was this poor woman cut and at last cut of life too O all cut but her soule saved and that I verely beleeve on good grounds and now though here lyes before us her body coffind yet my soule cannot but rejoyce in her soules salvation one thing a little troubles me and another thing would have split my very heart if I did not beleeve it confidently that that a little troubles me is that I should be no more kind to so good a body yet I hope and doe beleeve none no not one of all you can condemne me but my heart doth a little I thought to enjoy her when wee were old and to be so kind to her as we might be all along my advice O husbands and wives is yea I wish you pray you intreat you to look on one another as as parting dying yoake-fellows and if you doe how sweet how kinde how loving will you be when brethren are called to part farre asunder the one to crosse the seas and the other to go a prentise how svveetly will they embrace one the other do ye so I pray ye do so it is a duty well pleasing to God no love but Gods Christs love should be above this mutuall love of wife and husbands love O saith Paul love your wives as Christ loved his Church that is for sincerity constancy I quantity too but that is impossible hovv ever it holds forth that greatnesse of affection that should be betvveen the Wife husband But the main thing as I said before vvhich grievs me to think is how unfaithfull a husband I have beene to her soul and that in these particulars First that I should put up so few prayers them so cold I have been as apt to say I hope God will blesse us in our estates I friends I was as apt to say so and come love let us look to the World as oft as to say look to thy soule and Christ either more worth then ten thousand Worlds O my friends I hope you be not guilty like me in this particular if you be it may trouble you more then you are aware of one day O if I had doubted that her soul had miscaried how heavy heavy would this have been yea how sadly should I have followed her corps to the garve a body miscarrying is not easily born but a soul miscarrying who can bear it O friends love your wives and husbands soules as much above their bodies as ye doe their bodies above their clothes it will do the wife good to think that the husbands soule is in heaven smiling whilst shee and her friends are mourning for the corps in the coffin when my wife was sick and I thought it might be unto death then then I thought how many nights my poor wife would call on mee in the night watch sweetheart husband let us talk of Christ a little le ts have some spirituall discourse pray be not so sleepy but talk to me to which I like a dead man a stock or stone would say nothing many times or else I am weary or sleepy or some such kind of sluggish answere and so neglect a spirituall and sweet opportunity in which I might have done her soul and mine own good David speaks of communing with his own heart in the night season The wives the husbands heart should be as one speaking to one another being alwayes mindful of each one anothers welfare especially in a spirituall sense and indeed this was the main end and reason why I desired leave from you to speak a few words to you my friends and truely if I were now to be coffind for the grave to morrow this should be my advice to you my last and solemne advice to you yea to all of you my friends to take all advantages by night and day to doe one anothers soules good O if that be saved how wil it comfort rejoyce your hearts when you in a melancholly way walke to view againe the grave of your wife your husband how will the heart be lifted up with such kind of sweet thoughts as these though here lies rotting the flesh and bones of my wife my husband yet their fouls are with God and Christ with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God singing farewell all sin and sorrow which now shall be no more Oh hovv do the soules there sing its triumphs over sinne and sorrow death hell and misery devils men and dangers The absence of a friend is not so much a grief as the condition of him in his absence if a friend be in prosperity ye onely mourn for his absence but if yee doubt he is in misery ye mourn double Truly an absent soule doubted to be lost is the greatest trouble yea the greatest that can be in this World I think it I in my conscience really think it and on this consideration my soul did even weep weep till God did further fully confirme my faith in her souls salvation if she should die But I had reason to beleeve this of her before for many a time had I seen her weep for want of Christ for sin and corruption for sinne Blessed are they that mourn for sin for they shall be comforted which I now beleeve she is and beleeving this truely my soule cannot but now rejoyce in her soules salvation whose body lies here coffind I say her souls salvation I doe rejoyce in who never did much work for Christ but brought glory to Christ by beleeving strongly in Christ to the very last moment And that ye may know I do not flatter which I would not for any good in the World in such a case as this I will read you a little of what she beleeved concerning her self and what she spake concerning others the night before she died and of this I will read something to you which I writ down thinking it would be sweet and comfortable to read another day when I should think upon her O God not my will but thy will be done Lord what is this that lies so bitter here pointing to her stomack Lord if it be thy will remove it O Lord thou hast removed many bitter paines from mee in my dayes blessed be thy holy Name I rejoyce to hear thy sweet expressions O sweet heart I am full I am full within but so weak not able to speake what I enjoy O that all my friendes in the world were here I would bid them live to Christ and live in Christ but alas they cannot by their owne strength Well I am willing to leave all to goe to Christ indeed I am indeed I am What will all things avail me but Christ the Lord hath not threatned mee with death nor sinne furely the Lord hath been good to me above all women I asked her once againe of her assurance shee seemed a little troubled saying O Lord sweet heart why do you not beleeve me when I have told you so often I have
and Hebr. 9. And for the golden pot of Manna it was a clear type of Christ who is the true Manna and the bread that came downe from heaven to give life to the world as himselfe speaketh John 6. I am the bread of life saith Christ to the Jewes And for Aarons Rod that lay in this Arke of Shittim wood its blosomes did signifie the sweetnesse of the Gospel and the Glory of Christ and the fruitfulnesse of his Members who bud and blosome continually by his renewing grace Fourthly To this City the Tribes and all the People of God resorted at set times to worship and all the world to trade and trafique it had twelve Gates which were not to be shut day nor night which John alludes to in the 12. verse of this chapter Glorious things are spoken of this City on the wals of this City saith God have I set watchmen which shall never keep silence till Jerusalem be made the praise of the whole earth this is the city which David saith If I forget thee then let my right hand for get its cunning which was his musicall skill by which he charmed the Devill in Saul many a time And this was that city too which melted the heart of Christ to think of its ruine saying O Jerusalem Jerusalem with rouling bowels â—ights and teares O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that make for thy peace which now are hid from thine eyes For this Cities sake saith Isaiah will I not hold my tongue till Sion and Jerusalem be made the glory and praise of the whole Earth I shall speake no more of old Jerusalem the Type but of this new Jerusalem which is the Church and People of God But why is the Church of God called by the name of a City For three or four reasons which I will breifly hint at 1. It is compared to a city for numeration and the variety of this numeration 2. The Church of God is called a city for her visibility for she is not like a candle under a bushell but like a beakon on a hill 3. The Church of God may be called a city for her treasure and riches 4. It may be called a city for her peculiar priviledges which the Church of God hath from all the world like a city from your country townes and villages 5. In respect of her rivers your cities are fed and refreshed by some great river There is a river that the streames thereof shall refresh the City of God Psal 46. vers 5. And first Whereas it is compared to a city it denotes the Church of God are a great and numberlesse people as you cannot number the Inhabitants of a city no more nor lesse indeed can yee number the Church of God O saith God to Abraham In blessing I will blesse thee and multiply thee as the Starres in Heaven or the sands on the Sea shore so that if thou canst number them then shall thy seed be numbered Many shall come saith Christ from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham I sack and Jacob in the Kingdome of God Here is the variety of the Church some comming in from the East and some from the West which is the most remote place that can be and implies them to bee the greatest sinners for Idolatry and Heathenisme yet saith Christ many of these shall come from both places which denotes variety O the long wayes out wayes by wayes and many wayes that Christ brings sinners to this City or Fould which Christ speakes of to the Jewes saying I have other Sheep which I must bring into my Fould when they shall he are my voyce or whistle by my Spirit in their souls and so