in the eyes of many great and small as ever was Moses in the eye of Corah and his company for discharging his conscience This spirit became very spreading then and so strong that God was faine to make Israels misery long till he had cut off all that were unworthy of that which Moses and Aaron laboured to bring them to so may this spirit make our sufferings long so long till God hath cut off al these proud jostling spirits which are altogether unworthy of those great mercies which our honest-hearted Parliament painefully labours to bring us to A third thing that makes our troubles have a long visage in my eye is this That the one thing necessary to publique welfare is not preferred and prosecuted as such a thing that is according to its dignity and our duty The maine thing I conceive to our publique wel-fare is to perfect our reformation of Religion to raise up and finish that building the foundation whereof our Fathers bravely laid in their owne bloud Israel suffer'd much and suffer'd long a consumption followed them till it had brought them almost to nothing because they grew slack about the maine and preferr'd their owne houses the seiling and finishing of them before Gods House At first when they came togegether to Jerusalem they were hot upon Gods House but being diverted by troubles they grew cold and involved their spirits in their owne affaires which cost them deare and brought them into a deepe consumption I am affraid this is our case Our Parliament at first comming together seem'd very hot about Church affaires though not so hot then as I could have wish't God had his Committee amongst many other of our owne I meane a Committee about scandalous Ministers and matters wherein God is most immediately concerned this Committee was of life and heat a time and the dread and Majesty of that great Court hereby great many troubles came in and this Committee laid downe and other things relateing to this stay'd off by meanes of which the Majesty of that honourable House is much weakened because God much neglected I am affraide this will bring us into a deepe consumption and make Englands sufferings long because wee make God suffer so long all the Kingdome over by blinde worship and blind Ministers who are now the activest Engines against us A fourth thing which makes our troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this God hath suffered our troubles to grow beyond our Tiller as the Archers terme is our bow is made too strong for us to bend this makes long worke to bee ready If an unruly child creep up under the lenity of Parents to become an unruly boy one in bodily strength suiteable to his spirit before taken downe this speakes long suffering to such parents this is Englands case Our wicked children are growne up under the wing and lenity of the Parliament to virility to mans estate to externall strength suiteable to their internall temper this I am affraid speakes long suffering to thee O poore England Justice doth not looke as if shee would lay down her rod presently when shee is gathering more and more twigs A few malignants are become many many without Armes many in Armes our locusts goe forth by troopes Justice doth not use to make a rod of so many and so great twigs for a little worke strong twigs and rods are gather'd to last for long work A fift thing that makes Englands troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this A heavy spirit seemes to be fallen upon us Make their eares heavy saith God their Eares that is their hearts I am affraid that plague is heavily fallen upon us Heavy jades are shap'd to much beating a little will not make them goe Men come up to their light like a beare to the stake how heavy hath our motion beene to blast the Common Prayer Booke by publique vote how heavily brought on to judge it an agreement how heavily brought on to clip the power of Bishops how heavily brought on to vote them quite downe although such as had voted and almost acted downe God and all good in the Land how much farther hath many Parliament men gone in matters of Gods worship then droven I keepe honour in my breast towards them who have done throughout truely honorably For the execution of thorough Justice are they not now by the sword droven and will they goe now My heart bleeds to consider this what a heavy spirit is upon us in the prosecution of that worke which God hath thrust us upon Our eyes are halfe open as heavy-headed mens eyes are to see our advantages and our handes in our bosom like heavy sluggards when wee should take and prosecute advantages which God wonderfully gives us A heavy spirit speakes heavy misery suffering much and suffering long a heavy spirit makes heavy misery necessary such a temper otherwise will never go so far in good as it should The last thing which makes our sufferings looke with a long visage in my eye is this suffering doth not soften our fire doth not melt but harden and make brawny the heart of the most The weekly newes of our bleeding is become as the weekly bill of the plague read over and throwne a side Many bodies kill'd how many soules more alive then were What heart goes in secret and bleeds in his brethrens wounds Many kill'd many more worse then kil'd maim'd spoil'd turn'd out of all and likely to starue to death goe weeping wailing and wringing their hands up and down the Country yea up and downe here and doe fully looke some of you in the face and yet I see no signe of all this in your faces Their tone is dolefull doe wee eccho to them The spoiled mourne to the saved doe we