consists of many parts oftentimes first second third and fourth lofts and yet these are so united and compact together as that they make but one building and there 's but one foundation so I may say In the spirituall building that glorious blessed building of our salvation it s a building that consists of many parts there 's the Eternall love of the Father free pardon and remission of sins comfort new obedience and the like and yet notwithstanding all these they are so compact as that indeed all make up but one glorious blessed building and there 's but one foundation to all and that is Jesus Christ the Lord of glory Other foundation can no man lay And as in building the foundation it s that which ly's at the bottome so in this blessed building of Salvation Christ as a foundation ly's at the bottome of all he ly's at the bottome of the fathers love and the fathers love built up upon him he ly's at the bottome of our Justification he ly's at the bottome of all our Comforts he ly's at the bottome of all our obedience and holines so that we are to understand by Christs being a foundation his being laid at the bottome of all that ever we have not onely at the bottome of our Justification that men will easily acknowledge but Christ is at the bottome of every dram of Comfort Christ at the bottome of every duty Christ at the bottome of every affection Christ at the bottome of every grace at the bottome of all we have so he is the foundation that what our soules would enjoy be it comfort be it holines be it Justification be it what it will Christ lying at the bottome of all is Christ's being the foundation 2. Quest In what respect is Christ said to be a foundation Ans I answer first Christ is a foundation in respect of the fathers having laid him for a foundation Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation Isai 28.16 I lay in Syon The father he lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation God knows no other foundation to erect that blessed glorious building that heavenly structure of our Everlasting Salvation upon but onely Christ that glorious building of grace and glory could stand upon no other bottome but Christ and therefore when the Lord comes to raise up this building saith he I lay in Syon for a foundation for a foundation I lay my Son as the foundation as the bottome of all he is the foundation God the father hath laid the father knows no other if we would have that foundation for our soules that the father judges to be the sure foundation and would have our comfort built upon that it must be laid upon Jesus Christ this is that foundation that the father hath laid Secondly Jesus Christ may be called a foundation in Respect to Gospel Revelation The Gospel reveales no other foundation but Christ looke over the whole Gospel of God from first to last and you shall find no other Corner Stone no other bottome stone but the Lord Jesus Christ onely Christ is the corner stone as the Apostle tells us upon which the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is built Eph 2.20 And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the cheife Corner stone the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets its here by the Apostle called a foundation but it s such a foundation as hath another foundation lying at the bottome of that Jesus Christ the Corner stone is laid at the bottome of this foundation Truth it s the foundation of our faith but the Lord Jesus Christ he is the foundation of truth that foundation that truth stands upon he is still the bottome foundation Thirdly Jesus Christ may be called a foundation In respect of his owne meetnes and fitnes every way to be a foundation Christ he is the most meete and fit of all others to be a foundation First He is a Stone as the Prophet saith I will lay in Syon for a foundation a stone you know if men goe to lay a foundation they doe not goe and gather up dust and rubbish that is no fit matter for a foundation but they goe and gather up Stones and lay them for a foundation so our Lord Jesus Christ he is a stone I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone so there 's a fitnes and meetnes in him for a foundation he is most meete for a foundation Secondly As he is a Stone so he is an Elect Choice Stone he is a fit chosen stone and therefore he saith I lay in Syon for a foundation a cheife corner stone Elect and precious he is a fit stone Men picke out of their best Stones for a foundation so he is a Stone pickt out by God himselfe when the Lord was to lay the foundation of this blessed glorious building of our Everlasting Happines God tooke a view as I may so say of men and Angells and he could not find such another Stone so fit for a foundation as the Lord Jesus Christ was he is a fit Stone But againe Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ He is a Rockie Stone so he is called in Scripture the rocke the rocke stone 1 Cor 10.4 And that rocke was Christ and they that are offended at Christ they are offended at the rocke Rom. 9.33 He is a rocke of offence they that smite against Christ smite against the rocke and therefore are broken to peices And on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind them to powder Math 21.44 Now the rocke stone is the greatest firmest and hardest Stone and therefore the fittest for a foundation And Christ being a Rocke he is most fit for a foundation Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ He is a Tryed Stone so saith the Prophet I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone a tryed stone that is a stone that there hath been proofe made of every way whether it would be fit for a foundation or no there 's great difference between stones there are some stones if you put them under the hammer they will breake to peices and there are some if you put them into the furnace they will melt or moulder But our Lord Jesus Christ he is a tryed stone a stone that hath been under the Hammer of the worlds rage and under the Hammer of Satans Temptations and under the Hammer of our sins and corruptions And he hath been in the furnâ—ce of his fathers wrath and yet he is a solid stone still he is a tryed stone and therefore fit for a foundation he hath been so tryed that the Lord saith of him he is a sure foundation I am sure saith God whatsoever is built upon my Son shall stand I am sure what ever soule what ever comfort what ever obedience stands there shall stand Fifthly The Lord Jesus Christ he is a Pretious Stone 1 Pet 2.6 Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation a stone Elect and pretious he is not