there shall be one sheep and one fould Christ commands and commissionates his disciples to go and preach the Gospell to every nation tongue and people and therefore saith Paul Iew and Gentile bond or free Scithian or Barbarian Christ is all and in all he hath all in his fould and so he is all to them And as he hath great number of these varieties so his church may well be called a numberlesse people and therefore saith Iohn I saw with the Lamb standing an hundred forty and four thousand besides a great number which no tongue could tell Well let us who were remote sinners not onely in respect of nature and gentilisme but in respect of parentage and families brought into the church of Christ one from popery and popish ignorance another from a cursed drunken and hellish family where God it may be never shined into one soul before he did into thine which mercy cals for as much thankfulnesse at your hands as ever Noahs Abrahams Lots Daniels O for God to appear to Abraham and enter into a covenant of life and peace and to single out Noah from the whole world and lead out Lot yea catch and carry out the lingering man to a Zoar and leave the rest for fire and brimstone did argue abundantly free grace Well friend doe not thou neglect to blesse God whilst thou hast any beeing for doing the like to thy soul by chusing and pulling thee out of sinne nature death and hell O saith Paul I have obtained mercy Secondly she may be compared to a city because of her visibility she is not like a candle under a bushel but as a fire a beacon on a hill your cities are spacious to the eye and so is the Church and shall be more and more for Christ now by his providence seemes to say arise and shine and shake thy self from the dust O captive daughter of Sion shew thy self and let the nations know thy strength power glory and greatnesse that they may be in love with thee and come in fall down and bow their neckes to thy sweet yoaks of obedience to Christ Thirdly the church of God is compared to a city for her treasure you know all the treasures of God are laid up in Christ as a store house to this city and every citizen hath as I may so say is the key of this storehouse by which he goeth and fetcheth out what treasure he will I mean the Spirit by which they may fetch out pardon peace righteousnesse yea any thing they need but still by the Spirit which is the key of David that shuts and no man opens that opens and no man shuts this Spirit saith Christ to his disciples shall take of mine and shew it unto you as Iohn 10. And this he doth to the whole church of God and truely you that know the Spirit knows he brings rich and costly things to your souls many times sometime pardon for sinne and them freely too which could not be bought out by tears and sorrows before he comes O saith the Spirit I have brought thee that for which thou weepest and mournest namely a pardon sealed in Christs blood and a crowne to purchast by Christs merits O sinner what thinkest thou of
that will come come Christ loudly calls you and the Spirit still invites you and the Bride would faine perswade you from her own experience that she hath of this river why will you not then come away and take the water of life you may have it if you will now take it freely so saith the Bride and the Spirit And now friends ye see what this river is how freely you may have it yea you I meane the worst of sinners come away then come away and drinke abundantly come I say for the name of God come and drink For the name of God what is that His goodnesse and his kindnesse his unchangeable goodnesse his transcendent goodnesse his infinite goodnesse O for this his goodnesse sake come and drink for the name of Christ come and drinke For the name of Christ what is that His love his love his bleeding love his dying love his living love his eternall love O for Christ his loves sake sinners come away for the name and sake of the Spirit come and drink The name of the Spirit what is that His freeing name his sealing name his comforting sweet name his leading name his pleading name sake come away O sinner in the name of God and for the sake of God Christ and the Spirit come and drinke O sinner I should invite thee too for thine own soules sake but what is that to God Christ and the Spirits sake but stay me thinks I heare one say what is it to drinke of this river of life First it is to delight your selves in it yea drinke for delight as well as for thirst O then ye sonnes of men why will ye not come hither that your soules might be delighted with draughts of living water Secondly yea drinke to quench your thirst O come and quench your thirst in this pleasant river yea quench all kinds of thirst in your soules your thirsts for profits pleasures and contents come quench them here for here you may and no where else men who have runne to creatures to quench their thirsty soules have found them all a lie and so will you too who run and call for creature waters to quench their feverish soules Thirdly ye drink to coole your selves come hither drinke drinke and then ye shall lay all your heates your worldly heates your lustfull heates your sinfull heats O thou laborious Worldling thy bottle will be empty what shall thy soul then do when death like night comes on thee I say what will you doe O me thinks I heare thee even crying out drink drink or else I die I die Why doe you not give me drink but let me thus lye burning and dying too for thirst of that which once was freely offered to mee but now cannot be bought with prayers teares nor cryes nor all my worldly riches which I once overvalued and thirsted after more then God Christ or heaven have you never heard dying worldlings thus complain surely you have why doe you not that are alive and living come then unto this river and drink of this same water and thee I would too who art heated with lust with burning lust of uncleannesse pride passion and such like fiery distempers burning in thy soul as if hell fire was already kindled in thee O friends those lusts which lye so secret smothering in thy soule will one day breake forth into dreadfull flames burning round about thee Have you never seen a dying sinner dispairing of mercy lie in the midst of these flames burning and dispairing and no friend able to bring him any comfort no not in the least Againe ye drink for comfort to comfort your hearts but poore hearts know this there is no true comfort but in God Christ and the river and unlesse you come to this river of pleasure this soul-comforting water of life ye shall live comfortlesse ye shall die comfortlesse and be damnd for want of it God hath decreed true comfort shall be no where but in himself his Son and river John 15.26 ye know Christ promised his Disciples a comforter and what was that Comforter I pray but the Spirit and the river mentioned O me thinks I might perswade you to this river a drop a drop of it will sweeten any condition art thou poore sick weak what aylest thou man take a drop take a drop of this river I will warrant you comfort but here I would invite and not discourage for a world such poor Christians that are heated with temptations and corruptions that they goe mourning and sighing by reason hereof and Satans temptations filling them with feares and doubts that they cry out like David O I shall one day perish by corruption and temptation such a corruption sayes one and such a corruption sayes another me thinks they grow stronger and stronger and I feare at last will be my ruine O my friend let me tell thee two things and doe thou remember them First no soule is damnd for the presence of sin but for the love of sin marke me I say it is not the presence of sin but the love of sin that damns My second word is this to thee O complaining sinner sinne flutters most when it hath its deaths wound as soon as Christs comes into our hearts he wounds sinne to the heart as I may so say by giving a sight of it a dislike and hatred to it Well thus Christ wounds sinne and it may be now sinne like some fowle whose necke is broken beats the wing and flutters as if it were alive well so doth sinne whose neck Christ hath broken in the soule beates the wing and fluters keepes more sputter now then ever Well friend remember these sputterings are the death pangs of sinne I the death pangs and be but patient thou shalt plainly see them to be no otherwise and therefore doe not fill thy heart with feares of ruine for it shall never be for thou like David shalt overcome Saul thine enemy I meane corruption but in the meane time come away to the river drinke drinke and it will strengthen thee and coole thee O but now me thinks I heare some soule say I would drinke with all my heart but I am an unworthy poore sinner O friend the more poore the more worthy to Christ art thou poore then goe to Christs doore he feeds the poore but the rich he sends empty away Againe Thou art unworthy What dost thou meane by unworthy Thou seest no reason why Christ should give thee the water of life nor the Spirit I beleeve thou dost not I verily beleeve thou art unworty in thy self and cannot see any reason why Christ should give thee the water of life But Friend know there is a worthynesse in Christ and so thou mayst be worthy or any poore sinner who layes hold on Christs worthynesse and so goes to the Father in the worthynesse of the Son for the water of life and the river But to be plaine with thee thou art indeed a proud
