and Devils let all now rejoyce now let the Song of Moses be sung again Revel 15.3 Great and merveilous are thy work Lord God almighty just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints Who shall not feare thee give glory to thee and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy and all Nations shall come and worship thee for thy judgements are manifest How glad was Israel when David had slaine and spoiled Goliah O friend this David was a tipe of our David our Christ who hath foyld and slaine all for his Israel Let her therefore be glad and rejoyce in God her Saviour yea let her rejoyce now with Timbrell and Harp let the high praises be had in their mouthes and let them sing aloud his praises who hath now redeemed them from off the earth out of every kindred tongues and nations a people for his praises O Israel created for his praises praise thou the Lord O Jacob formed of God praise thou the Lord O all ye Saints of his praise him day and night O all ye Angels Archangels Cherubims and Seraphims praise ye the Lord for he hath magnified you Seventhly this sitting down in the throne of Christ or Gods glory denotes abiding we bid friends sit down when we would have them abide With us so by this sitting in the throne of Christ it denotes that Christ is willing thou shouldest abide and sit with him for ever I remember Peter having but a glimps of Moses and Elias glory in the mount saith thus to Christ O Master let us build here Tabernacles marke Peters desire was sure to live and die here O precious Christian thou shalt live and never die in this mount Sion where thou shalt see Moses and Elias again yea ten thousand times ten thousand glorious Saints as well as with as many Angels and God and Christ excelling all ten thousand times over and over again now Peter how much better will this be then thy wish to sit down in the glory of this God and throne of Christ One thing saith David I have desired of the Lord That I might dwell all the dayes of my life in thy house to behold the beauty of thy temple this is the wish of every gracious heart as well as Davids but here is more promised far more then this wish namely an abiding not onely in the house of God but a sitting in the glory of God with Christ where thou shalt sit time time out of minde Christ will never bid that soul sit up whom he once sets down in his throne Christ tels his Disciples because I live ye shall live also John 17. As if Christ should have said I cannot live without you and whilst I have a throne I must have your company O christian wert thou to be in heaven a few moments it would be a reward sufficient for all thou didst or ever sufferedst for Christ O happy christian thou shalt sit not onely moments but dayes moneths nay years nay ages yea more then ages as much longer then ages as all ages are longer then one moment one bare moment time shall be no more nor sin be no more nor sorrow shall be no more but thou shalt remain and be for ever with Christ in the throne of Christ O saith Daniel his Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome so may I say his throne is an everlasting throne David saith Though the heavens be changed and rouled up like a scrowle yet thou remainest the same so may I say of this throne O happy christian Princes would thinke themselves happy might they but sit but a few days more then ordinary in their thrones to reign in glory O friends Christ saith He that overcommeth shall sit with me in my throne as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his throne so that thou shalt sit with Christ and reigne as it were within the eternity of Christ O eternity O eternity when I think on thee how is times and worlds swallowed up and lost like little rivers in the ocean how are joyes griefs and sorrowes swallowed up by thee O Eternity like little fishes by the whales here one age passeth and another commeth all mouldering into eternity like flesh to dust here saith Paul we have noe abiding city but we have one to come aluding to what Christ hath promised O that can never be shaken all things here are and must be shaken yea the earth and heavens as Paul speaketh We see it we see it how are all earthly Monarchs shaken now in our dayes O me thinks Christ is now a shaking all powers in the world do not you see it nay do not you see them fall like our ripe fruit truely me thinks I see Christ hewing down Kings and Princes with a voice as loud as thunder crying room room for my selfe and my Gospel O how have these kingdomes been shaking and the mighty men overturned overturned by the voice which is still abroad thundring that the world round about may heare and make room for Christ and his Gospel and all that will embrace it but the heavens must be shaken the heavens that cover this earth and the heavens that covers Gods glory the glory of his free grace in Jesus Christ I mean mans righteousnesse that is now a shaking by the Spirit of the Lord by proclaiming Christ and his righteousuesse to the worst of sinners Men have thought by way of works to find life and salvation neglecting Christ at least in part by resting as it were on two propes Christ and their own works but know this Christ is all and now will be all or nothing at all your former Popish ignorance he winked at but now he wills that all men repent of this sinne self-conceitednesse O! Christ must be all in all but I shall step a little aside the thing I aime at is to tell you what that is that remaines and