glory strive to corrupt infinite glory let this set an edge upon every mans sword I go forth against a company of carnall worshippers which destroy God which change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man I know not what fire this puts in your spirits I know what fire it kindles in Gods spirit namely jealousie which is a kind of unquenchable fire which burns to the third and fourth generation and which nothing quencheth but the bloud of them that kindle it shed this when called to it or else God will and yours too Read the sad condition of this generation Revel 14.9 If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the holy Lambe False representation makes false adoration and our kingdome is full of this and we have done little spiritually to give better instruction and therefore 't is no wonder that we fall corporally with them that fall 't is the manner of God to whip his with those with whom they sinne and commit fornication The beast and the image of the beast idolatry and superstition hath swayed above three parts of us for a long time and it will be no wonder to see scarce one part of four out-live our present misery if there be any place to sanctifie your selves and to save this generation it will be well if God give you hearts to take it know your own blindnesse and it will teach you how to use your out-going against others Immedicabile vulnus ense c. if means to reclaim take place before cutting off I wish that may be used every where Coloss 1.15 Who is the image of the invisible God GOd is invisible in action and in person in the one partly and in the other wholly in the one for a time and in the other till time shall be no more God is invisible in creation this world is a glorious fabrick but built without hands and without tools onely with the word of his mouth and can you see the words a man speaks God was rather audible then visible in the making of all things Consider all things as made and the glory of these is invisible Can you see thrones and dominions principalities and powers spirits which serve you or spirits which maligne you of which the aire you breath in is full as the sunne of beams The heavens and all the hosts of them do you see You have many mighty friends which you see not and many mighty enemies and all these in such a large room the breadth of which above nor below you see not look above you and look under you have you seen how your countrey-house is roofed and floored Can you see the breadth of that canopy that is over you or of that green foot-cloth that is under you Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth declare if thou knowest it all saith God to Job chap. 38.18 so I may say to the greatest astronomer Hast thou perceived the breadth of the heavens declare if thou knowest it all If we see not the roof nor the floore surely we see not the foundation of this world at all whereupon are the foundations of the world framed or who laid the corner-stone thereof The profundity and invisibility of God in creation doth he himself go on thus speaking of to Job Solomon in a like style speaks to this purpose He hath set the world in its perfection so that no man can find out the work which God makes from the beginning to the end Eccles 3. God in providence is invisible Can you see those pillars upon which the world stands upon which England now stands Can you behold those wheels that turn round the world and behold how in their motion still they fulfill eternall counsells Can you apprehend as you are apprehended Can you comprehend as you are comprehended Can you master divine actions with your eye as it masters you with its hand Can you see him that speaks to the little world and to the great world and to the proud seas and waves which rage in both Come thus far and no farther He that speaks to the clouds Water this citie and not that and to the sword Go and destroy in this kingdome and not in that Can you see that hand which leads you that hand which feeds you that hand which protects you those everlasting arms which are underneath you That bosome in which lambs are carried and those leggs on which the weak run and are not weary Can you tell me how many servants wait upon you and can you see of what stature they are and what livery they wear Is their cognizance your cognizance When I propose such queries as these to my sad shallow soul I am fain to break out and break off with Job He doth great things past finding out and wonders without number Lo he goeth by me and I see him not and he passeth on also but I perceive him not Job 9.10 A man a Christian cannot see God many times and yet God fast by A man thinks God is going backward with such a businesse when he is going on with it He passeth on and yet I cannot perceive him Job spake this as if this had been his case alone but alas 't is not 't is every mans case God goes out of sight to him the wisest man the most seeing man is in the dark frequently in this point of providence Eccles. 8.17 You see now that God is invisible in action in that wherein he is most seeable and therefore I thinke you will easily believe he is so in person the materiality of his being the immensity of his being and the glory of being which results from both the former necessarily render him invisible to us God is not onely invisible in regard of his essence or god-head but also in regard of the fulnesse and glory thereof which is called light indeed in the Scripture but yet such as to which no mortall eye can approch The beams of the sunne above though light yet so glorious as too big for any organ we have to take in Things have density to terminate colour to congregate being and glory of being finite yea both not onely finite but both brought down to a suitable proportion to such a tender organ or else our eye languishes and closes it self as able to make no vision God is not simply invisible but invisible in reference to us Angels see him and Saints above see him they behold his face which is the most invisible God is invisible to a mortall eye as the Apostle speaks a mortall eye must have its adaequatae objecta or else 't is discouraged and closes
