stirring of every Finger of every Toe of every Haire of every one in Heaven a Heaven to behold There is no distinction of habit and act time and place meanes and end in point of felicity as here is as you know there is misery all along in the meanes with us and felicity onely in the end and that uncertaine too and so a little good habitually scarce any at all actually and the like In Heaven there is none of these miserable distinctions but Heaven in all in every quality Heaven in every action Heaven in every time Heaven in every place Heaven in every meane to such an end equally as in the end it selfe Heaven Simili dissimile In things which are but like there is some dislike Light is not universally permanent Our Sunne sets and rises rises and sets so 't is with most parts of the World very few parts have all day and no night all light and no darknesse 'T is not so above our felicity there is universally permanent there is all day and no night to all that upper World the Sunne goes round that glorious Globe without any interposition to any There is no drooping Soule in Heaven no wounded spirit in all the Land above nor never will Our life above is everlasting Shall of the spirit reape life everlasting c. Saith our Apostle There is such inspiration as shall never admit the least expiration in any comforts never faint nor flat no soule growes weary of place company habit dyet imployment every ones Heaven is an eternall Heaven every ones rest an eternall rest Some have beene in Heaven many thousands of yeares and yet not a thought of dislike of any thing there nor the least desire stirring to be any where else but the strong desire of all that all Gods deare ones were there The spirit and the Bride say come Christ and all those members hee has above pant for the rest that all were as they are one as they are one Joy is made as vast as the soule as lasting as the soule and the soule as lasting as Christ There are no broken Cisternes above not one Vessell drops out one droppe of its felicity in the space of eternitie though hee stand brim full No consumption no Disease above every thing lives yea and thrives for ever There is eternall Revelation in Heaven Infinite excellency taking suitable time to lay open it selfe to all others there 's Johns rapture to all eternitie All these particulars gathered up render the meaning of the Metaphor to be this That our felicity above is a full and absolute felicity a transcendent blessednesse suiting such a transcendent being as the soule of man is Vse Now my question to you all is what labouring for absolute felicity for blessednesse to suite your soules for ever 'T is the judgement that lies heavy upon the soules of most men they seeke not after full mercies a perfect blessednesse Feele your Pulse tell mee how your hearts beate how nimble doe they worke out after Earth How slow after Heaven I looke upon some men's Lives and my heart trembles to thinke what will become of their soules al the care is for the body how does Trading goe on How does money come in When is the Question How will 't goe with my soule for ever What blessednesse is provided for my soule to inherite Are your bodies everlasting Is this World everlasting Can any thing but Heaven make an absolute felicitie for you Are not your soules everlasting Can any thing lesse then Heaven make a suitable felcity for them Pravity is misleading but when the Soule is judged for this there is noe turning the man this consideration makes mee shake indeede when I consider how Earthy some men are and how wilfull in their way Speake to them of minding their Soules and beating off their thoughts from this VVorld you are as Vinegar to their Teeth and smoake to their Eyes When corruption thrives in the soule 't is dangerous but when it has got a head Ah Lord The state of that man is desperate Who shal save that man from Hell and bring him to Heaven which is earthy and wil be so still The Creature is seducing much is promised but it s still a lie to the soule the fulnesse of the World makes up no fulnesse to that noble part within If there bee any absolutenesse in things here below 't is in point of vanity they are Vanitie of vantie and vexation of spirit i Perfect vanitie just nothing as our English phrase is Consider all the Word in reference to the spirit and t is a heape of perplexitie A Bush of Briers and Thornes shall all your industry lie to Crowne your soules with Thornes With our Saviours Crosse and Curse Are you not scratcht enough with the World yet Will not your spirits be vext enough hereafter but will you be vexing of them here too Will you begin your Hell in Earth and inure your spirits to tearing and torment before the time Know your soules and what is the felicitie of them and what you doe do in good earnest to attaine it you move as you love Christ concluded that when the Jewish Church sleighted him If you love darkenesse better then light you will never seeke out for light nor for that Inheritance which hâ—s there If Heaven were more absolute felicitie or more transcendent blessednesses then 't is a heart pre-engaged i set upon an other Heaven will sleight Heaven indeede your life lies upon this poynt to looke how and where your love is picht where a mans Treasure is there will his Heart bee if you make money onely your Treasure you will onely bend in good earnest after it If you make not Heaven your chiefe Treasure you will not seeke after it heartilie Heaven has beene shadowed out to you according to the Metaphor in the Text is it now of any price in your Eye Has it gained your love 'T is a transcendent blessednesse are your hearts taken with it as such a blessednesse Till this I shall not looke to prevaile with any soule to seeke out after Heaven to any purpose 'T was the Art that Christ used when hee spake of eternall things first to set out the excellency of them to make that sparkle gloriously in the Eye to stirre love and then answerablie come on to doe good J am the Bread which came downe from Heaven c. J am the Bread of Life c. And hee that shall drinke of the Water that I shall give him shall never thiâ—st c. Many such expressions to take love you shall finde in the Scripture What have wee gained upon your love by all our discourse of Heaven An love bee as it was the man will be as hee was if Heaven be at his doore hee will step beside it into Hell Divine Love is that flame that carries the soule upward where this is not Heaven though all is nothing There is darkenesse And
BAULME FOR BLEEDING ENGLAND AND IRELAND OR SEASONABLE Instructions for persecuted Christians Delivered in severall Sermons By NICHOLAS LOCKYER Master of Arts. ISA. 8.17 J will waite upon the Lord which hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him LONDON Printed by E.G. For John Rothwell and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Sun in Paule Church-Yard 1643. IT is ordered this fifteenth day of April Anno Dom. 1643. By the Committee of the house of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing that this Booke intituled Vsefull instructions for these evill times be printed by Iohn Rothwell John White The true Effigies of the truly Religious Learned and Iuditious Divine de Nichola Lockyer Mr of Arts Note well the Substance of this shade so bright Lo t is a Burning and a shining Light Neat Elegant Sententious High and Rare Lo all his Sermons and Expressions are R D To the Persecuted Christians In England and Ireland BLeeding hearts you are honour'd to be Baptized with Christs Baptisme to pledge your deare Saviour in his owne Cup. Count not call not honour misery The Wine in your Cup is red indeed but without dregs to you Christs drinking first hath sweetned it well to Saints Wrath makes sufferings misery let the World Houle in their wounds but doe not you complaine let them curse as bearing Caines marke but doe you blesse God and glory as bearing the markes of the Lord Jesus Love in the bottom of a bloudy Cup and the deeper a man drinkes the sweeter Christ powers out love upon the Soule when the body powers out bloud upon the truth A Spirit of glory is a bleeding Christians glory There is inward advancement when outward debasement The soule is in Heaven when the body is in Hell for Christ Was that a Dungeon or a Heaven in which they sang so sweetly at midnight Gods dealings are righteous when Mans dealings are wicked a man might beare suffering upon this ground that hee hath sinned but how sweetly may they be borne when sugar'd with love and all sinne forgiven Yee prisoners of hope what is your hope What say you of Englands night Will it ever have day Would my Soule could enter into your secrets Would I could participate with you in some of your Prison-enlargements If you finde a Heaven in Hell what will your Heaven be Now in the I le of Patmos * A patrimoniis jam ejecti What say's GOD to your soules concerning these bleeding Jlands Many Christians for whom you have bled are now a flying from you to save their Bloud write after them yee bleeding hearts preach your Prison-experiments the faith and hope of your Bonds and conclude like Paul Remember our Bonds and Wounds for Christ and you Surely if there be any Bowels this will bring them backe to die with truth and you I believe the Resurrection of thy dead O bleeding England Your Graves shall open yee Prisoners of hope and your buried glory and honor shall return to you Truth shall out-live tyranny Righteousnesse shall wash her Feete in the Bloud of the wicked Pride shall be dethroned and shame shal be her pavilion Your integrity yee Parliament-worthies Christ will vindicate your great paines and labour of love Christ will returne to you and yours Steele good resolution and Christ will carry you through all opposition You are great sufferers I would this little Booke might give some refreshment to you together with the rest of Gods suffering ones Bleeding Ireland God also is with thee and will be Thy Land is full of murderers but not too many for God to overcome God is as just as Man is cruell cruelty will cut its owne Throat when thou canst doe nothing to evade it Venomous Creatures die in thy land by a providence from Heaven which reason cannot reach God and the whole Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight against barbarous bloud-shed Thy naked Women and Children which mourned starv'd and died in winters past will fight against the monsters which stript them in â—ummers to come when thou want'st men money and meanes to doe it The Vipers which have gnawed out thy guts are got into our Bowels too that we might afford thee no reliefe Moriendo Christiaâ—o vivit Christus but God will relieve both thee and us 'T was a cursed crue which brought Gall and Vinegar when Christ cryed Eloi Eloi England had helpt thee Ireland had â—â—t not beene for this cursed Generation but the bloud of both Kingdomes will be upon them Christ was not overcome when killed Many may die but Christs cause in these poore enviâ—d ilands will live Mannage your bloudy businesse bravely yee Souldiers of Christ in England and Ireland the Lord of Hosts â—s with you Your sufferings are many your pay will bee great Two Heavens are before you one for you and posterity here another peculiarly adorned for sufferers unto bloud Câ—â—ant an pâ—nn slagellum above flinch from Christ and his cause and lose both Vale. Yours in continuall Prayers Nicho. Lockyer To the Reader REader there are some Errata's here and there throughout this Booke notwithstanding all our diligence to prevent them but yet such as with thine own observation of what preceds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and followes with a spirit of love may easily be set right to thy understaÌ„ding Be not a mouth murderer kill two at once my Name and thy Soule What is candidly presented to thee candidly receive and blesse Christ and the next Authour who is at Prayer for a blessing upon this Worke and thee Nicho. Lockyer The Table THE Power of God relieves weak man Page 2. Isa 8.17 The propertie of Divine power p. 3. 4. c. Strengthening power peculiar to Christians p. 6. Divine power workes in man to an eternall end p. 3. Power working relievingly walke humbly p. 9. Cheerfully p. 11 12 Faith should kill feares p. 13. What looseth divine strengthening p. 16. The evill which followes upon it p. 18. Power relieving is lost sometimes only according to our apprehension p. 20 The wicked will never beate the righteous out of heart p. 25. What al might in a ChristiaÌ„ is p. 28. 29. c. How differing from that power which Christ had and used here p. 32. 33. The Divell allmighty in some p. 36. How all might comes into the heart p. 38. 39 The happinesse of an Almighty Christian p. 41. 42. c. Divine power Workes gradually in a Christian p. 45. When power workes lowest in a Christian it workes above the ruining power of sinne p. 49. Power working according to higher or lower degrees we should observe how it workes in us p. 51. All paines spring from one that we have so little of God p. 52. How to know whether divine power workes strong enough to save p. 54. 55. Divine power should be acknowledged as it workes with thankfulnesse p. 57. 58. Apprehension should make due impression
acknowledge their proper Author all the power al the wisdome al the love that is in them to God as their Father Every Creature hath a rude speech to this purpose of its owne that is as Gods owne glory gloriously revealed in them sensibly speakes forth himselfe But man is formed intentionally and very transcendently to this worke to speake not rudely but divinely accurately to make power speake and to speake to the life wisdome speake and speake to the life every mute Creature and action and al the love that lies mute and silent in them to speake out and prostrate it selfe to God as it's Father Giving thanks to the Eather who hath made us c. All things in the World in the Heavens in the Earth in the Sea have Gods marke upon them as his goods as great Merchants set their marke upon all the goods which are theirs God hath not left himselfe without witnesse throughout the Creation Now thankfulnesse 't is a going from Creature to Creature from worke to worke to finde out God his marke his image and superscription to whom doth this belong To whom that if the Echo be to God why give unto God the things that are Gods if this creature or action be so fat so mute that it cannot speake nor call God Father I will for it saith a thankfull soule let God have all his owne let him weare his one glory himselfe and none else Father al love to al things here below temporall love eternal love upon him Give thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. Thankefulnesse is a making every thing that is good to cry Abba Father to God every thing that is good and al the good that is in every thing what is simply and totally good what is subordinately and finally good good in its end as troubles which prepare and fit for Heaven what good is in the staffe what good is in GOD what good is in good and what good is in evil thankfulnesse goes a fishing and gathering for love every where and to every ones doore to hel doore to Heaven doore to present it to its owne Father giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light Thankfulnesse it is Gods faithfull register 'T is Recorder to the great City above ' t' hath an admirable memory nothing dies that love does t is a grace which layes up doings sayings yea whisperings of love in the heart many yeares and ponders them every day every houre and keepes them alive and as fresh and fragrant in the soule as if but now done Shee writes love as he writes beloved upon the Palme of her hand she is never forgotten nor never forgets she remembers dayes of Old dayes of love though never so old are new Thankefulnesse makes mercies live as God lives for ever His name is had in everlasting remembrance c. By whom by a thankefull soule by none else There is no grace makes Chronology so exact for yeares for dayes for houres for all circumstances as thankfulnesse doth How long God hath beene a Father in what condition a Father in what manner and measure a Father to what end a Father to bestow an inheritance what inheritance for kinde for situation whether in darkenesse or in light she exactly records all Giving Thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Thankefulnesse 't is Gods bountifull paymaster 't is a returne of Gods own with advantage his favours and mans heart in over and above for Gods favours A thankfull man cannot nakedly returne fatherly love hee binds up his heart in his acknowledgements hee bundles up blessings and bundles up his soule in them and so carries them al together to Heaven All his benefits and all my soule and all that is within it let them al goe together to Heaven to make an offring of thanksgiving Let the Arke goe home againe but by no meanes let it goe home empty send costly Pictures of Gods dealings home with it golden Emrods golden Mice let Christ and love revealed in my soule be returned by my soule home againe but let them not be returned empty sayes a thankfull man let me picture out and engrave Gods kinde dealings in my heart and so send Divine favours and heart together home to Heaven yea if I had ten thousand soules ten thousand Jewells more precious then that inmost Jewell of all in my breast let that love which hath made it selfe my father and made me out an inheritance as a child and me fit for that inheritance have all Giving thankes to the Father c. Understand this to be a heart speech a soule breathing an intense totall soule breathing heaven-ward Thanksgiving 't is a presenting God with his own with all his own with thine own have wee offered unto thee saith David in his thansgiving wisdom might are thine all that is good comes of thee A thankfull man hath no good thing of his own 't is all Gods that he has his wisdome Gods his strength Gods every good thought of God to doe to will good of God whatsoever hee has whatsoever hee is is grace by his grace I am that I am this is the naturall language of a thankfull soule All good in me al good that comes from me is of him and through him and therefore all shall be for him inheritance fitnesse for this inheritance all felicity all that belongs to felicity have no naturall but a divine father Giving thanks to the Father c. 'T is an expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a breathing out of all for all to him that is al. Gods fathering of man hath al favours in it all favours have two parts an inheritance and fitting for it and both in this Text and both taken up with one hand to wit with thanksgiving and lifted up as high as Heaven Thanksgiving 't is a spirit still upon the wing rising and ascending to Heaven from every thing never at home but at Heaven 't is a very low thing that he cannot rise from as high as Heaven hee eates and lookes up drinkes and lookes up lookes downe and lookes up whatsoever he lookes upon he cannot looke off God whatsoever he sees heares tasts smells he takes wing from and goes bound in spirit for Heaven whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever hee doth he doth all to the glory of God Thankfulnesse is an Eagle-grace whose game lies all in soaring mounting towards the Sun 't is a soule still travelling from Earth to Heaven from the creature to the Creator t is he that brings tidings to Heaven still of the lost groat of the lost sheepe of the lost Son of what of Gods was lost and is found here and there in this person and that in this thing and that which makes that transcendent joy above 't is a man whose minde runs upon God as you
