wherein this infinite Wisedome Power might dwell which puritie chiefly excelleth in a Spirit and to such a Spirit can agree no other but the highest Name of God Thus the things sealed bearing the Image of the seale teach vs the seale euen these visible Creatures bearing the impression of the Deitie represent to vs the same Deitie as their Cause and Beginning and in their dumb language they preach vnto vs their originall The world thus trimmed vp with the varietie of innumerable things both for vse and ornament as a royall Palace for some great Prince man though now a contemptible wretched thing was then thought a fit Owner and Commander of so glorious a Creation And this not without order for though by his body he was of kin to the Earth yet his soule was of kin to the Deitie being a Spirit breathed into man by the Father of Spirits So Glorie and Humilitie were married together in man at his first Creation the issues wherof should still be continued euen apprehensions of an excellent soule to keepe vs from sinking into the basenesse of sensualitie and earthinesse and considerations of a clay body to stay vs from mounting vp in pride and ascending into the place of the most High And now euen at the first beginning God did make man know both what was the basenesse of man and what was the happines of man hee shewed man that his seruice was the businesse of man yea hee shewed him how he would bee serued For God planted in man a reasonable soule in which was written an Image counter-pawne of the Deitie although not equall in degrees yet like in resemblance Now the reason of this soule could finde that a Creator creates things for himselfe by whom things are they are also for him Therefore man hauing his being from God he is to returne his being vnto God And if Man would know the manner how to please and serue God this very manner of his creation will teach him For the Creator was a Spirit himselfe and he gaue to man a Spirit resembling him both in substance and facultie The substance was spirituall the facultie an vnderstanding and wil. In the vnderstanding was a light which could shew vnto man the will of God and informe Man what was right in Gods vnderstanding So was it a created reuelation of the Law of God the sparkes and pieces whereof serue at this day both to informe and accuse the naturall man Now vpon the vnderstanding thus informed the will was readie to attend and vpon the will the affections yea all the members to execute and performe the will of God certified to them by the vnderstanding Now there being such an aptnesse and abilitie of conformitie betweene God and Man and all things being delighted with harmonie and conformitie especially that purest Essence which is vanitie it selfe surely it cannot bee imagined but the chiefest pleasure and seruice most acceptable to the Creator was when these lower and lesser spirits did cary themselues the bodies which they ruled in a perpetuall consent and conformitie to that great Spirit which made them And as Mans workmāship did thus shew him his worke so did it also his happinesse Towards the discouerie hereof let vs set downe these rules First the most excellent happines of Man must be the happinesse of Mans most excellent part Secondly Mans chiefest part being a Spirit the obiect of his happines must be a Spirit Spirits enioying Spirits as Bodies do Bodies chiefly the chiefest Thirdly this chiefest Spirit is not to bee found among the Creatures but must only bee the Creator for the Creator must needs exceede all the Spirits that issue from him as the highest cause doth his inferiour effects And to this also conspireth this conception euen of humane reason that in him must bee the chiefest exaltation of Mans being from whom the being it selfe did first proceede Yet neither doth our mercifull Father leaue this Truth without a witnesse but by that great reuerend mysterie of the Sabbath he telleth vs outwardly what before he inwardly taught vs euen that God is our blessednesse and that holinesse is the way to him For God is said to haue created the world in sixe dayes and to haue rested blessed and hallowed the seuenth Now God needed not sixe dayes to create a world which he can equally doe in a moment Neither needed he to rest the seuenth day for any wearinesse gotten by Creation But these things are of an higher meaning and include Doctrines more excellent and so more agreeable to the nature and dignitie of God God chose to make his worke distinctly in sixe seuerall dayes and in euery day distinctly considered the worke which that day hee had made and vpon this distinct and seuerall consideration hee pronounced this sentence vpon each dayes worke that the worke of that day was good Yet hee saith onely that it was good hee saith not that it was goodnesse it was good enough in his kind for seruice but not for happinesse But the seuenth day hee ceaseth both from Creation and this consideration of the good Creatures and with-draweth himselfe into himselfe Hee returneth from without to the enioying of himselfe his owne rest and to the contemplation of this rest inioyed and there onely hee findeth pronounceth to be perfect holinesse and perfect blessednesse To make this knowne vnto Man God takes this Seuenth day wherein hee retyred to his rest and imprints on it the qualities of his rest holinesse