end I am the Lord I change not Jesus Christ yesterday to Day and the same for ever His works indeed of the first Creation are changable to the worse and weaker but so is not he of old hast thou laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Works of thy Hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure they all of them shall wax old like a Garment but thou art the same And so are all his works of the second Creation The renewing graces of his holy Spirit the older they are the newer and fresher and more flourishing they grow They that are partakers of them can say as Caleb did to Joshua Forty Years old was I when Moses sent me to espie the Land I am this Day fourscore and five Years old as yet I am as strong this Day as I was the Day when Moses sent me as my strength was then even so is my strength now for War both to go out and to come in So it is said of Moses who was an hundred and twenty Years old when he dyed yet his Eye was not dim nor his natural force abated How much more may it be said of the everlasting Lord God that his Eyes are as sharp sighted as ever nor is his Divine force abated The Eyes of the Lord run too and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him Is his hand shortned that it cannot redeem Or have I no power to deliver Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Eare heavy that it cannot hear And as his Power is so is his Mercy and Truth The Mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto Childrens Children Thy faithfulness is unto all Generations This House therefore with all its Furniture is alway new and fresh which can be said of no other nor is it new formally only but also effectively Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the Earth fainteth not neither is weary His strength never decayeth nor doth his will ever alter towards his who by a never failing Power of the Holy Spirit are carryed as it were upon Eagles Wings to Heaven to the mark of their supernal Calling Yea their Wings grow like unto Eagles that is they grow young and renew in spiritual Vigour 9. It is a dwelling house dwelling in as well as dwelt in an habitation inhabiting in each of its Inhabitants which no other house is God is oft said to dwell in Heaven Unto thee will I lift up mine Eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory I dwell in the High and Holy Place The Heaven is my Throne We must not understand this placing God in Heaven as if he were totally circumscribed there for this is contrary to his infinite greatness Behold the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord. Nor must we think he is so in Heaven as if his sight of things below were hindered by Heaven as a Curtain drawn before him as those great Fools thought for this is contrary to his Omnisciency But he is said to be in Heaven because he doth there most immediatly and visibly manifest his Majesty and exhibit the fulness of his Glory and because from thence he doth most manifest his powerful providence wisdome justice and mercy we are commanded when we pray to him to conceive of him as being in Heaven to teach us to raise our Souls as high in praise as possibly we can above the Earth beyond Heaven our thoughts cannot soar As also how to make Prayers pleasing to God both for matter and manner God is as oft said to dwell on Earth to have his Residence among his ancient People in the Land wherein they dwelt Defile not the Land which ye shall inhabit wherein I dwell for I the Lord dwell among the Children of Israel The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his Habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Blessed be the Lord out of Zion which dwelleth at Hierusalem I have surely built thee an House to dwell in A setled place for thee to abide in for ever In that place as in the flitting Tabernacle which Moses made he caused his Name to dwell that is he made manifest and known in those places the sacred Signs of his Presence as it were by his own proper name His Majesty and Glory in singular and wonderful effects of Grace and Power Every regenerate and faithful Man and Woman hath ever been is and will be owned and acknowledged the Temple of the Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Know you not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God These things are signifyed by this dwelling of the Spirit in Believers 1. That his Spirit is effectual and mighty to possess and govern them enlightning their minds to know and powerfully guiding them to do the known will of God 2. That his Presence is continual not as of a Guest who lodgeth for a Night at an Inne and is gone next Day nor as a Sojourner but as an owner and Possessor to abide for ever I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abâ—de with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth he dwelleth in you and shall be in you 3. The manner of his Presence not by Infiniteness of Power as he is present to all Creatures to sustain them but by his grace and healthful effects If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he shall quicken your immortal Souls and mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you 10. It is a movable Habitation according to the motion of those that dwell in it accompanying them whithersoever they go covering them where-soever they are Some Creatures carry their Houses about with them So doth every new Creature They are never out of this their own House The Israelites during their abode in the Wilderness dwelt in Tents Forty Years The Arabians and other People do so constantly having no firm Habitations In time of War and in travelling these moveable Houses were and still are in use Places to dwell in so made as they might be
