knew him in the â—lesh in his latter dayes for those savoury and experimental Truths wrought in you by the power of Christ which he was an instrument to bear so clear witness unto And I for my part if I had the most precious Balme or the most Odoriferous ODOUR in the whole Earth I could freely pour it forth upon the NAME and Memory of that man as upon any English man I ever read or heard or ever were acquainted with But I have it not and he needs it not for he is far above all things of that nature or the most precious things the whole Earth can afford For He Resteth with Christ. But that which makes me now remember Him is That Mystical and Divine Exposition he gives of those 2 or 3 verses in the 15 Iosh. 15 16 17. being very suitable to the MYSTERY we are now unfolding I will read you the words and then I will give you the Interpretation in His own Words for I cannot give you a better And although the Men of the Letter or the Masters of the Letter will not cannot endure an Interpretation but what the bare Letter bears but presently they cry out ERROR and HERESIE according to their wonted manner In vilifying that which they do not apprehend but we leave them to themselves I pray give ear The words are these The Holy Spirit speaking concerning Caleb And he went up to the Inhabitants of DEBIR And the Name of DEBIR before was Kiriathsepher And Caleb said He that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it to him will I give ACHSAH my Daughter to Wife And Othniel the Son of Kenaz the Brother of Caleb took it And he gave him Achsah his Daughter to Wife Saith he Kiriathsepher signifieth The City of the Book or The City of the Letter And Debir signifieth THE WORD And Caleb A good heart OTHNIEL The Lords Opportunity and Achsah The Rending of the Vail So that the Dr. reads the verses in English thus And A good Heart said He that smiteth the City of the Book or the City of the Letter He onely shall marry Achsah and have the Rending of the Vail And Othniel The Lords fit Opportunity he onely smites This City of the Letter and takes it and to him alone are the Scriptures made DEBIR The Word from whence he draws most Heavenly and Divine Conclusions c. But I refer you for your better satisfaction to the Book it self And return to our business in hand To all Those Blessed and Precious Souls Wheresoever Scattered Throughout the World Yet united in One Spirit Which Rejoyce in the Revelation Of the Mystery of Christ Being also reconciled unto God In One Body By the Cross He Having slain the Enmity thereby And do or may Comprehend This LANGUAGE To Them Is the Word of This Salvation Sent In all Humility Greeting A light to lighten the Gentiles And To be the Glory of the People of Israâ—â— To make known among the Gentiles The Manifold Wisdom of God And The Unsearchable Riches of Christ. THE RENDING OF THE VAIL OR Some Rayes of Glory from The HOLY of HOLIES MARK 9. 50. Have Salt in your selves In one Sermon Preached at Islington at the Publique Meeting-Place MY beloved now you are here gathered together in this place I beseech you hearken diligently to what shall be now â—poken I will use no other Preface then a word or two from that saying of our Saviour in the Paâ—allel place to this Luk. 14. 35. from which he makes this conclusion He that hath ears to hear let him hear Let him now hear the word of him by whom he shall be judged at that great day Let him now hearken to that word which shall certainly one day either sooner or later rise up in judgement against him Let him hearken to the word of him who spake as never man spake for his words are like the wine he made at Cana no wine like that wine nor no words like his words fot the best words that ever man spake had somewhat of Self and Carnal ends in them but in his words there is no tincture no concourse or tast at all of the Creature no Allayes of humane weakness but they are all words of grace and peace the words of spirit and life insomuch that all that heard him wondered at the gracious words that proceeded frrom his lips who in all his words never sought himself nor his own glory as men do but the glory of him that sent him Nay hearken I pray you to his word that could have spoken far beyond all that ever he hath spoken had he but had Auditors fit to have heard and understood him I beseech you therefore silence yourselves a while I mean your own Wit and Reaâ—â—â— and your own blind understandings And let there be silence in Heaven for half an hour that you mâ—y learn to know what it is to have salt in your selveâ— that you may have salt in you that you be not spewed out of Gods mouth as unsavoury and loathsome to his stomach It were far better you had never heard then that these words should prove unprofitable to you But as you are here in this your so great zeal to hear and in such thronging and â—locking together this day to whom should we address that our zeal and meeting may not be in vain for as the woman of Samaria said to our Saviour Iohn 4. 11. so may we say The Well is deep and we have nothing to draw with mans reason and understanding cannot reach Truth ad quem ibimus then whether shall we go saith Peter Iohn 6. 60. and he answers it there himself truly O Lord Tu habes verba vitae aeternae Thou hast the words of eternal life Therefore let us pray with the Disciples Mat. 13. 36. O Lord declare thou to us this Parable And I humbly pray and beseech that God who opened the mouth of Balaams dumb Ass that he would be pleased to open my lips and then my mouth shall shew forth his praise for the instruction of those that are his servants here And I pray God you may rouse up your attention maugre fulness drowsiness wandring thoughts custom in sleeping and the like The things that I intend through Gods assistance to open to you and answer are these three Questions O Lord In lumine tuo lumen Psal. 36. 9. In thy light we shall see light And by no other light Then Let us see 1. What salt is 2. What it is to have salt 3. What it is to have it in our selves 1. What salt is Christ saith in the Verse before my Text That every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifiâ—e shall be salted with salt We must first find what fire is and then we shall know what salt is This fire is Christ and that very properly as you may see he is so called Isa. 10. 17. The light of Israel shall
be for a fire and his holy one for a flame and it shall burn and devour his thorns in one day And he is FIRE in three regards In regard of Burning Heat Light First The nature of Fire is to burn Fire cannot burn it self take notice of that fire cannot burn fire but all things else it will burn and consume So doth Christ he is that fire that burns up all our works and whatsoever is not himself and his own work INUS he consumes and annihilaâ—es The Light of Israel shal be for a fire and his holy one for a flame it shall burn and devour his thorns and his brâ—ers in one day Know this the more sin the more fire the greater burning Mal. 3. 2. Who may abide the day of his coming who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like refiners fire and like fullers sope Christ is this fire and let me tell you this burning and consuming is for your good it is that out of the old ashes of the old man you may have a new life a new resurrection Examine thy self hath this fire cut off thy hands and feet and pulled out thy right eye hath it consumed thy young men 〈◊〉 hath it burnt up thy OLD heaven and thy OLD earth that so ye may enjoy a new heaven and a new earth 2 Pet. 3. 7. Nay further let me aske thee hath it thrown all thy gods in the fire hath it burnt up all thy idols yet I tell ye this burning is not unto death but unto life as Christ said of Lazarus This sickness is not unto death but be sure that as the Lord Jesus Christ burneth up and woundeth so he healeth and maketh alive again I would and I heal Secondly the work of fire is to heat so Christ after he hath destroyed and burnt up all our actions then he breathes into us a gentle warmth and heat of his own Spirit to cherish and revive us again that so we may no longer live our own lives but the life of Christ. Thirdly The nature of fire is to give light when That day dawns to us that Christ comes into the soul we shall find He brings light with him and this is called Christs day Our first day is our own day that is a day of darkness a day of gloominess and thick clouds but the day of the Lord is a terrible day our flesh trembleth for fear of thee for who shall abide the day of thy coming and who shall stand when thou appearest for thou art like refiners fire and like fullers sope When Christ comes into the soul he comes not onely with light to discover but like fire to burn up all that building that we have made to our selves and that we have raised by our own power and breathes warmly and gently by his Spirit his own life until by degrees he brings a glorious light into the soul He then turns us from darkness to light from the power of Satan unto God And all this is done by one and the same act in God although those acts be divers and distinct in the creature that is the same act in God which comes to the obstinate and perverse and hardens them which comes to the humble and meek and softens them the same act in him Hardens and Softens as the Sun doth wax and clay That same God which was darkness at the bottom of Mount Sinai was light in the top of the Mount He is the same God in himself to all but he works diversly in regard of the creatures He is the same God in a frozen and hard heart as he is in a repenting and bleeding soul but to the one he appears not but in wrath and vengeance ready to take revenge on them for their sins but to the other he appears in mercy and love and marries himself to them he communicates to them his sweet loves and their wills are swallowed up in his and these onely are they that can say in truth Not my will but thine be done but the other they cannot forsake themselves their own will their own ends but this is but by the way And this you see in brief what the fire is Our God is a consuming fire But now what is the salt I know it is divers wayes taken and expounded Some take it to be wisdom and discretion in speech and for proof they cite that place of the Apostle Let your speech be alwayes gracious seasoned with salt for so Solomon saith A wise man may hold up his head before Princes and they give this reason As salt keeps things from stinking so doth wisdom so salt and season a mans words that his words may not be unsavoury to wise men so that he is not laught to scorn Others take it for holiness and sincerity in life and conversation as our Saviour saith Ye are the salt of the earth Mat. 5. 13. that is say they when by their living well speaking the Truth in their words and expressing holiness in all thir actions this seasons their lives maketh them savoury before God and men So also they interpret that of our Saviour Mat. 5. 13. Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost his savâ—â—r wherewith shall it be salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men when men live not as they profess they are unsavoury and men tread such mens profession under their feet and therefoâ—e say they He admonisheth them to strive for integrity of life and soâ—ndness in doctrine and constancy in suffering for these things honour their profession and seasons them with salt and makes them savoury to God and to men But to be short and without any more circumstances that we may come to the matter intended The fire and the salt are both one and that is Christ himself as I have told you He is the fire so He is the salt as the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 11. Both he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified are all one So Jesus Christ he is the fire that salteth and the salt wherewith it salteth as is exprest in the verse before the Text. Indeed I confess the Apostles also were called Salt Mat. 5. 13. Ye are the Salt of the earth saith Christ himself not that they were the Salt themselves or the salt indeed but they were those which uttered the salt they taught salt as I may say and where rathâ—r as we may call them Salters those which sold and uttered the true salt which is CHRIST to the world But I say of them as the Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 3. 4 5. While one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo who is Paul or who is Apollo but Ministers by whom you believed neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God c. and in another
