hundred-fold by possessing al even that which was the enemies too by having al after a loss a fight by a victory having al natural joyes heighthned by their Vnion with spiritual enjoyments The deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib is set out in verse 4. by a comparison with the destruction of Midian Thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen and the staff of his Shoulder and the rod of his oppressour as in the day of Midian You may see the story of Midian in the seventh Chapter of Judges It was wholly miraculous and had these Eztraordinary things in it First God divided Gideon's Army from him by one Division upon another until he had lessened it from thirty thousand to three hundred vers. 3. 6 7. Secondly The terror upon the spirit of the Midianites and courage infused into Gideon by a dream verse 13 14 15. Thirdly The manner of the victory on Gideon's part who with his men stood stil breaking their pitchers holding forth their Lamps blowing with their Trumpets crying The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon which were al signs of faith and Prayer of the vertue of the Death Resurrection Glory and Spirit of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel verse 20 21. Fourthly the destruction of the Midianites one by another before that Gideon or his men strik one strok The overthrow of Sennacherib and his Army holds a resemblance with that of Midian in general in the miraculousness of it in particulars First Al the land of Judah was over-run and only Jerusalem left where also was as commentatours tel us from the Scripture a powerful numerous party divided from Hezekiah in a conspiracy to deliver up the City to Sennacherib Secondly Hezehiah's mourning and Humiliation was the breaking of the Pitcher Esaiah's prophecy and message to him upon it which was ful of spirituality of Evangelicalness of tryumph which was the Lamps shining forth upon the breaking of the pitcher the Comming down of the Angel by which the Army perished was the sounding of the Trumpet and the cry of the Sword of the Lord Thirdly The Army was overthrown without a fight Fourthly Sennacherib was slaine by his own Sons as the Midianites set every man his Sword against his fellow In the 9. verse the Reason of this wonderful Salvation is given For to us a Child is born to us a Son is given c. This in the letter is expounded of Hezekiah as he was a figure of Christ But the Jews themselves acknowledg this whol Scripture to have a more sublime sense and to relate to the Messiah which is Jesus Christ We may learn this from it First That al the eminent works and wonders of God in the world by which he saves his people or executes vengeance on his enemies are figures and forerunners of the Day of Christ Secondly Some new birth and bringing forth of Christ into the world in his own Person or in his spirit or in some eminent Type or Saint or Dispensation is the ground on which God builds his works of wonder in the world for the good of his Church or the Ruin of wicked men and powers Having thus levelled the ground round about my Text I come to my Text it self which compares the destruction of Sennacherib before Jerusalem with al warres by way of transcendency For every battel of the warrior is with confused noyse and garments rolled in Blood but this shal be with fire and burning of Fuel The difference between every battail and this slaughter of the Assyrians is three fold First There are warriors on both sides here Fire and Fuel meet Secondly There is a confused cry here al is in silence Thirdly There is a plentiful effusion of blood Here no blood is shed An Angel went forth and smote of the Assyrians in one night one hundred fourscore and five thousand Esa. 37. 36. It is frequent in Scripture to set forth the Miraculous Appearances and Works of invisible Powers either of God or of the Angels or of the Holy Ghost by Fire both to the Ear and to the Eye A Pillar of Fire led the Children of Israel through the Wilderness Horses of fire and Chariots of fire carried up Elijah into Heaven and encompassed the Servant of Elishah when he was afraid of an Army of Enemies the Holy Ghost descended in the form of fiery Tongues upon the Apostles The Lord promiseth by the Prophet Esaiah to be a wall of Fire round about his People And John the Baptist tells us in the Gospel of St. Mathew that Jesus Christ shall Baptize his People with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Fire is the most potent and glorious of all the Elements Some say that the Sun the chief and the Golden Head of this visible World is the Element of Fire and that Fire shal at last convert al the other Elements into it self and so give them their Perfection Fire is Burning and consuming only on Earth where it is straitened and meets with resistance But in Heaven it is only vital transparent shining cheering