removed and carryed too and fro God himself sends word to David since the Day he brought up Israel unto that Day he had not dwelt in a fixed setled House But had been from Tent to Tent from one Tabernacle to another But I have been with thee saith he whither soever thou hast walked Yea though I walk through the Valley of the shaddow of Death saith David unto God I will fear no evil for thou art with me While I sleep and when I awake I am still with thee Jacob had this assurance given him that God would accompany him and go too and fro with him when he fled from the face of his Brother Behold I am with thee and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will come back again with thee I will not leave thee And so when he went to see his Son Joseph I will go down with thee into Egypt As the Wheeles accompanyed closely the living Creatures exactly following their motion and their rest resting with them When the living Creatures went the Wheels went when the living Creatures were lift up the Wheels were lift up when those went these went and when those stood these stood This living House as closely accompanies the living Creatures in it and as punctually attends their motions up and down and resteth with them in their resting place every where 11. Nor is this House capable of or subject to any such casualties as other houses are The houses of some poor Creatures which they bear about with them are so brittle that a foot that treadeth on them or a Cart-Wheel going over them may crush and destroy them The best built houses may be burnt with Fire or blown down with Tempests or rent with Meteors or broken up with Thieves Job's Sons and Daughters were eating and drinking Wine in their eldest Brothers House and behold there came a Wind from the Wilderness and it fell upon the young Men and killed them The Hold whereinto a thousand Men and Women of the Tower of Shechem entered was set on Fire and consumed with all the Persons in it Nebuzaradan burnt in one Day the House of the Lord and the Kings Houses and all the Houses of Jerusalem and every great Mans House burnt he with Fire I will gather all Nations against Jerusalem and the City shall be taken and the Houses rifled The Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram and their Houses and all their goods But there is no fear of any such accident to this House what Plots or conspiracies soever are made to harm it or them that live in it there shall not a hair of their heads perish nor their Treasures be touched True it is this House is it self a Consuming Fire Infinitely hoter than that in Nebuchadnezar's Furnace the Flame whereof consumed those Men that took up Shedrach Meshach and Abednigo but it is only so to them that are without and dare to come nigh to pillage it or hurt any in it who walk as comfortably in this Fire as those three Children did in the burning Furnace upon whose Bodies the Fire had no Power nor was an Hair of their Heads singed neither were their Coats changed nor had the smell of Fire passed on them 12. It is a holding House as it holds the Souls of the Inhabitants in Life so it suffers not their feet to be moved out of it but it keepeth them constantly and perseveringly in Nor is it in the Power of Men or Devils to eject them no nor of the old Man that hath still a Beeing in them and perswades them to depart and make a change for though they may do both if they will yet they cannot will to do either for God hath promised that all whom he receiveth within himself shall not have a heart to leave him But to abide for ever in him I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me And he hath power to perform what he has promised he is able to keep you from falling and to preserve you blameless before the presence of his glory is exceeding joy We are kept by the Guard of Gods Power his strongest if degrees be in Omnipotency through faith unto salvation There were never any that went into this House by the Door Such as Jesus Christ is I am the Door By him an abundant entrance is made into the Church and consequently unto God No Man cometh unto the Father but by me by him we have access with confidence that ever apostatized finally or totally Some that have seemed unto themselves and others to be real Members of this Family Demas for example that went out but they were never truly in as appears by their going out Hear the testimony of one of the houshold the truth of whom is without question They went out from us because they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be manifest that they were not all of us the servant abideth not in the House for ever but the Son abideth ever The righteous is an everlasting Foundation True it is he may set one Foot out of Doors David did so when he committed Adultery and practiced the Death of Uriah and Peter did so when he forsware his Master and with such direful curses denyed that he knew him But this was through the violence of temptation The purpose and resolution of both their hearts was not to take a step out but to keep close within Door