Blessed be one good neighbour or how solitary should we be in earth Defile not the land which ye shall inhabite wherein I dwell saith Christ Numb 35.34 The earth would be hell did not Christ dwell in it you have much misery kept off by one good neighbour you have and you might have more if you did but get more acquaintance with him You have lived a great while in the earth and so hath Christ do ye know him do ye love him he maketh the earth a blessing as base as 't is to such A mans felicity dependeth altogether upon the favour of God let his dwelling be where ' twill Earth is heaven hell is heaven when God dwelleth with one there Mourning creatures tell me where do ye dwell In a vally of tears In earth doth Christ dwell with you doth he dwell in earth too in your hearts then be cheared for he will wipe all tears from your eyes and if your hearts be a rest for him he will be a rest for them when you have none in earth When the earth trembles and melts you have one that dwelleth in it that will see you shall do well Christians visit your next neighbour often lie in his bosome whilest you live on earth you will live very desolate else were the earth a better place then ' t is I pitty all that live in this world 't is so base and miserable but them that live without God in this world my heart bleedeth over them Some live where they have no good neighbour nor no friend and they truly have a bad life on it some live so in earth that it were as good they were in hell almost whipt in body tortured in soul longing for death and yet it must not be because not yet full ripe for hell Ah Lord here is a dwelling in earth indeed what difference now between earth and hell All you that live in earth and live in your sinnes expect such a life every houre The earth groneth it beareth so many and so naught sinners do not you grone too Do not you grone to Christ to be better The earth will be eased of her burden quickly but not you your place will be changed quickly but not for the better all that are now in earth will be anon in hell that do not leave their sinnes quickly the sword and strange diseases are going about for this purpose and do you not see how they sweep the earth Coloss 1.16 Visible and invisible c. THe works of God afford man a full soul-imployment Some things are subjected to sence and these are called visible but other things are not subjected to sence but ordered for more noble powers of the soul to make at and these are called invisible The soul is manifold in its acts and operations and so is Christ that all the soul may follow him There is a manifold grace of God as the Apostle speaketh a grace visible and a grace invisible and the soul can make at both and so Christ would have it The eye can see the eare can heare the heart can conceive here is working without and within Conception is operation about invisibilia unseen things 't is a spirit at work upon words shaping out to it self what they but mentioned as countries and creatures where the body never was nor never saw but onely shall divine conception 't is a spirit taking shiping as it were in the word and sayling round the world taking in visible and invisible things to leave out none of Christ The soul is noble in its acts and Christ would lose none for want of imployment if visible things be to low to be busied about there be invisible if there be nothing without doore to be found for imployment to wit in earth it may find something within about invisible things by going to Heaven Creation is laid by Christ with gradation higher and higher visible and invisible if one room be too low the soul may go higher as high as it will as high as it hath power the works of Christ lie as high as the tallest spirit can reach The soul is not forc'd but drawn to noble action Creation is temptation the works of God are laid so as to entice the soul higher and higher like Jacobs ladder till it come as high as it should be When the eye of the body is weary of looking upon bruits trees and such like visible things as are here then the eyes of the soul may go one room higher in the ladder towards Heaven to things which are not seen to that invisible place and societie above The soul is remiss'd in his acts in works as well as in words Christ leaveth this without excuse Man was never without full imployment Adam had it and the sonnes of Adam have it There is a double book of words and a double book of works to reade and one higher then the other one visible and the other invisible one for the eyes of the body another for the eyes of the soul and I wonder what idle souls will say for themselves when Christ cometh to reckon with them You have a talent and imployment for it a soul such a noble soul and such noble imployment both neglected will lie heavie upon you Bodily sloth you cannot bear and soul-sloth Christ cannot bear soul-sloth is enraging sinne and observe how angrily Christ chargeth it Thou wicked and slothfull servant shouldst thou not have imployed what I gave thee to my advantage Matth. 25.26 take from him what he hath saith Christ A man hath his soul taken away that imployeth it not an idle soul becometh a besotted soul a besotted soul is no soul a spirit dead and buried in the flesh powers and parts are blasted and withered when neglected Soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth sometimes from too much imployment about humane and such men neither know their hearts nor yet this time worldly now and you will be worldly when the world cometh to be burnt The soul is first let loose from divine things and then when 't is abroad it will not be lured in again by them though held up to them Wicked worldlings you know not what you do when you let your souls loose to the world there 't is curst and becometh wild and will not return though words of God and works of God all that God is and doth be held up to it and therefore is the prodigall said to be lost for this my sonne was lost c. Sometimes soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth from dislike of them Some the God of this world blindeth them and 't is idle to talk to these of visible or invisible things for all that is good is invisible to them they know not how to set their spirits about any thing but to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Ah Lord how blind how base are some souls No word of God no work of God visible to them under a divine
lost intense affection makes through action what you coldly act you doe by halves Sin makes more then scars upon us it makes deep wounds you stirre with all your might when you see such distresse if there be any bowels in you God wants not bowels he lays our condition to heart though we doe not our dying condition puts life into him unlesse I stirre this sinner is lost unlesse I stirre uncessantly this world is all lost all are under sin wounded gasping giving up thus God puts home necessitie of vitall action upon himselfe This is our plague we cannot put home the necessitie of things upon our selves we are so carelesse and forlorne could we it would make us restlesse to worke out our owne salvation you may see it in Paul Necessitie is upon me and I cannot be quiet unlesse I preach unlesse my soule stirre uncessantly 't is lost for ever alas for us wee cannot put home necessitie thus though our lives lie on 't and therefore doth the Devill fetch away all under our very Citie-wals What we cannot doe God can and doth God pities man because no eye else doth our desperate condition is still in his eye and O how his heart beats he can neither slumber nor sleepe he watches continually because we are groaning and dying some hope of life and then and not till then he rests It gave rest to the Father c. Vse The propertie of divine motion you see 't is restlesse to good the contrary to this is diabolicall and yet oh Lord how common is this in the world to be restlesse to evill Bowels worke not at all but braines worke that they foame and froth againe The losse of meate nothing the losse of sheepe nothing the losse of Heaven nothing so men may goe in their owne way A man cannot be too slow to sin nor bogle enough at a bad businesse nor doe too little of that which is naught 't were better a man had no legs then run to evill no braines then acute and restlesse to doe evill well What grieves not you grieves God but if this will not doe persons shall have their course and take as comes 'T were better I had nothing no parts then all Satans Restlesse soules to evill you are all Satans you serve him with your might with all your strength you serve him when you are up and when you are abed you give the devill foure and twenty houres to his day God you know had his Holocaust under the Law his whole burnt offerings haire and hide and all burnt so the devill hath his Holocaust his whole burnt offerings Restlesse soules in sin you are Satans whole burnt sacrifices you are all on fire of hell heart tongue hand you offer up all your rich parts wealth you are in the depth of sin in the gall of bitternesse and if you can sucke any sweetnesse out of this doe What is wholly Satans is firmely his give the Devill hold with both hands and heel ' hold fast Restlesse soules to evill you are close prisoners to the Prince of darknesse such as are double bolted and chain'd who ever get loose you will not 'T is sad to see the bent of mens spirit 't is nothing to them to resigne up all to the Devill you are well pleased so is Satan but know that he doth not so easily resigne all back againe he fortifies as he takes and will not lose an out-worke gain'd easily If Satan have got hold but on a mans tongue or eye or some such like out-part this is not taken away from him againe presently but when he hath all he makes impregnable works Satan secures his throne if he get into the soule that soule shall sinke to hell ere he will rise out of his chaire Satan will not let you goe said I You will not let Satan goe which are restlesse to sin Two knit in love who can part them Satan and you burne together in affection and God will not breake the match you shall burne together in hell Till this marriage day you shall not want tokens can you tell how many blacke letters are written to conscience whilst affection burnes to evill When you see sinners sin and smile aske them Doth God and your conscience smile Face mirth is nothing to me mens courses must not gaine credit because they are impudent I beseech you deale truly with your eternall soules how oft doth your consciences smile upon you There is no peace to the wicked What then to him that is nothing but wicked What nothing but warre and wounds and bloud inwardly and yet smiles and flaunts and flouts outwardly against good What a bad condition is this If you will talke of your wayes talke without to others as God talkes to you within and then 't will be worth the hearing if you will write write as God writes within and 't will be worth the reading Active spirits in ill want not imployment conscience takes them up with reading newes from beneath Eye time to come eye time present the condition is dreadfull where affection in strength workes to any evill Let it make soules breake off from this course and become imitators of God who is restlesse to contrive good Gods motion is exemplary you may safely make his spirit your pattern and 't is a blessed soule that can move as he doth Bodies bleed to death soules blead to death all England giving up and we are not restlesse in prayer nor restlesse in preaching nor in wrestling with God and man to save The houre of Christs crucifixion is come and a spirit of slumber is upon us we cannot watch nor pray what ever temptation be at our dore Jacob was renowned he wrestled for himselfe and familie all night he was restlesse till he had gotten the blessing but alas our night is not over and God knowes when 't will and we are tired alreadie purse tired spirit tired men will doe nothing but God will if we wrestle restlesly with him A man may doe much with God a righteous man may one unrighteous man may by importunitie Was not the unrighteous Judge overcome by importunitie Keep on to move as a Christian to God and to men and make no conclusions at home take wing and to Heaven and die not in the nest Mercy still is in travaile for them that are in travaile for it Error of one hand must not make error of tother wee have our mercies by degrees that dutie may be hightened not flatned Let 's better every one by our unwearied goodnesse Wee must serve God for naught let issues be what they will paines must be perpetuall 'T is Gods case as he hath to doe with us he is restlesse in meanes to gaine us all but alas how few doth he gaine If men were restlesse till they had done their part God would be restlesse till he had done his Be restlesse till you are in Gods garden and he will be restlesse to make a hedge about
of love be to thee what I shall further do beside setting mine own weak house and heart in order to go home I know not more then breath out my dying breath in the bosome of Christ for thee that thou and all thy Worthies in thee may do well and worthily from generation to generation till Christ come Nicho. Lockyer To the READER T Was a very Christian expression that once a very Learned and worthy friend of another Nation and of another judgement to mine own wrote unto me Sir though there be two opinions between us yet I desire there may be but one heart to which my desire doth so concur that my requests to Christ are that this Spirit may be powred out amongst all his people in all the world There are many and I think too many opinions amongst the godly already but if there were as many more I hope I should be one in heart with them all which are in Christ and walk in him Variety of faces is not an affliction but matter of much admiration to behold to such as are but humanely ingenious So truly variety of judgements simply considered is not a grief but a glory to me to behold when one Spirit of grace and heavenlinesse is in them all for I account it a glasse of Gods own making wherein to behold his manifold Wisdome and I further think that he is setting many nobler spirits then mine own at work to dig up some pearle and precious truth for me which yet I have not I differ Reader with none but them that differ with Christ As for them that vary in judgement from me whose lives are holy I am jealous that they are better acquainted with Christ then I and so I lay my hand on my mouth and leave them alone to their Master and mine believing that we are as Laban said to Jacob * Chinissather ish meregnehu Because we are hid a man from his friend Gen. 31.49 but hid from one another neither hid from Christ Our light is so dark that a man a Christian man is hid from his Christian friend in matter of judgement but there is a Mitspah one God watching between us both which will bring us to see one another and himself plainly in heaven Let this be my Apologie for my spirit and opinion to thee Christian Reader and to all the people of God that so Satan by no spirit of prejudice hinder the profitable participation of this work which speaks of no controversie between Christian and Christian betweeen King and Parliament or between man and man but of that controversie which is between God and I fear all men in these Dominions under which we are and how this controversie will end give him that loves Christ and thee leave longer yet to study and pray ere he give thee in an answer under his hand As for errata's the Author Scribe and Presse are too full there need the lesse in the Reader or else things will be too bad A childe wrote from Christs mouth and another from mine which truly I had hardly ease or life to overlook and then when to be printed as hasty in this by other hands I cannot say by other ends then mine own for the undertaker I take to be truly godly as slow in the finishing of it three Presses were employed at once two in the City one in the Countrey and he hardly one that should review them so that doubtlesse many things will displease others more then my selfe who expect to suffer much in preaching and printing by them that have little in them and as for others they will be candid noble and do like themselves take in good part parts and fragments of him whom they honour more then I NICHO LOCKYER COLOS. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne FItnesse for heaven is generally acknowledged in the foregoing verse and particularly and fully explain'd in this and that which follows and put into two branches Deliverance from the power of darknesse and translation into the kingdome of Christ Who hath made us meet for the inheritance of saints in light c. What is that meetnesse He hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne Deliverance undergoes a double acceptation it means temporall deliverance sometimes Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutours for they are stronger then I Psal 142.6 Sometimes it means eternall deliverance soul-salvation deliverance from sinne it self and the dominion of it and not barely from such domineering evils as sinne sets up to make this life miserable Deliver me from all my transgressions Psal 39.8 Deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse Psal 51.14 These expressions speak soul-deliverance eternall deliverance and of this nature is that deliverance here mentioned in my Text as the words themselves explain Doctr. Man now is in soul-misery our eternall estate is undone our eternall life slain the bloud of our souls is spilt upon the earth There is death and death with Emphasis Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Soul-death is here meant man is spiritually slain stabbed at heart undone inwardly he needs a deliverance from this death So there is wrath and wrath to come wrath that works hereafter upon spirits when then they have laid aside the bodies of flesh in which they dwelt here Even Jesus who hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1. Thess 1.10 That deliverance and this in my Text mean one thing soul-deliverance which every soul stands in need of but some onely enjoy Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse Naturally Man is in soul-misery naturally we are children of wrath by nature wrath works against us in the very wombe Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated and this ere they had seen the world Corruption is got into the bloud generation is marred man the noblest creature cannot beget a happy creature when he goes about this work he layes the first foundation in sinne In sinne was I conceived c. David was marred from the beginning and made miserable as soon as crudled in the wombe as soon as any matter was laid together for such a form Treason stains the bloud the first man proves a traytour and never since any otherwise but one The first man poisoned his nature and then begat as he made himself and not as God made him and so doth all the posterity to this houre and this makes so many men so many worms and no men so many base miserable things and not one worthy of the name of a blessed creature but the name of an uncreated thing a piece of mere putrifaction a worm so in body and so in soul mere putrifaction in all Judiciarily Man is in soul-misery judiciarily Justice hath traced sinne to its rise and plagued it at the fountain head Man
have that expression in the Scripture we are but trifles and yet Christ cannot put these trifles out of his mind he carries our souls as he carries his own thoughts he minds us up and down the world till we come home Compassion is when things are laid to heart and so carried up and down and they are choicely carried indeed which are so carried Compassion carries Christ and us compassion gathers about his heart and that gathers his children about there too and so they are bound up together in that bundle of life and carried through sinne and miserie to eternall felicitie into his kingdome Christ saves surely a father bears over his children to make sure work that they may not fall in Between nature and grace is a great gulf and a remove from one to the other is not without great danger soul transaction from corruption to grace is with perpetuall fierce conflict the soul cannot put out a step for heaven but Sathan lets fly at it and Christ therefore is a convoy and he transferres from sinne to grace and from hell to heaven As transactions of state removing this and that have their bloudy contests so transaction of that great State for eternity within pulling down and setting up have deadly contest and the soul will be killed in the way to heaven if not born along When Israel went out of Egypt not a dog barked but when a soul goes out of the bondage of sinne into the libertie of Christ many dogs and devils bark and bite Christ therefore as he doth pull out so he doth carry in whom he fastens hold on he lets not go whom he takes into his arms he keeps there and still carries them there in all conflicts to make sure work all Christs children fight in his arms if the devil can kill them there so they all fight upon this advantage every battell passage to heaven is secured the great whale that is master of the deep bellies us and saves us from all storms carries us and conveyes us to our haven the kingdome of his dear sonne Christ saves sweetly 't is pleasant travelling in his arms a man may go a great way with ease upon anothers legges the way though long and dirty goes away one knows not how when bravely carried Christ will have none destroyed nor none tired in the way to heaven Wisdomes waves are pleasant they go all in coaches and chariots to heaven 't is the honour of the way the state of the king in his kingdome below to be born up and down so The king brought me into his chambers saith the Spouse Christs yoke is easie easie indeed because born upon anothers neck you yoke creatures so that their yoke may not pinch you use art to lessen labour and make work no work and pains pleasures Christ is excellent at this art he doth so yoke every one that he draws with ease he makes every ones yoke big enough to put in his own neck together with the man and so he draws himself and the man too and that is an easie yoke indeed and a little burthen as you put something of weight sometimes into a childs hand and you carry the child with that in his hand therefore the child easily bears because he and his burden both are born by another This is substance according to shadow this sweet way of salvation was typified in Noah Noah was transferred by an ark from an old world to a new and that shadowed out salvation in Christ and the very manner of it Christ transferring the soul from a bad state to a good So Israel was brought out of Egypt to Canaan and the Scripture tells you how just as an Eagle carries her young and as a father carries his children Have I conceived all this people that thou shouldst say unto me Carrie them in thy bosome as a nursing father carries the sucking children Numbers 11.12 God was more tender then Moses it was tedious to him to bear so many and so froward in his bosome to Canaan yet so did God and so would he have had Moses done and because he had not patience enough to do it he died ere he came there 't is dangerous not to be compassionate according to expresse command though ones burden be never so great God took up the burden that Moses would not and he tells you how he carried them As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and bears them upon her wings So the Lord alone did bear them and no strange God with him Deuteronomie 32.11 12. God can bear much alone and will for a sinners good and his own glory that is to answer types and fulfill truth Use As Christ does bear souls to heaven so does the devil bear souls to hell evil spirits are very painfull too Who bears your souls Sathan carries by delusion some are carried about by winds of Doctrine the devil is in that wind when errour rules the life Sathan rules the heart this soul is born in the arms of an evil spirit 'T is a light soul that a ly will carry but his fall will be heavy Whom Christ carries truth carries the word of God and the Spirit of God are the two wings upon which Christ carries souls to heaven Upon what wings do ye flee By these you may know who carries you whether Christ or the devil Christ wraps up spirits in the word and so away with them to heaven Sathan carries by violence The Apostle Peter tells us of some that are carried about by a tempest Sathan certainly is in that tempest souls born by that evil spirit are hurried Tempests are beside rule and beside resistance so are souls carried by Sathan the heart hath chosen its own way and reason must not stirre nor divinity lesse every thing is irksome that opposeth nothing that contradicts can the man heare this soul is in the devils chariot tumbling to misery apace if God stop not no man can The Lord seldom stops souls when they run apace till they have fallen and hurt themselves much if not ruin'd themselves quite Christ drives gently he goes truths way and truths pace souls carried by Christ go no faster then truth such make a stop at every turning and look out they go slowly and surely Christ kicks at wilfull spirits but he doth not carry them they are meek souls willing to be carried onely by Christ whom Christ carries The devil bears to destruction to ruine grace and the soul he bears as he did bear Christ to ruine all body and soul Souls carried by Sathan are carried away from God to the glory of the world to a god which is not God Carrying away from God is a graduall thing some are carried away more then others and some are carried away quite which I will stand upon a little I see some carried away extremely which makes my heart tremble to behold Men are carried away captive that is
