children of darknesse by the instigation of the Prince of darknesse against the children of Light Thus a Vail of darkness was drawn over the foul face of this horrible wickednesse This was an hidden enterprize against Gods hidden ones Had this taken effect hel had broken loose from the bowels of earth This was an attempt to have blown up with one blast from the mouth of hell the Parliament Prince and Peers and so suddenly to have involved our pleasant and peaceable Land in confusion and bloud For had but this Thunder-cloud burst many showers of bloud had been poured down upon England This was Satans strange Engine by which he would have attempted to have sent up many bodies in a moment nearer to heaven that he might have drawn down many thousand souls for ever into the bottom of hell For surely if the Head had been cut off the body would have soon dy'd if the Mother had been slain the children of her bosome that hung at her breasts would have presently perish'd If the Light had been put forth by this poysonous earthdamp the people of the Land would not only have been wrapt in darknes but have been stifled with this noisom Fog Yet out of this Fog would have issued that fire that would have set all England into a flame and have burnt up the bodies of Gods dearest and pretious Saints But Satan was chain'd up by an Omnipotent hand that he could not so much as spit fire to fright the children of God 2. Put off your shoes from your feet and walk up to Mount Sion and behold the Lord in his Glory who hath vouchsaft this miraculous mercy and seasonable salvation to his Saints Lift up your eies to the hils from which the help of Gods Israel comes in all the times of their distress and danger Get your souls sublimed in heavenly contemplations of the wisdom power and goodnesse of that great God whose wakefull Eye of Providence continually watcheth over his Church and chosen Ones He that sits upon a Throne of glory in the highest heavens and with his All-discerning Eye discovers the depths of darkness and the deeds of men brought forth this work of darkness into light to the confusion of his enemies and the consolation of all his faithfull Ones This was the Lords doing and how wonderfull should it appear in our eyes O come with humble reverence to the God of mercy and cast your selves down at his feet with lowliest admiration of his wonderfull goodness to an excessively sinfull Land O how ill have we requited the Lord for his love And yet the Lord before he vouchsafed this favour knew what our Requitall would be O the admirable Kindnesse of our God! The unworthinesse of the sons of men doth not obstruct the way of those sweet mercies that flow from the Fountain of free Love O prostrate your selves with humblest Adoration at the footstool of the God of Glory who in his wonderfull Works to the sons of men acts meerly out of free Grace The Lord saw when the Design was laid and said Hitherto shalt thou proceed and no further It was the hand of God that drew the Curtain and discovered what wickednesse was coucht in the dark When the Land was ready to be overspread with darknesse 't was the Lord that cover'd it with Light When Popish Agents those bloudy Philistines thought and hoped to have obscur'd the Glory of Israel the Lord still preserv'd the Ark of his Truth When the great red Dragon attempted to draw the Stars from Heaven the great and mighty God cast him into the bottom of hell God caused the destruction plotted against his own People to fall upon the heads of their enemies This is thy God O Israel this is thy Saviour O Sion this is thy Lord-Protectour O England 3. Prepare your Hearts in stead of Harps to joyn in a gracious Consort to sing forth the glorious Praises of the only wise and strong God your Saviour Labour to winde up your hearts to the highest pitch of hearty praisefullnesse and thanksgiving Say with Moses Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods Who is like unto thee Glorious in Holinesse Fearfull in Praises doing Wonders To heighten your hearts into spirituall Raptures of Angelical Hallelujah's consider that Religion it self the Glorious Gospel and Precious Ordinances of Jesus Christ are particular priviledges which as to the Continuance and Preservation of them are wrapt up in this great Deliverance wherewith the mercifull hand of God hath Crown'd this sinfull Nation Had this hellish Plot taken effect Oh how had our pretious souls been poyson'd with Popery How had the Glorious reviving inriching advancing Mysteries of the Gospel been lockt up in an unknown Tongue How had our Waters been imbitter'd with Gall and Wormwood and our Rivers turned to bloud How had our immortall souls been starv'd to eternall death for want of