and blessednesse that the holinesse and blessednesse of that day might bee a patterne to vs of the holinesse and blessednesse which is in God that we reading therein the blessednesse of God might set our whole hearts desires thereon and reading therin the holinesse of God might fit our selues by holinesse to his Holinesse which as it is inseparable from happinesse in God so must it be also in all that wil see Good for nothing contrary or vnlike to God may approch vnto him Thus the Seuenth day crowned by the employment of that day the other sixe daies left vnblessed by the works of those dayes by a manifest differēce point vnto vs that the end and happinesse of Man are not to be sought in the workes of the sixe dayes but in the blessed Holinesse and holy Blessednesse of the Seuenth And to the same truth the order of Creation doth likewise inuite vs. For all Creatures being first made Man was made after Creatures and so set before them as their end to whom they should looke whom they should serue But Man being thus placed as the end of the Creatures in this great mysterie of the Sabbath solemnized after Mans creation God and his blessed Rest is set before Man as the end and happinesse of Man So as Man is set before the face of the Creatures so is God in the Sabbath set before the face of Man The Creatures should looke to Man and Man
vnwelcommed how can hee choose but scorne vs being neglected whom hee might iustly haue despised being sought we are sinful and miserable creatures and God might well haue lothed vs left vs in our bloud but now he that might haue lothed loueth and visiteth and shall we dare to neglect the most great and holy One that commeth to vs most wretched and impure for our owne felicitie let vs rather with watchful soules espie and with humble and deuout affections entertain these heauenly Guests the issues and sparkes of the Deitie Let vs wonder at our owne happinesse that our lowlinesse should bee regarded by the Almightie finally let vs yeeld vp to him the whole roome of this Tabernacle of ours that hee may fully rule and raigne in vs for in his raigning in vs is included our raigning with him For a second motiue let vs consider what it is that this great God sendeth to vs. Surely it is the sap of the Tree of Life a iuyce of Eternitie a food of life euerlasting When his Spirit commeth into vs it is a Light to our darknesse a Purifier of our pollution a conueyance of our Redem ption a celestiall Fire to warm the benummed coldnes of our spirituall bloud a seede of liuing and perpetuall felicitie It offers to guide vs it offers to sanctifie vs it offers vs iustification it offers vs zeale it offers vs eternall Glorie These are presents well becomming such a Giuer of infinite worth as hee is in finite and the least is of more worth then hee is that shall receiue them So the greatest giueth vs gifts greater then our selues and what remaines but that we be inlarged in our affection thereby to inlarge our capacitie of them if it were possible to equall those gifts with loue welcome which our owne persons doe not Let vs with a watchfull care with a seruent loue with hungrie and thirstie soules receiue the bountie of heauen still remembring that free mercie is the Ladder by which these blessings descend vpon vs by which mercie alone God becomes so familiar with Man as to visite him And as God is free to be mercifull so he is free to bee angrie if his mercie be contemned And if once the Ladder of mercie be taken vp into heauen then shall wee see a great Gulfe of distance and separation betweene GOD and Man Man is far vnable and vnfit to approch to the same God being angrie whom with a confident boldnesse hee might intreat behold being mercifull The way is cut off betweene GOD Man by changing mercie into furie and he is become admirable in seueritie who before was wonderfull in familiaritie Therefore to day let vs heare his voyce in the present time without delay without stay or let Let vs not put him off vnto to morrow lest wee be a generation that grieues him and so may not enter into his rest But if our Welbeloued put in his hand by the dore let vs bee affectioned to him yea let vs rise and open to our Welbeloued that wee may bee readie to performe this though wee sleepe yet let our hearts wake Amidst the dreames of worldly pleasure profit which are all but vanitie let our hearts watch for the graces of Eternitie Let vs giue heede to that One kind of things which is only necessary let our harts bee onely in earnest when they regard the things of soliditie permanence and perpetuitie Doth the Spirit cast foorth his beames to inlighten the Temple of the Spirit let Watchfulnesse bee readie to see this Light and by this Light things otherwise inuisible and inutterable for surely a soule thus inlightned will see more then seuen Men on a Watch-towre Doth the Spirit stirre vp in thee a desire of meditation and a motion to goe aside into heauen by the raptures of contemplation watch apprehend and follow and let Watchfulnesse deliuer thee ouer to obediēce Hast thou motions vnto Prayer vnto spirituall Ioy vnto feeding on the Word or the seales of the Word attend and obey and let him that hath an eare harken what the Spirit saith vnto the Church For thus shall watchfulnes become a true factor and seruant of obedience The Spirit speaketh Watchfulnesse heareth Obedience performeth and the Spirit prospereth CHAP. VI. Of Prayer AN inseparable companion of watchfulnesse and an especiall aduancement of spirituall prosperitie is Prayer for among all the furtherances of the Spirit Prayer goes directly to the fountaine of the Spirit seekes the gift of the Giuer himselfe And indeede whither should our indeuours most addresse themselues but where is most of that which wee seeke and who should exceed him in bountie who exceedes all in that which may bee giuen yea in that goodnesse which is the cause of giuing Wherefore since God alone hath the true abundance of Spirit yea since hee hath promised by his Sonne to giue the Holy Ghost Luk. 11. 