had if wanted by any people and with more content to Christ then lesser things great persons delight to give like themselves He asked life of thee and thou gavest him long life even life for ever more As for naturall life Christ maketh nothing of this gift David thought that to beg naturall life had been a great request and no doubt but he would have accounted this much in some straights but God maketh nothing of this as being not to give like himself An eternall God loveth to give eternally The gift of God is eternall life This is the priviledge of the generation of them that seek him they ask small things and he giveth great they ask one thing and he giveth them a better they ask like themselves and he giveth like himself Tender hearts are afraid to ask great things but it should not be for 't is most becoming him with whom we have to do and you will sooner get him to give audience about such things then about petty temporary things Kings will not be moved in small things but in matters which beseem their greatnesse to this they are ready Our God is ready to give the least good thing we need to tender every hair and every leaf His leaf shall not wither but he is most delighted to give the things that are most like him When Jacob wrestleth in a case of naturall life the Angel would fain get gone doubtlesse his petition lay too low for the Text saith he was greatly afraid and had there not been something wrapt up in the businesse that had an eternall respect and which the Angel at this time did more look to then Jacob did doubtlesse Christ would have got away he would not have been troubled with Jacob all night onely about the naturall life of him and his Let weak souls remember the carriage of the King to Hester when she cometh upon matters of weight the golden Scepter is held out and she toucheth it What wilt thou Queen Hester It shadoweth out what Christ is to his Church ready to give things of weight such a royall life and state to his Church as he hath himself and to continue it against all Hamans Coloss 1.17 In him all things consist c. PRovidence hath put me to speak of many things but now she puts me to speak of her self she is a servant of servants she waits upon every one but now she commands you to wait a little upon her to know what she is and what a blessing you have in her Of Christ as a creatour you have heard and now as an upholder you shall hear of him In him all things are made of nothing and in him all things abide or else would turn all to nothing One thing lives in another fish in the sea foul in the aire brutes in the earth but all in Christ In him all things consist There is an inconsistencie in the creation by the curse one thing cannot live by another one thing bites and devours another great ones eat up little ones the whole world is a great body gnawing out it self it hath gnawed it self to skinne and bones now 't is so old and torn as is very sad to look upon or live in and it would have gnawed it self to nothing long ere this if Christ had not upheld in him hath the whole creation things in heaven and things in earth a reconciliation of consistency father would kill sonne else and the stones in the street would rise against you all but in him these all consist The expression speaks supportation there be many things in the world and they all live upon one Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest every living thing There be many mouths in the world and some gape very wide and yet one hand fills them all In whom things have esse they have porro esse 't is the case of all created things they are dependant The noblest life below Christ is in Christ upheld in him or else it would die presently In him we live move c. Man holy man lives the highest life of all creatures here below yet this is in Christ life is the noblest thing and Christ is the fountain of this he is the fountain of the noblest life that any creature lives all life the life of plants the life of beasts the life of men the life of Saints the life of Angels all runnes from that vast spirit of life that is in him Look what your spirit is to the little world that is Christs spirit to the great world your spirit carries life about to all to every finger to every toe and to every joint your soul is a fountain of life to all the strings veins and sinews of your body so is Christ to all the creation he gives life to all Bread is called a staffe and support but this is but by Ordinance from Christ for life comes not merely out of bread it comes from Christ life is not in bread but in the word of blessing which comes out of the mouth of Christ One thing would die in the bosome of another if all were not in the bosome of Christ children in the bosome of parents and parents in the bosome of plenty for in him and not in these all things consist The expression speaks disposition Every life hath proper motion this also is in Christ In him we live and move Look how seas and winds and heavens and birds and beasts and men move and admire for 't is in Christ Christ is not onely the supporter but the orderer of all things 't is not in the noblest creatures to live its own life nor to move like to its own principle of motion 't is not in man to order his steps Man hath the noblest life the greatest parts and gifts and yet 't is not in these to order themselves like themselves 't is not in man to order his life like a man do you not see many men live like beasts In whom is it then 't is in Christ No life hath its one property independant we cannot live of our selves nor we cannot move but in Christ although we have life life and motion proper to it is in him this is true at the same height of the new man We can do nothing of our selves not think a good thought thinking good and holy thoughts this is the property of a holy spirit and yet this its own property is dependant 't is not in a holy spirit think holy thoughts but 't is in Christ To live and to act the least acts of life is in the fountain of life In him all things consist that is beings and actions Christ doth uphold goings as well as beings Uphold my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Psal 17.5 Such beings and such goings Christ upholds he upholds the world and disposes the world being and government both are upon his shoulders that is being and disposition of being Who hath given him a charge
the least superiority that can be discerned Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth As Christ doth otherwise receive so he doth otherwise impart light then any other teacher Christ was taught none like him and he teaches none like him Christ teacheth internally eternally instantly Our teaching is discursive we can do nothing within Christs words are of authority and make their impression upon the heart not a word that Christ speaks but goes to the heart though many words which we speak come not to the heart yet every word that Christ speaks goes to the hearts Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he talked with us Christ sets the soul on fire with his breath blows up internall powers and breaks open everlasting doors The prince of darknesse fortifieth within us and Christ can mount ordnances where the forts are shoot off terribly within and destroy the works of the devil that is sinne or the soul at every shot Christ doth with his cannon within as you do with yours without rend and tear wofully You take off bodies in the very midst so doth Christs cannon take off sinnes and souls in the very midst as Beza renders that word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which the Apostle useth I will destroy the wisdome of the wise 1. Cor. 1.19 tollam è medio I will cut it off in the midst Sinne is in the midst of the soul and Christ can mount such gunnes as to cut it off in the midst As Christs ministery is internall which none of the Prophets was so it is eternall Christs words are words are words of eternall life or eternall death and this simply as his words We speak words and they stick but a moment Christ speaks words and they stick for ever We make wounds and you lick them whole in an alehouse Christ makes wounds that no art can heal Thy arrows stick fast in me saith the Psalmist The arrows which Christ shoot they stick fast none can pull them out but that hand that shot them Christ can instruct and seal it That is make things so impressive as beyond obliteration O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works Psal 71.17 so Psal 119.102 I have not departed from thy judgements for thou hast taught me Christ can teach beyond all other teachers he can open the understanding that is open powers to take in and then close up these powers to keep in for ever Christ can teach internally eternally he can do all this instantly his ministery is an instantaneous ministery We are long hammering and beating to make persons understand and yet all will do nothing but when Christ takes the work in hand he makes the most ignorant creature that is wise to salvation presently Then opened he their understandings c. Luk. 24.45 Then at that instant he made them see throughly what they never saw Use You see what an able teacher Christ is what hath he taught you The wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God I do not ask you how knowing you are in your particular calling as such and such trades-men but how knowing you are in your generall calling as Christians how knowing of Christ and your souls Light is come into the world a great light Do you see the way to heaven Confidence speaks not saving light but desperate blindnesse many ignorant men conceit they know much when they know nothing as they ought The fool is wise in his own conceit and the world is full of these fools yea the Christian world is full of these fools but Christ is emptying it Blindnesse and confidence makes us all bloudy at this day and the Lord grant it make us not bleed to death We have a Laodicean plague upon us and God seems to be spuing us out of his mouth and yet our Laodicean spirit lives in the midst of us We all of us think highly of our selves that we are rich in all spirituall excellencies and they that contradict our conceits are fools We are fools saith the Apostle but you are wise How strong and how generall this spirit is now you that are spirituall may see and what it presages Christ will explain fully if you can but hold fast a little Let every man look without and look within look abroad and look at home the plague of the multitude is it not your plague Are not you wiser in your conceits then your preacher is not spirituall preaching babbling When things touch your consciences then you rage and then the Minister is mad because you are mad Alas for us Lord thou makest us men of contention our life is a fighting with beasts that will not understand us nor thee If you had no other Prophets but us or did reject no other prophet but us some dispute might be made in the day of account but we will not judge you to the Father there is another prophet which you hear in us and yet will not heare and it is he that will judge you to the Father and to your own consciences If this will not beat off men from deluding themselves and from bearing off Christ I will go on Some spirits are wanton as there be light bodies so there be light souls such as go a whoring after lies Fansie sick longs after fresh speculation if this may be had it satisfies let it be in what it will in things as farre from Christ as earth is from heaven yea as hell is from heaven It is otherwise with the soul that is taught of God he hath a little light of Christ and now cares for no other vision all light is darknesse and all wisdome folly that relates not to make Christ more known I purpose to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Paul had many endowments but they were all sleighted Christ teacheth the heart as the heart is taught love burns nothing satisfies love but what stird it if such an object made love nothing but the fruition of that object will satisfie it You may know whether Christ hath opened any thing of himself to you by your love to him the purity of your light will speak out it self in the purity of your love and the purity of your affection in the purity of your action Should you say nothing yet a man that stands by you may tell what your light is and who hath taught your hearts Christ or the devil Some of you will swear and curse and lie some of you your love as fleshly as base as the earth it self Hath Christ taught such things as these No certainly the devil is the tutour of these and they will take their degree in hell I have a word to you all and conclude A loose life broadly speaks out an uninstructed heart what secretly swayes Christ sees and so shall all the world use what art you will to hide it wherein you are intractable to the teaching of Christ God will discover
breake in so is wealth in the soule graces are fixed starres in a region where nothing can come to pull downe or darken All ends in this Persons are to be prized according to the wealth and worth they have in them Vse If this rule were pursued the world would be rightly ranked and every one would have his place Confusion covers the earth for want of right judgement beggers are on horseback and Princes are on foot The world is turned upside downe all is naught this is every ones complaint why you doe it you look not at what persons have in them but at what you may have by them so you prefer them Hypocrisie overspreads the Land great ones love flattery alas for us what windie emptie gracelesse wretches do we lay in our bosom Wo unto the Land where the Prince is a child saith the Prophet double woe surely then to that Land where Prince and people are children Infatuation is a heavie stroake there are more deadly blowes upon us then wee are aware of truth is trampled upon and this lightly esteemed what judgement can be in men to make judgement of persons or wayes O yee simple understand wisdome saith Solomon divine discretion is peculiar wisdome 't is a thing by it selfe to discerne what true worth persons and things have in them and yet he that cannot doe this will lay vipers in his bosom and whet knives to cut his own throat so hast thou done poore England for a long time which makes thee bleed now so long and so deadly Wee must plead with our Maker and plead with our selves O my soule which side of things takes thee inside or outside Painting is a common art and the worst are best at it women use it men use it Statesmen tradesmen you paint your words your actions you put glosse upon every thing in your shops a man shall lose his estate yea a man shall lose his soule that can look no further then out-sides 'T is the unhappiest time that ever came to take any thing upon trust by the sound or by the outside persons preachers prayers Sermons a man may have his soule slaine in the Sanctuary his spirit turn'd out of the way and bitterly beaten by watch-men I said in my haste I may say it soberly all men are liers the Land with much bleeding is turned into a rotten Bog one thinkes he goes safe here and safe there and sinkes over head and eares ere he is aware The bosome of a neighbour is your grave his white candid words your winding sheet Ah thrice unhappie man that livest now in England and canst look no farther then outsides Godlinesse is a mystery the kernell of Scriptures of every word you heare lies inward Christs words are spirit and life As the spirit and life of things is held out so prize and imbrace them and no otherwise Many Sermons nothing in them Many books nothing in them Many persons have fine clothes but nothing in them Let them goe for nothing which have nothing in them fine cloathes are like fine covers and titles of books both to be valued alike if nothing folded up in them Ob. Sol. But I cannot discerne what is in them By what comes from them you may 't is proper to Christ in some sense to know what is in man but 't is proper enough to us to know what is in man by what comes from him Doth the breath of man stinke then his intrailes are rotten The heart and the tongue trade together the tongue hath all from within Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speakes My heart was at my mouth you have such a Proverb 't is true When the mouth frothes the heart workes if men drivel upon their beards if mens words fall as drivel upon their chin 't is a light soule within braines are cracked or spirit curst which is worse and therefore say where you see such sights as he to David Away with this fellow what should I doe with mad-men If you cannot finde what is in persons or things suspend putting price upon them till you can Lay hands upon nothing suddenly lay hearts upon nothing suddenly let election of persons and things be deliberate If you cannot finde out what is in others yet you may finde out what is in your selves The spirit of man knowes the things that are in man Some persons swell with pride and I wonder at them doe you indeed know what is in you In me there dwells no good saith the Apostle 't is every mans case 'T is mischievous not to know what is in others but 't is damnable not to know what is in our own heart in some measure You that swell in pride know not your own hearts if God be not mercifull to you you will set such a high price upon your selves that Christ will give nothing for you nor Christians care nothing for you Some creatures rot in their own dung 't is a heavie judgement and yet 't is your condition that thinke highly of your selves Were this rule I am upon pursu'd things prized according to what worth is in them there could not be a proud person amongst us Alas what good is in me what is in me is Christs he is all all in all If upon search you finde nothing in you it should not discourage for Christ can become all in you Christ is for inward diseases as well as for outward wants if you be poore in purse he can inrich you yea if you be poore in spirit he can inrich you Esa 29.24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne doctrine Christ is excellent in working Esa 28.29 not a wheele in the Watch within that goes untrue but he can finde it and mend it COLOSSIANS 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his crosse THe connection of this Verse with the former yeelded us some things very useful of which you heard the last day We are now to consider the Verse in it self divine favour according to its formality causality and extent are here particularly set down According to its formality and so 't is expressed in Synonymicall terms Peace and reconciliation according to its causality and this expressed and amplified Christs blood the blood of his crosse By that blood which took away Christs life love between God and the creature was made The latitude of this love how far it reaches in the last words of the verse is expressed to wit to things in earth and to things in Heaven The love that breathes forth by Christ casteth rayes and beams over all The opening of things thus divided shall be one after another as we come to them The grand thing that belongs to our welfare I am now to enter upon Our blessednesse lies in union with the chiefest good Man is ruined because out with God God at variance communicates no blessings and man is in hell every where if he have not
ever according to that Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulnesse of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in Heaven and which are in earth Gathered together in one ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to renew the state and condition of all Angels and men in and under one head which is here mentioned Jesus Christ That Angels have the same common head with Saints and so consequently the completion of their state in the same head together with us is apparent Col. 2.10 And yee are compleat in him which is the head of all principalitie and power Angels are of the quire above together with the Saints and they all sing one tune and they are of the fellowship below also they are brought in as joynt members of the universall invisible Church You are come to mount Sion to the Citie of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels The condition of the greatest states is here considerable The noblest creatures are beholding to Christ things in heaven as well as things in earth Nothing is absolute but God men are noble Angels are noble but they all lean upon one more noble then themselves or else they would fall and become as ignoble as those cursed spirits below us Man is a little lower then Angels Angels a great deal lower then Christ their being is founded in his greatnesse and is confirmed in his goodnesse That grace which is redemption to the lower world is confirmation to the upper There would be no place for pride if this point were well digested None apter to swell in spirit then man man sets us up externally a little and then the Devill sets us up internally much few but swell and break eternally when gotten high in the world I wonder at it were you as high as heaven as high as Angels yet were ye below Christ The body of Heaven in its brightnesse is under his feet Exod. 24.10 What is under Christs feet he can trample upon at pleasure pride is no small sin and yet it growes up the Lord knows from very small things What hast thou that thou hast not received What have things in heaven which they have not and hold not from Christ The lesse may be said for sin the greater 't is and the worse that heart in which it growes Pride is a grand plague 't is one that hath taken leave of Christ and conscience to humor himself but Ah Lord when will this man content himself A man will sooner breake his heart then content his heart which pursues the proud lusts of it A soule devoted to it self is as cruell a Master to serve as the Devill to pursue the dictates of a proud spirit is endlesse work and hell enough for any creature if there were none else to come Soules in this consumption should consider their disease and their cure The remedy of every vice is in Christ this tree hath leaves to cure all diseases There is no distemper in the spirit but Christ may be considered under such a notion as to rectifie it Consider Christ as the keeper up of Angels and 't is enough to keep down the spirit of any man COLOSS. 1.20 Whether they be things in earth c. AS the expression points at things in heaven 't is usefull you see as it speaks of things in earth 't is more proper to us The latitude of divine love downward is as large as upward it reacheth all things in heaven and all things in earth That he might reconcile all things to himself whether things in heaven or things in earth The grace of reconciliation as it works towards things on earth is very vast as it works towards creatures above 't is unexpressible a man cannot tell how many love smiles upon in heaven and therefore generally exprest all things a universall term to note the vastnesse of that kindnesse So as it works towards things on earth 't is inexpressible 't is called all things to note the vastnesse the unexpressible company which Christ embraceth here below A man cannot tell the number of spirits in earth which Christ doth reconcile to his Father in heaven Grace works unexpressibly vast to us ward Doct. Grace doth abound The Lord is upon many waters Psal 29.3 As providence externall so providence internall doth reach forth it self to many Many bodies are saved from sinking in the sea because the Lord is upon the waters So many soules are saved from sinking into hell because the Lord moves upon these many waters too The world is full of troubles as the sea of waves not one but meets with enough to over-turn all if God did not uphold the whole world would fall into a consumption and die as big a body as 't is if God did not uphold Not one nor two nor three but all creatures share in upholding mercy or else all would sink 't is so in a proportion in spirituall respects Satan is an industrious creature to overthrow mans welfare he goes about seeking whom he may devoure none would escape hell if God were not exceeding rich in mercy Satans desire is to destroy all and his malice is attended with such art that it would certainly bring forth its end did not the speciall providence of Christ prevent which it doth and doth it to many the grace of Christ unto life is powred out upon many souls There are many last which are made first as well as many first are made last Many are eternally saved out of the power of Satan as many are prey'd upon by him Grace did work more compendiously then now it doth before Christs coming in the flesh lost sheep of the house of Israel found all that dropt from heaven and they were but few the Lord knoweth one of a City and two of a Tribe But since a great dore of love is opened and many hundred soules in one City yea many thousands in one Countrey come in to the Lord Jesus Christ The white sheet of mercy that is let down from Heaven now is great saith the Text and it hath all manner of beasts in it and the Apostle makes a Comment upon it as I do My vision saith he speaks the grace of Christ working now very richly God hath shewed me that I should call nothing common or unclean He speaks it in the case of Saul not a man so vile so bloody and malicious but the blood of Christ may reconcile him to God the love of God doth now so richly work Mercy is infinite and it works so God shews mercy to thousands from generation to generation Abrahams seed are as the stars of heaven for multitude God hath but one Son but Christ hath many he brings many sons to glory Infinite mercy generates infinitely what is in Christ derives it self to all the nations of the earth Aarons rod buds Christs blessing buds it multiplies into many blessings and spreads all the world over In thee