incorruptible In al these respects how proper is it to represent the Miraculous descents of God from above upon the Earth as he shines forth upon his Church or flames forth upon the world by Fire The Doctrine which I shal observe to you from these words and insist upon is this DOCT. God makes it his Delight and Praise to go New and Extraordinary waies with his Church and with the World for his Churches sake I wil give you Two Arguments for the cleering and proving of the Point One from Christ The other from the Spirit Arg. 1. The First Argument is taken from Christ The way of God with his Church and with the World in order to the Church is in Christ I intreat you for the fuller understanding of this and how it makes to the Point in hand to lay three Scriptures together Ephes. 3. 8 9 10. Matth. 28. 8. Ephes. 1. 20. Ephes. 3. 8. You read in the latter end of the verse of the unsearchable Riches of Christ Two things go to make up Riches Preciousness and Plenty The things of Christ are Rarities Precious things such as are no where to be found in the Creature They are the Things of God the Righteousness of God the Wisdom of God the Power the Peace the Grace the Glory of God Now Jesus Christ hath Plenty of these Precious things and this makes him Rich. But the Holy Ghost thinks not that word of Riches enough to express the Excellency and Fulness of Christ Therefore he adds to Riches Vnsearchableness and calls them the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ Vnsearchableness respects the Nature or Number of things The Excellencies of Christ are both waies Vnsearchable Every thing of Christ is Vnvaluable and those Vnvaluable things in Him are Innumerable They are past our Understanding We cannot comprehend the Excellency nor count the Number of them They swallow us up and lose us in Admiration At Verse 9. St. Paul goes on
fade It is before this Newness of Christ at it secretly beames forth into the Creation that Old things shake and fal away Thirdly Jesus Christ comes first in his Desirablenesses to beleevers to those among the Nations who desire him This seemes to be signified by that expression The desire of al Nations shal come He shal come under that formality as the Desire of the Nations The Saints in every Nation stand for the whol Nation in the esteem of God they being the Corn in the heap the rest of the nation as the Chaffe Esa. 43. 4. The Lord saith to his people Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable and I have Loved thee therefore wil I give men for thee and people for thy life or as it is in the Margin for thy person Those whom the Lord loves in a Nation are the only Figures there the rest are Cyphers which signifie nothing of themselves James 1. 14. The Children of God are said to be a Kind of first fruites of his Creatures So are they the first fruits of every Nation As the first fruits were presented to God every year at the Tabernacle or Temple by the hands of the Preist in the stead of the whol Lump so the beleevers are presented to God in the spirit by Jesus Christ as filling up the place of the whol Nation Upon this account when the prophet hath said The desire of al Nations shal come he adds He shal fil this House with his Glory Under the Gospel and in the spiritual truth which answers the Judaical Tipe the Saints are the House of God 1 Corin. 3. 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God When the Lord comes to work his wonders in the world he first comes into his Church into the spirits of his Saints fills them with that spiritual Glory shining from his own person which is the sign of his outward commings forth before he comes and the inside of them when he is come From hence as from his Temple he shines forth by degrees upon the world from these as the first fruites he sends forth a blessing to the whol Lump of the Creatures Fourthly When these shakings begin to break forth from the Spirits of the Saints into the World they are swift and spreading Yet a little while And I wil once more shake Heaven and Earth As when a stone fals into the Water the Circles in the Water made round about it do in a moment Multiply and as they Multiply grow wider each than other So when Jesus Christ comes with the Newness of a spiritual Glory into his House which is the heart of a Saint from thence he spreads himself in the newness of his Power and mighty works over the Nation round about from thence enlargeth himself in a wider Circle to the Neyghbouring Nations so he goes on til he ouerspreade with his Changes not the Earth only but also the Heavens and al this in a very little space as fire catcheth or the lightning flyeth Now let us look home Our Changes since the beginning of these times have truely been so quick and thick that they may wel appear one continued shaking You then in this Nation whose Souls love the Lord Jesus is your Desire come while others