thou shalt have praise of the same For he is the Minister of God to thee for good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but for Conscience sake For this cause pay you Tribute also for they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custome to whom Custome Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour The whole World lies in wickedness And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and that Men love darkness rather than Light because their deeds are evil Jewes and Gentiles are all under sin as it is written There is none righteous no not one There is none that understandeth There is none that seeketh after God Take heed therefore that the Light which is in you be not darkness If the Light that is in you be darkness how great is that darkness Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God Because many false Prophets are gone out into the World If any Man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Behold I have told you before such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvel for Sathan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light Therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness whose end shall be according to their works To the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them This is that sure Word of Prophesie whereunto you do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts Knowing this first that all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God And that no Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For the Prophesies came not in old time by the will of Man But holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost When I was upon Earth they brought young Children unto Me that I should touch them and my Disciples like some in these last days rebuked those that brought them But when I saw it I was much displeased and said unto them suffer little Children to come unto Me and forbid them not For of such is the Kingdome of God Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child he shall not enter therein And I took them up in my Armes and put my Hands upon them and blessed them Baptism is now the only way for little Children to come to the Lord Christ. The Promise is made to you and to your Children and to all that are afar of even as many as the Lord your God shall call The unbelieving Husband is Sanctified by the believing Wife and the unbelieving Wife is Sanctified by the believing Husband or else were your Children unclean but now they are holy The Examples of the Apostles Baptizing whole Families are of great force And the History of their practice and of the first Churches planted by them is to be believed with an Historical faith and looked upon with much reverence by all true Christians both in this point and in the change of the Jewish Sabbath to the Lord's Day As holding forth without doubt an Apostolical Institution The Lord spake to Moses saying The Land shall be divided for an Inheritance according to the number of Names to many thou shalt give more Inheritance and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Oxe nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours Give to him that asketh and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away For the poor you have always with you I charge you that are Rich in this World that you trust not in uncertain Riches but in the living God who gives you all things richly to enjoy that you do good that you be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate When as many as were possessed of Lands or Houses sold them and brought the price of the things which were sold and laid them down at the Apostles Feet in that most sad time of Persecution and distribution was made unto every Man according as he had need Even then Peter said unto Ananias why hath Sathan filled thy heart to lye to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the Land Whilst it remained Was it not thy own And after it was sold Was it not in thine own Power Let no Man therefore seek his own but every one anothers wealth For there are some that walk disorderly working not at all but are busie-bodies Now them that are such I command that with quietness they work and eat their own Bread that they may have to give to him that needeth Come out of Babylon my People but count not the blood of the Covenant by which ye were sanctified an unholy thing If ye have been once born again of Water and the Spirit Can a Man be so again born the second time The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God as being not Baptized of John against themselves Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the holy Ordinance of God Seeing you have been Baptized into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost This only would I know of such Received you the spirit and your Convertion by and under the first Baptisme or your second Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the Flesh Now the works of the Flesh are hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions envyings but the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace If ye bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed one of another And that it be not truly said of you by my Saints They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us But
back-sliding 2 Branch Apostacy 3 Branch is the sin against the holy Ghost P 292 C P 294 B The Preface to the Counsels of the Lord Jesus 1 To diligence in our Calling 2 To holy walking with God 3 Against sin P 295 B P 296 A Counsel against Temptation Ead. B Counsel against evil company To set God always before Vs and to have an eye to Eternity Ead. B C Counsel to watch over our hearts As to the keeping of a good Conscience not to offend a Brothers conscience P 297 A Counsel as to the well ordering of our tongues and as to the right using of our estates gifts and talents Ead. C Counsel as to the well improving of our time P 290 A Ead. C Counsel against sinful and unprofitable discourses Against prophane swearing Counsel against sluggishness Ead. C Counsel to watch over and reprove our Neighbour and patiently to receive reproofs Counsel to charity Counsel concerning your Tables Concerning your callings Ead. C 299 A Counsel concerning your Relations 1. Of Children to their Parents 2 Of Parents to their children 3 Of Husbands to their Wives 4 Of Wives 5 Of Servants 6 Of Masters Ead. C Counsel concerning our carriage towards those without P 300 Counsel as to the observation of God's mercies works and providences Ead. C Counsel to attend the answer and return of Prayer Ead. C Counsel as to our behaviour under afflictions and persecutions P 301 C ACounsel as to the right use of our Christian liberty against the abusing of grace Ead. B C Counsel as to the duties of Prayer self denial bearing the cross and perseverance Counsel to our growing in grace P 302 A The Preface to the Antidotes Ead. C P 305 A Ead. B Antidotes given by the Lord Jesus against several Heresies and Errors 1 Against the Pope's Supremacy 2 Against the Pope's Infallibility Ead. C 3 Against the Pope's Power to forgive sins 4 Against the Pope's Power to absolve from oaths vows and promises P 304 A 5 Against the Pope's Power to add to the Scriptures or to bend conscience by his Cannons and Decretals P 305 A Against the Pope's Power to canonize Saints or to excommunicate any from being Saints P 306 A Against the Pope's Power to exercise the civil Sword against those that will not receive his Doctrines Eadem C Antidotes given by the Lord Jesus Christ against several heresies and errors of the Apostate Roman Church 307 A Ead. C 1 Against the Idolatry of the Mass. 2 Against the false Doctrine of Purgatory Ead. C 308 A 3 Against the praying to and worship 1 Of Saints 2 Of Angels 4 Against the worshping of Pictures and Images Eadem C. 5 Against the false Doctrine of freedome from Original sin P. 309 C. 6 Against their false Doctrine concerning Free will P. 310 C. 7 Against their false Doctrine of Justification by works Eadem C. The Preface of the Lord Jesus to his Antidotes against several other Heresies and Errors of the last times P. 111 B· Antidotes 1. Against Atheisme Eadem C. 2 Against the Heresie of Arianisme P. 312 A. 3. Against the Heresie of denying the Holy Ghost to be God Eadem C. 4. Against the Heresie of community of Women 113 B. C. 5. Against Poligamy 6. Against the forsaking and casting off of Gospel Ordinances Eadem C. 7. Against those who lay aside and make useless the Moral Law p 314 A 8. Against those who cast off and despise civil Government Eadem B. 9. Against those who prefer a light within them before besides and against the Scriptures P. 315 A. 10. Against Enthusiasmes Eadem B. 11. Against Anti-scripturists Eadem C. 12. Against those who deny Infant Baptisme and the Lord's Day to be the Christian Sabbath Eadem C. p 316 A 13. Against those who deny propriety of Goods and Estates Eadem C 14. Against Rebaptization P. 317 B· 15. Against Schisme and uncharitable separation from the Church The conclusion of the speech of the Lord Jesus The Prayer of the Lord Jesus for all his Elect. P. 318 A. P. 55. B. The Fathers concluding Exhortation and Prayer for his Wife and Children P. 56 A. A Post-script of the Father to his Wife and Children concerning the foregoing Epistle with some further Exhortations to the practice thereof Eadem C. P. 57 58 59. ERRATA Of the Printer FOlio 265 Line 27 Add And brake it Folio 269 Line 28 Add Do good to them that hate you Fol. 276 in the Margent for Polutheims put Polutheismes For Cap. Proverbs the 22 put Chap. the 20. Fol. 279. Line 31. for from put for Fol. 282 Line 21 put Thy after of Fol. 293 Line 38 for Brances put Branches Fol. 294 Line 42 Add He after shall Fol. 297. Mar. for Mat. the 5 make it the 25. Fol. 203. Line 22 Add after was So Marg. for Mathew Mark Fol. 305. Line 40. for Diotropses put Diotrephes Fol. 306. Line 31 for after Sacrifice add First Fol. 313. Marg. for Joh. the 17. put the 7. An Humble ANSWER to a PAPER or QVERY Given to the Author by King CHARLES the First at Hombey concerning the Observations of Easter-Day A. D. 1647. By the KING I desire to be resolved of this Question Why the new Reformers discharge the keeping of Easter The Reason for this Query is I Conceive the Celebration of this Feast was Instituted by the same Authority which changed the Jewish Sabboth into the Lord's Day or Sunday for it will not be found in Scripture where Saturday is discharged to be kept or turned into the Sunday wherefore it must be the Churches Authority that changed the one and instituted the other Therefore my Opinion is that those who will not keep this Feast may as well return to the Observation of Saturday and refuse the Weekly Sunday When any Body can shew me that herein I am in an error I shall not be ashamed to confess and mend it till when you know my mind C. R. My Answer to his Majesties Query May it please your Majesty I Cannot but from the blessed example of our Saviour who was in his Age a new Reformer of old Errors Viz. the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees Math. 5.20 but account all such Reformers in our times blessed also But for the keeping of Easter although I know not any Ordinance of Parliament discharging it yet with submission to better judgments I in all dutifulness conceive That your Majesties reason upon which your Query is built hath a great mistake even in the foundation of it you being pleased to lay this for a ground That the change of the Sabboth and the Institution of Easter are by one and the same equal Authority and Ecclesiastical Decree which with your Majesties favour I cannot yield to for I humbly conceive that the change of the Jewish Sabboth the commemoration of the Work of the Creation unto the Lords day the remembrance of that great Work the Work of Redemption finished upon this Day of the Lord's Resurrection was by no less than by Divine Authority because the keeping of one Day in Seven as a Sabboth to
God was not only sanctified and set apart by God's own example in the Creation Gen. 2. Ver. 2 and accordingly observed by the Israelites many Weeks before the Law was given Exod. 16.23 But is One of the Ten Commandments delivered by God's own mouth in Mount Sinay written by his own Finger in Tables of Stone commanded by himself to be put into the Ark of the Covenant which Decalogue or Ten Commandments are also by our blessed Saviour in his Sermon upon the Mount declared to be the rule of his Peoples moral obedience unto the end of the World Math. 5.17 and in the following part of that Sermon wherein he vindicates the Law from the corrupt Glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees he instances only in moral duties and moral Laws From all which Divines generally infer that the Decalogue is to continue in force unto the Worlds end and therefore it seems most apparent that no Authority that is inferiour to that which appointed the Seventh Day from the Creation to be the Sabboth could abrogate that Day and appoint an other Day to be used instead of it because neither the Law of Nature nor the Holy Scripture doth any where give the least intimation that any humane Power may change any of the Commandments of God and indeed so many absurdities would follow upon such an assertion as I am confident your Majesty will not own it It remains therefore that the change of the Day must be the work of Christ himself or of his Apostles who were divinely inspired Acts 15. 21. And to prove that it was so Viz. That the Lords Day by Divine Institution now succeeds in the room of the Jewish Sabboth I shall use no other Arguments than these which I finde in â—â—rned Bishop Andrews his Speech in the Star-Chamber at the â—â—â—sure of Mr. Traske who expresly saith that it hath ever been the Churches Doctrine That Christ made an end of all Sabboths by his Sabboth in the grave and that presently the Lords Day came in the place of it And that according to Austin's judgment the Lord's Day is declared to be the Christian Sabboth by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ which the said Bishop not only saith but proveth by these Arguments 1. Because he then began the new World Heb. 1.2 By whom â—e made the Worlds The first World which ended with his â—â—rial The second World or new Creation which began with his Resurrection 2. Because all the four Evangelists say Christ rose Vna Sabâ—ttorum that is the first Day of the Week 3. The Apostles kept their holy Meetings on that Day to Preach and Pray and Celebrate the Lord's Supper Acts 20.7 4. The Day is called the Lord's Day not only in the Apostles times but by the Apostle John himself Rev. 1.10 And he further adds that this Epithite Dominicum in the Scripture is only applyed to these two The Lord's Day and the Lord's Supper To shew that they are both to be taken alike in Scripture 5. He saith we have not only example but express precept for it 1 Cor. 16.2 That upon the first Day of the Week which was the Day of their Assembly then Collections or Oblations would be made 6. And lastly He affirms that in all Ages of the Church this Day was observed To this I may add our Saviour's rest upon that Day from his Works Heb. 4.10 His often visiting the Apostles during the Forty Days after his Resurrection upon that Day speaking of the things appertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1.3 Now what more material thing was there to be declared to them than this The change of the Sabboth and the appointing a set time for his Worship he accordingly appearing thrice on the first Day of the Week besides his being seen of the Women to teach and instruct his Disciples First to the two Disciples that went to Emmaus Luke 24.15 c. to the Apostles when Thomas was absent John 20.19 And the third time when Thomas was present John 20.26 As also observe that those wonderful and extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were poured out according to his promise upon the Apostles and Church then met together Acts 2.1 The Day of Penticost being the Morrow after the Seventh Sabboth to be accounted from the Day of the Sheaf-Offering Lev. 23.15 By all which he seems to have honoured and set apart that Day above others for his service Lastly this being a principal Institution might probably be one of those Decrees ordained by the Apostles as well as that concerning the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.34 delivered by Paul to the Churches in all the Cities through which he passed Acts 16.4 But for the Observation of Easter to be an Annual Festival to Christians I find not any thing in the Holy Scriptures And your Majesty is pleased to place it only upon the Churches Authority And although I will not contend about the Churches Power in the Institution of such things as are simply indifferent yet I suppose I may boldly assert that such things as are only Instituted by Ecclesiastical Authority having no footstep in the Scripture may by Ecclesiastical Authority be laid aside Your Majesties most Loyal Subject and Humble Servant H. J. AN EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the the truly Noble Paire and my most Religious Parents MOst Honoured and best beloved Parents Three Sabbaths of Years the third part of Mans life is already Cyphered in my Youths Accompts and who knows how soon the Divine number of our dayes after my times last addition may conclude the Numeration of my life thus Haec summa totalis Wherefore lest Death should proclaime me Bankrupt before I had paid the due Debt of gratefulness which I owe you next to my Heavenly Father for my Life Education and Preservation I here presume to present you with this disordered and weak Meditations the Fruits of some few hours destinated for the Lord's dayes Preparation as a testimonial of my thankfulness for those your numberless Merits which are as far beyond requital as expression Let them I beseech you obtain a favorable Acceptance a patient Perusal and a Fatherly Censure glorifying God who with his Grace hath assisted my Weakness and shall supply the deficiency of all our Meditations with the fruition of himself till which Imperfection of Happiness I rest Yours in the Lord and in all filial Obedience J. H. To the Worthy AUTHOR OF THIS Divine Meditation The Unworthy Peruser wisheth all Health and Happiness ON Worthy Sir and live to view The like done by your Heire to you There 's one will bless With Int'rests this your gratefulness Sweetning your Budd Both to your own and Parents good Blessing the feet which I suppose Would highly grace a full-blown Rose Oft have I seen those Budds that prove Worm-eaten by that Canker Love Spending their