cannot nor shall ever be shaken by men or devils well heaven and earth must be but these two things cannot be First The righteousnesse of Christ in which he clothes sinners yea the worst of sinners that comes to him and makes them Saints O sinner sinner come to Christ honour him by comming and he will honour thee by giving his righteousnesse unto thee O this righteousnesse is the long white Robe in which all the Saints are clothed Revelations Sinner come and take this Robe come yee may have it come it is free yee may have it come it is free to all yea free to all that will accept it O come then come sinners all sorts of sinners high low rich poore young old bound free but if yee do not come then remember this I say remember this yee shall cry one day to the rocks and mountaines to fall on you and runne to the dennes and caves to hide your naked soules naked for want of Christs righteousness which yee once refused Secondly As the righteousness of Christ cannot be shaken so the throne
overflow with joy which we have in thy presence every moment fresh and greene by seeing of thy face which is the joy of heaven and Saints and Angels too with all that do behold thee as wee thy servants do which once did live in darknesse and saw thee not at all but in the shadowey creature which hinted something to us but short of what we see or ever did imagine O saith Paul Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor ever hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath laid up for them that love him this made us think it was wonderfull but now we find it so yea wonderfull indeed beyond all wonders too which Saints and Angels shall ever finde And now in admiration of this wonder we all as one cry out Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Almighty in thy glory Almighty in thy loves and also for delights to us thy poore creatures now swallowed up by pleasures in the beholding of thee O sea of endlesse sweetnesse and sun of all delights and fountaine too of glory what shall we say more of thee thou art the heaven of heavens and glory too of Saints who now will sing thy praise and ever thee admire for all thy beauty sweetnesse and endlesse life and glory which Song shall all joine in and make the heavens ring for ever in thy presence But Lord I do thy glory darken to speak such low things of it one star cannot the heavens show nor thousand suns thy glory much lesse a poor worme hint out those seas of sweetnes which lies hid in thy presence till thou shalt show thy face to wormes dust and ashes created for thy praise But let me winde up all in two words one to the carelesse sinner and another to the Saint who is the man to whom this promise is of seeing his face but what shall I say to thee O happy Christian that servest God more then is said in these words they shall see my face Which doth imply his glory love sweetnesse reward and pleasure which he takes in you This promise is sure enough indeed to beare up thy Spirit against all frownes jeares and scornes that thou maist meet with in the service of this God I say this promise sure is enough to encourage thee And therefore O precious Christian beare up bear up and be not wearie of well doing for in due time thou shalt have thy reward if thou faintest not which is to see his face What will men do for the favour of a prince and yet his favour is but a changeable thing but the favour and loving kindnesse of God abideth for ever it is a favour from everlasting abiding to everlasting running out in divers springs election creation justification and glorification in the highest heavens with Saints and Angels for ever more which is thy crowne reward and wages for all thy work for God and Christ What wilt thou now sit still or wilt thou give over running as one that 's weary and sit thee down with men and sinners in creature vanities which are a lie and doth deceive all expectations and ever will But why should I be jealous of thee O precious Christian sure thou canst not think of seeing his face glory love and sweetnesse but thy resolutions are doubled in thee to beleeve that God will so abundantly reward thee for all thou ever didst or sufferedst for his sake or Name But I shall close up all with one word to the carelesse sinner for whom my soul doth even weep to thinke upon that day when hee shall be banished from the face of this God in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for ever more as David speaks in his Psalmes But in his absence is misery upon misery O said Absalom once Let me see my fathers face though he kill me 2. Sam. 14.32 with what a longing was here now in Absalom to see Davids face who heretofore rebelliously sought his life Well know this O rebellious sinner time will come that thou shalt weep yea bitterly weep as once Esau did for Jacobs blessing so thou for a glimpse of this face glory love and sweetnesse of God yea thou shalt weep and say as Absalom let me see thy face O God though thou kill me and damne mee too But will this prevail no it will not damned thou shalt be but never see his face It is said the wicked shall not see God no nor never shall to their comfort O said Christ once to the Jewes Ye shall seek me but shall not find me for whither I goe ye cannot come Iohn 7.34 God will one day say the same to everie proud rebellious sinner ye shall seek me but shall not find me no though you seek me with bitter teares yet it will be all in vain you may weep like Esau but not prevail