13. to them that aske why doe we not haste to this eternall and bottomlesse Spring of the waters of Life where we may fill our selues freely by asking Grace is a chiefe gift of the chiefest Giuer To bee admitted into the presence of the chiefest Giuer is a great priuiledge but being admitted to obtaine also a chiefe gift is a high prerogatiue Why dost thou not then make great vse of this thy great priuiledge yea why dost thou not at once purchase to thy selfe spirituall honour and spiritual profit which both in prayer are together bestowed For if thou art one of those whom God graceth by hearing thou art also one of those to whom God will giue the grace of his Spirit for thy speaking And surely as Prayer is honorable and profitable so it is pleasant and comfortable for we may terme it a little saluation since the soule in Praier clearing her selfe by Faith from fleshly darknesse looketh directly to the face of God the vision of whom is our perfect beatitude if light be pleasant it is far more pleasant to behold the Father of light vvhich though it bee but by the glimpses of faith yet so much as it is so much happinesse it is The soule for the time is in heauen beholdeth God yea beholdeth God beholding her with a gracious countenance through our elder Brother Christ Iesus Wee see in naturall things how ioyfully the young-ones run to their dammes yea children with earnestnesse apply themselues to the brests of their mothers Surely Man hath but one true and very Father but one true Cause and Creator how ioyfully should Man run to this his Originall how earnestly should he suck from God by prayer the nourishment and increase of that spirituall life which himselfe hath begotten in vs Therefore draw neere vnto God by prayer and that continually and earnestly Let thy prayer be continuall because there is in GOD continuall abundance to be prayed for yea because GOD knowes the excellency of his gift and that it is worth long seeking and therefore
yeeres more perchance not twentie not ten And not much otherwise the Lawyer and Marchant fret out one halfe of their time in Education Labours and Aduentures that they may be rich the other halfe yea peraduenture a very short part of their time remayning And wilt not thou spend so much more time gladly willingly in expectation of an infinite Glorie which no time can end nor measure can limit Surely an endlesse incomparable happinesse is well worthy of a short lifes patience and expectation especially when the same life is so often worne out in expectation oftemporall vncertayne things But indeede wee deceiue our selues in this matter for this is not our disease that we cannot stay but that wee doe not verily see and beleeue that which being beleeued would easily giue vs a patient willingnesse to stay if we beleeued that there were such an vnmatchable felicity prepared for vs wee might indeede somewhat eagerly long to beat it but withall the assured hope of it would support vs ioyfully in the deferring of it For most true is that which is spoken of hope Hope maketh not ashamed that is it suffers not to be disheartned to be confounded but it keepes vp the heart from sinking and makes it beare vp in troubles present by the expectation of ioyes to come And this common experience shewes vs in worldly actions and sufferings for hope hath borne out mankinde through paynes almost intolerable vnto comforts stedfastly seene apprehended by it Wherefore doe not make a fault of the futurenesse of thy happinesse but finde and amend the true fault of thy beliefe hope Yet neither are wee altogether thrust vpon hope but euen in this life haue wee some fruition of this happinesse and the priuiledges thereof For as before euen here haue wee a crany opened by which some beames of the diuine Glory shine into our hearts giue vs a glimpse of that whereof hereafter we shall haue a full inioying They that haue had but such flashes of happinesse haue beene rauished vp in heauenly trances far aboue the world and haue as much despised the world as the world hath despised these ioyes They haue cryed out as men that haue taken possession of true rest and felicitie let vs here build vp our Tabernacles Surely as there is nothing more comfortable to the bodily sight then beholding the Sunne shining in his glorie so nothing can bee more comfortable to the sight of the soule then to behold the Sunne of the Sunne euen that high and purest Light which shineth vpon the Sunne and all other things that shine but especially on Spirits himselfe being a Spirit Againe the very substance of the Spirit in vs is a kinde of heauenly oyle which makes glad not