to finish let those who would follow Christ in the Regeneration or their Generation work sit down first and with serious spirits count the cost Take that word of Christ for your help Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not father and mother and wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple The Law and Testimony of the Lord is bound up and sealed with such Disciples-indeed who chuse rather to loose their ALL in this world than to doe any thing contrary to the mind of God contained therein As for others the Lord counts them unworthy and if they be enlightned they cannot but judge themselves unworthy of so great a trust But why doe I detain the Reader thus long from that discourse which may afford more profit and delight The work is before thee goe on to it in the fear of the Lord onely this I shall say further viz. That I doubt not but men who will reject a good work as the manner of some is for some small and it may be meerly supposed Errour may find whereat to be stumbled in reading this Book and so this as many other worthy works be rendred uselesse and an offence to them whilest honest hearts who having the love of truth cannot easily be prejudic'd against it Psal 119.165 are like to reap precious benefit hereby And here let it be noted also That God is not a little jealous for the glory of his great Name in the work he hath begun Though he will use man in his work yet so as that his Imperfection shall appear that we may cease from man and from glorying in men our selves or others and that we may give all the glory to him whose due it is Amen Blessing and glory and wisedome and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be given unto our God for ever Having thus far enlarged as being engaged to bear my Testimony in love to those truths contained in the ensuing worke I commend it to the Lord for his blessing adding this onely that I am Thine if thou rejoycest not in Iniquity but in the Truth JOHN PENDARVES The 10 day of the 6 Month. 1656. Errata PAge 2. line 14. for vissitudes read vicissitudes p. 9. l. 3. r. are not l. 36. r. heart-feuds p. 11. l. 8. r. they give him the honor p. 13. l. 40. r. as at p. 15. l. 36. r. is in Zion p. 16. l. 31. dele abide the day p. 17. l. 4. r. he tells us p. 64. l. 12. r. secondly p. 65. l. 8. dele of p. 77. l. 34. r. swiftnes Many other literall Mistakes have escaped the Press but these above written are some of the chief of which the Reader is desired to take notice The Prophets MALACHY and ISAIAH PROPHECYING to the Saints and Professors of this GENERATION Of the great things the Lord will do and bring to pass in this their day and time MAL. 3.16 17 18. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not THE State of the Nation and Common-wealth of Israel their Worship and the dispensation of their God towards them were Tipes of the better condition he would bring his Children into of those clearer discoveries the Lord would make of himself and his Glory and after what manner he would carry himself towards his Chosen in the Gospel-day And it 's as true that the backslidings and apostacies of that Tipical Common-wealth and people with their corrections bondages and captivities were Tipes also of the state and condition of the Church of God under that Gospel-administration yea their very Enemies were no less than Tippical pointing out to us those adversaries the Serpent would raise up against the seed of the Woman the true Church and people of God in that divident of time called the last dayes Their servitude and sore bondage in Egypt was a general Tipe of the malitious practises of the seed of the Serpent against the Womans seed all the Serpents day long til the appointed time comes wherein the Lord wil judge them and deliver his people with a mighty hand with signes and with wonders after the manner of Egypt But in a more particular way After many vissitudes and changes fals and risings backslidings and reformations wrought in this Common-wealth which also are not without their Tipical significancies when those two admirable excellent Tipes David and Solomon had run their race this people of one Nation became two which tipically is very significant to us For as those 10 Tribes who made the fraction presently turned aside from their God and through their backslidings and apostacies after many warnings from Heaven brought a destroying enemy upon them that their place and name was taken quite away they were a Tipe of those ten parts if I may so express it of the professing Gospel-Church who through their backslidings and apostacies a 2 Thes 2.3 falling away made way for the man of Sin the Babylonish power to exalt it self over them to their ruine And as the Lord for his servant Davids sake and for Jerusalems sake promised to preserve one Tribe that David might have b 1 King 11.36 a light before the Lord in Jerusalem notwithstanding their backslidings and apostacies yet upon the pure account of his Covenant with David the Lord preserves this one Tribe according to his promise til Shiloh came this Tribe was a Tipe of that smal part of the professing Gospel-Church which the Lord will preserve for David his Sons sake and for Jerusalem his true Churches sake that the seed of the Woman may not be quite extinct nor our Lord Jesus the Son of God left without his Remnant in the world notwithstanding all the deviations backslidings and apostacies of Kings Rulers and people yet there is a cluster in the midst of it that hath such a blessing in it that it shal be preserved and continue til he comes the second time whose right it is to Reign But for the iniquities backslidings and Apostacies of this one Tribe the Lord delivers them for a season into the hand of the King of Babilon and after a certain term of time by a Cyrus he opens away for their coming out of Babilon and return to their own Land to Worship the Lord God of their Fathers at Jerusalem in the true Church now they apostatising after this super-abundant grace and favour stopping their ears against the Lords Messengers he withdraws God leaves them to themselves their Prophets cease
