have and so Many such rewards This is nothing but the Devils preaching and the Devils learning within thee it s no better then the Devils work and thou canst expect no other But the Devils Wages All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He is the God of this world and hath great power given him over the Kingdoms of this world and he can bestow much of the glory of them upon his servants but God He speaks first in the center of the earth He begins first with the heart Preaches within thee reforms first the heart here onely preacheth His well-beloved Son in whom Onely he is well pleased Except Thy actions be The actions of his own Well-beloved Son in thy heart he neither owns nor accepts them they are strange fire to him and you know what became of Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire before the Lord The Lord He Pours precious ointment on this Aarons head and from thence Drencheth his beard and so down to the skirts of his garments so far as the heart is reformed the actions cannot be amiss That soul that is in love with Jesus Christ Beloved where the love of God is shed abroad in the heart it is death to him to that soul to go a whoring with the creatures he can have no peace to commit adulterie with the world That whorish woman he cannot endure Satans preaching hearken to me and I will give thee these and these thing no no his peace lies in hearkening to what the Lord saith in him and he preaches no such doctrine but bids him leave the world for its enmity to him he bids part with these things Take up the cross expect reproches persecutions and death from the world This preaching is of God let thy life be in forsaking the glory of the world though thou livest in the world yet let thy heart thy affections dwell and abide with me Use the world as if thou usedst it not count nothing in the world thine own be thou but as a steward in whatever thou hast Alwaies ready to give an account of all This preaching is from God from Heaven The Devils preaching is quite contrary And when thou hearest such preaching as is contrary to this and such whisperings within thee Conclude it is the Devil and not God and that such preaching and learning will destroy thy soul therefore I say always look to thy heart that It be set right before ever thou expectest the actions can be good if that be not so conclude all that proceeds from it is naught we must look mainly to the center to the Heart that life may come from thence Even as the life in the body by the blood flows from the heart to all the members if not those members are dead so the life of true grace flows from the heart as from the fountain for if either fear or Law or Heaven or Hel reward or any hopes or by-ends Urge the heart To goodness These are but dead works and you shall know it by this do but take away these respects and by-ends and these works Cease take away hope of reward and fear of punishment and this bodie is dead he works no more why because there is no life no heat within to move him tell him I mean he whose heart is set right for God reformed by him tell him he must deny forsake the world he must be emptied of all the glory of the world of all self-seeking self-glorying self-praising why herein is his life his peace his glory but to the other who hath been onely taught by such PRECEPTS as come from men from Self This preaching is death to him but his life and peace and joy is to hear How he shall be advanced esteemed honoured c. how he shall be made rich and great therefore you may easily hence distinguish what preaching and practise is from God and what from Satan and Self Thus much may serve for the first thing to open unto you the meaning of these words All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth to me it seems very plain and clear and I hope to you also that That which before seemed obscure now is made manifest The second ground Christ also as he is man hath all power given unto him as being united to God so also to man and this definition as being united to God is very large and deep as the river at the entrance into the Sanctuary which at the first entrance took a man but up to the ankles and then a little further up to the knees and then to the middle and at last it would quite down and swallow up all it grew into a vast Sea The meaning of the words in this sense we are not able to comprehend or understand but the more we wade into them the more we are drowned and swalloed up Jesus Christ he had the same glory in himself when he was upon earth as he had with his Father before all worlds and he is his well-beloved Son in whom onely he is well-pleosed But as he is man he to Us-ward emptied himself of all his glory And came in the form of a servant he was subject to the like passions and infirmities as we are except sinful and hereby man came to be further made known unto him that is in regard of his humane nature he was hungry and thirsty and weary and suffered death and the like and yet in regard of his Divine nature he held his glory and Union with his Father and it was necessary it should be so in both regards for had it not been so he could not have complyed so with the creatures and felt their wants and necessities and had he not retained his unity with his Father which he could not in regard of himself As God either lose or diminish nor increase he could not have complyed so perfectly with his Father for the salvation of mankind For as he was in the bosom of his Father he was unknowable to any creature he was known onely to himself he was inexplicable not to be unfolded and in this regard the more ye enter into darkness and unknowing the more ye know of him for he is nothing that we can comprehend or understand as we are creatures until we come to be One with him and swallowed up into him But let us observe that Christ never made this boast of himself that All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth till he was ready to leave the earth never till he had been crucified dead and buried and rose again It is remarkable he never all the while He was on earth ever appropriated all power to be his till he was ready to depart out of the earth And Beloved this is for our imitation Christ was no boaster though none might boast more but he was meek and lowly he became a servant to all
the wisdom of God be codemned of folly 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of God for they are foolishness to him And again 1 Cor. 3. 19. The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God for it is written he taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise are but vain And now that which hath laboured to quench the spirit 1 Thess. 5. 19. must now be quenched by the spirit that which the darkness could not comprehend nor love shall now be both comprehended and loved And that which was crucified dead and buried must now rise again and be exalted and sit in judgement Oh! where is he that doth or dare say and pray with David Psal. 35. 24. Iudge me O Lord my God Search me and try my Reins Though I be found guilty and so lyable to all punishments both here and hereafter yet judge thou me But He in whom this Spiritual man is risen he can say so for he knows this judging is but to escape judgement t is not unto death but to escape both Death and Hell T is for the destruction of the slesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus This is the day of Jesus Christ the former day was Our day this is that Great Day of Jesus Christ wherein he will judge all things Suffer then I beseech you the words of exhortation For until this work â—f condemnation be wrought in us we have no need of a pardon we have no need of a Phisician for we are whole And he that thinks this work needless he hath as yet no Saviour Intercessor or Mediator Mat. 19. 