrath and wrath to come wrath that works hereafter upon spirits when then they have laid aside the bodies of flesh in which they dwelt here Even Jesus who hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1. Thess 1.10 That deliverance and this in my Text mean one thing soul-deliverance which every soul stands in need of but some onely enjoy Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse Naturally Man is in soul-misery naturally we are children of wrath by nature wrath works against us in the very wombe Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated and this ere they had seen the world Corruption is got into the bloud generation is marred man the noblest creature cannot beget a happy creature when he goes about this work he layes the first foundation in sinne In sinne was I conceived c. David was marred from the beginning and made miserable as soon as crudled in the wombe as soon as any matter was laid together for such a form Treason stains the bloud the first man proves a traytour and never since any otherwise but one The first man poisoned his nature and then begat as he made himself and not as God made him and so doth all the posterity to this houre and this makes so many men so many worms and no men so many base miserable things and not one worthy of the name of a blessed creature but the name of an uncreated thing a piece of mere putrifaction a worm so in body and so in soul mere putrifaction in all Judiciarily Man is in soul-misery judiciarily Justice hath traced sinne to its rise and plagued it at the fountain head Man
c. Psalme 58.9.10 Both living and in his wrath as living as his wrath is the originall like that expression used of Chora and his company who went down quick into the pit as living as the wrath of God that took them off There is snatching of wicked into hell as well as snatching of believers into Heaven 1. Coloss 13. Power of darknesse I Do approve this translation and possibly might joyn issue with it and do well but give me leave rather a little to touch a more strict translation according to the originall The word which is here translated power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies licentia a generall leave such a kind of libertie wherein one is freed to do what he will of one hand or the other So the Apostle uses the word to the Corinthians If a man eat or not eat he offends not onely saith he use not your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 licence in this case to offence As this may be a genuine signification of the word so I believe it may give here a genuine sense Who hath delivered us à licentia tenebrarum from the libertinisme of darknesse and blindnesse the lawlesnesse of Gentilisme for darknesse here notes the rude estate of the Gentiles their rudenesse in sacred letters made them a loose lawlesse generation Ignorance pollutes the will That I may have the favour to be candidly received in this reading of the text I would note this to you to stand on That darknesse makes loosnesse ignorance of the word of God makes a lawlesse soul a Gentile Nature is powerfull as truth is wanting for corruption puts no yoke upon her self but doth what seemeth good in her own eyes when nothing to contradict Nature yields up all to will soul body gifts parts and that 's the God she sacrifices to of her self and to none else when she hath no light As you have yielded your members servants unto uncleannesse and to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6.19 Nature yields up to will will yields up to iniquity one iniquitie yields up to another iniquity a lesse to a greater and this is the progresse of fallen man till all be yielded up to the devil and himself to hell Nature acknowledgeth no supreme but Iust lust is a king of her own crowning to this though never so base though never so unclean all shall serve and to none else As you have yielded up your members servants to uncleannesse c. Nature is as licentious as hell darknesse is her supreme and the prince and power which onely leads her The flesh hath reasonings if the spirit cannot answer them The practice understanding the soul is overcome by the power of darknesse that is darknesse is put for light bitter for sweet and this in a way of argument for nature is loose and yet a justifier of her self in her way by some blind mediums or other which is the damning power of darknesse If we say we have no sinne saith the Apostle intimating that nature can argue for it self the old man hath a tongue in his head though scarce any brains or eyes and he will speak for himself the grave can open her mouth and speak as rotten as 't is this is a voice from the dead sinne saith 'tis no sinne and who can stand up and say 't is when the soul hath no light when there is no sunne in the heavens but all powers of the soul in darknesse Darknesse calls not it self so the crow is beautifull to himself the blackmoore fair in his own eye sinne saith 'tis no sinne this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loosnesse and lawlesnesse with a witnesse licentiousnesse protested Darknesse pollutes conscience conscience erroneous The conscience the soul is loose indeed the man will then kill Saints and call them devils the man will kill and slay whom he should not and think he doth God good service Conscience polluted judgement is reprobate judgement reprobate the life is so judgement misjudging and Samsons both eyes be out and all in thick darknesse and how strong soever other limbs and parts be yet you may lead the man whither you will and set him to grind or to what slaverie else you will till the man hath killed himself this is licentia insana mad libertie bloudy loosnesse Corruption is infecting and one facultie defiles another corruption works unto desperate lewdnesse when conscience carries the man to do wickedly this person will kill men and kill Christ in men Why dost thou persecute me How long will you resist the holy Ghost Ignorance Satans proper advantage Finally darknesse is the devils element and things are powerfull in their own element Sathan can lead a world of blind souls at once whither he will Sathan and corruption are the councel of State in dark souls both consulting and consenting and they discern neither and when these two carry all the soul is under a full power of darknesse and a generall liberty Sathan hath a kingdome and t is a kingdome of darknesse the devil is in his kingdome in a dark soul and a king in his kingdome rules all Kings give laws in their kingdome What Satan and the flesh say is a law to a blind soul how loose then must the life needs be There is a law in the members and the execution of this law is not accounted rebellion where the eyes be out and the man in the dark Dark souls are as obeying as the devil is commanding he that follows the Lambe whereever he goes is very holy and so he that follows the wolf the devil whithersoever he leads you may conclude is very unholy very licentious and under the power of darknesse Vse To the dark Church of England I will speak a word from this point Thy darknesse hath made loosnesse and lawlesnesse bloudy desperate gentilisme and heathenisme thy children are risen up against thee to kill thee for keeping them without light O English earth drink not up the bloud of thy slain take the bloud of thy body and the bloud of thy soul and throw it in the face of Bishops Deans Prebends Parsons Vicars Curats and all of that kind which have and do keep thee in blindnesse and taught thy children to kill Christ and one another For some years together loosnesse in tenets loose doctrines and pamphlets filled the kingdome directed against the Sabbath and other main parts of Christs will Prelates brains hatched nothing but toads they crept out of their mouths all the land over and then I did sadly foresee what all was drawing too apace loose tenets make a loose life When I saw mens gifts and parts under the power of darknesse I did believe that their persons and fortunes would not be long behind toads and serpents when they are generated must live who ever be stung and poisoned to death Unhappy Prelates must England bleed and die rather then your pompe all her bloud yet cries against this generation Was not this
according to the will of God Verily unlesse a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alive but if it die it bringeth forth fruit John 12.24 God hath taken counsell of his will and turned the sea of love into a new channell the first covenant gave out all favours without bloud but the second through bloud through Christs bloud and our own Christs cup is called Gods will and our cup is called Christs will the will of God orders both these and therefore is Christs cup when full of bloud said to be Gods will not my will but thine c. And our bloudy cup also called Gods will if any suffer according to his will c. Great favours to come through great hardships is the will of God Means carry proportion to their end death to make death the death of Christ to make the death of the serpent bruising to bruise it was so proportioned by God It shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel Nature hides her choise things closest and bids art use pains sutable to prise to obtain them and so doth grace she hides life in death our life is hid saith the Apostle where In bleeding dying Christ Wisdome orders great things to be obtained with great pains grace and glory in bloud in Christs bloud and our own Christ gets heaven by suffering and all that will live godly with him shall suffer too Means are generally proportioned to their end so by God to Christ and so by Christ to us This world is thrown upon men which is providence disposing sutable to things disposed this world is worth nothing and comes for nothing but the world to come is invaluable and the way to it proportionable the bloud of Jesus Christ and the bloud of his people the one per modum meriti the other per modum congrui Things are prised rather as they come then as they are farre fetched and dear bought makes all the prise and gives all the worth with us weak creatures upon this ground the Scripture when it speaks of our great fortune tells the great prise it cost as eying our weaknesse who look more at what things cost then at what things are and as knowing if any thing will work and take with us this will To him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud Rev. 1.5 Man is a legall creature and looks much at what is given for a thing and prises this more then that which comes for little he values things more under a notion of prise then under a notion of freenesse What did this cost why it cost Christs own bloud Fancie works foolishly in weak brains colour is more then the cloth and scarlet colour a generall taking colour and therefore is Christs garment dipt in bloud and he admired in this habit Who is this that comes from Edom with garments died red from Bozra Use Let no man be offended if mercy come any way to sinners though through never so much bloud and misery Sinne had totally and finally closed up every wombe of grace and it could not enter into the imagination of any creature that ever any dramme of mercy should find any way to them that the earth opens after much sweating and labouring and that heaven opens after much sweating and bleeding to send forth favours to sinners is beyond the expectation of men and Angels Mercy lay buried under impossibility of resurrection impossibilities reduced to difficulties and grace become fesable though with much cost is admirable Deadly sentence was with redoubled strength passed and not with a syllable of revocation for any lost creature to make the least guesse at any restauration By dying thou shalt die c. Here is the grave of a whole world of felicity and a stone rolled upon it daring all powers in heaven and in earth to open it if they can and that grace notwithstanding so buried should rise and become atainable is admirable I wonder that all the world is not bleeding and howling in hell and every one catching his bloud as it falls and writing out his fall in capitall letters to the glory of justice to all eternitie 't is wonderfull to me that it is not the whole imployment of all the creatures in this world to drown one another in bloud to stab tear and rend one another in pieces without any ceasing as that world below doth that there are not two hells a higher and a lower an upmost and a nethermost and that this is not as bad as that that all of this side heaven is not hell out-right Murmuring spirits be patient you think much to see so much spoil and bloudshed in the land 't is the way of God to bring great things to man through the bloud of prime brave persons are brave things brought forth Is there a braver person then Christ in the land or in any land and yet through his sides and through his bloud must great and gallant favours come You eye your pain and not Gods pleasure his way is in the deep the Leviathan tumbles there in the sea in the red sea in bloud and death to life and glory do ye think to justle God out of his wayes as ye justle a man Murmuring is spirit justling against spirit a bad against a good and the worst will have the worst for God treads such to death as will not give him his way You know that God fell out with his own people deadly when they disliked the way of hardship which he had cast them into to humble them and to do them good under heathen princes Let a wise man propose such an end and such a way to it let it be what it will red or white fair or foul you honour him in all and with joy look for good in this way give God this honour Wisdomes way to great things is in bloud in the bloud of some prime persons to the life and welfare of many One or two things may make us give God the honour of his way to such an end let his way be never so sad in our eye God alwayes makes his way most just to what end soever he bends mercy comes clothed but like your sinne when it comes clothed in scarlet your sinnes are crimson scarlet sinnes you die mercies red and bloudy 't is not God Justice treads upon sinne properly upon man accidentally as he lies under it if no body did ly under sinne justice would tread no body to death to bring life into the world nor shed a drop of any ones bloud to bring the greatest blessings to us God goes after man because man will not go after God justice follows sinners because sinners will not follow righteousnesse God doth not step a step in a way of punishment but as you lead him and to trace you in your wayes of sinne all wayes of bloud and death you chalk out to him you lead love out of his way and
make him become bloudy God is love fury is not in him naturally but love he delights not in the death of any God is nothing but life and so is his motion naturally and therefore called a fountain of life nothing runnes from him naturally but life if death runne out of the fountain of life 't is because of poyson cast in by you Generation in bloud one mercy to die to bring forth another is such a generation as was not known in the beginning God never appointed things thus to generate but life to bring forth life and such a happy creature to bring forth such a happy creature all happinesse to live each speak out fully the vastnesse of the fountain and the similitude of the stream to it The sinne of the first Adam cost the bloud of the second and all the bloud that ever since hath been shed to keep any good alive in the world Murmuring souls you are blind justice steres the ship when it sails in bloud with jewels to you you would never open your mouths at all the bloud that is shed in the land no nor at all the bloud that ever hath been shed in the world if your eyes were but open to see this first thing God makes his way most sure to such an end let the means proposed to it be what they will through bloud and death or hell I will surely do thee good saith God to Abraham and yet they must into hardship so much and so long and yet still the end sure and this hart-bleeding condition the onely sure way to it and no other way would have been sure to such an end Certainty of an end with us depends upon the standing or falling of such a thing but the certainty of Gods end which he proposeth doth not stand upon the standing or falling of this or that but upon the resolution of his will I will certainly do thee good One may die another may die and yet whilest the will of God remains resolute to such an end the end will live and the dying of such prime persons is onward to it and without which it could not be Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one tittle of Gods will shall fall to the ground The certainty of Gods intention you see depends upon his will heaven and earth may die which are greater bodies then man and yet Gods intention live because his will lives I must say again that murmuring spirits are blind they can see nothing certain in these uncertain times they think that all that God intends must bleed and die because all that men intend bleed and die and the very men too Blind creatures the certainty of what God intends doth not depend upon any of these when all is in bloud and dead God is alive and on in his way to his end the unspeakable good of many God alwayes makes his way most honourable to such an end let difficulties in the way be what they will though God may cast much hardship upon us yet he casteth no disgrace upon himself nor upon his way His way is honourable and glorious saith the Psalmist all his wayes are so when he goes in bloud for he speaks of the execution of justice there when he goes in the death of one thing to the life of another he goes in in state and glory God is alwayes tender of his name when he seems not tender of any person his sonne his onely sonne scoffed crowned hanged used in all the cruellest and basest manner that men and devils could devise and yet this sonne so used by men was so managed by God and all his hardship that the name of God was made wonderfull honourable in all Noble persons stand not upon losse but upon their honour they value not life they will step every step in bloud rather then prosecute their designes basely An honourable spirit is naturall to God he bringeth nothing about basely he eyes not the bloud of men nor the bloud of his sonne nor the bravest bloud that ever ran in bloud vessels but what he eyes is the accomplishment of his will honourably Murmuring spirits you are blind and you are base so you may but have your own ends the fafety of your lives and states you care not how God brings this about whether honourably or dishonourably Unruly hearts are unfit to order weightie matters such spirits must be guided by better then their own what is done with dishonour to God saves a little bloud and forfeits a great deal God will manage his way with honour though he drown and burn worlds and turn all the creation into bloud Our spirits should move like Gods that his will may be done by me to his honour What is my bloud What is God break my back with standing upon it and squeez out my bloud so that it may but colour his garments scarlet and honourable Finally God makes his way most beneficiall when most bloudy and difficult Who can expresse the benefit that redounds to the Church by the bloud of Christ the like I may say of the bloud of Christians the benefit which redounds to God and to man is not to be expressed The like I may say of the bloud that is now shed in England Truth by fiery trialls is made famous Christ is clothed with scarlet and crowned with glory here a mans life is his glory and this given to Christ in flames is double glory put upon Christ a mans bloud veins are the lowdest trumpets on earth to sound out any thing What a noise hath Christs bloud made all the world over And so the bloud of Martyrs is it dried up yet What virtues and graces smell so sweet and look so glorious as those that are died rose-colour with bloud with the bloud of that earthen breast in which they grow Bloud hath a very crying voice it cries up guilt to heaven and so it cries up grace in heaven and earth it makes Christ terrible holinesse immortall truth eternall what is written in bloud never goes out and all that reade wonder I have but one thing more to say and that is for as much as great things come in a way of hardship to fallen man that you would all prepare for hardship London dost thou not see England dost thou not feel that thy mercies come in bloud that thy redemption is likely if ever to be through much bloud but through much more then yet is shed who can say Men die dayly bloudy clouds go up and down and fall upon this citie and that and shalt thou London escape the storm Londoners Londoners are you prepared to welcome in your mercies in bloud You have had a Thames of water bringing in wealth to you for a great while are you prepared to have a Thames made of your bloud to bring in brave wealth to you for another while God hath stirred up some brave spirits amongst you I would all were such and yet I see many
unworthy spirits amongst you tell such from me their doom is coming your bloud is dear your money dear but how dear Dearer to you then Christ then Christ will trample upon both Christ is lavish because we are nigardly he spoils all money goods bloud because men have no heart to offer all to bring him in all to this blind land yet this men will not do this men cannot do till better qualified in heart The heart must have precious principles ere it will part with its bloud like Christ to bring great favours into the world for others How noble spirited was Christ he had principles which if you labour after will make you as he ready and able to part with your bloud to bring more of truth into the world he onely eyed and magnified the truth of God and the glory of God he sought not his own will nor his own glory and therefore so easily parted with all that was his own to bring in God and his love to us let him be your pattern in this and you will do likewise Coloss 1.14 Even the forgivenesse of sinne THe essence of Christianity and the foundation of all felicity providence now puts me plainly to speak of to you This last clause of the verse is an application of the former what is first borrowedly is here properly expressed if you understand not spirituall redemption 't is forgivenesse of sinne In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinne Forgivenesse notes two things and so doth sinne which shall be touched in their order Forgivenesse necessarily notes transgression and therefore are they here both joyned together forgivenesse of sinnes Sinne is transgressio legis man out of his way his action is trespasse he eats forbidden fruit his life is disallowed by truth and his person abhorred by God Man in his best state was an inferiour inferiority is minority and hath alwayes some observation upon it to speak it out to beholders the will of God was mans law and his felicity the observation of this was was the acknowledgement of his distance and yet his fellowship with God and his heaven upon earth The state of inferiority though so blessed yet disliked man would be no inferiour but equall another god Dislike of condition made transgression the soul did sinne as that expression in Ezekiel is as well as the body the eye changed its object and carried the heart with it fruit forbidden was looked upon and then pleasant to the eyes and to be desired to make one wise That heart which had the will of God perfectly written upon it and the glorious presence of God as the daily majesty of it broke out against both to the prosecution of its own private will as such an absolute being venturing its prerogative to raise or ruin his condition which made Adams transgression without similitude as the Apostle speaks who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Our transgression is the transgression of the law written in books his was the transgression of the law written in his heart sinnes of the latter sort the Apostle did mean here forgivenesse of transgression against the externall written word of Christ Sinne notes transgression and it notes guilt sin is an abiding thing the act dies as soon as done but the obliquity of the act lives as long as the soul is Miscarriage of the hand in making a blot that 's over presently but the blot abides as long as the paper is Now you say We see therefore your sinne remains saith Christ These words materially considered died assoon as spoken but the wickednesse of these words lives remains Where upon record in the breast of God which is beyond all record to meet the man when he goes out of this world Sinne hath two things in it obliquity and obligation transgression of truth and obligement to wrath God layes sinne to heart and keeps it there though we do not Trespasse makes debt obligation to Gods displeasure is the debt of sinne this is bloud upon the man that shed it the spots of the bloud sticking fast upon the murtherer to detect him and bring him to the gallows His bloud be upon us said they that is whatsoever it obliges to in this world or in the world to come let that fall on us Sinne in the text notes three things act obliquity obligation and forgivenesse takes off all these and I will now tell you what that is Forgivenesse notes remission which is the term in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remissio remittere quasi retromittere which signifieth the sending of a thing back again from whence 't was taken the unravelling and undoing of a thing misdone the nullifying of a disallowed and unlawfull action As sinne makes void the law and nullifies it so doth forgivenesse nullifie and make void sinne obliquity and obligation not onely nullified but the very act that bare these all nullified by forgetfulnesse and therefore is forgivenesse called forgetfulnesse I will remember their iniquities no more Iniquity notes the crookednesse of the action and the incongruity of it to rule and this is as if it had never been remembred no more And not onely iniquity is blotted out but the very act that bears this obliquity therefore as you read of subduing so of destroying the work of the devil and therefore is pardon elsewhere called blotting out iniquity as a cloud a cloud is by superiour power of the heavens nullified neither form nor matter to be found not any circumstance like it to note that ever such a being was and this is our state in Christ we are remitted we are retromissi sent back again to our first condition as when we were in Paradise no more mentioned nor no more thought os rhen of Adam before his fall What we were in our own person then that we are now in the person of Christ which lived and died for us Forgivenesse notes reconciliation reconciliation notes acceptation to favour and acceptation to favour notes peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost and fruition of glory as many blessings as heaven and earth can hold as many blessings as a God can hold which is greater then heaven and earth Sinne separates God and man are out and God-man interposeth with his life and gives up this wholly to the last drop of bloud in this quarrell and in this is justice satisfied and all truth fulfilled and Christ as a generall person designed so to act in the person of many and so hath reconciled two in one body God and man and hath slain the enmity that was between them And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slain enmity thereby Ephes 2.15 16. that is Jews and Gentiles one unto another and borh unto God by the expiration of such a noble life in such a cursed death as the Crosse The summe of all is this Forgivenesse of sinne is an act of God putting