I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments Though all Men should be offended because of thee yet I will not be offended Though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee How fell they then into so foul sins Surely they were suddenly overtaken the one with a passion of lust the other with a passion of fear and so they fell But even then both of them had one Foot still within the House which stai'd while the other stept They had sanctifying grace still in their hearts whose essential property is constancy called therefore immortal Seed And it appeared like sparks of Fire when the ashes covering them are blown away as soon as they came to themselves David yielded to the reproof of Nathan presently And Peter when the Lord turned and looked upon him went out and wept bitterly Each drew his Foot back into the House again and kept close in unto the end of their lives 13. It is a House held by the best tenure none like it 't is held in such a head as is non-such Jesus Christ whom God hath made head of the Church in a singular and eminent manner far above the domination which he hath
over all other Creatures He dearly bought and purchased this Habitation for all the Elect which they had forfeited by their first offence and hereupon were outed of it He gave himself a Ransome for them all a Price fully answerable to their Souls and to this Inheritance In him they may have been said to have received at the Lords hand double for all their sins And for them it were and not for himself only that He fulfilled all Righteousness and thereby paid the whole debt of obedience to the Law which they did owe to God All spiritual blessings whereby they are made meet to be made partakers of this blessed Mansion Faith Repentance and Holiness though they be Gospel Gifts of God and obtained meerly through his Mercy yet is this mercy obtained from God only through Jesus Christ Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ in him we have Redemption through his Blood Which also purgeth our Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God and thereby we have boldness to enter into the holyest and through his Intercession it is that we have our abiding there Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Or bring a Writ of Ejection to them Who is he that condemneth Or who is he that passeth Sentence that they must avoid their House It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us He dyed for and in their name and stead whereby they are absolved from all their forfeits He is risen again for their Justification to acquit them as it were by manner of solemn Judgment His Resurrection was a certain argument that God was reconciled and that this habitation was regained for them which could not have been if he had remained dead For the continuation of the Payment would alwayes have shewed the Imperfection of it And as he is at the right hand of God in the Heavenly Glory fully manifested so they are at his right hand Upon thy right hand did stand the Queen And there he maketh Intercession for them by continually representing himself his Righteousness Merit and Love before the face of his Father and so preserves them in his favour and love from which nothing shall be ever able to seperate them by him they have and hold possession 14. It is a habitation best accommodated of any other The conveniences belonging to it are numberless and matchless The excellency of the meanest of them cannot be worthily uttered nor sufficiently magnified by the tongue of Men and Angels No such passage into any House as this When the Queen of Sheba had seen the House that King Solomon had built And his ascent by which he went up to the House of the Lord that most stately Bridge and great terrace born up with exceeding strong Walls which he set upon that hollow place and deep praecipice which divided Mount Zion from Mount Moriah by which they went from the royal Palace to the Temple There was no more Spirit in her she was ravished beyond her self How insinitely more ravished would she have been had she seen by the eye of faith as probably she did and so was the ascent and passage into this house which is the Lord. The Apostle tells us that he by his blood hath made a new and living way of entrance into the holiest for all believers who by a lively faith represent unto themselves his humane nature with all that he hath done in it for them and hereby get into the innermost fruition of Gods grace and glory He in his own Person is the way and passage into this super coelestial Pallace I am the way no Man cometh unto the Father but by me Nor is there any house that hath such Air. Kings have had a care of this especially that the edifice when erected might have fresh Air and cooling Gales of Wind continually Jehoiakim whose pride in building is blamed is brought in thus expressing his purpose I will build me a high house Chambers through Aired the Hebrew hath it so and so the Septuagint exposed to blasts on every side No house hath such continual refreshing Gales as this Christ breaths upon his proper houshold for an external sign of the Internal operation of his spirit He still doth so upon his whole houshold of faith shedding the love of God abroad in their hearts by his holy spirit to whom their common Mother makes this Prayer each is heard and granted Awake O North Wind and come O South and blow upon my Garden By these