your affections burn and your hearts beat to be redeemed That 's well then there is but one step more believe and you are redeemed out of bondage and this will be wrought it will spring and grow insensibly out of those pantings and breathings which are upon you I have seen the bondage of my people and I have heard their cry saith God When bondage makes crying out O what shall I do and who shall deliver me Enemies are got into a body and are deadly strong a body of death besets my soul and in the midst of this body shall not I loose my soul Now the sinner is turned from iniquity and now the redeemer comes to Sion Let the redeemed admire and adore the redeemer this one thing I will touch and give up the point and I am the rather induced unto it because 't is the use made in my text In whom we have redemption through his bloud Which words are spoken in way of admiration and thanksgiving and are but the continuation of that thanksgiving which is begun in the verse fore-going The redemption of the soul is precious silver would not reach it gold would not reach it onely the precious bloud of Christ would do it precious bloud must stirre and precious spirits leap from this consideration as high as heaven and spurtle up in Gods face Freedome binds man all must be sent to heaven that is saved from hell Let the redeemed say this and say that saith the Psalmist Redemption is obligation who ever hangs by his harp a redeemed person must not because he hath his advantage with him above all others his lesson set and laid before him yea his instrument tuned and put into his hand his lips are opened as the Psalmist speaks 't is but stirre thy tongue and matter cannot be wanting nor affections be able to lie still He that died for us must be perfumed and carried home honourably and buried in his own countrey as Jacob was he that died for you on earth must be perfumed by praises and carried to his own countrey and buried in heaven You must not bury Christ in his works but take him up out of his works and words and carry him to heaven and bury him there Nature abhorres burying things in their own bloud you must not bury Christ in his own bloud but take him up out of his bloud and bath him and perfume him and lay him to sleep in the arms of his father The redemption we speak of here and would have you thankfull for respects your souls and your bodies what mercy comes to either is a blessing from Christ as a Redeemer Not a deliverance in these bloudy times but from the bloud of Christ from that great redeemer that sits in heaven Bodily redemption is but the outside of soul-redemption I hope the blindest sight will be able to see the out-sides of mercy Blind wretches look upon temporall redemptions which now Christ makes and see if you can blesse him for these you had not had the lives of your bodies nor the livelihood of your estates at this houre had not your redeemer pleaded for you had not he pleaded for you w th his bloud you had been all ere this tumbling in your own bloud you had had your bloud trod under foot by those which have long trod under foot the bloud of Christ One redeemer works all redemptions for soul and body one redeemer pleads in soul-cases and in bodily cases See a full plain place Prov. 23.18 Enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse for their redeemer is mightie he shall plead their cause with thee It is but one redeemer that pleads for us in spirituall things and in corporall and therefore in all mercies both spirituall and corporall let Christ be honoured and praised Coloss 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his bloud THe way of grace is here considerable life comes through death God comes in Christ and Christ comes in bloud to save The choisest mercies come through the greatest miseries prime favours come swimming in bloud to us Through a red sea Israel came to Canaan Many a man lost his life and much bloud shed the very land flowing with milk and honey made to flow with bloud ere Israel could inherit the promise seven nations were destroyed ere the land of Canaan was divided to the Israelites Acts 13 19. Israel came to Canaan through bloud and kept in Canaan through bloud Samson was strangled in his own bloud like Christ to keep bloud and life in that blessed people The harlot had her life by a scarlet thread and so had the rest of her faith As the promised land so the promised crown came swimming to David in bloud how many men died and how near was David death many times ere that promise of his honour did live Josephs garment was dipt in bloud and he dead alive for so many years and this was the way to his greatnesse and to the saving of the life of all the holy seed Sinne makes mercie so deadly hard in bringing forth to cristen every precious child every Benjamin Benoni every sonne of Gods right hand a sonne of sorrow and death to her that brings him forth Adam's sweets had no bitter till he transgressed Gods will one mercie did not die to bring forth another till he died One creature was a felicitie for another and none a death to or for another mercy generated mercy and man fed upon the cream and top of all and yet the bottom as sweet as the top mans felicitie was no creatures misery under him they were happy in him and he in them and all in the presence of God to each I will rain bread from heaven saith God to Moses and this was an extraordinary thing then and yet ordinary to Adam before his fall spiritually understood he had all his provision without cost or toil his felicity descended from heaven upon him as dew heaven and earth opened and not any ones sides or veins and so mercy streamed upon him he had his felicity with no more hardship then Angels Man would have his pleasure and God would have his too divine pleasure hath turned the course of love The sea hath runne so many thousand years in such a channell yet God can when he will turn it into another though so broad and big an element The sea is bottomlesse but not boundlesse 't is ordered by the pleasure of God and so is mercy the will of God bounds it orders it keeps it in and lets it forth through what channells it will life through death heaven through hell The first covenant was sealed with life the tree of life was the seal of Adams first grace and favour the second covenant is ratified with death the tree of life must die or else none could live by eating of it 't is not life out of life now as out of the first covenant but life out of death and this necessarily because
according to the will of God Verily unlesse a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alive but if it die it bringeth forth fruit John 12.24 God hath taken counsell of his will and turned the sea of love into a new channell the first covenant gave out all favours without bloud but the second through bloud through Christs bloud and our own Christs cup is called Gods will and our cup is called Christs will the will of God orders both these and therefore is Christs cup when full of bloud said to be Gods will not my will but thine c. And our bloudy cup also called Gods will if any suffer according to his will c. Great favours to come through great hardships is the will of God Means carry proportion to their end death to make death the death of Christ to make the death of the serpent bruising to bruise it was so proportioned by God It shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel Nature hides her choise things closest and bids art use pains sutable to prise to obtain them and so doth grace she hides life in death our life is hid saith the Apostle where In bleeding dying Christ Wisdome orders great things to be obtained with great pains grace and glory in bloud in Christs bloud and our own Christ gets heaven by suffering and all that will live godly with him shall suffer too Means are generally proportioned to their end so by God to Christ and so by Christ to us This world is thrown upon men which is providence disposing sutable to things disposed this world is worth nothing and comes for nothing but the world to come is invaluable and the way to it proportionable the bloud of Jesus Christ and the bloud of his people the one per modum meriti the other per modum congrui Things are prised rather as they come then as they are farre fetched and dear bought makes all the prise and gives all the worth with us weak creatures upon this ground the Scripture when it speaks of our great fortune tells the great prise it cost as eying our weaknesse who look more at what things cost then at what things are and as knowing if any thing will work and take with us this will To him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud Rev. 1.5 Man is a legall creature and looks much at what is given for a thing and prises this more then that which comes for little he values things more under a notion of prise then under a notion of freenesse What did this cost why it cost Christs own bloud Fancie works foolishly in weak brains colour is more then the cloth and scarlet colour a generall taking colour and therefore is Christs garment dipt in bloud and he admired in this habit Who is this that comes from Edom with garments died red from Bozra Use Let no man be offended if mercy come any way to sinners though through never so much bloud and misery Sinne had totally and finally closed up every wombe of grace and it could not enter into the imagination of any creature that ever any dramme of mercy should find any way to them that the earth opens after much sweating and labouring and that heaven opens after much sweating and bleeding to send forth favours to sinners is beyond the expectation of men and Angels Mercy lay buried under impossibility of resurrection impossibilities reduced to difficulties and grace become fesable though with much cost is admirable Deadly sentence was with redoubled strength passed and not with a syllable of revocation for any lost creature to make the least guesse at any restauration By dying thou shalt die c. Here is the grave of a whole world of felicity and a stone rolled upon it daring all powers in heaven and in earth to open it if they can and that grace notwithstanding so buried should rise and become atainable is admirable I wonder that all the world is not bleeding and howling in hell and every one catching his bloud as it falls and writing out his fall in capitall letters to the glory of justice to all eternitie 't is wonderfull to me that it is not the whole imployment of all the creatures in this world to drown one another in bloud to stab tear and rend one another in pieces without any ceasing as that world below doth that there are not two hells a higher and a lower an upmost and a nethermost and that this is not as bad as that that all of this side heaven is not hell out-right Murmuring spirits be patient you think much to see so much spoil and bloudshed in the land 't is the way of God to bring great things to man through the bloud of prime brave persons are brave things brought forth Is there a braver person then Christ in the land or in any land and yet through his sides and through his bloud must great and gallant favours come You eye your pain and not Gods pleasure his way is in the deep the Leviathan tumbles there in the sea in the red sea in bloud and death to life and glory do ye think to justle God out of his wayes as ye justle a man Murmuring is spirit justling against spirit a bad against a good and the worst will have the worst for God treads such to death as will not give him his way You know that God fell out with his own people deadly when they disliked the way of hardship which he had cast them into to humble them and to do them good under heathen princes Let a wise man propose such an end and such a way to it let it be what it will red or white fair or foul you honour him in all and with joy look for good in this way give God this honour Wisdomes way to great things is in bloud in the bloud of some prime persons to the life and welfare of many One or two things may make us give God the honour of his way to such an end let his way be never so sad in our eye God alwayes makes his way most just to what end soever he bends mercy comes clothed but like your sinne when it comes clothed in scarlet your sinnes are crimson scarlet sinnes you die mercies red and bloudy 't is not God Justice treads upon sinne properly upon man accidentally as he lies under it if no body did ly under sinne justice would tread no body to death to bring life into the world nor shed a drop of any ones bloud to bring the greatest blessings to us God goes after man because man will not go after God justice follows sinners because sinners will not follow righteousnesse God doth not step a step in a way of punishment but as you lead him and to trace you in your wayes of sinne all wayes of bloud and death you chalk out to him you lead love out of his way and
you give your hearts to God God will give the hearts of men to you be restlesse about your owne worke be not restlesse about Gods The carriage of God should be imitated and the love of God should be received and admired these are the last things that I will urge upon you Every heart should be taken when divine love breakes forth especially when it breaks forth strongly and restlesly Our climate is more glorious then all the world the Sunne in brightnesse shines continually upon us wisdome cries in every street and cries restlesly cries and dies The Crowner will sit the debt of love will be laid to our charge If you love your soules be as restlesse to receive and admire as God is to proffer Mercie is our Manna our bread from heaven we should feed upon it every good thing comes downe from heaven and should lead our soules thither and then 't is good to us You have not a crum of kindnesse but comes from heaven but love in strength is heaven it selfe descending Who can but admire and receive this who can but enter into heaven when it comes to his dore What will heaven be turned into if turned off at our dore Let sinners tremble such as trample upon restlesse love and gag the mouth of continuall crying mercy but let weake hearts cheare themselves 't is a delightfull thing to God to receive you he is restlesse and will be restlesse till you have rest Broken hearts can make nothing hold together to doe them good with cords of love they hang themselves When mercy in latitude is mentioned 't is turned off God hath no heart to me why I mis-pend and misuse all Why yet thou art invited to eate that which is good and to let thy soule delight it selfe in fatnesse And God is restlesse in this invitation he eyes not what you have neglected no nor what you have abused he eyes your necessitie and his owne grace and it would delight him much if you would now eate that which is good and let your soules delight themselves in fatnesse Esa 45.2 God is not pleased that I sinne but he is pleased that I believe let my sin be what it will dying hearts fetch life from this Text that it pleaseth God to give Christ for you COLOSSIANS 1.19 That in him should all fulnesse dwell O Lord how great are thy workes and thy thoughts are very deep saith the Psalmist Psal 92.5 Wee are vaster in thoughts then wee can be in words or workes 't is not so with God he is as profound in expression as in conception and in action as in either admirable great and deep in both How great are thy workes and thy thoughts very deep The depth of divine expression in action we are now to fathome fulnesse all fulnesse The worke is above us but God will be mercifull to weaknesse if wee lose our selves in him If we can but admire thoughts words and workes of bottomlesse depth as David did and as the Apostle here doth wee shall doe something on-ward of our dutie and follow the footsteps of the flocke For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell c. Man is a creature rather induced then forced as things are indowed so they draw What hath much moves a little what hath very much moves a little more what hath all fetches oft some from all to imbrace this this propertie onely hath Christ he hath all fulnesse The expression speakes admirable perfection reception and fruition unto the highest blessednesse which that Christ hath I will demonstrate to you that I may pursue the scope of the holy Ghost and gaine you all if it may be to love him Communication in relation to Christ is immediate water at the Well-head is purest plentifullest sweetest At the Well-head water is for qualitie and quantitie full one cannot so easily be deceived there in either one cannot drinke a spring dry Christ lies in the bosome of the Father he is in God the Leviathan tumbles in the deepe the heart of God is deepe what is in this Christ onely knowes what he determins and meanes within himselfe Christ imparts and none else What Christ seeth the Father doe that doth he Joh. 5.19 Christ is in word and action the revelation of what was hid in God from the beginning of the world The Apostle to the Ephesians when he would tell you what is the riches of Christ saith that it is immediate riches something that he hath which all the world beside hath not something that lies hid where none can come at but himselfe something that is hid in God Ephes 3.8 9. You have many instructers but Christ hath none Who hath instructed him He dwels in light Nothing is hid from Christ not the things which are in Gods breast for he lies there Christ hath immediate communication which is full as full as God Christ hath vast braines for God is his head and none else I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is man and the head of Christ is God 1 Cor. 11.3 that 's a brave head-piece indeed The like place is that 1 Cor. 3.23 And yee are Christs and Christ is Gods Christ hath immediate reference to none but God Communication in order to Christ is immediate and it is universall All fulnesse empties all into him God is in Christ reconciling the world c. Some things will hold much but are not filled nothing will hold all but Christ and he hath actuall communication according to his utmost capacitie God is in Christ doing what he doth in this world There is communicatio essentiae according to which Christ and his Father are one There be many things have God in them but none as Christ hath none have all God in them none have so much of God as that they can speake and doe as God and so as that without blasphemy they may be called God yet so may Christ 't is no blasphemy to call Christ equall to God to call him God Christ is God and moves as God Whatsoever things the Father doth these also doth the Sonne There is a universalitie of communication you see to Christ Whatsoever things the Father doth c. Life is quid essentiale quid universale it comprehends all As the Father hath this in himselfe so hath he given to the Sonne As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he given unto the Sonne to have life in himselfe Joh. 5.26 There is a universalitie that lies scattered in many things as well as comprised in one and if you heed this this also is communicated to Christ All the ' promises are in Christ yea and in him amen i. they are fulfilled in him first and then by him to all others Finally Communication is exact Christ is essentially and ornamentally the same with his Father He is the expresse image of his person and the brightnesse of his glory
creation was up in an outcry against him Man is the prime creature miserable and yet the prime creature cryd out upon to be more miserable man is not miserable enough yet let me overwhelme and drown all saith the Sea let me not leave a man alive saith the deepe Let me open my mouth and eate up all the men in the world saith the earth Let me breake forth and burne all saith the Heavens There is a strong propensity in all the creation to make an utter end of man without the least compassion towards him in any breast There is a joynt conspiracy in the creation just as there was in Noahs latter time to swallow up all and the creation shall obtaine its will upon all the wicked world at last and when that time comes you shall see what Gospell is in the creation not a dram of mercy shall any wicked soule finde so will Heaven and earth and the deepe conspire And as for the Law that is a Volume which heigthens all this cry and avers the justice of the creation in its cry and cries out for blood stronger then it Not a dram of any compassion to be found in the breast of any thing towards man no not scarce in man to man Acts 21.1 2. The Apostle after he had escaped shipwracke wondred to finde man-friendship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being cast upon the Island of Melita the inhabitants there saith he made a fire for us because of the raine and because of the cold and they shewed us no little man-friendship he wondred having escaped the Sea that the people of the Island had not eaten him up and therefore the words that follow are observable When we came to land then we knew the name of the Island Melita quasi Melifluae insula i. an Island flowing with honey because he had found flowing mercie double kindnesse by Sea and Land The Gospell holds out this man friendship t is a Volume full of compassion to man so doth the Apostle expresse it Titus 3.4 But after that the kindnesse of man-friendship of God our Saviour appeared expressing the Gospell The Gospell is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a volume that holds forth Christ not onely as compassionate but as very facile this way and that is riches of glory indeed Love and kindnesse in order to any but Christ are wrought things there is a great deale of art to make some persons smile and it is so generally in point of kindnesse and mercy there must be a great deale of art used to any but Christ to bring them to it men must be heated and warmed againe and againe to make them beath and bend strait to my purpose but Christ is facile this way Titus 3. But after the gentlenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or facilenesse of God our Saviour appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is gentle and facile towards man ready to be brought on to doe him good in the saddest state the word is so translated Galat. 5. The fruit of the Spirit is gentlenesse Christ gives and forgives very much and he doth it without much 〈◊〉 easily chearfully t is his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will yea and t is his meat and drinke to doe our will so farre forth as it doth conduce to righteousnesse and unto holinesse t is his meat and drinke to give us meat and drinke although it be his body and blood Love comes from Christ just as showers from Heaven and not as water out of a pump I will come as the formes and the latter Raine saith the Prophet and every word of this Gospell and not such another word in any other Book to be found As the formes and the latter Raine i very naturally Love comes from Christ just as leafes out of a Tree those leafes you reade of in the Revelation which are good to heale bud out naturaly and that but an illustration how love comes from Christ it growes and buds out of it selfe where no body can by any art fetch it out and then when buded out smiles and lookes greene upon men truly this is riches of glory indeed and yet thus doe the greatest acts of mercy come from Christ to man The Apostle to the Hebrewes mentions a great act of mercy and he mentions this very circumstance with it to wit how facile it comes But God willing more abundantly to shew his love to man and immutability of his counsell did make an Oath To this great act of mercy solemne swearing to seale and establish man God comes off very willingly or with much strength of affection and so the word is reade sometimes hee was strongly carried this way to sweare to establish and make weake hearts strong God was in such a temper in this very act as he was when he gave up his life J have a sacrifice and O how I am prest together within my selfe till it be sacrificed which expression shewes the great willingnesse of Christ to drinke off that deadly Cup. You have the same word used where the Apostle sayes love constraines mee This is the riches of the glory of the Gospell it holds forth compassion with much strength i bowels sounding very loud The Apostle fastens upon this circumstance to no to the kindnesse that comes from God to be exceeding riches because it goes forth so facile Eph. 2.7 That in Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his grace in his gentlenesse or facilenesse towards us This doth note exceeding riches indeed that Christ should bee facile in kindnesse towards man that arch Rebell The Gospel is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an expression used by the Father of his Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set forth that infinite rest he had in him for person and action as our Mediator t is a terme that notes such large affection as is competent onely to God such as is a Heaven to him The Gospel holds forth Christ in this very frame of love towards man even as one in Heaven when he thinks of bringing man thither which spirit is called a thing of highest glory Luke 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory in the highest things what are those highest things Peace in Earth And what next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest and solace in men which is a high thing indeed and may well be called one of the highest things of glory that God should finde rest in man As God speakes of Christ so doth hee of those that are in him this is my beloved Sonne in whom J 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solace my selfe have had my Heaven from all eternity And such a thing is it now for God to looke in Christ towards sinners it is a Heaven to him t is his rest to lie in the bosome of a sinner to lie in the place where his Sonne lies though in a Manger which is riches of glory indeed riches which make glory T is the pleasure and the grace of
God to save and so is the word translated 2 Thess 2. Where t is used in order to the wicked having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure in unrighteousnesse c. You may imagine how much the Word doth import being used to set out a sinners love and strongest affection to sinne What a pleasure is a wicked mans sinne to him Can you expresse it why so says God t is to mee now to looke towards poore lost man and to sit downe in his soule The Word is used by the Apostle elsewhere 't is my hearts desire that Israel might be saved c. Just as if the Apostle should have said it would be my Heaven that Jsrael might come to Heaven t is my Heaven to thinke that ever they shall have Heaven and O that they might be called and he speakes there but in the straine and spirit of the Gospell the riches of the glory of this mystery that I am opening the heart of God and the heart of Christ now to man Vse You see now what is the riches of the glory of this mystery t is the proffer of mercy to man with much strength of affection a proffer of Heaven in Heaven i as one in Heaven a proffer of Life in Life or with Life and so are all the dispensations of the Gospell typified Revel 4. A throne was set in Heaven to set out the things of Heaven Let poore sinners know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery and inrich themselves by it Blessed are they that know the joyfull sound which words point at Aarons bells his going into the holiest of all made a joyfull sound to them that could understand it it pointed at Christ offering up his life for us and yet doing it as it were with Musick cheerfully and delightfully You have had this mystery explained all along my discourse do you understand it sinners then inrich your selves with it The Sunne is the riches and glory of all the World such a Sunne is the Gospell of Christ desire that this Sunne may shine into the little World if the Sun did not shine in this great World it could not inrich it nor glorifie it The Apostle speakes of this very thing to wit the Gospell and under this Metaphor of the Sun and he uses such tearmes as signifie in apparition and illustration But after that the kindnesse and gentlenesse of God appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is used to expresse the second comming of Christ and that will be bright and glorious indeed 2 Thess 2.8 i in apparition for otherwise it had beene of no force to those effects which he there mentions a like place 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospell It is plaine by these following words that the apparition here spoken of meanes in apparition death could not be otherwise destroyed nor immortality be brought to light And the learned agree that the word notes a mighty shining light that searches every corner of the heart is the light that you have of such illustration hath it brought life and immortality to light i a holy life that never end There is a great deale of light now in the World but when wee looke how it illustrates it selfe we are sad because it comes to no more ordinarily then the light of a comet that falles and the matter that bore it resolving it selfe into a filthy stinck to the great disgrace of the Gospel to the death of brave persons and Kingdomes What is it that makes such bloudy worke in the Christian World now but this that the riches of the glory of this mystery doth nothing in men this hath made a long night to our brethren the Iewes and is like to doe the like to the Gentiles The Gospell being riches prize Christ and his Ministers let them be glorious in your eye which bring glorious things Know which way the riches of glory comes to you it comes but by one gate Which puts me in mind of a story In the County of Saba which signifies a mystery when Frankinsence was brought into the chiefe City thereof it was ordered by the Priests that it should come in but at one Gate upon paine of death to wit that which they had consecrated for that purpose T is of lively use the riches of glory come in but one way by Christ and by the Ministry of his Word and therefore keepe open this Cate if all the money in your purses will do it if all the bloud in your veines will do it let all goe rather then this and the Gospel when this departeth the glory departeth the riches of glory departeth There is but one thing that is eminently accessary to the destruction of the riches of glory and that is hardnesse of heart The Balme-Trees when they had wounded them to get the vertue of them to drop forth they laid Wooll upon which the drops might fall that so they might be sure to save it so to gaine the riches of the glory of the Gospel to save the drops that fall from Christs mouth you must lay soft hearts tender and fleshy hearts otherwise you will die poore and miserable notwithstanding all the riches of glory that are amongst you COLOS. 1.27 Among the Gentiles or in the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethnick This is the word in the originall by which we are called it may be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words which signify a minde accustomed to some thing a heart evill and onely evill that is stout enough and such neither can nor will be made otherwise it speakes a nature of sinne a body of death one in the flesh and led by the flesh I will discribe a Gentile to you generally and particularly t is one uncircumcised in flesh and spirit that hath not the externall ordinances of Christ nor the internall efficacy this is to speake properly and fully a Gentile though where the latter is wanting under the fruition of the former such are called Gentiles For that he hath brought into my sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my sanctuary to polluate it Ese 44.7 they which are called here strangers were Gentiles and their condition is described they were uncircumcised in heart and flesh and this to speake properly and fully is a Gentile one that is beside all culture that that is without the visible Church and without the invisible grace of such estate There is a Gentile in the flesh and a Gentile in the spirit and a Gentile in both The Apostle makes this destinction and in these termes Wherefore remember that yee being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called the uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh which is made with hands Eph. 2.11 They were Gentiles in the flesh as well as in the