a common stone but a pretious stone and indeed in this respect too he is very meete yea most meete and fit of all others to be a foundation There are two things in Christs being a pretious stone that doe make him fit to be a foundation First Thereby there is an Answerablenes in the foundation to the building if a building be very rich and made all of pretious pearle its fit there should be some answerablenes in the foundation to the building the new Jerusalem it s said of it it was of pure gold and the foundation of the Citty was of all manner of pretious stones there was an answerablenes in the foundation to the building so I may say this blessed building of our Salvation it s indeed builded that is made up all of pretious pearle there 's the blessed pearle of the fathers love there 's the blessed pearles of our Redemption Justification Adoption Sanctification the whole is made up of pretious pearle looke over every peice and part of it every thing that is in this building it s of pretious pearle Now the building it selfe being made up all of pearle therefore the foundation must be some glorious thing there must be an answerablenes in the foundation now therefore we have this pretious Stone laid in the bottome which indeed doth enrich the whole building and add's to every peice and parcell of it And then Christ being a pretious Corner Stone he is most meete for a foundation Secondly In regard That of all Stones pretious Stones are the most durable The Adamant or the Diamond which of all stones is the most pretious of all stones none so hard it will breake other things and will not easily be broken and cut other things and it selfe cannot without difficulty be cut Jesus Christ he is a durable foundation therefore there is not such a foundation in all the world Sixthly Jesus Christ He is a living Stone 1 Pet. 2.4 To whom coming as unto a living Stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and pretious he is a living Stone that is he is such a stone as hath life in it and by that life there is First A Cementing of the building to the foundation therefore a transforming the building into the nature of the foundation Now consider this and of all others Christ is the most fit for a foundation for by this Cementing the building to himselfe this building becomes unmoveable though the building be never so glorious yet if it can be taken off the foundation what would become of the glory of the building this is that that makes the building such a blessed building that it is so united to the foundatiō that there can be no removing of it off the foundation if the powers of Hell come and all the powers in the world come there can be no removing of the building off the foundation this is the blessed state of those soules in Christ herein is Jesus Christ most meete of all others for a foundation because so far as Christ is a foundation he doth unite the building to himselfe fixes the building upon himselfe that there can be no removing of the building from off the foundation Secondly Christ as he doth by this life that is in him Cement the building to himselfe so he doth transforme the building into his owne nature by sending up that life into the building that is in the foundation hereby the soule being transformed into the Image and nature of Christ it doth preserve the soule from rottennes and putrefaction you know how it is with living things they doe not dye they doe not rot and putrefie but they are dead things that rot and putrefie why now the Lord Jesus Christ by conveying of that life that is in himselfe and sending it up from himselfe into the building thereby the building is kept from rotting and putrifying that soule that is in him doth not rot and putrifie but take any other soule in the world and he doth rot and putrifie at one time or other if he doth not stand upon this foundation all his comforts all his enlargements will rot and vanish away at sometime or other Seventhly The Lord Jesus Christ he is one Stone it s not said I lay in Syon for a fountaine Stones but I lay in Syon a Stone one Stone now this add's to the excellency of the foundation if a foundation be of one stone it s a great deale the stronger Jesus Christ is one Stone and so the most meete for a foundation Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ is called a foundation In respect of beleivers being built upon him all those that are of the fathers building as every true beleiver is are builded upon this foundation Truly there are a great many in the world that goe to build up this building of Salvation and they attempt to build it themselves now what man or woman goes to build themselves it s with them as its with little Children they will goe to Imitate builders get a little dirt and clay together to build a little house but they neglect they never mind the foundation so it s with these soules they build themselves up they build their Justification and build their Comfort and build an obedience of their owne but they regard not the foundation if they can get something of Comfort and conformitie to duties and the like they never looke to the true foundation I am afraid that when the Lord comes to shake the world a great many will be found without a soundation but now all those that are of the fathers building they are built upon this foundation the father he builds like a wise Master-builder when he comes to build a house he takes speciall care about the foundation that that be laid firme and sure for saith he what will ye build if there be not a foundation laid so is it when the Lord comes to your soules to build you man or woman he lookes to the foundation I will lay their soules upon my Son saith God when God takes a soule into his hands the very first worke that he doth is to lay the foundation to see that Jesus Christ be laid as the foundation in the soule so that Jesus Christ may be called a foundation in respect of the fathers building of all beleivers upon him as a foundation Lastly Jesus Christ is called a foundation In opposition to all other foundations to all false foundations there are a multitude of false foundations in the world and in opposition to all the sandy and false foundations that we lay and that sometimes Satan lay's and that are not of the father's laying Christ is the foundation First Christ is a foundation in opposition to those vaine and empty hopes that some sinners have of amendment of life for the future Truly this cannot properly be called a foundation yet because there are a company of poore sinners in the world that goe on in drunkennes swearing whoredome
that it ly's before God Lord here I am I am nothing I can doe nothing I cannot doe this or the other duty I cannot get up a desire I cannot get up a groane I am a poore miserable helplesse creature and Lord if thou wilt trample upon me Lord here I am thou mayest and if thou hast no pleasure in such a one as I am here I lye tread upon me doe what thou wilt I know not what to doe saith the soule now here 's a soule convinc't of righteousnes so as it s come to see if I had all the righteousnes of men and Angells all were nothing though it were as righteous as Adam in Innocency all were nothing if it were as righteous as Noah Adam Peter all were nothing why this it is for a soule to come to be cōvinc't ofrighteousnes Now if in any thing that yet I have said it is here wherein a true sincere heart goes beyond a hypocrite a hypocrite will goe with a true child of God through all the other doth a true child of God confesse mourn for his sin and repent and revenge himselfe and reforme and hath he joy and delight in duty 's and doth he deny himselfe hath he good aymes and ends hath he particular words given in hath he put forth acts of faith so doth the hypocrite all these things though none of them in truth and in righteousnes yet as to the outward act he will goe as