two Winds of contrary qualities is signified the same spirit working either coolness and refreshing of Comfort or heat and fervency of Zeal And Moreover that every Wind shall blow profit to every one that loveth God as every one doth that to him that dwelleth in him Nor hath any House such Gardens and Orchards with Variety of Flowers and Fruits and fresh Springs therein nor such Walks and Arbours belonging and adjoyning to it as this hath The loss of this parcel of Ground which was stored with such excellent Plants and Trees and enriched with more fruitfulness and beauty than any other part of the Earth called Paradise and the Garden of the Lord made for Mans use and delight and out of which he was excluded and to which he might no more come neer because of his sin is abundantly made up to all that dwell in God Who have liberty to eat of the fruit of every Tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food Yea Of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God and to drink of the Water of Life freely and to walk at liberty Yea themselves are the Gardens and Orchards of this House wherein he walks and delights to feed Nor have any Gardens and Orchards and Springs such Fences and Guards about them as these A Garden inclosed is my Sister my Spouse a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed in that Day sing ye unto her a Vineyard of red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will Water it every moment Lest any hurt it I will keep it Night and Day I saith the Lord will be unto her a Wall of Fire round about Nor is there any House that hath such Lands and Revenues such a stock belonging to it The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Every Beast of the Forrest is mine and the Cattel upon a thousand Hills I know all the Fowles upon the Mountains They are all before me ready at my service The World is mine and the fulness thereof of the upper as well as lower World Every one that dwells in this house may say truly all these are mine The Apostle says so All things are yours Entirely refinedly
particular duties are many in sundry references both to things and Persons The first of the former sort we will dwell awhile upon are Earthly Houses and Habitations Some whose dwelling Place the Lord is have no House on Earth which they can call their own Of those that have some are not suffered to live in them and of them that have this liberty some have very poor Houses with as poor Furniture or other Conveniences Others have convenient Dwellings with an indifferent outward estate and some few have gentile and stately Edifices with riches and honour in abundance 1. To those that have no earthly Houses of their own but are in a state of beggary or next to it of whom some there are who never had any others had comfortable ones but have lost them by Fire or other casualty and so are for the present Housless to these I have this word of Exhortation Let not your hearts be troubled 1. Because you are not without Fellowes and Companions better than your selves that are in the same Housless condition you have heard of some Of whom the World was not worthy Who wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth And of the blessed Apostle St. Paul Who both hungred thirsted and was naked and had no certain dwelling place And of our blessed Saviour Who had not where to lay his head And you know how little it troubled these holy Ones that they were thus destitute how well pleased with their want it being their Heavenly Fathers good pleasure that it should be with them as it was And how joyfully those believing Hebrews took the spoyling of their Goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better Mansion and a better and an enduring substance 2. You are not without a House which likes you best and which you would not change for the best House in the World You hear God asking you as Elkenah did Hannah Am not I better to thee than Ten Sons Had you not rather enjoy me and do you not finde more comfort in me than in Ten Houses And your Heart answereth truth Lord. And can it then be troubled It may be said of all Houses compared with this of yours as it 's said of all Nations they are as nothing less than nothing and vanity And in truth all Houses and Riches which others inherit are not though they seem to be You only and your fellow Inhabitants inherit that which is Esther had good reason to be content when she was preferred to the best place of the House And so have you who are preferred to live in the best House and in the best place the very heart of it You are not only graven upon the Palmes of God's hands but you are in his heart set as a seal there Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good with my whole heart and with my whole Soul How then can ye choose but rejoyce exceedingly in the want of all Creature comforts yea though you have to boot the present feeling of the greatest outward evils And say with the holy Prophet Although the Figg-Tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the Field shall yield no Meat the Flocks shall be cut off from the Fold And there shall be no Herd in the Stalls Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance The Lines are fallen to me in pleasant places Yea I have a goodly Heritage Having nothing I. possess all things having the Haver of all things 3. You may and ought to take comfort in the