have him p. 291 What the word Paul signifies p. 293 The freenesse of God in all dispensations of grace and place should be matter of admiration p. 294 The Land full of mercies and full of nothing but brutes which tread upon them p. 295 The proper worke of Christians to admire the grace of God p. 298 299 Duty at last is sweetest p. 300 Obedience rejected because of its issue a damnable fault p. 301 What magnanimity is p. 302 303 The great need of magnanimity in these times p. 304 The soules of Gods people as well as their bodies suffer in this world p. 306 307 Comfort when paines rage inwardly p. 309 A man should be very long ere he make a positive conclusion upon some workes of God towards him p. 310 Two considerations which may relieve much when trials pinch the soule p. 311 To fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ c. This opened p. 401 The fury of man implacable ibid. Malicious men fire-shovels p. 402 Christ hath left all his prime businesse in this world to Christians ibid. At what height we are to be for Christ p. 403 None should be secure sin and justice will meet any where in a City walled with Brasse ibid. Christ hath drunke of the bloody cup in his turne the next is this Saint or that p. 404 Gods people are not all in prison at once and why p. 404 405 The order of trials to Gods people hints the order of judgements to the wicked p. 407 The sufferings of a Saint but his turne p. 408 A great honour to drinke of the cup that Christ did ibid. All earth beares thernes p. 409 What oppression is p. 410 How many waies oppression is made p. 411 Great men incident to the sin of oppression p. 412 The greatnesse of the evill of oppression the cause of civill war p. 413 The goodnesse of Christ to be admired as delivering from oppressors p. 414 The Church Militant described p. 415 The misery of the Militant Church to be laid to heart p. 419 How Christians finde their hearts moved to wrestle for the land p. 420 The Crosse keeps off some from the Church Militant p. 421 The Church Triumphant p. 423 All cannot be of the Church Triumphant p. 427 The soule that pants for Heaven spoken to p. 428 What 's done for the soules reliefe must be speedy p. 429 Two things incomparably swift in bringing forth p. 430 Of a sudden sinners are undone ibid. Forbidden fruit agrees well enough with some stomacks p. 431 Family distribution mans blessednesse p. 433 We should not content our selves with common mercies p. 434 They that feed on family favours owe much to God ibid. Christ peculiarly applies himselfe in all his dispensations unto his owne people p. 436 Towards whom Christ inclines we should p. 438 The heart of Christ hanging towards his people they should sucke this Honey-combe p. 439 How the heart of God inclines cannot be gathered by his hand p. 441 Not safe to calculate kindnesse by the motion of outward things p. 442 The word of Christ pure pleasant p. 444 The Gospell rejected p. 446 We are spectators of sin and justice in height p. 447 VVho it is within us that speakes and what answers we returne p. 448 There is a power opening and shutting things of eternall consequence in order to man in this life p. 449 VVhat Christ can doe to a perverse soule p. 451 Sweet to consider that sacred concealments are but for a time p. 452 Mercies have their severall demensions p. 453 Love heightens dispensation till the soule be lifted to Heaven ibid. Growth not regarded speaks unsoundnesse of heart p. 454 We have greater things then our fathers and regard them not p. 455 What the demonstrative light of the Gospell is p. 456 Some have Jobs wish they give up the ghost in the wombe p. 458 The most are finally left ibid. Two things hint a soule finally left p. 460 Gods people shall not be utterly forsaken ibid. A Christian is a hungry thirsty soule and the grounds of it p. 464 465 What is a Christians game p. 466 Growing Christians a great blessing to a Land p. 467 Such as would be strong in affection directed p. 469 What the riches of the mystery of the Gospell is p. 470 Heaven proferd as in Heaven p. 474 Christ and his Ministers to be prized p. 475 What a Gentile is p. 477 The danger of conviction stifled p. 461 Gentiles in heart should be so in name p. 480 Mercy for Gentiles p. 481 Christ in man what it is p. 482 Christ chuseth a very forlorne seat in this world p. 483 Our soules are the spirituall grave of Christ and he will be the victory of this grave p. 487 VVhat hope is p. 488 Our felicity lies in Noble principles p. 450 VVhat glory is p. 491 492 Gospell administration makes exact illumination p. 496 Christ slaine his blood cries in conscience p. 498 The vindiction of conscience p. 499 Divine words put themselves into the mind p. 501 VVhere the word is magisterially in the heart p. 504 VVhat to doe when the word is of no spirituall force p. 506 Gospell purification is full p. 508 I am so filthy that I shall never be made clean this objection answered p. 510 The soule of man is with much difficulty brought home to Christ p. 514 The severall waies the heart hath to keep off the power of the word ibid. VVe should consider well to what our hearts are facile p. 516 How we are to put price upon the soule p. 517 All our perfection is in Christ p. 519 Most in their pursuit after a perfect state mistake p. 521 The employment of a Minister of Christ very laborious p. 524 525 The soule very precious to Christ p. 526 How to ease a Ministers labour p. 528 Bad contention what it is p. 531 Good contention what it is p. 532 The divine nature of contention wherein it lies p. 533 The contention of most voyd of divine property p. 535 Efficiency sufficiency alsufficiency in Christ p. 537 Externall inducements nothing to make one truly religious p. 541 Our life beares upon the operation of Christ p. 542 VVhat internall operation is p. 544 Internall operation of eternall force p. 546 Our greatest maladies are internall and yet cureable p. 547 The greatest good is that which Christ loves p. 549 FINIS TABULAE
ENGLAND Faithfully watcht with In her Wounds OR Christ as a Father sitting up with his Children in their swooning state Which is the summe of severall Lectures painfully preached upon COLOSSIANS 1. By Nicho. Lockyer M. A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX I will stand upon my watch and abide upon the tower and intensely fix my meditation to perceive what he will speak in me and what I shall answer when upon my argumentation Hab. 2.1 But watch thou in all things bear evils fulfill thy Ministery 2 Tim. 4.5 Published according to Order LONDON Printed by M. S. for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountain in Pauls Church-yard and Ben. Allen at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1646. To the distressed DOMINIONS OF ENGLAND EVery Creature since the fall is very unruly * Paerae Adam all the earth is wilde 't is the Scriptures Motto upon the creation and of the more magnitude any way the more unruly the bigger in bulk or brain the bigger bent upon it to destroy all neither God nor self excepted The misery of the creatures is distinguished in this point by Solomon oft into folly and madnesse there is a kinde of madnesse in all inferiour creatures and as such are cast into prison Job out of the grate of his own prison saw such a truth and instanceth some of the creatures below him instead of all the rest though not so meekly I think as should have been considering whom he spake to Job 7.12 Am I a Sea or a Whale that thou putt'st gnalai mishmar a prison upon me Job grants madnesse in creatures below him and their imprisonment upon this ground to be just but saw not his own strong distemper by which he did so criminate Christ which neither the Whale nor the Sea nor any creature else below man doth which was not only madness but folly and madness i. reason forced into more then unreasonablenesse Kingdomes and Nations may for their magnitude be fitly compared to Whales and Seas and the one as easily as the other doth the great God cast into prison when mad and truly thus have the Dominions of England for the generality been a great while and 't is well if all our bleeding hath any whit asswag'd it and therefore though wee have suffered much and yet may much more we cannot look out at the grate of our prison and criminate him that cast us in A contented person cannot be miserable no more can a contented Kingdome Contentednesse hath much when she hath but a house over her head A prison-house is a house * Yea a pit is a house beth habbor Jer. 37.16 although not all-out so well furnished and accommodated as other houses there is something harder fare lodging and usage but yet some shelter and some nourishment to keep life beside opportunities to cry out at prison-windows to enlarge short allowance and many a refreshment comes in at windows when dores are shut and the man still a prisoner The prison-house of the Whale is its own element which lessens much his bondage so I may say to these Nations our prison-house hath been our own Land which considering how small 't is how wasting and desolating our triall and how neer many big mouths which gape after us is the unexpressible love of Christ this mercy is more then all our misery Besides we have not been close prisoners we have had the liberty to cry out at our prison windows and have got many refreshments from Heaven this way in our greatest straits and hardships which indeed also addes much to the magnitude of our mercies Some stars which seem but small and scarce to twinkle with any visible rayes at first looking upon yet biggen much both in magnitude and lustre by a fixed eye upon them So truly will all the mercies of Christ to England in those Christians eyes who can seriously fix upon them Misery look't upon as mixed with mercy is as course earth inlaid with precious Ore very delightfull and gainfull but otherwise lookt on it imbitters and worsens those on whom it is of which great evill England take heed Many now complain much of bad times which should amongst Christians have a Christian construction but to speak properly in this point times are bad only to bad hearts and unto them indeed they are very bad Sinners have worsen'd very much I grant in these few yeers of Gods heavie hand upon us more I think then in many yeers before thousands look now very black in the face as neer death wrath and cutting off which lookt but a little while ago as Cedars in Lebanon and as if they would have liv'd a long life even life for evermore From marad which signifies to rebell comes marud which signifies poor afflicted cast out They which rebell under the hand of God against the will and wayes of God may talk and vaunt of impoverishing afflicting and casting out others but Christ will bring all these upon them The trialls which were upon England in the Bishops time occasioned many apostates so have those which have been lately upon us between the King and Parliament which generation of men are the sharpest swords to kill a Land * When changes in a kingdome make changelings i. from Christ so the Hebrews call an Apostate Deut. 21.18 Moreh signifies saith Mr. Ainsworth one that turns inwardly to the worse and such a one I may call Morah novacula a Razor If there be any Razors in a Kingdome to cut the throat on 't these are they The Eastern parts of the world had a prison which they called Maphecheth from Haphach vertit to turn because evertuntur sontium corpora the limbs and bodies of men were wrested and turned out of joynt But though these prisons were bad yet those are far worse which wrest and turn the soules of men out of joynt i. further off from Christ and his will then they were before and yet so hath thy prison poor England done to many Such sad events of Gods hand call every heart in his place to be a faithfull watch-man to be more then vigilantes to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Shepherds which gave tidings of Christ were called Sub dio degere Livers in the field One may be vigilans in his bed as the Critick speaks though he stir not out of his house but our condition calls every one in his place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to watch at home and abroad in the city and in the field to lay out and lie out to know no canopy so glorious as the open heavens my meaning is we should so intend the good of Church and State publike and private so watch over all as to give out all in the work At this height for thy welfare England and the glory of Christ I have sincerely aimed and endevoured and shall do in the few daies and little strength I have left An acceptable testimony of what I have done let this labour
when evil is committed against all means used to avoid it and that case is afflicting but not destroying for 't is the case of the best sometimes The compasse is set to such a haven and all mariners working that way and by force of wind beaten aside As the heart stands to Christ and truth or not so is the man more or lesse carried away some plead against their own hearts as working so and so unruly and side with conscience and Christians as condemning them and wish that as they condemne that which is naught that so they would execute it too and bury it quite that like the body of Moses neither man nor devil might find it to make a resurrection of it again Others plead for an evil engaged affection against Christians yea against conscience and all the art lies to keep along between these two smoothly and well that sinne and the man may enjoy themselves without being notorious both and afraid one of another or both of hell this soul is carried very farre from God if he see it but if not the man is in a desperate condition and yet Christ can bear out of this Does God bear souls heaven-wards load him let him not want imployment cast your burdens upon him Casting our burdens upon God turning off perplexing thoughts making known requests and resting upon God for answers One complains of this and another of that but do you complain of all to Christ that he would give you with his everlasting arms a lift Iniquity is too heavie for the soul and the soul is too heavy for it self when it onely bears it self and makes not to Christ to be born Every thing cracks under the weight of sin our very souls crack under the weight of sinne Sinners thank your selves Why is not Christ of more use with you You would bear all alone that will kill you Christ can carry all alone your souls and the guilt and filth that is in them but none else he did tread the winepresse alone There is art in unloading the soul upon Christ and it lies in this in observing particularly what loads the soul and what Christ hath said particularly to such a case no soul miscarries of being born to heaven that thus does Christians blesse-God he takes much pains with you receive this and I conclude this point Gods arms are as free for you as yours for your children I have often wondred at that expression They shall runne and not be weary but now I see how it comes about we run upon anothers legs Christians that you keep on the way of God so chearfully and so resolutely against all opposition 't is Gods bearing of you blesse him you would wax weary and with-draw to the perdition of your souls else Perseverance in grace is a great deal of pains to Christ though it be little to us When you carry children long in your arms over this stile and over that do not your arms ake Then think of Christ what bearing your souls and your sinnes is and whether it be worth thanks Let him have the burden for the bearing and if it were all gold You pay porters for carrying this and that pay Christ well let him have your souls for the carriage of them Coloss 1.13 Into the kingdome of his dear Sonne CHrist hath double honour from above externall and internall the hand of God and the heart of God and both here one after another to be spoken of Preferment and this as a great favourite A Kingdome and this because dear a sonne of love Into the kingdome of his dear Sonne or Son of his love There is a generall misjudgment of Christ We judged him forsaken of God The Jews generally judge meanly of Christ and so do we Gentiles but all without warrant for God doth not so Christ is high in Gods esteem and hath honour suitable A kingdome here besides a kingdome to come I will make demonstration to you of Christs kingdome here and by such things as are in the kingdomes of men The lambe hath a throne mercy and justice working in power here God sits upon the throne of his holinesse Psal 47.8 Holinesse here speaks mercy and justice and the demonstration of these is Christs throne that upon which he sits Christ hath no other seat nor abiding in this world but as a dispenser of mercy and justice God sits upon the throne of his holinesse Man can sit down upon things without himself but God cannot his own holinesse is his throne the whole world will afford him no rest nor no seat to stay a moment upon but onely what himself doth in it Some are condemned already and by that rule some are saved already some broken in heart and some hardened in heart and all these speak out Christs throne here in the power that doth these sits Christ he sits upon the throne of his holinesse Kingdomes have thrones thrones of judicature and so hath Christ He that rejecteth my words hath one that judgeth him saith Christ All move as if there did none sit and judge but 't is the misjudgment of the world for there is a throne erected here below and not an action done not a word nor a thought but he that sits on the throne judges he hath one that judges him Christs throne is invisible but not a fancie and to many insensible but 't will be the more terrible What is done in the flesh is judged there and what is done in the spirit is judged there within and without you have one that judgeth you senses cannot reach this and pride will not but yet this pulleth not down Christs throne the work goeth on the judicature of a kingdome these Colossians found it they were self-condemned by truth and carried out of themselves to Christ Who hath brought us into the kingdome of his dear sonne Kingdomes have throns of Judicature and thrones of State the Lambe hath a seat of glory in this world Do not abhorre us for thy name sake do not disgrace the throne of thy glory Remember thou break not covenant with us Jeremy 14.21 Dispensation of Justice and Truth is Christs throne of Judicature and so dispensation of Mercy and Truth is his throne of glory by this he sits and abides very glorious in the midst of the Christian world as by the other he sits very terrible in the midst of the wicked Mercy is the most glorious thing that miserable man beholds the least mercy gives Christ a seat of glory in the world every flower in the field every starre in the heavens every grace in your hearts speaks out Christs glorious seat here name a mercy in the world and there sits Christ in glory under this notion is that expression Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Solomons throne had steps to it one higher then another Mercy is dispensed by degrees here higher and higher and the highest are those which reach the heart and make that glorious and
there is Christs highest seat of glorie in this world I may make an externall demonstration of this such parts of the creation as in which God most manifests himself for the ordering of all that is by way of eminence called his throne His throne is in the Heavens saith the Psalmist which is not spoken exclusively as if God had his seat no where else but comparatively that is no where so eminently as in that part of the creation that orders all the rest As the most noble part of the great world is Gods prime seat so the most noble part of the little world is his prime throne his throne is in the heart in that totum gubernans Thrones are erected in chief places more of Gods state and glory is to be seen in one soul then in all the creation a spirit speaks what God is and makes at the very esse of God as it were whereas all other things speak but what God doth and so make but at his back parts Where you can find God most according to what he is in himself and according to what similitude he makes to himself by operation there is his seat of glory he seated himself in the hearts of these Colossians and shewed himself as a God making covenant which is more then remembring covenant as the Prophet before speaks and therefore by so much the more fitly may be called the throne of his glory Majestie Kingdomes have majestie a kingdome is the union of many to hold forth greatnesse and dread to its own safety Solomon had Lions about his throne to set forth the Majesty of it to make transaction between that and all other people with awe Christ manageth his way in this world with majesty Heaven and earth tremble at his presence he utters his voice to the great world and the rocks rend thunder is the voyce of God to the great world and with what majesty doth he expresse himself to all creatures below in that voyce As there are thunderings without so there be thunderings within in great majesty doth Christ speak to the soul sometimes ask your consciences else ask Felix the Goaler and Cain else yea ask your father Adam else what a case were all these in when Christ did but reason with them Yea I ask you hypocrites if any here is not the way of Christ full of majesty What means those loads that gather about your hearts and that fearfulnesse which surpriseth you else Thou dost but touch the mountains and they smoke saith the Psalmist God doth but now and then give a touch within and the ruddie merry face pales and sadens presently he doth but whisper within and spirits flie up into the head into the face and about every where and the heart within beats for want of them ready to swoune away Twenty years time not enough to heal the wound of a word of Gods mouth O the majesty of that word Gods word is a sword hath not a sword dread especially when ranted against the breast ask wounded spirits whether Gods words be not full of majesty Look upon the whole creation upon the earth upon the sea upon the heavens do they not all speak the majesty of Christ God is mightier then the noise of many waters yea then the mighty waves of the sea saith the Psalmist tossings rollings and roarings of the sea do they not speak loudly the majesty of Christ But ah sinner the tossings rollings and roarings of a troubled soul speak the majesty of Christs words much more Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men Know ye the terrour of the Lord the majesty of God as manifested by his Word and Spirit Paul did Job did the dread of God fell upon him these Colossians did and were brought out of it into the kingdome of a dear Sonne a Sonne of love Kingdomes have supremacy one in chief Supremacy and over all such as are Monarchically governed and so is the kingdome of Christ Christ moves as by a majesticall so by a superiour power to all and this is basis majestatis Christ is a great King over all as the Psalmist titles him he moves here below by a power above men above the greatest of men above Kings and therefore called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he moves by a power above Angels good and bad his throne is above thrones dominions principalities that is those spirituall principalities which by Angels are expended he rules yea he captivates all which is more Every knee bow to him of things in Heaven of things in earth and of things under earth men and Angels good and bad The Sunne is supream and swayes all virtues of the Heavens and earth Christs dominion is from the sea to the worlds end there is not a power from one end of the world to the other but 't is under Christ The first Adam was over all and so is the second his motion yet but darkly speaks this but 't will every day now more then other the kingdomes of the world will become the kingdomes of Christ what he yet darkly over rules he will take visibly into his hands and the kingdomes shall become one and under one Israel had one Lord the Lord thy God is one Lord. Distance of place destroyes not the Supremacy of Christs Kingdome nor the Monarchicall government of it which will be plain by this demonstration Talk with Christians here and talk with Christians in the furthest part of the world and you shall find consent of divine motion within and without amongst them all which speaks them all under one supremacy all subjects of one kingdome though so farre distant they grone under sinne as you do and extoll Christ as you do face answereth to face and yet these faces never saw one another pulse beat and spirits work alike the state is the same the bloud is the same though it run in various veins and some to the extreme parts of the earthen fabrick As things are in their native power Christ is above them and supream and as things aspire and exalt themselves and pretend to something above their native state as things strut themselves and stand a tiptoe so Christ also is above them Low things will stretch and lift up themselves to over-top and this may do something amongst men but 't will not with God In that wherein they dealt proudly he was above them said Jethro of Pharaoh and his company Order or laws A kingdome hath a scepter Kingdomes are not many together like heaps of stones confused and any one upmost but many together by rule and this holds altogether to the weal of each Bonds knit many together every man loose and to his will and then many kings but no kingdome every man to his will and publick weal makes her will too and dies Bread is the life of particulars and law is the life of generalls bread is the life of persons and law is the life of
over the earth or who hath disposed the whole world Job 34.13 These things speake the nature of providence what it is 't is a divine condescension to the necessity of the creature Christ becoming an ark for every species and for every individuall power floating upon mercy with the whole creation in its bosome Providence is power made out of mercy into food and raiment for the body grace and glory for the souls Providence is either common or speciall Common providence Common providence is the naked supportation of being and but a little more at best That the wicked in hell are is providence but it were better for them they were not that their misery did nihilate them unlesse their mercy were more Common providence is an act of power dispensing things commonly the heavens give their wealth to all and so do the earth and the sea the sunne lights good and bad all in and out of the world God upholds all that fall There is a generall compassion upon our fallen condition by which it is upheld and lies in the way of speciall compassion Some things Christ carries upon his back others in his bosome the one is common providence and the other is speciall He upholds all things by the word of his power he carries all things saith the originall Common providence lasts but for a time God will not alwayes be good to bad men The triumphing of the wicked is short saith Jobs friends They flourished like a gree Bay-tree but were suddenly gone saith the Psalmist of the wicked Divine dealings shall be exactly suitable to condition wicked men as they have not a drop of grace so they shall not have a drop of mercy to cool them though now they have a great deal Providence is very promiscuous for a time all comes alike to all but 't will be very proper precise and distinct in its way divine dealing shall speak the man the hand of God shall plainly speak out the heart of man as the Lord will be known so shall men be known by the judgements which he executeth this is a Cain the brand of a vagabond is upon him this is a Judas the character of perdition is upon him providence marked the one and pointed out the other 't is he that dippeth with me Both these examples rypifie that divine carriage shall be such to all of that side as plainly to speak out love and hatred Goats shall be known by their places providence will be so exact If the Bore cannot be known by his hair and his tusks yet he shall be known by the knife that is in his throat and his roring Time shall be when this expression in him all things consist shall loose its latitude above half the world shall be shut out of the common providence of God utterly and then will be the devils harvest O what a deal of businesse will he have then and how will hell enlarge it self when he shall have the ordering of all his own in the world as he will Speciall providence Speciall providence is wisdome ordering all things about man to an eternall good using the rod and the staffe to comfort giving and taking away clothing and stripping the body to make the soul divine Providence seems to be a heap of confusion but it hath alwayes a proper scope and all its acts which to us are strange still make very directly to it There are two sorts of vessels in the world and these are fitted to their proper end saith the Apostle one to honour and the other to dishonour not an act of God in the world but it hath a fitting scope in it not an act of God about a Christian but it hath a fitting scope to shape his soul for Abrahams bosome to fit in Christs arms for ever A man is not to measure speciall providence by an externall successe of action towards him as most do but by an internall successe how doth poverty or riches health or sicknesse better the heart Right-hand providence is speciall providence Why with-drawest thou thy hand even thy right-hand pull it out of thy bosome Psal 74. When that hand orders all to me upon which I shall stand for ever and orders all so as to bring me there and set me there this is speciall providence David speaks much of Gods right hand towards him then is a right hand upon me when all is ordered to bring my soul to its right end and this is in Christ In him all things consist In him grace is upheld ordered and brought to glory Grace cannot live without Christ glory cannot live without Christ In him all things consist Speciall providence is perpetuall but yet with respect to our abiding in him with whom it is in him all things consist and out of him Saints cannot consist If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and withers which men gather and cast into the fire saith Christ Christ carrieth as he is leaned upon cast burdens upon him as many as you will and he will bear them all lean not upon him and he will let you fall and all your burdens upon you Christ cannot endure to have his children out of his bosome if they keep in his arms he carrieth them for ever and is never wearied with them but let them go out of his arms and he is tired with them presently Speciall providence worketh in order to faith though it work not simply or faith Christ doth all freely but yet in his own way Go teach all nations to observe whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwayes to the end of the world In such a way Christ walketh walk out of that way and you will never meet him This is divinity not understood mens ignorance is to be pittied when we presse dutie as in order to which Christ moveth they say we presse it as merit for which Christ must move unbelief destroyeth speciall providence à tanto licet non à toto in part though not in whole Some things Christ doth to the soul when it doth not beleeve and that is to make faith and other things he will not do till it doth believe and yet doth all freely In him not out of him do we consist Use Having opened unto you the doctrine of providence I will give you the use of all 'T is a hard time many are much put to it I have nothing to subsist saith one and so saith another What hast thou not Christ to subsist with In him all things subsist and canst not thou make a subsistence in him Extremities put poore hearts besides themselves this is the misery of miseries when the soul cannot see in whom all is My husband is dead my trade dead but Christ is alive and therefore all is alive a husband is alive in Christ a trade is alive in Christ better then any you can drive to maintain It was enough to Jacob that Joseph was alive though