for relations sake O friends there is such a neere relation between Christ and a Christian he is the head and you the members he is the Bridegroome and you the Bride he is the vine and you the branches Christ cannot but bid you wellcome nor the father neither for you are all his children how wellcome is a friend a childe a husband after seven yeares voyage when returned what love what embraces doth then passe between them powring heart into heart as it were How sweetly did Josephs and his brethrens bowels yerne one towards another O friends Christ will one day embrace you in his armes with his rowling bowels like a husband his beloved wife after seven yeares absence and you him with teares and kisses of joy and love How glad was Dide queene of Carthage when she had Aeneas prince of Troy to look on and embrace Well friends time will come when thou shalt have thy Christ to embrace and look on who hath endured more broiles ten thousand times then all Aeneas feigned ones Here Christ to look on is admirable and lovely too in broiles O saith the Spouse Who is this that coms from Bozrah with his garments dipped in blood Isaiah 63.1.2 travelling in the greatnes of his strength Christ the prince and Captain of our salvation comes from the fields of slaughter like some noble champion and hath his bloody armes which doth declare him conquerour so Christ here travels from Bozra a field of slaughter this I take to be the crosse of Christ on which he might be well said and did conquer all the Churches enemies yea naild them to the crosse as Paul speaketh by triumphing over them openly upon the crosse Well in this field Christ slayes the law sinne and death making this saying good O death I will be thy death 1 Cor. 15.55 And now comes in warlick vestures which are dipped in this blood declaring him to be the mighty conquerour Well the Spouse sits and sees him at her window comming from the field which is the Spirit in the soule through which she lookes upon these mighty champions Christ Sinne Death and Devils Well Christ foyls and spoyles all by trampling on all which being done he leaves them dead and comes away to refresh himselfe in glory the Spouse spies him in the way and cries out who is this not that shee did not know Christ well enough but she is taken with Christ in the beholding of Christ thus bravely wins the field which Christ never quited til all foild spoild the day his own Well Is the Soule now so taken with the gallentry of Christ that she cryes out for joy and wonder O then how wilt thou be taken when thou shalt see this Christ againe which heare is promised yea stroak the face of this Champion Christ the Prince of our salvation how will she be taken with him then saying O my deare Christ it was my enemies thou ingaged in Bozra and if thou hadst not conquered my soule and thousands more had been undone for ever but seeing thou didst win the day we will name and stile thee most high and excellent and mighty Conquerour King of Saints Prince and Captaine of our salvation which thou for ever shalt be called by Saints and Angels men and Devils poore drooping sinner what dost thou think of this day and this Christ who is thy Champion thy Captaine and Salvation I say what dost thou thinke O malencholy Christian of this day when thou shalt see the face of this Prince and Saviour wilt thou not make one to sing his prayses to sing his victories over sinne death hell men and devils which Angels now are doing and so shalt thou and this shall be thy reward too a full reward indeed for all thou ever didst or suffredst In the mean time bear up bear up thy head O drooping Christian Christ hath conquered sinne death men and devils and yet it may be thou fearest all O foolish sinner weake in faith men are bound sinne and satan wounded yea death and sinne slaine too and all by Christ in Bozra what meanst thou to be troubled O but Sir Sir me thinks I see sinne alive and Satan loose yea both in me I will not deny but thou mayst think so but all is not true that men doe thinke but grant both these be in thee yet if sinne be wounded and Satan bound one cannot long live nor the other doe much mischeife if sinne be wounded it is to the heart be sure of that And when Christ was wounded there by sinne he straight died well I am sure Christ hath wounded sinne there too and it cannot live long O Sir Sir it is livelier then ever it struggles more then ever O friend that is to me as cleare as the day that sinne is just a dying every thing in nature will doe the like what dost thou see dying willing but a Saint and he I must confesse on this consideration that he shall live with God and Christ and behold the face of God and Christ as in the first words I say on this consideration happily he may with a great deale of willingnesse die But who besides the Saint will will man or beast or fish or foule or any other creature No no the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast beats it selfe and yels though bound and musled man mournes and cries alas alas why must I die and leave my hopes my wife my childe my lands and livings nay friends and all fetch the Doctor quickly fetch the Doctor save me if it be possible I faine would live a little longer and thus he mournes to think on death and when it comes and drawes neere to him then he growns and gasps and grinnes and stares still striving with it while breath doth last Well friend the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast yels man mournes and cries alas what shall sinne doe nothing it were contrary unto nature if it should die without its throwes in thy soule But stay you said Satan was bound I I did so and so he is in two respects Christ hath bound him up from hurting thee Christ hath bound him up from forcing thee First From hurting thee you know if the most notorious theeving rogue in the world lyes bound in a lone womans house hand and foot there was no ground nor cause of feare he is bound hand and foot what can he now doe but curse and swear well she being a weak woman is troubled and frighted notwithstanding but when her husband comes home her feares ceaseth and are gone Well friends know this Christ hath bound Satan for a thousand yeares yea for ever from mischeiving his Saints and Servants and if he be in thee he is bound O no me thinks he is loose he doth so tempt me and accuse me I doe not know what to doe it may be so he doth tempt and accuse thee I did not say Christ had bound Satans tongue no
for her husband but what is their grief or loss to thine unhappie sinner thou hast lost a father indeed or at least one that would have beene a Father to thee when time was in Iesus Christ yea a sweet and loving Father for them that have found him have found him so to be yea a Father as farr excelling all relations and Fathers too for sweetness as the universall sweetness does the single Pink. Men may talk of losses by wife and children husbands friends and Parents but all is nothing unto thine O unhappie sinner they have lost pebbles but thou hast lost a Iewell yea a God as farre excelling Iewels Crowns and Kingdomes as they for lustre beautie worth and sweetness love and lovelinesse excell straw and stubble chaffe and vanity Yea and lost it too for nothing which must needs cut the soul and split thy Spirit too when it thinks on it O saith a poore Soul I have lost the heaven of heavens for dust and ashes a few dying creatures saith the worlding and I too saith the wanton for my Dalilah this or that sinne which at the last betrayed me Iudas-like in-into mine enemies hands death hell and Devils where I must lie yea weep and wail and see no God no hope no help nor pity for millions of yeares as that young man the Apothecarie once said to his servant in his despair and horrour And if then too there were but any hopes to see God at last it would be some comfort but this everlasting departure and never seeing more is a hell to hell and a hell in hell to think upon which every carelesse sinner will one day find though he now makes a ship of God and thinks there is no danger of finding him or at least finding him when he needs he is so mercifull that if he crie but Lord Lord in a dying houre God is so near and mercifull that he will be straight found I will not lessen his mercie and say absolutely thou shalt not but friend let me tell thee thousands and ten thousands have found it otherwise witnesse Francis Spira and those despairing Sinners which thou seest daily dying so which would give a thousand worlds might they live a little longer O saith one in his burning feaver would I could live to see God a reconciled God in the face of Iesus Christ I would be contented to lie a thousand yeares in this Feaver and I too saith another in this Gout and I too saith a third with his bowells twisted in his belly which pains are all intollerable yet all would fain live in them to find a God before they die O foolish man O foolish sinner what shall I like thee unto but unto that simple man that built his house upon the sands of peradventure I hope and thinke to finde God when I die for all these Puritans be so stritkt though I take my pleasure and live in my sinnes and doe as my neighbours Mr. Custome and the rest well friend I will take thee at thy word peradventure thou mayst But wilt thou venture thy soule thy deare and pretious soul upon a peradventure O foolish sinner hast thou ever another soule to save if this miscarry dost not thou lose all and for a peradventure which may take and yet it is a thousand to one if it doth But with this parable before mētioned I shal conclude now for thy souls sake hearken to me whoever thou art that readest these lines this little book mind me for it is a truth and shall be so when thou and I am rotten that Christ is the rock yea the rock of ages and whoever builds on him shall stand yea