spirituall food Oh how had we lived in darknesse died in sinne and dropt into bell Now reckon up the precious Mercies and glorious Favours that have been brought unto England and home to your own soules by the door of this Deliverance and you will see and say that you have infinite cause to praise the Lord to eternity O you that have had your drooping spirits and dying hearts reviv'd and wonderfully refresh't with the precious influences of grace falling in Gods Ordinances What are these Ordinances worth You that have had your hard and sinfull hearts softned and sanctifi'd by the distilling dews of grace in the Gospel of Christ What is this Gospel worth You that have had your empty and humble hearts fill'd with a Heaven of glorious Joys in Communion with Jesus Christ What is the injoyment of such a sweet Evangelicall Soul-ravishing Fellowship with Christ Jesus worth O pretious Christ O incomparable Mercies O unutterable Joyes You would not no I know you would not lose these glorious Gospel-Favours for ten thousand worlds of Gold O pretious souls now you have precious Christ communicating himself to you in his blessed Ordinances O ye humble hearts now you have the Spirit of God inriching you with saving Graces and breathing into the sweetest sacred Comforts O happy Saints now the windows of Heaven are opened and plenteous showers of Grace infinitely more precious then showers of Gold are poured out upon you The dours of Gods House stand open and you may enjoy that one thing in which the desires of the Saints are all summ'd up You may dwell in the House of the Lord happily all the daies of your life to behold the Beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his holy Temple Psal 27.4 Gods Treasury is wide open you may store your selves with blessings Gods Cabinet is unlock't you may inrich your selves with Jewels and Pearls of price with saving and sanctifying Graces The Fountain of Life is unsealed and you may drink freely and be satisfied with living Consolations Now God drops Pearls out of heaven and strews the earth with Mercies O how pleasant now are the paths of salvation which God hath strew'd all along with the flowers of his love Blessed are you Beleevers you now have a habitation in Jerusalem who might have been slain in the streets of Rome You dwell now in Sion who might have liv'd in Sodom You are now in a Heaven on this side Heaven who might have been in a hell before you had been in hell Oh what shall we render to the Lord for this his wonderfull goodnesse to us Let us even take up the Cup of salvation and praise the Name of the Lord. God hath inricht us with the gold of Sion O come therefore and let us offer up unto him the Incense of Praise O ye children of the Most high God Behold the night is past the darknesse of Popery and the mists of superstition are disperst and dispel'd and the Sun of the Gospel by a miracle of divine mercy stands still in our Horizon your Light is continued and the glory of the Lord resteth upon you Arise shine Trim up this day your shining Lamps of Joy fill them with the sweet Oyl of Love and let them burn and blaze up to the Heavens in a holy Flame of Praise Set them burning upon the Altars of your broken hearts and they shall burn in the Temple of the Lord for ever Arise therefore ye Saints and shine on Earth This Deliverance is but the shadow of a greater For though you lie down at length and sleep a while in your Graves yet you shall Arise and shine in Heaven with a perfect Radiancy of incomprehensible Glory throughout all Eternity Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
SION SHINING IN Gospel-Glory OR The Churches Advancement and Saints Engagement in Gospel-times With some Hints of Thankefullnesse for Englands Deliverance from the Popish Plot of the Powder Treason Being the summe of a SERMON Preached at St Michaels in Cornhill London upon the 5th of Novemb. 1651. By T. W. PROV 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day LONDON Printed by A. Miller and are to be Sold at the Sign of the Gun in Ivy-Lane 1652. To the early Bud of reall Piety Mrs E. H. encrease of Grace on Earth and a Crown of Glory in Heaven THe sweet Discoveries you were pleased to make unto me of a gracious work upon your Soul have exceedingly engag'd my Heart dearly to love you as a Childe of God highly to prize you as a Pearl in Grace and really to respect you as an Heir of Glory Truly I cannot but with dearest affections embrace the Darlings of Gods Bosom and heartily love them whom God sets his Heart upon and Christs sets as a Seal upon his own Heart The Impression of Gods Image upon the Soul renders it truly amiable and excellent to a spirituall eye Sweet Saint Me thinks when I see you I