to the world for the Churches sake I come now to the Uses Use 1. The first Vse is of Thankfulness God makes it his delight and praise to go new and extraordinary waies with his Church and with the world in order to his Church Let us then raise our delights and his praises from the sense of those new and extraordinary paths in which the Lord hath walked forth before our Eyes in the midst of al the nations round about us for our sake That the Newness of the divine footsteps in our dais and in our Land may leave the deeper print upon our spirits let us consider it in these Six Particulars 1. Our Changes 2. The Quickness of our changes 3. The Freshness upon our Changes 4. The inward Life whence our Changes spring 5. The Seal upon our Changes from their Living Principle 6. The Spirit of Grace evidencing it self as the Principle and the Seal First The Changes Which have been upon us shew the Newness of the Lords way with us Jerem 48. 11. The Lord complains Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his Lees and he hath not been emptyed from Vessel to Vessel therefore his tast remained in him and his sent is not changed How often hath England been changed from Peace to Warr from one Warr to another from one form of Government to another from Extremities to Enlargements from Enlargements to Extremities again These Changes have been as so many Vessels out of which and into which we have been emptyed Are we stil upon the Lees of Carnality and Corruption If we discern not God in a new Glory if we discern not Jesus Christ with his new name if we discern not the Newness of the Operations of the Spirit in al these things then doth our Earthly tast hitherto remain and our fleshly sent is not changed O for a refinedness of Soul now from the Lees of Earth to a pure wine of spirituality O for a heavenly tast a heavenly sent How should we rellish this feast of new delicacys which the Lord sets forth for us How should we love Jesus Christ for the Savor of his new and good Oyntments in which he powrs forth himself into the midst of us Revel. 6. 12. We reade of the Sun turning black as Sack Cloath of Hair the Moon as blood vers. 13. Stars of Heaven fel unto the Earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figs being shaken by a mighty winde Verse 14. Heaven departed as a Scroule rolled together Verse 16. The reason of al this i. e. The Face of him that sits on the Throne and the wrath of the Lamb Many times over in this our little world of these divided Islands we have seen the Sun of our Religious Formes our Church-state becomming black as a Sack-Cloath of Hair which is a mourning weed the Moon of our Civil affayres as Blood Nay al Blood we have seen the Heaven of the Supream power pass away as a scrol of Parchment roled up and laid by our Eminent Persons which were as Stars in the Heaven of that Power shining with a Lustre and ruling with an Influence of universal Authority yet on a soden falling from this Heaven to the Earth of a common rank and obscure condition Do we not thorow al this perceive the Face of God sitting upon his Throne among us a Throne of most exalted Grace and loving kindness to his people but of the most exalted vengeance and wrath to his enemy observe those two things the Face and the Face of God sitting upon the Throne What unvailings of new and extraordinary glorys do these Expressions speak forth Are not these the Seal to which these Nations as Wax are turned and changed Blessed are they that stand within these Wheels to be carryed a long by them and move together with them Over others who see them not these Wheels pass and break them to pieces Joel 2. 30. The Lord saith I wil shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth Blood and Fire and pillars of smoake Verse 31. The Sun shal be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come There are three daies of the Lords comming First To a Particular Nation Secondly At his Incarnation Thirdly To the last Judgment Al these are Capable of having this Scripture applyed to them especially where the first of these daies the Comming of Christ to a Nation follows after the Second day of his Incarnation and borders upon the Third day of his last comming This Scripture hath been litterally fulfilled in our times in our land What frequent Eclypses of Sun and Moon have we seen What Comets Concussions and Prodigyes in al the Elements Earth-quakes Tydes changing their Courses Meteors of al sorts in the Ayre Devouring Fires Behold the Earth the Air the Waters the Fire the Heavens see the Lord and are troubled shal his Saints be insensible of him shal not they shout and say This is the day which no Created or usual light but the Lord hath made by his shinings forth It is wonderful in our Eyes beyond the whol Course of Nature we wil rejoyce and he glad in it Secondly The Quickness of our Changes This is the Second thing that argues the Newness of Gods way with us I intreate you here to compare 2 Scriptures Hagg. 2. 6. For thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while and I wil shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry land verse 7. And I wil shake al Nations and the desire of al the Nations shâ—l come and I wil fil this House with glory saith the Lord of hosts Hebr. 12. 26. Whose voyce then shook the Earth but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also the Heaven Verse 27. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine The comparing of these two Texts affords us these Particular Observations First This word Once signifies one continued act of shaking unto an universal and Total Change Secondly That which maks this shaking is the Newness of Christs comming forth in the unchangable Glory of his Father and of the Spirit For the Prophet Haggi seeming to speak of the first comming of Christ in the flesh to fil that present Temple which was then building with the Glory of his Doctrine and Miracles is by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews interpreted of the comming of Christ in Glory as being the truth and the end to which the other comming was only a Type and a Preparation So also that which the Prophet calls The Desire of the Nations is in the Hebrews called Those things which cannot be shaken in opposition to things that are made and to be taken away Both together cleerly describe Jesus Christ in the Newness of a Heavenly Glory which can never