weepe with them that weep doe we beare their burden as our own Let every mans conscience speake and acquit him if it can Doth not this saddly speak more suffering because no man will suffer till Justice bring suffering to his own doore No man will be afflicted till it come to his owne turne no man will afflict himselfe all is put upon God he must doe it man by man many will not be afflicted in few this will be long worke I can sadly tell you of hearts more brawny then these hearts that would not have spoiling cease because it inricheth them no not killing cease because 't is their gainfull trade that see bloud and desolation dayly and yet have no bowells but feare this wil end too soon that cut out their worke to last this is not the spirit of a Souldier but the spirit of a Butcher that lives by killing as his Trades and pockets up the prize of bloud and misery with joy This a Souldier a Judas a Wolfe that growes fat upon the carkasses of the slaine Men that strive after places to kill bodies for gaine Ah Lord who hath kill'd such soules This is the spirit of a Souldier
you and fetch you from the ends of the Earth to judgement and to your place Glorious power can put you into darkenesse into utter darkenesse into blacknesse and darkenesse as Jude speakes into exquisite darkenesse and yet where you shall see exquisitely to wit spirits which here you cannot do damned spirits spirits burnt black with everlasting burning spirits flaming spirits spirits all a fire burned and burning sucking in and breathing forth in one anothers face nothing but fire unquenchable fire Glorious power can put you into darkenesse yea under darkenesse they are reserved under darkenesse saith Jude Glorious power can bundle up you and bundle up darknesse and put one bundle upon another and put you under-most under all the waight of Hell Christ can put all the waight of hell upon one cursed spirit Glorious power can cast you into the bottome of the bottomelesse pit and chaine you there with everlasting chaines reserved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse unto the judgement of of the great day saith Jude These things sinners have I spoken that you may dread glorious power seeing you will not love it and seeke out to be saved by it A fourth principle which springs out of this point and which concerneth us all is That our condition is very advanceable Power workes gloriously you may live very neare Heaven as well as very far of if you will you may see the holy Land you may eat clusters of the fruit of the Country above As you order things you may live in Heaven or Hell here Christians I have a high question to aske you how neare Heaven do you live doe you see it do you feele it did you ever have you any bunches of the fruit of the holy Land The spirit of God is in you but is the spirit of glory and of God in you you have grace but have you grace and peace you may have grace and peace but are these multiplied as the Apostle speaks to a glorious height doth a glorious spirit and power dwell and worke in you my Dove which art in the cleft of the Rockes saith Christ let mee see thy countenance and heare thy voyce c. So say I to you Christians which are in desolate conditions mourning amongst Rocks and hard-ships like doves let me see your countenance let mee heare your voice what is your peace your joy your love your hope all these are the rays and beams of a glorious power I have none says one I never had says another I doubt whether ever I shall says an other this last I like worst for surely hee is furthest off from the blessing of glorious power There be but two things that I know which hinder power from working gloriously glorifyingly in the soule and they are sinne loved and unbeliefe I will insist upon these a little because I would have those that mourne comforted all that belong to Heaven in Heaven From sinne no man can cease but cease love to sinne if yee would have a Heaven upon earth a glorious power and presence of GOD in you Render your spirits free to God let them not be insnar'd with any lust such intanglement spoiles your glory kills a glorious working spirit and power in you Set wide open your hearts those everlasting-doores to the King of Glory and onely to the King of Glory and the King of Glory in much glory wil come in a glorious Throne will hee erect in your soules Pure hearts see the Face of God impure onely the black back-parts of GOD. Blessed are the pure in heart they see GOD. The heart is pure as love is pure love is pure as it goes all to Christ to him that is all pure As love goes all to Christ so it turnes all into Heaven in the heart into glorious presence All our worke should be to be disingaging out hearts still from all here Heaven comes into the heart as earth goes out the heart sees God as it purifyes it selfe Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Purity makes capacity of Heaven a cleane heart is Christs most intimate companion hee spreades open his Glory in this Bosome The holy'st men have alwayes had the most glorious visions as Daniel and Iob. God chuses his place to make Heaven he makes Heaven above in Jerusalem that is above in soules that are above above the vanities of this World in love and desire he makes a Heaven Moses is led up to a mount to see Canaan Christ upon a mount had his glorious transfiguration he had his Heaven upon a mount Love must mount above all these low things ere the soule can see Heaven enjoy glorious presence You cannot lie-along upon earth and see the Heaven of Heavens you may lie along upon