cannot but look upon you with admiration of the Riches of Gods Grace as one whom I shall once behold blest with the bosom-embraces of Jesus Christ and shining with an excellency of Glory far surpassing the glorious lustre of the purest Sun-beams in the Kingdom of Heaven Happy Soul seeing God has crown'd your tender years with Grace you have an assured Title to Eternity of Glory The Spouse of Christ is spotlesse all-fair all-glorious within her cloathing also is of wrought gold And he that looks upon you with a spirituall eye may he not behold you as a bright spark of the Spouses beauty yea is not all the Spouses beauty and excellency yours while Christ is yours Christ the Crown and glory of the Spouse and every Saint Having therefore methodiz'd a few sweet Meditations upon the shining excellency of the Church of God the smiling Glory of Christs Spouse I have presum'd to make them publick that I might present them as a poor Pledge of that dear Affection and cordiall Respect which my Heart bears unto you Read them therefore as written to and of your self as one through the Grace of Christ interessed in the Churches Glory What Christ speaks to his Spouse that apply to your own Soul as if you heard a voice from Heaven saying ARISE SHINE Blesse God with your whole Heart that He has invested you in the Churches Priviledges and labour to finde your self quickned thereby to all Christian Performances Take heed of Pride take heed of Self-love take heed of Hypocrisie These are the cankers that will eat out the very heart of your comforts and vex your soul with restlesse torments Humility Self-deniall and Sincerity will beautifie the Beauty of all your Excellencies Continue still to seek your God daily in secret Present Him with an humble and empty Heart and He will fill it with his saving Grace and sacred Comforts Secret Refreshings are marvellously sweet to the Soul Walk humbly with your God throughout the day as seeing Him that is invisible and your Soul shall be more fit to maintain a Holy Spirituall Evangelicall Communion with God in Duty whensoever he shall call you thereunto Labour to grow in Grace ' Be not asham'd of Holinesse Study in all things to please God The more Holy you are the more Happy you shall be the more of Heaven you shall have on Earth and the more Assurance that you shall at length change Earth for Heaven Now that the God of all Grace and Glory would enrich you with his saving Mercy refresh you with his sweetest Comforts and at length advance you to his glorious Kingdom is the summe of his hearty Prayers for you who is Yours in Christ Jesus T.W. To the Ingenuous Christian Reader SEe here a few Meditations which having been offered to the Ear are now presented to the Eye I have adventur'd them forth to try the Temper of the Times the genius of this Generation If they shall gain the Approbation of those who love the Lord 's Sion and the Lord Jesus Sions glorious Guardian-Angel in sincerity I shall finde I hope my Heart warm'd and enlarg'd into further Meditations of the same kinde and shall be also encouraged to a communication of them yea and many Meditations which are predecessours to these in birth may then also perhaps become their successours upon the worlds stage If these be condemn'd though I know them innocent to be burnt I shall never willingly make any more of my Children passe through the fire If my Thoughts please not others I shall be content to reserve them for the future to my self untill it shall please the Lord to enrich me with better Treasure However I have cast in this poor Mite into the Lords Treasury who graciously accepts of his servants not according to what they have not but according to what they have From him alone proceeds all good and to Him alone be ascrib'd all Glory by the Church of Christ throughout all Ages and to all Eternity Amen SION SHINING IN Gospel-Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ISA. 60.1 Arise shine GLorious things are spoken of thee O City of God Many gracious promises and glorious priviledges make Sion the glory of the world and Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth The sweet Spouse of the great King is presented to us by this Evangelicall Prophet in her rich Attire and excellent Ornaments for Beauty and Glory She that lay polluted with bloud and sullied with dust being washt in bloud and sanctified through grace is prepared for the bosome of her glorious Redeemer Know ye not O beloved the beauty of her Grace the excellency of her Glory Arise be enlightned come and see This Prophet opens unto you her well-furnisht Chamber and her presents you with the golden Key of her costly Closet Here behold 1. The glorious Lamp of the Gospel put into the hand of the Church who is commanded to hold it forth that it may pour out its light to the world v. 1. 