full of silver and gold and Balaam was covetous for Iude mentions his sin Hired with the wages of unrighteousness 5. Wisemen who wanting the true fear of God they are Diaboli delitiae The Devils delight Fit men for his turn and therefore They as most Fit must be set on work to act for him his Subtil and Cunning devices his Glorious Stratagems His splendida peccata Those glistring sins generosa scelera Noble Projects Honourable policies and Scarlet sins These be His Grave Black and Sage Complotters Cunning Engineers these are the fittest to carry on his Sage and Grave Mysteria iniquitatis Mysteries of Iniquity nay and some of his Mysteries of iniquity must carry a Divine face A reverend shew of holiness and Religion or else they cannot be effected and accomplished And what 's the ground of all this But Covetousness But why should I stand to deal with particulars severally Covetousness is an Epidemical plague common to rich poor it is a disease incident to the several ages of man Childehood Manhood Old age incident to the several Complexions of men none free from Covetousness The Thief in the old Law Covetousness caused him to steal God made a Law for the Thief to restrain him from coveting that which was not his own Exod. 22. 1. If he kill or sell it He should restore five Oxen for one Ox four sheep for one sheep It was not a law then to Hang a man and cut off the thred of his life for Thirteen pence half peny but to make Restitution to the Owner and not as it is now The owner to be bound to prosecute if he accuse and lose all himself and all that can be found of the Malefactors to fall to the King and if the owner take restitution of or to himself to be as lyable to the Law as the Thief himself Yet questionless it is meet that the Restitution should be given in a Legal way and openly and not covertly underhand and secretly as it then was whereby the Thief was known and detected and condemned to make restitution according to the Law it could be wished these things were well considered by those whom it concerns Our Saviour gives a special caveat against this sin of Covetousness Men think O if they had but such a thing as such a man hath Oh how it would content and please them such a mans house such a mans horse such a mans Estate I am now possessed of an hundred a year O could I make it two hundred and then three thousand then five thousand a year and thus the Devil deludes the vain heart of man and steals from him this rare Iewel of Contentment and intoduceth and juggels in the room thereof that Ugly and Gaping Fiend Covetousness Therefore our Lord bids us beware of this devouring foul Fiend Luk. 12. 15. Take heed and beware of Covetousness for though a man have abundance yet his life standeth not in his riches This is such a Taking Evil with the sons of men Christ had need bid them beware again and again some other dangers and evils if they be but seen t is sufficient to make men eschew and avoid them but for this of Covetousness ye must give item upon item and caution upon caution and caveat upon caveat and yet how few Take heed and beware of Covetousnessâ— A word or two of the Intention the third part of this Indictment Are given unto Covetousness This doth very much Aggravate this sin of Covetousness and so all other sins when men in this kinde do not onely peccare but peccatum facere not onely sin but sin with delight this is that which is exceedingly acceptable to the Devil for as God commanded Exod. 35. 5. that they should not onely bring offerings but bring them from a willing heart whether gold or silver or brass or silk blue or purple or scarlet c. or of goats-hair if never so small the free and willing heart was all in all So when men not onely sin but sin with a willing heart when men are not onely Covetous but given up to it are covetous with a willing heart what more acceptable to Satan and what more adominable to the Lord And hereupon when men thus Give themselves up freely to sin so that they choose it and delight in it then God himself gives them up to it likewise and lets them follow after the gods whom they have chosen as 1 Iohn 3. 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil that is he that Committeth himself to sin he is a free and willing servant to sin He hath chosen Sin to obey it and to be his Lord and Master Men â—ust give themselves up unto sin and then God in his righteous judgement gives them up according to their own hearts lust and according to their own choise and desire And is not this a righteous thing with Almighty God judge ye As Moses to Pharaoh God sent him to Pharaoh to let his people go who told him if he would not these and these plagues would follow Pharaoh hardens his heart and would take no Beware no Caveat then the Lord said as it were Seeing it is so seeing he is hardned and he chooses to be so he shall be hardned I will also harden his heart that I may shew upon him my mighty wonders Beloved Do not your hearts Ake while you hear of these things do you not tremble had you not need to take heed and boware of Covetousness especially of the love of Covetousness For if once you are delivered up to this first by your own choosing secondly by God Almighty in his righteous judgement truly you are in a wo case Then it may be said of you as the Prophet Ieremiah concerning the Israelites when they had voluntarily forsaken the Lord Ier. 13. 23. Can the Black amore change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do well who are accustomed to do evil In all which regards take heed and beware of Covetousness for a mans life cansisteth not in abundance But having food and raiment let us be therewith content Fourthly and Lastly for the punishment of this sin here threatned which is onely implyed in this word For with reference to the former verses which I may call as I did at the beginning The Zarah of my Text. The sin goes before and the punishment follows But here like Iudahs two Sons Pharez and Zarah the last put forth his hand first to the birth and they tyed a red thred to his finger saying This is born first but he pulled it in again and let his brother come first So though the punishment offered it self first by this first word in my Text For yet sin being always the forerunner of judgment this word For pulled back its hand and comes now last to the birth namely To be handled and spoken to wherein also I must be very brief
with and amazed his Hearers he searched their very hearts he cut off all their pretences he could not be beguiled with a profession of him onely those who are so eager for forms and outward profession they cannot befool and deceive him though they may â—he world He sees through all their great shewsâ—nd â—nd glorious pretences he so ransackt the â—eart in all his preachings which was the reason that so many went back and walked no more with him All â—hose who could not indure to be laid open hated his Doctrine and so I expect will mine be by such but such who are willing to know and be acquainted with their own hearts will draw near to hear and fit quietly while we are opening these truths as Mary sat at Christs feet and heard him gladly But to clear the point to you There be then three kinds of Sufferers As Moses professed to Pharaoh that he would go three dayes journey into the wilderness Exod. 5. 3. And Solomons Temple had Atrium Populi Sacerdotum Sanctum Sanctorum It had three Courts oâ— three Rooms the Out-Court where all the people came the Middle Court whereinto went the Priests onely and the Sanctum Sanctorum whereinto went onely the High-Priest once a year much like unto these are thâ—re three kinds of sufferers for Christ and of two of them Christ saith non novi vos I know you not 1 Such As out of tenderness of nature suffer with him they are of a natural tenderness and can weep to see any creature suffer much more Him whom they conceive to be their Saviour to look upon him as whipt wounded mockt crowned with thorns nailed to the cross suffer crie out so lamentably and then to yeild up the Ghosâ— And all this by the Cruelty of his own Creature 1 They can compassionate his bodily sufferings 2 Then also they can Compassionate the sufferings in his soul as I said There be some kind of Sufferers and they come but into the peoples Temple these go but the first dayes journey with Moses and there sit down The second sort go farther they go two dayes journey with him these indeed do enter into the Priests Court but go no farther Where are Laws and Ordinances and a wordly Sanctuary and directions for outward worships where indeed the generality of Preachers and Professors stick and there sit down And these Sufferers though to man they seem to go a great way yet as the Lord saith Heb. 4 They have not entred into my Rest. But there is a third sort who go the third days journey and these these are the Sufferers I aim to set before you these are those whom God carries on the power of man and self may bring men into the two former conditions of suffering but these God himself never leaves them till he hath brought them into the Holy of Holies That is till sufferings hath brought them to and ended in Rest Having overcome and do sit down with Christ in his throne even as he hath overcome and is sit down with his Father in his throne Rev. 3. 21. The first of these sufferers who suffer with him by way of compassion as we call it Mat. 15. 32. Iesus had compassion on the multitude because they had been with him three days and Mar. 8. 2. the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both places translated Teneritudines These Sufferers though it may be they may think they go a great way and they can go no faâ—ther Some of these they only look upon his bodily sufferings and therein they can enlarge themselves and can dilate largely of it of the shame and disgrace that he suffered the spitting in his face of his being crowâ—ed with thoâ—nâ— of sâ—â—ipping him naked out of his clothes of his cruel whippings and scourgings of his nailing to the cross of giving him gaâ—l and vinegar of his wounding with the spear and the rest In all these things they can amplifie unfold and enlarge themselves thereby to aâ—â—ect their hearts in compassion toward Christ in all these his bitter sufferings and Agonies Insomuch that some of the Papists can find in their hearts for very grief and compunction of heart to whip and tear their own flesh that so they may have the deeper compassion and be more fellow-feelers with him insomuch They would make you believe they so much prize his sufferings that they make much of any part of the wooden Cross whereon he suffered and out of love to him keep it for a precious Relique and remembranâ—e of him Likewise they can tell how many stripes his blessed body had and they keep the number of the nails that pierced his members and happy is he that can handle them and kiss them and afflict themselves and go many sore and far pilgrimages for their sâ—nâ— against him committed Nay so particular some of them have been in these things as the Rabbin in the Letter of the Pentateuch relates of one that hath summed up and collected all his stripes how many he had and saith he had 5400. Another sayes they were 5370. Another that they were 4000. And one hath been so pâ—nctual and saith that the crown of Thorns bored his head with seventy two wounds Nay not onely so do they suffer with him in compassionating his bodily sufferings but they carry it farther to the pangs and torments of his soul and suffer with him in that How do they weep for and lament his sufferings in that he should bear the heavy weight of his Fathers wrath Compassionating those sorrows fears frights amazements which he had before his suffering when he prayed in the garden his Sweat being like Drops of Bloud Mar. 14. 35. Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me And how do they take to heart those his sufferings upon the Cross when he cryed out Eli Eli Lamasabacthani so that they may say of him and call to others to lament and weep with them as Lament 1. 12. Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger And all this they take to be pious devout and religious and they may have a good meaning in it yet all this they may do and yet Christ may profess unto them I know you not They may do all this and not suffeâ— with Châ—ist All this is bâ—t Atrium populi the Peoples Court whereunto Every one may come This is but as the Pharisees Tything Mint and Cumin c. Mat. 23. 23. And neglect the weightier matters of the Law to whom our Saviour pronounceth many woes All this is but as the Grass that withereth and the Flower that fadeth and all flesh shall see it together when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed in us Esay 40. 5 6 7. And the voice said
other have split their vessels in these days But the Author so clearly distinguishes that he misseth both Rocks and carries on the truth Amain with Top-sail against all battery and opposition Here ye shall finde the vail rent and the last shadows vanishing and some Rayes of the glory of the holiest of all appearing being hid from ages and generations but in these last times upon the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles and for the calling of the Iews more brightly breaking forth revealing the mystery of the Scriptures or the marrow of the true word of God which endureth forever wherein the Life and Spirit of the Holy Word is clearly distinguished from the outward and killing letter comparing spiritual things with spiritual that all those errors differences revilings and bitter censurings so much broken forth of late occasioned by resting in the letter may now vanish and make haste before the presence of the Lord and the glory of his coming whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather the wheat into his garner but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire And will baptize his own people with his own Spirit with the Holy Ghost and with fire Howbeit we speak wisdom onely among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world which comes to nought But we speak the wisdom of God in a MYSTERY even the hidden wisdom which God hath ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the princes of this world knew 1 Cor. 2. It is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for those that love him having revealed them unto us by his spirit And if in this life onely we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. We are fools for Christs sake but ye are wise we are weak but ye are strong ye are honourable but we are despised 1 Cor. 4. 10. Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world or to himself let him become a fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 1. 18. For the preaching of the CROSSE is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved it is the power of God verse 18. But the foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God is stronger then men verse 25. He that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man verse 15. The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2. 27. If any man have an ear to hear let him hear Verse 10. Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude 24. and to do exceeding abundantly for you above all that we can ask or think according to the mighty power which worketh in you unto him be glory and majesty dominion and power in the Church by Iesus Christ thoughout all ages world without end Eph. 3. 20. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Amen Rapha Harford An Approbation THe publisher of this Book is desirous that it might pass with some testimonial into the world but it needs not testimony from man for I find it imprest with such a Divine Image and bearing such clear lineaments of Heaven-born truths as testifie it to be of God and therefore strongly bespeaks us to receive it as into our houses so chiefly into our heaâ—ts I dare assure thee Reader if thou hast received a spiritual relish thou shalt taste much sweetnes in it And if thou canst rejoyce to be laid low and made nothing that God may be exalted and made all in all then shalt thou find here that which will help thy joy and let me intreat thee That as thou readest the Book to read also thine own heart and by this thou mayest come to find thine heart in the Book and the Book in thine heart and will make thee fall upon thy face with that Ideot and worship God and report God is in this word of a truth 1 Cor. 14. 25. Some are casting off the letter of the Scripture others resting in it some are despising Ordinances others overvaluing them I find the Author walking warily betwixt both giving due honour to the letter and the form while he is exalting the Power and the Spirit incomparably above both And thou shalt find him laying the Ax of truth and the Edge of his Spirit to that cursed Root of Self-Approbation in man which is daily bringing forth such bitter fruits in his heart in his life and in the world and yet remains unseen and untouched in the hearts of many that would be thought to be arrived at the brink of perfection while they scarce understand wherein the great imperfection of the natural man doth lie Some expressions in thy reading may seem harsh or obscure to thee as they did to me but if thou comparest one place with another thou wilt clearly see what the Author means and shalt find his whole discourse to have a Sacred tendency to lay man low and so to put him into a Rich capacity of coming in to the nearâ—st fellowship with God so that while some seek to build up themselves upon the deceitful foundation of corrupted nature and struggle though in vain in the light and power of it to advance towards perfection He is planting his spiritual Artillery against it to throw it into the dust that man may come to be surely bottomed upon the Righteousness Power and Wisdom of Iesus Christ which is the onely foundation that God hath laid and the Gospel revealed And in some things you must give him a latitude to his judgement as thou desirest to thine own in other If thou findest some truths delivered and inforced with reiterated expressions consider they were delivered for the most part in several Congregations so that in some particulars the same things may be re-inforced but yet with more lustrâ— to make Truth more clear And that thou hast them as they were Preached and Pressed in Sermons to the Capacity and Conscience of his Auditors and taken from his mouth by a Notary yet afterward owned and approved by himself and compared with his own notes Read Consider and Try and hold fast that which is good March 26. 1653. Tho. Brooks M. Barker Imprimatur Ioseph Caril Decemb. 6. 1652. In remembrance of the Author and upon view of his Essigies and SERMONS HIS ICON curiously
