high mountaine and shewed mee that great Citie the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God And her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper stone clear as chrystall The Bride of Christ is the Church of God and it is descended out of Heaven from God for it is one with him for it is the Spirit of God in all the children of God that is this body the Church The Bride and this descendeth from God into us yet it is not parted from him but is in him and this is cloathed with the glory of God This is that righteousnesse of the Saints and her light is the light of Christ and that light is the clearest and purest and most precious and glorious light that can be I will appeare glorious in thee Isa 49.3 Awake awake put on thy Strength O Sion put on thy beautifull garments O Jerusalem the holy Citie for hence-forth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the uncleane Shake thy selfe from the dust arise and sit downe O Jerusalem loose thy selfe from the bands of thy necke O captive daughter of Sion Isa 52.1 2. Shee was in a sleepy drousie condition so long as shee sate in the dust of that earth of Anti-christ and was a captive in his band But now our Beloved is come hee calls unto us to awake and to put on strength The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be affraid Psalm 27.1 Psalm 28.7 Hee hath cloathed us with his strength And this is that beautifull garment Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee For behold the darkenesss shall cover the earth and grosse darkenesse the people but the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seene upon thee Isa 60.1 2. And the glory that thou hast given me I have given them John 17.22 The Spouse of Christ being cloathed with the glory of Christ shee is all glorious The Kings daughter is all glorious within Wee are the King of heavens daughters for wee are married to Christ and God the Father is our Father and wee are all glorious within It is the Spirit of God in us that is so glorious and this is a spirituall glory it cannot be seene outwardly by others they may hear us speake forth something of this glory in us but none sees it nor knowes it but those that have it Revel 2.17 To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving him that hath it This Manna is Christ and he is hid from the world but as wee are Saints wee see it and feede upon it for it is that which wee live by and this stone is Christ 1 Pet. 2.6 And this is a very precious stone and here is a new name written in this stone that none doth know it but hee that hath it And that which is written in it is the manifestation of the exceeding riches of the love and mercy of God and all his glory and excellency which hee hath given us as we are Saints Christ doth set forth the beauty and comlinesse and glory of his Church having his beauty and comelinesse and glory on her Cant. 4. Cant. 7. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes with one chain of thy necke How faire is thy love my Sister my Spouse how much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thy oyntments than all spices Thy lips O my Love drop as the honey-combe honey and milke are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon This oyntment that our Beloved is so taken with the smell of is the anoynting of the holy Ghost 1 John 2.27 The anointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth and is no lye and even as he hath taught you ye shall abide in him The Priests and Kings used to be anoynted with oyle and it was a type of Christ hee was that King and Priest that was anoynted with the holy Ghost Psalm 45.6 7. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy kingdome is ascepter of righteousnesse Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse because God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes And this is like that precious oyntment upon the head that runneth upon the beard even unto Aarons beard which wet downe on the border of his garments Psal 133.2 This oyntment of the Spirit of God is all of it poured upon this Priest Christ which is the head of the Church and it runs off from him down upon all the Saints and this ointment of the Spirit of God makes our garments smell so sweete which is that Wedding garment Mat. 22.12 which is the righteousnesse of the Saints Revel 19.8 And being filled with this Spirit causeth our lips to speake or drop forth sweet heavenly glorious things more sweeter to the soule than the honey and honey-comb is to the pallet The Spouse of Christ is exceeding glorious in every respect being in Christ she is perfect in him I in them and they in me that they may be made perfect in one John 17.23 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us John 17.21 Put on charity which is the bond of perfectnesse Coloss 3.14 which is Christ And where hee is there is perfection Col. 1.27 28. To whom God would â—ake knowne what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in â—ou the hope of glory Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdome that wee may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus We are perfect in Christ as wee are Saints and are the Church of God for this Spirit of Christ in us is perfect but as wee are men and women we are not perfect for we are naturall and not spirituall and as we are naturall we cannot discern the things of God neither can we doe them 1 Cor. 2.14 But it is this Spirit of God in us that doth all and if hee withdraw his Spirit from us we shall runne into all sin if he doth not restraine us for our bodies are the same as they were before the Spirit of God appeared in us and by his reigning in us he suppresseth destroyeth and burneth up by degrees as he revealeth himself in us all things that are contrary to him and hee brings our wills into subjection to his for wee are led by his Spirit and being filled with his Spirit wee are made drunke as it were with it