one that b Rev. 17.1 2 sits upon many water who hath the Kings of the earth for her servants to commit fornication with her as Babilon of old was the great and lofty City exalting it self above c Dan 4.1 all people Nations and languages that dwelt in all the earth so hath our Babilon exalted her selt above the christian world as they cal in So that 3 The Prophet here sets forth the joyful praising state of the true Church and people of God immediatly upon the destruction of Babilon then shal they be able to sing the songs of Syon again praising the Lord after this manner 3 Because in this state there is night as wel as day therefore there is the shining of a flaming fire prepared for the nights defence but the glory of the mountain state is such as There shall be d Rev 21.25 no night there Because in this state there is a Tabernacle appointed for its defence which is moveable and not fixed therefore not the mountain state for that is a fixed unmoveable state They that trust in the Lord shal be as e Psal 125.1 MOUNT ZION which cannot be removed but abideth for ever And seeing for these reasons it cannot be interpretred of the glory of the mountain state of Zion I shall lay it down as the And last ground why I apprehend Isaiah and Malachy to treat both of one and the same time That this glory here spoken of in this 4th Chapter is the glory of that state of Zion wherein it becomes Daniels stone smiting the great Image the Lords battel-ax and weapon of war breaking in pieces the Nations and destroying Kingdoms the Lords threshing instrument to thresh the mountains smal and to make the hils like chaff upon the glory of this state there shal be such a defence that neither the heat nor the storm nor the raine of their enemies shal hurt or touch it the reasons that move me to adhere to this interpretation are 1 This glory is no other but the fruit of Zions purging and purifying which in this Chapt is called HOLINESSE Every one that it left in Zion and that remaineth in Jerusalem shal be called holy it is upon this glory the defence is created now this purifying of Zion and cloathing it with this glory is performed before though but immediatly before the day comes wherein the transgressors and sinners shal burn together and none shall quench them that day that shal burn as an Oven burning up the wicked both smal and great leaving them neithergoot nor branch when Zion shal be redeemed and restored to this glory then shall the destruction of the wicked come 2 The defence that is created upon this glory carries a great similitude to the Isratites wilderness state a cloud and smoakby day and a shining of a flaming fire by night and a Tabernacle now it signifies thus much to me that as the children of Israel had these things for their defence and direction when they were travelling through the Wilderness to the Promised land so under these figures the Holy Ghost holds forth to us that defence the Lord wil create by a wonder working power upon this glory all the while his chosen are journying over the worlds hils and mountains towards that State which was tiped out by the Promised Land of Canaan so that in deed and in truth the glory of this State mentioned in this 4th chapter which shal have such a defence is no other but that qualification and sitness the Lord wil indue his Zion withall to enable her to carry on his great design and work in the world to bring all the Kingdoms of this world into subjection to his Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Supposing I have sufficiently proved the truth of the assertion That Isaiah in these Chapters treateth of the same time Malachy doth in his Prophecy I shal proceed to consider the Terrors of this dreadful day as the Prophet holds them sorth which wil plainly appear to us if we confider 1 The dreadful work the Lord wil make in professing Zion at this day f Isai 2. he wil humble the lofty looks and bring down the haughtiness of man there is not a man that is proud and lofty and lifted up but shal be brought down in that day and the day of the Lord shal be upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that Timber of which once the Lord was pleased to make beams and rafters for his house becomes now the subject of the anger and displeasure of God by reason of its being high and listed up upon its own bottom and upon all the Oaks of Bashan those trees of strength that are so useful in the Common wealth and upon all the high mountains and hils that are lifted up those prodigious lumps of earth whose aspiring brows injuriously overtop their neighbouring levels and upon every high Tower and fenced wal those strengths and fortresses the