no man will say so much as before said in words but thousands say it in deeds say what we will what we can of justice of mercy of the latitude of these yet sinners will drive on in their own courses as long as liberty strength and life will give leave These hearts are dead in trespasses Let what Sun will shine upon the dead it warms them not these sinners are twice dead dead naturally and dead voluntary they have tasted of the sweet of their wayes and they get much wealth and pleasure by it and they are not children to part with a reality for a fancie These are whole and need not a Physician our work is quickly done about these Burthened souls you are the proper subject of mercy and of this discourse the call of this doctrine is to you Come every one of you to Christ and ye shall have ease he excludes none Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden A loded soul is self-condemn'd he cannot stand under the sense of sin and wrath alas who can A soul self-condemned hath a halter about his neck of his own making but do not hang thy self the King of Israel is very mercifull he hangs none that comes to him as thou dost with a halter about his neck hold a parly with him for thy life thou mayst bring him to what terms of mercy thou wilt almost Bid Christ make Propositions of peace Lord what wilt thou have me to do If he say that he wil have thee do this and do that deny thy self and follow him pluck out thy right eye and cut off thy right hand and the like tel him that through him thou canst do all things give me thy self and I will part with any thing lend me thine hand and I will rise draw me and I will run after thee Nothing is vile to me but that which thou forbiddest nothing dear but that which thou commandest only let me touch the hem of thy garment let me take hold of thy skirt and I shall accomplish thy will and mine own This request cannot be denied Make this conclusion and feed upon it under all desertion and temptation Christ is ingaged furnished yea about this very design to give himself to thee Christ is ingaged for thee by petition thou hast put up many petitions to him and he hath put them up all to God he could do no otherwise for he is by place an Advocate to mention and plead such cases as are moved to him Christ is furnished by concession for he is heard in all that he askes my Father heareth me always We ask many things and misse because we ask amisse Christ alwayes asketh well and speeds well therefore conclude of reliefe You that mourne after Christ he will send a Comforter The command of God is upon Christ he shall be a light to the Gentiles When Christ ingages himself by petition for any God doth alwayes ingage him by concession and by accomplishment for it See thou do this poor soul good my Son here is for him according to all that he needs let it be laid out upon him according to all thou sayest will make him happy Must he have my Spirit my comforting Spirit will no lesse nor no cheaper thing make him smile will not a little Saffron mixed with some spirituous liquid make him laugh No must he have my Spirit my Joyâs then here ' t is But be sure my Son that thou give it him The injunction of God is upon Christ He shall be a light to the Gentiles God doth trust no Doctor no Apothecary none but Christ himself about drouping souls and he puts into his hand cordials of infinite price and saith that he shall give them and his blessing with them that he shall be not only means of light but Light it self to dark souls that is the blessing of means as well as means That Christ is about and upon giving himself to thee O soul I will demonstrate to thee thus Christ hath looked upon thee this is the first thing a man doth when he intends to bestow himself upon any Abasuerus viewed the damosels first The Son hath looked upon thee that the Son hath looked upon thee is apparent for the beauty of his countenance hath taken thee and thou wouldest fain have his Image to wear in thy breast and if all thou hadst would buy it how willingly wouldst thou part with it the words which fall from Christs lips are as marrow and those which suit thy state as marrow and fatnesse Surely the King hath looked upon thee and more he hath a liking to thee Thou lovest him thou mayst conclude therefore that he loved thee first We love him because he loved us first the man makes love first Christ wooed thee long ere he thus far gained thee though thou take no notice of it Nay more then this Christ hath bestowed love-tokens upon thee surely he is bestowing himself to thee Christ hath given thee by us his messengers as Abrahams servant a golden eare-ring bracelets for thine hands by the word whch we preach he hath given thee his Spirit thou breathest as Christ doth very sweelty I do not smell it No one cannot smell his own breath when 't is sweet only when it stincks much but others smell it in every room where thou comest Would Christ were mine Is not this the period still of thy expression at the end of every discourse Such an one hath got so much and so much saith one to thee dost not thou reply would Christ were mine and then I had got more then he Dost thou not gaspe only after Christ when thou fetchest breath deepest That 's the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which makes sighs and groans which cannot be expressed he and thee sigh together one in another and one after another Love is mutually set the contract is made only 't is not published to the world some deliberate time is used about this 'T is a distinct thing from being Christs to know that I am his and that he hath bestowed himself upon me and all the wranglings quarrellings and gain-sayings of Satan and a mans own soul will not be quite dead till the soul be quite in the bosome of Christ When one argues from the beams of the Sun that there is a Sun me thinks the cavillingst spirit of unbelief that is should lie still Had no body ever taken notice of any ray of the Sun appearing in the soul to argue from only the word of grace pressed and the man that was al the dayes of his life a vile wretch beholding his own necessity and the riches of goodnesse and laying hold upon it he were bound to believe that Christ accepted of him and bestowed himself upon him I beseech you weak souls know two things and you cannot but be strong Know the riches of the Gospel and know the obligement of the Gospel it tenders mercy 1. freely and so it 2. must be owned
brave spirits in his bloud and trades them out all for Christ and Heaven in long voyages to come home rich he hath no hand but to good but to this he hath hand and heart and nothing can fetch off either Then answered I thus and said The God of Heaven will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no portion nor right nor memoriall in Jerusalem Nehem. 2.20 A Christian indeed magnanimous hath truth in one hand and life in the other and this is his Motto Take one take both This is his Motto every where in libertie in bonds and this he speakes and smiles now I joy Vse Wee are put by providence to speake upon a seasonable subject times call us to move bravely every one in our place Furie is abroad and furie is at home nothing but a brave spirit can now kisse Christ and smile in the face of both Greatnesse will over-bear and jostle a weak spirit though otherwise good as a childe from his father and make him cry and take on dolefully for want of that countenance which did smile upon him Power generates pride unlesse it sit in a very sweet breast the effects of this are bloudie and not a man can withstand to any purpose but he that is steele to the backe 'T is said of Vzziah that when he was strong that is externally strong that he was lifted up to his destruction This Prince after his great victories fell upon the worship of God and carried it by his owne greatnesse as he pleased which is a plague proper to pride to be spiritually and desperately wanton to creepe into the Temple and to confront God as highly as may be And the Text tells us of Azariah and fourscore brave Priests of the Lord that withstood him saying It pertaines not to thee O King to burne incense but to the Priests of the Lord which are consecrated goe out of the Sanctuarie thou hast trespassed and it shall not be for thine honour There were fourscore of these magnanimous spirits then would there were fourscore thousand of these now in the Christian world they are much needed to withstand violence against the worship of God against the priviledge of Ministers and people Blindnesse hardens men fooles will as soone strike with a club as with a twig as soone stab with a knife as with a straw every one that bowes not downe to the Idol of their fancie this is stoutnesse to destruction as the forecited Scripture speakes and 't is pitie it should destroy any but such as are guiltie of it and yet it will if not withstood What a dolefull condition would all have come to if those few brave spirits had given way to all that the King in the blindnesse of his heart would have done A Christian indeed magnanimous is he that stands in the gap in a time of wrath and none else this man is a Phinebat an Azariah one that stayes the plague the sword the wrath of God that eates upon us and would eate us out all unlesse some such brave spirits appeared abroad and at home in the field and in the Citie You can doe no service to quench the fire of jealousie that now burnes unlesse you get more fire in your hearts Life and death is in the ballance and the scales stand which scale will weigh downe we cannot tell onely this I can say this grace of Magnanimitie put in that scale where the life of the Kingdome lies would turne the beame presently and life should weigh downe death peace and prosperitie ruine and desolation 'T is pitie that brave spirits are no more smil'd upon some such buddings of hope are now and then but they are blasted againe men are alive a while and then dead Persons which are in such a condition that are pretie well one while and at deaths-dore againe another while men have still feare lest some vitals wast in such a state which is not yet discerned England if death should cure all thy diseases at last for want of a little life what a dolefull giving up the ghost will this be Whither wouldest thou carry thy cold off-spring that they might grow more warme To such and such plantations beyond the Seas Between thee and them is a great gulph and it may be they that would goe to them shall not they that thou wouldest should come to thee will not they that stay in the Citie famine may devoure they that goe to flie out a sword may cut off A Serpent a Lion or a Beare sword famine or plague may divide all between them within dore and without Surely England thy giving up if ever that sad day come which the Lord grant it may not will be with such ghastly groanes with such hideous shreechings with such tabering of breasts and tearing of haire with such weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as scarce ever any eye saw or eare heard since wrath and desolation began among the Gentiles Wherefore call upon thy selfe O England and call upon thy Physicians for Christian magnanimitie tell them what death thou fearest and what grudgings of it thou feelest alreadie in severall parts Where there be palsies and such diseases which are by cold which be numbe and dead the parts there rubbing is good to fetch heat and agilitie Rub one another frequently exhort one another daily strike fire in one anothers breasts admonish reprove but doe all in love Passion generates passion wild-fire is not magnanimitie this burnes all it doth not save all Magnanimitie springs out of love 't is a stout spirit candid with the sweetnesse of Christ and made a Lamb and a Lion as Christ was a Lamb when among sheep to be led by them but a Lion when among Beares and Wolves to awe and lead them Magnanimitie is the perfectest temper of Christ in all this world 't is a Lion lying downe with a Lamb and doing it no hurt and a Lamb playing upon the hole of an Aspe and receiving no hurt it is one that can doe no hurt but can and will doe much good 't is one that fels himselfe like Christ at a very low rate to doe good to all COLOSSIANS 1.24 Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã SUfferings both externall and internall the word imports such stripes upon the flesh as did affect and afflict the spirit that did make passiones animi soule-passions There is such an affinite between the body and the soule that it is hard to separate them in suffering yet a divine hand of God who is father of spirit and flesh makes burthens pinch more upon the one then upon the other as pleaseth him Pauls cup was eminently proportion'd to Christs 't was to fill up that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ and Christs cup had those ingredients which made his soule heavie to death they did deeply affect not onely his flesh but his spirit Body and soule were
as Simeon and Levi brethren in evill and God makes chaines to couple both together in misery and pinches that part most that is worst puts double bolts upon the leader to sin that 's the soule What God joynes he would not have us to part what we joyne he will not part we joyne body and soule in sin and he doth not part them in suffering not in the best Christ can distinguish between these two in the matter of affliction and so lightly touches the flesh that it shall never trouble the spirit but then man usually despiseth the chastening of the Lord yea the best are apt to doe so My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord. God puts such twigs in all his cords for his children that he makes no wantons of them when they joy in sufferings under one notion they shall sorrow in them under another When they joy in sufferings it shall be against sense and against reason not as if they did feele a little but as feeling much onely apprehending the issue how glorious and how precious that will be Bonds and chaines are so heavie as to make our joy a pure joy the misery of Saints is so ponderous as to presse their joy pure to make it a joy of faith not of sense in the least body and soule being both in paine You squeese out the spirit and puritie of things so doth Christ Christ doth so affect the body and soule in his dealings that if any grace act forth it shall be pure grace such as is fed with no low principle If joy worke it shall be from faith not from feeling if faith worke it shall be from the word without not from any thing that it feeles else or sees without or within Our heights are necessitated with one medium or other When our soules are highest they are wound and screwed up to it with much paine and then when raised to this height 't would not be downe againe for all the world but kisses the rod chaines prisons any bitters that worke about so sweet so heavenly a life as to joy purely in Christ The nature of divine trials is the thing that I would stand upon how the arrowes of the Almightie are shaped now sharpe these are which he shoots at his people they pierce thorow all body and soule Wherefore is life given to him that is in misery and light to him that is in bitternesse of soule Job 3.20 These expressions aptly suite the point I am upon and doe open the nature of those trials that befall the godly they have misery that is not all they have misery wrapt up into such bitter pils as work upon the soule That 's strong physick indeed that sets all a trembling casting body and soule yet such God gives those he loves dearly in bitternesse of soule the expression is very emphaticall like that to Elymas in the gall of bitternesse it speakes a state steeped and soaked long in misery till soaked quite thorow every sinew stretched every bone put out of joynt no whole part within nor without not a thought lying still nor knowing where to find a pillow in any roome of the soule to lie downe on God makes no distinction of persons here I meane in the point that I am pursuing All things come alike to all alike sweet alike bitter alike for qualitie alike for quantitie a vessell of honour filled as full of sorrow here as a vessell of wrath waters coming into the soule I am feeble and sore broken I have roared for the disquietnesse of my heart Psal 38.81 None but evill spirits are broken and tortur'd below they are all cursed creatures that roare there but here good as well as bad are broken all to pieces all roare here wicked men Saints brave Spirits I am sore broken I roare What a dreadfull din and noise is all this world over One would thinke one were in hell whilest here in every Countie in every Citie in every house no dore sprinkled for a passeover in this point of sorrow sorrow at the heart The arrowes of the Lord are within me No house so walled nor so high here but God shoots into it when he will he moves in order to all trials with the godly as he doth in order to all judgements with the wicked according to an absolute will When he will he takes up whom he will amongst the wicked and trusseth him up so or so quarters him and hangs up his quarters makes him lesse or more notorious as he pleases so when he will he takes up whom he will of the godly prisons chaines them till the Iron enter into their soule sets them up as a mark and shoots them cleane thorow Why hast thou set me up as a mark to shoot at Job 7.20 And this a meere exercise of prerogative will which Job could not understand at present but did afterward Though God hath made over much to man yet hath reserved this priviledge to himselfe to have his Range in this great Forest here below to shoot at what he will at what goat he will or at what Deer he will and at what part of this Deer he will at the heart so he doth not make an incurable wound And this Christ can doe and this may be the reason of his priviledge He wounds as he pleases because he can heale as he pleases shoots the body and shoots the soule of his people because he can take out the bullet where ever it lies and heale that part as perfect yea perfecter then ever ' t was Poisons that gangrene and eate upward and inward towards the heart Christ can stop their secret motion and draw out the poison at the pores of the soule at the eyes at the mouth in spirituall breathings and kind soule-sweatings pantings mournings and turne this poison that drops out of these pores into a precious spirited liquid and bottle it up as a cordiall for himselfe to drinke of and to delight his palate withall for ever The rarest spirits are extracted out of the strongest poisons and Christ wants no skill to doe it he is an admirable Chymist and therefore takes whom and what he will to try his skill upon There are no such poisonous things in the world as sin and punishment especially when they meet together in the soule and yet then Christ can extract such a spirit out of both as all this world shall hardly match Christ can bring a body downe to the grave and raise him up againe and make his bones like Behemoth like barres of Iron David found it oft Thou hast renewed my strength like an Eagle So Christ can bring a soule down to Hell and raise it up againe to Heaven yea bring him up so full of Heaven that not one of a thousand not one of fortie thousand comparable and what Christ can doe in this point he doth when and as he pleaseth Mibbor sââon He brought me up also out of a horrible
of the best men upon earth This makes longing and panting for full redemption which is the property of the Church of God upon earth 't would be in Heaven There is a voice in Rama and t is all over Rama mourning and lamentation Rachel weeping bitterly if you aske her why She will tell you I have many sonnes and daughters sweet children all and yet not one but very hardly handled sore shot at by deadly archers many are slaine and are not and the rest abused and vilified as the off-scouring of all things torne with Lyons and little wormes gnawing and eating up the carcasse pulled downe by great ones and when down trod to death by base ones Rachel hath not a child but sits like the Shunamites in her armes sighing groaning and mourning because of one wound or other within or without and I cannot remedy any of this saith she and this cuts me to the heart my children are slaine in mine armes slaine with the breast at their mouthes yea ripped out of my wombe Would my children were all in my husbands armes saith Rachel then they would all be safe would he would send and fetch me and all mine out of this plundered countrey into his owne city then all would be well soule well yea and body well The world heares little of this noise t is so inward but t is the panting and beating of every good mans pulse and bowels in a degree We which have the first fruits of the Spirit where these fruits lie is the noise we groane within our selves waiting for the adoption For the adoption This they had already The meaning therefore is for the full fruition of what they were adopted to which is explained in the following words to wit the redemption of our body The soule goes first to the society above the body last all is perfect when this comes therefore is this onely mentioned which notes that the militant Church groanes and pants after a perfect state every one sighing and bleeding inwardly inwardly earnestly willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord 2 Corinth 5.8 This was shadowed by Davids ascent to Mount Oliver And David went up by the ascent of Mount Oliver and wept as he went up and be had his head covered and he went bare-foot and all the people that was with him covered every man his head and they went up weeping as they went up 2 Sam. 15.30 Christ which David typified and all his followers here below are going up sighing and panting and mourning to that mount above Vse We are come to speake of a Militant church in a Militant time surely our course is steered by a supreame hand for speciall good to some of you Christians lay to heart the state of that body whereof yet you are can you Jerusalem which is above above the world and above Satan is the mother of us all that body which Christ hath upon earth groaned travelled with you and brought you forth this wombe which bare you those pappes which gave you sucke are now wounded with a thousand wounds doe you see them The haire of your mother is torne her bowels ript up her blood runnes in every high way O all ye that passe by have ye observed it Dogs licke the blood of Jezabel yea the blood of Rachel the Sword of the wicked sheds the blood of many a gallant man England a great Parke full of deare soules the pales now plucked up the game of Christ shot at by every base person many a brave Hart falne onely a few Fawnes left women and children crying and ringing their hands for their husbands and fathers doe you heare them Mother where is my Father when will he come home Sir where is my husband when will he come home And a lasse for them he is at home already at his long home Heathens rage on one hand mothers children angry on t'other hand the Boare is abroad the Fox at home one puls off the tender Grapes t'other squeeses and suckes their blood the worke is one the tailes of all the wilde beasts in the Land are together though their faces seem to looke severall waies one shoots at the body t'other at the soule both poison their Bullets the venome whereof feeds that Divine justice which now fights against us all as if it were resolved to consume us all for ought any one amongst us all can yet see Is not the Church of Christ in England militant Men Devils yea a God fights against it for the pollution in it Christians you are witnesses of all this what doe you in secret doe you mourne for the tearings and rendings of Joseph can you doe it doe you move according to your condition Military fight with prayers and teares doe you finde any aptnesse this way I aske this because displeasure sinkes deepe sometimes and drinkes up all Divine moisture in the soule the wombe of prayers and teares closes withers and dries up God secretly saith pray not for this people and then good hearts pumpe and pompe and nothing will come Abraham had some such secret checke surely when hee broke off struggling so strangely for Sodome when God seemed to be upon such an yeelding veine secret providence certainely was in it that he might not yeeld so farre as to null peremptory resolution which was to make an end of a generation whose iniquity was full God felt Abraham holding him and cries let me alone but Abraham did not feels God holding him nor cried let me alone Lord let me plucke a brand out of the fire let me quench Hell fire once with my teares Christians I beseech you observe your spirits the welfare of all is in this point I am now upon and not in your great Armies abroad which you so much looke upon if you feele God tying up and straitning your soules in regard of a Sodome which you struggle for a Land that looks as if it were ripe in all wickednesse and farre worse in some circumstances then ever Sodome was cry Lord let me alone let me draw buckets let me make my Study my closet a Bokim a place of teares let me quench a fire that hath almost burnt a brave Kingdome to ashes let me save a Nation a populous Nation thousands and ten thousands thousands of thousands from swimming to hell in their owne blood If I shall not pray out yet let me chatter so in thine eares that fifteene yeeres may be added to the life of three Kingdomes to set themselves in order to goe hence to be pilgrims and wanderers to any other part where thou wilt Thus doe your duty and then submit We should be affected with our condition but not cast down A state of hardship generates discontent and now Satan hath set Heaven and Earth on fire A man may have a Heaven in his soule when a Hell in his body if submissive still to the will of God but when fightings without make fightings within repinings