so doth Christ neither will he be deceived therefore deceive not your selves Death is at your doore do you not see him after him the next dispatch will be for eternity and it will bear but upon the resolution of this question whose image and superscrition is upon this soul If you would seek to delude at that day it will not do in the least for conscience then shall manage its office fully without any confront from an unsound heart it shall speak out then and unmask the face of the inward man to the judge of all Deluded souls I dread to think of you you have used a damnable art a great while to mask a naughty heart and a naughty life this trade must down now the sword of the Lords vengeance is come to rip you up you shall be known as you are judged as you are This man is as like the Devil in heart as he can look let children swimme home to their father in bloud I will make no better conveyance for them Let them have marshall law will the Lord of hosts say slay them in their beds slay them at their doors uggly souls I cannot endure any longer to look upon them But as for you that bear the image of Christ lift up your heads sing for joy of heart now though all the land be so sad Christs image is his mark upon you for mercy he will know you by this in the midst of the bloudiest battell in the midst of a fired citie You being like the Sonne of God you shall have one like the Sonne of God to embrace you in fiery flames as the three children had Coloss 1.15 Who is the image of the invisible God THis is said of Christ eminenter he is what none else are in heaven or in earth for likenesse to God They are exclusive words and make a proper rule for our right apprehension of God When we would conceive of God as he is we are to conceive of him as he holds forth himself in Christ and no where else for God hath no representation for divine adoration but Christ God hath no artificiall similitude nor no naturall similitude nothing grows like him nor nothing can be made like him Nature keeps her compasse and attempts nothing this way and yet art is venturous I admire it much for no man hath seen God at any time that is as he is onely he that lay in his bosome thus saw him Sight is the rule of art fancy cannot work upon nothing not our fancy Folly makes her self visible and not God when the man goes to make the likenesse of him he never saw Fancie is but bad at recollection when at a losse yet a little it can do sometimes this way call to mind such a countenance which at such a time it saw but that which it never saw it can do nothing about that but befool it self No man hath seen God at any time Fancie can draw to the life and it can work at second hand fancy can go after nature and fancie can go after art and make good work she can draw from a thing drawn from a thing it self or from the shape of that thing it can shape again to please it self and continue so contemplative but it hath neither wayes relief respecting God neither the naturall form of God nor any artificiall shape can be got Ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape John 5.37 No man hath seen God to draw him to the life nor none hath seen his shape to copie him out ye have neither heard his voice nor seen his shape Christ as man is not the shape of God There was apparition frequently under the old covenant vision was an ordinance and although it were an ordinance yet God did make vision still under the shape of some other thing not of himself under the shape of men or of an eagle or a dove The form of man gives not a shape of the form of God Christ as man was not the image nor the shape of God but called so as he had a divine essence and action as the godhead and the fulnesse of the godhead dwelt in him and wrought by him Though fancy hath no full shape as a copie yet from a little from an eye or from a toe she can form the whole if she hath but the shadow of a shadow any rough draught any ground-work or any glimpse of such a similitude she can with some applause set her self on work but there is not this relief to make the image of God Take good heed for ye saw no manner of similitude when God talked with you in Horeb If there were any times to get some glimpse of God it was in Horeb but yet then there was no manner of similitude The result of all is this There is no image of God but Christ nor can be There is no representation for relief of apprehension in adoration but Christ Use Mens principles are strange which conceive otherwise and yet persons abusing their light make what apprehensions of God they please Look how the heart is engaged so it fancies God and represents him to it self A vain heart makes vain imaginations will guides affection affection guides fancie and fancie guides action when the soul is given up to sinne and death the heart chooseth its way and then fancy other powers set up a god in similitude to this way to go before the man to confirm the man in his way and to seal his destruction and yet thus men generally live and die Some mens principles are strange yet they will venture their souls upon the practise of them the pride of man and the wrath of God is in this what is the idole of any mans heart shall become the idol of his life to his death God will have what is in the heart under the mans hand to condemne him Professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and foure-footed beasts saith the Apostle First they became vain in imagination then in action the idol of the heart begins the idol of the hand and outward man necessarily if you would know any mans conception of God look upon his action if you would know what idol is in any mans heart be but patient a while and he will draw it out himself in his life How Romanists conceive of God they give it you under their hand by the many sensuall helps they use in their devotion their images and multitudes of carnall representations whereas God is a spirit and under the same notion and apprehension alone must be worshipped Carnality speaks corruptibility and that is admirable abominable to relieve apprehension by respecting an incorruptible God and yet this is the abomination of Rome and the persons which we stand to defend our selves against at this day Men which have corrupted their own
possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning when there were no depths I was brought forth c. Proverbs 8. He speaks you see in reference to the creature and challenged priority of being in reference to them all and therefore called in the Revelation the beginning of the creation of God and therefore here also called the first-born of every creature Birth-right you see by this hath a double consideration naturall and spirituall and both honourable and to beheld up and maintained and so doth the spirit of God here inferre Doctr. Birth-right is an honourable thing and to be holden up and maintained 'T is taken for granted to be honourable and to be maintained and therefore is so used and prosecuted in reference to Christ what is due to him by birth in a spirituall sence is held forth and maintained to wit that he is the first-born of many brethren and what is due to him by birth in a naturall sence is held forth and maintained also that he is the first-born of every creature all his priviledges are protested Right is the priviledge of being and felicity falls as this falls a being without priviledge is a being without felicity and a being without felicity is hell Birth-right contains much 't is a bundle of priviledges bound up by God and man as many as grace and nature affords to make such a being blessed both here and hereafter Consider a man as born and he hath such naturall priviledge from nature and consider a man as new born and he hath such spirituall priviledge from grace That which carries the felicity of life in it it s own worth necessarily calls for standing for if I must stand to maintain my life against deadly creatures which invade it much more that which is the felicity of my life right and priviledge is the felicity of life the felicity of naturall life and the felicity of spirituall life Right not maintained institution is despised all runnes to ruine necessarily for one devours another Priviledge gives not onely felicity but proper felicity that is every one his happinesse so as not to be the least unhappinesse to another Priviledge makes many heavens a heaven for master and for servant a heaven for father and for child a heaven for prince and for people and ones heaven not anothers hell Birth-right is God and nature giving distinct proprietie This temporall good belongeth to this and not to that this spirituall good belongs to this and not to that Propriety confounded Ahabs and Naboths vineyard become one heaven and hell become one children and dogges would fare alike which is sad confusion and which nature abhorres and grace much more What is peculiar and proper to Christ birth-right gives him he is the first-born of every creature Use I am to speak to two sorts of persons from this point to you which have a naturall birth-right and to you which have both a naturall and a spirituall birth-right You which have but a naturall birth-right onely it were well if you did look for more that you were as high in priviledge as Christ that ye had a naturall and a spirituall birth-right he was the first-born of every creature and the first born among many brethren Naturall priviledge makes naturall felicity and this becomes a snare oft times accommodations of nature make men slight grace which was Esaus sinne and ruine birth-right in the spirituality of it he despised obtaining carnall content The more of the world enjoyed the lesse is Christ cared for this is a common plague and consider how 't is with you Are you beloved of God or do you look after it they are his first-born his prime birth which issue out of the wombe of love There is a child and a pleasant child is he not a pleasant child So there are sonnes and first-born sonnes All men are Gods sonnes in some sence We are his off-spring but some are chosen out of the world and have speciall love set upon them they are called a first off-spring a prime birth because born of love their birth being not onely from the hand of God but from the heart of God born of water and the spirit brought forth to the obedience of the Gospel by a spirituall efficacy in the word if this be not your condition your honour is not full whatever your worldly priviledge be and you will soon know it for though you seem to be sons made much of you will quickly be cast off none but first-born are written in heaven and imbraced for ever To the Church of the first-born written in heaven First-born have a propriety in eternall felicity they are written in heaven and others are written in hell they are joynt heirs with Christ which a state worth the looking after You see how all things go here tyrannie tramples your priviledge under foot you are born to much and it comes to nothing but bloud and miserie you dare not go where your revenue lies to challenge your birth-right the sword is so furbisht and set against you had you a state in grace were you a generation of first-born as Christ there were something sure to take too let times and things work as they will The folly of men is great this world is onely prized and men will not be reclaimed which is a destructive thing Let me ask the children of this world doth the bloudy sword make you question your state whether you are the children of God or no born of the spirit to an inheritance eternall immortall that passeth not away New-born are first-born you are as you were in life and you will be as you never were in death Do ye see children of this world how black and bloudy this world is But what 's that to come where your names are written and unto which you are heirs Look about you children of this world your misery gathers every day more and more and nearer and nearer and it will swallow you up and feed upon you for ever if not prevented your birth-right is barely naturall that is such priviledges in such a kingdome and you had need fight hard for these for you have no more these gone and all gone loose what you are born to of flesh and bloud and you loose all fight hard carnall creatures or you will be quite undone else Birth-right is honourable and to be maintained you that have this honour in a full sence in a naturall and in a divine sence as Christ had hold up your honour and maintain it as Christ doth here by his spirit in my text assert your state as Christ doth here and not desert it tell the children of this world what you are children of such men and children of such a God that you are born to such secular priviledge by man and to such spirituall priviledge by God and will maintain it in his way as long as bloud is in your veins
Blessed be one good neighbour or how solitary should we be in earth Defile not the land which ye shall inhabite wherein I dwell saith Christ Numb 35.34 The earth would be hell did not Christ dwell in it you have much misery kept off by one good neighbour you have and you might have more if you did but get more acquaintance with him You have lived a great while in the earth and so hath Christ do ye know him do ye love him he maketh the earth a blessing as base as 't is to such A mans felicity dependeth altogether upon the favour of God let his dwelling be where ' twill Earth is heaven hell is heaven when God dwelleth with one there Mourning creatures tell me where do ye dwell In a vally of tears In earth doth Christ dwell with you doth he dwell in earth too in your hearts then be cheared for he will wipe all tears from your eyes and if your hearts be a rest for him he will be a rest for them when you have none in earth When the earth trembles and melts you have one that dwelleth in it that will see you shall do well Christians visit your next neighbour often lie in his bosome whilest you live on earth you will live very desolate else were the earth a better place then ' t is I pitty all that live in this world 't is so base and miserable but them that live without God in this world my heart bleedeth over them Some live where they have no good neighbour nor no friend and they truly have a bad life on it some live so in earth that it were as good they were in hell almost whipt in body tortured in soul longing for death and yet it must not be because not yet full ripe for hell Ah Lord here is a dwelling in earth indeed what difference now between earth and hell All you that live in earth and live in your sinnes expect such a life every houre The earth groneth it beareth so many and so naught sinners do not you grone too Do not you grone to Christ to be better The earth will be eased of her burden quickly but not you your place will be changed quickly but not for the better all that are now in earth will be anon in hell that do not leave their sinnes quickly the sword and strange diseases are going about for this purpose and do you not see how they sweep the earth Coloss 1.16 Visible and invisible c. THe works of God afford man a full soul-imployment Some things are subjected to sence and these are called visible but other things are not subjected to sence but ordered for more noble powers of the soul to make at and these are called invisible The soul is manifold in its acts and operations and so is Christ that all the soul may follow him There is a manifold grace of God as the Apostle speaketh a grace visible and a grace invisible and the soul can make at both and so Christ would have it The eye can see the eare can heare the heart can conceive here is working without and within Conception is operation about invisibilia unseen things 't is a spirit at work upon words shaping out to it self what they but mentioned as countries and creatures where the body never was nor never saw but onely shall divine conception 't is a spirit taking shiping as it were in the word and sayling round the world taking in visible and invisible things to leave out none of Christ The soul is noble in its acts and Christ would lose none for want of imployment if visible things be to low to be busied about there be invisible if there be nothing without doore to be found for imployment to wit in earth it may find something within about invisible things by going to Heaven Creation is laid by Christ with gradation higher and higher visible and invisible if one room be too low the soul may go higher as high as it will as high as it hath power the works of Christ lie as high as the tallest spirit can reach The soul is not forc'd but drawn to noble action Creation is temptation the works of God are laid so as to entice the soul higher and higher like Jacobs ladder till it come as high as it should be When the eye of the body is weary of looking upon bruits trees and such like visible things as are here then the eyes of the soul may go one room higher in the ladder towards Heaven to things which are not seen to that invisible place and societie above The soul is remiss'd in his acts in works as well as in words Christ leaveth this without excuse Man was never without full imployment Adam had it and the sonnes of Adam have it There is a double book of words and a double book of works to reade and one higher then the other one visible and the other invisible one for the eyes of the body another for the eyes of the soul and I wonder what idle souls will say for themselves when Christ cometh to reckon with them You have a talent and imployment for it a soul such a noble soul and such noble imployment both neglected will lie heavie upon you Bodily sloth you cannot bear and soul-sloth Christ cannot bear soul-sloth is enraging sinne and observe how angrily Christ chargeth it Thou wicked and slothfull servant shouldst thou not have imployed what I gave thee to my advantage Matth. 25.26 take from him what he hath saith Christ A man hath his soul taken away that imployeth it not an idle soul becometh a besotted soul a besotted soul is no soul a spirit dead and buried in the flesh powers and parts are blasted and withered when neglected Soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth sometimes from too much imployment about humane and such men neither know their hearts nor yet this time worldly now and you will be worldly when the world cometh to be burnt The soul is first let loose from divine things and then when 't is abroad it will not be lured in again by them though held up to them Wicked worldlings you know not what you do when you let your souls loose to the world there 't is curst and becometh wild and will not return though words of God and works of God all that God is and doth be held up to it and therefore is the prodigall said to be lost for this my sonne was lost c. Sometimes soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth from dislike of them Some the God of this world blindeth them and 't is idle to talk to these of visible or invisible things for all that is good is invisible to them they know not how to set their spirits about any thing but to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Ah Lord how blind how base are some souls No word of God no work of God visible to them under a divine
he and his were ready to starve Let it be enough to every distressed heart that Christ is alive though trade and husband be dead Christ hath all yet though every one else be robbed in him all things be upheld and in him you shall be upheld Ob. In him I may have soul-subsistence but as for bodily subsistence surely that will fail for the meal in the barrell is almost quite spent and when this is gone surely I shall want my bread Canst thou trust Christ for thy soul and canst thou not trust him for thy body If thou canst but look up to Christ as all things do though not as noble things do yet thou wilt have meat Sol. The eyes of all things looke up to thee and thou givest them meat Cry but as Hagar and thou wilt have drink Seek but as the young Lions they seek their bread of God and thou wilt have bread If thou canst but rore as they do thou wilt be heard and bleat and bellow as the cattell of Ninivie some deliverance will come out Christ is never put to it though you be he will find one thing or other to make provision for all The eyes of all look unto thee and thou feedest them Providence hath meat in her mouth for all Ob. Meat may be given but the time may be long first and my cheeks begin to grow pale already my servants cry my children cry my guts cry for hunger surely I and mine shall starve Sol. No thou shalt not providence works oportunely thou shalt have meat in due season these all wait upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Ob. It cannot be means are gone and friends are gone Sol. That is nothing Christ is not gone providence maketh strangers friends enemies friends ravens to feed others whose property it is to devoure and to feed them seasonably morning and evening Among enemies the children of the captivity found friends and found favour for a tender conscience in Babylon Ob. A little relief may be to me possible onely enough to hold life and soul together but under such sparing providence life will be worse then death when mercy is ministred nothing answerable to my necessity Sol. Let not this terrifie in Christ all subsist and subsist well thou maist not possibly have so much as thou hadst nor so fine as thou hadst but as long as Christ is thou shalt subsist well and thine own heart shall say so Providence doth not alwaies give alike but doth alwayes do enough for the best condition of being and yet let me tell thee further this Providence bringeth in sometimes a great deal more then we expect See a brave instance in Jacob Gen. 48.11 And Israel said unto Joseph I had not thought to see thy face and lo God hath shewed me also thy seed Providence is plentifull and bountifull as well as seasonable and bringeth in twise as much twenty times more then we think of enough in supply necessity yea enough to satisfie desire Jacob had corn for necessity and he had also the sight of Joseph and his posterity and the life of Benjamin and many gallant mercies more which bordered uppon these even to the utmost of desires so literally was that promise fulfilled to him thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing Desire is vaster then necessity in most creatures in man it is I am sure and yet providence is so bountifull that it satisfies this Providence not onely brings about what one needs but what one wishes yea more providence doth prepare things and bestow this and that which the heart cannot wish nor expect it doth prevent us with loving kindnesse Two things must be eyed to mak Christ giue out himself plenteously for your sweet subsistence the first is interest I am thine save me saith David God is very tender about his own a child shall have any thing Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou barest to thy people O visit me with thy salvation Union draws out all the fulnesse of Christ what goes beside the pipes which are laid into the founntain are but drops and by means of these pipes too these droppings are upon the world Christ would not give forth a drop of favour to the world were there not some in it nearely allied to him all wicked mens mercies are but as it were some droppings of the great mercies of Saints this kingdome would not consist were there not some Saints in it all the upholding it hath is long of them that are united to him from whom he cannot break off England use thy Saints well they are thy pipes and veins to heaven through which thy great blessings fall upon thee All art must be used to advance interest in Christ out of the favour of God and you will be outed of all whether it be the case of a person or a whole nation You are not my people and I will not be your God Lo-ammi Lo-eli This man is none of my child let the devil look to him let his own father provide for him this Kingdome is not my people let it bleed to death and 't will will God say England look to this or thou art lost and all the world shall not save thee let thy reformation be such as to render thee Christs Church that he may say England is my people or thy consumption will kill thee Friendship in Heaven is all to the lively-hood of a Nation or of a person here every thing will run crosse whilest the great wheel is out with one lets all set things right with Christ and all will run well let disadvantages be what they will But thou Israel art my servant Jacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend fear not for I am with thee and they that warre against thee shall be as nothing Interest must be made and then maintain'd or else life becometh uncomfortable When souls grow loose they find the evill of their way Christ is tender in providence to tender hearts 'T is harder to bring ones heart so near God as one should and then 't is harder to keep it there but yet how difficult soever the soul shall know it is a bitter thing to depart a spirit of love and union abates and then flowers that smell sweet in the breast close and Christ withdrawes My soul cleaveth after the Lord thy right hand upholdeth me Psalm 93. The spirit of union must not be checked it must work after the Lord freely In this way the soul hath a right hand upholding it and this maketh and keepeth the life contentfull Grace is a pursuit of Christ they live most sweetly that runne most swiftly after him check this pursuit and you die Unbelief maketh fear fear setteth the soul at a stand shall I go forward or shall I stand still Now God is displeased the heart tortured for its basenes Englands fearfulnesse to pursue Christ hath deprived her almost of subsistence and tumbled her
Christ is spirituall he is head in the heart The kingdome of God is within you there are his Laws written and there is his throne Aarons rod and the tables of the covenant were in the inner Court and the Manna in the golden pot The command of the purse may serve a man but it doth not Christ he commands the heart My sonne give me thy heart You suit your seats so doth Christ he makes his throne in that which is nearest him to wit the spirit Christs rule is one soul bound up in another Paul bound in the Spirit and that bond bound all to good behaviour Christs rule is perpetuall Some heads may be cut off this head my text speaks of cannot Death hath slain many commanders but Christ hath slain death and him that had the power of death Satan is the executioner of Justice and therefore said to have the power of death as well as in other respects Christ hath destroyed all and hath his life in jeopardy by none he liveth and reigneth for ever he ruleth by his power for ever Psalm 66.7 He shall rule till he hath put down all rule and all power and all authority 1. Cor. 15.24 Untill he and his be one as he and his father are one till the kingdome be resigned up There be now many powers against Christ but he must reign till they be all down yet not any to help him The rule of Christ is Monarchicall there may be many lords over the body but there is but one Lord over the soul The government is upon his shoulders that is upon his alone Christ had none suffered with him and he hath none to reign with him here Christ hath trod the wine-presse alone he slew Goliah alone and is that stone alone that sunk into his brain he maketh his kingdome alone and ruleth it alone He shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne Zacharie 6.13 Vse This point is irksome most hearts can bear no rule contradiction is death though it be the word of life that maketh it Office destroyed the soul destroyeth it self where Christ can be no King he will be no Jesus such as stumble at this chief corner stone are crushed by it that soul that killed Christ is killed by him his bloud is upon every heart that nullifieth him The Lord be mercifull to the souls of men do ye know what ye do when you secretly say this lust shal reign and Christ shal not reign over me You commit Adoniahs treason treason against the crown that you may put by Solomon from the throne your bloud and your life will go for this When Adam committed treason against the crown would become a God God cutteth him off presently though there were no more men in the world Justice hath its heights and depths as mercy hath treason against the King hath exquisite torture such a death as hath many deaths in it so 't is in this case spirituall treason hath double death By dying thou shalt die thou traitour against the crown of Heaven said Christ to Adam and in him to all that do as he did There is death unto death and this the punishment of every traitour against Christ This is too generall a more particular application shall be made Your souls are under command you have a spirituall head You have fathers of your flesh and you obey them you have a father of spirits and why do ye not obey him Most men look least at their hearts all the care is to order the tongue and the outward man Hypocriticall creatures you overlook the kingdome of Christ you look at the outside Christ looketh at the heart who ruleth within all is under command body and soul the soul principally and yet this principally neglected must needs be the death of all thoughts must be brought into subjection to Christ as well as words Loose hearts have their plague upon them their holinesse is painted but their judgement will be reall they have sould their souls to do wickedly and will be paid in hell The behaviour of the heart is all dethrone Christ and he will fight it out with you to the death a disloyall soul shall never have the sword depart from him not a quiet day as long as he liveth Our temporall king which ruleth in this land doth but imagine that you go about to dethrone him or take off some flowers from his crowns and you see and feel that he fights it out with you to the death and seemeth resolved not to give England a quiet day as long as he lives Make spirituall application of this ye Hypocrites ye painted toombs that come here and professe Christ and go out like Judas and betray him you dethrone Christ in your hearts you destroy the flowers of his crown the rule of the soul is the onely flower of his crown and taking away this from him he will fight it out with you to the death the sword shall never depart from your souls you shall not have a quiet day for the hypocrisie which you know Tremble Hypocrites fearfulnesse will surprise you your secret basenesse will generate a secret hell justice shall rule where truth and love cannot the rottennesse of your hearts shall have a corasite to feed upon it for ever let every one lay these things to heart and consider whether Christ be head there yea or no. Two things demonstrate the heart indeed ruled by Christ sin universally hated and truth universally loved Passions are false strength speaketh out their truth and who ruleth in the heart Some spirits are indifferent for truth or errour and hold a virtue to be hot for neither but to stand in all times of contradiction so as to keep the skinne whole Hypocrisie ruleth in this heart and not truth and this temper is the plague of this generation neither hot nor cold Cold sweats are death pangs the soul is near his end that thus liveth If God be God worship him halting between many things is nothing this speaketh the prince of darknesse yet ruling affections which break through obstacles to discharge duty speak Christ head in the heart I will not stand on qualities themselves but at what every quality maketh and this will be more plain to you to demonstrate who ruleth in your hearts Fire encounters all opposites so doth every element from a naturall instinct and so doth grace where it reigneth Sinne is the proper object of hatred and every sinne is made so where Christ indeed is head Dominion speaketh all subdued if any sinne reign Christ doth not Weak hearts must not here wrong themselves the being of sinne and the stirring of sinne which the Apostle calleth the motion of sinne do not necessarily speak the reign of sinne Many precious hearts when they feel sinne strong in them conclude it reigneth in them and censure their souls exceedingly and so make their life a hell they