as Cyphers do bear the empty shadow of the outward work in these new and Extraordinary Motions is his presence his person his operation precious and of great value to you Doth he fil you who are his house with the freshness of his light and Glory while others stand without at a distance seeing a throng of changes and wonders but know not what is the matter Where then are your cryes of Joy The voyce of our beloved Behold he comes leaping over the Hils passing with swift changes over the powers of this world he comes consuming al old things the old Heaven and Earth with the heat of his presence but changing his own and al things unto them into the newness and Immortality of the Spirit making them new together with a New Heaven and a New Earth round about them Thirdly The freshness of our Changes Prov. 25. 4 5. Take away the dross from the Silver there shall come forth a Vessel for the finer Take away the wicked from the King and his Throne shal be established in Righteousness The former of these verses is an Allegory explained in the latter Both have a Mystical sense pertayning to every Saint and Typical concerning Jesus Christ Take away the Dross of Corruption out of the Heart from the Silver of Grace and the Saint wil be a King in the Spirit upon a Throne of Glory founded on the Righteousness of God and his Spirit in Jesus Christ this King wil be a pure Silver Vessel for God the finer to set on his table and fil with the Treasure of his Divinity Take away the dross of Corruption from the Silver of the Divine Image in the Creature then wil the whol Creation be a Vessel of honor for the Father to fil with his Wine then wil it be a Throne founded on the Eternal Rock on which Jesus Christ shal sit down as a King This extends it self to Nations and Priuciples also Let us take a view of our selves in the Glass of this Truth If we look to the great Parliament from the beginning of it was there not a Silver there a precious Mettal of excellent principles and Eminent persons But this Silver was mingled with the Dross of much Carnality and Corruption Hath not every change since that time been as a fire to take away the Dross from the Silver Hath not every succeeding form of things when it hath come first out of the fire of the fore-going Change bin as a Vessel for the finer with a greater Preciousness Purity Beauty Lustre Life and usefulness unto God How then is that day of the Lord risen upon us which is to try al things How should our mouths be filled with laughter and praises for this New thing which God doth this New day which God bringeth forth from Heaven Say now to Hypocrites Woe to you But say to the Righteouss It shal be wel with you For the Beams of this day are a Manifesting light a Refining fire to al but they are withal to the Saints a covering gloy and a Cherishing Love Our King is come forth into our Land not only to march through it with his troupes but to establish his throne here in righteousness and to sit down upon it O Dross Dross melt away before the presence of the Lord For his Eyes are a flame of fire They are stil Kindling fresh Furnaces of Change Fourthly The Life in these Changes from which they flow Rom. 12. 11. you have the knot of a three-fold Precept held forth Not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord This is likewise a Divine Character upon the Newness of extraordinary Times Works and Persons When the Lord hath any fresh
answer to the Light within But where you see Persons while they profess themselves to be Saints changing all having nothing of the same Nature or Rellish left there is great reason to fear that this is not the Newness of the Spirit but the Wildness of the Flesh not the freshness and variety of the living Spring but the Endless turnings and windings of the old Serpent But to return now and to shew you how this Scripture which hath occasioned this short stay by the way makes good that Doctrine which we have in hand All the way of Jesus Christ in the Saints and in the World for the sake of the Saints is after the newness of the spirit It follows then that it must be it self New and Extraordinary Another Scripture compared with this wil make the Proof from both more strong and cleer Es. 43. 