against providence because it doth not jut and jumpe with my will now all is slaine and not till now Heaven and Earth on fire body and soule killed with a canon from Hell and all the powers of darknesse crying victory Doe Serpents sting murmure not remember where Christs church is of which thou art yet a member t is in the Wildernesse yet and but going to Canaan and such places are full of hurtfull beasts Be not overcome of evill then misery dissolves it selfe into sinne then God is stung and thou wilt have secret blowes for this indeed where men cannot pinch thee thou wilt have salt throwne where the spring of unsoundnesse lies and then thy Spirit will burne within thee for something We should not onely be submissive to but joyfull under the crosse of our Lord Jesus You cannot tell how much mercy t is to be any of that body of which Christ is the soule if it be but a foot a bare foot and still in the dirt still upon prickes briers and thornes to be any of that company that is travelling to Heaven though the meanest the hindmost the most misused c. But you will know when you come there The crosse keepes off some from being of the Church militant they cannot militare they had rather die then fight and kill what they love more then Christ Sinne effeminates the soule love any lust more then Christ and you will die ten thousand deaths rather then strike a stroke in good earnest against it or discharge one Piece with a Bullet against that fort where your heart lies Satan deales by stratagem sinners looke to your soules he can kill none that take up Armes against him and stand to it he either betrayes affection with trifles and makes the soule yeeld and so stab conscience and sweare a damnable peace or else he terrifies the soule with corporall dangers and makes men flee and all that flee in spirituall warfare die every one are cut off eternally by the pursuer When there are fightings without there are feares within When I came into Macedonia my flesh had no rest troubles on every side fightings without and feares within Men now love their flesh Paul in this had no rest no neither in his spirit he had stood to it upon pure principles Hee wants fellowes in this age of the world wonderfully The Church of the Lord Jesus travels groanes dies for want of them This generation will have more then the advantage of truth to encourage them to set forth to wit the advantage of time quiet time Deluded soules when will this be you so dote upon your skin that you have quite forgotten the state of Christs church upon earth t is militant You will live in Egypt that you may see no warre that you may save your skin your pompe your wealth this your wisdome is your folly Egypt shall not save you the Sword shall follow you into Egypt into your Egyptian huts and coverings Read Jeremy 42.13 14 15. But if ye say We will not dwell in this Land c. No but we will goe into the Land of Egypt where we shall see no warre nor heare the sound of the Trumpet nor have hunger of bread and there will we dwell c. Then it shall come to passe that the Sword which ye feared shall overtake you there in the Land of Egypt and the famine whereof ye were afraid shall follow close after you in Egypt and there ye shall die COLOS. 1.24 For his bodies sake which is the Church THe word notes a company called out of this world and the scope according to which it is used here carries it in its full bredth to comprize all the blessed company both which are in Heaven and in earth this generall society was shadowed by the generall Assembly at Ierusalem and is called by that name by the Apostle Heb. 12.23 Ye are come to the generall Assembly the Church of the first-borne This Catholique company is great and farre divided some in Heaven some in Earth some in this part of the Earth some in that and yet all have but one spirit and therefore essentially the same and what is done for the good of one part necessarily redounds to the good and glory of all He is of a publique spirit that layes out for the good of a City of a Kingdome and the like thousands will blesse him generations yet not borne will blesse God for such instruments but he is of a publique spirit indeed that layes out his state or blood for the good of the Church of Christ many thousands in this Kingdome in other Kingdomes all the Earth over all Heaven over will blesse him This generall assembly comes all out of one loine and divide themselves into two bands one turnes to the everlasting Hills 'tother to the Plaines and Valleys of this world There is a Lilly of the Valleys and a Lilly of the Hils there is a Church on Earth and a Church in Heaven The great King whom we subject to hath a Chappell of ease a Church in his house the condition of this is farre different from that here below the Lilly of the Hils is another gets Lilly then that of the Valleys the pursuit of each shall be distinct which will demonstrate the condition how it differs The Church which Christ hath in his house is a society of perfect spirits in perfect rest triumphing with Christ over all enemies The Congregation above is very big thousands and thousands of thousands from all parts quarters and countries yet all perfect not one dwarfe in grace in Heaven not one Zacheus a person of a little stature there are no spirits of little stature in grace above though it be all our case here every one is as tall as Christ to any ones beholding I cannot tell else how to interpret that expression of the Apostles Eph. 4 Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ They that are come to that unity and society above are all compleat their measure is the fulnesse of Christ their demensions his stature so tall so big limmed so faire and so accomplished to looke upon What a perfect man now is Christ in Heaven of what a brave stature in grace and in glory an Absolon without spot from the crowne of the head to the soule of the foot so are all that Noble society which are with him without spot or wrinkle and therefore called a glorious Church That he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing c. Ephes 5.27 the word here translated spot is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies such spots as are in garments by dashing and dirting outside spots they have no spots within nor without above not in their skin not in their clothes nor any such thing that is
first abus'd his soul and then his body he swel'd within pride puffed up his spirit the man would be God pride is spirituall wickednesse which had suitable justice man is made naked within as well as without body and soul stript of God and he that would be a God is no man but a beast Man that was in honour became as the beast that perisheth that is perishing all over for you know so is the state of a beast soul and body perishing Justice works like justice she makes suitable revenge to cut off a finger when the man deserves to have his neck cut off humane justice doth not go forth so unsuitably neither doth divine Man abus'd his glory his soul and therefore God turned this glory into shame man defiled this with sinne and therefore this is subjected to wrath and made to need deliverance most and therefore is this deliverance here from sinne noted as the grand deliverance Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse c. Man is in soul-misery universally Wrath death soul-death Universally is passed over all men The whole world is a great field of slain souls not a man in the world but lies under a deadly soul-wound Unbelief hath shut up all and that 's a soul-plague and yet the plague of all saith the Apostle Jews and Gentiles The whole world is shut up in sinne and misery and needs a deliverance what a great goal is one sinne become a gangrene keeps not at one part it runs over all There were many lepers in Israel saith the prophet and he also saith there were many widows but I cannot say of this world that there are many lepers and many widows but all are lepers and widows unmarried creatures to Christ not one good Who can say his heart is clean Prov. 20.9 There is a plague of the body but that is not every ones plague but there is a plague of the heart and that is every ones plague there are mortall diseases upon the immortall souls of all and the expression in the Text here speaks it plain Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse who hath taken us out of the common deluge Use The truth is plain before you man is in soul-misery he needs a soul-deliverance Apply this point to your selves are you sensible of the truth of it do you set your selves to work answerably Bodily misery begins to creep towards you and you are very sensible of this bloud and wounds are like to be common to catch hold of every one and every ones flesh shakes O what misery are we in saith one and what misery are we in saith another yea but what misery is thy soul in art thou sensible of that dost thou feel that plague of plagues that misery within which hath made all so miserable without Bodily misery is but to make sensible of soul-misery 't is Gods pulling the rope without to make the bell speak within and 't is many thousand mens unhappinesse that they consider not this and it comes as the last means to do this The sunne shines a great while as the onely kind means to open mens eyes and to bring them to see their state but when this will not do the sunne sets and darknesse comes in the place thereof that is misery and calamity to beat open these doors which love could not unlock Look about thee England thy last remedie is upon thee to make thee good to make thee know thy lukewarmnesse thy settlednesse upon thy lees thy soul-misery Thou beginnest to grow very poore in temporalls dost thou yet begin to see that thou art poore in spiritualls Thou beginnest to be made naked in body dost thou yet begin to see thy soul-nakednesse what a poore blind wretched and naked Church thou art what a pitifull soul thou hast Bishops may be and Common Prayer book may be and this and that unwarranted thing may be in Gods worship such language as this speaks how soul-miserable thou art still But I will not be so generall in the application of this point I will speak particularly to you In the night owls eyes are open and they see 'T is night now in England and very dark ye blind creatures are your eyes open do you yet see any thing that belongs to your souls doth sinne revive now things without are kill'd your iniquity hath found ye out have you found out it Can you lay your hand on your heart and say Here 's that iniquity that hath made a kingdome bleed my family desolate undone me and mine Paul when the Law was preached to him sinne revived and he died in the consideration of his wretched condition God preaches Law now all the kingdome over because Gospel will do no good doth sinne revive now and can you see the wretched state of your souls When the sonnes of Jacob were cast into bodily misery then their soul-misery came to sight what they had done to their brother Joseph and they could lay their hand distinctly upon that within which brought so much misery without upon them When ponds are stirred and water let out then frogs and toads appear and we see what uggly things they are Thus hath God dealt with many of you Londoners you had great estates like great deep ponds and now God hath let out all almost that you may see what mud toads and frogs are at the bottome of it in your souls with what hearts ye got and kept your wealth do you see any uggly creatures yet stirre in your souls ye are almost I think some of you in Josephs brethrens case ready to starve for want of bread Can you now like them tell that within which hath made such clean work without which hath clean'd your teeth and your states Sensibility of soul-misery is the thing that is driven at in all this The man that complains not of soul-misery amongst all other miseries he undergoes I am afraid is not sensible of the main evil upon him Where there is a new man and an old in one heart there is a perpetuall warre and this very sensible I find a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind That which will be death to the soul is death to it and the soul groans under it as in the pangs of death Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Corruption according to its qualitie and according to its quantity a soul sensible of its state is sensible of both what corrupt bloud is in him and how much and how it runs up and down in every vein and pricks as it goes and no Physician like him that can do good to this diseased body Who shall deliver me from this body of death What a burthen corruption is to you in the body of it and in the branches of it and what a death it makes to your life what a blessing desired is Christ and what pantings daily about these things you know there is no way like
c. Psalme 58.9.10 Both living and in his wrath as living as his wrath is the originall like that expression used of Chora and his company who went down quick into the pit as living as the wrath of God that took them off There is snatching of wicked into hell as well as snatching of believers into Heaven 1. Coloss 13. Power of darknesse I Do approve this translation and possibly might joyn issue with it and do well but give me leave rather a little to touch a more strict translation according to the originall The word which is here translated power is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies licentia a generall leave such a kind of libertie wherein one is freed to do what he will of one hand or the other So the Apostle uses the word to the Corinthians If a man eat or not eat he offends not onely saith he use not your ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã licence in this case to offence As this may be a genuine signification of the word so I believe it may give here a genuine sense Who hath delivered us à licentia tenebrarum from the libertinisme of darknesse and blindnesse the lawlesnesse of Gentilisme for darknesse here notes the rude estate of the Gentiles their rudenesse in sacred letters made them a loose lawlesse generation Ignorance pollutes the will That I may have the favour to be candidly received in this reading of the text I would note this to you to stand on That darknesse makes loosnesse ignorance of the word of God makes a lawlesse soul a Gentile Nature is powerfull as truth is wanting for corruption puts no yoke upon her self but doth what seemeth good in her own eyes when nothing to contradict Nature yields up all to will soul body gifts parts and that 's the God she sacrifices to of her self and to none else when she hath no light As you have yielded your members servants unto uncleannesse and to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6.19 Nature yields up to will will yields up to iniquity one iniquitie yields up to another iniquity a lesse to a greater and this is the progresse of fallen man till all be yielded up to the devil and himself to hell Nature acknowledgeth no supreme but Iust lust is a king of her own crowning to this though never so base though never so unclean all shall serve and to none else As you have yielded up your members servants to uncleannesse c. Nature is as licentious as hell darknesse is her supreme and the prince and power which onely leads her The flesh hath reasonings if the spirit cannot answer them The practice understanding the soul is overcome by the power of darknesse that is darknesse is put for light bitter for sweet and this in a way of argument for nature is loose and yet a justifier of her self in her way by some blind mediums or other which is the damning power of darknesse If we say we have no sinne saith the Apostle intimating that nature can argue for it self the old man hath a tongue in his head though scarce any brains or eyes and he will speak for himself the grave can open her mouth and speak as rotten as 't is this is a voice from the dead sinne saith 'tis no sinne and who can stand up and say 't is when the soul hath no light when there is no sunne in the heavens but all powers of the soul in darknesse Darknesse calls not it self so the crow is beautifull to himself the blackmoore fair in his own eye sinne saith 'tis no sinne this is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã loosnesse and lawlesnesse with a witnesse licentiousnesse protested Darknesse pollutes conscience conscience erroneous The conscience the soul is loose indeed the man will then kill Saints and call them devils the man will kill and slay whom he should not and think he doth God good service Conscience polluted judgement is reprobate judgement reprobate the life is so judgement misjudging and Samsons both eyes be out and all in thick darknesse and how strong soever other limbs and parts be yet you may lead the man whither you will and set him to grind or to what slaverie else you will till the man hath killed himself this is licentia insana mad libertie bloudy loosnesse Corruption is infecting and one facultie defiles another corruption works unto desperate lewdnesse when conscience carries the man to do wickedly this person will kill men and kill Christ in men Why dost thou persecute me How long will you resist the holy Ghost Ignorance Satans proper advantage Finally darknesse is the devils element and things are powerfull in their own element Sathan can lead a world of blind souls at once whither he will Sathan and corruption are the councel of State in dark souls both consulting and consenting and they discern neither and when these two carry all the soul is under a full power of darknesse and a generall liberty Sathan hath a kingdome and t is a kingdome of darknesse the devil is in his kingdome in a dark soul and a king in his kingdome rules all Kings give laws in their kingdome What Satan and the flesh say is a law to a blind soul how loose then must the life needs be There is a law in the members and the execution of this law is not accounted rebellion where the eyes be out and the man in the dark Dark souls are as obeying as the devil is commanding he that follows the Lambe whereever he goes is very holy and so he that follows the wolf the devil whithersoever he leads you may conclude is very unholy very licentious and under the power of darknesse Vse To the dark Church of England I will speak a word from this point Thy darknesse hath made loosnesse and lawlesnesse bloudy desperate gentilisme and heathenisme thy children are risen up against thee to kill thee for keeping them without light O English earth drink not up the bloud of thy slain take the bloud of thy body and the bloud of thy soul and throw it in the face of Bishops Deans Prebends Parsons Vicars Curats and all of that kind which have and do keep thee in blindnesse and taught thy children to kill Christ and one another For some years together loosnesse in tenets loose doctrines and pamphlets filled the kingdome directed against the Sabbath and other main parts of Christs will Prelates brains hatched nothing but toads they crept out of their mouths all the land over and then I did sadly foresee what all was drawing too apace loose tenets make a loose life When I saw mens gifts and parts under the power of darknesse I did believe that their persons and fortunes would not be long behind toads and serpents when they are generated must live who ever be stung and poisoned to death Unhappy Prelates must England bleed and die rather then your pompe all her bloud yet cries against this generation Was not this
place and that is the Golgotha for souls the place of spirituall skulls where the skulls of the inward man lie Prepare mourning you that have dead in your houses and hearts for the dead will be buried quickly and strangely hell opens of a sudden and takes in her dead which is a strange grave and buriall Bodily bondage is exactly looked after but soul-bondage not parts are imployed much without but little within and this fault is very common and very crying I am afraid there is many amongst you that do not know what spirituall bondage is and yet it speaks out it self There is a spirit of bondage and a state of bondage the one is terrible the other is damnable I will touch them each a little that you may truly know your state and remedy A spirit of bondage is a frequent application of the displeasure of God without just ground Wrath is many mens due but they which should apply it to themselves do not and they which should not do and the devil is in both to destroy all if it were possible Men which love their sinnes and are loth to leave them make application of nothing but mercy and these choak themselves with sweet meats and surfet of childrens bread men which are weary of their sinnes and would gladly leave them make application of nothing bur justice and this is deadly too if God did not pitty it and cure it Application of God is mans prerogative alone to restore his happinesse but it is rarely used rightly to this end it makes bondage still and not redemption from it when not grounded truly upon the word False application is still from false principles with a diabolicall power concurring A man not well enlightened thinks his life must be perfect ere his soul must apply Christ but the one cannot be and the want of the other keeps the soul in bondage in hell here Sinne felt and loathed Christ prized and yet unapplyed is a spirit of bondage fear eats out this poore soul and if there were no dreadfull doings in the land yet this soul would still be at his wits end because like Rachel a refuser of his own mercy This is a house of bondage for a time We have told you of a spirit of bondage and now we are to tell you of a state of bondage and this the Apostle very exactly sets forth 2 Pet. 2.19 Whilest they promised them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage Mans will proposed as a rule and all voluntarily and violently serving this is a state of bondage Corruption is an ill inmate and a worse landlord and yet rules all in the most and shall do so that is a state of bondage The old man hath his commands his commands are alwayes congruous to flesh not to truth and obedience to these in love speaks a servant of corruption Men little eie their hearts yet from thence must be drawn the denomination of your state and not from this good action or that nor not from this bad action or that Of what a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage That which is set up within for a rule of motion that hath overcome the man they had taken in false light and set up this in their souls through love to to guide their course Ah saith the Apostle you are overcome now and brought in bondage but then there 's himself as well as he could 't is but a proverb saith he fulfilled The dog is returned to his vomit you were never but dogs what you left for a while you did not dislike it it onely disliked you and this made a vomiting like a dog and therefore are you so apt to return to it again and to embrace such doctrines as tend to destroy Christ and grace What principles are preferred in the soul for ordering life you best know look to these I can but demonstrate to you from truth that of these you are overcome and in bondage if bad If our discourse discover any in a state of bondage let God be honoured and the condition taken to heart the soul is lost else His you are to whom you serve and Sathan will claim his propriety when you come to die though he say little to you now Gods servants have a jubilee at death the trumpet sounds and the soul which long lived in bondage in the body is made to go out free to a state of freedome and felicity to all eternity But ah what a black jubilee is death to Sathans servants The trumpet sounds and bondmen with their chains gingling come forth to the Judge of all the world and the Goalour stands up These are my prisoners saith Sathan that shall be tried saith Christ Judgement is given upon triall now they are more mine for ever mine saith the devil and God will not wrong the devil of his own Now is bondage sealed make free who can What is done at the last judgment is done as the acts of the Medes and Persians that is not to be recalled Soul-bondage is a gendring thing as the Gospel useth the expression one degree of bondage genders another till at last you be so fast bound that there will be no loosing Hagarins lay to heart your condition betime and enquire after a Redeeemer grone under your bondage and the redeemer will come to you this is that turning from transgression which the prophet speaks of and to which state a redeemer is promised Esa 59.20 And the redeemer shall come to Sion and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob. There is the proper and peculiar law of the redeemer which if ye observe not ye cannot be redeemed As every creature hath its proper action so also it hath its proper law and without the observation of which it will not so act It is the proper action of the spirit to comfort and this spirit hath its law you must be led by the spirit for if you grieve him he will not comfort you So the proper action of the Sonne is to redeem and he hath his proper law about this work without the observation of which he will not foul his fingers with filthy souls and therefore you have him proposing the law of redemption first to that man which had lien thirty and eight years at the pool Wilt thou be made whole Whole why one would think it a strange question to one that had lien in that extremity so long Wonder not at it for your case is shadowed out in it you have lien long under infirmities and yet have no will to be made whole that is no ardent affection to be redeemed out of them but content your selves to rub-along in them as many lumpish persons do in some bodily diseases you will never get deliverance in this way Sinners will you be made whole will you be delivered out of the bondage of sinne Do
all transgressions utterly out of remembrance and esteeming our persons in crucified Christ as Christ the dearest to himself and so held communion with and dispensed to both here and hereafter I say 't is an act of God this act is evangelicall pardon springs from compassion kindnesse makes God ready to forgive and not any motive from without him Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive plenteous in mercy Psal 86.5 The latter expression explains the former good that is plenteous in mercy and this makes readinesse to pardon were not God plenteous in kindnesse a God rich in love he would never be ready to pardon sinne because it destroyes his visible being all this world and all things in it yea it destroyes his invisible being God is no God without nor no God within The fool hath said in his heart There is no God He affirms it to Gods face within the fool doth this that is the man that lives in his sinne Can you forget such as would crush you to nothing 'T is a conditionall act Men must repent and then God forgives Repent that your sinnes may be blotted out thus runs the Gospel throughout Repentance hath two things sence of sinne and faith in Christ which grace is said to justifie because a necessary condition of justification and without which though not for which doth God forgive Abraham believed and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse which is as much as if the holy Ghost had said Abraham went in the right way of justification and so found it he sought it not by works but by faith for you know that 's the dispute there This was imputed to him for righteousnesse this that is not nudus actus credândi the naked act of believing the act abstractively considered but conâunctively considered as such a hand laying hold of such a person this is the condition which the Gospel calls for that Christ be trusted in which also God works which work beeing wrought justification follows actually 'T is actus numeratas a numerall act an act repeated in order to sense though not in order to the thing it self to wit sinne a repeated act in order to chastisements though not in order to condigne punishment We are forgiven this day and we are forgiven to morrow and when to morrow comes a man must be in this to âe again we must pray daily for the forgivenesse of debts or else they are as not forgiven in order to internall sense and externall suffering Forgivenesse is a daily thing with him are forgivenesses saith Daniel and God doth multiply to pardon saith the Prophet Esay 55.7 Forgivenesse is actus multiplicatus and this with the property thereof and this property essentiall and which destroyed as many misled persons now do destroy forgivenesse and destroy their souls As such a multiplied act doth David apprehend mercy and maketh towards it According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Mercy thou hast ordained to go forth in a multipli'd way in a repeated and a renewed way and in this way I come unto thee saith the Prophet Forgivenesse in the court of conscience est actus repetitus I have now opened to you the weightiest point in Divinity that vpon which your temporall and eternall good depends a very considerable point and circumstanced with a very considerable time 't is a bloudy time a very bloudy deadly time Sinners are your sinnes forgiven A dreadfull throne is palpably errected the judge of all the world is now riding his circuit in England and his trumpets sound sadly in every Countie Drunkards swearers bad good come away to judgement Sinners are your sinnes forgiven Execution is generall great and small are truss'd up every where bodies leave bloud bloud leaves spirits spirits leave this world apace but ah Lord to what world do they go England wicked England where dost thou bury thy dead thy dead souls which depart by troups in heaven or in hell One sad thing let me tell you all Death is at your doore therefore let every man smite his breast and say Shall I die in my sinne or shall I die in thy favour Coloss 1.15 Who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature YOu have heard of Christ according to the dignity of office a Redeemer a redeemer with his bloud you are now to heare of him according to dignity of person he is as in action so in person the noblest He is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature Christ is admirable in action and person altogether lovely so in the judgement of God and so in the judgement of those who can discern what God and what the highest beauty is Christ hath his encomium here by men truly discerning and heare what they say and be taken For his office 't is the noblest 't is to make peace between man and God for his person 't is the noblest 't is the highest representation of God that is in this world no creature in this world yields the like he makes similitude to him who otherwise is without similitude if you look at calling if you look at countenance if you look at birth in all these he is beyond all if you look at calling none is imployed like him for he brings souls out of the devils power with his bloud if you look at countenance he is the image of that God which is so glorious that no mortall eye can behold and therefore called here an invisible God if you look at birth he is Reuben a first born not in reference to this little family or that but in reference to Gods great family which consists of two worlds three worlds all that compasse and every one of those rooms which contain every creature Who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature Some have beauty onely by their place and office and so had Saul and in this sense merely I think called the beauty of Israel the beauty of Israel is slain Saul was the shame of Israel and the plague of his family if personally and practically considered all his beauty then lay in his chair So others onely have their beauty in their face and skinne as Absolon and others in their birth and pedigree as Esau all over rude and hairy a rough man but of a beautifull stock the first-born of a brave family some have all these beauties without but none within of a good family of a good countenance of a good rank but not of one good quality but none of these are wanting in Christ he hath a generall beauty in place a King in countenance the image of God in birth primogenitus cunctae creaturae inside and outside both are as beautifull as the other his goodnesse as beautifull as his greatnesse therefore both are joyned together by the Prophet Zachary and admired How great is his goodnesse and how great is his beauty Zach. 9.17 Christs
