a glorious power This is spoken in the generall I would have every one of you in particular to take notice what power works in and by you and call it as it works Are yee selfe-condemned call that a convincing power Are your hearts prickt and wounded call that a terrible power Are your hearts inflam'd with love to Christ call that a glorious power Divine power condemning executing to wit torturing must be look't to betimes 'T is time to shake off sin when hell is come home come into a mans soule ere the soule be gon out of the body A power working meerly convictive is a sad and black not a glorious power Such a man should know that life and death are neere him he may live or he may die as he stoopes to that power which hath seis'd upon his soule Where power works meerely convictive that man is endited for his life if he can believe he will doe well if not his wounds will bleed to death No power workes so black and sad in the soule but faith alters it and makes it a glorious power The goings of God in the soule are suited to faith still Believe O selfe condemned soule and thou shall see the glory of God a glorious power working in thee Out of faith springs love out of love Heaven Heaven felt and then and not till then a Christian calles the power that workes in him a glorious power all is glorious in Heaven The soule quickly calles power as it feeles it worke and very hardly otherwise Wee call the Sun glorious when we see it and feele it smiling warming â—omforting of us Other celestiall powers which blow blast nip and pinch we call not glorious powers Power is glorious and confessed glorious as it does it's most glorious works in the heart Christians yee are too far from Heaven to call the Sun glorious too few glorious works in you to call power glorious Were ye strengthened with all might ye could not but as the Apostle here doth call power glorious FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 According to his glorious power or according to the force of his glory Doct. DIvine things are so mentioned as to make best impression upon the solue of man The Holy Ghost speaks as one in Heaven to make his auditors so he speakes gloriously to take to raise to ravish dead dull man to worke and force way for Christ into every heart according to the power or force of his glory T is an expression of energy and divine force moulded and shaped with such glittering letters and words with such varnish and beauty from Heaven as to take and carry every heart thither Words of glory and workes of glory all things of glory are of great power and force with fallen man in a glorious stile therefore doth the Holy Ghost here speake according to the power of his glory The Holy Ghost doth speake as like himselfe and to man as like himselfe Hee speakes as one in Heaven as one wrapt up in God and in glory to whom the language of the holy Land is naturall and he speakes to man as on earth in earth wrapt up soule and body in earth cold dull heavy and hard to be lifted up to Heaven unlesse Heaven and glory be brought to his doore to his eye and eare if anything be of power and force upon a dead creature this will according to the force or power of his glory God speakes to man as man yet moves according to the ruines and remainders of his first state Mans first state was glory and he is a creature leaning and strugling that way still to get and make a state of glory he gropes after it in every thing and as any thing carries glory and lustre to any sense eye or eare so hee lookes after it and hearkens to it Things of naturall glory of glory to the sense they are very swaying with a broken glorious creature This the Divell knowes right well and therefore hee bespangles his expression with Heaven and glory and the state of a God when he has to doe with man So he did to the first Adam so he did to the second Adam hee shewed him all the Kingdomes of the World and the glory of them saith the Text he knowes words and works inlaied with glory are very working and winning upon humane nature who ever weare it Therefore doth he at this day gild all his deadly pils and makes them golden and glorious things to looke upon and daily workes in his best apparrell as an Angel of light he puts faire white sleeves upon his arms when he is going to butcher the soule he makes every toole and instrument of death looke as glittering and as glorious as may be hee hath had long experience that golden glorious things are of great force upon a broken glorious Creature As Satan doth speake and worke towards man as man moves according to the remainders of his first state so doth God Hee knowes that fallen man is much leaning and gropeing after glory and therefore shall yee finde the Holy Ghost so leaning to this way of speaking in the word and working in the World namely to cloath expression with words of glory and actions with workes of varnish and glory As when Christ was to come in the flesh and sent his Herauld's to the Shepards The glory of the Lord shined round about them saith the Text. Man is taken with a surrounding glory once he had such a glory in Christ he was to have it againe therefore came the message so visibly and so strongly instructing this way Glory to any sense workes mightily and be but glory to the eare glorious words but glory round to eare to eye to many senses at once this makes Heaven and carries all before it swallowes up the soule So when Christ shall appeare againe you have the Holy Ghost telling man that he shall appeare in glory The Holy Ghost knowes that man is a creature much taken with glory therefore doth he cloath his actions and words with glory according to his glorious power God speakes to man as to a creature of state Persons of state and majesty mind glory as their neerest kins-man and take in things onely as they come in glory and cannot stoop to owne and embrace any else as Kings and persons of state can embrace nothing but what comes in state and presented with glory suitable to their majesty Man is a creature of state of a big spirit of a very big spirit in a very bad sense words must be big when the spirit is big or else they will not beare down all before them One spirit speakes high and loftily to another man will not open the everlasting-doores unlesse the King speake and speake as a King in state in glory and therefore doth he so speake according to his glorious power The Holy Ghost speakes so to man as to make man know his distance he so as