works of mens hands in which they put their trust as in a sure place and upon all the Ships of Tarshish those waies and means by which these men gain their Idols of gold and their Idols of silver which they make each one for himself to Worship and upon all pleasant pictures those rare painted inventions the wits of the Times find out to please the childish world with now in its doting old age and these with all other Idols wil he utterly abolish they shal utterly pass away and which is worthy our serious noting and is very significant he doth all this as he is Lord of hosts for behold the Lord the Lord of hosts doth so and so it s the day of the Lord of hosts that fals upon the particulars fore-mentioned What a dreadful day of Terrors must this of necessity prove when the Lord of hosts ariseth out of his place to de I with such sturdy and potent enemies as these are shaking terribly the earth the dread of this glorious Majesty is such as puts all the Inhabitants of this professing world to the run they run into the holes of the rock and into the caves of the earth they then throw away their Idols of gold and their Idols of silver to the moles and to the batt's though their Whorish and adulterous hearts run out so strongly to them before yet then let who vvil take them that they may run the lighter into the clefts of the Rock and to the tops of the ragged rocks and poor Jacob he is put to the run too he enter into his rock the rock of Ages into those secret Chambers the Lord hath provided for him to lye hid in and all for dread and fear of the glorious Majesty of the Lord of hosts at this day and such glory wil be manifested at this day that those that are left to praise the Lord shal wholly cease from man all men all of man the best of men the holiest of men even the holy Inhabitant of Syon
comes to vindicate his name and honour in jealousie and wrath Judging of her And that it was the state of the Jewish Church in which our Lord found them at his first coming in the flesh hath been cleared up already and therein she was a Type and representation of the professing Gospel-Church in the last dayes Lastly That it is the state and condition of the professing Gospel Church when Judgement shall begin at the house of God he will visit her with a SPIRIT of Judgement and a spirit of burning be as a Refiners fire and as Fullers sope to her Matthew and Luke tel us plainly As it was in the dayes of Noah so shal it be also in the dayes of the Son of man and Luke illustrates it by the condition of Sodom g Luke 17.26 28 30. They did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded even thus shal it be in the dayes when the Son of man is revealed so that upon the credit of the word of two Evangelists we may believe it for a truth that the professing worlds being in this state and condition is a clear sign of the Lords being at hand to deliver his remnant and destroy his enemies But wil you have the testimony of a third Apostle John the Spirit of the Lord by him in his Epistle to the seven Churches in Asia bears witness to this truth that when the professing Gospel-Church fals into a refined hypocritical apostacy after reformation then the Lord stands at the door and knocks he stayes no longer but comes to Judgement for the proof of this let us a little consider these seven Churches of Asia They were Tipes and representations of the various state and condition of the Church of Christ from the falling away the Apostle writes of in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians by which the man of sin got up to his seat and power until the coming of the Lord to his Syon for some things written especially to the Churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea cannot be restrained to literal Philadelphia and literal Laodicea but must of necessity be granted to refer to some other time and persons tiped out by them further behold the order the Holy Ghost observes in his writing be begins with an apostacy with Ephesus who had fallen from her first works and closes with an apostacy with Laodicea that had fallen into a notable hypocritical strain boasting of her own gifts and excellencies saying I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing If we observe the Church of Sardis we shall there see what a low ebb the Church of Christ was once brought unto Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dye there were but a few names which had not defiled their garments but at the next remove the Spirit of the Lord works such a glorious reformation in the Church that she seems as if she were perfect before the Lord he finds no fault at all with her but commends her after a high rate this is represented to us by Philadelphia now the coming of our Lord draws neer it is not far off Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast after this Satan that cunning and implacable enemy to the Saints happiness brings his Laodicean temper upon the stage the professing Gospel-Church fals from so glorious a reformation wrought by the Philadelphians into a luke warm hypocritical apostacy by this time our Lord is at the door and ready to enter in and behold the hypocrisie of this apostacy although she be fallen from the glory of noble Philadelphia into the loathsome condition of luke warm Laodicea wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked yet she saith