near him in any relations more than stones and trees or little more having no faith to spread these relations over them so having no faith they have nothing of holinesse nothing but sinne which turns them away from God that they come not near him so much as to give him a look so as to give him a word if unawares they meet him in his Ordinances But Holinesse what it is Gods people are near him in holinesse which is the new casting of the whole man in the mould of faith to the mind of God And this is the greatest nearnesse of all other for this more properly concerns God Faiths nearnesse is a nearnesse to God for our selves to make us safe but holinesse is a nearnesse to God for himself first and then for our selves Faith sets us under the covert of Gods love to shelter of wrath But holinesse makes us like unto God to restore our first perfection we lost in Adam and this is the thing God intends in the working of faith to restore us by holinesse Now Gods people are near in a double respect in holinesse 1. In the holinesse of Heart 2. In the holinesse of Life First They are near him in the holinesse of heart which is a breaking down the partition wall of sinne or taking away the distance made by sin and a partaking of the like nature with God himself 1. Hence first they Nearnesse of similitude are said to be like God near him by the nearnesse of similitude The holinesse of the heart being the new Coyning or Stamping of the Image of God upon the heart or the new drawing of the Image of God in the colours of holinesse upon the heart That as we say such a picture is very near meaning the man it represents look on him and the picture together and they are very like so look on that tablet of the heart wherein the Pencil of faith in the Hand of God hath Drawn in the colours of holinesse the Image of God and they are very near very like On the contrary a man on whose heart faith hath not stampt this holinesse is no liker God than darknesse the Sun there is not so much as the first draught of his Image And therefore you see no more of the Image of God in his heart than of the image of a man in a beast But faith bringing holinesse into the heart makes Gods people of his Image face answering to face by wiping out the draught of Satan Therefore 1 Joh. 3. 3. Whosoever hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure that is faith draws a Coppy of holinesse in the heart like to that which is in God faith boiles up to such a holinesse as he hath When faith comes it sweeps the heart of the dirty corners of sinne which made God before to be a farre off but when sin is swept then comes in another nearnesse 2. The nearnesse secondly of a Temple and house then the heart is consecrated Gods Chappel when the rubbish and dirt of sin is first purged away And therefore 't is said The Temple of God is holy 1 Cor. 3. 17. whose Temple ye are that is when once ye come to be holy then ye are made Temples of God So also Gods house Eph. 3. 17. the place of his continual nearnesse to them that look as a man is near his house and nearer that than any thing else so God and a holy heart are near and nearer than any other Nay the holy heart is all the dwelling God hath below He hath Esay Rom. 8. 9. no other house than his people no other rooms in his house than their several hearts no other parlour or room of delight than that heart which is best adorned and hanged with grace that is most holy And this is not a house which stands empty of the inhabitant but 't is a house whereof he saith as he said of the Temple Here will I dwel for ever for I have a delight in it But farther as they are near to God in the holinesse of heart so also Secondly In the holinesse Near in holiness of life of life whereby they live to him Gal. 2. 19. and so they are said to live with him and to walk with him that is they are such whose lives reach to him and end in him And so they live with him that is they make him their acquaintance indeed as before we shewed they had the title of friends They be not only called friends but they live as friends once friends and ever so such as are never parted or severed Therefore this nearnesse of life is exprest by walking with God Enock walked with Gen. 5. 24. God that is he was as near God in his life as a man is to him with whom he walks he went even with him walkt not a farre off from God but close to him side by side as we may so say Other men that have no faith live a farre off from God as men of another Country as acquainted only with sinne and the world to whom and with whom they life But Gods people are a people near him in their lives They are near him first in their thoughts so near him therein that their thoughts are said to be upon him Mal. 3. 16. Those that thought upon his name So David nothing more ordinary than thoughts on God so that he was his Meditation Psal 63. which is the staying and continuance of the thought on the thing So again in their will and affections their Love Hope Joy Fear is said to be of him and in him In desire they follow hard after him Psal 63. 8. yea getting once near him they cleave to him Deut. 4. 4. which cleaving is chiefly by love and joy so all their words and deeds are to him Lastly They are near Nearnesse in their lives by serving him him in their services for faith makes them not only Officers in his Court but to wait and attend upon him to follow the Court and attend in their courses of service in all the times of worship yea to be such as stand continually before him to be of his Presence-Chamber and at his elbow Whereas others either live from his Court or are banisht the Court serving Sin the World and Satan or if they come to Court to tender their service they set their hearts another way as false servants which do homage in heart to other Lords than their own when they are in the Court. So these when they stand in Gods Courts seeming to serve him their hearts attend in the Court of Satan the Prince of this world Therefore they are said to honour him with their bodies their hearts being farre from him Isai 29. 13. farre from him in the word farre from him in prayer or any other service of his But Gods people are near unto him in all their service they are near unto him in the Word as the Apostle