their father which is in heaven Til this time Iesus Christ was crucified dead and buried but when once this Lion of the Tribe of Iudah begins to rouse up himself then it shall appear that there is now a King born that will bear rule that shall be such a Messiah spiritually as the Iews expected temporally a Potent and Mighty Prince whose Government shall be upon his shoulders His Name being WONDERFUL Counsellour and Prince of Peace And now all those Accursed Iews which â—rucified him and made him to serve shall now be made to serve him as the Prophet saith You have made me to serve with your iniquites Now all those headstrong lusts those Kings and Rulers of the Earth which cryed Let us break his bonds in sunder and cast away these cords from us He shall now rule them with a rod of iron and crush them in pieces like a potters vessel So that we shall live no longer the life of natural carnal men in the vanity of their mind to fulfil the lusts of men and the will of flesh and of the world but they live the life of spiritual men we shall then shew that we are the Off-spring of Christ Till you become to this whatever you think of your selves there can be nothing well done for before this we altogether think our own thoughts do our own actions go our own ways For all the imaginations of mans heart are onely evil continually But before this great and not able day of the Lord come the Lord will set signs in the heavens and in the earth and there shall be great stirs and wars and rumors of wars and the Inhabitants of the earth shall be troubled amazement and terrour shall seize upon them because of these things And when thou seest these things come to pass I say within thee then look up for know your redemption draweth nigh When you see the red Dragon watch against the woman shall be delivered of her man-child spoken of in the Revelation that he sends forth whole floods of water out of his mouth to drown her then know the child is born But before this time when you see the woman in travel and hath great pain and cryeth out extremely and hath bitter pains I say Bitter pangs then you may know the child is near delivery that is when this beloved old man our own will as the Scripture terms him who was never by us denyed anything himself desired but all was carried smoothly according to his own desire and now to be crost and contradicted Oh â—his is great pain to him Oh he cryes out like a travailing woman Oh he would by no means forsake himself his own will his own pleasure his own profit Take up his cross and follow Christ What forsake all that is dear to him this is death to him Oh! when you hear your flesh cry out Oh! would to God I had never been born then I had never seen this day Oh! let me dye let me dye I am weary of my life when ye hear him like Iob bitterlycurse the day of his birth Oh Beloved this day is a terrible day to flesh and blood it never saw such a day Oh it s a bloody day it comes with a terrible confused noise of the warriors and garments tumbled in blood as the Prophet speaks it was never so haled and puld this way the flesh tother way the spirit it was never so torn in pieces But know Beloved when these pains are upon you that the child is at the birth near to be delivered Beloved these things will be if ever Christ be born in the soul And when it is so that the flesh hales one way and the Spirit another Oh then it behoves you to pray That so your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath nor in the harvest Oh Beloved pray that these things this Seed do not dye without fruit that in the midst of this biting bitter winter you do not fly but bide by it and indure and wait the fruit that in the midst of winter you may enjoy your Sabbaths a day of rest peace lest that when other men enjoy their Sabbaths their harvest you have nothing but winter bitterness trouble and want and no fruit to refresh you Brethren I beseech the Lord that you may prove try and examine your selves by these things see if this day hath overpast ye hath your woman had pains and bitter agonies have you suffered such contradiction between the flesh and the spirit that these wars and terrours and rumours have struck through the very soul of you that you have felt it as bitter as gall as bitter as bitterness it self for saith our Loâ—d Luk 21. 22. Then be the dayes of VENGEANCE that all things which are written may be fulfilled insomuch as you may say of your selves Call me not now Naomi pleasant but call me Marah bitterness for the Almighty hath dealt bitterly with me This work being gone through you may be sure the child is born to you and to you a Son is given else not Tell me of what you will of education and good nature and the still work of Gods Spirit except this work be done in you so that you can speak of the work thereof experimentally you do but befool and delude your own souls And this work being gone through and the child born then as I said before he grows and increases in age and perfection every day He is not grown to a man in a moment but by steps by degrees He that hath this work brought about in his soul he need fear nothing he is in a free and safe condition all the men upon earth nay the powers of darkness cannot hurt him although the Dragon the Devil Sin Lusts the old man Self Lucifer Adam the Serpent c. these with all their fiery darts for when I name one I name all as I opened them to you upon another occasion for I opened near 20 of his names severally for these names and many such the Scripture gives him to set out that evil one within us which the most part of men are little acquainted with although they hug them in their bosomes eat drink sleep work play with them all these I say although they send forth whole floods of water after the woman yet they cannot drown her 〈◊〉 this work delivers and frees men from the powers of darkness this work brings down the strong holds disarms the strong man and sets the soul free Saves it delivers it carries it above all waves The next remarkable action Christ did he was circumcised That is He submitted himself to all outward Ordinances because he knew that all powers were ordained of God and so far forth as they tend to God and tend to love and peace we ought to submit So then we are then circumcised with Christ and Christ is
sheweth his handy Work dâ—y unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge In these God rides more openly here ye may behold him with open face as it is Ier. 23. 24. Caâ— any hide themselves in secret places from him do not I fill Heaven and Earth sayes God So the Earth is a close Chariot wherein he rides God rides and abides in the close silent Earth though less glorious as to us as well as in the open and more glorious Heaven Psal. 18. 10 11. He made darkness his secret place and his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds he bowed the Heavens and came down and darkness was under his feet T is true he fills Heaven and Earth but in the Earth we cannot see him so open and manifest Sometimes he hides himself in darkness and sometimes he shews himself in light As he is light so he clothes himself with light Psal. 104. 2. like as he was to the Israelites he went before them in a pillar of a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night Exod. 14. 19 20. He in himself is always invisible but in his expressions workings he is more secret more manifest Isa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour For God was both the cloud and the fire that went before and behind the children of Israel and he it was that filled the Tabernacle he was in both though he exprest himself so diversly And when we have put off this Tabernacle of clay that hangs about us then we whom he hath appointed shall see him as he is Yet let me tell you no man can see God as he is not in his Essence no not the Angels in heaven they themselves are not capable of that nor ever shall be but then the scales of Ignorance and blindness shall fall from our eyes and then we shall see his Influence into all Creatures and how this infinite God Flowes into them all as the river of Thames or the Sea by its streams it flows into all the adjoyning Creeks Arms but into every one according to their capacity not according to their own greatness but according to the greatness or littleness of those Creeks So doth our infinite God Flow into all his Creatures yet these expressions are infinitely below him too narrow to set out God to you but something in a way of resemblance I say after this manner doth the Almighty Flow into all his Creatures into Angels Arch-Angels Cherubims Seraphims Into men into beasts birds fish into all creatures yet not according to his own infinite greatness but according as every one can receive him and according to their capacity For if God should fill his creatures or communicate himself to them beyond their capacities he should destroy his creatures As to Moses God shewed him as much as a creature could see and live for if God had shewed him more he had been blinded undone by it for things may be as well invisible by too much light as by too little by excess of light as by want of light As the Sun if it should shine unto us in that excess of light that is in it self and that it were not intercepted interrupted by vapours and by thick and dull aire or if we were nearer to it then we are we should see nothing at all But whatever we see not of God now while we are in the world it is not for want of light in God but for want of light in us because the thick scales and the thick Darkness are still before our eyes and the dark vail is upon our hearts For God is alike apparent in every creature in regard of himself yet the accidents and matter that clothes God in the creature hides him from our sight For if we ask the Sea or the Winds or Beasts or Men of God these all speak dully and darkly of him for thou art now a hidden God from our eyes though thou art in every creature thou art the action motion and being of every creature yet God himself is a hidden a close God As Iacob when he fell asleep and dreamed and when he awaked he cryes out Oh how fearful is this place this is none other but the house of God God was there before but Iacobs eyes were not opened for God is in every place alike and cannot be more in one place then another but till our eyes be opened we can never acknowledge it but as soon as they are open then we can cry nay then we shall cry out for we cannot contain ourselves with Iacob with a holy fear and reverence we seeing the fulness of his presence every where Oh how dreadful is this place this is none other but the house of God and the gate of Heaven doubtless the Lord was in this place and I was not aware Object T is true you may say I see indeed all the creatures are Gods House and his Temple but why doth he call it The Gate of Heaven Ans. Because every creature when our eyes and ears are open it plainly represents speaks out God with a loud voice it leads us to see God himself who is not onely the substance and being thereof but he is the action life and motion thereof it leads us to behold and enjoy the infinite God who is heaven it self Then we shall come to see and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory And then shall we cry out one to another as the Seraphims Isa. 6. 3. And one cryed unto another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Then we shall see him so fill all places and all creatures even as he filled the tabernacle with his presence and glory Insomuch that we shall be overcome by his presence and the excellency of his divine glory Take home this truth with you and the Lord fix it in your hearts meditate and often think on it till you come to see it and believe it That God fills every thing though you see him not And although he be hidden not onely from men but even from the Angels themselves in regard of his Essence yet whatever creature it be how little so ever it be it is the house of God and the gate of heaven for this is Heaven upon earth thus to enjoy God and therefore well may Iacob call it The gate of heaven He fils even the lowest hell and is as wel in the damnedst Lucifer in hell as in the gloriousest Saint in heaven in regard of his Essence because he is in that regard in all places alike But here is the difference the one seeth him not so nor yields unto him the praise and glory of his infiniteness and of his filling all things as the