earth and see earthly Heavens that must passe away Sinne loved and the soule chuses his Heaven here no man shall have two Heavens two Heavens that differ specie Power will not work gloriously in that heart that works filthily A man may see hell in his sinne but shall never see Heaven It falles out unhapily still with man when hee goes about to make a heaven here when hee sets love at worke to take her fortune to make her glory and felicity here below as shee can this checkes the working of a glorious power in any heart and sets it a working another way to whip the man with vexation of spirit for seeking Heaven in Earth in glorious vanities So far as the heart is unmortifyed 't is not simple with God simplicity is an absolute requisite to make capacity of a glorious working power in the soule God descended like a Dove upon a Dove sweetely and gloriously upon him in whose mouth was no guile A heart and a heart has none of Gods heart God never proclaimes himselfe well-pleased in that heart which makes not him his pleasure Divine Power workes not gloriously where the heart works basely An hypocrite has least of Heaven of any man and most of hell As men draw neere to God so they see him neere to him in quality and neer to him in duty We see heaven best upon our knees As wee glorify God so hee glorifyes us When we open our mouths wide hee gives us great things filling things when we beg for flaggons we are stay'd with them At the throne of grace we finde grace grace in glory heaven at Gods feet when most in his presence most in Heaven A man must goe to heaven to finde heaven a man must live in heaven to have heaven live in him Much going to heaven brings heaven at last downe along with one Things doe worke best in their owne element power works most gloriously in heaven the neerer the heart comes to heaven in simplicity in purity in pure qualities and habits in pure acts and exercise the more glorious doth power woâ—ke in the soule still Unbeliefe is another hinderance of a glorious working power Said I not if yee would believe yee should see
becomes patient A proud heart resists and is resisted this is duro durum flint to flint fire to fire man hot and God hot no patience nor quiet in this soule nor can be High things made low rough plaine a proud heart humble then followes patience Patience has a humble meeke mother as any holy child in the soule therefore is meeknes in a promiscuous way of speaking put for patience whereas it is indeed the mother of patience according to that expression patient abiding of the meeke c. A meek heart makes patient abiding the will of God The will subdued the heart humble and the man will stay Gods leisure for any thing Patience presupposes faith knowing that the triall of your faith worketh patience saith the Apostle Patience 't is a Dove fleeing to and againe in a deluge and then resting the sole of her foote in the Arke t is a spirit toss'd and tumbled within it selfe and then rests in Christ by faith waiting what he will say and doe therefore t is said that tribulation workes patience because tribulation when strong worketh the soule off from all things here and puts a man upon the exercise of faith in Christ for relief and so sets the soule to expect and waite for good from God when it can finde none any where else Before tribulation comes a man usually does not exercise faith because he hath where withall within his owne reach to beare up himselfe and so thinkes he is patient when indeed he is not but one calme in a calme whereas patience properly is one calme in a storme a heart quiet waiting and expecting good when it can feele nothing but evill nor see nothing but a naked Word of God Patience presupposes faith and hope too therefore is patience called patience of hope 't is the result in the heart of the exercise of both these t is the blessing of faith and hope 't is the rest quiet expectation which the acting of these graces raise whereby the soule is as if it had all it wants As the soule in extremity stayes it selfe upon truth so 't is believing as it expects accomplishment of truth so it rises to hope as it waits for what it expects so it rises higher and this act of the soule is properly called patience The soule at this height is miserable as if not miserable as he useth the phrase about marriage married as if not married possessing as if not possessing This soule doth not possesse and yet is as if he did possesse he hath little and yet is as if he had all Patience presupposeth love charity suffereth long saith the Apostle it indures all things love represents every thing to view lovely all that God doth and all that man doth things thus represented the heart cannot swell nor sowre it selfe with its own thoughts love renders every person and every thing fragrant the veriest dunghill fragrant when every thing smells sweete to the soule the soule keepes it selfe sweete love thinketh no evill thinking evill â—akes evill passion as the soule is possessed of things so it workes within it selfe as the heart workes within it selfe so it makes passion still good or bad Vse I have shewed you what patience is and of what honorable house it comes I will now make some use of all I have as you see opened unto you a grace of graces and in a time of times a time wherein it was never more needed since we knew time Christ is takeing away our deere Earthly enjoyments servant from Master child from parents husband from wife soule from body he is setting every relation a bleeding one in the bosom of another this calles loud for