very exactly A true glasse is of worth All light flatters but the Gospel That 's an oyntment indeed which takes off all scales and makes perfect sight in any one and this is the propertie of the Gospel to whom soever it comes though an ideot as the originall is he is convinced of all 't is spoken as the naturall property of this light man cannot hide any thing from it It makes an exact discovery of man and an exact discovery of God so far forth as such powers as we have here are comprehensible it shines into our hearts and gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God it discovers mans glory to wit his soule and the glory of God to wit his heart and his soule towards man two such properties as are not to be found in any light The glory of God is his face all other light discovers but his back parts or if it speake any thing about the face of God 't is as vailed To see the King is a great favour but to see him in state that 's a great friendship indeed There be many things have glory which if any one could give one eyes to behold wee should account it a great priviledge if any one could set me as Satan would have set Christ to behold the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them as is there exprest I should be ready to thinke it a great priviledge and yet all this glory not comparable to the glory of God all these things that glitter here below are but the dust of that gold above but some old cast garments which the King lays at his feete and gives to some poore servants and slaves they are but as cast-rags given to diseased creatures The glory of God is not to be exprest the Gospel helpes us to Pauls vision to behold unutterable things The face of God is his glory the face of a man is his glory Distinguishing propriety whether such a one be a brother a sister a father I can tell you when I see his face which is glorious to me when I behold The Gospel gives a distinct knowledge of God by this and by this alone I am enabled to look as it were in his face and to discerne in what relation I stand to him and he to me whether I be his childe and he my father or otherwise Mercy considered in such a latitude as eternally to save is cald the glory of God condiscension to the creature offending taking him up in his armes 'T is cald the glory of a man to passe by a fault to abide sweet when others are bitter to smile and embrace when there is no invitement but all discouragement this is cald the glory of a man and this is cald the glory of God The Gospel and no light else holds forth transcendent condescension in God by all other light wee conceive of him as one that is austere as one that will not yeeld a whit as one that will have the utmost farthing his own with advantage or inflict death The Gospel holds forth all sweet condescension in God it sets him forth as one inviting come blinde halt as one waiting to be gracious thirty forty fifty threescore yeares to the last houre and yet giving a penny to him that came in last as well as to him that came in first it sets him out as one that goes about to folkes-dores and knockes sinners doe you need any mercy doe you need any thing for your soules or bodies to make you blessed for ever you may have it for nothing Milke and honey wine and oyle tryed gold and royall apparrell The Gospel sets out God as one that expostulates with man about the matter of his good Why doe you lay out your money for that which is not bread And why will you die The Gospel sets out God as one beseeching man to be reconcild as one that delights to exercise loving-kindnesse to make it his work his daily businesse to forgive sins and to bring souls to heaven at his own cost this is transcendent condiscension and this is the glory of God in the eye of a poor sinner this makes him shine more glorious then any thing in the world and all this the light of the Gospel discovers discovers in us hath shined into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God Vse The Gospel is a grand favour but I am affraid we do not count it so Manna is loathed we love darknesse more then light That light which discovers us and makes our nakednesse appear is a plague and no blessing to thousands What is more inraging and more deadly to some persons then the powerfull words of the Lord Jesus What is more inraging at this day then the shining light of the Gospel Our misery is great the cause apparent we shut our eyes against the light The Prince of darknesse shall rule this is the vote of thousands Where Satan raigns do you expect any other but a