suitabley expressed by small things * Magna parvis minima exprimuntur Springs make Chanells Streames Rivers suitable to their strength they make their rent without suitable to their bubling within under ground Heaven is but a suitable expression of the love of a God 't is but a streame suitable to such a fountaine but beames suitable to such a Sun Heaven is but legible writing out of infinite love Were not heaven made communicable infinite love would be but halfe expressed 't would have no sutable demonstration 't would be far more in it selfe then knowne to us 'T is with Christ here in this World as 't is with a Christian a Christians fortune here doth not suite his titles called a King and has nothing Now are we the Suns of God but does not appeare what wee shall be Why we shall be but the Sons of God his meaning is that now title and revenew do not agree nothing in possession that speaks out the Son of a God the Son of a King state and title do not fitly and fully expresse one another so 't is with Christ now his love and his expression of it are short one of another many expressions of love are made here but they all expresse it but brokenly heaven will speake out an infinite love 't will demonstrate it to the life to all the senses at once which is such a demonstration of a thing as here man cannot make of any thing There a man shall have the advantage of all senses together to fathome infinite love he shall heare it see it taste it c. He shall see the fountaine where and how it riseth the Ocean how vast it spreads and how broad it beares Christ demonstrates infinite love fully fitly therfore is heaven made communicable to poore Earthen creatures partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred participation is to make soule satisfaction Communicatio est ad implendum subjectum cui communicatur Every thing lesse then heaven is too title to satisfy the soule All is vanity c. Put all things on this side heaven together and all is empty i in reference to the vast partaking spirit of man it swallows and swallows the whole Creation and makes nothing of all participation of Earth of all the Earth will not satisfy heaven must come in too or else the soule like the Dove remaines utterly restles and crys like the grave gâ—ve gâ—ve There is excesse in the Creature but not proper filling Bee not drunken with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit 't is one spirit that filleth another Abundance of Earthly things may make excesse and turne the soule into sinne but participation of fulnesse in God is that which gives the soule its felicity in it selfe and this is in Heaven Absolute fulnesse is in heaven and this maketh absolute content therefore is our participation here still reaching after more then can be had here All that is dispensed in way of inferior ordinance makes but tasting and longing does but put on appetite to a full meale Heaven is Gods supreme ordinance to give the soule satisfaction * Participando Other ordinances bring in the soule but drops and therefore it still thirsts this supreame ordinance brings in the Ocean the soule in this ordinance is swallowed up * T is Gods letting forth of al to things without him it can breath nothing but blessing as seeing feeling hearing tasting nothing else Sacred participation is made according to Christ s will Communicatio est ad placitum communicantis The pleasure of the King is that we should sit at his Table that we should dip our morsels in the same dish with him eat as he does drinke as he does weare and fare to all eternity as he doth Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where J am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me Iohn 17.24 Christ would not be in heaven alone to eate his morsels alone his pleasure is in choice company though not in any J will that those which thou hast given be with mee The pleasure of Christ is the spring of favors as high as this rises a Christian rises necessarily The naturall Son may have what he will for the adopted Sons the Will of Christ is the rule of Communication all is his to make gifts to his favorites as great as he will These have continued with me in my temptation these shall sit on Thrones the pleasure of Christ Thrones us heaven's us Heaven riseth out of Christs breast It comes out of the belly of divine will Participation is to suite will will is infinite vast therefore is Heaven communicable Great persons do great things to satisfy their will Participation is proportion'd to promise no lesse then the Land flowing with milke and honey is promised Communication is according to obligation Heaven is but little enough to fulfill truth to pay debts Christ hath beene so free of his promise that all he has will but make it good and render him just He hath engaged his own honor his own inheritance all below yea all that he has above upon poore terms but upon our service which is more disservice more sinne then service at best If any man serve me let him follow mee and where I am there shall my servant be Iohn 12.26 We are by promise to have as much wages as Christ to receive as great pay though not in so great command and though but common Souldiers and he a Captaine yet all that serve under him are to have as he has a house full of silver and gold yea a house not made with hands a very vast house a house full a heaven full of Jewells Communication is according unto obligation debts must be payd although never so great Mercy never dies in debt to justice every man shall partake of as much as fit for and promised to him although Christ himself hath no more Communication is according to instigation sometimes Participation is proportioned sometimes according to merit Gods giving is according to Christs deserving not according to ours the best of us should partake of hell and not of heaven if we had our deserts Heaven is great and yet lesse then Christs merit and therefore God himselfe is proposed as a Saints portion and Christs purchase The Lord is my portion he doth not say heaven The Lord which made heaven and can make more heavens yea is more then all heavens upon a glote of whose eye upon a cast of whose countenance stands heaven and hell he is my portion He is so in whom why in Christ by his merit Participation is proportioned to merit merit is vast it challenges heaven more God himselfe Christs merit makes God ours the holy Ghost ours what God is in himselfe ours which is the heaven of heavens that which makes heaven heaven Christs bloud is of more worth then heaven it
Such language in humility is good but where 't is so indeed there 't is sad Why how have you used your precious time you have had many yeeres to fit for this one many dayes of peace to fit for this day of War many unbloudy dayes to fit for this bloudy day You have had a growing time a time of full growth for full service for any service this will be pleaded against you by Christ and conscience better then I can doe how will yee bee able to beare it The time is come that many will rue their losse of time that sloth will fall to slaying the very womb that hath long travel'd with her hard worke deadly hard worke will every day now fall to him that never dream't on 't and many I feare will eternally die in manging a good cause Ah Lord this is sad indeed when a man shall lose his life and his soule too in a good cause when a man shall make the greatest losse in the greatest and bravest worke of gaine that can come into a mans hand I like courage well but dislike a desperate man as much such is every one that goes about deadly worke and yet altogether unfit to die under the command of the Devill when he puts himselfe under the command of man for God The Divell is Almghty in some men I would speake a word to this That which doth rule all in you is your Almighty by this you may know what power workes in you What power is supreme in you the power of light and truth or the power of darkenesse and sin There is a strong man and there is a stronger man the stronger man is the Almighty Three things will cleare what power 't is that is Almighty in you What are you in 1. choise What in 2 pursuite What in 3. rest What a man chooses what a man prosecutes what a man rests in that has all is all that 's Almighty You that choose sin prosecute sin rest in sin sinne Satan is your almighty your God you are strengthned with all might from Hell The God of this World rules mightily in the children of disobedience saith the Apostle When sinners are to sin as children to a Father doing what they doe very naturally freely constantly contentedly ah lay this to heart sin is almighty Enlarge these things as you will in your selves I can say onely this you are lost men if any thing be Almighty in you but Christ As you love your soules consider what power works in you and by what strength you are rul'd You that have nothing but the strength of sinne and Satan in you what will yee doe when deliberately put to it for Christ you will deny him and blaspheme him to his face a man is and necessarily must be as the power that workes and rules in him you may think this and promise that the weakest Creatures are aptest this way but what ovâ—r-beares you now wil quite undoe you in the day of tryall These things Christians I have spoken our of feare of some but I hope well of the most of you that an Almighty arme of God is under you and an almighty spirit and power of God working in you I would it were so with all All of you may bee what any of you are Covet things that excell and CHRIST will give you excellent things an excelling strength All might The most of Christ is best the most of his power the most of his truth the most of his love and the like few hearts strongly hang after this therfore are miserable in their little of him that is all al-might and all joy and joyes so to be to that soule that pants after it All might comes in as all sinne goes out the Holy Ghost is our power and hee dwells and workes as hee can get roome Let Christ have all your affection and you shall have all his power to make you able to doe all that he shall call you to A man is made to duty as he strongly loves strong desires take and make Christ and then Christ takes and makes the man strong as strong as his worke to which hee hath such a desire God dispenseth himselfe according to his owne will and yet according to ours too 'T is the plague of most men that they desire but little of God they are heart-enemies to all power that opposes their corrupt affections The strength of God to mortify what man loves and God hates will man seeke or will God give without it All might to overcome all that overcomes the soule what men desire or thirst after this is talkt of therefore they very deservedly die under the power of their sin and in the weakenesse of their soules Grace in its measure though not according to its being is dispens'd according to desire in its measure for 't is but a prevenient capacity made by God to hold so much or so much of himselfe Christians enlarge your desires as Heaven as the wicked are said to enlarge their desires as Hell If you would have great things you must have great desires According to your affections will bee your fruitions if you desire flagons of power and love to stay you you shall be so supported if you pant after power all power to beare you up you shall be so borne up Almightinesse to action springs out of almightinesse in affection According to affection and according to faith doth the power of God worke in man Therefore is Steven said to be a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost and else-where full of faith and power Acts 6.8 According to our faith is our incorporation with that strength power which is indeed almighty and according to a Christians incorporation with this is his derived almightinesse By faith the walles of Jerico fell t was faith that made those worthies such almighty ones As the soule rests upon the almighty so is it almighty I would yee would study nothing else but faith all you have is in it Every age calls to peculiar service this age calls for almighty Christians yee see the way to it blessed are yee if yee finde it This blessednesse I will speake of in a word or two and close up this point An Almighty Christian 't is a Mordecai one set upon the Kings Horse cloathed with royall apparell and a Haman holding his bridle 'T is a man over all in God 'T is one cloathed with the Sun having the Moone under his feete 'T is a Christian with one foot on the Earth and another on the Sea trampling under foote corrupt doctrines corrupt advantages all that is unworthy of Christ and will not goe along with the soule to his everlasting home An Almighty Christian 't is one that moves in the highest Sphere in caelo chrystallino in the christall Heavens as neare the Heaven of Heavens as may be 'T is one that waites for Christ from Heaven more then for Heaven from Christ 'T is an Eagle
things note for the right understanding of this point Divine power where it workes lowest in any Christian workes above the ruining power of sinne Greater is he that is in you then he that is in the World saith Christ greater when least and where least then that power which opposes him in a Christian heart Christ according to ordinary and daily residence carries the soule above the ruining power of sinne greater is hee that is in you c. They might suppose their condition the lowest of any as it is common and comely for Christians to doe and Christ condescends in speaking and takes it so and speakes of it under such a consideration and yet sayes he feare not the power that is in you is greater then the power that is against you The lowest degree of power that workes in a Christian will hold the soule that it shall not eternally miscarry what strength soever be raised to this end so that the devill shal lose his grand designe to wit the destruction of the soule The lowest degree of Divine strength is supreme strength to all power resisting as the lowest good Angel * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fortes robore Angels of his which are mighty i transcending in strength T is an Hebraisme notes a superlative Ps 103.20 Excelleth in strength all bad 2. A second note is this The state of Christians in generall under the Gospel is a very capable state of the highest revelations of power Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the workes that I doe shall hee doe also and greater workes then these shall hee doe because J goe unto my Father Ioh. 14.12 Accession is now very free intercession very potent blessings are answerably necessary The expression of Christ forementioned notes that there is a peculiar intercession suited to this bright Gospell-age where in wee live our grace-capacity now is answerably necessary What intercession workes in Heaven such power and love workes forth upon Earth We live under the richest climate under the richest Heavenly influence all might and all excellence may with all ease bee obtained now in comparison of former times Vse 1 A double use I would make of this point to try you and then to stir you to acknowledge mercy as you finde it That Divine power workes gradually should make much inward observation to see how God workes in our hearts whether little or much Should be the sickenesse of your soules to finde little of God stirring in them t' will be the death of your soules not to finde power of God â—nough stirring in them to salvation Our great worke is to eye how Divine power workes without in the World but our greatest worke is to eye and observe how it workes within in our hearts I wonder at some mens temper which least of all minde this The soule of man is the noblest thing in the World t is above the world