'T is below a man to be a slave usurped power makes illegall yokes and the man that will put his neck into these is an asse a silly beast and not a man as the posterity of Issachar are called upon this very ground The soul is base as it yields to basenesse it fears man more then God which will be its ruine without remedy a subdued spirit in this sence is a silly dove without heart of weak principles and of an unsound mind so many trialls and so many plagues to this man all that is shot at him hits him to the heart and kills him dead this is our misery at this day we have a great many persons but a few men a great deal of stirre but no action the enemy at the gate birth-right giving up corporall priviledge and spirituall priviledge wounded at the heart and yet we have no heart to do our duty something lost makes us conclude all is lost every one kills himself with despair that there is none to kill them which kill Law Religion and all goodnesse Our colour is fallen strangely of a sudden what a deal of bloud and life had we to stand for the honour of our birth-right a little while since and what 's now become of it hath harlots got it all away from our army and from our citie too I can look upon no mans face but their sits a pale deadly spirit Ah Lord how gastly ' t is What doth it presage the death of all Londoners what do you mean will you let frogges and toads creep into your houses and up into your beds ere you will stirre and put forth for your birth-right shall the enemy come and write up your basenesse at your doore in your own bloud Bravenesse of spirit for the maintenance of our priviledge is much wanting and yet I doubt will be there is so much carnall bravery Our armies swagger every street stares upon their pride pride seeks it self and not Christ nor any thing that 's noble Men go forth to maintain themselves and not to maintain right how much do many men swagger now Christ is turned out of all Unsound hearts swell pride is a fruit of rottennesse rotten wretches intrusted have undone all are not our lives now in as much danger as our liberties We may thank our selves should we not have chosen sincere humble men to lead us forth to stand for our birth-right in the field Humility and integrity are the foundation of true valour others vapour but these will be brave indeed Look to your hearts every one I think it will come to every mans turn to stand for his birth-right When man by man shall be singled out triall will be quick When the sword is at the breast for whom art thou for the King or for the Parliament for Antichrist or for Christ Your hearts will shake unlesse very sound As you find your unsoundnesse make out for healing you will betray all else when put to it to stand for your birth-right you will like Peter in stead of professing Christ professe that you know him not Coloss 1.15 First born of every creature OF every creature That is brought forth by eternall generation before any creature was This tearm creature is not made a genus in reference to Christ but in reference to all below Christ as Angels and all other things It is observable here under what genus all things below Christ are put creatures first-born of every creature c. Angels a creature man a creature every thing man sees hears smells tastes feels a creature Every thing on this side Christ is but a creature a piece of his workmanship The sinne of man is aggravated upon this ground by Moses They have corrupted themselves they are a perverse people Do ye thus requite the Lord. unwise people Did not he make thee and establish thee c. What I made flies now in my face what I made seeks now to marre and destroy me thus God aggravates your sinnes sinners in his word and he will do it hereafter to your faces I have brought forth children and they rebell against me creatures are the children of Gods power new creatures and old creatures As you have children of your womb so God hath children of his hand the work of my hand strikes to my heart I am stabbed by instruments of mine own making I am slain by children of mine own womb this circumstance will heighten sinne with a witnesse and as sin heightens justice will heighten and what a hell will he have then that dishonours his maker Relation is obliging Remember your Creatour him to whom you ow your being who made you such brave creatures and not toads or else he that made you will have no mercy upon you 'T is a thousand pities that every one considers not his station men swell in pride and walk as if they were not creatures but gods which is the cause of all our bloud and misery at this day The will of the Creatour trampled under foot and the creature will have his will this is a creature making himself a God but believe me God will fight for his prerogative the creature shall know he is but a creature every creature shall know it Princes and great men shall know they are but creatures men shall know themselves to be but men as the Psalmist speaks Wo unto him that striveth against his Maker saith the Prophet And you will see this wo fulfilled in this land if you pray hard and fight hard Every thing on this side Christ being a creature let things be feared as they are Who are ye Christians that ye should be afraid of a man is he not a creature Is not a King a creature Who are ye that ye should be afraid of evil spirits are they not creatures Hath God made any thing too hard for himself you bring forth children and they grow up to be too hard for you it is not so with God God comforts his people upon this very ground by the Prophet that enemies are but creatures and he their creatour Behold they shall surely gather together but not by me whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work no weapon formed against thee shall prosper c. Esay 45.15 16 17. Doth God create wasters to destroy and doth he not carry a power over them to rule them and order them respecting his Church Yes saith the next verse No weapon formed against thee shall prosper Misery is much lessened by a right consideration of things terrour is the misery of miseries When I look upon a souldier with such deadly weapons about him and look no further he is terrible to me but when I look upon him as a creature and say to my self I know who made the man and who made those deadly instruments that are in his hand
who made the waster and his wasting tackling then his dread falls Creatures are bounded they move as ordered some things they can do and some things they cannot do nor shall not do No weapon formed against me shall prosper If there be any power beyond devils the Apostle Paul raiseth himself beyond fear of it from this consideration that they are but creatures Neither height nor depth nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God Let things be feared as they are and let things be loved as they are you love husbands wives children set bounds to your love these bounds in the text love them as creatures The creature is subjected to vanity Creatures are vanishing things We pick and choose creatures and make as it were a nose-gay of them and set them in our bosome and no sooner there but they die wife dies children die friends fortunes states kingdomes die thus do all the sweetest creatures we look upon and this is common to every ones experience but not to every ones instruction yet for all this do men love the creature more then the Creatour When shall we have mortification in England and when in London When all is dead 'T is sad to behold how still we love the creature although the Creatour hath set creature to kill creature as if he would not leave a creature alive Finally trust in things as they are Let the rod of God and the word of God instruct you you are now sending forth armies look upon them as creatures salvation is of the Lord for the Lords sake make not a God of creatures least you betray your strength and lives It is naturall to creatures to look onely upon creatures sheep will look back to behold how many fellows they have when an enemy is before them and so will other brutes but God expects from man better carriage Let your hearts be sound your faith pure your reeds in which you trust will run into your hands else 'T is very clear now that you did nor trust in God but in man when your great armies went forth because you have no faith now men are gone Papists upbraid us with the terms of solifideans but these forementioned may I upbraid with a tearm near it solofideans trusters in earth or carnifideans trusters in flesh Coloss 1.16 For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth c. THe Soveraignty of Christ is argued and demonstrated in this as in the following expressions He hath created all things in heaven and in earth and therefore to be conceived of over and above all things higher then all and greater then all Doctr. High expressions are multiplied concerning Christ to raise high conception of him Men are apt to conceive too low and too mean of Christ He that cometh down from heaven is above all saith Christ He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth but he that cometh down from heaven is above all and what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth and yet no man receives his testimony John 3. Twice is the soveraignty of Christ affirmed and yet not once received he lifteth and lifteth again to lift up thoughts and affections concerning Christ as one above all and yet all would not do He that comes down from heaven is above all above all on earth and above all in heaven He multiplies high expression to raise high conception and yet poore low creatures would conceive of him no otherwise then of other men nor yet hardly so well Thus are high expressions multiplied here for the same end which argues that man is a creature very apt to conceive very low of Christ We are carnall and judge so we frame conception from sense objects are no otherwise then we see Christs out-side spake as little as anothers and lesse low in condition and low in estimation this is naturall to man and hard to do otherwise Thoughts must have a foot-stool from the world to lift up themselves respecting persons we lift up things no otherwise then they lift up themselves by externall advantage Christs glory is not in this world he comes in form of a man and therefore judged no more in form of a mean man and therefore meanly judged of What Christ is visibly is looked after and this is little nothing visible speaks him the authour of invisible things the maker of thrones and dominions from nothing visible flesh and bloud can argue nothing reall to raise apprehension respecting any thing no not respecting God himself We set up things as we see them and we set up things as we love them Man will not conceive highly of that which he hateth man is carnall and malicious he makes judgement subject to sense yea he debaseth it lower he makes judgement subject to malice None so blind as those that will not see yes those that scorn to see Conviction is strong and may do something upon the will if it do but merely nill but is not strong enough to over-bear malice The Scribes and Pharisies saw more of Christ then a mere man and yet will take in no thought of him but what they pleased they esteemed of him as a devil such was their malice when convinced he was a God the maker of all and above all Angels and men Divine rules crosse carnall a carnall spirit crossed is a devil a devil calls Christ Belzebub the chief of devils and not the chief of blessed beings as here the Apostle doth We set up things as we will and yet as God will too Men stumble at Christ from what they please and ruine their souls and this is according to Gods judiciary will for he hath said it shall be so yea that it shall be so to many Christ is for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel and many of them shall stumble and fall and be broke that is many shall have low thoughts of Christ and so reject him which is death without remedy Christ is not carnally plausible and it is so ordered of purpose for a snare to carnall wretches which will set up nothing but what the world doth and to accomplish judiciary will Man eyes his will and so doth God man orders all his actions according to this and so doth God sinners fulfill their own wills and Gods when they set Christ low and their souls lower when they stumble at Christ and ruine themselves You vex not God when ye debase Christ and destroy your souls you onely accomplish his righteous will and your own wicked will Consider the point in hand and how it reacheth you Christ is a mere fancy to forlorn souls Men oppose creature to creature this is higher then that and this is better then that but who opposeth Christ to all the creatures and sets him in his thoughts above all
a first-born and here as a creatour Doctr. A holy soul cannot tire it self in the contemplation of Christ. Their is variety of excellencie in Christ varietie of time he is Alpha and Omega Varietie variety of beautie white and ruddie varietie of qualitie mild and fierce a lion and a lamb a servant and a sonne a Man and God a Redeemer and a Creatour Christ is all varietie of excellency he hath all the powders of the Merchants Canticles 3.6 In things below Christ some have excellency and some none some this excellency and some that but none have all and this checks the soul in his game and withers contemplation at the root Contemplation is soul-recreation recreation is kept up by variety one thing tires quickly unlesse that one be all which so is Christ and none else he is all Colossians 3.11 All belonging to well being and all belonging to being Redeemer and Creatour for by him were all things created There is congruity of excellency in Christ Congruity what things are in Christ are all suitable to a holy soul and suitable things tire not we lie down where we are pleased 'T is with a holy soul as 't is with a holy God unsuitable things tire him presently Your new moons and your appointed feasts that is their hypocritical observations I am weary to beare them saith God Esay 1.14 Holy persons and holy actions things congruous to his will in these he takes up his dwelling his thoughts though vast and noble hire themselves here so farre are such things from wearying of him his thoughts respecting this world the people and practices of it rove and wander and tire as weary of all till he come to Sion and then observe what he saith of her This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Psalme 132.14 Affection makes motion and thoughts go after desires desires suited thoughts sit down and take up their rest and their dwelling and like the place of their habitation 't is thus with God and 't is thus with godly men one holy spirit roves and tires out it self till it meet with another the soul of a christian flies from creature to creature and pitches down upon this and that but rises up again presently as one wearied because it can find nothing suitable and thus it doth in reference to all the creatures till it come to Christ and in him it finds all suitablenesse and then sitteth down suitablenesse to being and well-being Christ is my redeemer and my creatour enough for all that I can wish and therefore here I rest saith the soul Transcendency There is transcendency of excellency in Christ variety and congruity of excellency and all above expression more then can be reached A holy heart is deep and loves to bath it self in deep waters contemplation is a soul making one deep to swallow up another and this is so farre from tiring that 't is the very Heaven of a holy heart Contemplation is a soul widening it self to swallow up infinitenesse what ever God is if it can Not a step of Christ towards man but 't is a great deep Redemption is a great deep and Creation a great deep and 't is delightfull to a divine heart to dive where sweetnesse hath no bottome Carnall contemplation tires because though it find something suitable in the creature yet but very little and that little in a little time turns to nothing and then the soul is not ohely tired but vexed which makes thoughts retreat disorderly Divine contemplation cannot tire for it finds out suitable things and yet there are more besides these still it finds out one Heaven and when the soul is in this and it seeth another beyond this when it beholdeth a Redeemer it seeth a Creatour more plainly Use This point plainly discovers many hearts not to be holy divine contemplation is so burthensome and tiresome to them You have vagabond persons so you have vagabond spirits which had rather be any where then at home Christ and Heaven are the souls home thoughts and spirits are all vagabonds whilest they are from this home and yet few souls care to get here and keep here The soul is sublime of it self but pravitie bowes it down men have their corruptions and these make their thoughts cleave to the dust You do not observe whither your hearts go nor what journeyes they make you do not observe their going out nor their layings out whither they wander nor how prodigall when abroad nor possible will not because 't is pleasing men do contentedly lose their souls in things below Christ Three things destroy divine contemplation blindnesse idlenesse wilfulnesse Some men know nothing of Christ the soul cannot dwell upon nothing Thoughts are soon tired when confounded they clash much where there is no apprehension one fighteth against another and the spirit dieth in this fight because condemned to abide in a dungeon Confusion makes distraction distraction makes madnesse men throw off all when they can understand nothing in divine mysteries and I perswade my self that this hath undone many a soul I have known learned men who though conteÌplative enough in their way yet when they set to conteÌplate divine things can make no sweetnes to their souls but knots tricks and fancies to cavill with and 't is impossible but that the soul should tire quickly that can find out nothing in Christ but knots and bones to feed on Learned persons look about you your contemplation is highest and yet lowest the hid things of nature wrap you up and the high things of Christ tire you presently which is nought and speaks the heart bewitcht with curiosity high in fancie but low and carnall in affection such a soul as this makes its nest in the starrs of this world but God will from thence pluck it down every soul that nests not it self in Christ and in those glorious excellencies which shine in him will be judged and perish as carnall As ignorance so idlenesse destroyes divine contemplation thoughts are vain they must be watcht man hath power to observe his spirit which beasts have not The spirit of a man knowes the things of a man You know how carnally your hearts work and what do you do to reduce them You keep no watch sloth-betrayes your souls to lust and lust will betray your souls to the devill How secretly doth many a mans heart steal away Christ and yet not so secretly but 't is seen and the man for want of activity lets it go and so is accessary to the betraying of his own soul Ah Lord what will that man be able to say for himself in judgement that stood still and saw his heart steal away from God to the creature and did nothing to turn it back made no prayer nor shed no tears Men complain of losses now but who complains O God I have lost my soul I can never find it in Christ 't is sometime in wealth
Toads Snakes 2. Common Serpents and Men are all in one room in earth good men bad men yea and devils all in one room together in earth this room is so common that the devil is not shut out of it he hath a doore out of hell into earth and leave to walk from one end of the earth to the other when he will And the Lord said to Sathan whence comest thou and he said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it The earth is the devils heaven he hath his walk allowed him here Earth is such a common place that you cannot walk alone in it if you would give never so much go never so privately yet if in earth you will have men or devils with you and just in your walk Many together is troublesome especially when of contrary spirits the devill and man never do well together in one walk Community lessens priviledge here 't is a hell to be where all variety and all contrariety dwell together and yet so 't is here scarce two of one spirit throughout the earth and yet these must live together in one room agree together as they will fight or scratch or kill one another all is one there is no remedy in seventy eighty ninety no possibly not in a hundred years Heaven hath some community in it there dwelleth East-country West-country North-country South-country men but then they are all one spirit no walk above in which there is hearing seeing tasting or smelling any contrary thing though there be many millions more above then are here as having been the receptacle of all travellers from hence for this many thousand years besides the natives of the place and yet not two spirits amongst all these innumerable numbers that disagree or will in the space of eternity But here one cannot walk any where but one contradicting and afflicting thing or other meets a man here I see a Toad there I feel a Serpent here I heare a Lion there I smell a Fox and yet all these claim a dwelling just where I do in earth This is the second thing earth speaketh a common room 3. Dark 'T is a dark room In earth we see earth but nothing else we cannot see Heaven in earth no not any mansion there how stately 't is we cannot see Heaven nor any heavenly thing in earth Angels are invisible Christ is invisible Christ cannot be seen now in earth though the Sonne of the bravest world The Father is invisible the Sonne invisible yea the Spirit by which these two work here in earth as the wind which bloweth in your eyes yet you cannot see it invisible We are here a great wide Common full of moles and mole-hills all heaving and heaping up earth but blind and do not see what we do Bring forth the blind that have eyes and the deaf which have eares saith God Earthen creatures look one another in the face as if they had eyes and yet are all blind some sitting in darknesse others walking in darknesse not knowing whither they go The best persons here are as Samson when his hair was gone and taken by the Philistines of some good stirrings and desires but weak and blind not able to find a pillar but as led to find a pillar but as led to it Man is but of yesterday and knoweth nothing because his dayes upon earth are but a shadow saith Job Earth is a great room full of fools which know nothing and set alone by themselves to wrangle and talk non-sence to no bodies disquiet but their own This is a third thing earth speaketh a dark room 'T is a filthy room the earth is corrupt full of snails 4. Filthy that with creeping up and down leave their slime and pollute all One creature polluteth another and man polluteth all the earth he treadeth on Bloud defileth the land saith God Sinne rendereth not onely the person but the very place where that person liveth detestable The earth is curst from Heaven all over which speaketh out the strength of divine detestation 't is a great brave body with face blasted breasts seared bowels torn guts and filth hanging out poysoning and putrifying the inhabitants which first poysoned and putrified it All runneth into this we dwell in a very base place A low common dark filthy room in earth and so indeed is the originall Hebrew word Adamah for earth used Vse How do you like your dwelling Men are carried by corruption against truth and pitch affection upon that which is base O how damnably do many love their dwelling in earth When the body dwelleth in earth and the soul too Ah Lord that is damnable dwelling in earth indeed Though God hath placed your bodies in earth yet he looketh that you should place your souls in Heaven but shew me a man that thus doth God made your bodies earthy but you make your souls earthy your selves and you will answer for it I wonder what you find in earth that you should make your souls dwell here Do you not find it a low common dark unclean room And yet must your souls dwell here because your bodies do then you will perish as beasts worse I might go along this way and do well but I must turn another way and tell you that you have a base dwelling here and therefore expect things answerable Christians have no art to quiet their souls when things go hard you may gather patience from the very place you dwell in you live in a base place and what can you expect but base usage When your dwelling is removed from earth to Heaven things will be better presently as well as you would wish You dwell in earth and in earth dwelleth all sorts and every one will act according to his property and how can it be helpt here Some are back-biters and they will kill your name some are sycophants and they will kisse you and hug you to death like Judas some are hypocrites wolves in sheeps cloathing and they will not onely kill your bodies but your souls too The earth yields variety of deadly vermine and you cannot tread upon all some will tread upon you some will crawl about you and sting you do what you can Distresse should make mortification but not vexation so it did with David it tooke him off from all in earth but one whom have I in earth but thee Distresse should not disturb but subdue the heart and yet 't is hard to keep the spirit quiet when basely used tell it what one will Fallen creatures are full of passion and strong passion can bear nothing and yet must bear it self which is the heaviest burden of all All things in earth do like themselves and therefore turn aside my soul from them whom have I in earth in comparison of thee O Christ There is one good in earth and that 's all I know get acquaintance with him yea that would find comfort in your dwelling here