hel rending and tearing howling and yelling Brave England is turn'd into a hel oppressing racking rending weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth and why Certainly the Prince of darknesse raigns amongst us have you a glimpse of that feind in all this our hel and misery If there were indeed a true love of the Gospel amongst us could there be such fighting abroad and at home amongst us as there is As light is precious it conquers as light conquers pride falls pride fallen the Lion is a Lamb Lambs rend not nor tear one another We rend and tear one another name state all that is dear and would be to one another as the very devils are Ah Lord Is this a Christian Land a Land honouring the Gospel Doth it conquer us Is the Spirit of the Gospel in us whose hearts burn like hel in pride and malice against one another The hand of the Lord is upon an hypocriticall people get it off who can You say you love the Gospel and yet think the Land too good for them that faithfully professe it He that hates his brother in his heart is a murtherer a bloody spirit is in you a bloody hand of justice is upon you if this right not the innocent and publish the hyporcisie of this generation to all the world then say that Christ hath not spoken by me Would the sword were sheathed saith many would it had done its work say I. We needed through launcing mens basenesse comes out freely 't is a mercy to know who loves the Gospel and how How long will England bleed ere good blood appear Will that good bloud be so little as not enough to hold life in the State O that will be sad Sinners look about you you that dissemble with your light are the plagues of the Land doe you call whom you will troublers this will be found the truth which I have said you are the troublers and the destroyers of the Land and the
ENGLAND Faithfully watcht with In her Wounds OR Christ as a Father sitting up with his Children in their swooning state Which is the summe of severall Lectures painfully preached upon COLOSSIANS 1. By Nicho. Lockyer M. A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX I will stand upon my watch and abide upon the tower and intensely fix my meditation to perceive what he will speak in me and what I shall answer when upon my argumentation Hab. 2.1 But watch thou in all things bear evils fulfill thy Ministery 2 Tim. 4.5 Published according to Order LONDON Printed by M. S. for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountain in Pauls Church-yard and Ben. Allen at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1646. To the distressed DOMINIONS OF ENGLAND EVery Creature since the fall is very unruly * Paerae Adam all the earth is wilde 't is the Scriptures Motto upon the creation and of the more magnitude any way the more unruly the bigger in bulk or brain the bigger bent upon it to destroy all neither God nor self excepted The misery of the creatures is distinguished in this point by Solomon oft into folly and madnesse there is a kinde of madnesse in all inferiour creatures and as such are cast into prison Job out of the grate of his own prison saw such a truth and instanceth some of the creatures below him instead of all the rest though not so meekly I think as should have been considering whom he spake to Job 7.12 Am I a Sea or a Whale that thou putt'st gnalai mishmar a prison upon me Job grants madnesse in creatures below him and their imprisonment upon this ground to be just but saw not his own strong distemper by which he did so criminate Christ which neither the Whale nor the Sea nor any creature else below man doth which was not only madness but folly and madness i. reason forced into more then unreasonablenesse Kingdomes and Nations may for their magnitude be fitly compared to Whales and Seas and the one as easily as the other doth the great God cast into prison when mad and truly thus have the Dominions of England for the generality been a great while and 't is well if all our bleeding hath any whit asswag'd it and therefore though wee have suffered much and yet may much more we cannot look out at the grate of our prison and criminate him that cast us in A contented person cannot be miserable no more can a contented Kingdome Contentednesse hath much when she hath but a house over her head A prison-house is a house * Yea a pit is a house beth habbor Jer. 37.16 although not all-out so well furnished and accommodated as other houses there is something harder fare lodging and usage but yet some shelter and some nourishment to keep life beside opportunities to cry out at prison-windows to enlarge short allowance and many a refreshment comes in at windows when dores are shut and the man still a prisoner The prison-house of the Whale is its own element which lessens much his bondage so I may say to these Nations our prison-house hath been our own Land which considering how small 't is how wasting and desolating our triall and how neer many big mouths which gape after us is the unexpressible love of Christ this mercy is more then all our misery Besides we have not been close prisoners we have had the liberty to cry out at our prison windows and have got many refreshments from Heaven this way in our greatest straits and hardships which indeed also addes much to the magnitude of our mercies Some stars which seem but small and scarce to twinkle with any