and doest thou think that hee which made it so above all for himselfe to work in is least to be heeded what he works here All paines spring from one that we have so little of God all paines and cares therefore should be turned into one what have I of God how might I have more more of his love more of his power working in my soule God gives all might to many and yet remains all might for any Man has his Heaven as hee will Hee that will have it in the full and all enjoyment of the Creature hee has it in this God filles men's bellies with this treasure Those that will have their heart in nothing but in the full and all enjoyment of God have it so hee satisfyes mens thirst let it bee what it will or how great it will Hee satisfyes the hungry belly and the hungry soule Affection is a graduall working thing and a various working thing as the power of God is Cautio est men had neede looke how it rises in thirst after any thing but God they may have their longing else in wrath and have enough of every thing in their hands to fill their bellies but not enough of the power of God in their hearts to save their soules and this will be sad indeed The power of God workes gradually say I in the hearts of men in some much so much that one may say they have all might in others little so little that one may truly say there is not power of God enough unto salvation I am not ashamed of the Gospell saith the Apostle for 't is the Power of God unto salvation Is there power of God enough working in you to rise to so much as this to salvation to soule-salvation eternall salvation Power enough to make you the sons of God T is a great unhappinesse to fall short of any power of God communicable that any blessing power of God which workes in any man should not worke in me but to fall short of so much as will make the soule fall short of its eternall rest ah Lord what misery shall I call this ScrutinuÌ„ What faith what love what joy what passion doth that power make which workes in you by this you may know whether t will prove a power Divine enough and strong enough to save your soules Yee believe in Christ wee must believe this well yet this is but one thing that power which workes this workes more and further if it worke effectually unto life Yee believe in Christ t is well doe yee love Christ too his word his people his wayes How strong is this love as strong as death to the death of sinne and selfe I meane the deniall of both Remember this one thing for all power where it works unto salvation strong enough to save a sinner it makes strong passion lasting passion and all towards Christ and truth Christ is faire fairest the fairest of ten thousand that is the fairest of all so to day so to morrow so every day to the last day to the end as that love which set power at work in the heart is Divine power when and where it workes unto life takes the heart first there it begins A man loves assoone as he lives Christ truth whatsoever is holy There is a desire of milke yea sincere milke in new borne babes in babes assoone as berne there is love love to truth love to pure and sincere truth to the pure and Holy word and wayes of God there is even in babes desire Divine affection panting after that light which came downe from Heaven O what is truth what is Christ would I know him would I could enjoy him First faith is most indiscernable first love which workes from it is most discernable t is so strong and pure and therefore I most mention this passion in this case to discover the power that workes in you Divine power makes a divine nature where it workes to salvation a man is another Creature in desire then what he was
to make him know him that speakes to be God and him that is spoken to but man God speakes so as to make man admire tremble stoop Man is a creature conceited and yet of no reach his conceptions and expressions lessen the dimensions of God his wisdome his power and the like and in this way man growes upon God by sinfull boldnesse and therefore God is faine to put titles and epithites upon his things himselfe to name things according to their nature himselfe which fallen man could have done once but now cannot to call love Love passing knowledge and wisdome infinite his wisdome is infinite saith the Psalmist and power glorious * To call an Angel an Angell and gold gold he is faine to cloath every attribute himselfe with royall apparell with titles suitable that so man may know and keepe his distance heare and feare heare and admire heare and stoop to him that is so glorious and so far above him in every Limb that hath such a glorious Arme glorious power Finally God shapes expression so to man as to hint him of and move him to his highest state He fetches expression from Heaven and from glory to minde man what should take him up and whither hee should drive in all hee sayes and does he goes before man in glory to draw man after him he speakes gloriously to man that man may eccho to him and call divine power as hee does and be taken with divine power as he is that man may looke about and turne away his eye from things that are vaine-glorious to that which is indeed glorious and will indeed make man so being strengthened with it Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power Vse God speakes as one in Heaven how doe you heare He makes his sword two-edged one terrible t'other glorious how does it cut He uses his rod and his scepter sharpe words and glorious words what doe they worke His scepter hee in layes and gilds and makes a glorious Scepter and so holds it forth to your senses to your eyes to your eares what impression doth it make upon your hearts Can yee heare God speake gloriously and yet not be stird'd Can yee heare God speake from Mount Sina and yet not shake Can yee heare him speake from Mount Zion as one in Heaven and yet not admire him adore him and be taken with him To unstir'd soules I must first speake from this point certainly you are dead This is the first principle that springs from this point Unstir'd soules are dead soules he that speakes speakes so gloriously so movingly that all men unlesse they be dead must needs be stirr'd Were your soules alive the words of Christ are so sweete so full of glory and divine force that they must needs stir and take you were you but asleepe the words of Christ are so glorious and so shining in your eyes that they would awake you T is a remarkeable place to this purpose Cant. 7.9 and the roofe of thy mouth like the best Wine that goes down sweetely causing those that are asleepe to speake Christs glorious words are very taking they goe down sweetely if there be any principle of life in the soule t will stir it If the heart be asleepe in the lap of any lower sweete in the lap of any low delights if onely asleepe and not dead in the nest this higher sweete and glory will awaken it and make it speake to the praise of him that so exceeds all in sweetnesse and love Solomon was asleepe for a while in the lap of low delights but when once Christ began to speake in a glorious stile to his sleepy soule hee awoke presently and made songes of that glory that transcendent glory which he saw Surely therefore I conclude that they are dead men whom words of glory words full of Heaven cannot stir How glorious the expression of Christ is here yee heare how gloriously Christ hath spoken upon it out of the mouth of a babe out of the mouth of a Worme and no man yee have likewise heard of what force and power all hath been upon your hearts yee know how much more in love with Heaven and with the Word of Christ and how much lesse in love with the World and with your lusts then you were you know yee that yet are as yee were not a jot better surely yee are dead yee that are yet dead ah Lord when when will yee bee alive Let every heart attend I will ring the Funerall of the dead Hearts dead and unstir'd when Christ speakes lively and gloriously have certainly stopt their eares against the charmer this soule is a prisoner to perverse will there is no damnable prison but this hee is resolved that nothing shall sway that is holy that his heart shall rule truth and not truth his heart which will damne a man if he had a thousand soules This man hath the plague in his heart and hath shut up himselfe that none may come at him no not the King of glory not words of glory write Lord have mercy upon this mans doore upon his forehead for he will die in his sinne all the World cannot save him Whom truth cannot stir nothing can whom glorious words of truth cannot stir nothing shall the man is stretcht out for dead I am now ringing his knell does any dead soule heare me A Scepter of gold a glorious power held out gloriously the God of glory speaking in glory and yet the heart of man not taken nor stir'd ah Lord this heart is taken already this heart is certainly catcht with some fading glory Were there any soule at home when the King of glory and the King in glory knocks certainly 't would open What answer can be made who can open when no body is at home Dinah is gon abroad and ravish't by the Shechemites the heart is gadded abroad taken and lost in a lie in a fading vexing glory that will be the death of it An unstird soule is a dead soule a dead soule is a lost soule a lost soule in sinne will be found in judgement seldome any where else I have not yet done ringing the Funerall of the dead one peale more and I have done Yee dead soules Christ is making your grave doe yee not see it he is comming to take the length of your corps with a sword he will bleed you first and then burie you afterward Yee have bled your soules dead and Christ will bleed your bodies dead and then will yee be twice dead and pluckt up by the rootes When yee are gasping for life will yee be taken and stird with that mortall power which wounds you when yee are descended to your long home will yee be taken and affected with that power that sends you to Hell Surely glorious power gloriously expressed will take your soules or destroy them In what stile God speakes according to it will he make operation in every man upward or downward GODS Words shall
have their force and make issue according to their majesty and glory in the hearts of you all words of majesty and glory resplendent words which are so shaped above as to make strong reflections of the Sunne upon soules here below will make very saving or very killing influence God speakes gloriously to take affect and save the most obdurate heart let him have his designe this is the last thing that I would presse upon you and this concernes us all God makes his words glorious his workes glorious that the heart may be melted and moulded to a glorious forme by them doe not frustrate divine art Words which goe forth with much of God from Heaven let them leave much of God in your hearts When vision is glorious the soule should be in a transe when the speaker is in Heaven the hearer should be there too The Lord spake in glory in shining light to Saul he cast the beauty which he uses above upon his words and these wrought indeed and made Saul cry out Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Methinks this expression in the Text is as if there were such another Heaven opening and such another shining word to some Saul here to some bloudy malicious sinner Sinner sinner why doest thou shut thine eyes and thine eares against glorious words of Christ Some glorious Meteors they render the Heavens to us as if they did gloriously open Heaven me-thinks opens in this expression glorious power how can any heart keepe out of Heaven when Heaven opens to it How can any heart but be taken with that which is full of nothing but taking lustre what man can passe over such an expression without laying his hand on his heart with such a quaere what is that power which the Holy Ghost admires Surely there is glory indeed in that which he calles glorious O that my soule could see this glory Where Christ sets a hand in the margent pointing to the observation of any thing of his that surely is very remarkeable there the soule should stand still sit down and dwell The very accents and aspirations of truth must have their place in the heart of man the heart is to hold all not a tittle of truth must fall to the ground our hearts must catch it and keepe it from falling and dying Power and Love and Wisdome they are accented and aspirated glorious power infinite wisdome love passing knowledge c. These titles and aspirations this dust of gold must not be throwen away but adde to the impression of truth for 't is God setting all his strength to thrust things into the heart 't is God using his best soule-saving art to get into Sanctum sanctorum As the heart behaves it selfe so Divine truth lives or dies in it as Divine words die or live in the heart so God dies or lives in the World Much of God dies when glorious expressions make not glorious impressions much God-dying makes much man dying that God is so much dead in England makes so many men dead Man is lesse then a tittle of truth yea the World is lesse then a tittle of truth Spretis punctâ—s expiraâ— Anglia tittles of truth kill'd by the Christian World kille the Christian World so generally at this day As truth hath apparel'd it selfe so let it goe in the World and live in our hearts let us not take the least spangle from Her attyre Truth and Wisdome and Love will otherwise lose their dimensions and God will lose the glory of his heights and depths of divine dispensations The goodnesse of the heart is as the words of God make totall impression upon it T is the best heart in which God can best read all that hee hath said to a tittle and finde glorious impressions suitable to the glorious words in which he deliver'd himselfe How you judge of your hearts I know not God judges of them as your breath turnes into his as your spirits admire adore rise and ascend into Heaven with his That heart which can reade and heare glorious words of Christ and not be answerably affected will never be a glorious Christian Christ makes the place of his feet glorious as he treades in the heart so hee makes it glorious as his Word makes impression so is sanctification and no otherwise they that heare and let goe divine words of the the movingst forme and force will certainly die loose Soules Men goe to reading and hearing the word with a carelesse spirit 't is most mens sinne all that such get is judgement they eate and drinke judgement saith the Apostle respecting another Ordinance So these heare and reade judgement to their soules that is heart hardning and not heart raising The handling of such a glorious expression as this though by a weake servant of Christ must needs have set your hearts something more Heaven-ward had yee heard with such preparation as becomes you A man finds God in his Word as hee seekes him in Prayer and no otherwise Wax receives impression as 't is prepar'd Esther must fast and pray and come with her life in her hand to the King to have a glorious Scepter stretched out unto her So must we come into the presence of the King of Kings with much seeking of God and selfe-judging with our lives temporall and eternall in our hands to finde glorious words worke gloriously to have a glorious Scepter stretched out from Heaven to us a glorious power working in us in the hearring of glorious things Hee that minds little about what he is going finds little but the fruit of his sinne he goes away from divine ordinances worse then hee came to them he goes away with a sop with a heart more poysoned in malice more hard dead and cold condemned and executed to wit tortur'd I conclude this point with a note of admiration That God will put glosse upon necessary commodities such as we cannot be without and doe well to make them off is wonderfull Yee doe not use to put varnish upon Bread that 's such a generall necessary dish that its double and maine use to the state of man sets it off well enough without any by-things about the dish Such is the Word of God 't is as bread to our soules of supreme use this one would think should be enough to set it off with us and yet because this is not God paints bread guilds Loves and sets them upon the Table to us * Puts glosse upon the words of eternall life That GOD will put himselfe into a passion to put us put Heaven into his words to put Heaven into our hearts le ts wonder That Christ will let fall his mantle when hee ascends that we may ascend too make his raised spirit breake forth into glorious raised words to raise our spirits too let his love and humility be ever before you 'T is our great worke Christians 't is our great worke to admire God in his words and workes in his