speaking and doing how hee does shape all to a gaining and saving end of lost man Glorious power how big-bellied with Heaven are these words what a transcendent shape have they to save In what a little can God wrap up much in what a little all in a word Heaven in a word the Heaven of Heavens in a word he wraps up glory infinite glory According to his glorious power How smilingly doth Heaven look upon us in this expression God breakes out glory in your very faces here can yee see so much of the World to come and in this World and not admire FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 According to his Glorious power c. ALL Starres are glorious but some are very neere the Sun and double in magnitude and glory and as a sun in comparison of other stars All dispensations of grace are glorious but some exceede in glory so full of Christ and glory that they give a great resemblance in the heart of his triumphant state in glory and set the soule as in the borders of Heaven when the body is in the belly of Hell this is here called glorious power as appeares by the expressions following unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse He speaks of such an assisting power as is superior to all opposing power and makes up of it selfe to the soule whatsoever the Creature could and much more According to his glorious power Doct. WE are come now to the sight of the holy-Land there be glimpses of Heaven upon Earth power workes glitteringly and gloriously here Christ hath a glorious Dominion in dying man Strengthened with all might according to his loving glorious power c. Things which give being give beauty and being glory and being Esse tale esse esse et radiatum esse Splendidum esse Nature hath a power to put forth and a power to shape unto beauty and glory the earth gives vertue and glory life and beauty which makes the earth such a glorious foote-stoole under us So doe the Heavens give influence and glory the Sun derives not onely influence but its very glory to the Sars which makes the Heavens such a fruitfull and such a glorious Canope over us So doth the Sun of righteousnesse give glory and vertue We are called to glory and vertue According as his Divine power hath given us all things that pertaine unto life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 Divine power makes vertue glory and vertue that is grate unto a glorious and very Heavenly height grace unto tranquillity and tryumph let disadvantages in the World be what they will Hee spake this to sufferers they might thinke their calling to be to nothing but misery or at least to nothing but naked godlinesse and Gospell-profession which exposes to much hardship no saith he yee are called to more then naked vertue then meere conscience according to such Gospell-prnciples yee are called to glory and vertue to the participation of such vertue as will worke gloriously and never leave working so let what opposition soever be made till it rise above all opposition unto all glory Divine power workes in order to truth The promise to us Gentiles is which stand not in the first and prime relation not in the highest sphere of love rest yea glorious rest dispensations so rich as to rise unto glory joy and tryumph as their rest above is And in that day there shall be a roote of Jesse stand for an ensigne of the people to it shall the Gentiles seeke and his rest shall be glorious glory saith the Originall i a rest so glorious as shall be very neere that glory which is above He shall quiet guilty conscience and crown it sprinckle it and adorne it hee shall give a spirit of Peace and a spirit of tryumph a glorious rest a rest next to that above where there is no restlessenesse nor any thing wanting that may make the soule fully happy The promise is a Lord and a glorious Lord streames yea Rivers broad Rivers But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad Rivers and streames c. The expressions note Divine Power working gloriously Isa 33.21 in the Kingdome of grace raising grace here under the Gospell to a glorious height a power setting the soule in Heaven the body being in Earth the soule in glory though the body in shame These are the words of promise now the worke of power is to make words of promise words of truth to accomplish truth to give full being to all that God hath said that not a tittle fall to the ground Power workes gloriously necessarily as engaged by promise Divine power workes in order to dignity and majesty as well as in order to truth Christ hath a Kingdome and a throne here as well as above and Kingdomes and thrones must not onely have power simplicitèr but power ornatè not onely a power which is absolutely necessary to uphold the being of such a thing but power also to adorne dignify and felicitate such a being upheld Kings and Kingdomes have a power unto glory as well as a power unto life and lively-hood I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place and hee shall be for a glorious throne unto his Fathers house Isa 22.23 Power workes in order to state as well as in order to truth he shall be for a glorious throne We are Kings and therefore must necessarily have power ornatè power gloriously working in us grace and grace unto glory being and triumphing There is being in Christ and triumping in Christ triumphing is glorious power and this necessarily belongs to a crown a Kingdom Power workes in Order to expresse words and to types and shadowes it doth in the new house as it did in the Old and more They had presence filling presence glorious filling presence The glory of the Lord filled that house so doth this power workes thus still presence filling presence and glorious filling presence There is grace riches of grace and exceeding riches an inheritance riches of inheritance and riches of glory and all in the Saints That you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. They had aide and glorious aide under the old Covenant power and glorious power so have wee and much more our Ministration doth exceed in glory saith the Apostle by how much nearer all glory then they Power workes and will worke still more and more glorious within and without as the Christian world drawes nearer and nearer full glory as all things worke stronge stnearest their spring and rise Power workes gloriously now but it will worke far more gloriously every day then other the Moone will become a Sun and the Sun seven fold more glorious then now it is Power workes in order to its own absolute nature Nothing is too
whether Christ will put in and beg the mans life here lies the case and depends wholly upon Christs Will What fellowship your soules have with God I know not whether God say any thing or nothing whether instruction with strong hand be come to instruction with weake hand by reason of your strong lusts whether your instruction with weake hand be not come to instruction with no hand but bare blows for your basenesse whether all whisperings be not layd aside and whispering turn'd into whipping this would be lookt well into for it speaks very ominously for eternity Love or hatred cannot be guessed at by things without but by Gods dealings within they may shrewedly be guessed at Profanatio 3. Profanenesse is a third property of a man fitted to wrath Profanenesse is the badge of an Esau wickednesse speaks out a cursed soule To what Country a man belongs you may understand by his language whether to Spaine France or the like Hell hath its openings as Heaven hath when Hell opens in a mans mouth what needs any further enquity what Country man Sir To what place do you belong A man moulded and shaped for wrath may be read in his face Death though it cease within yet it shew it selfe in the very superficies without You have such a common speech One may see Death in that mans face A mans life is in reference to his eternall estate as his face is in reference to his temporall 't is Index â—nimi index futuri index aeterni A mans life foretells his end What course any man leads broadly speakes what such a man is what he