please themselves in this but Christ is not pleased Sinne maketh motions that is nothing how is it harkned to This denominateth dominion or not doth every stirring make thee grone wretched man c. Dost thou carry sinne to Christ when it is about to carry thee to the Devil Lord this is the plague of my heart heal it this universally practiced speaketh the reign of Christ some of you are by pangs plaintifes against corruption and then another while defendants and plaintifes against one corruption upon some more then ordinary evil that falleth out upon it and then defendants in reference to another that taketh better to your designes this mans eyes are out and Satan hath him by the hand and the Lord knoweth whither he will lead him You that cannot so well understand this may consider the next Sinne universally hated Truth universally loved speaketh Christs dominion indeed in the soul Truth is homogeneall and is all sweet to a sweet soul the heart conquered by Christ all his Lawes are holy just and good Christs yoke is easie and burdensome things light Truth is no pressure not simply as a truth I think where the soul is sincere the pressure is if any that it cannot love enough nor obey enough things of such a noble nature One of the first things Christ taketh is love here he fortifieth till he hath taken all other parts here he mounteth cannons against all that is naught and issueth out from hence and taketh in all that is truth Love is Christs fort-Royall in the soul mighty vast and holdeth play on all sides for all truth and against all sinne A soul under the command of Christ loveth much though he can do but little loveth all truths though he can scarce practice one Christ is a King of glory into whatsoever everlasting doores he cometh every line in Christs book is glorious every hair upon Christs head glorious where he is a head Christs head is bushy and black as a Raven lines of truth are black hairs of that head that ruleth and they are all beautifull in that heart that is married to Christ The summe of all is this as Christ ruleth in the heart so is the life you may look without and see who ruleth within a through conversation speaketh a through dominion of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having spoke to discover a few things more I would deliver to draw your hearts to come under the rule of Christ Whom Christ ruleth he defendeth power attendeth truth Christ upholdeth goings in his paths men may justle against us but Christ will uphold Christ will make his own way and lead bravely if men would but follow him this is all that Christ calls for that men will but follow him Follow me saith he often and I will make you this and make you that Christ will make his way rhrough the blond of thousands through the bloud of Towns Cities Kingdomes but he will have his own Kingdome stand Malice strikes craftily and desperately yet this head will ward as well no evil shall accomplish its end as long as Christ reigneth Why do the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The wrath of God maketh the wrath of man vain in its hottest pursuit He is dead that seeketh thy life saith the holy Ghost Kings and great men rage against us but they will burn to death with the flame that is in their breasts a bad spirit beats out it self to death The cannons which malice mounts are double loaded and recoyl and kill the cannoneeâ—s and that is Christs way of destroying those that would destroy his Christ delighteth those which he ruleth through obedience takes Christ Christ taken expresseth it This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Christ did throughly obey and he fed upon the sweet of it here he had meat to eat in this world which none knew of There is no straight when a man doth his duty Christ maketh enlargement in bonds joy in sorrow life in death Christ doth counterwork the world there desire is to rob us of peace and rob us of joy but it shall not be saith Christ In me you shall have peace what ever you meet with in the world Wisdomes wayes are pleasant when bloudy when men are froward Christ is kind the churlishnesse of Laban made God speak often and very sweetly to Jacob Christ smileth upon tender consciences when the world frowneth his bosome is open to give rest when the sighing spirit breatheth out it self to him What is thy request Hester will pride trample thee under foot It shall not As no time is unseasonable to shew duty to Christ so no time unseasonable for an obedient soul to find favour with him Finally whom Christ ruleth he crowneth obedience maketh losse and Christ thinketh of this and worketh it to gain in another world Duty maketh laying out and yet laying up laying out of name state strength life on earth and laying up of other guise things then these in Heaven Hence forth is laid up for me a crown c. What you lose in earth Christ layes it up in Heaven and when you come home you shall have it again with advantage your name again your estate again your life again all that you loose in obedience to your heavenly head and soveraign Christ doth nothing in order to merit but much in order to bounty If you suffer with him you shall reign with him Spiritually fight and maintain Christ a King and he will crown you Kings Troubles affright much but alas what is man Call upon flesh and bloud upon your weak hearts to think of eternity you and all that quarrell with you shall move before the King whom you obey 1. Coloss 18. and he is the head c. MAnna lies in a heap in this word as I have formerly told you Head speaks every office of Christ as King Christ is Head as Priest he is Head he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 head-priest Prince-Priest as the Greek word notes both and as the authour to the Hebrews useth the word Christ bears office to the creature but no inferiour office he doth officiate to rule the body but 't is as the chief Commander he doth officiate to save the body but 't is as chief-priest as head-priest as prince-priest as king of Salem There was a principalitie in the priest-hood under the Law there was a holy crown put upon the mitre Exod. 29.6 I will demonstrate the principality of Christs Priesthood or Priests office The designation of Christ to his Priestly office is noble we are sacrificers according to the law of a carnall commandment our ordination is from men but his from God the Counsel of State above sets out this embassadour of peace called of God an high priest Heb. 5.10 Christ had princely ordination ordination as noble as his person the Father ordain'd the Sonne He testifieth thou art a Priest c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestatur so
yet no mourning for the dead This generation affrighteth me what are become of spirituall bowels are they ript up too are bad men dead and good men dead and is there no life left Ignorant men dead men of light dead death passeth over all passion swayeth high and low 't is a pang of death and presageth the death of all if the Lord heal it not Prepare coffins and graves for the dead dead sinners dead Christians buy your winding-sheets make your wills if there be any life in me your condition is dangerous The axe is laid to the root now I beleeve every dead tree will down ere Christ lay down his axe Danger onely stirreth some men sinners stand up from the dead do you see nothing coming towards you God is against you is not he all enemies and all engines the sword of man may be sheathed yet will you be cut off not a wilfull sinner will be spared for the anger of the Lord is against you justice visites but seldome but when she doth she sweeps every room Every one that is proud and every one that is lofty Esay 2.12 Proud flesh is dead flesh every one that swelleth against Christ shall be lanced every one that stoopeth not shall be broken Without Christ will sweep clean within he will do the same even amongst his own he will throughly purge his floore If you have any life in you think of these things Londoners Londoners now trading is dead think of your dead hearts these two yeares and upward trading hath been very dead why this tenne yeare this twenty yeare thy heart hath been dead a dead name a dead state a dead body suit a dead soul If you have any love to your bodies or any love to your souls looke out after spirituall life or all will die for ever Two things tend to spirituall life Christ strongly applied his ordinances throughly pursued Christ is the first risen from the dead and whom he taketh by the hand arise next after him Death and him that had the power of death Christ hath destroyed and all that would do the like must come to him Perversnesse will kill sinners quite the dead want life because they will not come to Christ You will not come to me that you may have life Dead hearts look to it your sinnes loved and Christ rejected you cannot live you must let Christ kill any thing so he will but make alive your souls cut off any thing a right hand so he will but unite what remaineth to himself Our merit must not be thought of for alas what can the dead do but Christs merit and order both must Christ killeth and then maketh alive he slayeth pride and bringeth souls to fall at his feet willing to be done any thing with and then he doth all for them Waters of life are given to swouning persons they that grone and are heavie loden with sinne and come to Christ they find ease a spirit of life and joy Coming to Christ is application of Christ He hath loved me and given himself for me He satisfieth for me he intercedeth for me he appeareth in the face of perfect righteousnesse for me All these are vitall acts the soul that indeed this moveth is joyned to all the living and is a lively soul indeed Christs merit and Christs spirit is this mans he hath eternall life abiding in him and is passed from death You must drink of the waters that Christ profereth you and then you will find a well of waters springing up in you to everlasting life He that shall drink of the waters which I shall give him c. If the stomach be weak to this lively ordinances must be looked out dead ordinances make dead souls Ordinances that are as the tree of life of the Lords own planting speak Christ to the life and make dead souls alive Coloss 1.18 That in all things he might have the preheminence THe latitude of Christs dominion is here exprest 't is without limits and without parallel Some are great in such a compasse every ones Sun hath a circle every ones glory hath circumference every ones Sceptre hath bounds they can command onely within such a countrie none are over all not the greatest Princes that are but Christ hath an universall command in all things he hath the preheminence Evill hearts swell bigge and sometimes rise high pride nesteth it self among the Stars and yet then it is below Christ No man is so bigge in conceit as Christ is in deed nor so high in thought as Christ is really Vice when at highest is below Christ Virtue when at highest 't is below Christ all is under his feet Evill men cannot over match Christ by their sinne good men cannot over match him in their virtue he is sweeter then the sweetest soul alive He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleyes he is above opposition and above comparison things averse to him can take nothing from him and things congruous to him can adde nothing to him Our righteousnesse extendeth not to him Our righteousnesse no nor Angels righteousnesse among all things in earth and in Heaven he hath the preheminence The command of Christ is proclaim'd in this expression how large his commission is to controll all Universall dominion is large too long and too broad for any creature to travell it speaketh many things we shall touch some We will travell as farre in Christs dominion as we can in an houre The word speaketh power destructive power instructive power inspective Christ hath a destructive power over all he hath many enemies yet not one above him many have fought with him but he hath slain them all In the field Christ hath preheminence I will instance but in one battell that Christ fought Exod. 14.28 He destroyed Pharaoh and all his Host that there remained not so much as one of them saith the Text. Which is admired again Psal 106.11 The waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left He had amongst all the preheminence indeed Enemies are many and they are upon Christs back and there for a long while and make long furrows but he fetcheth them off his back and layeth them under his feet all of them He must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet 1. Cor. 15.25 If you have many upon your back 't is very disadvantageous in fight you cannot so easily fetch them off all but it is all one to Christ to have many behind him as before him those that are upon his back he can fetch them off and lay them under his feet with ease he is the best at the use of his arms he hath the preheminence in warre a destructive power over all Christ hath an instructive power over all he can teach all nations his commission is so large English Dutch French he can make knowledge cover the face of the earth as the waters do the sea Christ can as the sunne till all
any time Christ makes it up so that the soul is still full full of content full of joy and that 's a blessed life that cannot be made miserable Thou hast no righteousnesse but Christ hath enough which is all thine if thou couldest see it Thou canst not pray but Christ hath the art on 't for he is full of the Spirit and he makes thy requests thou hast no spirituals no corporals but Chist hath all and thou mayst from hence as the Apostle doth conclude that he will supply all thy wants Phil. 4.19 Christ will do for you according to his riches and that will amount to very much to the supply of all your wants let them be what they will But now my God will supply all your wants according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ According to that all fulnesse which now Christ hath in glory will he dispence Lord how full how rich how blessed will all Saints be I leave them to admire this till I can speak of it more COLOS. 1.19 That in him should all fulnesse dwell c. Opportunity and assistance hath continued to pursue our work both beyond our expectation God must have all the glory We spake last day of Christs wealth and we founde his revenue very great we are now to tell you where it lies Much may be nothing so it may be situated situation is the glory of our inheritance Christs inheritance lies very commodiously very blessedly it lies all in him It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell You dwell in your inheritance but Christs inheritance dwels in him You have a hint here how to raise estimation Doctr. We are to prize persons and things according to the wealth and worth that they have in them Christ hath all worth in him Felicity makes estimation as we contrive things to contribute to this so we put price upon them Mans felicity lies inward as his soul and not as his body is in wealth so is he blessed Sin is a gangrene the bowels are gnawed the plague of man is at his heart health is best wealth that 's wealth indeed that makes the soul well Faculties fight the Devill sets them on the heart cannot still its own stirs if God in this case do nothing within the man is a poor creature for all his riches a million of money cannot give a moments ease the man wil be distracted in the midst of abundance and curse his gold as an Idol god and wish his bags his winding sheet things ill within and nothing can be well without but the spirit full of God though the purse be not full of money the condition is blessed and to be admired as possessing all 'T was Christs case and is here admired by the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell without him he had nothing Internall wealth is great outward things are but seemingly big like watry vapours internall wealth is the Sun himself and no seeming big rayes of the Sun Know ye not that Christ is in you c. So much grace in the heart so much of Christ himself soul-fulnesse is nothing else but one spirit filling up another Magnitude makes admiration a â—rum of grace is great 't is God the great God in you Judgement amongst us is false things should be weighed in an even ballance to make right estimation of persons and things We value the casket only and not what is in it if vastness of estate makes difference in price that 's greatest which lies within The weaknesse of God is stronger then men So may I say the least of God in the heart is more then all the world A thing may take up little compasse and yet be vastly big in price What a great estate lies round together in some little stones can you value one vertue The price of Wisdom is above Rubies and yet the seat of this is within the inner man hath many Jewels about his neck of inestimable price the Bride hath a chain of Pearls given her when married to Christ so had Christ of his Father when married to the flesh which is that according to which he is admired here as so wealthy the Jewels which he had within him in that casket of flesh Internall wealth is delightfullest riches are of two sorts earthly and heavenly base and glorious grace is riches of glory as delightfull as heaven Read how grace is called Colos 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit according to the inward man The riches of the inward man are riches of glory Stars twinckle and make the heavens all glorious so Grace sparkles and makes all glorious within Christ is transient in the world but he dwels in the hearts and where he dwels is his chair of State that 's glorious The Kingdome of Christ is glorious that 's within you the killing of sin is sweet the soul drinks the blood of the slain and growes fat 't is heaven to any soul to be conquered by Christ his smitings are precious balm what are his embraces then Not any thing in grace but most contentfull to the soul the bitterest things about grace are sweet the very bark and rind of grace sweet Persons have not heaven as they have much without but as they have much within Heaven is all the person that hath this in him is admirable though never so contemptible in the world It pleased the Father that in him should be all the sweetest delights that are in the bosome of God and therefore admired here by the Apostle Internall wealth is the lastingest Much for yeers begets it self little every hour to think of its end riches yea life is a death under this notion that they will end Life is dated all things here are dated Such a yeer such a moneth such an hour and all mine yea I my self shall die this lies cold about the heart to consider and lessens much Internall wealth is lasting grace is a tree of life Mercy that runs only into the purse runs out again but Mercy that runs into the soule abides there for ever You value estates not as things hazardous but according to what is sure What wealth is in the heart is sure riches leave the bodie but God never leaves the soule Riches and honours are with me yea durable riches and substance Things have a naturall advantage to wit the advantage of their kinde long lived by kinde spirituall life is begotten by him that lives for ever and so long lived by kinde That which is borne of the spirit is spirit so I may say that which is borne of one that is eternall is eternall All wealth within us is borne of the everlastingest Spirit and is everlasting it selfe Things have also an accidentall advantage or an adventitious advantage the advantage of their station In Heaven wealth is sure saith Christ there be no theeves
the bloud of his Crosse Hanging was used under the old Covenant onel◠for some notorious crimes as blasphemie sacrificing to Devils c. and was used as a second death first life was taken away by some other punishment as stoning or the like and then the body hanged up to render the person as well as the fact abominable to all to God and man which is the meaning of that expression He that is hanged is accursed of God Deut. 21.23 his person as well as his fact is execrable greatly abhorred Thus David commanded Rechab and Barzillah to be punished with a double death for that foule fact of murthering Ishbosheth he slew them and then he hanged them up 2 Sam. 4.12 Such a one was Christ judged to be a notorious malefactor a blasphemer one that had a devill c. and therefore hanged on a tree not slaine first but tortured to death upon the Crosse which was a Romish variation from the rule as in matter so in forme and served in this case onely to vend the height of malice against innocency making not two deaths but a thousand deaths in one The bloud of the crosse speakes three things Divine wrath fully suffered Infinite Justice was offended answerable displeasure brake forth a sea of wrath in the world and Christ in the bottome of it alive and all the waves passing over him I went downe to the bottome of the mountaines saith Jonah All the waves passed over me yet hast thou brought my life the pit These expressions speake Christ he lay under mountaines seas of displeasure he bore the full weight of divine wrath he paid the utmost farthing God is not extreame to marke what 's done amisse in reference to us but he was so in reference to Christ not a sin not a circumstance of sin overlooked of all those millions of sinners and sins undertaken for but wrath weigh'd out exact in proportion to all and laid on Christ and he bore all He bore the iniquitie of us all Justice mingles her selfe with mercy when shee breakes forth upon us in the middest of Justice God remembers mercie but it did not so in reference to Christ Justice went forth in its full strength against him without a dram of mercy mixed with it He was made a curse for us Which words speake no mercy The strength of sin is the Law and the strength of the Law is the curse all the curses written in Gods book without any mercy mixed and all this did Christ beare upon the crosse The crosse was a grand curse a superlative punishment which wrapt up all the misery in it that ever justice made or any creature felt Christs cup had mixture in it but not one sweet ingredient all corroding and speaking full and pure wrath gall and vineger was given him in the pangs of death The bloud of the crosse speakes justice fully satisfied 't is called for this cause a Lutron a ransome Wee were sold under sin and the bloud of the crosse bought us paid the full demands of that power under which we were The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and give his life a ransome for many The bloud of the crosse is a ransome that which gives full satisfaction to an offended God under whose wrath wee lay Wee are bought with a price this price is not gold nor silver but the precious bloud of Christ The bloud of Christ is bloud of price that this is shed is as much as if the bloud of all the creatures in the world had been shed yea more life is our choicest jewel yet all creatures lives put together and put into one bundle of life and presented to God he would not have taken it to ransome one soule no he would not have taken it as satisfactory for one sin Justice offended is infinite the price given for satisfaction must be proportionable or else no satisfaction the bloud of all the world is finite and not proportionable to infinite and therefore God shed his bloud the bloud of the crosse is the bloud of him that was God-man this made the bloud of the humane nature precious bloud as Peter speakes that is infinitely precious of worth to satisfie for all the sins that are or shall be committed in the world because all will rise but to a finite bulke let it swell as big as 't will 't is of price to satisfie for all the sinnes in the world and if there were so many more then there are therefore is that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more repeated twice in the fifth of the Romans Not as the offence so is the free gift the price is another gets thing then that in proportion to which it is given for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many The bloud of the crosse speakes guilt fully expiated actually in reference to Christ as an undertaker and so also in reference to us who are actually in him by faith He bore our sinnes in his bodie upon the crosse saith the Apostle Peter The Leviticall bloud was purging it purified the flesh as the Scripture speakes and pointed at Christs bloud which purifies flesh and spirit i takes away the wrath of God liable to both Without bloud there is no remission but with bloud there is remission full remission the bloud of the crosse takes out all spots The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 There is not a spot in Christ consider him as our undertaker as married to our nature he is all faire Thou art all faire my love c. Joshua had filthy garments but he hath washed them white in his owne bloud so have they which are in him by faith their garments are white with the bloud of the Lambe by garments is not meant the outside onely but outside and inside the whole person They that are washed are cleane every whit Christ speakes of the Spouse as the Spouse speakes of him Thou art all faire c. Vse Sinners doe you consider how usefull Christ is and make use of him The chastisement of our peace is upon him that which belongs to any mans eternall welfare is contrived upon the crosse by Christ he hath bought all into his hand with his bloud which tends to any ones good he has the eare of God the hand of God the heart of God he has Earth Heaven he hath eternall life and can give it to whom he will he hath the keyes of David the keyes of those everlasting dores he is the dore to the bosome of the Father he hath by his bloud entered within the vaile bought all under his custodie Christ is furnished to doe us good and we make no use of him Sinners tumble in their sinnes and fall asleepe and wrath cuts them off ere they dreame of a Saviour There is a