Israel Who saith that to Him the Porter openeth and the Sheep hear his voice that he calleth his own Sheep by name and leadeth them out Is it the duty of a King to protect his subjects to reward them as well as to restrain and overcome their Enemies And is not this true of our good Shepward Who giveth his life for his Sheep being not like the hireling who seeing the Wolf coming flieth and leaveth the Sheep Yea all blessings temporal and spiritual abound to them that are admitted into his Fold For he promises that if any enter therein he shall be saved and shall go in and out and finde pasture Lastly is it the office of a King to see and judge of the actions of inferiours to give dignity and honour to the well-meriting and obedient and to inflict punishment and death upon rebellious offenders See this also made good by Gods promise unto us under the rule of our only Shepward Christ Jesus Saying Behold even I will judge betwixt the fat Cattle and the lean and I will cause the evil Beasts to cease out of the Land And I will make with them a Covenant of Peace And I will make them and the places round about them a blessing And I will cause the showers to come down in his season there shall be showers of blessings And as concerning the last and General Judgment our Saviour speaking of the ordering of Persons before his Trybunal and the parting of his true Subjects from Rebels the good from the bad still alludes to the office of a Shepward and saith that he will separate them one from another as the Shepward divideth the Sheep from the Goats Having for the better and more comfortable illustration of our Saviours Kingly Office thus far traced this similitude let us now O my Soul by faith take a nearer and more serious view of this his glorious function as it manifests it self in the excellency of his Person and in the uprightness and perfection of his Laws as also in all those gratious effects which flow from so divine a dispensation That from them God assisting in the application thou maist reap that saving fruit which grace offers and thou expectest As the Basis and Pillar of Peace and tranquility in a Common-wealth is good Government consisting of upright Magistrates and just Laws So the defect of either ushers-in present ruine and destruction This position is not only verified in civil estates but in the spiritual Regiment of the visible Church Which whilst it was governed by the Spirit of Christ and was obedient to his injunctions attained to a Meridional height of quiet and glory witness the times of Solomon Hezechiah and Josiah But on the other side when that there was no King in Israel and every Man did what was right in his own Eyes how was their Land and Church filled with blood-shed Idolatry and vanity witness the Book of the Judges O let their miseries make us beware and let us learn wisdome from their destruction â—et their ill-succeeding rebellions incite and hasten us to do Homage at his Foot-stool whom the Lord hath set King upon his holy Hill of Sion And to kiss him with the kiss of reverence obedience and worship Let us meditate of him all the day long and let our Mouths be filled with his praises O how truly are we happy in thee O Lord Jesus according to that of the wise Man blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the Son of Nobles Is there any Nobility like unto thine will any boast of or derive his Pedigree with thee who art the ancient of days the dew of the Morning the Morning-star and in a word â—he Fountain of honour what are the greatest of earthly Princes but thy Vice-roys Conduit-Pipes to convey â—ny favours unto the Children of Men For By thee Kings Reign and Princes Decree justice And from thee proâ—â—eds the sentence which makes poor and makes rich â—rings lowe and lifteth up For thou art that only begotten Son of the Father before all beginnings who then can declare thy generation for thy Birth is hid in Eternity Nor art thou not only glorious in thy Father but in thy self also for thou art God of God equal with God and therefore art not only a wise mercifull just and holy King over us But wisdome mercy justice and holiness it self unto us Witness this in that thy gratious invitation to thy spiritual Feast where wisdome hath builded her an House As also in the former Chapter I am understanding I am strength Further thy Spirit in the Mouth of thy beloved Apostle testifies that thou our God art love And thy Prophet Jeremy foretold to us that the Name whereby thou shouldst be called is the Lord our righteousness As for the last the Prophet David stiles thee so in many of his Psalmes singing thus O yee Saints of his give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness To whom the Saints in the Revelation answer and second with this triple acclamation Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath O my Saviour my King my beloved let me feed a while here amongst these Lillies Let me sit down under this thy shadow and let thy fruit be sweet unto my taste O stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love Who is like the Lord our King on all the Earth Is there any People or Nation alike happy with us Christians whose God and King is the Lord I should now proceed to view and admire that golden Scepter those his righteous Statutes by which he governs and directs us his People But that my Soul possest with a holy fear lest any thing should nullifie my right unto my Soveraigns protection stops me with these objections As that I am not only the Son of rebellious Adam but also an Alien to the Common-wealth of Israel as being not sprung from the loynes of Abraham nor from any of the Sons of Jacob but from the unbelieving Gentiles Lastly that I am out-lawed by my own actual transgressions and therefore may rather expect punishment than any favour happiness or priviledge by his Government As to these I answer with the Apostle The Jews because the Seed of Abraham are not all Children But the Children of the promise are counted for the Seed Wherefore Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull Neither is he a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit not in the letter Also he is a light to enlighten the Gentiles as well as the glory of the People Israel Again my being a sinner is so far from disabling my right to the Lord Jesus that by the hearty and penitent confession thereof I am intitled unto his pardon and mercy witness his
my words Faith without works is dead therefore follow peace with all Men and holiness without which no Man shall see God And be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves Ye know the Commandments I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods before me 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the Water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them c. 3. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain c. 4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy six Days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. 6. Thou shalt not kill 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shall not covet thy Neighbours House c. This is the great Commandment That you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength and your Neighbour as your self Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Verily verily I say unto you except you be born again of Water and the Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me I am the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven not as the Fathers did eat and are dead He that eateth this Bread shall live for ever What though I am ascended where I was before It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you are spirit and they are life I the Lord Jesus took Bread and blessed it and gave it to my Disciples and said Take eat this is my body And I took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins This do in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup you shew my Death till I come Lay up my word in your heart and in your soul And you shall teach them your Children speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way when you lye down and when you rise up And you shall write them upon the Door-posts of your houses and upon your Gates That your days may be prolonged and the days of your Children in the Land as the dayes of Heaven upon Earth Blessed are ye that read and hear my words my Sheep hear my voice Yea blessed are they that hear my word and keep it Let every one of you be swift to hear slow to wrath If any of you hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Wherefore he that hath Eares to hear let him hear My Mother and Brethren are ye that hear the Word of God and do it Be ye that good ground who with honest and good hearts having heard my word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Let not the Book of my Law my Word depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate therein day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein for then shall you make your way prosperous then shall you have good success Meditate also of all my works Pray without ceasing And when you pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Also after this manner pray ye Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall finde Knock and it shall be opened unto you Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name according to his will he will give it unto you Therefore be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God But ask in faith nothing wavering And when you pray enter into your Closet and when you have shut your Door pray to the Father which is in secret and your Father who seeth in secret shall reward you openly Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Moreover if your Brother shall trespass against any of you go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican Verily I say unto you whatsoever my Church shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever they shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven I gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of my Body Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of your double honour especially they that labour in word and doctrine Also they that have used the Office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in me Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Be afflicted and mourn and weep humble your selves in my sight and I will lift you up Can Man
Ejaculation or Hymn upon the foregoing Subject O Blest Creator let my first Birth be A Figure of my second Birth to thee Sooner than many others 'T was thy grace That fir'd my heart during my youthful race And caus'd me seek the free refreshing Gales Of thy blest Spirit to cool and fill the Sailes Of its desires That from the noisome Wombe And dark some Jaile of Sin I might become A free-born Son to thee and change my place This Earth for Heaven the Birth of Sin for Grace 'T was thy free-love which did desire to see Blest Parent thy own Image born in Me. That pour'd clean Water on me washt away My Natures Blood and stench and didst allay My shivering doubts and feares by putting on Thy Lambs warm Skin the Imputation Of thy Sons righteousness that from that heat A life of grace might spring and be compleat Lord since thou mightest have made my Grave in Wombe Or by miscarrying cloâ—'d me in my Tombe Or made my life through sin a living Death A treasury of wrath Let my new Birth And life bring forth to thee the thankful fruit Of holiness So shall I Retribute Thy own in my poor Mite and to thy praise Live thankfulness sincerely all my Days Amen ARGUMENT The REMEMBRANCER A Psalm for the Lord's Day Being my thankful acknowledgment of the Lord 's many Mercies to me in my Formation and Beeing LOrd who giv'st in mercy great A seventh Day to meditate On thy works of Creation Give me grace to think upon Thy great goodness unto me Who didst bring From a nothing Me a something for to be Next that me thou hast not made As frail Flowers which quickly fade Nor a Toad a Dog a Swine Or a Creature Serpentine But a Beeing rational Fit to see And to know thee Great Creator of us all That I was no Innocent Organ-less Deficient Nor a Monster from my Birth Void of shape a shame to Earth Thus and worser had I been But thy love Was far above Such thy just reward of sin Thou art he that gav'st me light In a Land made free from night Of dark Antichristian Mists Pagans and Mahometists Where poor Infants with their breath Sucking are Infectious Air Live a Life far worse than Death Here thou didst unto me give In thy life new life to live Where so many love the Night And with Owles do hate the Light Yea like Fish in Jordan's streams Swim with ease Into dead Seas Sleep and perish in false Dreams Wherefore Lord upon thy Day I will praise thy Name for aye Till thy second Sabbath blest Gives to me Eternal Rest Where from World Sin Sathan free I shall ring And sweetly sing Hallelujah's out to thee ARGUMENT Vpon God's gracious deliverance of me from the Infection of the Plague when being a Childe I was present in my Nurses Hand at the Bed-side of one that was sick and dyed thereof whereby many of that Town were infected and dyed Soliloquium or Discourse CHaritable Visits to our Neighbours many times prove uncharitable to our selves such proved this of my self Nurse and others to the sick Bed of the Vicar of the Town by which the Inhabitants were infected and many of his Parishioners followed him not only to but into the Grave whereof many were Children Plants of my Age and standing Cruel Death as an Enemy to time and Man-kinde Saturn-like delighting to devour tender Babes as well as aged Men which his enmity our good God converts to our good that so being fore-warn'd we might be fore-arm'd and alwayes prepared to encounter him as being both the most certain and the uncertain Adversaâ—y O my Soul hath Death often by sickness and danger shaken thy Glass and lest Summons and Suppenaes at thy Door and hath the great Numberer of thy Sands and Days from time to time sent thee Repreeves with King Phillip's Motto written on the back-side of them Mortalis es Is more than three Quarters of thy Years of Life posted away in Childhood Youth Man-hood sin and vanity O let the small remainder with Solomon be thy Ecclesiastes to preach this his experimental truth to thy Children and all following Generations Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit that so thou despising all things under the Sun mayst soar aloft and enjoy that only chief good that is above the Sun thy God in Christ blessed for ever to whom in a thankful remembrance of this great signal and primitive mercy and deliverance I humbly present this following Ejaculation and thanks-giving The ANTIDOTE Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject FIâ— lazie Soul shall the Idolaters give Vnto dead Marbles praise and wilt thou live Vnthankful Shall God's Instrument thy Tongue Be tun'd to folly not unto his Song When in thy Youth an ignorant charity Led thee into Death's ambush He stood bie Could else one and the same infectious breath Preserâ—e thy Life which brought to others Death O in this mercy greater mercies see Death swallowing others swallow'd up of thee Lord since in dangers thou new life didst give Let Souls anew as well as Bodies live That fill'd with praise faith hope and fervent love Heart Tongue may bless thee here my Soul above Amen ARGUMENT Vpon a dangerous fall from a Horse when I was a Childe whereby I received three hurts one in the Head another in the Arme and a third in the Leg and upon God's mercy in my recovery thereof Soliloquium or Discourse SInful falls are a just cause of falls under Judgments my first fall in Adam could my Childhood have pleaded innocency as to all other deserved not only this but that which is infinitely worse a remediless fall into Hell The indulgency of my Parents in satisfying my childish desires and my too early venturousness together with the much mettle and ill qualities of my Horse were the external occasion of this my sad disaster which left me not only on the ground and cruelly hurt but for a time senseless and only fit to be carried in a Coach unto my Fathers House whose loving care prepared not only one to set my dislocated Bones but applyed Balsomes unto my wounds by which means through God's mercy I obtained health strength and a perfect recovery YOVTHS EMBLEME Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject O Gracious God and Father let my sense Be spiritualiz'd and from each Providence As Bees from Flowers suck sweetness then I shall Praise thee for greater mercies by this Fall Which was from thee a milde Correction For Adam's and my own Transgression For hadst thou judg'd severely I had fell Not only from my Horse but into Hell O Lord me thinks by this sad fall and fate Thou mind'st me of my Vnregenerate State When I indulg'd my will and rid upon A wanton Steed my loose affection Which gave me many falls wounded my Head My Reason-Faculties yea left me Dead And hurt in Arm and Leg senceless and mad Vnfit to act or walk
Heb. 10. â—2 Rom. 14.19 Not to offend a Brothers Conscience 20. 21. Counsel as to the welâ—rdering of our Tongues Tit. 3.2 Psal. 39.1 Isa. 59.7 Counsel as to the right using of our â—states Gifts and Talents Luk. 15.13 Isa. 55.2 Pro. 23.5 Eccles. 1.2 Pro. 3.9 Eccl. 11.1 2. Pro. 19.17 Luk. 16.9 Luk. 11.41 Luk. 6.35 Pro. 3.28 Deut. 15.7 Mat. 25.41 42. 43. 45. Counsel as to the well-improving of our time Eph. 5.15.16 Pro. 31.27 Pro. 19.15 Eccl. 10.18 Counsel against sinful and unprofitable Discourses 1 Tim. 6.20 Eph. 4.29 Mat. 12.37 36. Counsel against prophane swearing Mat. 5.34 37 16. Counsel against sluggishness Pro. 20.13 Counsel to watch over reprove our Neighbours and patiently to receive râ—proofs Lev. 19.17 Psal. 141.5 Gal. 6.10 Counsel to Charity Counsel concerning your Tables Luk. 21.34 1 Cor. 10.31 Eph. 5.20 1 Tim. 4.4 Concerning your Callings 1 Cor. 7.20 24. Rom. 12.11 Pro. 18.9 1 Thes. 4.6 Col. 3.9 Counsel concerning your Relations Eph. 6.1 2. 1. Of Children towards their Parents 3. 2. Of Parents to their Children 3. Of Husbands to their Wives Pro. 5 15.18.20 Eph. 5.25 28. 31.33 1 Pet 3.7 4. Of Wives to their Husbands 1 Pet 3 3. Eph· 5.22 23. 24. Tit. 2.4 5. 1 Pet. 3.4 5. Of Servants Eph. 6.5 Tit. 2.9.10 Eph. 6.6 7. 8. 6. Of Masters Eph. 6.9 Col. 4.5 6. Tit. 2.8 Psal. 101.2 Psal. 31.1 Mat. 7.6 Exod. 23.2 Pro. 1.10 15. Rom. 14.13 Luk. 17.1 Counsel as to your Carriage towards those within 1 Pet. 3.8 9. Counsel as to the Observation of God's mercies works and providences Psal. 77.11 12. Psal. 103.2 3. 4. 5. Psal. 6.9 Counsel to attend your answer and return of Prayer Isa. 21.8 Psal. 85.8 Psal. 91.15 Isa. 65.24 Heb. 12.5 Counsel as to our behaviour under afflictions and persecutions 6. 7. 8. 10. 11. 2 Tim. 3.12 2 Cor. 1.5 1 Pet. 4.14 2 Cor. 4.17 2 Tim. 2.12 Heb. 12.12 4. Heb. 2.10 Heb. 12.3 Mat. 10.24 Gal. 5.1 Counsel as to the right use of our Christian Liberty 13. Rom. 14 21. 1 Cor. 6.12 Against the abusing of grace Rom. 6.1 Rom. 3.8 Jude 4. To the Duties of prayer self-denyal bearing the Cross and perseverance 1 Pet. 4.7 Mat. 16.24 Mat. 10.22 Counsel to our growing in Grace 2 Pet. 1.10 5. 6. 7. 10. 11. The Preface to the Antidotes 1 Joh. 4.1 1 Tim. 4.1 2. 3. 4. 2 Thes. 2.3 2. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 1 Joh 4.3 2 Thes. 2.3 4. Antidotes given by the Lord Jesus against several Heresies and Errors Luk. 22.25 26. Mat. 23.8 1. Against the Popes Supremacy 9. 1 Pet. 5.3 Mat. 23.10 11.12 2. Against the Popes Infallibility Luk. 18.19 Eccles. 5.7 20. 1 John 1.10 Jam 3.1 2. Act. 15.39 Act. 13 9. Rev. 22.8 9. 1 Cor. 13.9 Mat. 10.2 Joh. 1.42 Gal. 2 9.14 Mat. 14.30 3. Against the â—â—pes Power to forâ—â—ve Sins Mark 2.7 2 Thes. 2.3 Exod. 34.6 Mark 2 1â— Col. 1.13 4. Againâ—â— the â—â—opes Power 〈…〉 from 〈…〉 â—owes and 〈◊〉 Mat. 5.33 2 Tim 3.1 Rev. 11.7 2 Tim. 3.3 Ezek 17 16. Mat. 5.19 5. Against the Popes power to add to the Scriptures or to bind Conscience by his Canons and Decretals Pro. 30.5 Psal. 19.7 2 Tim. 3.17 Pro. 30.6 Rev. 16.13 Rev. 13.11 2 Cor. 1.24 Gal. 1 8. Deut. 12.32 Rev. 21.18 19. Mark 7.7 Mat. 15.8 Mark 7.9 Col. 2.16 21. 23. Rom. 14.17 Eph. 2.20 6. Against the â—â—â—es power to â—â—nnonize Saints 〈◊〉 to Excommuniâ—â—â—e any from beâ—ng Saints Joh. 6.44 37. Joh. 10.29 Zac. 11.17 â— 15. 16. 17. Luk. 10.20 Mat. 10.28 2 Tim. 2.19 Rev. 2â— 17. Joh. 3.9 10. 2 Tim. 3.9 7. Against the Popes Power to exercise the Civill Sword against those that will not reâ—eive his Doctrine 1 Tim. 3.2 3. Mat. 26.51 52. Rev. 13.10 Rev. 16.5.6 Mat. 24.48 49 50. 51. Antidotes given by the Lord Jesus against several Heresies and Errors of the Apostate â—â—â—â—â—ane Church Rom. 6.10 Heb. 9.12 Heb. 7.27 Ezek 24.6 Zep. 3 1â— Rev. 17.5 1. Against the Idolatry of the Mass. Hab. 2.19 Luk. 22.19 Mat. 26.28 Joh. 6.55 62. 63. Heb. 10.11 12. 1 Joh. 2·2 2. Against the false Doctrine of Purgatory Heb. 1.3 Heb. 10.12.14 Heb. 10.16.17 18. Heb. 11.5 2 King 2.11 Luk. 16.22 Luk. 23.43 Rev. 14.13 Psal. 9.17 3. Against the Praying to and worship of the Saints Psal. 65.1 2. Psal. 62.5 1 Sam. 12.24 Mat. 4.10 Rev. 17.16 4. Eccl. 9.5 6. Isa. 63.16 2. Of Angels Eph. 3 12. Col. 2.18 Rev. 19.10 Judg. 13.16 Joh. 14.6 1 Tim. 2.5 4. Against the worshipping of Pictures and Images Mar. 10.19 Exo. 20.4 5. 6. Rev. 13.1 Rev. 14.9 Mat. 7.9 Joh. 3 19. Isa. 40.18 Isa. 42.8 17. Act. 17.25 Isa. 46.6 Exod. 32 4 5 6. Judg. 17.3 4 12 13. 2 King 12. 28 29 30 31 32 33. Rom. 1.21 22 23. Psal. 97.7 5. Against the false Doctrine of freedome from Original Sin Job 15.14 Job 14.4 Psal. 51.5 Gen. 6.5 Eph. 2.3 Eph. 2.1 Pro. 20.9 Eccl. 7.20 Job 2.3 Job 42.6 Psal. 143.2 Dan 9.8 Act. 9.15 Rom. 17.24 Rom. 7.18 1 Joh. 1.8 Luk. 17.10 Dan. 7.8 21. 1 Cor. 1.31 6. Against the false Doctrine concerning free-will Rom. 9.16 Rom. 7.18 Eph. 2.8 Rom. 6.23 Joh. â— 25 Col. 2.15 7. Against the false Doctrine of Justification by Works Isa 64.6 Isa. 44.24 25. Rom. 3.20 21. 22. 23. 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 10.4 1 Cor. 1.30 The Preface of the Lord Jesus to his Antidotes against several other Heresies and Errors of the last times 2 Tim 3.1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Antidotes first against Atheisme Psal. 14.1 Rom. 1.18 19. 20. 2. Against the Heresie of 〈◊〉 Joh. 17.25 Joh. 14.6 Joh. 1.18 Joh 14.9 Joh. 10.30 38. Joh. 1.1 3. 4. Joh. 1.14 Col. 1.15 16. 17. 3. Against the Heresie of denying the Holy Ghost to be God 1 Joh. 5.7 Mat. 28.18 19. Gen. 1.2 Psal. 33.6 Joh. 15.26 Joh. 16.13 14. Act. 5.3 4. Mat. 12.31 2 Cor. 13.14 Joh. 16.17 Joh 7.20 Rom. 15.16 4. Against the Heresie of Community of Women 1 Thes. 4.3 4. 5. 1 Cor. 7.2 Mat. 19.4 5. Against Poligamy Mal. 2.14 15. 2 Mal. 16. Mat. 9.9 Eph. 5.23 â—3 6. Against the forsaking and casting off Gospel-Ordinances 1 Thes. 5.19 Luk. 10.16 Joh. 8.17 Joh. 10.3 1 Joh. 4.6 1 Cor. 11.24 25. 26. 1 Thes. 5.17 Psal. 14.4 7. Against those who lay aside and make useless the Moral Law Mat. 5.17 18. 19. 8. Against those who cast off and despise Civil Government Mat. 22.21 Rom. 13.1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 9. Against those who prefer a Light within them before besides and against the Scriptures 1 Joh. 5.19 Joh. 3.19 Rom. 3.9 10.11 Luk· 11.35 Mat. 6.23 10. Against Enthusiasmes 1 Joh. 4.1 Mat. 24.23 24. 25. 2 Cor 11.13 14. 15. Isa. 8 20. 11. Against Anti-Scripturists 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20 21. 12. Against those who deny Infants Baptisme and the Lords Day to be a Christian Sabbath Mat. 10.13 14. 15. 16. Act. 2 3â— 1 Cor.