will be for felicity or misery An a man be in the broad-way he may prophesie where 't will end and to what inheritance he shall come whether to light or darknesse I know not what lives you lead Christ do's and you should Let them be led how they will you may spell Heaven or Hell out of them Life is but an expression of the frame of the spirit 't is but motion according to such wheeles and such a spring within If you will know of what frame or what make your soules are and to what fitted view your lives Your soules breath out themselves in your lives and they breath out themselves in the bosome of God or the devill into whose bosome you breath your soules in life into that bosome you will certainly breath them in death As you find your state now move To fit for Heaven is no trifle your eternall estate depends upon 't To fit for Heaven is not arbitrary you cannot come there without it To fit for Heaven is not easy the making power of God must go to it Sinners why do you put of this worke as a trifle And why do you put it of till death That man would never be holy if he could shift it that will not be holy till he dy He would never have to do with Christ if he could shun him that will not seek aquaintance with him till he must leave leave this Word When death is fitting the soule for Hell then the soule sets about to fit it selfe for Heaven Ah Lord that ever this man had a soule that damnes it himselfe Wrath doth usually crosse and curse this folly men are surprised in body or surpris'd in soule no strength or no heart and so dy in their sinne Fitting grace for Heaven hath its means hath its season hath its course and then hath its blessed end I will touch these a little ' T'ath its meanes Will you be fitted for Heaven yee wicked soules and use no means 'T is common to the worst man to cast their soules upon a miracle for salvation and not upon means God fits by his word they 'l heare none God fits by Prayer they 'l use none God fits by his People and they care for none holy Ordinances sleighted and yet the holy-Land promised Ah Lord Are not these soules mad to conclude the end and exclude the means These men will dy in presumption or else I dare dy for them 'T 'as its season Earthen Vessels have their season for molding and shapeing to such a forme and to such an use All times of the yeare are not seasonable for such a purpose Salvation hath its day the Sun stands not still 't is comming towards a man for so many houres and then goes away from him as fast Fitting seasons for Heaven are transient sleighted and eternally hid from a mans eyes O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. But now they are hid Love passions are strong but no fire cooles so fast as this when abused nor so hard to be kindled again when out God knocks and if no opening away to others that will He comes to a mans house and proclaimes peace if peace be not regarded he departs with a witnesse leaves the dust of his feet behinde him to testify what a base Earthy heart 't was that rejected him Fitting grace for Heaven hath its course Physick has its course to fit the body for health malignities are not carried away presently Bad spirits abounding râ—quire sweating and sweating again The great Physitian hath his course prescription upon prescription line upon line All is not done of an houre to make the soule fit for blessednesse for ever Grace conflicts with corruption long ere it can get â—he victory and render the soule fit for Heaven Some sinners will never be fit for Heaven because they cannot beare a fitting course Sorrow for sin spending the paine of conscience killing bleeding til binding up from Christ comes utterly consuming not to be thought of if these men can fit themselves for Heaven 't is wel they will never be made fit by Christ they are so idle headed and wilfull harted Finally after grace hath had its fitting course then it has the fruition of its end a fit soule expires into Heaven the soule fit for Heaven stayes not long thence The spirit say's come when fit the Bride say's come when fit a fitted soule for Heaven is a panting soule for Heaven and Christ a panting husband for this Spouse Grace hath its distinct property at every height when at full height and fit to be dissolved it desires dissolution and dissolution is granted as a medium to its ultimate forme which makes the perfection of a thing A Chrâ—stian is perfect when fit for Heaven his Grace is perfect when in Heaven Christians I have something to say to you from this Point and then I give it up and get gon 'T is many a good soules panting often O that J were fit For Heaven Why Christ makes so He workes at such a height as at which thy heart bends The bending of thy heart to such a height in Grace is a prevenient disposition to it 't is the worke thou wouldest begun and well on-ward to finishing Such a panting soule will be fit for Heaven and caught up into Heaven ere hee 's aware When the Soule is
to make him know him that speakes to be God and him that is spoken to but man God speakes so as to make man admire tremble stoop Man is a creature conceited and yet of no reach his conceptions and expressions lessen the dimensions of God his wisdome his power and the like and in this way man growes upon God by sinfull boldnesse and therefore God is faine to put titles and epithites upon his things himselfe to name things according to their nature himselfe which fallen man could have done once but now cannot to call love Love passing knowledge and wisdome infinite his wisdome is infinite saith the Psalmist and power glorious * To call an Angel an Angell and gold gold he is faine to cloath every attribute himselfe with royall apparell with titles suitable that so man may know and keepe his distance heare and feare heare and admire heare and stoop to him that is so glorious and so far above him in every Limb that hath such a glorious Arme glorious power Finally God shapes expression so to man as to hint him of and move him to his highest state He fetches expression from Heaven and from glory to minde man what should take him up and whither hee should drive in all hee sayes and does he goes before man in glory to draw man after him he speakes gloriously to man that man may eccho to him and call divine power as hee does and be taken with divine power as he is that man may looke about and turne away his eye from things that are vaine-glorious to that which is indeed glorious and will indeed make man so being strengthened with it Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power Vse God speakes as one in Heaven how doe you heare He makes his sword two-edged one terrible t'other glorious how does it cut He uses his rod and his scepter sharpe words and glorious words what doe they worke His scepter hee in layes and gilds and makes a glorious Scepter and so holds it forth to your senses to your eyes to your eares what impression doth it make upon your hearts Can yee heare God speake gloriously and yet not be stird'd Can yee heare God speake from Mount Sina and yet not shake Can yee heare him speake from Mount Zion as one in Heaven and yet not admire him adore him and be taken with him To unstir'd soules I must first speake from this point certainly you are dead This