righteousnesse too narrow to cover her sewithal her filthy nakednesse wil appear for that But that no man is justified by the woâ—â—â— of the Law in the fight of God is evident Gâ—â— 3.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that conâ—â—â—â— passe your selves about with sparkes walke in light of your fire and in the sparkes which ye haâ—â— kindled This shall have ye of mine hand ye shâ—â—â— lye downe in sorrow Isa 50.11 This fire that we kindle is our righteornesse these sparks are one and the same wiâ—â— the fire This shall ye have at my hand ye shall downe in sorrow The children of God that have and doe walke in this darke condition going on in a egall and pharisaicall way thinking to be jutified by their owne righteousnesse for they know no other way for if they did they would willingly embrace it They lye downe â—n aboundance of sorrow they have little comfort and joy and when they have 't is quickly gone and the more they struggle the more they are entangled like a bird in a net and cannot tell which way to getout but thou wilt say though my righteousnesse will not â—ustifie me before God yet I must performe duties to him because he commands me for â—f there be a willing minde it is accepted for â—hat a man hath and not for that he hath not For where much is given much is required but where little is given there is little required So if I doe my good will God will accept it for that which I cannot doe Christ will doe for me I answer That either thou must be justified wholly by thy owne righteousnesse or wholâ—y by Christs righteousnesse for thou must not put them together it is forbid to put linnen and woollen together It is Christ that doth all and he will have all the glory before the Sonne of righteousnesse is risen to thee through the cleer truths of himselfe thou canst not know it for in thy sight we see ligh And while then we make broken Cesterns our selves that will hold no water and foâ—sake the fountaine of living water as tâ—â— Scribes and Pharisees did which Christ uâ—braided them for John 3.19 This is codemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather than light in tâ—â— time of their ignorance God winked at it bâ— when hee came himselfe to teach them in tâ—â— true way they despised him and persecutâ— him and said he was a seducer of the peoplâ— John 7.12 Thou art a Samaritan and hast Devill John 8.48 And he is mad why be ye him and said he was a blasphemer And mâ—ny other reproachfull words against him aâ—â— his Doctrine and his Disciples for whiâ—â— things they were condemned So when thâ— light doth appeare to thee take heed thâ— dost not persecute it as they did and noâ— can by their striving and strugling make thâ— Sonne to rise and expell this darknesse anâ— give us the true light till he please to doe himselfe Thus I have shewed thee that yet thou haâ— not seene the salvation of the Lord Now shall shew you how you shall stand still and 〈◊〉 the salvation of the Lord. Thou hast tryed aâ— the wayes that thou knowest and hast labored exceedingly to find out the wayes of God out cannot find it out We have toiled all the â—ight and taken nothing Luke 5.5 Before Christ came in appearance to them â—heir labour was in vaine they could find noâ—hing But when Christ came to them he bid them let downe their nets into the Sea for a draught When they had thus done they enclosed a great multitude of fishes And so it hath been with thee thou hast toyled all the night and hast taken nothing But when Christ manifests himselfe to thee to teach thee what to doe which hee will doe by his Spirit in his time then thou shalt receive multitudes of mercies and exceeding riches of his â—ove and goodnesse and the joy of it and a countenance of it in the meane time Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 49.23 And thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that waite for mee Habak 2.1 2 3. I will stand upon my watch and set mee upon the tower and will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am reproved And the Lord answered and said write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may run that readeth it For the vision is yet for an appointe time but in the end it shall speake and not lye Though it tarry wait for it because it will sure come it will not tarry Isa 30.18 Blessed anâ— all they that waite for him Prov. 20.22 Waâ—â— on the Lord and he will save thee Psal 56.3 What time I am affraid I will trust in thee And they that doe waâ—te upon the Lord shall finâ— that they have not lost their labour but he will abundantly fulfill their desires The Lorâ— wil fight for you and ye shall hold your peace for your strength is to sit still Isa 30.7 Thou hast laboured a great while in vain in thy own strength couldst not find God now sit still a while Heb. 10.37 For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Thou must not be discontented because thou hast not thy desires granted when thou wouldst John 7.6 My time is not yet come but your time is alwayes ready Cant. 2.7 I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem that yee stirre not up nor awake my Love till he please The Lords time is the best time In the mean time let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 It is not only meant in coveting temporall things but also spirituall but thou wilt be ready to say if I had such and such things as I want and I were thus and thus as such and such is then I should be contented but thou must be contented with such things as thou hast for the Lord knowes what is better for thee than thou dost 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good And I will not leave thee nor forsake thee It is for thy good whatsoever he doth if it had been most to his glory and thy good he would have shewed thee his loving kindnesse at the first and not have wounded thee thus and have led thee by his Spirit in a plaine ready way and have tooke away all things that hath hindered thee But when hee doth shew thee his love thou wilt know how to prize it the better thy happinesse consists not in the actings of Christ in the which it is but the streames