Canticles and the 7th it is said Much water cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it that is All the evils in the world of afflictions for so commonly they are shaddowed out in the Scripture So Matth. 7. 27. affliction by rain persecution by flouds as temptations by winds by waters and persecutions which ordinarily are tearmed flouds cannot drown or overwhelm this love not wash it away or bear it down Afflictions cannot do it though they if any thing be as waters to quench it and which quench the love of many false Spouses But as the stone Asbestus being once fired can never be put out by any force though it consume it self so is it with this Marriage-knot this heating of the soul by the love of Christ when once it is hot by love throw whole Buckets of afflictions poverty sicknesse shame let fall whole showres of evils continued afflictions plunge it into a Sea of sorrows the longest and greatest pressures and trials and this love will not out but burn in the midst of the waters This fire of Heaven is like the other fire of destruction that never goes out Nor yet can the flouds drown it flouds are both deep waters and violent waters for those two things are included in a floud beside water namely depth and violence of water Some things cannot be drown'd because the water is not deep enough Other things because the water is not strong enough by its force of running to bear them down But when these two depth and force meet in one water that water of all others is most likely to drown So is it with evils some evils are not deep enough to swallow up those that lye under them and therefore they hazard not their love much or if they be deep yet not violent enough but creep on men insensibly and soe they keep some strength against them that they are not overcome by them as sicknesse coming more insensibly and slowly because not deeply rooted is oftentimes wrought out by the naturall strength or at least not so troublesome to nature Whereas those that are deep and strong to overthrow the body and lay it in the Dust so is it with some men they can endure afflictions and many but if deep and violent evils as persecutions if not by the length yet by the soarnesse and violence they make the love of men to moulder away to nothing Continuall shame it may be by ordinary men fellowes does but shake it but the deep reproach and violent injuries of great one drownes all by taking away their footing that hold they had of Christ because it was not deeply rooted so that they which are not able to stand against the flouds but their love is drowned quite and overwhelmed in them that it rises no more are no true but false Spouses of Christ And therefore to shut these two up together we may see it in that of our Saviour of the stony ground which when Matth. 13. 21. tribulations or persecutions come are offended The meaning of the words is this That there are two sorts of men which seem Spouses to Christ and are not Some that take him for better only and not for worse for when the worser tribulations or persecutions come they fall away Others that have a little faster hold on him but not in the right Spouse-like affection for when persecutions come though tribulations did not shake their love they fall away for so the words are to be understood that one of the two either tribulations or afflictions divide them from their supposed Husbands that they cannot stand against the flouds Whether then if thou canst stand against the Waters yet canst thou stand against the flouds Art thou so deep and strong in love as not to be covered and borne down by the depth and violence of persecution for they that are rightly espoused to Christ will hold him for better for worse yea in the worst that can come Lastly The last signe of a right conjugall love is to deny all affection to any other that would unjustly have it She that is a Wife tyed to her Husband in a right choice and affection so as to take him not by constraint but purely from love will let her love stirre to no other than to him which is her Husband So that soule which is rightly espoused to Jesus Luke 9. 23. Christ denyes her selfe of every Whorish affection to the world For that is to deny our selves when natural corruption would faine move too and askes leave to go out to the world for the satisfying of that old selfe But Spouse-like affection sayes no you shall not move to pleasure you shall not goe to credit you shall not run to profit again no I am espoused to Jesus Christ he it is that hath my love I dare not give it to any other besides Him have I given my heart and I will keep it for him As a Spouse may have such motions rising up to the beauty and excellencies of others which otherwise she could like well enough but because she hath given him her love she rejects such motions as not fit for her condition so the soul that is espoused to Christ may have such unchast motions rising up to the excellency of the creature which she otherwise could like but because she hath given Christ her heart she cast out such motions as the Sea doth dirt Doest thou then give way to false affections rising in thy heart to prevent the love of Christ thou hast no Spouselike affection and so art no true Spouse On the contrary doest thou beat down all false loves such affections as naturally boyle up in thy heart to the satisfying of the flesh that old self Doest thou give sin a peremtory denial when it would carry thee away from Christ to the creature it is then a sign the knot is tyed between thee and Christ and thou maist take comfort in it Other signs from the other degrees of nearnesse might here be added but these are the main If this unworthy Tractate may beget profit or acceptance it is that I wish The Lord Jesus Christ who is our nearnesse joyn our spirits nearer daily to his Father by his holy Spirit in faith and holinesse and preserve us all to his eternal Kingdome and glory Fare well FINIS