engrav'd sets forth His outward feature not his inward worth His body was his souls dark vail and skreen So that his excellent substance lies unseen The hearing-ear and seeing-eye are blessings rare He furnish'd was with both for â—was his care To preach and practise true Self-denial Whereof these labours give sufficient trial In 's laâ—er dayes while here he had abode His life was joyn'd and hid with Christ in God How others might this spiritual method know His Life and Doctrine in this book do show True godliness is a MYSTERY long conceal'd But truly in these Sermons 't is reveal'd What good thou findest let not man be prais'd But to the Lord let all your hearts be rais'd L. D. The Titles Contents and Texts of both parts of this Book Christ the true Salt of the Earth IN one Sermon Preached at Islington Publike-meeting place on Mark 9. 50. Have salt in your selves The Star in the East leading to the true Messiah The Mystery of Christ crucified The spiritual crucifying the true Messiah In two Sermons at a private Meeting at Kensington near London on 1 Cor. 2. 2. But I determined to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified Of suffering and reigning with Christ. In eight Sermons at Kensington Publick meeting-place on Rom. 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together The dead and killing letter the Spirit and the Life Shadows vanishing some rayes of glory appearing In four Sermons at a private meeting at Kensington on Iosh. 16. 15 16. And Caleb said he that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife c. The second part Militia Coelestis or the heavenly Host. In two Sermons on Psal. 68. 17 At Giles Cripplegate London The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place Where Christ feedeth and where his flock resteth In two Sermons on Cant. 1. 7. at Highgate Publick-meeting place Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy â—â—ocks to rest at noon for why c. Of eating Hidden Manna The substance of a Sermon preached at a Lecture in the Old Jury London on Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Hidden Manna Covetousness Anatomized or the generality of Covetousness The substance of several Sermons preached at Putney near London on Ier. 6. 13. From the least of them even unto the greatest every one is given to Covetousness and from the Prophet even to the Priest every one dealeth falsely The PLUS ULTRA of the Creatures A brief Exposition on Psal. 148. spoken privately in Old Street London Milk for babes meat for strong men The substance of several Sermons at Kensington Publick meeting-place on Luke 2. 40. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him The Mystery or the Life and Marrow of the Scriptures An Exposition in two Sermons on Exod. 3. the 6. first verses at a private meeting at Kensington Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law Priest of Midian and he led the flock to the backside of the desart And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush c. True and divine Exorcism or the Devil conjured by Iesus Christ. The substance of several Sermons preached at Kensington Publick meeting-place on Mark 1. 25 26. And Iesus rebuked him saying Hold thy peace and come out of him and when the unclean spirit had torn him and cryed with a loud voice he came out of him All power given to Iesus Christ in heaven and earth In one Sermon preached at a Private meeting in Old-street London on Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to me in heaven and in earth Whereunto is added some Collections by Dr. Everard out of some Divine Authors as being things suitable to his preaching and giving further light each to other viz. To him who is in the light 1. DIonysius the Areopagite his mystical Divinity 2. Certain grave and notable sayings in Latin and English 3. Sayings of a certain Divine of great note and name 4. A lovely glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ taken out of Taulerus his works 5. Another short instruction out of the same Author 6. A short Dialogue between a learned Divine and a Beggar TO THE READER OF Dr. Everards SERMONS Christian Reader AS there were many causes of delay in publishing these Sermons so there are also in bringing them to light now The time when they were preached was in the dayes of the last Bishops who endeavoured the strangling of many Truths in the birth as Pharaoh the children of Israel lest they should increase and multiply to discover and suppress their deeds of darkness to that end High-Commissioning many precious and bright-shining lights whereof this Author was in the number laying as their manner was many foul things to their charge which they never knew as David said of himself by his enemies thereby making a great noise to amuze the people in medling with such men and to colour their wicked designes for the suppression of light and men of light as if they were guilty of foul Doctrine or foul life or both and though they could prove nothing against them yet keeping them in their Courts if possible to aw and vex them if they could not suppress them The Author hereof being spotless in either especially since God in a special and extraordinary manner appeared to him in him in his latter dayes for he confâ—ssed with the Apostle Paul Eph. 4. 17 18. that in the dayes of his former ignorance and vanity he walked as other Gentiles and as men living without God in the world in the vanity of his mind having his understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God because of the blindness of his heart which no doubt our merciful and ready-pardoning God had forgiven though men could not or would not forget which he regarded not much God speaking peace and parâ—on to his soul. But afterward he desired nothing more then to bring in others to see what he saw and to enjoy what he enjoyed and to clear truth to them in either respect he oftentimes averring as to others so to the Publisher hereof that his trouble was not for self-sufferings but that truth should be any way obstructed or defamed through him And he having once obtained of their Court to refer the accusations in either kind but especially for Doctrine and for Conventicles as they called them kept by him to reason out his judgement and what he had delivered with four Bishops members thereof or any three of them In this he rejoyced so as in nothing more so he exprest and we judge and not without good ground he taking abundance of pains and travel to
those that hunger and thirst for them and who cannot be satisfied without them and to none else Besides all this the importunity and sollicitations of many Scholers and other Christians from time to timeâ— who having experience of these practical things in themselves who though they want much of the Doctors schollership and parts yet deemed them worthy the publishing and have now prevailed to communicate them publiquely assuring themselves that those who have the things themselves in them will not be captious to spy out faults but receive in good part what is well intended Moreover another main reason of deferring them no longer is the abuse of many truths more broken forth of late them foâ—merly many of those Diamonds of truth being therein cleared and polished which have been so much abused and abased either by those filthy dreamâ—rs who have as to men wofully mistaken corrupted and defiled many glorious truths and by their false and devillish conclusions have not onely given occasion but a justification to defile the â—lesh falsly pretending that truth allows it though truth in it self cannot be corrupted or defiled or else by those blind Seers of 〈◊〉 times who yet calling themselves Prophets but are not do as Isaiah saith Isa. 5. 20. call truth errour and errour truth call darkness light and light darknesâ— evil good and good evil c. here also thou shalt find many of those Diamonds and prâ—cious Tâ—uths taken up from under their feet having been by them so trodden in the dirt as to men I say still they not knowing the worth of them by their viâ—ifyings and by their foul names of Errour Heresie Familsm c. because they knew not a true and right Diamond or if some yet not all and thâ—m they knew not they presently vilifie as cheating and counterfeit indeed few can know them from such or from dirt they have so daubed and trampled them in the miâ—e yet here thou shalt find them made orient spaâ—kling and refulgent as â—it to be numbred among those foundation precious stones whereof the New Ierusalâ—m is built Rev. 20. And those blind Seers pourtraitured to the life and their seemingly-holy disguises pulled off And yet in all this we have said commendatory of the Author Christian friends do not think that we have gone about to praise or liâ—t up Man or that we would have you fasten your eyes on any creature whatever No no God forbid far far be any such thing from our thoughts for what is man or wherein is he to be accounted of neither was it the Authors practise at all to lift up Man neither do we here present him as a perfect man but with Eliah as the Apostle saith of him Iames 5. 17. He was a man subject to like passions as we arâ— and with Lot Abraham David Pâ—ul and Peter he had his infiâ—mities but he could say also with Paul 〈◊〉 me that is in my flâ—sh dwelleth no good thing But I dâ—ligâ—t in the Law of God aftâ—r the inward man now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sâ—â— that dwelleth in me neither did he ascribe any good either graces or gifts to himself but all to God he would not set that crown upon his own head or upon the head of any creature but with Paul confessed Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And when God had wrapt up his spirit in pâ—eaching even as it were to behold himself in the third heaven yet he had that prick in the â—lâ—sh which would cause him often to say even in publique Beloved if at any time you find any good by me or see any truth more then you did before or find your souls raised from death to life or the Cripple from his mothers womb healed and cured within you or if you see any grace any gift in me as Peter to the Jews Ye men of Israel why look ye on us so earnestly as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man walk if you see in me any good know that is none of mine I dare not claim it neither can any creature claim it But if you see in me or your selves any sâ—â— any evil that is most properly mine and yours and yet it is not I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me but all good is Gods whatever it be that comes under the notion of Good under what name soever it is Gods and his onely So that we have onely hereby laboured to set and six your eye on him from whom all excellencies slow to see and behold the excellencies and vertues not of man but of him who calleth from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God and that you should wonder and be amazed that the Almighty should stoop so low as to work in men and to communicate of his own nature and put â—orth his mighty workings in and through such poor nothings as men are And in this respect let no man â—ear to speak to the utmost freely and fully of the Vertues Excellencies and workings of the Lord in the hearts of his people for in them he displayes his gloâ—ies they are his Sanctuary his Temple in them he rests as in his holy hill where every one speaks of his glory and although these motions and mighty miracles be wrought in man yet they are not of man or by man Therefore let men or whoever shall have occasion to speak either of the dead or of the living but keep to this rule and fix their eye on him to whom all glory and praise is due and then let them set forth freely and fully whatever vertues or what ever is praise-worthy in any of the sons of men thus far made the sons of God then they need never fear to be charged with flattery or hope of rewards from men Let not so far as lies in man the graces of God and his glorious working in his Saints dye no not when thâ—y dye 〈◊〉 this is far from over praising the dead or the 〈◊〉 as the mistake hath been though man may and must return to his mother the Earth and to his principle of dust yet let the Lord alone be exalted and in this sense spare not to speak out freely the vertues and endowments of God in any man although for the best of man or men we must say of them with Daniel and other Saints To us belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face for ever but to the Lord honour and glory mercy and forgiveness for over and â—ver Let no man appropriate to himself or put upon others any good for all good is fâ—om God and whatever is evil is mans although naturally and generally mens practises are quite otherwise appropriating all good to themselves and nothing of evil whereby the poor blind creature Man deludes his poor soul while
and rule in thee and be KING in thy soul and Tread all his enemies under his feet thou hast betrayed him into his enemies hands Thou hast delivered him up to be crucified As long as thy sins live and thou pretendest to be a servant to him Thou hast made A MOCK of the Son of God And counted the blood of the Covenant an Unholy thing wherewith he would have sanctified thee therefore ye must seek to have your part in the first Resurrection if you hope the second death shall have no power on you But Let me remember my self Perhaps friends I speak Riddles to you for you may say in your hearts Far be it from me to crucifie my Saviour I find no Christ crucified in me nor I would not do it no not for a Thousand worlds What to have my hands imbrewed in the Death and BLOUD of the Son of God God forbid No poor soul I believe thou feelest it not so Because the strong man keeps the house and He keeps all at peace But if once Jesus Christ come into thy soul Even He that was dead and now begins to live That he begins to rouse up himself like a Lion He will then Make all the beasts of the Forrest to TREMBLE And know this if he once Will Lift up himself it is not in our power nor in the power of all the lusts and corruptions in the world nor in all the powers of darkness to keep him Down But Till this time He is content To serve your iniquities But When He doth Arise He will then shew you and make you sensible How you have scourged and crucified him All this while He will make you Amazed to see How all this while you have had him Live in you and been so near you and you have Crucified him What I Crucified my Saviour all this while and I not aware of it Oh wretch that I am Oh! now now he cryes out Oh! let these Jews dye let them live no longer these lusts ' these Sins of mine that have crucified and put to death The LORD of Life When I read the story of his life and death how he was used deâ—ided buffered c. little did I think that I was He that was in doing all those things to Christ my self Then thou shalt clearly see that when Christ commanded thee These and these things to be done Thou hast cast his Commands behind thy back and thou wouldest not have him rule in thee but thou chosest rather to follow thine own will and what self and flesh commanded Oh! here now thou hast Newly pierced Iesus Christ to the heart with a sharp spear Thou confessest truth it is God commands me to do these things to cross my self to forsake my own will and follow him Tush but it is all one I will and I must have my own will I will not stand bent to these Laws thou sâ—â—ppest in sunder these bands and casts these cords from thee Oh Friend thou art now The very man that hath newly wounded the Son of God and brought from his sâ—de water and blood Oh Beloved these are The Spears These are the Mocks these are the Scourgings these are Vinegar and Gall to Christ And that man that hath Thus Crucified him He hath more truly crucified him then ever the Jews did But after a man is brought to see and feel This How do you think Can that man that sees how he hath crucified Christ In him and put him to death Can he go on and crucifie him still Can he wound and put him to death still Can he be so Cruel to take these Spears these sins and lusts and wound him to the very heart again Oh! no no He cannot He cannot he will rather chuse to dye Ten thousand deaths Whatever he doth he will not wound again So Meek and Merciful A Saviour But it may be there is this Qâ—estion which may run in your thoughts and it may be it is Hard for you to conceive How Christ should suffer and not God to suffer seeing he is God and man It is certain God cannot suffer and therefore ye must understand That Christ in Himself cannot suffer but he suffers in his body in his members Those types and shadows of his sufferings are but to shew how He still suffers in his Members Internally and spiritually He suffers In regard of Us and to Us and for Us because we live and our sins and lusts live and our Self lives and therefore He suffers He is Crucified and dead For whatever we see done by Christ in the letter is An Embleme of that He doth for Ever For He is the Lamb slain from the beginning Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Did you see him yesterday nailed to the Cross he is the same to day and for ever c. yet He HIMSELF suffers not but his body For Example my body can never suffer unless my soul be in it neither can my soul suffer without my body and yet my body cannot suffer without my soul Then wonder not if it may be thus in a creature if Jesus Christ in himself suffereth not but onely Himself in his members neither can his members suffer unless he be in them I my self saith Paul fill up in my body The measure of the sufferings of Christ. Beloved These are Divine sublime things if your eyes be but open to see them And you having This KEY put into your hand by God himself for God himself must interpret his own meaning then you will have Such a light such a Demonstration of Truth so that Those Scriptures which you knew not before what to make of them nor what they concerned they were So dark and Obscure and Contradictory Now all the whole Scriptures open of themselves and shew you all their Hidden Iewels and Unspeakable Treasures And now my Brethren God forbid that after an hours or more patient hearing that I or you should fall under the reproof of Iobs friends In ventum verba protulisse or to have entertained you here so long with Wind or lyes as Ephraim is said to have dieted himself with Hos. 12. 1. He feedeth on wind and followeth after the east wind He daily encreaseth lyes God forbid That all we have said should be but as Lyes or wind or Nothing to you But if you see these things in experience Then Beloved you shall see wonderful things How all Davids Psalms come in How the Fat Bulls of Basan came about him like Bees and How his feet were fast in the stocks and how he was overwhelmed in the mire and so throughout the whole Psalms and the rest of the Scriptures still seeing and taking them as done spiritually and invisibly And so you shal come to see The Scriptures to be A Bottomless SEA where in the Elephant may swim and the Leviathan may sport himself Neither would many