promises which God hath made to his People in this case of Poverty which for the present pincheth you He is pleased to bring you to this want of house and maintenance that he might humble and prove you to do you good in the latter end And he is able and no less willing to help you either by inclining the hearts of the rich to shew compassion upon you to receive you into their Houses and feed you at their Tables or if you have but Pulse to eat he can make that nourish you better than Kingly fare yea he can make you go in the strength of one Meal made of a Cake baken on the Coals Forty Dayes Qu. But may we expect God will work Miracles now adayes Yes that we may rather than his promise should faile Is my hand shortned at all This resolve upon that the Eyes of the Lord run too and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him And of this also that all things are possible to him that believeth And therefore with Job resolve to trust in him though he slay you and to dye rather than to help your selves by any unlawful means and cast off all solicitous carking thoughtfulness for your Bodies where to dwell and what to eat and wherewith ye shall be cloathed Ponder those Seven Disswasives from distrustful cutting dividing distracting cares And having Food and Rayment how little how course soever be content therewith Considering that a little that the righteous Man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Nor do you doubt all but if God see that a House with wealth and riches may serve to further your spiritual and eternal good you shall not fail to have them before you dye He hath raised the Poor out of the Dust and lifted the needy out of the Dunghill and set him with Princes And so he will you Hear his express primise Wealth and Riches shall be in his House or if you live and dye poor and mean your Children shall be blessed with abundance His Seed shall be mighty upon Earth And you that were some Years since wealthy but by the rage of the Fire or malice and fraud of Men or other mishaps are become as poor as Job do not despair of recovering your losse but remember what the Man of God said to Amaziah who demanded of him What he should do for the Hundred Talents The Lord is able to give thee much more than this and how he gave Job twice as much as before Wait upon God and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land Yee have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is pittiful and of tender Mercy 2. To you that have Houses of your own but may not live in them at least cannot with any safety 1. See and acknowledge the hand of God in your expulsion as in every other Cross so in this you should a Divine Providence It is God that and not Man only that hath thrust you out 2. Examine the cause of
all fulness with marrow What is Wines on the Lees what are all earthly royal dainties to these rich graces and Divine special favours and blessings offered and bestowed and participated of in the Sacraments At which sumptuous and delicious banquet every worthy receiver that has made due preparation by self examination is or should be much affected and ravished As the Divine Poet was who thus expresseth himself First as to the manner of Importation and submission Herb. H. Com. Not in rich Ornament or fine Aray Nor in a Wedge of Gold Thou who for me wast sold To me dost now thy self convey For so thou should'st without me stil have been Leaving within me Sin But by the way of nourishment strength Thou creepest into my Breast Making thy Way my Rest And thy small quantities my length Which spread their Forces into every part Meeting Sins force and art Yet can these not get over to my Soul Leaping the Wall that parts Our Souls and fleshly Hearts But as the out-works they may controll My Rebel-flesh and carrying thy Name Affright both sin and shame Only thy grace which with these Elements comes Knoweth the ready way And hath the Privy Key Op'ning the Souls most subtile Roomes While those to Spirits refin'd at Door attend Dispatches from their Friend Give me my Captive Soul or take My Body also thither Another life like this will make Them both to be together Before that Sin turn'd Flesh to stone And all our Lump to leaven A fervent sigh might well have blown Our innocent Earth to Heaven For sure when Adam did not know To sin or sin to smother He might to Heav'n from Paradise go As from one Room to another Thou hast restor'd us to this ease By this thy Heavenly blood Which I can go to when I please And leave the Earth to their food When he was pleased to go to this Heavenly Banquet and he was so pleased as oft as might be and so should every godly Christian hear him warbling this Divine Rapture Idem the Banquet Welcome sweet and sacred cheer Welcome deer With me in me live and dwell For thy neatness passeth sight Thy delight Passeth Tongue to taste or tell O what sweetness from the Bowl Fills my Soul Such as is and makes Divine Is some Star fled from the Sphere Melted there As we Sugar melt in Wine Or hath sweetness in the Bread Made a head To subdue the smell of Sin Flow'rs and gums and powders giving All their living Lest the Enemy should win Doubtless neither Star nor Flower Hath the Power Such a sweetness to impart Only God who gives perfumes Flesh assumes And with it perfumes my heart But as Pomanders and sweet Wood Still are good Yet being bruised are better sented God to shew how