Vew here his face from the Jngravers mint And in his workes his life and Soule in Print The True Effigies of Sir James Harington Knight and Baronet HORAE CONSECRATAE OR Spiritual Pastime CONCERNING Divine Meditations Upon the great Mysteries of our Faith and Salvation Occasional MEDITATIONS and Gratulatory Reflexions upon particular Providences and Deliverances vouchsafed to the Author and his Family ALSO A SCRIPTURE-CATECHISME Dedicated to the Service of his Wife and Children AND NOW Published together with other Treatises mentioned in the following Page for Common Use. By Sir JAMES HARRINGTON Kt. and Baronet London Printed for the Author 1682. The Contents of the Six Treatises I. Treatise THe Vision Exercise and Triumph of Faith In which is discovered from the Elevated and Holy Mount of Divine Contemplation 1. The shadows of Faith 2ly The true Faith and its Object God in Christ more particularly The Lord Jesus Christ in his Incarnation Life Death Passion Resurrection Ascension and coming to Judgment with the Benefits accruing from them to every true Believer 3dly The lost and miserable condition of every man by Nature 4ly The Restauration of man by Grace considered as accomplish'd by Christ in and by his Priestly Prophetical and Kingly Offices 5ly A Prospect of Eternal Life considered in the Glorification of the Soul and Body particularly as to the Faculties and Affections of the Soul and as to the Senses and Members of the Body in the new Heaven and new Earth during Christs personal Reign upon Earth for a thousand years 6ly A Prophetical Vision of Faith holding forth twelve great works of God which will shortly begin to appear and shall be fulfilled in their Respective Seasons and to be ended in the Translation of the Saints to Heaven The Compleatment of Scripture Prophesies the particulars of which Twelve Magnalia Dei View in the next page all which is intermixt with Holy Soliloquies and Divine Ejaculations applicable and profitable to every true Believer II. Treatise A Scripture-Catechisme contained in an Epistle sent by the Authour in the Name and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ to his Wife and Children wherein in Scripture-phrases only is held forth the Doctrine and Duty of a true Christian A work of excellent use for private Families as an Appendix to Catechising III. Treatise Divine Meditations upon the Creation Mans Fall and Redemption by Christ presented by the Author to his Parents in the one and twentieth year of his Age. IV. Treatise A Pillar of Praise or Occasional Meditations upon many Remarkable Mercies and Deliverances vouchsafed by the Lord to the Author and his nearest Relations V. Treatise The Lords days Preeminence above all other days held forth in an humble answer to a paper or Quere given to the Author by King Charles the First concerning the Observation of the Lords day and Easter day VI. Noahs Dove or an Epistle of peace directed by the Author to his Fatherly affected Brethren the Presbyterians and Independents as a probable means for their Agreement and Union TWELVE MAGNALIA DEI Or Heads of the wonderful Works and Actings of God on Earth by the Lord Jesus Christ during his Mediatorie Kingdome not yet Accomplisht All which are Treated of in three Tracts of this Volume I. THe Raising of the Witnesses Rev. 11.3 unto the 13th II. The Victorious Kingdom of Christ appearing in the Burning of the City of Rome Rev. 18.8 9. III. The Total and Final Ruine of the Papacie and of the Papal Kings of the Earth her Popish Supporter Rev. 19.19 20 21. IV. The Return to Canan of the Ten Tribes and the Jews and their Conversion Rom. 11.25 to the end V. The total Overthrow of the Turkish Empire by the Israelites and the subduing of all open Enemies of the Saints by the reformed Nations Ezek. 38 39. Chapters Dan. 2.44 45. VI. The Binding and Casting of Satan and his Angels into the Bottomless Pit the Local Hell for one thousand years to begin as I humbly conceive about the six thousand year of the world according to a true Chronology and Account Rev. 20.1 2 3. VII The Conversion of the whole World to the profession of Christianity Psal. 67. to the end Rev. 11.15 VIII The Peaceable Kingdome of Christ to be exercised by his Saints in this World for one thousand years the time of Satans Imprisonment which will begin as I humbly conceive in the year of the World six thousand and one being Daniels first Monarchy Rev. 2.44 45. Chap. 7.17 18.26 27. Rev. 20.4 And the Churches Sabbatisme upon this Earth Heb. 4.9 IX The Loosing and the Re-casting Satan and his Angels into Hell after the destruction of Gog and Magog by Fire Rev. 20.7 8 9 10. Together with the Consuming and Renewing of the whole Elementary World at our Lords coming the second time to Judgment by the same Fire 2 Thes. 2.7 8 9. X. Christs coming to Judgment under which is comprehended the Change or Resurrection of all the Elect to Glory 1 Thes. chap. 3. v. 13. to the end And Christs Remunerative Act of Justice to them in their Reigning with him upon the Renewed Earth a thousand years Rev. 2.4 5 6. XI The Raising of all the Wicked to Judgment a thousand years after the Elect Rev. 20.5 and the Sentenceing them and the Wicked Angels Rev. 20.11 XII The Translation of all the Elect to Heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 and the delivering of Christs Mediator Kingdome to his Father 1 Cor. 15.24.28 A Synopsis of the General Heads of this Treatise THe Definition of Faith Page 3 Diverse sorts of Faith viz Historical 4 Temporary 8 Miraculous 15 The Means of Faith 21 The Object of Faith Christ 22 Christ Born of the Virgin Mary 24 Persecuted by Herod ibid. His Agony 27 His Condemnation by Pilate 28 Crucified 30 His Death 33 His Burial 34 His Victory over Hell 35 His Resurrection 36 His Ascension 38 I. Man by Nature miserable in his Soul viz. in his Mind in general 41 Understanding 42 Conscience ibid. Will 44 Affections 45 The disorder in them namely in Joy which cannot be in Riches 48 Honours ibid. Pleasures ibid. Wisdom 49 Fear 50 II. Mans misery in body In general 51 In particular the sinfulness in his Eyes 53 Ears 54 Smell ibid. Taste 55 Touch ibid. Christs Priests Office in general 57 Intercession in particular 60 Satisfaction by both 61 Of Justification 62 Forgiveness of sins 63 Imputative Righteousness 63 The Definition thereof 64 Proofs of our right to Christs Imputative Righteousness by Scripture Demonstrations 65 General Questions and Objections answered 67 A Dialogue between Christ and the soul 74 The souls particular eompalint Against the mind and understanding 74 Christ answ 75 Against the Conscience 75 Christ answ 75 Against hardness of heart 76 Christ answ 77 Against the memories 78 Christ answ 79 Against the will 80 Christ answ 80 Against the affections viz. Love 81 Joy 81 Christ answ 83 Her general complaint of her Vniversal unworthyness 84 Christ
O have these fleshy eyes of ours such various presentations of pleasure to delight these Bodies of Clay with and can we imagine Faith the eye of the immortal Soul can be destitute of a subject worthy its view and contemplation O no my Soul The weakest-sighted Faith enjoys a far better and more excellent prospect viz. with Eagles eyes looking abroad upon the glorious Son of Righteousness and Son of God Jesus Christ. The Life of the Body gives the first power and motion to the Eye but this Heaven-aspiring sight gives the Soul its first Life Hear me saith God that is believe in me and your Soul shall live The Earthly Sun suffers sometimes an Eclipse so did ours once for all An interposition caused the one the other not any defect in his own Body or Light but a condense Darkness an Orb of Sin for a time obscured his brightness Women and Children whose shallow reach fathome not the depth of Natures works may with a flying fear hide themselves not daring to behold the labouring Sun when a learned Artist by Water or reflection searcheth out the cause and greatness of an Eclipse Worldly and carnal Men may mask their understanding with a wilfull ignorance But do thou O Lord which hides these things from the Wise and revealest them unto Babes make me to apprehend the reason and admire the infiniteness of thy suffering Earth affords not a neerer Union or Relation than friendship That mysterial incorporation and perfect conjunction of Wedlock is but an inclusive of this that being more particular this more general Society is the happiness of Mans life this is the height of that Conjunction and the perfection of that happiness He is either most miserable or undeserving that hath not had some taste of this reciprocal foelicity Since vice and vertue have both their favourites the one exceeding in number the other in worth Thus far hath my Meditations roved on Earth ascending this height of temporary delight that from such a rise my Soul may take a quick flight to Heaven The friendship of the World and all things else in it eminent or praiseâ—worthy are but dark shadowes of Heavenly things beames derived from that eternal Light to give Light to Man Doth not the Holy Spirit express the exceeding love of the eternal Father to us his Children by the tenderness of Earthly Parents His infinite and free mercy by the charity and friendship of the Samaritan stranger The ardent and unparallel'd affection of our Saviour Jesus Christ to us his Church by a Matrimonial and espousal love O all yee that have any illumination of Faith come and witness with me if there were ever or can be any love amity or affection like unto this which God hath shewed towards us Lord I would fain express thy acts of mercy the witness of thy love and object of my Faith but who is sufficient for these things or able to express what he cannot sufficiently conceive of How or where shall I begin when Lord my beginning was from thee Yea from all beginnings hast thou chosen me and in time hast thou called me void of love desire and freedome of will or any other congruity remote or sufficient to answer thee calling being the servant of Sathan and Bond-slave of Sin and therefore an Aliene from thee and the common wealth of Israel One not only sick but dead in sins and trespasses and therefore unable to move towards thee A natural Man perceiving not the things of God and therefore ignorant of thee Thy love alone was the cause of mine for herein is love not that we loved thee but that thou loved'st us first Nor foreknowledge of my after works or willingness to receive grace occasioned this free Election For not of works which I had done but according to thy mercy didst thou elect and save me From thy free and gracious predestination my faith with a devout affection makes haste to behold the Foundation thy dear Son Jesus Christ my Saviour O wonder O infinite Love O admirable friendship He whose glory and greatness the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain was inclosed within the Womb of a poor though pure Virgin God descends in humility from Heaven that Man might ascend Heaven in Glory becoming like to Man that Man might be like to him Not Rome the Metropolis of the World nor Jerusalem the glory of Judea must tryumph in the birth or be made more honourable by the first presence of Emanuel but Bethlem the least of the Cities of Juda. Which poor place either ignorant or regardless of so high a favour was not only void of thankfulness and common courtesie but of neighbourly hospitality A Stable a Manger and brute Beasts being the Palace the Cradle the company it prepared for the entertainment of the Worlds Saviour Behold here a mystery of mysteries He who knows no beginning now begins to be that his being in nature might give us a being in grace in glory And in his Infancy did our gracious Redeemer begin to suffer the entrance of his life being but the Prologue of his sorrow and the total thereof a continued passion His innocent Child-hood is made the subject of treason and nought but his slaughter must allay the Tyrants suspition What needed any unjustly or violently to have sought his Death who willingly came to Dye only living the life of Man that for Man he might be capable of Death This Herodian cruelty hath a deeper dye than Nero's Tyranny For he destroyed the World only in his wish but this Man by one act would have made not our Bodies only but our Souls mortal O sweet Jesus thou fleddest into Egypt not to preserve life but to die daily avoiding his merciless Power that thou mightest declare thy powerfull mercy Thy Death by which we live must not be constrained least ungrateful Man should esteem it no gift The strength and policy of Herod are unable to wrest that per-force from thee which thou purposest freely to give Infancy must not suffer for Man-hood since the greater includes the less but the lesser cannot comprehend the greater That perfection of Age that made Mans rebellion and sin more full more hatefull must make thy obedience and sufferings more compleat more acceptable Not Bethlem but Jerusalem the center of the World must be the Theatre of infinite mercy of merciless cruelty that thy passion being acted in the place wherein the Legal Ceremonies were celebrated the Types and Figure might more clearly point out the substance All those bloody Sacrifices being abolished by one Sacrifice of blood After this escape of danger in his Child-hood and reprieved of his life for a time did not the increase of his years multiply his sorrows No doubt he suffered as well as fulfilled the Law for us during those thirty years he obscured himself At twelve years of age we finde him disputing in the Temple when surely
whatsoever piece of his workmanship hath this glorious stamp or pourtraiture erazed or defaced must needs remain useless naked and without honour To apply this to my own Soul Is it thus How miserable then and deformed is the Person of every Man by Adam with and in whom we have lost our God our selves and all our perfections Hast thou heard O my Soul of that material and obscure darkness which the Egyptians felt On thee there was and upon all natural Men there is the like obscurity Only they differ in this Man feels it not That darkness being no more empty of light than the mind of Man is vacant of the knowledge of God the worship of God and his own eternal happiness witness that of the Apostle The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto Him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned that is by the light of the Spirit In Egypts deficiency of light no doubt it was a part of their torment to mistake one thing for another so in this sinfull deprivation such is the vanity of the mind that it calls good evil and evil good It takes sweet for bitter and bitter for sweet Salvation the contrary to damnation being in his understanding in the end only free from its mistake or fruition Noah was not more drunken with the strength of Wine than the understandings of wretched Men with the strength of sin to which the Prophet alludes saying They are drunken but not with Wine they stagger but not with strong Drink Neither was Eutichus more dead asleep when he fell even into Death then the prodigal Sons to whom justly God hath given the spirit of slumber Eyes that they should not see Eares that they should not hear Sin as sleep deprives Man of the true use of all those sences which should serve for the use of his Soul The Man possest in the Gospel is the miserable and true Figure of an unregenerate Soul We finde him possest with a Devil and tormented with a Legion of Devils And is not the accusing conscience of a wicked Man as a thousand Witnesses We read that he only lived unto himself avoided society the Tombes being the fittest mansions for such unsociableness His actions there were to be his own Executioner and enemy Night and Day crying and cutting himself with stones O my Soul proceed but to bring the substance to the shaddow and thou wilt confess how lively this Satanical lunary acts the tragical part of a depraved conscience Cain the first that received and took away life from Man affrighted with the terrour of his bloody conscience was forced to fear and flie the face of Man his own tongue bellowing out his own misery in that tormenting Exclamation My punishment is greater than I can bear The distempered and melancholy â—its of Saul which the Holy Ghost calls an evil spirit we are partly occasioned without doubt by the barking fury of his conscience Such Hell of minde being seldome without a Devil to add fuell to the flame and torment to the tormented Let Judas conclude all and by the conclusion of his life who went out and strangled himself preach to all the conclusion of that Soul which spurd with guilt thinks to flie from its self and from the uppermost Hell of despair leaps into the nethermost Hell of pain Bearing still about him what he shun'd even that only immortaliz'd Worm of insect sprung from corruption which then shall gnaw more furiously Eternity and despair of remedy doubling the unmeasurableness of the torture Should my thoughts now pass from the conscience some consciences would at least in their own conceits account themselves like those of Laodicea to be rich and increased with goods and to have need of nothing when as they are indeed wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked Therefore that we may all know that we are miserable the better to confess Gods mercy the more to thirst after his salvation we must know that there are hardned Pharaohs aswell as a despairing Judas As that Body is most dangerously diseased whose external parts the vital and animating spirits having as it were made a recess are left insensible and without feeling So that Soul is in a deadly that is damnable estate whose conscience the quickning power of the holy spirit being utterly with-drawn remains speechless and cauterized Of this condition were many before the Flood notwithstanding the preaching of righteous Noah After the Flood the Sodomites Under the Law Pharaoh and some of the Israelites in the Wilderness Under the Gospel the Scribes and Pharisees of whom our Saviour observes that God had blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes and be converted that he might heal them He is no friend that is not an eye a hand a tongue unto his friend to fore-see his peril and to fore-warn and assist him in danger Nor can that conscience be a faithfull inmate to the soul whose searching sight the sun-shine of the World hath bleard whose awakeing touch custome in sin hath deaded and whose sharp point and wounding edge the Devil hath rebated the delights of the Flesh prooving a Sibyls sop unto this Cerberus a Dalilah unto this Sampson That part which the Chyrurgion intends to cut off he first benums And those Persons whom the Lord determines to rescind from the visible Body of his Church he commonly hardens as were those spoken of by the Apostle whose Consciences were seared as with an hot Iron Lord let my conscience be neither like Nabal's heart dead as a stone within him Nor yet like Dives tongue tormented in merciless flames But like Peter's Cock never ceasing to crow until I weep bitterly Yea let it be my Nathan who am as David a sinner my Samuel who am disobedient as Saul So shall my conscience be unto me a happy copesmate one whose words are better unto me as a friend than her kisses as an enemy Of all the faculties of the Soul the will is most dependent its act and operation being moved by the determination or suggestion of the rest viz. the minde understanding and affections For before any thing is done by Man there is a consultation had in the Soul where after a disputation pro con at length this thing or that is agreed of to be the bonum which in due season the will as the â—ouls agent puts in execution Now there is Gods bonum such a one as we shall finde in holy Chronology exprest in the Frontispiece of every good Kings life Instance in Hezechiah He did that which was right or good in the sight of the Lord. And there is Mans bonum also so called not because positively or simply so in it self but in relation to purblinde Man who so esteemeth it Witness that sacred and historical annotation
he became a Priest unto God not to offer up for himself or for others expiating Sacrifices because sin then was not for God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good But his sweet incense was Prayer proceeding not from want but from love and duty his Kids were the Calves of his Lips inflamed with praise and sparkling with admiration from the Altar of a pure heart an un-bloody Sacrifice But this Jubile continued not a Year a Moneth a Week I think scarcely a Day God's first Sabbath of rest I suppose was the utmost date of Mans freedome from sin For no sooner had temptation voluntary leave to enter through the sences into this holy Temple but the ambush of sin rushed out of Sathans imposture as the Grecians from their Horse and overthrew and polluted the Priest the Sacrifice and the Altar If the Clay works not according to the mind of the Potter no marvail if he bruise it to powder And if the Creature honour not the Creator 't is Justice in him to destroy it When the House of God is become a Den of Thieves the Priest of God an Idolater and servant to sin and the Altar of God dedicated to Sathan It must needs follow that the curse of God fore-threatned shall now be executed Yee shall surely die O wretched Man hath God pronounced that thou shalt die Be ascertained thou must die since his unchangable Decrees are shaddowed out unto us by the Laws of the Medes and Persians which alter not Must Man die and hath God enacted it who then can deliver us from this Body of Death Be of good comfort we have mercy for our Esther the Son of God for our Mordecay who hath without reversing qualified and fulfilled the decree of his Father Who now can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifies who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us being the only Mediator betwixt God and Man All Priests since the fall within the Church of God were the Types of our high Priest Christ Jesus For no sooner was there a breach made betwixt God and Man the Creator and the Creature but mercy pleaded for a reconciliation and that reconciliation in Justice required a Mediator which is the Lord Jesus A principal part of whose Mediatorship is this his office of the Priesthood Before the Law typified in Melchizedeck in the Law pre-figured by Aaron and his Sons and in the Gospel really executed and fulfilled by himself The acts of this his office are chiefly two as being proportionable to the defect and necessity of Man the offendor viz. To satisfie to intercede Go forth now my Soul and bid defiance to all thy Enemies For the Shield of thy faith shall receive all their darts without any danger to thee retorting them back even into the adversaries faces Appear now with confidence before the judgment Seat of God bringing with thee to the Bar of Mercy thy Advocate Christ Jesus Thither summon Sin that Tyrant whom whilst thou weart a Traytor to thy Maker thou didst serve together with those Homicides Death and Hell Let him bring his Parent with him also even Sathan his Agent thy Accuser yea let thy own conscience be called as a Witness Lastly let the Law be prefer'd as thy Inditement Against all those let thy Saviour oppose himself and maugre their objections and accusations plead thy innocency that so thy righteousness may break forth as the light and thy judgment as the Noon-day For he shall trample thine and his Enemies under his feet and destroy them with the two-edged Sword of his Word Doth Sin challenge a right on thee Our Saviour answers That the old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that hence-forth thou should'st not serve Sin Doth Death and Hell cry out we are thy wages The Almighty Conquerour replies O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory And that thou maist never hereafter fear 't is added Death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire Doth Sathan accuse thee behold thy Michael shall chase this malitious Dragon from the judgment Seat witness that voice of tryumph that the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down which accused them before our God Day and Night And as for thy conscience fear not its testimony since it ceases to accuse when Sin is not imputed For whosoever is born of God sinneth not Again a spotless and blameless conscience cannot be a blaming and condemning conscience But Christ through the eternal Spirit hath offered himself without spot to God that he might purge thy Conscience from dead works Wherefore having such an High Priest over the House of God draw thou neer with a free Heart in full assurance of Faith Lastly doth the severe justice of the Law threaten to swallow thee up strengthen and comfort thy self in Christ who hath redeemed thee from the curse of the Law being made a curse for thee for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree c. Yea let this following immunity The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus having made thee free from the Law of Sin and Death dismiss thy fears and silence all thy adversaries O my Saviour who art only the true Melchizedeck the compleatment of Aaron's Priest-hood and the end of the Law How much praise is thy due from me thy redeemed since to me is thy saying verified Blessed are those Eyes that see those things that I see And the Eares that hear those things that I hear Abraham saw thee in Isaac David saw thee in Solomon but I see thee in thy self yea in these and in all other thy Types I see thee also and that with much comfort and confirmation in thy Calling Vnction Bloody Sacrifice Sanctification Redemption Ascention and Intercession which were heretofore mysteriously bound up in the Levitical Priest-hood are now fulfilled and to me graciously manifested Lord Jesus since of thy free mercy thou hast made my deafness to hear and hast given me sight that was blinde for the strengthning of my faith As I have seen thee in thy types so let me see thee also in that eternal decree of thy Father So shall salvation appear Gods act and not Mans phantasie viz. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Thou art the Lamb slain that takes away the sins of the World Lastly let me behold the execution thereof wherein the Lord is both offered to me and accepted for me viz. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased O my Soul what canst thou now more desire as having the Decree of God for thy Foundation the merit
