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A29649 The way to the Sabbath of rest, or, The souls progress in the work of regeneration being a brief experimental discourse of the new-birth in which many of the serpents wiles are detected, the mysteries of the Cross unvailed, the death of the old man, the life of the new man, the angelical dispensation, with the entrance to the divine / clearly laid open and discovered by Mr. Thomas Bromley. Bromley, Thomas, 1629-1691. 1692 (1692) Wing B4888B; ESTC R35790 39,085 70

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in the Image of his Law It sees 't is impossible in this State ever to enjoy God or come near him for without Holiness no Man can see the Lord. Here it sees 't is eternally undone without the great Mercy and Compassion of God not being able to Answer the strict Requirings of the Law obliging to that which the Soul is not capable to perform through the presence and strength of Corruption Here the Soul is driven to Christ the only Mediator betwixt God and Man who long waited for this time that so he might discover himself having long stood in the midst of it unknown and unregarded who upon the melting of the Soul into Tears of Repentance upon the renouncing Flesh and Blood with all corrupt Objects and upon the opening of the Will in the Thirst and desire of Faith enters into the Heart or rather shews himself to be There by opposing Hell by shedding abroad his holy Blood to quench the fire of Gods Wrath and wash the Soul from those sad Defilements it then lyes under Here he quiets the Soul gives the wings of Faith to it by which it flies above the reach of despairing Fears and by little and little enters into Peace and Stilness and shrouds it's self in some measure from the awakened Storms of wrathful Terror Now so far as the Soul can get by Faith into Christ so far it finds Ease Refreshment and Peace and a cessation from the sense of Guilt with cherishing Belief of the present Pardon of Sin as finding at such a time no stirring of the Will to that which had so endanger'd it before by it's poysonous Insinuations Now therefore beginning to hate Evil as a Monster and to love Christ as a Saviour it feels the Effects of Christs Meditation by satisfying Gods Justice taking away the Enmity in the Soul by the Blood of his Cróss by the meltings of Love which it feels towards God and sweet Refreshments it receives from him Now it comes to be sensible how it hath resisted Gods Love Christs Mercy the Spirits motions how it hath given the Devil interest in Christs Tabernacle and shut Him out from his own Possession Hence flow Tears of Love and Soul-melting Groans with the Mournings of the Turtle Now it imbraces Jesus weeps over Him whom it hath pierced and is wounded the more the kinder He seems in Returns of Love in regard he was before so much disobliged by the Souls Unkindness now the Soul wants ways of expressing Love overwhelmed with the sense of Goodness In this State it could die Ten thousand Deaths undergo any thing in requital to it's Saviour all it's Motions and Expressions tend to advance Christ to extol Him and predicate His unutterable Love thinking nothing enough for Him who thought not his own Life too much for it O that the Soul would faithfully remain In this sweet Frame until He comes again To waft her in his Chariot to that Throne Where God and Man are in full Vnion For Love doth pitch its true Pavilion there In other Places Love is mixt with Fear CHAP. III. WHen the Soul after its shakings attains this Settlement in Christs Love freely streaming towards it usually 't is much carried out in the sight and opening of Free-Grade which for a time strongly work upon it and induce it to yield suitable Returns in constant Obedience And this is commonly a Season of much Joy and Refreshment the Soul feeling that sensible Consolation and Divine Sweetness that causes it to break forth into continual Praises and Halelujah's to God Now as this flows from the lively apprehension of Gods Love in Christ so likewise from the clear sight of Christ in us and of that mystical transcendent Union betwixt him and the inward Man the Soul now beholding him in the ground and centre of her own pure humanity there thence darting forth the Rays of Love upon her whom before she look'd upon as at a distance without her as only sitting at the right hand of God in Heaven Now whilst this Dispensation lasts the Soul is in a perpetual Spring and a kind of delightful Paradise bathing and delighting its self in the sweet Fruition of Christs Love who in this time expresseth much kindness to it and gives frequent Testimonies of his Divine Presence But this day seldom continues very long and this Summer by little and little usually inclines toward an Autumn in which the Flowers of sensible Comfort and love-Raptures begin a little to wither and benumming flesh again shews its power in secret almost insensible dullings of the Souls Affection till by little and little it comes to a sensible Deadness which is the more tedious and burdensom the more the former dispensation was pleasant and Joyous Now what may be the reason of this declining in the Souls Enjoyments I shall not positively determine for it may proceed from different causes in different persons In some it may flow from the want of Watchfulness over their Hearts thorough the great Elevations of Free Grace in which time the flesh by little and little may collect Strength Gifts then being more eyed then Graces It may also flow from the decay of the Souls lively apprehensions of Gods Love which it felt in freeing it from the poyson and Guilt of Sin when it groaned sadly under them for so long as the strong impressions of that state remained Gods mercy eminently discovered forced the Soul into suitable meltings at the sight of it but these somewhat vanishing in time the effects likewise might cease by litle and little It may also come from want of practising the way of the Cross through our misapprehensions of being Dead when we are not or accidentally through the sensible overflowings of new Comforts which may carry the Soul out of that watchful Exercise of the Cross which at such a time is most needful But whatever is the Cause of it the Soul ought to enter into a strict Examination of it's self to sift every corner of it's inward Chambers and to pray for a clearer Light to view all subtil Corruptions that may gull it and hinder its Progress and make it set up a Standard as though all were done Oh! 't is dangerous sticking here and resting upon former Changes for this tends to the indulging of spiritual Drowsiness and Stupidity and may bring the Soul in danger of losing it's former Works by present Idleness and Relapses For God looks not at what we were but what we are our present State making us either capable of Gods out-flowing Love or obnoxious to his chastising Justice If so awake dull Soul think not to be Excused from thy present Lethargy By former Kindness when the force of Love Did pierce thy Heart and made it upward move Awake and pray that Christ in thee may give New quickning to thy Dead that it may live CHAP. IV. MAny Souls stick long in this