so much the face as the very heart of Man It hath in it a taste and rellish of the Deitie and therefore aboue all other this is the true oile of gladnesse The heart anointed herewith as it finds a light to guide it and a vertue mouing it to good and freeing it from the slauerie of sinne so also it feeleth in it selfe a blessed rest an heauenly Sabbath a ioy glorious and vnspeakable an harmonie peace with God which passeth all vnderstanding Hence come those vehement pangs and expressions of loue ioy vttered by the Spouse of Christ and penned by the wisest of men which flesh knoweth not how to vnderstand but by the flesh but the spirituall Man that discerneth all things fully discerneth and rellisheth them as spirituall truths From the sound of this harmony come those dancings and exultations of many of the sonnes of God who for this ioy of heart haue danced before him who hath filled them with ioy But then flesh and bloud seeing onely the dance and not hearing the musike mocketh and despiseth the effect whereof it sees not the cause But the Beholder of hearts knowes these motions of the heart to be chiefly reasonable and therfore principally allowes them And indeede how should they not be approued since this ioy is from the best and this ioy is in the best and therefore must needs be the very best ioy It is a ioy beyond the reach of mortall power yea beyond the reach of infernall power a ioy which no man nay nothing can take from vs. It is a boord in shipwracke a refuge in trouble a retyring place from the powers of darkenesse Besides these blessings wee haue another blessing the Authour of these and all other euen an vnion with God who is blessednes This blessednes is spirituall seene and felt by the spirituall It is seene by the eye of the soule while it beholds a godly Nature euen the seede of God powred into the heart of Man otherwise wholly polluted with the lust of Generation It is felt chiefely in the will and affections while in them a filiall loue ioy and feare is perceiued toward God who before was regarded as a stranger but now as a father who now is the end and rule of our conuersation but before was put farre below the satisfaction of Lust and Concupiscence And from this vnion the feeling of this vnion proceedes both that strength of Christians that the gates of Hell cannot preuaile against them and that strong confidence that if God kill them yet they will trust in him And why they are assured that God is with them and then they are also as much assured that if God bee with them nothing can bee against them except it bee to bee conquered by them For he that is in vs is stronger then hee or all they that be in the world to this vnion with God we may adde another vnion with the sons of God The first was the vnion of a Father and a Childe and this is a vnion of Brethren for it is a spirituall Brotherhood Euery sonne of God hath all Gods sonnes to his bretheren And as many bretheren so many friends so many louers so many helpers So many that reioyce in his comforts so many that bewaile his troubles so many to incourage him standing so many to raise him being falne so many to aduise him in doubts so many to releeue him in necessities In summe the true children of God euer were and stil are of one heart and minde louing and beloued They account themselues as one therefore no part of this vnitie can lacke what the other part thereof inioyeth Hee that is a son hath in him this loue and hee that hath not this loue in him is not a sonne for he must needes loue his spirituall kindred who is spiritually begotten Hee must needes loue them because of Vnitie because of Vniformitie because of Puritie and because the Spirit which begets him is the Spirit of Loue. And as we haue an interest in our brethren so haue wee in their prayers they stil commend vs to God and many times when our owne deadnesse of heart doth slacke the hand of GOD toward vs their feruency
but God but willeth and desireth him as the onely felicitie when the will toward the attaynment of this felicitie dependeth trusteth and leaneth on no other meanes but Christ Iesus but on Christ it resteth fully as the onely Mediator of happinesse when the will toward the attaynment of Christ and the vertues of his mediation yeeldeth it selfe vp to no other humane inuention but fully and wholly surrenders it selfe to the holy Ghost regenerating newbegetting then is Christ sealed in thy heart hee is come into thee and his feet tread on the very bottome of thy soule Thou hast taken vp thy rest in him and hee hath taken vp his rest in thee and this is the inward Sabbath of this life and an earnest beginning of the eternall Sabbath Accordingly hee calls out vnto Man My sonne giue mee thy heart for in the hearts of men is the Throne of his Kingdome and except hee raigne in our hearts wee cannot raigne in his glorie Thy knowledge of God in Christ must not bee dead but effectuall and working and the worke thereof must be the kindling of a seruent loue dependance and affiance in thy will and affections Thy will againe must worke by this dependance and loue and the worke thereof must be a dedication and resignation of all vnto God in Christ taking possession of thee by the Spirit Till thou commest to this point thou art short of happinesse For this is the Centre of descending to the Spirit of