wonderfully delivered O thou which hast wrought all these things for me work in me an experimental and sensible knowledge a continued and enlarged thankfulness So shall I give to thee the praise and receive from thee the comfort of that benediction Blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven and whose sin is covered No sooner had the power and wisdome of God puld off the Visard of the Chaos and discovered the form of Heaven and Earth but he adorned and clothed them with beautifull Creatures all his works having not only in their Beeing a naked existence but a fulness of goodness which is their perfection If these things which God made for the use of Man were exceeding good Surely Man whom he made for his own use and glory was in his first Creation in Nature and shall be in this second of Grace indued with a plenitude of excelling graces To be and not to be good is to be evil as wanting the Character of the Creator Who is a most pure Essence there is no mean betwixt good and evil every Soul being either conformed to the Image of God or deformed after the similitude of Sathan Now to them upon whose fore-heads the Seal of the living God is placed is given a two-fold righteousness the one inherent and imperfect not if simply considered as the work of the Spirit but as it is accompanied and mixed with the corruptions of nature Our best performances being like unto those strange births which receive their life and beeing from God their deformities from some defect or vice in nature But of this in another place The other is that infinitely perfect legal super-errogating and inherent righteousness of the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ which God the Father beholding his Sons sufferings and fulfilling the Law together with his own promise and Covenant which is a due debt in Justice imputes to them to whom in his unspeakable mercy he gives faith to receive and apply it This I call infinitely perfect as being the righteousness of God as well as Man by reason of the communication of properties from the union of nature I call it legal because the Law was the object and rule thereof Super-errogating because it super-abounds and is made the sole merrit of Saints Lastly I tearm it inherent as being the actual righteousness and obedience of the Man Christ Jesus All his sufferings by reason of the spontaneous and loving offer of himself being also the acts of his will as well as the passions of his nature O wonder of love O miracle of mercy O divine charity which in the lowest depth of our misery and swelling height of our Rebellion cloth'd not only our Bodies nakedness but our Souls as that first hid our outward pollutions from our selves so this our inward corruptions from God For ever blessed be thou O Lord for that union of thy Spirit and gift of faith by which I put on nay more am made one with Christ. What suggestion of Sathan or contradiction of depraved nature granting me a member of this Head a branch of this Vine can make it difficult to prove or dares deny my right to possess this spotless Robe As the union of Soul and Body of Head and Members produceth a sympathizing property and joynt-propriety to every thing so my union with Christ as being the Soul of my Soul the Head of his Church entitles me to and gives me whatsoever is his And no doubt as it is horrible blasphemy to account any part of the Lords humane Body as sinfull and unclean So it is unreasonable infidelity and shamefull impiety to think any true member of his mystical Body can be as in him unrighteous and defiled his perfect and abounding righteousness being like to that pretious and sacred anointing Oile which according to the Psalmist was poured on the head of Aaron and went down to the skirts of his Vesture This O this his innocency and merit is that white Robe which was given to them that were slain for the Word of God and the testimony which they held This is that glorious Sun which clothes the Church that Woman in travaile Yea this is that beautifull wedding garment wherewith Christ our Bridegroom invests every true invited and elected Guest The Linen Vestments of the Jewish High Priest were comely enough to minister in at the ordinary and daily Sacrifice But they were accounted too mean and poor when he entred into the holy of holiest The Rayment of Joseph a Prisoner though good enough perhaps for that place must be changed when he is presented before Pharaoh a King Yea the Prodigals Rags may serve him whilst he serves the Devil and feeds with the Swine of the World upon the husks of vanity Every true Christian is a Priest unto God the Sanctum is the Church militant wherein we minister and that but for a year Mans whole life being but a revolved year Again we are all Stewards to the World to whom our flesh in nature our Mistriss hath plighted her troth so that if we once became Josephs in denying her lusts we must with Joseph undergo slander affliction and imprisonment Lastly we are naturally Prodigals also Our portion is the common goods of the minde of the body of education The waisters and consumers of this our first patrimony are the Dallilahs of Sin Now though we may minister on Earth amongst our brethren cloth'd in the white Garments of a good report and profession though whilst we are imprisoned in affliction or spoyled by sin and Sathan the tatter'd Rags of sorrow and lamentation may serve us yet when we are converted and ascend afterwards into the Sanctum Sanctorum the Heaven of Heavens when we shall appear before the Lord Jesus our King and return unto God our Heavenly Father we must be cloth'd with the Golden Garments the clean Vestments the best Robes even that meritorious righteousness of our loving Saviour which being the Rayment of our elder Brother may assure us with Jacob of a blessing and acceptance here of Glory hereafter Away then from my thoughts that perfection and merit which some dream of in renewed nature That scant sacrilegious and unthankfull opinion of our Saviours active and passive obedience such Tenants as it were halt and disgracefully curtaile the ample and large Garments of our Lord that so vain pride might patch it up with the old Rags and rotten performances of Mans desert Lord thy Word teacheth me and my own infirmities inforces me to another yet better Plea Can Man be justified in thy sight or how can he be clean that is born of a Woman Behold even the Stars are not pure in thy Sight how much less Man that is a Worm We are all thy Creatures thy servants The observance of thy commands is the work we are made and hired for Now could we as thou know'st we cannot perfectly obey thy will there
adversaries an Angel pointing out a living Fountain to all thirsty Hagars even that Spring of grace his Prophetical Office Thirsty I say for none but such taste present and perfect comfort and refreshâ—ing from hence Encouragement indeed all others may have from this Office which are not yet called to enâ—deavour and exercise themselves in the means which beget faith and repentance notwithstanding the resisting impossibility of their nature as beholding the free promise and enabling gift of God in Christ. But the Covenant and the blessing belongs and is effectual to those sensibly and chiefly That hunger and thirst after righteousness For they shall be filled To proceed then let all Men observe with me two spiritual streams or works flowing from this Office The first is the Divine Revelation of the will of God so far as it was necessary for his Church by the Mouths and Pens of the Prophets and Apostles and that through the immediate inspiration and instinct of the third Person in Trinity his most Holy Spirit All which issuing from the living Fountain the Lord Jesus who is in the midst of his Garden the Church as so many Rivolets do make glad the City and water the Paradise of God This is that work that is wâ—ought without us yet with an end to work within us and upon us all being according to St. Paul that Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles upon which the Church is built Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone O Eternal Beeing who art as mercifull as great a Father God to me thy unworthy Creature should I in this prospect of my weak faith carelesly oâ— silently pass by so high a favour so gracious a work of thine as this towards my Soul Thou mightest justly take my object or my sight or both from me for such unthankfulness Is the revelation of secrets the greatest expression of friendship And to be of the Kings Council the chiefest honours And shall not I as a Christian apprehend apply and be gratefull for such â—avours as these confer'd by a far greater Person in a far greater manner and measure upon a far unworthier object than ever they can sample If the Letters and mandates of Princes are received with so much reverence preserved with so much care esteemed honoured and obeyed How much more the Words and Scriptures of God the Prince of Princes Are Books but the Soul in Print the Beams of Mans wisdome what is this but the life of the Soul the Book of Wisdome and the Book of Books Here is the height of Metaphysicks as revealing what so ever can be known either of God or Angels The use and summe of both Phylosophies in the Creation and Decalogue The knowledge of Astronomy in Job The exactest Geography and truest Chronology in Genesis and Chronicles The mystery of Numbers in the Levitical Ceremonies Daniel and the Revelations The exercise of Rhetorick throughout the Prophets especially in Esay The marrow and art of Logick in Saint Paul's Epistles and in all which is above all as the Sun amongst the Planets the whole Body of Divinity Here are Politicks for the Statist in Ecclesiastes Oeconomicks for the House-keeper in Proverbs Instruction for the Woman from Solomon's Mother And David's Poesie for the Poets Lastly here 's wisdome for the ancient for it maketh wise unto Salvation Here 's a beautifull Spouse and love Canticles for the youthfull and religious Amorist And here is Milk from the Sacramental Teaâ—s for the new-born Babe Yea what can my heart seek Lord which thou hast not placed in this Book of Life in this library of my Soul It remains nâ—w only that I beseech from thee the true use thereof viz. the knowledge and worship of thee So shall I be not only a hearer and Reader but a doer of thy Word not deceiving my own Soul From this work of Gods Spirit iâ— the Word without us I proceed to that second work of the Spirit wrought within us viz. Sanctification being a conformation of our willâ— unto his O my Soul here is that thou seekest for The knowledge of the greatest happiness without possibility of fruition is not the least of torments And to behold the Crown Robes and Priviledges of a Christian without either visible means to obtain or a true propriety of weaâ—ing them makes but our misery more miserable Thou weart even now lifted up and cast down exalted with joy and humbled with sorrow For looking upward thou beholdest with holy Stephen Heaven open and the Lord Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God But alass whilst thou weart ravisht with this Vision a multitude of thine Enemies not much unlike nor less cruel than his Persecutors thy original Corruptions have blind-folded thy eyes and manacled thy hands separating for the present both it from thee and thee from it But now be of good comfort though thou liest dead in sin and intranc'd in astonishment the Lord of life is come down unto thee Who manger all these Hell-hounds that watch over thee will give thee part in the first Resurrection He is thy spiritual Elisha and the Prince of the Prophets who will lay his Mouth to thy Mouth that so thou maist praise and confess him his Eyes to thy Eyes that thorough faith thou maist behold him his Hands upon thy Hands that in deeds thou mayest obey him yea his whole and living Body upon thy dead Body that so thou maist revive and live in him Behold there Him of whom his own saying concerning John the Baptist is evidently verified A Prophet yea and more than a Prophet even the God of the Spirits of all Prophets Who least thy weak and sinfull nature should fear to approach unto or lend an Eare unto his Word hath vailed his glorious Deity with humanity therein being typified by Moses when he covered his shining Face as well as prophesied of him saying A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you amongst your Brethren like unto me Like unto Moses indeed as being a Man an Israelite a Prophet full of Miracles meekness of the Spirit yet with this difference of degrees the one was comparatively the other perfectly full the one a Vessel the other a Fountain the one the Servant the other the Son according to that of the Apostle This Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as he who hath builded the House hath more honour than the House Moses being faithful as a Servant but Christ as a Son Next whereas O my Soul thou objectest the deadness of thy nature thy sleeping in sin I confess indeed thou art so But hearken unto thy Saviours Tryumph which doth not only pierce but give thee Eares Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The hour being come and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live
though I had not received them Further as thine have many objects of holy joy within them so have they many also without them David preferred Jerusalem above his chiefest joy And the spiritual prosperity and welfare of the Church was St. Paul's hope joy glory and Crown of rejoycing But such O Lord is the natural depravation of my affections that instead of wishing well unto Sion I am ready did not thy grace restrain me to persecute thee with Paul in thy members and to cry with those wicked concerning thy Jerusalem Rase it rase even to the Foundation thereof rejoycing on the contrary part with those reproved by Job and the Apostle who make Gold their hope and whose God is their Belly hungring and thirsting after momentary honours like Balaam and Haman taking the Timbrel and the Harp and rejoycing at the sound of the Organ Lastly as within and without so also above themselves they have their objects of joy even thy glory What else made that royal Prophet so piously nimble and so chearfull and publick a dancer before thy Ark what caused the Songs of Moses Myriam and Deborah yea what occasioned those joyfull expressions of thy blessed Mother of Simeon Zachary and Anna together with those two transcendent and affectionate wishes of St. Paul and Moses I say what but the joyfull magnifying of thy glory in vouchsafeing thy presence in destroying thy enemies in fulfilling thy promises and in the Salvation and Conversion of thy People But in me Lord instead of this lightsomeness in seeking of thy glory there is naturally the sinfull popularity of Absolom yea the hypocritical zeal of Jehu the vain-glorious formality of Magus and the self-seeking pride of Herod So that considering these wants and disorders in my affections no wonder if I distrust my self and cry out to thee with the Publican Lord have mercy upon me a sinner Poor Soul let not these fears and doubts discourage thee they make thy state the better not the worse Ignorance of want is the more dangerous when stomachless and silent as being thereby disabled both to ask and to receive relief Thy many complaints of defects are the true effects of those graces thou desirest Neither canst thou mourn because of no affection without some affection But to answer all thy objections weart thou emptiness it self am not I he that made Heaven and Earth of nothing Do I fill all things with my Essence and cannot I fill thee with my grace Can I be love it self for God is love and not be both willing and able to impart some rayes thereof to thee my Creature The fruits of my Spirit is love and joy which Spirit I give unto all that are mine What though the Chaos of thy corrupted nature yields no such fruits The Paradise of God in which thou art replanted doth as being watered with those Rivers of love which flow from me the Fountain Thou therefore loving me because I loved thee first as I am the only cause of thy love for I loved thee freely so I am the continuer For thou shalt abide in my love yea I will continue to love thee for whom I love I love unto the end Wherefore fear thou not the Eclipses thereof Natural Men do not more certainly expect the one than all my Saints the other As their Sun is not extinct no more is thine I thus ordaining it that in my absence thou mightest have a longing for my presence and in my presence mightest lovingly fear my absence these intermissions preceding the increase not the dimunishment of affection And since thou canst cry with David Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation doubt not but thou shalt also confess with him that my anger endureth but a moment weeping may endure for a Night but joy cometh in the Morning Again whereas thou objectest and bewailest the want of the true spiritual mirth Be not discouraged for this thy humble craving argues that thou art free from pride and self-conceitedness which usually so swells the hearts of natural Men that no place is left for grace Further it assures thee of a present possession for thou could'st never have heartily longed for that which thou never tasted nor have hated this false joy hadst not thou had some experience of the true Lastly thou hast an interest in my promise for I fill the hungry with good things As I am always filling so my servants are always hungry A good Archer is not by thee condemned for sometimes missing his Mark neither will I reject thee for some miscarriage since thy affections are bent towards me and thy constant aime is my glory To conclude Longest thou for the joys of Habakkuk David and the rest of my Saints continually petition me to be indued with the same Holy Spirit which my Father will give to them that aske him and to support thee in thy Prayers Remember and rely upon these my promises Aske and yee shall receive that your joy may be full For I am sent to comfort all that mourn to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flie away Lord Kiss me with the kisses of thy Mouth for thy love is better than Wine But O diseased Creature that I am what shall I do or what will become of me The uncovering of one malady discovers more and my infirmities like the Oyl in the Widdows Cruse multiplies upon me So that in me is verified the complaint of thy Prophet The whole Head is sick and the whole Heart faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it but wounds bruses and putrified sores I had no sooner bewailed my want of love but my misgoverned hatred torments me No sooner I accused my self for worldly and exorbitant mirth but carnal sorrow and servile fear overwhelms me Whereas those that love thee hate evil yea every false way with the workers thereof and that with a perfect hatred My cursed nature with the fool hates knowledge Yea and him that rebukes being like to those wicked Israelites the Prophet Micah speaks of That hate the good and love the evil Whereas I should be humbled and penitently chatter thus with David I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long neither is there any rest in my Bones because of my sin And also be so much affected for thy glory as to cry out yea to die with Phineas his Wife because the Ark of God was taken Or be able to say that Rivers of Waters have run down my Eyes because Men keep not thy Laws My carnal and sinful disposition is ready to make me mourn and hang down the head with Haman
But now thou art delivered from the Law that being dead wherein thou weart holden that thou shouldest serve me in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as being a Member of my Body of my Flesh and of my Bones Lastly Art thou ashamed of the nakedness of thy Body as being the Mirrour yea the effect of thy Souls wants Know that thou in the loynes of thy first Parents weart not more willing to lose and cast off that robe of righteousness than I am to restore and give thee a better As I then cloath'd thy naked Body so I will now cloath thy naked Soul Hast thou been a Prodigal behold thy Heavenly Father for my sake doth embrace thee in the armes of his mercy and covers thee with the best robe of my righteousness Hast thou been a vagrant and wanderer in the High-ways of sin and by-paths of iniquity an Alien to the Common-wealth of England Loe now thou art an invited Guest unto my Heavenly Pallace Eternal Feast and endless Nuptials being arrayed with the Wedding and glorious Garment of my Immaculate Holiness These are those Garments whose smell is like the smell of Lebanon and whose sent is Myrrh Aloes and Cassia Whose excelling sweetness doth overcome the stench of thy sins perfumes thy best actions and makest thee an acceptable Sacrifice to God Yea it makes thy Body like Moses and Stephen's face glorious upon Earth Is it not I that gives beautifull Garments to Sion and that cloath her Priests with Salvation That councel Men to buy of me white Rayments that they may be cloathed and that the shame of their nakedness do not appear That have promised to Him that overcometh The same shall be cloathed with white Rayment That appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the Garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness Wherefore O my redeemed be thou no longer solicitous and doubtfull of thy blessed estate only believe and thou shalt see the Salvation and glory of God O Lord thou hast opened my Lips therefore my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise I will greatly rejoyce in thee O Lord my Soul shall be joyfull in thee my God for thou hast cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation thou hast covered me with the Robe of Righteoousness Even as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels Therefore as thou hast freely given me all so I desire thankfully to enjoy all to thy glory To which end assist me with thy grace that these Eyes which thou hast enlightened may always devoutly behold and admire thy works That these Eares which thou hast opened may be for ever dutifully attentive to thy words And that these other sences which thou hast rightly disposed and ordered may continually obey thy will and exalt thy praise Yea these my weak hands which thou hast lifted up my feeble knees which thou hast strengthned my sliding feet which thou hast kept from falling shall readily observe thy precepts and run in the way of thy Commandments because thou hast enlarged my heart Finally Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory For of thee through thee and to thee are all things to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen I have here Dialogue-wise for the more profitable and particular handling of things briefly and plainly shewed how many rare and precious gems are treasured up in this Ark of the Covenant the Prophetical office of our Saviour as also how graciously and comfortably they are offered to and received by the hand of faith to the benefit and Jubile of every true Believer It remains now that according to my former method my Meditations pass on unto the last object and foundation of faith the Kingly office of our Saviour which is as it were the tegment and compleatment of our salvation For we are therefore reconciled and justified by our Priest taught and sanctified by our Prophet that we may obey and be protected and governed in this life by our King and be for ever glorified with him in the life to come If Men enter the presence of Earthly Princes with much civil reverence with what divine worship honour adoration and admiration O my Soul oughtest thou to enter the presence of the King of Kings and meditate upon his wonderfull acts and office This is one of those glorious mysteries which the Holy Angels desire to look into yea with which their sublime understandings are and shall be for ever delighted busied and ravished How fervent then should thy thoughts be yea in humility how earnestly shouldst thou like Jacob strive with God by Prayer to give thee this blessing also that with the Eye of thy faith together with those blessed spirits thou maist prie into this Supream and perfect Monarchy of the Prince of peace and righteousness A King is the desire of most Nations yea those Barbarians which are ignorant of all other rules of life and civility do notwithstanding acknowledge the Maxime of a Soveraignty and as bound by a Cannon Law of nature do willingly subject their Necks to this Yoak Is rule and dominion then necessary so desirable and profitable in civil societies So much conducing to the flourishing of a Common-wealth Surely it is much more requirable and beneficial for the well-governing and flourishing of the Church In which as in a Kingdome there is a mixture of good and bad Enemies within and without and those the most powerfull pernicious and malitious of all others As also many Laws to be observed rewards to be conferred corrections and punishments to be inflicted Granted then it must needs be for these respects sake that the Universal Church which is a Body a spiritual holy and glorious Monarchie must have a glorious a wise and omnipotent King and Protector Wouldst thou now O my Soul see him and know him Loe thy Mother and his Spouse calls thee and all other longing Souls to view his tryumphs in these words Goe forth even with fervent affections O yee Daughters of Zion that is all yee pure and fruitfull ones in the Church of God and behold that is apprehend with a lively faith King Solomon that is the Lord Jesus Christ the true Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother crowned him in the day of his espousals that is in his glorious state wherewith his Father hath invested him after that by his death and resurrection he hath redeemed and married us unto himself in holiness and righteousness And that thou maist have further knowledge assurance and testimony of this thy King and Saviour hear the joyfull Predictions and unerring demonstrations of the Prophets In the life of old Jacob we have that he spake at his death these faithfull words The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet
hath adopted thee his Son and esteemed thee and stiled thee his Sister and Mother To conclude lest these foregoing degrees may admit of a division he vouchsafes thee this high favour to call thee the branch He the Vine thee a member He thy Head He the Husband thee the Spouse that so a union yea the perfectest of unions might be exprest and that sweetest of Petitions be fulfilled That all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Those that are joyned unto the Lord being one spirit and one body in Christ. Tell me then O my Soul can such a Lord whose love to thee made him serve thee become a cruel Inquisitor to condemn thee Will thy friend thy brother be an Achitophel a Cain to thee Is it a thing possible that thy everlasting Father instead of the Bread of Life will give thee to the torments of Hellish Scorpions No though Parents may forget the Sons of their Wombe yâ—â— will He not forget thee Is it unnatural for the Root to suffer the Branches to wither for want of sap For the Head to deny animation to the Members yea cannot there be a true conjunction in Marriage without the cement of affection And wilt thou dare to think that that Root of Jesse thy Head thy Spouse the God of Order and Nature will destroy the Principlse of nature and with-hold the sap of his Grace and Mercy his all-quickening Spirit of Life and Glory his Eternal free and unchangeable love from thee a branch a member a beloved No account it impious Infidelity to give such a thought the least entertainment Rather if thou wilt meditate of that day which indeed is a Christians duty all being commanded to watch because we know not at what hour our Lord will come pitch thy thoughts upon the Resurrection and that happy and blessed assumption of thy Soul and Body reunited to meet thy Judge and Saviour The Apostle testifying that we shall be all caught up together in the Clouds to meet our Lord in the Ayre and that then we shall be ever with the Lord For wheresoever the Carkass is there will the Eagles be gathered together Wherefore as the same Apostle exhorts Comfort both thy self and others with these words Rely also upon and apply those golden and royal declarations of thy Judge As that he will not condemne thee when thou art judged That he that believeth on him is not condemned but hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Since God doth justifie thee who is he that condemns thee That we are often times corrected here that we should not be condemned with the World Further is it possible that thou shouldest be saluted with so sweet an invitation and denomination as Come thou blessed of my Father and be accursed Canst thou be the Heir yea the Possessor of a Kingdome and also the Slave and Prisoner of Sathan Will the righteous Judge give to them Torments of Fire and Brimstone to whom he hath promised a Crown of Glory Art thou commanded to pray for to long for to wait for thy destroyer No surely but for him that hath promised to deliver us from the wrath to come To conclude even amongst Men none that is a Delinquent must presume to possess the Bench the Seat of Judicature But know you not saith the Apostle that the Saints shall judge the World yea Angels Wherefore doubtless they must be just yea are acquitted and made innocent both imputatively and inherently in their own Persons Further if this be not sufficient to animate and strengthen thy hope let thy faith make the last Article of the Creed thy object Where thou believest everlasting life to take its beginning or rather begin its perfection immediately after death and the last Judgment The time appointed for the full reward and coronation of the Saints I know there are many gracious promises of temporal blessings and those often-times fulfill'd and confer'd upon the Saints in this life Some whereof though few of many as being a remunerating act of Christs regal and judicial Office I will by the way recite not impertinently as being earnests to them of future glory sensible tokens of Fatherly love a Pilgrims Staff for our Faith to lean upon in our lifes peregrination This maxime being first undoubtedly to be believed that the same promises made to perfect obedience under the Law had at the first a respect and are now truly applicable to faithfull sincerity under the Gospel Such that Magazene of blessings in the 28. of Deuteronomy where to the largest and several appetites every true believing and sincere obeying Christian as well as to the sacrificing Jew a most plentifull feast and satisfaction is offered Is thy calling in the City or iâ— the Field thou shalt be blessed in them both Desirest thou riches and plenty of all the fruits of the Earth and a numerous posterity and a blessed use and enjoying of them Thou hast a Pattent a great Seat for these also Art thou a Man of action and great employment for the Church or the Common wealth yea hath thy vertues splendour a shadow of envious and malitious adversaries If thou hearkenest unto the voice of the Lord thy God thou shalt be blessed when thou comest in and blessed when thou goest out and the Lord shall cause them thine Enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face Wouldest thou have thy forfeited Charter renewed and all the Creatures yea the most honourable serviceable unto thee Behold the Lord shall give his Angels charge over thee yea they shall pitch their Tents about thee and the Heaven shall give Rain unto thy Land in due season Dost thou wish for to the further glory of God a long life and an honourable place and esteem amongst Men The Lord hath promised that he will set thee on high that he will make thee the head and not the taile and with long life will satisfie thee Yea more which is the compleatment of all he will shew thee his Salvation But a long life if imbittered with sickness is but a tedious Death True But if thou fear the Lord and depart from evil it shall be health to thy Navil and marrow to thy Bones Yea thy light shall break forth as the Morning and thy health shall spring forth speedily Further dost thou desire wisdome beauty strength The righteous have promises of all these so far forth as they still perfect their happiness Whose Daughters so fair as Jobs Those that mourn in Sion have assured unto them beauty for ashes If the Feet of the Saints are beautifull surely no part else is deficient But
Lord makes a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise which I humbly conceive only extends to this Orbe of Earth and Water and to the Regions and Elements of the Aire and Fire these two last are most frequently in Scripture called Heaven That flaming and Aetherial Fire not Elementary in which the Lord Jesus shall descend and appear with the ten thousands of glorified Souls and Angels and which shall consume all the wicked that are then in the World and burn up their works shall accordingly as it is the nature and true effect and property of Fire to purge and purify each of the four Elements from all that dross and corruptible quality that hath intermixt and cleaved unto them by the righteous Judgment and curse of God for Mans sin Whence shall proceed that admirable change as to their qualities although not of their substance deserving the name in the Scripture promise of a new Heaven and of a new Earth As it is most excellently set forth by Saint Paul in these words For the earnest expectation of the Creature wait for the manifestation of the Sons of God For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together untill now The Elements then are made like unto the Heavenly supream Orbes pure lucid and incorruptible Hence I infer that these four Elements being thus wonderfully changed in their qualities and made incorruptible in which respectively the several parts and ingredients of our Bodies are laid up and reserved as being naturally a part of them There must necessarily follow the same and the like change and alteration in the matter and substance of our Bodies also Whence it will follow that although the first change in the Elements is supernatural and wonderfull that in our Bodies will naturally follow as an effect from that cause Our great God as in the first Creation caused the production of all things out of their first matter as so many streams from that Fountain so in this new and second birth of things he as a rational and natural Agent produceth this excellent change in the fore-mentioned qualities of our new-raised Bodies to be a necessary and certain effect flowing from the change of the principles out of which they are compounded It being more than probable that the Resurrection of our Bodies shall immediatly succeed the making of the new Heaven and the new Earth the Saints habitation as it was in the first Creation when the Lord made the Earth and all the Creatures first before he made Man the Lord and Possessor of it and them The premisses being granted I thence conclude that as Mortality is a necessary effect and consequent of corruption so the immortality of the Body to use the Apostles phrase is as necessary an effect and consequent of incorruption For that substance that can never more be corrupted may truly be said to be everlasting and according to the Apostles expression immortal Death signifying either in sensible or vegitable Creatures a putred and evil change or alteration as also a debasing diminishing and deforming separation as being the curse and fruit of Sin and abhorrent to nature Having hitherto discoursed of this marvellous change of our Bodies at the Resurrection and given some natural reasons thereof as a Philosopher I must now as a Christian ascend higher and prove this eminent change to proceed also from a far higher and nobler cause than meer nature even from the spiritual real and mystical union of our Persons through faith and the Eternal Spirit as Members to our Head the Lord Jesus who is God-Man blessed for ever As since sin God hath enacted this to be one of the Statutes of Nature It is appointed to Men once to dye And by another Law of Nature after Death hath dissolved this Microcosme of Soul from Body Every part of the body as hath been shewed returns to its proper Element so by the Law of Christ God-Man the Eternal Word that was made Flesh it is decreed and affirmed as an indubitable truth That he that believeth in him hath everlasting life And though he were dead yet shall he live Whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never dye From hence it is most cleer that in a spiritual sence the death of the Saints is no death they being so united by faith that although the Soul be divided from the Body and each Elementary part of the body be divided from the other yet neither Soul nor Body or any grain or part thereof can be separated from our head the Lord Jesus in whom who is eternal life is our life Though we are dead in a natural sence yet we live spiritually in and by his Spirit In which sence also the whole mystical body of Christ the universal Church and every Member thereof is said to be joyned to the Lord and is one Spirit as being by the Holy Ghost the ever-living God that fills all things the Spirit of the Father and the Son as by an unmeasurable and everlasting Ligament tyed and united to the Lord Jesus our head So that like as it is said of the Soul That it is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte So it may be said that the for ever blessed Spirit of God the Father and the Son in and by this ineffable union and in dwelling is wholly and spiritually both before and after death in our Souls and in our Bodies and in every part of them although never so far by reason of a natural death separated one from another Here note that although the Scripture declares that in God all things live move and have their being as he is their Creator and Preserver and in whom and by whom they act and have their subsistance yet the difference is very great betwixt that life of the Creatures on Earth and this life of the Saints both as to the nature and duration of it That flowing from his Almighty power and goodness as a Creator this from his Eternal love as our Father in Christ that life being temporary this life Eternal as flowing from the highest Principle our spiritual and real union unto God in Christ. For the further clearing and proof of which immortality as well of our Bodies as of our Souls consider the words of our blessed Saviour As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself I am the way the truth and the life because I live yee shall live also Thou hast given me power over all flesh that I should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given
other Members as looking upon this weak diseased and aged Body as upon an old and weather-beaten Tent. Knowing that If the Earthly House of this my Tabernacle were dissolved I have a building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens Groaning earnestly and desiring with the Apostle Paul to be cloathed upon with my House which is from Heaven with which if I be cloathed I shall not be found naked That this Mortality may be swallowed up of Life Let me not O Lord with the Worldling who hath his Portion only in this Life be troubled at the Knell of every passing Bell sigh at every striking of the Clock nor be afraid or unwilling to number my Days or to cast up the accompt of my years but greatly rejoyce at the end of every hour day and year as hastning my approach to and the enjoyment of Eternity Being most willing to have my Body interred that after a long time like the matter of China Vessels it may be raised and made lucid transparent and a Vessel of honour fit to be made use of in the Palace of Heaven Shall my Body be shining and glorious like the Sun let it not now O Lord be spotted with sin and changeable and inconstant in its motion and conversation like the Moon Shall it be bright like the Firmament and Stars O Lord let it be a fixt and not a falling Star nor cast down to the Earth by the Taile of the old Serpent the Devil neither let me be a Meteor and seem to out-shine others in a Religious profession and in a short time vanish only leaving behind me an hypocritical and pestilential stench like those wandering Stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever O gracious and mercifull Redeemer shall this corruptible put on incorruptibility and this mortal put on immortality Let this supernatural change begin here as it doth in all thy sanctified ones and let even my Body as well as my Soul be thy dwelling place and the Temple of thy holy Spirit in which let no unclean lust lurk or wicked Spirit enter Make me holiness unto thee O Lord and perfect holiness in thy fear Give thy Angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways Let them bear me up in their hands lest I dash my Foot against a Stone cause me to tread upon the Lyon and the Addar the young Lyon and the Dragon Yea let them according to thy promise be shortly trampled under my Feet Let sin dye in me by vertue of thy Death and let the life and immortality of holiness spring up and flourish in me by vertue of thy Resurrection Hast thou O Lord stiled thy Church thy Dove thy undefiled one And declared that she is fair and that there is no spot in her And is that which is spoken of thy Church applyable to every living Member thereof O thou that art the Eternal truth make good this thy Word unto thy poor Servant thy Spouse although most unworthy to wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord. And since thou hast promised that all things shall become new And declared that those that are in thee are new Creatures and hast covenanted to give me a new Heart and a new Spirit and to take out my Heart of Stone and to give me a Heart of Flesh to pour clean Water upon me and to make me clean and hast testified that thy blood doth cleanse me from all sin and that by thy righteousness alone I am justified O let all these true and precious promises be fulfilled in me and to me So shall the incorruptibility of my Person as in respect of sin usher in and assure me of the incorruptibility of my Soul and Body in glory Let me dye daily with blessed Paul as to all the evil lusts of the Flesh that I may not dye Eternally but live everlastingly in glorified Flesh. O Lord who art the life and my life let my sinfull mortality even here put on a spiritual and heavenly immortality For thou hast proclaim'd it whil'st thou wert upon Earth That the Day comes yea now is when the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live even to Eternity For He that believeth in thee hath already everlasting life Let my union and communion with thee through faith and the in-dwelling of thy holy Spirit begin to make my Face to shine here as did the Face of Moses and thy Proto-Martyr Stephen since thou hast declared that a Mans wisdome maketh his Face to shine Yea we are said to shine here also in a holy conversation since thou commandest us To let our light shine before Men. And hast held forth in thy Word that the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day and hast promised in thy Book That if we let not wickedness dwell in our Tabernacles our Age shall be cleerer than the Noon-day and we shall shine forth and be as the Morning Lord although I now live in the Flesh yet let me not I humbly and with importunity beseech thee live unto or after the Flesh since such are said to be dead while they live yea twice dead and pluckt up by the Roots And thou hast justly threatned that those that live after the Flesh shall dye and that Eternally But they that live in and after the Spirit shall live and that for ever and ever But since after this life there shall be no Devil to tempt no World to allure or persecute nor Sin to intice or corrupt Let me with mortified Paul desire to depart and to be with thee which is far better Yea since to live is Christ and to dye is gain Let me with perfect Job all the Dayes of this my appointed time humbly patiently and believingly wait until my glorious change come Amen Having exercised my faith and contemplation upon this ravishing and pleasing subject the glorification of the Bodies and Members of the Saints in general and in the Gross I shall now lastly proceed beseeching the assistance of his most Holy Spirit who is my light the light of Men and he who alone enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to speak particularly though with much brevity of the glorification of the Five Sences I shall go so far as I shall receive light from the Scriptures and right reason taking that sober and lawfull liberty that is granted to all those that have meditated upon the like subjects where some things are more obscure than others and not so clearly and fully held forth in Gods Word humbly to offer what probably and rationally although not positively may be the truth as not repugnant to Scripture right reason or the Analogie
Persons with whom the Saints shall speak and frequently converse in this new life on the renewed Earth O let it be contemplated by us with a ravishing and admiring reverence and thankfulness Since it shall be with the most glorious Trinity in Unity God blessed for ever with the King of Kings the Lord of Lords The Mediator Spouse and Head of his Mystical Body the Church now perfect and compleat redeemed and raised in their Bodies also to Glory If now the Apostle witnesses We have fellowship with the Father and the Son How much more then when We shall Raign with Christ personally as Kings and Priests upon Earth Further in this Heavenly Jerusalem this City of the living God We shall have communion with an innumerable Company of Angels and with the general Assembly and Church of the first-born even with all the Elect from Adam unto the last Convert yea then shall that great truth in the Psalmist be fulfilled in this Restauration by the Lord Jesus Christ when the Saints shall be Crowned with Glory and Honour and made with and under him their Head to have dominion over the works of his hands Then shall all things be put under their Feet all Sheep and Oxen yea and the Beasts of the Field the Fowles of the Aire and the Fish of the Sea and whatsoever passeth through the Paths of the Seas I come now to the use and exercise of this glorious and glorified Member the Tongue speech and voice which I humbly conceive shall be then Musical and Laudatory and also precatory as and with respect to God and Christ. Secondly discursive declarative and communicative as in respect of Angels and their fellow-Saints as also gubernative and mandatory as and in respect of all inferiour Creatures As to the first that the chiefest duty and highest service of the Saints in this new life shall be the Loqual Musical and melodious singing praising and worshipping of God and Christ is in many Figurative Visions proved and held forth in the Revelation as Chapter the Fourth from Verse the 8 th unto the end of the 11 th Verse and Chapter the 5 th from Verse the 8 th until the end of the 14 th Verse and Chapter the 7 th from Verse 9 th unto the end of the 12 th Verse and Chapter 11 th from Verse 15 th unto the end of the 18 th Verse and Chapter 14 th from Verse the 2 d. unto the end of the 3 d. Verse and Chapter the 15 th from Vers. the 2 d. unto the end of the 4 th Verse and Chapter 19 th Verse the 1. unto the end of the 8 th Verse I am not ignorant that the places above cited do most of them respect the providential actings of God and Christ in the Church Militant before the Resurrection of the just and the Churches returns of praises and worship for them yet as I think none will deny the truth I assert so none but will confess these to be Types and Patterns of what is done now in Heaven by the Church tryumphant and shall be done by the Saints after the Resurrection to Eternity which I prove from Revelations Chapter 21. Verse the 22. which speaks directly of the time I write of even of the glorified state of the Saints upon the new Earth under the type of the holy City or new Jerusalem And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it and Chapter the 22. Verse the 3 d. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it and his Servants shall serve him To these I will only add the expressions of the Psalmist In God we boast all the day long and praise thy Name for ever we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for ever more And that of the Apostle By Him meaning the Lord Jesus Christ let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving thanks to his Name As to the second particular that the Saints after the Resurrection shall converse and have communion with the blessed Angels and with the rest of their fellow-members that Scripture before-cited out of the Hebrews Chapter 12. Verse 22 23. doth sufficiently evidence for if we have communion with them in this our militant condition as is there asserted by the Apostle how much more shall we have our Conversation with them in this state of Glory If the glorious Angels are now our Guardians and were often visible present and discoursed with Abraham Jacob Lot Joshua Gideon Manoah David Eliah Elisha Daniel the Shepwards the blessed Virgin John and others of the Saints on Eearth shall they not be much more intimate and conversant when glorified together with them shall we be as the Angels and not with the Angels shall we have a fellowship with the infinite and incomprehensible Trinity shall God and the Lamb be our Temple in this period of our raigning with Christ upon Earth as hath been before proved and shall any think us then below the society of the Elect Angels or that the Angels delight not to be present with them with and in whom the God and Head of Angels dwells and inhabits Did not Angels declare most of the holy mysteries to the Prophets and to Saint John and when through infirmity he fell down twice to worship them did they not both times say See thou do it not I am of thy Brethren the Prophets that have the Testimony of Jesus worship God As for the communion of Saints both here and hereafter it is one of the Articles of our Faith and asserted in many places of the Scripture As that where the Karkass is there shall the Eagles be gathered together That at this time the wicked shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God That we shall be taken up in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire And that then we shall be ever with the Lord as also throughout the Book of the Revelations especially in the two last Chapters where this time and state is prophetically and evincingly set forth and declared That the Angels and Saints exercise is and shall be then laudatory and precatory a melodious singing and continual praising adoring admiring and worshipping of God I think none doubts and I have already sufficiently proved And as to the blessed matter and subject of their discourse and communication one with another I humbly conceive it will chiefly respect and inspect as to time in imitation of our God things that are past present and things that are to come so far as are promised and shall be revealed to them And as to the most excellent matter of their discourse I humbly conceive it will be to keep in remembrance declare and communicate to and with one another in lesser