patience God seems to be dealing with England as with Job yea with every good man in England as with Iob he seemes to be as one resolved to try us all to the quick in Country and City to bring us to a morsell of Bread to strip us of all which God knowes England hath abused and to set us upon a dunghill licking our wounds to take away all and then to set us in the want of all to complaine for pity to them that will shew none but powre Vineger into our wounds when we cry for mercy Ah Christians will not such a condition call for patience All in action now calles for nothing but patience all in view now calles for nothing but patience what a double miserable man is that which lives in England now without patience and yet Lord how much doe I see it wanting every where I see an evill springing up in these Evill Times which will spoile us all if GOD prevent it not and that is impatience activity degenerates into impatience forward men can beare no check from providence the most forward men are become the most froward men we set our mercies a day which is more then we can answer and because God doth not observe our limitation we flee out in heart and tongue fearefully 1. I am weary of this City to heare the murmuring and impatience that is in it The Country looks upon the City the City looks upon the Parliament the Parliament looks one upon another Commons upon Lords Lords upon Commons all upon the King and all looke short of the King of Kings this God saw right well the fruit of it is upon us we have lost much mercy this way and now are at murmuring hard that we may lose all relieving presence in the wildernesse and Canaan too Will murmuring and impatience ever bring us into that Canaan we hope for Christians you feare the King you feare the Cavaliers you feare Commanders you feare the Parliament I tell you my heart I am more afraid of you of your unbeliefe of your impatience that this will prove a City spoyling a Kingdome spoyling evill above all I will give you some principles of patience respecting our state and condition as things now stand and goe with us which is the best service I think I can doe you The first principle is this God takes time to administer to publique bodies England hath beene a long time polluting her selfe and this not with a Low but with a very high hand God is going gently to repeate over all and will you not give him time 't is but Justice to allow much time to one that is to repeate much What hath been the course of the publique for this twenty yeares together you have forgotten what hath been your course for twenty forty fifty yeares for these hundred yeares since we and our fathers have enjoy'd the Gospell you have forgotten how cold how formalizing how carelesse in your Families how Excessive and abusive of the creature how bowel-lesse and mercy-lesse who can reckon up how you have ordered your time and talents God can but he must have time will you thrust much work upon God and not give him time to goe through with it God takes time to administer Justice he was fourty years telling Israel
the exercise of al I dread to thinke what this presages Wee shal see poverty and heare cursing see bleeding and heare blaspheming and both in one house yea both in one person Wee shal see bodies wounded and soules breathing themselves through these wounds in the face of God and man because in a helpelesse state This grieves me no man layes to heart what God already suffers in these evil dayes from impatient spirits I have heard some as I have gon along the streets breake forth most bitterly against the most religious of the Kingdome as the cause of al our misery laying bloud at innocent mens doores great ones doe thus against conscience poore ones doe thus out of ignorance as rich mens echo being their creatures made through feare or hope or both all sides I am sure breath not forth al but little very little patience Ah! yee of little patience what doe yee meane to make a miserable condition remedilesse a state miserable damnable will you sin in poverty that wealth may never returne will you sin in War that you may never have peace wil you sin in bloud and death that Hell may follow Because men have killed your Trades your States your Bodies shall the devil have your Soules Is there any evil in the City or Country which God hath not done God takes away much to save the maine and you make the losse of much the losse of all the losse of your soules through impatience A rod should humble you and your skin swells with stripes Gods Hand on your back should make your hand on your mouth and you curse you curse and God curses surely you wil be cursed you sweare and stare because you have lost your peace your temporall respect and God sweares you shall neither have temporall nor eternall rest Ah Lord what hath this soule done murmured and sworne himselfe out of al for ever Yee men of no patience have you no light no conscience no soule doe yee sinne against no light no soule no God are yee heathens are yee worse I will tell you the evils of impatience that you may dread it and every degree of it and make them as I name them motives to endeavor after all Patience i a heart freed from all impatience The first evil is this so farre as the soule is impatient so farre 't is set at a distance from God Impatience grieves God grieved withdrawes So farre as Saul rages so farre is the Spirit of God gon So farre as the soule is shut out from God 't is shut out from al. A bedlam is put alone and there chained and whipt he is fit for no company but forlorne spirits