3. 2. The mighty concourse out of many Nations of Sions converts to this glorious Light and the brightnesse of this burning Lamp v. 4 14. 3. A glorious Crown of eternall Excellency set by the hand of God upon the head of the Spouse of Christ possest of a blessed Paradise of everlasting peace v. 15. ult This is thine Excellency O Sion this is thy Glory O Jerusalem Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Arise shine Here 's a Precept pregnant with a Promise The Spirit of God deals forth comfort wrapt up in a command For God assures that he will cause his Church to arise and shine in this that he commands her Arise shine Consider this in
relation to the Church in general and to particular Saints Consider'd in relation to the Church in generall it hints sundry particular observations which we shall briefly passe over Arise shine Then note that Obser 1 The Church may be sometimes in a cloud The Sun may for a time wear sackloth the Stars may loose their light the Temple may be full of smoak and the Ark wrapt up in darknesse A mist may cover the face of Canaan and a thick cloud may rest upon Jerusalem God loves to beautifie the Face of Time with some spots of darknesse God delights in chequering the world with interchanges of light and darknesse day and night The returns of darknesse do illustrate the beauty of light That light is most beautifull amiable and acceptable that 's born out of the womb of the thickest darknesse The Sun shines forth most clearly when it hath washt its beams in the waters of the Clouds Then let not any Star think it strange that it is sometimes obscured when the Sun it self may be Eclipst and the Constellations of Heaven mask'd in darknesse Arise shine Then There are castings down before liftings up Clouds before clearnesse Darknesse as in the Old so in the New Creation before light The Church is called to Arise therefore she was yet down She is commanded to Shine therefore she was yet dark Despair not then poor dejected souls who lie down in darknesse and see no light when you have a while with sad hearts sorrowed for your sins your light will break forth as the morning and you shall hear this sweet Gospel-voice Arise shine Arise shine Then There 's an excellency in the Church of God a bright and shining excellency This is the Sun of the lower world which shall at length shine in the highest heavens The Saints have their lustre which is nothing else but the reflection of those glorious beams of grace which are shed from the Sun of Righteousnesse upon them This is the Woman cloth'd with the Sun that hath the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars Rev. 12.1 This is she that is come to excellent Ornaments and crowned with perfection of beauty through Christs own comelinesse put upon her Ezek. 16.7 14. She is all Fair all Glorious within through the Glory of God arisen upon her Cant. 4.7 Psal 45.13 The Church of God is the Crown of the earth and the Glory of the world The world is wrapt in darknesse till she Arise and shine Horrible are the attempts of the Churches Persecutors Hellish darknesse would soon over-spread the earth if the Churches light were once extinguisht O ye strangers of the world You that lie muffled in midnight even in the Gospels midday lift up your heads behold and admire the Churches excellencies Leave your dark dens of sin and profanesse and come to her shining light Be ravisht with the beauty of her Grace and admire the brightnesse of her Glory Walk in her light and you shall partake in her brightnesse and beauty Arise shine Then take notice that A Gospel state is a glorious state a Heaven upon Earth The state of the Church of God under the Gospel is more glorious then under the Law Isa 60.17 2 Cor. 3.7 ult Herein are more clear and glorious manifestations of Christ dispensations of Grace communications of the Spirit more abundance of spirituall and glorious mercies gifts and endowments The state of grace under the Gospel is nothing lesse then the Kingdom of heaven upon earth Mat. 3.2 Heaven is open'd under the Gospel and Believers enter in and are invested with glorious priviledges and inrich'd with glorious enjoyments This is that Heaven wherein God's Saints shine as so many Stars in the lustre of that glorious light which they derive from the Sun of Righteousnesse This Evangelical condition is an Angelical condition wherein Gods Saints those bright morning-stars sing for joy and record the glorious praises of their gracious Redeemer Gospel Times are glorious Times Gospel mercies are glorious mercies Gospel graces are as I may say glorious graces Gospel comforts are glorious