far his love Could improve Here as broken is presented c. Let the wonder of this pitty Be my ditty And take up my lines and life Hearken under pain of Death Hands and breath Strive in this and love the strife Nor found he this food beyond all degrees of comparison nourishing and strengthning but he feeleth it also most effectually healing Physick as appeares by what he speaks to his pratling Conscience which call'd every fair look sowl every sweet Dish sower If thou persist I will tell thee That I have Physick to expell thee And the Receipt shall be My Saviours Blood when ever at his board I do but taste it straight it cleanseth me And leaves thee not a Word No not a Tooth or Nail to scratch And at my actions carp or catch Here is therefore no such provision of food no such sumptuous fair in any House as this Solomon's so much admired was as Husks yea and stark hunger compared to this and each of the Houshold fares alike And they have both Dinner and Supper every Day of the same delicates that which Matthew calls a Dinner Luke calls a Supper And they are called upon to feed heartrly Eat O Friends Drink yea drink abnndantly O well-beloved Nor are there any such fellow-Commoners to Dine and Sup with any where as here These are all Noble Honourable Persons The choicest and most excellent Kings and Priests A chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation a peculiar People Yea the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Dines and Sups with them Mephibosheth thought it no small honour that David set him among them that did eat at his own Table How great honour must it then be to sit at Christs Table who is David's Lord And to increase their comfort they have assurance of the same Session with him in the Kingdome of Glory I appoint you saith he a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdome Nor are there any such servitures in any House as in this to wit the Holy Angels Are they not all Ministering Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall he Heirs of Salvation There are that make them both Cooks and Butlers that dress and dish up and bring in the provision of this continual Feast attend at Table and Minister Cups of Consolation And moreover wait upon every Member of this Family when they go abroad about the works of their Callings and in all the changes of their life who have care of them besides this common attendance a peculiar Guardian of Angels from their new birth at least as some probably gather from sundry Scriptures Nor are there any such Vessels in any House to serve up the Meat and Drink in as are in this The Dishes Spoons Covers and Bowles belonging to the Sanctuary were all of pure Gold so were all the Vessels of the pure Table All the drinking Vessels of King Solomon were of Gold and all the Vessels of the House of the forrest of Lebanon were of pure Gold At that Royal Feast which Ahasuerus made to all his Princes and Servants That lasted an hundred and fourscore Days They gave them Drink in Vessels of Gold The Vessels of this House wherein the Saints dwell and wherein they have their Meat and Drink served up are much more precious than the Gold that perisheth which is corruptible how pure soever even great and precious promises in which are contained all the choicest Viands that Earth and Heaven can yield both for the nourishment of Soul and Body For Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of the Life that now is and that which is to come Nor are there any such Seats to rest both Souls and Bodies on in taking repast in any House as in this Kings have had their Seats for themselves and by them for their Children and Favorites on which they sate down to eat meat they were terrestrial these coelestial places We read of the great King sitting at his Table with his Spouse
common judgments with evil ones yea it is observed that when God brings any common judgments he usually begins with his own the dearly beloved of his Soul Yea that his stroaks are sorer upon them than upon any others Yea and when wicked Men whose habitation the Devil is as they are his for he dwells in them yea they are incarnate Devils when these I say are free from all manner of outward evils pious Men who have made God their habitation have immunity from none And that they are more-over obnoxious to inward afflictions terror of Conscience and wounds of Spirit which is an intolerable pressure and therefore the promise must be understood of their freedome from the form of poenal evils which is the revenging wrath of God and the power such evils have to separate the Soul from the Love of God And the meaning is they never have any dram of God's revenging justice on them A little of his chastising wrath some afflictions may have for a little moment nor shall any of them singly or all of them joyntly be able to separate them from his Love in Christ Nay they shall all co-operate for the furtherance of their spiritual and eternal good They believe as they are taught to pray that God would deliver them from all evil That is that he will either keep away evil imminent that it come not at all or that he will so assist in suffering as that they shall not sink under the burden or that he will take away the force and strength of the Instrument that it shall not be able to act according to its Nature or that he will remove the evil clean away or finally that he will take them