is the first principle that springs from this point Unstir'd soules are dead soules he that speakes speakes so gloriously so movingly that all men unlesse they be dead must needs be stirr'd Were your soules alive the words of Christ are so sweete so full of glory and divine force that they must needs stir and take you were you but asleepe the words of Christ are so glorious and so shining in your eyes that they would awake you T is a remarkeable place to this purpose Cant. 7.9 and the roofe of thy mouth like the best Wine that goes down sweetely causing those that are asleepe to speake Christs glorious words are very taking they goe down sweetely if there be any principle of life in the soule t will stir it If the heart be asleepe in the lap of any lower sweete in the lap of any low delights if onely asleepe and not dead in the nest this higher sweete and glory will awaken it and make it speake to the praise of him that so exceeds all in sweetnesse and love Solomon was asleepe for a while in the lap of low delights but when once Christ began to speake in a glorious stile to his sleepy soule hee awoke presently and made songes of that glory that transcendent glory which he saw Surely therefore I conclude that they are dead men whom words of glory words full of Heaven cannot stir How glorious the expression of Christ is here yee heare how gloriously Christ hath spoken upon it out of the mouth of a babe out of the mouth of a Worme and no man yee have likewise heard of what force and power all hath been upon your hearts yee know how much more in love with Heaven and with the Word of Christ and how much lesse in love with the World and with your lusts then you were you know yee that yet are as yee were not a jot better surely yee are dead yee that are yet dead ah Lord when when will yee bee alive Let every heart attend I will ring the Funerall of the dead Hearts dead and unstir'd when Christ speakes lively and gloriously have certainly stopt their eares against the charmer this soule is a prisoner to perverse will there is no damnable prison but this hee is resolved that nothing shall sway that is holy that his heart shall rule truth and not truth his heart which will damne a man if he had a thousand soules This man hath the plague in his heart and hath shut up himselfe that none may come at him no not the King of glory not words of glory write Lord have mercy upon this mans doore upon his forehead for he will die in his sinne all the World cannot save him Whom truth cannot stir nothing can whom glorious words of truth cannot stir nothing shall the man is stretcht out for dead I am now ringing his knell does any dead soule heare me A Scepter of gold a glorious power held out gloriously the God of glory speaking in glory and yet the heart of man not taken nor stir'd ah Lord this heart is taken already this heart is certainly catcht with some fading glory Were there any soule at home when the King of glory and the King in glory knocks certainly 't would open What answer can be made who can open when no body is at home Dinah is gon abroad and ravish't by the Shechemites the heart is gadded abroad taken and lost in a lie in a fading vexing glory that will be the death of it An unstird soule is a dead soule a dead soule is a lost soule a lost soule in sinne will be found in judgement seldome any where else I have not yet done ringing the Funerall of the dead one peale more and I have done Yee dead soules Christ is making your grave doe yee not see it he is comming to take the length of your corps with a sword he will bleed you first and then burie you afterward Yee have bled your soules dead and Christ will bleed your bodies dead and then will yee be twice dead and pluckt up by the rootes When yee are gasping for life will yee be taken and stird with that mortall power which wounds you when yee are descended to your long home will yee be taken and affected with that power that sends you to Hell Surely glorious power gloriously expressed will take your soules or destroy them In what stile God speakes according to it will he make operation in every man upward or downward GODS Words shall
have their force and make issue according to their majesty and glory in the hearts of you all words of majesty and glory resplendent words which are so shaped above as to make strong reflections of the Sunne upon soules here below will make very saving or very killing influence God speakes gloriously to take affect and save the most obdurate heart let him have his designe this is the last thing that I would presse upon you and this concernes us all God makes his words glorious his workes glorious that the heart may be melted and moulded to a glorious forme by them doe not frustrate divine art Words which goe forth with much of God from Heaven let them leave much of God in your hearts When vision is glorious the soule should be in a transe when the speaker is in Heaven the hearer should be there too The Lord spake in glory in shining light to Saul he cast the beauty which he uses above upon his words and these wrought indeed and made Saul cry out Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Methinks this expression in the Text is as if there were such another Heaven opening and such another shining word to some Saul here to some bloudy malicious sinner Sinner sinner why doest thou shut thine eyes and thine eares against glorious words of Christ Some glorious Meteors they render the Heavens to us as if they did gloriously open Heaven me-thinks opens in this expression glorious power how can any heart keepe out of Heaven when Heaven opens to it How can any heart but be taken with that which is full of nothing but taking lustre what man can passe over such an expression without laying his hand on his heart with such a quaere what is that power which the Holy Ghost admires Surely there is glory indeed in that which he calles glorious O that my soule could see this glory Where Christ sets a hand in the margent pointing to the observation of any thing of his that surely is very remarkeable there the soule should stand still sit down and dwell The very accents and aspirations of truth must have their place in the heart of man the heart is to hold all not a tittle of truth must fall to the ground our hearts must catch it and keepe it from falling and dying Power and Love and Wisdome they are accented and aspirated glorious power infinite wisdome love passing knowledge c. These titles and aspirations this dust of gold must not be throwen away but adde to the impression of truth for 't is God setting all his strength to thrust things into the heart 't is God using his best soule-saving art to get into Sanctum sanctorum As the heart behaves it selfe so Divine truth lives or dies in it as Divine words die or live in the heart so God dies or lives in the World Much of God dies when glorious expressions make not glorious impressions much God-dying makes much man dying that God is so much dead in England makes so many men dead Man is lesse then a tittle of truth yea the World is lesse then a tittle of truth Spretis punctâ—s expiraâ— Anglia tittles of truth kill'd by the Christian World kille the Christian World so generally at this day As truth hath