12. The whole need no Physitian but those that are sick Christ never dyed for him the precious blood of Christ let it speak better things to whom it will to thee it speaks no better then the blood of Abel till this great act of condemning our selves be in thee Christ dyed in vain to thee If then by all that hath been said of Adam the Old man the Serpent and Lucifer and the rest if still thou wantest Water to thy Mill if still thou wantest Argument or Evidence against thy self if yet thou wantest water in the midst of the Ocean or light in the brightest sunshine vâ—z Cause to set thee upon this work what shall I say I will say as Isaiah saith to the Law and to the testimony either contractedly or at large which sayes Thou shalt love God above all with all thy strength with all thy mind and with all thy might and the second is like it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self See and examine thy self by this Law and see whether there be no cause of condemning thy self It is a Law made for thee to walk by and â—bey by him that made thee who hath power to command thee A Law so full so holy and pure that Moses himself trembled and was amazed at the delivering of it by God being deliveâ—ed with such terror and dread the people were not able to look toward the Mount nay they had much a do to hear Moses deliver it to them And if it were so terrible in the Proclamation of it what will it be in the execution of it upon Rebels in the breach of it Examine thy self by it and see how short thou comest of that which is injoyned thee Nay t is a Law given thee by him that gave himself for thee he laid down his life for thee besides how agreeable is it to thy well-being and to the well-being of thy neighbour how agreeable to the principles of nature and reason how hath it been justified in all ages and lastly in observing whereof consists thy life and breath or else thy eternal death as Moses reasons the case in the 28. of Deuteronomy And because you shall not hereafter complain of your not being Catechized I will in this point teach every of you to chatechize himself and do it I charge you till you find matter enough to condemn your selves and before you go about it you had need to pray O Lord open thou mine eyes c. that I may receive my sight Take then the first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods but me I know now when flesh and blood hears this Commandement it thinks it hath shelter enough it can answer this Commandement well enough Have I any other but one true God I worship no other God we are no Papists Turks nor Heathens we are free from worshipping Angels and Saints and Stocks and Stones or any false God I worship onely one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity but withal know you are bound to love him with all your whole mind and strength and alas if you did but see your selves and examine your ways you would find even every man before me for I implead my self and all that hear me this day that according as the Prophet saith Ie. 2. 28. According to the number of your Cities so many are your gods See if thou hast not bent thy heart rather to the satisfying of some lust rather then to the obeying of Gods Commandement whâ—ever sin and lust it is that thou hadâ— but â—desâ—re 〈◊〉 commit when Gods Law hath told thee 〈◊〉 said I charge thee commit it not yet thou hast 〈◊〉 chosen to obey it and hast not regarded Gods Commandment I appeal to thy self That thou hast pleased thy self but Gods Commandments thou hast cast them behind thy back and trodden them under foot Let it be what sin it will whether Pride Gluttony Covetousness Deceit Malice Revenge whoever they are that dare displease God for the satisfying of any lust or sin whatsover thou hast hated righteousness and loved wickedness Psal. 45. 7. thou hast made that very lust thy God What Lord what God what lust hath power to command you and you to obey and to break Gods Law as the Prophet complains Other Lords have ruled over us what doth the Prophet mean there doth he mean when Israel was carried Captive No not onely so those were all but types of the Captivity of the soul although we have not fallen down on our knees and worshipped these sins yet in thy practise thou sayest dayly to them as to instance if it be pleasure thou followest it against Gods Commandement if it be profit thou lovest if it be mony thou esteemest though I say thou hast not fallen down and worshipped it yet thou hast done worse for thou hast given thy heart to them And I tell thee that therein As the Israelites did thou hast worshipped them and said when they had made a GOLDEN CALF These be thy gods O Israel these are they that will help thee and deliver thee it matters not whether thou do it with thy body and in words but thy heart hath fallen down and said Pleasure thou art My God I admire
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. So much concerning that we come to the third that is Forsaking all things Of what degree and condition soever though not actually it may be we are not called to that but yet to forsake them alwayes in affection to be alwayes in readiness to forsake All if God cal to it Many think they have done this they are ready to say with Peter Mat. 19. 27. Lo master we have forsaken al but Peter was deceived he had forsaken very little and I doubt by that time we are tryed we shall be found very tardy in this very thing But before I go any further I will answer one objection which it may be lies in some of your minds You tell us of these high duties of Condemnation and Annihilation and forsaking all things in the world and indifferency but what is all this without faith they are but splendida peccata golden sins for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and we never heard you name faith in all this I answer Though I never expressed it in words yet it is necessarily implyed for that is the weight of all faith is the ground of all faith in it self is a secret thing it is The Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. that being the ground and foundation you know The foundation that holds all for wheresoever you see a glorious building ye will not imagine but that it hath a foundation though it be hid from your eyes but as it is said Rev. 13. 10. Behold here is the faith and patience of the Saints so say I Behold they can forsake father and mother and wife and children and all yea and their own lives too or else he is not worthy to be my Disciple Luk. 14. 33. Behold Here is a glorious Building Built by God himself as when the Disciples wondred at the building of the Temple Christ takes them off wondring as having no such gloriousness in it because the time should come there should not be a stone upon a stone which should not be thrown down Mar. 13. 1. His wondring was taken up about things of another nature But our Saviour Christ saith there wonder not that I said unto you he that forsakes not father and mother c. he is not worthy of me but I say unto you that he that hates not father and mother and wife and children yea and his own life too cannot be my Disciple v. 26. But Oh this Scripture comes so tart and so thwart to flesh and bloud they cannot endure it they cry out durus sermo as the Papists say concerning the second Commandment it comes so directly contrary to making of Images that there is no way but it must be blotted out of the Decalogue So is it with this Scripture flesh and bloud cryes out down with this Scripture away with it out upon it it is impossible for any man to perform it or else they cry out Oh give it some allay some moderation some interpretation some mitigation else we cannot bear it I if it come in competition with that and other things too that either we must forsake Christ or forsake them here now flesh and bloud can bear with it But say I away away with all these things These fleshly interpretations Do you think Christ knew not what he said Bring thy self to the Word and not the Word to thee All these things are offence unto me Behold as S. Paul saith I tell you A mystery He that loves any thing in the whole world that is visible any thing that is visible in thy wife or visible in thy children or visible in thy father or mother c. I say if thou lovest any thing visible in the whole world let it be what it will be This love it arises from flesh and bloud and it is guided by flesh and bloud and is terminated and ends in flesh and bloud For the body is but the brutish part flesh and bloud is the worser part of man or woman for think but from whence this comes look back and see the pit whence you were digged see the womb in which you were nourished and with what The womb was but made of the dust of the earth and of the same art thou made and thou wert there nourished by by the flesh of beasts Fowl or fish such as thy mother Eate and when thou art brought forth by the same is thy life continued and all is but fleshly and beastlike actions for the brute beasts do as much they eat and drink and seek to maintain life and propagate their kind and delight therein and if thou doest no more thy love is but Earthly sensual and devillish Iam. 3. 15. but if thou wouldst have thy love to be Pure Then learn to separate separate the precious from the vile Jer. 15. 19. if thou separate then shalt thou be as my mâ—uth c. Thou must love that which is divine in them thou must love their internal part Their Souls Thou must love the image of God in them and if thou do not separate herein the precious from the vile Christ when he comes he will do it then and if thy love be set upon the vile thou and it go together for as it began had its original continuance and end in flesh and blood so in flesh and bloud it shall have its reward thou lovedst it and it loved thee And I may say as Christ said in another case Verily verily I say unto you you have your reward Himself did make a separation of the precious from the vile when he was on earth and so he will do when he comes to judgement as when some came and told him when he was in the Temple thy Mother and Brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee he answers who are my Mother and Sisters and Brethren they that hear the Word of God and keep it the same are my Mother Brethren and Sisters He there separated the precious from the vile as if he should say Do you think that I look as men look and that I esteem as men esteem No as Mat. 23. 8. I look upon you all as Brethren for ye are all the children of you heavenly father I look upon that which makes you all Brethren and as you are a compleat body having one Master and one Father I look not upon you as divided but as one for a Kingdom divided against it self that Kingdom cannot stand Belzebubs Kingdom is not divided and shall Gods House shall Gods Kingdom be Therefore he that loves any visible thing his love is but fleshly and you can expect no better then a fleshly reward I but some will say to me t is true we know we ought not to love them as them but we onely love them so far forth as