he and his were ready to starve Let it be enough to every distressed heart that Christ is alive though trade and husband be dead Christ hath all yet though every one else be robbed in him all things be upheld and in him you shall be upheld Ob. In him I may have soul-subsistence but as for bodily subsistence surely that will fail for the meal in the barrell is almost quite spent and when this is gone surely I shall want my bread Canst thou trust Christ for thy soul and canst thou not trust him for thy body If thou canst but look up to Christ as all things do though not as noble things do yet thou wilt have meat Sol. The eyes of all things looke up to thee and thou givest them meat Cry but as Hagar and thou wilt have drink Seek but as the young Lions they seek their bread of God and thou wilt have bread If thou canst but rore as they do thou wilt be heard and bleat and bellow as the cattell of Ninivie some deliverance will come out Christ is never put to it though you be he will find one thing or other to make provision for all The eyes of all look unto thee and thou feedest them Providence hath meat in her mouth for all Ob. Meat may be given but the time may be long first and my cheeks begin to grow pale already my servants cry my children cry my guts cry for hunger surely I and mine shall starve Sol. No thou shalt not providence works oportunely thou shalt have meat in due season these all wait upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Ob. It cannot be means are gone and friends are gone Sol. That is nothing Christ is not gone providence maketh strangers friends enemies friends ravens to feed others whose property it is to devoure and to feed them seasonably morning and evening Among enemies the children of the captivity found friends and found favour for a tender conscience in Babylon Ob. A little relief may be to me possible onely enough to hold life and soul together but under such sparing providence life will be worse then death when mercy is ministred nothing answerable to my necessity Sol. Let not this terrifie in Christ all subsist and subsist well thou maist not possibly have so much as thou hadst nor so fine as thou hadst but as long as Christ is thou shalt subsist well and thine own heart shall say so Providence doth not alwaies give alike but doth alwayes do enough for the best condition of being and yet let me tell thee further this Providence bringeth in sometimes a great deal more then we expect See a brave instance in Jacob Gen. 48.11 And Israel said unto Joseph I had not thought to see thy face and lo God hath shewed me also thy seed Providence is plentifull and bountifull as well as seasonable and bringeth in twise as much twenty times more then we think of enough in supply necessity yea enough to satisfie desire Jacob had corn for necessity and he had also the sight of Joseph and his posterity and the life of Benjamin and many gallant mercies more which bordered uppon these even to the utmost of desires so literally was that promise fulfilled to him thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing Desire is vaster then necessity in most creatures in man it is I am sure and yet providence is so bountifull that it satisfies this Providence not onely brings about what one needs but what one wishes yea more providence doth prepare things and bestow this and that which the heart cannot wish nor expect it doth prevent us with loving kindnesse Two things must be eyed to mak Christ giue out himself plenteously for your sweet subsistence the first is interest I am thine save me saith David God is very tender about his own a child shall have any thing Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou barest to thy people O visit me with thy salvation Union draws out all the fulnesse of Christ what goes beside the pipes which are laid into the founntain are but drops and by means of these pipes too these droppings are upon the world Christ would not give forth a drop of favour to the world were there not some in it nearely allied to him all wicked mens mercies are but as it were some droppings of the great mercies of Saints this kingdome would not consist were there not some Saints in it all the upholding it hath is long of them that are united to him from whom he cannot break off England use thy Saints well they are thy pipes and veins to heaven through which thy great blessings fall upon thee All art must be used to advance interest in Christ out of the favour of God and you will be outed of all whether it be the case of a person or a whole nation You are not my people and I will not be your God Lo-ammi Lo-eli This man is none of my child let the devil look to him let his own father provide for him this Kingdome is not my people let it bleed to death and 't will will God say England look to this or thou art lost and all the world shall not save thee let thy reformation be such as to render thee Christs Church that he may say England is my people or thy consumption will kill thee Friendship in Heaven is all to the lively-hood of a Nation or of a person here every thing will run crosse whilest the great wheel is out with one lets all set things right with Christ and all will run well let disadvantages be what they will But thou Israel art my servant Jacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend fear not for I am with thee and they that warre against thee shall be as nothing Interest must be made and then maintain'd or else life becometh uncomfortable When souls grow loose they find the evill of their way Christ is tender in providence to tender hearts 'T is harder to bring ones heart so near God as one should and then 't is harder to keep it there but yet how difficult soever the soul shall know it is a bitter thing to depart a spirit of love and union abates and then flowers that smell sweet in the breast close and Christ withdrawes My soul cleaveth after the Lord thy right hand upholdeth me Psalm 93. The spirit of union must not be checked it must work after the Lord freely In this way the soul hath a right hand upholding it and this maketh and keepeth the life contentfull Grace is a pursuit of Christ they live most sweetly that runne most swiftly after him check this pursuit and you die Unbelief maketh fear fear setteth the soul at a stand shall I go forward or shall I stand still Now God is displeased the heart tortured for its basenes Englands fearfulnesse to pursue Christ hath deprived her almost of subsistence and tumbled her
to nothing but bloud Fearfull hearts pursue your Saviour that you may do well or he will pursue you help not on the ruine of a brave kingdome will neglect of the wayes of the Lord keep up you or this tottering kingdomes Coloss 1.18 And he is the head of the body c. CHrist hath many titles and every one speaketh much but this speaketh all head noteth all the offices of Christ As a Priest Christ is head as a Prophet Christ is head as a King Christ is head of the most beautifull body the Church One word of God needeth many words of man to open it Manna lieth of a heap here and if Christ wait to be gracious we shall gather much We must begin with that which is the foundation of office fulnesse Head noteth officium basin officii office and that which maketh sufficience to office Christ is called head quòd omnia in capite sunt ferè dupla as one saith bini oculi binae aures binae nares because all things in the head are as it were double there are two eyes and two eares and two nostrils c. that is a great fulnesse of all exquisite sence and ability for organisation and under this notion I purpose first to handle this tearm Rule is a noble thing Sun-beams weaved into a crown he must be higher by the head then the rest of Israel that is called out to wear this person must be beautifull and parts double and so were Christs he is head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kaphal duplicavit cùm omnia in capite sunt ferè dupla the head hath two eyes two eares two nostrills doubly organised to act it self and all the rest to supply it self and all the rest so is Christ double endowed not onely for himself but for all that shall need him Leviticall unctions were by pouring and not by dropping enough was poured upon the head to run down to the feet so is Christ anointed as head that is double grace is powred into his lips Doctr. There is store in Christ for all spirituall necessity if any want an eare if any want an eye our head hath two one for himself and another for us if any want an eare Christ hath two he is our head If any man want any other abilitie Christ can furnish for he is head and anointed so Giving is made in order to receiving receptivitie is very vast in Christ Christ can receive what ever God can give the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth in him God can do no great things in our spirits they are so little In Christ there is proportionable capacity to infinite greatnesse and there God dwelleth furnisheth and moveth as he is double and treble donation is made without end Infinite capacitie will hold infinite fulnesse Giving is made in order to an ultimate end Christ is not the ultimate end of divine donation Christ is not given unto merely to retain but he is given unto to give There is reciprocation in divine donation every thing is given unto to give back again the sea is filled with water to fill the earth with springs and showers things must have much which are to supply many Christ is anointed to anoint Ye have received an unction from the holy one Christ hath what he hath in order to abide and therefore called head Use Necessitous creatures consider your condition and where your supplies lie 't is sad to see how poore many of you are If there were no soul riches to be had your poverty were no sinne but now your poverty is sinfull misery and sinfull misery is sinking misery your poverty will judge you because there is wealth to be had that you have no oyl will shut you out quite because there is oyl to be gotten were you wise to look after it oyl enough to fill your lamps to keep you burning and shining till you go into that place where you shall shine for ever Men in want lay to heart nothing that maketh want utterly undoing thousands live and die damnable poore do I not unawares speak the condition of some of you do soul wants lie heavie upon you Yes the nature of such a condition should be considered soul-pressures are from severall apprehensions all are not kind if this be not looked to fulnesse in Christ will not be looked after though the heart be ready to die with load there is soul-pressure from conscience enlightned guilt by divine ordination looketh back upon the soul dayly howerly and the soul would look away from it and think of no sinne nor no such thing but cannot visions of wrath so haunt him and here lieth his load if any company if any musick would cheere and charm away this evill spirit that so haunteth the man he would get it what ever it did cost life though bad not at all disliked by the man but horribly disliked of God and conscience that the man cannot do what he would he is so plagued within and here lieth the burden that the man cannot keep his sinne and not that he cannot leave his sinne Let such men know that that that arrow which is shot into the heart shall abide and how able and full soever Christ be to power oyl into wounded souls he will power none into these wounds these shall gangrene and destroy the man for they are diaboli ulcera this is the burden of the damned that they cannot prosecute their will but are tormented Pressures are pittied which spring from love to Christ and hatred of sinne I am sick of love Christ is my life more then my life but I cannot enjoy him therefore I sinne sink grone and die such bleeding is staid such wounds have mercy powred into them Oppressed harts do you prize the fulnesse that is in Christ O nothing dearer then blessed are ye for dispensation to you shall be full you shall have flaggons Previous dispositions speak the mercy coming certainly the heavens glimmer in the east the sunne is certainly rising affections stirre the beloved is not farre off the way is strewed the king is coming there will be crying Hosanna and triumphing anon Panting hearts let the king come his own pace and he will get home to you by night he will sup with you and feast with you and what ever he hath to refresh and revive the soul you shall have it ere any temptation shall destroy you Christ feasting is usually at supper his full communications are ordinarily late but never too late fulnesse of mercy comes in fulnesse of time Let passions burn strong but not turbulent if any thing make your beloved make haste and come skipping to you like a young Roe it will be this Christ comes in a still voice and unto still souls that long earnestly but wait patiently for him Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel and he had his bosome full Deep waters come slowly infinite fulnesse is long a emptying it self That which works exactly must have time
Christ is spirituall he is head in the heart The kingdome of God is within you there are his Laws written and there is his throne Aarons rod and the tables of the covenant were in the inner Court and the Manna in the golden pot The command of the purse may serve a man but it doth not Christ he commands the heart My sonne give me thy heart You suit your seats so doth Christ he makes his throne in that which is nearest him to wit the spirit Christs rule is one soul bound up in another Paul bound in the Spirit and that bond bound all to good behaviour Christs rule is perpetuall Some heads may be cut off this head my text speaks of cannot Death hath slain many commanders but Christ hath slain death and him that had the power of death Satan is the executioner of Justice and therefore said to have the power of death as well as in other respects Christ hath destroyed all and hath his life in jeopardy by none he liveth and reigneth for ever he ruleth by his power for ever Psalm 66.7 He shall rule till he hath put down all rule and all power and all authority 1. Cor. 15.24 Untill he and his be one as he and his father are one till the kingdome be resigned up There be now many powers against Christ but he must reign till they be all down yet not any to help him The rule of Christ is Monarchicall there may be many lords over the body but there is but one Lord over the soul The government is upon his shoulders that is upon his alone Christ had none suffered with him and he hath none to reign with him here Christ hath trod the wine-presse alone he slew Goliah alone and is that stone alone that sunk into his brain he maketh his kingdome alone and ruleth it alone He shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne Zacharie 6.13 Vse This point is irksome most hearts can bear no rule contradiction is death though it be the word of life that maketh it Office destroyed the soul destroyeth it self where Christ can be no King he will be no Jesus such as stumble at this chief corner stone are crushed by it that soul that killed Christ is killed by him his bloud is upon every heart that nullifieth him The Lord be mercifull to the souls of men do ye know what ye do when you secretly say this lust shal reign and Christ shal not reign over me You commit Adoniahs treason treason against the crown that you may put by Solomon from the throne your bloud and your life will go for this When Adam committed treason against the crown would become a God God cutteth him off presently though there were no more men in the world Justice hath its heights and depths as mercy hath treason against the King hath exquisite torture such a death as hath many deaths in it so 't is in this case spirituall treason hath double death By dying thou shalt die thou traitour against the crown of Heaven said Christ to Adam and in him to all that do as he did There is death unto death and this the punishment of every traitour against Christ This is too generall a more particular application shall be made Your souls are under command you have a spirituall head You have fathers of your flesh and you obey them you have a father of spirits and why do ye not obey him Most men look least at their hearts all the care is to order the tongue and the outward man Hypocriticall creatures you overlook the kingdome of Christ you look at the outside Christ looketh at the heart who ruleth within all is under command body and soul the soul principally and yet this principally neglected must needs be the death of all thoughts must be brought into subjection to Christ as well as words Loose hearts have their plague upon them their holinesse is painted but their judgement will be reall they have sould their souls to do wickedly and will be paid in hell The behaviour of the heart is all dethrone Christ and he will fight it out with you to the death a disloyall soul shall never have the sword depart from him not a quiet day as long as he liveth Our temporall king which ruleth in this land doth but imagine that you go about to dethrone him or take off some flowers from his crowns and you see and feel that he fights it out with you to the death and seemeth resolved not to give England a quiet day as long as he lives Make spirituall application of this ye Hypocrites ye painted toombs that come here and professe Christ and go out like Judas and betray him you dethrone Christ in your hearts you destroy the flowers of his crown the rule of the soul is the onely flower of his crown and taking away this from him he will fight it out with you to the death the sword shall never depart from your souls you shall not have a quiet day for the hypocrisie which you know Tremble Hypocrites fearfulnesse will surprise you your secret basenesse will generate a secret hell justice shall rule where truth and love cannot the rottennesse of your hearts shall have a corasite to feed upon it for ever let every one lay these things to heart and consider whether Christ be head there yea or no. Two things demonstrate the heart indeed ruled by Christ sin universally hated and truth universally loved Passions are false strength speaketh out their truth and who ruleth in the heart Some spirits are indifferent for truth or errour and hold a virtue to be hot for neither but to stand in all times of contradiction so as to keep the skinne whole Hypocrisie ruleth in this heart and not truth and this temper is the plague of this generation neither hot nor cold Cold sweats are death pangs the soul is near his end that thus liveth If God be God worship him halting between many things is nothing this speaketh the prince of darknesse yet ruling affections which break through obstacles to discharge duty speak Christ head in the heart I will not stand on qualities themselves but at what every quality maketh and this will be more plain to you to demonstrate who ruleth in your hearts Fire encounters all opposites so doth every element from a naturall instinct and so doth grace where it reigneth Sinne is the proper object of hatred and every sinne is made so where Christ indeed is head Dominion speaketh all subdued if any sinne reign Christ doth not Weak hearts must not here wrong themselves the being of sinne and the stirring of sinne which the Apostle calleth the motion of sinne do not necessarily speak the reign of sinne Many precious hearts when they feel sinne strong in them conclude it reigneth in them and censure their souls exceedingly and so make their life a hell they
Mediatour this is talked of as possible but if it were done indeed it would soon set thy soul in a better condition 'T is hard to convince men that they trust in their works though the thing speaks it self in most mens consciences Two things will discover this ruining cheat First consider what doth move you to duty some persons would never pray nor never do any holy duty were it not for mere fear they open their mouths heaven-ward now and then to stop the mouth of hell that is justice in their own conscience This man makes his holinesse his high priest his own action his intercessour to bring him to heaven which if it do then I will answer for him at the great day Observe are spring of action and nothing will more plainly speak whether you make a Jesus of action I am afraid there are souls very ignorant amongst you blind wretches so they be but doing something that is called holinesse 't is enough to them here they rest and look their souls when affrighted by a sremon by the word or the rod of God then they down upon their knees and howl and cry like the mariners in the ship that Jonah sailed in A tossed condition is the onely mother of most mens devotion tossed without or tossed within and therefore so good and yet alas all is stark naught Christ is no priest to this man no chief priest no prince-priest his own action is his prime priest because 't is trusted in Blind wretches consider what kindles your zeal your conscience will be burnt else in your offering your fire is an ignis fatuus a strong foolish fire You that get no satisfaction in this consider the next namely what upholds in duty and this will speak out whether you trust in it Sence is some souls onely relief if duty oyl not its own wheels the soul stands still they can find no sweet in prayer therefore pray no more duty will not conjure their consciences quiet and therefore they will to the alehouse and see whether carnall devils will drive out uncarnall whether one hell will swallow up another the pleasures of the flesh must take off the terrours of the spirit Ah Lord what a black priest is here used This soul is desparate the devil hath ordination to priesthood and the alehouse or whore-house must be his tabernacle to officiate in hands are laid on him suddenly and this made the last remedie to ease and quiet the soul Here is a sad condition O that I could cease preaching and weep now in the face of such a forlorn wretch Will that which dames you save you Will sinne blot out sinne Will adding to transgression plead for mercy in heaven to quiet your consciences and save your souls The devil is Abaddon a destroyer no saviour so is sinne When your souls are wounded will you give them to sinne and the devil to heal the spirit of God will finally leave you for this so it did Saul for the like practise Rebellion makes wounds and when wounds heighten rebellion God will have no more to do with that man Let the soul bleed and bleed and ordain what priest it will Christ will not bleed for him Hardned hearts think on these things the bloud of a mediatour will be charged upon you for trampling it under foot Tender hearts let me turn to you the sweet of this point is your portion Double consolation springs from the priesthood of Christ first in regard of infirmitie You would be pitied concerning your weaknesses and compassion is naturall to Christ he is a mercifull high priest and can be no other to you God hath ordained him to officiate in such a tabernacle as wherein you dwell he is in all things like to you you are in want and so was Christ he had no house you are persecuted so was Christ sinne loads you and so it did Christ A Christians condition needs compassion and Christ knows how much and 't is his work continually to lay it open above There are infirmities distinct from a wounded spirit you know the Scripture makes such a distinction Common distresses have their weight and 't is more then the best soul can bear these if it maintain not an eye to the compassion of Christ men are wolves dogs they have no bowels and the soul beats it self to death with this till it remember the bowels of Christ When good hearts have no compassion on earth they are ready to conclude they have none in heaven but you cannot injure Christ and your souls more then by such conclusions Christ lets men be mercilesse that you may look up and behold how mercifull he is and that he needs not this channell or that to convey compassion in to you Weeping eyes sight fails them oft but compassion never fails 't is mercy that a man can weep to God and do no worse when he can get no mercy from man Doth not relief strangely come in now and then Why write upon the forehead of such favours I have a mercifull and compassionate mediatour in heaven my intercessour above sent me this and he will send me more Christ hath sounding of bowels Where are the sounding of thy bowels you may heare them from heaven to earth in the most distressed condition if you listen and observe diligently in all passages about you Consolation springs from the priestly office of Christ as in regard of conditions which are distinct from a wounded spirit so in regard of a wounded spirit it self Christ is able to save to the uttermost the dolefull cry of the wounded is my sinnes will never be forgiven Silence unbelief be not tyrannicall to thy self for Christ will not sinne shall do thee no hurt nor Sathan no nor God for Christ can work him to any thing if hel but open his wounds in heaven he will so work his father that thy wounds on earth will close presently Christ is a perfect mediatour and being made perfect he became the Authour of eternall salvation unto all them that obey Hebr. 5.9 Either the wound of a Christian lies in the greatnesse of the evill which he hath done or in the fear of what he shall do against God and God against him to all which I say onely this that Christ is a perfect mediatour and being a perfect mediatour no condition can be desperate Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body c. FRom Christ as head we have gathered many things and I trust sweet to your heart and yet there are more As King Christ is head as Priest Christ is head and of these we hove spoken as Prophet Christ is head Christ ruleth none like him Christ sacrificeth none like him Christ teacheth none like him He spake as never man spake Learned men were astonished at his doctrine Whence hath this man these things and what wisdome is this given unto him Mark 2.6 Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prophet a Prophet indeed aboundantly
not the doores of Gods house are open but you have no hearts to go in the day of small things is despised and yet you expect great things Israel expected milk and honey flowing and yet could not eat the Manna that was about their tents and did God give them their expectation doth God give great spirituall mercy to full stomacks doth he satisfie the loathing soul The Israelits were judged in the basenesse of their hearts and their bodies fell in a wildernesse Just as they kept their souls Do you not keep your souls in a wildernesse out of the fellowship of the Gospel as the rest of the world do you will be judged where you lie where your souls lie cold and dead their shall your carcases fall and die God is spuing out hovering spirits that are neither hot nor cold but hot and then cold that will and then will not obey Christ Discreet stomacks do not expect great feasts you must have a vomit first you are bid to come into the feast and you have excuses the high wayes and fields shall yield guests to Christ and you shall die in your shame The poore unknown parts of the world possibly may possesse what Christ is now dishing out Simplicity fitteth for great things God maketh such a spirit and then bestoweth all upon it the choycest spirituall favours England thy misery is double were it but single thou mightst soon recover Thou hast no knowledge of God but this is not all if it were means might soon make this but thou hast no truth nor knowledge of God there is no truth nor knowledge of God Some spirits are wanton and they know not what they would have others proud and this and that they must have others politick and they say this we should have but not yet who can expect brave things in the midst of such a base people Christians deceive not your selves with dreams for God is not mocked he will make you open your mouths wide ere he give great things Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 You purse up your spirits and wring and squeez your consciences so that there is no capacitie for the reception of full soul-soul-mercies The new heaven will have a new earth the holy land shall have a holy seed come into it Can you cleanse your selves from all your abominations and can you do this speedily Then may you see the good of Gods chosen but otherwise expect as you are Coloss 1.18 Who is the beginning c. THe Apostle is in a rapture every word speaks admiration of Christ he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is principium praecipuum first and chief The term we are now upon speaks dignity a heart taken with Christ as chief in order to all blessednesse which is a blessed frame He is the head of the body the chief the first born this I think may be the reading of this text Doctr. Divine property sparkles in this expression A gracious heart is taken with Christ as chief No honour no felicity like that which Christ hath and which he gives Some are sonnes Christ is an onely sonne some are kings but Christ is King of kings some are honourable none above Angels but Christ is so To which of the Angels said he c. Some are wealthy Christ hath all the sheep on a thousand hills the utmost parts of the earth some are beautifull Christ is the fairest and so in the eye of those that are best discerning in the eyes of every gracious soul Paul personates all the godly here in admiring Christ as chief Judgement is clear things are discerned as they are where the heart is truly turned to God Bables take fools reall excellencies wise men Gracious hearts are wise none of Christs children are fools all that truly fear him are able to discern things that differ and so call them The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome assoon as a man becomes a disciple of he is made a good scholar Carnall understanding is enmity to truth it scoffs at what it cannot comprehend with its own power Grace hath a higher reach Christs children have spirituall understanding they admire things not by out-sides but by insides not as they are among men but as they are with God Christ is the lowest amongst men but chiefest with God and therefore so with the godly This is wisdome and all wisdome I may apply the latter to a Christian compared with worldly wise men all wisdome is taken with that which shall be all in another world that which is all and shall be all to all eternity He is the beginning the chief Judgement is clear and love is sincere in a called soul he calls things as he finds them and nothing tasts so sweet as the dainties which Christ gives Sense carries you to call things as your palate relishes them according to this you say This is the sweetest dish at table Love is divine in a divine heart and as things rise in the divinity of their nature so divine affection calls them and admires them One Christian hath much grace I tast it in his discourse and he sits high in my breast another hath much more and he sits much higher but Christ hath most of all and he sits highest he is chief Affection is working if it be carnall it tumbles carnall things and sets its mark upon that which is most carnally advantagious this is best this will serve this time and my turn best if it be divine it will do the like it will tumble divine things and that which is most divinely advantagious this it marks this is best this is chief this will best accomplish my soul Paul personates the godly here they call Christ as they love him as they find him in sweetnesse to their souls in his words and works none speak like him to their souls nor none does like him and therefore they crown him and style him chief Vse Christians consider your condition who is chief with you Times are evil the world ensnares justice kills men loose their souls by thousands Ah Lord what tolling and ringing out is there above for sick and dead souls here below Persons sick after the creature their spirits are dead in the flesh some mens palates are quite out of tast this speaks a foul stomach they cannot savour the things of God Words of Christ harsh rules of Christ scorned these call Christ in their hearts base not chief however they call him with their tongue I know no mans heart but Christ knows all as the creature is preferr'd Christ is undervalued as you love your souls look to this Who will shew us any good some can call nothing good but what is carnally good trading is good money is good but nothing else no nothing else indeed not the heart that sayes so Not Christ but the bag was chief to Judas though he heard so much and saw so