I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing now our Lord stands at the door and knocks gives notice that he is coming and wil not tarry Thus my Brethren you have a manifold testimony to the truth of the assertion that an hypocritical apostacy after reformation in the professing Gospel-Church is an unquestionable evidence That deliverance to the true seed and destruction to the enemy is at hand the Lord wil stay no longer but wil come and wil not tarry for his own Names sake if God would not spare the old world nor his chosen people Israel To whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory and the promises when they came into this temper and frame what ground hath any man to think that this present evil world being come into the same State shal find more favour at the hand of the jealous God than those of old did The blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world Luke 11.50 shal be required of this Generation saith our Lord what Generation is that an hypocritical Pharisaical Generation So that it remains for a certain truth that judgement is at the door of this Generation and deliverance is coming from Heaven to the faithful that keep their garments pure and they shal walk with their Lord in white for they are worthy 2 Be instructed in the design of the Lord at this day upon you and the rest of your Brethren with whom you are contending for the name and honour of your Lord it is to bring you into cloth you with the glory of the day of your Espousals that it may be with you as it was in antient years in the beginning what glory is that the glory of the Apostles and Saints when they received the promise of the Father when the Spirit of the Lord came with power upon them working in them according to the might of his power the glory of this day is inexpressible neither is it my work at this time to dilate upon it but I chuse rather to leave it to your own meditations to represent it to your view by chewing the cudd in the consideration of it as it is set forth in the holy Writings of the Apostles when you have attained to this glory then wil you be defended by the creating power of God and power from on high wil be given you to tarry on that great work of God in the world to the glory and praise of your Lord your hearts are now so much fixed upon in which you so earnestly desire to be labouring Other very useful instructions might be added but I conceive it wil be more acceptable and vvork more kindly if your selves press that wholsom liquor out of this cluster therefore I forbear 2 In the second place give me leave to Exhort you to these things 1 Be not weary of nor undervalue your present work behold how acceptable how delightful it is to your Lord the Lord is alwaies among you hearing all your discourses with greatest delight the glory of it so ravishes his hear k Cant. 4 8 9 11. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast
set before them his excellency and glory let them know who your beloved and who your friend is this practice wil prove exceeding serviceable to your Lord do you but give the daughters of Jerusalem to understand the glory of the object of your souls love which drew you to those harsh incounters with the Watchmen and the keepers of the wals and they wil presently become followers of you as you are followers of your beloved Whither is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among Women whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee 4 Labour with all your might after union seek out uniting principles upon which an honourable union upon the right foundation may be wrought Union union union before the Syon of God can become a fit instrument to carry on that work of the Lord in and upon the rebellious World your hearts are so much fixed upon this glorious work of union must be perfected in her when Syon is become a holy hill a body united and compact together then is she a fit seat for her Lord to sit upon as King yet have I set my King upon my HOLY HILL of Syon before Syon wil be enabled by a sufficiency of light and power to tread down the wicked as ashes under her feet and burn them up both root and branch there must be a union as hath been already hinted between the Jewels of the Lord and that remnant of his that fearing his name keep their garments clean from the defilements of the day to provoke you unto this blessed union let me perswade you seriously to consider these few motives thereunto 1 This union is that which our Lord Jesus prayeth so earnestly for the accomplishment of Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one John 17.20 21. as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they all may be one c. surely it is of no smal concernment to Jesus Christ but of absolute necessity his chosen should be thus united his heart is so entirely fixed upon it he intercedes so particularly to his Father for it 2 This union is that the accomplishment of which is the end wherefore Jesus Christ bestows the same glory his Father gave him upon his people And the glory which thou gavest me Vers 22. I have given them that they may be one even as we are one it seems our Lord values this union at a very high rate he gives so great a price as his glory to purchase it 3 This union is exceeding excellent and glorious and therefore deserves seeking after with the greatest earnestness and diligence therefore must it needs be