comforts Gospel Salvation is a glorious Salvation Happy are we that live in Gospel times Oh that we could but embrace Gospel Truths happy are we that have Gospel seasons Oh that we were but Gospel Saints O how are we to admire the riches of Gods grace that he is pleased to vouchsafe us his glorious Gospel Let us then labour to adorn this glorious Gospel by gracious courses The day-spring from on high hath visited us and the glorious light of the Gospel shines round about us let us then cast off the works of darknesse and put on the Armour of light let 's cease to sin arise and shine in the lustre of this light that shines upon us Arise shine Know then When God pours out light and lustre upon his Church she must pour it out into the world When Christ puts a burning Lamp into the hand of his Spouse she must give light to the Nations that sit in darknesse and the shadow of death The Sun pours his light upon the Moon and Stars and these pour it out with many pretious influences upon the earth When Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse pours out the light of the Gospel with influences of love upon his Church and Saints they must likewise pour out the same upon the world and sinners When God sets up his Golden-candlestick at Jerusalem 't is that it might give light to the Cities round about O then let every Star shine to encrease the lustre of this light and let sinners come to the brightnesse of this shining that they may see the way of life leading to eternall Glory lest otherwise they be shut up under everlasting darknesse and damnation See Mat. 5.14 15 16. Doct. Arise shine Now let 's consider the words as they bear reference to particular Saints and they 'l import thus much The Saints of God in Gospel-times shall and must Arise and shine They shall for this Precept implies a Promise They must for this Promise is lockt up in a Precept Arise shine This is the Saints Dignity this their Duty Branch 1 1. They shall they must Arise They must not lie down still in darknesse when the light shines and the Spirit saies Arise Arise from the 1. Pit of horrour and the dungeon of darknesse whereinto they have been cast by conviction God doth indeed cast down but doth not keep down his Elect in this dark and sad condition God brings sinners to Heaven by the Gates of Hell While they lie under conviction their sins like swarms of Bees encompasse them arm'd with fiery poysonous stings the wrath of God flames against them the Terrours of the Almighty surround them and the unspeakable Torments of of Hell amaze them their own Conscience which should be a Port of Peace to a troubled Spirit being full of Horrour and Confusion is a very Hell unto them In this wofull
forth the hand of Faith and put them upon your naked souls so Christ will embrace you as his Brethren God will embosome you as his children the Angels of Heaven will at length with shouting entertain you in the mansions of Eternity as Heirs of Glory 2. Deck your selves with the Pearls of Heaven See Gods Cabinet is unlockt for you Get your Hearts furnisht with sanctifying Graces the souls Jewels God hath given you the Key of Heaven Prayer and the wings of Faith and Love to mount up thither Away then and fetch thence daily what precious Ornaments soever you want to render your souls beautifull and amiable in the eyes of your Beloved Put on these Ornaments daily and wear them continually They 'l be the brighter for the wearing So at length you shall put off some of your Ornaments of grace and put on ever-shining Robes of Glory 3. Vnmask your smiling faces and send forth your Rays of joy For God smiles and shines upon you Vnlock your joyfull Hearts and pour forth your souls in praises for God hath unlock't the Ark of his Covenant and unfolded the Riches of his Grace for your eternall Good The Lord himself rejoyces over you and cals upon you to rejoyce in the Lord Psa 33.1 Phil. 4.4 Psa 32.11 Serve the Lord with Joyfullnesse and Gladnesse of heart for his abundant Goodnesse and Love to you in the Lord Jesus Christ Burnish your Christian Profession and adorn the Gospel with Joyfulnes Reflect the beams of Gods Love with Rays of spirituall Joy With Joy draw Waters of life out of the Wells of salvation With Joy walk on in the Paths of Righteousnesse untill you shall come to Sion with singing Halelujah's and everlasting Joys upon your heads Object But here the Saints of God themselves may object Rejoice should we rejoice when our sinnes cry should we rejoice when Syon weeps Can we ought we to rejoice when our sins and the abominations of the Land are daily multiply'd and the wrath of God provok'd against us When the wayes of Syon mourn and the gates of Jerusalem are desolate does not God