crooked and perverse and this makes him mad and this is Gods way of whipping his bedlams those that are out of their wits against truth and holinesse One calls for morter and the other brings stones the proud Babel will not up did not that vex and torture them think you The great God and great-spirited men meet sometimes and they justle and he justles and crouds their limbs against the wall and that maddes them to the heart Frustration of intention and disprosperity of action you cannot find out a worse hell for a proud man and yet thus God dealeth usually with such spirits God opposeth will to will and what men say shall be God saith it shall not be he sets himself to walk contrarie to them which walk contrary to him and this makes weeping and gnashing of teeth indeed amongst wilfull wretches Can you imagine how this scourges wretches on the kings side that God crosses their will in all things David pleased not Saul Jonathan pleased not Saul God pleased not Saul because none pleased his will this was an evil spirit vexing him continually 'T is the portion of all spirits more or lesse which are pinned to their will they are vexed with an evill spirit of discontent perpetually Continuall raging enrageth God and then he reveals his will and then devils descend to hell which is their place all fiery spirits are put in a room together Let wilfull wretches stoop to the will of God which is the use that Solomon makes of this point Stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him Eccles 8.3 He speaks it in regard of the king how much more true is it of the King of kings That we do evil is not simply damnable but that we stand in it There must be but one God one to rule by will when we make more then we pay for it As God makes his will his rule in all things so do you make his will your rule in all things and not your own Mine own heart is deceitfull 't is an ill guide Sathan can get favour in every court here below not a heart upon earth but he finds something in it when he comes to welcome him 't is dangerous to make this generall commander of a mans military life in this world which holds such correspondencie with such a deadly enemy O that men would thus wisely consider their way and do like disciples of Christ that have denied themselves and not like heady persons that have sould themselves to do wickedly Poore creatures think that there is but one step to felicitie and that is to have their will in this thing or that O if I had this or if I had that what a blessed creature should I be whereas our felicity is not in having our own will from God but in Gods having his own will from us our blessednesse is not in our selves but in him not in any thing that we propose but in what he proposeth 'T is our meat and drink to do Gods will 'T is our felicity to rise dayly to the life of Christ who pleaseth not himself For even Christ pleaseth not himself but as it is written the reproches of them that reproched thee fell on me Romans 15.3 A word of consolation and I have done Some favours are long a coming and then we are sad it should not be for they come as soon as God will and sooner would not be well for us Some persons are very bitter in their carriage this makes others concerned therein to weep bitterly it should not be no creature is bitterer to me then God will the cup of gall and vinegar in Christs hand is Gods will Father thy will be done Men are strong devils are strong lusts are strong and I think they shall never down and this throws me down but it should not be for though I cannot throw these down God will he wills the death of sinners when past remedie and he wills the death of sinnes when past our strength and that he wills this is enough I will be thou clean That God shapes out every thing by his will makes ill for sinners for wilful sinners but very well for such as are humble and penitent COLOSSIANS 1.19 It pleaseth the Father c. AS this terme involves the will of God simply and singly considered so I pursued it the last day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it notes something deare or complacentiall to us and so rendred 1 Thes 2.8 the word also comprehends the strength and intention of affection such a complacencie of love as makes one delight and rest to doe such or such a thing It gave rest to Father and holy Ghost it delighted both to lay out liberally in Christ for fallen mans reliefe Fire hath its propertie which is to burne so doth love in Gods breast to us-ward Wee are now led to speake upon the propertie of mercy how strongly the rivers and streames of life run God is restlesse till befallen man have full reliefe provided Doctr. It gave rest to the Father c. What agents doe naturally they doe it intensly the Sun is restlesse till it rise and shine upon us 'T is naturall to God to shew mercy as 't is to the Sun to shine according to this he wrought as soone as ever he began to worke and could not tell how to worke otherwise God could not tell how to make any thing but blessed creatures and blessed places a Heaven and a Paradise blessed spirits and blessed men God cast all that ever he did into a frame full of mercy but man jogd his hand and turned all out of course God is the same stil restless til all be brought into a state of blessednesse againe As the Needle is restlesse till it stand to the North point so was God till he turned againe to fallen man as may appeare by his speedy provision for Adam God eyes the beautie of action motion with delight unto good is glorious Delight is love in strength love in strength is restlesse till it can vend it selfe Since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Jere. 31.20 Earnest affection makes mind worke memory worke head worke heart worke still it makes all restlesse perpetually till the thing pitied and beloved have rest God goes reluctantly about no act of kindnesse 't is inglorious it may be competent to you it cannot be to God 'T is below God to shew kindnesse to us here reluctantly though wee be all here such base creatures God delights to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth Jerem 9.24 One would thinke that it might be delightfull to him to shine in his owne spheare to exercise loving kindnesse in Heaven to cast pearles and raies upon those noble peeres and so 't is and 't is delightfull also to the Sunne to shine upon dunghils upon us base creatures to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth God eyes the necessitie of action unlesse he acts throughly wee are all
ever according to that Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulnesse of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in Heaven and which are in earth Gathered together in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to renew the state and condition of all Angels and men in and under one head which is here mentioned Jesus Christ That Angels have the same common head with Saints and so consequently the completion of their state in the same head together with us is apparent Col. 2.10 And yee are compleat in him which is the head of all principalitie and power Angels are of the quire above together with the Saints and they all sing one tune and they are of the fellowship below also they are brought in as joynt members of the universall invisible Church You are come to mount Sion to the Citie of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels The condition of the greatest states is here considerable The noblest creatures are beholding to Christ things in heaven as well as things in earth Nothing is absolute but God men are noble Angels are noble but they all lean upon one more noble then themselves or else they would fall and become as ignoble as those cursed spirits below us Man is a little lower then Angels Angels a great deal lower then Christ their being is founded in his greatnesse and is confirmed in his goodnesse That grace which is redemption to the lower world is confirmation to the upper There would be no place for pride if this point were well digested None apter to swell in spirit then man man sets us up externally a little and then the Devill sets us up internally much few but swell and break eternally when gotten high in the world I wonder at it were you as high as heaven as high as Angels yet were ye below Christ The body of Heaven in its brightnesse is under his feet Exod. 24.10 What is under Christs feet he can trample upon at pleasure pride is no small sin and yet it growes up the Lord knows from very small things What hast thou that thou hast not received What have things in heaven which they have not and hold not from Christ The lesse may be said for sin the greater 't is and the worse that heart in which it growes Pride is a grand plague 't is one that hath taken leave of Christ and conscience to humor himself but Ah Lord when will this man content himself A man will sooner breake his heart then content his heart which pursues the proud lusts of it A soule devoted to it self is as cruell a Master to serve as the Devill to pursue the dictates of a proud spirit is endlesse work and hell enough for any creature if there were none else to come Soules in this consumption should consider their disease and their cure The remedy of every vice is in Christ this tree hath leaves to cure all diseases There is no distemper in the spirit but Christ may be considered under such a notion as to rectifie it Consider Christ as the keeper up of Angels and 't is enough to keep down the spirit of any man COLOSS. 1.20 Whether they be things in earth c. AS the expression points at things in heaven 't is usefull you see as it speaks of things in earth 't is more proper to us The latitude of divine love downward is as large as upward it reacheth all things in heaven and all things in earth That he might reconcile all things to himself whether things in heaven or things in earth The grace of reconciliation as it works towards things on earth is very vast as it works towards creatures above 't is unexpressible a man cannot tell how many love smiles upon in heaven and therefore generally exprest all things a universall term to note the vastnesse of that kindnesse So as it works towards things on earth 't is inexpressible 't is called all things to note the vastnesse the unexpressible company which Christ embraceth here below A man cannot tell the number of spirits in earth which Christ doth reconcile to his Father in heaven Grace works unexpressibly vast to us ward Doct. Grace doth abound The Lord is upon many waters Psal 29.3 As providence externall so providence internall doth reach forth it self to many Many bodies are saved from sinking in the sea because the Lord is upon the waters So many soules are saved from sinking into hell because the Lord moves upon these many waters too The world is full of troubles as the sea of waves not one but meets with enough to over-turn all if God did not uphold the whole world would fall into a consumption and die as big a body as 't is if God did not uphold Not one nor two nor three but all creatures share in upholding mercy or else all would sink 't is so in a proportion in spirituall respects Satan is an industrious creature to overthrow mans welfare he goes about seeking whom he may devoure none would escape hell if God were not exceeding rich in mercy Satans desire is to destroy all and his malice is attended with such art that it would certainly bring forth its end did not the speciall providence of Christ prevent which it doth and doth it to many the grace of Christ unto life is powred out upon many souls There are many last which are made first as well as many first are made last Many are eternally saved out of the power of Satan as many are prey'd upon by him Grace did work more compendiously then now it doth before Christs coming in the flesh lost sheep of the house of Israel found all that dropt from heaven and they were but few the Lord knoweth one of a City and two of a Tribe But since a great dore of love is opened and many hundred soules in one City yea many thousands in one Countrey come in to the Lord Jesus Christ The white sheet of mercy that is let down from Heaven now is great saith the Text and it hath all manner of beasts in it and the Apostle makes a Comment upon it as I do My vision saith he speaks the grace of Christ working now very richly God hath shewed me that I should call nothing common or unclean He speaks it in the case of Saul not a man so vile so bloody and malicious but the blood of Christ may reconcile him to God the love of God doth now so richly work Mercy is infinite and it works so God shews mercy to thousands from generation to generation Abrahams seed are as the stars of heaven for multitude God hath but one Son but Christ hath many he brings many sons to glory Infinite mercy generates infinitely what is in Christ derives it self to all the nations of the earth Aarons rod buds Christs blessing buds it multiplies into many blessings and spreads all the world over In thee
in hell Wrath is a flame that never goes out it runs all along upon the earth as 't is said of the fire which burnt every greene thing in Pharaohs time so this burnes every flourishing wicked person first or last here or hereafter Adversaries of the Lord cease your course could one say nothing of the abilitie which Christ hath to right himselfe upon his enemies yet 't is pitie he should have any enemies he is so good he keeps up the earth you goe upon the heavens you breath in they would come together else and crush you in the midst Heaven and earth are full of Gods goodnesse though you be bad you live in the fruition of these and thousands more as bad as you and yet he doth not grudge your enjoyment Christ beds you and boards you where ever you make a meale you sit at his Table and live upon his expence every day he gives you your daily bread all comes out of his Treasure who ever be the purse-bearer and he payes the Reckoning who ever carries it to the hoast And now will you nay can you be enemies to such a friend and cut his throat like Judas at his own Table Christ is the spirit of your bloud the red bloud of your cheeks the white sinewes of your joynts the marrow of your bones the breath of your nostrills and can you be enemies to such a friend Christ numbers your haires writes downe your members presses all the creatures in the world to serve and defend you and will ye not love him Can you be enemies to him or any of his Christ is naturally good and he is morally good he is patient long-suffering abundant in this goodnesse You have been transgressors from the wombe from the Cradle you have fought against Christ making your members your weapons you would have killed him long ago if you could yet he hath not killed you You have multiplied your transgressions so that you have made the heavens weepe now for many dayes together and the earth to bleed now for many moneths together you have pressed the Lord and all the Creation with your sins and yet you are at ease though all these be in paine You have been prodigalls following excesse of riot chambering and wantonnesse and yet Justice hath not eate the nose off your faces the flesh off your bones nor rotted you limbe by limbe alive to defraud the grave of her due and yet can you be enemies to this God Finally Christ is not onely naturally good and morally good but divinely good he is not onely patient but mercifull not onely slow to wrath but ready to forgive though you have been bloudy enemies yet he is ready to cleanse your scarlet sinnes during all the times you have continued enemies plotted against him he hath not plotted against but for you When wee were enemies God gave his Son Let my Son goe out of my bosome saith the Father and let him goe to a wretched world amongst millions of enemies and let him preach to them pray for them bleed over them die for them that they may not die Can you now doe any other but love this God and love this Christ I can say no more would I could weep out the rest for all the enemies of the Lord which these words will not work upon COLOSSIANS 1.21 Enemies in your minde c. TRees which grow high and spread much root deep so doth sin nothing growes higher nor spreads broader then sin it spreads over the world The world lies in wickednesse The height of sin is answerable if one should speake of it under such a metaphor it reaches up to heaven The cry of your sin is come to heaven saith God of the sin of the people of old And sinners are set out as climbers up to heaven Amos 9.2 Sin is a Tree that rooteth deep as well as shooteth high The heart is deep saith the Scripture and sin roots there If you see a man an enemy in his tongue or in his hand by wicked works the roote of this is in his minde Enemies in your minde by wicked works The prime seat of sin may be our subject a while to insist on which is in the soule Seeds are sowne where they may grow best so doth the evill man sow Tares where they may take and live and that 's in the minde The soule is fit mould to give nourishment to sin 't will assimulate 't will transforme and become one with that which gets into it No substance that can or will so mould or consubstantiate it selfe with Satan as the soule of man Every substance will not inocculate because there is not a fitnesse between all substances to assimulate and consubstantiate sap and vigour will not digest themselves together The soule is a Crabstock fit to graffe any forbidden fruit upon it will naturally give out all its sap The advantage of property is all to make such a life and in such abundance The soule is I cannot say blessed but cursed to fruitfulnesse in evill as the ground is to Bryars and Thornes the minde is dunged ground by divine wrath for every root of bitternesse in it are passions to keepe sin warme faculties to make legs armes eyes any member for it to work provide and defend it selfe as can be imagined sufficient for any thing to subsist withall The soule is a fountaine of life and that which lives in this must needs live and thrive well As the soule when it is seated in Gods breast who is the fountaine of life then its full of such a noble life and so by such an advantage of neernesse to him that is all so in a proportion 't is with lower things that which bosomes its selfe in the soule is planted by the rivers sides t is in the fountaine of naturall life it must needs live therefore and thrive much because of that advantage it hath of neernesse to and ones with a substance so vigorous and congruous to it Sin is seated where it may best reigne that 's in the minde what conquers the heart carries all and gives lawes to all the minde is the sterne of the vessell a supreame power within a finger of God out of fight which turnes the whole vessell that which gets and orders this necessarily gets and orders all The Philistians strucke at that in Sompson by which they might be sure to rule him and lead him whither they listed though a strong man they put out his eyes These Philistians were a type of the Devill in that act man was a strong creature and that which Satan strucke at was his eyes darkened his minde saith the Apostle then leads him whither he listed Where Satan struck at first there he strikes still where he seated himselfe then he abides now When he would make a Hamon a proud man where doth he begin to accomplish this Within he puffs up the minde first and then blowes up all Vainly puft up with
shall minister in the Name of the Lord his God Deut. 18.6 There is preaching but of constraint not with a ready minde not toto desiderio animae i. not with intention nor approbation So there is living and walking in wayes that are divine but not toto desiderio with a whole desire but with constraint As about good things so about bad some sin from a coercive power not with a whole desire of the minde There is reluctatio debilis reluctatio fortis a weak reluctancy and a strong reluctancy in acts of evill with the minde there may be weak reluctation because conscience stings wrath and justice hems about the sinner sometimes so that he goes affrightedly along in his course yet this is consistent with full consent Pharaoh and Judas had this kinde of reluctation in their course and yet were enemies with their minde and fully consenting to what was done against Christ The expression speaks extention all powers fully consenting and all powers to the utmost acting to perform what is chosen and consented to Things naturally grown to bring forth venture one life to bring forth another and all pangs and throws nothing so the birth may be though but a monster when born What is with all the heart is with all the might they are joyned together in expression as they are in order of nature in working Enemies with your minde and enemies with your might with full purpose and with full endeavour if with the heart then with both hands as the Prophet speaks yea with every finger with every toe An enemie with the minde 't is one that fills his hand to the Devill as the expression is in another kinde 1 Chro. 29.5 'T was Davids speech when they were offering of jewels and wealth to the House of the Lord. Who then it willing to consecrate his service this day to the Lord Lemmalloth jado haijom c. to fill his hand this day to the Lord saith the originall An enemy with the heart is one that fills his hand to the Devill that offers like a Prince to the prince of darknesse that fills his hand with his heart in every action that sends forth every spirit the soul and all that is within him into every part without him to stand against Christ 't is one that doth draw out all to accomplish all that a corrupt heart thirsts after he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do the wills of the flesh as the Apostle speaks i. not one thing that the flesh lusts after but every thing it lusts after You say of a servant that he is a willing servant when he gives his minde to serve you i. when he doth every thing you bid him not when he does one thing and neglects another thing which you bid him but when he doth your wills when he applies himself to serve you in all your command then you say hee serves you with his minde Vse 'T is a bad state this yet too common as you finde your condition laid open so own it Lust will run its course and then make its own construction of all Every mans last shift is when evill becomes open and ugly he did it against his will 'T were well if a sinners sentence of himself would stand when Christ comes to sentence all things over again 'T is sad when a mans servant shall lie out night after night and told of it and yet continue it and stand in it that all was against his will so doth your souls lie out of Christs bosome day after day and night after night and you have been told of it and whipt for it and yet so you have continued and is all against your will If will be so innocent why are you so unmoved in evill Full of action and yet without any passion you can do any thing to accomplish carnall ends and lay nothing to heart to break your sleep a wink With a light companion and a pipe of Tobacco you can whiffe away any thing that gathers about your heart and yet none must believe that you are not hearty in your way Art will put off bad wares but 't will not a bad heart Let 's hear no more pleading for self there needs no other demonstration of a willing transgressor Own your condition and what is due to it You are enemies with your mindes against God and so he will be against you you shall be punished with plague after plague and God will never repent You sin and sin and never repent so will God judge you When God lays any sad thing upon his people he doth not afflict willingly his people do not sin willingly they repent in like proportion doth God carry himself towards them You do evill with both hands so shall justice fight against you and wo to that soul that God strikes with all his heart and with all his might God will laugh at your destruction hearty sinners God will be very hearty in all those acts which fit you for your home Two in full carreer one against another one will be spoiled and surely 't will be that man that doth run with his mind against the Lord. Remedy must be speedy two enemies that set to it with their minde will dispatch one another quickly if they be not parted Wilfull sinners you cannot strike so desperately against God as he doth against you every blow is upon your heart he is turning that into a stone which work done you will sink presently like Pharaoh Properties are not suspended when you are once sinking ah Lord what will you catch hold on what can you catch hold on to keep you out of hell Doth a stone use any struggling to keep up when 't is falling downe Wilfull sinners this is your judgement written in your foreheads you will goe laughing like Bedlams to everlasting chaines you will have no booke nor aske for none Will as it runs its course swels bigger and bigger and it swels so big at last that it will breake eternally rather then stoop to God or man If this be the case of any sinner here let him tie a handkerchiefe about his eyes the halter is about his neck he will be turned off suddenly ere he is aware Wilfull sinners need remedie speedily but of all sorts are most untractable to it much must be done from heaven to stop a Balaam ere he would give back will was so perverse You that are Balaams must consider how God hath now drawne his sword against you from Heaven and give backe or you cannot long escape Consider how many wilfull sinners God hath slaine in these few moneths Bathe and soak your stubborne hearts in their bloud What a wonder is it that I am not yet cut off My will hath killed many but hath not killed me yet it may be God hath mercy in store for mee it may be he will make me a pattern of long-suffering as he did Saul I have but one thing to say to you all O that
lay any thing to heart Such was â—abals heart and such is ours stones as wee came from the rocke from whence wee were digd Affections follow sense where nothing makes impression there can be no compassion Wee are dead in trespasses and sin dead folkes consider not who mourne for them who die with griefe for them Faculties hardened the childe will throw aside what the mother which bore him underwent the pangs the screeches the teares of her that traveld in birth with him Abilitie to dutie springs not so much from things without as from things within as the soule is disposed not as the man is ingaged so the partie moves I will demonstrate to you that disposition to this dutie of being throughly and kindly affected with what others undergoe for us is hardly attain'd It springs from goodnesse purely contemplated this is a very high thing to doe Such a one did much for me I did as much for him or I may doe If such be out in flesh I am in purse Now is others goodnesse kild with our owne now is not the love of God nor the love of man thought of and how is it possible that either should be beautifull in my eye In such a spirit love hath her wings cut and no matter to worke upon which is that that gives disposition to the soule to keepe him alive for ever in my breast which hath done any good for me We can doe nothing for Christ nor his people and yet all that is done for us by either we thinke to be deserved 'T is certain that infinite love moulders to nothing in our breast under the notion of our owne merit one way or other though we observe it not If a man lose his state his arme his life for me if I thinke he was bound to it by any thing of mine the life of the action dyes the memory of the man and his kindnesse cannot live long Not an act that Christ doth but we dash it to death against some industry of our own That any creature loves me is all love that any one shews mercy to me whether God or man 't is all mercy I am vilder then the earth below all desert desire as far as hell is below heaven a heart at this height stoopes and takes up kindnesse fully sweetly and keepes it in memory firmely Things taken up as meere love stick otherwise not This is a high and hard thing I may instance this to you in God he merits every thing at our hands we doe and more then we can doe and yet he takes up all under the notion of kindnesse and love and this makes him to remember all we doe and all we suffer exactly I remember the kindnesse of thy youth and the love of thine espousalls All is kindnesse and love which man shews to God And when I was hungry yee did give me this and give me that God looking upon all that we doe for him as gift and as kindnesse this makes him to remember it alwayes 't is hard to get to that pitch which God moves at It springs from love strongly warm'd the heart must lie very neere God which hath this benefit God hath but few that lie neere him Things of life will not live in a dead sea the acts of God which he doth they are very lively and yet these will die if the soule be not suitable which observes them Every degree of divine life is not enough to keepe favours done for us so divinely alive as they should be 'T is more then hinted in the text These Colossians had their Christian life but yet not so as to remember the love of Christ to the life alas who have 'T is hard to melt some things much fuell much blowing and paines used and yet all this must be to dispose the matter fitly to receive a lasting stamp and forme upon it A heart melted with love layes to heart the least paines and kindnesse shew'd to it Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me said Elizabeth to Mary Vse As our hearts are below any duty it should humble us but as they are below things which are very weighty it should humble us much more The doctrine in hand beats hard upon us for melting hearts Christ suffers much for us man suffers much for us but neither considered by us What any Christian suffers for you you are to account it as Christ suffering he makes men willing to die for you to preach themselves dead to pray themselves dead to fight themselves dead and all these dyings the dyings of the Lord Jesus O that there should be so many persons bleeding in the fields for us and so few hearts bleeding at home for them and for our selves The strokes of God are various they are most mortall which kill the soule Our bodies are turned to dust apace and our soules into stones as fast Ah Lord how brawnie how bowellesse how hard-hearted is England become since a seate of war Husbands lose armes legs lives abroad and wife and children let starve at home Our war is very bloudy conscience in every man slaine not a tender heart scarce amongst us to consider the condition of the greatest sufferers for us in the Land Naball had his ease at home his quarters quiet and plentifull but what David underwent abroad to make it so at home did not move did not nor would not Nabal consider 'T is your case Londoners During all these bleeding times Christ hath been Quarter-master for you and so appointed your quarters that you have been very quiet very blessed in peace and plenty but what your brethren undergoe abroad to procure all this for you at home which of you doth lay to heart Vriah refused rest and solace at home because of the sufferings and hardship which the Armies of the Lord were in abroad The backes and bellies of thousands of you speake no such thing Ah Lord what will cure the pride and wantonnesse of this wicked Citie Drunkennesse and surfeiting now Can you laugh when your brethren mourne and when God frownes yee Epicures Can yee drinke wine in bowles and the bloud of your brethren in bowles You should at all your exorbitant meetings thus set fancy at worke The cup at my nose is the bloud of the slaine My curious napkins and table-clothes are the skins of Christians my guests the ghosts of the slaine my mad lascivious songs the groanings gaspings and shreechings of the wounded and dying Canst thou not thinke thus when thou art in the midst of thy jovall society O no 't would spoyle all my mirth 't would be like the hand-writing on the wall to Belshasar Dost thou tender more the spoyling of thy carnall mirth then the spoyling of thy eternall soule The guilt of all the bloud that is slaine will fall upon thee as an unsensible soule Hadst thou rather howle for ever then forbeare mad-mirth a little while If thou wilt not turne