like himselfe a Legion of these possesse every impatient soule No soule hath lesse fellowship with God then passionate God cannot dwell in fire nor worke in fire any otherwise then to torment the tormented Froward children are frowned upon and kept at a great distance 'till their hearts come downe A soule that hath little of God hath much of the devil if you would see the devil face to face looke a passionate man in the face you shall see the devils eyes his browes his tongue his mouth al as blacke as horrid as firey as Hell A second evill of impatience is this Impatience maimes parts gifts graces and makes a man otherwise able feeble and uselesse The counsells of the froward are carried head long saith the holy Ghost if their counsels how much more then those things they doe without counsell and thus most an end doe passionate men doe all they doe Passion puts out a man's eyes cuts-off a man's armes it thrusts a man in hast still to the wrong doore to the wrong end of his busines Passion cannot observe modus nor media agendi 't wil up to the top of the house presently before there be any staires made 't wil run and leave tools behind yea 't will run and leave God behind and so buries her honour still in an untimely birth A passionate man hath Reubens judgement written in his forehead never to excell Thirdly impatience is the mother of al evil 't is a sin-teeming temper it brings forth children to old Age and then most of al passion in old Age brings forth by troopes Impatience 't is a spirit set on fire of Hell prepared and ready to every hellish worke to sweare to curse to kill to speak evil to doe evil t is a short possession a man mad for so many houres that will not stick at any thing that the devil and deprav'd nature bid him doe he wil flee in the face of servants children wife magistrate God any one 't is a Snake whose tongue is his sting his teeth poyson he takes in and casts up venome by mouthfuls his heart brings forth sinnes by troopes he speaks as many sinnes as words he burnes al black with too much heat he over-heats words workes the wheeles light a fire still in carriage especially when loaded with any heft and burne cart and carriage both Passion 't is the devils glasse-house black fire workemen are at it in this soule day and night t is the devils sinne-moul'd to make many sins quickly many great sins on a sudden Impatience puts a price onely upon praesentia * Appetitui apta carnal present things a measse of potage at present better then birth-right although Christ and Heaven be wrapt up in it Tell an impatient man of things to come Heaven and Glory Praesentibus futura majora and the like he cannot stay so long Heaven a great way off is no Heaven to him he must have a Bird in the hand a Heaven here or else Heaven and earth shall ring of him he must have what he wil and when he wil or he wil make the house too hot for al that are in it This renders an impatient person utterly uncapable of the great'st blessings because these are longest a comming and he cannot waite Le ts have a golden Calfe as for this Moses we know not what 's become of him nor when he will come a golden glittering Calfe at present better then to stay for Moses though hee brought the beames of God the glory of Heaven shining in his face Le ts eate and drinke for to morow we die Magna â—â—â—antiâ nulla Impatience must have a Heaven at present a belly-heaven as for a soule heaven a heaven in promise t is a dead thing This renders an impatient man utterly below motive our greatest Gospel motives are fetcht from great things to come in another World and the greatest things are nothing at such a distance to this man hee cannot waite so long for a Heaven though hee lose his soule There is no divine contemplation in an impatient heart which is that that makes Heaven here So that an impatient man loses his Heaven here-after and here too Impatience 't is a soule still in a hurry never at home never at leisure to goe to
you need him most so that you shall get more of a suddain by Prayer then you could in all your life before A suffering Christian has his peculiar advantge let him but open his mouth heaven-ward and 't is fild presently let his heart be at his mouth and the holy Ghost wil be at his heart all upon wing and wrapt up in the third Heaven when the body in Hell Long suffering and joy are very neere as neere as night and morning if misery makes the night joy makes the morning and if the night cannot aske for the morning yet the morning will come of it selfe joy comes in the morning If a long sufferer be â—o worne so depressed with his burden that he be not able to pray not able to aske for joy and for comfort yet his joy will be ful 't will come of it selfe as things that are joyn'd together will call in one another long suffering with joyfulnesse Duties are immergent one springs and bubbles out of the belly of another all patience brings forth long suffering long suffering bringes forth joyfulnesse this is Divine Genealogy they are plac'd here by the holy Ghost according to their line as persons so vertues are noted according to their Genealogy Every grace beares patience brings forth long suffering long suffering joy joy brings forth Heaven now the Sun is up in the soule and begets Cardinall vertues glorious graces it makes the very emblem of Heaven in the heart The holy line must not be broken as things have their order in their owne nature so they must have their course in the soule long suffering for truth must bring forth joy and not griefe a Jacob must hold an Esau