you and fetch you from the ends of the Earth to judgement and to your place Glorious power can put you into darkenesse into utter darkenesse into blacknesse and darkenesse as Jude speakes into exquisite darkenesse and yet where you shall see exquisitely to wit spirits which here you cannot do damned spirits spirits burnt black with everlasting burning spirits flaming spirits spirits all a fire burned and burning sucking in and breathing forth in one anothers face nothing but fire unquenchable fire Glorious power can put you into darkenesse yea under darkenesse they are reserved under darkenesse saith Jude Glorious power can bundle up you and bundle up darknesse and put one bundle upon another and put you under-most under all the waight of Hell Christ can put all the waight of hell upon one cursed spirit Glorious power can cast you into the bottome of the bottomelesse pit and chaine you there with everlasting chaines reserved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse unto the judgement of of the great day saith Jude These things sinners have I spoken that you may dread glorious power seeing you will not love it and seeke out to be saved by it A fourth principle which springs out of this point and which concerneth us all is That our condition is very advanceable Power workes gloriously you may live very neare Heaven as well as very far of if you will you may see the holy Land you may eat clusters of the fruit of the Country above As you order things you may live in Heaven or Hell here Christians I have a high question to aske you how neare Heaven do you live doe you see it do you feele it did you ever have you any bunches of the fruit of the holy Land The spirit of God is in you but is the spirit of glory and of God in you you have grace but have you grace and peace you may have grace and peace but are these multiplied as the Apostle speaks to a glorious height doth a glorious spirit and power dwell and worke in you my Dove which art in the cleft of the Rockes saith Christ let mee see thy countenance and heare thy voyce c. So say I to you Christians which are in desolate conditions mourning amongst Rocks and hard-ships like doves let me see your countenance let mee heare your voice what is your peace your joy your love your hope all these are the rays and beams of a glorious power I have none says one I never had says another I doubt whether ever I shall says an other this last I like worst for surely hee is furthest off from the blessing of glorious power There be but two things that I know which hinder power from working gloriously glorifyingly in the soule and they are sinne loved and unbeliefe I will insist upon these a little because I would have those that mourne comforted all that belong to Heaven in Heaven From sinne no man can cease but cease love to sinne if yee would have a Heaven upon earth a glorious power and presence of GOD in you Render your spirits free to God let them not be insnar'd with any lust such intanglement spoiles your glory kills a glorious working spirit and power in you Set wide open your hearts those everlasting-doores to the King of Glory and onely to the King of Glory and the King of Glory in much glory wil come in a glorious Throne will hee erect in your soules Pure hearts see the Face of God impure onely the black back-parts of GOD. Blessed are the pure in heart they see GOD. The heart is pure as love is pure love is pure as it goes all to Christ to him that is all pure As love goes all to Christ so it turnes all into Heaven in the heart into glorious presence All our worke should be to be disingaging out hearts still from all here Heaven comes into the heart as earth goes out the heart sees God as it purifyes it selfe Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Purity makes capacity of Heaven a cleane heart is Christs most intimate companion hee spreades open his Glory in this Bosome The holy'st men have alwayes had the most glorious visions as Daniel and Iob. God chuses his place to make Heaven he makes Heaven above in Jerusalem that is above in soules that are above above the vanities of this World in love and desire he makes a Heaven Moses is led up to a mount to see Canaan Christ upon a mount had his glorious transfiguration he had his Heaven upon a mount Love must mount above all these low things ere the soule can see Heaven enjoy glorious presence You cannot lie-along upon earth and see the Heaven of Heavens you may lie along upon earth and see earthly Heavens that must passe away Sinne loved and the soule chuses his Heaven here no man shall have two Heavens two Heavens that differ specie Power will not work gloriously in that heart that works filthily A man may see hell in his sinne but shall never see Heaven It falles out unhapily still with man when hee goes about to make a heaven here when hee sets love at worke to take her fortune to make her glory and felicity here below as shee can this checkes the working of a glorious power in any heart and sets it a working another way to whip the man with vexation of spirit for seeking Heaven in Earth in glorious vanities So far as the heart is unmortifyed 't is not simple with God simplicity is an absolute requisite to make capacity of a glorious working power in the soule God descended like a Dove upon a Dove sweetely and gloriously upon him in whose mouth was no guile A heart and a heart has none of Gods heart God never proclaimes himselfe well-pleased in that heart which makes not him his pleasure Divine Power workes not gloriously where the heart works basely An hypocrite has least of Heaven of any man and most of hell As men draw neere to God so they see him neere to him in quality and neer to him in duty We see heaven best upon our knees As wee glorify God so hee glorifyes us When we open our mouths wide hee gives us great things filling things when we beg for flaggons we are stay'd with them At the throne of grace we finde grace grace in glory heaven at Gods feet when most in his presence most in Heaven A man must goe to heaven to finde heaven a man must live in heaven to have heaven live in him Much going to heaven brings heaven at last downe along with one Things doe worke best in their owne element power works most gloriously in heaven the neerer the heart comes to heaven in simplicity in purity in pure qualities and habits in pure acts and exercise the more glorious doth power woâ—ke in the soule still Unbeliefe is another hinderance of a glorious working power Said I not if yee would believe yee should see
the exercise of al I dread to thinke what this presages Wee shal see poverty and heare cursing see bleeding and heare blaspheming and both in one house yea both in one person Wee shal see bodies wounded and soules breathing themselves through these wounds in the face of God and man because in a helpelesse state This grieves me no man layes to heart what God already suffers in these evil dayes from impatient spirits I have heard some as I have gon along the streets breake forth most bitterly against the most religious of the Kingdome as the cause of al our misery laying bloud at innocent mens doores great ones doe thus against conscience poore ones doe thus out of ignorance as rich mens echo being their creatures made through feare or hope or both all sides I am sure breath not forth al but little very little patience Ah! yee of little patience what doe yee meane to make a miserable condition remedilesse a state miserable damnable will you sin in poverty that wealth may never returne will you sin in War that you may never have peace wil you sin in bloud and death that Hell may follow Because men have killed your Trades your States your Bodies shall the devil have your Soules Is there any evil in the City or Country which God hath not done God takes away much to save the maine and you make the losse of much the losse of all the losse of your soules through impatience A rod should humble you and your skin swells with stripes Gods Hand on your back should make your hand on your mouth and you curse you curse and God curses surely you wil be cursed you sweare and stare because you have lost your peace your temporall respect and God sweares you shall neither have temporall nor eternall rest Ah Lord what hath this soule done murmured and sworne himselfe out of al for ever Yee men of no patience have you no light no conscience no soule doe yee sinne against no light no soule no God are yee heathens are yee worse I will tell you the evils of impatience that you may dread it and every degree of it and make them as I name them motives to endeavor after all Patience i a heart freed from all impatience The first evil is this so farre as the soule is impatient so farre 't is set at a distance from God Impatience grieves God grieved withdrawes So farre as Saul rages so farre is the Spirit of God gon So farre as the soule is shut out from God 't is shut out from al. A bedlam is put alone and there chained and whipt he is fit for no company but forlorne spirits like himselfe a Legion of these possesse every impatient soule No soule hath lesse fellowship with God then passionate God cannot dwell in fire nor worke in fire any otherwise then to torment the tormented Froward children are frowned upon and kept at a great distance 'till their hearts come downe A soule that hath little of God hath much of the devil if you would see the devil face to face looke a passionate man in the face you shall see the devils eyes his browes his tongue his mouth al as blacke as horrid as firey as Hell A second evill of impatience is this Impatience maimes parts gifts graces and makes a man otherwise able feeble and uselesse The counsells of the froward are carried head long saith the holy Ghost if their counsels how much more then those things they doe without counsell and thus most an end doe passionate men doe all they doe Passion puts out a man's eyes cuts-off a man's armes it thrusts a man in hast still to the wrong doore to the wrong end of his busines Passion cannot observe modus nor media agendi 't wil up to the top of the house presently before there be any staires made 't wil run and leave tools behind yea 't will run and leave God behind and so buries her honour still in an untimely birth A passionate man hath Reubens judgement written in his forehead never to excell Thirdly impatience is the mother of al evil 't is a sin-teeming temper it brings forth children to old Age and then most of al passion in old Age brings forth by troopes Impatience 't is a spirit set on fire of Hell prepared and ready to every hellish worke to sweare to curse to kill to speak evil to doe evil t is a short possession a man mad for so many houres that will not stick at any thing that the devil and deprav'd nature bid him doe he wil flee in the face of servants children wife magistrate God any one 't is a Snake whose tongue is his sting his teeth poyson he takes in and casts up venome by mouthfuls his heart brings forth sinnes by troopes he speaks as many sinnes as words he burnes al black with too much heat he over-heats words workes the wheeles light a fire still in carriage especially when loaded with any heft and burne cart and carriage both Passion 't is the devils glasse-house black fire workemen are at it in this soule day and night t is the devils sinne-moul'd to make many sins quickly many great sins on a sudden Impatience puts a price onely upon praesentia * Appetitui apta carnal present things a measse of potage at present better then birth-right although Christ and Heaven be wrapt up in it Tell an impatient man of things to come Heaven and Glory Praesentibus futura majora and the like he cannot stay so long Heaven a great way off is no Heaven to him he must have a Bird in the hand a Heaven here or else Heaven and earth shall ring of him he must have what he wil and when he wil or he wil make the house too hot for al that are in it This renders an impatient person utterly uncapable of the great'st blessings because these are longest a comming and he cannot waite Le ts have a golden Calfe as for this Moses we know not what 's become of him nor when he will come a golden glittering Calfe at present better then to stay for Moses though hee brought the beames of God the glory of Heaven shining in his face Le ts eate and drinke for to morow we die Magna â—â—â—antiâ nulla Impatience must have a Heaven at present a belly-heaven as for a soule heaven a heaven in promise t is a dead thing This renders an impatient man utterly below motive our greatest Gospel motives are fetcht from great things to come in another World and the greatest things are nothing at such a distance to this man hee cannot waite so long for a Heaven though hee lose his soule There is no divine contemplation in an impatient heart which is that that makes Heaven here So that an impatient man loses his Heaven here-after and here too Impatience 't is a soule still in a hurry never at home never at leisure to goe to
have such a phrase nothing but God is in all his thoughts he is lost in love and can finde no way out but by breaking out to Heaven O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God c. Thankfulnesse doth presuppose admiration a minde over-matcht with matter The soule is big with admiration as it can goe ere it kindly and nuturally brings forth thanksgiving A little makes a thankfull man admire much the least of Gods mercies O how great t is to a thankfull soule A thankfull soule sees nothing but wonders bread a wonder a crum of bread in his mouth a wonder clothes a wonder any rag on his back a wonder any whole peece in his flesh in his spirit in his estate in his name a wonder O how big are all a thankfull mans mercies and how little he how tall and proper every mercie and what a dwarfe he How good is every piece but the midle piece what a worme is man and yet how used by God above a man set little lower then Angels What a nothing what a worse then nothing is man and yet what an all is God to him these two wonders make a third to wit a dead heart alive and leape as high as Heaven Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. You see thankfulnesse hath here a great many wonders in her eye and this stirs her who hath made and made us and made us what why partakers of an inheritance what inheritance why an inheritance of Saints where doth 〈◊〉 lie why wonderfull strangely as high as Heaven in light admiration you see is the naturall mother of thanksgiving giving thanks to the Father who hath done all these and these favours for us Finally for I will name no more things about the opening of this doctrin though it were worthy long dwelling upon thanksgiving 't is the proper worke of a Christian and the naturall worke of an Angel A Christian is organized above all men sweetly to tell God his own he can dive deeper ascend higher run faster and further after God then all the lower World beside 'T is proper onely to a Christian to see love to taste love which are the strings onely which thanksgiving makes musick upon shee can play nothing but love lessons No man is divine but a Christian all others are but sensuall and to be ranked with bruites in point of thanksgiving for they give as good praise to God for any thing they have as any carnall man and better Bruites cannot speake but their bodies really answer their end which is reall thanksgiving for what they have and are 'T is a reall returne of all for all A carnall man can speake God I thanke thee c. But neither tongue nor hand neither soule nor body answer their end and so man makes himself an Hypocrite which a beast cannot do The Waves clap their hands saith the Psalmist many carnall men do not so much in point of thanksgiving the best of them can do no more All inanimata and meere animata they are only Creatures ad extra respecting thanksgiving they can onely clap their hands and clap their wings and all carnall men can do no more their Creatures onely ad extra respecting divine workes what they can do at these is onely with their hands and with their tongues clap their hands clap their breasts and lift up their eyes which some Bruites will be taught to doe in time As thanksgiving is the proper worke of a Christian so 't is the naturall worke of an Angel their breathing is divine praysing they are spirits of honour waiting upon the King of glory their place and their shape is for transcendent melody the advancing of infinite love is all their worke they speake nothing else doe nothing else nor can doe as the workes you doe naturally you doe necessarily you breath and you can doe no otherwise They are just under the line love shines mighty hot upon them with full face with perpendicular rayes that they are in a continuall rapture which necessitates heart lifting and leaping and nothing else and makes Hallelujah's all their language They are taken up with returning what they heare see feele taste and live in and live upon The result of all is this thanksgiving is a divine returning of divine love a rendring to God as wee have received as that expression concerning Hezekiah is 't is said hee rendred not or as it is in the Originall repayed not according to what he received which is a full and a lively definition of thanksgiving Vse Le ts all mourne and take on we are all behind hand with God The Christian world is become bankrupt quite broke makes no returne to God of his love he is issuing out processe to sieze upon body goods life and will be put off no longer bloudy Bayliffs are abroad for bad debters all the Christian world over Christians are broke and make no returne God is breaking of all He cannot have what he would have what he should have hee will take what hee can get for mony he will take goods limbs armes legs hee will have his owne out of your skin out of your bloud out of your bodies and soules he is setting the Christian World as light and as low as they have set his love Ah Lord what a time do we live in Long suffering is at an end mercy will be righted by Justice Justice will have all behinde 't will be paid to the utmost farthing 't will set abroach your bloud but 't will have all behind England looke to thy self how much hast thou received what hast thou return'd there is but one thing will undoe thee O England to wit ingratitude not returning as thou hast received There be three or foure things which broadly speake Englands ingratitude Great favours overlookt So great things scarce in any age as in ours hath God wrought yet what impression is there to be found in any mans heart wroks are great and yet make but little impression as fast as wrought dead 't is deadly ominous Tell mee are your hearts in a flame of love doth Heaven ring with your praises have not doe not the dealings of God challenge this of every one The dealings of God with England carry a sweete Face of love and their inside seemes very killing and judiciary they leave all hearts so flat and so low at such a desperate losse still as if nothing were done the greatest Victories the greatest deliverances keepe up the heart but a day but an houre Our favours are great but worke not answerably There is no one thing more sad in my observation they are great onely to looke upon not great in their efficacy and power upon the soule which may make you all look about you The buddings of great desolation appeare The Lord pity thee England The Lord pity thee England Wee grow cold under the rayes of fervent love dead and nothing will