and then all that are in him Christ as Mediator presents himselfe first and then we are presented by him Here am I and the children which thou hast given me This presentation shall be made very accurately every person and action every act externall to a cup of cold water every act internall every good thought shall be laid open before God every good purpose that we would have built a house for God and that we would have done this and that shall be presented before God as done all good intentions and the person that hath them the persons shall be presented as the person of Christ his intentions as the very actions of Christ as perfect in both as Christ in his person and life so as the Father and Christ are one Christ and we shall be one and so be imbraced for ever We shall be presented to God so one with Christ as a wife is one with her husband as a chaste Spouse without spot throughly one in love with our husband and so fully one in priviledge The properties of this presentation are these 'T is very solemne God all the Saints and glorious Angels of Heaven beholders of it Things are very publikely carried above Jewels are not secretly given and hanged in the breast as Christ doth here every ones instalment is with all the traine and state of Nobles in blisse every ones presentation is matter of a new song and all the quire of heaven have it in their mouths presently not one sits sad and mute as unacquainted with the matter when the rest sing every present is opened all the myrrhe seene and smelt by every one above and so all sing at once as equally revived and reviving the reviver Every presentation brings new acts of God not a soule that is set before God by Christ but peculiar wayes of love and workings of Gods grace found in him and all these laid open before God and all the Saints and Angels in heaven and set to severall songs for all the quire of heaven to sing unto all eternitie There is joy in heaven at the turning home and coming in of a sinner that is in this lower heaven to wit the kingdome of grace all the Saints rejoyce exceedingly as any one comes into God as a shadow of that which is gloriously done above O if a man could but see what a smiling heaven that above is all over when any soule is brought and set downe before God by the Lord Jesus Christ 'T is an eternall act Where the soule is set by Christ when it goes hence there it abides for ever The things which God doth internally are eternall he blesseth and curseth for ever to whom the soule is presented hereafter there it abides for ever soules that are set before Satan there they abide for ever and such as are set before God there they abide for ever to behold the glory of his countenance God when he hath his children brought home he puts them out no more he gives them their inheritance and this lies all before him and there they sit down upon it and feed upon the sweet of it for ever 'T is a large inheritance that every one hath above and yet it doth not occasion any that are brought before God to be placed far off from him Mansions and thrones are all prepared and they lie all before Gods throne and stand as long as his the windows were open towards Jerusalem because there was Gods presence so every ones mansion is so prepared and shaped that the windows all open towards God they can fit in their chambers of rest above and look God full in the face Blessed are they that stand before thee they alwayes behold thy face said that royall person it hints one state above and rather speakes that then this below Blessed yea blessed indeed are they that sit before the Lord for ever which sit in state as Kings even as Solomon himself which sit upon thrones for ever as that greater then Solomon doth which are joynt in concurrence in all acts of state and triumph together for ever that where one goes tother goes and so ever with the Lord ever before the Lord. Your last house your last habit your last condition hath no shadow of change not a thought that any degree of felicitie shall waste and end so much as enters into any soule before the Lord that they shall ever be set one haires breadth out of their place Vse You that are the people of God thinke on your blessed state to sweeten what you meet with in this world You are here made as the off-scouring of all things fit for a present to none but to a dunghill to all the reproaches disgraces and punishments that may be this will last but a little while there are other thoughts of you by great Statists and Peeres above you will be gathered out of the world now quickly as the myrrhe and frankincense of it and be made a present to the King of heaven which he will embrace above all presents and lay in his bosome to smell to and delight himselfe in for ever Precious things are in some Countries but not knowne by the Inhabitants they are so brutish and so not improved but trampled upon 't is so all this world over in a spirituall sense A brutish spirit possesseth this world so that persons know not the jewels and treasures which lie hid in the bowels of it There is such a precious metall amongst the earth and rubbish of this world that shines into heaven that may make a rich and acceptable present to the great State above did the world see it their blindnesse is their plague 't is misery enough one would not wish them more what ever one undergoes by them I am tender of you the Lords people I know you meet with much evill from evill men let nothing sadden nor imbitter you still consider what you are in the eye of God what ever in the eye of man let not the bitternesse of evill men make you lose your own sweetnesse still consider how precious you are and to whom you shall be presented for ever The very influence of heaven is enough for some choice creatures to live upon some sweet dewes that fall the Bees picke out of it a sweet stock and doe well although these dewes fall but now and then so some influences of the highest heaven of that state and condition we shall have choice spirits me thinkes might live well upon and wade strongly through all tryals here though they have these influences but now and then if wee did but pick up the crums from the Table above if we did but consider where we shall be and what we shall be we should rejoyce in tribulation 't was a sweet dish to the prodigall when he was eating huskes to thinke what food was in his fathers house though he could not tell whether he should be admitted thither The world gives us husks
simply considered never ceases they in heaven do Gods will and are proposed as our pattern on earth they are so exact in the observation of it but the painfull observation of Gods will which is by reason of corruption within us and wicked spirits without us this ceases as soon as we step out of this vile body but not before They move to Christ above as Christ doth to them with the same spirit of freedome joy triumph and glory That they may be one as we are There is no sighing and groaning mourning dying to accomplish Gods will above all move there as the Angels with delight every one milks out love from the breasts of Christ and sings over the Pail to behold how full 't is and how free it comes and yet though it cost all these to obey any truth of God here we are not to cease our course Every childe is brought forth with pain but some with more then others it costs life to bring forth some yet it 's horrible wickednesse for any to strangle the birth to prevent the pain Benjamin must be born though it cost Rachel her life She was a shadow of the Church which must bring forth Christ in all his will though we die in travell if you abide throughly of the faith Vse You see how heaven bears break truth and break your back and what groaning will that make no groaning so sad to do as that which is by not doing Gods will Heaven and Gods will are linked together break the link if it be but one link and the jewel falls and is lost Heaven is a Jewel hanged in a golden chain break one link of the golden chain and you lose the Jewel 'T is nothing to desperate souls to make void Gods Law I wonder at them Is it nothing to lose heaven to untwist the golden chain upon which your eternall treasure hangs Transgression stupifies this is the killing quality of sin Sinners mind not what they do when they throw off the will of Christ any part of the will of Christ you throw away your life Heaven lies wrapt up in truth in that truth which you will not submit to Would something would work upon wicked hearts upon the desperate wicked hearts of this age that sin might abate amongst us or else the sword of Gods wrath is like to eat us out Alas for us all I know not what hand of God is upon us wrath findes a great deale of matter among us to work upon and we can finde none When we presse love to Christ and observation of his will every man washeth his hands I do it saith one and I do it saith another Will you lie before the face of the Judge of all the world now he sitteth upon the bench upon the life and death of the kingdome Men are worst which think themselves best if there be any plague that kill thee England 't will be thy Laodicean temper that thou thinkest thou art clean and art not washed from thy filthinesse that thou needest nothing and yet observest nothing Euangelically that looks like a lovely State Our point sets us too high a great deal to speak to this generation it calls for exact observation and we are by the hand of God upon us cast into the quite contrary a generation that had a little conscience but now have none Loosnesse and lewdnesse overspread the multitude brawniness and benummedness the more ingenious good men become bad bad stark naught and stink above ground 'T is worse then blood and death to heare and see in every place where one comes what mire and dirt our troubled waters cast up as if war were a ticket under Gods own hand to dispence with all wickednesse O the oaths the execrations whoredoms oppressions outrages of all sorts that the very highwayes and villages are filled with where ever one comes The stink of your camps enough to kill a good heart at a great distance 'T is sad that the blood and bodies of the dead should taint and poison the living that we should die swearing and blaspheming If there be any tender hearts among you carry these things home and mourn for I am fearfull what they presage The work of this point is not only to winde you off from prophanenesse but wind you up to exactnesse to through walking with Christ We halt the fruit of it is upon us the hand of God will not yet cure it what it may Christ only knowes The heart must have its latitude 't is every ones saying this To hit the white is not needfull one may shoot well that doth not this But can one shoot well that aimes not at this I presse towards the mark I forget what is behinde if by any means I may obtain the resurrection Here is the property of grace in life it owns nothing but perfection makes at nothing else 't is in aim and industry all Christs Men are charmed with their own unsoundnesse the heart secretly sinfully ingaged aim and industry are really correspondent hereunto what ever verball flourish be made to better spirits and persons that stand by here is a man strangling himself in his bed which is a condition that makes little noise every thing is so artificially managed to destruction yet alas it is the common profession of this time How far will these times beare with a profession of Gods will How far will Christs honour and mine consist Here the soul wasts its strength If there be any intense through action now on foot it lies here so to shape the course and posture to the right and left that the man may take in all worldly advantages of both sides along as he â—â—es There is much art in this but 't is all cursed 't were well if the man had lesse policy and more integrity There is much advange in this but it comes to nothing the plague of an hypocrite is upon this condition which will eat a man out if he had all the world There is more of heaven in a plain heart in a moment then this man sees in all his dayes The advantage of through action is this A man gets much of Christ much grace much glory Some mens religion is a principle of jugling with conscience and the world 't is a temptation upon thousands at this day these lose what they seem to have Christ and all grace quite Christ kicks off every Judas quite that kisseth him and kisseth enemies to him too for his own advantage but a soul that cleaves throughly to Christ hath much of him the dispensations of Angels Stephen shined like an Angel owning Christ in the face of deadly and bloody opposers Externall dispensations cannot be stood upon how Christ appears to honour the persons of men that will go to the grave with him is more uncertain they have the face the tongue and the food of Angels when it may do them good and torture devils that vex them Externall concurrence is sure
very exactly A true glasse is of worth All light flatters but the Gospel That 's an oyntment indeed which takes off all scales and makes perfect sight in any one and this is the propertie of the Gospel to whom soever it comes though an ideot as the originall is he is convinced of all 't is spoken as the naturall property of this light man cannot hide any thing from it It makes an exact discovery of man and an exact discovery of God so far forth as such powers as we have here are comprehensible it shines into our hearts and gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God it discovers mans glory to wit his soule and the glory of God to wit his heart and his soule towards man two such properties as are not to be found in any light The glory of God is his face all other light discovers but his back parts or if it speake any thing about the face of God 't is as vailed To see the King is a great favour but to see him in state that 's a great friendship indeed There be many things have glory which if any one could give one eyes to behold wee should account it a great priviledge if any one could set me as Satan would have set Christ to behold the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them as is there exprest I should be ready to thinke it a great priviledge and yet all this glory not comparable to the glory of God all these things that glitter here below are but the dust of that gold above but some old cast garments which the King lays at his feete and gives to some poore servants and slaves they are but as cast-rags given to diseased creatures The glory of God is not to be exprest the Gospel helpes us to Pauls vision to behold unutterable things The face of God is his glory the face of a man is his glory Distinguishing propriety whether such a one be a brother a sister a father I can tell you when I see his face which is glorious to me when I behold The Gospel gives a distinct knowledge of God by this and by this alone I am enabled to look as it were in his face and to discerne in what relation I stand to him and he to me whether I be his childe and he my father or otherwise Mercy considered in such a latitude as eternally to save is cald the glory of God condiscension to the creature offending taking him up in his armes 'T is cald the glory of a man to passe by a fault to abide sweet when others are bitter to smile and embrace when there is no invitement but all discouragement this is cald the glory of a man and this is cald the glory of God The Gospel and no light else holds forth transcendent condescension in God by all other light wee conceive of him as one that is austere as one that will not yeeld a whit as one that will have the utmost farthing his own with advantage or inflict death The Gospel holds forth all sweet condescension in God it sets him forth as one inviting come blinde halt as one waiting to be gracious thirty forty fifty threescore yeares to the last houre and yet giving a penny to him that came in last as well as to him that came in first it sets him out as one that goes about to folkes-dores and knockes sinners doe you need any mercy doe you need any thing for your soules or bodies to make you blessed for ever you may have it for nothing Milke and honey wine and oyle tryed gold and royall apparrell The Gospel sets out God as one that expostulates with man about the matter of his good Why doe you lay out your money for that which is not bread And why will you die The Gospel sets out God as one beseeching man to be reconcild as one that delights to exercise loving-kindnesse to make it his work his daily businesse to forgive sins and to bring souls to heaven at his own cost this is transcendent condiscension and this is the glory of God in the eye of a poor sinner this makes him shine more glorious then any thing in the world and all this the light of the Gospel discovers discovers in us hath shined into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God Vse The Gospel is a grand favour but I am affraid we do not count it so Manna is loathed we love darknesse more then light That light which discovers us and makes our nakednesse appear is a plague and no blessing to thousands What is more inraging and more deadly to some persons then the powerfull words of the Lord Jesus What is more inraging at this day then the shining light of the Gospel Our misery is great the cause apparent we shut our eyes against the light The Prince of darknesse shall rule this is the vote of thousands Where Satan raigns do you expect any other but a hel rending and tearing howling and yelling Brave England is turn'd into a hel oppressing racking rending weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth and why Certainly the Prince of darknesse raigns amongst us have you a glimpse of that feind in all this our hel and misery If there were indeed a true love of the Gospel amongst us could there be such fighting abroad and at home amongst us as there is As light is precious it conquers as light conquers pride falls pride fallen the Lion is a Lamb Lambs rend not nor tear one another We rend and tear one another name state all that is dear and would be to one another as the very devils are Ah Lord Is this a Christian Land a Land honouring the Gospel Doth it conquer us Is the Spirit of the Gospel in us whose hearts burn like hel in pride and malice against one another The hand of the Lord is upon an hypocriticall people get it off who can You say you love the Gospel and yet think the Land too good for them that faithfully professe it He that hates his brother in his heart is a murtherer a bloody spirit is in you a bloody hand of justice is upon you if this right not the innocent and publish the hyporcisie of this generation to all the world then say that Christ hath not spoken by me Would the sword were sheathed saith many would it had done its work say I. We needed through launcing mens basenesse comes out freely 't is a mercy to know who loves the Gospel and how How long will England bleed ere good blood appear Will that good bloud be so little as not enough to hold life in the State O that will be sad Sinners look about you you that dissemble with your light are the plagues of the Land doe you call whom you will troublers this will be found the truth which I have said you are the troublers and the destroyers of the Land and the
and so owned though with never so much weaknesse or with never so many temptations yet that it should be effectuall to your salvation the touch of Christs garment did the cure COLOSSIANS 1.23 Whereof I Paul c. 'T Is for some speciall emphasis certainly that the Apostle doth here articulate his person with his name I Paul onely wee are various at guessing at it Some thinke he points at the signification of his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cessare which signifies to cease As if he had said I that am stopped and ceased from destroying the Gospel and now made a publisher of it Divine love can quench hell-fire check violence stop and turne a man when in the height of rage against Christ This bloudy sinner had a remarkable stop by a word of love from Heaven Why dost thou persecute me Upon which his name was changed to print and perpetuate providence from Saul to Paul i one stopped and ceased No cords so strong as love a mad-man cannot break them when catched with them Paul was a mad-man a devill yet catched and tamed presently by a sweet voice from heaven If you would conjure a devill quiet if you would quench hell-fire in any ones breast if you would make cords strong enough to hold a Bedlam imitate Christ speake as one from Heaven in the sweetnesse and strength of the Gospel lay a mountaine of love in the mad-mans way Why sinner Why wilt thou goe over Christ This will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cease his course Others thinke the Apostle points at the signification of his name as a Roman name Paulus from the adjective Paulus which signifies little as if the Apostle had said Of which great mysteries I that am little and poore in gifts in place in esteeme little and base every way yet am made a dispenser and so an expression of great humilitie The more grace the lesse in our own eye The sight of God is humbling his majestie and glory is such that the soule necessarily fals at his feete The lesser and lower in our own eye the greater and higher in Gods all that he raises is out of the dust out of the dust he raiseth seed to Abraham and out of the dust he raiseth officers to look to this seede out of the dust he raised our Saviour and out of the dust he raiseth those Saviours which are in his stead Leaders in Israel He giveth grace to the humble i much grace grace enough for the man himselfe and many more Christ doth plow and sow altogether in low grounds these prove very fertile Mountaines are cursed if proud men be drawne out and set high 't is to be hanged by their preferment as Haman I think both significations may be eyed in this speech and the Apostle considered as one much admiring the way of God throughout that would look towards one so much as to intrust him with the care of all the Churches who a little while since was set against them all and now turned from so great wickednesse yet possessing but little goodnesse to discharge so great a trust That I should be turned is wonderful but that I should be so imployed is more wonderfull The freenesse of God in all his dispensations of grace and place should be matter of admiration Doctr. 'T is a brave eye that can tell all the rayes of the Sunne and all the vertues they worke and command all powers to sit downe and warme themselves in the consideration of them The heart is in frame when taken with goodnesse with all the goodnesse of God Thou hast been very pleasant to me saith David to Jonathan Thy love to me is wonderfull This he spake with an eye to all the love he had received from him which is the right frame of the soule in order to Christ and his Thou hast been very pleasant to me O Christ throughout my course and thy love to me hath been wonderfull to my soule to my body in person in office in every condition They are in a perfect frame above the spirts of just men above are all in a rapture because of all the love that shines upon them there is not a beame over-looked not a beame shines upon any soule in Heaven but 't is observed much and warmes him much our hearts are in frame as they arise to this Heat is the right temper of the soule I wish thou wert hot Heat is active activitie is a soule gathering up all the goodnesse of God and feeding upon it and then is the soule healthy and prosperous and not otherwise The constitution of grace is somewhat as the constitution of nature it feeds upon varietie but varietie of God God in riches God in honours God in every thing if God be missing in any person in any dish at the Table it stinkes Heat hath resolution divine resolution tires not in dutie though never so great Then is the soule well when it faints not in the praises of God Heaven is up-hill and to skim off the creame of every creature and to carry it up to Heaven and to present it to God is hard worke to finde out God in every thing here below and carry him home to Heaven and set him upon his throne and admire him is great labour and yet divine resolution doth this doth it in order to all divine dispensations throughout the terme of mans life and lays not downe the worke no lays not down the worke to all eternitie I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and his great goodnesse towards the host of Israel according to the multitude of his loving kindnesse Esa 63.7 Nothing is so numerous as sin and mercie but yet of the two mercie is more numerous The world hath not so many sinnes in it as mercies and to act divinely in order to all these to play upon a Lute which hath I know not how many strings to string a mans soule with many thousand thousand mercies that befall him and to play upon this sweely all ones dayes and never lay aside the instrument this is a haile constitution and yet all this but dutie divine president is extant Divine presidents of this nature are doubly binding what any Saint of God ever did as a Saint in order to the rules of sanctitie that comes to me with double authoritie to be observed and therefore is the Scripture cited and the cloud of witnesses as another superadded motive Presidents of sanctitie speake not onely the precept to be obeyed but the possibilitie and honorabilitie of the precept to be obeyed Vse Saints should live at this height they have lived at this height this is good argumentation How doe you live Are your soules in health and are you strong How doe you travaile then up and downe after God The Land wherein we live is full of mercies no Land like it Doe you tread upon them or take them up The latter