answer to the Light within But where you see Persons while they profess themselves to be Saints changing all having nothing of the same Nature or Rellish left there is great reason to fear that this is not the Newness of the Spirit but the Wildness of the Flesh not the freshness and variety of the living Spring but the Endless turnings and windings of the old Serpent But to return now and to shew you how this Scripture which hath occasioned this short stay by the way makes good that Doctrine which we have in hand All the way of Jesus Christ in the Saints and in the World for the sake of the Saints is after the newness of the spirit It follows then that it must be it self New and Extraordinary Another Scripture compared with this wil make the Proof from both more strong and cleer Es. 43. 18 19 20 21. Remember ye not the former things neither consider ye the things of Old Behold I will do a new thing now it shall spring forth shall ye not know it I will even make a way in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart The Beast of the field shall honor me the Dragons and the Owls because I give Waters in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart to give drink to my People my Chosen This People have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise There are Four Things to be taken notice of in these words First The Deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonians is the proper subject of this Prophesie in the Letter of it as you shal see at verse 4. This Deliverance from the Babylonians is made in Scripture universally a Type of every Deliverance of the People of God from the Powers of Darkness and of this world but more particularly of the Deliverance of the Church in the last daies from Antichrist which is Spiritual Babylon Secondly In this Deliverance the Lord laies aside all Presidents every old Form and Custom he works a New thing What is this New thing He makes a Way in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desart These Expressions look backward by way of Allusion to the Coming of the Children of Israel out of Egypt when the Lord made a way for them through the Wilderness going himself before them in the Pillar of a Cloud and of Fire and gave them Rivers of Water from the Rock which followed them in the Desert But this Literal Sense is not that which the Lord here intends For this had been no New thing but had only brought the former things to remembrance by the Imitation and Re-iteration of them Therefore the words look forward to an Allegorical and Mystical accomplishment in the times of the Gospel We all know that Jesus Christ is frequently held forth in the Gospel as the Way John 14. 6. He cals himself The Way Heb. 10. 20. He is said to be the New and Living Way by the rending of the Vail of his Flesh and the raising of him up again in the Spirit In like manner it is an Evident thing that the Spirit of Christ in the Gospel is resembled to Rivers of Water as John 7. 38. Out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water ver. 39. This spake he of the Spirit This then is the New thing which the Lord doth He turns the outward face of things in Church and Common-wealth into a Wilderness puts al into Confusion that no humane Eye can see any way either forward or backward Then he comes forth with new extraordinary appearances in Christ as the Pillar of a Cloud burying all the Light and Life of the Creature in the Darkness of Christs Death as a Pillar of Fire shining and sparkling forth with a New Light and Heat from the Glory of his Resurrection These Extraordinary Appearances in Christ the Lord makes his way in which he walks and into which he leads his People to walk with him in his wonders through the Churches and the Nations When the Spirit of man becomes a Desert like a winter-brook that is passed away and decives the expectation of the weary Traveller all Springs of Wisdom Counsel Help Comfort in the Creature are dryed up then the Lord comes forth in mighty and miraculous workings after the Newness of the Spirit in the fresh flowings of that and makes it to be as Rivers in the Desert Rivers have these Properties First They are from a Living Spiring Secondly They flow along with a great breadth depth and force Thirdly They flow continually running along still with a fresh succession of New waters from the Head of the River Fourthly They make all things cheerful and flourishing round about them So doth the Lord in the Desert of the Creature put forth himself by his Spirit with an irresistable force an uncessant Newness with a quickness of life a breadth and depth of design from the immediate Fountain of the God-head Thirdly It is observable here that the Saints are they who peculiarly drink of these Rivers They have the immediate inward sence Strength Joy Glory the cheif ends and benefit of these Out-goings of the God-head But natural men signified by the Beasts of the field the powers of this world yea the most ignorant and unbeleeving that sit in the greatest darkness which are as the Owles Nay more than that the Dragons the profanenest and wickedest persons both Princes and Stats who have the greatest enmity to Christ and his Church al these shal acknowledg and give glory to the Lord in these Miraculous workings of his from Heaven partly for the greatness of the Conviction by the presence and cleerness of the Appearances of God in the midst of them before their Eyes as is signified verse 19. Now it shal spring forth shal ye not see it partly for the relife and the refreshing which shal be extended to them also in their natural Man and civil affayres For so it is said verse 20. They shal honor me because I give waters in the wilderness c. Fourthly The end of al this is for the Saints that they may be formed and wrought up to God to Spirituality and Heavenlyness to his Likness to one Image and Nature with him to the Immediate enjoyment of him to his Bosom his Throne there to raigne with him from thence as chosen Vessels to carry forth the Praises of God in the Gospel of his Love his Righteousness his Holyness his Beauties his Joys his Glorys into the Nations that the Saints may be as a Holy first-fruits and the Nations as a sanctified Lump through them This people have I formed for myself to shew forth my praise Verse 21. I have now finished the two Arguments for the making good of the Doctrine one taken from the Person and Office of Christ the other from the Influences and Operations of the Spirit as both Christ and the Spirit are in the Newness of the highest and most Evangelical Glory as both stand in relation first to the Church then