and difficult to overcome as those that have the knowledge and experience thereof can witness and as our Saviour saith in another case Rather then a man should offend one of these little ones it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the depth of the sea And I say these are such kind of sufferings that it were better for a man that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the midst of the sea then not to have his part in these sufferings for these are happy sufferings blessed and glorious Rich and weighty sufferings but not to flesh and bloud But to the Spirit and inward Man will bring An Eternal weight of Glory But as I have told you when we should come to ascend these six steps and we thought to have gone on in a quiet calm way and to have shewen you Davids feet to have gone up to this throne or rather Davids wings that we might fly up thither and be at rest Oh that I had the wings of a Dove But we found it was very difficult and not to be attained by natural power for it is a supernatural work nature opposes it for there we found the Great And not Naked but Armed Porter standing in the very gate at the very foot of them viz. The strong man Armed there was one who stands in the way and we shall find that true of the Apostle 2 Thess. 2. 7. That he that now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way nay we shall find there the Mystery of Iniquity working that will hinder us till it be reâ—oved and that Eccles. 2. 1. I said in mine heart go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanity And as Peter said to Christ Master favour thy self none of these things shall happen to thee therefore whoever means to ascend any one of these steps must get this Giant removed and that wicked one revealed that he may be consumed He that will be a warriour must not mind pleasure nor fear death You know David complained that he was compassed about with enemies on every side So that The fat bulls of Bashan environed him Psal. 22. 12. and that his feet stuck fast in the mire Psal. 69. 2. but let me tell you all here present at this time have as great reason to complain of those things as ever David had And because you might know this enemy that hinders us I shewed unto you what this Strong man was called and opened divers names by which he is set out to us and pourtraied before us As Adam The Old man Lucifer Red Dragon The roaring Lion Antichrist The Devil Rebellion So far we are gone We are now to proceed to the ninth and so to the rest This enemy is such an one that if you do not continually watch and stand in fear of him you shall be sure to feel him and though he hath many names yea as many names as a Jesuit that hath one name for one shire and another for another for every County one But that is for our capacity that he is set out by several names God could have given him one name that might have set out fully his nature but who could have understood him for we are not able to hear God in his own language it is too Mighty too terrible it would confound us we are not able to see him or hear him and live As the children of Israel on Mount Sinai they were not able to hear God speak but say they Let Moses speak to us and let God speak no more unto us lest we dye for we being created rational creatures and being led by sense God deals so with us because we believe nothing but what we see therefore God gives These unseen Enemies such names as are agreeable to things we see hear feel and know that by them we may know Their Natures and qualities The tenth name is Sin as God told Cain Gen. 4. 7. If thou doest evil sin lieth at the door So I tell you if ye go about to enter into the Kingdom of God you â—â—all find Sin lieth at the door and ye shall find him as cruel and as hard a Master to serve as the Israelites found of Pharaoh you shall find Him alwayes laying cruel taxations upon you and if you seek to go out of his Territories he will pursue you you shall find him an enemy that will serve you to wrestle with all your life time and the further and longer you go on in his service and in this way the harder to return The way of God is a strait way now if a man erre never so little at first from a strait way a very small little but a hairs breadths aberration at first amounts in the end to a great matter And the Armour of this Sin sticks as close to us as our skins for his Armour is Our Selves our own Members are the weapons of unrighteousness And if we will destroy this Great Enemy there is no way to do it but by cutting off our hands and our feet and by pulling out our right eyes And though our Saviour doth not actually mean to cut off these visible hands and feet but as in all the Scriptures he speaks to our capacity he shadows out by these things that we should do somewhat answerable and equivalent to this cutting off hands and feet and pulling out our right eyes we must do somewhat like it somewhat that is more Terrible and Harsh to us As all our Saviours actions while he was here upon earth were not ended in the actions but by those actions he would resemble to us what he did in the soul for he came not to heal the sick and cure the lame and cast out Devils and the like simply as they are external actions but that by these things which we see and feel he might make us know that he cureth the sick and raiseth the dead and healeth the blind in the souls of men and that he alone could cast out Devils in the souls of men Likewise so are the actions of Devils outwardly to shew how he possesses the soâ—ls of men as he doth their bodies and therefore by Gods will it so fell out that at that time that our Saviour lived upon the earth there were more actually and really possest with Devils then ever there was before or since that we read of that thereby it might be made manifest to us in both respects Both in his possessing men and our Saviours curing and casting forth The eleventh name is False light I am the true light that lighteth every man that comes into the world John 1. 8. Christ is the true light which implies that there is a false light Till he be lighted up in the soul and as David saith In thy light we shall
for as our Saviour saith Look upon the Lilies and see how they are clothed Solomon in all his royalty is not like them yet they neither sow nor spin but if you will be caring for your selves care you shall bâ—t it is God that both clothes us and feeds us And it is He alone that giveth power to get wealth The sixteenth name is Self-love say you can this be an evil root from whence comes so much good fruit from hence we do many good things how can this be evil if we had not this self-love how could we save and defend and preserve our selves we should run violently upon our own destruction Hence it is we serve men and do good offices to them and hence it is we serve God and he will serve us and be good to us Hence also comes care for our soules diligence therein and desire to be saved and endeavors also how can this be evil But you know what Christ saith Do not hypocrites the same what thank have you Verily I say unto you you have your reward God Never promised to reward that man that loveth onâ—ly himself or that loveth those that love Him as he brews so let him bake he served himself in all he did and let him reward himselâ— Him that honours me I will honour Do I regard him that onely regards himself God requires not that thy love should be set upon His happiness for thy self and for thy own ends for herein thou hast not given God Thy whole heart which he requires but thou hast given Thy Self thy heart Nay further it may be thou hast so set thy whole mind upon heaven that thou art not a man of this world as thou thinkest as most are thou art gotten above these things and thy eye is altogether heaven-ward yet if this be but meerly for happiness to thy self thou hast yet but given Thy whole heart to thy self and not to God thou art not yet gotten a step beyond this Evil of Self-love But if thou wert come to this to love and 〈…〉 for Himself and to give thy Whole 〈…〉 him if thy love were set upon Him thou 〈…〉 not lose by it but shouldest receive thy love again thy heart again thy self again All would return again if we had but givenâ—pour selves to him All should turn to our good if we were poor if we were in reproches in prison in death all should turn to our good we should then both enjoy our selves and enjoy God in the want of all The Armour of this is Necessity to love our selves for say they if we should not love our selves who will love us A necessity to love your selves such a necessity did I never read of in all the Scriptures I read of a necessity to love God and of a necessity to preach the Gospel and this is a Necessity indeed Serve this Necessity and then ye need take no care for loving your selves but all to love God And to Honour Him and then ye shall do well enough yea best of all The seventeenth name is Our own will and this goes far with us we think we do great acts when we come to Church to hear when we come to the Communion when we tye our selves to constancy in fasting and set duties of prayer and the like as Isa. 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labours but in doing these it may be we do but our own will all the while we do not Gods will in it we do them because they are agreeable to our selves to our own mind And according to our education and company we sort with and we are affected that way we love praise with men of that rank here is no self-denial here is no denying our own will Our own will spoils all And his Armour is Opinion of our Own Sufficiency And a strong conceit of doing good And say they if our own Will will bring about the doing so many good actions in such an holy manner how can this be evil I must be brief the time cuts me off you may conceive of them more at large when you are gone hence as I hope ye will The eighteenth name is Error There is no man Evil by his own will no man would be evil no man chooses evil but he chooses it by the error of his will his will being misguided it comes to him under the notion of a good before he chooses it for no man doth evil purposely as evil but he to himself makes it A good before he doth it in his apprehension and that he ought to do it yea even mad men whom we would think did evil purposely yet they do apprehend a good in the evil they do even such mad men are we all And if we should do otherwise we must strip our selves out of this Armour which Errour hath on which is An opinion of our own Goodness and to love the praise of the world we seek not to please God but to please the world we mind not what God commands but what men say is good and commendable we are not of Davids mind to make Gods word A light unto our feet and a lanthorn to our paths to lead us in the way of truth but having our eye upon the woâ—ld this leads us any whither into any errour and then from error to error And hence ariseth pleasure to do evil which is a further degree of this evil we please the world and the world pleaseth and tickles us with its delights and we run after it with great pleasure and delight so that it may lead us any whither And this is also I hope you perceive him A difficult and dangerous enemy to resist and overcome especially being so Armed for we in all these things must resist our selves our own wills our own pleasure our own sweetest delights even those that are as dear as our right hands and as our right eyes yea as our very lives And who among us ever returned from following after these dear Lovers by his own will by his own power do we not see and have not all of you felt who are reclaimed and brought back that it is the onely Almighty power of Heaven and that it is the Lord as David saith that sent from heaven from his high and holy place to save me from the reproch of him that would swallow me up and set my feet at liberty and pluckt them out of the deep mire and clay wherein we were held so fast It was He alone that hath smote in sunder those iron bands and fetters he hath been a Sampson in us to snap a sunder The new cords wherewith we were bound and he hath brok ope Tâ—e Gates of Gaza and carried them away on his shoulders and all this
commend unto us Himself 1 In regard He is the Father of all Fathers the onely and true Father of all And 2 Because Fathers and Mothers are dear to us and tender towards us but He is more tender over us therefore He ought to be 〈…〉 to us then any other and Him we ought 〈◊〉 honour and obey before them and above 〈◊〉 he that honours obeys and loves them oneâ—â— hath obeyed the Letter but he hath not smitten this City he hath not married Achsah Then come to the sixth Commandement Many think if they can but wash theiâ— hands from blood so that they have killed no man they think they have kept this Commandment but if withall they have not murthered their brother in their heart nor bore no malice to no man nor wished anâ— hurt to No man and yet in this who can say Hiâ— heart is free and if any have gone thâ—s far theâ— think themselves upright in obedience to thiâ— Commandement But this I must tell you is but the Letter iâ— you go no further you have not smitten Kiriathsepher and taken it But true and Real murther iâ— that which is fatal to the soul and that is the murther of God How what say you Sir Murther God We murther God God forbid Yes I le tell you what I mean and you shall confess it God complains as I told you before that we have loaden him as a cart is loaden with sheaves ye have so pressed him down under your sins that he cannot rise and again the Apostle saith Ye have crucified to your selves the Son of God afresh and this you do when you Hate God And that is whensover ye apprehend not God Merciful and good to you in whatever he doth to you I must tell you you then Hate God If at any time You apprehend God hurts you you cannot love him for it but you Hate him and this is true and Reall murder with God as well as when you hate your brother you are Man-slayers 1 Ioh. 3. 15 and that you will not deny neither can you deny this as much as lyes in you You Murder God For this is a certain rule No man can love Evil as t is Evil to him and every man loves good as he finds it good to him So long as we apprehend any thing to be an evil to us and for our hurt we cannot love it but do so long Hate it As David in all his Psalms praises God For His Mercy for his Goodness and for His loving-kindness whatever it be that comes under any other apprehension we hate it resist it fight against it But David He praised God for his afflictions for corrections even when God made him to smart but that was never till he found kindness and mercy in it and that he saw it was good for him if any thing come upon us that we cannot account a mercy to have it so we cannot praise God for it If we think when God hath taken away any thing we enjoy be it wife children friends health liberty houses lands or any thing else that we prize and love if we think this evil to us So long we can never praise God for it if we do not Account What ever falls to us a mercy and be glad of it yea a greater mercy to want what we desire then to have it this man so far hates God He that murmurs and thinks That God at any time doth not well nay doth not alwayes the best this man hates God This was that sin that God so Hated and punished in the Israelites That they would be wiser then God and they would teach him the path of wisdom and shew him the way of understanding still they were a murmuring and finding fault with what God did as if he were not so wise as they When the Poor POTSHERDS of the earth will contend with the Almighty And for the Pot to stand up against the Potter and say why hast thou made me thus When we Poor Creatures Poor Crawling Wormes the best of us compared with God shall take upon us to control the wisdome of him who is wisdom it self Oh! sayes one There is such a Heavy thing fallen out Oh! sayes another God hath not done well in this Oh! if he would have heard my prayers in that I could have told Him How he might have done better then he hath done and I wish it had fallen out otherwise Oh friends Oh friends this is no other then to do what lies in us to throw the Almighty out of his throne How ordinary is this every where Even among those that profess religion The greatest and chiefest End and Ayme of their prayers is to counsel and direct God Nay though ye will not own these things yet if these things be examined to the bottom this is the plain English he hath done this contrary to my will and thou doest not govern well in this thou doest not rule well in that thou mightest have taken My counsel at such time and in such a thing this is the language and the plain English of many yea of most of your prayers Even of great Professors Oh poor Nothings poor Grashoppers Thus to lift up your selves against Him who is so transcendently Wise Holy and good Thou thinkest much If thy servant that is as it were thy Equal in some regards the same flesh and blood with thee That he should contend and censure thy Actions And Seemeth this A small thing in your eyes to control and Direct and Censure the Wisdom of the Almighty Oh Beloved All things of this nature express Hatred of God Let me tell you one thing there is no man that when he looks upon All providences round about him within him and without him Above him below him that cannot say from his heart He hath done all things well I say if he cannot in every thing set this down for a Maxime and a firm undeniable truth that he hath done all things well very well Else he cannot from his heart alwayes and in Every thing give thanks as the Apostle commands A true resigned man can say freely and heartily He hath done All thing well In taking away my friends from me In removing my dear wife He hath done All things well In taking away my health In taking away my good name And if so If he have done Aâ—â— things well nay all things so much for the best as the very wisdom of a God could do then why art thou displeased with him why doest thou once dare to lift up One murmuring thought againâ—t Him thou prayest dayly thy will be done or at least shouldest do so why then doest thou Repine when his will is done either towards thee O thine or in the world or to his own people or to the Church of God or to the Enemies of God But beloved I well know what your manner is to excuse All under dainty fine