rather call to mourning and weeping and lamentation Answ I answer 'T is true these things ought to be taken to heart with hearty grief and lamentation And oh that we could pour out our hearts in abundant sorrowes for these Abominations and in melting Compassions over the bleeding Miseries of Gods people O that our Heads were Waters and our Eyes Fountains of Tears that we might weep day and night for the slain of the People of the Lord and the Abominations that are be found in the City of our God These things are a Lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation But yet withall consider Note 1 1. These Clouds will not obscure your Clearnesse These sorrowes are consistent with your joyes Sensuall joy and grief mutually expell one another but spirituall joy and grief as loving twins bred in the same womb though successively born live together in the same sanctified soul Yea the more your Hearts greve for sinne the more will your souls rejoice in the God of your salvation 2. These mourning Blacks will beautifie your shining brightnesse This spirituall sorrow will encrease the lustre of your Evangelicall joy These showers of grief will beautifie your beams of joy your sorrowfull sighs will encrease the beauty of your joyfull smiles Sad Tears dropping from such smiling Eyes are such Pearls as God will treasure them up every one in his bottle Sweet Smiles shining through a shower of Tears are such sparkles as will ascend to Heaven and be crown'd with Acceptance 3. There 's light of joy sown in the darknesse of these sorrowes Psal 97.11 The blessing of God crowns the Heads and the comforts of God shall fill the Hearts of such mourners in Sion Mat. 5.4 The pretious seed of spirituall sorrowes will bring a plenteous Harvest of eternal joys Psal 126.5 6. Who mix therefore their mirth with mourning shall have their sorrowes concluded with everlasting glorious joyes Let 's close these Considerations with these Corollaries Coroll 1 1. Weep your Beams Dart forth streaming beams of joy and pour out beaming streams of grief Rejoice with trembling Psal 2.11 Sweeten your mourning with mirth and season your mirth with mourning The Base of Godly Sorrow join'd in Consort with the Treble of Spirituall Gladnesse makes the best Melody in the ears of God 2. Wash your Smiles in Tears and beautifie your Mirth with Mourning the Beauty of your Beauty Bathe your shining Souls in Sorrowes and they 'l shine the brighter The choicest Beauty consists of a pure whitenesse with some mixture of a clear ruddinesse being actuated with a sparkling livelinesse the soul of Beauty so a serene and smiling soul with a bleeding heart enliven'd by the sanctifying Spirit of grace make up the most perfect Beauty in the eyes of God Learn then so to temper your joy with sorrow that both may be more acceptable unto God 3. Sowe your Seed of Sorrowes that you may reap your Harvest of Joyes Sowe your Seed in the Night and you shall reap your Fruit in the Morning Fill Gods bottle with Tears and hee 'l give you for every drop a Pearl Let your Heart bleed for your grievous sins and God will at length crown your soul with glorious joyes Weep for Jerusalem and you shall sing in Syon Mourn for the sorrows of the Saints and you shall rejoice for joy with them Lay a deep foundation in sorrow for your sins and God will crown your Building of Grace with the Top-stone of Glory Thus far we have considered the words in reference to the Glorious Priviledges of the Gospel of Christ wherewith God hath crown'd his Church and Saints now let 's apply them to you that are the children of the Church of the society of the Saints in reference to the glorious Deliverance that the great God hath wrought for his English Sion from the Popish Plot of the Powder-Treason a mercy to be celebrated this day with Praises and to be commemorated throughout all generations Behold O ye Saints the Lord of hosts hath brought salvation this day to Sion Rejoyce and be glad Arise shine O let the high praises of the most high God be this day in your hearts and mouths Take a large prospect of the Lords mercies and then lift up your voices in joyfull acclamations of Hallelujah And that you may rightly celebrate the glorious solemnities of the great King Duty 1 1. Take your Lamps in your hands and view that Den of darknesse wherein the hellish Monster that would have devour'd Gods holy Ones was almost hatcht A dark Vault there was under the Parliament House where this deadly Monster brooded by Popish Policy should have been brought forth had it not been stopt and stifled in the birth through Divine mercy by the hand of the All-knowing and All-powerfull God This was a work of darknesse in a place of darknesse the contrivance of the