by the heele joy must embrace rough usage out of the sowerest stock ar't should make sweet fruit come out of long-suffering for Christ joy Duties are innocent graces are so ordained to move as best to speake out mans simplicity and Gods glory long suffering is not to leaven and sowre the soule to make it regurgitate bitterly in the afternone when things have lai'n long in the stomack but it is to give advantage to a Christian fully to speake forth his owne integrity and Gods glory Long suffering with joy is a full expression of mans simplicity and Gods Glory Long suffering in any cause hath its integrity as the heart is free from repining under it which it is when 't is meate and drinke to suffer for Christ joy to beare and to beare long Grace should move in grace that 's long suffering with joy grace should move to a Christians grace and to GODS glory that 's long suffering with joyfulnesse Vse Christians you see your lesson t is set very high can you play it What artists are you in your calling Can you make good Musick upon a bad instrument Can you make an instrument goe well that hath hung long by Can you play wel when the strings be broke When the back when the belly of the instrument is broke Can you sing the songs of Zion in a strange Land Can yee make melody in your spirits when never a whole piece in your flesh some of you it may be have never a peny in your purse scarce any rag to weare no house to put your head in but live upon the meere mercy of friends for giving testimony to Christs cause can yee joy now Christ hath mingled your drinke with weeping can yee drinke off this Cup with joy Suffering is suffering indeed when it goes quite through the man body and spirit body without all joy and soule too A man is plundred indeed when he is plundred in his estate within and without plundred of mony and goods and plunderd of peace and joy too no comfort without nor none within neither Ah Lord here 's a man quite undone indeed her 's a man all over miserable soule and body bleeding can there be any gathering to relieve this man I have heard many complaine that they are quite undone the expression hath cut me to the heart to heare it their faces all over blacknesse not one line drawne similingly You have lost all joyes without why but there are joyes within which the World cannot give nor take have you lost these too did the Cavaleers take away all together mony and plate and Christ too Ah! poore man thou art quite undone indeed certainly the divel was in those Cavaleers I would speake to such from this point which are quite undone which have lost all money and joy too which have many sufferings upon them for Christ but can make no joy out of them Surely I can guesse your paine you are blind you know not who hath strip't you nor when he will returne it againe 'T is impossible for a man to joy under long suffering unlesse a man can looke to the end of it This makes heavy afflictions light long afflictions short to look where they end Our light afflictions which endure but for a moment worke about a farre more exceeding and an eternall weight of glory Long suffering is but a moment when compared with eternity of glory The great Heaven at a distance makes a little Heaven at present a Heaven in hell to that soule which hath it in its eye as these lower Heavens give a great lustre and vigour at a distance to beholders and raise much so doth the Heaven of Heavens 'T is a Heaven to behold Heaven a farre off where ever the body be 't was Canaan to Moses Ab extremis miseriae quies to see Canaan a far off The sight of the end shortens the way suffering is deadly long when a man can see no end when a man is in darknesse and can see no light 't is hard to bring the soule to joy in such darkenesse A man must looke upon affliction from one end to to'ther that would fetch in joy to his soule from suffering At one end of long suffering for truth is a father at the other end a reward which if seen well will make the longest suffering very short and very sweet Can you make no joy out of your long sufferings for truth I can guesse your paine there is something heavier then your temporall losse that lies upon you Surely you have lost your state and found sinne death has a sting death of a mans body yea and death of a mans estate has a sting A little guilt is heavier then a great deale of misery then all the afflictions of this World When bare misery goes over a mans head though never so much hee may well stand under this but when misery clothes it selfe with guilt and goes over a mans head as Iniquity this makes the burthen too heavy to be borne when the apprehension of sinne startes out of misery and stares upon the soule this killes all joy dead and the man is not able to beare up if hee had all the World to comfort him The cause may be good and the man bad 't is hard