keepe us alive The Revelation of great love made us a little warme for a time and lifted up our hearts a while high and now they fall deadly fast 't is deadly presaging If nothing will keepe up the heart all wil downe all must necessarily downe If Ely cannot keepe up his spirit hee will not keepe up his person if the heart be broke and downe the necke will be broke too ere long and all downe a sinking spirit presages a sinking state Every mans heart ere while was at his mouth leaping now 't is at their heeles running love unto miracle will not keepe us alive nor keepe up our hearts and hands to magnifie God what desolating ingratitude is this Every one lookes heavy speakes heavy sighes heavy scarce one magnifying God What shall I doe sayes one What shall I doe sayes another Why what does God doe eye him doe your duty follow after him with praise or you will murther your selves and many more A second thing that speakes broadly and sadly Englands ingratitude is Concuring and assisting providence checkt A willing God to doe great things for his people sleighted Love workes richly wee worke poorely wee let love die in travell at our doore we are likely then to make a goodly returne of love are we not we are lazily making our selves ready when love calles and puts in her finger at Key holes and crannies gloriously to us which is grosse ingratitude and for which the Church was heavily judged with a departure We take not Christ by the hand when he stretcheth it out to us we doe not welcome Christ as hee comes smiling and with a countenance like Lebanon towards us wee doe not blesse kisse and embrace him when hee shewes his Face as an Angel greater unkindnesse and ingratitude can there be Wee let mercies great mercies melt away in their owne grease and make nothing of them for Gods glory or our owne good as if great favours cost GOD nothing Gods people nothing or were worth nothing Heaven opens and our Eyes are shut Heaven opens againe and our Eyes are still shut God makes his glory passe by us and we let it passe Greene mercies raw mercies halfe mercies bastard blessings will content us when full favours mature favours admirably proffer'd We check a bountifull God a willing Father Is not this base ingratitude we sleight full love when fully proffer'd a plant of renowne when proffer'd in a way of renowne Is this to returne full love fully to kill it in travaile to strangle it in the wombe Because the man-Childe makes Panges and Throwes therefore weary of travaile and any peace so but an end of this War Any reformation so this corporall desolation were but ended O base England A third thing that broadly speakes Englands ingratitude is this gentle corrections unobserved Who observes how tenderly the bloudy swords is manag'd in England How in the middest of Justice God remembers mercy who is taken with this how many hearts doth this raise to follow God with praises What an Earth-quake Justice makes in the joints of the wicked What a brest worke in Bataile mercy makes to save the innocent Few to resist many few to kill many how sparing of good bloud is our good God! how carelesse of bad How hee doth droppe in reliefe like Aquavitae when wee are ready to swoune things goe so ill How many hearts are taken rais'd up kept up blessing God for this Mercy Exalts her selfe against Justice shee leads and guides our bloudy Armies Justice is but as a common man wounds and killes here and there where mercy bids it At most justice brings up but the reare in our Warre shee comes behinde and Treades a little upon our heele and bruises that whiles shee breakes the heads and neckes of the wicked O what Heavenly pillage every battaile in England hath hitherto afforded how much of God how much Divine power how much Divine wisdome Divine love to be gathered up but who hath inricht himselfe with this Noble treasure thy greatest mercies O England are but short liv'd thy tenderest mercies quickly dye I like it not shalt thou live O England God admirably saves us we wickedly kill his kindnesse 't will kill us all if not well look't to God is full of bowells wee are brawny 't will not last so alwayes God killes malice wee kill love what dealings are gentle we groane under as tedious too long and too broad too spoiling too killing who blesses God that Englands miseries are mild that England is dealt with far better then shee doth deserve I have spoken more generally to the Land I will speake more particularly to you Christians You have a great stock of love in your hand what returne doe you make I am commanded by this point in hand to looke after my masters income his great revenue of this lower world rent day is come and I am come to demand it You were Lepers are yee cleansed How many returne and give thankes you were cast out to loathing are yee taken into embracing what acknowledgment doe you make Infinite love is out upon you Christians how does it returne into the bosome from whence it came out Ingratitude makes great guilt and great breach that heart will grow too heavy for the man that cannot be taught to praise God to sing new songes as God renewes his favour Three incomparable things are spoiled by ingratitude Gods glory mans peace and increase of grace hee growes backward as you have such a phrase that is ungratefull it turnes all mans welfare into a consumption t is the thiefe that robs God and man t is base basenesse Gods love and mans knit up in a Sack and the mouth cannot be opened all divine stirrings chok't cripl'd kill'd and deaded which makes merrily and sweetly heaven-ward 'T were endlesse to tell you the evils of ingratitude I will give you a word of remedy and so conclude this point The heart is in thankefulnesse as t is in truth Thankfullnesse is the vitall breathing of integrity A sound heart arrogates nothing but ascribes all to God hypocrisy is the worst giver of all to another that can be truth is best at giving every one their owne 't is her greatest paine that shee can doe it least to him that is best to her Integrity hath no other felicity but to paint out love and carry it to Heaven to see if God will owne any art of hers to make him glorious All the complaint of integrity is that favours are lost upon her that love dies in her bosome and many made-prisoners by her so chain'd and fettered with an evill heart that they cannot returne to God that gave them Integrity is still sighing and panting to get up hill with all Gods blessings on her back Oh that I could carry all sweetely home againe that God lends me Secondly as the soule is in life so t is in thankefulnesse heat is best at making up ward Truth is sometimes much
limitation it speaks restraint to such a species to such kind of things and no other Creatio est illimitatio fertur ad omnia Creation speakes illimitation boundlesse processe you may have what you wil that stand under the blessing of this power You stand in a capacity of al what would you be that creating power cannot raise you to I am made all things to all men sayes the Apostle making power makes a generall Christian make me to heare joy and gladnesse sayes the Psalmist No blessing too big for making power t wil make joy and gladnesse in the most bleeding soule Heaven in Hell FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Doct. OF power creating and making we have already spoken the persons to whom this is refer'd is our next thing to consider who are noted in this terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us Who hath made us meete c. Love singles out her objects shee chooses her breast and bosome to lie downe in shee does not wantonly and promiscously kisse as shee meets but picks and chooses and so embraces who hath made us meet c. Love workes freely Christ makes many nothing makes him The holy Ghost cannot be bought with money he is in the gall of bitternesse that thinkes so Nobility no more then peasantry wisdome no more then folly to take Christ hee embraces as many of one as t'other more more poore then rich more foolish then wise His will is his pleasure therefore is will cal'd often in Scripture the pleasure of God Whom hee will pleases if 't be a theife an harlot a Publican Christ is a good fortune but never catch't full of beauty but eyes none full of wealth but lookes at none of great inheritance but lookes not at dowry hee marries where hee will whom he will whom he does he makes who hath made us meete Love workes righteously mercy leaves roome for Justice shee can hold al in her Armes but she chooses but few and leaves the rest to bee embrac'd with more rough hands The sunne shines as it can get roome in a little place it cannot bring in all its rayes onely one or two some few but in the open World all Christ hath his course now in an open World All are under sinne hee may put forth all his beames and glories and be righteous here a beame of Justice and there a beame of mercy he may shine upon one part as upon Sodom bloudily upon another part as upon Goshen blessedly Christ is not necessitated to goe about and kisse all in this lower roome as he doth above he may kisse or he may kick kick many and kisse a few and come off righteously he may goe killing and saveing making and marring through this congregation so as to leave the Apostles liberty for mee in speaking of you who hath made us meete c. Love workes very purely purity is choise a Virgin is not for many Pure love lookes upon many but chastely cleaves onely to one Christ singles out a Spouse and cleaves onely to her The Church singles out Christ she is onely for him Christ singles out a Church he is onely for these My beloved is one this is the Language of the Church and this is the Language of Christ both electing in their love and a few serves turne on both sides The Churches love gathers into one breast so doth Christs Him and no other sayes the Church these and no other saith Christ The property of love is to be entire to use many but to choose but few who hath made us meete c. Love workes strongly she contracts her beames that 's her strength The more contracted the sun beams are the stronger in heat Love is love indeed that loves but few one of a Tribe two of a City us of all Colosse three or foure poore persons of such a great famous City and all the rest left and lying under wrath Running in many channels breakes the strength and greatnesse of a streame That love which runnes common is no thing Love and upon the matter no love 't is consistent with all misery both here and hereafter Speciall love workes strongly she travailes to bring forth a Heaven a Heaven fit for man and men fit for it those wombes which bring forth great ones bring forth but few Multitude is made up in magnitude a few kinges are considerable to many thousands of inferiour men one Kindome is considerable to many mannors a few Saints considerable to many wicked Love travailes and works stongly shee brings forth Kinges Kingdomes great things and therefore but few Who hath made us meete c. Love worketh nobly the channels are al earthly and base in which shee runnes here below and therefore shee runnes but in few Nobles will be intimate and frequent with Nobles but with few others with few that are low and base onely with here and there one that they have a minde to preferre 'T is so with Christ he moves nobly hee is intimate with all the nobility above frequent with all those royall spirits but he lookes but upon few here below here and there one which hee hath a minde to advance Christ doth not throw downe himselfe when he sets up man hee ennobles himselfe in every thing that goes forth from himselfe hee so makes great as to make himselfe great he advanceth men and advanceth himself in such advancement Christ doth so speake love and worke love as to make all echo to his owne honour Much amonst few will hold its muchnesse and they will confesse the donor noble and their inheritance great thus doe these here in the Text they admire love Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light Love workes hintingly Christ doth so kisse and embrace in this lower roome where he comes that it may be plainly discerned that he is not a like pleased with all The very going forth of mercie speakes Justice to the wicked she kisses one over anothers shoulder is not that deadly hinting and damnably nodding to him that stands betweene Love comes very neere a man and yet steps over him and kisses the next Two grinding at a Mill one taken and another left two lying in one bed one taken and the other left doth not this manner of loves working speake wrath to standers by hath not mercy in its dispensation a tongue a voice doth shee not give a deadly cast and glote with her eye that shee is not pleased with all that some shall die under a sleight that she never meanes Heaven to this man nor that man what ever they promise to themselves love smiles and goes close by one soule and kisses another why this very transcient smile is a deadly frowne 't is a smile and yet 't is a deadly frowne too the soule
past by should account so and spell his death out of it Abels offering accepted and Cains nor this was to hint to Cain how things went in Gods breast and it did so but wrought desperately Christ in the same breath in the same expression can speake consolation and condemnation life and death life plainly death noddingly so hee doth here in this forme of expressing himselfe Who hath made us meete c. Vse This point dischargeth a broad side against an errour of the World Every one thinkes himselfe in the favour of God That wherein God is most curious the World thinkes he is most carelesse his love workes very choisely and they thinke it workes very commonly What man alive but promises himselfe the love of God when hee dies What mans state so bad but he thinkes â—will end in Heaven Ignorant soules make Heaven and the Bosome of God â—he center of soules that to which all soules necessarily goe and can goe no whither else I am pain'd at the heart to heare prophane mens opinions and their principles respecting the love of Christ and their eternall estate I will give you two or three of their principles and speak to them They thrive in the World therefore â—ove hath given them her favour and chosen out them to be the onely happy men who ever be miserable Did not the sunne shine upon Sodom was not Dives a wealthy man and yet where is he Where is hee was not â—ophet prepared for the King The things of this life are consistent with death with wrath A man may lie in the bosome of the Creature and in the bosome of the divel too nothing more common A full Table speakes snares and death as well as love That man will certainly choke his soule that will not rise from his Table to fetch an argument of Gods favour towards him I am beloved of all men in this some blesse themselves as beloved of God Truth seldome gets so much favour 't is a strange carriage that will carry it with all All men may speake well and God speake ill of a man All men love thee Doe Gods people love thee there is a love of pity David loved Saul a 〈◊〉 yet Saul was not beloved of God There is a love of relation David loved Absolom yet Absolom not beloved of God Gods people may fasten love where God will not Gods people are weake 't is usuall with them to fasten love where God cannot And as for the Worlâ— they love their owne they hug one another to death what then can'st thou argue from hence touching Gods favour to thee I am not more jealous of any man then of him that aleadges a generall approbation for his goodnesse The World gives no certificate to Saints nor Saints give no certificate to the World he that gets a certificate from both Lord what is he a Saint or a worldling good or bad or made up between both Common vote for goodnesse speakes common goodnesse commonly seldom is this height a height to argue speciall love from Some men can goe in and fetch thee out an evidence of their eternall state My conscience is as cleare and as good as any Mans my heart is at rest J thanke GOD. The soule is corrupt 't will lie downe with a lie There is settling upon lees this speakes not love but deadly hatred When the strong man keepes the house all is at peace Some are quiet because there is no grace to oppose corruption The old man is quiet enough if he may have what he will The divell is as quiet as another Creature if hee be let alone to rule all as hee list's There is peace peace and yet no peace have you never heard of that They shall cry peace peace and yet no peace no favour with God but wrath burning and judgement at the doore Peace may be in a sinners mouth and wrath in Gods peace may be in a sinners heart and wrath in Gods heart yea when wrath is in Gods Hand and ready to cut him off There is a peace of mans speaking and a peace of Gods speaking When they shall cry peace peace meerely they and not God this peace peace this double peace speakes double wrath Delusions are many sinners looke to your soules This is certain love elects she goes forth with choyce not promiscuously she makes some not all blessed Who hath made us c. Are ye amongst this number Can yee say thus who hath made mee meete and mee meete for Heaven Every one thinkes speciall love embraceth him I 'le therefore give you the proprieties of an electing love 'T is in living Sun rayes generate Vita sun rayes regenerate Love is warming heate makes life The Love of God revealed begets love in man Wee love him because hee loved us first God gives all great favours so as to returne to him naturally Divine love shed abroad in the heart carries the heart to God The spirit returnes to God that gave it the naturall spirit doth so at death the holy spirit doth so before death all along even unto death Gods Countenance where 't is similing 't is winning where 't is winning 't is drawing where divine love is drawing the soule is running to Heaven A favourite is much at Court ever at the Kings elbow Gods favourites are much with him still bending Heaven-ward Love is alwayes in her journey towards her beloved No bosome so sweete as that from whence shee came forth Divine love makes divine it comes from Heaven it carries to Heaven Chosen are called electing love hath a still sweet calling voyce This is the way saith love and there is no way to this saith the beloved Grace echo's to God the giver Wisdoms wayes have the name for pleasantnesse with a chosen soule Love inflames the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Vâ—atal's Infinite love makes a kinde of infinite it generates simile Love is as strong as death 't is spoken of the love of the Spouse The Husbands love is unexpressible strong so is the Wives Love sets the soule for Heaven with full saile All the heart and all the might Electing love carries al captive to Christ 't is not to be exprest how strong love is when made divine That love that is set upon God is the strongest of all 't 'as such a transcendent object and such secret transcendent influence No sinner loves sinne as a Christian loves Christ Love is made from the object no object so lovely so soule-drawing out as Christ is No such rapture did Salomons soule ever make in the Creature as in Christ nothing is so drawing out of love as Christ the very vastnesse of the soule is suited in him how vastely doth the soule love when fully suited When every power of the soule hath enough to take full hold on Thou hast put joy in my heart more then they when corne and wine and oyle increased Gods Countenance drawes more