visible rayes at first looking upon yet biggen much both in magnitude and lustre by a fixed eye upon them So truly will all the mercies of Christ to England in those Christians eyes who can seriously fix upon them Misery look't upon as mixed with mercy is as course earth inlaid with precious Ore very delightfull and gainfull but otherwise lookt on it imbitters and worsens those on whom it is of which great evill England take heed Many now complain much of bad times which should amongst Christians have a Christian construction but to speak properly in this point times are bad only to bad hearts and unto them indeed they are very bad Sinners have worsen'd very much I grant in these few yeers of Gods heavie hand upon us more I think then in many yeers before thousands look now very black in the face as neer death wrath and cutting off which lookt but a little while ago as Cedars in Lebanon and as if they would have liv'd a long life even life for evermore From marad which signifies to rebell comes marud which signifies poor afflicted cast out They which rebell under the hand of God against the will and wayes of God may talk and vaunt of impoverishing afflicting and casting out others but Christ will bring all these upon them The trialls which were upon England in the Bishops time occasioned many apostates so have those which have been lately upon us between the King and Parliament which generation of men are the sharpest swords to kill a Land * When changes in a kingdome make changelings i. from Christ so the Hebrews call an Apostate Deut. 21.18 Moreh signifies saith Mr. Ainsworth one that turns inwardly to the worse and such a one I may call Morah novacula a Razor If there be any Razors in a Kingdome to cut the throat on 't these are they The Eastern parts of the world had a prison which they called Maphecheth from Haphach vertit to turn because evertuntur sontium corpora the limbs and bodies of men were wrested and turned out of joynt But though these prisons were bad yet those are far worse which wrest and turn the soules of men out of joynt i. further off from Christ and his will then they were before and yet so hath thy prison poor England done to many Such sad events of Gods hand call every heart in his place to be a faithfull watch-man to be more then vigilantes to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Shepherds which gave tidings of Christ were called Sub dio degere Livers in the field One may be vigilans in his bed as the Critick speaks though he stir not out of his house but our condition calls every one in his place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to watch at home and abroad in the city and in the field to lay out and lie out to know no canopy so glorious as the open heavens my meaning is we should so intend the good of Church and State publike and private so watch over all as to give out all in the work At this height for thy welfare England and the glory of Christ I have sincerely aimed and endevoured and shall do in the few daies and little strength I have left An acceptable testimony of what I have done let this labour
is beastly yet very common The Land is full of mercies and full of nothing but brutes that tread upon them Brutishnesse in a man is sensualitie a sensuall person is one killed with kindnesse one that eats mercies but doth not taste them weares mercies but doth not feele them seeth mercies but doth not understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord nor never will he is cursed to the dust as the seed of the Serpent to goe upon his belly upon his appetite and upon no higher principle through this world to feed onely upon dust and upon no nobler thing for making a God of this world You wonder at the plague and at the sword but this is the greatest judgement in the Land that no man sees the mercie that shines upon him All the judgements that are in the Land are but to cast shadowes upon mercies that you may see them well and carry them and your soules to Heaven together There should not be a judgement more among us did you see mercy as you should there should not a man more die did loving kindnesse live in our hearts The heart of this Land is eaten out with long tillage God now dungs it that things may grow well 'T is so with our soules Our hearts are eaten out with vanities nothing will come up that is divine not spring up as high as Heaven God pluckes up all to pluck up your hearts to Heaven 't will be well if this be effected although it be not till all be dead When all is dead if then a mans soule grow alive to God blessed am I though there be but this one thing alive of all I have England is dead God is burying it Our hearts are quarred with fulnesse and become stones no musick can be playd upon a stone God makes musick to himselfe with justice seeing wee can make none to him with mercie he sets us to throw stones one at another hard heart against hard heart to dash out one anothers braines to kill a companie of men Canini appetitus of a dog appetite whose belly is as the grave and as hell which cry give give but never returne Know the state of the generall and bleed inwardly Doe you see a love returning spirit in any ranke from the highest to the lowest I England am made a mirror of mercie a thousand thousand wounds and yet not dead What pen shall I take and what book Where