being life and a quickning spirit they are dead and sluggish And men may be full of Notions and Literal knowledge and yet have no power The Letter it suffers men to be dead idle sluggish as to the Life of Regeneration and the power of godliness The Letter never binds The strong man it never conquers the will and a mans Own Self it never makes a man to deny the World To rejoyce in the Cross To sell all and follow Christ. If the letters or the Grammatical sense were the word of God Christ would never have so often condemned and expressed so many woes against the Scribes and Pharisees for who took moe pains in them then they who had them or observed them outwardly more exactly and for That The people had them in High Honour and great Esteem yet Christ He condemns all their knowledge learning holiness parts c. for they sought not after the minde of Christ in them if they had known the Word of God they would have known him who was The Word If the Literal Scriptures were the Word of God why doth the holy Ghost so often say He that hath ears to hear let him hear And why doth the Prophet Esay say That hearing they may hear and not understand and seeing they might see and not perceive make the heart of this people fat their ears dull and their eyes heavy lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them This is spoken not in regard of those that are ignorant but of those that are very knowing and very much conceited of their much knowing and yet their knowledge and gifts and Precise Holiness according to the Letter is but a stumbling-block and an occasion of their falling death and destruction and Thus to know all things is but to be ignorant of all things And God accounts these knowing men among the number of those the world accounts The onely Prophane and he esteems them farther off the Kingdom of God Then Theeves and Harlots and saith That these shall go into the Kingdom of Heaven before them and therefore Christ himself sooner conversed with Publicans and Harlots and preferred them still before them as knowing there was more hope to work upon them then upon these Great Conceited puffed up Professors And therefore I have the more and the larger insisted upon this that if it were possible These men might come to know the Truth and so themselves that they might be saved Thus to understand the Scriptures is that which the Scriptures call Eternal liâ—e and That good part which Mary hath chosen this is to â—at Christ to believe to put on the new Man to be regenerate to be born again to live to the Spirit to be baptized to receive the Word to be ingrafted into Christ and the like The other Carnal Knowers they reach none of these things though they think they are possest of them and enjoy them but Even from this very knowledge and holiness they eat death and this is that forbidden tree of good and evil From whence they Enquire much after knowledge and Aime to be Like God and so live for ever and this is nothing but the Seed of the Serpent in our hearts whereby these men much admire themselves and kiss their own hands that is they much set up their own wills their own wisdom and their own carnal reason and cover themselves with fig-leaves as Adam did whereby also they are come to that pass that as I said before they are ready to teach God knowledge and To bring God to School to them and to prescribe and direct him what he shall do in the world and how he shall govern according to their wills and their prayers The word of God is Pure High Holy Heavenly Powerful Reviving Quickning Spirituallizing But the Letter is not onely dead in all these regards But killing and destructive in that sense formerly exprest If you live and dye with this word I mean the letter of the word and the Grammatical External sense which These men call the word of God All is nothing If you have it exactly by heart that you have it as ready at your fingers ends to apply it to all occasions as the Devil himself yet this can be no service of God this is but bodily labour and bodily exercise as the Apostle calls it which profiteth nothing this is but the flesh this is but mans teaching the Spirit of it The WORD of God Debir you never yet found But yet as I said let us not say If the Spirit be all then what do we with the Letter Let us then cast it away No no by no means the letter is of use to regulate the flesh and the outward man in bodily exercises But I say it reaches not the inward man and the heart That must be That bread which the Father giveth which comes down from Heaven Neither Moses nor the knowledge of the whole Law and of all the Scriptures can give us That bread as Christ saith Iohn 6. 32 33. Verily verily Moses gave them not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you the bread from heaven for the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world And besides as I said As the spirit of a man you cannot have without the body Nor you cannot have the Oyster without the shell so neither can you have these mysteries these Allegories without the flesh without the shell without Excrements that is without the letter of the word for we being of a dull low corporeâ—â— substance must have these high divine sublime things brought to us in such vessels and represented by such things as we understand feel hear and see and so come to know them We are not able to conceive of the spiritual meaning and Gods mind without something represented and pâ—oposed suitable to our Element to our language to our sphere to our condition something bodily must be presented that we may conceive of that which is in the same proportion done in us spiritually And therefore this is that I advise still Be sure still To maintain the letter of the word Undefiled Untouched Uncorrupted And let his tongue cleave to and for ever Rot in his mouth That goes about to abrogate the Letter for without the letter you cannot have the Spirit even as we cannot have Meat and Nutriment but you must have necessarily dung and excrements and if you cast away the Excrements you cast away The Meat with it Not that the Letter is dung and excrement as of it self or killing or dead but occasionally made so to us and to all those who crack it not smite it not and so suck not life but death from it Therefore it is said My heart or a Good heart a Caleb must set us a work and an Othniel must smiâ—e it for you
see what fruits follow any other smiting The heart that seeks liberty to it self it abuses the Scriptures It comes in privily to spie out our liberty that it may be an occasion to the flesh I say a Caleb must smite this City and not a heart that seeks for liberty to satisfie its own will and its own desires for such Smiters there be too many that would cast away the Letter of the Word They would have no Law to rule or curb them but this is not a good Hearts A Calebs or an Othniels smiting But to it I say viz. to this Good Heart Let it smite the Letter and spare not nay I counsel ye Take it and Tear it And Rend it all to pieces as we do meat else ye get no nourishment for in the Letter lies the nourishment hid there is no getting out the Nourishment and vertue without we do as it were Tear it with our teeth and Chew upon it to get out all the vertue As cleane Beasts Chew The Cud and that by a power given from above and the more we can tear it and chew it in that sense the more and the better nourishment it gives Nor do I bid you do it as of your selves by your own power but by the wisdom and power of God who will enable you to find the Treasure if you dig for wisdom as for gold And search for it as for Hid Treasures With a resolved heart To dig for truth for truths sake and not for self and for sinister ends and advantages but out of love to truth thus I say let a good heart use the Letter of the word and spare not Take it Strike it Smite it Tear it all to pieces not because he hates the Letter but as men do by meat they tear it champ it chew it between their teeth not because they hate meat but because they would get all the nourishment out they possibly can Beloved in this manner Strike Kiriathsepher In the Name of God and the Almighty prosper ye Go on and the Lord of heaven give you good success that he may enable you to get out Those pure waters of life proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb That Hidden Manna that may nourish you to Everlasting life that ye may have that Treasure that Pearl hid in the field that white stone and that New Name that ye may be enriched with gold purified seven times as David in that 12. Psalm sayes the Woâ—d of God is Do you think he means the Letter No no but That thou mayest have That white raiment to cover they nakedness and that eye-salve to anoint thine eyes that thou mayest see then also art thou Him that overcometh to whom it shall be given to sit with him in his Throne even as he also overcame and is set down in his Fathers Throne Then shall ye come to be marryed to Achsah Calebs daughter Then shall Othniel Gods fit time or opportunity give you possession of this City Kiriathsepher that it may be unto you The Word of God That the Vail being Rent you may look within and see the glory of the Holie of Holies and that you may behold The Beauty of the Lord and may visit His Temple and there fall down and worship and desire there to be for ever and for ever AMEN Shadows vanishing SOME Rays of Glory appearing The two last SERMONS on JOSH. 15. v. 16 17. And Caleâ— said he that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife And Othniel the son of Kenaz the brother of Caleb took it and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife THE last Sabbath I told you that part of this Chapter was as the One Cherâ—b and that in 2 Cor. 3. was as the other Cherub which as the two Cherubims lookt directly face to face to each other so doth this Chapter look forward to that and that turns it self and looks face to face upon this that is the One is the interpretation of the Other and you may remember as a Prologâ—e to our Text we gave you a brief Epitome of the History of Moses his sending the twelve Spies to discover and view the Land of Canaan whereof Ioshua and Caleb were two of the twelve and they bring news of the goodness of the Land with the other Ten which Ten All but Caleb and Ioshua they brought up an Evil report though they All confessed the Land was Excellent and good and abounded in plenty of all things flowing with milk and honey yet they said it was impossible to get it or conquer it for the men were mighty sons of Anack Giants and the walls Thick and high The people hearing this began to murmur Then Caleb and Ioshua standing up they clear the slander and encourage the people and for this confidence and saith of theirs they two onely entred the Land all the rest being about Six hundred thousand that murmured died in the Wilderness and not one entred the Land And as we related the History we raised some observations and endeavoured to bring the History home to our selves and shewed how these things were daily in fulfilling spiritually and really within us Then we came to our Text where I also told you that this Text as I have now read it It is Hebrew and reading it but as it is printed is still Hebrew But as I then told you we may not nor will not deny the Truth of the History and of the Letter but we must take heed we rest not in the Story and go no further for the Word of God Endureth for ever There is a secret in the whole Letter of the Word which lasts to Eternity which is accomplished not onely in that time and of that man of whom it is written but fulfilled as well and as Really in all times in all ages in all men ever after and before As Ambrose said of Ahab and Nabal These Histories are old in time but new in practise for there are many such persecuting Ahabs and many such churlish Nabals So may I say of this History and the rest of the Scriptures Old in time but ordinary in use To this very day Caleb proclaims Whosoever shall smite Kiriathsepher and take it he shall have Achsah his daughter to wife This was done Once in the Letter but Ever doing in the Spirit for the world of God lasts for ever as David saith Thy Word O Lord endureth for ever Often in the 119. Psalm and elsewhere They are such things as not onely instruct one age one season but every age and every season that follow it The meaning and the mind of God we must look at and not to the bare History hear what the Apostle Paul saith Bodily exercise profiteth nothing or rather hear it from our Saviours own mouth The flesh profiteth nothing but the Spirit giveth life Caleb here signifieth A good 〈…〉 or the City of
Divine Nature he cannot accept or regard them So also if this be so then is there not onely holiness within flowing from A Natural principle of a new Nature but there will be All External glory there is the Ark of the Covenant overlaid all over round about with pure gold to shew that from this spring and fountain cannot but proceed all purity and holiness in our external actions then they cannot but must shew forth the vertues of him who hath called them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Then there is such a power and such a burning desire in the soul they must shew forth their good works that they may glorifie their father which is in heaven neither can this be attained really till we be admitted within the vail True it is while we are in this worldly Sanctuary we may do many External good actions as to our selves and other men And also Good in themselves but they are not done for this End to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them nor to glorifie their father which is in heaven but t is to glorifie themselves and to set up themselves Either for praise or esteem or for fear or for hope of advantage c. they serve not God as the Devil said of Iob for nought not for love of Holiness not for that Excellency that is in its self but to get something by it they use it as men do a bridge to carry them over to some desired place to some self-happiness or advantage and were it not for these the man were dead and you should find if the heart were searched throughly and theâ—e ends hopes and fears removed the man would stand stone-still But the other man he who is ascended and gotten within the Vail He works freely and naturally He cannot do otherwise though there were neither fear of hell or punishment or hope of the reward yet he must work And he will work this is that I still say Let but the heart be set to rights let the man be regenerate and partaker of the Divine nature and then with such a man you need not keep such a stir with Laws and Precepts and Rules and Disciplines He hath that within which will not onely inform and teach but reform and compel by the power of Love For saith the Apostle the Righteous are a law to themselves Beloved this is the service God loves He loves A cheerful giver He cannot abide that which comes forced and grudgingly and as a forced imposed task that by sinister respects they must be held to it but I say this man needs no such thing but turn him loose at all turns he hath an Informer and a Reformer in him Those that are led by the Spirit are not under the Law Gal. 5. 