out more love more joy then Corne and Wine then any thing can doe 't is so fully soule answering Electing love is a transcendent love stronger then that which is borne to all the Creation besides so it makes a transcendent love a love stronger to Christ then to any thing My love is white and ruddy faire yea fairest of ten thousand A man whom Christ loves cannot see such another as Christ is as the Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the Sonnes Electing love is separating I have chosen you out of the World The body in the World but the soule out of it off of it i in esteeme all earthly things dung stinking Earth that which is taking to a carnall man is stinking to a Christian Earth is base to a heavenly soule thick clay a loade yea the very flesh upon the back a load to a divine spirit life this life but a death The best house here but a groaning house in this house wee groane panting after another better built A house from Heaven Christ finds men lost in the Creature but leaves them lost in himselfe I esteeme all losse but Christ A choyce person hath a choyce affection he can put no prize upon any thing but Christ A Christian is the worst bidder for the World in the World A Judas bidds basely for Christ A Paul bids basely for all besides Christ he bids nothing hee esteemes all dung he prizes it at no rate onely worthy of strong contempt The glory of this World takes not a glorious soule I am crucified to the World and the World to me Paul had nothing of the World nor cared for nothing there was as little of the World in his heart as in his hand as little in his spirit as in his purse Divine love is very estranging from worldly things knowes nothing no no person after the flesh A brother is nothing a sister a mother nothing divine things All 't was so with Christ 't is so with a Christian All Christs children take after him Whether chosen of God whether singl'd out by love now speake Whom love hath not singled out wrath now will Justice hath no other Butt to shoot at but a rejected soule Mercy sets her children under her wing Justice killes her children with death yee rejected soules what will yee doe The great Shepheard is separating between sheepe and swine tares shall no longer stand amongst the Wheat plucking up by the rootes is come Bleed under your condition sinners the quarrell at this day in the Land is betweene Christ and rejected persons there should not a stroke be struck more in the Land were it not to cut off that which is cast off Every Souldier is Gods bloud-hound you will see wrath single out the stoutest Goat in the heard and pull him by the throate Justice drinke the bloud of every Judas and make Filii perditionis filii perditi the greatest men in misery as deepe as their merit persons cast off by GOD cut off by Man Justice is going once againe to give every Cain his marke Not a rejected person through the Land but shall feele the power of Gods Wrath. Yee forlorne Soules what will yee doe Shall your sinne finde you out Will you goe on in your sinne till God make your rejection visible and write your doome in your bloud for posterity to reade and tremble Is it a small thing that you have lost your name and honour with men Will you desperately lose your honour eternally with God Yee Malignants yee seede of the Serpent you say you have but a life to lose I say you have Soules to lose You say you will honour the King so doe but honor God too or else the King of Kings will crush you all I conclude this point Duty with a word to Gods chosen ones your Duty your safety lies in this point Love singles out her beloved Who hath made us meete c. You are of this little Number admire love this is the use made in the Text. Give thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. What knotty pieces hath God hewed and made fit for himselfe That Gods Love should center any where but in himselfe aâ—l the Creation should admire that God will foule his hands to mould and make up Earth for Heaven for ever admire mans love is all from motive Gods love from none God layes out cost on a dunghill and makes it a stately Throne Things which so move that wee can see no spring their very forme set's us into admiration Divine Love moves thus altogether singles out kisses embraces and no spring nor principle but it selfe loves because it loves can you reach this reason No why then admire and adore that love that has your Soules in her Armes to carry them to Heaven Safety Your safety is in this point Whom Love hath singled out wrath shall never wrong The favour of God is a sufficient defence against the frownes of the greatest man Love is as tender to keepe as choyce to take into protection shee commandes men shee commands Angels shee commands the whole Creation to serve her Beloved A man ha's the Munition of Rockes that is in the Armes of Christ A Christian cannot object his sinne to turne of this consolation from him Divine love beganne freely it goes on so it chose out the man freely it chooses out mercies for the man freely A man is Universally made that is chosen out by God to bee happy hereafter happy here happy in every condition here happy Christ leaves none to the hazard of sinnes or times hee secures his choyce as his owne eternall felicity Hee bindes them up as His Jewels sets the Righteous apart As for Himselfe All. Your safety your All is in this point 'T is your Spring of supplies 't is a Fountaine open Free-Love is a Canaan of blessings Milke and Honey Flowing Free-Love 't is infinite mercy set to make you her Heire to bestow all shee hath upon you and yours Would yee have your selves blessed the Kingdome blessed Free-Love hath in it to doe all Free-Love hath a long Arme and a full Hand mercie for thousands and from Generation to Generation FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Doct. LOve workes freely Christ chuses what persons he pleases to advance Who hath made us c. Love works fully What persons Christ chuses to worke upon hee makes thorough worke in he renders them meete fit sufficient the Originall word will beare all these to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Sinne hath it's fitting and finishing and then it brings forth its end Sinne finished brings forth death c. The Divell is a thorough worke-man where hee layes a foundation he raises up the building till all be fit for himselfe and
love According to designed office and this binds to fit and finish for Heaven Hee is the Author and finisher of our Faith and this by office Christ also workes according to a proper principle in himselfe to wit love which cannot be quiet nor leave off working till every person foreknowne be fully fitted to love and for love Love is an untired principle in Christ though not so in us this makes him an everlasting Father a worker as a Father without cessation till children be fit to be taken home to enjoy their inheritance fit for him who tooke such a knowledge of them Christ moves as an everlasting father he layes out and layes out hee 's at cost and paines this yeare next Yeare to give breeding high breeding suitable to fortune and never leaves off till the child be fit for his inheritance Christ is an everlasting Father as well as a Prince of Peace he has love proper love in him as well as proper duty and office devolu'd upon him Office bindes to finish for Heaven love more I thinke 't is proper to say Christ moves more naturally then obligedly to fit lost man for his eternall home Bonds were voluntarily taken up and taken up from love love is the natural motion of Christ this works and never leaves working till the soule upon which it seiseth be fit for Heaven Vse I am led by this point very seasonably to aske you this question Are you fit to die are you fit to live againe are you prepared for Heaven you see how things goe upon Earth The way of God is deadly her 's deadly doings here below How doe your soules stir about eternity Sinners what doe you doe What will you doe God is giving to all what is fit for them Sinners are yet asleepe Ah Lord When will they awake What a harvest will Hell have in these bleeding times What preparation for Heaven do you see men make more then they did Hee that was filthy is so still he that was an Earth-Worme is so although God be treading Wormes to death and crumbling Earth to dust Though person and state lie open to death yet no man mends his pace for life What shall I thinke of such a Generation My bowels rend to looke some of you in the face to behold how like your selves you still looke and what a deadly visage your life still carries What you were you are what men are now for sinne surely they shall be Justice is at worke to perpetuate misery to thousands to harden Pharaohs and then cut them off to fit Vessels for wrath and then fill them up with it as full as they 'l hold to fit men for their place and then send them thither a pace Sinners you heare all this can you beare all this do not your soules yet stir Are they not then white to harvest fit to be cut off by that sword of wrath which is going about An unstirred soule is fit for nothing but Justice 't is death in strength upon the soule 't is the soule in grave and a stone roul'd upon the doore What you are fit for that you shall now have Justice is commanded to go over the Land and single out every wretch and give him his own I think there is scarce a sinner amongst us but Justice ere it hath done with us will make him eat of the fruit of his way Doth not wrath make misery begirt us Doth it not cut down dry Trees every where fuell fit for the fire doth she not set a fire and cast into everlasting burning And yet are not your souls a fire to be fit for Heaven such whose soules stir not now there is just cause to feare that they are left as fit fuell for wrath Obduratio I will give you the properties of a man fitted for wrath The first is obduration A stone is fitted to descend 't 'as its property to beare down-ward Hardnesse maks fitnesse to judgment The way to Hell is from burning to burning from a seared conscience to a damn'd soule Justice blasts the soule in the body ere it burnes it out A fitted soule for wrath 't is one with his Eyes out 't is one that can see no evill making towards him although himself very evill one that cannot see Justice though very visible nor sin though very palpable Justice works within and then without she spends her selfe most fiercely within her last and least breathings and blastings are without she first puts out a mans eyes with the sin he loves and then comes as a snare against the sinner I sit as a Queene and shall see no evill and yet this Quâ—ene a Queane and very evill that 's a Swans song before death now is the soule fit for Justice and wrath and never so fit as now When a sinner sings a requiem soule take thine ease he is fit for yea very neare to wrath this night saith Christ in such a case they shall take away thy soule A man hath sinned himselfe to Hell-doore which hath sinned his soule blind and secure * A man is fitted for wrath indeed when he stands at Hell-door readdy to goe in Setling upon the lees and judiciary visitation they are joyn'd both together as neare Neighbors and as belonging to one thing and this by resolute will I will visit those that are setlâ—d upon their lees Wrath is comming towards you yee blind soules doe yee see it no There is none Why therefore 't will certainly come you are the onely persons fit to be visited I will visit those which are settled upon their lees whom ever I passe by A Horses Eyes out and the next worke he is fit for is grinding Justice sets sinners to grinding their own soules when they cannot see their own sinnes Wrath certainly will not suffer that man to live long which hath kil'd his soule with sinne Alienatio A second property of a man fitted for wrath is this alienation No blessed fellowship speaks separation to wrath A King cals home his Embassadors when he meanes War and Judges a Kingdome fit for nothing but the Sword Casting off fits to cutting off The spirit of God departs when the man is rejected Alienation is great still before desolation Saul shall have no answer no where no whispering from any but from Hell when given up as only fit for that place Light hath no fellowship with darkenesse but when 't will have nothing to do with darkenesse to make it light the state is desperate 't is a signe that the soule is fitted for utter darknesse There are but two steps to death the first is this The sinner say's he will have no fellowship with God the second is God say's he shall have none Now is the sinner judged how fit for Hell then now judge yee execution only is wanting and the Devill is not usually back-ward to discharge his office the man is upon the gallowes he wants but turning off how things may turn