shall I write this love that it may be ever in Gods eye and mine owne Doe you see such a spirit stirring for the glory of Christ Wee fall in person we fall in purse and we fall and flat in spirit too nothing rises in any man that I see but that which throwes all downe Pride and selfe Ego magnus not ego Paulus I great not I little and low this may be every mans motto Big spirits are the worst in the world to stoop and to take up every thing of Gods and give it to him Big proud spirits admire themselves such as are taken up with admiration of themselves can never be good at this dutie of admiring God Look over all the Kingdome and people in the world and tell me a people more pinned to and doating upon its selfe then we are What a Clergie What Magistracy What an Armie have we So big so acute so perfect as not to be exprest This puts by the other quite what a Christ have we how strong how wise how gracious Do ye heare mens mouths filled with this with admiration of Christ What ornaments doe I weare in my soule or upon my outward man but Christ hath put them on all Know the state of the generall and know your own state in particular Doe you as Paul here admire the goodnesse of Christ in all the goodnesse that is upon you That you are stopped and ceased from wickednesse That you are turned to Christ Yea not nakedly so but turned into noble services for Christ Intrusted with many Talents above your brethren for the good not onely of your selves but many more I would willingly admire this if it were so but alas for me Ob. I am not yet stopped nor turned from my wicked course I am a swearer still a drunkard still a gracelesse uselesse wretch still Why then admire that thou art not in hell Sol. there is no man alive no man of this side hell but hath some mercie yea much mercie to admire say that I a swearer am not yet in hell in the proper place for blasphemers O what a mercie is this That sin and judgement are not closed unseparably all this while in so many yeares O what a wonder is this There is not a greater aptnesse for fire and stubble to close then for sin and judgement in a wicked soule that the cover of the tinder-box should be open and striking of fire a great many yeares and a great many sparkles falling of both sides and some in and yet not take that thou a naked gracelesse soule open to the wrath of God and living in a Land where wrath is powring out by plague sword and other judgements and yet that thou shouldest escape here is a big wonder indeed blind soule canst thou see it No I have no more then others have nor yet so much this cuts the throat of holy admiration How wofully is this creature plagued Others mercies are his judgements he cannot see what he has because others have more Canst thou not see what thou hast thy selfe No hold thy mercies neere thine eyes Canst thou not see them now No. Why then I feare that thou art beside borne-blind mad-blind as those wilfull Pharisees and Scribes this is a sad condition There is no recovery of sight when the eyes are struck out If this be not thy plague there is the more hope for God will take the businesse in hand to make thee see in a more strong way then now 't is done by me if all meanes have not been used alreadie as what a potent course is taken up in this case Hosea 11.3 I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by the armes but they knew not that I healed them I drew them with the cords of a man and with the bands of love and I laid meat unto them God will one time or other take hold upon thy conscience and lead thee about from mercie to mercie and point thee to them particularly one after another O ungratefull soule I did this for thee and I did that I saved thee from breaking thy leg such a time from breaking thy necke such a time from such a desperate sicknesse such a time c. Thus doth God to persons that are asleepe in ingratitude to awaken them and thus he doth to them that are dead Goe and tell David I took thee from the sheepfold c. After that soule miscarriage God set one to talke with him with a witnesse to tell him who raised him and to what and what use was expected of
die under our hands all the solemnitis belonging to our company are for the most part Funerall solemnities going to the Grave with the dead in trespasses and sinnes our invitations are Sir mourne with me I beseech you for such a one that lies upon his eternall Death-bed that hath Plague-spots in his breast that lies raving blaspheming and much a doe to keepe him in his Bed to keepe him from leaping into a worse if worse may be from leaping desperatly into Hell When our Ministrey petrefies turnes hearts into stones and these taken up and throwne at us this kills us the recoiling of our paines kills us when our peace returnes to us as Christ speakes J have laboured in vaine spent my strength for naught saith the Prophet When we spend our strength to make men more naught then they were this wounds our heart which should be considered of sinners to kill ones selfe and ones Minister too which would save him what a bloudy condition is this the bloud of a Minister upon a mans soule is more then the blood of many men stubborne soules lay this to heart When the Poet would cure drunkennesse in the Heathen Emperour he said remember thou drinkest the Blood and the Life of the earth meaning the juyce of the Grape So