18 19 20 21. Remember ye not the former things neither consider ye the things of Old Behold I will do a new thing now it shall spring forth shall ye not know it I will even make a way in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart The Beast of the field shall honor me the Dragons and the Owls because I give Waters in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart to give drink to my People my Chosen This People have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise There are Four Things to be taken notice of in these words First The Deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonians is the proper subject of this Prophesie in the Letter of it as you shal see at verse 4. This Deliverance from the Babylonians is made in Scripture universally a Type of every Deliverance of the People of God from the Powers of Darkness and of this world but more particularly of the Deliverance of the Church in the last daies from Antichrist which is Spiritual Babylon Secondly In this Deliverance the Lord laies aside all Presidents every old Form and Custom he works a New thing What is this New thing He makes a Way in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart These Expressions look backward by way of Allusion to the Coming of the Children of Israel out of Egypt when the Lord made a way for them through the Wilderness going himself before them in the Pillar of a Cloud and of Fire and gave them Rivers of Water from the Rock which followed them in the Desert But this Literal Sense is not that which the Lord here intends For this had been no New thing but had only brought the former things to remembrance by the Imitation and Re-iteration of them Therefore the words look forward to an Allegorical and Mystical accomplishment in the times of the Gospel We all know that Jesus Christ is frequently held forth in the Gospel as the Way John 14. 6. He cals himself The Way Heb. 10. 20. He is said to be the New and Living Way by the rending of the Vail of his Flesh and the raising of him up again in the Spirit In like manner it is an Evident thing that the Spirit of Christ in the Gospel is resembled to Rivers of Water as John 7. 38. Out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water ver. 39. This spake he of the Spirit This then is the New thing which the Lord doth He turns the outward face of things in Church and Common-wealth into a Wilderness puts al into Confusion that no humane Eye can see any way either forward or backward Then he comes forth with new extraordinary appearances in Christ as the Pillar of a Cloud burying all the Light and Life of the Creature in the Darkness of Christs Death as a Pillar of Fire shining and sparkling forth with a New Light and Heat from the Glory of his Resurrection These Extraordinary Appearances in Christ the Lord makes his way in which he walks and into which he leads his People to walk with him in his wonders through the Churches and the Nations When the Spirit of man becomes a Desert like a winter-brook that is passed away and decives the expectation of the weary Traveller all Springs of Wisdom Counsel Help Comfort in the Creature are dryed up then the Lord comes forth in mighty and miraculous workings after the Newness of the Spirit in the fresh flowings of that and makes it to be as Rivers in the Desert Rivers have these Properties First They are from a Living Spiring Secondly They flow along with a great breadth depth and force Thirdly They flow continually running along still with a fresh succession of New waters from the Head of the River Fourthly They make all things cheerful and flourishing round about them So doth the Lord in the Desert of the Creature put forth himself by his Spirit with an irresistable force an uncessant Newness with a quickness of life a breadth and depth of design from the immediate Fountain of the God-head Thirdly It is observable here that the Saints are they who peculiarly drink of these Rivers They have the immediate inward sence Strength Joy Glory the cheif ends and benefit of these Out-goings of the God-head But natural men signified by the Beasts of the field the powers of this world yea the most ignorant and unbeleeving that sit in the greatest darkness which are as the Owles Nay more than that the Dragons the profanenest and wickedest persons both Princes and Stats who have the greatest enmity to Christ and his Church al these shal acknowledg and give glory to the Lord in these Miraculous workings of his from Heaven partly for the greatness of the Conviction by the presence and cleerness of the Appearances of God in the midst of them before their Eyes as is signified verse 19. Now it shal spring forth shal ye not see it partly for the relife and the refreshing which shal be extended to them also in their natural Man and civil affayres For so it is said verse 20. They shal honor me because I give waters in the wilderness c. Fourthly The end of al this is for the Saints that they may be formed and wrought up to God to Spirituality and Heavenlyness to his Likness to one Image and Nature with him to the Immediate enjoyment of him to his Bosom his Throne there to raigne with him from thence as chosen Vessels to carry forth the Praises of God in the Gospel of his Love his Righteousness his Holyness his Beauties his Joys his Glorys into the Nations that the Saints may be as a Holy first-fruits and the Nations as a sanctified Lump through them This people have I formed for myself to shew forth my praise Verse 21. I have now finished the two Arguments for the making good of the Doctrine one taken from the Person and Office of Christ the other from the Influences and Operations of the Spirit as both Christ and the Spirit are in the Newness of the highest and most Evangelical Glory as both stand in relation first to the Church then