away from the evil to come or that he will alter the nature of the evil and turn it to good One of these ways God will deliver them whose habitation he is and any of these ways is this promise made good to them No more need to be said to prove the Lord the best Habitation and them to be the most yea the only happy ones who have made him their habitation THE SECOND SERMON THe Question will be what it is to make God our Habitation And how may we know that we dwell in him To the first part of the Question I answer it is to make choice of him to close with him and to cleave unto him 1. To make choice of God as the sole Seat of our Souls rest and the only object of the Worship and Service of our whole Man The chief end and use of a House is well known to be rest Where is the House that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest Every Man's House is the place of his rest My People shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places I Nebucadnezar was at rest in my House Rest is both the Privation and a perfection of motion That in respect of the acquisition of the end of motion For therefore things move that they may rest Rest is deservedly esteemed a choice and chief good We may say of it what the Preacher doth of Light Truly Light is sweet Truly rest is sweet It was no deception of sight in Issachar when he saw that rest was good The truth is it is the good of goods It may be said of it as David did of Goliah's sword There is none like that give it me No good like this of rest all other good things without it availe nothing All Creatures desire rest the wild Beasts of the Desart and of the Island the Satyr and the screetch-Owle seek and finde for themselves a place of Rest It 's noted as a comfortable priviledge which Foxes and the Birds of the Air had above our Saviour that they had Holes and Nests to rest in The Dove sent out of the Ark sought but found no rest for the soal of her foot therefore returned again to that place of her rest Special Order is taken for the Oxe and the Ass that they should have One Day of Rest in Seven It kils the heart of the Earth to be alwayes tilled and therefore the Country-man lets it lye sometimes fallow that by taking rest it may get heart The very Devils affect a House upon this account The unclean Spirit gone out of a Man walked through dry places seeking rest and finding none I will he says return unto my House where I came out where I had rest Yea God himself seems to be joyed when a House of rest was builded for him to dwell in Arise O Lord unto thy rest the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his Habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it for a Habitation and he blessed the seventh Day because that he rested thereon from all his Work The best thing one friend can wish to another or procure for another is rest The Lord grant that you may finde rest my Daughter Shall I not seek rest for thee that it may be well with thee And the worst mischief one can do his Neighbour is to spoyle his rest Lay not wait O wicked Man against the dwelling place of the righteous spoyle not his resting place The goodness and badness of every Mans condition is measured by rest This hath more rest than the other Yea for rest Death it self is desirable Why dyed I not from the Womb Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly Then had I been at rest There the weary be at rest There the Prisoners rest together Though bodily rest be a great good and promised as a blessing Thou shalt take thy rest in safety Israel shall be in rest and quiet yet it is not to be compared to the rest of the Soul which indeed is the Soul of rest And without which the best resting places with the greatest conveniencies that the whole World can yield can give no content witness Haman And the transcendent excellency of this rest is evidenced by its contrary a restless unquiet mind is a burden importable Let the Question be put concerning this rest which Job propounds But where shall wisdome be found and where is the place of Understanding Where may we finde the Souls Rest and what is the place of its repose The Answer is given negatively that it is not to be found in any Creatures They will each of them give the same answer which the depth of the Sea doth It is not in me the Depth saith and the Sea saith it is not in me Herb. Ch. Peace Sweet peace where dost thou dwell I humbly crave Let me once know I sought thee in a secret Cave And ask'd if peace were there A hollow Wind did seem to answer no. Go seek else
believers and those that are regenerate by God's spirit apply themselves to the obedience of the Law without constraint or terrifying having the habit of righteousness and holiness in themselves as an inward and living Law They have no need of the horror and constraint of it and also being justified by Christ they are freed from the condemnation of it seeing that a Soveraign pardon stayeth and endeth all Actions and Condemnations grounded upon the Law Great Houses with the Gardens Orchards Parks and Grounds belonging to them have their bounds and limits made by Walls Pales and Hedges That great glorious House which Ezekiah saw in a Vision had its limit This is the Law of the House upon the top of the Mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most Holy God is said to have determined the bounds of all Mens Habitations upon Earth The Ten