Christ and in the very ground of the hart doth the Spirit onely fasten his rootes Wherefore giue the inmost of thy heart to the Spirit of blessednes and know that in giuing thou dost rather receiue then giue For thy gift is but the gift of a sinfull heart that which belongeth to it and serueth it But thy receit is the receit of the Spirit of Life Ioy eternal Wherefore it concernes thee not to be niggardly to thy own soule for as much of thy soule as thou keepest so much of it thou losest and as much as thou giuest so much dost thou crowne with happines Thou maist perchance thinke it inough to beleeue he is thine but if thou haue no better warrant then such a thought hee may not bee thine For thou beleeuest that hee is thine too soone if thou beleeuest it before this worke of faith hath in some measure wrought home vpon thee It is not a rash presumption nor a bare thought that can snatch at Christ make him thine it must cost thee thy selfe before thou haue him The getting of Christ is by the way of traffike thou must not thinke wholly to gaine vpon him but as much as wee would haue him to bee ours so much must wee striue to yeeld our selues to bee his CHRISTS Kingdome is a Kingdome of power and hee will enter into thee as a King of power and it is not a bare imagination that makes way for this Kingdome but an affiance of the heart which actually and effectually surrenders vs vp to his Scepter and Rule Therefore the best way is hereby to get him first into thee and after to beleeue he is thine Many haue lost Christ because not hauing him they thought they had him For they sought not him whom they thought they had and so lost him who is found by seeking But on the other side if thou hast felt the depth of this faith though in a narrow breadth know that Christ is thine for whom thou hast ceased to be thine owne As much as thou hast gone out of thy selfe to possesse him so much hath he entred into thee to posesse thee so much as thou leauest to Christ yeeldest thy selfe to the renew ing of his Spirit so much dost thou knit Christ vnto thee and so much thou drawest yea suckest his Spirit into the innermost part of thy soule Hee who is Goodnesse it selfe and dyed for vs when we were sinners cannot restraine his Spirit from vs when with a full trust wee haue cast our selues wholly vpon him and with a whole resignation haue giuen vp our selues fully vnto him Hee who is Loue cannot resist loue but hee is ouercome and taken by the feruour of our hungrie and thirstie soules giues vs to drinke freely of the waters of Life Christ is the Phisician of our soules and to be cured by him we must deale with him as with a Phisician Now to be cured by a Phisician it is not inough only to beleeue that the Phisician can cure vs nor that hee will cure vs but this confidence in the Phisician must worke in vs a willingnesse and resolution to take and admit his receits by which he may cure vs. Euen so it is betweene Christ and our sicke soules it is not inough barely to think that Christ can cure vs or that hee will cure vs but our beliefe must open the mouth of our soules to receiue his medicines giuen vs in the Cup of saluation This Cup of saluation is the Spirit by which he communicates to vs his Redemption his Holinesse his Eternitie Therefore must we so belieue that we receiue Christ for such onely as receiue him haue the prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God so must we beleeue that we bee baptized with the holy Ghost for those onely who are so baptized shall bee saued And if we thus beleeue hee who neuer sent away any vncured of their corporall infirmities that sought him here on earth surely hee will not denie his sauing health to any beleeuing soule that thus heartily thirsts after him sitting in heauen For the spirituall phisicke was Christs truest most proper profession and the cure of bodies was especially to draw our faith thereby to behold beleeue receiue his cure of soules Therefore especially yee sicke soules bee of good comfort for you the Master calleth especially But when yee come to him remember that yee desire to bee cured of the whole spirituall maladie euen of sin and of sinfulnesse of the corruption of sinne as well as of the guilt and miserie that follow it For Christ will enter into none to cure the death of sin but withall hee will giue death vnto sinne neither will he by his Spirit giue any one the Life of glorie to whom by the same Spirit hee doth not first giue the life of Pietie CHAP. II. How a Man may get this facultie which vniteth Man to God BVt Man is brutish and sensuall both in vnderstanding will and so it is impossible for him while he is such to discerne a spirituall happinesse and the meanes of attayning it and much more hard it is to esteeme and loue the one or other Hee beleeues that which hee sees he loues that which he tastes and feeles but his grosse palate doth not rellish this celestiall and vnpalpable happines Therefore Man must bee lifted vp aboue this low estate of sensuall and carnall knowledge and to effect this there needes a second hand of the first