far as the sincere heart and it will be hard to find out the one from the other the hardest thing in the world yet in this step of Conviction of righteousnes the childe of God goes beyond the other When a poore soule comes to this Lord I am here I thought I had abundance of things to rest in I thought I was so rich in my prayers and so rich in my Teares and so rich in my resolutions and vowes I had such good fitts in duty 's I had such glorious comfort and Joy but Lord I am brought to this I am nothing here the childe of God gets a step beyond the hypocrite for the hypocrite is never thoroughly convinc't of righteousnes but when he is convinc't of one peice he goes on upon another and when he is beaten off that he creepes on upon another and he is upon some foundation of his owne but now when the Lord Jesus comes to take possession of a poore soule he beates him off all the peices of his owne righteousnes if he will rest upon his confession of sin and mourning he will beate him off there and if he goe higher to resolutions vowes and revenge he beates him off there and if after this he rest upon his Reformation Christ will goe after him and beate him off from peice to peice till he hath wholly conquered the soule to himselfe and brought him off of all those false grounds and quagmires that the soule would have rested upon and perished till he comes to this thorough conviction of righteousnes when they come to great parts gifts and abilities Christ beates them off of this till they come to settle upon a right foundation or else they will drop off if they come not up to the true foundation hence true and faithfull hearts tremble and feare to see these great ones fall upon this account some assert falling away from grace not considering the distinction betwixt the old and new Covenant and the different truth 's that flow from either and not seeing how the same things in appearance flow out of both rootes when they saw the fruit of the old Adam they thought it had been grace and therefore conclude they fell from grace indeed they fall from the grace they had in the first Covenant a man may loose all that but not the grace of the new Covenant the soule that hath it can never fall from that grace but that soule that is partaker of that grace shall stand for ever O therefore looke that ye be rooted upon the new Covenant if you would stand for ever that you may be throughly convinced of all your owne righteousness as nothing And the Lord brings his people to this conviction many times by letting them fall by some Temptation or Corruption and hereby they come to be be beaten off from it God lets out some Temptations or some Corruptions and the soule struggles and strives withall its resolutions and vowes and all its power yet it s beaten downe and cannot stand and then the soule saith verily there 's no hope for me then the Lord brings it to this now I see I have nothing I can doe nothing Lord thou mightest destroy me and tread me underfoote and if thou wilt doe it I will lye before thee I have no hope nor none to turne to thus the soule is convinc't of righteousness and till such time as the soule is thus convinc't of righteousness it will never be able to stand conviction of righteousnes is the removing the soule off all false foundation the foundation of his workes and the foundation of his faith too as a worke and the soule that hath no foundation at all but onely lookes to the Lord Jesus Christ O be thou my foundation When the Lord hath once brought the soule to this that he hath no foundation in the world there is no sinner in the world but he hath one foundation or other he could not beare up else now when the Lord hath brought him to this that he hath no foundation in the world Lord saith the convinced soule I have no foundation in the world I hang between earth and heaven if the Lord bring not Christ as a foundation to me I am undone then is the Lord bringing in his Son Jesus Christ as a foundation of the soule O therefore let us looke into our hearts Professors Christians Saints and Brethren O how have our hearts been rooted have we not a foundation to stand upon of our owne truly the Lord will shake us out of all our righteousnes whether wrought by the Law or Gospel we may be in a miserable condition Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to all false foundations Lastly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to true grace it selfe This conviction of righteousnes lookes to all the blessed graces of the Spirit faith repentance and new obedience and selfdeniall all these things as they flow from the holy Spirit as they are wrought in us by the Spirit grow up out of the new Covenant why of all these Christ is the bottome Christ is the foundation in opposition unto these these are not the foundation though grace is the most blessed thing in the world the most blessed thing of all yet it s not the foundation of our soules but the Lord Jesus onely must be the foundation O that every soule would now looke to Christ O is Christ my foundation you had need to look to your hearts here 's much preaching and much profession
is of another kind its comforts are of another kind And this God brings all his to before ever they become fruitfull in a Gospel way for note here it may be the condition of a true childe of God as well as of the hypocrite to build too much upon these foundations yea to be building yeares together upon them and that too after true grace is wrought in his soule Abraham was a true beleiver and yet goes in unto Hagar the old Covenant and thirteene yeares together his heart run's upon her fruit and all his Expectations are from it But note this withall that till God brings a belever to this to make a more direct and Immediate close with Christ in the new Covenant he will be barren as to Gospel fruit Abraham had no fruit from Sarah till God had discovered to him that Hagar's fruit was not the fruit but he must yet looke for fruit from Sarah so a true beleiver will be barren as to Gospel fruit untill he is brought off from all other foundations and made to close with Christ in the new Covenant And indeed I thinke I may say that there never was a beleiver in the world but either before conversion or after he hath been brought under the old Covenant and there hath been a building upon such foundations for it is naturall to a soule under the old Covenant so to doe Quest 6. But when doth God lay Christ as a foundation in the soule is it in the first worke or change that is wrought upon a soule or afterwards Answ There is a twofold worke or change wrought upon many soules I say many because every one doth not passe under this double change First Legall which is a worke or change wrought by the power of the Law or by the Ministry of the letter for so the Apostle calls the Law 2 Cor 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life And I doe here expound the Law by the Ministry of the letter to the end we may not looke upon the Law as containing onely the matter of the ten Commandements and the promises and Threats annexed to these but indeed take the Law at large for the summe of that truth revealed either in the Scriptures of the old or New Testament which containes within it