is beastly yet very common The Land is full of mercies and full of nothing but brutes that tread upon them Brutishnesse in a man is sensualitie a sensuall person is one killed with kindnesse one that eats mercies but doth not taste them weares mercies but doth not feele them seeth mercies but doth not understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord nor never will he is cursed to the dust as the seed of the Serpent to goe upon his belly upon his appetite and upon no higher principle through this world to feed onely upon dust and upon no nobler thing for making a God of this world You wonder at the plague and at the sword but this is the greatest judgement in the Land that no man sees the mercie that shines upon him All the judgements that are in the Land are but to cast shadowes upon mercies that you may see them well and carry them and your soules to Heaven together There should not be a judgement more among us did you see mercy as you should there should not a man more die did loving kindnesse live in our hearts The heart of this Land is eaten out with long tillage God now dungs it that things may grow well 'T is so with our soules Our hearts are eaten out with vanities nothing will come up that is divine not spring up as high as Heaven God pluckes up all to pluck up your hearts to Heaven 't will be well if this be effected although it be not till all be dead When all is dead if then a mans soule grow alive to God blessed am I though there be but this one thing alive of all I have England is dead God is burying it Our hearts are quarred with fulnesse and become stones no musick can be playd upon a stone God makes musick to himselfe with justice seeing wee can make none to him with mercie he sets us to throw stones one at another hard heart against hard heart to dash out one anothers braines to kill a companie of men Canini appetitus of a dog appetite whose belly is as the grave and as hell which cry give give but never returne Know the state of the generall and bleed inwardly Doe you see a love returning spirit in any ranke from the highest to the lowest I England am made a mirror of mercie a thousand thousand wounds and yet not dead What pen shall I take and what book Where shall I write this love that it may be ever in Gods eye and mine owne Doe you see such a spirit stirring for the glory of Christ Wee fall in person we fall in purse and we fall and flat in spirit too nothing rises in any man that I see but that which throwes all downe Pride and selfe Ego magnus not ego Paulus I great not I little and low this may be every mans motto Big spirits are the worst in the world to stoop and to take up every thing of Gods and give it to him Big proud spirits admire themselves such as are taken up with admiration of themselves can never be good at this dutie of admiring God Look over all the Kingdome and people in the world and tell me a people more pinned to and doating upon its selfe then we are What a Clergie What Magistracy What an Armie have we So big so acute so perfect as not to be exprest This puts by the other quite what a Christ have we how strong how wise how gracious Do ye heare mens mouths filled with this with admiration of Christ What ornaments doe I weare in my soule or upon my outward man but Christ hath put them on all Know the state of the generall and know your own state in particular Doe you as Paul here admire the goodnesse of Christ in all the goodnesse that is upon you That you are stopped and ceased from wickednesse That you are turned to Christ Yea not nakedly so but turned into noble services for Christ Intrusted with many Talents above your brethren for the good not onely of your selves but many more I would willingly admire this if it were so but alas for me Ob. I am not yet stopped nor turned from my wicked course I am a swearer still a drunkard still a gracelesse uselesse wretch still Why then admire that thou art not in hell Sol. there is no man alive no man of this side hell but hath some mercie yea much mercie to admire say that I a swearer am not yet in hell in the proper place for blasphemers O what a mercie is this That sin and judgement are not closed unseparably all this while in so many yeares O what a wonder is this There is not a greater aptnesse for fire and stubble to close then for sin and judgement in a wicked soule that the cover of the tinder-box should be open and striking of fire a great many yeares and a great many sparkles falling of both sides and some in and yet not take that thou a naked gracelesse soule open to the wrath of God and living in a Land where wrath is powring out by plague sword and other judgements and yet that thou shouldest escape here is a big wonder indeed blind soule canst thou see it No I have no more then others have nor yet so much this cuts the throat of holy admiration How wofully is this creature plagued Others mercies are his judgements he cannot see what he has because others have more Canst thou not see what thou hast thy selfe No hold thy mercies neere thine eyes Canst thou not see them now No. Why then I feare that thou art beside borne-blind mad-blind as those wilfull Pharisees and Scribes this is a sad condition There is no recovery of sight when the eyes are struck out If this be not thy plague there is the more hope for God will take the businesse in hand to make thee see in a more strong way then now 't is done by me if all meanes have not been used alreadie as what a potent course is taken up in this case Hosea 11.3 I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by the armes but they knew not that I healed them I drew them with the cords of a man and with the bands of love and I laid meat unto them God will one time or other take hold upon thy conscience and lead thee about from mercie to mercie and point thee to them particularly one after another O ungratefull soule I did this for thee and I did that I saved thee from breaking thy leg such a time from breaking thy necke such a time from such a desperate sicknesse such a time c. Thus doth God to persons that are asleepe in ingratitude to awaken them and thus he doth to them that are dead Goe and tell David I took thee from the sheepfold c. After that soule miscarriage God set one to talke with him with a witnesse to tell him who raised him and to what and what use was expected of
of blood of skuls and broken bones among many groning and tumbling to and againe with their bowels out holding up their hands Sir be mercifull I beseech you be mercifull and doe what you can to relieve me No I will not Now says Christ write downe the man for mercilesse What shall I say of this generation they are mourned to and yet lament not I have spoken to them saies Christ I have mourned to them but words teares stirre not when the most speaking things to move compassion move not then are a people written downe for mercilesse They have not remembred the afflictions of Joseph or condoled gnal Sheber over the breaking or the tearing to pieces of Joseph so t is very lively alluding to the state of Joseph whom his father thought to have beene torne with wild beasts When the extremity of misery moves not the least compassion the tearings and rendings of Kingdomes Townes Estates Persons then God writes downe men mercilesse Ye remembred not the tearings of Joseph When persons see the anguish of the soule of Joseph as one with death-pangs upon him and yet compassionate not this is written down We saw the anguish of his soule when he besought us and we would not heare we saw his heart-blood as it were ready to come out and yet we had no heart to pity surely we are judged as mercilesse wretches Genes 42.31 The order of trialls hintes the order of judgements sinners looke to your selves If Saints have their sad boutes their bloudy dayes surely you will have your turne too Men that love their sinnes love not to heare that ever they shall be whipt for them Evill is acted with confidence that it shall never be judged hee that sits in Heaven doth not regard since the beginning all things are as they were I have bin a sinner this twenty yeares and yet all is well This is grosse folly Christ laughes at it but we should mourne that men have no more grace hee sees that your day is comming yea hee sees that you cannot avoid it whilest in this state and therefore makes no more haste to take hold of you A creature that is fast in any Engine we lay we make not hast to come and breake the neck on 't and kill it outright because we know 't is fast and therefore wee come slowly Security is Satans deadly Engine you are fast in the bonds of iniquity justice is sure of you therefore it doth not make haste to come and break your neck and to dispatch you utterly When your day comes it will be a bloudy day indeed a day as long as a yeere as long as eternity a day that will never have night When your prisoning and chaining time comes your chaines will be everlasting your bout will be long mercy makes Justice therefore the longer a comming but if you presumptuously abuse this mercy even this mercy shall be shortned common mercy is shortened to desperate soules as it is lengthned to common penitents when they do but commonly humble themselves that is as poore brutes as in the case of Nineve And therefore you have a day of the Lord mentioned by the Prophet Zephany as hastened the great day of the Lord and hastening greatly to such a Generation of sinners as now I am speaking to Zephany 1.14 The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere it hasteth greatly the mighty man shall cry there bitterly t is a day of wastnesse mens bloud shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung the whole Land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie and hee shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Your day when it comes will be like this day a day of dispatch that will make riddance of you wholly body and soule and if you slight this that I tell you now and goe on in your sinne know that this great day of the Lord hasteth greatly sinners t is neer t is neer But sinners merry sinners can you tell how neere t is How neere your sad day is No you can looke up into the Heavens and when the Skie lookes so and so you can tell what the next day will be and t is so saith Christ There will be stormes to morrow and they are so 't will be a wet afternoone and t is so And observe how our Saviour makes use of all this to a proud secure Generation Yea and why even of your selves judge you not what is right Luke 12.57 you can judge thus and thus and judge right respecting the Heavens why can you not judge thus of your selves Intimating 't were possible if men did but observe themselves their hearts and their lives as they do other things men if they would do this they might be able to give a neere guesse when a storme or a black gloomy day is neere them Looke sinners round about you do you see nothing in your lives that lookes like bloud and death Do you feele nothing in your consciences that speaks a storme a breeding The worme that never dies begins to live crawle and stirre here dost thou feele it knaw terribly now and then what and continue in thy sinne why hell certainly is not far off One may smell some fire sulphurous matter burning one may smell it and if in the next roome one smells it so hot that one can hardly indure the roome The fire below is brimstone dost thou not smell it in thy conscience How hot is the smell so hot as thou canst not indure that roome why then the fire is fast by thou art in the next roome to Hell Consolation issues from this point to all godly people under the Lords hand your turne is come now to pledge Christ hee dranke to you in a bitter Cup a great while agoe and a great many farre better then you have pledged him and you are honoured to do the like 'T is a great honour to drinke of the same Cup that Christ did Can yee be Baptized with the Baptisme that I am Baptised with and this asked when they talked of great honour to fill up that which is behind of his draught let what will be in it things never so bitter t is wholesome t is healthfull life is in our deadly Cup the bravest life springs out of our cruellest death If this be not enough think on this t is but thy turne 't will be over quickly the Cup will be taken out of thy hand and given to another Thou art sad but for a season And now for a season if neede be you are in heavinesse saith Peter there was necessity thou shouldest be in heavinesse for a little time and how long this time and season is the Scripture tells us 't is but a momens and then it resolves it selfe into everlasting consolation COLOS. 1.24 The Afflictions of Christ c. AFflictions are from God immediately or from man God strikes sometimes and uses no hand but his
owne it is least considered when so but not least of importance for God hath some great designe upon the man when hee strikes every stroke himselfe Sometimes God stands behind Shimei and le ts fly at a man and wounds deeply and then t is not so easie to see him because an earthen breast-work is before him Sometimes he appeares in the front in person himselfe like Goliah and makes the incounter by duell hand to hand with the Creature the creature smites and God smites Name State Flesh and Spirit God would faine be seene and knowne of the soule when he does thus if it cannot be he lets the creature lick himselfe whole if he can Afflictions from man immediately are here meant and not such as are from God immediately Creatures of the same kind are used to spit in one anothers face to scratch and teare one another a Cat a Cat a Dog a Dog a Man a Man Creatures of the same kind to say no more are used to tread upon one anothers toes to afflict one another All earth beares thornes chuse out what earth you will sift it how you will appoint it to what you will to be a pillow for repose a breast a bosome a bed of flowers to solace in yet there will grow up thornes and pricke Creatures one by creation one by redemption yea one by mutuall election differ fall out afflict one another man afflictes man that was Pauls case here saint afflicts saint husband afflictes wife wife curses husband things made and chosen of purpose to delight sad thornes will grow in ones bosome here You cannot take a rose to smell to here out of any Garden but hath prickles unlesse the Rose of Sharon All is vanity yea vexation all below us all equall with us onely that all excepted which is above us which onely is indeed all and in him is light and no darkenesse sweet and no bitternesse in that earth growes no thornes Man afflictes man yea man oppresseth man that is affliction in strength malum multiplex a manifold evill which is the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here used t is translated by some compression a den of theeves a nest of hornets many afflictions in one or under one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.25 simul malis vexari to be vexed with many evills together 't is spoken of Moses who cast himselfe upon oppression with Gods people in Egypt which expression sets out fully what oppression is 't is some vitall wounded some maine part trod upon as name state body soule something brutishly bruised and torne that maims or marres livelyhood internall or extenall some such thing troden to death as hath many little ones in the belly of it t is a Kid killed and seethed in such liquor as should nourish many in Mother-milke t is a Mother-mercy destroyed whilst in travaile for the good of the whole Good name is a mother-Mother-mercy many are nourished by it so is estate so is the body so is the soule all these travell perpetually in this world for the tranquillity of the whole and of the maine to beare up great things Heaven and Earth the glory of God and the welfare of every relation wherein such a creature stands any of these therefore torne and ript up whilest thus in travaile for the good of the whole is cruelty and oppression Oppression speakes injury but no small injury not the dashing ones cloathes accidentally or intentionally as one goes by but it alwayes notes something that dashes the person in one main thing or other 't is a Dog that flies at the throate at something that is vitall and teares that at something that tends to throw downe the person and welfare of such a creature 'T is a diabolicall quality insinuated by a cursed spirit whereby one creatures being is too blessed in the eye of another Men one in birth from the Earth yet wisdome hath ranked them variously upon it some higher some lower some have much some lesse all have wisdomes portion and therefore it should be accounted enough and content but it doth not one mans mansion is not fine enough anothers not big enough one person better beloved better indowed better succeeded if hee were dead dead in esteeme or dead in being all these deepe waters would turne and run into my cisterne if Abel were dead if Iacob were dead if Mordecai were dead then I should be all and have all I should be the onely favorite in the world and so quietly abide Yee kill and desire to have and cannot obtain James 4.2 oppression is a bloudy spirit striking still at something that is vitall at the person livelyhood or life it selfe if one will not fall without the other 'T is an evill springing from the root of all evill to wit covetousnesse yee kill and desire to have 'T is a man of the Earth saith the Psalmist and hee would be alone upon it though there were no Rivers and houses in it for delight but such as hee hath made with the bloud and bones of all such as live neere him That the man of the earth may no more oppresse Psalme 10.18 the word oppresse signifies to terrifie and so you have it noted in the margent intimating what an oppressor is t is a brute that terrifies all that come neere him to eate or drinke by him that he may have all alone and what hee cannot eate or drink he puddles and spoiles Oppression is made vi aut dolis by force or by fraud man can use both as hee is advantaged and as his game lies Parts internall are all subdued by that lust which rules and taught to tumble and set this or that poore innocent soule for their master Innocency sleepes the most securely of any thing dreams of no affrighting things of no injurious usage but from Dogs and Beares and Wolfes from beasts not from any man innocency thinkes every man a man not a Fox nor a Serpent nor a Crocodile where as an oppressor conjureth his wits his parts his practises and so himselfe into all these to catch his prey Therefore is an oppressor imblazed by the Scripture in a Lyon couchant as one lurking for his prey as one whose words are Oyle yet sharpe speares as one who shootes his Arrowes in darkenesse and hits privily the upright in heart Over-reaching is oppression t is strong parts setting their feete upon weake and wringing bloud out of a brothers Nose 't is grinding the face of the poore words and dealings which are the face of a man to the World all by craft and wile ground to such dust as to choak and cheat the man that utters them What fraud cannot doe force externall is pressed to second Oppression commands all within and without to squeese out her will where shee fastens it turnes Iudges into evening Wolfes Kings Nebuchadnezzars into Beasts and gives them Nayles like Eagles-clawes that is makes them turne all their externall advantages
been driving this way and the Majesty and the justice of the Lord hath appeared and preyed upon them that would have preyed upon us fulfilling his word He shall breake in pieces the oppressor Psalm 72.4 As God remembers his word so we should remember him and write down his Noble acts upon our doore-posts bed-posts heart-posts to all which these beasts would have come for their prey These great acts of God prove mercies to men as laid to heart evill will returne and they which have beene so often driven back will be irresistible at length if he be forgotten which hath done all this for us COLOS. 1.24 For his bodies sake which is the Church ALL Christians in and under Heaven are related knit in one body by one soule to wit the same which breathes in God his holy Spirit Sacred society is glorious the Peers of all the world in a body robed and the great King of all the world in the midst of them such a fight as mortall eye never beheld His traine reaches from Earth to Heaven the foremost are in Heaven when the hindmost are here I helped you to a Scaffold to view the forepart the last day I would doe the like now to helpe you to view the latter that part of the traine which is going in at the everlasting doores but not yet quite in You may see a great deale of State at the doore of Heaven in the very hindmost soule of that company which are going in there That part which is gone in with the Bridegroome is mighty great so is that which is going in An innumerable company of believers conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies longing and waiting for the full redemption and liberty of the Sons of God The haires of our mysticall head grow not thin no not in this climate which is the most unhealthy they are thicke and bushy Can you number the haires of your head then may you number that company which Christ hath upon earth Can you number the Starres of Heaven Looke up to the Heavens saith God to Abraham and see if thou canst number the Starres so shall thy seed be which is fulfilled as appeares by the authour to the Hebrewes Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the Starres of the Skie in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea shore innumerable Heb. 11.12 The haires of our mysticall head are many yet all of one colour blacke as a Raven that is beautifull and flourishing Gray haires are not here and there upon this head the Militant Church is for quantity great a Nation for quality holy the foundation of this Nation Christ the cement faith something above the revelation of reason something above the revelation of the best parts something above flesh and blood Peter there are strange carnall apprehensions of me in the world as if Christ had said how doest thou apprehend me My apprehension is vitall Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God Observe the reply of Christ Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona Bar is a Chalde word and the same with ben an Hebrew word which signifies a sonne and Jona signifies gracious and as some translate a Dove so that t is as if Christ had said in our language Blessed art thou Simon sonne of grace sonne of that same Dove which descended on mee flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke will I build my Church Matth. 16.18 Ben which is the Hebrew word for a sonne is as much as the word building with us because the sonne is the building of the family our Saviour interprets so much himselfe in his allusive words upon this Rocke will I build my Church and Jona signifying gracious the metaphor is the same in sense with the former that Christs building here below is a gracious building foundation gracious to wit himselfe every stone gracious Bar-Jona's an innumerable company of believers I John saw a great company which no man could number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all sealed the cement of this building holy to wit faith a holy faith a most holy faith as the Apostle cals it Jud. 20. Conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies The Sea is a big body yet tossed perpetually so is the Church of Christ upon earth t is a body very big and very good and yet t is not so big nor so good but it hath as big and as bad a body to encounter it We are here troubled with Frogs and devouring vermin and the pit out of which they come is bottomlesse The gates of Hell are wide open against the Church of Christ here though they cannot prevaile against it they that take away mens soules come forth freely in what numbers they will and goe what compasse they will here all this world over of an instant and get at which hand they will of the best people when about the best worke they will take the wall of the Noblest soules and when about the Noblest worke get at their right hand The Sonnes of God were assembled and Satan stood at their right hand The locusts below goe forth by Troopes they are so populous in that land of death My name is legion for we are many Though but one speake when a poore soule is tempted yet the traine that attends upon this one is many I believe this roome is full of infernall Spirits and that not a soule of you now present but have a legion of them at your right hand jogging of you though these gates of Hell are not suffered to prevaile If there were no intermixing of Satans family and Christs in this world if those evill spirits which he hath at home by him did never come abroad so farre as into this world yet those that are here resident and weare the same skinne and clothes which Christs family doe are very many They that persecute my soule are many saith the Psalmist And he speakes of incarnate devils devils resident in our flesh and in our earth A doore is open to me a great doore saith the Apostle and there be many enemies how many that he could not tell nor no body else but him that set them on worke One doore open and many devils at it to shut it againe many devils at one doore so at every doore of hope that a Christian hath open to him surely Satans strength is great here that he can begirt every holy person and every holy action upon earth and yet this is the condition of the Church militant Elishaes condition shadowes the state of the Church militant mentioned 2 Kings 6.15 An Host compassed the City with horses and chariots in so much that the servant of Elisha cried out Alasse Master how shall we doe we are begirt with innumerable companies of mortall enemies many thousand deaths waite for us at every doore and this is the state
against providence because it doth not jut and jumpe with my will now all is slaine and not till now Heaven and Earth on fire body and soule killed with a canon from Hell and all the powers of darknesse crying victory Doe Serpents sting murmure not remember where Christs church is of which thou art yet a member t is in the Wildernesse yet and but going to Canaan and such places are full of hurtfull beasts Be not overcome of evill then misery dissolves it selfe into sinne then God is stung and thou wilt have secret blowes for this indeed where men cannot pinch thee thou wilt have salt throwne where the spring of unsoundnesse lies and then thy Spirit will burne within thee for something We should not onely be submissive to but joyfull under the crosse of our Lord Jesus You cannot tell how much mercy t is to be any of that body of which Christ is the soule if it be but a foot a bare foot and still in the dirt still upon prickes briers and thornes to be any of that company that is travelling to Heaven though the meanest the hindmost the most misused c. But you will know when you come there The crosse keepes off some from being of the Church militant they cannot militare they had rather die then fight and kill what they love more then Christ Sinne effeminates the soule love any lust more then Christ and you will die ten thousand deaths rather then strike a stroke in good earnest against it or discharge one Piece with a Bullet against that fort where your heart lies Satan deales by stratagem sinners looke to your soules he can kill none that take up Armes against him and stand to it he either betrayes affection with trifles and makes the soule yeeld and so stab conscience and sweare a damnable peace or else he terrifies the soule with corporall dangers and makes men flee and all that flee in spirituall warfare die every one are cut off eternally by the pursuer When there are fightings without there are feares within When I came into Macedonia my flesh had no rest troubles on every side fightings without and feares within Men now love their flesh Paul in this had no rest no neither in his spirit he had stood to it upon pure principles Hee wants fellowes in this age of the world wonderfully The Church of the Lord Jesus travels groanes dies for want of them This generation will have more then the advantage of truth to encourage them to set forth to wit the advantage of time quiet time Deluded soules when will this be you so dote upon your skin that you have quite forgotten the state of Christs church upon earth t is militant You will live in Egypt that you may see no warre that you may save your skin your pompe your wealth this your wisdome is your folly Egypt shall not save you the Sword shall follow you into Egypt into your Egyptian huts and coverings Read Jeremy 42.13 14 15. But if ye say We will not dwell in this Land c. No but we will goe into the Land of Egypt where we shall see no warre nor heare the sound of the Trumpet nor have hunger of bread and there will we dwell c. Then it shall come to passe that the Sword which ye feared shall overtake you there in the Land of Egypt and the famine whereof ye were afraid shall follow close after you in Egypt and there ye shall die COLOS. 1.24 For his bodies sake which is the Church THe word notes a company called out of this world and the scope according to which it is used here carries it in its full bredth to comprize all the blessed company both which are in Heaven and in earth this generall society was shadowed by the generall Assembly at Ierusalem and is called by that name by the Apostle Heb. 12.23 Ye are come to the generall Assembly the Church of the first-borne This Catholique company is great and farre divided some in Heaven some in Earth some in this part of the Earth some in that and yet all have but one spirit and therefore essentially the same and what is done for the good of one part necessarily redounds to the good and glory of all He is of a publique spirit that layes out for the good of a City of a Kingdome and the like thousands will blesse him generations yet not borne will blesse God for such instruments but he is of a publique spirit indeed that layes out his state or blood for the good of the Church of Christ many thousands in this Kingdome in other Kingdomes all the Earth over all Heaven over will blesse him This generall assembly comes all out of one loine and divide themselves into two bands one turnes to the everlasting Hills 'tother to the Plaines and Valleys of this world There is a Lilly of the Valleys and a Lilly of the Hils there is a Church on Earth and a Church in Heaven The great King whom we subject to hath a Chappell of ease a Church in his house the condition of this is farre different from that here below the Lilly of the Hils is another gets Lilly then that of the Valleys the pursuit of each shall be distinct which will demonstrate the condition how it differs The Church which Christ hath in his house is a society of perfect spirits in perfect rest triumphing with Christ over all enemies The Congregation above is very big thousands and thousands of thousands from all parts quarters and countries yet all perfect not one dwarfe in grace in Heaven not one Zacheus a person of a little stature there are no spirits of little stature in grace above though it be all our case here every one is as tall as Christ to any ones beholding I cannot tell else how to interpret that expression of the Apostles Eph. 4 Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ They that are come to that unity and society above are all compleat their measure is the fulnesse of Christ their demensions his stature so tall so big limmed so faire and so accomplished to looke upon What a perfect man now is Christ in Heaven of what a brave stature in grace and in glory an Absolon without spot from the crowne of the head to the soule of the foot so are all that Noble society which are with him without spot or wrinkle and therefore called a glorious Church That he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing c. Ephes 5.27 the word here translated spot is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such spots as are in garments by dashing and dirting outside spots they have no spots within nor without above not in their skin not in their clothes nor any such thing that is