apparel'd it selfe so let it goe in the World and live in our hearts let us not take the least spangle from Her attyre Truth and Wisdome and Love will otherwise lose their dimensions and God will lose the glory of his heights and depths of divine dispensations The goodnesse of the heart is as the words of God make totall impression upon it T is the best heart in which God can best read all that hee hath said to a tittle and finde glorious impressions suitable to the glorious words in which he deliver'd himselfe How you judge of your hearts I know not God judges of them as your breath turnes into his as your spirits admire adore rise and ascend into Heaven with his That heart which can reade and heare glorious words of Christ and not be answerably affected will never be a glorious Christian Christ makes the place of his feet glorious as he treades in the heart so hee makes it glorious as his Word makes impression so is sanctification and no otherwise they that heare and let goe divine words of the the movingst forme and force will certainly die loose Soules Men goe to reading and hearing the word with a carelesse spirit 't is most mens sinne all that such get is judgement they eate and drinke judgement saith the Apostle respecting another Ordinance So these heare and reade judgement to their soules that is heart hardning and not heart raising The handling of such a glorious expression as this though by a weake servant of Christ must needs have set your hearts something more Heaven-ward had yee heard with such preparation as becomes you A man finds God in his Word as hee seekes him in Prayer and no otherwise Wax receives impression as 't is prepar'd Esther must fast and pray and come with her life in her hand to the King to have a glorious Scepter stretched out unto her So must we come into the presence of the King of Kings with much seeking of God and selfe-judging with our lives temporall and eternall in our hands to finde glorious words worke gloriously to have a glorious Scepter stretched out from Heaven to us a glorious power working in us in the hearring of glorious things Hee that minds little about what he is going finds little but the fruit of his sinne he goes away from divine ordinances worse then hee came to them he goes away with a sop with a heart more poysoned in malice more hard dead and cold condemned and executed to wit tortur'd I conclude this point with a note of admiration That God will put glosse upon necessary commodities such as we cannot be without and doe well to make them off is wonderfull Yee doe not use to put varnish upon Bread that 's such a generall necessary dish that its double and maine use to the state of man sets it off well enough without any by-things about the dish Such is the Word of God 't is as bread to our soules of supreme use this one would think should be enough to set it off with us and yet because this is not God paints bread guilds Loves and sets them upon the Table to us * Puts glosse upon the words of eternall life That GOD will put himselfe into a passion to put us put Heaven into his words to put Heaven into our hearts le ts wonder That Christ will let fall his mantle when hee ascends that we may ascend too make his raised spirit breake forth into glorious raised words to raise our spirits too let his love and humility be ever before you 'T is our great worke Christians 't is our great worke to admire God in his words and workes in his
t is a spirit of the right breed for the devil t will fight and fight till death t will worke to the utmost vires as long as nerves and sinewes bind bones together 't is everlasting burning which nothing will quench but its owne bloud Saints have had the triall on 't long long suffering A Christians condition is qualifyed Tristitia laetis he hath sweet things and bitter in every dish downe along to the lower end of his Table al-long his life he shall know that he is not at home He hath enough sometimes to say 't is good being here but never enough to say 't is best being here His rapture hath a rupture a sad breaking off his glory a shadow his statue a curtain drawen before it his heavenly vision is let down and drawen up his sunshines and clap's in suitable to this clowdy and impure region thus it doth through out the day Few and evill many and evill all evil doth good Iacob call his dayes so were all his sweets imbitter'd and qualifyed by God If one mercy be come another must be gon if corne be come Benajmin must be gon some thing for life is come and he that had the fathers soule must be gone If some children come home well some evil is befallen the rest Joseph is without doubte rent in pieces Gen. 37.33 So 't was with the blessed seed afterward which inherited the promise Milke and Hony and prickes in the sides whilst eating on 't and so it must be all a long as long as in Canaan the best people long sufferers in the best place that earth will afford A Christians condition is improved Christians are Gods Vineyard into this Vineyard God sends labourers to worke hard and to worke so long to the sixth ninth and last houre to make much fruit Afflictons are Gods day-labourers they work and worke thoroughout mans day to plow and breake up his fallow heart to grub up rootes bitter rootes and to prepare the way of the Lord for good fruit As God hath day-labourers to belabour the eare the heart the inward man and these kept at worke till the ninth and last houre of mans life so hee hath day-labourers to be labour the back the belly the outward man and these kept at worke as long as the other as long as man lives the one to prepare the way for the other one to plow and breake up and the other to sow The heart of man hath an unexpressible hardnesse the hardnesse of an Adamant many blowes will not break this stone it must be soakt in teares and in bloud long Afflictions are bitters to weane To moderate in lawfull things from sweets that are not necessary There is but one necessary the soule makes many t is whipt and whipt long ere 't will leave this Some children are not easiy to weane bitters must be laid upon the breast and lie long there ere the dug be cast off 't was long ere David could say Lord my heart is not haughty surely I have behaved and quieted my selfe as a child that is wean'd of his mother To take away unlawfull things Afflictions are to take away sinne By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne c. Isa 27.9 Afflictions and sufferings were onely to torture sin this might quickly be done but they are to take away sinne this is long work The furnace is to purify it must be heate and heate long to melt and segregate to discover disperse and take away drosse Afflictions are to worke truth in the inward parts t is long ere man be good at heart they are to heighten integrity t is longer ere the heart become so upright as to be a heart after Gods owne heart t is long ere a foule stomake will be made vomit up all t is long ere man will be brought to observe all Gods will this makes great plagues and of long continuance If thou will not observe to doe all the words of this Law that are written in this booke that thou maist feare this glorious and fearefull name THE LORD THY GOD. Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sickenesses and of long continuance Deutrenomy 28.58 59. God puts weight To serve in truth great weight upon truth to make it enter and make thorough impression truth is managed with great art to put back every spring and to make the bolt goe forth as far as it should and as fast and facile as it should Let these sayings sinke downe into your eares for the Sun of man shall be delivered into the hands of men Luke 9.44 Christ made a weight of himselfe and ties this to his words to make them sinke down into mens hearts he makes a weight now of us speakes and then strikes strikes and strikes often and long and then sayes secretly to the soule let these and these words now sinke down into their eares Christ is faine to bore way for truth to bore a long hole from the eare to the heart and this many times is a long while a doing six yeeres ten yeers twenty yeers A Christians condition is conform'd 't is made to speake Christ within and without in spirit in flesh the booke is written within and without in our soules in our bodies we are made to beare the markes of the Lord Jesus markes broad and long just like his in every circumstance The plowers made long furrowes on his back as long as his life he was acquainted with griefe griefe and hee were long acquaintance his whole voiage about this lower world was in stormes A man of sorrowes his life made up of sighs groans teares words bloud thus breath'd thus expir'd a mourning life a bleeding death The servant is as his Lord sufferers both as long as livers in this World the Apostle apprehended these Christians would finde it so therefore so prayd Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse Vse I have given you a survey of the way to Heaven expect dirty lanes and very long The way is narrow t is so all along scratching and tearing thornes and briers on both sides touching one another that 't is hard to make one step skin-whole Can yee beare these sayings Can yee beare such doings Can yee beare till your backes ake Can yee beare till your backes breake Can yee beare till you sinke and die under your burden Can yee suffer long as long as yee live Can yee leave all and follow Christ all your state all your limbes all your comforts al your dayes Can yee spend and end your dayes in misery to be blessed in another world you may think yee can doe so and be deceived Peter did so I will speake to this point a little There be three sorts of hearts which
to goe about a bleeding worke with a bleeding heart and yet this is consistent with the spirit of a Lyon to a mans place Must I kill bodies to save soules O that wickednesse should thrust such deadly worke upon me how many such Souldiers have we if deliverance from suffering come no faster then true sensibility under it surely Englands sufferings will be long That sensibility that is more selfish then divine When will our troubles have an end when this and when that who is that man that lookes upon the plaister as suited to a sore When will the sore be well whose heart beates thus but every mans tone is when wil the War end Why when all bad bloud is out of thy veines will not that be long first and yet wil not that be soon enough These things and such like make me feare Christians that your sufferings will be long but be not offended we cannot be too long in the Hand of God If long lying among the pots bring us forth with silver wings at last our long suffering will recompense it selfe who wil then complaine that Englands sufferings have beene too long Gold seven times purified wil glister gloriously thorough refining wil make England the the glory of al Landes If Ioseph lye prisoner long and be raised to be Prince at last hath he cause to complaine of hardship that his suffering was too long A heart apt to take offence at Gods dealing is willing to depart let such goe God wil have enough to doe his worke Revolt under your long suffering and your suffering wil be long indeed as long as England lasts as long as Hell lasts FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Long suffering with joyfulnesse TO make a rod bud and become pleasant to turne a Hell into Heaven misery long misery into joy this is hard and high yet thus high doth a Christians duty rise in this Text Long-suffering with joyfulnesse This last terme doth explaine what sufferings for kind the Apostle meanes to wit suffering for truth the reproach of Christ and this how great so ever should be treasure how lasting so ever should be undergone with joy long-suffering with joyfulnesse Sufferings are various and differ in their nature according to their immediate cause Sinne is the immediate cause of some sufferings righteousnesse the immediate cause of others When man suffers for his sinne he should beare it accept the punishment of his iniquity and not kick against his Maker how long soever such suffering be but joy is not proper under this suffering because such suffering speakes wrath I will beare the wrath of God because J have sinned Bearing is proper under divine displeasure but not joy to smile when God frownes is to despise the chastening of the Lord no affliction is joyous as it referrs to sin and wrath Righteousnesse is the immediate cause of other miseries patience is proper under these and more suffering and joy beareing long and bearing long with joy because these afflictions speake onely the displeasure of man not the displeasure but the pleasure of God A man should smile when God smiles joy when God joyes though in a dungeon Doct. Suffering for Christ how great how long so ever should bee managed with a spirit of joy A man should suffer the spoyling of his person the spoyling of his goods the spoyling of all for Christ and suffer it with joy yee had compassion on me and tooke joyfully the spoyling of your goods c. Heb. 10.34 Joy is to follow the soule as long as the soule followes Christ 't is to follow the lambe and the follower of the Lambe whithersoever they goe Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say rejoyce hee spake this to suffering Christians he lifts and lifts againe to lift the heart as high as its duty which is to make christianity throughout a course of joy to make faire way and foule way alwayes all wisdomes wayes all Christs wayes pleasant Some duties have their termination joy hath none 't is an alway worke an everlasting duty t is not to cease when goods cease when honours cease no 't is not to cease when all contents cease 't is to last Summer Winter Spring Fall Day Night joy is the Nightinggall-grace in the soule it is to sing all night long let the night be neuer so long never so darke ever more Rejoyce ever more truth and joy are never to part they are to keepe company together and beare up one another truth joy and joy truth till they lie downe both together in the bosom of eternall felicity Duties are consistent one duty is not to destroy another the leane Kine are not to eat up the fat long suffering is not to kill and bury joy yet this sweet child is never so neere its grave and its end usually as when suffering is long If Rachel suffer much and suffer long till al her children are not joy is not if children be kill'd she thinkes shee may kill her joy if al be kil'd shee thinkes she may kil al her