Doctrines Promises Precepts Threats c. so far as this truth comes to a soule and is received onely as a notion as it is the letter a voice of words c. so far it falls short of being Gospel which is a word of Power the Power of God unto Salvation a Ministration of the Spirit and life and is no other but the word of the Law that is a bare word without Power a killing letter to it And whatsoever worke or change is wrought by this word as it comes to the soule onely as an enlightening notion or directing letter discovering to a man his duty state c. or as it comes as a threatening terrifying voice of words driving the soule to that it apprehends to be its duty and making it for feare to seeke after a better state than it sees it selfe to be in for all this the word as its a bare letter or a voice of words may doe I say all this worke or change is no other nor better than a legall worke or change for it is a worke wrought by the Ministry of the letter by a voice of words it is the light of the bare letter and the terror of the voice of words that makes a man in his owne strength fall to working and accordingly the worke brought forth or the change produced hereby seeing it is no other but an act a worke a change performed by the strength of nature and not by the strength of the promise it can be no other but a worke of the flesh a child of the Law or old Covenant as was Ishmael and not of the promise or new Covenant as was Isaac Secondly There is an Evangelicall worke oâ— change which is that worke which is wrought upon the soule by the power of the Spirit in the word cutting the soule off from the dead stock of old Adam and ingraffing it into the living stock of the new Adam Jesus Christ And the very foundation of the worke or change is marriage-union with Christ The Spirit of God in the Word lays hold of a poore soule by an Almighty power and breakes it off from the old stock and in the same Instant ingraffs it into Christ Now by the engraffing there is a union and from this union a communication to the soule of that new sap and life that is in Christ and by virtue of this a glorious work and change is wrought in the soule new fruit new actions appeare in it Now observe the Fathers laying Christ as a foundation is not in the first worke which I call Legal for a soule may have that work as had Ahab Judas Herod Stony Thorny ground c. and yet perish for ever but so cannot any that Christ is the foundation of for if so then could not Christ be a sure foundation as the Prophet calls him Esay 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation a Stone a tryed stone a precious corner Stone a sure foundation But the laying of Christ as a foundation is in this second worke And the beginning of this is our union which is that thing by which we are ingraffed into Christ and so grow and beare fruit upon Christ as the stock or foundation when a soule hath this union from that moment is Christ his foundation but not before for what ever may be found in him or come from him before this union be it sorrow for sin Comfort obedience c. it hath not Christ for a foundation for how can Christ be a foundation to that soule or to any thing in that soule that is not united to him can we say such a thing is a foundation to such a building and yet the building be separate from that thing and standing upon something else not so Quest But the soule may say If there be this double worke and change and Christ is the foundation onely of the latter How shall I know whether the worke upon me be Legal or Evangelical that so I may know whether Christ be my foundation yea or no Ans This is a most difficult Question and the farther I consider it the more doth it beget matter of feare and trembling and the rather because those things which we ordinarily bring forth as evidences of the grace of God within us will not manifest this difference because there is not any one particular worke affection grace that flowes from the Gospel-worke upon a soule but that worke which is onely Legall hath the counterfeit of that worke grace affection c. not but that there
Kingdome shall very shortly begin to break in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes Insomuch that the spirits of many precious ones were revived their minds inlightened Insomuch that methoughts I heard one Disciple that had been ready to faint and quail saying to another Disciple in Jonathans language See I pray you how mine eies have been inlightned because I tasted a little of this Hony This word of the Lord concerning the glorifying of his Son in the sight of all Nations is sweeter than the hony or the hony comb Oh dear hearts you who heard a proof of Christ speaking in him Tell me Did not your hearts wax warm nay did they not burn within you while he spake of those things to you and while he opened to you in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power those Scriptures which do so neerly concern the King of Saints and his Cause at this day His next design was to travel from Prison to Prison where any of the Servants of Christ were shut up and accordingly made an entrance upon that work in coming to this Castle to visit us as not being ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of us his Prisoners 2 Tim. 11.8 but appeared very willing to be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel of the Kingdome according to that measure of the power of God which should be given him even to suffer bonds in the maintenance of that Cause and glorious Truth which formerly had been owned but is now rejected by the General and his Men of War Insomuch that he would in private discourse with some friends declare That a Prison was like to be his portion ere long And no question if he had lived to have inlarged upon the signs of the times and the Spirit of God had come upon him with power the Supreme single Person at his Head-quarters at White-hall with the advice of his Cabinet Councel would after grave and mature deliberation have found it very necessary absolutely necessary to have suspended and silenced such a Preacher as neither knew how to hold his peace nor yet to pipe to the tune of the New Instrument for we must know that this New Monarchy is founded upon NECESSITY Necessity is the Father and Mother Necessity and Policy are the Nurse and the Guardian of this young Government Alas poor creature it was born in a Consumption and besides that hath had many Convulsion fits since it came into the world insomuch that its Friends and Physitians have had much ado to keep life in it at several critical hours since its Nativity And beside we shall find that Maxime true Nullum violentium est perpetuum violent Motions will quickly work Commotions Confusions and Destructions Let none take offence at this Language for I cannot forbear vilifying the Kingdomes of the fourth Beast when my thoughts are upon the magnifying of the Kingdome Power and Glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Isa 37.22 And if the Virgin Daughter of Sion without any disparagement to her holy modesty might of old be allowed by God himself to despise the great King of Assyria and to laugh him to scorn I know no reason to the contrary but one of the Lambs followers may without