glorious because it is the fruit of glory And the glory which thou gavest me Verse 23. I have given them that they may be one even as we are one the giving of glory to them brings forth this union among them as it 's natural fruit 4 This union is the way to perfection that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one c. Would you become perfect with the perfection of your Heavenly Father endeavour then after this union 5 By this union you wil convince the world that Jesus Christ your Lord is the Messiah of the Father Verse 2â— That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that the world may believe that thou hast sent me the exceeding glory of this union wil convince both Jew and Gentile in a day wherein there are false Christs and false Prophets shewing great signs and wonders if it were possible to deceive the very Elect that you Lord you make profession of is the true Messiah the true Christ sent from the Father 6 By this union you wil not only convince the world that your Lord is he that was sent from the Father and so consequently that the truth you plead for is the truth the promise of the Father to your Lord but that you are the beloved of the Father loved w th the same love he loves your Lord with Verse 23. That they may be one even as we are one that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast l ved them as thou hast loved me the perfection of this union wil put such an excellent glory upon you above all other glories as that the World shal be convinced in their consciences that if the Lord hath fixed his love upon any company of men in the World you are the people and be forced to report that God is in you of a truth 7 This union wil make you 1 Exceeding glorious in the eyes of your Beloved and of all that look upon you Cant. 6 9 My Dove my undefiled is but one saith the Lord Jesus here is the union pleaded for behold how he commends it how amiable it is in his eye She is the onlie one of her Mother she is the choice one of her that bare her of all the children she hath brought sorth this is the ONLY ONE the best beloved of all the states and conditions the Spouse hath been brought into this is the most excellent the most glorious the choice one yea you wil be the subject of the praises of all that shal behold you The daughters saw her and blessed her the Queens and the Concubines and they praised her behold how glorious you wil appear in their eye Verse 10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with banners and who is she think you why our Lord tels you it is my Dove my undefiled who is but one and this union wil make you 2 In the second place fitly qualified for the work of your Lord like to the Armies of the Lord indeed who is she that looks terrible as an Army with banners the answer is the undefiled Spouse of Christ who is but one and when the fruits of this glorious union shal ere you are aware make your souls like to the Chariots of Aminadab carry you on exceeding swiftly and strongly in the work of your Lord if any shal then cry Return return O Shulamite return return that we may look upon thee the answer wil be Verse 13 What wil ye see in the Shulamite as it were the company of two Armies if any would have you stay a while that they may behold more of the glory of your united stil state the answer wil then be you are become terrible as an Army with banners yea terrible as the company of two Armies O the terrors and dread that the glory of this union wil strike into the hearts of your Lords enemies 8 By this union you wil become as an innocent Dove undefiled my Dove my undefiled is but
ravished mine heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck the Lord is thus ravished with his Spouse When she looks from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the lyons dens from the mountains of the leopard and her lips drop as the hony comb yea so ravished is he with the glory of your present Work as he wil keep the Idea of it in his Book of remembrance he wil have it alvvaies before him why should you undervalue it and grow weary of it as of a low and mean thing seeing the Lord prizes it at so high a rate that it rejoyceth the very heart of God as those peculiar and rich promises annexed to it manifest Be not weary of it but keep close to your Work and you shal not only possess rich and glorious Reward but at the appointed time shal be accomodated vvith safficient furniture to carry on that glorious work of your Lord vvherein you shal grow up as Calves of the stal Be not weary of your work think not the time long nor your Work stale the Lord is now in the midst of you and it is exceeding dangerous for you to go forth to another Work Til the breaker up go up before you til your King the Lord pass on the head of you so long as the cloud abides on the Tabernacle the Children of Israel are not to journey but when the cloud is taken up m Deut. 1.33 and goeth in the way before them then is it safe for Israel to go forward let not an irregular ambition after a higher and more noble Work draw you into a sinful seeming 〈◊〉 of your Lords care of his Work cause that vvil greive the holy Spirit vvho dwels in your Temples n Cant. 2 7 I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love til he please be faithful in your present Work and vvait the pleasure of your Lord and in the very next Verse you vvil hear his voice The voice