comfort declaring to them to the praise and glory of God thy experiences thy consolations and Divine manifestations And for as much as thou art zealous of spiritual gifts seek that thou maist excell to the edifying of the Church that spiritual Body of Christ whereof thou art a living Member And since God as the Apostle excellently observes hath set some in the Church First Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healing helps Governments diversities of Tongues Covet thou earnestly the best gifts For there are diversity of gifts but the same spirit But the manifestation of the Spirit is 〈◊〉 to every Man to profit withall To one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdome to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by 〈◊〉 same Spirit to another the gift of Healing by the same Spirit to another working of Miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another diâ—vers kinds of Tongues to another the interpretation of Tongues but all worketh that one and the self same Spiâ—rit dividing to every Man severally as he will For 〈◊〉 the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body 〈◊〉 also is Christ. If they were all one Member where weâ—â— the Body The Eye cannot say to the Hand I have 〈◊〉 need of thee again the Head unto the Feet I have 〈◊〉 need of you Now we are the Body of Christ and Memâ—bers in particular Therefore O my Soul since 〈◊〉 Tongue as to all divine and spiritual gifts is now thâ— principal Agent and Expressor And shall be then 〈◊〉 as a Member of Christ mystical Body in this his glorious Kingdome thou shalt be plac'd in thy Function and respective administration be not spiritually idle but â—it and exercise thy Tongue continually in declaring to others according as it shall be revealed to thee by the Holy Spirit the Magnalia Dei the wonderfull ways and works of God Freely thou hast received freely give O my Soul shalt thou then be as one of Christs Viceroyes over all inferiour Creatures shall thy Dictates Orders and Commands be received and obeyed by them as the voice of God O let not then thy speech now to them be mixt with oaths and cursings according to the woâ—t and fashion of the wicked of the Earth whose behaviours towards the poor Brutes are more like to Devils than Men or Christians Yea let thy employment of them and rule over them be gentle milde and moderate not cruel or oppressive since the good Man with the Scripture is mercifull towards his Beast And 〈◊〉 tenderness of thy God towards them exprest as 〈◊〉 of the reasons of his commanding a seventh Days 〈◊〉 That thy Beast may rest as well as thee teaches what respect and considerate pitty and compassion he expects from thee towards them as being fellowâ—Creatures suffering what servitude they undergo for thy sin and from which they shall be freed and delivered in thy glorious liberty But instead of speaking evil of or to the inferiour Creatures do thou now as thou shalt do in the World to come with thy Heart and Tongue praise and glorifie thy God after the Example of holy David Psal. 148. throughout in and for them admiring his love and goodness to thee to them as also 〈◊〉 unexpressible yea unconceivable power and wisdome declared in their various formes wonderfull strength 〈◊〉 qualities excellent virtues and uses as being 〈◊〉 great end of theirs and thy Creation as the Lord â—â—clares to Job when he bids him behold Behemoth and â—â—â—iathan and leaves upon Record for our Instruction and Imitation so large a description of them and of others of his Creatures This holy exercise both of mind and voice in the contemplation of the Creatures was without doubt a chief employment of Adam in his innocency Let it be thine then in thy return and travailing to this second Paradise that what is begun by thee here in grace may be perfected there in Glory O glorious God and mercifull Father O infinite loâ—ing and gracious Saviour and Redeemer O holy and Eternal Spirit my Sanctifier three infinitely glorious Persons One Omnipotent onely wise and Eternal God Blessed blessed blessed from everlasting to everlasting who hath so highly honoured and dignified me a 〈◊〉 Worm and no Man As to love me freely in thy Eterâ—nally begotten and only beloved Son the Lord Jesus God-Man and in him from before all beginnings to elect me unto Eternal Life and Salvation Creating 〈◊〉 unto immortality and glory by giving me an immortaâ— Soul and a Body that shall assuredly be raised to life and glory by thy Almighty Power and by the virtue of the Resurrection of my Head and Saviour who hast miraculously raised me from a sinfull death unto a spiritual life in my effectual Calling through Adoption the Sanctification and Inhabitation of thy holy Spirit as 〈◊〉 freely justified me in thy Son the Lord my righteousâ—ness and by this blessed and inseparable union to 〈◊〉 in thy Son by the Holy Ghost given me assurance 〈…〉 Life and Glory which shall indubitably begâ—◠〈◊〉 my Soul at my dissolution and be compleat at the â—â—â—union of Soul and Body aâ— the Resurrection of the 〈◊〉 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise 〈◊〉 with my glory Awake my Heart awake my Tongue 〈◊〉 self will awake early and joyn with the Arch-Angels and Angels and the Church Tryumphant in Heaven and with the Holy Catholick Church upon Earth in 〈◊〉 Heavenly exercise of praise and thanksgiving O Lord whose only prerogative it is to search the heart knowest that these are the desires and petitions of 〈◊〉 Soul yet with holy Paul I cry out that to will is present with me through thy grace but how to perform know not Blessed Saviour give me of thy fulness so soâ—â— to receive grace for grace Yea be pleased to add 〈◊〉 to grace since thou alone workest in us both the will and the deed and the Heaven aspiring piercing 〈◊〉 of praise ariseth only from thy Divine Fire of Knowledge and holy affections Eternal Father let not this noble Instrument of thy Glory my Tongue be tuned to the vain and wanton Layes of the World and Sin lest thereby being crackt unstrung and made untunable for thy service here it and my whole Body with voluptuous Diveâ— be cast 〈◊〉 useless into the Fire of Hell where a drop of cold Water will not be 〈◊〉 to cool a flaming lascivious Tongue But let me O Lord be continually chaâ—â—ing the Magnâ—lia Dei and be singing those Evangelicalâ— and prophetical Songs of the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders the figure and representative of thy holy Church saying and singing
Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for 〈…〉 Created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created Thou O blessed Saviour art worthy to take the Book of the Providential Decrees and actings of the Father as concerning thy Chuâ—ch and to open the Sealâ— and to discover the meaning thereof for thâ—â— wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation And hast made 〈◊〉 unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall 〈…〉 the Earth Worthy 〈…〉 O Lamb â—hat was 〈◊〉 to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing Blessing â—â—nour glory and power be unto thee O Father That 〈◊〉 upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for eâ—er and ever Great and marvailous are thy works Lord God Allmighty just and 〈◊〉 are thy ways O King of Saints who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy Name for thou only 〈◊〉 holy For all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest and thy 〈◊〉 in the raising thy Witnesses thy Magistracy and Ministry and pouring forth thy wrath upon the Beast the Man of Sin that Western Anti-christ the Pope and upon that Mystery of Iniquity Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth which is also spiritually called 〈◊〉 and Egypt and literally Rome the Throne and Seat of the Beast and two-horned Beast the false Prophet which is come now into remembrance before thee O God to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of thy wrath she saith now in her heart I sit iâ— Queen and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her Plagues 〈◊〉 in owâ— Diâ—â—y Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly 〈◊〉 with Fire for strong are thou 〈◊〉 God that Judgeth her And the Beaâ—â— the Pope that was and is not that is the Eight Head and is of the Seventh shall go into Perdition and be taken and with him the false Prophet the Roman Church and Hierarchy that wrought Miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his Image These both shall be cast alive into a Lake of Fire burning with Brimstone First in this life by a direfull excommunicaâ—tion by all the Churches of Christ and after this life 〈◊〉 the Fiery Lake of Hell O Almighty Saviour who 〈◊〉 King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall my Tongue 〈◊〉 my glorified condition as hath been shewed sing thy praises declare and perpetuate the memory of these thy wonderfull actings after thou hast done them O 〈◊〉 me now before thou doest them as beholding 〈◊〉 very neer through the Perspective of thy Word by the Eye of my Faith Sing that new Song of praises before thy Throne concerning thy great and marvellous proâ—idences with the hundred forty and four thousand thy Virgins and redeemed ones that stand with thee oâ— Mount Sion the Figure of thy Church and tryumphingly declare with the Angel that the Hour of thy Judgment is come and that Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication Let me also as by the same prospect of Faith beholding the Call and Conversion of thy antient People Israel and scattered Jewes to be at hand and the total destruction of Gog and Magog the blasphemous Mahumetan Turk by their Sword and in their Land and bless and praise thy Name for it is wonderfull fearfull and glorious O my Lord hast thou also declared and promised by thy Holy Apostle John that thou wilt shortly Lay hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Sathan and bind him for a thousand years Casting him into the bottomless Pit and shutting him up and setting a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more untill the thousand years shall be fulfilled And that then all the ends of the World shall remember and turn unto thee O Lord and all the Kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee And the Kingdomes of this World shall become the Kingdomes of Thee our Lord and of thy Christ and He shall raign for ever Lord shall I we see such a blessed and happy age as this when as a natural and rational effect of Sathans binding and thy casting him and all his Legions of Devils into the local Hell and of thy plentuous pouring forth of the gifts and graces of thy Spirit according to the Prophets the whole World shall be converted to Christianity all Wars and Contentions shall cease Swords shall be turned into Plow-shares and Speares into Pruning-hooks and the Nations shall learn Warre no more And long life and peace and plenty shall Crown this Orbe when all Idolatry Ignorance open profaneness and wickedness shall be laid aside and purity light and unity in life and doctrine worship and discipline shall shine forth throughout the Earth even above the Primitive times when saving knowledge and a Salomonial wisdome shall cover the Earth even as the Waters cover the Seas Shall I I say behold all this by faith through the gracious illumination of thy blessed Spirit in thy Word of Truth And shall I not cry out with holy David Lord open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise yea often glorify thee in singing the 96. Psalme which being a clear Prophesie of this time thy Spirit indited to that purpose as also the 97. the 98. the 99. and the 100. Psalmes O Lord hast thou foretold and promised by thy Prophet Daniel That Judgment shall be given unto the Saints of the most High and that the Saints shall possess the Kingdome That then Righteousness shall be the Girdle of thy Loynes and faithfulness the Girdle of thy Reines That thou wilt give us Judges as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning and that thou wilt make our Exactors righteousness That the Judgment shall fit and the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve Him Yea is this that fift and universal Monarchie and victorious Kingdome which is by thy Almighty Power and Spirit to be acted and carryed on by thy Saints when as it is witnessed by the Prophets and thy Servant David Thou shalt break thy Enemies with a Rod of Iron and shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel when the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the Day
of his wrath and shalt Judge amongst the Heathen and shall fill the places with the dead Bodies and wound the Heads over many Countries When thou shalt put a two-edged Sword into the Hand of thy Saints to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishment upon the People to bind their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron to execute the Judgment written this honour have all the Saints Yea is this thy victorious Kingdome and Government wherein righteousness peace holiness and purity shall be so greatly exercised and exalted by and under thy Saints upon Earth confirmed by thee in a Vision to thy Apostle John who declares that after Sathan was bound by thee a thousand years He saw Thrones and they to wit thy Saints sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them The Prodromus to which Sessions he saw Revelations the 19. from Verse the 11. unto the end of that Chapter And shall not both my Tongue and Heart in the certain belief that these wonderfull prophetical promises shall yea are now at the point to be made good unto thy Church and to be fulfilled praise and glorifie thee in the joyfull expectation thereof in those words which thy own Spirit Indicted on this subject and for this purpose O clap your Hands all yee People shout unto God with the voice of Tryumph for the Lord most High is terrible he is a great King over all the Earth He shall subdue the People under us and the Nations under our Feet he shall choose our Inheritance for us the excellency of Jacob whom he loved For God is the King of all the Earth sing yee praises with understanding God raigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holiness The Princes of the People are gathered together even the People of the God of Abraham for the Shields of the Earth belongeth unto God he is greatly exalted O blessed Saviour who art that great Prophet promised by Moses yea the Lord God of the Prophets Hast thou foretold to us by them that after the binding and sealing up Sathan and all the Powers of Darkness in Hell the bottomless Pit thy Saints thy Church shall enjoy a Sabatisme a thousand years of rest and peace upon this Earth which I humbly expect when their six thousand years of trouble labour and persecution shall be expired typified and prefigured as I in all humility conceive in the Arks resting the 17. Day of the 7. Month as a Type of this rest in the six Days Creation and thy seventh Days rest and in thy appointing us a laborious Week and six Days of Work and every seventh Day to be a Sabbath a Day of rest to us and the Creatures And in the seventh Years rest to the Field and release to Servants the righteousness and holiness peace plenty and happiness of which their raign and Kingdome I but lately mentioned and evidenced by a few Scriptures of many that clearly hold it forth to us O let my Heart and Tongue in the assured faith of thy accomplishing this great work sing with joy the seventy-second Psalme The lively Prophesie of this thy peaceable Kingdome under thy Saints upon Earth under the Type of Solomon concluding with the Holy Psalmist Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only doth wonderous works And blessed be his glorious Name for ever And let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen O Lord the Judge of all the Earth hast thou promised to come unto us the second time without Sin unto Salvation but in flaming Fire to take vengeance of all that know thee not Hereby destroying them and Hypocrites together with the Apostatizing Nations called Gog and Magog as Sprung from a Scythian Root seduced from the true Faith by the deceits of Sathan at his loosing for a season The number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea and by him gathered together to incompass the Camp of thy Saints and the holy City thy true Church made up of Gentiles and Israelites Hast thou then promised a Resurrection of the Just even of all thine Elect ones and Martyrs and that They shall be Priests of God and of thee O Christ and that they shall raign with thee a thousand years For thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raign upon Earth Even in that new Heaven and new Earth which thou wilt create shall our Salvation be then perfected and compleated in that first Resurrection the Redemption of our Bodies now sowen in Corruption but then raised in Incorruption sowen in dishonour but raised in Glory sowen in weakness but raised in Power sowen a natural Body but raised a spiritual Body and glorious like unto thee O Lord. For ever blessed Redeemer shall I according to Scripture-Chronology probably about twelve hundred and thirteen years hence with holy Daniel stand in the Lot at the end of the Days and in my glorified Body with the many myriades of Angels and glorious Saints upon the renewed Earth behold and enjoy thee personally a thousand years shall my Tongue then declare thy Acts and the wonders of thy love mercy and truth and praise thee with them for this thy great salvation as being in a sure possession of Glory O let my Heart and Tongue now praise thee in faith and assurance thereof Since Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Yea let me with thy Prophet and Apostle Tryumph over that last Enemy Death and singing say O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law Death is swallowed up in Victory Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through thee our Lord Jesus Christ. O thou whose Name is called the Word of God who art the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Potentate to whom all Judgment is committed by the Father and who art ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and of the dead we must therefore all appear before thy Judgment Seat when thy righteousness shall shine forth as the Light and thy Judgment as the Noon-Day in giving to every one according to their works And to all thine Elect called thy Sheep at thy right hand who are freely justified by thy righteousness according to the goodness of their thoughts words and deeds which and not any of their sins as being fully satisfied for and blotted out by thy Death and Merits shall then be remembred as being the fruits of thy own Grace That so thy Saints may be gradually rewarded according to their works not for their works both in the new Earth and highest Heavens with Eternal Life and Glory And inherit the Kingdome prepared for them before the Foundation of
the World After which act of thy remunerative Justice and thy Raign upon the renewed Earth with thy Saints a thousand years thou wilt I believe raise and Judge all the wicked called the Goats at thy left hand and the Apostate Angels according as thou hast declared in thy Word of Truth when every ungodly one shall be sentenced and punished proportionable and according to the evil of their thoughts words and actions then being all made manifest who with the Devils their Tempters and Tormenters shall by thy mighty Angels be cast into the Lake of Fire the Locall Hell unto Eternity This is the second Death O my King my Judge my Spouse shall this dreadfull time of Judgment fearfull indeed to the wicked but a most joyfull Day to the Godly certainly come upon the World according to thy Word Shall there be a long tract of time measured out in the acting and manifesting thy Judgments and magnifying the glory of thy remunerative and vindicative Justice to the World as well as there hath been a long space of proclaiming and holding forth the Golden Scepter of thy free Grace and incomprehensible love and mercy to the Sons of Men Is this truth one of the Articles of the Christian Faith and as certain to us as the Day of our death according to that unrepealable Statute It is appointed to Men once to dye and afterwards comes the Judgment Shall the Crowns dignities and rewards conferred upon thy Saints be one chief subject of praise and fill the Mouths of Men and Angels with continual Hallelujahs unto God not only whilst they rest upon the renewed Earth but also in the highest Heavens after the end of this long Day and the pouring out of thy wrath and execution of thy righteous Judgments upon wicked Men and Devils when thy glorious justice in both the parts thereof shall be finished and compleated according to that Prophesie of the Psalmist then perfectly fulfilled Verily there is a reward for the righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth O let both my Heart and Tongue now inure themselves to this Subject since I live by faith and not by sense and sing with the Elect ones in the Revelations that prophetical Song calculated for this time saying Hallelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his Judgments Praise our God all yee his Servants and yee that fear him both small and great Hallelujah for the Lord reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and hiâ— Wife hath made her self ready And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linnen clean and white for the fine Linnen is the righteousness of Saints Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. O King of Saints and King of Nations our Almighty Saviour and Conquerer who hast fulfilled the Law satisfied Divine Justice overcome the World Crucified Sin spoiled Principalities and Powers and wilt at the Resurrection of the Just and the Redemption of our Bodies destroy our last Enemy Death and after the Judging and Hellifying of wicked Men and Devils wilt in Tryumph ascend on high with thy Elect and lead Captivity Captive that the Glory which thy Father gave thee may be given them that they may be with thee where thou art and may behold the Glory which he hath given thee and possess an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us where we shall be ever with thee our Lord and see God face to face and in thee the perfections of all Creatures as in their first cause And know thee according to our measure as we are known by thee Blessed Mediator this is that time when all rule all authority and power being put down and under thee in the Kingdome of thy Saints and under thee in thy personal and glorious raign upon Earth All Enemies even Death it self being destroyed and put under thy Feet thou shalt deliver up the Kingdome so far as it is Mediatory personal and singly acted and managed by thee in thy humane appearance and Man-hood to God even the Father That so thou the Son as being also as Man the Son of God might be subject as to thy present kinde of administration unto him that put all things under thee that God may be all in all And the whole Universe and Creation both in Heaven and Earth especially thy spiritual Body thy Church may be immediately governed and influenced by him who is three in one God-blessed for ever To which mystical Body thy Spouse and Church as also to Angels thou still remainest Head and Lord for ever which being now perfectly and inherently sanctified and graciously admitted through the glorious inhabitation and communion of thy most holy and eternal Spirit to an immediate fellowship real and spiritual union although not essential with the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever shall live eternally in the life of God and in whole and in part as respecting every individual Member and Vessel be always full yet always increasing in knowledge grace and glory as Eying and enjoying continually the Divine Nature and cast into an Ocean of infiniteness unto Eternity This is the Generation of them that seek thee that seek thy face O God of Jacob. Therefore let both my Heart and Tongue even now O Lord prepare and begin to praise thee as from Pisgath with beholding Canaan and by faith the eye of my Soul from the raised hill of holy Contemplation viewing this Saint Paul's third Heaven the Throne of God and of his glory and the many yea innumerable shining and starrified Mansions in thy Fathers house the places prepared by thee for thy Saints as also their Kingdome and State of endless glory happiness and blessedness In the ravishing Meditation of these things their translation and thy second most glorious and tryumphant Assention O let me sing and rejoyce in the words of thy Prophet David foretelling both thy Ascentions God is gone up with a shout the Lord with a sound of a Trumpet sing praises to God sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises Lift up your Heads O yee Gates and be yee lift up yee everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel Lift up your Heads O ye Gates even lift them up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord of Hosts He is the King of Glory Selah I have now by Divine assistance according to my weak-sightedness for all Men here know but in part and as in