moved upon the Chaos It workes not in reference to any preceding worke or signe of enducement much lesse ingagement All are under sinne dead a Chaos and he quickens whom he will all inducement is onely from GOD and will An out roome here below hee would have and he sayd let there be this and let there be that and it was so and this was the manner of raising it so now a roome he will have here below more inward from the noise of the World and hee sayd Ephata let this window be opened and let there be light and 't is so Vessels hee will have for this low roome and he makes them al himselfe according to absolute will hee makes one to honour c. Terminus creandi est 't is a terme of Creation Synonimicall with this in my Text who hath made us meete i by his word and of his one free wil. Media gratiae ordinem creationis subeunt The meanes of grace have the order of Creation stamp'd upon them Christ the great wheele that turnes all other wheeles of our salvation is made unto us what he is and made of God Who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse c. 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is a full Sea indeed but not a drop to us but as made of God So we are made able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit Could such a poore man as I by speaking a while to the eare turne the heart from sinne to Christ did not a creating blessing sit on my lips Divine institutions have the formality of a Creation in them because they have what they have and doe what they doe from supreame power onely above all cause and reason Other meanes have their reason in them as a cause Therefore are institutions and meanes of grace here not so much as mentioned onely the Father meanes are so beside likelyhood and reason to so noble an end as to make and fit soules for Heaven Giving thankes to the Father who hath made c. None else worthy to be so much as mention'd in this noble worke Grace is a Creation Creatio talis creatio ' and 't is such a Creation there is Creatio transiens continuans Grace is a continued Creation The Father workes hitherto and I worke hee speakes of Gods working grace under the motion of Creation and in that very phrase that wee should call the working of grace a Creation The Creation of the World ceased in so many dayes Transiens and God rested from that labour and doth still but the the Creation of grace lasts hithertoo 't is the worke of the Trinity to this day without resting and how long yet further 't will be whether to the end of the externall Creation I cannot say The Word of God is a lively word it hath a spirit in it this is the worke of the Trinity still to put spirit into the Word to make living words and so living soules So the workes of God are lively workes what God does ' has a voice the staffe a voice all that God sayes and does all his words and works they are made lively that is breathing and forming eternall life in man by a transcendent concurrence of Father Son and holy Ghost the first is here mention'd to wit the Father the rest are to be understood to wit the Sun the holy ghost the workes of the Trinity ad extra are not to be divided Giving thankes to the Father i to Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Who hath made us meete c. Under this terme made the Word of God and workes of God are meant as meanes for he speakes in the foregoing Verse of sufferings which attend truth which are al conducing to this noble end to fit man for God Grace 't is a new Creation Nova a Creation that makes old things passe away things as old as the old Creation and then things to become new 'Tas destruction in it and then erection and edification it takes away and then sets up it destroyes sinnes which are old things as old as the Devill and then sets up grace takes away the stone and then builds with flesh this is the fashion and manner of building within kils the old man and then makes a new new light new love this makes a new heart a new Creature a new man Who hath made us c. i who hath made us againe who hath made us anew Grace is a hid Creation Abscondita 't is formatio secreta our life is hid Know'st thou the way of the spirit in man 't is as the way of a Bird in the Aire 't is as the way of the wind in the Earth very unknowne Invisibles stellae A new name which none knowes but he that hath it 't is meate to eat which the World knows not of no which Christians know not of One Christian doth not know what meate another Christian hath at his Table nor how sweete not what guests nor how merry together J have meate to eate which yee know not of A Christian is bound in the spirit and cannot see the girdle raised high and cannot see the hand taught wisdome secretly and like Samuel cannot tell the voice warmed and cannot describe the fire the soule as in Heaven and yet in the body and then whether in the body or out of the body cannot tell As there is killing without hand so there is making alive without hand without any seene or to be discerned Trees have their sap and seed in them their sap and life is hid it creepes up under the barke and puts out gloriously but very secretly and unexspressibly beyond all demonstration so is the way of grace and the working of the spirit of God in man Interna Grace is an internall Creation it makes a new heart and a new spirit 't is glory within t is bones broken not flesh and set againe and made glad 't is a heart prickt wounded and heal'd not a head Grace 't is the foreskin of the heart taken away a Jew inwardly 't is great hammering yet no noyse heard 't is so inwardly a cry but none heard in the streetes t is in such inroomes 't is not onely the hand without put forward but the watch-wheeles within set right to the sun Grace 't is Anima indivisibilis the soule broken all to pieces by supreame power and curiously by the same power set together againe Grace is glory within a roome of royall repose private 't is Christ in the heart of the Earth the Kingdome of God is within us The words which Christ speakes they are spirit and life so are all his workes which now he workes they are spirit and life i of life upon the spirit hee hath done all his workes without doore all his worke now is within spirit upon spirit not a worke more should be wrought now were it not to make