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a house and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to distribute Which makes the sense run thus according to that family distribution which God hath made to me The holy Ghost distinguisheth gifts into good and perfect both come downe from above but under a diverse notion the one as common to all the World the other as proper to his Family they are good gifts in themselves which bade men have their health their wealth their learning all good gifts but not perfect gifts they want one thing as our Saviour spake to the young man in this case and this one thing the maine of all to wit the speciall love of God fatherly mercy rapt up in them Family distribution is fatherly goodnesse speciall mercy a perfect gift Choyce indowment is mans blessednesse Doct. This God gives All the posterity of Jacob were blessed but Joseph was a Nazarite amongst his Brethren saith the Text i culled out by speciall providence from all the rest and choicely indowed and imploid the very creame of Love dished out to him The pretious fruits brought forth by the Sun and the pretious things which put forth by the Moone and the chiefe things of the ancient Mountaines c. And observe here the prime blessing is brought up in the Reare that which makes all other gifts perfect and the favourable acceptance of him that dwelt in the bramble the favour and love of God wrapt up in every thing wee have is that which makes them full mercies and this had Ioseph Deut. 83.16 he had top favours blessings came upon his head upon the top of him that was a Nazarite from his brethren This kind of providence died not with those persons and times but lives still in an Evangelicall sense Christ goes through this World and picks out here and there one from among his brethren and makes him a Nazarite indowes him with choyce mercies Family dispensations bespangles him with such Jewells as they weare above in his own Court riches of the body and riches of the minde and inlayes them all with the good will of him that dwelt in the Bramble This was prophecied then when the Patriarchs had their speciall indowments and touched in their kindnesse the Scepter shall not depart from Judah c. and unto him shall the gathering of the people be Gnammim peoples Gnammim binding his foale unto the Vine and his Asses colt unto the choyce Vine Gen. 49.11 Christ doth gather and select still even among the Gentiles As far as us Gentiles doe these words looke To him shall the gathering of the peoples bee Not one people to wit the Iewes but peoples Jewes and Gentiles A choyce Vine Christ findes out amongst us Trees of speciall vertue and noble blood and spirits above all Trees and ties his foale to these unites himselfe to this body by the same spirit by which he so indowed and ennobled that ancient people of the Iewes Choyce indowments being mans blessednesse and this sesable that which God gives now I would fasten this naile in the temple with a word of use Vse Content not your selves with common blessings covet the best gifts seeke family favours childrens mercies or you cannot be happy We place blessednesse here t is not here t was here but is not now t is risen t is above there must your industry lie Seeke those things which are above where Christ is at the right hand of God The mercies of Gods owne family make us and none else Such dispensations as have the speciall love of God wrapt up in them Let no man thinke this an unpossible thing to attaine the things that are above will come down to the conservation of the whole the naturall Heavens will descend the supernaturall will too Christ though at the right hand of God will come down and sit at your right hand and guide you and impart the things that are above to you clothe you in the habit and fashion of that countrey if sought to and desired But the plague is our hearts are carnall and lust onely after low things we place blessednesse in our belly and worship Dagon Dagan frumenti Deus a belly-god The Apostle alludes to this where he saith Whose God is their belly Red pottage lusted after the birth-right is nothing How affection workes is not heeded by you yet your life is in it and it goes to the heart of God to see how you lavish and lay it out for that which is not of any nobility or worth in order to such creatures as you are Wherefore doe you spend money for that which is not bread not white bread not living bread not that bread which came down from Heaven not such as the family above feede on You that feed on such mercies owe much to God I will touch this and conclude You that are like Joseph Nazarites among your brethren separated from thousands of your owne flesh and bone and made great endowed with Noble gifts and imployed in Noble workes to attend upon the great King of all the world as his onely favourites your should doe as Joseph Goe saith he haste ye to my father and tell him thus saith thy sonne Joseph God hath made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me tarry not Genes 45.9 divine mystery is in all this and it hints your duty goe haste you to Heaven and tell your father what honour is by the Lord Jesus bestowed on you that he hath made you Lords over all Egypt over all your lusts which did keepe you in bondage that he hath put his owne ring upon your hand and his owne Gold-chaine about your necke and made you secundi the next to him in all the world and onely in the Throne is greater then you t is a sweet thing to be going often to Heaven and telling there how much we feele of it upon earth Choice endowments call for choice duty as we are winged we should mount There were choice vowes under the old covenant Deut. 12.11 Some choice offerings that upon some choice mercies received they performed to God You have received choice mercies make choice vowes understand me Gospelly make sweet Gospell raptures of all Noble favours received Your Roman dames had some Jewels worth millions which they called uniones because they were incomparable and had none like them singulars such as had no fellowes and these they bequeathed when they died as an inheritance to posterity they were of so great worth God hath given unto you such precious Jewels uniones singular gifts such as cannot be fellowed in many of your brethren weare these Jewels every day though it was the fashion of the Roman dames to weare their uniones upon great daies hold forth all your choice gifts choicely to the great glory of Christ My Dove my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her the daughters
Eyes of a Sampson darken the greatest lights and confound the greatest parts that is speake ridles and parables at every word things unexplicable to the most learned men he can carry a darke Lantherne betweene the Egyptians and the Israelites make a cloud to go betweene both and to be darke of one side and light of to'ther Christ was in the midst of that project 't is often said in the Booke of Moses that hee was in the midst of the cloud that is he was the onely author of that great mystery 't was no art of Moses nor Aron nor any man else but Christ Christ hath a Kingdome but t is not of this world t is of that little World within he hath the Keyes of every roome within you he and he only opens and shuts these everlasting doores and at what houre he will every wheele in that curious artifice within hath its motion or check from him the spirit wee speake is of his â—nction t is in fulnesse given to him to make every knee bow or breake every eye blind or seeing of things in Heaven of things in Earth and under the Earth This thing is better exprest by the Prophet then eye can The Key of the house of David will I lay open his shouldiers so hee shall open and none shall shut Isai 22.22 Revel 3.7 The donations of Christ are absolute not such as ours which may and often are overborne the Eyes hee closes none can ever open the Trees he curseth barren none can ever make fruitfull dung as long as they will the things hee hides from mens eyes they can never see more his spirituall occlusive power is as his power apertive absolute and above controule Hee is the onely absolute at opening or closing the Eyes of the dead Vse 'T were well if the right state of eternall actions and things were seriously considered what is in the power of Christ and what he can do and doth to a perverse Generation Suffering in the outward man is the least that Christ doth to testifie dislike of any mans course and yet this as poore sensuall creatures we onely Eye How doth God carry himselfe to the soule how neer to it or how far off from it is he how plainly and cleerly or how darkly and misteriously doth he move within thee Is not thy soule in darknesse Shut up under unbeliefe in the valie of a shadow of death fearing evill the destruction of all Darknesse makes feares the Oracle within speakes doubtfully and the best Life hangs in doubt the Malefactor hath his book and cannot reade for his best Life the caracters are so old and so mysterious this is a great wound in the spirit and it is a wonder to me that any one can beare this and beare up yet so remisse are men till things grow ragingly desperate and remedilesse nothing is considered Terrified sinners Christ hath tyed a handkercher about your Eyes you are upon the Ladder ready for execution can you read your neck verse or not Legit ut clericus vel non A Gospel sence of misery is the first step to remedy Light is made to shine out of darkenesse God closeth the Eyes and then opens them I am at the doore of Heaven neere the Kingdome of God my night will have a day according to the course of of the Sun it will be so Let faith thus work and thou wilt be blessed speedily God makes light to shine out of darknesse when he would make a shining State hee usually makes it very darke first very darke and very sad and then reveales light very cleere and makes a very shining bright Heaven The order of the Sun what course it goes what long nights it makes in some parts of the World and then what long and glorious dayes should be remembred and expected this way comes in our blessednesse here In a darke condition when one cannot do as wee would we must doe as we can make advantages of little things Sampson being darke and starke blind made advantage of a little boy do thou said he lead mee to this place or that to the pillar where the house beares so must you poore darke soules which are starke blind in the best things makes use of such little things as before mentioned to be led by till you come to finde Pillars great Pillars whereon the house beares to doe great exploits T is sweet to consider that sacred concealements are but for a time and this time set by wisdome Vision is but for an appointed time That is a secret and a mystery to us which to Christ is vision the vision is but c. and shall be so to us in his light wee see light and in cases of danger and extremity he doth hasten When we are in a chariot of our owne conceits a fiery Chariot and Satan running away with us Christ saith to his spirit go joyne thy selfe to that chariot and interpret and now behold a nation is borne in a day a World borne of a day a World of light a Heaven borne of a day of an hower 'T is yet more sweete yea most sweete to consider when we can do nothing at all for our reliefe neither the greater nor the lesser not make use of a Lad to lead when we cannot make the least motion toward the light it makes motion toward us the Sun findes out us it findes lost persons and lost comforts it bares it selfe about unto every one who doth draw the Sun to this place or that Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.19 you reade it a day Star the Latines rightly render it Lucifer because it doth lucem ferre Christ doth beare about light over the World to every one that sits in darknesse and needs it COLOS. 1.26 Which hath beene hid from Ages and from Generations THis expression meanes not totum but tantum not altogether hid but very much hid over what it is since the revelation of Christ in the flesh A full comment upon these words are those of the Apostles to the Ephesians cap. 3. v. 4 5. Whereby when you reade you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made knowne to the sonnes of men as it is now revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the spirit Ceremonies were but a shaddow of good things to come as great a distance between their condition and ours as betweene shaddow and substance their fruit had much shell and little kirnells we have no shell yet the kirnell bigger and sweeter to The sensuall helps they had spake for the most part no farther then sence What all those carnall Ordinances did spiritually meane we have in expresse words and these words explained and applyed with greater power and glory then ever from the spirit of Christ Mercies have their demensions they differ in grouths The drops that fall from Heaven are of severall quantities Christ hath in his hand blessings of severall
sizes some bigger some lesser two talents five talents ten talents concerning the glory above t is disputed whether it be graduall but concerning the glory of a Christian here it is a resolved thing that it is graduall there is migration in our glory here going from glory to glory from strength to strength Milke and strong meate babes and full age crums and Flagons love and abounding in love Our Kingdome comes our Kingdome here is a comming Kingdome Mercies are all shaped by Love it is the property of Divine Love to higthen dispensation still till shee hath lifted the soule beloved fully into her bosome Grace t is in the beginning little a graiâ—â— of Mustardseed in progresse great in the end all to wit Heaven which is all now doth Love fully possesse her beloved and now she rests and not till now beyond Heaven there is no gradation no step higher Love hath got her full end which is the full possession of what shee makes out to and now rests Love shapes Mercy so as fully to bring about her end and that is to bring the soule shee loves into her bosome to the full fruition of her selfe of whatsoever shee is you may see this demonstrated in Christ the Father loves him and he gives him mercies greater and greater and never leaves till hee hath lifted him fully into his bosome to his right hand i the fruition of all John 5.20 The Father loveth the Sonne and showeth him all things that himselfe doth and hee will show him greater workes then these that yee may marveile My Father hath given me great things already but hee will give me greater for he loves mee and this will drop and drop till it hath dropped out all it will never rest till it hath brought mee into his bosome The love of God carries the same property and proportion to a Christian and this makes the grouth of a Christian necessarily as the grouth of a Crocadile of which it is written that hee groweth alwayes so doth a Christian till hee bee transplanted into Heaven Vse T is trying this point what truth is in you Your graces are not so great but you may have greater if this be not regarded as you taste not grace what tang it has so you understand not grace what order t 'as Spirituall fulnesse speakes a deluded heart hee that hath goods enough enough for many yeares enough to make his felicity for ever and therefore rests is a foole hee knowes not his state what hee has nor what he wants Blinde men 't is observed do not dreame so much as men that see because fancy in the day hath not so much nor so lively impressive imployment to set it at worke in the night but blinde soules dreame more a great deale then they that see This is one of their dreames among many I have enough grace to bring me to Heaven I hope and I care for no more I love not to be pragmaticall Some make a great deale of stir and run mad t is extreame naught this I like it not Answ this is one extreame but there are two extreames and vertue in the midst of them dost thou eye t'other extreame Some die with heate others die with cold Thou seest others too hot may'st not thou be too cold grace in the true knowledge of it is inviting 't is like some Liquids drinking makes thirstinesse and longing for more drinke every degree of grace possessed makes discovery of greater degrees not possessed One Chamber of Christ hath a window looking into another far bigger and more glorious Thou art entered into one thou sayest dost thou looke into another more glorious and long to enter into it if thou be a stranger to these things thou art a foolish Virgin that possibly hast knocked at the doore of Christs house a little but art yet indeed entered into no roome when Christ had opened the nature of spirituall bread unto his followers that they did indeed understand it they fell a longing presently for more what they had discovered much more behind which they wanted and therefore cryed Lord evermore give us of this Bread Vse This point is upbraiding the light which shines upon us is more glorious then that which shined upon our Fathers that which hath beene hid from Ages and from Generations we have made manifest to us wee have mercies according to externall communication of the biggest what have you according to internall communication this will be looked after This is a day of great things a time wherein Christ brings about great things to our doores our fathers day was a day of small things yet if they were judged for despising their day of small things how much more shall you be judged that despise the day of great things t is the Apostles argument to the Hebrewes and must be mine to you Despite is a spiritull act deliberate disaffection to the loveliest things The posture of our spirits wee least looke at and this Christs Eye is most of all fixed upon Externall carriages are all measured and titled from the heart God rules in the inside of his enemies hee unbowells this Generation and Christens it in blood according to its spirit We offer despite to the spirit of grace we tread under foot the bloud of the Lord Jesus can wee tell whether this iniquity will be blotted out till this Generation die The heart fired against truth abides so t is part of that unquenchable fire below God allowes Satan to bee fueler in such a soule till they both come to burne together in hell Love lost Christ cares not for the person let him be what he will if hee be the greatest man in the World he will burne to death in that fire which burnes in his breast against Christ Our love now to be least when greatest love is tendered can you imagine that this iniquity will be quickly forgotten great heare makes great thunders t is so now the Sun of love shines mighty hot and now wickednesse thunders and so will Justice and righteousnesse too believe it COLOS. 1.26 But now is made manifest c. THe word notes two things appareo et splendeo vision and shining vision that is according to Gospel speech still in the letter and in the spirit the understanding of words which one reads by workes which one feeles a voyce behind one interpreting that before one circumcision outward in the flesh and this explained by circumcision inward in the spirit There is a narrative and an operative light that which makes one talke well and that which makes one walke well that which enables one to produce bookes for his authority in discourse and that which enables one to produce his soule and his life for authority here is my soule and my life reade if it be not so as I say let men and Angells all the World reade if they will The Manifestation which our Apostle speakes of here is the latter for he speakes of such
mens hands are something tyed up now by common distresse but with the tongue we are killed all the day long men spit blood which is a sad signe and they most which pretend most to more then ordinary knowledge and yet are brute beasts as the Apostle Peter speakes in many things and speake evill of things they know not 2 Pet. 2.12 who saith he shall utterly perish in their owne corruption This is so certaine that it is called an evident token of perdition by the Apostle Matter of admiration and thansgiving might also be suckt from this point if we had time to lie longer at the brest though all men forsake Christ yet shall not Christians utterly one might go this way and make sweete Musick Our mercy is eternall our miseries but for a moment Christ doth but hide his face when he seemes most out with us he doth not cast off nor put away he hates that in order to his Spouse though he give her to the Rod yet t is not to the black Rod to a fatall stroake Our prime mercies are married to us which is as sure as the being of any thing will afford a marriage Knot holds we know till the very being molders which thing should take us much it much tooke Solomon that God had spoken well of his house for a great while The eternity of mercies is that which makes them Heaven such is the Sun that shines upon you Saints COLOS. 1.27 To whom God would make known THe title of the Gospell the subject the object the end of it are all in this verse before us to consider some of these other verses have led us to the consideration of already they will be passed by here others present us with fresh entertainment and there we shall sit down a while and feed The Gospell is nam'd according to its nature a mystery Moses vailed to a carnall Jew Christ vailed to a carnall professour a Sunne shining full in the face of thousands and yet onely seen by one or two of them one in a Tribe two in a City one in the midst of many and yet seen but by one There is one in the midst of you whom ye know not whom ye see not that 's the originall John 1.26 This is a mystery indeed this title was given in the verse before and then opened The subject of the Gospell is here specified and amplified specified to wit Christ Which is Christ c. The Gospell hath Moses vertue in her bosome he had one sat in his bosome which did wonders wither and restore Put thy hand into thy bosome saith God and when he tooke it out his hand was leporous as Snow Put thy hand into thy bosome againe saith God and he did so and behold his hand was turned as his other flesh Exod. 4. 6 7. Moses had a notable one which sat in his bosome the same hath the Gospell and can doe as he did to wit put hands and hearts into his bosome and make them leprous and white as Snow that is make persons see their filth and cry out unclean uncleane and then can put these very leprous creatures into his bosome againe and bring them out white and ruddy incarnate Roses as that of Sharon in the Gospell the Gospell is the poole that hath no lesse then an Angell the Angell of the covenant stirring and healing cripled creatures in it t is Bethesda a house of effusion of the bravest liquid blood and spirits in the world to wit Christ crucified this is the subject of the Gospell Christ the subject of the Gospell is here amplified by his Throne and by the revenew belonging to it Christs Throne is in the hearts of his people which is Christ in you and this is a mystery indeed This world lies in wickednesse it lies overflown with the deluge of sinne and wrath the Dove hath an Arke in which she rides and flotes above this deluge to wit the heart of Saints here he abides till this deluge be dried up and the curse of the earth taken away and all things restored again and then hee will resigne his Throne to his father Christ is specified from his Throne and from the revenue of it which is great and honourable a vast estate which is cald here riches to whom God would make known what is the riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not from Pluto to note riches which are from beneath of which commonly the divell is in some kind the author but the word notes here heavenly riches of which God is not in some kind but in all kind the authour and therefore called riches of glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of splendour fame the state of a Christian lies in orientall Pearles all his goods lands beds hanging all full of sparkling precious Stones all riches of glory The end of the Gospell is here set down doubly ultimus ultimatus Salvation and that which is necessarily conducing and subordinate to this to wit affection and affiance the one of which is named in the end of the verse hope and set out in state as it fastens upon its highest and last object Christ in Heaven the hope of glory The other is mentioned in the beginning of the verse and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire to know affection to divine revelation above all things to be well acquainted with the glorious mystery which belongs to faith and salvation to all which the will of God hath given concurrence in order to us Gentiles after a speciall manner To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery c. Would make known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies desirous to know Longing passions stir when the soule is made alive A Christian is a hungry thirsty man Hee bares alwaies and yet travels alwaies ever bearing and yet ever budding and blossoming as some Apple-trees which have buds and blossomes upon them at the same time when full of ripe fruit The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life his affection action his motion Heaven-ward hath life in it everlasting life t is as a tree that is growing above ground or under ground upward or downward in root or branch alwaies T is an expression in opposition to an hypocrite or one which beares much one yeare and dies the next His love withers it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fall off as the Apostle expresses it as blasted blossomes The affection of a Christian doth not so t is as that tree of life in Eden pleasant fragrant growing alwaies yea t is that tree of life Christ in the soule Christ in you The dishes at Wisdomes table are all very delightfull and all carriage and entertainment there is very drawing which is the ground we run still after him In this mountaine shall the Lord make a feast of fat things a feast of Wine on the lees of fat things full of marrow and to hint to you that
be in-entereth the World sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou fitted mee Christ is fitted and ready to make in entrance and this in-entrance is that which makes peace and hope in the soule Christ centered in the heart is at rest when Christ is at rest in us wee are at rest in him COLOS. 1.27 Hope of Glory T Is hard to open this terme yet it will be meete to make at it a little if one can but get a glimpse of glory by humble industry it will be worth the while a little of Heaven and for but a little while as Paul had when on earth t is very sweet in our sad and forelorne state Glory is absolute perfection as things come short of this they are defective all defect destroyes glory as glory is strictly and properly taken so it is here there be severall glories the utmost of every such a being is its glory That may bee called glory in order to a Plant or a Brute which may not be so called in order to man his being is so vast and so receiving unlesse this vast being be fild up and every veine and rivelet run as many fadome deep as they should and as they did when first made out from the fountaine man cannot be said to be in glory And therefore to speake properly glory is a garment which God only weares and such as sit in his bosome who have there that which is else no where the utmost of such vast beings this is generall We must by the command of our Text speake of glory precisely in order to man and what that is you shall see in Christ who brought mans glory from Heaven for him and in the person and nature of man wore it here though the World could not see it a curtaine of flesh being drawne before it but the Saints then living saw a glimpse of it in him And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth John 1.14 The first Adam lost his glory Christ held it though the World far otherwise and far worse then when Adam lived in it What was Adams glory The Image of God What was Christs glory The same full of grace and truth Were we but full of grace and truth wee should be in glory in Heaven here as Christ was What was Christs glory is our glory his fulnesse was in way of unction and Office and so shewes and assures what is and what shall be our glory Glory is holinesse and joy in fulnesse therefore is Heaven called a holy Heaven Psal 20.6 Christs fulnesse fully imparted grace for grace The soule come to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ The glory of the eyes is to see and to see perfectly and so of the eare and so of every other Organ Sinne hath rackt the soule and pul'd every lim out of joynt bu◠they are set againe by Christ here for a little use but not so as they shall be we go lame and go in paine our very holinesse is halting and afflicting there is no glory in that So farre as we come short of the Will of God habitually or actually wee come short of glory Wee all sinne and come short of the glory of God The expression notes what is glory to wit full congruitie to the Will of God such a congruity as excludes all sinne Our inheritance is undefiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.4 it is unspotted and cannot be defiled the word used in the originall is the name of a pretious stone too which do what you will to it you cannot blemish it throw it into fire t is taken out still more bright and cleare such is our inheritance and state above a glory that hath no in-glory or dis-glory nor nothing can make disglorious can any spot the Sun though they should throw dirt at it not the shaddow of sinne above or imperfection nor can by any diabollical art be made there be that set their mouthes against Heaven Psal 73.9 that blaspheme the Tabernacle of Heaven and yet cannot spot grace and truth here much lesse can it be spotted above Every one goes all cleane above inside outside and nothing can defile either they are of such an amiantous nature there is no having and then losing above Fulnesse of joy this necessarily springs out of the other for as holinesse is so is joy t is the flower that holinesse beares the greene leafes and fruit of the Tree of life If wee could attaine a fulnesse of holinesse here wee should have a fulnesse of joy they are so connaturall if we were in the condition of Christ for the one we should necessarily be for the other Our Saviour is expresly cleare in this Jf yee keepe my Commandements yee shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandement and abide in his love these things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remaine in you and that your joy might be full Could wee walke in Christs Commandements as he did in his Fathers we should live in his bosome here and be embraced with such embracements and raptures as he was If we had Christs holinesse wee should have Christs joy remaine in us and then our joy would be full these things have I spoken to you that my joy might remaine in you that is such a joy as I have that hath no want nor no expression t is so full of glory and so full of sweetnesse for that is the reason Christ gives it such a name my joy because the nature of it is unexpressable in our termes or in any Language amongst the Sonnes of men in a suffering condition when the soule holds tite in obedience through the power of Christ it comes then mighty neere Heaven and then observe what it hath it hath Christs joy joy full and beyond expression joy unspeakable and full of glory Full joy is full of glory 't is the spring of the Yeare all things greene and florishing smiling and singing These things hint their state above and what glory is t is fulnesse of holinesse and joy as the one is proportioned to Christ so is the other we have his stature and his measure in both brim-full Our state here is a state of reception and therefore asking and praying continuall worke their state above is a state of plenitude and therefore praying and asking work quite over aske and you shall receive saith Christ aske that your joy may be full John 16.24 Aske that asking worke and begging worke may be over there be no beggars in Heaven no not for joy though that be a top mercy Defect in joy is from the distance of something that the soule reaches at there is no longing in Heaven that which wee account a mercy here is an affliction there to thirst and pant after such and such Divine things such and