a Glass darkly and imperfectly taken a view of the Land of Promise the Inheritance of the Saints in light and presented to the Lord and to his Spouse the Church what discoveries he hath in great mercy given me as concerning Eternal Life that last and great Article of the Christian faith begun visibly in the Saints glorified condition in the new Heaven and new Earth and continued unto Eternity in the Heaven of Heavens Wherein concluding with the glorification and blessed use and exercise of our Tongues in that happy state I thought it proper both as to the general subject I have been upon as being the Vision exercise and Tryumph of Faith and as to the subject matter both lauditory to God and declarative to one another about which our Tongues shall in our renewed life be imployed to declare in this life with all humility and thankfulness of Heart and Tongue to both which my Pen is but the Secretary in the Ejaculatory part of that Meditation what by faith I behold and am assured from the Word of Truth shall come to pass here and be injoyed by me and all Gods Elect in the life to come and shall be there a blessed Subject of our praises to all Eternity In which Song of 12. parts or Jacobs Laddar of 12. Staves whose foot stands upon Earth and top reaches to Heaven we may by faith ascend beginning here upon Earth in this present Year of our Lord 1666. by twelve successive Steps wonderfull and most signal periods noted afore in the Margint to the last and highest ascent the Glorification of the Saints in the Heavens Being now come to Hercules Pillars the Ne-plus ultra of Faith beyond which all sacred Scripture the light of Faith is silent I can proceed nor walk any further in these Contemplations lest walking without a Light I fall into the Darkness of Error It being alike sinfull curiosity and presumption to inquire what God will do after this silence When time shall be no longer as to ask what he did before time was and before this World was Created Wherefore I shall here conclude these my imperfect Meditations and with all humility and reverence return all Honour Glory and Praise to thee O glorious Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost one God blessed for ever for thy most gracious assistance by the light of thy Word and Spirit in this great Work a subject too weighty for Angels how much more for me a simple sinfull and weak Worm Lord I acknowledge that whatsoever is good right and true in this Treatise is of and from thee who art Goodness Light and Truth and to thee alone belongs the praise and that whatsoever therein is Hay or Stuble is mine who humbly takes shame therefore and Petitions for thy free pardon in my Lord Christ Jesus beseeching thee that in the assurance of thy love and mercy in him and in the faith light and assurance of thy glorious Truths herein declared out of thy Word I may with Holy Job all the Days of my appointed time wait until my Change come And with zealous Paul desire to depart and to be with Christ that so my faith and hope may be swallowed up in the possession of thee and Vision may be changed into fruition Thy Spirit and thy Bride say come And let him that heareth say come Thou O Lord that testifieth these things sayest Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all Amen Soli Deo Gloria An Advertisement by the Author to the Reader FOr the more cleer and fuller proof of the Twelve great things mentioned in the Conclusion of this Work I refer the Reader to my Treatise almost ready to be published Entitled An humble Exposition of most of the Scripture-Prophesies concerning Twelve great Periods to be fulfilled to the Church beginning to be manifested in the Year 1666. and concluding with the end of our Lords Mediatory Kingdome and the Translation of the Saints to the highest Heavens FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of the Things contained in the TREATISE Intitulated MEDITATIONS ON FAITH A. THe Affections lose their appetite if ye do but change the object viz. Spiritual for Temporal Page 4 Christs Agony as described should much act upon our spirits Page 27 The use and abuse of the Affections Page 45 46 All Arts and Sciences are in the Scripture as Metaphysick Phylosophie Astronomy Chronologie Rhetorick c. Page 71 Christs answer to the soul complaining of her Affections Page 81 The Antiquity of the Scriptures Page 102 Of the Affections glorified Page 151 Of holy Anger glorified Page 160 A Soliloquium upon it Page 161 An Ejaculation upon it Page 161 A caution against blotting Assurance Page 185 B. The Body of man like the pool of Bethesda with its five Porches Page 22 The curse and judgement of the Body Page 52 The Souls complaint against the Body with Christs answer Page 88 89. c. Of the Body glorified Page 164 Of the spirituality and swiftness of our Bodies at the Resurrection Page 169 A soliloquium and ejaculation on those two qualities of the Body Page 170 The glorious shining of the Body at the Resurrection Page 171 A soliloquium on that shining of the Body Page 173 Item an ejaculation upon it Page 174 Of the Immortality of the Body glorified Page 175 C. The Certain condition of man is to be uncertain Page 8 A man may be a Conduit-pipe to others and be a Vessel of dishonour himself Page 15 17 Of Christs Death and Burial Page 33 34 His victory over Hell Page 35 His Resurrection Page 36 His Ascension Page 38 Man in respect of Conscience is as one possessed Page 42 A Contemplation on love Page 47 A Contemplation on the insatisfaction in Riches Honours Pleasures Wisdom Page 49 A Contemplation on fear Page 51 A Contemplation on the sinfulness of the Eyes Ears Nostrils Taste and Touch Page 56 Of Christs Priestly Office Page 57 The occasion of Christs Priest-hood Page 58 A Contemplation upon Christs Priest-hood Page 60 Of Christs satisfaction Page 61 Christs answer to the poor soul complaining of his Conscience Page 75 The souls general Complaint answered by Christ Page 85 86 The souls Complaint against her Senses Tongue and Members of her body and Christs answer to it Page 88 89 A meditation on the excellency of Christs person Page 99 Against Coveteousness Page 123 An Ejaculation upon the glorious Change of the body at the Resurrection Page 185 D. Demas described Page 14 A Dialogue between Christ and the poor complaining soul in many particulars which Christ answers and satisfies Page 74 Our victory by Christ over Death Page 130 Our victory over the fear of Death Page 132 Our victory over the pain and separation by Death Page 133 All things fall short of the Duration of glorified Bodies and Souls and the high
peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law The joy of the Lord is your strength Therefore rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright Rejoyce in the Lord always again I say rejoyce Delight your selves also in the Lord and let his Commandements be your delights and he shall give you the desires of your heart Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dream and he shall be unto you for a Sanctuary Be ye in the fear of the Lord all the day long For it is the beginning of knowledge a Fountain of life to depart from the snares of death Yea by the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life Work out therefore your own salvation with fear and trembling perfecting holiness in the fear of God Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear Therefore fear not their fear for perfect love casteth out such fear But ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing for I gave my self for you that I might redeem you from all iniquity and purifie unto my self a peculiar People zealous of good works Let therefore after my example and David's the zeal of my House eat you up and consume you And be like Phineas who was zealous for his God Be angry for sin as Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel but sin not Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath For whoso is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of Judgment Ye that love the Lord hate evil yea they hate those that hate me with a perfect hatred All that hate me love death Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would But if ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkenness revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God He that believeth not shall be damned Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall ye escape if you neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by Me the Lord and was confirmed unto you by them that heard Me God also bearing them witness both with signes and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Take heed that your portion be not among the Unbelievers in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone Nor say with the Fool in your heart there is no God and the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil He that sacrificeth or gives worship unto any God save unto the Lord only he shall be utterly destroyed You shall have no other Gods before me Ye shall make you no Idols nor graven Images neither shall you set up any Image of them in your Land to bow down unto it For I am the Lord your God He that blasphemeth the Name of the Lord shall surely be put to death all the Congregation shall stone him Thou shalt not prophane the Name of thy God I am the Lord. It is a snare to the Man which devoureth that which is holy and after vowes to make inquiry An Hypocrite shall not come before God His hope shall perish The Congregation of the Hypocrites shall be desolate For what is the hope of an Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul If you turn away your Feet from the Sabbath from doing your pleasure on my Holy Day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shall honour him not doing your own ways nor finding your own pleasure nor speaking your own words Then shall you delight your selves in the Lord and I will give you to ride upon the high places of the Earth and feed you with the heritage of Jacob my Servant for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. I conceive that in all things some are superstitious therefore ye are my friends if ye do what I command you Ye shall not add unto the word that I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you But shall with my Servant David hate every false way I know there are many that are neither cold nor hot and I will spue them out of my mouth He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Happy is the Man that feareth always but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief The Soul that doth ought presumptuously the same reproacheth the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from his People As also the Man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest that standeth to minister before the Lord your God or unto the Judge even that Man shall die Wherefore pray with my Servant David Lord keep back thy Servants from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over us so shall you be innocent from the great Transgression Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain Let your communication be Yea yea Nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil He that being often reproved hardneth his Neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him
continue you in the things that ye have learned and have been assured of knowing of whom ye have learned them For evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Consider one another to provoke to love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is But exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For there is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Since then you are the Body of Christ and Members in particular let there be no Schisme in the Body Now I hear that there be divisions amongst those that call themselves Christians For there must be Heresies also among you that those that are approved may be manifest among you which were spoken before of my Apostles that there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit Now by my Name I desire you that you all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions amongst you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment If you say then I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Are ye not carnal Is Christ divided Who then is Paul And who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed Even as the Lord gave to every Man If then such an one as was Paul plants or as Apollo was watereth It is God that giveth the increase Therefore let no Man glory in Men But do you mark them which cause Divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine you have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not Me but their own Belly and by good words and fair Speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Finally whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any praise think on these things And those things which ye have both known and received and heard and seen in me do And the Father himself that loveth you the God of Peace shall be with you Holy Father who hearest me always This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and Me whom thou hast sent Keep through thy own Name those that thou hast given Me that they may be one as we are one That they all may be one as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in us And the glory which thou gavest Me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And that the World may know that thou hast sent Me and hast loved them as thou hast loved Me. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which Thou hast given me I have given to them the words which Thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from Thee and they have believed that Thou didst send me I pray for them I pray not for the World but for those that thou hast given me For they are Thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them I pray that thou wouldest keep them from the evil of the World and that my joy may be fulfilled in them Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Finally Beloved Wife of my Youth and dear Children Farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of peace and love shall be with you For this cause I bow my Knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named That he would give you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man That Christ may live in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with the fulness of God The God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is most pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us to him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ throughout all Ages World without end The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen A Post-script of the Father to his Wife and Children concerning the foregoing Epistle with some further Exhortations to the practice thereof MY dearest heart and intirely affected Children the good and salvation of whose Souls I pray for and labour for as for my own I have I trust by the direction of the holy Spirit chosen in this manner to write unto you as hoping that what is delivered to you in the Person and words of our Lord and beloved Saviour For such is every word in the Epistle except some words not substantial necessary for connexion explanation and application requisit in a subject of such various matter You will with the more reverence and affection delight and obedience attend to and receive For although all the words therein were not uttered by his own mouth upon Earth yet were they all indited by his holy Spirit who spake by the Prophets and Apostles and is the Lord God of the holy Prophets So that if ye will not hear and obey him herein speaking to you by himself and by them Neither will you be perswaded though one arose and spake to you from Hell and from the dead Ye know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons And how I have kept nothing back that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you both in private and more publiquely Testifying unto you and
Then to Heaven thy Marriage â—ed ARGUMENT Vpon God's goâ—dness and gracious Providence to me in his choice and gift of a rich beautiful fruitful and which is above all faithful and religious Wife Soliloquium or Discourse HAving expended above the third part of my life in a single condition both God and Nature taught me that it was not good for Man to be alone no not in innocency much less in a state of corruption and temptation Wherefore after many motions interviews and disappointments the good and all-wise ordering Providence of my most gracious God and Father chose for and gave to me as a fit loving and helpful consort and yoke fellow The eldest Daughter and Co-heir of a worthy Person that was a Knight Alderman and Lord-Major of London a Wife not only fruitful in Children but in many other blessings As being a builder up of my Family by a large Portion One of Natures best Pieces for beauty and proportion The Psalmists Olive and Vine for fruitfulness And which is above all and the rarest perfection of that Sex a Person chast faithful and religious For favor is deceitful and beauty is vain but a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Of whom as far as my Observation reaches at this Day I can truly say with Solomon Many Daugâ—ters have done virtuously but she hath excelled them all An eminent Witness of this her Vertue was her publick spirit care and love to me and her family In her voluntary sale and parting with her Jointure and own Land yielding a considerable Revenue and an unparallel'd House and Seat for the payment of Debts and making provision for our Children yea which is much more to her perpetual honour she was blessed be God to be his great and chiefest Instrument for the restoring part of the estate to the Heir and for the maintenance of the Family to which during my above Eight Years separation she remains to be under God a most careful Supportress Which great blessing O Lord continue to me and the Family in giving her health and long life that she may eat the labour of her hands and see her Childrens Children and peace upon Israel And as my thankful and perpetual acknowledgment and remembrance of such a plenitude of blessings Accept this my humble Hymn of Praise in the hand of my dear Saviour in whom thou hast given me these and all other Mercies Amen The Good WIFE Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject O Lord that out of Man the Woman made And in blest Marriage her to him repaid Making two one a new That he and she Might be one Cabinet of Chastity A choice Elixar of Society And fruitful Seed plot of Posterity I bless thy Name that dost me dignifie Not only to declare and testifie Thy gracious wisdome in this mysterie Of Wedlock But me Tenant made in Fee To these rich blessings by thy choice and lone Of all these Mercies Treasur'd up in one When in this Worlds couzening Lottery Where for one Prize a hundred Blanks do lie My self I ventur'd Thou O Lord draw'st out For me a Ring of Gold set all about With precious Stones One was a Diamond Of Chastity next it in the same round Saphires of Faith and Hope with the Onyx Stone Of Sun-like Charity divinely shone A fift was a fair Rubie of sweet modesty Joyn'd with a Jasper of Fidelity An Emrauld next was set of Constancy With a rich Topaz of true Prudency Sweet Ametists of Loves which loyal are Incircled this Ring and Jewel rare And for to give a splendor to each Eye All those were fill'd with much Humility With this thou didst me Wed givest me to wear Till now neer Six and Thirty Year Blest be thy Grace no Hearts dividing far Disturbing Vs by a Domestick War She is O Lord that blessed Vine by which Thou dost o're-spread my House and it inrich With Sixteen hopeful Branches unto whom Drie Breasts thou gavest not nor miscarrying Womb Yea thou allaidst to her the curse of Sin The pains of births and breeding she was in And which doth much exceed all Earthly wealth Thou gavest Vs both a great degree of health Pelican-like thy Instrument of good Did feed her young ones thrice with her own Blood When others lessen portions through expence She made hers greater by her Providence And was thy help during my happy faâ—e To more than double our Patern Estate And when thou mouldrest it to nought her pains Was thy blest means for to restore again A part of what was lost that she might be Mother and Father to her Family To Vs from Parents Lord descends our Land But prudent Wives are gifts from thy own Hand What 's wanting here to her perfection View in her Picture drawn by Solomon Lord hast thou multiplied thy loves And thus By doubling Vnits caus'd an Overplus Of blessings Let me not divide by Sin Thy Mercies nor substract them in And by Ingratitude Let my sum be Addition of Praises unto Thee And pious fruits so shall my Tongue and Life Be one like Soul and Body Man and Wife A living Sacrifice of Thankfulness A free-will Offering till I thee possess And in that Vnion there most clearly see Of holy Marriage the great Mystery Amen ARGUMENT Vpon the great and Holy Mystery held forth to Vs by God in Marriage Soliloquium or Discourse MArriage is honourable amongst all Men and the Bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge Wherefore Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord For the Husband is the Head of the Wife as Christ is the Head of the Church Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let Wives be unto their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it so ought Men to love their Wives as their own Bodies For no Man ever hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones For this cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother and be joyned unto his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh. This is a great mystery but I speak of Christ and his Church Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his Wife even as himself and let the Wife see that she reverence her Husband Thus far the Apostle Eph. chap. 5. vers 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 31 32 33. From whose words especially his conclusion This is a great mystery I infer that Marriage although not in a strict and Popish sence yet as to a larger meaning and construction of the Word may be called a Sacrament as holding forth by outward and visible signes and things spiritual mysteries and instructions Of this nature in Scripture and many instances as the Ark Rain-bow Red Sea Rock Manna