of my Beloved and no sooner do you hear his voice but behold he comes leaping upon the Mountains skipping upon the hils no hils nor mountains of opposition shal hinder him but you shal behold him coming to give you your hearts desire o Ch. 3.6 Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and Frankincense with all powders of the Merchant and vvhen he forsakes that houling desart he vvil not leave you behind him p Ch 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her beloved O then blemish not your Lords Work by any impatiency of Spirit but vvait your Lords leasure he vvil come and vvil not tarry q Ch 3.5 I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please r Ch. 8.14 Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices 2 Let your love to your Lord Jesus and his name appear seek by all vvayes and means possible to convince the professing world that it is nothing but love to your beloved that moves you nothing but love strong as death verily this vvil prove of much advantage every vvay behold vvhat an advantage vvas gained by such a conviction as this upon the spirits of men in the 5th of the Canticles the Spouse of Christ by a sluggish and ununvvorthy carriage having lost the sight of her Beloved the consideration of the excellency and glory of his love blovvs up the embers in her sleepy heart into a fire of love her soul fails vvithin her she is ready to dye for vvant of her Beloved she runs hither and thither to seek him and she cals after him but all in vain in this hot pursuit after her Beloved she encounters with the Watchmen but meets with very unkind entertainment nothing but smitings and woundings from them she turns to the keepers of the wals and they handle her very roughly They took away my vail from me all this while she suffers loss she neither finds her Beloved nor gains any advantage her passion of love was such as obscured her beauty and excellency that it appeared not so plainly what in truth it was but when her Love brake forth clearly from under those clouds I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem if ye find my Beloved that ye tel him that I am sick of love what a wonderful change is wrought what an advantage is gained not only to her self a good esteem of her person O thou fairest among Women she is now longer counted worthy of stripes but of the highest praises but also to her Beloved it sets their hearts upon an earnest enquiry after him What is thy beloved more then another beloved that thou dost so charge us the intenseness and fervency of their mind in the enquiry is set forth by the doubling of the question What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest among Women what is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge us O let your love to your beloved appear this wil wipe off all that dirt and dishonour the wicked world casts upon you and the cause of your Lord you stand up for and provoke the daughters of Jerusalem to enquire after your beloved with whom you are so exceedingly in love 3 Seek earnestly after a spirit of light and discerning from the Lord to enable you to hold forth your beloved to the world in all his glory the glory of his person and the glory of his word of truth when the Spouse had in answer to their question in the 5th of the Canticles made a ful description of the glorious excellencies of her beloved my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand c. concluding This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem behold what blessed fruit this brings forth Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest omong Women whether is thy Beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee her Beloved is now become their beloved also and they joyn issue with her in a through search after him let this be no smal part of your work to hold forth your beloved to the world in all his glory and lovely excellencies convincing them that this is your beloved and this is your friend that it is your love to him that moves you and acts you in all your wayes that it is the enjoyment of him that is the mark you shoot at then wil the daughters of Jerusalem be in love with your beloved also and account of you as the fairest among Women the most excellent would you have the daughters of Jerusalem be your friends and assistants in seeking after your beloved then
one it imports thus much that it is the oneness of the Spouse that makes her so Dove-like and undefiled unless you endeavour after this union which the Apostle cals The unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace you wil not walk worthy of your vocation wherewith ye are called Ephes 4.3 compared with the iv while Ephraim envies Judah and Judah vexes Ephraim defiling dirt and dust wil be thrown about and stick to your garments when the Lord hath by his Refining dispensation united his Jewels and his Remnant into one upon his own foundation then wil they be pleasantness to the Lord his Dove undefiled then wil such a glory rest upon them as the Lord wil create a defence upon it as hath been already suggested in this discourse my Dove my undefiled is but one 9 This union is the very Image of that glorious union between the Father and the Son our Lord makes the union between him and his Father the pattern of that union he intercedes for that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee again that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they be made perfect in one this union is a lively representation of the glorious union between the Father and the Son and what an exceeding glory must that needs be my thinks the glory of it should even ravish your hearts and make your souls like to the Chariots of Aminadab in an eager pursuit of it til you have attained So that by this time I hope you may be in love with union who can but be in love with it the glory of it is so exceeding like the glory of your Lord who is the chiefest of ten thousand but I would not be mistaken by any It was in the heart of that blessed servant of the Lord dear Tillinghast had he had alonger day to have wrought in to have presented you with some principses of this glorious union O that the Lord would anoint some other with the same Spirit that some healing balsom might be poured into the bleeding wounds of distressed Syon this union I so earnestly press after is not dissonant to but may wel stand with that holy separation from the unclean thing the Saints are exhorted and it is their duty to seperate from but again a truly Christian pursuit after this union wil glorifie a right and a holy separation pursue this holy principle of Union and I perswade my self you wil leave very few or none that have but a grain of sincerity cleaving to the uncleanthing if the glory of this Union be so powerful as to convince the wicked World how much more than think you wil it draw that heart that hath but the least grace in it O the inexpressible advantage this union of parts brings to the whole body one part possesseth wisdom and counsel another spirit and life another part agility and swiftess in motion now while they are not in conjunction tho the one may have wisdom and counsel yet it may want the spirit and life of the other and though that other may have excellent spirit and life yet it may want wisdom to direct and guide the agile faculty in a regular motion but when there is a union of parts the whole body partakes off whatsoever wisdom of whatsoever excellency of Spirit and Life and of whatsoever other noble gift is in any part thereof which must needs be exceeding glorious to behold of much advantage to the cause and work of your Lord. O my Brethren If there be therefore any consolation in Christ Phil. 2.1 2 3.4 5. if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels of mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde let nothing be done through strife or vain glorie but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus 5 Take heed and beware of a selfish spirit a self-exalting spirit dread and shun this monster as the greatest precipice of danger your Souls can possibly fall into at such a time as this This frame and temper of spirit the Lord wil contend against and bow down in that dreadful day of his which is hastning upon us For the day of the Lord of hosts shal be upon every one that is proud and loftie and upon every one that is lifted up and he shal be brought low yea the Lord wil not endure the least degree of it not so much as a losty look Isai 2.11 12 The loftie looks of man shal be humbled and the haughtiness of men shal be bowed down it is necessary it should be so and the reason why the Lord wil have it so is that the Lord alone may be exalted in that day it is the great design of the Lord in this notable day of his that he is bringing upon Syon to exalt himself alone and til this selfish frame of spirit be bowed down and brought low the Lord cannot accomplish his design he cannot be alone exalted this is the reason why the dreadful day of the Lord wil come upon the Cedars the materials of his Temple because they are high and lifted up but one fragment of this temper of spirit is one of the 7 things that are hateful an abomination unto the Lord a proud look or haughtie eyes Prov 6.17 as the margent of some Bibles hath it O therefore my brethren if we would be partakers of the rich Promises of the sparing love of our Father and not fal under the scourging hand of an angry God in this day of the Lord that is coming upon us let us dread and flee a self-exalting spirit Lastly Seeing it is the designe of the Lord at this day to bring his Syon into her first state into the purity of the day of her Espousals let us in the name of the Lord with heart and hand joyn with one accord to further this glorious design of God O that we would n deavour every one to mend one and in love help to mend each other would you be serviceable in the work of the Lord I know you would why this is the ready way the high way to carry on the great and glorious design of God upon the world when Syon is so reformed by the power of God as that she can offer up Offerings in righteousness that are peasant unto the Lord as in the daies of old as in antient Years THEN shal she tread down the Wicked as ashes under her feet THEN will the Lord raise up thy Sons O Syon Zack 9.13.14 15. against thy Sons O Greece and make thee as the sword of a Mighty man and the Lord shal be seen over them and his arrow shall go forth as the lightening and the Lord God shal blow the Trumpet and shal go with whirlwinds of the South the Lord of hosts shall defend them and they shal devour and subdue with sling stones and they shal drink and make a noise as through Wine and they shall be filled like bowls and as the corners of the Altar THE END