therein who can stand before his indignation and who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him and darkness shall pursue his enemies Think upon this all you that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. ult But saith he Psal. 61. 3. The Lord is good and is a strong Hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Oh Beloved Let us all then give glory from our souls to this our great God to this infinite and everlasting Being who fills all things let us all poure out oâ—r souls before him like Water and be melted to nothing in his presence And to that end First Let us subscribe to the infiniteness of our â—od in all his Attributes in all his ways in all his Creatures Let us alwayes believe it and have him continually before us that we may tremble to offend him even the wickedest man And that godly men may both fear and love him and that they may with strong confidence be rooted resting and depending on him who is the rock of Ages And Secondly Let us cry out with Moses in continual acclamations in that powerful Orarion when ever we think of him or behold him There is none like the God of Iesurun who rideth upon the Heavens for thy help and in his excellency upon the skie For the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the Everlasting Arm. Thou canst be in no trouble but he is by thee with thee in the fire or in the water where ever thou art Ps. 34. 7 8. The Angels of the Lord encamp round about them that fear him O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O fear the Lord ye his Saint for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions may lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any thing Iacob when he went from his fathers house was afraid he should have wanted Gen. 28. but God appeared to him in a dream and he beheld a Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven The longest Ladder that ever was read of or ever heard of and the greatest builder hath made it and onely for his own use And Iacob by it saw that the providence of God was every where and Angels were continually passing up and down upon it being sent of the Almighties Errands not onely for protection but to be ministring spirits sent forth not onely for the good of those who shall be heirs of Salvation but for the good of all his Creatures So that we may say of the providence of God as David saith of his presence for they are both one Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy presence if I ascend into Heaven thou art there there is the top of the Ladder if I descend into the deep thou art there there is the bottome of the Ladder The builders of Babel aimed to make such a Ladder but that which they could never do the builder of Heaven and Earth hath done but were they not very fools to think to build a Tower of ten thousand times 1000000 miles high But let us labour to see the eternal God at the top of this Ladder and everlasting arms at the foot of it then how can we doubt He that hears the Ravens when they cry unto him who have neither faith nor understanding shall he not hear thee O thou of little faith It is against both the promise against the practice of your Father that any of you should want any good thing Yet how full of complaints are all the sons of men one wants children another friends others honour others riches others health others preferment some all these but certainly you are deceived you do not want any of them for if they were good for you you had them not then indeed you wanted them but being not good for you you want them not for they in such a case will do you more hurt then good Therefore I say let the servant of God that thinks he wants any of these things pray for what he will he shall have it if he do really want them for not onely all inanimal or unreasonable Creatures which are Gods Angels when he pleaseth do owe their Suit and Service unto those that fear the Lord but even all the Angels of God in heaven they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. 14. Nay let me tell thee if thou wilt command the Sun to stand still and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon as Ioshuah did it shall be done or the Sun to go backward upon the Dial as Hezekiah did or the Rocks to gush out water and the Heavens rain down Manna or the waters to be divided and the Sea to stand up as a wall as Moses did all shall be done and they shall obey rather then any of Gods people shall want any good thing Or if he will command Iron to swim as Elisha did Nay let him command the Covenant of night and day to be broken and time to be no more and it shall be done for Gods word can never fail nay heaven earth shall pass away but not one jot of his word shall fail But for all this I know and methinks I hear your murmuring thoughts still for all this you are not yet satisfied And you say with Iob Doth the wild Asse bray when he hath grass or loweth the Oxe over his fodder can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt or is there any taste in the white of an egg We are sure we do want these things or else we would not complain we are sure we have them not and is there any sweetness in nothing had we fodder we would not lowe nor complain I answer Indeed that may be that you are without them 1. It may be you are not of the family of your heavenly father then what right or interest have you to expect them but you are servants to sin and to his enemies and yet would have him let you want nothing 2. There is a great difference between not having and wanting It may well be that you have not riches and honour and preferment c. but if you be the true servants of God it cannot be that you should want them David saith it was good for him that he wanted and that he was in trouble There is oftentimes more mercy from God and more comfort to us in Gods Rods then in these outward things which are onely esteemed Blessings for they are often no other but rods or else meat to fat us for slaughter for our happiness and comfort lies not in that which the tender
Ghost In them for all Scripture was given by inspiration 2 Tim. 3. 16. after they were once set apart by God to write the holy Scriptures they all spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost as Dan. 12. 4. God commands Daniel Shut up the words and seal the Book even till the time of the end These holy men being once set apart for this use they prophesie Beyond themselves and out of course and latter and after-times shall make known that which they themselves which wrote them knew not for they spake as inspired by God but Christs words are alwayes absolute and perfect truth he knew and saw very well what he said there is nothing useless in his words there is no Tautologies as we call them no vain repetitions when Christ speaks they are words of weight words of power they carry vertue with them as for instance if ever the winds blow and the storms arise in thy soul Then thou shalt find experimentally and feelingly that One word from Christs mouth will do thee more good then all the words and all the power of men To Still those winds and storms those who have experience here of know it full well as we see when the ship was like to be Overcome by the winds and storms and Christ was asleep you may see there how One word from him Ceased them No more but Peace and be still and t is the same in the soul and Psal. 107. 29. He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still These words we have now read All power is given to me in heaven and earth They signifie that Christ is God equal with the Father but there seems to be a great difficulty in the words in that Christ never said before he was ready to leave the earth All power is given unto me in heâ—ven and earth The question is What power had Christ now committed to him that he had not before what new power received he that when he was to leave the earth and had given his Disciples a Commission and it was to be sealed at the day of Pentecost that he should say now and never before All power is given me in heaven and earth what addition of power had he now which he had not before if he be God equal with his Father and he saith many times The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son and again Before Abraham was I am and many such like words which shews he is God and of Equal power and Authority with his Father and yet he saith in the 14 of Iohn The Father is greater then I Can God receive any new Access of power No certainly but these words are so hard and difficult to reconcile that in the daies of Arius it filled the Church full of Errors and Heresies the Church fell much at Odds for many from hence denied the Divinity of Christ because they could not reconcile these Scriptures And by the way if he be Lord of all power then he leaves none for man to claim to himself But that I may answer this doubt and make it clear I will lay down two grounds First Although God receive no new power in himself yet he doth receive power by being made further known unto man And Secondly By mans being made further known unto him First By his being made further known unto man the revealing and discovering of God unto man making himself more known the manifestation of this is said To Adde power to him but not That any thing can be added to him who is infinite if there could he were not infinite and He were not God But know this whatever attribute God hath ascribed to him it is in regard of his creatures not in regard of himself for there are no such things in God Neither in regard of his incommunicable or communicable Attributes as Eternity Infiniteness Omnipotency Immensness c. Or in regard of his communicable as Wisdome Iustice and Mercy and Patience c. as if these were several things in God for God is One and cannot be more for when he is said to be any of these Iust or Good or Severe or the like these are all One and the same thing in him they are but Attributed to him that we may conceive of him it is but spoken of him according to the