18. but under Grace and under the power of love and of a free mind for the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient This man is no longer under the law but is Dead to the Law that he may live to God and not unto himself for self is in him conquered and dead and Christ now is alive and exalted and set in his throne to reign for ever and ever In the third place there was the Pot of Manna which Manna God gave the Israelites in the wilderness some of which by the providence of God was preserved many hundreds of years together until the time as it is thought and affirmed by some of their last destruction by Titus and Vespatian He that hath gotten within the vail he hath gotten food sufficient to nourish him for ever He shall Never hunger more nor never thirst more as in that of Rev. 21. He that lives according to this new liâ—e he is â—ed with Hidden Manna He eats of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God His comforts are pure and ravishing and full of Everlasting delights his waters Everâ—low â—low and never cease there is in his belly a spring Ever springing up to everlasting life In the next place there was Aarons Rod that budded that was laid up by the pot of Manna Those that are accepted to look into the Holie of Holies Their fruit is alwayes flourishing and green their good works never dye but they ever after bring forth fruit like a tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth fruit in his season his lease shall not wither and whatever he doth it shall prosper and not onely shall they bring forth fruit but Ripe fruit in their age Psal 92. 12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing These men They are never satisfied with God They are never weary they shall run and not be weary nor faint they never have enough of Him his comforts are always fresh to them flourishing and green They are never satisfied with the knowledge of God This is such Manna such Meat The more they eat the more they may The more God communicates himself to them they are the more Hungry the more thirsty the more Vnsatisfied They have overcome and are still Overcoming they go on Conquering and to Conquer they are still conquering and subduing all their Enemies and getting their sins and lusts under their feet And so long as there is Any To overcom and conquer they can never Rest till they have brought All under Every high thought and Every strong hold and Every imagination That exalteth it self against the Power Kingdom and Soveraignty of Jesus Christ. Within the Holies of Holies There was also The Cherubims of glory Overshadowing the Mercy-seat and we may say as the Apostle there Of which things we cannot now speak particularly Those glorious Cherubims they looked face to face beholding one another Overshadowing the Mercy-seat Beloved were you but once come to this sight you should behold God Glorious and Amiable Full of love and mercy and tender Bowels All wrath And All frowns blown clean away We then shall behold in Him Not so much as any shadow of Anger but there will be a most sweet and amorous beholding of one another He wil love and delight in us we shall love delight in him we cannot look so delightfully upon him as he will upon us there will be Nothing but Amorous imbraces and we shall then see How Sure All his mercies are to them that love him and that they are The Sure Mercies of David we shall find in Our Hearts All his promises made good and we shall then call him Our God and Our Iehovah making good and giving Being as to all things So to all his promises that we shall say feelingly Not One hath failed of
delicate or wanton flesh and blood saith is good as to eat Calves out of the stall and Kids out of the flock and then rise up and sing to the sound of the Vial and the Harp Can there be any true comforts in these discomforts which if attained are but vanity and if not attained are vexation of Spirit Teshavah Teshelemoth nay most commonly better not attained then attained because they prove but snares and destructions But here may be applyed that of Sampsons riddle out of the sowre came forth sweet and out of the eater meat therefore O that we could behold the love of God in all conditions Indeed there is nothing happens to the wicked that hath any thing of love in it but if we belong to him how heâ—vy soever the afflictions be or how evil or unjust soever the Instrument be from him it is alwayes just and is in love and intended for our good and the issue shall be sweet just and good Shall then any servant of God grudge at whatever such a Tender father lays upon him we suffer the fathers of our bodies to correct us as the Apostle saith Heb. 12. 9. and we gave them reverence and shall we not much rather be in subjection to the father of spirits and live so verily they for a few dayes chastened us for their pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness I might shew you in many things wherein our profit by afflictions ariseth but this is not our point in hand we must return to it that we may end at present and commit you to God And let not me think because there are so many men and creatures in the world in Heaven and in Earth to provide for defend and protect that therefore I shall be neglected or that he hath not Armies and Angels enough to defend me or that thou who ever thou art that trustest in him shalt be neglected no no. To think because Kings and Princes and great Ones have Angels to defend them therefore to doubt there will be none or not enough to mind or to assist me Yea yea fear not he hath Chariots enough to assist all yea all his Creatures in all places in all times through all ages Beloved those sweet Babes the Kings children that now are How pleasant are they they take their sleep their food their play and care for nothing And yet little do they think how many heads must bleed and hearts must ake before their royal persons can be touched but I say they take their play and sleep quietly in their Cradles neither fear nor care toucheth them So my beloved Let the true royal seed of God do so Let all Gods Servants lie down in peace and take their rest and say O Lord thou alone makest me dwel in safety Psal. 4. for their Gods Armies lie round about them and shall make them all dwel safely They cannot be touched or hurt For besides al this that these millions of Angels both in Heaven Earth are their Guard That great General himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is their Saviour Protectour and his Everlasting Arms are under them for evermore But it may be their infirmities and their ignorance wil not let them see it or confess it yet little do they know how many thousand thousands of the Armies of God must be overthrown before Gods people or any one of his children can be touched before ever any one member of Jesus Christ can be hurt for this God as he is great dreadful so he is a God infinite in bowels and compassions who fills and commands all Creatures and all his Armies and Chariots are for their defence relief and protection And therefore from henceforth and for ever let us all cry out in an holy admiration Oh the Heighth Depth Breadth and Length of his Power and Mercy and Loving-kindness 1 HEIGHTH For saith David Psal. 36. Thy Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds Thy righteousness is like the great Mount ains and thy Iudgements are a great deep O Lord thou â—reservest man and beast How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the â—adow of thy wings â—hey shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light we shall see light 2 DEPTH Psal. 86. 13. Great is thy mercy toward me thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell 3 BREADTH Psal. 104. 24. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 4 LENGTH Psal. 98. 3. He hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Isaael all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And now Brethren if this OUR great God be Lord and Governour of the House what then can be out of order If he be our spenditory our house of Store what fear of want If he be our Treasurer what fear of poverty Surely he hath enough and enough infinitely more then enough He can make the Philosophers Stone he can make gold he can and will create comforts and therefore let all these things stay your hearts and depend on him as on that Rock to whom there is none like him though all the men all the Kings Princes on earth should consult and conspire together and all contribute their utmost to make thee happy yet there is none like the God of Iesurun who rideth upon the Heavens in his help and in his excellency upon the skie for the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are THE EVERLASTING ARMS And so I commit you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and bring you on to perfection Militia Coelestis OR The Heavenly Host The second Sermon upon Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy Place At Giles Criplegate in the Afternoon the Repetition omitted WE may well call this Verse The heavenly warfare wherein as I told you were contained four things 1 Their nature they are the hariots of God because God was pleased to ride in them 2 Their number the Text saith that they are twenty thousand thousands of Angels and I told you from the Text that they were Infinite 3 Their name they are called Angels 4 Their Commander and that is God The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels We spake of these two in the forenoon we come now to the two last The third is their name Angels There is much adoo about this name of Angels what they are what their nature is but we will not now stand
God and you shall behold God Now we come to make some use The first let it be this To teach us charity and love towards all the creatures be they never so base for we have all one Father maker God is in them though he manifests not himself as he doth in thee wherein he is most manifested for how came he to be manifested in thee was it by thy pains or industry or by his good will pleasure he might as well have refused to shine into thee as into another might have made thee in his case whom thou despisest Therefore behold and look upon all the creatures as thy brethren yea they are all more truly thy brethren then if you had been begotten by one father and brought forth by one mother in this regard because Almighty God is the common-Father of all and therefore when thou lookest on any creature though never so base account and esteem it as thy brother for it is a son to that Father of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is 〈◊〉 And therefore however some of our litteral and ignorant Divines do laugh at that of St. Francis that he called every creature his Brother he called the Ox his brother the Ass his brother and all creâ—tures his brothers if it came from an humble lowly mind in him I think him the better Christian for man is apt enough to boast himself and to look upon his endowments but he will fill the hungry the humble with good things I tel you here is such a brotherhood as shall never end the other shall have an end and therefore more cause of love to these then to the other for we are all begotten by one Father the other brotherhood ceases for saith our Saviour You are deceived not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God for in heaven there is no marrying nor giving in marriage but they are as the Angels of God in heaven Vse 2. Le ts learn to know our selves and then we shall learn also to pay the creatures that which is due to them Let us give them all due respect shew no cruelty to them but use them as brothers those creatures God hath appointed for mans use and used so they serve their Creators will and appointment let us use them so though many of them lose their lives for us yet shew as much compassioâ— to them as we may let us not exercise cruelty or our dominion or authority over them beyond what we are allowed do not begin to strike thy fellow-servant shew no rigor or wrath to them no not to the dumb creatures no nor to men When thou seest a wicked man thy heart rises against him thou wouldest have God presently destroy him not knowing thy own heart how bad that is and thou art ready to cal for fire from heaven as the Disciples did but what answer makes Christ to their desire Ye know not what spirit ye are of no no leave them to God Thou wonderest that God doth not send fire from heaven presently and destroy them as he did Sodom or open the earth to swallow them up as it did Corah c. O fools when will ye learn wisdom certainly God knows what to do without thy directions yet vain man will be so wise as to teach God wisdom Isa. 40. 14. and censure his actions But who art thou that contendest with thy maker Isa. 45. 9. Though it be said in Psal. 8. 6. He hath given him dominion over the works of his hands yet know though they were made for thy use they were much more for his they were not made for thee to use as you list nor for thy will and pleasure but to be used soberly according to his pleasure and appointment Vse 3. And lastly learn from hence that there is nothing of Fortune but all comes and falls out by an infinite wise Providence That the name of Fortune is an Idle a Heathenish and a wicked word taking it as the word imports for nothing comes by Chance or Fortune but t is God that guides all And yet knowing the right use of that word it may be used for it is used in the Scriptures saith Solomon For Time and chance or fortune for 't is the same happeneth to all things Though it first arose from an evil ground from the Heathens who because there were such cross events in the world that when a business was brought to the heads and period yet one thing or other oftentimes came between the cup the lip as we say and quite turned all about now hereat they were so amazed and at their wits end they could not tell how this should come to pass except there was a God call'd Forune and therefore they sacrificed to him But I say the ground and mis-use being forgotten it may come in time to be lawful to use it at least by such who know how to use it But what it imports is wicked and is condemned by this Doctrine as abominable We poor creatures stand and wonder at many events in the world here now God calls all the creatures Fools for instance When two dear friends that have been long apart not having seen one another in twenty or fourty years he one falls to come in some great danger his dear friend chanceth to come at a very instant and saves his life here now we stand and wonder it is no wounder at all if we eye God ye are herein but fools and blinde Again for example if you see me strike these two hands together if you saw not my body that guides these we may wonder at it but what wonder is it if you see me strike these two togther so far as you are blind and see not God so far ye wonder for it is as easie with God to do any of these things as for me to make my hands meet I can also by the power and guidance of the soul that is in me lay my finger in the darkest night upon any place about me why because my soul within me guides it so it is as easie for God in any case he being as it were the soul of the creatures can cause the creatures to do whatever is his Will to have done both in Heaven and earth and in the Seas as David saith Thus I have spoken to you of this our Immense Unknown Unexpressible Great God But O my Beloved I have spoken but according to man all this while infinitey short of him himself and therefore never scanty or circumscribe God by these things I have said for he is this and he is infinitly more for if men Men and Angels and Cherubims Seraphims should all joyn together to set out his praise to the utmost that they could conceive or relate yet look further further still for when they have said what they can they have said nothing in comparison of what he is As if a