imposeth a necessitie on him to loue the one and hate the other to lose the one and to gaine the other Therefore as much as wee retayne of this corrupt felicitie so much doe we abate of true Happinesse and the roome that is giuen to the one is denyed to the other And surely too true it is that euen after our Regeneration there abides a great remnant of our proud corruption It is of kin to the Serpent which perswaded it when the head of it is broken in pieces the tayle will still bee moouing And in what degree this corruption remaineth in that degree is grace abated but in what degree this swelling euill is abated in the same degree is Grace increased Therefore if we be much proud wee are much gracelesse if we be much humble we be much gracious Wherefore let vs take vp Humilitie which as a Corrosiue will fret away the proud flesh make way for the prosperitie of the liuely and quickning Spirit Towards this let vs consider that the Naturall Man being stuft vp with himselfe and not regarding any thing beyond the Lust and Law of his owne heart sits downe in himselfe and takes vp his rest Sabbath and felicitie in his owne imagination But while God is vnregarded and vnsought he also as little regardeth these vnregarders yea hee beholdeth the proud a-far-off He knowes the weight and end of their swelling that it is Nothing that ere long it shall come to Nothing and that at last these swellers must come before him as a Iudge who refused him here for a Sauiour and happinesse On the other side the spirituall Man plainly seeth that this imaginarie happinesse of pride is true miserie since Man the more hee stands vpon himselfe without God the more weakly wretchedly he stands and the fuller Man is of himselfe the fuller is he of Corruption Vanitie and Miserie Therefore desireth hee to goe out of himselfe into God to vnlade himselfe of himselfe that hee may be filled with God hee purgeth his heart of the tree of false knowledge that he may satiate it with the Tree of Life And Humilitie hauing thus fulfilled her Worke then enters Grace into the Soule so swept and trimmed for the same God who resisteth the Proud giueth Grace to the humble God will be a welcome and not a fulsome Guest he loues not to come when there is no neede of him he desires not to thrust vnnecessarie Happines vpon Men sufficiently happie But the hungrie soules hee filleth with good things he guideth the meeke humble in his wayes and the poore in Spirit are allowed only to receiue the Gospell These haue set open their doores to the King of Glorie they haue forgotten their Fathers house euen their naturall condition and therefore the LORD hath pleasure in their beautie His Light takes pleasure yea gets Glory in comming into confessed Darknesse his Grace is delighted and magnified by pardoning and sanctifying an acknowledged corruption and his blessednesse reioyceth in blessing apparant and desperate miserie Wherefore let vs striue for a practicall skill of this profitable humilitie that by not louing our selues wee may loue our soules best by the greatest emptinesse we may purchase the most true happy fulnesse To this end let vs euer be pricking the tumours of our nature that we die not of a spirituall Timpany Let vs striue to make our selues nothing that hee which made all things of nothing may make some-thing of vs. Let vs willingly walke downe into the Vale of humilitie from whence God calls for all whom hee exalteth vp to his holy Mountaine And for the furtherance of this holy vertue let watchfulnes vndertake as a speciall part of this taske to marke the first swellings of the heart that they may bee abated as soone as lifted vp Let no degree bee allowed to that which so much as it is so much euill so much losse it is so much haue wee offended God and so much haue wee abated his Grace But still let vs be paring and fretting off the proud flesh with meditations of our owne naturall miserie and miserable condition with the asperitie of the exercises of Humiliation with feruent and violent Prayer sent vp to the Giuer of perfect gifts Let vs intreate him that hee will discouer vnto vs our selues himselfe our owne vilenesse his Glory that so wee may rightly glory in Gods true Glorie not like Fooles in our owne shame In our Meditations let vs fasten our eies on the wickednesse of Man the wretchednes deseruedly annexed to it In our wicked corruption let vs first see our owne blindnes and bring our darknesse into the light There shall we see that we see little or nothing yea in the mayne matters of our life such as are our beginning and end whence we come and whither wee goe wee are naturally blind Therefore our life is but a thing at randome without knowing what it doth and wherefore it is And if we haue gotten a little knowledge then let vs behold our filthinesse How doe wee defile our selues in the things which wee know how weake are our resolutions of Pietie Vertue they are like a Mist or the Morning dew blown away and dryed vp with euery blast of Temptation So that they seeme to be set vp only for shewes and to stand no longer then nothing toucheth them But the motions of our concupiscence are strong and continuall The flesh of Man is powerfull vpon the Soule and in Man that opinion is verified that the Earth runs round and the Heauen stands still For there breatheth vp from the defiled bodie euen the Earth of Man a continuall and mightie Venom which by perpetuall motion changeth the aspect and influence of the heauenly Soule as it selfe lifteth But the whiles it fastneth and nayleth the Soule that shee cannot stir about her owne