to the world for the Churches sake I come now to the Uses Use 1. The first Vse is of Thankfulness God makes it his delight and praise to go new and extraordinary waies with his Church and with the world in order to his Church Let us then raise our delights and his praises from the sense of those new and extraordinary paths in which the Lord hath walked forth before our Eyes in the midst of al the nations round about us for our sake That the Newness of the divine footsteps in our dais and in our Land may leave the deeper print upon our spirits let us consider it in these Six Particulars 1. Our Changes 2. The Quickness of our changes 3. The Freshness upon our Changes 4. The inward Life whence our Changes spring 5. The Seal upon our Changes from their Living Principle 6. The Spirit of Grace evidencing it self as the Principle and the Seal First The Changes Which have been upon us shew the Newness of the Lords way with us Jerem 48. 11. The Lord complains Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his Lees and he hath not been emptyed from Vessel to Vessel therefore his tast remained in him and his sent is not changed How often hath England been changed from Peace to Warr from one Warr to another from one form of Government to another from Extremities to Enlargements from Enlargements to Extremities again These Changes have been as so many Vessels out of which and into which we have been emptyed Are we stil upon the Lees of Carnality and Corruption If we discern not God in a new Glory if we discern not Jesus Christ with his new name if we discern not the Newness of the Operations of the Spirit in al these things then doth our Earthly tast hitherto remain and our fleshly sent is not changed O for a refinedness of Soul now from the Lees of Earth to a pure wine of spirituality O for a heavenly tast a heavenly sent How should we rellish this feast of new delicacys which the Lord sets forth for us How should we love Jesus Christ for the Savor of his new and good Oyntments in which he powrs forth himself into the midst of us Revel. 6. 12. We reade of the Sun turning black as Sack Cloath of Hair the Moon as blood vers. 13. Stars of Heaven fel unto the Earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figs being shaken by a mighty winde Verse 14. Heaven departed as a Scroule rolled together Verse 16. The reason of al this i. e. The Face of him that sits on the Throne and the wrath of the Lamb Many times over in this our little world of these divided Islands we have seen the Sun of our Religious Formes our Church-state becomming black as a Sack-Cloath of Hair which is a mourning weed the Moon of our Civil affayres as Blood Nay al Blood we have seen the Heaven of the Supream power pass away as a scrol of Parchment roled up and laid by our Eminent Persons which were as Stars in the Heaven of that Power shining with a Lustre and ruling with an Influence of universal Authority yet on a soden falling from this Heaven to the Earth of a common rank and obscure condition Do we not thorow al this perceive the Face of God sitting upon his Throne among us a Throne of most exalted Grace and loving kindness to his people but of the most exalted vengeance and wrath to his enemy observe those two things the Face and the Face of God sitting upon the Throne What unvailings of new and extraordinary glorys do these Expressions speak forth Are not these the Seal to which these Nations as Wax are turned and changed Blessed are they that stand within these Wheels to be carryed a long by them and move together with them Over others who see them not these Wheels pass and break them to pieces Joel 2. 30. The Lord saith I wil shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth Blood and Fire and pillars of smoake Verse 31. The Sun shal be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come There are three daies of the Lords comming First To a Particular Nation Secondly At his Incarnation Thirdly To the last Judgment Al these are Capable of having this Scripture applyed to them especially where the first of these daies the Comming of Christ to a Nation follows after the Second day of his Incarnation and borders upon the Third day of his last comming This Scripture hath been litterally fulfilled in our times in our land What frequent Eclypses of Sun and Moon have we seen What Comets Concussions and Prodigyes in al the Elements Earth-quakes Tydes changing their Courses Meteors of al sorts in the Ayre Devouring Fires Behold the Earth the Air the Waters the Fire the Heavens see the Lord and are troubled shal his Saints be insensible of him shal not they shout and say This is the day which no Created or usual light but the Lord hath made by his shinings forth It is wonderful in our Eyes beyond the whol Course of Nature we wil rejoyce and he glad in it Secondly The Quickness of our Changes This is the Second thing that argues the Newness of Gods way with us I intreate you here to compare 2 Scriptures Hagg. 2. 