would of its own nature return a service again this is placed in every man naturally as you may see in the very heathens Our souls are always calling either for a Christ or a Barabbas Thâ—y must worship therefore ye shall find God never commands That thou shalt worship but onely rectifies it and shewes whom they should worship how and therefore the Spouse of Christ cals upon him to direct her if thou do not direct I shall not be able to do any thing pleasing to thee I shall presently be as those that turn aside to the flocks of thy companions she freely consesseth I am as apt to turn aside as they which do I cannot now stand to tell you why the creatures are called the flocks of his companions The soul cannot stand idle as I was saying it is a hard task to serve two masters he shal either hate the one and cleave to the other or else cleave to the one and despise the other If we turn to the creatures we turn our backs upon God he that loves the creatures as who doth not too much let him but examine whether the love of them hath not banished all love to God out of his heart for if thou dost not love God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might thou lovest not him at all he will not be contented with a divided heart As you know God is called Power then God is all power and there is none that hath any power but he if any creature have a part then he hath not all so if any creature have a part of thy love God hath not all and he will then have none at all No woman can love another and her husband too with her chiefest love So no man can love God and the creature too with his cheifest love and no man comes to the Father but by the Son he accepts whatever we do and onely all in his Son nothing pleases him but his Sons actions And he that cleaves to the creature falls when that falls but he that cleaves to the Creator shall stand fast for ever as Mount Sion Beloved behold as Ioshua sayth This dâ—y I set before you life and death blessing and cursing choose whether ye will cleave to the adulterous love of the creature or cleave to the immutable unchangeable Creator I have read of an Allegory among the Jews that they had among them to set forth the condition and state between God and men and it is an excellent one the best I think that ever was Suppose A huge Rock of pure chrystal and round about this rock at the foot thereof a pleasant torrent or rapid River as pure as Chrystal round about the river all manner of pleasant trees bearing all manner of pleasant fruit One standing on the top of this rock a proper tall man without blemish as fair as Absalom and over his head the Sun shining in his full strength and glory Attended with the Moon and Stars making a glorious firmament Now this Sun you may conceive to be God himself and the fair Absalom to be Christ Jesus the image of God the Father and the rock of Chrystal to be this word and in the river is represented all things in motion all changeable things all manner of trees and fruit and all things below but in the chrystal is clearly represented Him that stands on the top as if he were in the very midst of the rock and above him the Sun in his full brightness which is God the Father of whom he is begotten Now when a man shall come to the foot of this rock and there he beholds choice of objects to set his heart and mind upon I say when a man shall come and behold choice of beautiful objects and suppose he had power to choose which he will to set his heart upon In the river he beholds all sublunary thing All things which are in flux and motion and whatever the earth can afford for delight Now let him choose whether he will set his heart upon these things which have their being in their flux and motion that they are never the same but they change as the object changes and if they did not change they could not be As in the Thames the river it is continually in motion and running it is never the same there is not the same water to day that was yesterday for that is run into the sea but is still a changing And if Here we place our affections and take up our delight how unstable and uncertain are our comforts Oh! we think it a great matter to be rich to be strong to be comely and well-featured and composed to be beautiful to be in honor and credit to have great attendance large revenâ—es c. Alas Alas dost thou place thy affections Here in the very lowest and meanest condition of things amongst these transitory flitting things Why all these things are but toys but bables but rattles to please children where is and what 's become of the greatest Monarchs that ever were in the world where is great Alexander and Pompey and Augustus and all those Worthies as the world esteems them are they not all turned and tumbled into the dust are not they and all their glory like a tale that is told and forgotten are they not like a dream like a shadow like a bubble in the water which arises on a suddain and is beautiful but as suddenly down again Beloved then do you examine your selves If you do not set your love your hope your delight upon these things that are ever changing and as I said so changing that if they did not change they could not be which all perish with the using Do they not all fall away as you fall away or fall before you as Houses Lands Riches Goodly and Sumptuous Buildings Husbands Wives Children Good name c. and yet will you set your affections upon such things as these though you see them moulder and fall to dust and nothing before your face But some they come here to the foot of this beautiful Mountain behold and they look higher and they behold the Sun moon and stars and the bespangled glorious firmament and see how they reflect upon the chrystal and wonder at their glory and so they set their affections upon them truly these are better then the former because they set their affections upon Celestial things things that represent the glory of God more then these things below and he is more glorious in them but the other their love is taken up with Terrestrial things earthly and low but both these are short of this true happiness But a third sort come and take a veiw of these various objects they can rest in none of these things And they look Higher till they come to behold that fair Absalom Christ Jesus who is the brightness of his Fathers glory And
14. Take heed and beware of Covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Besides all this that it is one of those Ingentia Peccata Mighty sins as it is called in Amos 5. 12. appears By The practice of the Saints The danger of the Sin Look over all the Saints which of them do we read of that were defiled with this mire of Covetousness Noah once overtaken with the love of wine never with the love of the world David though once besotted with flesh yet never bewitched with the world but he ever accounted himself a Pilgrim and a Stanger in it then he was far from being in love with it Zacheus he had been A Pinching Prowling Publican and the chief among them griping and grasping what he could get by cruelty and extortion before he knew Christ which is a sin incident to all such meâ— but as soon as Christ entred into his heart when he entred into his house he threw away this sin with disdain Lo half my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I will restore him fourfold If Jesus Christ do not whip this Money-Merchant out of the Temple it will bar even Him himself entrance Now Beloved what 's the reason these forenamed Saints though they had other both infirmities and gross sins yet not any of them tainted with this sin of Covetousness surely it shews that Christ and this sin in the love of it cannot cohabit together if Christ be there this sin must abandon if this be retained Christ is there a stranger And the reason is Grace and Religion may better stand with a sin once acted or oftner so it be not habitual although it be gross and foul as Adultery Incest Drunkenness c. then with an habitual Covetousness for where that sin is it can scarce be other then customary and habitual Therefore Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 3. did so abominate this sin that he challenged all Israel to charge him with it though he was their Governor and Ruler and wanted not for temptations and opportunities Behold I have walked before you from my childehood unto this day and here I am bear witness against me before the Lord and before his Anointed whose Ox have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you And they all answer and bear witness Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand There was a pattern for Kings and Rulers and for Saul their new chosen King but who follows it he presently as soon as he could get the power of oppressing fell to it as God told them he would 1 Sam. 8. 11 12. This will be the manner of the King that will reign over you he will take your sons for himself for his Chariots and his Horsemen and to run before his Chariots and he will appoint them his Captains and he will set you to ear his ground and reap his harvest and to make him instruments of war and for his Chariots and he will take your daughters to be Confectioners Cooks and Bakers and he will take your fields and vineyards and olive-yards and give them to his servants c. and so goes on and ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye have chosen And Beloved what more frequent in all ages then covetous and oppressing Rulers and Governors They take it successively from hand to hand Having once got the power ye shall soon feel it So Ier. 5. 10. He complains that though he was free of this sin yet every one hated him Wo is me my Mother thou hast born me a man of strife a man of contention to the whole earth I have neither lent on usury nor men have leâ—t me on usury yet every one doth curse me So Paul Acts 20. 33. I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel ye your selves know these hands have ministred to my necessities and to those that were with me But what may be yet further the reason why that of all sins the Saints were freest from this sin of Covetousness Surely These Reasons may be further added I. Because they knew that this sin was that which most staineth and blemiâ—â—eth the good report and honest reputation of men professing Christ that men who pretend for heaven should live as men of the world whose portion is in this life and that they should so far blemish themselves and their master to set their mindes and affections on such poor transitory trifles and as if they had not better things to look after or that they served a Master not able to maintain them rather then thiâ— should be fastned on them or their Master They would instead of being in love with them trample them under their feet 2. To inlarge a little of what I hinted before It handeth in greatest opposition to the life and truth of grace for where this sin getteth head it eats out the heart of grace that though it be not quite lost yet scare Any to be perceived the Life being almost quiet extinct if he have life yet none to be perceived by himself or others and therefore saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 10. Love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and peirced themselves through with many sorrows Nay not onely hath it caused some to erre from the faith and so wounded their own souls but some it hath caused to fall quite away from the faith that is from the profession of the faith and turn Apostates 2 Tim. 4. 13. Demas hath forsaken me and hath embraced this present world and yet now adayes where is there a man yea especially among Professors that would be accounted Christians that are free from it but are most deeply guilty of this defiling and dangerous sin of Covetousness And I think in no age ever more Beloved though your hearts were as mountains of rich Mines yet this one sin loved and delighted in will consume and eat out all for ought may be perceived and make you as barren as the barrenest Heath This sin is like the seven lean ears of corn that Pharaoh dreamed of which devoured the seven full ears And like the seven lean Kine devouring the seven fat and were themselves as hollow and lean as before and in Scripture is often compared to Caterpillars Grashoppers Cankers and the Palmer-worm because it doth feed upon the green and flourishing herb of grace till it hath as it were quite eaten it out of the heart therefore David prayes Psal. 119. 36. Incline mine heart unto thy Commandments and not unto Covetousness intimating that those that love
Nay he that goes no further and rests on that goes no further sees no more then the very Devils for they by long custom and experience have gotten whatever can be known in the history far beyond any man upon earth And therefore he whose faith hath brought him no farther then to believe in an external Christ in that Christ that was born at Bethlehem and there brought up and afterward wrought miracles and was crucified dead and buried and rose again c. This man The Letter kills him he knows no more nay not so much as the Devils themselves know and believe nay I say herein the Devils outstrip thee the Apostle Paul was so far from accounting this any thing that he slights the knowing any man after the slesh Henceforth know we no man saith he after the flesh no though we had known Christ yet henceforth know we him no more insomuch that if he had known and seen exactly what Christ did what he said how he lived how he dyed and how he rose again all is nothing henceforth we will know him no more after this manner No no but let me know all his actions his death his life his miracles his passion his resurrection all within me let me know and experiment them in my self if we know him thus this is knowledge worth prizing indeed this is worth Boasting of as 2 Cor. 5. 16. Christ died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again and again Col. 3. 1. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above This is that we should labour to finde Christs death and Christs life in us to see if Christ hath done all his actions not onely among the Jews at Ierusalem other then spiritually but in us I must finde that he hath been born and brought up in me that he hath put all the Doctors to silence within me that he hath wrought all his miracles in me opened my eyes as he did then open the eyes of the blinde open my ears as he did then so opening my lips that my mouth may shew forth his praise And as he cast out then both dumb and deaf Devils That there are the same to cast out in us If these actions be thus done in thee as verily as ever Christ did any of these actions in the flesh if this knowledge and this experience be fixed in your mindes and you feel the power thereof in your hearts then you have crackt The Shell you have gotten the Marrow the Fatness of the word Yet for all this we must not do with the Letter as I then told you because it is the shell as men usually do with the shells of Oysters or of Eggs Having once the Meat throw away the Shells no no for they are the means to bring the Word to us for to us because of our weakness cannot this word be conveyed without The shell therefore our merciful God hath bin pleased to convey it to us in earthen vessels and under Earthen resemblances that so we might hear it understand and receive it If we look upon it as it runs in black and white letters t is true It s a Lofty Majestical kinde of writing That carries Majesty and Authority in it and the proof is in it self Whereas other Writers are fain to bring proofs and witnesses of the truth of that they write whilst this carries proof and Authority in it self and at the best it is no more but he that can get within it He that can get into the midst of the burning bush He shall see Such spirit and life That eye hath not seen ear heard nor ever entred into mans heart to consider In short he shall know what it is to marry Achsah To have the vail rent and what it is to enter into the Holiest of All. And so of this history concerning Moses bringing Israel out of Egypt To see what slavery they were in and how Pharaohs Taskmasters beat them and increased their bondage taking away their straw and making them Toil harder and harder and yet the more they oppressed them the more they increased I say All this and the rest in the history runs High and Majestically and that is the best you can say of it but he that through the history shall see that the History was not written barely for a history but mainly and chiefly for us He shall see there is therein contained an eternal LIVING SENSE He that looks within himself shall finde all verified in himself And not onely This Scripture but the whole Scripture All the five Books of Moses Ioshua the Kings and all the battels of the Kings and so throughout that whatever part of Scripture he shall read he shall be able to say and feel experimentally This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears this day is this Scriptare accomplished in me for the substance of all those histories throughout is verified to this day and shall be to the worlds end It is no matter what other Pharaoh there was what Typical Pharaoh there was so we have found the True Pharaoh Nay it were no matter then though we had never heard of that Pharaoh for that Pharaoh doth but Type out unto us what the Spiritual Pharoah is How he labours to strengthen and advance himself in his Kingdom and if any offer to go out from him he will lay heavy burthens upon them He will make them groan under service insomuch that their cry shall come up before the Lord And if they do get out from him by strong hand it is By Miracles and wonders and he will be sure to pursue them till he himself be quite overthrown in the midst of the Sea and so he that sought for honour and glory in overcoming them the Lord shall get himself a name on that Pharaoh and on all his Host. And That we may come to the history in particular concerning bringing Israel out of Egypt There be three principal things in the Chapter 1. The Preparation before this vision That Moses saw 2. The vision it self the bush burned and was not consumed 3. The effect That followed of the vision viz. Moses his Commission to Pharaoh To deliver Israel 1. For the Preparation to the vision that is in the first verse Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law and he led the flock to the backside of the desart c. Moses it is testified of him in the Acts that he was a man mighty in all the learning of the Egyptians for being brought up as a Kings Son he wanted for no teaching in the Kingdom For the Egyptians had the chief learning of the world For I must tell you We and all Antiquity are beholding to the Egyptians for all their and our chief learning in natural things Now we must labour to see in all the words of