and â—e drinks of it and this wine is the fruit of this â—ine Christ and whosoever hee giveth this â—ine too to drinke of it it goeth downe very sweetly and causeth the lips of them that are asleep to speak before Christ appeareth in us we are asleep as the Spouse was Cant. 5.2 in a dead an drowsie condition but now we shall be roused up and speak forth the praise of our beloved Cant. 8.2 I would cause thee to drinke of spiced wine of the juice of the pomegranates This is the fruit that groweth in this garden and it is for our beloved to feast himselfe upon and he saith I have eaten drank and do take great delight in this feast because thou art with me and do you eate and drinke abundantly with me for it is my delight to have you feasted for they are prepared for you and this feast is our love feast for it is our marriage feast and it is my love that you are to feed upon and doe not spare but eate and drinke abundantly of it and be drunke with it for there is more love yet behind than you can see and it is all for you and this love will make you fruitfull for by the love of God to us we bring forth fruits to God This will make us that we shal be neither barren nor unfruitfull here is the Church of God in the glory of Christ and married to Christ and is one with God in Christ and fits in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.6 And is feasted with Christ Jesus and he is feasted with her and she appeareth glorious in his glory CHAP. XX. A new Song sung unto God WHen we come to see what God hath done for us in Christ Jesus how hee hath destroyed this Babylon in us and hath bound Satan and swallowed up the vaile that hindered us from seeing him and we come to see him and see what we are in him and how wee are marryed to him There will be much joy and rejoycing for the destruction of our spirituall enemie for joy of the marriage of the Lamb and the Saints The finger of God will play upon the wel-stringed instrument of musâ—que which is the Spirit of God in us playing heavenly tunes and new songs that we never sung before For first there is a rejoycing for the manifestation of the love of God to us in Christ He hath made us Kings Priests to God and his Father and we shall reigne with him for ever And I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away Rev. 21.3 4. The cause of our crying and mourning either for spirituall or for outward things is because we doe not clearely see God what he is to us and that all that he doth to us is in love and that hee will have his owne time to bring to passe his own will in his owne way both spirituall and temporall for the glory of his Name and for our good when we come to be really sensible of this then wee shall see that wee have no cause of mourning then shall our teares be wiped from our eyes Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all yee that mourne for her Isa 66.10 For behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind But be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing her people a joy And I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying Isa 65.17 18 19. And the Lord will cause righteousnesse and praise to spring forth before all the Nations and I will direct their work in truth I will make 〈◊〉 everlasting Covenant with them And their seed shall he known among the Gentiles and their off-spring among the people All that see them shall acknowledg them that they are the seede which the Lord hath blessed I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God for be hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation hee hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a Bride-groom decketh himselfe with ornaments as a Bride adorneth her self with jewels everlasting joy shall be unto them Isa 61. As there are new manifestations of God in us so there will be new songs of joy and rejoycing in the Lord. And I heard a voyce from heaven as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of a great thunder and I heard the voyce of harpers harping with their harps And they sang as it were a new song before the Throne and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth Rev. 14.2 3. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his marke and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glasse having the harps of God And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying great and marvellous are thy workes Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest Revel 15.2 3 4. This sea of glasse is Christ and none can stand upon him but the Saints for it is too slippery for any other to stand upon it for they will fall and this fire that is mingled with this glasse will burn them up but here the Saints stand with joy singing a new song and rejoycing in the Lord exceedingly the joy is beyond expression none can know it but they that have the enjoyment of it to see and know that Christ hath overcome and destroyed all our spirituall enemies in us for he hath thrown down Babylon in us And after these things I heard a great voyce of much people in heaven saying Allelujah salvation and glory and honour and power be unto the Lord our God For true and righteous are his judgments for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand And again they said Allelujah and her smoak rose up for ever and ever And the four and twenty Elders and the four beasts fell downe and