joy and never let it live more Refuse to be comforted One beame of the Sun does not devoure another they all shine together that makes that celestiall body so glorious so al graces are to shine in a Christian together this gives a Christian his glory long-suffering and joy Long suffering is a beame of God this does not put out or darken other beames hee is long suffering indeed he suffers more and longer then any of us and yet he is joyous to hee does not barely beare but joy and beare hee does not overthrow no nor diminish in the least kind the felicity of his condition by suffering Christians are to be like him Duties are made consistent we must not make them inconsistent Long suffering and joy seeme inconsistent to flesh and bloud yet joyned together by God in my Text we may not part what God joines long-suffering with joy Duties are assistant long suffering makes great capacity not great incapacity of joy Some people are by situation you know neerer the Sun then others who are so neere the Sun by situation and placeing from God as those whom hee chooseth out to suffer and suffer long suffering long and joy are very neere by situation there is never a word between them in my Text joy is Peters Angel if Peter be in Prison and have been there long this Angel is at the doore More then this as soon is a Christian is in prison for Christ Christ is at the doore which joy let such a man but aske and his joy will be full presently Christ is so neere him aske and your joy shall be full Ioh. 16.24 You know he speakes it to such who apprehended how much they should undergoe when Christ was gon from them Ah! saith Christ though I goe away I wil set joy at your doore a comforter to be very neere you when any discomfort surprises and then neerest when
you looke to your joy in this sensuall season and make it divine Let your laughter be turned into weeping as the Apostle speakes if ever that were seasonable 't is now Some can smile and weepe 't is a comly countenance now if you can so joy now doe Remember God when your hearts are cheer'd remember the afflictions of Joseph in your bowles what a wonder is it that this cup of beere is not a cup of bloud thus lay your hand on your breast In your chiefe joy forget not your selves forget not your brethren Forget not God lest God write up your wickednesse on the walles in your consciences as hee did belluine Beltshazzars and make your soules ring of your unseasonable joy to the day of your death Germani'es wicked feasting 't is deadly cured their great drinking is turned into great bleeding their great feasting into famine Be instructed England be instructed so else wil be the deadly cure of thy excesse You observe dayes and good times as you call them I am affraid of you observe your soules observe your joy how holy it keepes these holy dayes These holy dayes are betraying dayes they are the divels snare to thousands how many thousands have more wrong'd their soules in these few dayes then in al the dayes of the yeare besides and yet this soule-undoing time must be call'd a blessed time Our wickednesse upon this blessed time hath brought many a curse our evil joy much griefe if we shal yet continue it when shall our griefe end The devil hath many snares for the poore soule of man but they are worst which are wrapt up in joy least discerned but catch most and kil deadliest Slips in mirth and in joy are pleaded for the divel hath enough now the man does the divels worke the divel may keepe Christmas holy-day too now if he wil his work is done for him I am led to brand a bad joy I am commanded by this point in hand to stigmatize al joy that is not divine that makes not an ascending frame of heart I will doe this in three or foure things briefly Bad joy hath this grand evil in it It strips God of all No evil carries the heart so totally from God as evil joy it carries away the heart and every heart string The soule and all that is within as that ful expression of Davids is the soule and all within the body and al without every sinew and nerve are set intensely awry when joy is awry A man is very heartily wicked very totally wicked every faculty every sinew stretch themselves to sinne when sinfull in joy There be many sacrificers to the divel but none sacrifices so bountifully to the divel as joy doth when corrupt she sacrifices totum universale totum particulare al in generall al in particular al the man al the joints nerves and sinews of the man to the utmost All the bloud all the spirits in the bloud al the spirits generaly throughout the whole state doth bad joy set a dancing after the devill so that God hath nothing left him in this man A merry divel jostles Christ out of all Bad joy hath this ground evill in it 't is stiffnecked hardest of any to returne to be reclaimed A mans joy commands all and is all and wil be all to the heart A man is most hardely brought to part with his joy What is so deare to a man as his joy let it be what it wil 't is his Heaven the soule and Heaven are inseparable they are so identified so one in another above al other things Joy and the soule are more identified more one in another then the soule and any other passion or thing whatsoever 'T is almost impossible to separate things which are so neere onely the power of a God which can doe any thing can doe it Hence 't is that t' is so hard to bring a man to leave sinne when his soule hath found out joy in it when the sinner can make musicke to himselfe in his sinnes when the sinner by art hath made an instrument of his sinne a Lute to play upon and delight his senses withall Joy 't is a fragrancy made from many flowers with much picking choosing and composing of flowers t is honey gather'd with much art from much variety the soule is not easily brought to put that by which it hath so spent it selfe for and so laid out its utmost art and skil after Bad joy 't is the soule in the armes of the divell hee holds fast 't is the soule in the bosom of the devil two evil spirits deare each to other making their felicity in and of each other evil spirits endear'd are harder to part then evil bodies Bad joy 't 'as this grand evil in it 'T is the completion of evill 't is wickednesse ful sinne growne old out liv'd al vertue yea out liv'd all conscience for till conscience was quite dead bad joy could not live Bad joy is an evil that hath conquer'd vertue truth conscience God and triumphs in this victory all the tone now is hang sorrow and yet hell now gapes for the man and never so wide as now Sinne may be growne old when the man is young 't is many a young mans case the Lord knowes nothing mature in them but sinne as you may see by their joy and triumph in it fit for hel ere they come to age to be fit for their patrimony Bad joy hath this grand evil in it It sets the Soule very neere wrath at the gates of hel knocking to goe in Evil joy 't is a Malefactor upon the gallowes there is but a step betweene him and turning off The triumphing of the wicked is short Job 20.5 when once a sinner beginnes to triumph he has but a little time to live Seest thou a sinner laughing stay a little the next change of countenance will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth You say of some notorious persons that the gallowes groanes for them when you see a man notoriously wicked joying and triumphing in sinne Ah Lord hel groanes for this man hel opens for this man in a moment he will goe down to the pit We leave him there and conclude FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father c. Defin. THanksgiving according to the sense of this and other Texts is a divine returne of divine love 'T is a Sea going forth into al the veines of the Earth and returned againe to its selfe by Rivers and Streames God is infinitly out here below and yet all upon finite man man is to make a returne of al and in Gods own coyne love for love to make Gods owne doings and dealings acknowledge him and own him al love to the Creature respecting body and soule in prosperity and adversity to cal him Father giving thankes to the Father Man is the mouth of the Creation to make all the workes of God speake and