6. For thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while and I wil shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry land verse 7. And I wil shake al Nations and the desire of al the Nations shâ—l come and I wil fil this House with glory saith the Lord of hosts Hebr. 12. 26. Whose voyce then shook the Earth but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also the Heaven Verse 27. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine The comparing of these two Texts affords us these Particular Observations First This word Once signifies one continued act of shaking unto an universal and Total Change Secondly That which maks this shaking is the Newness of Christs comming forth in the unchangable Glory of his Father and of the Spirit For the Prophet Haggi seeming to speak of the first comming of Christ in the flesh to fil that present Temple which was then building with the Glory of his Doctrine and Miracles is by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews interpreted of the comming of Christ in Glory as being the truth and the end to which the other comming was only a Type and a Preparation So also that which the Prophet calls The Desire of the Nations is in the Hebrews called Those things which cannot be shaken in opposition to things that are made and to be taken away Both together cleerly describe Jesus Christ in the Newness of a Heavenly Glory which can never
and peculiar piece of work in which he is to be served he fils men with a strange unwonted vigor in his business to contrive attempt and execute wonderful things To this end as a man puts fire under a pot so he sends forth his Spirit after a new manner into their Hearts that they boyl and run over they are no more in their own power they can no longer contain themselves Such a Description as this David makes of himself Psal. 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth as with a Bridle while the wicked are in presence I was dumb with silence I held my peace from good my sorrow was stirred My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue David and Christ in him were opprest by wicked men He resolves to suffer in silence and to suppress all Motions towards the outward advancement of Goodness At length the Word of the Lord comes to him first it warms his heart by degrees it grows hotter while he museth upon it is irresolute unwilling to come forth openly upon the Stage it becomes a fire it breaks forth burns out like a mighty and irresistable flame You have an Example like to this in St. Paul Acts 20. 22. And behold now I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem c. God had a new and great work for St Paul to do to testifie to the Gospel of Christ by preaching and by sufferings at Jerusalem the chief City of the Jews at Rome the Head City of the World before Rulers and Princes And now though afflictions and death were Manifestly before his Eyes in this journey though friends Saints Prophets his own heart lay Weeping Bleeding Breaking in his way to stop him from going on in that course from whence he should returne no more as ye may see verse 23. 25. 27 28. Chapter 21. verse 4. 11 12 13. Yet he shuts his Ears and his Eyes to al these treads them under his feet goes over them al Would you know the reason He was bound in Spirit An extraordinary power of the Spirit came upon him bound up al his facultys in its heavenly chaines and carryed him Captive to its Divin Force and Wil. There are many witnesses that the like unto this hath been heard known and felt often in our daies and affaires Supernatural Impressions Divine and Irresistible Impulsions as gales of wind from Heavem have filled the Spirits affections counsels and actions of men like sails by which the ship of this Common-wealth hath bin carryed on from port to port from change to change When the two disciples wer going to Emaus Jesus Christ in the midst of them they said did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us but their Eyes were held that they could not know him If Jesus Christ have been in the midst of us as a fire if he have made the hearts of his Servants to burn within them yea to flame forth to lick up all the water of opposition to consume all the Damps of Discouragement that have been cast upon this fire from their own reason reputation affections purposes former principles within from difficulties dangers disswasions of friends combinations of of Enemies without Shal our Eyes stil be held that we should not know him who is thus a burning and shining Light among us or shal our spirits be held from rejoycing and dancing in this Light while its season lasteth Fiftly The Inward Principle of Life being the Seal upon our Outward Changes 2 Tim. 2. 