businesse of Immortalitie but shee must wholly fixe and employ her selfe in a carefull studie how to execute fitly the lusts of this beastly dust And if at any time the Soule lothing the filth and mire wherewith shee hath sullied her selfe euen to vglinesse lay downe a plot for repentance euen for the clean washing of her face how soone doth the old dirt of sinne spowt into her visage again so that her businesse in this life if it be a life of penitence seemes to be nothing but a washing of that which is fouled and a fouling of that which was washed and if wee turne our eyes from this filthines vnto the bordering wretchednesse we shall find our selues subiect to a thousand infirmities Miserie Vanitie haue both liuerie and seisin in vs and we are their Tenants for terme of life One trouble calleth to another as the waues of the Sea and miseries like Beacons giue notice one to the other vntill the whole life of man bee set on fire The sound of the old is but newly gon out of our eares but there is a new which presently
haue set their rest on their Creatour and haue made him the end of their being and the meanes to the end euen a God to rule a Sauiour to redeeme and a happinesse to blesse these arise with the Image of God in their fore-heads God seeth his face in the face of their soules their workes also testifie the same for them These are clothed with pure White the Righteousnesse of Christ and the Righteousnesse of the Spirit with the first the Iustice of GOD is satisfied with the last the Mercie of God is pleased and by the last the first is adiudged to them They haue fed clothed and visited Christ in his hungry naked and imprisoned members these workes are the fruits of Loue and Loue is the fruit of Sanctification and Sanctification is an inseparable companion condition and witnesse of Iustification So by the works of Loue they are proued and approued to bee the sonnes of God who is Loue and if sonnes then also heires if heires they shall for euer dwell in the house of Glorie euen in the presence of God Their right to eternall Glory is by inheritance euen by being heires annexed with Christ but their admittance into their right is by the Euidences and Testimonies of the workes of Holinesse For it is a true Rule That none but the pure in heart can see God and againe None can be pure in heart but he must first be new begotten by God euen a sonne and heire of GOD. And now to these is sounded forth that most blessed voice which openeth the doore of eternall Felicitie a voice that consummateth that Supremest Marriage wherein Man is matched to the highest Essence the chiefest Blisse Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you In this Kingdome the ragged and filthy garment of the body of sinne the diseased infirmities of this sinful bodie the tears of oppression yea all griefe is wiped away And in stead of these Man is infinitely purified sublimated and so fitted for the presence of the highest Being In the Puritie of Holinesse hee is pure without blemish washed from guilt by the bloud of the Lambe and from corruption by the holy Ghost yea there is a new Light as a new Eye plāted in the vnderstanding exceedingly quickened and enlarged to a spacious view of Truth and Glorie Likewise new Vertue anoynteth and bedeweth the Will steeping and seasoning it in a Diuine Nature by which it excellently agreeth in harmonie with the will of God and is holy as hee is holy In the puritie of Substance the Soule shall be highly clarified vntill it be capeable of the vppermost and chiefest Light And the body shall bee lifted vp into a proportion with the Soule for the body shall then bee a spirituall Body euen a Body like a Soule euen so pure shall they both bee that they shall admit into themselues the beames of the Fountaine of Light vntill they bee filled with Light and Glorie God will bee their Sunne and hee will shine into them as into Christall and in his Light they shall haue the fulnesse of Light Then shall the Knowledge of Man ascend into Perfection farre aboue these poore pieced and patched knowledges which we call Arts and Sciences Euen the highest Degree of knowledge which in this mistie time of Ignorance Imperfection iustly holdeth the highest degree of Eminence shall then be the bottome and lownes of this new knowledge and then shall it be knowne that this kind of Learning is of vse much like to that of a Lanthorne It may doe vs seruice in this Night of Mans fall and corruption but in the Orient brightnesse of the Kingdome of Glorie the new light by surmounting it shall make it vselesse yea darken and discountenance it For whereas now wee doe but flutter about the branches and extremities of Wisdome then shall we behold Wisdome in the roote The Glorie and Fabrike of the Creature shall be seene in the Originall euen in the Creatour in whom it was first made within before it was made without In him shall wee reade the Resolution of all profitable vnknowntruths and his Wisdome shall bee a most perfect Oracle instructing all glorified and blessed Soules And with this Wisdome shall we also behold an infinite Treasure of Power and Almightinesse The right Hand and holy Arme of the Omnipotent God shall bee reuealed vnto vs and then shall wee wonder at this Power alone and not at the mightie Wonders which this Power hath done for then shal we