though seas and seas again to that be shed with sense of miserie and bitter cries for sight yea one glimmering sight of my face and glorie love and sweetnesse it will be vain yea all in vain You might once but must not see it now no nor cannot for sighs and sobs with teares and cries and then thy soul with heavy heart will mourning say O my unhappie soul what wilt thou now do God will not be seen but is wrapped up in displeasure for ever if this Sunne should do the like how would man and beast mourn though but for a mouth and prize him too when it againe should shine but O my poore soul from thee is hid this Sunne yea this Sunnes Sunne and glorie Angels are this Sunnes Sunne and God the Sunne and glorie too of Angels but what is this to me seeing he hath wrapt himself in displeasure and me in darknesss by hiding of his face Which when David once had a conceit of mark what bitter groanes and sad complaints doth his dolourous soul then make O saith he restore me to the light of thy countenance that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice Mark this good mans expressions at the conceit of the losse of Gods favour O restore it saith he that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce O friend what a sense was here in David of a losse that he should in the sense of it think all his bones were broken Who knows the pain of one broken bone much less of all his bones at once well if thou shouldest know all thy bones broken yea and broken over again is lesse painfull then the losse of this love and favour which is seen in the face of God though carelesse sinners little mind it for the present but when the sense of it shall break in upon thy spirit like mighty seas how wilt thou be drownd for ever hoping or expecting it again O this loss must needs break thy bones yea heart and soul too over and over again The child mourns for his fathers absence but more when he hides his face and so the wife
downe with Christ in the throne of Christ It is said John leaned on the bosome of Christ O loving John O loving Christ to give such priviledge to a bold but loving sweet and humble sinner John John how couldest thou be so bold with Christ thy Lord and Master John t was love within that bosome that drawed thee there to rest and loll as in a lap it was love that drawed thee it was loue that laid thee in that same bosome but yet I say thy privilege far excels in sitting down with Christ in the throne of Christ Christ was in the form of a servant now Lord of all things Christ was then I say on earth with a mean out-side round about him but now surrounded with Angels with his title on his thigh King of kings Lord of lords Christ was then in rags but now cloathed with suns and stars Christ was then God-man unglorified but now glorified of God with that eternall glory of God which Christ had before the world was as Christ speaks John 17. O friends this glory like glistering diamonds sparkles round the heavens dazeling Saints and Angels Well friend is not thy privilidge farre above Johns to sit down with this Christ in his throne and glory side by side as I may so say Fifthly this sitting downe in the throne of Christ and the glory of God denotes honour what an honour is it for a beggar to sit at a Kings table you will say that is a great honour indeed but what is that to thine O gentle sinner to sit with God and Christ in glory Seemes it a small thing saith David to be a Kings son in law O but ye are the King of kings sons and daughters ye are the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21 9. Come saith the Angel I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife nothing draws the eyes of the people to gaze more then the sight of the Bride and the Bridegroom Was the queen of Sheba so taken with Solomons glory that she cried out O happy are these that tend thee O Solomon Angels and Archangels will be taken with thy glory when this marriage shall be solemnized before the Father It was a question once What shall be done to the man whom the King will honour and delight in But I ask what shall be done to the man whom the King of kings delighteth to honour first he shall be arayed in pure white linnen which is the rigteousnesse of the Saints as in Revel He shall be cloathed with the Sun and trample the Moon under his feet I know the Saints shining forth in Christ are able in some measure to trample these changeable things by living farre above them in an unchangeable God by the Spirit of Christ living in them but so far as they are flesh they are apt to mixe themselves with these things below not knowing their majesty nor glory forgetting their descent but time is a comming that they shall know God know as they are known they shall know God with all his attributes and glory yea they shall know themselves with the glory designed for them Christ sayes John 17. The glory thou hast given me I have given them that we may be one O Father One part of Christs glory is this that the Father hath appointed the Son to judge the world and in this respect Christ will honour his Saints know ye not saith Paul that the saints shall judge Angels and men here they look like poor shrimps as they are cloathed with rags and flesh but when Christ shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory as the Apostle John speaketh O this appearance shall confound the world as soon as Christ hath confounded the world with his own and his Saints glorious appearing to the world then