breach of rule in an holy triumph of Faith express contempt of the Kings of the Earth who are all of them the lovers of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth But to return from this digression of Necessity Both Friends and Foes may easily conjecture how warm an incouragement it would have been to all of us to be refreshed with his company in the several Prisons where wee and our Brethren are shut up if it had pleased the Lord to say Amen and so have given the word for the undertaking of his intended spiritual Summer-progress for wee found him to bee indued with such a Spirit and to have so much acquaintance with the Lord and his Word concerning the present oppressed Truth and Work that undoubtedly the Glorious Cause wherein we are ingaged would have been so much the more inquired after and searched into by many of the Saints But the Counsel of the Lord must stand By conference also with him here in my Prison-chamher I understood how long since and upon what occasion the Lord had taken him by the hand and brought him into his spacious Galleries to walk and take a prospect of that part of Christs Kingdom and glory which is now ready to bee revealed in these last times So that I now plainly discern this in regard his day was to be so short he was thereupon spirited from the Lord to do much work in a little time for those Generation-works of his his Books so called together with his knowledge of the times are no question a special product of Providence in this season and may serve for the rouzing up and quickening of such as are upon their watch to look about them that they may not be surprized And for the rendring unexcusable that Generation of drousie Professors and Apostate pretenders which this Nation swarms with at this day Neither let it seem strange to thee whosoever thou art that readest this that the learned Rabbies and the Orthodox Doctors of these times are so exceeding dumb as to this point for first consider It is not the high-way to Ecclesiastical promotions it is impossible they should get or keep any great Church-livings if such Doctrine should be preached by them or imbraced by the people as these Fift-Kingdom-men desire and indeavor to leaven the land withall And then secondly It is according to the tenor of Gods working in the Generations before us such mysteries use to be hidden in their first discoveries at least from the wise and prudent and were revealed unto Babes that so no flesh might glory in his presence Wherefore let no man find fault that the Lord takes such unlikely Instruments to break the Ice to prepare the way nor yet take offence at that diversity of Opinions and Apprehensions which is and will be found for a little while among the Assertors of this Doctrine of Christs Kingdom in the approaching glorious ministration of it It is true such a thing is intimated and handled by this Author in his second Sermon concerning the signs of the times at the 52 page c. But this will occasion the true children of the true light to search the Scriptures daily whether those things there discussed be so or no I confess I have some hope to be successful in reconciling the matter betwixt those good men by communicating ere long to publick view if not prevented what I apprehend to be the mind of God in that particular In the mean time I desire the Lords little remnant whom he hath reserved to himself in this general Apostacie waiting for the breaking forth of the next dispensation from under this dark cloud to entertain these Sermons of this Disciple lately deceased taken in short-hand from his lips
of Cyrus destroying of Babylon or in Alexanders destroying the Medes and Persians Monarchy or in the Romans destroying the Grecian Monarchy for that was a part of Gods decree as well as this what should the people therefore now sing Hallelujah's for more than in those times But because of the difference of the Instruments things now being done in a more holy sanctified way to a more pure end and there shall be more of the Image of God appeare upon those that shall doe this worke now and therefore they shall sing Hallelujah's otherwise the worke did not goe beyond the worke that had been done before Seventhly Reason 7 The Ruine of Rome or of the Beast it shall be so carryed on that this worke shall be a shaddow of the glorious kingdome of Christ of the kingdome of the Mountaine The kingdome of the Stone when it comes to smite Rome then shall be in it a resemblance as it were of the raigne of Christ and the glory of the kingdome of the Mountaine therefore it s said in the sixth verse And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thunderings saying Alleluja for the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth There shall be so much of the Majesty of God of the power of God of the purity of God so much of the Image of God upon his Children when that worke is done as that they shall now say the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth it could not be said Hallelujah the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth if the worke were done by a Company of carnall nations and yet this is before the end before Christs coming for after this appearance we have the Bride making her selfe ready and the kings of the earth come together to destroy the Bride preparing for her husband and then you have Christ coming forth in his fury destroying his Enemies and rescuing his Bride But before that day there shall be such a glorious appearance in the world and such power in the hands of the People of God that it shall be said when men look upon it the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth the Lord Jesus Christ who is king of the world and king of Saints raigneth therefore it shall be done by Saints as leading Instruments Eightly Reason 8 Looke through the old and new Testament where ever we have a description of the persons that shall doe the glorious worke of God at the last day and you shall ever find them described and characterized as Saints I shall give you but two or three places one is Zach 9.13 When I have bent Judah for me filled the Bow with Ephraim and raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece and made thee as th sword of a mighty man marke Raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece who are they that are raised up against the Sons of Greece that is against the Turish power as I shewed you formerly they are the Sons of Zion I will raise up thy Sons O Zion whereas there was in all the foregoing Monarchy's one earthly Power raised up against another when it comes to the very last time God raises up another manner of Power I will raise up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece So if you looke into Obadiah 18 21 verses And the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame and the House of Esau for stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them and there shall not be any remaining of the House of Esau for the Lord hath spoken it And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion to Judge the Mount of Esau and the kingdome shall be the Lords Saviours shall got up on Mount Zion who shall they be the House of Jacob and the House of Joseph shall burne up the