right Covenant is a perpetual Covenant such as they stand to through the attendance of unavoidable crosses and enemies Thirdly It is a Covenant which is not forgotten Men oft go so far as to make Covenants for ever but they forget them As mens evidences covered over with dust or thrown into a corner are out of sight and so forgotten so Covenants with God are covered over with sin or thrown into a corner a corner of the world pleasure or profit or credit and so are forgotten Hast thou not made a Covenant with God which is forgotten that some lust or other hath made thee quite forget it as if no such thing had been if thy Covenant be right 't is such a Covenant as is not forgotten The next signe of a Sign 2 Covenant-right is that where that is there are mutual passages of love and kindnesse as commerce and traffique so 't is between the soul and God in Covenant Then as God presents thee with mercy life peace friends presents with grace and the pearl Christ Jesus lockt up in the Cabinet of the Promises thou canst not but say as Peter said to the lame man asking an alms Such as I have I give thee though Silver and Gold have I none grace nor glory my goodnesse extends not to thee yet I give thee my self my thoughts affections and all I have I present thee my prayers and thanks and service Dost thou trade with him in duty as he traffiques with thee in mercy Hath he made thy heart his great staple of merchandize to exchange continually duty for mercy it is a sign thou art in Covenant with him On the contrary dost thou get what thou canst from him without leave without praying for them take things by force health wealth and the like not paying any thing any service not custome so much as the least deserved service it is a sign of one out of Covenant for only an enemy out of league will rob a Common-wealth or take things by force Lastly If thou art in league with God then thou hast common friends and foes with him Gods friends are thy friends and his foes thy foes Do not I hate Psal 139. 21 22. them that hate thee c. yea thou hatest sin and Psal 97. 10. the fuel and bellowes of sin the world and Satan which feeds and blows up sinne A man in Covenant hates sinne Men hate the sting and love the Serpent hate sin as 't is attended with Hell and death but love the sin it self Doest thou therefore hate sin thy worldly mindednesse or pride or uncleannesse or whatsoever it be so dost thou hate sinners as steept in sin as enemies too to thy inner man So again hast thou common friends with God to love where God loves and as far as he loves to love the very sight and shew of holinesse the name of a godiy man And doest thou love every thing that may confirm and continue the League the Ordinances betwixt God and thee though never so contrary and crosse to thy corrupt nature it is then a sign thou art in Covenant with God The second signe is from the second degree of nearnesse the nearnesse of Subject Whether art thou as a Subject of Gods or no if thou art a true Subject then thou obeyest his Laws and Proclamations then art thou confined in thy wayes within the precincts of his Laws so as to do thy indeavour to keep them even all of Psal 119. 33 34. them with thy whole man and that for ever Then all his Laws stand in force upon thy whole man till they are cal'd in by a new Act of the Court of Parliament of Heaven Thou endeavourest also to keep the least Commandment and doest not remain a wilfull breaker of it though it might get thee never so much Again Thou obeyest his Proclamations every promulgation of his will or any Law that by ill custome is ready to be antiquated and abolisht Every new duty commanded by his high Commission his Ministers whose office it is to beat down new up-rising enormities by dispeircing his Proclamations and fastening them upon the posts of mens hearts upon their consciences being faulty herein Whether again art Sign 3 thou near unto God as a servant is to his Master If thou art a servant of his then thou art faithfull unto him in all his house Heb. 3. 2. 'T is required Heb. 3. 2. in a servant that he be found faithfull as Moses was in all his house First Whether art thou faithfull and faithfull all his house First Art thou faithfull doest thou attend upon him and upon no other There are many in service with God that go for Christians and wear his Livery when their hearts attend upon Satan and the world Many are bodily conversant about him in Prayer and the Word whose hearts are left behind in the world and lusts Again They work not for him but themselves and so steale from him that which is his He is an unfaithfull servant that steals from his Master that which is his Men steal thus from God they steal from him his time his time of praying his time of hearing and reading and meditating and examining their hearts and lives and his time of receiving the Sacrament c. and give it to others to profanenesse give it to pride and worldly-mindednesse They steal from him also his Talents wit strength beauty health riches and give them to lusts and sinnes Art thou Secondly Faithfull in all his house to do all that his service requires Faithfull in regard of the Master to do all that concerns his person not one duty alone but all not only to tell him of things amisse in praying to him but also to hear him telling thee thy duty and obeying hearing his word and observing it Not only attending at his Table in coming to the Sacrament but also in loosing a meal in fasting when his service requires it and so every other day So faithfull in regard of thy fellow servants in helping and assisting them in their work in exhorting and encouraging them in well-doing in instructing them also and admonishing them when they erre and do amisse Faithfull in regard of all other things in the house Art thou then faithfull to thy Master and faithfull in all his house so as all his work is performed then art thou near him as a servant Contrary art thou sloathfull idle wronging thy Master in his goods and time and wronging thy fellow servants then art thou no servant of his but a servant of thy self 4. Whether art thou one of the friends of God or no If thou art a friend of his Then first thou lovest 1. Property of a friend him for himself thou lovest him for his purity and holinesse and excellency because he is so and not for that he hath Thou lovest not his but him for that is friendship to love a man for himself Many there are that pretend friendship to him