pitched upon such a Noble height Christ hath taken it into his Hand to make it so high Strong desires are glimmerings of Sunne-rising I would have no Soule sad that pants after much grace Certainly the Sunne is risen very high in this Soule already 't will be at the Meridian apace Heaven is not farre off that soule which longs to be fit for it When Christ once began to pray Father glorify mee with thine one Selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the World was glory though so great was not farre off When the poore man would believe the spirit of Faith was neare and the next words are Faith and no more words of unbeliefe If thou canst do this if thou canst doe that heard There is no designe to become fit for Heaven like bringing a mans soule into a passion this way Divine passion makes strong compassion Christ does not quench smoaking Flax does hee quench flaming flax Panting to be fit to live in Heaven where so much holinesse is to live in the presence of God who is all holinesse this is flaming Flax. The fire goes as high as Heaven Heaven will open wide to such a Heavenly heart The Soule would have a sute to weare in the Country which will serve at Court a sute on Earth which will become it in Heaven this is flaming Fax Grace is never checked in its groweth by God but embraced most when it ascends highest God meetes a Prodigall and kisses him doth he not meete a deare child which is almost come quite home to his Fathers House and kisse and feast him A Soule that pants to be fit for Heaven is crope up to Heaven doore certainely CHRIST will welcome this Soule and let him into his desire Thou pantest to be made fit for Heaven why thou art fit Who hath made us fit c. These are said to be fit for Heaven by the Apostle and yet pray'd for by him as yet wanting much grace There 's a Fundamentall fitnesse and a complementall fitnesse for Heaven The lowest dram of true grace gives a fundamentall fitnesse for Heaven A weake hand of Faith on Christ will save a man from drowning a sparke of fire will ascend to Heaven as truely as a flame though not so strongly That there is any sparke in the soule to byasse it Heaven-ward wee should blesse God and blow the sparke by Prayer this is the way to have more A complementall fitnesse is when there is a double Testimony that all is ours from Gods spirit and our own when the soule is sealed with this double seale to the day of Redemption When Faith is strong love strong experience much joy much unspeakeable and full of glory then is the soule complementally fit i fully fit for glory This should be striven unto because it makes large entrance but the soule should not torture it selfe that it cannot with any paines yet attaine so high Some have Heaven here such are fit for Heaven in deede as carry Heaven still about with them 't is but out of one Heaven into another with these Others are made fit for Heaven in hell and come as out of hell to heaven and yet this is great mercy too and every poore low grac'd soule should say so Let these things settle weake soules banish bad objections and make your fitnesse for Heaven in that measure which it is your consolation in these miserable times Swords Guns Weapons of Warre may Wound Lame and unfit you for Earth but let this comfort you you are still fit for Heaven Lame Legs cut Armes bleeding bodies and holy soules will goe to Heaven well enough poore blind lame halt are most the guests that come there Christ had bloudy usage from base Wretches as wee have now speares thrust in his sides deepe wounds so deepe as to let out all his bloud and yet not any of his fitnesse for Heaven Should be enough to us all in these bad times that a mansion is prepared for us and we for it where all losse will be turned into gaine where lost Legs and lost Armes and lost estates will meete their right owners againe and glory in over and above FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light TO be partakers of the inheritance c. Thus read 't is interpretation not strict translation yet possibly I may make issue both wayes for your sakes both as you reade it and as 't is to be read in the originall The Text verbatim runs thus fit to a part or portion of a lot of Saints in light 'T is phrased in allusion to Canaan where the people of GOD had their part and portion and this by lot by an immediate providence and by no humane art by the speciall blessing and disposing hand of God and by no merit or means of their own The phrase notes top favors gallant mercies dispensations full of love all love all love to all eternity Doct. The highest mercies are communicable Heaven all that is in Heaven distributive distributive to men like our selves Partakers of the inheritance Love is bountifull shee gives all Participatio sacra est communicatio totius mercy empties her selfe upon her children she empties her pockets she empties closets Cabinets Jewells of price Jewells of glory of eternall glory are given away to her favorites Having given us Christ will hee not with him give us all things Love gives all Christ and all that Christ hath The Apostle argues a maiori ad minus Christ is a greater gift then Heaven and yet he is made communicable and communicable to man to us therefore no marvell that Heaven is Having given us Christ c. Love will make her heart bloud communicable which is more then making heart Jewells communicable Christs giving of himselfe is more then giving any thing without himselfe more then the giving of Heaven and Earth to man Heaven is not noted in Scripture as the height of Christs love but himselfe what himselfe is and what he puts himselfe unto His owne selfe bare our sinnes on his body c. 1 Peter 2.24 And to be with Christ is best of all 'T is not sayd to be in heaven is best of all Abrahams bosome is but alluding to the felicity that is where Christ unbosomes himselfe to Saints The accent of love is fastened upon Christ himselfe and not upon any thing else Christ himselfe is still noted as a greater communication of love then Heaven or Earth or any thing besides him Love opens her purse to her beloved yea she opens her bosome and sets her beloved there Heaven is in Christs bosome Communicatio sacra est ad demōstrandum-Communicantem and Christ opens this to his he makes this communicable Partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred Communication is to make suitable demonstration of infinite love Great love is not
bought heaven and earth too of exact Justice not for yeares or for lives but the fee simple for all eternity We receive as God gives God gives as Christ merits and mediates heaven comes out of Christs wounds to Us Heaven comes out of hell to fallen man Christs descension to hell makes our ascension to heaven we are partakers of glory by his shame and misery By his stripes we are healed c. By his hell we are heaven'd We inherit not hereditarily but made heires and so partake Our participation of glory is a made participation made out of merit merit is vast therefore is our participation so vast as heaven partakers of the inheritance Vse Is' t a time of losse 't is a time of reception equivalent God is more giving then taking away is not heaven more then you have lost upon earth heaven is communicable and yet you complaine what shall you do for house what shall you do for land for enough for you and yours all is gone What is heaven gon then all is gone indeed God shuts one hand that we may looke to the other which is open with greater and better things Mens eyes are not opened by the dealings of God men learne not instruction though God whips to teach that 's your undoing not what you have lost though never so much for heaven would make up that well enough God takes away in earthly things that we may consider and see wherein he is a greater giver do yee make this use of your losse a man loses much when he loseth a state on Earth and loseth with it a heart to looke after a state in Heaven when losses and crosses kil affection Heavenward all is gone indeed gone without hope of recovery Do not the stroaks of God make you looke to him Why then you will be smitten againe Jobs messengers shall come one after another and tell you of the losse of all to see if that will save all Divine rods are order'd to second one another till the soule be as high as it should be or as low as it must be as high as Heaven or as low as hell I would sinners did consider the scope of Gods dealings now and what is before them Heaven and hell is before you now you may be partakers of which you will Heaven is communicable hell is communicable one in one hand of God 'tother is in ' tother Which way any great mans veine lies you observe him Gods veine lies in giving of great things great mercy or great misery he gives no lesse then heaven or hell to every man he makes every man partake of one or ' tother Sinners as you love your soules consider this Wrath workes as love is abused Communicatio plena justice riseth high when high favors are sleighted All is communicable 't will breake the neck of all which make not use of this mans spirit must worke as Gods does when one is open to give 'tother must be to receive Bounty presupposes a ready receiver who is back-ward to take great things and yet who is not back-ward to goe to Heaven Heaven is wholly communicable and yet sinners are wholly carelesse of it Not a peny in Heaven but 't may be yours and yet what heapes of treasure are there Ah Lord what wealthy persons might sinners be and will not Onely their will keepes them poore Paul yours Apollo yours all yours all is communicable Heaven and Earth the Earth and the fulnesse of it so Heaven and the fulnesse of it not a roome not a walke in Heaven but 't is in common for all the inhabitants Not a dish but every ones hand is in it together many hands in a dish is all the feeding above Not a delightfull tune above but every ones heart is set to it not a beame in the Sun above but every ones eye is fixed upon 't not a floure in Christs bosome but all smell to it not a secret but revealed to all All that hath laine hid for this many thousand yeares almost from all here below there 't is knowne to all they above know as they are knowne such great mercy such full mercy rejected what great misery what full misery will it make Justice swells as sinners kick mercy such a heaven sleighted makes such a hell Hell 't is but Justice working suitable to the abuse of so much mercy as may be had in heaven and the soule would not Communicatio libera Heaven is freely communicable and yet sinners have no heart to it Heaven may be had for nothing neither for money nor money worth onely for making fit for it and this too wholly at anothers paines and cost and yet sinners have no heart to it Christ gives much but takes nothing mercy is all mercy mercy is all free as 't is layd out all in an inheritance and lies all round together above 't is all free Love in its utmost dimensions in its heights and depths as it passes knowledge as it makes a heaven yet it keepes its owne essentiall property 't is love and but love heaven is nothing else but a bed of love all delights free There is nothing in heaven bought nor payd for by us of all the costly things that are there There are Jewells about the inhabitants necks such as the World never saw and yet not one bought by the wearer and owner all given freely You have not seene such an inheritance for nothing as Heaven is There be things which cost infinite deare and yet done away for nothing A man may see that which eye never saw and heare that which Eare never heard for nothing God lays out much but looks for no returne his greatest favours goe for acceptation Participation of purchase is pay for purchase an mâ—n will but go to Heaven the place shall cost them nothing though fit for a Prince All Gods motion is free his blessed motion for a time free his blessed motion for eternity free As God makes Heaven he workes for nothing as he makes fit for Heaven he workes for nothing for his greatest layings out hee sets downe nothing at Heaven doore hee sets no bill what rent and fine though there be not such a house of state again in the World God keepes open house below and above too the best dainties and yet no reckoning brought in nothing to be paid no nothing expected There is no thought of heart what this dish might have yielded and what that precious odour might have been sold for Heaven goes freely free gratissimè gratum Heaven given and not a thought against it all the riches of a God layd downe at mans foot and all the heart of God too with it and all the panting above is O that all may not be trod upon Ah sinners what a damnation will this make to set one foote upon heaven and 'tother foot upon Gods heart To trample all his yea and all him too in the dirt heaven and his heart too to
hold your sin Communicatio universalis Heaven is universally communicable from East West North South many come and sit downe in the Kingdome of Heaven Strangers may dwell in the holy Land Gentiles aswell as Jewes Of all Nations kindreds tongues may live together above and be spoken unto in their owne language yea understand one another plainly Variety of language excludes not heaven confounds not heaven All above are intuitively understanding men are as the Angels of God in the Resurrection Oh every one that thrists come in that 's the bill that is set upon Heaven doore did yee never stand still and reade it sinners Heaven gate is open to all that knock but fooles foolish Virgins foolish soules which have nothing in them nor will have nothing in them to render them fit for heaven There is Rahab the Harlot There is Manasseh that murtherer there is the Thiefe there is Mary that had so many Devills A man that hath many Devills may come where there is not one The most devillish hellish creature may be made partaker of Heaven Lame and Blind and Halt may come in there and yet still there is roome 'T is don as thou hast commanded said the servant that was sent out to invite all sorts and yet there is roome Luke 14.22 There is great variety of guests above and yet one Table large enough for all no crowding and yet thousands thousands of thousands sitting together Heaven is a vast continent much of the holy Land not yet planted many mansions above without any Inhabitant Heaven is universally communicable and universally fit and compleate so to be All may sit round and looke the Sun full in the face and he them That which is so proposed to all and so fit for all how will it doubly damne all that come short of it You will be jugded as lovers of hell more then lovers of Heaven which come short of it As lovers of darknesse more then light As lovers of sinne more then the eternall felicity of your soules upon this very ground that grace and Heaven are so generally communicable Light is come into the World saith Christ And the world regardeth it not This is the condemnotion of the World A World of men might be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and will not this will make hell hell indeed condemnation the condemnation because men will not go thither though no exception 'T is desperate to make exceptions where God makes none to exclude a mans selfe when God doth not Finally communicantio durabils Heaven is durably communicable I cannot say it is perpetually communicable The everlasting doores stand not open everlastingly But yet a great while The Thiefe found them open at the last houre of his life A sinner may come in at the ninth and last houre and have his pay A sinner of a hundred yeares old may get into Heaven I doubt there be but few gray-headed sinners turne in there yet it is not long of the place Heaven doores are open till old Age onely old folkes are wilfull which is excluding God is long suffering all that while Heaven doores are open The long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah saith the Apostle Peter A hundred and twenty yeares Heaven stood open to that people God makes the greatest mercies waite upon the greatest sinners a greate while which is one of the greatest wonders in the World If you have a mind give great things you have no mind to wait to doe it yet so doth God He waites to be gracious The Sun is made to stand still many houres many dayes many yeares Salvation brought to mens houses Parishes yea to mens eares and there sounding and knocking seven yeares ten yeares twenty yeares And all the intreaty is Will yee goe to Heaven sinners Will yee goe to Heaven Will you be made partakers of the inheritance of Saints God is not a bare giver of Heaven but a woer for Heaven he does reconcile and beseech to reconciliation he doth knock and stand at the doore and knock till his lockes be wet with the dew of the night He stretches out his hand with Heaven in it and doth so all the day long To Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out mine hand to a disobedient and gainesaying People Rom. 10.21 Heaven made to waite upon earth base earth wicked earth what will this come to if not looked to If heaven not participated of at last What a hell will he have which hath had heaven at his doore many yeares together and had no heart to enter into it But you will say no body is so carelesse Every one surely is willing to goe to Heaven One would thinke so But yet 't is not so 'T is easy to demonstrate that multitudes have no heart to goe to Heaven They will part with nothing for it Sinne is worse then nothing and yet Sinners will not part with this for Heaven Have they any heart to Heaven then Christ makes an underprizing of a thing a demonstration of no love nor heart to that thing so prized If you thinke good give me my price if not forbeare So they weighed for my price thirty pieces Cast it to the Potter saith God A goodly price Underprizing and undervaluing a thing speakes out properly and plainly no will to that thing Will swayes that way which 't is willing Love bids according to worth Shee comes to Christs price for Christ and glad shee can have him so too If you thinke good give mee my price c. A mans owne price is no price base bidding for Heaven argues no heart to it such a wretch is cast to the Potter cast to hell to be torne to pieces as a vessell in which there is no pleasure If underprice argues no heart what does no price 'T is many a sinners damnable case hee 'le part with no sin for Christ nor Heaven could Christ and heaven be much more worth then they are Part with no sin doe no duty waite no time 'T will be a hell to this man to goe to Heaven A man that will not part with his sinnes to be partaker of Heaven is more willing to goe to hell then to Heaven sinne hath got his heart he should lose his Heaven to goe to Heaven A sinners owne heaven is dearer to him then Christ he will venture the losse of one rather then lose the other They will performe no duty for Heaven Action speakes out affection To what a man hath a heart he hath a hand a head a foote heart commands all The will is Major Generall orders all to move as she will Where there is no foote towards Heaven no hand towards Heaven nor bending that way Is the heart towards Heaven From your lives you will be condemned yee speake out your hearts and yet you plead for them you have set your way you will goe and yet upon pretend you are bound in