death in sin to which the death of Christ is without profit this is when the soule will goe his own way Many walke by no rule all is fish that comes to net all is contentfull that sutes to a carnall affection conscience jogges these soules sometimes and then they talke of Christ that he hath dyed for their sinnes but poore soules they doe but talke If the faith of such persons forementioned were faith indeed and no fancie the soule would be crucified with crucified Christ I am crucified with Christ They which indeed appropriate the death of Christ die with him in affection first and then in action by little and little according as the death of Christ is more and more beheld The death of Christ is of double vertue it makes a death of guilt and a death of the very being of sin The bodie of sin as well as the soule of sin is dead The bodie is dead saith the Apostle speaking of corruption Corruption keepes in a bodie all that while 't is alive all powers combine to beate out their owne way as will best carry the world afore it and winke at if not scoffe at the way of Christ this soule crucifies Christ but is not crucified with him The sin of this age is bloudy wickednesse therefore doe we bleed Surely we bleed not so much for small sin our sin is crimson and scarlet coloured wee crucifie Christ his truth his people therefore doth he crucifie us Light rises so doth malice 't is nothing to the men of this generation to speak bitterly to murther bloudily their own convictions Christ shall die at the dore rather then they will open love to him to destroy the advantage of this time A man crucified to Christ is crucified to the world you that kill not the lusts of the world you kill Christ but not believe on him and his bloud shall be upon you not to take off guilt but to bind on guilt till you die till bloud goe for bloud 'T is a very bloudy time in which we live trials murther love to Christ to one another heartie affection to Christ can hardly be found men are so taken up with their own ends Povertie is marching towards us like an armed man all is falling flesh shakes at this and treads upon Christ and treads out his bowels to keepe up such wretches as these know not their wretched condition they have not tasted of the bloud of Christ nor know what Christ is now doing Christ is now avenging the bloud of his Covenant upon all that tread upon it men that doe not so take hold of his bloud and death as to bleed and die with him in name in state in person shall bleed and die by him this time is a discovery of unbeliefe and a recompence Unsensible persons are below discipline these therefore I must let goe Where conscience bleedes the bloud of the crosse may be of use and to these in the last place I will addresse my selfe Soules are loaded and troubled about many things but where the distresse is about eternall life whether shall I live or die Whether shall I live where Christ is or not 'T will be reliefe to such a burthened heart to thinke what Christ can doe for him in this case Thou hast a tender friend in Heaven and thy soule is precious to Christ he hath shed his bloud that thou mightest not die nor more despaire Things are very well between God and Christ he hath stood in the person of many and discharged well his undertaking the favour of God is at his dispose whom he intercedes for with his bloud escape the wrath of God 'T is sad to me to see how some soules sinke they thinke peace an impossible thing for them ever to attaine What is not peace Christs Is not Heaven Christs Is not kingdome power and glory Christs That all is Christs methinkes should quiet the cryings of conscience That God is at peace with Christ should generate faith in the most complaingest soule 'T is a facile thing for Christ to procure the favour of God but how should one get Christs favour And Christ is solicitous how to get thy favour Christs favour comes farre easier to us then Gods favour did to him he doth not expect your bloud to get his favour to accept him is to gaine him his favour is free all that he expects is that poore soules would but trust him and imploy him with their estates that they would imploy him and none else to procure the love of God and eternall blessednesse Could I trust Christ with my estate I know all would be well but I cannot believe Why know this that Christs bloud hath ingaged God to give faith and every grace else unto thee what thou wouldest doe and canst not let not that deject put out that grace you have When a man cannot goe into the poole 't is hopefull to lie neere it for one or other may take him up and carry him in thither whither he cannot goe himselfe Pained soules speake of nothing but the bloud of Christ prize nothing in comparison of this hence must come thy ease if ever out of these pantings spring faith unto joy Christ takes up these creeples of a sudden and carries them into the poole of his bloud You that have the Kings evill stand in the way of the King and though you cannot cure your selves yet you will lie as faire for cure as you can In a spirituall sense be thus prudent in the middest of all your soule-paines say If ever any thing give me ease it must be the bloud of Christ if ever any thing quiet my conscience it must be Christs bloud sprinkled upon it out of these honourable thoughts of proper remedie proceedes remedie to the soule Matter of faith and matter of love should spring from this point if one had time to goe this way The bloud of the crosse speakes love in strength love as strong as death what speakes it in Christ should make it in us No such Sermon of love in the Bible nor in the Creation as the bloud of the Crosse Enlarge this your selves in deeds COLOSSIANS 1.20 Whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven DIvine friendship according to its formalitie and causalitie I have handled according to its extent I am now to pursue it to wit how farre it reaches which is noted in these last words To things in earth and to things in Heaven This Scripture is difficult yet other Scriptures compared with it will helpe us to see something into it By things in earth is meant the Elect called and uncalled By things in Heaven is meant Saints and Angels By reconciling of all these to himselfe is meant the gathering of them all into one spirituall bodie under one head the Lord Jesus Christ by vertue of which the state of fallen man is restored the state of blessed Angels confirmed all to concenter in one common blessednesse for
lay any thing to heart Such was â—abals heart and such is ours stones as wee came from the rocke from whence wee were digd Affections follow sense where nothing makes impression there can be no compassion Wee are dead in trespasses and sin dead folkes consider not who mourne for them who die with griefe for them Faculties hardened the childe will throw aside what the mother which bore him underwent the pangs the screeches the teares of her that traveld in birth with him Abilitie to dutie springs not so much from things without as from things within as the soule is disposed not as the man is ingaged so the partie moves I will demonstrate to you that disposition to this dutie of being throughly and kindly affected with what others undergoe for us is hardly attain'd It springs from goodnesse purely contemplated this is a very high thing to doe Such a one did much for me I did as much for him or I may doe If such be out in flesh I am in purse Now is others goodnesse kild with our owne now is not the love of God nor the love of man thought of and how is it possible that either should be beautifull in my eye In such a spirit love hath her wings cut and no matter to worke upon which is that that gives disposition to the soule to keepe him alive for ever in my breast which hath done any good for me We can doe nothing for Christ nor his people and yet all that is done for us by either we thinke to be deserved 'T is certain that infinite love moulders to nothing in our breast under the notion of our owne merit one way or other though we observe it not If a man lose his state his arme his life for me if I thinke he was bound to it by any thing of mine the life of the action dyes the memory of the man and his kindnesse cannot live long Not an act that Christ doth but we dash it to death against some industry of our own That any creature loves me is all love that any one shews mercy to me whether God or man 't is all mercy I am vilder then the earth below all desert desire as far as hell is below heaven a heart at this height stoopes and takes up kindnesse fully sweetly and keepes it in memory firmely Things taken up as meere love stick otherwise not This is a high and hard thing I may instance this to you in God he merits every thing at our hands we doe and more then we can doe and yet he takes up all under the notion of kindnesse and love and this makes him to remember all we doe and all we suffer exactly I remember the kindnesse of thy youth and the love of thine espousalls All is kindnesse and love which man shews to God And when I was hungry yee did give me this and give me that God looking upon all that we doe for him as gift and as kindnesse this makes him to remember it alwayes 't is hard to get to that pitch which God moves at It springs from love strongly warm'd the heart must lie very neere God which hath this benefit God hath but few that lie neere him Things of life will not live in a dead sea the acts of God which he doth they are very lively and yet these will die if the soule be not suitable which observes them Every degree of divine life is not enough to keepe favours done for us so divinely alive as they should be 'T is more then hinted in the text These Colossians had their Christian life but yet not so as to remember the love of Christ to the life alas who have 'T is hard to melt some things much fuell much blowing and paines used and yet all this must be to dispose the matter fitly to receive a lasting stamp and forme upon it A heart melted with love layes to heart the least paines and kindnesse shew'd to it Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me said Elizabeth to Mary Vse As our hearts are below any duty it should humble us but as they are below things which are very weighty it should humble us much more The doctrine in hand beats hard upon us for melting hearts Christ suffers much for us man suffers much for us but neither considered by us What any Christian suffers for you you are to account it as Christ suffering he makes men willing to die for you to preach themselves dead to pray themselves dead to fight themselves dead and all these dyings the dyings of the Lord Jesus O that there should be so many persons bleeding in the fields for us and so few hearts bleeding at home for them and for our selves The strokes of God are various they are most mortall which kill the soule Our bodies are turned to dust apace and our soules into stones as fast Ah Lord how brawnie how bowellesse how hard-hearted is England become since a seate of war Husbands lose armes legs lives abroad and wife and children let starve at home Our war is very bloudy conscience in every man slaine not a tender heart scarce amongst us to consider the condition of the greatest sufferers for us in the Land Naball had his ease at home his quarters quiet and plentifull but what David underwent abroad to make it so at home did not move did not nor would not Nabal consider 'T is your case Londoners During all these bleeding times Christ hath been Quarter-master for you and so appointed your quarters that you have been very quiet very blessed in peace and plenty but what your brethren undergoe abroad to procure all this for you at home which of you doth lay to heart Vriah refused rest and solace at home because of the sufferings and hardship which the Armies of the Lord were in abroad The backes and bellies of thousands of you speake no such thing Ah Lord what will cure the pride and wantonnesse of this wicked Citie Drunkennesse and surfeiting now Can you laugh when your brethren mourne and when God frownes yee Epicures Can yee drinke wine in bowles and the bloud of your brethren in bowles You should at all your exorbitant meetings thus set fancy at worke The cup at my nose is the bloud of the slaine My curious napkins and table-clothes are the skins of Christians my guests the ghosts of the slaine my mad lascivious songs the groanings gaspings and shreechings of the wounded and dying Canst thou not thinke thus when thou art in the midst of thy jovall society O no 't would spoyle all my mirth 't would be like the hand-writing on the wall to Belshasar Dost thou tender more the spoyling of thy carnall mirth then the spoyling of thy eternall soule The guilt of all the bloud that is slaine will fall upon thee as an unsensible soule Hadst thou rather howle for ever then forbeare mad-mirth a little while If thou wilt not turne
simply considered never ceases they in heaven do Gods will and are proposed as our pattern on earth they are so exact in the observation of it but the painfull observation of Gods will which is by reason of corruption within us and wicked spirits without us this ceases as soon as we step out of this vile body but not before They move to Christ above as Christ doth to them with the same spirit of freedome joy triumph and glory That they may be one as we are There is no sighing and groaning mourning dying to accomplish Gods will above all move there as the Angels with delight every one milks out love from the breasts of Christ and sings over the Pail to behold how full 't is and how free it comes and yet though it cost all these to obey any truth of God here we are not to cease our course Every childe is brought forth with pain but some with more then others it costs life to bring forth some yet it 's horrible wickednesse for any to strangle the birth to prevent the pain Benjamin must be born though it cost Rachel her life She was a shadow of the Church which must bring forth Christ in all his will though we die in travell if you abide throughly of the faith Vse You see how heaven bears break truth and break your back and what groaning will that make no groaning so sad to do as that which is by not doing Gods will Heaven and Gods will are linked together break the link if it be but one link and the jewel falls and is lost Heaven is a Jewel hanged in a golden chain break one link of the golden chain and you lose the Jewel 'T is nothing to desperate souls to make void Gods Law I wonder at them Is it nothing to lose heaven to untwist the golden chain upon which your eternall treasure hangs Transgression stupifies this is the killing quality of sin Sinners mind not what they do when they throw off the will of Christ any part of the will of Christ you throw away your life Heaven lies wrapt up in truth in that truth which you will not submit to Would something would work upon wicked hearts upon the desperate wicked hearts of this age that sin might abate amongst us or else the sword of Gods wrath is like to eat us out Alas for us all I know not what hand of God is upon us wrath findes a great deale of matter among us to work upon and we can finde none When we presse love to Christ and observation of his will every man washeth his hands I do it saith one and I do it saith another Will you lie before the face of the Judge of all the world now he sitteth upon the bench upon the life and death of the kingdome Men are worst which think themselves best if there be any plague that kill thee England 't will be thy Laodicean temper that thou thinkest thou art clean and art not washed from thy filthinesse that thou needest nothing and yet observest nothing Euangelically that looks like a lovely State Our point sets us too high a great deal to speak to this generation it calls for exact observation and we are by the hand of God upon us cast into the quite contrary a generation that had a little conscience but now have none Loosnesse and lewdnesse overspread the multitude brawniness and benummedness the more ingenious good men become bad bad stark naught and stink above ground 'T is worse then blood and death to heare and see in every place where one comes what mire and dirt our troubled waters cast up as if war were a ticket under Gods own hand to dispence with all wickednesse O the oaths the execrations whoredoms oppressions outrages of all sorts that the very highwayes and villages are filled with where ever one comes The stink of your camps enough to kill a good heart at a great distance 'T is sad that the blood and bodies of the dead should taint and poison the living that we should die swearing and blaspheming If there be any tender hearts among you carry these things home and mourn for I am fearfull what they presage The work of this point is not only to winde you off from prophanenesse but wind you up to exactnesse to through walking with Christ We halt the fruit of it is upon us the hand of God will not yet cure it what it may Christ only knowes The heart must have its latitude 't is every ones saying this To hit the white is not needfull one may shoot well that doth not this But can one shoot well that aimes not at this I presse towards the mark I forget what is behinde if by any means I may obtain the resurrection Here is the property of grace in life it owns nothing but perfection makes at nothing else 't is in aim and industry all Christs Men are charmed with their own unsoundnesse the heart secretly sinfully ingaged aim and industry are really correspondent hereunto what ever verball flourish be made to better spirits and persons that stand by here is a man strangling himself in his bed which is a condition that makes little noise every thing is so artificially managed to destruction yet alas it is the common profession of this time How far will these times beare with a profession of Gods will How far will Christs honour and mine consist Here the soul wasts its strength If there be any intense through action now on foot it lies here so to shape the course and posture to the right and left that the man may take in all worldly advantages of both sides along as he â—â—es There is much art in this but 't is all cursed 't were well if the man had lesse policy and more integrity There is much advange in this but it comes to nothing the plague of an hypocrite is upon this condition which will eat a man out if he had all the world There is more of heaven in a plain heart in a moment then this man sees in all his dayes The advantage of through action is this A man gets much of Christ much grace much glory Some mens religion is a principle of jugling with conscience and the world 't is a temptation upon thousands at this day these lose what they seem to have Christ and all grace quite Christ kicks off every Judas quite that kisseth him and kisseth enemies to him too for his own advantage but a soul that cleaves throughly to Christ hath much of him the dispensations of Angels Stephen shined like an Angel owning Christ in the face of deadly and bloody opposers Externall dispensations cannot be stood upon how Christ appears to honour the persons of men that will go to the grave with him is more uncertain they have the face the tongue and the food of Angels when it may do them good and torture devils that vex them Externall concurrence is sure
for the thing though uncertain for the manner Christ doth number our haires at all times but what doth he do then when the head is going to be cut off He doth make all our darknesse light that which is upon nature state person Christ is with us alwayes according to an externall goodnesse one way or other They have Rosemary and Bays or some sweet thing or other in their hand in the view of all that go to the grave with Christ But internally they have much of him indeed that cleave closely to him What a box of ravishing odors did Christ open to Maries soul which did perfume his body and go along with him to his grave Can any one explain the depth of divine love wherewith her soul was filled That was heaven in hell What 's heaven but the love of Christ without measure powred into the heart To hearten on Abraham to follow the commands of God throughly to forsake Chaldea Babel and all the confusion of a blind proud generation and to go to the land of divine ordinance observe how God heartens him Thou shalt have exceeding much of me without and within I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And this promise repeated to him and his â—â—sterity in all straits and dangers Can you measure that love which exceeds all bounds Through action makes through reception through action is a soul giving up all to Christ against all opposition from men When we give all to Christ hee gives all to us and what a deal is Christs all I have all saith the Apostle when he wanted for Christs sake All What all A divine all When you speak of your all i. of all you have it rises sometime to a great deal to many thousands but what Arithmetick will expresse Christs all Shall I call his estate thousands millions millions of millions I shall mis-call it 't was never told never guessed nor never will by all those exquisite beholders and enjoyers above 't is infinite Can any finite creature guesse what infinitnesse is Can you tell the starres all their numbers all their influences Then may you tell all the smiles kisses and embracements which Christ gives to such as follow him to death This is Christs all he sits at the right hand of God embraced with that glory he had with his father before the world was and embracing all with the same glory which are with him COLOS. 1.23 If you continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel TErmes in themselves have been considered their intimation also may be usefully taken up which is that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course The state of man is a hid thing what he is what he will be a man looks well and yet that poison lurks in his body which some yeers hence gathers about his vitals and pales him that friends scarce know the man he is such a changling Nothing lurks so secretly as sin not a man that knowes his heart to the botome 't is deceitfull above all things who knowes it A man smiles upon a holy course this yeere and frownes and breaks out against it next So much is hinted here if you continue in the faith and be not moved away Man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course Light is a brave advantage to a steady course Demonst 1. We set our compasse by lucid bodies by the Sun and by the Stars and know whither and to what part of the world we are going which setles our minde and makes our journey sweet and our labour and travell lasting Dubitation tires every step is irksome when a man knows noâ— whether he be out or in his way and yet where no dubitation is the soul tires When light unto information when light unto perswasion is made concerning the way and the end the soul is still in danger to turn off If ye continue in the faith i. the truth â—e have understood and believed Pravity at some height will beâ—â—…wn conviction spurn against an Angel in the way turn for Tarshâ—sh when it knowes it should go another way Conviction is a noble advantage to a steady course consolation is a nobler to be convinced of the way and comforted in the way the man hath a coach from heaven to prevent tiring Fruit that is specious to look upon is inviting to appetite but when we bite it and finde it to have no sweetnesse to our taste we throw it away but that which hath colour and taste too we retain firmly we incorporate such substances with our selves we eat them and so keep their vertue so long as we are The Gospel hath these two properties 't is cleer light and glad light They were glad when they saw his starre there was vision and consolation a light of life one would think now none could kill this and yet pravity at some height will put this to death a consolatory light They rejoyced in his light for a season here is light and joy light and life add yet this dies this brisk sparkling wine vapors away all its own spirits and dies This truth lies in the Text too be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel i. that word which makes hope and sets the soul at heaven door and can one be there and not joy Hope sets the soul like Moses within sight of the Holy Land Can a man see heaven and not joy A man may not see heaven and yet joy In whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce c. But can a man see heaven and not joy Can a man enter within the vaile and yet not joy And yet when at the border of Canaan when at heaven doore there is danger of turning back yea when something of heaven is given out at the door some tastes of the powers of the world to come may come to de distasted A vertuous property is inducing and the more generall this property is the more inducing That property is pleasant to one palate which is unpleasant to another that is fair in ones eye which is ugly in anothers but that which is glorious to every eye that sees it sweet to every palate that tastes it this we are doubly taken with and cleave to Such a thing is the Sun of a generall vertue and glory so in every ones eye no man ever saw the Sun but confest it a very glorious body and a very reviving body Such is the Sun of righteousnesse never soul saw or tasted him but confessed him surpassing all the fairest the sweetest of ten thouâ—â—nd Now 't is a strange stomack that disagrees and nauseates 〈◊〉 â—hrowes up that which is pleasant to every palate that hath tasted it as well as to its own when it did eat it And yet such strange changes there are naturally and the like spiritually a throwing up and a throwing off of that which hath had its demonstration