stand and stand firme when the windes blow and whistle and raines fall like hailstones driven by the winde and the stormes beat yet thou shalt stand and stand firme in all these stormes and troubles and afflictions and temptations yea in death and judgement too shalt thou stand where millions yea and millious too shall fall whilst thou stands firme on thy rock Christ thy sure foundation and see the face of God too for thy comfort after all these stormes like the Sunne after an April shower or a haven after many weary leagues by day and night like Paul upon the Seas of Creet Acts 28.38 But how thou must build upon this rock know and let all the world know it is by the mighty power of faith wrought in the heart by the eternall Spirit of the mighty God and not by the workes which we doe or can doe by all created power Here followeth a briefe Exhortation which I gave in my owne house at my wifes Funerall to our friends then present FRiends and Neighbours I am beholding to you all for your love and loving presence at this time I have one request to you yea all of you which I hope no one will be offended at It is to joyn with me to speake a word to God after a word to you and to my owne heart which if I know It is not through pride nor any self-seeking end and could this Corps have beene conveniently longer kept I would have had Mr. Sedgwick whom she loved heard and profited by to have preached her Funerall Sermon But seeing it is as it is and my self am more concernd in this then all the world I take leave from you without any more request to you hoping you will take my meaning to be good where my expressions are short and broken for I had neither time nor a quiet mind but a few houres meditation last night when want of sleep had much besotted me But what improvement shall we now make by this my wife your sister friend and harmlesse neighbour Anne Blakes death And to improve it First see what is your end a grave a coffin wil house you all O call in then your thoughts your wide and wandring thoughts and mind your change with seriousness before it comes which will not be long you may be confident Secondly see what you yea all of you must part with at first or last your friends your nearest dearest sweetest friends your sons and daughters your wives and husbands O this grave and death will have them all which once I little minded but now I must and cannot but mind this death this cruell death which hath so haunted me and will doe you ere it be long but I hope he will not be so quick with none of you a sonne a daughter a loving wife in six weeks space O nimble quick cruell death how hast thou stolen my nearest sweet and dearest comforts Odeath where hadst thou this full and large Commission Was it given thee by chance O no I know it was not thou canst not take by that Commission a bird a sparrow much less a daughter sonne and wife O death this Commission it was from the Lord for he gives and takes Iob the first The Lord gives and the Lord takes and blessed be his name O
downe with Christ in the throne of Christ It is said John leaned on the bosome of Christ O loving John O loving Christ to give such priviledge to a bold but loving sweet and humble sinner John John how couldest thou be so bold with Christ thy Lord and Master John t was love within that bosome that drawed thee there to rest and loll as in a lap it was love that drawed thee it was loue that laid thee in that same bosome but yet I say thy privilege far excels in sitting down with Christ in the throne of Christ Christ was in the form of a servant now Lord of all things Christ was then I say on earth with a mean out-side round about him but now surrounded with Angels with his title on his thigh King of kings Lord of lords Christ was then in rags but now cloathed with suns and stars Christ was then God-man unglorified but now glorified of God with that eternall glory of God which Christ had before the world was as Christ speaks John 17. O friends this glory like glistering diamonds sparkles round the heavens dazeling Saints and Angels Well friend is not thy privilidge farre above Johns to sit down with this Christ in his throne and glory side by side as I may so say Fifthly this sitting downe in the throne of Christ and the glory of God denotes honour what an honour is it for a beggar to sit at a Kings table you will say that is a great honour indeed but what is that to thine O gentle sinner to sit with God and Christ in glory Seemes it a small thing saith David to be a Kings son in law O but ye are the King of kings sons and daughters ye are the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21 9. Come saith the Angel I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife nothing draws the eyes of the people to gaze more then the sight of the Bride and the Bridegroom Was the queen of Sheba so taken with Solomons glory that she cried out O happy are these that tend thee O Solomon Angels and Archangels will be taken with thy glory when this marriage shall be solemnized before the Father It was a question once What shall be done to the man whom the King will honour and delight in But I ask what shall be done to the man whom the King of kings delighteth to honour first he shall be arayed in pure white linnen which is the rigteousnesse of the Saints as in Revel He shall be cloathed with the Sun and trample the Moon under his feet I know the Saints shining forth in Christ are able in some measure to trample these changeable things by living farre above them in an unchangeable God by the Spirit of Christ living in them but so far as they are flesh they are apt to mixe themselves with these things below not knowing their majesty nor glory forgetting their descent but time is a comming that they shall know God know as they are known they shall know God with all his attributes and glory yea they shall know themselves with the glory designed for them Christ sayes John 17. The glory thou hast given me I have given them that we may be one O Father One part of Christs glory is this that the Father hath appointed the Son to judge the world and in this respect Christ will honour his Saints know ye not saith Paul that the saints shall judge Angels and men here they look like poor shrimps as they are cloathed with rags and flesh but when Christ shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory as the Apostle John speaketh O this appearance shall confound the world as soon as Christ hath confounded the world with his own and his Saints glorious appearing to the world then shall he sit downe in glory to rest himselfe as it were satisfied in the finishments of all his works and the Saints shall sit down by Christ as well pleased with Christ and all his works what an honour is this Well this honour all his Saints shall have Thy name O Lord it above the heavens saith David and as his name so his Saints too in seating them above Angels as taken into union with Christ and set down in the Throne of Christ What joy feasting musick is there at your Princes marriage dayes when solemnized O but when the Bridegroome and his Spouse the Bride the Lambs Wife shall sit down to solemnize that eternall match made up in the everlasting purpose and counsell of God the Father long before all worlds or the Foundations of them O what songs then what joy what praises shall Angels sing with lightsome hearts Yea I say Angels and this too shall they count their heaven and happinesse O thou melancholy Saint tossed with afflictions what thinkst thou of this day tell me tell me true sure thou dost not mind this if thou didst thou couldst never complain of wants losses if thou didst mind this day indeed this endlesse day when heaven shall ring with shouts and praises unto the Lord and unto the Lambe by Saints and Angels as with one voice Doth a little Instrument sweetly touchd take and charme the eare and Siren-like kill all other delights at least for present O how shall thy soul be taken yea taken and charmed to heare the Songs of praises unto the Lord unto the Lambe in that same day unto the Lord O that must needs have a sweet melodie in it which must touch and take that eare which made that eare by which weheare If all the skilfullest Musitions in the world should meet with every one the sweetest Instruments that could be thought on with all Solomons Singers yea and ten thousand more to them I say if all these should meet to try their skill and straine their voyces yet would the Songs the Praises of one bare Saint or Angel as farre excell them all for sweetnesse as they excell the Asses braying and if so what sweetnesse will there be when ten thousand times ten chousands of Saints with as many Angels shall all joyne as with one voice to sing their praises unto the Lamb O Christ how blessed is that soule whom thou wilt to sit in thy Throne to hear these Songs to heare these praises Sixtly This sitting down in the Throne of Christ and the Glory of God denotes joy and triumph It is said at Christs birth Angels and innumerable company of Angels was heard to sing and rejoyce Luke 2.13 Glory to God on high peace and good will to men on Earth Shall not this Song be sung again at that day when Christs marriage shall be solemnized a match of the Fathers own making Surely yea and the twenty four Elders shall sing worship God for ever Revel 18.20 O Heavens doe yee rejoyce and all yee holy Apostles and Prophets too At Israels victory it s said Deborah and Barak sung praises but for Christs victory and his Saints over Worlds Men Sinne Death and