several workings of God on the creatures As for instance the Sun makes the Roâ—e to smel sweet and pleasant and it makes the Nettle to sting it makes the fields to grow and cast a Pleasant savour but it makes the Carrion and the Dunghil to stink and all this variety is by one and the self-same Sun the same light and heat doth divers things causes divers effects in the subjects Says the Rose it makes me fragrant and sweet and says the Dung-hill but it makes me stink and be unsavoury says the Wax it makes me soft and pliable but says the clay it makes me hard and obdurate yet the Sun doth not do one thing to one and another thing to another Even so Beloved it is with our God One man He finds God A comfort and a rejoycing to his heart another he finds God A Terror and an Amazement to him One he finds God A sweet guide and direction to him and thereby and therefore he draws nearer to God loveth and embraceth him Another apprehends God an enemy to him and this makes him run away from God Is God therefore thus various no no He is the self-same God to the One and to the Other and the self-same action in him is to the One and to the other He that is a Hammer to the Hard heart he is also mollifying and softning Oyl to the Penitent soul He that is A comfort to the fatherless and widow he is as an Enemy A Revenger and a consuming fire to the obstinate and rebellious And yet for all this Our God is always the same he is not nor cannot be changed in him is no shadow of change And therefore we cannot imagine that he can grow greater or less in regard of himself but as To us he doth that is if he manifest himself more to us more within us in our souls then he is said to be greater and if he lessen the knowledge of himself As to us then he is said to grow less And in this sense also he is said to come nearer to us and go further from us As also he is said so to do when he expresses as to us more or less some act of justice or mercy or any other artribute then I say he is onely said to be so in regard of us To grow greater or less to come nearer or depart further but He in himself is for ever blessed and perfect Unchangeable Immoveable always the same we can no way Touch him or Alter him but it is onely We the Creature is Altered and he is altered to us as to
thou art dead to every creature thou canst never make this boast Beloved if you would have power to remove mountains and to offer violence to the Kingdom of heaven then you are to be thus qualified that thou hast experimentally seen and felt in thy own soul how that thy sins have ploughed and made long furrows upon his back as David saith and how you by your sins have quenched the light that is in you and how in thee he is crucified dead and buried and how thou hast drawn grave-stones of custome over him and how you have buried his light resisted and grieved his spirit in you and that you have found him arise in your own souls that you have really seen and felt all these things actually done within you his birth his life his death his resurrection that as his enemits have overcome and crucified him within you so himâ—rise â—rise gloriously and triumphantly within you and that he hath put down all his enemies under his feet In thee insomuch that thou hast heard him and seen him and felt him crying within thy soul Isa. 1. 24. Ha ha I will now arise I will avenge me on my adversaries Now I that was crucified am now risen again so that you see his glory and the love of him triumphing in you so that now thou canst truly say with David Psal. 27. 4. Now I am so far gotten from and forsaken the world and my self that now I desire but one thing and that will I seek after even that thou wouldest give me thy self unite me and make me One with thine own life that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and visit his Temple You being once come to this pass Really in experience then you also may say All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth for then you are as I may say within an inch of being swallowed up into God and then are you ready to leave the earth and all things therein for this man he is become one spirit with the Lord And if we be one spirit as Chriâ—ts prayer hath purchafed Ioh. 17. 21. That they may be one as thou and I are one that thou mayest be in me and I in them and they in me that the world may believe that thou hast sent me if it be so then Christ himself lives in us and all our words are the words of Christ we have no thoughts but the thoughts of Christ we have no life but Christ lives in us as the Apostle saith I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And then also as the Apostle again saith and so may you say All is yours and not before Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods You being come to this as you may claim a right to all things so you may claim a Power over all things for you are already set down in Heavenly places with Christ himself in the very glory of God the Father who is blessed for ever But yet many there be that wil claim this right and appropriate to themselves this power and life when alas they are farre from it they will assume and presume that this is their condition when indeed and in truth Christ and his life is as yet buried in them He is not risen in them he hath not conquered nor gotten victory over his enemies but he is still crucified and made to serve their sins and their lusts Self-will and pride and arrogancy and vain boasting is still alive in them he hath not as yet Avenged himself on his enemies But pride and covetousnes and love of the world and praise of men these things live in them still and Christ is dead and so much the more dead and crucified in as much as they glory of that which is not conceiving Christ is theirs when as all their wayes are contrary to him and yet they conceive themselves made One with him when as it were far better they had a true sight of their opposition and contrariety to him And therefore thou must know thou art but an usurper to claim this power and right to all things in which thou hast no part For when a man is come to that life we formerly spake of then he is made Lord of the earth and hath then Real dominion over all the Creatures And made little lower then the Angels as it is exprest in Psal. 8. Then thou belongest to and art one with him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords though you see it not A supposition of two drops reasoning together As suppose two Drops apart from the Sea should Reason together and the one should say to the other Whence are we canst thou conceive whence we are either whence we come or to whom we belong or whither we shall go something we are but what will in a short time become of us canst thou tell And the other Drop should ansâ—wer Alas poor fellow-drop be assured we are Nothing for the Sun may arise and draw us up and scatter us and so bring us to nothing Says the other again Suppose it do for all that yet we are we have a Being we are Something Why what are we saith the other Why Brother Drop dost thou not know we even we as smal contemptible as we are in our selves yet we are members of the sea Poor Drops though we be yet let us not be discouraged we belong to the vast Ocean How saith the other we belong to the sea to the Ocean how can that be We have heard of the mighty greatness of the Ocean we have heard that there is the huge Leviathan that sports himself there who is so great and terrible he feareth none whose heart is as firm as a stone and as hard as a piece of the â—ether milstone the mighty are afraid before him who feareth not the spear nor the dart nor the Habergeon who esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood the arrow cannot make him flee-darts are as stubble and he laugheth at the shaking of the spear who maketh the deeps to boyl like a pot and maketh the sea like a pot of ointment so that he maketh a hoary path to shine after him and upon earth there is not his like What that we are of the Sea how can it be We have heard the Sea is great and wide Wherein also are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts there is that Leviathan who is made to play and sport therein and they that go down into the sea in ships and do their business in great waters they see the wonders of the Lord in the deeps there are the huge roaring waves that mount them up to heaven and suddenly they fall down into the depths and their souls melt because of trouble and those great
in his Lords wrath and punishment In Isa. 2. 18. See there how the Lord threatens to bring down this Spirit that is generally in all the sons of men Verse 10. Enter into the rocks and hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty the lofty looâ—s of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone sâ—all be exalted in that day For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low and so he goes on And upon all the Cedars of Lebunon that are lifted up upon all the Oaks of Bashan upon all the high mountains upon every tower and upon every fenced wall upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all their pleasant pictures And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and haughtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day And their Idols he shall utterly abolish and they shall go into the holes and caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his maâ—esty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth and a man shall cast his Idols of silver and gold to the Moles and to the Bats to go into the rocks and into the tops of the ragged rocks for the fear of the Lord and for the glory of his maâ—esty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of I have a little digrest but it was for your good therefore you may bear with me Let us now then henceforward learn to beware of this God that is so Near us and so much in us and not to be like Lot in his drunkenness when his two daughters came and laâ— with him and yet he knew not when they lay down or when they arose Gen. 19. 35. But learn we to awake 〈◊〉 of our spiritual darkness and not to be so ignorant so sottâ—sh to let him be so near you as to live in you and to dwell with you to be with you in your going out and coming in in your down-lying and uprising and you never yet acquainted with him Who knows all your thoughts afar off even before you think them your selves Saith the Apoâ—â—le KNOW YOU NOT that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates nay though ye be reprobates It is the case of Reprobates of Devils not to know this but the meaning is if ye be not in the condition of reprobates then ye know and feel experimentally in some measure and degree that Iesus Christ is in you of a Trâ—th O happy yea thrice happy is that soul who is thus aware of God to see his workings and actings through all the creatures then will that soul cry out against himself and instead of arrogancyâ— and applanding himself he cryes out of himself of his own former and present ignorance and blindness he will not say we see and they what they ignorant of any thing they would not any one should have such a thought of them alas poor soulsâ— their great knowledge undoeth them thy wisdom hath made thee rebel or perverted thee Isa. 46. 