indure STRONG MEAT and not to be alwayes Fed with PAPPE SERMON VIII Rom. 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together THose which have no part in Christs sufferings they have none in his glory And those are expressed in Phil. 2. 4. in two words 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. 7 8. 1 In Emptying of himself 2 In Humbling himself And these are sufferings indeed Far beyond his scourgings far beyond his nailing to the cross far beyond his crowning with thoâ—ns far beyond his whipping his mockings c. All those sufferings are not worthy to be named the same day with these for though he was God equall with his Father yet he came down from Heaven And dwelt among Us among men in the similitude of sinful flesh and took upon him the form of a servant And made Himself of no reputation and he had not so much as a hole to hide his head in and also he became Obedient unto death Now if these sufferings of Christ be in us If we Empty our selves viz. Of all that gall of sin and bitterness that is in us and also of all our Excellencies and Endowments both of Nature and Grace and lay it all down At the feet of Christ giving him all the power and glory for ever Then be assured whatever we do on this foundation God accepts it be it never so little And though we do never so much without this it is to God no more Then the cutting off a dogs neck and as odious as the offering up of swines blood under the Law On whom saith God Isa. 66. 2. and to whom will I look even to the humble to him that is of an humble and contrite spirit and trembleth at my words This foundation being laid Then come what will come Then neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heights nor depths nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 8. 38. They instead of separating us from Christ shall make us nearer to him and shall make us morâ— conformable to our head To fill up that which is behind of the measure of Christs suffering IN US which is his body And you may remember we compared these sufferings with Christ to those six steps which are the six steps that led up to Solomons Throne to wit 1. Was To abhor in our selves all those sins and defilements that we are guilty of which we called Condemnation The second was To beat our selves to dust to just Nothing which we called Annihilation yea to less then Nothing and vanity The third was Willingness to forsake all to Sell All for Christ which we called Resignation That is To be alwayes in affection and readiness till GOD call us to action The fourth was Indifferency which we are now to come to to stand equally affected to all conditions Faith being the ground as I told you the last day Believing undoubtedly that nothing can be better done then what is done God doing All. We have a pattern set us of this by the Apostle Paul He was come to this Ephes. 4. 11 12. I have learned saith he Implying That he was long about the work before he could attain it but now I am grown to be a good Scholar in it That is in what estate soever I am to be content and now I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me I know Now but not till now Both how to be abased and I know how to abound Every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound and suffer need Phil. 4. 11 12. I have learned and I am instructed saith he which implies that there is a secret in Gods school which cannot be attained at the first entrance and by Beginners but when we are well entred and exercised therein we may know how too look with a smooth face upon all changes for they do as Christ their pattern in that of Iohn 4. 34. which is a copy set St. Paul by Christ My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work they account it not their meat and drink to do their own will As all the world doth but to do whatever He wills And to suffer whatever He Wills this is Their meat and Their drink and as the Apostle sayes I count it not in any case expedient to consult with flesh and blood surely in this case it is not onely not expedient but altogether unlawful for how tart is this to flesh and blood To tell a man when he is to go a journey he must be alike patient and alike thankful and he must neither desire fair weather nor foul To tell a man that is at Sea He must neither desire a wind with him nor against him To tell a man that expects a harvest he must neither desire a good harvest nor a bad Sunshine nor Rain To tell a man that is Naked that clothes and no clothes must be all one to him To tell a poor man That money or no money must be all one To tell a man that is sick that pain and ease health and sickness must be all one to him Labour and pleasure Ease and suffering Liberty and Imprisonment Glory and Infamy All this must be alike to him How can flesh and blood indure this Doctrine if we consult with it And therefore He that Means to practise this must not at all consult with flesh and blood As the Apostle saith I â—onsulted not with flesh and blood And the reason is because Thou mayest not desire any thing that may cross Gods will or his providence for that weather that is for thee may be hurt to another and that wind that is against thee may be for the good of another c. You will say it may be Here is a doctrine indeed What will this Babler bring us to at last Acts. 7. 10. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said What will this Babler say other some He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods beâ—â—use he preached unto them Iesus and the resurrection What new doctrine is this I have been an Auditor and a Professor this 20 30 or 40 years and I never heard such a doctrine as this And I have heard above a 100 Preachers and none like this man I never heard my own wayes so much thwarted He clean contradicts our byas and we have been alwayes taught otherwise and therefore this cannot be true doctrine these are some new tricks and some new crochets and devices some new querks and quillets for novelty This Doctrine is as strange to you as if I were A Setter forth of
Let me tell you In this very history There is a good land promised to us as well as to these Israelites and it is by Gods promise confirmed and Ratified to us And though we often doubt and despair murmur and mutiny yet the Lord often and many a time passeth by and pardons our murmurings and unbeliefe and still renews his promise Though we often so far as lies in us Cancel the bonds and the ingagements yet He is a God Rich in mercy Slow to anger and he pardons our Unbelief and his Charter to us and with us is A New granted and renewed every day and Revealed more and more unto us You that are Believers Do ye not find all these things true both to and in your selves Nay are there not Mutiners among us within our souls do you not find These very things accomplished within your own hearts have you not These Whisperers These depravers of the power of God within your selves do not you harbour these Mutiners that say T is true Heaven is a good Country and full of plenty that can be desired there is indeed as the Scripture saith Things such as eye never saw nor as ear never heard nor ever entred into the heart of man And At his right hand there are pleasures for evermore but These Mutiners within us they say withal that This place this land this Paradise is walled about with high and thick walls such as we shall never climb and the Inhabitants are Giants mighty men such as we shall never overcome There is before we come there The strong man to overcome and he is not onely strong but Armed And there is Lucifer the Prince of the powers of darkness and There is the blood Red Dragon spoken of in the Revelation And all these are Giants sons of Anack whom we dare not disturb nor enâ—ounter there is the Old Adam and Self-will and that which is nearest and dearest of all There is I my Self to be overcome as I opened to you