turnd to dust and must give account of this dust to Christ for he shall one day send them to all the winds to pick it up as himselfe speaketh Secondly I Iohn saw the holy City new Jerusalem descending down from God prepared as a Bride She descended or came down from God Observ Nothing comes up to God but that descends from God Flesh and blood saith Christ cannot inherit the Kingdome of God no it is a corrupt thing but corruption shall put on incorruption and mortality put on immortality but this incorruption and immortality too descends from above and therefore I saw her descending down from God the spirit and power of the mighty God may be the thing for which the Evangelist saith I saw new Ierusalem comming down from God out of Heaven But in the third place I saw new Ierusalem comming down prepared or trimmed like a Bride a Bride is trimmed or adorned with new or beautifull garments old spotred garments are ill beseeming the Bride and therefore she never doth aray her self but in lovely ones Well then here is according to my light the meaning of these words and I think the very naturall sence of the spirituall as I may so say or the spirituall meaning of the Spirit of God in these words I John saw the boly city the new Iernsalem comming down prepared as a Bride the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus God man imputed reckoned and given to man by God and put on by the mighty Spirit is the newnesse of it and the adornment of her and this righteousnes of God 2. Cor. 5. and the last yea it is the righteousnesse of God For he was made sinne for us who knew no sinn that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him Well by this mighty Spirit of God is Ierusalem arayed in this righteousnesse wrought out by Christ for her and so given by God for that same purpose namely Ierusalems adornment and now he beholding her in this he must needs say I saw her descending down from God out of heaven trimmed as a Bride When she is trimmed and arrayed by God Christ and the Spirit yea and she must needs be now lovely and Bride-like beautifull doth the spotted moon and twinckling stars adorne the cloudy element and make it so lovely that a David cries out O Lord how wonderfull are thy works Psalme 8. v. 3. then must needs Christ the Sun of suns and angels too to make his Ierusalem beautifull when he shall cloath her with his own righteousnesse as with a garment downe to the ground Ofriends this righteousnesse of Christ is the wedding garment of new Ierusalem and in this garment saith Iohn I saw her comming as a Bride trimmed for her husband Christ the King of kings Saints and Angels surely the kings daughter is all glorious without as well as within for her cloathing is all embroidered gold wrought out by Christ and put on by the Spirit O when the Saints shall wait on Christ up and down the heavens in this garment or righteousnesse of his how princelike will his attendance bee when ten thousands of these shall stand before his throne yea ten thousandmillions of these with as many Angels to them shall all as one joine to sing his victories over sin death hell men and devils in this garment of love and livery of his favour what sparkling beames will passe from one to the other like suns reflecting on each others glory yet all from Christ like Moon and starres in their horizon And now O thou poor and prodigall sinner what thinkest thou of that day when it shall be said bring hither the best robe and the gold ring for this my once lost but now found son O what a change will here be when the rags in which thou tendedst hogs shall be taken off and thou cloathed with thy eldest brothers garment brought thee will not thy change be like Ioshuahs in putting off his filthy garment yea truely will it if dust were turned to gold and common stones to jewels nights to dayes and falling Commets to fixed stars and then againe to beaming suns yet all was nothing I say all these changes were nothing to that change that Christ maketh with sinners when hee takes off their sins rags and righteousnesse and puts on his own righteousnesse on them and therefore well might John say I saw her trimmed as a Bride when he had trimmed her with his own righteousnes thou art comely in my comelines saith Christ to the spouse Well reader I hope in this interpretation that thou and I am one and doe agree that this is the beauty of the new Jerusalem that the Spirit means by wedding garment and beautifull adornment And mark because it is this she is trimmed with therefore is she said to be seen comming down from heaven as having none of this bravery but from God Christ and the Spirit Secondly I saw new Jerusalem comming down in an uniform manner shee came not tumbling nor dropping now and then a piece as I may so say nor in a scattering manner but I saw new Ierusalem the whole Church as one single person comming down from God the whole church is but one Bride as I may so say for Christ the Bridegroom neither doth hee look on her any other wayes nor should wee but we are like the silly country people who sometimes take the Courtier for the Prince and the lachey servant for the master so we many times take the son for the Bridegroom and the lasie professor who makes a fait show when as indeed he is but a beggarly time server and hath no true grace nor vertue for the noble and royall Christian though there be not such an outward show in respect of talk and perfection which I speak not against in a sincere heart but as I said before Christ counts his church but one and so the Angel invites saying behold ye the Bride the Lambs wife and so saith himselfe my love my dove she is but one the onely one of her mother And this may justly reprove many in our dayes who will distinguish the Church of Christ into as many parcels as are formes or judgements and congregations every one thinking themselves to be the true Church when as at the best they are but a piece of his Jerusalem as I apprehend and that for these reasons First Jerusalem or the Church of God though she consist of many Iewes and Gentiles called and uncalled yet in truth she is but one church or body of which Christ is the head Secondly every particular person of the whole Church of Christ being arayed and trimmed by God and Christ may be called by the name of one single person and so counted the Spouse of Christ Againe I saw new Jerusalem comming down as a Bride here he makes no distinction of bond or free high or low Independant Anabaptist Presbyterian this or that forme of fellowship but he saw all these as in one
and something never should be though hee preached it never so oft and prest it on thee too with arguments from heaven and arguments from hell with all likewise under the sun which thou refusedst and mindedst it not but frownd and quarreld and raild and jeard with wicked men and saidst thou wouldst never heare him more but such a one should be thy Pastor he smoothd thee up and pleased thee well but now thou seest what is come on it But I feare I shall offend in running wide from the words though it be in a way of profit and therefore come to another question Fourthly why doth Christ knock so sweetly to tempt and allure you to open to him for his many sweet knocks and many a soule Christ winnes by this kind of knocking which opens as it were all the vaines and powers in the soule wide unto Christ and as freely entertaine him as ever did Zacheus Fifthly why doth Christ knock at the doore because he will come in there or no where deceivers climbs the walles but Christ will at the doore or no where if he comes he can come in if he please any where at the window or top of the house but you know Christ loves to come in at the doore of consent which is the common way of Christs comming to every soul But the doore what is that the heart the heart of man what would it bee but why doe ye call that a door first because it is the inlet to the house Secondly it is the outlet to the house so is the heart to the soule as Christ comes in at the heart so the world sin and Satan goes out at the heart Solomon saith my son give me thy heart well knowing if he hath this doore he may lay what he will with in But you said I may know it was Christ by his thundring knocks but what do you call Christs thundring knocks I mean his thundring judgements to the world the nations and kingdomes of the world round about in all which Christ is now a thundring rouzing them from their dens of pomp glory and greatnesse to exalt himself and Saints in the roome of sinners which must be done in every kingdome before that all be husht and Christ all in all and the kingdomes his according to Gods promise I will give thee the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession saith God by his prophet David Turke Pope and Antichristian Princes have kept the nations of the world and made poore Saints squelke and hide themselves in new plantations to keep their consciences free from their idolatrous worship But Christ is now a measuring out lands and livings for them yea cities towns and kingdomes by his prospering armies which measure by cutting every one some which makes the mighty grumble as if they were losing all and so they are in danger too if Christ be justled by them in his way of providence by his thundring knocks Secondly I meane by Christs thundring knocks those righteous judgements which thou seest befall private wicked men Christ braines on by his thunder bolts that twenty more might feare sometimes strikes the drunkard with a deadly surfet and sometimes the worldling with a deadly heat and cold and here and there a sinner that thousands more might be warned Thirdly I meane by Christs thundring knocks when Christ knocks like a Bell-man at midnight in