thoughts I can leave my children no earth but I can leave my children Heaven I cannot leave my children this hilly Country nor that neither the blessing of hils nor vallies here but I can leave them the blessing of the everlasting Hills as the expression is of Josephs blessing Heaven was eyed in that expression I conclude all thus we are under age here hardship is fit for us and ours Such heires must comfort themselves with what they shal have You which are partakers of the divine nature shall be partakers of more felicity then the tongue of men and Angels can expresse and yours for your sakes will be blessed below when you are so blessed above FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Giving thankes unto the Father which hath made us fit to the part of the Lot of Saints in light THE greatest favours come most immediate to us Eternall mercies fall as a Lot in our lap no art no medium no merit Gods own finger points them to persons to such and not to such Who hath made us fit to the Lot of Saints Doct. Providence hath a mediate and an immediate course to give out favours to man This that expression of the wise man gives us House and riches are the inheritance of fathers but a prudent wife saith he is of a higher descent is from the Lord. The mercy is higher and therefore disposed by a more immediate and speciall providence As things rise in the Nobility of their owne nature so they rise in the manner of their birth and bringing forth to us Grace and glory are simply and absolutly the noblest natur'd things and these in the noblest way descend upon us by a very immediate disposing hand of God like a Lot Things are of a double descent There is mans off-spring and Gods off-spring wee are his off-spring saith the Apostle The noblest things are onely Gods off-spring the great things of eternity come onely out of the wombe of a God Heaven comes forth from betweene his 〈◊〉 Some things come down along in such a line to us through so many wombes through so many hands into our hands Heaven comes out but of one wombe but that wombe as blessed as God from Gods immediate hand by providence not to be explained just as a Lot the Lot of Saints c. Some things have succession others have none Melchisedeck neither father nor mother The great'st favours come all so into the World neither father nor mother but God Out of nothing came al from nothing comes al stil to the Saints heaven which is a Saints al from nothing but from Heaven From what house doth that great house descend upon us to be ours From what progenitors but Christ Is it not disposed to such and such secretly wonderfully by a hand and power unknowne to all the World Upon Christs vesture they did cast Lots and as that fell so the vesture went by a supreme hand onely Heaven is Christs vesture the Sons best garment his robe of state and glory and this goes by Lot too t is put upon the back of none by any art of their owne but by a power supreme by that hand which disposeth Lots which none sees so all the Saints get their greatnesse The lot of the Saints c. As power did create so providence doth dispose A very unknowne creation had the Heaven of Heavens * Above speculation therefore not subjected to it wisdome would nor dazell weake eyes The Angels and all the state and glory of that brave World to come Doe you finde any piece of that stately building above so much as once expressely mentioned in the dayes of Creation T is disposed as 't was created in a very close way as a Lot by such a power and providence as no Ceature can explaine or peep into This World was made by an immediate hand but that above after a more close more entire and more supreme way i utterly without all hint to be guessed at So this World is disposed of by a providence of God but by a providence working very externally and very humanely i al-along in such and such humane and secular wayes as usually knowne unto us But that glorious World above is disposed by such a providence as workes very internally very hiddenly in utter unlikely meanes and in these moves utterly out of our sight and reach just as that hand and those fingers doe which dispose into your bosome such a Lot of great treasure Some motion is peculiar for state Kings give low things by Offices and take no notice of them themselves what they are nor to whom they goe But other things of a more noble nature they give with their own mouth and with their own hand such and such noble things to such and such noble persons Heaven is nobility confer'd with Gods own hand 'T is the best robe put upon the Prodidall by the hand of his Father and none else 'T is lame Mephibosheth advanced by word of mouth from David himselfe as a piece of the state of his greatnesse to which God had raised him and as a high point of love The more immeditate things come out of one friends hand into another the more they speake out love and render parties honorable I did it for him with my own hand you have such a common expression when you would worke your respect with such and such to a great height The King gives a Jewell and he gives it with his owne hand his love and honor doublely sparkle in such a Jewel every time 't is look 't upon Heaven is a Jewell hanged about our neck by Gods owne hand God makes a rich portion and as it were rolles it up in a Lot and with his owne hand without any art of man casts it into our lap the lot of Saints Some motion is peculiar for complement 'T is a filling up of Love to give and to give with a mans owne hand to give an onely son and the father to do it with his hand onely this is Love to admiration love filled up to the brim God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Sonne Some persons give as if they would give themselves too if they knew how that makes the gift mighty big yee shall have gift and hand and al words and armes and all A gift fully circumstanced with love is a double gift Heaven given and cast into our lap with Gods owne hand is a double Heaven A Lot in a good ground and to fall there Heaven and to fal as out of Heaven that 's two Heavens Gods love motions are fully circumstanced with love the Sun wants not a beame to give forth its glory Heaven comes from God to the soule as the soule it selfe came from God the soule and the felicity of the soule both breathed from Gods own mouth Some motion is pecular for Echo * A trumpet is soūded so and
thy word is truth saith Christ Sanctity is made by truth Gods truth Gods truth is his word his words are truth Thy word is truth not Bishops words nor any mans word to square holynesse by Holinesse is motion from Christ to Christ A soule taking rise from truth and so going to God making Gods Word Gods way to himselfe Profane holinesse is faithlesse meere action rested on The person takes his goodnesse from his workes when hee hath to doe with me yea when he hath to doe with God for life God I thanke thee I am not as other men Why I doe this and that His owne menstruous ragges his robes in which he glories When the talke is about Heaven the eye is upon workes have I not done this and that c Doing must make saving or else no doing What shall I doe to be saved And because 't would not doe that way hee gets gone Justice of action makes not Justice of person did so but does not now few men are practically cleere in this point which makes great measures of holinesse sinking and damning wickednesse Motion by rule does not reach rule men come short in Justice of action and yet this must be their holinesse Much holinesse in mans eye is none in Gods You call saints which God calles divells A man in his own righteousnesse is as black as hell in Gods Eye Christ is our sanctification Sanctity is Christ advanced to rule and save soule and all given up to him to be ordered and blessed life ordered to his approbation here person and life left wholly to him for commendation above Holinesse t is love become divine and making with all her might to please Christ that in him shee may be well pleasing to the father Holinesse goes through two hands but the last gives it its formality denomination In us t is duty in Christ t is sanctity properly wee give every good thought word and worke a rough shape Christ a full form We mar things Christ makes both them and us If these things have made any discovery let every one call himselfe as he is There are but two sorts of men with God holy and prophane Saints and wicked 'T is hard to bring men to rank themselves right The worst will not owne their condition nor their place no Officer of Christ can make them keep rankes with evill doers and expect their inheritance wherefore these are the two things that I would a little presse upon sinners Sinners honour truth and confesse your state Lay hands on a bad heart and bring it forth to the great searcher of secrets and charge it with its owne My heart is wicked my person abominable my state damnable Sinners can yee thus judge your selves No. Why Then you will be judged of the Lord. What a man will not lay hands on and bring forth to God God will judge it where it lies the sinne you keepe close shall burne in your bones David found it so shall not a wicked man much more Hee that hideth his sinne hardens his soule and hardens GOD to cut it off hee can never prosper Hypocrisie discovered by truth and the man not owne it Ah Lord Grace is frustrated Justice onely must goe to worke upon this soule T is dreadfull to mee to thinke what shuffling some make to beare up before the light that condemnes them you make a halter for your owne neckes in this to be dispatch't quickly You fight with light because yee love darkenesse what doe yee thinke will be the end of this You make fuell for consuming fire to flame forth against you Owne your state call evill evill Expect your inheritance As a man is so hee has Dignity goes according to quality still with God The wicked inherit wrath An hypocrites fortune lies all in a lake and that Lake hath no fish in it but Serpents no water in it but fire no fire for use but fire to choke fire and brimstone In the lap of Delilah fancy workes goldenly men devoted to please themselves fancy befooles them they expect nothing but brave things but believe the holy ghost an hypocrites hope will perish Yee unholy soules What doe yee looke for now Doe yee not frame your expectation sui table to your fortune Doe yee looke for any thing now but a sword for your bodies and a hell for your soules This is very considerable There is not any reliefe allowed an ungodly man Expectation is to be torture to the wicked as well as present dealing Hee may not comfort himselfe in hope when in present distresse Tell him his hope saith the holy Ghost shall be as the giving up of the Ghost as his state is so let his thoughts worke let not one thought bring in reliefe to him no not those which goe furthest off and take in longest time to doe it let not any thoughts no let not one thought goe forth in hope to relieve this man Expectation is the proper reliefe of Saints therefore are they called so often to hope in God Other mens hearts must breake when their Estate breakes their thoughts for the future must be more burdensome then their state for the present is miserable to thinke what is behinde yet t is bad 't will be worse I am in hell I shall be in another bigger Conscience burnes already 't will burne worse I shall goe from burning to burning Can yee thus make expectation suitable to fortune Sinners can yee expect hell Can yee please your selves with the expectation of such an inheritance None else may yee lawfully looke for If yee like not this mend your manners Look after a sanctifyed condition Sanctity is a supreme birth Now are yee cleane through the Word which J have spoken unto you John 15.3 Cleansing words fall onely from CHRISTS Mouth His breath is emollient opening and loosening of filth about the breast and heart Onely supreme Majesty can over-master a loose soule Man cannot make you holy Ordinances cannot Christ onely cleanseth Lepers I will bee thou cleane The Plague of the heart hath but one Physitian hee unused and 't is irrecoverably mortall Of what price is Christ with you yee prophane soules Doe yee hang about him as an onely Physitian As he alone that hath soule cleansing niterâ— Or doe yee lie in your filth and study one sinne to drive out the sense of another and say you are cleane when more filthy Ah Lord Will dirt fetch out dirt Will addition make no number Will adding to sinne make no sinne This filthy wretch is sentenced he has his secret doome Let him be filthy still Sanctity 't is a free birth The Sunne filles the world with riches smilingly 'T is meate and drinke to Christ to make bad soules good the worst best to forgive much that they may love much Grace falles from Heaven as freely as dew thou hast the dew of thy youth The laver of Regeneration cost Christ deare and yet hee washes sinfull soules with it for
sitting in darkenesse looke to that as you love your soules 't is excluding from the Inheritance in light sit in darkenesse love your lusts and you will never part with them for Heaven The condition of your Inheritance in light is that you must cast away the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse The Soule lives and dies in that it loves you will rather cast away your soules then doe this if your affection bee impure If your love to sinne live you will have your pleasure in it though you die for it If love to sinne live there is but one way with your soules they will die in that sinne Love of sinne and Heaven opened to the soule 't is rejection of Christ with his greatest blessing in his Hand Christ casts off every Soule that thus desperately casts off him A Man must set his Knife to the Throate of an Isaack Judge his Soule in that which is dearest if sinnefull GOD will not else looke towards a Man with great things Hee looketh upon Men if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited mee not hee will deliver his Soule from goeing downe into the Pitte and his Life shall see the light Consolation must conclude this poynt Christians I am to give you a glad word in this sad Time Your Inheritance here is spoyled you have one that lies above spoyle in light Can Men or Devils pull the Sunne out of Heaven Then may your highest fortune bee spoyled You have one Sunne turned into blood but you have another which cannot Your felicitie here is broken and growes every Day more broken and bloudy you have a felicitie compleate full absolute as full of Blessednesse as the Sunne of light a felicitie as full of Beames as the Eyes of the Soule can receive Draw up your soules to Heaven quicklie Earth is posting away Let good bloud stirre every drop will bee lost else You will be killed in all on Earth to make you more Heavenly ere GOD hath done with you Thinke how absolute you shall bee above and feedeâ—â— that Let not tyranny trample downe your soules though it doth your bodies a perfect felicitie waites for you Let Englands bloudy misery make you cry Come Lord Iesus come quickly set mee as high and as happy as mine Inheritance Jn Light Inference THat which by way of Inference may be taken from this Metaphor I shall but name and conclude all Time and Text. GOD doth lively shadow out to Man here his condition hereafter what hee shall be and where he shall be for eternity There is death and the shadow of it before it come So there is life and the shadow of it light is here made the shadow and semblance of Heaven of a glorious estate to come As there be Tasts of the World to come so there be sights Light gives glimpses below of the glory that is above There is a beholding the Land that is far off the Face of Christ in a Glasse the glory above by the glory here one Heaven in another Heaven in Light Man hath many Sermons preached to him to make him Heavenly as many Heavenly Sermons as there be rayes in the Sunne by every glimpse of Light you should set before you Heaven As long as the Sunne shines you should not want a Sermon to send your soules to Heaven God deales with flesh as flesh Man is a Creature taken with shadowes Things drawne out to the life take The Soule now fetches in all from sense God stoops to helpe in things this way at such doores as they will goe in at GOD wraps up the higher Heaven in the lower glory in Light and so brings it downe to carnall sense and enobles it there to enoble it within catches the senses to catch the Heart and save the Soule If Light be so glorious what is Heaven This is the secret Soule-taking argument that is wrapt up in this Metaphor Though your bodies have yet no Heaven your soules if you walke as you should neede never be without one As long as your Eyes bee open to see the Sunne you may sweetely send your Soules to Heaven Some sweare by the Light this is to send their soules to Hell not to Heaven by the Light God moves in meanes powerfully Pictures are powerfull upon flesh and bloud Make things glitter and Man will gaze make Earth glitter although so base and fallen Man will be taken with it worke it up from its basenesses but so little as to looke golden and glorious and man will dote upon it How taking is golden Earth to al the World Heaven is wrapt up in Sun-beams and made to glitter to catch a foole Christ is expressed by the Sunne Heaven by Light that if sense have any power upon the soule no soule may goe to Hell whilest the Sunne gives Light There were transient Visions now there are standing Truth and the Creature are Gods standing Vision Things below are all made at Divine pleasure to speake out things above The Word of God uses the Workes of GOD to shadow out what cannot bee plainely seene here invisible things are brought to understanding by visible Heaven by light Hell by darkenesse Hell beneath by Hell here The gnawing Worme is used to shadow out gnawing conscience gnawing conscience to shadow out Hell Man hath his vision what shall bee in things round about him The Word of God the Workes of God Light darkenesse Serpents Dragons Worms Lambes Doves all Creatures are used to give apt vision to man of things to come All runs into this CHRIST makes lively apparition of things to come Looke about you sinners your Sun is turned into bloud this is speaking to you pro futuro Strange Lights and sights have beene in Heaven looke about you all this is God using the Creature to shadow out to dull sensuall man something to come a Heaven or a Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed is every English heart that can discerne the signes of the Times FINIS