10. because by all their parts and knowledge they themselves are swelled and pâ—ffed up and are not lessened and made nothing if they were they would cry out Oh what a beast was I I have not the knowledge of a man Oh what a wretch was I was God himself so near me all this while nay within me and I not know it hath it been he that hath altered and changed me in the whole course of my life and turned me from vessel tâ— vessel from one condition to another It was he that hath made all the changes in my life and ordered my actions as he pleased and also would and hath made them serve to his praise though I saw it not but now I see and feel it was He that made me pass through the fire and through the water and tumbled me and tumbleth Nations up and down That makes the waters roare and the mountains quake But now I hear and see as David saith The Lord spake it once and I heard it twice that God alone doth all that is I heard it throughly experimentally I saw it ratified to my experience to me within me I heâ—rd it first by the hearing of the eare I heard it in my understanding but my second hearing was my experience and seeing by the eye believing itâ— and knowing it in my self that it was so that God alone doth All. Till we come to see this What ever our boasts are whatever our parts are whatever our knowledge is we are dead we are in the state of reprobates we are frozen we can take no salt and I pray God we are not so self-wise and so hardened in our own conâ—eits that we be not as the Apostle saith twice dead and pulled up by the roots and so never shall bearany fruit being past hope and without God in the world I know this is harsh doctrine to the general sort of Professors What they ignorant what they to be accounted by others or to account themselves fools then who are the wise men Think they You know Salt when it is in a frozen body doth no good you know by experience that frozen meat will take no salt and then it may be said to be infatuated or good for nothing So though Christ the true salt be in us as he is in himself yet we may be reprobates our hearts our souls Frozen and we cannot take in this salt And then though Christ be there yet he doth us no good and he may be then said to be infatuated useless not but that he can thaâ— our hearts and work upon us and overcome in us and prevail over all the powers of 〈◊〉 and darkness within us if he pleaseth for He in himself is alwayes alike strong but we do not alwayes find him so neither is he so to us As you know he came to one place and he could do no miracles there because of their unbelief Mat. 13. 58. Christ he works still and doth all his miracles in the world daily but it may be not to thy sight he shews not his miracles to thee or in thee but to those whose eyes he hath opened he is daily in their sight working his miracles You are deceived Miracles are not ceased as you conclude but your eyes are closed and blinded by the god of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. as the Apostle Paul saith concerning the Cross of Christ Can the Cross of Christ be made of no effect yet the Apostle there propounds a case wherein it is made of no effect that is not that it can be so in its own nature but to thee it
was never of the Fathers sending he comes unsent the true Christ is hid from thee But as the Apostle saith if our doctrine be hid it is hid to those that perish but to us who believe it is the Savour of life unto life but to all others the Savour of death unto death He is to us sweeter then the hony or the hony comb more dear to us then thousands of gold and silver This Christ is more precious whom we are now unfolding to you that truly believe then all the riches and glory yea then all the lives in the world And That we may come to open this Iesus Christ to you if so be your eyes are open or else we shall speak but parables and paradoxes to you as Christ did to the Jews and they will but make you more mad as he did them more enrage them against himself That ye may understand what we speak of and intend we must first wave the knowledge of the History of Christ externally and then we shall come to the knowledge of the Mystery of the true Christ of that Jesus Christ which is able to save your souls and to make you wise unto salvation The other knowledge cannot do so for if it could the Devils themselves should be saved Therefore it must needs be another kind of knowledge then they have it must be more then the knowledge of the Letter and outward face even of the whole Scriptures It must be a hidden knowledge and that is the knowledge of The Mystery namely a real lâ—vely and experimental knowledge of Iesus Christ wrought in thy heart by the power of himself Even like unto Flowers or Herbs or any other thing that grows on the ground by the heat and power of the Sun if there be not something communicated to them from the Sun that is of the Suns own nature they grow not at all but they wither and dye if the Sun warm them not and comfort them they grow not but dye So if there be not in every one of us something of Jesus Christ that is of his own nature the same mind the same quickning Spirit the same disposition and the same new nature something of his own off-spring we are but in a dead and perishing condition all that ever we know otherwise is meer folly in this regard be their knowledge never so excellent and glorious to those who have not Jesus Christ in them As that wicked Pope said when he had shewed such a vast treasure of riches See saith he how that Fable of Iesus Christ hath inriched me So to these men what ever they talk of Jesus Christ and of the knowledge of him to them the true Christ is a meer fable a meer tale as he thought outwardly to inrich him so they think this Fable of a deceitful Christ hath and will enrich their souls But except we know Christ feelingly experimentally so that he lives within us spiritually his own natural life insomuch that whatever any man hath known in the Letter and History of him that he know the same within him as truly done actually in his own soul as ever Christ did any thing without him in the days of his flesh else it profit nothing And to find all that ever you read of him to be verified in you experimentally It is not Jesus Christ without us can do us any good he is no Christ to us all his actions are in vain to us they are all as a meer tale a meer song to us As one of the Fathers said It was not that Christ that the Virgin Mary carryed in her womb that did save her but that Christ that she carried in her heart And our Saviours own words express as much Not blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps that thou hast sucked but blessed are they that hear the word of God and kept it They that would have any benefit by Jesus Christ they must have him in their hearts Born within them not only to know that Christ was born at Bethlehem but born in them and not to know onely that Christ dyed at such a time so many years ago this will do you no good except you experimentally find and feel how he is crucified dead and buried within you Let no man what ever he be delude you and make you believe that any other Christ will save you Let no man upon pain of the salvation and damnation of his soul once dare to think that any other Christ will do him any good and that he experimentally feel Jesus Christ risen again within him and all other actions that ever he did that still he finds him doing the same in him as Saint Paul saith My beloved of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in you not Christ divided and by halves but whole Christ formed in you When you begin to find and know not onely that he was conceived in the womb of a Virgin but that thou art that virgin and that he is more truly and spiritually and yet as really conceived in thy heart so that thou feelest the Babe beginning to be conceived in thee by the power of the Holy Ghost and the most High overshadowing thee when thou feelest Jesus Christ stirring to be born and brought forth within thee when thou beginnest to see and feel all those Mighty powerful and wonderful actions done in thee which thou readest he did in the flesh For Christ is not divided saith the Apostle but yesterday and to day and the same for ever There is not one Christ without us and Another within us but that same Christ that was then upon earth must be spiritually in us growing and encreasing and doing the same actions still Now Beloved here is a Christ indeed that will save you here is a Christ A real Christ that will do you some good this is The Christ which indeed Alone and Onely will bring you to heaven If your faith hath wrought and formed such a Christ in you then you may have boldness through him Of this Christ you may boast and triumph against all the powers of darkness with St Paul Rom. 8. so that neither heights nor depths nor things present nor things to come nor Angels nor any creature shall be â—ver able to separate you and this Iesus Christ our Lord blessed for ever Rom. 8. 38 39. What ever other faith you have believe as strongly and as confidently as you will or can do be sure it is but Head-knowledge of Christ it is but a bold unwarranted presumption and no faith For Externall Jesus Christ is a shadow a symbole a figure of the Internal viz. of him that is to be born within us In our souls Beloved you know it is said of Abraham He saw Christs day and rejoyced so all the Saints that ever were are or shall be must See the day of Iesus Christ as well as Abraham did if we look for any
belong If so be we suffer with him that we may be glorified together These words I say are a limitation and concentring these precious priviledges And terminating them upon One out of a city and Two out of a Tribe No more yea though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea A remnant onely of them shall be saved Isa. 10. 22. Being like those words of our Saviour Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many go in thereat but strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Yet for this present we will consider the Text As a Melchizedek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without father without mother viz without any dependance or succession from the words going before or any reference to them that follow As a substantive standing by himself so we shall find this Text an Everlasting Almanack an Erra Pater setting before your eyes the state of a Christian from the very first day of his Regeneration to his last day even of Glorification â—ay beyond all time according to the Angels Oath Rev. 10. 6. Till time shall be no more This Text is that sword without which you will never cut asunder that Gordian knot As to tell us why St. Paul sayes Col. 1. 24. That he did Gaudere in passionibus Rejoyce in his sufferings and saith he 2 Cor. 11. 30. If I must needs glory I have nothing more to bast on then of the things that concern my infirmities That which to you and to all the world Seemeth my infirmity my loss and my cross this is my gain and my Crown In labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons in deaths in perils in painfulness in watchings in hunger and thirst in fastings in cold and nakedness c. and herein sayes He I glory And he asserts it with the greatest asseveration that can be The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lye not What a strange paradox is here what a Gordian knot is here to be untyed or who can with the sword of mans reaâ—on cut it insunder Therefore have I chosen this Text that itâ—nd â—nd by Divine Light the Spirit of God we may clear this pâ—radox and untie this knot Neither was this Pauls case alone but the other Apostles also when they were beaten Acts 5. 41. they departed from the Councel reâ—oycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name I pray Beloved if you had known no more of the Apostles then the Jews did would not you have said as they did that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2. 