and other such like Is it so O my Soul And hath the Lord so extraordinarily and abundantly blessed this Ordinance and condition unto thee as thou hast declared in thy foregoing Memorial and thankful Acknowledgment Let upon this occasion thy Meditation be further stirred up and inlarged and from this great temporal blessing and mystery behold declare and point out the far greater and excelling blessings which are and shall be enjoyed by thee and the Church the Spouse of Christ by our spiritual Marriage and Union unto Him As Marriage in the Institution and in the particular Application is the Holy Ordinance of God and the blessed effect of his gracious Providence and Eternal Decree All Marriages according to the Proverb being made in Heaven so is that great Architype thereof the Marriage of the Church and in it of every true believer unto Christ. The Father bringing every one of us to him as he did Eve to Adam For none comes to me but whom the Father draws saith our Saviour Christ yea our Election effectual Calling and Regeneration together with our Union by Faith and spiritual Espousal to Christ our Heavenly Husband is of and from the Eternal Decree Love and Election of God our Father As the Woman was of the Man and not the Man of the Woman and the Woman was Created for the Man and not the Man for the Woman so was the Church typified by Eve taken out of the side of the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ that she might be made as being his Rib Beloved and neer to his heart Flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone his only Spouse and one with him as the Apostle Paul asserts Eph. the 5. ver 30. This was effectually done when being asleep in Death upon the Cross the Beeing and Redemption of his Church arose and sprung forth of his side in a Flood of infinite precious and Cordial Blood and Water To conclude this our spiritual Union and Marriage is by the Apostle called a great Mystery as being the blessed effect of the free grace of God who is assentially love and therefore it is as to the heighth and depth length and breadth thereof Incomprehensible and passing all understanding By vertue of this Espousal in Baptisme we as Wives amongst us change our names into his and instead of Adamites are called Christians And on our part promise to forsake Father and Mother and all things else for him and to honour love and obey him On the other part the Lord Jesus Christ thus betroth'd to us in holiness and everlasting righteousness becomes thereby our Lord Law-giver and Spouse our Pattern Protector and Saviour as in the Type Husbands amongst us are or ought to be unto their Wives and as they so he endowes us here not only with all temporal blesings so far as shall be for our good For Godliness hath the promises of this Life and of that Life which is to come But with the rich dowry of all the saving Graces of his holy Spirit Cloathing us with the white Robes of his perfect and immaculat righteousness As being made of God unto us righteousness wisdom sanctification and redemption Yea the Lord our righteousness And as for hereafter he gives us the earnest and assurance of being Co-heirs with him of Eternal Life and Glory Amen EPITHELAMIVM Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject BReath not this Aire Men of unchast desires No Fewels here for your unhallow'd Fires Lord I adore thy wisdome and thy love That shadow'st in blest Wedlock things above Teaching Vs that this Vnions Mystical And sets forth thine with Vs Before the Fall A crooked Kib thou streightnest gav'st it Life Mad'st it a Virgin pure first Adam's Wife That she of thy dear Spouse the Type might be Once crookt by sin but now made streight in Thee Yea in the chast delights of Marriage-Bed Her union thou holdst forth with thee her Head In which thou giv'st to her thy loves that she Be'ng first belov'd might flame in love to Thee Kissing her with the kisses of thy Mouth Quickned with sp'rit and life thy sacred Truth Thou also her incirclest in the Armes Of thy protection And her frees from harmes For why thy right hand-power doth her o're-spread And left hand-care supports her graceful head Her sp'rit'al senses ear tast smell touch sight Thou satisfi'st with ravishing delight Her piercing eye of Faith sees and applies Thy excellency hid from Worldly eyes Her eares be'ng fill'd with Musick of thy Voice Doth in thy Word and promises rejoyce Thou altogether lovely art unto Her inward touch whence mutual love doth flow She tasts thy Spice Myrrh Hony Milk and Wine Of Hope Joy Peace Delight all sweets Divine Thy Spicknard Camphire fills her smelling sence Also thy Cassida Aloes Frankinsence And fragrant Oyntments All which well express Thy love truth mercy wisdome holiness Thy power and goodness grace and righteousness Sweet Oders which her cherish and refresh In fine thy Nuptial-Bed is covered o're And pav'd with love and fill'd with Graces store Here in her thou shed'st incorrupted Seed Begets in her a Christ-like forme indeed Whence follows that which joyes both Heaven and Earth Divine Conception and thy Saints new-birth So that one Christ one Sp'rit one flesh and bone One Body is thy Church thus 't was made one Hence as of Faith and mutual love the effects Thou rul'st and in her dwell'st and her protects Cloaths her with Golden Robes thy righteousness Mak'st her within glorious through holiness Giv'st her the promises of this World's life And of that life to come and as thy Wife Crown'st her with Glory sets her on thy Throne With thee on Earth as thy beloved One Next to thy Fathers Kingdome her translates To live with God Thy Churches highest State Another Hymn upon the same blessed Subject being Meditations upon my Marriage-Day The TYPE BLest Miracle of Love whose sacred Rights Restores to Man his own and re-unites Natures Division Two Bodies were combin'd In Adam once Loe here two Souls I find Knit in a purer union How doth the smile of one Attend the others joy her sighs my groane If absence parts us like as though one breath Did fan two hearts both seem to suffer Death If distance Clouds our view the strength of Love Doth make our thoughts as well as Bodies move In visits to each other So though two parts We seem to be we still are one in Heart The Anti Type or Application MY Love my Spouse my Sav'our Can the Fires Sprung from weak Natures notions and desires Produce such Sympathies O let thy flame Spir'd by a purer spirit effect the same In my unworthy Soul The Loves of all Compar'd with that of thine the Original Are but as shades to substances the Ray Vnto its Globe of light as Night to Day Lord in my Baptisme
and unadvisedly shoot sharp Arrowes even bitter words In the same sence they may also be compared to Guns out of which Gun-powder-wits shoot forth piercing jeeres floutes and slanders to the blowing up and firing the good Names and passions of themselves and those they converse with O be thou therefore pleased to shield me in and deliver me from such Company Yea set a watch upon my Lips that I offend not with my Tongue so shall I not shoot at or be shot at by others And joyn that Mercy with this other to my Family in my Thanksgiving For which I praise thee as shall my Childrens Children when they shall read this and the rest of thy most gracious providences and merciful deliverances to me and mine Amen PROVIDENCE A Poem upon the same Subject ALl Actings here are ordered from above Although they seem excentrical to move Like Watches Wheels turn'd by a Spring unseen In this Worlds Play Dame Fortune hath no scean The Down of Snow and the white Candid Balls Of Hail do not irregularly fall Sparrowes and Haires do not upon Earth light Without Divine appointment and fore-sight No second cause prefer'd nor happy chance Did Esther to the Persian Throne advance Not Michal's wit nor Planets good Aspect Did David from the Sword of Saul protect But the Almighties presence which doth Eye And Govern all things this is Destinie Thus was a piece order'd to wound the Wall When carelesly discharg'd missing them all Within that Room unto the wonder joy Of our whole Family freed from annoy All kindes of Death are fearful most of all That which is suddain since by it doth fall Souls with Mens Bodies oft into a Tomb From whence there is no Resurrection How great was then this Mercy Lord that spar'd Some unconverted others unprepar'd For Death leaving to Vs within that Room Deep Characters of thy protection Vnto thy praise let 's raise Pyramidies And Print them here and in our memories And since thy presence only doth protect Let it produce in Vs this blest effect That we may alwayes fear to sin so shall we be Free from this double Death and Cas'alty Dreading no dangers fate or destiny Because before prepar'd to live or die Amen ARGUMENT Being a thankful remembrance and acknowledgment of the Lord 's great goodness and bounty in giving Me by one and my only Wife Sixteen Children Soliloquium or Discourse MArriage is honorable amongst all Men and the Bed undefiled not only to the Jewish but Gentile Nations Insomuch that some Common-Wealths have allotted great rewards priviledges and immunities to the Parents that in lawful Wedlock have had many Children Yea the Holy Ghost records it no doubt to the honor of Jaier the Gileadite that he had thirty Sons to whom he gave thirty Cities and of Gideon that he had three-score and ten Sons The poorest Man that hath a numerous Issue is therein more serviceable and a greater Benefactor to the Church and State than the noblest and richest Subjects that have few or none To whom the Scriptures gives this name of diminution that they are barren and dry Trees in the Vineyard of the Church and Common-wealth The consideration of which sad and unfruitful condition caused the Melancholy of Hanna the passionate speech of Rachel Give me Children or else I dye and the discontented reply to say no worse of faithful Abraham to the Lords most gracious offer and promise I will be thy Shield and thy exceeding great reward Lord what wilt thou give me since I go Childless On the other side the happiness and blessedness of fruitfulness is held forth in God's after-promise to Abraham that he should be the Father of many Nations and that his Seed should be as the Sand of the Sea-shore and the Stars of Heaven In his blessing upon Jacob in giving him Twelve Sons the Roots and Basis of that great and National Church and of his only people the Twelve Tribes of Israel This blessing as the greatest and richest of temporal good things is set in the front of the Psalmist's Song of praise that our Sons may be as plants grown up in their Youth and our Daughters may be as Corner-stones polished after the similitude of a Palace Yea it is held forth not only as a blessing too but as a discovering Character many times of a godly Man Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine House Thy Children like Olive-plants round about thy Table Behold that thus shall the Man be blessed that feareth the Lord. O most gracious and liberal God and Father are a numerous Issue and many hopeful Children a great blessing yea the richest of all outward temporal gifts as hath been here noted and is observed in the following Poem How great hath been thy goodness unto me and how many are my Obligations to thee that hast given me by one Wife Sixteen Olive-branches and them circumstantiated with divers remarkable favours Many have had Children but much to their grief as mournfully falling out of a living Coffin of Flesh into a dead one of Earth or expiring not long after Whereas all mine except four are in great mercy continued to me in life and health unto this Day And as for the four deceased two of them being Daughters they departed hence about the age of four years a time of much innocency The other two being a Son and a Daughter and both gracious Children slept in the Lord after they had attained unto years of discretion and therefore I have good reason in Charity to hope they are all with God in Glory Divers Persons have Children but they through their Parents error or neglect involuntarily or voluntarily which â—â—st is most to be lamented have departed hence unsealed unbaptized But the Lord hath greatly favoured me in giving me the honour to offer all but one born when I was absent in the Wars to him in Baptism with fervent prayer and thanksgiving Many have Children but they are either redundant or defective in their Members or Senses or otherwise deformed But the Lord graciously gave unto me mine perfect and well-favour'd Others have Issue but they are all of one Sex But the Lord beneficially almost equally divided my number giving me Seven Sons and Nine Daughters Several Persons have a large Progeny but they prove to be pricks in their Eyes and thorns to their sides by their wicked lives and disobedience but the good Lord blessed be his Name hath given me to see some Characters of saving Grace ingraved by his blessed Spirit in the major part of mine and some good hopes of the rest in God's good time O Lord hast thou inricht me with the best Earthly Treasures sixteen Sons and Daughters and multiplied that number of Mercies as to the many blessings Temporal Spiritual Eternal conferred upon the greater part of them already and upon the rest in that thy Sealed Covenant of
Baptisme and in thy faithful promise made to me as well as to Abraham since thou hast given me to believe and to plead it here before thee I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all these thy benefits Since I and my Children are but like seventeen Cyphers which signify nothing unless thou place with and before us that only blest Unite thy Holy One the Lord Jesus in and by whom we shall be accounted of a great value with thee and be numbred amongst thy Saints O let me and my Childrens Children obey and glorifie thee until time be swallowed up in Eternity that what is wanting now as to our thankfulness may be in some measure although never enough for thy mercies are unmeasurable be supplyed in the length of years and by so many and in and by their multiplyed Generations for whose sakes as well as for this present Age I humbly Register here both thy blessings and my perpetual praises Amen The BEE-HIVE A thankfull Poem on the same Subject HAst thou O gracious God so highly honor'd me As to co-work and be thy humble Instrument To bring forth Souls array'd with Immortality 〈◊〉 worth than this whole world with its rich ornaments 〈◊〉 being living Images of Thee by right Of Christ in posse to be glorious Saints in Light Hast thou by me O Lord as thy blest second cause 〈…〉 that for their rare excelling frame Are 〈◊〉 worlds and through obedience to thy Lawes And Faith shall be like thee and truly fear thy Name Hast thou me given sixteen Tongues and sixteen pair Of Hands and Feet to praise serve thee for thine they are And shall my Muse be silent All these Tongues be dâ—mb As to thy praise No Lord through thy assisting grace I and my swarm of Children shall become A holy Quire a little Church thy dwelling Place The Trumpets of that Goodness which gives me to see Sixteen fair Branches from one blessed Tree Lord did thy Abraham esteem one Isaac more Than all his Earthly wealth Are a Posterity The living Monuments of Parents a rich Ore Our lively Pourtraictures in whom we never die Pillars of Families and the Foundations And Builders up of Churches Cities Nations The strength of Kingdomes Riches of a State The honour and defence of their weak aged Sires As ready for to meet the Enemies in the Gate A gift only from thee the fruit of chast desires Natures prime Flowers for beauty and which long endure Our choicest Houshold-stuff and richest Furniture O let me as my prop'â—est act of Gratitude As living Sacrifices offer them to thee And to thy Service since such servitude Their freedome is as once I did in Baptisme Lord hear my fervent Prayer and answer give Granting them all in thee a renew'd life to live Amen ARGUMENT Vpon the Lord's most bountiful goodness in giving me an Estate of Inheritance of about Three Thousand Three Hundred Pounds a Year and upon his wise and righteous Providence since in his Re-assumption and taking it from me Naked come I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return thither The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. Soliloquium or Discourse HOw wonderful various and mysterious are the actings of God in this World so that no Man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them All things come alike to all There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Let no Man therefore rashly Judge himself or his Brother as to these mundain and subsolary Dispensations lest he be judged of the Lord and possibly before he dies in another give Judgment upon himself This was the great sin of Job's Religious Friends and David's wicked Enemies in their change and low condition who censured the one for his hypocrisie and the other as a Rebel and a Traytor Wherefore as private persons Judge not before the time when the Lord hath promised that the righteousness of all his people shall shine forth as the light and their Judgment as the Noon-day Man's state in this World is much like the Moon to Day in the full glorious and lightsome to Morrow in the Wane dark and scarcely visible The Holy Spirit styling all our good things here uncertain Riches and compares them to an Eagle that hath Wings and suddainly flies away Of this truth the Lord to his praise be it spoken for shall I receive good and not evil from the Lord hath made me an eminent Example when he ordered my light to be blown out by one breath And I and my numerous Family to be lest to starving and darkness And all this not in hatred but in his wonderful love which I shall here declare to all the people of God from experience which is the truest demonstration and to the carnal World to whom this is a great mystery My gracious God since this my suffering condition having instead of my Earthly possessions given me himself the everlasting fulness of all things to be my unvaluable Inheritance The knowledge and assurance of which inestimable gift of being his and he mine And of the Concomitants and fruits thereof Eternal Life and Glory notwithstanding my early Convertion I would had it been purchaseable have given a World for in my prosperity For what shall a Man gain though he possess the whole World if he lose his Soul yea what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul And as to the present Cloud over me the World beholds only the dark not the light-side thereof Viz. The wonderful providences and preservations confer'd and accumilated both upon me and mine during my above Eight Years restraint and separation which is the Lord give me leave and life I shall in all humble thankfulness to God's glory and his Churches good more at large declare He having preserved me often as he did David Daniel and the Three Children in the Cave Lyons Den and Fiery Furnace and provided for me and mine as strangely as he did for Eliath when fed with Flesh by the Beaks of wilde and Flesh-devouring Ravens Eternal Father Son and Holy Ghost Three glorious Persons One Omnipotent and Incomprehensible God and Beeing my God in Covenant my gracious Father in thy only begotten and beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ my alone Redeemer The only Fountain of love and goodness for thou art love and a God of tender mercies Who didst not only give me a large paternal Estate but when that was all taken from me for five Years in the late Wars didst in that time of my want and necessity relieve me and my numerous Family by the gift of a good Revenue the Legacy of my Wiâ—es Father who did not only after the end of the late troubles in the Year 1646. Restore
one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all I beseech you by the mercies of God by the excellent effects of charity by the fruits of the spirit by the examples and commands of the Lord Jesus and the Character of his Disciples be meek and lowly and love one another So shall the Plots of Rome and Hell be prevented and all Sectaries shut their Mouths Why should it be spoken to our shame that there is not a wise Man amongst us No not one that is able to judge between his brethren But Brother asperses and declaims against Brother and that before the Antichristians Now therefore there is utterly a fault amongst you Know ye not that Revilers shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But some will answer that they have received a new light O be cautious that novelty Eclipse not truth since the last Days foretold and forewarn'd of by our Saviour are at hand wherein iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold hence Father against Son and Son against Father betraying one another and hating one another hence the Judgments of Famine and Pestilence Nation rising up against Nation So that the whole World seems to be on Fire before its time These Days not I but the Lord Jesus the great Prophet of his Church dictates and points out to be the time when many false Christs and Prophets or Teachers of Christianity shall arise who by their applause or excellency of parts and external holiness by which they shall shew forth as it were signs and wonders and gather a Multitude of Disciples Declaring that in such a Meeting be it in Woods or Deserts or in secret Chambers the true way of Christ is to be found deceiving as it were if possible the very Elect. Our Lord teaching us from hence how neer a similitude these new Doctrines shall have to truth and true holiness But be they as Paul or Cephas in the Church or as Angels from Heaven believe them not for as the Lightning comes out of the East and shines even to the West so shall also the glorious coming of the Son of Man be that is as I humbly conceive that his Gospel which at first broke out like Lightning in the East shall in this last Age upon the ruines and through the Clouds of spiritual Babylon dart it self and shine gloriously in our Western Churches even to the Indies that the other parallel Prophesie may be fulfilled by the subjecting and uniting Kingdomes of the Earth unto the Kingdome of the Lord and of his Christ. Let us not then be carried about with every mind of Doctrine but hold fast the Gospel delivered to us by Christ and his Apostles in the Unity of his Spirit and the bond of peace since other Foundation can no Man lay it being a sin so much as to doubt much more to defend that the Fundamentals of our Religion some of which are mentioned by the Author to the Hebrews and received by the Churches in all Ages are not to bind as de futuro as having a possibility upon new notions to be null'd or chang'd which is to make God a lyar to undermine his Church and to pull down the Pillars thereof For if the Foundations be destroyed What shall Nay what can the righteous do Wherefore my humble suit unto our Master-builders is to keep the Foundation unmoveable not permitting a Resurrection to ancient Hereticks before the time that so whatsoever Men build thereon whether it be Gold or Stubble may be brought to the Test in this Fiery Tryal Stand fast therefore Brethren in that liberty wherein Christ hath made us free not making your liberty a Cloak for maliciousness not for an occasion to the Flesh but by love serve one another judging thus of one another that he that loves his brother abides in the light but he that hates his brother whatsoever he may boast of new discoveries walks in darkness and knows not whether he goes Because that darkness hath blinded his eyes and that whatsoever seems to be religious and yet bridles not his Tongue he deceives his own heart and his Religion is vain But that I may not only perswade but offer my Mite I shall in all humility propose a medium which if found agreeable to the Word of God may through the blessing of the Almighty make up the breach and reconcile your greatest difference I conceive you both agree in these particulars That all shall be Members and have right to vote in your Churches from which Votes Women are excepted shall not only be free from just scandal that is prophaness and the impenitent practice of any known Sin but be indowed with a sufficiency of knowledge to which end since your accord in the principles of Religion I hope there will be speedily set forth and establisht one short Catechisme for Information and Examination Next in condescention to the impediments I hear it is mutually resolved that the Government of their respective Members reconciling of inferiour differences and ordering their Conversations even as far as Ordination and the Censure of Excommunication respect being had in Appeals to the Advice and Results of the Classes and Provincial Synods and saving to the Presbyterians their right be ordered by their particular Congregations Thus far we are knit together in one spiritual building and Temple of God The great difference if I understand it is the Tegument and Covering which is indeed the Ornament coupling and strength of the whole Aedifice as where shall rest as to us under the same Scepter the determinative and concluding Power the end of Appeals the regulation of that unlimited Plea and over-much extended liberty of Conscience that so we may be one as Christ and his Father are one this some of you fix in a general Assembly others limit to a particular Congregation The first pleads not only Scripture analogically but prudence for preserving union and preventing of Tumults as also antiquity from the parallel in general Counsels and Parliaments affirming that the other way hath no Grounds in Scripture since Churches were necessarily independant no State being then Christian that this way by reason that our corrupt Nature hath no check is destructive to the Unity of Religion Since according to the number of the Congregations will their Opinions as also pernicious to Common-wealths there being no Fewds so bloody and irreconcileable as those that break out about points of Faith instance in the Warres between Turke and Persian Papists and Protestants in the Lutheran Contestations and Arian Persecutions Lastly They conclude an inconsistency in this way with Relations and Callings disaffection and departure from Bed Board Families and Imployments being experimental consequences of Religious differences On the other side the contracting party affirm