be cleane why thou art clean Shall Christ doe all this for so little and wilt not thou hope and chearfully expect the sweet of that which he so freely gives Finally Doe but thinke what a double miserable life thou wilt have in these times if this grace of hope lie ruinous in thee through any wile of Satan Thou wilt be as a Ship without an anchor tossed terribly and no possibilitie of staying thee Which hope we have us an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast If a man cannot stay upon God in distresse he can stay no where a soule that can stay no where will hardly stay in his wits when stormes grow very great What is by ordination a center and rest for such and such a bodie a light body or a heavie bodie that and no other thing will give rest to it Christ is by divine ordination the center of soules were there a thousand rockes to cast anchor upon yet no rocke like this the soule will not rest upon any else Their rocke is not as ours themselves being judges All men finde this by experience that what ever they pitch upon besides God to stay and relieve themselves it doth not doe it O that the war were ended that the war were ended Fearfull soule if this war were ended thou hast a war within thee which will never end till thy despaire end fighting without and fighting within others killing my bodie and my selfe killing my soule what a wofull life is this Hope alive this is the sweet course of the soule to wit when all is black deadly and dismall without then the soule drawes the curtaine and withdrawes from all these lower roomes and walkes in upper chambers where no noise is views the Citie and Country above and the inhabitants and priviledges thereof Hope enters within the vaile Heb. 6.19 Yet I know a Country where no war is an inheritance where no plundering is neighbours and Citizens that doe not kill one another but love one another dearely that have not their swords in one anothers breasts but each other Christ there I shall be quickly and the sooner that these miseries below are so heavy on mee COLOSS. 1.23 From the hope of the Gospel WEE have considered the grace of hope in it selfe and have found it a sweet flower as any grows in the garden of God wee are now to consider the stocke out of which it springs the mold that likes it The English word Gospel notes Good speech spel formerly signified speech Gospel quasi God spel God speech and that is glad speech indeed and out of which it growes is the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies a glad word or message When God smiles upon the soule then the soule smiles in its course our death or life sits upon the lips of Christ as Christ speaks the soule opens or closes lifts up or hangs downe the head Thou hast made my mouth like a sharp sword a polished shaft saith Christ of the Father Esa 49.2 What a wombe the Gospel is it brings forth twinnes two and the greatest that can be thought on death and life 't is a polished shaft not simply a shaft to kill but a polished shaft to make death in order to life The Gospel is a wombe that brings forth twinnes indeed earth and heaven heaven here 't is like the Hebrew women quicke of delivery They were Gospel-words which God spake to Adam after his fall when he spake about the seed of the Woman and these words re-instated him in earth and in heaven he had lost both else His soule sunke within him which made him hide and run away and these words fetcht life againe to the soule and the man againe to his place Doct. The Gospel is a grand blessing a glad word a God-speech Our Sun was set at noone and yet no more to have risen in this Horizon God after our sin had shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure and all this world was to lie under all the wrath of God to all eternitie without one good word without one good look man the glory of the world was proclaim'd a Traytor Absaloms doome was upon him Let him see my face no more in this case no Mediator durst appeare not one of all the Angels in Heaven would know man after his fall for any favour the King had withdrawne himselfe and all his traine he had bounded himselfe in universally like Abasuerus that none might come to speake to him for favour in mans behalfe upon paine of death no not concerning any matter of mercy towards man he that should come about any such thing came upon perill of eternall death yet in this desperate strait Christ like Esther puts forth and takes his life in his hand pleads with wrath it selfe for a few that they might be kindly entertain'd againe kindly thought of and kindly spoke to if thou must have bloud take my bloud onely write downe with it a few names in the booke of life a small company to be kinde unto for ever to looke pleasantly upon them and to speake sweetly to them here and for ever hereafter That which cost Christ so deare surely is no small favour he gave his bloud for a good word from God to man a good word therefore from God is certainly a great favour for Christ lays not out his bloud for trifles as sometimes we doe It s price its property speakes it a grand blessing The Gospel is light prime light it makes exact discretion it shines into the heart that 's the expression of it which the Apostle gives 2 Cor. 4.6 But God which commanded the light out of darknesse hath shined into our hearts You may discerne a moate a haire the smallest thing that is by a shining light the Gospel discovers beames moats yea these perfectly Then shalt thou see perfectly the moat that is in thy brothers eye Take in but Gospel-light and lay aside thine own conceited light and thou shalt see every thing exactly in thy spirituall state The light of the Gospel discovers thoughts and intentions of the heart it divideth between the marrow and the bones it shews how the soule is joynted marrowed how every sinew and string lyes and what oyle is in the vessels to supple them and make them last whether any or none The heart is call'd the hidden man and 't is hid indeed from all creatures in the world from the man himself that 's a notable light that gets into a dungeon a vault deep under ground that is full of damps and makes discovery there of all the mud and dirt of all the frogs and toads that lie there and yet such is the light of the Gospel where ever it comes though into never so dark a soule it lays open all very exactly that is to conviction He that is unlearned cometh in and he is convinced of all and fals downe saith the text it tels a man all that ever he did and
like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 no condition desperate to Christ he can give sight to one that is born blinde he 〈◊〉 change the spots of the Leopard plague spots all things touching the fallen condition of man are possible to him 't was spoken you know by himself upon a sad fight which none of Christs Disciples could do good to to wit one rended and torn by Satan which Christ cured with ease There be many thousand impossibilia to us yea in us not a sin in a mans soul the least but is impossible to us to subdue because in our nature Can a Leopard change his spots any one of his spots He may lick at them but can he remove them 'T is as if Christ had said Can a sinner take out any stain in his soul he may lick at them by prayer and the like but he cannot remove them because as a nature to him yet I can do it as if Christ had said I can take out any spot out of any cloth out of any part soul or body He is able to save all that come to God by him Christ hath this vast power and he cannot suspend it If he refuse to do what he can for any distressed creature that comes unto him and be the most miserable in the world he will displease his Father which we know he would not do he would undergo hell first The power that Christ hath for the good of sinners is necessarily acted The Sun shines upon all the world and it cannot do otherwise Christ in the 6th of John when he had discoursed largely according to what latitude and compasse he wrought for the salvation of souls he puts it to this conclusion I can do no lesse saith he for this is the will of my Father that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him might have everlasting life if it be the tatterdst the forlornst creature in the city that looks pitifully upon me I must look pitifully upon him if he hang about me for soul favour I must in no wayes cast him off but take him out of the jaws of death and carry him in my arms to eternall life What is the will of the Father is the will of Christ the will of Christ naturally not artificially in a way of self-deniall and contest as the will of God is said to be a Saints will so that what the Father would have Christ own Christ cannot but own for the same Spirit is in him and in the same measure and therefore you have him setting himself forth by the Prophet just as I do as one bound by that Spirit which anointed him The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath anointed me to preach unto these and these and to comfort all that mourn a Christ doth not say the will of the Lord is nakedly revealed to me how far I shall shew mercy and how far not but the same Spirit that speaks to me saith he is upon me i. in the same measure that it speaks to me 't is in me and so necessitates me to obey or captivates me as my own nature and as my own affection God is captivated with love toward all captives so am I saith Christ he would have all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Jewes and Gentiles so would I too saith Christ the same bottomlesse sea of love that fluctuates in his breast is in mine the Father and I are one and often Christ uses this expression when he speaks about love to the creature Vse Sinners if ever you would be saved consider this point well how wide the arms of Christ are how big the bosome of mercy is it hath many thousands between her breasts already and yet there is roome for you The love of Christ is not coy 't is not humerous ' thath not naturall antipathy against any but persons that sleight it Sinners sinners I beseech you consider it at what height you love your sins Do you love your sins above your bodies above your estates and names yet there may be hope Do ye love your sins above your souls this is sad yet there may be hope But do ye not love your sins above that love which stands with her arms open to you yet for all this What hope can there be in this case How can you escape the damnation of hell as Christ spake to this generation There is no art to make the soul set open the everlasting dores like telling him of the King of glory which would come in I conclude so because 't is the art the holy Ghost useth Mercy held out in the extent of it is the King in visible glory drunkards swearers adulterers set open your everlasting dores the King of glory would come into you he would forgive your sins against the light of Scripture your sins against the light of nature your beastly sins I those wherein you have been worse then beasts your sins against your own bodies as well as against your own souls Love would get her self a name upon you by cleansing and kissing of Swine by laying a Toad in her bosome by bringing a devill out of hel to heaven Can you spit in the face of this Love now in the sight of all this congregation and turn to your lusts again Mercy comes to all your dores she falls down at all your feet will you tread upon her Mercy shews you what she would have you do Christ humbles himself to the dust laies himself at all your feet if you would but do the like to him not a soul of you should perish We hold out to you now the riches of grace if it work kindly you shall know it by this the soul longs to be partaker of it this grace must be nourished if longing die ere it obtain the soul is guilty of stifling the Spirit What buds in the soul will blossome do but keep it in the Sun all that are weary and heavie laden have ease all that are opprest with the devill are healed 't is the thing we are upon If this grace work not kindly the soul hardens it self in its sin If love be so large I may go on in my sin yet a while longer and do well enough at last God rejects none not young sinners not old sinners I will make as much as I can of my sin and lie as long as I may in the lap of Delilah if I must part with it I will part with it at last when I must part with all Death is seised violently upon this soul he vomits his excrements Would a Judas speak worse then this man I will keep my covetousnesse and treachery as long as I can if I must leave it it shall be at last when I leave this world my master and my hope for ever You cannot imagine the depth of guile that is in our hearts naturally
brave spirits in his bloud and trades them out all for Christ and Heaven in long voyages to come home rich he hath no hand but to good but to this he hath hand and heart and nothing can fetch off either Then answered I thus and said The God of Heaven will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no portion nor right nor memoriall in Jerusalem Nehem. 2.20 A Christian indeed magnanimous hath truth in one hand and life in the other and this is his Motto Take one take both This is his Motto every where in libertie in bonds and this he speakes and smiles now I joy Vse Wee are put by providence to speake upon a seasonable subject times call us to move bravely every one in our place Furie is abroad and furie is at home nothing but a brave spirit can now kisse Christ and smile in the face of both Greatnesse will over-bear and jostle a weak spirit though otherwise good as a childe from his father and make him cry and take on dolefully for want of that countenance which did smile upon him Power generates pride unlesse it sit in a very sweet breast the effects of this are bloudie and not a man can withstand to any purpose but he that is steele to the backe 'T is said of Vzziah that when he was strong that is externally strong that he was lifted up to his destruction This Prince after his great victories fell upon the worship of God and carried it by his owne greatnesse as he pleased which is a plague proper to pride to be spiritually and desperately wanton to creepe into the Temple and to confront God as highly as may be And the Text tells us of Azariah and fourscore brave Priests of the Lord that withstood him saying It pertaines not to thee O King to burne incense but to the Priests of the Lord which are consecrated goe out of the Sanctuarie thou hast trespassed and it shall not be for thine honour There were fourscore of these magnanimous spirits then would there were fourscore thousand of these now in the Christian world they are much needed to withstand violence against the worship of God against the priviledge of Ministers and people Blindnesse hardens men fooles will as soone strike with a club as with a twig as soone stab with a knife as with a straw every one that bowes not downe to the Idol of their fancie this is stoutnesse to destruction as the forecited Scripture speakes and 't is pitie it should destroy any but such as are guiltie of it and yet it will if not withstood What a dolefull condition would all have come to if those few brave spirits had given way to all that the King in the blindnesse of his heart would have done A Christian indeed magnanimous is he that stands in the gap in a time of wrath and none else this man is a Phinebat an Azariah one that stayes the plague the sword the wrath of God that eates upon us and would eate us out all unlesse some such brave spirits appeared abroad and at home in the field and in the Citie You can doe no service to quench the fire of jealousie that now burnes unlesse you get more fire in your hearts Life and death is in the ballance and the scales stand which scale will weigh downe we cannot tell onely this I can say this grace of Magnanimitie put in that scale where the life of the Kingdome lies would turne the beame presently and life should weigh downe death peace and prosperitie ruine and desolation 'T is pitie that brave spirits are no more smil'd upon some such buddings of hope are now and then but they are blasted againe men are alive a while and then dead Persons which are in such a condition that are pretie well one while and at deaths-dore againe another while men have still feare lest some vitals wast in such a state which is not yet discerned England if death should cure all thy diseases at last for want of a little life what a dolefull giving up the ghost will this be Whither wouldest thou carry thy cold off-spring that they might grow more warme To such and such plantations beyond the Seas Between thee and them is a great gulph and it may be they that would goe to them shall not they that thou wouldest should come to thee will not they that stay in the Citie famine may devoure they that goe to flie out a sword may cut off A Serpent a Lion or a Beare sword famine or plague may divide all between them within dore and without Surely England thy giving up if ever that sad day come which the Lord grant it may not will be with such ghastly groanes with such hideous shreechings with such tabering of breasts and tearing of haire with such weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as scarce ever any eye saw or eare heard since wrath and desolation began among the Gentiles Wherefore call upon thy selfe O England and call upon thy Physicians for Christian magnanimitie tell them what death thou fearest and what grudgings of it thou feelest alreadie in severall parts Where there be palsies and such diseases which are by cold which be numbe and dead the parts there rubbing is good to fetch heat and agilitie Rub one another frequently exhort one another daily strike fire in one anothers breasts admonish reprove but doe all in love Passion generates passion wild-fire is not magnanimitie this burnes all it doth not save all Magnanimitie springs out of love 't is a stout spirit candid with the sweetnesse of Christ and made a Lamb and a Lion as Christ was a Lamb when among sheep to be led by them but a Lion when among Beares and Wolves to awe and lead them Magnanimitie is the perfectest temper of Christ in all this world 't is a Lion lying downe with a Lamb and doing it no hurt and a Lamb playing upon the hole of an Aspe and receiving no hurt it is one that can doe no hurt but can and will doe much good 't is one that fels himselfe like Christ at a very low rate to doe good to all COLOSSIANS 1.24 Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SUfferings both externall and internall the word imports such stripes upon the flesh as did affect and afflict the spirit that did make passiones animi soule-passions There is such an affinite between the body and the soule that it is hard to separate them in suffering yet a divine hand of God who is father of spirit and flesh makes burthens pinch more upon the one then upon the other as pleaseth him Pauls cup was eminently proportion'd to Christs 't was to fill up that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ and Christs cup had those ingredients which made his soule heavie to death they did deeply affect not onely his flesh but his spirit Body and soule were
to it or how much you are below it Pauls triall is at the doore God hath armed your enemies they have instruments of death in their hands t is your goods your houses your Cities yea this is not all t is your blood too that they thirst after Can you proffer your breast to the Speare to save truth alive therein sad things at a distance are made nothing of this is the strength of our misery death may goe up and down in the West but it cannot come this way Why should any one dreame so Sinne and justice will meet any where in a City walled with Brasse up among the Starres if sinners can seat themselves there Hath all the provocation been among poore blinde soules which never had the knowledge of God nor scarce any meanes to attaine it And is there no provocation to be found among you children of light There be strange lightnings before death people will sit up in their beds and call heartily and talke cheerfully as if there were no death neere and it may be at the same time death in their extreame parts in their feet and in their nose Thou art in thy sicke bed London and art thou sure it shall not be a death-bed to thee death is upon thy extreame parts upon this County upon that County upon this towne and that City is there no danger of the heart The evill day is not farre from men because they doe put it farre from them Death is in all our soules can it be farre from our bodies so farre as never to come at them What man among us hath life for Christ as he should is not death seized upon our extreame parts those persons that should be as our nose to smell for us in things of weight dead those persons that should be as hands and feet for us in matters of weight dead spirited examine your selves all in this point and from hence prophecie if you will needs peace or warre to your selves and from nothing else though this way of prophesie be not infallible yet it is as likely to foretell what is to come as to prophecie from such and such events past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vicissim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies vicissim implere to doe a thing in ones turne Christ hath taken his turne and suffered his part in the will of God and now my turne as if the Apostle had said is come to doe that which belongs to me The cup is very big it will hold Christs blood and the blood of many more to fill it up Christ hath poured in his share and now I am to come next and powre in mine and who is to come next after me Christ knowes The word so read the order of divine triall is hinted unto us Gods people are not all in prison at once some are in at one time some at another some are in for so many daies and then let out againe and then comes in others The devill shall cast some of you into prison and ye shall be there for ten daies The cup of affliction goes round the Table every one drinkes of the water of affliction in his course Christ is not every day about sad worke Job 7.1 but takes set daies Is there not an appointed time unto man saith Job Tsaba Militia a warfare to every man a bloody season for every man so it is read by some Misery hereafter comes like a deluge drownes a world together at once in a moment in the twinkling of an eye but evils here goe forth in forme of a visit visits are at set times and to set persons now to some now to others we doe not use to visite all our acquaintance at one time Neverthelesse in the day when I visite I will visit their sinne upon them Exod. 32.34 Here is time and person singled out every day is not a blacke bloody day to every one we doe not all roare together here as they doe below but severall daies are divided among severall persons and severall yeares among severall Kingdomes now t is a day of evill to one man to morrow to another so many yeares bloody to one Kingdome so many to another Bitters are as sweets dished out by course Mercy is in this Christ will have some to pity when others need it some out of bonds to remember them that are in if all the Saints had beene in prison when Peter was who should have set daies apart to wrestle for him If all were an eye then where would be hearing so may I say in this case if all Christians were wounded at once and killed at once where would be Linen to binde up their wounds where would be shrouds and coffins and who would make graves and carry them thither The wicked will not they know not to compassionate the righteous they can wound the righteous but they have no heart to binde them up they have hearts to make them mourne but none to wipe teares from their eyes their very kindnesse is cruelty Tender goodnesse orders the great hardships of Saints when their cup is mingled by hard hearts Christ hath one tender heart or other standing under the devils elbow which he sees not to drop in some sweet to make the bitter goe downe one Ebedmelech stands under the tyrants elbow to moderate the miserie of Jeremy The over-ruling hand of God is in this of which there can be no reason given but his tender goodnesse for every righteous man is abominable to the wicked and when they fall upon one they would fall upon all and there is enough of them to dispatch all but that the Lord of his mercy hinders Justice is in this point that hard hearts may be without excuse Every degree of unkindnesse notes not a man without bowels neither doth Christ write downe men as mercilesse after this rate A neighbour in good condition asketh such a kindnesse of such a man which might be done and no prejudice to himselfe and yet t is denied I cannot write downe this man as mercilesse yet saith Christ Another day a poore man comes to desire such a favour of this man as tends much to his maine support and t is denied yet I cannot write this man mercilesse saith Christ But lay a Lazarus at his doore a creature that hath his skinne full of holes and an hundred hundred monthes crying all at once for mercy in one man lay a Souldier at his doore which hath so many wounds in his head so many in his backe all gaping crying and mourning with teares of blood for compassion bring a prisoner to his doore let him cry and gingle his chaines Sir I lie upon stones and I must live upon stones too if you give me no bread my food is sighing my drinke my teares my bed iron chaines shew mercy Sir shew mercy or I perish let this man be in a Kingdome where there are many of these Golgothaes and Aceldamaes a field
of blood of skuls and broken bones among many groning and tumbling to and againe with their bowels out holding up their hands Sir be mercifull I beseech you be mercifull and doe what you can to relieve me No I will not Now says Christ write downe the man for mercilesse What shall I say of this generation they are mourned to and yet lament not I have spoken to them saies Christ I have mourned to them but words teares stirre not when the most speaking things to move compassion move not then are a people written downe for mercilesse They have not remembred the afflictions of Joseph or condoled gnal Sheber over the breaking or the tearing to pieces of Joseph so t is very lively alluding to the state of Joseph whom his father thought to have beene torne with wild beasts When the extremity of misery moves not the least compassion the tearings and rendings of Kingdomes Townes Estates Persons then God writes downe men mercilesse Ye remembred not the tearings of Joseph When persons see the anguish of the soule of Joseph as one with death-pangs upon him and yet compassionate not this is written down We saw the anguish of his soule when he besought us and we would not heare we saw his heart-blood as it were ready to come out and yet we had no heart to pity surely we are judged as mercilesse wretches Genes 42.31 The order of trialls hintes the order of judgements sinners looke to your selves If Saints have their sad boutes their bloudy dayes surely you will have your turne too Men that love their sinnes love not to heare that ever they shall be whipt for them Evill is acted with confidence that it shall never be judged hee that sits in Heaven doth not regard since the beginning all things are as they were I have bin a sinner this twenty yeares and yet all is well This is grosse folly Christ laughes at it but we should mourne that men have no more grace hee sees that your day is comming yea hee sees that you cannot avoid it whilest in this state and therefore makes no more haste to take hold of you A creature that is fast in any Engine we lay we make not hast to come and breake the neck on 't and kill it outright because we know 't is fast and therefore wee come slowly Security is Satans deadly Engine you are fast in the bonds of iniquity justice is sure of you therefore it doth not make haste to come and break your neck and to dispatch you utterly When your day comes it will be a bloudy day indeed a day as long as a yeere as long as eternity a day that will never have night When your prisoning and chaining time comes your chaines will be everlasting your bout will be long mercy makes Justice therefore the longer a comming but if you presumptuously abuse this mercy even this mercy shall be shortned common mercy is shortened to desperate soules as it is lengthned to common penitents when they do but commonly humble themselves that is as poore brutes as in the case of Nineve And therefore you have a day of the Lord mentioned by the Prophet Zephany as hastened the great day of the Lord and hastening greatly to such a Generation of sinners as now I am speaking to Zephany 1.14 The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere it hasteth greatly the mighty man shall cry there bitterly t is a day of wastnesse mens bloud shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung the whole Land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie and hee shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Your day when it comes will be like this day a day of dispatch that will make riddance of you wholly body and soule and if you slight this that I tell you now and goe on in your sinne know that this great day of the Lord hasteth greatly sinners t is neer t is neer But sinners merry sinners can you tell how neere t is How neere your sad day is No you can looke up into the Heavens and when the Skie lookes so and so you can tell what the next day will be and t is so saith Christ There will be stormes to morrow and they are so 't will be a wet afternoone and t is so And observe how our Saviour makes use of all this to a proud secure Generation Yea and why even of your selves judge you not what is right Luke 12.57 you can judge thus and thus and judge right respecting the Heavens why can you not judge thus of your selves Intimating 't were possible if men did but observe themselves their hearts and their lives as they do other things men if they would do this they might be able to give a neere guesse when a storme or a black gloomy day is neere them Looke sinners round about you do you see nothing in your lives that lookes like bloud and death Do you feele nothing in your consciences that speaks a storme a breeding The worme that never dies begins to live crawle and stirre here dost thou feele it knaw terribly now and then what and continue in thy sinne why hell certainly is not far off One may smell some fire sulphurous matter burning one may smell it and if in the next roome one smells it so hot that one can hardly indure the roome The fire below is brimstone dost thou not smell it in thy conscience How hot is the smell so hot as thou canst not indure that roome why then the fire is fast by thou art in the next roome to Hell Consolation issues from this point to all godly people under the Lords hand your turne is come now to pledge Christ hee dranke to you in a bitter Cup a great while agoe and a great many farre better then you have pledged him and you are honoured to do the like 'T is a great honour to drinke of the same Cup that Christ did Can yee be Baptized with the Baptisme that I am Baptised with and this asked when they talked of great honour to fill up that which is behind of his draught let what will be in it things never so bitter t is wholesome t is healthfull life is in our deadly Cup the bravest life springs out of our cruellest death If this be not enough think on this t is but thy turne 't will be over quickly the Cup will be taken out of thy hand and given to another Thou art sad but for a season And now for a season if neede be you are in heavinesse saith Peter there was necessity thou shouldest be in heavinesse for a little time and how long this time and season is the Scripture tells us 't is but a momens and then it resolves it selfe into everlasting consolation COLOS. 1.24 The Afflictions of Christ c. AFflictions are from God immediately or from man God strikes sometimes and uses no hand but his