such heigths and depths of grace we account it a great mercy to finde our soules in such a frame here and yet this would be misery above there is no panting nor thirsting after any thing because no distance of any thing that is blessed there is no darkenesse no twilight no cloud of a hand breadth all that Heaven over to hide any thing from any soule to sad him all there have all plaine and open to them abundance of Revelations a Hyperbole of Revelations it is the expression of him that was there a little while 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Least J should he exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations 2 Cor. 12.7 t is abundance of Revelations indeed for t is a personall beholding of God and that is a Hyperbole of Revelations you will all grant and yet t is very true and me thinkes very plainly set out Exod. 33.17 18 19 20. at the eighteene verse this is Moses request J beseech thee shew me thy glory observe how God answers to this at the 20 vers thou canst not see my face by which is interpreted what is meant by Gods glory to wit his face what Moses before called Gods glory that God himselfe when he comes to English it to us calls his face but what then is meant by Gods face why this also in the next words God himselfe interprets There shall no man see mee and live expressing his person so that the glory of God according to Gods owne interpretation is a personall beholding of God and this is a hyperbole of revelations indeed and that which makes a hyperbole of joyes indeed thou shalt make mee full of joy with thy countenance Acts 2.28 which is a place paralell with the former and poynts at the personall vision of God which and which only makes full joy to the soule of man COLOS. 1.28 Whom wee preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdome that wee may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus 29. Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in mee mightily THe call of God by whom to whom and to what are the generalls exprest and amplified in these two verses The call of God now is by men whom wee preach and whereunto J also labour Sinne is punished weakenesse condescended to immediate commerce was our life it is now our death we cannot see God nor heare God and live take both in a parallel speach but wee shall doe both 'T was shadowed by the mediation of Moses who talked with God upon the Mount and in the Tabernacle which shadowed Heaven as our spirituall Tabernacles now do Face to face as a man talkes with his friend Exod. 33.11 there was very immediate vision and commerce though not personall yet as neare it as it was possible for our frayle condition to beare to be strongly preaching and confirming what Christ our Mediator will one day bring us to againe in that holy of holies that glorious Tabernacle where now he himselfe officiates The call of God is by men to men by some selected to all in generall whom wee preach warning every man and teaching every man Earth to earth Potsherds strive with Potsherds of the Earth wee must beseech and intreat every one and with every degree of patience wee must be beggers at every ones dore for Christ for earth to go to Heaven and if it will not be earth must shake off earth against earth we must shake off the dust of our feete against Adams sons Earth is used to save or to destroy earth Goliah is kil'd with a stone a little heape strikes downe a great Goliah some thinke may signify a great heape which if so name and person did agree and David who was but a little man and with a little stone strikes downe this great person Earth kils earth and earth buries earth earth rings the Funerall of earth by us though poore earthen Vessels Christ sounds and sets forth who are dead eternally You know the call of God by whom it is and to whom it is to what it is is the next generall particularly to bee spoken to Wee are cal'd to a perfect person and in him to a perfect condition That wee may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Divine vocation is in opposition to diabolicall avocation we were called from God by Satan and God cal'd us to him againe simply and circumstantially i not onely to him but as fully to him as ever to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toti dilecti wholly beloved Having thus divided the verses wee will begin with the first clause thereof whom we preaeh The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom we exactly shew or fully declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this composition notes a superlative and is to intend the expression like as it doth Luke 12.58 where our Saviour sayes of conscience that it should not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is throughly draw or perfectly draw The word thus opened that which I would stand on is this That Gospell administration makes exact illumination the Gospell hath a peculiar Idiom nothing speakes so plaine and so full of every thing concerning man as this doth 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 14.9 a word very significative i very plaine and very full every administration humane conducing to illumination speakes darkely and by halves no language yeelds vox bene significans therefore are they which leane upon these helps children of darknesse notwithstanding all their light their hearts and lives full of lyes a lie is in their right hand i. In that wherein they are confident they are intelligent they understand nothing Gospel adminstration makes that which the old Testament calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Col. 3.24 Noting certaine knowledge and the new Jadang * Isa 6.9 Perception a looking through things i. it makes every thing transparent manifest quite through out-side and inside Yee see indeed but perceive not 't is as if the Prophet had said yee doe not Gospelly apprehend your reception makes not perception not vision quite through as doth the Gospell therefore is the light of the Church of Christ compared to a stone most precious as Jasper Chrystall He carried me away in the spirit saith John and shewed me the great City holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven having the glory of God and her light was like to a stone most precious even like to a Jasper stone Revel 21.11 Like to this is Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning faire as the Moon cleare as the Sun By all which Metaphors is made manifest that what light the gospell gives is very cleare Vse Gospel-Administration makes exact Illumination what hath it done in you what is your light under all the meanes of light you enjoy paines is considered t is so with you t is so with God you observe
every thing in Christ we shall stand and see God above face to face that which we cannot doe here and live no nor there out of Christ in his light we shall be able to master that great object in his light we shall be able to see that great light that dazles all the creation to behold and then hath the soule all that ever it is to have all that ever it desires to have With respect to this wide scope I am upon and affirming concerning Christ is Christ cald the heire of all things Heb. 1.2 Earth Heaven grace and glory The Apostle is yet more expressely particular in this thing and saith that we are glorified in him That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ might he glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God 2 Thes 1.12 In him we are heires and in him we are actuall inheritors Perfection is hotly pursued by all to wit a compleate state though what it is and in whom be mistaken almost by all The soule of man is the greatest traveller that you have read off if its travells could be written out or if any volumne would containe them you would say so as full of motion as there be objects in the world and minutes in the day and in the night to finde out one fully to blesse it selfe in and rest but cannot because Christ is overlookt and therefore dies in travell Prudence will speak much of this in many experienced persons yet Christ never the more regarded nor sought after this is sad Every cisterne is broken every vessell full of leakes saith the sinner and yet he is found still stopping up these leakes and going out againe to Sea venturing Life Soule Heaven all that ever is in these broken bottomes I tremble at no state but this Conviction abused conversion is farther off the man then from him that is a simple sinner that tasts no bitter in any dish at the Divils table Folly found out and yet made further triall of the man will not he cannot escape punishment if the foole go on hee will be punished First-folly is pittied and discovered that is simple simplicity simple sinning as one would say when a man doth thus and thus for want of knowledge but when the foole is found out and yet will on he will now die in his folly Conviction is sanctified when experienced emptinesse of the creature makes the soule looke out where indeed fulnesse is when the Canticles follow next after Ecclesiastes when the soule with Solomon having found and confest the vanity of the creature falls a breathing and a panting after Christ Balaam was convinced stopt with a drawne sword from Heaven and yet would on the Asse could not go and yet Balaam would God Iames and slayes things under us that we ride with our affections like mad men and yet we have no mind to alight and come off them things we dote upon God by some stroak or other upon them makes them speake in our conscience like that Asse to Balaam why wilt thou on O my soule any further this way death is before thee the sword of Gods displeasure is drawne and at thy breast because of this wicked motion stop sinner now stop now cast thy eye an other way towards Christ and see what is in him taste how good and gracious he is no I will not I will have the tother bout I will spurr a little farther and see to the utmost if I can curse Jsrael and get that great pay proferd There is a perfection of misery as well as of felicity and this forementioned is it when a sinner will pursue his sinne to the utmost go to the end of long suffering then wrath comes inevitably upon him and to the utmost when the man say's that his sinne shall out-live every object ere it shall cease and rides every horse to death to fetch and find out pleasures to keepe his lust alive then God say's that this lust shall out-live the man too and then it out-lives all indeed when the soule is rid to death As there is a never pardoning of sinne till the soule die so there is a never subduing of sinne for these are necessarily subordinate till the soule die never a taking off the love of sinne from the soule till the soule grow sicke and die in love All perfection being in Christ t is well onward toward all that neede it such as are in distresse for grace or glory should so account and be incouraged Sinne is a very burdensome thing when God opens the eyes the aggravations and multiplications of this by conscience over-beare the soule much When Christ puts not in how shall I withstand so many enemies get off so much pollution what shall I do for this what shall I do for that saith the soule Why think on this all perfection is in Christ and because in him it lies ready for thee Every good and perfect gift as the Apostle James speakes thou needest dispensations which have a perfection of goodnesse in them Christ hath every good and perfect thing in him and because he hath them they are all ready to be bestowed on thee to be bestowed for nothing every perfect good he hath is a perfect gift and comes downe saith the Text when the soule doth not fetch it Thou hast many imperfections and Christ hath many perfections and thou canst do nothing to get these not one of these if thou couldest doe any thing they would not come this way for they are al gifts perfect gifts and come downe upon us and are not puld downe as the next verse doth there interpret of his owne will hee begat us As Christ doth begin so he doth finish all of his owne-will Christ is given which is summum or perfectum cardinale and then every good and perfect thing in him must needs be so too gifts and given freely with him as the Apostle speakes Having given us Christ hee will with him freely give us all things Rom. 6.32 't is not an easy thing to bring the soule to belive every perfect good to be a perfect gift to be as perfectly a gift as 't is perfectly good There is an order in grace but no merit first this thing is done then that but all freely through this medium and through that as a Pipe through Preaching and through Praying and through Hearing but not for any of these And therefore when a soule objects this and objects that he cannot doe this nor he cannot do that I will answer as many objections of this kind as any one can possibly make in one word what ever you need is a perfect gift I cannot believe nor do no thing to make saith yet there is no cause of dejection faith is a perfect gift more perfectly a gift then in the formality of the thing perfect so may it be said of all other things that the soule complaines on grace hath no merit but order which
is this when Christ would perfect a soule in himselfe he turnes a man off and out of himselfe out of creatures of Gods making and out of creatures of the mans owne making out of his prayers and all his duties and this he doth sometime by letting the man fall into sin when proud of any parts or workes and sometimes in a more mild sweet way where nature is more meek and sweet and then when the soule is turn'd off and turnd out of all he that is indeed all presents himselfe to him and woes and wins the soule I will be a husband to thee saith Christ friends riches honours whatsoever can be desired to make one blessed the great world is han'gd upon nothing so is the little world to wit a Christian brought first to be nothing in understanding but a brute nothing in action but worse then a brute a devill very poore very poore in spirit and then blest with a Kingdom and now the soule that was nothing nor could do nothing for Christ or against sin can do all having regnum he hath proprium regni having a Kingdome he hath the proprium of that Kingdome which is dominion over all hee that is made a King and hath a Kingdom doth not rule in this Town only or that Town but over all parts in the Kingdom and this order Christ will move in towards you that desire it for this Kingdom and all belonging to it is a perfect gift COLOS. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour TO take soules from off themselves and to set them downe in Christ beares much by divine Ordinance upon our calling and makes our worke very hard which is noted in this terme labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies such actions and industrie as faints wastes and weares out all such a labour as Solomon speaks of Eccles 10.15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to goe to the City This Emphasis of the word is held forth to the Thessalonians to worke them to a reverend esteem of their teachers We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which spend and waste themselves amongst you to take you off from sinne and selfe and to set you downe in Christ in whom onely soules are fully and perfectly blessed We are as Jonathans armour-bearer whither so ever our Master goes we are to goe after him though we creep upon all foure Your life is our death your fatning is our leaning your Raven-black haires are our milke white We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.2 Such as wax white with painfulnesse and watchfulnesse reading praing sighing mourning and groaning for your good Coaction with Christ is no idle imployment he doth not attempt small things neither is he of small strength to keep pace with such weak agents as we are 't is hard work to draw in yoke with one that is double and treble in strength above me We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers together with Christ he attempts the greatest things that are and the most desperate the taking of holds strong holds Canaanites Hittites c. which dwell in Towns which are walled up to heaven and founded downe to hell he attempts the bloud and death of all the conquest of this whole world the generall making such desperate attempts and taking onely Rams-hornes a sling and a stone such a fraile party as we are you may easily think our work to be desperate full of paine and perill Had man been set to fight with man one man with one man that had been painfull worke but man is drawn out to fight with beasts the fiercest beasts with Lions Beares Wolves Serpents Scorpions yea with devills there was never such a fight in the grand Circue at Rome We wrestle with such creatures as have no hold-fast to be taken of them which have no armes no legs no flesh nor bones we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places Ephes 6.12 We are drawne out to fight upon all the disadvantage in the world against creatures that are upon higher ground that have pitched field in high places that have no flesh to be wounded nor bloud to lose that can make ambushments at pleasure being the rulers of the darknesse of this world this is the Rhetorick of the Apostle We are Stewards of mysteries sentence is past upon us to dye according to the Law which we have broken onely we have the benefit of our book but this book is written as books of such nature usually are very mysteriously with an old strange Character our worke is to stand by and prompt soules concerning their neck verse which is very painfull and trembling worke the book in which sinners are to read for their life is written with bloud which is very inward and ominous inke The Characters and Syllables sutable when put together into words these words are spirit The words I speake saith Christ are spirit What is a more inward and hidden thing then this and yet this are we to interpret our worke is to be an interpreter betweene two of very remote parts that live as farre asunder as heaven and earth as heaven and hell I might say between Spirits the spirit of God and the spirit of man one whereof 't is more proper to say is in hell whilst out of heaven then in any middle place between Transactions between God and the soule are the deepest the weightiest the intricat'st things in the world A sinner is convicted sentenced carried to the place of execution his winding sheet wrapt about his shoulders his handkerchiffe tyed before his eyes his halter about his neck his sentence written upon his forehead in this shalt thou hang till thou bee dead and yet possibly no internall intention concurring or meaning the bloud of the soule Divining in this case at the foot of the Ladder what will become of him that is on the top on 't sitting trembling whether he will be turned off or fetcht downe with a pardon is extraordinary hard work to determine and yet beares not upon any extraordinary office no Angel is dispatcht from heaven to be an oracle in this difficult case but it lyes upon our shoulders by ordinance The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge If there be any divining in this extraordinary worke t is not by extraordinary but ordinary office there is not one from the dead to tell who shall dye next no one sent from hell to tell who is to come next thither Things belonging both to the death and life of the soule are made manifest by our ministration by our labour wee are the Heralds of Heaven the Trumpet of God in which he sounds Retreat and March fight and victory funerall and triumph we are to sound sad and dolefull sweet
a noble life as we pretend to when we professe a religious life this life is according to every dram drawne from Christ 't is not from the speciousnesse of our owne action nor from other folkes incouragement This time is full of straits externall ingagements byasse men much about internall and externall things if this temptation were over saith one I would take a better course No thou wouldst not courage to the things that are noble springs not from any earthly advantage if all secular authority in the Land should say they would secure thee for any dammage that thou shouldest suffer in pursuite of such a Religious cause yet would thine owne heart fall off like the Jsraelites from entring the holy Land and thou wouldest as they step back when at the doore ready to enter who though Moses and Aaron bid them to enter yet they fell off so though Parliament and Synod were at thy back and did incourage thee to enter yet if thou have no other incouragement thou wilt not step a step in the wayes of God by the grace of God J am that J am saith Paul let all the men in the World be never so gratious to thee yet wilt thou be as ungratious as thou art to the day of thy death if the grace of Christ do not put Spirit and Life into thee Externall inducement is nothing that mans Religion is nothing that thinks otherwise and 't will prove so to his shame and losse if his eyes be not opened to see it If a man speake meerly of a naturall life that is a life as a man as such a creature then a man may say of externall good things as Hezekiah of health and strength and other outward advantages in these is the life of my spirit but if you speake of Divine Life life to that which is Heavenly in riches honours friends parts in no exernall thing in no internall thing but in Christ is the life of my spirit according to his working not according to my own working shall I worke for God and for his glory Stratagents and wiles is much made use of in these times of woe Satan uses it too stay saith hee till Parliament and Synod put life into thee till they doe this and they do that 't is good to honour authority in that which is proper to such authority but so you may stay till the sword of Gods wrath that is in the Land kill you all Worke according to his working within you and take heed of checking this to waite for others working without you to set you forward strangle the quicknings of the spirit and expect quicknings from men and thou wilt be executed by conscience for the greatest murtherer in the World Our life beares upon the operation of Christ Le ts make Christ the fountaine and then le ts draw as much water of life from him as may bee You see how exact and expresse the proportion is made betweene Christs operation and our life such operation such life we strive according to his working therefore le ts set Christ at worke hard and get as much divine operation and life from him as may be Divine operation is the choysest mercy in the World how full of life is my spirit when in the Hands of God! when hee hath it working and moulding of it commend thy spirit therefore often into his hands send him much worke Spirits are so much imployed and over-wrought in the World that Christ hath little or no work sent him no house nor shop to work in A man no an image stands before God in duty a thing without a soule no spirit sent to God to talk with no soule no child of the soul at home to tell where the Parent is children of the soule I meane thoughts desires all sacrificed to devills at the end of the earth and thus farre from home must abide and never be sent for home who ere come to visit them though it be Christ himself what Divine operation can be in the soule when the soule is so given up to gadd after worldy things Divine operation is a very retired act two great Pears in conference may not be interrupted things in discusse being of such great concernment the Spirit of God and the spirit of man Divine operation it is a vision from Heaven of property like that of Pauls that bindes the soule in order to all carnall objects that may make the minde gad and in this vision as in that is a voyce a still voyce Saul Saul sinner sinner why dost thou do this and that against me but this still voyce is full of life to the soule that stilly listens this operation of Christ silenceth that noyse which is in the soule by the operation of other things and then is there a voyce from Heaven to the soule come up hither O soule thou must be above this and that for the tranquillity and felicity of thy life These are the operations of God in which is the life and Heaven of man All divine operation hath voyce the word and the spirit goe together still Christ workes and talkes makes peace and speakes peace makes war and speakes it to conscience You might know what God is a working in your soules hee speakes it now and then very plaine to conscience you that have eares to heare what the spirit saith the spirit workes and then it speakes what it workes the spirit saith now and then in still weather if you listen now and then you may heare what it saith The spirit and the word go together one moves and quickens the soule by the other Hell-ward or Heaven-ward the one should be much dreaded and the other much desired Divine operation is a thing of the greatest concernment in the World 't is as the spirits in the blood if the Pulse beate and worke not spirits are all wasted death is seized upon the state Sinners I know not how God workes in your soules how hee hath stirred or how he doth onely know this when he leaves pulsation that is ceaseth knocking know that your life is departed the operation and the pulsation of God is the life of the soule the life of the soules is the blessednesse of the soule as I am lively and agile in divine things carried upon Eagles wings to God in all duties so am I in Heaven Get as much therefore of this operation and life as you can I speake this because there is a great difference in Divine operation There is an operation that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will and there is an operation that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all readinesse of minde to will 2 Cor. 8.11 Act. 17.11 they received the word with all readinesse of minde speaking of the noble Bereans There is a great difference betweene Divine operations and this makes a great difference betweene Christian and Christian one farre more noble then an other These were more noble then those of
Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of minde there was not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Willing but all readinesse to will all strength and life of affection to Christ and the Gospell which is the Nobility of a Christian These are the Noble operations that I would have you long and looke after COLOS. 1.29 Which worketh in me mightily Or in power IN-operation simply and in-operation extraordinary are both to be stood upon a little to open this expression unto you the one will open the first part of this expression which worketh in me the other will open the latter part of the expression which worketh in me mightily or in power In-operation simply considered is a supreme act making an eternall impresse upon the soule for life or death Things have their advantage by position so they may be put that every one cannot reach them nor finde them out the heart hath this advantage t is a hidden man an inward creature What you looke upon or touch when you have to doe with a creature of your owne making is flesh and bones but the manhood of this substance or that which makes this substance a man is hidden within so hid that none can reach but by supreme power of its owne or borrowed Among these Nations shalt thou have no ease but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and sorrow of mind Deut. 28.56 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart a stone may be stirred and toumbled sometimes when it is not broken Consider the heart under this metaphor as the Scripture doth for some refractory properties of it and this stone that lies at the center of the little world cannot be stirred nor the foundation of this little world shaken in the least but by a supreme power The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart Those internall operations which make a wicked mans heart shake and tremble sometimes they are from the Lord and when the Lord takes off his hand the stone lies still againe lift and pull whoso will as long and as much as hee will the sinner stirres not which is authority enough that internall operation is a supream act If this be not Job gives further authority and makes a higher instance Consider the stone that lies at the center of the earth the foundation stone of the little world I meane the heart as shaken or as broken and God doth it God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me Job 23.16 When a Christians heart melts and is dissolved take it in a refreshing sense or take it in an afflicting sense supreame power doth it man cannot doe this himselfe a sinner a Saint cannot move the stone in his bosome one jot t is an Almighty act that reacheth the heart of any man the Almighty stirs me within Internall operation is as I have said a supreame act This act makes eternall impresse Internall operation is from a high hand and of high concernment t is of everlasting force the Spirit is called an eternall Spirit not so much in order to being as in order to operation the things that this Spirit worketh in us and for us are life eternall the workman the workhouse the worke wrought in this house are all eternall the Spirit eternall the soule eternall the workes wrought here the carvings or cuttings are eternall unalterable if Christ make but the least dint upon the heart I may challenge all powers in heaven and in earth to even it Operations externall are not eternall not a worke you looke upon without though never so great or glorious but fades and shall be turnd into its fitst nothing but operations internall are eternall what God doth in the soule is to last as the soule if he drop mercy into us this drop shall last for ever though all the mercies without us may be gone in a moment if he drop justice and wrath into us this drop abideth for ever God is called immutable not so much in order to being as in order to action and not in order to all action neither but in order to internall actions such as are done about the soule I am God immutable and change not Change not in what in esse that is granted of all and needs no affirmation no this is not the thing but in operari and about this many doubt I have droped mercy into the hearts of the sonnes of Jacob and it shall never out I have begun a good worke a good internall worke and it shall last to the day of Christ it shall last unto Heaven that is for ever therefore is the Spirit according to his presence and internall operation called the earnest of Heaven and the scale to the day of redemption it makes impresse upon the soule so deepe that abides for ever the worke the Spirit doth in us outstands the gates of hell the Temple that Christ now builds in us not a stone not the least pin of it moulders to all eternity t is so wrought t is so on the other hand what he doth internally in poynt of justice he doth it to purpose All the world on fire without you may sooner quench it then one sparkle of the fire of Gods wrath which he casts into a man this is an everlasting fire an alway punishment as the Scripture speaks Bow downe their backe alwaies pointing at Doeg and Judas and such like wretches that were internally punisht A man internally smitten by the justice of God his backe is broke for ever take Job but as hee personates a wicked mans case forbeare the application of it to himselfe as he doth being then in a temptation let his person alone but take the thing as his apprehension is opened fully in this poynt to his triall for a time and you shall have him speake notably of the property of internall operation in order to evill men God is in one mind when he is at worke in wicked soules one cannot turne him what his soule desireth that he doth Job 23.13 If after great provocation workings and strivings without by words and blowes hee goe to worke within to fit the vessell for wrath if this be now the will of God there is no turning of him nor no turning of the point nor edge of the tooles hee workes with no terminating the effect short of the Authors intention the Trinity in their action internall to expresse this property of it are called agents hitherto The Father worketh hitherto and I worke observe about what works Christ was when he spake thus he was about internall action to wit the curing of the cripple which had laine so long at the poole which was a cripled soule as well as a cripled body Internall operation is of eternall force this is generall and indetermined therefore it followes in the definition t is of eternall force to such an expresse end to life and death that which Christ doth within about