upon another Text under several heads All these are as so many Golia's making challenges and proâ—lamations in behalf of the whole army of those numerous Philistims within us And to fight really with these we had rather die in the wilderness or return into Egypt into our old captivity then once adventure against them For saith the heart within for the present we are quiet and let us not further adventure we feel now no evil we can take our own wills and we can follow our own pleasures and we are Lords and none dare controul us in our own wayes if we can be content Though we are told our own wayes and wills are destruction We find not nor we feel no such thing while we served and worshipped the Queen of Heaven we had plenty of all things but since we attempted To forsake our selves and deny our selves and to crucifie our selves we have found nothing but troubles fightings and discouragements Therefore T is but a folly to try any further and labour ourselves in vain let the Country be as good as it will we shall never get thither we will rather venture our souls though we dye in this wilderness God is merciful and we find most ease and pleasure in following our own wiâ—ls and oâ—r own wayes Oh my beloved Find you not all these things within you and ten thousand thousands more of this nature But let me tell you None of all these doubtful distrustful spirits can ever enter this promised land Never did Nor never shall Enter this desired Land for Those enemies as I then shewed which I named in part before they must not onely be fought withal but they must be overcome These Goliahs must be slain and be beheaded before ever ye can triumph in the Dance with the Minstrels and the Damsels Nay let me tell you God hath solemnly sworn in his wrath in Psal. 95. These shall never enter into His Rest but To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down in my Fathers Throne Rev. 3. 21. But Oh ye of little faith why doubt ye How is it that ye have no faith if ye look upon your selves indeed ye are but as Grashopers to these Mighty Giants and Terrible â—nemies within you but if ye fix your eyes on him that hath promised you have no cause at all to 〈◊〉 they shall be but as meat for us And their â—efence shall depart from them and the Lord of hosts is on our side this spiritual Canaan this Heavenly Rest is freely promised by God not for anything in you Say not in your hearts as the Lord saith to the Israelites Because we are better or because we are stronger then the Nations about us we have done or shall do All these things but because the Lord loved you and he would do it for his own Name sake Therefore Onely Believe and none of all these things shall stand in your way These discouragements shall be as meat and Strength to you This inheritance is not gotten or obtained by our strength or our righteousness but it is purchased by his Sons Own bloud and the work is carried on by his Own strength Onely believe If ye can but trust to this if ye can but Rely and Rowl your selves on Him be sure you shall enter This Rest and possess This Good Land And the way to it is onely by being sensible of our own unworthiness and weakness and likewise of his Love and power Relying thereupon These souls shall enter and these onely My Brethren Then of all things take heed or rather The Lord give you watchfulness against this great sin of Unbelief Infidelity and unbelief is the first and main thing to be overcome in the way of Christianity Unbelief excludes us from this Rest Therefore it is That He who is an unbeliever cannot inherit the Kingdom of God All other sâ—ns are but fruits of unbelief â—nbelief disables utterly and Cuts off from the Kingdome of God for so long as we conceive a thing impossible to be done we can never go about it with courage oâ— confidence But He that relies on Gods promise distrusting his own ability yet believing that there is nothing so high but he shall attain it nor nothing so strong but he shall overcome it and onely because God hath promised it Then shall we go on couragiously and victoriously Our own strength or our own weakness shall not much encourage or discourage us But If we doubt and believe not Then shall it fare with us as it did here with these Murmurers We can never enter into His Rest. But now let us go on These things I could not but touch at lying so in our way After that these Israelites had entred and had partly overcome and conquered this Land and had got it into their own possession They began to divide the Land to every Tribe His lot of
pleasantness of fruit nor any such thing But he is that by which all these have their pleasantness light and sweetness and whatever excellency any creature hath he is not that thing as some have foolishly conceited because God is in them therefore they are Gods c. this declares in such much ignorance and weakness But he is the cause and being of all such excellencies and he himself infinitely transcends whatever can be thought or imagined For he that conceives in his God that there is in him light or sweetness or glory as we accont glory or light or sweetness or that he should be Musick to the ear or some glorious or glittering sight to the eye he that conceives God or Heaven to be any such thing whatsoever he is deceived Beloved I hope though I have some cause also to fear it that you are not so childish as to conceive that there is Musick Viols or Harps or Organs or any such thing in Heaven He transgresses against the first Commandement whosoever he be that apprehends any of these things to be in God or in heaven according to the letter and he is as great an Idolater as he that makes A Golden Calf and then falls down and worships it nay he is a more dangerous Idolater and Transgressor for the other Idolaters were so gross and absurd that very reason condemns them but this is more spiritual and more close Idolatry and therefore more dangerous For the Kingdom of heaven consisteth not in meats and drinks but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. that is it consisteth not in food or rayment in riches or honours or whatever is accounted precious or amiable to the world but saith our Saviour The Kingdom of God is within you and again My Kingdom is not of this world neither cometh it with observation But I say more then al this he that would find God let him be silent and sit in darkness neither to see any thing nor to hear any thing for he that thinks he hears or sees any thing or thinks of any thing that hath any manner of form or thing in his imagination when he thinks of God he is an Idolater As for instance will you see God in a man as he is in a good man so he is also in an evil man God or Christ dwels in them both in regard of Essence both in good and bad but here is the difference Christ lives not is not formed in them as to them in the one but in the other he is as to them the one sees it and knows it and prizeth rejoyceth in the seeing knowing and believing of it the other doth not but is Anathema Maranatha and separated from Christ 1 Cor. 16. 22. Christ lives in every man in regard of himself and is as much in the one as in the other But I say here is all the difference to the one Christ is manifested to the other he is not God lives in al but all know it not A good man hath God in him and he seeth knoweth and believeth it the other do neither see know nor believe it and so rejoyce not in the manifestations of God in them but they believe they have a power will and a Being of their own and this they glory and rejoyce in presume on and live to themselves and sacrifice to their own drags and regard not God in whom they live move and have their being Again would you see God in the Sun Moon and Stars or in Beasts or Trees and in all other creatures Know he is the Life Act Motion of all creatures take away from all or any of these all that may be taken away all Accidents and then that which remaineth is God In the Sun or Moon or any thing else you must first strip it of all visibility and of all form and representation Glorious or Base and then you shall behold God not as that form but as the Cause Essence and Being of whatever is in it Or as in a man take from him highness and lowness for those are Accidents weight and lightness greatness and littleness youth and age for all these are Accidents what remains then but he that was is and is to come the All in all he that is Alpha the first of all and shall be Omega the last of all What remains then but the first begotten of the Father Jesus Christ even him that is the Ancient of dayes he that is above all through all and in all Ephes. 4. 