shall he sit downe in glory to rest himselfe as it were satisfied in the finishments of all his works and the Saints shall sit down by Christ as well pleased with Christ and all his works what an honour is this Well this honour all his Saints shall have Thy name O Lord it above the heavens saith David and as his name so his Saints too in seating them above Angels as taken into union with Christ and set down in the Throne of Christ What joy feasting musick is there at your Princes marriage dayes when solemnized O but when the Bridegroome and his Spouse the Bride the Lambs Wife shall sit down to solemnize that eternall match made up in the everlasting purpose and counsell of God the Father long before all worlds or the Foundations of them O what songs then what joy what praises shall Angels sing with lightsome hearts Yea I say Angels and this too shall they count their heaven and happinesse O thou melancholy Saint tossed with afflictions what thinkst thou of this day tell me tell me true sure thou dost not mind this if thou didst thou couldst never complain of wants losses if thou didst mind this day indeed this endlesse day when heaven shall ring with shouts and praises unto the Lord and unto the Lambe by Saints and Angels as with one voice Doth a little Instrument sweetly touchd take and charme the eare and Siren-like kill all other delights at least for present O how shall thy soul be taken yea taken and charmed to heare the Songs of praises unto the Lord unto the Lambe in that same day unto the Lord O that must needs have a sweet melodie in it which must touch and take that eare which made that eare by which weheare If all the skilfullest Musitions in the world should meet with every one the sweetest Instruments that could be thought on with all Solomons Singers yea and ten thousand more to them I say if all these should meet to try their skill and straine their voyces yet would the Songs the Praises of one bare Saint or Angel as farre excell them all for sweetnesse as they excell the Asses braying and if so what sweetnesse will there be when ten thousand times ten chousands of Saints with as many Angels shall all joyne as with one voice to sing their praises unto the Lamb O Christ how blessed is that soule whom thou wilt to sit in thy Throne to hear these Songs to heare these praises Sixtly This sitting down in the Throne of Christ and the Glory of God denotes joy and triumph It is said at Christs birth Angels and innumerable company of Angels was heard to sing and rejoyce Luke 2.13 Glory to God on high peace and good will to men on Earth Shall not this Song be sung again at that day when Christs marriage shall be solemnized a match of the Fathers own making Surely yea and the twenty four Elders shall sing worship God for ever Revel 18.20 O Heavens doe yee rejoyce and all yee holy Apostles and Prophets too At Israels victory it s said Deborah and Barak sung praises but for Christs victory and his Saints over Worlds Men Sinne Death
in one a Saint in Christ a Christ in God and thus a Saint a Christ and God is one as Christ saith Iohn 17.21.23 Father I will that they in me and I in thee may be one O glorious union A Saint in Christ a Christ in God here is Unitie in Trinity and Trinitie in Unitie O earth earth how art thou joynd to heaven and by hearing the word of God I mean his Christ And now Adam Adam made of dust where art thou now man in the garden of God or in God himself O happy change O happy man O happy fall from God to Eden and then to earth and thence raised up to God againe O mortality how art thou swallowed up by immortality no changes now no more can be me thinks I see thee O yesterday-creature sitting with the Aneient of dayes like youg Samuel with old Eli. Me thinks I heare thee now as once the Angel swearing time shall be no more as in the Revelations nor sin nor sorrow nor pain nor labour and now thou maist truely say what Babylon the great did Revel I sit as a queen and shall see no sorrow yea I am a Queen and a Queen of queenes for my husband is Christ the King of kings and now come and worship me fall down at the soles of my feet call me Sion the holy One of Israel my husband saith ye shall Isaiah 60 14. For I must now be an eternall glory and a joy from generation to generation Isaiah 60.15 19.20 A joy to my Father a joy to my husband a joy to the heavens a joy to the Angels and all that therein is First a joy to my Father as a Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride so will I rejoyce over my people as in Isaiah Secondly a joy to my husband Father I will that they may be with me that my joy may be in them This Christ prays and he being answered in all his prayers saith Father I thank thee for that thou alwayes hearest mee And now come away my love my dove winter is past stormes are over singing of birds and the spring is come Cant. Let mee see thee let me see thy face for thou hast been absent but now I have thee I will never leave thee nor forsake thee come along with me my love from Lebon Cant. 48 Come along with me my deare wee 'l to my fathers wine-seller and I will banner thee over with love O my Spouse thou art fair thou art faire Cant. 6.3 O I will kisse thee I will embrace thee and carry thee to my fathers house I will marrie thee there And now ye Angels and all the host of heaven O ye innumerable companie come and sing come and sing Hallelujah Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth lot us be glad and rejoyce