thy dead sleep crying fire fire fire and is not this a thundring knock I truely it would make a man start out of his bed naked to save his house to save his goods truely thus Christ knocks at a sinners heart or door First by judgements to the world as I said before Secondly by judgements on ungodly men whom first or last Christ will meet withall when they have fild their measure which thousands doe apace some by ungodly deeds some by ungodly speeches which Christ will reckon with them for as it is said in Jude Thirdly by Christ crying out at mid-night fire fire which frights a poore man that his sin sin death hell hell and how doth this like a fire at midnight fright a man out of his sleep And truely many sinners doth Christ awake at mid-night that is an unexpected time Secondly at midnight in his deep sleep of drunkennesse uncleannesse or such like sinnes so you see what I meane by Christs thundring knocks I saith one I have experience of this he awaked mee from my Dalilah the sinne wherein I lay I too saith another that walked in his sinnes for twenty yeares together Christ falls upon a sinner by this kind of knocking like three or foure enraged enemies upon a man crying downe with him downe with him and so beats him down leaving him even dead and so goes away but the Spirit comes and visites him and raises him up againe by telling him his sinnes are not past the cure of faith and repentance which Christ both gives to the man whom he wounds thus with the sence of his sinnes Secondly what doe you meane by Christs soft knocks by Christs soft knocks I mean his mild and gentle way of comming to a sinner craving of his due from him and not like that cruell servant who finding out his debter caught him by the throat presently saying pay me straight and would have no compassion on him But Christ by his soft knocks comes to a poor indebted sinner sayes unto him Friend friend doest thou remember what thou owest mee yes yes saith the sinner little minding how much it is and so is straight a going nay but stay stay friend saith Christ let mee reckon with thee before thou goest which the sinner lesse loves then the broken Bankerout to look into or cast up his books and therefore prayes Christ to come to morrow he is now busie buying of a Farm or setting up his shop O but Christ tels him he will neither stay nor come againe but arrest him straight by death which startles so the sinner that hee now saith I will stay and heare all I owe thee and then Christ tels him Sinner first thou owest mee thy soule I bought it Secondly thy body I redeemed it by my blood Thirdly thy estate and gifts I gave it thee O Christ thou demands all why do not I deserve all and thou owe me all yea O Christ but I would fain keep my estate to serve my wife and children and my gifts and parts because they are of great esteem with men now a dayes Friend do not talk of wife children I must have thy estate thy gifts and parts too let men esteeme them how they will I must have them all O Christ this is hard pay but I will pay thee some and some as I am able do not tell me of that I must have them all now and it is not so hard as due or as thou thinkst for either for I learn this lesson to all my poor indebted schollers yea every one and I tell thee man for
Angels clothed with splendor from the God of glory And now what thinkst thou of it sinner if thou shouldst see a lovely Princes arayed and clothed in golden Tissue lac'd and trimm'd with Jewels it were a gallant sight but O alasse ten thousand of these were all but nothing to set off thy glory O arayed Saint by God and Christ in righteousnesse But when shall I have this glory saith the sinner quickly quickly Behold I come quickly Rev. 22.20 and will then give it thee and all that long for my appearance as Paul saith of his Crowne which he tels you is laid up for him and all that loves Christs appearance But thirdly I meane by Christs sweet knocks Christ telling thee of his Fathers counsell and purpose and of thy being wrapt up in this counsell and purpose of God like time between eternities O friend saith Christ my Father loved thee from all eternity and chose thee to him from all eternity a vessell for his own Glory Name and Fame that thou mights shew in ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace Ephes 4.5.6 O this must needs be sweet indeed for Christ to tell thee of a love before time and a love out lasting time yea all time and ages O when a sinner fits poring of this love in respect of person God the lover in respect of time before all worlds then saith he O Lord God what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and what am I but lesse then the least of all thy mercies as Iacob once said which was of old towards me And why me O Lord God a poore gentile sinner a runnagado sinner who had neither house nor home nor grace nor vertue but hell and sinne and cursed nature and yet thou lovest me more then all and chose me out of all my neighbours kindred house and family wherein were many sweet and many courteous many wise and many knowing but none but I chosen the youngest of them all the poorest of them all the sinfullest of them all yet I obtained mercy for his purpose sake O saith the sinner me thinks I even see how God rould me in his thoughts and all the sonnes of men too saying this shall be a vessell and this shall be a vessell and this shall be another but these I will not use throwing millions by which were as like as any if he had pleased to use them to set his mercy off but he refused both mighty ones and many and chose a little remnant of which my soule was one to set his love upon which hath no height nor depth but over-spreadeth all and leaves no roome to think the ground or reasons of it but onely free-grace which makes the soule still wonder and leaves him at a lost why he should be the man to be exalted so above his fellow creatures which are alike unto himselfe but for free graces sake which onely lookt on him and made him what he is which makes him stud and still to say it is God alone doth all according to his purpose But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting thee with himselfe First In respect of his love which thou art by nature more ignorant of then ever Iosephs Brethren were of him who eate and drunke with him but knew him not to be their Brother till teares and bowels said it was he whom they unkindly sold The sinner doth the like full many a time by Christ when he comes to the heart and tels them of his dreames as Ioseph did his Brethren how they must bow to him and eke submit their soules unto his yoaks of love his sweet and just commands which thing they cannot away with but huncht him for his newes by greiving of his Spirit but Christ now makes a famine by wants and straights and knocks and brings them down by need to save their hungry soules which now doe see the need of Christ his love and righteousnesse which he cannot hide from them but by his sweet knocks acquaints them with his love himselfe like Ioseph with his bowels And in respect of his love which was and is beyond all loves Greater love saith Christ to the sinner hath no man then this to lay downe his life for his friend but mine is greater O unkind sinner an enemy to me who loved thee in thy blood and loved thee in thy sinne and hid thee from displeasure which thou once laidst liable too till I in love did free thee but this thou little mindest nor all my loves for many yeares together in hunger cold and wants in life in death still for thy sake And thus Christ acquaints the soule with his love by his sweet knocks and wider opens the sinners bowels then ever Joseph did his Brethren But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting the soule with his lovelinesse as well as of his love which washed us from our sinnes in his blood Revel 1. v. 5. O saith Christ sweetly knocking at the sinners doore in a woing way Sinner sinner behold me behold me my locks are wet with the dew of the night Cant. 5.1 How long shall I knock and stand for pitty let me in I am the rose of Sharon the sweetest of ten thousand the Lilly of the vallies the fairest of ten thousand How canst thou chose but love me sinner Behold me behold me with the Crowne that my Father crowned me Proverbs And now for my own sake sinner with my crowne and glory let me in I am the fairest I am the sweetest that ever will come woing to thee how canst thou thus deny me O thou hard hearted sinner that ever I met with to stand me out so long who am the rose the lilly and starre of heaven too which twinkles day and night and darkens Sun and Moone which cannot come neere unto me I am so farre excelling for beauty light and luster and yet still undervalued by thee O proud and scorning sinner But yet behold me once againe and if thou canst deny me I will never try thee more nor shall my spirits strive with thee when as it is in vain and thus Christ acquaints the sinner of his lovelines by his sweet knocks But thirdly Christ acquaintes the sinner with his union O saith Christ I am Adam too yea flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone thy brother sister husband friend and father Matth. 12.48 49. Wilt thou deny all these relations and fall below nature then farewell sinner but I am still the same and cannot yet deny my self in no respect to thee O strange unkind and forgetfull sinner of me thy husband head and vine in whom thou livest as in thy root when once thou knowest these sweet relations which are more strong then death and sweeter too then sugred wines the honey or the honey-comb yea and the rose of Sharon the sweetest in the world But what my union is for sweetnesse it is for time and length and this I