6. For beloved there was something of me before I was either hot or cold before I was either dry or moist before I had either weight or lightness yea before I had any manner of shape These things I say being taken away what remains then but he that is I am He that is Alpha and Omega For take away heights and depths things present and things to come and then nothing can separate Christ and us as the Apostle in that case reasons Rom. 8. ult He was perswaded nothing could separate him from Christ neither death nor life nor angles nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heights nor depths nor any other creature should be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord For nothing hinders or separates us from Christ in this case but these things Although I know many men say and teach in a general way sin is the cause of separation which is a truth but too general a truth But this is a cause more particular and the cause of abundance of particular sins Seek therefore to remove the root and cause and then particular fruits effects and branches will wither and dye of themselves For were it not for the vail of Accidents that is between God and us we should see God we might then see God in the Gold and God in the Light God in the Sun and God in the Water and God in the Earth God in the Trees and God in the Flowers and God in every pile of Grasse and God to be All in All were but those things those Accidents removed from our sight for where any thing moves God is the mover nay where any thing hath a Being a Substance he is the Being of that Being the Substance of that Substance if we may call any thing Substance or Being but God For he is the Motion and being of every thing great or little glorious or mean they are all not onely his workmanship as most men teach and believe but he is also their Substance and Being and the Saints They see that the Lord is among them as in Sinai and that he was not more present and glorious in Mount Sinai then he is in all Creatures And further let me tell you this is The Angel of the Covenant spoken of in the Revelation whom these types and shadows
pale of the Church they will be Teachers and they would fain be accounted great Rabbies and they can expound Scriptures as well as any and if need were or if they durst they can preach as well as any and these people if people will not hear them presently they are ignorant They are so well instructed they can go no whither to learn anything as though al wisdom were born with them when God knows they are as full of ignorance of pride of self-conceitedness as any men in the Town but the Spouse she cryes yea and still will cry till dooms day Tell me teach me she sees her own imperfections and strives after perfection she knows and is sensible with Paul she hath not yet attained And therefore I once again beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ and for your own souls sake leave off this kind of Religion although I would have you to hate even the garments spotted by the flesh We come to the second thing laid down and that is the Poise or weight that she hangs upon her suit she doth in a kind Adjure God I had thought to have gone through this Text at this time indeed I had thought when I began that you I should have waited upon this beautiful Lady our Mother our Mistress from Engedi to Eneglaim from the beginning of the Text to the end but you see here is a word hath bin cast in our way as the Carkases of Amasa and Asahâ—â— which made us to make a stand like the children of Israel at the Red Sea they could not the pass on till waters were dryed up and indeed the Red Sea is before us a whole Sea of matter but we must take what we can leave the rest Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth Here is a true expression of Prayer it is but a folly to pray to God except we can thus put up our prayers to him in this dialect O thou whom my soul lovesâ— Many think that if they can pray to God in setting forth his attributes styling him Most High Most Mighty Most Gracious and it may be adde Hebrew words as O Most mighty Iehovah then they think they have made an admirable Prayer but be sure of this except thou canst come to God truly say from thy heart O thou whom my soul love thy prayers be they never so excellent otherwise they all fal to the ground he accepts them not But when thou comest under this title it is so indeed he cannot chusâ— but hear for then it is the voyce of his Spouse but if you express his Attributes never so largely amply without this yet thou hast prayed no better then the Devil for there is no Attribute but he can inlarge amplifie above any of you all herein he is able to out-strip the best of you And the Apostle saith He that loves not the Lord Iesus let him be Anâ—thema Maranatha accursed from Christ he prayes no better then the very Devils and those that are accursed from Christ as we see still when the possessed with Devils came and met our Saviour whâ—t a large confession acknowledgement they make of him I know thee who thou art Iesus the Son of the most High God but Christ many times stopped their mouthes and would not accept their confession All thy prayers the best that ever thou madest without this title of love are but as milstones hung about thy neck and will drag thee to the bottom of the Sea But it may be you bless your selves for all this think your prayers are not so bad as we make them or if they be you hope you shall do well enough hereafter after you dye But know that as the tree falls so it lies as Solomon saith If thou dye in this condition so judgement shall find thee you hope it may be that you shall possess the Crown laid up for you in Heaven as you conceive but I fear you are so glued to the earth you can relish nothing but the earth so that that is it your souls loves And it may be you think it shall be some ponderous thing you shall have in heaven some glorious visible material or some tangible thing You think you shall have some such things as you enjoy here but alas alas thou shalt find that as soon as ever thou art unriveted from the earth And happy were it for thee if it were done here That the Kingdom of God consisteth not in meat and drinks in riches and wealth and the like for the Kingdom of heaven is not a creation but a multiplication And when you come to be received into that Kingdom it will not be demanded What riches have ye what honour have ye but Christ will ask How many loaves have ye if ye are not in possession of some loaves of some part of the Kingdome of heaven before in this world there is none to be given then Not what had you in this world But it will be asked how many loaves have ye â—hat is how many loaves of love How many loaves of Charity how many loaves of faith how many loaves of patience what wilt thou do if thou hast none wilt thou say Stay Lord I will go and buy or I will go and borrow as the foolish Virgins no no there is no body can lend they have none to spare they have but enough for themselves If thou canst not say as here O thou whom my soul loveth never look to entâ—r but ye must look for the answer those foolish Virgins had Depart I know ye not if this love be not the salt that seasons all your actions all your sacrifices he knows them not he regards them not where he sees no love in the actions let it be never so glorious a duty he knows it not Depart from me But try your love to him Try this secret seal by the Broad-seal of love to the creatures to your brethren if you be a living Member you will sympathize in love and fellow-feeling wit the rest of the members for the Apostle saith Love is the fulfilling of the Law the whole Law for take the Commandements first the Commandements of the second Table if a man love father and mother let him dishonour them if he can And so the next Thou shalt not kill if he love the creatures and his brethren he is so far from offering violence to any that he will rather lay down his own life And so the seventh if he love all he will not take the members of Iesus Christ and make them the members of an harlot And love will make him in stead of stealing from any to give plenteously and willingly and to be so far from coveting and taking away that he will rather adde what he can and love can bear no false witness nor covet any thing which is his Neighbours And so likewise for the first Table he that