I say to you stubborne sinners remember when you breake the heart of your Ministers by your stubbornnesse you destroy the Blood and Life of the World I would I could say any thing to breake the Iron sinnew that is in the neck of some sins and sinners Be a friend to us in our worke and be a friend to your selves come off readily and speedily to Christ our work will be easy and your condition safe hold us fight long and I know who will fall at last with a witnesse The warre betweene the house of David and Saul was long saith the Text 2 Sam. 3.1 the issue was answerable had that malitious stubborne man layd downe his Armes and readily yeilded to the Will of God to Christ that came against him in David hee might have found mercy but he would stand it out to the last and weary God and David his servant till at last there was no remedy and then all Davids Teares Prayers and brave services that he had done tooke place and effect with a witnesse Make our life dolefull and Christ will make your death dolefull be as great as you will stay long in the birth and kill Midwife and you will be delivered in hell ease us and ease Christ for Christ striveth in us we strive but according as be striveth in us as saith the following clause in my Text striving according to his working and therefore is Noahs suffering so long in his paynes for that people called the long suffering of God 1 Pet. 3.2 London England the blood of many Prophets is upon thee is this nothing the blood of God is upon thee and God layes this to heart now now he makes inquisition for blood hee makes blood to touch blood your blood to touch the blood of them whom you have kil'd in their labour by your frowardnesse and wickednesse to Christ and them COLOS. 1.29 Striving according to his working c. STriving This word seconds the explanation given of the former that the labour of the Ministery is very painfull t is a putting off all powers externall and internall to it to the utmost t is a strife contention running for a victory a fight so the word is in severall places translated Fight the good fight of faith I have fought a good fight in both places is the same word that here is translated strive fighting running for victory they are acts wherein the whole man intends it selfe as in matters of life and death The worke of our calling is in the former word generally and summarily exprest in this word t is particularly specified as it beares upon its particular and proper cause When we say such a one labours this satisfies not what is his labour this question is answered by this following word in order to our calling Our labour is in some sence the worst the sowrest t is contention spirituall contention i. a contention which hath its rise not from our owne spirit but from the spirit of God and its termination in the spirit of man We strive not according to our own will but according to his Word and Spirit that striveth and worketh in us Contention hath a bad and a good acceptation the spirit lights on fire of Hell sometimes and flames out of the mouth and burnes all that stand neere in name in whatsoever is deare this is bad contention Folly lurkes long in an unmortified soule at last gets a head and then words without wisdome or conscience toumble out one upon anothers backe as if they should toumble downe all that is before them but they throw downe him onely from whom they come A fooles lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes and in the next verse a fooles mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soule Prov. 18.6 7. If standers by can keepe off the flame this fire burnes no more houses then into which it comes The flame that comes out of one mans mouth if it be not suckt in by another onely one tenement is consumed folly is full of humour humour disguiseth every person and action and apprehends all for enemies and so fights against yea slayes with the tongue deare friends for deadly foes that is as much as in him lies Folly generates humour humour is a bastard pride now none so beautifull in any proceedings as the man himselfe other folkes children are all untimely births and mishapen brats and deserve all to be murthered with the mouth and bit to death Butchery is some persons trade neighbours children kild quartered and hung out to sale every day for all that come by and will buy pride hardens the heare hardned the man will runne against any one with his tongue till he can get other weapons and spot himselfe all over with the blood of the best mans repute in the world before his face Contention is a murthering of a mans off-spring before his face and throwing the blood of them in his face thou didst say this and thou didst doe that Pride hardens 'tas this property in every soule many hearts quard and become sulpherous stones the divell takes them up and strikes fire with them to burne all Bad contention hath alwaies a diabolicall concurrence more or lesse many things may charge and load the Gun but the Divell gives fire still and makes it off and helpes to fetch out all that is within the man Contention hath a good acceptation good contention is an expliced zeale against sinne Sinnes are of severall sorts some have their tongues cut out of their mouthes by conscience and can nor dare say nothing of their course others have their tongue in their head and can and will say