Mount of Esau they shall Judge the House of Esau and then shall the kingdome be the Lords the universall kingdome of the Lord is not yet come in but here comes in the kingdome of the Stone the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame they shall burne up all the workes of the world and Saviours shall come up upon Mount Zion and Judge the Mount of Esau When all his Enemies are brought downe and become his footstoole then shall he come forth and take the kingdome and the kingdome shall be the Lords Sit thou at my right hand uneill I make thine Enemies thy footstoole then the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the mid'st of thine Enemies there 's the coming forth of Christ when his Enemies by his Saints are made his footstoole So likewise if you looke into Micah 4.11 12. Now also many nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye looke upon Zion This gathering of the nations is not after Christs coming but before and what then Arise and Thresh O daughter of Zion for I will make thine Horne Iron and I will make thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt beate in peices many people and I will consecrate their gaine unto the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth Who shall arise and thresh arise and thresh O daughter of Zion shee shall have Hornes of Iron and Hoof's of brasse to beate all the Enemies of Christ into very chaffe and dust as it s said the great Image was ground to powder why its Zion the poore despised daughter of Zion she that they stood looking upon and said Let her be defiled let our eyes look upon Zion they stood jeering at Zion and saith God Zion I will make thee a trouble and a torment to them all come up Zion and I will make thy Hornes Iron and thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt breake all the nations to peices that now stand looking upon thee And in another place the Lord tells us Jacob is his Battell-Axe and weapons of warre so saith God Jer. 51.20 For with thee will I breake in peices the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes When he comes to worke his great worke in the world his faithfull Children shall be his weapons to bring it to passe Come to the new Testament and we shall see who God will make his Instruments to carry on his worke against the Beast Revel 15.2 And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glasse having the Harps of God And in the 6 verse And the seven Angels came out of the Temple having the seven last plagues clothed in pure and white linnen and having their Breasts girded with golden girdles They shall be pretious Instruments they shall have much purity and Holines and much of the Image of God upon them and much
that thing for which others suffer and specially Saints who it may be would never else have minded the notion are very Inquisitive into the thing which they see Brethren suffer for and hereby they attaine light thus God taketh the wise in their owne Craftiness It was said in the Primitive times The blood of Martyrs seede of Churches Did not Queene Mary by her cruelty make those who before were averse to it ready and willing to receive the Protestant Religion Did not the Bishops loose themselves this way and by driving some few out of the Land multiply the number of the oppressed people within it Saints suffering for truth are the loudest and most powerfull Sermons of all others See what Paul saith to this Phil 1.12 13. But I would ye should understand Brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Pallace and in all other places Eighthly The Eight signe is Signe 8 The Defection and Apostacy of Eminent leading men in the Churches from their first light and Principles Christ makes it one signe of his second coming the Starr's falling from Heaven Math. 24.29 that is Eminent men as Pastors and others in the Churches falling and saith Christ When you see this know it is neere even at the doore When you see Pastors and Officers of Churches casting off the Churches and running to Colledges when you see men that have pleaded and Apologized for the power of Churches in opposition to Lordlines over them when you see these become Tryers and usurp Authority over all the Churches and people of Christ in the Common-wealth know that it is neere even at the doore Ninthly The ninth signe is Signe 9 The great dread that is upon the spirits of all men that are Enemies of such a thing rising in the world as a fift Monarchy What a dread at the time of Israels coming out of Egypt was upon the Canaanites and this dread is at the end of the forty yeares we doe not reade of such a dread at their first coming out but when the worke was just coming forth of their taking possession of the promised Land then the feare and dread fall's upon them It s observable that from the time that David was anointed king a dread of him though Saul had all the forts and strength of the Nation was upon the spirit of Saul And what a dread is there upon the spirits of those that oppose the worke this kingdome of Christ at this day its visible enough a dread already from the Lord is fallen upon them Tenthly Signe 10 A Tenth signe is Gods wonderfull withdrawing himselfe from such as oppose this truth and worke in respect of those common graces and assistances he hath formerly afforded them in other worke How did God withdraw from Saul so soone as ever David was anointed Before he could deny himselfe and refuse a kingdome Afterwards before another shall come into his Throne he will slay innocent David be it right or wrong and all the Priests of God to boote Before though he had cause and was stirr'd up to it he will by no meanes persecute afterwards though he had no just cause all things considered he puts the Lords Priests to death Before he was a very meeke man in all his actings afterwards he acts like a Mad man And the very Reason is this Reason Davids kingdome was now rising and Saul being in heart an Enemie to it the Spirit of the Lord withdraws from him and this withdrawing was the Immediate forerunner of Davids kingdome the most Eminent type of Christ's pleaded for at this day Now let us Consider whether it be not thus at this day let us looke to men that sit upon the Throne and men that call themselves the Ministry is it not as evident as the Sun when it shines at noone day that the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawne from both I say in respect of those common gifts and assistances they have formerly had whil'st they stood in the cause of God Are there not men this day in England that persecute Saints for laying open their evills and Apostacy's who time was would not persecute them themselves nor suffer others who would have done it to doe it Are there not men who time was feared none they had their faith as their best guard who now are so far from their former faith that they are become Magor-mishabib feare round about Looke to men who call themselves the Ministry could not many some yeares since preach often with life and power now it s a great matter and truly they are not able to doe it to preach once in a fortnight and when they doe preach that life they once had is so gone that Christians that heare had they not the same names and faces