and give glory to him for the marriage of the Lambe Revel 19 v. 6 7. is come and his wife hath made her selfe ready she shall be ara yed like a Princesse in pure white linnen which is the rignteousnesse of Saints blessed are all they that come to the Supper of the Lambe Break forth in singing O heavens doe ye begin ye holy Apostles and Prophets doe ye follow next Rev. 18.20 and also Rev. 19.1 and come ye innumer able comprny of heavenly hosts Sing yee sing ye what shall ye sing Glory honour unto the Lord and unto the Lambe And come ye foure and twenty Elders down with your crowns and come worship God and sing Allelujah Allelujah Rev 19.4 Moses where art thou come away come away and sing thy song to Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty O thou King of Saints who would not feare thee O thou Just and true Just and true are thy wayes thou hast avenged the blood of thy Saints who would not feare thee and glorifie thy Name for thou art onely holy and all nations shall worship thee Rev. 15.3 4. O ye that brought the newes at first come ye that brought the newes of this match sing ye your song again glory to God on high peace and good will to men as in Luke 2.13 14. but let the burden of your song be the burden of all your songs Free grace free grace Thirdly whereas God saith ye shall see my face it doth imply God will one day discover himselfe in a familiar way vnto his Saints It was nothing but sinne that made a strangenesse between God and man for before man had sinned there was no strangenesse between God and man but since sinne came there hath been a strangenesse all along but before there was none for when God made man first he was not at all afraid of God for God before sinne came took our father Adam and led him by the hand as it were and put him into the garden of Eden as a father would his son into a vineyard Gen. 2.15 So God led or put Adam into the garden of Eden and bids him eat of all the fruit of the garden onely the tree of good and evill excepted and then Adam goes to naming of the creatures of God Gen. 2.20 O here was no feare at all in Adam yet for he goes and sets names on all the creatures which God had made just like a child naming his fathers works but assoon as Adam had sinned he is filled with fear and timerousnesse and hearing then the voice of God in the gatden he runnes and hides himselfe from God and is afraid of God witnesse his running from God to hide himself from God Just so have all the sons of Adam done all along to this day so that though God would be familiar with them yet they cannot be so with him there is sinne got into the flesh and to that God is a consuming fire of holinesse so that now God must speak in a secondary way by an Angel or by a messenger and that too they are afraid of as the shepherds were of the Angel that bids them feare not saying I am come to bring glad tidings of great joy to all nations for unto you a Saviour is this day born and ye shall call his name Jesus for hee shall save his people from their sinnes Luke 2.9 10. And now God being clothed in flesh man he drawes neer to God which before cryed out in every discovery like Isaiah 6.5 I am undone I have seen the Lord but God being not willing that man should be strange to him or he to man sends his owne Sonne unto us to tell us he is not at all angry with us nor will at once harme us but rather faine would have us to be as at first his familial creatures yea more to be his sons and daughters and to come live againe in his paradice nay more to live in himselfe and with himselfe and this is clear by his comming down to live with us nay in us by his Son And this is the way by which God will again discover himselfe and show his face his pleasant face in a
doe you doe quoth he yee doe not to any purpose witnesse your whining pining sithing and continually sorrowing after a husband a wise a childe And how doth another complaine for losse of trading O my poverty comes on me like an armed man mistake me not I know christians have bowels of compassion more then any and may moderately complaine for friends and want but should they should they greive as men unhappy without hope of ever enjoying of that they they have lost No no they should not my Husband is dead but my Christ is alive and lives for ever my Wife is dead yet am I the Spouse of Christ and because he lives I shall live John 17. I have lost my Childe but yet am I the Child of God the Son of God Heires joynt-Heires with Christ my estate is spent and because of that the world will not smile friends look strange because of poverty I was wont but now cānot see their faces in my distresse well what of that art thou troubled at this O happy christian God hath promised that thou shalt see his And they shall see my face saith God Rev. 22.4 the words I first named what is that thou calst thy face O my God what is it this my glory man O Lord how wonderfull is that Heaven and earth is full of thy Glory Psal 8.9 all the glories of this world are but shadowes of thy glory yea all the glory of Heaven Angels and arch-Angels Cherubims and Seraphims are but the reflecting shadowes of thy glory thy uncreated glory thy increated glory O my God when Moses begged to see this thou wouldst not alas poore soule he could not No man can see my glory and live but time is a comming when they shall see my glory my naked glory and live yea live by seeing and see by living by living in it by living to it in singing praises alwayes