16. Nevertheless the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his And let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity This word Nevertheless implies a tacite Objection arising from the foregoing words of the Apostle verse 17 18. Hymeneus and Philetus of eminent Beleevers and Preachers of the Gospel were become Hereticks whose words did spread and kil like a Gangrene insomuch that they had overthrown the saith of some Now might a poor Saint say Good God! what way is there to attain to a sound and saving Faith which cannot be overthrown or when shal I know that my Faith is thus sound and saving Who can be sure of their Faith that it shal not fail them when it hath failed these The Apostle gives two Answers to this Objection First The Foundation of the Lord standeth sure God the Father of our Lord Jesus makes himself in the hearts of his Children to be a sure Foundation unto their Faith so that it can never be shaken This Foundation he layeth in the fair colors of his own Spirit of a mystical and peculiar Union in the Spirit of an especial work of Grace flowing from this Union Secondly This sure Foundation at the bottom of our hearts and faith is also the Seal of Assurance upon them both Having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his In Spiritual things that which is the Life is the only Light which is therefore so called in the Gospel the Light of Life the Principle is the Seal Ye mere sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise faith St. Paul Ephes. 1. That Light of Knowledg which is Originally the Knowledg of the Lord in us that Communicatively by Vertue of the Union is our Knowledg and this Knowledg is our Seal As in Natural things the Eye sees not alone neither doth the Soul but both concur in every act of sight So is it in every act of Spiritual Sence The Spirit of the Lord witnesseth together with our Spirits saith St. Paul Rom. 8. The Spirit of the Lord and our Spirit like the Soul and the Eye joyntly concur in every act of Spiritual Knowledg The Lord knoweth in us we know in the Lord that we are his Thus this Union which is the Principle of Life in us is in like manner the Seal of Light Object The world hath often objected to the servants of the Lord in the great Works of our times You plead inward Principles Power and Light for your Justification in extraordinary waies that it is from the fervency of your spirit in the Service of the Lord and of the publick welfare How shal we know this that you do not Cloath contrary designes and corrupt interests with these pretences how can we or you tel that your impressions are not delusions Answ. What hath the answer been Hath it not been that of Jesus Christ to the Jews when they refused to mourne to his weeping or to dance to his Musick Wisdom is justified of her Children Matth. The Lord Jesus as he is by his spirit the Power of God in us from which we act and on which we stand as on a sure Foundation So is he in like manner the Wisdom of God in us by which we know him and his out-goings by which we are also known of him and owned by him This
it be the Knowledg of the Holy is that alone which comes by the Infusion and Illumination of the Holy Ghost Cant. 1 2 3. For the Savour of thy good Oyntments saith the Spouse to Christ thy name is as an Oyntment powered forth Therefore do the Virgins love thee Draw us and we wil run after thee The spirit of Christ in the brightness and sweetness of its light Purity Love Joy is this Oyntment powered forth No Savour is good to a Virgin-Spirit but that alone of these Oyntments Where there is a Virgin love to Jesus Christ the Soul is drawn to run after any excellency only by this Savor by the light and sweetness of the spirit as this Oyntment is poured forth there As it is in the Objects of sight there is the Material Object and the Formal The Material is the thing seen as a flower a Picture The Formal is the colors by which it is seen Besides these is the Light in the Ayre which actuates these colors and makes them to appear So is it in things pertayning to the understanding and Judgment The outward appearance is but the Materiality of the Object the shinings forth of the inward principle is the Formality the Color But the Holy Spirit is the only Light by which the discoverys of the principles of things are drawn forth and laid open I have done now with the Second Vse and come to the Third Vse 2. This is for Exhortation If God go forth in New waies let us be New that we may be fit to meet him and go along with him We read in the Gospel of the Pool of Bethesda John 3. 