nothing but the Vail of Gods word and the truth is concerning some God hath commanded Make their eyes heavy and their ears dull lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them that in seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may hear and not understand That is And I will be bold to give the interpretation That seeing the Letter they may not see the Life that hearing the words they may not understand the Living sense Having premised this let us now come and take inpieces some part of these words nowread that we may come to eat of the bread of life and of the hidden Manna that is as yet fast locked up and except God open our hearts as he did the heart of Lydia it is and will still be A Book Sealed up to us And Moses kept the sheep of Iethro his father in Law the Priest of Midian and he led the stock to the back-side of the desart and came to the mountain of God even to Horeb What may be the meaning that the Holy Ghost doth describe Moses to be a Sheep-keeper setting down so expresly that particular and still all the Patriarchs are described to be Sheep-keepers certainly there is something to be observed and learned from Shepherds because Shepherds are oftner mentioned then husbandmen and not onely the men preferred before them but all their actions also are preferred before the others Cain was a Husbandman Abel was a Sheepkeeper they both offered sacrifice one of his cattel the other of his ground but the Shepherds offering was preferred before the Husbandmans and so all the Patriarchs are commended for being Shepherds and following that trade and David he followed the Ewes great with young and from that imployment was taken to feed Gods people and to be King over them 2 Sam. 7. 8. I took thee from the Sheepcoat to be Ruler over my people Israel Well we need not to instance any further What may be the meaning of the Holy Ghost in all this in one word I will tell you what a Shepherd is A Shepherd is one that lives meerly and most properly by the providence and blessing of God upon his Trade for they fructifie and increase onely upon Gods will blessing and providence He acts not much but resigns up his will all he hath to God onely depends altogether upon that but a husbandman is he who with his expectation of Gods blessing joyns his own endeavours plowing sowing reaping changing his ground rising early and going to bed late Well I pray is there any hurt in all this No I forbid them not to do so but this I say a Shepherds life is preferred with God far before a Husbandmans because he that hath given up all to God all that ever he can do or say or think his whole man is Resigned to God confessing that they are nothing that they can do nothing and from their very souls acknowledge and not in words onely they have no wit no reason no will no understanding their whole man all that they are or can do is wholly resigned up to God and his will Nor will they joyn any of their works with Gods but let God act all do all think all speak all in them This is the life of a true Shepherd who hath his eye single on God and looks to him in every thing let him increase his stock or decrease it he is all one he is nothing grieved at the one nor lifted up with the other because he accounts nothing he hath his own Nor doth he think That he lives by his own taking care or by his own industry but depends meerly on the blessings of God and the works of nature but the other They moil and Toil themselves They must do something and this ye cannot beat out of them they must joyn their wits and their doings with Gods and do not ascribe all to God while they do it As do the other And therefore Shepherds are accepted with God far before Husbandmen the one doth think verily his own care and industry is the staff of his life They cannot deny all give up all that they are and can do They cannot but think say what ye will but they have some power some wisdom some understanding some ability to bring about their actions but the other The truly Resigned man he sees and acknowledges as the truth is That God alone doth All And that His is all the power all the might all the wisdom and he hath nothing at all he will not by any means obscure or darken Gods power nor his wisdom nor his praise as the Husbandman doth Though perhaps they may say in words it is their endeavours and the blessing of God thereupon and then they think they have made up all when indeed in their hearts in their thoughts and in their practises they do not give God his praise and glory but sacrifice to their own nets to their own wisdom power and parts And in effectwith them T is MAN alâ—nâ— doth All. You may see then how this mighty truth is hid under a mystery and is couched in two or three words how Moses doth but as it were by the way glance at it by the by and if God open your eyes you may see how this secret warp and woof runs through this Web So this Mystery runs secretly along through the whole Scriptures unseen And take notice of this that above all men the Egyptians cannot endure this kind of men and such as live this kind of life for saith the Holy Ghost Shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians It is a life so contrary to them that they hate them deadly and esteem them The silliest and ridiculousest and most improvident people in the word But it matters not God prefers them sbove All kind of men insomuch that he is pleased to stile himself The God of shepherds the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob very often because they were these kind of Shepherds most certainly to these men God ever did and ever will speak most familiarly and to these onely he will to Shepherds reveal himself and His Secrets above all the men in the world the other are too much buried in themselves and their own wayes to have God shew them any of his secrets Let us then learn to be Shepherds rather then Husbandmen if we desire to be acquainted with God for it was Mary whom Christ commends who had chosen the better part which could never be taken from her And not Martha who is troubled about many things Although he doth not discommend or altogether condemn Martha for such things must be done yet know this Mary hath chosen the better part which shall never be taken from her Mary is far to be preferred before Martha because she yields and resigns up
an Angel to worship him I sin or if I fall down to Jesus Christ as included in that man or in any Creature I sin likewise But if in men and beasts and trees and in all I behold God 〈◊〉 Immutable Incomprehensible Incircumscriptible Essence so I may praise God and take any occasion to fall down before him and say O thou God That Fillest Heaven and Earth O thou God that Fillest and movest every thing and thou thy self art not moved nor changed in all things I see thee who art One and for ever the same If you shall now ask me how you may behold God thus I will tell you In every Creature is a beam of the Divinity which is an Angel and that Angel be it never so small beholds The face of God Almighty that beam that lives in me or thee that beam I say sees the very face of God And therefore saith our Saviour Christ Take heed ye despise not one of these little ones for their Angel always beholds the face of your Father which is in Heaven Although you see not the Sun when you behold a beam that comes in at the window yet if you do but lay your eye in that beam you shall see the Sun it self So though you cannot see God Almighty in any Creature yet if you do not despise any of these little ones They behold God and if you lay your eye in that beam you shall come to behold God himself and then in the name of God praise God even with all your might and with all your strength then you can never praise him enough in all his Creatures Only take this along with you Thar so long as you are capable to see touch or understand what you see so long you see not God it is but a Creature but if you let that little spark guide you That Angel within you it will bring you to the very face of God For God is in the Midst of the bush in the midst of the Creature yet he is not The burning bush though he be in the Creature yet he is not the Creature So long as he appeared to Moses under any form he was but an Angel The Angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in the midst of a burning bush And if Moses had worshipt that burning bush he had been blamed as well as S. Iohn But God is Hid he is Vailed from our sight by Accidents He is not in the Out-parts but he is Within Beloved if God would be pleased to unfold these things to you and me and make us understand them aright I know that Then neither heights nor depths nor Angels nor Principalities nor any thing should ever be able to separate between us and these blessed truhs nay nothing could hinder us from union with this Our ever Blessed God for these are such infallible Truths such glorious Truths Against which the gates of hell shall never prevail When Iacob was to go three or four hundred miles from his Fathers house He saw a vision in his first nights sleep and it was a Ladder that reached from heaven to earth and the Angels of God went up and down ascending and descending on it and at the top of the Ladder stood God himself What do you think was the meaning of that Ladder We deny not the truth of the Story for let that heart that hath such a thought consume for ever in endless flames but let us labour to find out the mind and meaning of God in all his words God stood at the top of Ladder what God is in himself we meddle not with we have nothing to do with that O blessed God! be thou what thou art thou hast said I AM that I AM and we say so too THOU ART that THOU ART Holy and Blessed be Thou in what thou Art for ever and ever And as Thou art in Thy Self we neither know thy Name nor thy Sons Name But the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us Christ Jesus is the Substance and Being of all things Hee is Hee in whom all Types and visions ended This Book of God is a great Book and many words are in it and many large Volumes have been drawn out of it but Christ Jesus Hee is the Body of it Hee is the mark all these words shoot at Hee is the Truth and Substance of all those Types Shadows Metaphors Allegories Parables and Paradoxes Hee is The MARROW in that Bone and the Kernel in that SHEL There cannot one Creature come into the world nor go out of the world not one Angel ascends or descends upon that Ladder but it comes from God and by Jesus Christ He is the Substance and Being thereof and there is not One Creature but doth the Errand God sends him on And therefore David ascribes the very worst of actions to him when Doeg curst him he said Let him alone for God hath bid him He knew no Creature could move towards him to do him either good or hurt but what God bid it do And therefore saith he in whatever befel him I held my tongue and spake nothing because thou didst it Beloved know this the interpretation of visions is from the Lord as Ioseph said to Pharaoh It is not in me to interpret dreams or visions but God shall give Pharaoh an Answer of peace And so say I of this A vision it is and we shall find it no where expounded but God hath set it down It is thrown amongst us and writ for every one to read some take it one way and some another As Pilate said What I have written I have written he that can find the interpretation let him Beloved we spent much time the last Sabbath but we could not get from under the cloud nor espy the bright pillar of light and comfort to discover the meaning of the VISION but you know I was forced to leave my discourse as to the Vision it self Muâ—â—led up in those Sacred and Holy discontents which yet are like physick though a little distastful yet exceeding whollom My beloved is a garden walled about and as a fountain sealed up And saith Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of dreams and visions is from the Lord. There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets And he that Ploughs not with his heifer shall not find out his riddle He which sent that vision to Iacob taught him also how to interpret it For in the bare relation of the vision what is in it to comfort Iacob in the condition he was in And so here to what purpose was this vision shewed to Moses what concerned this the business in hand as you may conceive Beloved He that can find out Gods meaning in these visions shall find Hidden Manna to nourish him But he that thinks by his wit and by his policy and by his own strength to find it out be sure shall find nothing but a bone to choke him
ascribed to him He gave them favour and he hardened the heart of Pharaoh and He bid Shimei curâ—e David and the like Be assured whatever clashing and dashing thou observest in the world So as to thy thinking all will come to Nought and Miscarry yet be assured He it is that keeps all Guides all from dashing one against another but so far as his wisdom will have it so and it must be so for the accomplishment of his most holy ends O therefore let Vain man and his ignorance Nay his wisdom and his will stoop yea stoop to the very dust before him and leave all to him and be afraid To Censure His doings or to say concerning the Almighty Such an action was not well done Such a man O it were well if he were Removed Oh! he doth a great deal of hurt Oh! let him be cut off Oh! Beloved know God Almighty is a God of Infinite wisdom and art thou wiser then he must it needs be as thou conceivest no no you are deceived submit your judgements to him Expand and give up your selves and all you are and have to his Wisdom and Soveraignity and do not once dare to oppose that Infinite Infinite Wisdom of God in comparison of whose wisdom all the wisdom of all men and Angels put together is but folly before him He chargeth his Angels with folly and the Heavens are unclean in his sight what art thou then Poor Crawling worm to lift up thy self in his presence But thus to see God Doing all This is that Moses saw by the eye of faith in this Burning Bush It is He that Overturns the world It is He that burns every Creature New-forms and New-shapes The whole Universe He is that Great Potter that makes destroys and Re-makes at his pleasure what vessels he pleaseth He maketh vessels of honour and dishonour He alters and changes every Creature New-moulds and New-makes all and yet he destroys nothing And know this and set to thy seal that whatever He doth He cannot but do all things well superlatively well so well as it cannot be better And hereby the Lord will also set His seal to this soul so that He and It are so joyned together and made One that they will never part But he that looks upon the bare vision in the bare letter he cannot see these things What is it to him that Moses saw the vision That is gone and past But dost thou see what Moses saw Dost thou see all acted altered and changed by him Dost thou see Him alone doing all That it is He that Vn-makes and New-makes That it is He that makes men yong and makes men Old That it is He that bringeth to the grave and turneth man to destruction and saith at his pleasure return again ye sons of men That it is He that maketh and formeth man and all Creatures and bringeth them back again to their first principles and thereof Creates Raiseth and re-makes new Creatures Dost thou Thus see That the whole Universe is but a Body acted and guided by one soul by one spirit And that it is nothing else but a Carcase moved and led up and down by one spirit And that He is the substance of all and of every Creature the meanest the smallest the vilest as well as of the most glorious Dost thou see HIM in the midst of all this changing and tumbling up and down That it is He that destroys and preserves all things Unmakes Re-makes as the Potter doth and yet the clay is the same but that it is he which is still producing new forms Dost thou see that it is He that doth all these things that it is He that preserves all and weighs all so that nothing is lost For did not he Preserve all entire in themselves every element in its Property and Nature and keep them within their own bounds which is His Excelling glory they would presently devour and Overcome one another Fire if it did predominate were not bounded it would turn all things into Fire it would make all things like it self And so of Water it would turn all to Water and so of the rest But he hath set them their bounds which they cannot pass hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed So that he keeps all things Entire in their own Element and every thing in its Proper place And in all this change or alteration and tumbling of the elements together Herein is His power seen That there is nothing lost nor diminished Dost thou see all this and that it is He that ruleth the Nations and that it is He alone that reigneth and that HE commandeth and ordereth the affairs of Princes all Nations and that all the Kings of the earth are in his hands My times are onely in thine hand saith David And know though thou thinkest That Kings and Rulers and others walk according to their Own wills and contrary to thine and thou art therefore offended yet know They all walk according to my will and pleasure saith God and though thou and they think otherwise and though they have no such purpose to obey my will but to please themselves and fulfil their own wills and not mine yet I have them so in my hand that they shall all in the end serve to my praise glory yea even in that they think they serve themselves and their own ends Poor Ignorant souls Alas when as they glory and pride themselves in their great pomp attendance and command and think that it is They that Rule when as they see not Psal. 66. 7. that it is He that ruleth by his power for ever and ever And Dan. 4. 17. The most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of men He it is alone that doth whatsoever He will and not they wil He sendeth the sword giveth it a Commission The Sword never awakes Till he say awake O sword And t is said of our Saviour That he came to bring peace unto men Luk. 2. 14. Peace on earth and good will towards men And yet our Saviour saith again Matth. 10. 34. I come not to send peace but a sword and vers 35. I am come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in Law against her mother in Law c. what strange contradictions are here What flesh and blood can reconcile these Scriptures yet both very true Again dost thou see That it is he that shall change these our vile bodies and make them like the glorious body of Iesus Christ Phil. 3. 21. Jesus Christ will purifie thoâ—â— that cleave to him and purifie them like unto himself Fire I told you never rests working and purifying till it hath brought All things to be as pure as it self So That Divine Fire Jesus Christ will never leave purifying and cleansing His people till he