would not know them to be the men once the time was that they were able to speake a seasonable word whensoever occasion was offered but truly now they are able to speake no more than they have written in their paper or got by heart as the Schoolboyes doe Is it not evident I say the Lord is withdrawne from them This is a manifest signe the worke is at hand When Davids kingdome was rising the Spirit of God departs from Saul and had not many Bishops in Queene Maries dayes much life and so the Presbyters in the beginning of these times But observe when the worke of God began to rise against the one and the other the Spirit of God went off from them and fell upon that party that bore witnes against them FINIS Christ the only Foundation 1 COR 3.11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ THe Time is but short and therefore I shall wave speaking any thing touching the context or the explication of the words there 's no difficulty in them but there 's a plaine usefull Truth ly's plainely in the words which I shall give you That is Doct That the Lord Jesus Christ is the onely foundation That I may the better open this truth to you for your edification I shall cast those things which are in my thoughts into this Method namely To shew First What I meane by Christ's being a foundation Secondly In what respect the Lord Jesus Christ may be called a foundation Thirdly What Jesus Christ is the foundation of Fourthly Who it is that lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation Fifthly How the Lord Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation And then Sixthly and lastly When Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation in the soule I shall give but a hint of the first 1. Quest What wee are to understand by Christs being a foundation Ans Wee well know the foundation it s the bottome of a building that upon which the weight and stresse of any building ly's in every building there 's the structure it selfe and the foundation the structure it selfe
promise of the Spirit It s the Spirit it s the Spirit that shall bring to your remembrance saith Christ whatsoever I have said unto you The holy Spirit of God comes and makes the soule to remember all the words of the Lord Jesus Christ all the promises in the blessed book of God that concernes our sanctification any peice of it any thing belonging to it or that concernes our consolation or any peice of it or any thing belonging to it they are all lodg'd up in this great and glorious and blessed promise of the Spirit of God as in the promise of the Messiah are lodg'd all the promises of our Justification and every peice of it so in this promise of the Spirit is lodg'd up all the promises of our sanctification consolation Justification flow's out of the one and holines peace and comfort out of the other is it not then a great promise O it s a glorious and most blessed promise I had thought to have shewne you how it is the great New-Testament promise the great promise that we are to looke for under the new Testament but I shall not be able to come to that at this Time The Lord therefore set that upon our hearts and as there is much lodg'd up in this promise so O that our hearts were now all taken with it that we might all looke up unto God for the giving out of this Spirit methinkes none should goe home now and say I will not regard this Spirit I doe not see any thing in this Spirit much lesse that any should goe away and jeere at the Spirit laugh at the Spirit and make a mocke of it O far be it from our soules that any here should doe so but let us every one looke after this Spirit Lord come and give out of thy Spirit to my soule come and give out of thy Spirit to my soule Lord I have been a Rebell an Enemy a wretch an opposer but let thy Spirit come and subdue my Corruption let thy Spirit come downe and bring up my heart to thee O thy Spirit Lord to subdue this wretched distemper in me that have been a mocker and jeerer at thy Spirit Poore soule do'st thou want a word of conviction to be thoroughly convinced before the Lord O say now O Lord send thy Spirit to convince me now O Lord let thy Spirit convince my soule of sin let thy Spirit convince my soule of righteousnes let thy Spirit come and shew me how I have not beleived in Christ how that I have taken up other things besides Christ as my foundation and laid other foundations besides the foundation of God let the Spirit of the Lord come and shew me how many righteousnesses I have set up instead of the Lords righteousnes If the Spirit of God should come to our hearts now not a man or woman here but would goe out and say O I am a poore wretched creature I thought I had had wisdome when I came hither but I goe out a foole and I thought I had had strength when I came hither but I am weakness it selfe and I thought I had had parts and gifts but I am nothing I thought I could have beleived and acted faith upon God but I can doe nothing nothing of my selfe if the Lord come to convince by his Spirit it will be thus indeed There are many legall convictions and men goe away hardened after them and they are ten times worse hast thou man or woman been convinced of that and hast gone away mightily affected and yet can'st thou come againe and sit here and sleepe O beg of the Lord to give out his Spirit to convince thee and to doe all thy workes in thee and for thee hast thou been a long time doubting and seeking what way God will owne what truth God will owne for his truth O labour for the Spirit cry for the Spirit for the teachings of the Spirit beg of the Lord to teach thee by his Spirit spread the promise before the Lord hast thou not said Lord Thy Spirit shall teach us all things and guide us into all truth Here 's thy promise Lord Lord now let me have thy Spirit to reveale thy truth to me and to shew me thy will and when the Spirit comes and teaches us we shall know principles in another way than we did before a Christian can see a cleare evident distinction betwixt those principles he fetches in from reason and those he hath from the Spirit of God enlightening his reason Now wouldest thou depart O beg of the Lord to come and give thee hâ—s Spirit and then being taught by the Spirit of God thou wilt stand to the truth the reason why men are this to day and another thing to morrow it is because they are not taught by the Spirit but their faith is laid in the wisdome of men and they take up things from men and doe beleive a thing because such a wise man speakes it and when a wiser than he comes and speakes otherwise then they will leave that and take up what he saith now saith the Apostle I came not to you with the enticeing word of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith might stand not in the wisdome of man but in the power of God as if he should have said I know how apt you are to take up things in the wisdome of man and not in the light of the Spirit of God but cry out Lord let me have nothing but in the power of God and from thy Spirit upon my heart in the demonstration of thy Spirit this will hold a man will stand to this he will say I did not receive this truth by the light of my reason but by another light hereupon the soule will hold to truth As the Saints in Queene Mary's dayes could not dispute but yet they would dye for the truth they had their principles in the light of the Spirit and in the power of the Spirit Now how many now aday's have their faith founded in the wisdome of men and not in the power of God If God should come and sift men you will never hold if you will not learne of the Spirit but have things onely from your reason How many have spoken gloriously of the truths of the present age and when it comes to some tryall when there comes suffering and their owne Interest calls off to the other side turne their backs upon it that which men have had onely from their reason will not lead them through Temptation if Temptation come that man will give away his truth rather than part with his Interest his honour or profit or the like a man that hath reason will gather up a great deale in the notion but if the Lord doe not teach us by his own Spirit we shall not hold O beg this every heart for himselfe and for all the children of God at this day that we might not