before it and then O happy Christian shalt thou forget all former things all former sorrows all former feares all former griefs O how then will these things passe away and be forgot as if they had never been I remember Peter having but a glimpse of Moses and Elias glory in the mount desired then to live and to die in that mount but thou O precious Christian shalt live and never dye in this mount mount Sion heavenly Jerusalem where thou shalt see Moses yea a thousand Moses and ten thousand times ten thousand glorious Saints as well as he with as many Angels with God and Christ excelling all ten thousand times over and over againe O but when will that day come that I a poore Gentile sinner shall see this glory Heavens Saints and Angels excelling glory will it come doe thou say it will come and it will make amends for all it is now a comming Paul saith We see now but darkly as in a glasse we shall see him then naked as he is Christ tels thee friend in John 17 22. And the glory that thou hast given me I have given them that they may be one O Father as we are one Here thou seest that Christ prayes for this day and yet thou as kest shall this day ever come O friend know this that what ever Christ prayes for he wils and what he wils shall come to passe as in John 17.24 Father I will that all these thou hast given me may be with me even where I am to behold my glory Christs glory is Gods glory and Gods glory is Christs glory and this wils Christ that yee may see O said the Queene of Sheba once to Solomon Happy are those that tend thee and see thy glory Thrice happy yea ten thousand times thrice happy are they O Christ whom thou wilt shalt see thy glory in thy Kingdome in thy Throne O my Christ it is said that the Kings and the Captaines too shall hide themselves in their dens and among the rocks and mountaines crying to the rocks and calling to the mountaines to fall on them from thy glory and thy presence Revel 6.15 And this I will saith Christ to confound mine enemies which will not that I should reign over them or in them had they hearkened to mee or accepted of mee my righteousnesse when time was they should not have need to be ashamed of their nakednesse or call and cry to the hils to cover their poor soules but this is just seeing they did when time was reject me this in one day shall come on them but when these things shall come on them like travels on a woman ye shall lift up your heads with boldnesse because my glory and yours too drawes neer O frinds no marveile that wicked men shall runne to the caves and dens and rocks to hide themselves in for the Saints shall in that day shine as so many sunnes and Christ as a sunne to all O glorious day O day of dayes that is now a comming this is that day that the righteous shall shine in the kingdome of their Father Matth. 13.43 Then when they see the face of God and Christ and this is nothing but the reflects of Gods glory beaming out on the Saints in the beholding of his face but yet this glory is not all that is implied when God saith Ye shall see my face For it implies as well as his glory his love and delight which you know are most apparant in the face for you judge of mens love and affections by the face and countenance so that to see this face is to see his love and delight in you and on you Delight ariseth out of love and flowes from love as affections from relations But of this love and delight what shall I say and first for this love this pure love flowing from the fountaine of love yea divien love Secondly it is sweet love yea sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe Thirdly it is strong love and long love first it is strong love for it so bindes the Saint yea so strongly binds him by its discoveries to him that as with coards his soul is drawn to love and bound and cannot but love yea love still more and more this is that love that is stronger then death yea then death that kills all things but cannot this love nor never shall O death I will be thy death saith Christ so saith love I am and still will be but thou like fading time shall be no more The Angel swore that time should be no more Revel 10. v. 6. But for love Christ wills that it shall be for ever Iohn 17. v. 23. let the world know saith Christ to the Father that thou hast loved them as thou lovedst me O when God shall cease to love his Christ then Christ shall cease to love his Saints O friend God cannot but love his Son nor he but love his Father nor both but love the Saints and they that be wrapt thus up in love must needs and cannot but love againe and thus this love binds up
friends death hath no Commission but from him the Lord that gives and takes and blessed be his name yea blessed I say be his holy name for what he hath now taken from me he first did give unto me Why should I not then praise his name Oh that I could and you my friends for all he gives and all he takes And that we may know first it is your duty yea I say is your duty and all theirs that truly feare God to submit with patience to his will and blesse his name for all his dispensations the which I will prove by some examples I could give you many instances as first that of old Eli concerning his Sonnes which you may read in Samuel the first Book Chap. 3. vers 18. O with what a sweet spirit doth he receive that sad message concerning his sons It is the Lord let him doe with me what he please O sweet and soure A sad message is told good old Eli concerning his sons yea a very