would acquaint thee O foolish simple sinner And if thou didst but minde mee in this how I am one with thee in all conditions and so will be to all eternity thy head and husband vine and glory But fourthly I mean by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting thee of thy union with him as well as his with thee by which Christ saith to the sinner thou art righteous in my righteousnesse and comely in my comlinesse and so farre faire yea altogether lovely there is no spot nor wrinkle in thee now none that I can see or my father either Who shall lay any thing to the charge of thee my love my dove my undefiled one it is God that justifieth Rom. 8.33.5 and I that died who dares to question thee my sister my Spouse my love my dove my undefiled one Cant. 1.2 3. If men doe it it is no matter if sinne do it it is no matter if Angels do it it is no matter what if sin Satan men and devils Saints and Angels all accuse thee and thy self too seeing I am he that justifieth all can doe thee no hurt and therefore be not thou abasht for I will bear thee out against all Sin death men and devils if thou wilt stick to me by beleeving in me but if thou dost not tossed thou wilt be and tumbled foyld thou wilt be and spoild of all thy hopes and comforts joy rest and peace which lyeth in my union with thee and thine with mee And therefore now stick to me for I will unto thee le ts see who dares condemne for I am he that justifieth in spite of men and divels all that comes to me and beleeveth in me and will do so still while my name is Christ Fiftly I know it is Christ by the place he knocks at the doore which is the heart of the sinner Well what of that first it is the most secret and retired part of man a place indeed which none can speak to but Christ I have had ere now many speak to my eare but never any but Christ could speak to my heart many would speak to my eare but that I little regarded now Christ speaks to my heart and this I cannot but weigh Light things were spoken to my eare O but Christ speaks serious things to my heart things concerning Gods glory things concerning my soule yea the everlasting welfare of it O this hearts speaking must be weighed O this hearts speaking must be considered it is as much as my life is worth yea it is as much as my soule is worth I have heretofore heard talke of Christ I have heretofore read of Christ I have heretofore disputed of Christ O but I never till now knew what it was indeed to hear Christ or speak with Christ or converse with Christ either nor thousands in the world as well as I that would be thought good christians and do passe for good christians by many O but now to my comfort I taste him now I see him now I feele him now I enjoy him and from this tasting seeing feeling and enjoying my soule is ravished my heart is warmed I am now filled with marrow and fatnesse Psalm Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for his love is better then wine Cant. 11. v. 1. Yea then life it selfe so saith David I will now sing of my beloved he is the lilly among the valleys Cant. 2.1 2 3 4. Hee is the rose of Sharon he is white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 The chiefest of ten thousand the sweetnest of ten thousand for beauty love and sweetnesse there is none that can come neere him They are mad that minde him not they are mad that know him not they are mad that seek him not did men know as I do did men see as I do and enjoy as I doe they would say as I say they would sing as I sing Thou O Christ art beautifull thou O Christ art sweet thou O Christ art lovely yea altogether lovely thou O Christ art all yea stil I say thou art all all for beauty all for pleasure all for profit all for sweetnesse pure divine sweetnesse yea they would cry out thou art all thou art all thou art all O Christ At all times in all places and conditions all in wants all in straights all in peace and plenty all in bondage all in fredome all in health all in sicknesse making health by thy presence O Christ I say no more but thou art all in life and he that hath thee shall never die John 4.10 John 11.26.27 but shall live for ever with thee and therefore thou art all O Christ all in life all in death and eternity too 3. Col. v. 11. Revelat. chap. 22.1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life cleare as chrystall proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lambe THIS Revelation was showne to John the bosome Disciple of Christ Whence observe that divine glorious and spirituall revelations are to singular men to an Abraham will God discourse even as a friend God must acquaint Abraham with his intention concerning Sodom and Gomorrah before he can doe any thing How shall I doe this thing or hide it from Abraham saith God O the secrets of the Lord are revealed to them that feare him often did God appeare to Moses and once he caused his glory to passe before him and proclaimed his name unto him I am the Lord the Lord gratious and mercifull pardoning iniquities transgressions and sinnes Exod. 33.18.19.20 Jacob wrestels with God and sees Christ in both his natures in a dream of a lader reaching from earth to heaven The Angel Gabriel was sent to Daniel to comfort him and strengthen him and at another time he appeared saying Daniel singularly Beloved I am come to comfort thee to strengthen thee peace be to thee be strong be strong and I will shew thee that that is revealed in the Scripture of truth Christs Kingdome the glory and dominion of it Antichrists kingdome with the 〈◊〉 of it and all the Monarchies besides small and great standing before Christ giving an account to Christ Christ was so revealed to Isaiah that foretold all almost he die or suffered his riding to Jerusalem and the manner of it Mary Magdalen shall conceive of Christ by the power of the most high over shadowing her and in her armes shall carry him that made the world her God and Saviour from place to place Paul was strook to the ground by Christ after taken up into the heavens with seeing such things that was unutterable So John sees here the Throne of God the Glory of God the River of Life the Tree of Life Secondly All glorious discoveries are of Christ and the Spirit He shewed me the River of life yea all my revelations as chap. 1. v. 1. and therefore it is called The revelations which God gave by Iesus Christ to shew unto his Servants of which it is said Blessed
though all in vain but as these men have lived without him all their lives so must they die without him too for I believe he will scarce own thē now who never regarded him before but yet as I said at first so I doe conclude there is comfort yea abundant deale of comfort belongs to thy soule or any soule in thy condition and for this read Isaiah 41.17 When the poore and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them and I will open Rivers in the tops of Hils and Fountaines in the midst of the Valleys and in her Wildernesse make pools of water her waste places Springs of water Marke this sweet and full promise when the poore and needy seeke water and there is none their tongues cleaveth for thirst Friend this Promise is to thee as sure as the Lord lives and such as thee for marke when the poore and needy seek water art not thou poor yes it was thy very objection against thy selfe O saidst thou I am a poore soule and doe not know when I dranke of the water of life and so forth Well thy very complaint doth argue thee a needy soule yea thou seest the need of Christ yea absolute need of Christ for thou seest thy soule undone without him and this need of Christ makes thee so complaine after Christ Well Is it not so yes truly my soule stands in need of Christ and is a thirst as David speaketh Yea it panteth for Christ like the Heart after the water Brooks in a barren wildernesse so panteth my soule after him whom my soule thirsteth for Truly friend you must learne to beleeve that that shall be which seemes most unlikely to be so did Abraham he beleeved in hope against hope and obtained the promise O poore complaining sinner beleeve this promise of God to thy soul so much against hope and reason I say beleeve God will not onely give thee the water thou desirest of him but will open rivers of water in the tops of the Hils and Fountains in the valleys Well friend you see here is Gods Promise to open up to a soul a river of water in Christ who is the hill of our salvation therefore saith David I will looke to the hils from whence commeth my salvation or I will open rivers in the tops of the hils that is I think poore soules that are as far from any springs of consolation as tops of hils are from springs of water but I will open fountains in low grounds or spirits in humble soules that is the vallies here meant O friend beleeve thou this that the Lord will open fountaines of living water by making peace or joy or comfort flow like living fountaines in thy soule I say beleeve this Promise which shall be fulfilled in its season and then shalt thou sing and say Sing yee waste places of the earth for the Lord hath comforted his people by making her wildernesse become a Pool and her wast land springs of waters But why is the Spirit compared to a river I Iohn saw a pure river of water Why is it for these and such like reasons I think First reason is a river is strong and powerfull no stopping a river but it will overflow yee know if yee stop a river it will do so so are the workings of Gods Spirit in his people see in Daniel in whom they would have stopped the Spirit of prayer by the ungodly decree of the King but see how