2. An Angel at certain times came down into this Pool and troubling the waters infused a healing vertue into them Many sick persons lay round about the Pool ready to step in There was also a House to receive the poor diseased waiters This House was called Bethesda which signifies the House of Free Grace You who have the blackest Guilt the deepest brand of any Lust the darkest despair upon your Spirits behold here a way for you to be made new this very moment The Blood of Christ is before you as a Healing and Clensing Pool Your Savior himself is every moment descending into it from Heaven and ascending out of it to Heaven by the Vertue of his Death Resurrection and Ascention to impart the Efficacy of al these to it himself to take you into his bosom in the midst of these Waters to bath you throughly in them till you become quite new then to carry you up with himself into the Newness of the Spirit of Heaven and of the Glory of the Father But perhaps you wil say you are so sick so dead in sin that you cannot move toward this Healing Pool Let not that discourage you the Father himself is ready to take hold of you and by his strength to put you in He draws us to Christ It may be you wil say that you are under the Wrath of the Father and therefore cannot hope that he should give you his helping hand To answer this he hath built a House of free Grace a Bethesda he hath called this Pool of most precious Blood the Pool of Bethesda the Pool of free Grace The Doors of this House stand continually open day and night All Persons are invited and press'd to come in All whom the Father finds here he himself takes and carries in his own Arms to this Pool and laies them in the Arms of his Son who is alwaies descending into it waiting in the midst of it and rejoycing exceedingly when any sinful sick Soul comes thither to him Open your Eyes and see Oye Sons and Daughters of Men Here now in this place at this very hour is the House of free Grace the Healing Pool before you if you will enter into them Nay even here and now you are already in the house of Free Grace and in the Arms of the Father you are in this healing Poole of your Saviors blood you are in your Saviors Armes he is come down to you he is carrying you up with himself thither where al things are New your being Beauty Life company delights new if only you wil beleeve if only you wil open the Eye of your spirit to see the truth as it is in Jesus The Lord Jesus is set down upon the Throne of Grace and fils the whol Earth with the Glory of his Mediation Only the Eyes of men are held that they see not this Glory Vse 4. This is my last Vse which is for Consolation and Encoragement You have now a warr with the most potent Prince in the whol Christian world who is Cheif staff of the Papal Anti-Christian strength You have reason to expect a Combination of al the powers of darkness and this world Visible and Invisible within and without from at home and from abroad against you But fear them not This warr shal not be like other warrs but after a new manner It shal be with the burning of a spiritual and divine Fire Take notice here for your Comfort that this Fire shal have contrary effects upon the Saints and upon their enemys First This Fire upon your enemys shal have these Propertys It shal be First Dreadful Secondly Irresistible Thirdly Devouring Fourthly Tormenting Fiftly Sodeine Secondly This Fire to its friends shal have these Property It shal be First Cherishing Secondly Enlightning Thirdly Defensive as a Wal of Diamonds Fourthly Heightning Fiftly Transforming into one glorious Heavenly immortal nature with it self Sixtly Separating al dross from the Gold Seventhly Vniting melting the Gold til it al run into one undivided mass I shal conclude this use and my Sermon with an allusion to the story of Eliah who sat upon the top of Mount Carmel when the Captaines and their fiftys in the name of the King commanded the man of God to come down But he answered if I be a man of God let fire come down from Heaven and destroy you with your fiftys Carmel signifies the Vineyard of God This top of Mount Carmel is the Church in the spirit of glory in the glorified person of Christ her head where she is as a flourishing Vineyard to God upon the top of a Mount of spirituality Let Kings with their Armys encompass us if we be men of God the seed of God if this be Mount Carmel on the top of which we stand the cause of God the Church the spirit the Mediation of Christ then shal the Holy Angels the spirit Christ himself come down as Fire from Heaven upon our enemys to consume them but upon us to carry us up on high as in the Charriot of Eliah burning with the Love and Glory of God FINIS Books printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book-seller in Cornhil at the Printing-press Several New books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England And Attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own