kinde must be without delay or else all is eternally lost the Basilisk blastes and burnes every greene thing it comes upon and makes death to every creature in a moment his poyson is so fiery strong Satan is such a Serpent not a Dart hee throwes but it is so fiery that it 's mortall presently In the day that thou eatest thou shalt die eatest what any of the Serpents poyson Thou shalt die the long-livest creature in the World In the day thou eatest i in the hower in the present moment although the long-livest creature the Serpents poyson will dispatch thee Our patients who are spirituall Physitians are all poisoned strongly poisoned their intrailes are afire our worke is the giving of Antidotes they must be speedy death is marching so speedily and so directly to the heart All this World is afire it lies so neere that below it every house in a blaze there are such lightnings and blastings from that region of darknesse that not a soule upon earth but is black burnt and in danger to be consumed they had neede bestir them that worke about quenching internall flames which take hold here this is our worke to quench Hell fire Two things are incomparably swift in bringing forth corrupt affection and Divine wrath The time is so little betweene conception and birth in order to sinne that it 's not mentioned Lust when it hath conceived brings forth sinne The Apostle doth not say that it brings forth in so many Moneths or in so many yeares two yeares or the like as Historians say the Elephant goes but when 'tas conceived it fals in travaile presently and the soule cannot sleepe till it bee delivered The wrath of God is just such another wombe conceives and brings forth presently internally or externally upon soule or body or both a sparke of fire no sooner takes but it burns presently within the house though you do not see all the out-parts of the house in a blaze presently a house is a fire a great while before all the Towne cry Fire fire Wrath kindled but a little as the Psalmist speakes in Gods breast against any man it burnes presently against him though not visible presently it sulters and takes more and more hold secretly and breakes forth all in a blaze in a shorter or longer space as tempests and windes arise and as wisdome will Spirituall Offices are shaped and injoyn'd in order to these nimble bearing wombes Goe quickly make an atonement wrath is begun said Moses to Aaron If wrath be begun as if he had said I know the nature of it 't will quickly make a dispatch of all therefore bestir thee be a Diaconos a diligent speedy Officer take a Censer and fire from off the Altar and put out one fire with another The nature of our Office hintes the nature of your condition 't is very dangerous of a sudden sinners you are undone it should be laid to heart Sinners are damnable venturous not knowing the wayes of God they make nothing of sinne and yet the wages of it is death and paid presently The soule froward and wilfull of a suddaine dispatched Say unto the children of Israel Yee are a stif-neeked people J will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee c. Exod. 33.5 Christ is our Breath and Life when resisted our Breath and Life departs and leaves the dead corps to be stretched out coffined and buried when justice will Christ and the soule parted this is death other things as laying the man in his Grave and such like these are but businesses about the Funerall Sinner Christ woes thee dost thou regard him He tels thee of the Harlot thou hast in thy bosome doth thy soule rise against him Why turn thy face to the wall draw up thy Legges in thy bed thou wilt have a death-pull presently conscience will sting thee ere thou art aware and now Christ is setting foot in stirrup to be gone he is now throwing off the dust of his feete as a preparative to departure Christ hath put the Knife now to thy throate yea more he hath stabbed thee to the heart and thou bleedest inwardly what wilt thou do to stop and heale this wound Didst thou dreame of a dart in thy heart ere thou hadst done thy sport to be shot from Heaven in the act of sinne in the bosome of Delilah But 't is not so with mee though I eate forbidden fruit now and then yet it agrees well enough with me it doth not make tumblings and ruptures in my bowels Death seiseth not upon all alike some goe away in a swone Insensibility is the deadliest condition of all Christ disregarded the soule is disregarded in the hower that one is the other is whether it now roare or bee still all is one Christ is departed there is no divine Life in the man you see but a corps not a Christian which will be buried out of Gods sight quickly The winde blowes where it lists how it lists of a night of an instant it turnes and blowes against one that was with one and drives the Vessell upon Rockes and splits all A sinner is nobly and sweetly intreated for a season this despised the old one leaves the nest hee cannot hatch what hee sits upon and therefore that stranger which hath blowne upon the egges and chilled them with handling let him suck them too now or teare them or do what hee will with them I beseech you sinners know your day your hower if the Sunne would kisse you kisse him He wooes hartily yet not in ordinately as some Lovers doe that will never give over that die when they cannot obtaine Christ kils others that will not love him but never kills himselfe with love he can of a wooer become a slayer of you and all in one day yea in one hower Wherefore receive that holy word Luke 12.36 Let your Loyns be girded about saith hee and your lights burning and yee your selves like unto men that waite for their Lord when he will returne from the wedding and when he commeth and knocketh they may open to him immediatly If you thinke out of pride and stoutnesse to make Christ waite your leasure till you have taken your fill of forbidden things and gone on as far as ever Nature and Life could let you goe you will be deceived Christ will in this case leave knocking and only marke the doore and be gone Some are hard to vomit there is such a concinnity betweene the stomack and what filth is burnt to the coates of it t will goe hard with such Some cast up presently as soone as nature is offended So do you saith Christ open immediately what I knock for to be delivered up deliver it up imediately I will not waite Christ makes short quick worke in the Earth when he hath to do with meer earth that will be no more COLOS. 1.25 According to the dispensation of God DIspensation the word meanes domesticke distribution
saw her and blessed her yea the Queen and the core thines and they praised her The Church of Christ is here set forth as a choice one for all endowments and glory and as holding forth all this to the admiration of Christ and all beholders The daughters saw her and blessed her the Queens and Concubines praised her COLOS. 1.25 Which is given to me for you c. THere are two occult things in providence which when well apprehended make a serene sweet life to understand still wherefore God takes and wherefore he gives what bitter and sweet meane blindnesse in either loseth God God lost in his dealings the soule loseth it selfe a man knowes not in this case where he is nor what he is whether a Saint or an hypocrite a man or a beast In both these this servant of Christ was acute the perishing of the outward man the flourishing of the inward he could explaine both All things are for your sakes 2 Corinth 4.15 16. there he speakes of what misery he did beare here in the text I stand upon he speaks of what honour he did beare and he understood well the end of both both for the Church of Christ for you i. for the prosperity of Christ in the hearts of all believers Family distribution is with this designe that all the family may be the better for what any one hath An elder child that can tell how to hold a dish hath a great full messe that all the rest may sit round and eate out of his dish Wisdome folds up many things in one many vertues and influences in one Sunne for all the world such a Sunne is Christ set for the fall and rise of many We are in Christs stead and so the savour of life and death to many We are Ambassadours in Christs stead and present Jewels allowed us from our Master to any especially to his Spouse for you i. you that are married to the Lord Jesus Thus I thinke the expression imports As if the Apostle had said Great endowments and gifts are for the Church primarily for others secondarily and subordinately in order to the use and welfare of the Church some way or other Which way the heart of God bends is observable Christ doth peculiarly and principally apply himself to Saints the centre of divine donation is the heart of a Christian all that goes from God to any does but hover till it come here the marrow and juyce of every creature of every gift is squeesed out into this vessell If you see Angels sent forth those glorious gifted creatures you may stand still and prophesie where they will turne in to Abraham to Lot they may goe along by others but they turne in and host here The choice communcations which descend from Heaven they bed themselves in the brests of Gods people they may hang and hover in the braines of others but they enter into the hearts of none but these The life of Christ is the spring of all parts the gifts which you see shine in any they are but springs from this fountaine branches of this Vine and observe which way this Vine creepes about whose house sides it goes with its branches into whose bowles he squeeses their blood T is for you saith he this is the blood of the new Testament which was shed for you My beloved is gone down into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies Cant. 6.2 After Christ are we directed to goe to carry all excellencies we have where he doth and lay them down all where he is in you and therefore observe that clause Luke 10.6 And if the Sonne of peace be there then stay otherwise away and carry all away with you When things lie in suite and in petition before they come forth thus into actuall exhibitions you shall see the truth of the point in hand demonstrated which way the heart of God bends in all cases of this nature Christ doth especially and peculiarly apply himselfe to Saints Thou wilt make their heart to prepare and thine eare to intend Psal 10.17 speaking of the meeke and humble Observe how peculiarly Christ applies himselfe to some Thou wilt make their heart to prepare if their heart stand not fit to receive noble favours thou wilt make them stand fit if it be not humble enouh hungry enough depending enough thou wilt make it doe all these thou wilt overcome all unaptnesse in these soules yea all unaptnesse in thy selfe If sinne and basenesse in these creatures present themselves in thine eyes and make some impresse and influence upon thee against having to doe with them yet thou wilt make thy selfe to looke towards these yea to heed them intensly saith the originall Thou wilt make thy selfe to intend Mercy pleades with justice when God hath to doe with his and makes him come off yea come down and condescend to stoope and take a lame creature by the hand and lay his eare close to his head and speake incouraging words to put the soule in heart to speak and speed Hester what is thy request and what is thy desire come into my presence I have nothing but is for thee he lends her legs to stand upon countenance to looke upon him spirits and mouth and tongue to speake makes her to prepare and then makes himselfe to forget the confinement of himselfe to other things and to intend her Which is a brave demonstration of this thing I am upon that Christ doth peculiarly and transcendently apply himselfe to Saints You have a like place Psal 18.6 My prayers came into his face into his eares Other folkes prayers come but to Gods eares and there they vanish but the prayers of Gods people come into his eares The expression notes how the eare and heart of Christ are specially and peculiarly applied unto his people Vse Towards whom Christ doth thus apply himselfe t will be bad bending against them for any This generation is very unhappy men observe not which way Christ bends and bend after him but which way the times bend and so bend after these and so what parts and endowments God hath given them are imployed against the people of Christ and not for them One thing should by as us to wit the will of Christ but when this will not any thing will pride covetousnesse malice when a man hath lost his aime he kils a child a friend as soone as an enrmy The scope of divine distribution this should be every gifted mans aime from hence should we take our levell but we doe not Which way doth God looke To what point hath he set the compasse To what part hath he bound me and fraighted me for the Holy-land for Saints must all I have and all I can doe runne into their breasts and put in at their Haven Then thither I must steer and to no other port though greater gaine might be had if this I doe not I make shipwracke of faith and a
good conscience This is the plague of this generation faith and conscience shipwracked which is the fruit of an ill scope at first and the proper medium of a wicked procession what will not that man doe against truth and Saints which hath split his peace and fidelity with God Parts and principles miscoped render the person worse then they that have none more heady and high minded and now the man sets himselfe in a way that is not good and this goes to the heart of God he often complaines of this The more God is inraged by any course the more severely he smites the pursuer Hypocrisie is punished with pride envy and security and now is a next neighbour and a familiar worse then an open enemy more bloody I was a reproach among mine enemies but especially among my neighbours Psa 31.11 vicinis valde to my neighbours very much or most of all T is of desperate issue every way to soule and body not to soder in scope with Christ Christians should sucke this honey-combe well a fathomelesse depth of sweetnesse is in it the bent of Christ in all his dispensations is toward you his heart hangs after you affliction prosperity warre peace Magistrates Ministers Paul Apollo Cephas life death all is yours for you Things now thwart much man against man nothing against you We looke too low to sucke the sweet of this point and to be at rest in troublous times Inferiour agents looke one one way another another way and answerably oppose in their motion and kill in conflict and yet the first intention lives and obtaines The scope of the first agent in all should be eyed and rest What is Christ about To destroy his people to destroy his glory Against whom or for whom is he Is he for Babylon and Babylonish wretches which now warre against us Is he so in his intention and in his purpose possibly this or that particular action as we scan it may looke like as if it were for them but is the prime scope of God for them in all he does does his heart hang toward any Babylonish brats now afoot abroad or at home If you thinke so read Jeremy 50.31 32. Behold I am against thee O thou most proud saith the Lord God of Hosts for thy day is come and the time that I will visit theel and the most proud shall stumble and fall and none shall raise him up and I will kindle a fire in his Cities and it shall devoure all round about him How ever actions and proceedings seem to smile upon evill men yet let this beare us up the scope of all is against them I am against thee i. in my intention and plot And contrariwise however sad and blacke things may looke in mans view in order to Christians yet their scope and their intention is for them Christ is for his Churches and for his Saints in all his designes This was that which Joshua desired to know when he was in some feares which way Christ heart did bend when his Sword was drawn whether for them or for their adversaries let me but know this saith Joshua and I shall rest let things worke how they will Joshua 5.13 14. And it came to passe when Joshua was by Jericho that he lift up his eyes and looked and behold there stood a man over against him with his Sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went unto him and said unto him Art thou for us or for our adversaries and be said Nay but as a Captaine of the Host of the Lord am I now come c. Or for our adversaries coarctatoribus for them that straiten us which word speakes full to our condition there be a great many bloody wretches abroad which straiten us exceedingly in all our mercies which pen us into so few Counties and into so little trading yet it should be enough for us to know against whom the point of Gods drawne Sword is set whether against their hearts or ours whether to make an end of them or of his people which party Christ takes if you thinke he takes their side no Loâ—ki t is vehemently denied which is expressed by two words nay but or nay because as a Captaine of the Lord of Hosts am I come there is negation with its reason added which is strong negation You may sucke this point not onely to establish you against feares and dangers now apparent but to furnish you with all excellencies that Christ hath Sampsons heart was set towards Delilah and she knew it and made use of it to get out all to strip him of all not a secret about his Nazariteship but she gets it Now we know the bent of Divine affection that it is specially toward us we should make use of it to get out all the secrets of wisdome and holinesse that are in Christ So you know Christ when he had fished out this to the botome that Peters heart did indeed bend and incline specially towards him he makes use of it to draw him out to speciall and Noble service for him Doest thou love me saith Delilah then shew me this and that so said Christ to Peter Doest thou love me and is all thou hast for me then let me see it Feed my Lambs and feed my Sheepe so doe thou say to Christ Dost thou love me O Christ and doth thy heart bend principally towards mee And is all thou hast and dost for me Then let me see it feede my poore soule with knowledge t is very ignorant feede my poore soule with love with joy t is very low and sad If what thou hast given this Minister and that Minister be for me why do I profit no more by them my Teachers drop pretious things but I like a broken ciâ—â—erne hold nothing And if my messe be in their dish why cannot I put in my spoone and take it out If thy bosome O Christ be a lodging intended for me hung stately and perfumed sweetly for me why cannot I lie there alwayes Clouds and mists are scattered by the force and motion of celestiall bodies you that are celestiall creatures it must stir up the grace of God in you and move and act the forcible acts of faith at the Throne of grace if you would dispell the clouds that hide God and great good from you Vaine beliefe destroyes us not one Christian of a thousand setled in this that the Heart of God is toward him and therefore hath no heart to goe to him to make use of him no nor cannot rest upon him for any thing It cannot be that the heart of God is towards mee all things go against me Sinne prevailes conscience stings breaches within breaches without lively-hoode dies feathers fall off apace I am almost quite bare in the nest I know not where to get cloathes to put on my back when these be done no not where to get bread to put in my head when this in my hand is eaten My wife mournes my
children cry friends frowne lively-hood did I say nay Life it selfe because of all these is almost gone t is as much as my heart-strings will hold I sigh so oft and so deep and can the heart of God be towards me can all be for me and all against me The Heart of God how it inclines cannot be gathered from the hand no not from the Tongue of God When a man would make demonstration of his state by the hand of God towards him hee had neede weigh things well the wheeles that go over have so many eyes and looke so many wayes one shall be deceived also God can speake against a man and do against him as you call against and yet all that while yearne in heart over him and working about great things for him he can speake against Ephraim a deare child and yet at the same time remember him yea remember him earnestly Since I spake against him I remember him still Affection is subordinate to fancy memory and more noble powers persons and things kept in memory and fancy these powers will work and keepe bowels beating still but when persons and things are throwne out here out of the memory of God then a mans condition is forlorne indeed and never till then thus Saints are never Christ speaking of sharpe troubles killing and bloudy trials saith Feare not him that can kill the body and then comes on thus to shew the tender providence and bowels still work in such times when we thinke not Are not five Sparrowes sould for two farthings and yet not one of them is forgotten before God but even the haires of your head are all numbred feare not therefore you are of more value c. Pretious persons sometimes according to externall condition are of no worth spoild bought sold for naught five of them for two farthings and yet not these not one person no not one haire of these persons forgotten i not without the compasse of tender bowells their haires numbered when upon their head and when they fall off their head T is not safe to calculate kindnesse by the meere motion of outward things or of ones own heart Straites and trialls put weake creatures to it Christ is not extreme to observe in this case Divine compassion dies not so soone as we thinke t is an everlasting thing t is a child of mercy which indures for ever God in all cases of transgression lookes upon Christ strictly then his fury is ceased this ceased whatsoever God does is consistent with bowels tender bowels The bitterest things that befall us should be so construed by looking still to Christ as God doth The Lord speakes of the piercing Serpent and Leviathan the crooked Serpent and the Sea Dragon Esaia 27.1 2 3. and all these in his Vineyard and suffered them all to make terrible worke and yet when hee comes to redresse this saith that fury was not in him all this while they did quite mistake him that did judge these sad afflictions the fruites of a heart turned against them Make use of these things to keepe your hearts setled in the truth of this point that the heart of God specially bends toward you and then milke out the sweet of it to all occasions so all conditions will bee sweete to you death it selfe Life COLOS. 1.25 To fulfill the Word of God THe finall cause of Divine distribution is here doubly set down substantially and circumstantially What is given is to be imparted to whom To Saints to you how much is to be given to them All that is given unto us this last circumstance is prest in this last clause as the other is in the former we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill the Word of God i preach fully the word of God The same word is used Romans 15.19 and so translated From Ierusalem round about to Illyricum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fully preached the Gospell of Christ The matter and the manner of divine ministration fall both here under consideration Sacred constitutions are not stuffed with hay straw stubble things that hold forth onely to sense some humane fading thing they are all of supreame authority and hold forth something of God and nothing else some pure beame of the Sun shines in every sacred Ordinance There were many sorts of instruments about the Tabernacle and yet not a pin but pointed at some great thing some pointed at the wisdome of Christ some at the power some at the mercy of Christ some noted the back-parts some the face some the body some the bloud some the Life some the death some the dying-breath of Christ to wit the word Know the nature and the authority of this Ordinance now managed we breath the dying breath of Christ to fulfill the Word of God 1 Cor. 23.27 i to accomplish his mind who thus made his will By the last words of David were the Levites appointed at such certaine yeares to their worke so by the last words of Christ was this worke put upon our shoulders Whereof J am made a Minister to fulfill the word of God i his last word of institution The dying breath of Section Christ we breath in your faces the nature of this I will open to you what it is naturally what accidentally Naturally t is pure perfectly pure There are three regions of Aire and although one purer then another yet none perfectly pure 'T is a division that pleaseth Schollers Pure but the substance is one So we may distinguish in this matter in hand There be three Regions in that Aire that blowes and breathes upon our soules the brest of the Father the brest of the Sun the brest of the holy Ghost all pure perfectly pure these are personally distinguished but one in essence As things are so they breath Lungs and inwards rotten and breath is answerably corrupt cleane things come not out of the mouth of uncleane wickednesse proceeds out of the mouth of the wicked persons when they are dying their breath is most of all impure all parts within are so over-run and ruined with filth Christ was dying all that time hee lived among us and yet sound in all parts holy and so breathed to the last he gave up his last breath in Hell and yet holy and heavenly and therefore very apt and punctuall is that expression of Solomon Every word of God is pure Prov. 30.5 Christ never had any filth in his mouth the fountaine that gave spring to that out-let was so pure hee never spake a sinfull word if every word of Christ was pure then his dying words were pure his words in Hell Eloi Eloi c. And yet this is not all the emphasis of that Text every word of God is Tserupha purgatus purified Surmo purgatus 'T was a Hell that Christ did speake in all his time here below if this Hell did do any thing it did purge and not pollute his words hee learn'd obedience not disobedience by all he