plainly see that such Power might well worke such Wonders And while wee view and consider this Power the Power of GOD will point vs to the loue of God For so meane a thing as Man may well bee amazed at so infinite Power and Maiestie but that at once with the power there appeares an infinite Loue which tells the Soule that though Power not matched with Loue be a Terror yet tempred with loue it is the very Safetie Rest and Blisse of Soules beloued For as much power as there is in God so much is God able to blesse those whom hee loues and as much loue as there is in GOD so much willing is hee to blesse those whom by his Power hee is so much able to blesse Thus from Gods Wisdome his Power his Loue and his Light issue continuall obiects and spectacles of Ioy. Yet is not this all of that which cannot all be expressed For this whiles there flowes from the Deitie into the Heart of Man a most pleasant streame of the gladding Spirit wherein is the extremest power vertue of reioycing This is the new Wine of the Kingdome of Heauen which makes the Soule drunken with high comforts raptures and extasies which inward comforts meeting and clasping with outward ioyes fill vp a Man with an excesse of Ioy and Happinesse that he shall be euen swallowed vp and ouer-rauished with Ioy. And yet their Happinesse stinteth not for there is an addition of a most delectable and soule-pleasing Harmonie Harmonie is a chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe Pleasure and the Harmonie of the most excellent Essences is the most excellent Harmonie and the most excellent Essences are Spirits and the Harmonie of Spirits is in the Kingdom of glory This Musike of Spirits exceedingly exceedeth the Musike of mortall voices yea that chiefe Musike of hearts which between men is called Friendship and betweene Man Wife is called Marriage-Loue is but a counterfeit resemblance and carries but some small rellishes of that Diuine and Celestiall Harmony For in the Quire of Heauen the Saints and Angels euen the blessed Spirits agree in a perfect Vnison of Truth and Loue. Their vnderstandings think one thing their hearts euen their wils loue themselues and their companions with one loue They delight themselues each in other especially all in God For as there is between themselues a perfect consent so there is also a true agreement between these Spirits and the chiefest Spirit which is the very top of pleasure and delight What perfection can be higher then that of the highest Creatour And how can a Creature bee more perfect then when he is consorted tuned to this highest perfection God speaketh to the hearts of these blessed Soules and the hearts of these blessed Soules thinke and vtter thoughts agreeable to the heart of GOD. God that saw his Workes of Creation that they were good and pleased himselfe in their goodnesse Now beholdeth his worke of Blessing and Glorification and reioyceth in the rest ioy which he hath giuen to his Beloued The glorified Soules behold and admire the Goodnesse and Mercie of God that gaue not only the workes of the six daies but the rest of the Seuenth to rebellious dust and sinful ashes In the infinite Loue of God their loue still steepeth and drowneth it selfe and the more it seeth the Loue of God the more it loues God and the more it loues God the more it is beloued And out of the feeling of this surpassing Loue of God breake out those Songs of Ioy and Voyces of Exultation Glory and Honour and Prayse bee to him that sitteth on the throne to the Lamb for euermore And Halleluiah For the Kingdome of the Lord God Almightie is come And Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue Glorie to God for the Marriage of the Lambe is come his Wife is readie and shee is arayed in pure and shining Silke And yet this felicitie is not all but that it may bee as long as it is large and as infinite in continuance as it is in extent there issues from the Deitie into the glorified Soules the sap and nourishment of an eternall Life The Tree of Life nourisheth eternally the branches of the same Tree Death is swallowed vp into victory and it selfe dyeth by the Word which is Life But the Soules partakers of God from him who is Eternall doe sucke Eternitie and so become that Kingdome whereof there is no end And yet this is not all of that inexpressible Felicitie but the greatest and chiefest is yet left in silence for that must needs be greatest which cannot enter into the heart of Man But let the transcendence of that which is vnknowne be a double spurre vnto vs in this Race of Happinesse one because it is transcendent another because vnknowne Let the Eminence prouoke our Ambitions the Secrecie our Curiosities Let vs desire and striue earnestly to enter into that which now by reason of wonderfull excellence cannot enter into vs. Let vs indeuour carefully to walke in the light of Grace which will bring vs to the full Reuelation of the yet inaccessible light of Glorie where Happinesse shall at once bee fully knowne and fully enioyed In the meane time it may be sufficient for me to discouer That the Soules seated in Beatitude passe their time which shall neuer bee past in the very top of Blisse and Delectation They laugh at sorrowes past and are secure for infinite ioyes to come God is theirs and they are Gods and in this Vnitie is the fulnesse of Felicitie FINIS