loves God he knows him to be so full and satisfying that he never need make him more gods he knows that if the world were ten thousand times larger and pleasanter then it is he knows that God he is so full that he is sufficient for all neither can he make Images to worship them nor to put him in remembrance of him for he hath an apprehension of him beyond all manner of Images the whole Creation is a glasse to him he knows no Image can resemble him as God said to Moses Thou shalt make no image for ye saw no Image since the day I brought you out of Egypt And if he love him can he swear and blaspheme and prophane his name and can he if he love him grudge him one day in seven yea rather he wishes that God had taken seven to himself and given him but one Examine your selves by these things Is the seal of your external love a witness of your internal love it is true God is worshipped in spirit in truth and his love must be shed abroad in our hearts invisibly first but yet that love never rests there but it is like Aarons Rod a budding Rod or else thou art not fit to be a Priest to God if thy Rod be not a budding Rod be not deceived God is not mocked Except this tree put out some fruit some leaves it is dead and there is no sap or life in it for God hath not left himself without witness so that you see if there be not this love in the heart and expressed in the life conversation there can be no acceptance with God thou must come to him under this title O thou whom my soul loveth not as a Mercenary for gain or reward or for what advantage thou shalt get by him but for love to him not to his not as a Servant but as a Son Noâ— for fear neither but for love to him Many Beloved can come to God under this title O thou whom my body loveth thou givest me health thou givest me wealth thou givest me wisdom thou givest me a good report this is but O thou whom my body loves But this O thou whom my soul loves this proceeds forth from him that is invisible generally most men fix their eyes upon the visible blessings of God and they are much in prayer to God for them but know he regards none of these prayers but when his Son in whom he is well pleased when he prays he hears him alwayes but if any other prayes he regards it not Ye pray and it may be daily Thy will be done but yet saith the Husbandman O let me have a good year of increase and the Merchant he prays Thy will be done too but saith he O let the wind blow right for me to send home my shipping and the Tradesman he prays Thy will be done but saith he I desire store of customers to day and good takings what prayers are these think you what submission is here to the will of God mind thy own duty leave the success to him From whence do you think come these prayers O give me my health again O give me my wealth again O give my children again come these from Christ thinkest thou are these his prayers in thee or come they not from the flesh O let my flesh be well housed let my flesh be well clad let my flesh be well provided for away away God is deaf he can hear none of these prayers these blessings he gives promiscuously to every man these do not at all declare Gods love for he as often or oftner gives them where he hates as where he loves These are goods that a man may do good with but the other are goods that make a man good if thou dost good with them coming from this ground from love to Christ within they are acceptable even the least of them but if thou dost never so much good with them without this doing them to be seen of men or for any other by-end then verily ye have your reward ye did them to be seen of men ye are seen of men ye did them that men might think well of you and they do think well of you verily I say unto you you have your reward As the Lord said to the rich Glutton Son thou hadst thy portion in thy life time now he is comforted and thou art tormented Examine thy self do thy prayers come from this root O thou whom my body loves O thou whom my flesh loves or O thou whom my Soul loves for my body for my flesh then it is all one search thy soul diligentlyâ— for the day of the Lord will come and burn up all our deeds all our actions all our dross it will try out the gold the gold will not consume but be more refined but all that is hay and stubble and dross and such like stuff wrought but by the power of the creature and by the power of man even all mens Religion and their religious actions and whatever is of man shall be burnt up for ever Where Christ FEEDETH And where his Flock RESTETH CANT 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions Preached in the Afternoon for Mr. Hodges in the publick meeting-place at High-gate I Told you in the morning that we must not imagine this Book of the Canticles to contain any idle reverence and foolish wanton complements between a man and his wife on whom they either doted but the expressions of entire vehement love between the Lord Christ his dear Spouse Beloved this is the Eternal Everlasting sense the other is but the Letter which is nothing nor may we look upon them as the Dialogue between Solomon and his wife for what are they to us they are dead gone Though the whole Book of the Canticles be in appearance but an Epithalamion or a Love-song between Solomon and Pharaohâ— daughter his wife and consequently may seem to rellish nothing but of sensual love and the effects thereof carnal enjoyments yet know this is but the chaff that covers the corn And herein by these expressions the true Solomons face is vailed as was Moses his face by his vail because we are not able otherwise to behold him Therefore still when ever you hear or read the Scriptures seek to have the Book unclapsed and the seals opened for as it lies printed or written in the Letter it is both clapsed sealed walled about and though it be a fountain yet it is walled about by the Letter none see the meaning save onely they to whom it is given And where-ever you see the Letter speaks rest not in that but look for One greater for behold a greater then Solomon is here Mat. 12. 42. when the
root And what ever priviledge or benefit Christ hath they shall all receive of his fulness grace for grace they shall all be made partakers of all the vertues of the head but notwithstanding all these promises we are never the better without we have Christ they are all blanks without him all unsavoury it is he that seasons all Yea trust as long as thou canst and believe as much as thou wilt without Christ thou canst never come unto him God himself is nothing to us without Christ As every Iubar and Beam of light that comes from the Sun they are all included in the body of the Sun but they are not communicated to us but by those Jubars and beams that come from the Sun so God is like the Sun and whatever good benefit or blessing we have it comes from God but all these are included in God himself and there is no creature can partake of any good from him but by his Son Christ in those Iubars of light that communicates them to us This light had never come to us but for those beams so God the Father cannot communicate himself to any creature but by the Son he is the first begotten of every Creature he came being sent from the father yet God the Father is not a day not a minute Ancienter then his Son Christ he is called The word spoken in the Hebrewes As he is unspoken so he is the word with God in the bosome of his Father and this word is God as Iohn 1. 1. but being once spoken and utered he is the first begotten of God in every creature The Alpha and Omega in every creature from whom alone we receive grace for grace all the goodness and fulness of God is poured upon the head of this Aaron which runs down not only to his beard but to all the skirts of his garments to all his members God himself in himself to the creature is nothing without Christ He cannot possibly be communicated but by and through Christ. Secondly All these promises to the seven Churches they imply that which hath its beginning in this life and perfected in the life to come saith our Saviour the Kingdom of Heaven is within you if ye find not the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven within you and in this world be assured ye shall never find it in the world to come He that denyes me before men him will I deny before my father which is in Heaven he that enjoys me not in this world he shall never enjoy me hereafter The poor dejected and oppressed soul it longs to taste Christ here nothing will satisfie him but to taste and eat Christ here for if he eat him not here he knows he shall not hereafter as David saith My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come before God What to do Psal. 27. 