God to save and so is the word translated 2 Thess 2. Where t is used in order to the wicked having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure in unrighteousnesse c. You may imagine how much the Word doth import being used to set out a sinners love and strongest affection to sinne What a pleasure is a wicked mans sinne to him Can you expresse it why so says God t is to mee now to looke towards poore lost man and to sit downe in his soule The Word is used by the Apostle elsewhere 't is my hearts desire that Israel might be saved c. Just as if the Apostle should have said it would be my Heaven that Jsrael might come to Heaven t is my Heaven to thinke that ever they shall have Heaven and O that they might be called and he speakes there but in the straine and spirit of the Gospell the riches of the glory of this mystery that I am opening the heart of God and the heart of Christ now to man Vse You see now what is the riches of the glory of this mystery t is the proffer of mercy to man with much strength of affection a proffer of Heaven in Heaven i as one in Heaven a proffer of Life in Life or with Life and so are all the dispensations of the Gospell typified Revel 4. A throne was set in Heaven to set out the things of Heaven Let poore sinners know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery and inrich themselves by it Blessed are they that know the joyfull sound which words point at Aarons bells his going into the holiest of all made a joyfull sound to them that could understand it it pointed at Christ offering up his life for us and yet doing it as it were with Musick cheerfully and delightfully You have had this mystery explained all along my discourse do you understand it sinners then inrich your selves with it The Sunne is the riches and glory of all the World such a Sunne is the Gospell of Christ desire that this Sunne may shine into the little World if the Sun did not shine in this great World it could not inrich it nor glorifie it The Apostle speakes of this very thing to wit the Gospell and under this Metaphor of the Sun and he uses such tearmes as signifie in apparition and illustration But after that the kindnesse and gentlenesse of God appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is used to expresse the second comming of Christ and that will be bright and glorious indeed 2 Thess 2.8 i in apparition for otherwise it had beene of no force to those effects which he there mentions a like place 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospell It is plaine by these following words that the apparition here spoken of meanes in apparition death could not be otherwise destroyed nor immortality be brought to light And the learned agree that the word notes a mighty shining light that searches every corner of the heart is the light that you have of such illustration hath it brought life and immortality to light i a holy life that never end There is a great deale of light now in the World but when wee looke how it illustrates it selfe we are sad because it comes to no more ordinarily then the light of a comet that falles and the matter that bore it resolving it selfe into a filthy stinck to the great disgrace of the Gospel to the death of brave persons and Kingdomes What is it that makes such bloudy worke in the Christian World now but this that the riches of the glory of this mystery doth nothing in men this hath made a long night to our brethren the Iewes and is like to doe the like to the Gentiles The Gospell being riches prize Christ and his Ministers let them be glorious in your eye which bring glorious things Know which way the riches of glory comes to you it comes but by one gate Which puts me in mind of a story In the County of Saba which signifies a mystery when Frankinsence was brought into the chiefe City thereof it was ordered by the Priests that it should come in but at one Gate upon paine of death to wit that which they had consecrated for that purpose T is of lively use the riches of glory come in but one way by Christ and by the Ministry of his Word and therefore keepe open this Cate if all the money in your purses will do it if all the bloud in your veines will do it let all goe rather then this and the Gospel when this departeth the glory departeth the riches of glory departeth There is but one thing that is eminently accessary to the destruction of the riches of glory and that is hardnesse of heart The Balme-Trees when they had wounded them to get the vertue of them to drop forth they laid Wooll upon which the drops might fall that so they might be sure to save it so to gaine the riches of the glory of the Gospel to save the drops that fall from Christs mouth you must lay soft hearts tender and fleshy hearts otherwise you will die poore and miserable notwithstanding all the riches of glory that are amongst you COLOS. 1.27 Among the Gentiles or in the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethnick This is the word in the originall by which we are called it may be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words which signify a minde accustomed to some thing a heart evill and onely evill that is stout enough and such neither can nor will be made otherwise it speakes a nature of sinne a body of death one in the flesh and led by the flesh I will discribe a Gentile to you generally and particularly t is one uncircumcised in flesh and spirit that hath not the externall ordinances of Christ nor the internall efficacy this is to speake properly and fully a Gentile though where the latter is wanting under the fruition of the former such are called Gentiles For that he hath brought into my sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my sanctuary to polluate it Ese 44.7 they which are called here strangers were Gentiles and their condition is described they were uncircumcised in heart and flesh and this to speake properly and fully is a Gentile one that is beside all culture that that is without the visible Church and without the invisible grace of such estate There is a Gentile in the flesh and a Gentile in the spirit and a Gentile in both The Apostle makes this destinction and in these termes Wherefore remember that yee being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called the uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh which is made with hands Eph. 2.11 They were Gentiles in the flesh as well as in the
of convictions make a man fall at the feet of Christ or flee in his face Hast thou found me O mine enemy Wounds that goe to the heart if they let not out corruption and pride they make men desperate and bleed them to death desperately a proud man stab'd to the heart by the word if it be not sanctified to let out his pride he will spet the blood of his soule in the face of him that wounded it Are you Gentiles in heart then be so in name doe not miscall yourselves T is a thousand pities that many are called Christians You doe onely but flatter them that flatter themselves enough and too much you helpe hug soules to death The name of a Christian given to such a one that hath not the nature of a Christian is satans chariot in which he hath carried thousands to hell asleepe Let persons and things be called as they are let us name things according to their nature let Divinity have its name Morality its name Barbarity its name You give men their severall distances as they stand ranked by a common providence one to another but we doe not give men their distance as they stand all rankt by speciall providence in order to God and the highest greatnesse Let us follow Christ in this say some are neere some are far off some are in the Kingdome of God The Kingdome of God is in you saith he to some t is neere you saith he to others t is far off from you saith he to others Let us give all persons and things their due distances in order to God as they discover themselves Doe not waste breath vainely to make a gale a pleasant gale to blow soules faster to hell Iitten gnatsabeth Prov. 10.10 which are sailing thither but too fast of themselves He that winks with his eye causeth sorrow saith Solomon dabit dolorem he will give sorrow he that puts out his owne eyes and others to he will give a great deale of sorrow to others and yet keep a great deale more for himselfe and yet this is common blind lead one another neither knowes whether Make not a bad condition hopelesse t is not so in it selfe here A Gentile simply as a Gentile was without hope because out of roade of God Enter not by the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not Matth. 10.5 6. but goe rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel said Christ when he sent forth the word The preaching of the word is the meanes of life to whom this is denied death is concluded the people necessarily perish where this vision must not come This was our condition but t is not now the channell of love is turned toward us not from us life is come amongst us as the expression here is the riches of this mystery among the Gentiles or in them saith the originall The expression notes effectuall mercy is now revealed an efficacious proffer a light of life shines amongst us such as makes sight and makes blessednesse to us as much as to the Jewes so is this expression explained Matth. 4.16 t is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great light and that which they did see they which sat in darknesse saw great light Matth. 4.16 All this was shadowed in giving the promise to Abraham before Circumcision and before the Law to note that the Uncircumcision to wit the Gentiles should be partakers of the promise as well as the Circumcision And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham that is before the Law saying in thee and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blest Gentiles you that see your selves such Dogs Wolves Lyons effectuall mercy is tendred to you You that lie in the high way and villages blinde lame halt you are invited the others had their excuses some had bought Oxen others Farmes others had married wives the meaning is covetousnesse and voluptuousnesse carnality did cut off the carnall Jew and nothing but this will cut off you too Undervalue every thing in order to Christ which now invites you to him the creature hath our hearts which is a strange act a man stretching out himselfe for the grave The lust of the Gentiles spoyles them t was shadowed by the Prodigall if any of you be come to your selves like him to returne and looke after Christ you may finde grace and mercy as he did If you finde your hearts averse Christ will by his Word if you attend it perswade them And he reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath saith the Scriptures of Paul and perswaded the Jewes and the Greekes Acts 18.4 the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of perswasion now to the Greekes that is to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes Perswasion notes the power of the Word the Word carried to the heart and this Christ hath engaged himselfe to doe Hosea 2.14 Gnal libbah Therefore behold I will allure thee and bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably to her the word is to the heart I will allure her and speake to her heart God in them ingaged himselfe to us and stands obliged now to every poore soule that complains of his aversnesse to Christ to allure these soules and to speake to their heart COLOS. 1.27 Which is Christ in you AS there is an externall society body with body so there is an internall society spirit with spirit God is a spirit and sutes his society he moves about corporeals but holds communion and fellowship onely with spirits drawes out himselfe here his face and his heart that is communion where one drawes out his heart If any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy Phil. 2.1 the latter explaines the former what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the communion of the Spirit meanes to wit such an internall operation as whereby the spirit of man is made like the Spirit of God for bowels and mercies and so for all other Divine dispositions a drawing out his owne heart and his nature in ours partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a communion of the Spirit and a communion of the Divine nature I thinke the termes are expository and note the Spirit so effectually operating in the soule of man as imparting its owne nature to it such an operation or communication of Christ as this is called Christ in us because he leaves his Image and similitude in us as you say sometimes of children his fathers spirit is in him and this is spoken similitudinaliter not formaliter because of that similitude and onenesse of disposition that is between father and child God was in Christ that expression poynts not at the Divine essence nor cannot be proper speech so applied but at Divine existence noting how the persons in the Trinity doe act one in and by another
Christs being in us carries some proportion to this and is so applied by the Apostle The eyes of our understanding being enlightned that we might know the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes 1.19 God was in Christ that is he did put forth an exceeding great power in him and by this wrought in and by him exceeding great things raised him from the dead so saith the Apostle Christ is in us what 's that why he doth put forth an exceeding great power in us and by this raiseth us from the power of sinne satan and selfe and enables us to walke as spiritually alive that is according to the will of the Spirit of Christ and not according to our owne lust Divine communion at such a heigth as makes union and similitude to Christ speakes Christ in us according to the Scripture using of this phrase No act that Christ did for us but there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a communion of the vertue of it in us life death resurrection ascention that is an importing of the same Spirit and power that did all these in Christ according to such a measure as to worke similitude to all these in us That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering or the participation of his suffering t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being made conformable to his death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 configuratus made together in likenesse one shapt and formed by another so exact that there is a consimilitude one forme in two as it were consimilitude with Christ is Christ in us The expression being opened doe but note one thing what a forlorne seat Christ chooseth in this world great ones choose seats sutable to their ranke places of great worth rich fertile pleasant You may see the course of great ones in this by Lot he chose the plaine of Jordan which was for fertility and pleasantnes like the garden of God Gen. 13.19 Christ chooseth the poorest and the meanest place in all the world the poorest and meanest place in all the world is the soule of man this is poore in extremity poore and naked Revel 3. your soules are starke naked your bodies have some covering and some estate but your soules are destitute of all not a ragge of covering not a farthing of estate utterly destitute That which makes wealth and worth upon the soule is the beames of loving kindnesse shining upon them and these are utterly gone from the soule My loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from you T is a speech of dread and hints what is our state naturally Christ is utterly gone from the soule not a beame of loving kindnesse shines upon it There is nothing to speake properly within or without that estate but that which hath loving kindnesse wrapt up in it things thus considered man is the poorest creature in all the world in the front of wrath not any thing he hath within or without that hath a beame of loving kindnesse What Job speakes of some externally that may be said of him and of all us internally and naturally considered He cald them children of fooles yea children of base men Job 30.8 Beni beli Sem children without name that is without any worth As some are externally of no worth so are all of us internally consider our condition naturally and our soules are namelesse soules worthlesse soules if you will give a name to your soules you cannot in justice give them any name that imports any worth but such as may import worthlesnesse to the utmost The prodigall when he came to see the poverty of his inside said call me not by any name of worth let my soule goe namelesse of any such title I am not worthy to be called thy sonne We may not be called possessours of any thing naturally no not heires to any thing that is Divinely good we are creatures of no hope in our naturall condition nothing in possession nor nothing in reversion and yet such beggerly creatures Christ useth to sit downe in Meeke sitting upon an Asse Math. 21.5 An Asse is the poorest and the despisedst thing one of them that is and yet this Christ chuseth to make his seat Base things of the world things which are despised hath God chosen saith the Apostle and as if this were not enough to set forth the worthlesnesse of the things he chuseth for his seat hee addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non existentia and things which are not that have no existence our soules are so farre from any bravenesse of being that it is most proper to say they have no being at all if you will call your soules any thing call them things which are not and yet in these things which are not that is of any worth doth Christ looke him out a seat and dwelling Which is Christ in you The seat which Christ chuseth is very mean and very unclean which is the second particular which speaks the forlornnesse of a thing Poore people and poore houses when cleanly are desireable but usually poore persons are nasty and filthy too which makes them loathsom to us and yet Christ chuseth the poorest and the filthiest places for his seat Your uncleanest part is your inside the soule is the sinke of the man very excrement very rottennesse Psalme 5.9 wickednesses Havvoth the expression notes extention not a roome in the soule but foule very foule so that it is more proper to call every faculty and every operation every organ and organization wickednesse then wicked You have Elihu setting out this to Job notably Why is thy spirit turn'd against God and then speaking about the spirit of man sets it out to the life what it is it is filthy saith he it stinks it stinks abominably this is the case of every man saith he What man is he that is borne of a woman that he should be cleane he puts no trust in his Saints Job 15.16 Nithgnab Nèèlach the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is man abominable and stinking The same word is used Psalme 14.3 and so translated in the Margin stinking and this doth agree notably with the type the grave which is cald the heart of the earth doth but resemble the heart of man and there Christ took up his seat and his lodging and what more filthy than the grave t is stinking nothing like it stinking abominably and yet in this doth Christ take up his seat his rest his solemnest rest no place that is so solemnly possest and taken up as the grave the seat which Christ hath here is a grave our soules are a Golgotha and yet in no place doth Christ so solemnly seat himselfe as in the soule of man 'T is a mean place 't is an uncleane place that Christ chuseth to
the last the noblest so doth spirituall nourishment Hope is the last concoction of the soule the last digestion of words and workes by which pure bloud spirits substance and strength is delated and defused all over the state The Scripture makes three concoctions as Nature doth corporall and Hope is the last Tribulation worketh Patience Patience Experience Experience Hope and now the spirit hath spirit hath it self strength setlednesse therefore it followes and hope confounds not Providence toumbles the soule and the soul toumbles providence and the first result of this is patience the second result experience what God is at present and in the breast of this sits hope what God will be and smiles till things worke to this last issue the soule is confounded as the Apostle speaks Hope sucks the sweet of the words and works of God to the bottome that which lyes in the bottome of all God saith and doth to a Christian is heaven what ever lyes utmost the end is eternall life still to a Saint what ever things are a this side Things looke variously sometimes to a neare sight and explicite repugnancy betwixt words and works between such an end and such meanes ordained to it and yet all in an ultimate interpretation carry an exact subordination to the soules highest good Hope is a great Peere privy to the depth of wisdome to the intentions and resolutions of God and to the harmony of all changes and turnings how when and where they will meet in such a blessed end and lies and bathes and sports her selfe in the consistances of all varieties with and towards her prime good 't is a grace to which felicity is alwayes in view a halcyon that findes out a quiet place upon the most moving and boysterous body to wit the sea Hope t is a soul free from a Consumption fat and merry eates not out it s owne spirits nor its owne marrow Some kinde of Spiders eate out the Dam which sits upon them as soone as hatcht so do the thoughts and apprehensions of some souls kill the minde and spirit that brings them forth they are such poysonous and eating things they are so venemous so fiery so dark so gnawing so voyd of heaven of any glimpse of it and so full of hell I reckon upon my afflictions from morning to night saith Hezekiah and I have cut off mine own life his soule hatched such thoughts in time of distresse as did gnaw out the bowells and. life of it selfe that affliction became as death and death as hell which is the property of despaire and unbeliefe to render persons as destroyed and damn'd already as that expression is As there be soules damn'd already and in hell already so there be souls saved already and in heaven already in heaven whilst looking for it apprehension of it in Christ so strong so clear what ever accidentals turmoile the outward man the while Accounting that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation 2 Pet. 3.15 t is a soule that hath so clear an apprehension of the issue of all sufferings for Chirst that the issue of them is in him already what he expects is to him already in a degree in judgement and account judging that the long-suffering of God is salvation yea not onely in judgement not onely in strong evidence and conviction but in sweet contemplation delectation and fruition for 't is a grace that speaks the love of God shed abroad in the soule and experience hope and hope makes not ashamed why because the soule now hath a good part what it hopes for Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5.5 Vse Our felicity lies in noble principles 't were well if we had an impregnable estate in these times Every thing is unsetled and almost hopelesse how is your spirituall condition Every thing without hath made its will and bequeathed it selfe to Death Devills Ruine have your soules made their will and bequeathed themselves to Death and Devills too Ah my soule what a sad state is this Sinne reignes though every thing runne to ruine this doth not The Sword of the Spirit can kill no sinnes therefore it doth soules O how consciences bleed how ghastly are many soules now more to seek for eternall safety then temporall I know not what these wretches will doe God and man are upon you and against you whither will you flee what will you doe for relief Nothing destroyes hope like an evill conscience Now sinners tell me what is sinne now to you Where is that sweet that did ere while so extraordinarily take you what is that in your sinne that did hold you so fast and so long from Christ Shew me now the kirnell of your course You have been cracking shells a great while and what now is the in-side of all nothing but Death and Hell and in stead of your wonted joy an afrighted soule and a fearefull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation Now that which you chose should stand you in most stead doth it thus cheat you then write upon thy sinne Vanity upon thy heart Thou hast deluded me I know not what will be the issue of these evill times death is gathering to the heart apace to the heart of Kingdomes Estates and the like if it be there already in order to your soules truly Justice is quicke with you and you had neede looke about you In swoning fits cordials be necessary something to be taken inwardly that is Christ he fetches life and hope Christ in you the hope of glory Sinfull fearefull wretches there is nothing in you but nature and the old man therefore are you so weake and wicked in your course so dreadfull in apprehension about the end Men would do much sometimes in their owne strength when a lively word takes hold on them but this cannot be never considering how desolate all within is Your eyes are not in your head as the wise man speaks that is they are not in your heart you see nothing within as you should When conscience is fired by the word you thinke to do this and that presently and then all will be well and then fayle in the action and so increase the flame Conscience when a fire must have something dropt in to it things done without are nothing to wit the bloud of Christ Not a sparkle of hell is alayed without bloud without the bloud of Christ or the bloud of the soule Application of remedy must be as the distresse lies your hell is within you and Christ must descend into hell to do a sinner good to set his soule in rest and hope he must goe into the World to save it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.5 Christ must come into this World and then into the heart of man that is in it into the great World and then into the little World which he is willing to doe and so expresseth himselfe Heb. 10.5 When
and joyfull to tell who are slaine and who saved our Travells are to all remote parts that are into Heaven into hell into the heart of man where these two meet to search the book of life and the book of death to finde whose names are written in the one and to informe the persons Paul could tell Clement and others that their names were written in the book of life Phil. 4.3 And whose names are written in the other to wit the book of death and to informe likewise the persons Jude could tell who were of old ordained to condemnation we are to seek creatures lost in hel which is hard work to finde to search out things hidden in God from ages and generations which is harder worke Vse The soule of man certainly is very precious to Christ he sits up with it late watches with it very long burnes out many watch-lights to save it if possibly from dying eternally Estimation is to be made of things according to cost about it provided that the layer out bee prudent When you let houses or lands this comes in as a consideration to heighten rent what you are out in purchase and repaire Christ cannot be taxt for imprudence or improvidence and yet he is at more cost and paines about the soule then about any thing not onely here and there a man is pickt out to minister to the soule but all the creatures in the world are severally gifted vertued decked and adorned to minister to and worke upon the soule the words and works of God have all a harmony in this they all therefore are and abide which otherwise should all passe away were it not to take and gaine the soule there is a juice and Verdure a spirit in every living creature to incline it to serve man and so to by as his soule to God The multitude of preachers to the soul of man is great some he had at the third hour some at the sixth some at the ninth God and the Creation were preaching to man from the beginning all creatures brought their full goodnesse to mans full view and use to keep him fully good but could not he fell asleep in the fore-noon in the morning when the primest and sweetest sermons were made that ever the eares of man heard and dyed in his sleep Wee that come in labourers at the latter part of the day we preach to the dead our worke is to fetch the dead to life againe to raise Lazars out of their grave that have lain there long and stink and yet how unsavory soever how impossible soever our worke is and seemes to be we must upon the perill of the bloud of our own soules discharge it our labour is spending and ending we like Rachel dye in travell to bring forth sonnes and daughters to Christ and yet woe to us we shall dye twice if wee hold not on this labour and this travell Certainly Christ hath put an high price on poore soules I am sadded to thinke how mis-judging some persons are of Christ and their soules Doth Christ milke out his breast to bastards such as are base borne and no sonnes Can he summe up nought nought many noughts to a great summe and to a great price A naughty tongue a naughty hand a naughty heart a naughty conscience all these naughty parts to a precious whole I answer Christ doth prize naked beings the soule according to its esse though it hath never a good quality in it What shall a man give in exchange for his soule high price is put here upon the soule simply as it is such a transcendent being beyond others then againe Christ sets a price upon things according to what he can work them too he can lay out cost and paines mans meate horse meat seed and grain of this kinde and that and plow in hope Persons of art and skill put a price upon this and that grasse which others tread under foote as weeds and nothing worth because by such and such decoctions they know what precious things to bring them to Nero put great price upon Thapsis a gigantine Fennell his great men about him wondred to see him send so farre for it and put such esteeme upon it but hee did so because he knew how to order it with Frankincense and other things to take away the bruises of his body God hath Frankincense by him to wit Christ and though wee be but as Fennell a weede little worth yet hee can tell how to order us and shape us so as to bring us to great maturity and price and according to this to wit what he can do with soules doth he put price upon them though at present of little worth and therefore let empty creatures judge righteously concerning Christ and their soules Would Christ be at paines and at cost to lay pipes to the cisterne if he did not meane to fill it Be just in opinion concerning Christ and mercifull in practice concerning us and this is the last thing I have to say upon the point Our calling is full of wasting labour very painefull easen it to us by your plyablenesse to Christ Sinners are full of sores putrified from head to foot and yet will not be lanced nor drest this is the killing paine of all our paynes that all we do is rejected Ministers would not be gray headed so soone nor die so fast notwithstanding their great labour if it were but successefull but this cuts to the heart and makes us bleed in secret that though we do much it comes to nothing I am placed in an Hospitall where there are so many score Diseased creatures that 't would pity any ones heart to looke upon them and yet when I come to dresse them they all curse mee in their heart and one hides his wounds from mee an other sees and sweares he is as well as I in as good a condition as his Minister and yet lookes as pale as Death as black in the mouth and in the eyes as if he were in Hell already an other tumbles in blood and filth and sayth this is his Scarlet-shute hee hath no other habit to go brave and gallant in if he should not do so and so he should die in the neast and wishes those hang'd that contradict and trouble him there is so many filthy breaths and dampes in the places where wee worke these are the things that kill us more then our meere paine there is so much conjuring in the spittle where we are placed and so many eyes stare and looke so fiery and gastly so many devils walking among the Tombes and Graves where we are labouring to rowle away stones that lie at the mouthes of them These are they that teare our Lungs consume our Spirits Our worke dies therefore we die not so much that we labour as that we labour in vaine wee can send none out of the Hospitall where wee are Phisitians upon two Legs but all upon foure none goe out well all