13. These men are full of new wine for its ordinary with you when you are not able to comprehend the Mystical Depths of the Spirits working in the hearts of those regenerated to â—ay They are Mad Distracted Drunk Filled with new wine And if you had known no more of the Martyrs of the Primitive Church then their Persecutors would you not have said with them Wisd. 5. 4. We fools thought their life madness and their end without Honour It is said Nemo carnem suam odio habuit c. Ephes. 5. 29. No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it What did They then and what case were They in Isa. 50. 6. that gave their backs to the smiters and their cheeks to the nippers and hid not their faces from shame and spitting And were content to be killed all the day long And to be as sheep for the slaughter that preferred Mountains and Dens and Caves of the earth before Palaces of Princes wildernesses before Society Heb. 11. 8. Mat. 11. 8. sheep-skins and goats-skins before the softraiment of them that are in Kings Courts mockings and scourgings before sleeping in a whole skin Rackings before down-beds Stoning Hewing asunder and slaying with the sword before Deliverance safety health and long life Heb. 11. And generally all who are not sufferers with them have that opinion of them rooted in them which Festus had of Paul Acts 26. 24. that they conclude they can be no less then Mad men and the very trâ—th is these true sufferers are counted every where In All Ages no other Then God Almighties FOOLS But there is no finding out Sampsons Riddle without ploughing with Sampsons Heifer could we but do so then we may say as Philip said to Nathaniel We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jo. 1. 45. So here In opening these words now read we hope by the gracious assistance of the holy Spirit we shall unfold As this Text so those Riddles mentioned in the SCRIPTURES As 1. What is meant by Moses bitter waters at Marah Exod. 15. 25. whereof the people could not drink but murmured and Moses cryed unto the Lord and he shewed him a Tree which being cast into the waters they were made sweet even so shall these sufferings with CHRIST be made very sweet to us And come to know How they come so to be in our own experience 2. We shall see what is meant by Elishas naughty waters of Iericho 2 Kings 2. 19 c. The men of the City said to Elisha the situation of the City is pleasant but the water is naught and the ground barren Then he took salt and cast therein and said I haue healed these waters there shall not be from hence any more death or barren Land and the waters were healed according to the saying of Elisha which he spak Even so shall be these sufferings with Christ. All bitterness and unsavouryness shall be taken from them 3. You shall see what 's meant by Iobs unsavoury meat and the salt to season it Iob. 16. 6. Caâ— that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt or is there any taste in the white of an egge These Sufferings with Christ being once seasoned by Christ they will be savoury to your Taste Self-Denial will be no hard task but Meat and Drink to you 4. You shall come to see what is meant by Having salt in your selves Mark 9. 50. Salt is good saith our Saviour but if the salt have lost his saltness wherewith will you season it Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another 5. You shall see what is meant by Davids sowing in tears and reaping in joy Psal. 126. 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy he that goeth forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him And then the Lord shall turn again your captivity as the streams in the South all these things you shall come to see and feel experimentally fulfilled in you and upon you 6 You shall come to see what is meant by Isaia's
and sold under sin and ye are yet carnal saith the Apostle Carnality never judges carnality never look that flesh should find fault with its own actions neither doth the Reasonable man find fault with his reasonable actions but sâ—ith the Apostle The Spiritual man judgeth all things that is the Spirit of God as David saith Exalt thy self O God above the heavens and shew thy self thy glory and thy majesty Come thou unto us O Lord and judge the heathen be thou judge among the judges among the gods among those that are and still would be gods and judges Do thou O Lord put all thine enemies to silence and Rule THOU in the midst of thine Enemies But to silence our own reason all our own affections our own will our own joys our own fears our own hopes and then hear what God shall say There is no hearing of God till all these be put to silence as it is said Gen. 3. God came into the Garden in the COOL of the day what do you think was meant by that that God came at evening when the sun was going down do you think that the day was too hot for God to walk in no no that cannot be but t is meant he came into the soul in the cool of the day that is when lust was cool when the heat of Adams desire was over when his own will was silent and there was a calm then God spake and said Adam where art thou Till then there was such Noise and such a Hurly-burly in his soul This lust would be satisfied and the other lust would be satisfied such crying and calling making such clamour and noise there was then no hearing God speak but these being All put to silence God comes in with a still soft voice not while the thunder and mighty rushing was and speaks in the soul Hear now what God saith Hear him judge you hear him condemn you and if ye do this This delivering over to Satan is not unto death but that your spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord This casting of our souls into the lower hell as David complains is that we may be saved from the condemnation irrecoverable I came to send fire on the earth saith our Saviour and what if I will that it be already kindled The kindling of this fire is a happy kindling t is that you may escape the Unquenchable fire suffer therefore this condemnation to be wrought in your souls it is a blessed a happy condemnation The day that this work comes into thy soul is the blessedst day that ever thou sawest the happiest hour that ever passed over thy head the brightest and gloriousest day that ever dawned to thee Indeed it is The day of the Lord A day of darkness and gloominess of clouds and thick darkness but it dawns to everlasting light and glory I told you wherein and how you might examine your selves And that you might have a glass large enough to see your whole body open your eyes to see the glass of the Law and view your selves round by it and then I will warrant you you shall see cause enough of condemnation then you will see so much in your selves that you will have no wisdom nor leisure left to judge other men if you did but see the true resemblance of your selves you could do nothing else but be alwayes judging and condemning your selves you could do nothing but lay all the Bitter curses you could devise upon this Meroz Even upon your Corrupt Self you would so Hate and lothe your selves in your own sight you would not others praises which formerly you have so much sought for It may be we have read and heard the Ten Commandments over and over a thousand times but that is not enough But as the Scripture requires an ear in an ear so we must have an eye in an eye He that hath ears to hear let him hear and He that hath eyes to see let him see I opened to you the sins of the first Commandement from which I know you will free your selves most in you think That of all the rest you are most free from having other Gods you were taught That from your Cradle Thou shalt have no other Gods but me But as I then shewed you you that do worship any other god as all of us do some make their belly their god some pleaure their god some profit their god some credit and praise their god and these we obey and worship and fear and love Whatever it was that drew you from obeying Gods Commandments was it for pleasure was it for honour or whatever else consider what you have done you have made them your gods and done more then bowed your knee to them so that as often as thou hast said the Ten Commandments so often hast thou dissembled with God and rebelled against that which thine own mouth hath acknowledged And I doubt I may say of you as the Prophet said of Israel So many Cities so many Gods Shall I say so many men so many Gods Nay so many LUSTS so many Gods And those that have many Gods have no God This is generally acknowledged for even among the Heathen there was not one learned and wise man but did confess there was a God and that there could not be any more then one God although they gave several names to the divine power in several creatures for the Apprehension of the ignorant and called them Gods yet they knew that God was but one Take therefore that sacred spotless Law open it and look upon it view thy self well and it will shew thee clearly all thy Gods Do but look upon the actions of this very day nay since you came into this place and see if there hath not been matter enough to cause this work of Condemation Besides consider this seriously you are not represented to God as doing of one action but according to the Tenor of your lives thou art not presented to God as thou art dying when thy mouth is full of holy words nor as thou art doing any good action not as thou art sitting in the Church at thy prayers not as thou art hearing a Sermon not as thou art relieving the Poor c. but all thy whole life every minute being always as present with him as if every particular action were now in doing there is no passing of time no succession of time with him so that from hence conâ—lude and resolve it to thy thoughts if ever thou swearest an Oath thou art with him alwayes swearing if ever thou blasphemest thou art ever blaspheming if ever thou toldst a lye thou art with Him alwayes lying if ever thou committedst adultery thou art alwayes doing that act as to him if ever thou brokest Covenant and Promise thou art with him alwayes doing so if ever thou trampledst the bloud of the Conant under thy feet thou art alwayes