have and so Many such rewards This is nothing but the Devils preaching and the Devils learning within thee it s no better then the Devils work and thou canst expect no other But the Devils Wages All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He is the God of this world and hath great power given him over the Kingdoms of this world and he can bestow much of the glory of them upon his servants but God He speaks first in the center of the earth He begins first with the heart Preaches within thee reforms first the heart here onely preacheth His well-beloved Son in whom Onely he is well pleased Except Thy actions be The actions of his own Well-beloved Son in thy heart he neither owns nor accepts them they are strange fire to him and you know what became of Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire before the Lord The Lord He Pours precious ointment on this Aarons head and from thence Drencheth his beard and so down to the skirts of his garments so far as the heart is reformed the actions cannot be amiss That soul that is in love with Jesus Christ Beloved where the love of God is shed abroad in the heart it is death to him to that soul to go a whoring with the creatures he can have no peace to commit adulterie with the world That whorish woman he cannot endure Satans preaching hearken to me and I will give thee these and these thing no no his peace lies in hearkening to what the Lord saith in him and he preaches no such doctrine but bids him leave the world for its enmity to him he bids part with these things Take up the cross expect reproches persecutions and death from the world This preaching is of God let thy life be in forsaking the glory of the world though thou livest in the world yet let thy heart thy affections dwell and abide with me Use the world as if thou usedst it not count nothing in the world thine own be thou but as a steward in whatever thou hast Alwaies ready to give an account of all This preaching is from God from Heaven The Devils preaching is quite contrary And when thou hearest such preaching as is contrary to this and such whisperings within thee Conclude it is the Devil and not God and that such preaching and learning will destroy thy soul therefore I say always look to thy heart that It be set right before ever thou expectest the actions can be good if that be not so conclude all that proceeds from it is naught we must look mainly to the center to the Heart that life may come from thence Even as the life in the body by the blood flows from the heart to all the members if not those members are dead so the life of true grace flows from the heart as from the fountain for if either fear or Law or Heaven or Hel reward or any hopes or by-ends Urge the heart To goodness These are but dead works and you shall know it by this do but take away these respects and by-ends and these works Cease take away hope of reward and fear of punishment and this bodie is dead he works no more why because there is no life no heat within to move him tell him I mean he whose heart is set right for God reformed by him tell him he must deny forsake the world he must be emptied of all the glory of the world of all self-seeking self-glorying self-praising why herein is his life his peace his glory but to the other who hath been onely taught by such PRECEPTS as come from men from Self This preaching is death to him but his life and peace and joy is to hear How he shall be advanced esteemed honoured c. how he shall be made rich and great therefore you may easily hence distinguish what preaching and practise is from God and what from Satan and Self Thus much may serve for the first thing to open unto you the meaning of these words All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth to me it seems very plain and clear and I hope to you also that That which before seemed obscure now is made manifest The second ground Christ also as he is man hath all power given unto him as being united to God so also to man and this definition as being united to God is very large and deep as the river at the entrance into the Sanctuary which at the first entrance took a man but up to the ankles and then a little further up to the knees and then to the middle and at last it would quite down and swallow up all it grew into a vast Sea The meaning of the words in this sense we are not able to comprehend or understand but the more we wade into them the more we are drowned and swalloed up Jesus Christ he had the same glory in himself when he was upon earth as he had with his Father before all worlds and he is his well-beloved Son in whom onely he is well-pleosed But as he is man he to Us-ward emptied himself of all his glory And came in the form of a servant he was subject to the like passions and infirmities as we are except sinful and hereby man came to be further made known unto him that is in regard of his humane nature he was hungry and thirsty and weary and suffered death and the like and yet in regard of his Divine nature he held his glory and Union with his Father and it was necessary it should be so in both regards for had it not been so he could not have complyed so with the creatures and felt their wants and necessities and had he not retained his unity with his Father which he could not in regard of himself As God either lose or diminish nor increase he could not have complyed so perfectly with his Father for the salvation of mankind For as he was in the bosom of his Father he was unknowable to any creature he was known onely to himself he was inexplicable not to be unfolded and in this regard the more ye enter into darkness and unknowing the more ye know of him for he is nothing that we can comprehend or understand as we are creatures until we come to be One with him and swallowed up into him But let us observe that Christ never made this boast of himself that All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth till he was ready to leave the earth never till he had been crucified dead and buried and rose again It is remarkable he never all the while He was on earth ever appropriated all power to be his till he was ready to depart out of the earth And Beloved this is for our imitation Christ was no boaster though none might boast more but he was meek and lowly he became a servant to all
the same is the Snare Poyson and Death of all Natural men Therefore As All Works before Faith and Regeneration are Sin and Unclean so also To Read the Scriptures to praise God to fast pray and the like and not onely to torture and kill men or to steal and the like for seeing that whatsoever is not of faith is sin and to the Unclean nothing is Clean but they are Reprobate to every good work It must needs follow that all their Seemingly good life exercises and vertues are sin and nothing but dissimulation So God doth often in Scripture reject the Fasts Holidays Sacrifices Prayers Praises Preachings Gifts and Charitable Deeds of the Pharisees as well as the known and gross impieties of the Publicans the wicked words of men and their Violences Usuries Murthers Adulteries Thefts c. Therefore is Regeneration Principally necessary before which All things are alike sin whatsoever thou canst Think Speak Do leave Undone Read Hear Write Give Love Worship Will Know Have or Be for as to them that Love God all things are to their Good so to them that love the world all things are to their Evil yea God himself is to them Perverse contrary and a Devil and his True word is to them hateful and deadly for it is meet that to the froward all things should fall out Untowardly and to them that are Contrary to God all things should be Cross wherefore as they are not Enough so they are not alwayes good those Sayings Fast Pray Give to the Poor Read the Scriptures c. But these before all things Be Regenerated and Born Again of God and his word and then Thou wilt be Fit to do All things which that New-birth will teach thee which Cannot Sin and whatever thy hand shall find to do thou shalt do it Well for God will be present with thee for then thou being Iust shalt do Iust things It is not enough to do a thing but to do it Well else better be idle and leave doing By this means the good deeds which good men do are not rejected but onely the shew and feigning of good deeds which that Herd of Apes do imitate It were expedient indeed to read and hear all things if a man knew how to read or hear but few there are that have the Art of God to hear and read his word and far fewer that can so pierce into this Thorny-thicket that they be not rent and torn Therefore I will not by these my writings scare any man from any right Art of writing learning or reading but do admonish all men to see they use and do all things rightly and first of all in the word of God to grow Fools and Infants and then at the length we shall know how to read do and Use all things profitably and then we may safely Philosophize even in the writings of the Gentiles or any others and like Natural Birds fly among all the boughs and branches not taken whereas before we could not safely be conversant no not in the Sacred Scriptures themselves without eating Death from God and his word Briefly by this you may See the conclusion of the whole business And be it thus determined Onely the Pious and Regenerate man can and doth use All things Well and with pleasure and profit read all Arts and all Heathen Books to him there can be nothing Prohibited or Corrupt He is a certain clean Bee upon what thing soever He Sits He sucks from it meer Honey and Life yea even from Death and Sin Again the old and Natural man which in Scripture is called flesh and blood can use nothing at all well and to him all Arts and all the Nature of things nay the very Scriptures and God Himself and His Word do bring Death and Evil He can neither Do nor Read nor Know any thing Profitably or Pleasing to God He is Abuse and Poyson it self and an Unclean Spider which Siâ— where it will sucks nothing thence but Poyson Sin Death even out of the Scriptures themselves Out of things Well done out of God and His word So it comes to pass that to the wicked all things are deadly and forbidden such as are good deeds to make or hear Sermons to read the Scriptures to do good to the poor to pray to fast and such like as is before said for to the unclean all things are unclean and hurtful so that it cannot be but the things that to the Good are profitable shall be to them Unclean and deadly Briefly the good man in point of God is never at rest till being Entred into God He have lost his own Pleasure Will Act yea Himself and all His things in God so that wanting Sense Will Desire He doth now as the word requires at his hands Covet nothing so that now God in him freely Wills Knows Desires Doth leaves Undone How What Why and to whom he pleaseth Summarily In such a man God hath freely his Will Kingdom Pleasure Place so that he is not now The man he was but is as A dead man who attributes nothing to himself yea so far that God is in him All things God in him Loves Reads Writes Preacheth Gives Prays Hears Knows and is All things and therefore it is that the great God hath determined to Crown own or Reward Nothing in us but His own work the rest which himself in us doth not Know Read Write Do leave Undone Speak Preach Hear Think are Sin and therefore saith St. Paul Now live not I but Christ liveth in me And I dare not Do nor Say anything which Christ doth not Say or Do in me To this Iudge let every man refer all his life he shall then soon find in what estate all his Affairs are and to whose Service he hath addicted himself and offered his members as a living sacrifice Let him observe himself and understand who it is that worketh in him And That he to whom he liveth and beareth fruit His Servant he is Now the fruits of the two Masters are reckoned up in the Epistle to Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. against such there is no Law and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit c. I would be glad with all my heart if by the help of God I might have so much power as to drive all natural men from their good Deeds Actions Omissions Life Arts Reading Writings and the rest unto God the True Sabbath that lacking both hands and feet and utterly void of will Art Desire they might keep Holy-day from their own works Truly then God which otherwise goeth not forth in our strength would go forth in them with great strength for indeed God must and will go forth and the time is at hand that the heavens must keep Holy day as it is in that
and thwart and contradict one another and that the confusion of things confounds thine understanding yet be sure I am with them and in them and I order all and to me all things work harmoniously though to thee cross and contradictory yet all effect and bring about my Ends they can do nothing but what is agreeable to my will for they are all led by one spirit they all to me do keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace with me Even all Contradistories Coincide And so far forth as thou canst see and believe this they all shall do the Same to thee Beloved you know these my two hands are moved by the same spirit in me and the same soul moves all the members of my body and think you will one member hurt another No will my hand smite or pierce any member to hurt it No surely and if it do yet it is to better its condition though for the present it may hurt and wound and make it smart yet it is not to Hurt it but for its greater good So say I In the world what can happen or fall out to hurt us or displease us Truly nothing at all If we were but come to this that we could but keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace If we did But Behold ONE Spirit moving and ruling through the whole earth And if we did but see that He is the cause of all Wars and Tumults and that He stirs up their spirits for what End is best known to himself and thought we see such varieties and changes in the world yet in him and to him all things Coincide Even those things that are contradictories to us even all changes and oppositions and contentions and clashings in the world all in him Coincide That is all things to him are in agreement in an Harmony and work to his Almighty praise to the Highest to the utmost that can be Yet in regard of men he may be dishonoured but in himself and by himself He Works out His own praise in all contrarieties Because Really and in truth Nothing contradicts his will but if it do His revealed will yet He makes every act in the creature be it good or evil to contribute to his praise And he whom God hath been pleased to shew this vision to which he here shewed to Moses and the interpretation thereof he sees it so and his will and Gods clash not but Harmonize and coincide Gods actings and their wills agree these Blessed Souls They cannot finde fault with any thing but subscribe that He hath done all things well How then can this man distrust or murmure against God in whatever falls out because he sees God doing all he sees one Spirit moves all acts all but so far forth as men are Drowned in the Letter of this Vision they see none of all this They onely look upon it As a wonderful thing that God did thousands of years since and so take it as an History or according to their utmost interpretation viz. That God in the midst of the Afflictions of the Church yet he preserved them even as in the veâ—â—sâ—re though Pharaoh oppressed them and Egypt was as a furnace to the Israelites in which God kept them and brought them out of it which interpretation I condemn not but I think there is more held forth for God bid Moses tell the Israelites I AM had sent him He that was the Substance and Being of all things the worker and orderer of all things in heaven and earth But so far as men see not this When they hear of wars and rumours of wars and Nation rising against Nation they tremble and they fear and are at their wits end not knowing they are all led by the same spirit himself is when as those who see the Almighty thus working ordering and filling all creatures yea Burning and Changing Melting and reducing the Elements from one form and shape to another so that they see one generation come and another go These men they go on in an holy Serenity and Tranquillity of minde knowing there shall not an hair of their head perish without their Fathers pleasure and ordering Beholding his wisdom and power and goodness in all things in all turnings and tumblings and overturnings Having Cast all their care upon him for they know He takes care of them and infinitely beyond what they could do for themselves Therefore they Repose themselves sweetly upon his will and disposing which condition they prize above all earthly enjoyments yea more then a thousand natural lives if they had so many for They have forsaken Houses Lands Wives Children c. and all for Him and in him they enjoy and possess a hundred-fold instead thereof even in this life If they have them they enjoy God in them and through them and though they want all yet they have God instead of all who is to them more worth then all But others not being able to Hear or Bear these things being not yet come to be either Fathers or Yong-men in Christ living still in the Letter and in Shadows whom indeed these fathers in Christ pity and pray for and their Bowels yern for them and such is their strength that they are fain to become weak to the weak and all to all not that they shall gain all but that they may gain some for some are like the Egyptians here spoken of that not all the precepts or examples nor all the Plagues in the world will convince them They will not take knowledge That they are Acted and Guided by an unseen hand and power They see not that the whole Universe is guided by One Spirit But they think that there is one Spirit in the English and another in the French another in the Spaniard and another in the Dutch another in the Turks one in Europe another in Asia another in Affrica and another in America but be assured As to the carrying on of the affairs and designs of God in the world One and the same Spirit rules in all And though there are divers and contrary operations yet all is by the same Spirit it is God that worketh all in all and though they be never so far asunder yet all act by the same Spirit As in my body what 's further asunder then my head and my foot yet the same soul in both and know that this One soul within me hath as great a care of the lowest member as of the highest And so in the world though Almighty God hath set some in a high condition and some in a low yet know He Guides all He takes care whatever thou thinkest that the Higher Members and more Exalted and Impowred shall not oppress the lower no further then he in his wisdom thinks meet He it is that lets one man finde favour in this mans eyes and another not This as other actions all along are