4. To see his beauty and to taste of his goodness if you see not God here ye shall never see Him hereafter Christ will ask thee as he did the Discsples how many loaves have ye when ye come to dye what Angels food have ye to feed on what Hidden Manna How many loaves of that if ye must say none Lord what a heavy answer will this be to you but if thou hast any if but two loaves if but a little oil in thy Lamp he will then multiply thy loaves and that little oyl the barrel of meal and that cruse of oyl shall never fail And he will say come thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will now multiply thy reward Come now I will feed thee to eternity If Christ shall say to thee How much peace have you if thou canst but say here is a little Lord Christ will say come come I will multiply and increase that peace infinitely what love hast thou if thou hast but any though but as much as a grain of mustard seed come saith our Lord I will cause it to grow and increase and become a mighty tree so that the fowls of the air shall build their nests therein That is I will enlarge it as my self infinitely And which way soever else a man seeks for rest and peace he shall never find it for as all the Creatures so all the action and motion of the Creatures come out from him and they can never rest till they return into him again and therefore he is called the God of Sabbath which signifies Rest in him there is Rest and no where else The soul is the breath of God and it is impossible that it should have a rest for the sole of her foot till it return and this blessed Noah put forth his hand and take her in again Lay up treasure for your selves in heaven would you have treasure hereafter ye must treasure it up while ye are on earth that ye may have the reward and the wages hereafter ye must receive here the pledge the Hire The Portion and the reward comes hereafter Your fathers saith our Saviour have eaten Manna and are dead but blessed is he that eats Manna in the Kingdom of Heaven he that feels Gods love shed abroad in his heart here shall find that love increased thirty sixty an hundred-fold in the life to come here ye feed but are not filled but then you shall be satisfied Thirdly All these seven promises that are here made to the seven Churches there is not one word to be taken according to the Letter but think not strange of such sayings be not startled I would onely quicken up your attention I undervalue not the Scriptures but desire to give them all due honour for do you think that you shall be Pillars in Heaven or that you shall eat trees or the fruit of trees there or that ye shall have rods of iron in your hand or that ye shall be burning stars or as it is in Daniel He that converteth a soul shall shine like the Stars I say there is not one word true according to the Letter yet I say in all the words that ever Christ spake or that is written in this blessed blessed Book of God they are all true there is not the least tincture not the least allay of untruth I say every word every syllable every letter is true bear me witness you are my record but they are true as he intended them that spake them they are true as God meant them not as men will have them As when Christ says my Father is an husbandman do you think or are you so childish to think that God is a husbandman and Christ sayes again I am the vine and ye the branches will you have this to be literally spoken Go to I will speak a paradox to you but I willl unfold it It is impossible for any man either to speak a precise truth or to hear a precise truth for a precise
relies and trusts in the wisdom and love of his father and looks upon all his sufferings as ordered and sent from God The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1. 21. To come now to another and that is the last Observation from the soul of the Text Why Christ rebuked him for speaking truth Mendacium erat dicebat se scire quod nesciebat it was a lye He said he knew what indeed He did not Now here ariseth another Question Whether Christs Incarnation was known to the Devils or no 'T is certain that they are full of knowledge for his very name is derived from knowing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disco quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctus so t is read Acts 16. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of Divination or Knowledge In brief Nolebat hoc testimonium ab illis Christ would not have any testimony from the Devil He wanted no such Testimony Helper or Upholder therefore t is said Acts 16. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul rebuked the spirit of Divination in the like kind so saith Austine God would let the Devil know no more then what He pleased that pleased God which was fitting for the Devil in lib. 9. c. 21. de civit Dei And further Christ knew well that the Devil spoke this to tempt him for the Devil in all his actions hath an ill and indirect end And lastly the Doctrine of Christs Incarnation was no ways agreeable for the Devils knowledge it did not reflect any ways upon him he was not to have any benefit by it and therefore there was no necessity of his knowledge of it It was Balm for mankind but of no vertue to the fallen Angels These several Observations now gathered and confirmed which I termed the Soul of the Text I proceed on now to the Summity the Height or Spirit of the Text I would not have you wonder at the Definition for the Scripture is frequent in this definition To cause us to look further then the Letter And we may often find it so Exod. 14. we read of the Cloud and the Red Sea yet 1 Cor. 10. the Apostle calls them Baptism So Exod. 17. the Rock in Horeb yet 1 Cor. 10. 4. That Rock was Christ And Exod. 34. 33. we read of Moses Vail yet 2 Cor. 3. we find the Apostle applying it to the Vailing of the heart Abraham had two sons one by a bond-woman another by a free-woman yet Gal. 4. 24. we read that these things were an Allegory So in reading the History of our Saviour to raise moral Instructions as of his love to mankind readiness to help of his power mildness obedience patience and long-suffering c. this is to do as Moses did Exod. 15. to sing songs unto the Lord and to render him praise But this is not all But to mind the Spirit and life couched under the Vail and Curtain of the Letter Viz. The living bread which cometh down from Heaven which will make us live for ever To eat of Christs flesh and drink his blood is meat indeed and drink indeed Moses brought not the Children of Israel into Canaan therefore as 1 Cor. 10. 11. All things happened to them in figures in types and shadows As his face so his words were Vail'd So to us now Till Christ be pleased to Reveal the Mystery of the Word the Truth is hid and kept secret For as 't is said of our Saviour Without a parable spoke he not unto them but to his own Disciples He declared and opened every parable Mark 4. 34. And as he spake nothing without a parable So He did nothing without a parable and therefore without controversie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great is the mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. And for this cause the Son of God was manifested that he might Destroy the works of the Devil 1 Iohn 3. 8. And can we think there are no more Devils to be destroyed yet yes sure Quot Crimina tot Daemonia Yea as many Devils as sins 'T is true that when our Saviour Iohn 19. 30. cryed Consummatum est It is finished There was no more to do That is No more for the fulfilling of the Scriptures vers 28. No more for that individual flesh assumed of the Virgin Mary to suffer But yet there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remnants of Afflictions for Paul to fill up in his flesh Col. 1. 24. So we also and the Rest of the members must bear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the marks of the Lord Iesus in our bodies Gal. 6. 16. And for certain 'T is better to feel compunction of spirit and the crucifying the Old man in us then to know onely those quaint finical and neat definitions of it which men by their wit and parts have drawn from the Letter to please the ears and fancies of men Making so many divisions and sub-divisions to set forth the Wits of men and not the Truth so much used by many men Know a minutes feeling spiritually is worth seven years speaking To feel these things spiritually Is to be a Door-keeper in the House of God to talk of them or onely to know them Are but The Tabernacles of Meseck and the tents of Kedar And therefore Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. As to instance in some particulars whereby you may enlarge upon any other 1. Was Christ formed in the Virgins womb 't is true so ought we to be as little Children that Christ may be formed in us Gal. 4. 35. That we may become Nothing in our own eyes that so He may be to us All and in All. 2. Was that done by the Holy Ghost coming upon her and by the power of the Most High over-shadowing her so must our spiritual birth be the Holy Ghost must overshadow and sanctifie us and the power of the Most High convert us and turns us from sin to newness of life 3. Was Christ circumcised so must we be circumcised in heart For this is true Circumcision according to Gods own interpretarion Deut. 10. 16. Circumcise therefore the fore-skins of your hearts Stephen complained of the Jews for want of this O uncircumcised in hearts and ears Acts 7. 51. And Paul saith Rom. 2. 29. Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the Letter 4. Did he grow in wisdom and in stature and in favour Luk. 2. 52. so ought we to incre se with all the increase of God and to grow from grace to grace Col. 2. 19. 5. Did he dispute with the Doctors and captivate their judgements Convict their thoughts and overthrow their reasonings in the Temple so must he do in us bring every thought though never so high to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5.