die under our hands all the solemnitis belonging to our company are for the most part Funerall solemnities going to the Grave with the dead in trespasses and sinnes our invitations are Sir mourne with me I beseech you for such a one that lies upon his eternall Death-bed that hath Plague-spots in his breast that lies raving blaspheming and much a doe to keepe him in his Bed to keepe him from leaping into a worse if worse may be from leaping desperatly into Hell When our Ministrey petrefies turnes hearts into stones and these taken up and throwne at us this kills us the recoiling of our paines kills us when our peace returnes to us as Christ speakes J have laboured in vaine spent my strength for naught saith the Prophet When we spend our strength to make men more naught then they were this wounds our heart which should be considered of sinners to kill ones selfe and ones Minister too which would save him what a bloudy condition is this the bloud of a Minister upon a mans soule is more then the blood of many men stubborne soules lay this to heart When the Poet would cure drunkennesse in the Heathen Emperour he said remember thou drinkest the Blood and the Life of the earth meaning the juyce of the Grape So I say to you stubborne sinners remember when you breake the heart of your Ministers by your stubbornnesse you destroy the Blood and Life of the World I would I could say any thing to breake the Iron sinnew that is in the neck of some sins and sinners Be a friend to us in our worke and be a friend to your selves come off readily and speedily to Christ our work will be easy and your condition safe hold us fight long and I know who will fall at last with a witnesse The warre betweene the house of David and Saul was long saith the Text 2 Sam. 3.1 the issue was answerable had that malitious stubborne man layd downe his Armes and readily yeilded to the Will of God to Christ that came against him in David hee might have found mercy but he would stand it out to the last and weary God and David his servant till at last there was no remedy and then all Davids Teares Prayers and brave services that he had done tooke place and effect with a witnesse Make our life dolefull and Christ will make your death dolefull be as great as you will stay long in the birth and kill Midwife and you will be delivered in hell ease us and ease Christ for Christ striveth in us we strive but according as be striveth in us as saith the following clause in my Text striving according to his working and therefore is Noahs suffering so long in his paynes for that people called the long suffering of God 1 Pet. 3.2 London England the blood of many Prophets is upon thee is this nothing the blood of God is upon thee and God layes this to heart now now he makes inquisition for blood hee makes blood to touch blood your blood to touch the blood of them whom you have kil'd in their labour by your frowardnesse and wickednesse to Christ and them COLOS. 1.29 Striving according to his working c. STriving This word seconds the explanation given of the former that the labour of the Ministery is very painfull t is a putting off all powers externall and internall to it to the utmost t is a strife contention running for a victory a fight so the word is in severall places translated Fight the good fight of faith I have fought a good fight in both places is the same word that here is translated strive fighting running for victory they are acts wherein the whole man intends it selfe as in matters of life and death The worke of our calling is in the former word generally and summarily exprest in this word t is particularly specified as it beares upon its particular and proper cause When we say such a one labours this satisfies not what is his labour this question is answered by this following word in order to our calling Our labour is in some sence the worst the sowrest t is contention spirituall contention i. a contention which hath its rise not from our owne spirit but from the spirit of God and its termination in the spirit of man We strive not according to our own will but according to his Word and Spirit that striveth and worketh in us Contention hath a bad and a good acceptation the spirit lights on fire of Hell sometimes and flames out of the mouth and burnes all that stand neere in name in whatsoever is deare this is bad contention Folly lurkes long in an unmortified soule at last gets a head and then words without wisdome or conscience toumble out one upon anothers backe as if they should toumble downe all that is before them but they throw downe him onely from whom they come A fooles lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes and in the next verse a fooles mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soule Prov. 18.6 7. If standers by can keepe off the flame this fire burnes no more houses then into which it comes The flame that comes out of one mans mouth if it be not suckt in by another onely one tenement is consumed folly is full of humour humour disguiseth every person and action and apprehends all for enemies and so fights against yea slayes with the tongue deare friends for deadly foes that is as much as in him lies Folly generates humour humour is a bastard pride now none so beautifull in any proceedings as the man himselfe other folkes children are all untimely births and mishapen brats and deserve all to be murthered with the mouth and bit to death Butchery is some persons trade neighbours children kild quartered and hung out to sale every day for all that come by and will buy pride hardens the heare hardned the man will runne against any one with his tongue till he can get other weapons and spot himselfe all over with the blood of the best mans repute in the world before his face Contention is a murthering of a mans off-spring before his face and throwing the blood of them in his face thou didst say this and thou didst doe that Pride hardens 'tas this property in every soule many hearts quard and become sulpherous stones the divell takes them up and strikes fire with them to burne all Bad contention hath alwaies a diabolicall concurrence more or lesse many things may charge and load the Gun but the Divell gives fire still and makes it off and helpes to fetch out all that is within the man Contention hath a good acceptation good contention is an expliced zeale against sinne Sinnes are of severall sorts some have their tongues cut out of their mouthes by conscience and can nor dare say nothing of their course others have their tongue in their head and can and will say
much for their sinne though they die in the place Parts being considerable such habits are made use of iniquity establisheth it selfe by a law in such a soule what one can make 't out to be de jure t is a case to be pleaded and the soule will plead in these cases with man and the man will plead with any man that his soule may hold its owne and sin keepe warme where t is parts and parties are therefore now drawn out and strong reasons brought forth produce your strong reasons saith the Prophet Esay 41.21 Productions of this kinde made abortives by truth truth in strength drawn out against that which is false enervating and silencing sinfull disputes and practices is good contention Thus did Nehemiah contend Then contended I with the Rulers and sayd why is the house of God forsaken what evill thing is this that ye doe did not our fathers thus and brought all this evill upon them Nehem. 13. Man must not move as a beast which knowes not the ground he goes upon action must have authority and the production of this authority is sometimes necessary if this or that be not valid by rule 't is to be condemnd by the rule and this is every ones priviledge that hath ability and opportunity by vertue of a generall or a particular call by vertue of a generall call as a Christian to resist sinne and errour which is a publique enemy and traytor to the State which any one may lay hands on and therefore t is that Jude exhorted the Christians to put hand to this worke as well as himselfe when hee wrote to them of a common salvation he wrote unto them also about a common enemy and told them that they ought to contribute strength against such as well as he t was needfull for me to write unto you and to exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith You may thinke as if he had said that it is my worke onely to contend for the faith and against that which opposeth it but it is so mine that it is also yours by a generall calling persons by the advantage of a particular calling draw a greater force into the field against the common enemy but others are bound to contribute what they have to this worke as well as they Wee are as men designed and advantaged peculiarly as Generals to lead in this sad worke to which the Prophet speakes Jeremy 15.10 Woe is me my mother that thou hast borne me a man of strife Jeremiah had a particular call from the wombe to live as a Solamander in the fire all his daies these as gifted and wealthy persons raise more force and bring a greater strength into the the field then others can but the worke beares upon all The Apostle intimates it in that hee speakes as putting into this worke onely as one whereunto I also labour and striving according to his working in me My purpose is to be precise in this point and to pursue onely the divine nature of contention which lies in two things a holy rise and a holy scope Many bad things boyle in an evill nature these now and then boyle over and scald standers by in something that is worthy bitter language may come from a sweet spirit but then the person is in a temptation and his contest against sinne sinfull and successesse in order to what might be simply meant at first setting out opposition externall which springs from any such bad principle internall staines the nature of the act quite through there is a warre from ones lust as the Apostle James saith the spirit within dissents some person without and therefore spits in his face when it speakes to him that every one may know him and have as low an esteeme of him as he hath Affection prejudiced in order to the person I deale with and so opposition the fruit of an ill disposition this is impure contention Fire of this nature is heavenly when it springs from love to the man and hatred to his sinne sinne is such an ugly thing that it becomes no body no not a friend t is a blacke spot but not a beauty spot in any ones face set it where you will cut it how you will when love moulds words to discover so much to the face of him that thinkes otherwise I would not have any one that I love live or die in any thing that Christ hates This is Divine contention precious balme Divine contention hath a divine rise a divine scope which is to convince and to convert truth is lovely in the eye as well as in the practice yet hath many gainsayers in both these must be replied to till they have nothing to say to any purpose objections of waight are a considerable spirituall army and ought to be encountered though fooles must not be answered in their folly There is gainsaying with tongue or conscience dispute must be so steeld with truth till one or both be silenced the Scriptures are sufficient this way they are given by inspiration and profitable for doctrine for reproofe for conviction 2 Tim. 3.16 Weapons drawne out of the word and so skilfully and reverently used till pride be stabd and conscience speechlesse and breathing out its last for the evill course it walkt in this is handling the Word of God and the soule of man not deceitfully but really and is holy strife deckes set a fire not to burne the ship but to blow up them at top that would take the whole vessell Contention is not onely to stop but to turne a sinner t is a travell and pangs cease not till satan be ruind and Christ formd Conviction and conversion are two things a man may feele the evill of his owne way and yet taste no sweet in Christs vomiting is painfull the stomacke takes great dislike and offence at what it opened its mouth greedily to take in one would thinke in this case t were impossible that what is so violently thrown out should ever be savoured and taken in againe yet not in this case therefore in no case with some creatures is there an abhorring for ever Dogs will returne to their vomit and sinners but shadowed in that metaphor spirituall strife is to make certaine the state of a Christian yea to give the ultimate or utmost of this state to make former vomitings old sinnes yea old graces i. graces in such and such a degree to be forgotten to put forward and to present every one perfect in parts perfect in degrees which is the emphasis and connexion of the frontice terme of the Text That wee may present every man perfect in Christ whereunto I labour and strive Holy strife tends to bring persons to perfection it is fighting a good fight the issue of which is the soule able to lay hold of eternall life able to let go hold of sin of any sin and to take hold of any grace of all grace of eternall life Running of this kind
Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of minde there was not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Willing but all readinesse to will all strength and life of affection to Christ and the Gospell which is the Nobility of a Christian These are the Noble operations that I would have you long and looke after COLOS. 1.29 Which worketh in me mightily Or in power IN-operation simply and in-operation extraordinary are both to be stood upon a little to open this expression unto you the one will open the first part of this expression which worketh in me the other will open the latter part of the expression which worketh in me mightily or in power In-operation simply considered is a supreme act making an eternall impresse upon the soule for life or death Things have their advantage by position so they may be put that every one cannot reach them nor finde them out the heart hath this advantage t is a hidden man an inward creature What you looke upon or touch when you have to doe with a creature of your owne making is flesh and bones but the manhood of this substance or that which makes this substance a man is hidden within so hid that none can reach but by supreme power of its owne or borrowed Among these Nations shalt thou have no ease but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and sorrow of mind Deut. 28.56 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart a stone may be stirred and toumbled sometimes when it is not broken Consider the heart under this metaphor as the Scripture doth for some refractory properties of it and this stone that lies at the center of the little world cannot be stirred nor the foundation of this little world shaken in the least but by a supreme power The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart Those internall operations which make a wicked mans heart shake and tremble sometimes they are from the Lord and when the Lord takes off his hand the stone lies still againe lift and pull whoso will as long and as much as hee will the sinner stirres not which is authority enough that internall operation is a supream act If this be not Job gives further authority and makes a higher instance Consider the stone that lies at the center of the earth the foundation stone of the little world I meane the heart as shaken or as broken and God doth it God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me Job 23.16 When a Christians heart melts and is dissolved take it in a refreshing sense or take it in an afflicting sense supreame power doth it man cannot doe this himselfe a sinner a Saint cannot move the stone in his bosome one jot t is an Almighty act that reacheth the heart of any man the Almighty stirs me within Internall operation is as I have said a supreame act This act makes eternall impresse Internall operation is from a high hand and of high concernment t is of everlasting force the Spirit is called an eternall Spirit not so much in order to being as in order to operation the things that this Spirit worketh in us and for us are life eternall the workman the workhouse the worke wrought in this house are all eternall the Spirit eternall the soule eternall the workes wrought here the carvings or cuttings are eternall unalterable if Christ make but the least dint upon the heart I may challenge all powers in heaven and in earth to even it Operations externall are not eternall not a worke you looke upon without though never so great or glorious but fades and shall be turnd into its fitst nothing but operations internall are eternall what God doth in the soule is to last as the soule if he drop mercy into us this drop shall last for ever though all the mercies without us may be gone in a moment if he drop justice and wrath into us this drop abideth for ever God is called immutable not so much in order to being as in order to action and not in order to all action neither but in order to internall actions such as are done about the soule I am God immutable and change not Change not in what in esse that is granted of all and needs no affirmation no this is not the thing but in operari and about this many doubt I have droped mercy into the hearts of the sonnes of Jacob and it shall never out I have begun a good worke a good internall worke and it shall last to the day of Christ it shall last unto Heaven that is for ever therefore is the Spirit according to his presence and internall operation called the earnest of Heaven and the scale to the day of redemption it makes impresse upon the soule so deepe that abides for ever the worke the Spirit doth in us outstands the gates of hell the Temple that Christ now builds in us not a stone not the least pin of it moulders to all eternity t is so wrought t is so on the other hand what he doth internally in poynt of justice he doth it to purpose All the world on fire without you may sooner quench it then one sparkle of the fire of Gods wrath which he casts into a man this is an everlasting fire an alway punishment as the Scripture speaks Bow downe their backe alwaies pointing at Doeg and Judas and such like wretches that were internally punisht A man internally smitten by the justice of God his backe is broke for ever take Job but as hee personates a wicked mans case forbeare the application of it to himselfe as he doth being then in a temptation let his person alone but take the thing as his apprehension is opened fully in this poynt to his triall for a time and you shall have him speake notably of the property of internall operation in order to evill men God is in one mind when he is at worke in wicked soules one cannot turne him what his soule desireth that he doth Job 23.13 If after great provocation workings and strivings without by words and blowes hee goe to worke within to fit the vessell for wrath if this be now the will of God there is no turning of him nor no turning of the point nor edge of the tooles hee workes with no terminating the effect short of the Authors intention the Trinity in their action internall to expresse this property of it are called agents hitherto The Father worketh hitherto and I worke observe about what works Christ was when he spake thus he was about internall action to wit the curing of the cripple which had laine so long at the poole which was a cripled soule as well as a cripled body Internall operation is of eternall force this is generall and indetermined therefore it followes in the definition t is of eternall force to such an expresse end to life and death that which Christ doth within about
great world over all the little world into every roome of the soule into joynts and marrow and set downe himselfe where he will in conscience in affection in what inward part he sees good in some one part or in all parts that is the greatest good in the world when truth is in the inward parts i. not in one faculty but in all not onely in the understanding but in the conscience in the affection in every faculty this Christ loves mightily and what hee loves hee can accomplish there is no torture upon him affection larger then power as t is usually with us All power is given to him to worke without to worke within in Earth in Heaven that is in the more internall and heavenly part Hee giveth wisdome to the heart I will give my Lawes into your mind By Lawes is meant all grace and yet all this made a gift and given into the soule that desires it Christ gives things into the hand yea into the heart all precious things and derives them into all parts and when all this is done in us and the like laboured for to be done by us in all others then is internall operation in power or then Christ workes in us mightily which terme pointing onely at a gradation in the same operation hath raveld out it selfe according to what is difficult in unfolding the former A concluding Speech WHich worketh in me mightily The concurrence of this power wee have had in our measure all along our labour which I would should be much acknowledged to Christ by vertue of which wee are now come to our period of this Verse and of the whole Chapter Our pace in this long journey hath been slow that you might all goe along with mee in the well understanding and imbracing of weighty things and yet how many notwithstanding our double industry are left behind in the blindnesse and mis-beliefe of their soules I know not If our Gospell be hid after all pains fully to lay it open such soules have great reason to feare themselves Child-bearing is no easie worke to any but doubly hard to some so that life out of death may that which comes forth betweene the legges be called This birth though but a hard-favoured child hath beene hard travell to us 'tas made many a sigh and groane many a heart pang and crying out to God What you will doe with the child now borne whither you will be a Pharaoh or a Pharoahs Daughter to it murther it or keepe it alive in your hearts I know not This I know that no man can spill all the blood of any child of God some will stick upon you doe what you can to tell the murtherer at the great day Sighes and groanes are the teares of the heart the heart venting it selfe at the mouth when it cannot at the eyes and other lesser pores every drop that hath fallen from our heart and head from our Eye-lids or Eye-brows shall be all gathered up and put as marginall notes along by all our labours and all put in one Volumne together and this volumne put in your hand at the great day and opened Leafe after Leafe and read distinctly and exactly to you and your soules made to attend regard and remember better then here many of you have done and when all is thus read over this booke shall be closed and this question solemnly put to you all now O soules what have you profitted by all Words Prayers Teares Sighes Groanes As Conscience can answer to this for nothing else may then speake so shall your sentence be and I shall be called out to give witnesse to the justice of it and say Amen Lord Jesus righteous is all that thou hast pronounced upon these soules Our labours lost if this were simply all truly 't were nothing but our labours lost and your soules are lost and yet what is losse to you shall be gaine to us for wee are a sweete savour to God both in them that are saved and in them that perish As wee dresse and as wee water Trees in the Lords Vinyard so shall wee have our wages and not as these Trees beare if Trees be dressed and watered well though they never beare well wee shall have a good Vintage You Londoners are Trees watered choisely indeede 'T is storied of the Plane Tree that at its first transplanting into Italie 't was watered with Wine to make it take and prosper in those parts of the World you are Trees watered with Wine I cannot say that you have beene so watered by mee I dare not but this I can humbly and truly say that if our choisest strength and spirits may bee nam'd in steade of Water Wine or if the blessing which hath gone along with these Waters at any time have turned them into Wine in vigour upon your soules then hath God by mee watered your Rootes with Wine and yet if after such costly watering you grow not nor beare not certainly such Trees are neere unto cursing which sad effect that my Ministey should be an instrument to hasten to this place or to any soule will make mee to continue mourning still in secret for you all and so spend and end my dayes * ⎠* FINIS TABLE MAn is in soule misery page 1 So naturally judicially universally p. 2 3 Whether sensible of soule misery moved and what demonstrates insensibility p. 3 4 5 Christ snatcheth soules out of Hell P. 7 Christ moves swiftly throughly preventingly ravishingly to save p. 7 8 9 Whom Christ hath snatcht out of Satans power p. 10 11 12 That power which workes irresistibly to save the soule with much ease can save our body p. 13 Ignorance makes prophanenesse p. 14 Ignorance pollutes will the practicke understanding the conscience and is the Divels element p. 15 16 The darke Church of England spoken to p. 16 17 Christ carries soules to Heaven p. 18 Christ saves laboriously fatherly surely p. 19 20 Satan carries soules to Hell and how p. 22 23 Demonstrations of Christs Kingdome in this world p. 25 26 Some not far from the Kingdome of God and yet never come there p. 30 31 Love gives forth preferment to all Gods children p. 32 God gives orderly purely solacingly p. 32 33 The folly of men that looke after humane favour to rise p. 34 35 The blessednesse of them which are beloved of God p. 36 37 What redemption meanes p. 38 39 40 41 Bodily bondage lookt after but not soule bondage p. 42 43 What a spirit of bondage and a state of bondage are p. 43 44 What men in bondage and those which are out of bondage should doe p. 45 46 The choicest mercies come through the greatest miseries p. 47 48 Grounds to give God the glory of his way let it be how t will p. 50 51 52 53 Great things comming to us in way of hardship exhorted to prepare for hardship p. 54 What sin meanes p. 55 56 What reconciliation notes p. 56 57 What