him Neutrality is condemned by this point some will be neither for nor against Christ which cannot be all must be for him Conceits are strange where the heart is naught can a man onely be a looker on in matters of God which concern his glory and our eternall welfare Flesh is fearfull and where this predominates all the care is to look to one and that one is self and not Christ which will be the shame of that one unto all forever O how dear is name and state wife and children now But how dear is Christ Men of the world look into your hearts now if ever you would know them throughly would you not fain stand Neuters now in our cause to give your purse some rest Is not the pulling of your purse-strings as the pulling of your heart-strings Alas for me what shall I and mine do all will be gone I shall be quite undone What is Christ beleft is all gone Nothing will be for Christ as it should be when the heart is not I would you would all look to this Give your selves to the Lord and then you will give all that is yours This they did they gave their own selves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God Make your hearts throughly for Christ and you will make all other things with ease Lusts unmortified the heart is unruly the heart unruly will part with things according to its own will and not according to Christs An unruly heart becomes froward frowardnesse knows none but its own will Who is David and who is the sonne of Jesse that I should take up what is mine and give to I know not who Many things go for Christ a while plate horse money men and of a sudden all is checked and nothing shall be for him the plague of this is at the heart this was never for him but yet men do not consider this but plead a thousand things of this side and that speaks all more miserable Two things speak the heart for Christ the rise and the scope of action the heart is not for Christ let the action be what it will when it springs not from love Peter lovest thou me Feed my lambs Naked action though never so good speaks not the heart for Christ but the spring of that action Do ye love Christs Lambs and feed them I will tell you a sad thing many a souldier hath a hand for Christ and a heart against him and what a pittie is this So many a Citizen hath a purse a little open for Christ and a spirit quite shut against him Certainly our motion for Christ is heartlesse motion love oyls her own wheels as long as she hath any work or any power and we are quickly weary of well-doing The spring of action and the scope of action speaks the heart for God not what you do but at what you aim He that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him John 7.18 The generation is spiritually plagued which is worse then all the plagues which are upon us men do little and mean lesse scarce a true heart amongst us The body hath two eyes but the soul should have but one looking onely at Christ but shew me such a man now We are a kingdom of squint-eyed persons states are broken any way will serve to mend them let whose will lose is there any way for me to gain Trialls are quick spirits perverse kingdomes reel nothing to be had you must comply and do as others do and seek your self for you cannot rid it out thus we reason Simplicity is a rock I see but few of these in our seas Surely surely souls are drown'd apace in the deluge that is upon us Men that did look bravely at Christ now look basely at themselves which speaks more wounds to a wounded kingdome the Lord heal such hearts or else when will this land be healed Coloss 1.17 And he is before all things c. Doctr. HEre is a term of connexion in the front of this verse which calls for something to be spoken relatively Circumstances are multiplied to winne respect to Christ Much is said before and here is more and yet all expression too little to winne affection The heart of man naturally is damnable cold One ornament is enough to set a man dear in your breast but all ornaments not enough to set Christ dear Affection naturally is no whit divine Christ is very honourable in gifts and so in years he is the ancient of dayes He is before all things and yet all nothing Let us all bleed under the basenesse of our affection so much should not be said to quicken were we not all very dead There must be some divine principall in the soul ere any divine principall held up to it will take it if heaven were open to you yet would you have no heart to go in unlesse your hearts be opened too Should Christ himself come from the dead and stand in that glory before you in which he stands now at the right hand of God yet unlesse something be done within this sight without will not gain you to him you will tremble and intreat him to depart Sinners know the plague of your heart Christ is not revealed in you and therefore all that here he saith to you is no more stirring You have glory after glory here and yet nothing gains you spit out the sowernesse of your souls in the face of him that is sweet to you I am afraid nothing is yet done within you and is this nothing to you And if so your state is the more grievous to Christ When we do not love Christ we should confesse it to him a plague hid Christ looks not after it but lets it ramble and kill the soul Yet must we Christs servants strive with you still and fight with dead men as long as we are in this dying tabernacle and all that Christ saith of himself we must say to you though you grow worse and worse into every chamber of the king of glory we must lead you though it be of no taking glory to you My text puts me now to speak of the eternity of Christ to you he is before all things which is one of the highest things of concernment in the world to see what this will do We must be sweet to sowre souls though they grow more sowre by it we must put sweets into filthy stomachs though they cruddle in their stomachs and spue them up again in the face of him that prescribed them Coloss 1.17 He is before all things c. LIke to this is that expression of Christ Before Abraham was I am They are expressions onely competent to Christ as God and put us to speak of that which is altogether above us to wit the Eternitie of Christ Eternitie is continuation without termination quae nnllo tempore finitur that is bounded with no time Melchisedeck is made a
he and his were ready to starve Let it be enough to every distressed heart that Christ is alive though trade and husband be dead Christ hath all yet though every one else be robbed in him all things be upheld and in him you shall be upheld Ob. In him I may have soul-subsistence but as for bodily subsistence surely that will fail for the meal in the barrell is almost quite spent and when this is gone surely I shall want my bread Canst thou trust Christ for thy soul and canst thou not trust him for thy body If thou canst but look up to Christ as all things do though not as noble things do yet thou wilt have meat Sol. The eyes of all things looke up to thee and thou givest them meat Cry but as Hagar and thou wilt have drink Seek but as the young Lions they seek their bread of God and thou wilt have bread If thou canst but rore as they do thou wilt be heard and bleat and bellow as the cattell of Ninivie some deliverance will come out Christ is never put to it though you be he will find one thing or other to make provision for all The eyes of all look unto thee and thou feedest them Providence hath meat in her mouth for all Ob. Meat may be given but the time may be long first and my cheeks begin to grow pale already my servants cry my children cry my guts cry for hunger surely I and mine shall starve Sol. No thou shalt not providence works oportunely thou shalt have meat in due season these all wait upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Ob. It cannot be means are gone and friends are gone Sol. That is nothing Christ is not gone providence maketh strangers friends enemies friends ravens to feed others whose property it is to devoure and to feed them seasonably morning and evening Among enemies the children of the captivity found friends and found favour for a tender conscience in Babylon Ob. A little relief may be to me possible onely enough to hold life and soul together but under such sparing providence life will be worse then death when mercy is ministred nothing answerable to my necessity Sol. Let not this terrifie in Christ all subsist and subsist well thou maist not possibly have so much as thou hadst nor so fine as thou hadst but as long as Christ is thou shalt subsist well and thine own heart shall say so Providence doth not alwaies give alike but doth alwayes do enough for the best condition of being and yet let me tell thee further this Providence bringeth in sometimes a great deal more then we expect See a brave instance in Jacob Gen. 48.11 And Israel said unto Joseph I had not thought to see thy face and lo God hath shewed me also thy seed Providence is plentifull and bountifull as well as seasonable and bringeth in twise as much twenty times more then we think of enough in supply necessity yea enough to satisfie desire Jacob had corn for necessity and he had also the sight of Joseph and his posterity and the life of Benjamin and many gallant mercies more which bordered uppon these even to the utmost of desires so literally was that promise fulfilled to him thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing Desire is vaster then necessity in most creatures in man it is I am sure and yet providence is so bountifull that it satisfies this Providence not onely brings about what one needs but what one wishes yea more providence doth prepare things and bestow this and that which the heart cannot wish nor expect it doth prevent us with loving kindnesse Two things must be eyed to mak Christ giue out himself plenteously for your sweet subsistence the first is interest I am thine save me saith David God is very tender about his own a child shall have any thing Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou barest to thy people O visit me with thy salvation Union draws out all the fulnesse of Christ what goes beside the pipes which are laid into the founntain are but drops and by means of these pipes too these droppings are upon the world Christ would not give forth a drop of favour to the world were there not some in it nearely allied to him all wicked mens mercies are but as it were some droppings of the great mercies of Saints this kingdome would not consist were there not some Saints in it all the upholding it hath is long of them that are united to him from whom he cannot break off England use thy Saints well they are thy pipes and veins to heaven through which thy great blessings fall upon thee All art must be used to advance interest in Christ out of the favour of God and you will be outed of all whether it be the case of a person or a whole nation You are not my people and I will not be your God Lo-ammi Lo-eli This man is none of my child let the devil look to him let his own father provide for him this Kingdome is not my people let it bleed to death and 't will will God say England look to this or thou art lost and all the world shall not save thee let thy reformation be such as to render thee Christs Church that he may say England is my people or thy consumption will kill thee Friendship in Heaven is all to the lively-hood of a Nation or of a person here every thing will run crosse whilest the great wheel is out with one lets all set things right with Christ and all will run well let disadvantages be what they will But thou Israel art my servant Jacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend fear not for I am with thee and they that warre against thee shall be as nothing Interest must be made and then maintain'd or else life becometh uncomfortable When souls grow loose they find the evill of their way Christ is tender in providence to tender hearts 'T is harder to bring ones heart so near God as one should and then 't is harder to keep it there but yet how difficult soever the soul shall know it is a bitter thing to depart a spirit of love and union abates and then flowers that smell sweet in the breast close and Christ withdrawes My soul cleaveth after the Lord thy right hand upholdeth me Psalm 93. The spirit of union must not be checked it must work after the Lord freely In this way the soul hath a right hand upholding it and this maketh and keepeth the life contentfull Grace is a pursuit of Christ they live most sweetly that runne most swiftly after him check this pursuit and you die Unbelief maketh fear fear setteth the soul at a stand shall I go forward or shall I stand still Now God is displeased the heart tortured for its basenes Englands fearfulnesse to pursue Christ hath deprived her almost of subsistence and tumbled her
grace that goeth forth in height goes forth very exact Of his fulnesse we receive and grace for grace Fulnesse works exactly to make the recipient fully like it self grace for grace The best wine is kept till last Full dispensations are best the best wine these are kept till last and they are kept by Christ thou hast kept the best wine till last Grace goeth forth free but not without order no soul hath fulnesse presently though Christ be fulnesse alwayes Vessels of mercy are narrow mouthed weak hearts I speak to you to keep you quiet O ye of little faith You have but little faith and yet complain that ye have not great mercy fulnesse comes in by opening the mouth wide that dead soul that can spread himself upon the living neeses seven times perfect life comes in by spreading our souls upon him that is perfect Every thing in Christ is mine when faith saith this in the heart then every thing indeed actually becomes mine The eye of Christ becomes mine to see the hand of Christ becomes mine to work and the feet of Christ becomes mine to walk Our right lies as concealed till faith acts there is much in the fathers house but the soul starves till it remember it self and own its father I will return unto my father and then I know I shall have bread enough what he hath I shall have strong acting of faith makes Christs fulnesse yours Fulnesse would fill your vessells but your hands jogge and that runnes besides which should runne in There is never a time you come to these waters but here is powring out enough to fill you all but every ones hand jogges almost so that much precious water is spilt and every one returns empty Jacob is ready to draw water to water all to fill the bellies of all the cattle but Rachel will do it her self she is shie and modest and will not take help Christ is willing to draw out his fulnesse and to fill every heart but we are shie and modest and will be doing all our selves and not trouble Christ we will be drawing out of this thing and out of that duty to fill our souls and not out of Christ Let my beloved come into his garden and do his work himself for I can do no more Blow O north-wind Blow O south and make my spices flow out for I beat and blow and nothing will come out but sinne and shame this brings in fulnesse fulnesse comes out of nothing I am nothing preaching nothing hearing nothing but Christ all and this makes him all unto the soul the clearer in self deniall the fuller in the fruition of Christ You rest in your works and stagger at the promise through unbelief and how is it possible that fulnesse should fill you You are full of self and you cannot be full of Christ the promises are pipes from the fountain which are laid of purpose to fill you and you stagger at them I would every bleeding heart did know what wounds him and who is his greatest enemy he thinks 't is Christ and alas t is not thou hast not a dearer friend in the world then Christ is nor one that pities thee more thou art the greatest enemy to thy self and thine own unbelief keeps thee low this is the secret leak in the vessell which thou hast not yet found out thou hadst been full else long ere this Christ is full and art not thou full Search thy soul certainly there is some leak unbelief is long ere it be seen but when it is no monster like it 't is more uggly then Sathan then that cage of unclean birds below as that without which Sathan nor sinne could do any hurt A stubborn child that had blasphemed was to be brought forth and those that heard him to blaspheme were to lay their hands on his head and he was to be stoned Unbelief is the frowardnesse of the heart which makes you to blaspheme God and his gracious word bring forth this froward child and lay your hands upon the head of it and cast stones at it at the throne of grace say Lord this is that child that hath blasphemed thee that hath dishonoured thee more then any evil stone it to death from heaven this suit you must pursue and follow which would be filled with the spirit Finally fulnesse speaks such dispensations as make and settle peace in the soul and Christ is King of peace he is King of Salem he hath the command of peace he can still the raging sea with a word of his mouth so he can a raging conscience and he must be looked upon and acknowledged according to such a transcendent abilitie and then he gives out as he hath in him fulnesse to supply the necessity of the soul Lord I know that thou canst do whatever thou wilt Now Christ works richly Christ will have his prerogative acknowledged grace is his own to dispose as he will all his wealth is his own he can advance a soul at his pleasure if there be no word which the soul ever yet heard that hath spoken peace Christ can create words and make them so drop from his lips as to make peace Devils are at the command of Christ and Angels are at the command of Christ yea the holy Ghost is at the command of Christ he can breath and blow with this wind where he lists Christ is met half way as it were when the soul can thus look toward him when Prerogative is fully acknowledged Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body HEad speaks fulnesse and that which bears upon this to wit Office of the one we have spoken of the other we are now to speak Divine ordination fills vp one vessell and then makes channell out of that for others Office is a conveyance of gifts for a publick good something to draw out one to the use of many Christ doth bear Office to the creature which is more humilitie then can be exprest he is head The word speaks rule Christ hath government upon his shoulders the government of the choisest body which God hath in the the world He is the head of the Church Every corporation hath priviledge but none more then the Church Jerusalem is free yet not lawlesse she hath a head Universall bodies are great the invisible catholick Church takes up heaven and earth and yet not masterlesse all under rule and Christ is the head of this great body Christs rule is universall God ruleth in Jacob to the ends of the earth saith the Psalmist Yea to the ends of heaven There is a throne in the Church militant and Christ sits upon that there is a throne in the Church triumphant and Christ sits upon that We have such an high priest who is let down on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens Hebr. 8.1 There is majesty below and above and Christ sits as head upon them all every knee bows to him The rule of
Christ is spirituall he is head in the heart The kingdome of God is within you there are his Laws written and there is his throne Aarons rod and the tables of the covenant were in the inner Court and the Manna in the golden pot The command of the purse may serve a man but it doth not Christ he commands the heart My sonne give me thy heart You suit your seats so doth Christ he makes his throne in that which is nearest him to wit the spirit Christs rule is one soul bound up in another Paul bound in the Spirit and that bond bound all to good behaviour Christs rule is perpetuall Some heads may be cut off this head my text speaks of cannot Death hath slain many commanders but Christ hath slain death and him that had the power of death Satan is the executioner of Justice and therefore said to have the power of death as well as in other respects Christ hath destroyed all and hath his life in jeopardy by none he liveth and reigneth for ever he ruleth by his power for ever Psalm 66.7 He shall rule till he hath put down all rule and all power and all authority 1. Cor. 15.24 Untill he and his be one as he and his father are one till the kingdome be resigned up There be now many powers against Christ but he must reign till they be all down yet not any to help him The rule of Christ is Monarchicall there may be many lords over the body but there is but one Lord over the soul The government is upon his shoulders that is upon his alone Christ had none suffered with him and he hath none to reign with him here Christ hath trod the wine-presse alone he slew Goliah alone and is that stone alone that sunk into his brain he maketh his kingdome alone and ruleth it alone He shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne Zacharie 6.13 Vse This point is irksome most hearts can bear no rule contradiction is death though it be the word of life that maketh it Office destroyed the soul destroyeth it self where Christ can be no King he will be no Jesus such as stumble at this chief corner stone are crushed by it that soul that killed Christ is killed by him his bloud is upon every heart that nullifieth him The Lord be mercifull to the souls of men do ye know what ye do when you secretly say this lust shal reign and Christ shal not reign over me You commit Adoniahs treason treason against the crown that you may put by Solomon from the throne your bloud and your life will go for this When Adam committed treason against the crown would become a God God cutteth him off presently though there were no more men in the world Justice hath its heights and depths as mercy hath treason against the King hath exquisite torture such a death as hath many deaths in it so 't is in this case spirituall treason hath double death By dying thou shalt die thou traitour against the crown of Heaven said Christ to Adam and in him to all that do as he did There is death unto death and this the punishment of every traitour against Christ This is too generall a more particular application shall be made Your souls are under command you have a spirituall head You have fathers of your flesh and you obey them you have a father of spirits and why do ye not obey him Most men look least at their hearts all the care is to order the tongue and the outward man Hypocriticall creatures you overlook the kingdome of Christ you look at the outside Christ looketh at the heart who ruleth within all is under command body and soul the soul principally and yet this principally neglected must needs be the death of all thoughts must be brought into subjection to Christ as well as words Loose hearts have their plague upon them their holinesse is painted but their judgement will be reall they have sould their souls to do wickedly and will be paid in hell The behaviour of the heart is all dethrone Christ and he will fight it out with you to the death a disloyall soul shall never have the sword depart from him not a quiet day as long as he liveth Our temporall king which ruleth in this land doth but imagine that you go about to dethrone him or take off some flowers from his crowns and you see and feel that he fights it out with you to the death and seemeth resolved not to give England a quiet day as long as he lives Make spirituall application of this ye Hypocrites ye painted toombs that come here and professe Christ and go out like Judas and betray him you dethrone Christ in your hearts you destroy the flowers of his crown the rule of the soul is the onely flower of his crown and taking away this from him he will fight it out with you to the death the sword shall never depart from your souls you shall not have a quiet day for the hypocrisie which you know Tremble Hypocrites fearfulnesse will surprise you your secret basenesse will generate a secret hell justice shall rule where truth and love cannot the rottennesse of your hearts shall have a corasite to feed upon it for ever let every one lay these things to heart and consider whether Christ be head there yea or no. Two things demonstrate the heart indeed ruled by Christ sin universally hated and truth universally loved Passions are false strength speaketh out their truth and who ruleth in the heart Some spirits are indifferent for truth or errour and hold a virtue to be hot for neither but to stand in all times of contradiction so as to keep the skinne whole Hypocrisie ruleth in this heart and not truth and this temper is the plague of this generation neither hot nor cold Cold sweats are death pangs the soul is near his end that thus liveth If God be God worship him halting between many things is nothing this speaketh the prince of darknesse yet ruling affections which break through obstacles to discharge duty speak Christ head in the heart I will not stand on qualities themselves but at what every quality maketh and this will be more plain to you to demonstrate who ruleth in your hearts Fire encounters all opposites so doth every element from a naturall instinct and so doth grace where it reigneth Sinne is the proper object of hatred and every sinne is made so where Christ indeed is head Dominion speaketh all subdued if any sinne reign Christ doth not Weak hearts must not here wrong themselves the being of sinne and the stirring of sinne which the Apostle calleth the motion of sinne do not necessarily speak the reign of sinne Many precious hearts when they feel sinne strong in them conclude it reigneth in them and censure their souls exceedingly and so make their life a hell they