Daniels spirit rises like a River and now he will call upon his God with more boldnesse then before Many would have in our dayes dammed up this river by a Form of prayer but O these men are drownd these foolish men are carried clean away like dry leaves by a mighty Land-flood and what the Spirit is in prayer the same it is in preaching to a strong river see in Peter who was forbid by the Scribes and Pharisees to preach Christ but saith he I cannot but must speak the things of Christ Many have in our dayes paid dear for their boldnesse this way Secondly how powerfull is this river in its conviction when it runs in a way of discovering Sin and wrath who can stand before it truly none it bears down young and old strong and stout yea oakes and ceders as well as strawes Doth this spirit like a flood beare away when it runs in a way of conviction See in the Gaoler who I am perswaded was a stubborn crabbed knave see how he abuseth the poore Disciples over-night even fleaed the skin off their backs well the same night the flood breaks in upon his Spirit and he cryes out what shall I do to be saved to the Disciples Poore souls they tell this fellow notwithstanding their usage how he may escape drowning by wrath and sinne and so Paul was overturned by this river and carried back to Damascus like a dead drownd man yea so suddenly did this river break in upon his spirit that he was turned by it like a straw in a whirlwind Thirdly a river is powerfull in its progress a river is of that nature that it beats down all dammes ye can throw up or else overflow as I said before c. So did the Apostles bear down al opposition from threats and scorns scoffes whips stones and the like Fourthly a river is pleasant and delightful ye chuse a river side to walk by whose streames with silence sweetly glides trinkling along and makes the walk delightfull so is the Spirit in its discoveries especially in such as these First the love of Christ which is seen passing by this river or rather looking in this river where you see his love like a circle and your Souls in the midst where is no way in nor out I say by the Spirit ye shall see such a love a love from eternity to eternity thy Soul looking both wayes like Janus two faces especially forward But as his love so his lovelinesse the spirit streaming in the soul presents Christ over and over to the Soul Christ rides in this river as in a barge of State whose various streams sweetly rowes him up and down The spirits of his Saints like a Princes in her barge of pleasure O how lovely is Christ in the Soul when in his glory discovered to the Soul by the Spirit then is he indeed the fairest of ten thousand the chiefest of ten thousand the sweetest of ten thousand yea altogether lovely Thirdly it shows you your union to which you may see walking by this river yea all your relations to Christ and his to you he the vine you the branches he the head you the members he the husband you the spouse I say this union you may see by the Spirit the strength length glory and sweetnesse of it O saith the Spirit thy union is strong O Christian nothing can dissolve or untie it men cannot Devils cannot sinne cannot nay death it self cannot
it is stronger then all sinne death men or devils and as long as strong it was from eternitie to eternitie from eternitie intentionally to all eternitie reallie but it is more sweet saith the Spirit then strong or long O the sweetnesse of all unions is but glimpse of this union What is the Father to the Son the husband to the wife but a shadow of Christ to the Soul yea all relations with all the sweetnesse of them and all the sweetnesse in them is but as a drop to this ocean of sweetnesse Christs union with the Saints Fourthly the usefullnesse of Christ to the Soul without me saith Christ ye can do nothing to his Disciples Christ is all in the Soul and all to the Soul A Christian can neither do nor suffer any thing but by Christ by him he can want and abound ye doe all things as Paul speaks through Christ that strengthens him Any work is hard for a Christian in his own strength a difficult work is nothing when the strength of Christ comes in O in his strength will a little David grapple with Goliah and foil him too But as he is strength to the Saints so is he all indeed to them yea all they stand in need of him to be he is a righteousnesse to cover them and an interceder to the Father for them yea what shal I say more he is an everliving faithful high Priest yea our King and Captain our ark where we may safely ride when a world lies round destroyed O Christ O Christ what shall I say of thee our ark our pillar our cloude by day our pillar by night our rock and shadow in a weary land our life our all in all and at all times Fiftly it showes us our advantage by Christ we are justified by his blood wee are sanctified by his spirit and saved by his merit O the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin which the blood of buls and goats could never doe as the Apostle speakes Does Satan lay sin to your charge tell him thou art justified by Christ doth he lay great sins to thee tell him Christ justifieth from all sins of all kinds great and small yea tell him thou art no sinner at all neither doth the father look upon thee as one in his Sons righteousnesse Truely when a poor soule is carried by his power thus to argue with Satan we winde him as a man doth a childe but else he binds and locks us up in bondage fears and darknesse that our very soules are restlesse day and night being filled with doubts and his accusements he is therefore called the accuser of the brethren he accuseth God to man and man to God envying both Sixtly our glory with Christ And first the certainty of it Secondly the greatnesse O saith the Spirit thy glory is sure it s laid and kept too for thy comming but as it is sure and safe laid up by Christ so it is full and large and therefore called by Paul a weight of glory Here we many times admire the light painted shadowes of glory and forget the true substance God hath laid up for us in his Son and heavens Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither ever entred into the heart of man to conceive saith Paul what God hath laid up for us Eye hath not seen sure the eye hath seen Solomons glory yea all the gloryes of this world too O saith Paul that is nothing these things are nothing but painted shadowes and butterflies after which the fooles of this world runs like little children and for the eare too what hath that heard surely of all that hath been true and as much more too by reports of fained gods and glories in the Poets lying stories but were all these things true yet God hath laid up more glorie for the poorest Saints that walks in rags then all that they have wrought thou heard or thought no thou canst not think saith Paul nor no man living what God hath laid up for them that fear him Surely men might fancie more then hath been seen or heard Well saith Paul fancy all that this world hath seen or heard yea fancie another world too with as many joyes and pleasures of this world as griefs and sorrows yet all short and nothing O Christian little doest thou think and lesse the world what God hath laid up in store for thee and all his servants Fifthly a river is advantagious and usefull so is the Spirit it helps our infirmities wee know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit helpeth us with groanes which cannot be uttered O the Spirits groanings in us are powerfull prayers before God for us the promises are made to the Spirit praying in us and indeed those requests we are denyed of God are not from the Spirit but from flesh and blood and therefore it is that they are lost for the most part but the Spirit who knowes the minde of God never drawes forth a Christian to aske any thing but what is according to the minde of God and this he cannot but grant But thou complainest thou art an ignorant soule true the naturall man knows nothing but the spirituall new man in the naturall man knows all things yea the deep things of God as the Apostle speaks a naturall man is said to be a dead man every where in Scripture and the dead saith Solomon knowes nothing hee knowes not he lyes in the grave of sinne and corruption mouldering as it were into dust call him to come forth from wormes and putrifaction yet he stirres not at all even so the naturall man tell him his condition he believes it not call him to come forth of the grave of nature sinne and death he stirres not nor indeed cannot he is bound up so by the power of the Devil sinne and darknesse Sixthly a river runnes silently and makes little or no noise at all have you never found the Spirit running in a Sermon at a praier in a conference but especially in a meditation with little noise it sweetly turning thy very blood in thy veins making thy heart as it were to wamble I know you have many times Truly when this river runnes trickling up and down the Soul making little noise in the Soul yea dipping and diving of her in Divine delights which many talking Christians are ignorant of Seventhly a river is deep so is the Spirit in its discoveries He discovers the deep things of God and Christ and the Gospel which others cannot reach nor fathom by wit nor Learning no it is out of their element I have heard as wise able men at least so counted and are so sure in civill things in lattine Law or Fathers speaking of this river and the nature of it but as much out of the way as any blind man ever was without his guide The maskd man turns and winds but still beside the way the Sinner does the like following carnall reason to find out Christ and