Thy Word For Mine Eyes Have Seen Thy Salvation Which Thou hast Prepared before the face of All people A light to lighten the Gentiles And to be The GLORY Of Thy People Israel EPHES. 6. 23 24. GRace be with All Them That Love The Lord Iesus in Sincerity and PEace be to All the Brethren And Love with Faith 〈◊〉 God The Father And The Lord Iesus Christ. JUDE 25. ANd To the Onely Wise God And Our Saviour Be Glory And Majesty Dominion and Poweâ— Now and Ever Amen and Amen IOB 42. 1 c. THen Iob Answered The Lord and Said I Have Heard of Thee by the Hearing of the Ear But Now Mine Eye Seeth Thee Therefore I Abhorre my Self in Dust and Ashes Now After The Lord had spoken These Words unto Iob The Lord Also said unto Eliphaz The Temanite My wrath is kindled against Thee And against Thy two Friends For Ye have not spoken of me The thing That is Right Like my Servant Iob. Therefore Take unto you Seven Bullocks and Seven Rams And Go to my Servant Iob And offer for your Selves a burnt Offering And my Servant Iob shall Pray for you For I will Accept Him Lest I should Put you to Shame Because Ye have not spoken of me The Thing which is Right Like My Servant IOB The Heads of the Particular Sermons Analysed and may serve as a TABLE Part 1. UPon this Text Mark 9. 50. Have salt in your selves he first stirreth up to attention and then He sheweth 1. What Salt is 2. What it is to have salt 3. What to have it in our selves Pag. 3. Several judgements what is meant by salt pag. 6. In what sense the Apostles were called salt pag. 7. Christ is the salt 1. To season our duties nothing from man accepted onely Jesus Christ in us pag. 9. 2. To heal our sin-wounds p. 11. 3. To preserve the soul from putresaction p. 13. 4. Salt hath a virtue to preserve it self All Gods promises are as a Covenant of salt like himself unalterable t is childishness to think God to be alâ—ered or changed by prayer p. 13 14. The fifth and main reason as the Author conceives as salt is the substance and knitter of all things so Christ is the salt of the salt p. 15 16 17. Object Christ comparing himself to salt if Christ can lose his savour as salt and be good nothing in what sense this may be in regard of Christ answered under the two heads explained p. 18 c. The Exhortation by way of Use p. 29 Third head is to see we have salt in our selves and to leave censuring and condemning others p. 30 c. That soul is a glorious Temple where God reveals himself in the graces of his Spirit p. 35 c. Two Sermons upon that Text 1 Cor. 2. 2. But I determined to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified HE sheweth Pauls undervaluing all things but this knowledge p. 41 c. Then what it is to know Jesus Christ truly which must not be externally onely but internally also p. 43 c. Men may know the letter and never know Jesus Christ for he is hid therein p. 45. Yet we may not slight the letter p. 46. True Christ as to us must be formed in us or he doth us no good p. 48. All men yea the learnedst and all the Princes in the world ignorant of Jesus Christ except it be revealed from above explained under two heads p. 49 c. How Abraham more then Prophetically saw Christs day explained p. 56. Christ is alwayes in us in regard of his being yet revealed but to some p. 57. True Demonstrations of Christ his being in us in several particulars and how he is said to be in us p. 58. 1. His birth if he be born in us ibid. 2. Christs star ariseth in us manifesting him to our selvâ—s and others p. 59. The manifestation or birth of Christ terrible to the fleâ—h p. 61 c. 3. We are circumciâ—ed with him ibid. 4. His silencing all the Doctors in the Temple which is done also in the soul before he can be entertained p. 65 c 1. Pleasure 2. Profit 3. Honor all dispute against Christ p. 67 c. A digression occasioned by a terrible from of thunder and lightning encouraging against fear p. 69. 4. Arrogance A dangerous and Common disputant p. 70 c. 5. Reason another great disputer against Christ in us p. 72 c. An Exhortation to look within our selves while these things are unfolding p. 73. 6. After Christ came to preach being thirty three years of age his first miracle turning water into wine how done in us p. 74. While men are in unrâ—generation they wholly seek themselves Neither the glory of God nor good of others p. 76. Christ his coming to us and departing from us further explained p. 77. Third head what it is to know Christ crucified p. 79. 1. So long as the strong man keeps the house Christ is crucified p. 81. The knowledge of Christ not to be had without knowing the Mystery of the Trinity briefly explained p. 82 c. 2. While we hearken to and obey the flesh Jesus Christ is crucified p. 88. The Letter of the Scripture owned justified but resting barely therein condemned p. 89. A Question answered how Christ should suffer and not God in regard they are One and the same p. 92. An example to clear these truths to us p. 98. A conclusion and application of all p. 99. He that truly seeth he hath crucified Christ cannot do it again for a thousand worlds p. 100 Eight Sermons upon Rom. 8. 17. If so be we suffer with him that we may be glorified with him SHewing as there were three rooms in Solomons Temple so there be three kinds of sufferers p. 118 c. The last onely the true sufferers p. 125. If this definition of Christs sufferings amaze us Two qualifications are propounded to encourage the weakest if true sufferers p. 134 c. All outward sufferings nothing if we suffer not with Christ in those two things expressed Phil. 2. 6 c. in emptying our selves p. 148 c. in Humbling our selves p. 148 c. There is no suffering with Christ but by overcoming the Old man p. 160. He is descâ—ibed by twenty several names explained and shewing what Armour each one weareth p. 149. Called 1. The Old man p. 164. 2. Adam 165. 3. The Serpent 168. 4. Lucifâ—r 161. 5. The Red Dragon 164. 6. The Roaring Lion 174. 7. The Devil 175. 8. Antichrist 179. 9. Rebellion 180. 10. Sin 188. 11. False-light 190. 12. Dâ—rkâ—ess 194. 13. Flâ—sh 195. 14. Selfness 196. 15. Propriety 197. 16. Sâ—lf-love 199. 17. Our own will 200. 18. Errour 201. 19. Satan 203. 20. The evil one ibid. These Enemies being overcome we have six steps to ascend to the Throne of Rest or Glorification 1. Condemnation 2. Annihilation 3. Abdication 4. Indiffâ—rency 5. Conformity 6. Deiformity p. 205. 1.