please themselves in this but Christ is not pleased Sinne maketh motions that is nothing how is it harkned to This denominateth dominion or not doth every stirring make thee grone wretched man c. Dost thou carry sinne to Christ when it is about to carry thee to the Devil Lord this is the plague of my heart heal it this universally practiced speaketh the reign of Christ some of you are by pangs plaintifes against corruption and then another while defendants and plaintifes against one corruption upon some more then ordinary evil that falleth out upon it and then defendants in reference to another that taketh better to your designes this mans eyes are out and Satan hath him by the hand and the Lord knoweth whither he will lead him You that cannot so well understand this may consider the next Sinne universally hated Truth universally loved speaketh Christs dominion indeed in the soul Truth is homogeneall and is all sweet to a sweet soul the heart conquered by Christ all his Lawes are holy just and good Christs yoke is easie and burdensome things light Truth is no pressure not simply as a truth I think where the soul is sincere the pressure is if any that it cannot love enough nor obey enough things of such a noble nature One of the first things Christ taketh is love here he fortifieth till he hath taken all other parts here he mounteth cannons against all that is naught and issueth out from hence and taketh in all that is truth Love is Christs fort-Royall in the soul mighty vast and holdeth play on all sides for all truth and against all sinne A soul under the command of Christ loveth much though he can do but little loveth all truths though he can scarce practice one Christ is a King of glory into whatsoever everlasting doores he cometh every line in Christs book is glorious every hair upon Christs head glorious where he is a head Christs head is bushy and black as a Raven lines of truth are black hairs of that head that ruleth and they are all beautifull in that heart that is married to Christ The summe of all is this as Christ ruleth in the heart so is the life you may look without and see who ruleth within a through conversation speaketh a through dominion of Christ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Having spoke to discover a few things more I would deliver to draw your hearts to come under the rule of Christ Whom Christ ruleth he defendeth power attendeth truth Christ upholdeth goings in his paths men may justle against us but Christ will uphold Christ will make his own way and lead bravely if men would but follow him this is all that Christ calls for that men will but follow him Follow me saith he often and I will make you this and make you that Christ will make his way rhrough the blond of thousands through the bloud of Towns Cities Kingdomes but he will have his own Kingdome stand Malice strikes craftily and desperately yet this head will ward as well no evil shall accomplish its end as long as Christ reigneth Why do the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The wrath of God maketh the wrath of man vain in its hottest pursuit He is dead that seeketh thy life saith the holy Ghost Kings and great men rage against us but they will burn to death with the flame that is in their breasts a bad spirit beats out it self to death The cannons which malice mounts are double loaded and recoyl and kill the cannoneeâs and that is Christs way of destroying those that would destroy his Christ delighteth those which he ruleth through obedience takes Christ Christ taken expresseth it This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Christ did throughly obey and he fed upon the sweet of it here he had meat to eat in this world which none knew of There is no straight when a man doth his duty Christ maketh enlargement in bonds joy in sorrow life in death Christ doth counterwork the world there desire is to rob us of peace and rob us of joy but it shall not be saith Christ In me you shall have peace what ever you meet with in the world Wisdomes wayes are pleasant when bloudy when men are froward Christ is kind the churlishnesse of Laban made God speak often and very sweetly to Jacob Christ smileth upon tender consciences when the world frowneth his bosome is open to give rest when the sighing spirit breatheth out it self to him What is thy request Hester will pride trample thee under foot It shall not As no time is unseasonable to shew duty to Christ so no time unseasonable for an obedient soul to find favour with him Finally whom Christ ruleth he crowneth obedience maketh losse and Christ thinketh of this and worketh it to gain in another world Duty maketh laying out and yet laying up laying out of name state strength life on earth and laying up of other guise things then these in Heaven Hence forth is laid up for me a crown c. What you lose in earth Christ layes it up in Heaven and when you come home you shall have it again with advantage your name again your estate again your life again all that you loose in obedience to your heavenly head and soveraign Christ doth nothing in order to merit but much in order to bounty If you suffer with him you shall reign with him Spiritually fight and maintain Christ a King and he will crown you Kings Troubles affright much but alas what is man Call upon flesh and bloud upon your weak hearts to think of eternity you and all that quarrell with you shall move before the King whom you obey 1. Coloss 18. and he is the head c. MAnna lies in a heap in this word as I have formerly told you Head speaks every office of Christ as King Christ is Head as Priest he is Head he is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã head-priest Prince-Priest as the Greek word notes both and as the authour to the Hebrews useth the word Christ bears office to the creature but no inferiour office he doth officiate to rule the body but 't is as the chief Commander he doth officiate to save the body but 't is as chief-priest as head-priest as prince-priest as king of Salem There was a principalitie in the priest-hood under the Law there was a holy crown put upon the mitre Exod. 29.6 I will demonstrate the principality of Christs Priesthood or Priests office The designation of Christ to his Priestly office is noble we are sacrificers according to the law of a carnall commandment our ordination is from men but his from God the Counsel of State above sets out this embassadour of peace called of God an high priest Heb. 5.10 Christ had princely ordination ordination as noble as his person the Father ordain'd the Sonne He testifieth thou art a Priest c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã contestatur so
Mediatour this is talked of as possible but if it were done indeed it would soon set thy soul in a better condition 'T is hard to convince men that they trust in their works though the thing speaks it self in most mens consciences Two things will discover this ruining cheat First consider what doth move you to duty some persons would never pray nor never do any holy duty were it not for mere fear they open their mouths heaven-ward now and then to stop the mouth of hell that is justice in their own conscience This man makes his holinesse his high priest his own action his intercessour to bring him to heaven which if it do then I will answer for him at the great day Observe are spring of action and nothing will more plainly speak whether you make a Jesus of action I am afraid there are souls very ignorant amongst you blind wretches so they be but doing something that is called holinesse 't is enough to them here they rest and look their souls when affrighted by a sremon by the word or the rod of God then they down upon their knees and howl and cry like the mariners in the ship that Jonah sailed in A tossed condition is the onely mother of most mens devotion tossed without or tossed within and therefore so good and yet alas all is stark naught Christ is no priest to this man no chief priest no prince-priest his own action is his prime priest because 't is trusted in Blind wretches consider what kindles your zeal your conscience will be burnt else in your offering your fire is an ignis fatuus a strong foolish fire You that get no satisfaction in this consider the next namely what upholds in duty and this will speak out whether you trust in it Sence is some souls onely relief if duty oyl not its own wheels the soul stands still they can find no sweet in prayer therefore pray no more duty will not conjure their consciences quiet and therefore they will to the alehouse and see whether carnall devils will drive out uncarnall whether one hell will swallow up another the pleasures of the flesh must take off the terrours of the spirit Ah Lord what a black priest is here used This soul is desparate the devil hath ordination to priesthood and the alehouse or whore-house must be his tabernacle to officiate in hands are laid on him suddenly and this made the last remedie to ease and quiet the soul Here is a sad condition O that I could cease preaching and weep now in the face of such a forlorn wretch Will that which dames you save you Will sinne blot out sinne Will adding to transgression plead for mercy in heaven to quiet your consciences and save your souls The devil is Abaddon a destroyer no saviour so is sinne When your souls are wounded will you give them to sinne and the devil to heal the spirit of God will finally leave you for this so it did Saul for the like practise Rebellion makes wounds and when wounds heighten rebellion God will have no more to do with that man Let the soul bleed and bleed and ordain what priest it will Christ will not bleed for him Hardned hearts think on these things the bloud of a mediatour will be charged upon you for trampling it under foot Tender hearts let me turn to you the sweet of this point is your portion Double consolation springs from the priesthood of Christ first in regard of infirmitie You would be pitied concerning your weaknesses and compassion is naturall to Christ he is a mercifull high priest and can be no other to you God hath ordained him to officiate in such a tabernacle as wherein you dwell he is in all things like to you you are in want and so was Christ he had no house you are persecuted so was Christ sinne loads you and so it did Christ A Christians condition needs compassion and Christ knows how much and 't is his work continually to lay it open above There are infirmities distinct from a wounded spirit you know the Scripture makes such a distinction Common distresses have their weight and 't is more then the best soul can bear these if it maintain not an eye to the compassion of Christ men are wolves dogs they have no bowels and the soul beats it self to death with this till it remember the bowels of Christ When good hearts have no compassion on earth they are ready to conclude they have none in heaven but you cannot injure Christ and your souls more then by such conclusions Christ lets men be mercilesse that you may look up and behold how mercifull he is and that he needs not this channell or that to convey compassion in to you Weeping eyes sight fails them oft but compassion never fails 't is mercy that a man can weep to God and do no worse when he can get no mercy from man Doth not relief strangely come in now and then Why write upon the forehead of such favours I have a mercifull and compassionate mediatour in heaven my intercessour above sent me this and he will send me more Christ hath sounding of bowels Where are the sounding of thy bowels you may heare them from heaven to earth in the most distressed condition if you listen and observe diligently in all passages about you Consolation springs from the priestly office of Christ as in regard of conditions which are distinct from a wounded spirit so in regard of a wounded spirit it self Christ is able to save to the uttermost the dolefull cry of the wounded is my sinnes will never be forgiven Silence unbelief be not tyrannicall to thy self for Christ will not sinne shall do thee no hurt nor Sathan no nor God for Christ can work him to any thing if hel but open his wounds in heaven he will so work his father that thy wounds on earth will close presently Christ is a perfect mediatour and being made perfect he became the Authour of eternall salvation unto all them that obey Hebr. 5.9 Either the wound of a Christian lies in the greatnesse of the evill which he hath done or in the fear of what he shall do against God and God against him to all which I say onely this that Christ is a perfect mediatour and being a perfect mediatour no condition can be desperate Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body c. FRom Christ as head we have gathered many things and I trust sweet to your heart and yet there are more As King Christ is head as Priest Christ is head and of these we hove spoken as Prophet Christ is head Christ ruleth none like him Christ sacrificeth none like him Christ teacheth none like him He spake as never man spake Learned men were astonished at his doctrine Whence hath this man these things and what wisdome is this given unto him Mark 2.6 Christ is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that Prophet a Prophet indeed aboundantly
it and require it Reade these words over and over I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words into his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him And it shall come to passe that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Deut. 18.18 19. Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body the Church SOmethings have a generall glory look upon a pearl when you will where you will and it shines and sparkles upon you so doth Christ Christ is looked upon before in reference to the world here in reference to such as are taken out of the world in the former he is looked upon with respect to the creation and here with respect to the Church and in both admired as great and glorious Christ wears a garment without seme a generall glory his working-day suit is all full of pearls Consider Christ under any notion in reference to this world and you consider him in his working suit in his countrey cloaths in his travelling apparell and yet in this shining earth heaven the Church is filled with his glory he is head in the one and in other Christ makes a similitude between the worlds between this and that above there he is all fair and so he is here condition suits as the sunne goes in the same height we and they above can see nothing but a perfection in the sunne that shines upon us and no lesse moves desire amongst us Man hath an exact eye though not an exact heart he will see much ere he will love a little Things must be very clean which you swallow persons must be very complete and without exception which we set over us whatever we be our selves which are to move under them The sunne shines in order to draw and gain Nature is full of art to cavill unlesse things have all glory they have no glory if there be any hole in the coat love goes out and gets gone there but there is none in Christs Criticks must be convinced and then they will stand still and consider perfection makes conviction in the most criticall spirit and till the soul can tell no longer how to take exception at others it will not begin to take exception at it self Use Sinners we proffer you gold that is tried gold that hath no drosse gold that is all gold Look upon Christ under any notion and make exception against him if you can look upon him in reference to his words and he shines in them all look upon Christ in reference to the old creation in reference to the new creation or in reference to heaven and what can you except against him nothing Why do you not love Christ then It must be because you will not or because you cannot Some persons are convinced of the worth of Christ yet maintain motion towards other things as dearer and will do this your will shall hang you the thing which you love better then Christ shall be the gallows Stubborn hearts find no compassion Christ will plead for no man that will not love him although he know him and have other encouragements to draw him on to him My people would none of me and I will none of them Persons which are overmastered with a bad heart and cannot do what they would find mercy from the Lord but others are let alone to live as they will and die in their shame complaining hearts Christ is perfect in glory would you love him Christ shines in the world and he shines in the Church in the Church militant and in the Church triumphant he is great every where would you love him Yes This is accepted Christ accepts according to that you have and out of this smoke shall come a flame Holy desires is Christ conceived in the wombe of the soul do but stay a little time and thou wilt feel the babe leap in the wombe doth it not now O how strongly doth that soul come to love Christ which would love him but cannot Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body HOw God doth suit things is here considerable such a body and such a head Christ is the head os the body God doth nothing at randome divine dispensations are exactly proportioned one thing is fitted to another and this is the thing I would a little stand on The wayes of the Lord are equall mercy runnes into vessels of mercy I have set my king upon my holy hill of Sion Such a body such a head a holy people have a holy king my people have mine anointed over them I have set my king upon my holy hill The world is full of variety of condition so is divine action shaped every one hath as he is Iron hearts have an iron scepter to order them and hearts of a more noble mettall have a scepter of gold every one hath a suitable offendant Gods way in this world is nothing else but a tracing of man you eat but the fruit of your own way when 't is most bitter A people of wrath have a king in wrath there was dispensation exactly suited This is the carriage of God through out the world he doth not work at randome he squares action to the thing he works about and fits one thing to another I am sent to lost sheep saith the Saviour God directs a Saviour to lost man and a Physitian to sick man and to blind and hardned men which think they see Christ is sent to move in justice to them justice naturally suits all her actions to the subject about which she works as mercy doth I am come for judgemen into the world saith Christ to shape action to person to suit dispensation to condition The Deitie speaks out it self in apt action Some men cannot and others will not understand God in his word such must be dealt with another way men that will not reade words have apt works annexed to explain them Divine action suited to humane renders God as it were visible to men born blind let him that did cut off other limbs have his own cut off and be served just as he hath served others and he will see a righteous God presently which could not see it before and you will have him speak good divinity presently by virtue of such apt action annexed to the word which could not understand a word of divinity before As I have dealt with others so God hath requited me said Adonibezek it is a rare artist that can draw out himself and yet this is naturall to God by words and works together he will draw out himself so plain that any one shall runne and reade him God can cut and hew a block so by line so exact by the line of the word and the manners of men that you or any one else the very block it self shall tell who and what hand did it So God hath requited me
But I am afraid he will be gone If Christ do go will he leave his dear ones behind him Doth not the eagle carrie her young so doth Christ I carried you upon eagles wings Coloss 1.18 The first born from the dead THere are two first-born mentioned in this chapter the first-born of every creature verse 15. and the first-born from the dead the one respects being the other respects well-being and Christ is first in both these first in being in reference to all the creation and first in well-being in reference to the new creation the first that came forth from under the power of sinne alive which is the first-born from the dead here meant which the Apostle calls the first-born amongst many brethren elsewhere that is the first in our nature in the state of divine favour Christ broke the ice as we speak in reference to that body of death under which the state of mankind lay and so the first that came forth alive from under the guilt of sinne and the killing justice of God This time is sad so is our text it leads us to behold a world of dead men From the dead c. The term is indefinite and speaks our condition universally We are all by sinne dead without power to please God and liable to wrath for ever and Christ the first that made way out of this condition the first that broke through that displeasure which spoild us all Bodily death is sad soul-death a thousand times more sad we must walk amongst the tombes for an houre we are to rip up the dead to set out the nature of soul-death Demonst 1. Breath is gone the spirit of God is not in a dead soul Union speaks life Sathan not Christ lies in a sinners heart he is alive to sinne affection strong action that is evil action free among the dead Such light hath such motion ghosts walk in the dark wayes of death dead souls walk in Spirituall death is a soul cast out from God a soul cast out from God casts out God the word of God the operations of God a dead soul fights against life quicknings are as stabbings sermons which stirre are conjurings his eyes stare his heart quakes let Paul be gone Felix will be in hell else before the time the words of life are death to a dead soul Felix soul is in departing whilest a world of life was imparted to him nothing will keep life in a dead soul but the departing of Christ and his quickning spirit The dead deny the resurrection they would not be raised out of their grave means that are used this way are to them as conjuring from the dead gastly Christs yoke is easie wisdomes wayes are pleasant so the devils yoke is easie and his wayes are pleasant the dead are at rest in sinne they feel no pain though in the way to hell till they come there Eyes closed this also belongs to the dead in sinne The dead see nothing godlinesse is a mystery and the word of life a parable to a dead soul Confusion covers the dead reason is rebellion doing is undoing and yet the soul thinks all is well Light is darknesse sweet is bitter life is death to a dead soul Jacob is Esau the blind miscall every person and every thing O that thou hadst known in this thy day The sunne brought out of heaven and set at the doore and yet not discerned the dead see nothing in the day time day is night to the dead sunshine darknesse Christ close by yet not apprehended by the dead Christ knocks at the doore the voice though just behind or just before yet not heard our Gospel is hid though this be light more sparkling more shining then all other light Pride buds as the Prophet speaks sinne spreads God frowns hell gapes yet the dead see nothing Spirituall death 't is spirituall understanding quite lost one not able to discern divine things however externally advantaged hold a torch to the eye of the dead yet he sees nothing and if ye could hold the sunne close to the eyes of a dead man yet could he apprehend nothing the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse in it self the wisdome of the Scriptures is even also the same to a dead soul he knows nothing as he ought not the things he gathers and looks upon in wisdomes house Carcase stinking The dead smell lothsome the dead in sins do so Malignity hath got victory the whole state is corrupted all the bloud black and filthy in the dead Temptations overcome what Sathan saith is law and Gospel imaginations evil and all so and onely so evil the whole bulk and carcase of Christianitie stinking to Christ Christians The dead are all dead all filthy from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot full of sores plague-sores and all run and bloud filth is wallowed in Spirituall death is the soul under the rule of sinne sinne ruling the heart sleights truth the heart sleighting truth life is evil and yet pleaded for as good this stinks abominably in the nostrils of God Havvoth pravitates wickednesses Spirituall death is the inward parts very wickednesse the heart given to a harlot a strumpet is base and stinking Affection false and your lungs are rotten the opening of your mouth to God is as the opening of a sepulchre Spirituall death 't is a man abominable to God person action in life in death the dead stink alwayes God hates a wicked soul forever Sinne is everlasting so is justice the soul that lies in it is an abomination from generation to generation The grave and hell do not purifie the dead Spirituall death is a soul eternally lothing and lothed Stretched out coffin'd and buried this is the last property of the dead Dead in sinne are stretched out with a witnesse conscience is racked Conviction is the proper divine operation in a dead soul men under the power of sinne are under the power of wrath here spirituall death is a heart under the mere sence and guilt of wrath Worms eat the dead conscience gnaweth souls that lie in their sinnes The dead are stretched out and buried the dead bury the dead There be black bearers below and they are fetched up when wicked souls depart and thousands of them stand ready to carry the dead to their place This night they shall take away thy soul A dead soul is stretched out carried forth and buried in the night saith the Text This night they shall take away thy soul Dead souls are all buried in the night in utter darknesse The summe of all is this Spirituall death is a soul seperated from God under pollution and conviction untill condemnation Vse 'T is a time of slaughter fields cities towns dipped and dyed in bloud Dead bodies are many but dead souls are more the dead are in every house yea almost in every bed and yet no Lord have mercy at the doore Husband dead wife dead child dead and