God Psal 86.10 unlesse such and such men stand by him What Is not God God alone Cannot he nay doth not he use to do great things alone Nemine adjuvante multis obstantibus Is not Heaven brought to us against all the strength of Hell by Christ alone I will make a more strict soule-application of this point Great things come in a very immediate way my inference is our eyes in matters of the soule which are the greatest things should be much fixed upon God Sinners undoe their soules in that little which they doe to save them 'T is enough to some that they put themselves upon Ordinances as if that were all to bring the soule to Heaven Grace and salvation come in a more immediate way 'T is not what men say to the eare but what God himselfe speaks to the heart which makes Heaven there and a capacity of Heaven for ever 'T is the voice behind you that turnes you and saves you Grace drops from Christs on we lips I create the fruit of the lips peace These waters are nothing to him that makes them enough 'T is the Angels stirring does the worke for Heaven Sinners when you come to Ordinances use them as Ordinances * Media ut media secùs slagella and not as Gods charge your soules to hearken what God will say and what God will doe I am going to divine Ordinances it may be a man may say many good wordes to me and God never a one man may lift and lift and be very lively and God give never a lift and then is my soule lost Ah Lord How ominous is that when God will not speake a word to the soule I am fallen upon a point of life death sinners attend or you will utterly lose your soules You have mediate favours cast upon you but what immediate You have men-preaching but what God-preaching do you find you keepe on in a rode-way what foot-way hath Christ within from heaven to your hearts The Law was written with Gods own hand and so dispensed in a very immediate way which was Israells greatest favor Is the Law written on your hearts by the finger of God What friends have you from Heaven visiting you which no eye sees What immediate dispensations from Christ to your soules What workings of the spirit of God upon your spirits doe you finde in Ordinances many a man hath no bigger favours from God then a Horse or a Cow naked corporall things for the support of such a corporall being bread and flesh as a bruite hath hay and grasse This was Caines curse banished from Heaven to earth cursed from the presence of the Lord to bruites mercies onely to what felicity the earth could afford no fellowship betweene God and his soule The World is full of banished soules from the presence of the Lord. Justice for this makes no difference O England betweene thy men and horse no more of one then of t'other because so like in qualification one looking no higher then t'other The noblest blessings the greatest favours Heaven and Heavenly things which God gives with his owne hands to the soule these thy wantons and worldlings O sensuall England have not esteemed A base sunke spirit hath sunk thee England If thou couldest have but the mercies of a bruite fat pasture and peace to grase in it 't would much as thy heart wishes As for those greatest favours which God in state dispences with his owne hand to the heart thou hast many children which will dispence with these and many which will scoffe at them Multitudes amongst you care not for the smile of a God so you may have but the smiling countenance of some great man so you may but sleepe in a whole skinne and enjoy fleshly delights whether God or your soule ever change a good word you heed not Yee base spirited wretches which care not for Heaven so that yee may have but earth know that yee are the plague of poore England The bloud of the Land will be laid at your doore Had not you growne so earthly and base in a fat Land as to sleight Heaven and sleight the greatest favours we had not bled at this day T is the badge of an Esau to prize earth and sleight Heaven to serve sence and to care for no nobler nor nearer fellowship with God then providence bring to the belly God may bring a Heaven to your bodies if this will serve turne and a hell to your soules Let every man know the plague of his heart and repent carnality will kill you all Spirituality onely covets the noblest things A spirituall man cannot feed so low nor so course as others doe hee must have a Dish from GODS owne Table or all dainties at his owne table rellish not The Creature is sweete but there is a Heaven beyond this saith hee Hee cannot sit downe without God nor rise up without him All is wanting when God cannot be found no body at Table when Christ is not there what dropping from Heaven upon my soule from every thing that 's still the Quaere with a spirituall man Immediate favours noblest God alone all to this man Whom have I in Heaven but thee whom have I in Earth in comparison of thee Words of men weighed words of Gods within laid up more choyce then Jewells The opportunity is still lost when Christ and the soule hath had no talke Vanites ensnare I am too fleshly for Christ to take mee by the hand sayes a spirituall man One spirit is still panting after another two spirits would be one in the bosome of another no lesse then the jewels which hang about Christs owne neck will content a noble spirit The Quaere is not how much the body hath of the Creature but how much the soule doth enjoy of God What immediate mercies doe I enjoy What hath God laid in for spending in these hard times with his owne hands What faith What experiments What divine resolutions Spirituality carries the soule sublime every thing is in price as it comes from Heaven and brings Heaven along with it That 's preaching that brings Heaven and the heart together that 's a christian whose breath smels like a garden which the Lord hath blest In whose mouth Heaven opens As things are wrapped up in Christ so they have their price still to a spiritualll man Carnality makes you mind no high things earth is heavy earthy soules cannot flee high no higher then the top of a golden dunghill Let these things hint a bad state and better it The noblest things make the noblest condition both here and here after Live low now and live low for ever as low as hell FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light T Is considerable how Christ makes his will how hee disposes of all where hee gives most where he casts