sad one at which the eares of men should tingle But yet saith Eli unto Samuel It is the Lord and let him doe what seemes him good A second instance is that of David 2 Sam. Chap. 15. vers 26. Who was faine to fly with the Ark of God and his servants for his life from his habitation by reason of Absolom's unnaturall and deceitfull Rebellion Well many weep for this good mans danger and affliction and so doth he for he goes from Ierusalem with his head covered and his eyes weeping but yet sweetly thus saying If he have any pleasure in me he will bring me back againe otherwise loe here I am let him doe with me what he please O what a sweet and Saint-like Spirit was here in David Let him doe what he please loe here am I to submit A third instance is that of Paul who makes this his desire To glorifie Christ in his body But whether it be by life or death Paul cares not so Christ be glorified I could instance above all in Christ the patterne of all who sweetly sayes thus in the Garden Not my will but thine be done But I shall only mention in Iob whose sweet submission to God in his great afflictions I little minded till within these few dayes I don't remember scarse when I read one of Iobs Chapters O how many sad messages was brought to him not in one week after another like mine but in one day did his sad messengers come tumbling in with heavy messages concerning his sheep oxen servants sons and daughters well saith Iob The Lord gives and takes and blessed be his name What fuller submission could there be in a gracious heart then here is in these words But let me give you three or foure reasons why a gracious heart should sweetly submit to Gods will and the first reason shall be this the Holinesse of his will a Saint sees in the will of God a holinesse and therefore let things goe how they will yet thou remainest holy O thou that inhabitest Eternity Paul sayes he workes all things according to the counsell of his owne will surely that must needs be holy that is wrought according to the will and counsell of a holy God A second reason why a gracious heart should sweetly submit to the will of God is the Soveraignity of Gods will above the creature he doth what ever he will and all what ever he will and therefore saith Paul who hath resisted his will Shall the potsheard strive with the Potter or the creature with the Creator No nor the servant with his Master neither much lesse a gratious heart with his God and Maker Teach me to doe thy will O God saith David and every gracious heart too It is our prayer to say Thy will be done and it would be our perfection to submit A third reason why a gracious heart should submit to Gods will is the goodnesse of Gods will the will of God is good in all his working to his people So saith Paul all things worke together for the best to them that feare God Yea those vvorkings of Gods vvill vvhich most crosse nature doth he see a goodnes in O that I had more ability to see this to but however a gracious heart sees a goodnes in conclusion vvhich he doth acknovvledge in the will of God It was good for me saith David that I was afflicted for before I went astray And truly affliction doth often cause a Saint to looke to his wayes which he is too apt in prosperity to be mindlesse of Let us search and try our wayes saith the Church in afflictions and so saith a gracious heart in every smart affliction O how good is that will of God that wils thy affliction for so good an end And thus you see three reasons why a gracious heart should sweetly submit to Gods Will because of its Holinesse its Soveraignity and Goodnesse One word or two more and then I hvae done First then labour with your owne hearts to submit to Gods Will for in every submission yee serve some glorious designe of God and for this reasons sake labour quietly to submit O that my soule did know well his designe and reason why hee hath dealt so with me as hee hath in a way of affliction my afflictions are yet like the black side of a cloud O that I could see the bright side the glory of God which every strong Christian sees and by seeing quietly submit 2ly Let us labour to submit our wils to Gods for conformities sake and here let vveake Christians take the example of strong and they the example of Christ Who for the Glory that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame Thirdly let us submit our vvills to God for it is the surest vvay and the safest First it is the surest if you vvould not offend God for if ye storme yee sinne and offend God vvhich a gracious heart should be carefull of Secondly it is the safest vvay the sturdy oakes resist the vvinde and are split but the gentle reed by yeelding stands Doth God take a child yeeld Doth he take another yeeld Doth he take all yeeld Doth he take a Wife a Husband yeeld If thou dost not he can take thy soule and throvv it into apprehensions of his vvrath vvhich vvill make thee roare as if thy bones vvere broken yea all thy bones but especially yeeld to God for he cannot onely take all thy comforts from thee but thy very soul and throw it into hell too O my friends let us yeeld to God for there is safety in it I have heard some ministers say of Augustine Lord saith he cut me hack me kill me so thou save my soul he hath delt so by my wife she hath had cutting afflictions two or three days travelling by a child as with Samuel which some of you my friends well know and as many by his losse his losse and the rest must needs be cutting well thus