that he emptied himself of all his glory took upon him the form of a Servant made himself of no reputation and One action from him was sufficient this you will not deny And therefore in all the Scripture you may observe that from the very instant of the Creation the second person in Trinity took upon him a body he had a body from the beginning from the first man and shall have a body to the last man as David saith of him a Body hast thou prepared me consider of this and compare it with the Scriptures and see if this be not more agreeable unto the vastness of the largness of Christ then to confine his body onely to the short time of 33 years He it is that suffers in man in the first man and shall suffer in the last man from the time of his suffering in the first righteous Abel to the last to the last righteous Abel from the time of taking his Kingdom of his Father till the time that he shall render up the Kingdom to his Father it is he that suffers I know when at any time ye hear of Christs Body and of his sufferings you presently fly to that short time that he lived upon Earth to those 33 years that he was visibly seen to walk upon Earth and I doubt many Divines intend no less when they speak of his sufferings they presently have recourse to that time and to Pontius Pilate and Herod and the Iews and intend no more but Beloved Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Christ suffers now as much as he did then and before that as much as he doth now for while any of his members suffers he suffers I appeal to you examine this truth whether this be not more agreeable to truth and to the Scripture to acknowledge this Vast Largness of Christ then to narrow and scant his body to that short time for if ye say he wrought our redemption and satisfied Gods wrath in those whole thirty three years then you contradict your selves for none can deny but any one of his actions alonâ— considered was abundantly sufficient and the Apostle Paul saith That he did fill up in his body the measure of the sufferings of Christ and certainly he that thus suffered in him doth still and shall do so to the end of the world And so I say concerning this request of the Spouse to Christ it is a strange question if ye consider it according to the three thirty years he was on earth in the dayes of Herod for to ask him where he fed and where he rested we know in that regard where he fed and where he rested at that time but she asks where he feeds now and where he rests now to the very very last day and from the first day this is the Spouse her question where he feeds and where he feeds at noon But by the way God forbid that we should go about to deny Christs coming in the flesh for he did come in the flesh and whatever the Scripture saith he did in the flesh is really undeniably true and let his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth that shall deny it But yet give me leave to tell you that is but the History there is a mystery in all the words there is a symbolical truth hid in them that is not obvious to every eye T is true he cured the eyes of the blinde and healed the lame and cured the deaf but that is but the letter the history that dyed with them for they are dead their eyes are shut up and their members are dissolved and returned into their first elements But he by that resembled to us how he hath ever since and before and will for ever cure the eyes of the blind and heal the lame and cast out Devils and cure the bloudy Issue in our souls for the other was but the outside the visible sensible part of his actions and miracles but that which Christ would represent to our understanding by that that is the fixed and eternal truth And so Christ still hath and shall have his food and his resting place And whoever shall eat of this Food shall never hunger again whosoever shall drink of this water that he shall give them shall never thirst again Your Fathers have eaten Manna in the Wilderness and are dead saith he but whosoever shall eat of this manna shall never dye Those actions Christ did then but these actions that those represents he doth alwayes those were visible representations presentations of them which he invisibly and mystically doth now yet as really Not onely I say as truly but more truly The spirituality of those actions never end for put all together that ever Christ raised from death or cast out devils out of and healed c. they were but few he could have healed and cured all if he pleased but that was not the end of his coming but he did so much and enough to manifest God come in the flesh that he will always do the same things to the end of the world Spiritually Where thou feedest what then may be Christs food for even Christ now hath his diet and food though not of figs after which he hungred nor of flesh which he did eat nor of boiled fish which he seemed to eat c. But Christ himself tells us My meat is to do the will of my Father and to finish his work and he tells us where he rests Cant. 6. 2 3. Among the beds of spices among broken and contrite hearts and his delight is to be among his lilies and among his roses in his garden there doth he refresh himself Christ is fed in his members Take heed then ye suffer not Christ to starve within you lest at the last day it be laid to your charge I was a hungry ye gave me no meat thirsty and ye gave me no drink naked ye clothed me not in prison and ye visited me not c. But do you think that Christ is fed with corporal food I assure you this for your comfort that those that feed Christ shall never perish but now to feed the hungry with bread externally to put clothes upon the naked to give drink to them that are A-Thirst to go to them that are shut up in prison this every man may do by his natural power ye may do this and yet give where there is no need you may do this and yet suffer your Saviour to starve This is not a true feeding on Christ no no it is Another-guess feeding that he requires or that he will Reward The meaning is I had a spiritual hunger and a spiritual nakedness this ye did not relieve satisfie and supply when I lay begging knocking at your door for relief in this kinde ye would not hear me and now I will not Hear you You suffered me
the holy Spirit to us to lay upon you no other burthen then these necessary things That ye abstain from things offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled c. if you keep your selves from these things ye shall do well Fare ye well Now in these things according to the present infancy and weakness of that Church did as Pauls practise was He became weak to the weak and became all to all that he might win some They saw they could not bear taking away and removing all things at once and so drew them on with cords of love and indulgence in things indifferent It was as much as they at that time could bear to remove that unquestionable commanded Ordinance of Circumcision and because others began to press it as a thing of necessity therefore they in wisdom remove it laying no such injunction on them and this they tell them they shall do well to observe But after this when they had been exercised more in the Truth and they began to see these things were but Pedagogies Paul adventured to wave these things as being things which are not the Truth and Substance And therefore he incourages the Corinthians not to stand upon such things in that 1 Cor 8. 7. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge for some with confidence of the Idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an Idol and their conscience being weak is defiled For saith he in the Verses before An Idol is nothing and there is none other but one God Therefore although it be meat left at the Idol Sacrifices the meat is the same afterward which it was before the Idol defileth not the meat for it is nothing And therefore in 1 Cor. 10. 25. saith he Whatever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no question for conscience sake Why there he gives the same reason again For the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof I might draw out this point to many more particulars wherein many are misled in these days as concerning eating of blood and using of Temples or Places dedicated to Idols I hope I need give no other Solution at present but that Answer that there the Apostle doth An Idol is nothing in the world there is none other but one God The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Therefore I say eat and use what is prepared for you making no question for conscience sake But through the weakness and childishness of many there hath been great contest about things of this nature And if it be evil to prefer the handmaid before the Mistris and the Shadow before the Substance even of things commanded much more to prefer these things of such indifferency before the Substance which are to be laid aside as we grow stronger which we are not to do by the things absolutely commanded but to use them and not abuse them to use them and not build on them or Rest in them And as it is in things of this nature so it is in the general estate of all Christians First they are servants and under the yoke before they come to be Sons but when once the true Heir comes to age then cast out the bond-woman and her son as the Apostle alledgeth that of Abraham for this very purpose not that they do cast away obedience according to the Law but that they do it upon another account even from love Then t is no longer a yoke but according to that promise Ier. 31. 33. I will write my Law in their heart and so they obey out of love and not for fear There was a time when the highest Chriâ—â—ians were but servants therefore despise not him who is not as tall as thy self but let us in whatever we reprove them pity them and pray for them knowing it was once thine own condition onely when men are self-wise and conceited and think themselves to be great and something when they are nothing these deserve a more severe reproof according to that of the Apostle Iude verse 22 23. Of some have compassion making a difference others save with fear pulling or snatching them out of the fire And the Apostle Paul carries this point high and saith Gal. 4. the beginning and applies it to Christ himself Now I say that the heir as long as he is under age differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all but is under Tutors and Governors until the time apppointed of the Father even so we when we were in bondage under the elements of the world but when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made under the Law to redeem those that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons And Christ himself saith Iohn 8. 35. The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth for ever But what is it to be a servant and what a Son Christ answers it himself Iohn 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you and ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you Servants you know are kept at a distance and know not the secrets of their Master but if you be Friends or Sons its all one you shall abide in the house for ever The inheritance is yours the secrets of the Almighty are yours you shall not onely have the external and outward command but shall see the excellency the glory the pleasure and delight of those Commands that is you shall not onely have the Letter but the Life and shall know whatever the Lord doth you shall not always be servants but shall grow up to be sons and if ye grow not you may well question your selves whether ye shall ever come to the inheritance or no. But I say look to your selves therefore in the name of Jesus Christ for I affirm boldly in his name That faith which is not a growing faith is not a true faith If your faith and light be the same as it was many years ago that you have onely an external faith and your faith is taught onely by the Precepts of men and Christ is not your Teacher and that he grows not in you this is but a dangerous and dead faith As one saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing in the world is barren and saith Christ Considerate Lilia quomodo crescunt Consider the Lilies how that they grow and a grain of mustard seed which is the least of all seed yet it grows the tallest Then â—latter not your selves Beloved that faith that grows not is not true faith and that light that increaseth not is not true light that Christ that grows not in you dwells not in you Beloved look about you this Doctrine falls heavy as lead upon abundance