fade It is before this Newness of Christ at it secretly beames forth into the Creation that Old things shake and fal away Thirdly Jesus Christ comes first in his Desirablenesses to beleevers to those among the Nations who desire him This seemes to be signified by that expression The desire of al Nations shal come He shal come under that formality as the Desire of the Nations The Saints in every Nation stand for the whol Nation in the esteem of God they being the Corn in the heap the rest of the nation as the Chaffe Esa. 43. 4. The Lord saith to his people Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable and I have Loved thee therefore wil I give men for thee and people for thy life or as it is in the Margin for thy person Those whom the Lord loves in a Nation are the only Figures there the rest are Cyphers which signifie nothing of themselves James 1. 14. The Children of God are said to be a Kind of first fruites of his Creatures So are they the first fruits of every Nation As the first fruits were presented to God every year at the Tabernacle or Temple by the hands of the Preist in the stead of the whol Lump so the beleevers are presented to God in the spirit by Jesus Christ as filling up the place of the whol Nation Upon this account when the prophet hath said The desire of al Nations shal come he adds He shal fil this House with his Glory Under the Gospel and in the spiritual truth which answers the Judaical Tipe the Saints are the House of God 1 Corin. 3. 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God When the Lord comes to work his wonders in the world he first comes into his Church into the spirits of his Saints fills them with that spiritual Glory shining from his own person which is the sign of his outward commings forth before he comes and the inside of them when he is come From hence as from his Temple he shines forth by degrees upon the world from these as the first fruites he sends forth a blessing to the whol Lump of the Creatures Fourthly When these shakings begin to break forth from the Spirits of the Saints into the World they are swift and spreading Yet a little while And I wil once more shake Heaven and Earth As when a stone fals into the Water the Circles in the Water made round about it do in a moment Multiply and as they Multiply grow wider each than other So when Jesus Christ comes with the Newness of a spiritual Glory into his House which is the heart of a Saint from thence he spreads himself in the newness of his Power and mighty works over the Nation round about from thence enlargeth himself in a wider Circle to the Neyghbouring Nations so he goes on til he ouerspreade with his Changes not the Earth only but also the Heavens and al this in a very little space as fire catcheth or the lightning flyeth Now let us look home Our Changes since the beginning of these times have truely been so quick and thick that they may wel appear one continued shaking You then in this Nation whose Souls love the Lord Jesus is your Desire come while others as Cyphers do bear the empty shadow of the outward work in these new and Extraordinary Motions is his presence his person his operation precious and of great value to you Doth he fil you who are his house with the freshness of his light and Glory while others stand without at a distance seeing a throng of changes and wonders but know not what is the matter Where then are your cryes of Joy The voyce of our beloved Behold he comes leaping over the Hils passing with swift changes over the powers of this world he comes consuming al old things the old Heaven and Earth with the heat of his presence but changing his own and al things unto them into the newness and Immortality of the Spirit making them new together with a New Heaven and a New Earth round about them Thirdly The freshness of our Changes Prov. 25. 4 5. Take away the dross from the Silver there shall come forth a Vessel for the finer Take away the wicked from the King and his Throne shal be established in Righteousness The former of these verses is an Allegory explained in the latter Both have a Mystical sense pertayning to every Saint and Typical concerning Jesus Christ Take away the Dross of Corruption out of the Heart from the Silver of Grace and the Saint wil be a King in the Spirit upon a Throne of Glory founded on the Righteousness of God and his Spirit in Jesus Christ this King wil be a pure Silver Vessel for God the finer to set on his table and fil with the Treasure of his Divinity Take away the dross of Corruption from the Silver of the Divine Image in the Creature then wil the whol Creation be a Vessel of honor for the Father to fil with his Wine then wil it be a Throne founded on the Eternal Rock on which Jesus Christ shal sit down as a King This extends it self to Nations and Priuciples also Let us take a view of our selves in the Glass of this Truth If we look to the great Parliament from the beginning of it was there not a Silver there a precious Mettal of excellent principles and Eminent persons But this Silver was mingled with the Dross of much Carnality and Corruption Hath not every change since that time been as a fire to take away the Dross from the Silver Hath not every succeeding form of things when it hath come first out of the fire of the fore-going Change bin as a Vessel for the finer with a greater Preciousness Purity Beauty Lustre Life and usefulness unto God How then is that day of the Lord risen upon us which is to try al things How should our mouths be filled with laughter and praises for this New thing which God doth this New day which God bringeth forth from Heaven Say now to Hypocrites Woe to you But say to the Righteouss It shal be wel with you For the Beams of this day are a Manifesting light a Refining fire to al but they are withal to the Saints a covering gloy and a Cherishing Love Our King is come forth into our Land not only to march through it with his troupes but to establish his throne here in righteousness and to sit down upon it O Dross Dross melt away before the presence of the Lord For his Eyes are a flame of fire They are stil Kindling fresh Furnaces of Change Fourthly The Life in these Changes from which they flow Rom. 12. 11. you have the knot of a three-fold Precept held forth Not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord This is likewise a Divine Character upon the Newness of extraordinary Times Works and Persons When the Lord hath any fresh