what men thought of him it was this he had a holy sincere end when the Corinthians iudged him saith he I care not to be judged of you or of mans judgement So in such a day as this when the people of God are under sufferingâ— and who may be under sufferings it 's onely knowne to the Lord O that the Lord would give us to have such ends in our actions as may be holy and sincere that we may have comfort joy and peace 10 Reas 10 We had need to look into our ends for If a man have false ends he will never be able to continue and hold out in a good worke It 's very remarkable that we have in these men here that ran after John What went yee out into the wildernesse to see They were very earnest and very hot and very zealous they had a great delight in Johns Preaching I but saith Christ What went ye ought to see What is your end it was bad He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light It held but for a season they make a very great profession and seem much to owne John and to owne the truth and seem much to be taken with the word but have a wrong end therefore they rejoycing but for a season they came to have their hearts hardned and they rejoyce no more Therefore what need have we to look into our owne hearts and observe our aimes and ends and indeed that we may know our ends 1 It 's good to be jealous of our owne hearts that there may be some end that lyes deeper than I am aware of or than I doe discern It s good to have a holy jealousie over our hearts in our acting that there may be some end that we see not 2 If we would know whether we have a right end It 's good to take a view of our owne hearts and ends at such a time as we have most light and have fairest opportunity and advantage When we have most light that is at such a time when the Lord doth most clearly shine upon the soule if there be any time wherein you have a more clear sight of the love of God then at another at that time look into your heart to see your ends 3 Looke into them at such time as we seem to have a helping opportunity There are two times which if we fall in with will give us great help to look into our ends First Look into our ends When we see others more eminent than we and that goe before us in graces and abilities when we see them drop for then the soule hath some stirring and working and I may come to get a sight into my ends the more by that opportunity Secondly Look into our ends at such time when others doe censure and judge us If a Christian be censured by another that is a good time for him to look into his end that will make him look more narrowly and pry into every corner of his heart 4 Beg of the Lord That he would be pleased to come search and try for after all our trialls if God doth not try us we may be at a losse and deceived and herein was the sincerity of Davids heart manifested Prove me and try me O Lord saith he And so it 's with every gratious heart he will say Prove me and try me O Lord. if there be any wickednesse if there be any corruption that I doe not see Prove me and try mâ— O Lord if there be any Hypocrisie that I havâ— not yet found Prove me and try me O Lord We are to be much in begging of the Lord thaâ— he would try us and prove us 5 If we would see fully into our ends Then as soone as ever thou doest find any false end presently deliver it as a Traytor to be executed Say Lord I have found out such a juggle I have found out such a bye way wherein my heart is gone good Lord come and destroy it Lastly Keep the love of Christ warm upon thy heart O labour so to goe to Christ as that the love of Christ may be warm upon thy heart that thou mayest live in the light of that love and the more thou seest of that love the more will thy soule desire to live according to it FINIS The Idolls Abolished ISAIAH 2.18 And the Idolls he shall utterly Abolish WOuld you know the time to which this Prophecy looks the second Verse tells us in generall The last dayes And it shall come to passe in the last dayes now because last dayes is taken sometimes largely for the whole of Gospel times sometimes strictly for the very last of the last times therefore in other expressions of this Prophecy it 's held forth that last dayes is to be taken strictly as 1 This relates to the time when the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines vers 2. The Mountaine of the Lords house is Christs Kingdome which is the Lords Mountaine it shall be established in the top of the Mountaines that is in the top of worldly Kingdomes when yet hath this ever been Indeed we have for many Generations had Antichrist lifting up his Scepter above worldly Princes but we are all clear enough that yet there hath been no fullfilling of this Prophecy But as the Devil when he sees any glorious work of Christ to come forth he will forestall it and set up something of his owne that shall be so like it that we are sometimes almost deceived so the subtill Dragon seeing that in time such a thing should be a Kingdome of Christ should over-top all the Kingdomes of the world he fore-runs it and sets up a thing like it viz. a Kingdome of his owne which himselfe sets up rules in such is Antichrist whose rise is not from God but from the Devil nor is Christ there served but the Dragon is worshipped Revel 13 14. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power untothe Beast This Kingdome the blind of Christs by which the world hath been deceived and wondred after it before which the Kings of the earth have laid their Crownes hath been set up But all discerning soules know this to be the Divels Kingdome no Gods the very Throne of Iniquity not of Holinesse but when was there such a Kingdome of Christs over-topping others 2 This relates to a time when the Law shall goe forth out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem vers 3. By Law being distinguished from Word of the Lord I understand the Civill Law the Law of Civill Government as by the word of the Lord the spirituall Law This therefore relates to a time when Civil Government shall be in the hands of the Saints when the Law of the world shall goe forth from Sion and the Spirituall Law also the Preaching of the Gospel from Jerusalem that is from the Cities or Churches of the