sent Shimei and bid him To curse David 2 Sam. 16. 11. In all these actions sin cleaves so near and fast to the Action that Chrysostome in Tom. 1. upon the 45. Chapter of Genesis cryes out Vidisti Ioseph tolle malitiam fratrum ejus tolle invidiam fratricidii commentum c. simul abstuleris omnia illa quibus Aegypti stetit incolumitas hast thou seen Ioseph take away the malice of his brethren their envy and their lye you will then take away all those things whereon Egypts safety stood and the interpretation of Pharaohs dreams revealed by God himself to Ioseph And Drexel Heliotrop lib. 5. cap. 8. saies further and clearly Tolle Iudae avaritiam Iudaeorum invidiam simul abstuleris genâ—is humanae lytrum Christi sanguinem mortem Take away Iudas Covetousness and the Jews Envy and Malice and you will take away the vertue and efficacy of the blood of Christ Jesus Again Tolle Diabolos certamina victoriae praemia magna ex parte cessabunt Do but take away Devils and then spiritual conflicts and trials victories and conquests over temptations nay rewards for them will also cease and end these quotations out of the Primitive Fathers I rather use for your help and good then any way to strengthen truth which needs not any humane assistance but the weakness and childishness of men need all helps that they may receive and digest such meat as is fit for strong men Beloved friends were it not for Tyrants where should we finde glorious Martyrs The furious sire tries and distinguishes the gold from dross From Contraries every action seems necessary t is God himself by his Prophet Isaiah that saith I make peace and create war Isa. 44. 7. Some may say This is hard and seems impossible to distinguish betwixt Actio and Culpa Actionis the Action and the faultiness or sinfulness of the Action True it is so to us impossible but the word of God Heb. 4. 12. is sharper then a two-edged sword and divides betwixt the soul and the spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and secrets of the heart so also WE cannot divide the fire yet the voyce and the word of the Lord divideth the flames of fire Psal. 29. 7. his word and voyce divideth between the fire and the heat which to man is impossible for as Basil speaks Fire T is heat for the wicked t is light for the just so also it purifies gold it consumes stubble it softens wax it hardens dirt From what hath been said we may learn three things First HUMILITY towards God Wo to him that striveth with his Maker Isaiah 45. 7. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee to walk humbly with thy God Mic. 6. 8. You know God did regard the humbleness of the Virgin Mary as for the proud He sends them empty away beholds them afar off if we be proud and haughty and lifted up in our selves he hath power enough for all power is in his hands to bring us down This is more for our benefit then we are aware of to be Emptied and laid Low in our selves To be Children in our own esteem Little in our own eyes as God Commands and highly Commends This fits us for His Heavenly Kingdom And all that God requires of us Is out of meer Love to us and out of tender care for the Good of Man There is not One of His Commandments but they are made more for mans good and Salvation then out of respect to Himself as Eliphaz and Elihu confessed Job 22. 23. A wise man may be Profitable to Himself but not to God Is it any Pleasure to the Almighty that thou Art Righteous Is it Gain to Him that thou makest thy ways Perfect and again Iob 35. 6 7. If thou sinnest what canst thou do against Him or if thy Transgressions be multiplied what doest thou unto Him Or If thou be righteous what givest thou unto Him Or what receiveth he of thine hand Thy wickedness may Hurt a man as thou Art and thy righteousness may profit Him But what canst thou take away from God or adde unto Him certainly nothing He remaineth Perfect Eternal Vnchangable Impassible to Him nothing can be given or added detracted or subtracted If a man throw up a Heavy stone into the air it will return down again upon his own Head we can make God neither Richer nor Poorer Greater or Lesser but He hath a care of Us and Our Good He hath a hand always open Ready to give if we could but receive He is Rich and free to all that call upon Him And He requireth nothing at our Hands but onely this That we quietly receive of Him what he is willing to give Secondly we may learn hence confidence and trust in God for he is stronger then all our enemies though the hills should be moved and those hills carried into the midst of the Sea and though the seas roar and the heathen rage yet God is mightier and can curb and command the waves and make A great calm when the Nations are in a Hurly-burly and they are like a tempesâ—uous sea as contrary winds ruâ—â—ing and fighting one against another if Jâ—sus Christ do but say to these troubles Peace and be Still they must obey and become still and calâ— and therefore we should with David check and correct our weakness and diffidence Why art thou so cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me still trust in God Psal. 41. and 42. And indeed as David saith why should not we trust in him at all times Our father 's trusted in thee They hoped in thee and thou didst deliver them Psal. 22. we should do and say as Paul I know in whom I have trusted and with Iob though he kill me yet will I trust in him And therefore David exhorts O trust in him at all times all ye people for he hath wrought deliverances for Iacob and is terrible to the Kings of the earth Thirdly hence we may learn Content in all estates and conditions whatsoever for nothing câ—mes to us but by him and from him as Iob confesseth when he rebuked his wife Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evil Job 2. 10. why should we at any time murmure against him in whatsoever he doth to us when as The judge of all the earth cannot but do right Gen. 18. 25. And I have learned saith the Apostle Paul in what estate soever I am in therewithal to be content and the Prophet David when he was afflicted and visited by Gods hand Rested contented I held my tongue saith he and said nothing for I knew it was thy doing Psa. 39. 9. Iob looked not so much in his affliction upon the Sabeans or Chaldeans Nor reviles frets against the fire or the winds but quiets Himself
glorious and beautiful yet Christ is crucified and Self is alive and set in the Throne As David saith Up Lord why sleepest thou Avenge us on our adversaries God is asleep in men till this work be brought about in them and again Arise O Lord exalt thy self above the Heathen Till thou Till thy self be brought down the Heathen are exalted and Jesus Christ is trampled down as the heathen in old time typically got the upper hand and took possession of the Land and the fair houses of God and banished and carried captive the people of God kept them under made them tributary and overrun the Land Even so are those very things accomplished in us when lust and sin commands and bear rule and over-run the soul like locusts which are the very locusts of the bottomless pit Which also are ANTICHRIST and they keep him under and daily crucifie him that is crucifie his life in us And these are those enemies we continually ought to make war with and hate and pray against these are that Meroz that we ought to curse bitterly as the Angel commands and not men nor any thing which God hath made for all creatures As they are made by God are good very good but the seed of the Serpent we must war with and persecute Even to the very death and nothing else These things Brethren we ought still to find in our own experience Not onely to hear and read the history of them as done in and by others but to see and feel how they are really accomplished in our selves for except we see This fighting and resisting accomplished in us except we have found the strong man bound in us and felt those fightings and resistings that he makes till he be bound and overcome we are yet in our sins Strangers possess the Land and the Temple of God lies waste and the enemies of God roar in the midst of the Congregations and they set up their Ensigns for signs and break down the carved work with axes and hammers Could we but see all these things in our selves then we might be sure that Light was approching to us And if This Light were but set upon a candlestick then it would give light round the house and we should discover these things more and more but till then the lights is hid under a bed or under a bushel as our Saviour saith And if we have not found these things in our selves we have not been so much as in the way to union with Jesus Christ but having found it we have cause infinitely to rejoyce for then Those Masters and Lords that formerly commanded thee now thou shalt command them and they shall obey then thou shalt find that he hath in thee broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder Psal. 107. 16. thou through him shalt have power now to rectifie thy understanding thy will thy affections to rule and govern them As a King because Christ is exalted as King in thy soul then thou shalt be taught of God and shalt receive An unction from that holy one and thou shalt know all things In our selves indeed and in our own strength we can do nothing but by the power of Christ and by his strength in us we shall be More then Conquerours and we shall find these words true to our selves that our Saviour here saith All power is given to me in heaven and in earth you shall feel it true in your selves for you being united and made one with him you shall so derive his power to your selves that you may say All power is given to me in heaven and earth then you shall come to see such things as never eye saw nor ear heard nor ever entred into the heart of man things unutterable For till this comes to pass within you you shall never see the new heavens and the new earth so often promised in the Scriptures not till then shall we ever see the day that old things shall pass away and all things shall become new as it is exprest Rev. 21. 4. Then is the day come that God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes And thou shalt heare Christ himself in thee proclaiming Behold I make all things new Then shalt thou have power over the earth then also art thou that blessed Meek one spoken of Mat. 5. That shalt inherit the earth then shalt thou have power to meet thy Saviour Prepared And adorned as a bride to meet the bridgroom at his coming then indeed shall all those spiritual promises be fulfilled and accomplished in thee And all this by being risen again and united to thy Bridegroom Jesus Christ. And the way to this life is by being dead to the world and dead to the flesh the world being crucified to us and we to the world I le tell thee such a pass thou art now come to that as thou stinkest to the world so the world stinks to thee As all things are ready to forsake thee so thou art as ready to forsake them so that thou beginnest to see no excellency in any thing the world presents to thee no not in PROPRIETY which the whole world yea generally al esteem so highly of and are of all things lothest to forgo I say to this man even propriety begins to dye to him and he to it It departs from us and we depart from the love of propriety or with affection laying claim to any thing in the world but having it as having it not as 1 Cor. 7. That both they that have wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for all the fashion of this world passeth away This man is an a man dead and clean cast out of sight as David saith clean out of mind he is as a bubble that no body sets by but yet be contented hâ—ppy yea thrice happy are those men that are come to this to be dead men You know dead men are not affected with any thing dead men lay no claim to any thing dead men cannot so much as say This is I they esteem not of themselves they boast not of themselves praise and dispraise is all one to them they can let men do what they will with them they are all at one pass they claim no interest no propriety in any thing let them be merry while he lies by or let them be sad all is one to him let them be sharers of his goods One will have one part and another another part let them make merry and spend lavishly of His goods He is not moved why The reason is because he hath lost all his SENCES in this world his life is gone he is a dead man Beloved This was the condition