Commandments of the Moral Law are the Bounds Walls Pales and Hedges set round about the House wherein you that are Saints on Earth inhabit beyond which you may not pass but must keep within this compass As the Waters dwelling within the great Channel have their bounds which they are commanded to keep and forbidden to transgress pass or go over I establish saith God to Job my Decree upon it speaking of the Sea break up for it my Decreed place set Bars and Doors to it Figurative terms to express the concavities wherein the Sea is enclosed and said hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud Waves be stayed You are commanded in like manner to keep within the bounds of your Decreed place and you are bound to keep within them under a greater penalty than that which was laid upon Shimei when he was confined to his House by Solomon and to the City of Hierusalem the Walls whereof were his utmost limits The King sent and called for Shimei and said unto him build thee an House in Hierusalem and dwell there and go not forth thence any whether For it shall be that on the Day thou goest out and passest over the Brook Kidron that thou shalt surely dye Abide within So long as you do so you abide with God Cursed be the Man whose Heart departeth from the Lord. As a Bird that wandereth from her Nest so is a Man that wandereth from his place Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed who do erre from thy Commandements Thou hast trodden down all them that erre from thy Statutes Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Every Sin small and great is a transgression of the Law Exceeds the bounds which God by his Law hath appointed unto Men for the moderating regulating of their thoughts words and actions And every transgression and disobedience every commission and omission received a just recompence of reward If at any time through frailty or violence of temptation you pass these bounds If at any time said I Alass who doth not every Day both in thought word and deed There is not a just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not In many things we offend all David a Man after God's own heart passed these bounds oft through infirmity once most abominably Well consider what is to be done after such excursions Consider your wayes in your hearts Bend your minds very diligently weigh ponder think seriously with your selves what you have done Most Men are guilty of this neglect No Man repenteth of his wickedness saying What have I done Remember this and shew your selves Men bring it again to mind O ye Transgressors Know therefore that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Be ashamed and confounded to have been found out of the bounds of your House Then shalt thou remember thy ways and be ashamed What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Let it not be said of you as of the generality of the Jewes in Jeremyah's time Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither Let the review remembrance and thought of every ordinary sinful digression by rash anger or any bitter expression against Wife Husband Childe Servant Neighbour by vain empty idle unprofitable conference at any time by intemperance in Eating or Drinking though never so little beyond necessity or honest delight making you unfit for divine service in either of your Callings by immoderate sleeping or not being up as early for God as for your selves or spending more time in dressing your Bodies than your Souls by wanton glances of your Eyes or lusting after strange Flesh or abusing the lawful duty of Marriage by envying and grieving at the outward welfare of others or discontentment with your own health wealth credit or carking distrustful caring for to morrow or hasting to be rich by passing rash censure upon the spiritual estate of others or speaking of their faults and follies with mirth by silence at the unsavory speeches of any or conniving at their miscarriages not reproving them at least by discountenance for fear of giving them offence by having too great a hankering of heart after things not evil in themselves Tobacco Hunting Hawking Angling Gameing though not for gain but sport by suffering buying and selling thoughts and vile distractions to have incursions and lodging within you in holy Duties Let the thoughts I say of these and numberless other sinful digressions fill your Souls with shame and blushing ing and sinful abhorrence Much more if you call to mind grosser crimes Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Nor let your shame for taking so many steps out of your Heavenly Fathers House or sense of selfloathsomeness hinder your return thither but say as that unclean spirit for it is lawful and stands with godliness honesty and reason to learn of an enemy I will return unto my House from whence I came out And as that penitent Wife that had stept aside from her Husband I will go and return unto my first Husband for then was it better with me than now So did the Prodigal resolve to do I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity Go and knock at the Door of Divine Mercy confess your folly accusing and judging your selves Surely it is meet to be said unto God who hath revealed himself not only in his Law by commanding and threatning but also in his promises of grace to comfort and encourage by the remission of sins so the Italian reads the word following I