yet no mourning for the dead This generation affrighteth me what are become of spirituall bowels are they ript up too are bad men dead and good men dead and is there no life left Ignorant men dead men of light dead death passeth over all passion swayeth high and low 't is a pang of death and presageth the death of all if the Lord heal it not Prepare coffins and graves for the dead dead sinners dead Christians buy your winding-sheets make your wills if there be any life in me your condition is dangerous The axe is laid to the root now I beleeve every dead tree will down ere Christ lay down his axe Danger onely stirreth some men sinners stand up from the dead do you see nothing coming towards you God is against you is not he all enemies and all engines the sword of man may be sheathed yet will you be cut off not a wilfull sinner will be spared for the anger of the Lord is against you justice visites but seldome but when she doth she sweeps every room Every one that is proud and every one that is lofty Esay 2.12 Proud flesh is dead flesh every one that swelleth against Christ shall be lanced every one that stoopeth not shall be broken Without Christ will sweep clean within he will do the same even amongst his own he will throughly purge his floore If you have any life in you think of these things Londoners Londoners now trading is dead think of your dead hearts these two yeares and upward trading hath been very dead why this tenne yeare this twenty yeare thy heart hath been dead a dead name a dead state a dead body suit a dead soul If you have any love to your bodies or any love to your souls looke out after spirituall life or all will die for ever Two things tend to spirituall life Christ strongly applied his ordinances throughly pursued Christ is the first risen from the dead and whom he taketh by the hand arise next after him Death and him that had the power of death Christ hath destroyed and all that would do the like must come to him Perversnesse will kill sinners quite the dead want life because they will not come to Christ You will not come to me that you may have life Dead hearts look to it your sinnes loved and Christ rejected you cannot live you must let Christ kill any thing so he will but make alive your souls cut off any thing a right hand so he will but unite what remaineth to himself Our merit must not be thought of for alas what can the dead do but Christs merit and order both must Christ killeth and then maketh alive he slayeth pride and bringeth souls to fall at his feet willing to be done any thing with and then he doth all for them Waters of life are given to swouning persons they that grone and are heavie loden with sinne and come to Christ they find ease a spirit of life and joy Coming to Christ is application of Christ He hath loved me and given himself for me He satisfieth for me he intercedeth for me he appeareth in the face of perfect righteousnesse for me All these are vitall acts the soul that indeed this moveth is joyned to all the living and is a lively soul indeed Christs merit and Christs spirit is this mans he hath eternall life abiding in him and is passed from death You must drink of the waters that Christ profereth you and then you will find a well of waters springing up in you to everlasting life He that shall drink of the waters which I shall give him c. If the stomach be weak to this lively ordinances must be looked out dead ordinances make dead souls Ordinances that are as the tree of life of the Lords own planting speak Christ to the life and make dead souls alive Coloss 1.18 That in all things he might have the preheminence THe latitude of Christs dominion is here exprest 't is without limits and without parallel Some are great in such a compasse every ones Sun hath a circle every ones glory hath circumference every ones Sceptre hath bounds they can command onely within such a countrie none are over all not the greatest Princes that are but Christ hath an universall command in all things he hath the preheminence Evill hearts swell bigge and sometimes rise high pride nesteth it self among the Stars and yet then it is below Christ No man is so bigge in conceit as Christ is in deed nor so high in thought as Christ is really Vice when at highest is below Christ Virtue when at highest 't is below Christ all is under his feet Evill men cannot over match Christ by their sinne good men cannot over match him in their virtue he is sweeter then the sweetest soul alive He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleyes he is above opposition and above comparison things averse to him can take nothing from him and things congruous to him can adde nothing to him Our righteousnesse extendeth not to him Our righteousnesse no nor Angels righteousnesse among all things in earth and in Heaven he hath the preheminence The command of Christ is proclaim'd in this expression how large his commission is to controll all Universall dominion is large too long and too broad for any creature to travell it speaketh many things we shall touch some We will travell as farre in Christs dominion as we can in an houre The word speaketh power destructive power instructive power inspective Christ hath a destructive power over all he hath many enemies yet not one above him many have fought with him but he hath slain them all In the field Christ hath preheminence I will instance but in one battell that Christ fought Exod. 14.28 He destroyed Pharaoh and all his Host that there remained not so much as one of them saith the Text. Which is admired again Psal 106.11 The waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left He had amongst all the preheminence indeed Enemies are many and they are upon Christs back and there for a long while and make long furrows but he fetcheth them off his back and layeth them under his feet all of them He must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet 1. Cor. 15.25 If you have many upon your back 't is very disadvantageous in fight you cannot so easily fetch them off all but it is all one to Christ to have many behind him as before him those that are upon his back he can fetch them off and lay them under his feet with ease he is the best at the use of his arms he hath the preheminence in warre a destructive power over all Christ hath an instructive power over all he can teach all nations his commission is so large English Dutch French he can make knowledge cover the face of the earth as the waters do the sea Christ can as the sunne till all
the world with light and life he hath power over all flesh and he speaks it in regard of instruction Joh. 17.2 Some spirits are very fleshly and very sottish yet Christ hath power over these to make them wise Who so is simple let him turn in hither Prov. 9.4 Wisdome keeps a free-school universally receptive that is for all comers though never so simple yea universally instructive whoever comes thrives Wisdomes house hath seven pillars and sends out maidens every where a complete light and a complete power to impart it to any soul in any place Some hearts are very hard to learn and yet not too hard for Christ to teach he can teach blocks and stones of stones he can raise seed to Abraham Christ hath an inspective power over all he hath the preheminence for sight he is oculis eminentior his eyes runne through the earth and behold all his eye is very strong nothing can be hid from it Some could over-rule such and such things were they but aware of them craft carries it with you ofttimes when power cannot but it cannot do so with Christ he discovers deep things out of the darknesse not a mote in the sunne not a hair on your head but he numbers it knows one by one which is very exact knowledge 'T is like that expression in another case Not a thought in our hearts but he knows it altogether The sunne is the eye of the world and 't is a very fair one and looks far and yet looks not so far as Christ who is the eye of worlds of this world and that world as heaven is called Luke 20.35 Christ looks beyond Luther beyond Solomon beyond Abraham who looked a great way and saw Christ very farre off yea Christ looks beyond Adam beyond all that are or ever were All things are naked before him not onely bodies but spirits whose vastnesse is farre deeper and more then all the creation beside in his book are all our members written yea in his book is written that which hath no members and hardly no terms to expresse to wit our souls the fabrick and motion of them He can tell where Sathan is when hid in a sheepskin he knows his voice when he speaks in a Saint as well as when he speaks in a serpent Get thee behind me Sathan said he to Peter And adde but one thing more and it will exceedingly tend to the glory of Christs sight he hath a presentiall sight not a sight of any one at a distance as we have every thing is full in his eye and fast by him because of the vastnesse of his presence All runnes into this Christ hath an universall preheminence a dominion over all Use Let universall power be universally laid to heart so I come to apply this point our reach is short and shallow and yet according to this we frame thoughts still of him that is above us Thoughts of things above us must be carefully shaped by truth and not by fancie divine majesty will fall else and we shall think of Christ as of our selves Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one at thy self Psalme 50.21 Christ will not bear mens base conceptions of him Christ misapprehended his majesty falls majesty fallen in the heart man runnes wild when men flie out God flies out and now you shall see one underfoot presently Christ or the creature that riseth up against him Tremble proud profane hearts at the universality of Christs power he will have the preheminence over you Sinners propose to themselves what pleaseth them though it displease God and bear out themselves that this shall hold they propose what is amisse and yet promise felicity to themselves and that is more amisse A soul at this height is near falling Christ will have the preheminence of this proud person wherein he deals proudly Christ will be above him Watch your hearts sinners they grow desperately wicked quickly a presumptuous soul denies the universality of Christs dominion to his face and stands upon his guard against all the host of heaven truth shall never command me in this Now the man hath made his will he will die presently desperate hearts have suitable justice they go down quick into the pit Stoop to the universality of Christs commands as God hath set him so do you over all in all things Oppose Christs least commands to the commands of the greatest men in the world follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Moses parents did their duty to Christ in him and kept him alive not fearing the commands of the king Hebr. 11.23 Pharaoh puts forth an universall command every sonne that is born to the Hebrews ye shall cast into the river and Moses parents opposed to this the universality of Christs power and pursued their duty not fearing the kings command What command soever or from whom soever opposing any command of Christ destroyes the universality of his authority and speaks sinfull fear if we obey it The universality of Christs dominion is the great jewell of his crown that which distinguisheth him from all the great ones in the world 't is his Motto King of kings his grand prerogative and yet fear destroyes this quite Let flesh and bloud attend to this nature weak passion strong men transported with pride do they know not what throw down Christ to keep up themselves England thou art unhappy at the practise of this point to raise the Lord Jesus above all to give him the preheminence in all things the Lord grant it be not required of us Is our long bondage so soon forgot Is our present bleeding nothing Can we tell whether we shall live or die Shall we not put Christ inprimis in our will Shall we not give our dying breath to vote up Christ above all are we not low enough yet to set Christ high to give him the preheminence in all things Surely we shall be Let us all look about us and know our duty truth not men must be our rule and blessed are they that can receive this love is bountifull she will give Christ all she seeks not her own she sets Christ as high as God sets him whatever it cost her Affection must have judgement to guide it or else men erre on the right hand and judgement must have love to quicken it and warm it or else men erre on the left hand good men will become very bad and speak and do against their conscience and break their peace to keep a bubble whole their honour with men and the like I know not what hearts you have for Christ I know what hearts we all should have to set Christ at this height my text speaks of Love must be very strong conscience very tender the heart very humble grace very sincere to give Christ the preheminence in all things Cold hearts brawnie hearts proud hearts rotten hearts your plague is great you can never advance Christ to his preheminence and look how farre you are
no grace What 's the reason Could he have none or would he have none To one I answer saith God he might have had grace and life and it would have pleased me to have enriched him with these To the other I will answer saith conscience This wretched soul would have no grace he loved iniquity and hated righteousnesse therefore is he here unrighteous he thought himself rich and vvell cloathed and therefore stands here novv poor and naked 'T is remedilesse wickednesse to deny free grace The miseries of man are many and yet there is but one remedy Free grace hath balm for every wound which rejected every wound is mortall The least sinne is death The wages of sinne that is of every sinne is death For bodily distresses there be many remedies if men will not pitty me when I hunger ravens may If Christians will not pitty when I am sore dogges may but in soul distresses there is but one remedy to wit what God will please to do if God will please to do nothing for me none else will or can No eye pittied thee to do any of these for thee Gods eye pitilesse and there is no eye pittifull nor can be to the soul 'T is storied of the balm that it groweth in the Holy-land and no where else which is the reason of that speech Is there no balm in Gilead Mercy for your souls is in the pleasure of God and no where else Sinners make no more of the favour of God then of the favour of man I live not upon one the heart layeth this conclusion and swelleth and lifteth up the heel Ah wretches you cannot say so of God you live upon one yea upon one thing in God upon the smiles of his countenance upon this that he is free in mercy that it pleaseth him to save souls This point hath been applyed to convince and humble and it may also be applyed in the next place to chear and revive There are burdened hearts I beleeve among you but let no distresse discourage you How great soever the wants of any be let them come to God it pleaseth him to lay out for you Are your wants more then Christ hath where withall to supply What ever Christ hath or can do and what is it that he cannot do it pleaseth God to the heart that he should imploy it for you Men under guilt fancy hard thoughts of God my sinnes are great and God will not pardon yes he will he is ready to forgive it pleaseth him to forgive he hath furnished Christ of purpose and laid out all upon this very designe which is reall demonstration of his pleasure this way If distresse lie any otherwise yet it should not distract because free grace speaketh supply to any distresse that you can mention t is a fountain a fountain open every one may draw and yet none draw drie Your straits are many and you cannot tell which way to get out remember the point in hand that it pleaseth God to contrive relief To undo knots is a troublesome thing especially such knots as unbelief knitteth in the soul and yet God is pleased with this work he is a God of peace made up of peace his whole pleasure as well as his whole imployment lieth this way The God of peace establish and strengthen you saith the Apostle The Apostles words are of great emphasis the Godhead bendeth strongly and delightfully this way to settle poore weak souls which can do nothing themselves Doubts cavills and complaints are many and God quieteth all because his pleasure and delight is in the peace and tranquillity of poore souls He is a God of peace his pleasure is to make peace and a Heaven where he cometh 'T is the pleasure of things to do things naturall to them 't is the pleasure of wicked spirits to torment and vexe and to make hell where ever they come and in this sense the devil may be called the God of warre so 't is the pleasure of God to do things naturall to him to comfort and cheere poore souls to strengthen and establish them to make a Heaven where ever he cometh as a God of and a God at this work Coloss 1.19 For it pleased the Father c. THe reason of what Christ is to man is rendered by the Spirit of God in this Text the cause of his greatnesse and fulnesse to maintain it is the will of God it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 'T is not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the word speak will and delight such a pursuit and such action as wherein there is transcendent souls rest Behold my servant which I have chosen my beloved which my soul hath willed Esay 42.1 In whom my soul is at rest saith the Evangelist ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is the same word here in my Text which noteth that the will and the delight of God are in the furnishing of Christ for us Scriptures compared the word you see soundeth double the will and the pleasure of God are wrapt up in it which we shall unfold one after another Doctr. God shapeth every thing to man according to his own will The will of God is absolute he moveth by a perfect rule his motion is without errour and yet guided in all by that which is no guide in us his own will We have many things from earth from Heaven and all shaped out to us according to the will of God Things below man Things below man are many and various and yet God turneth and windeth them all according to his will Can you tell how many good bodies come out of the earth to wait upon one bad Not one of them would do this but that God giveth them such bodies and shapeth them by his will to such qualities and properties and to such ends and purposes as to give their life to keep up dying man That which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but God giveth it a body as he willeth 1. Cor. 15.38 Things equall to man 'T is the like respecting things equall to us No creatures would serve one another man would not serve man member would not serve member the eye would not serve the hand nor the hand any other part were they not all shaped to this by the will of God God hath set the members in the body every one of them as he willeth 1. Corinthians 12.18 A foot with so many toes a hand with so many fingers a head with so many hairs bodies with such variety of members soules with such variety of gifts have all their shape according to divine will But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will 1. Corinthians 12.11 One hath much wisedome another much knowledge another but a little of either onely enough for a toe to be carried and guided by a bigger and nobler member and yet as much
Christ hath the same life and the same felicities of life he hath the same meate the same habite and the same dwelling one Sunne hath as many raies as tother and riseth as high as tother they move both in one spheare they dwell in the same house they have the same traine and attendance where one goes tother goes My Father and I will come and sup with him Christ and his Father sup together lodge together Esse radiatum esse is communicated Glory is communicated the very glory which God personally weares is communicated to Christ Glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was All Christs is Gods and all Gods is Christs All mine are thine and thine are mine The very glory that God weares himselfe the glory which he weares in heaven that which he wore before all the world was is Christs Whatsoever is under the whole Heaven is Christs Job 41.11 Yea whatsoever is above the whole Heaven whatsoever is in Heaven is Christs glory is his thine is the kingdome power and glory What glory Why that glory which is at the right hand of God The choicest glory in Heaven in the Heaven of Heavens is Christs and at his dispose Vse What is so compleat and yet not gaine the heart speakes that heart very naught and yet this is very common though Christ have all fulnesse yet emptie creatures care nothing for him When cost is liberally laid out and when all laid out will bring nothing in againe that 's sad when all in stocke is out and brings in nothing this goes to the heart of God I planted a goodly vine a noble plant a right seede and yet that trampled under foote said God Fulnesse runs out Mens cisternes are broken so that fulnesse can fill nothing such broken cisternes must be mended or else they will be broken to pieces 'T is wonderfull that Christ is so full and we are so emptie the fault is not in him 't is in us it must be found out and laid to heart it cannot goe well with us else I must speake to three sorts of men some have nothing and some have but a little not one of a thousand full with the fulnesse of Christ all have their fault and must be told on 't Some have no grace nor no good nature farre from righteousnesse as the Prophet speakes full of pride and full of malice Solomon spied it in his time so doe I now The heart of the sonnes of men is full of evill and madnesse Eccles 9.3 Men watch not their hearts and they please themselves in it as loving ease and are undone ere they are aware Evill is a growing thing but when dunged a little by remisnesse the heart will grow full of it presently and then the next step is madnesse as Solomon saith full of evill and madnesse The heart full of evill and the man grows mad to maintaine it and to spread it Alas for thee England thou art in a sad condition full of mad-men men whose hearts are full of evill and mad to maintaine it men emptie their chests of gold yea they emptie their veines of bloud to fill their soules and lives full of wickednesse which they love The heart full of evill cannot hide it selfe the curse of God is upon sin in strength to cut off the sinner that is white to Harvest Things will struggle for life though they die for it full streames have their adventitious occurrences which make overflowings Were you at Oxford you would see spring-tides every day hearts full of evill and over-flowing and running out at their mouth in blasphemies as blacke as hell 'T were well if such a great plague were at such a great distance from us as Oxford but alas for us Oxford is full London is full England is full scarce a heart amongst us but is full of evill and mad to maintaine it What will become of us all Hearts are full of sinne God is full of wrath the Land is full of bloud Ah Lord are we not in hell on earth And yet emptie hearts consider nothing Delusions destroy thousands men full of pride their eyes are swelled out till they feele much they can see nothing amisse in their owne wayes The Land is full of wrath not a man of you almost but full of distresse in one kinde or other and what 's this but Gods broad demonstration that your hearts and lives are full of sin yet can you see this sense is the first step to remedie where this is not notwithstanding all meanes ruine not remedie is neere ah England I feare thy condition but yet still will pray your hearts are full of sin your lives full of miseries are your eyes full of teares O that my heart were full of grace Christ fills the hungry c. Grace in fulness is the felicitie of life bend not after this heighth and you cannot be fully happie Set God his distance and be but never so little and he cannot kisse you unlesse you take him fully into your armes he will be jealous of your love and set you at a distance every day more then other till he hath shaken you off for ever Times square mens course yea mens grace affection and action must rise but so high lest it set all afire names state fortune if love burne so strong as some Ministers would have it 't will burne us out of all The Lord be mercifull to mens basenesse this earth will not beare us long else hell will be full of such soules ere such soules will be full of grace Let times be what they will truth must be pursued to the full this fils the soule with grace neglect this and 't is impossible your hearts should be full of grace how full soever you get your purses of money Great things in the world cut the throats of men they will rather have emptie spirits then emptie purses leane soules then leane cheekes Ah Lord how do the dead bury the dead in earth now Fill one anothers mouths with earth Little of the world must serve if wee would be full of grace This gold lies not in earth but in Heaven not in the world but in truth dig these mines throughly and you will find all treasure and be filled with all the fulnesse of God Consolation springs from this point a word of this and I have done Wee have said much of Christs fulnesse and yet too little Christians comfort your selves 't is all yours Christ hath all and is full so have you in him claime your proprietie and comfort your selves with it in all your distresses in this life as Paul did Phil. 4.18 I have all and am full saith he and yet had nothing in the world The Apostle had Christ which hath all heaven and earth Qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia He that hath Christ hath all formally or eminenter i. whatsoever is wanting in the creature at
will know what a man hath been out of his own mouth ere he make him better Christ will know what a man hath been what a man is and what he would be and then goes to work hard indeed to make a miserable creature blessed Take this Item we can do nothing of our selves the least good is above us to look back upon a bad life 't is of grace as well as to reform a bad life Creepies must take hold of something when they would go In our weaknesse to duty we must lean upon the Word of God If you want a word to lean upon I will give you one And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives because I am broken with their whorish heart and they shall loath themselves for the evills they have committed in all their abominations Ezek. 6.9 'T is hard to finde a looking glasse to see ones life from one end to tother yet Christ can help us to one and he hath promised this and more to make us look upon all our abominations and to loath them and our selves for them a soul got thus far will grow in grace apace no motive to the soul to grow kind to Christ as to think well how unkind it hath been What a hater and then what a lover of Christ was Paul To look back upon badnesse 't will raise goodnesse when the heart is turned O how oft have I kickt against Christ How oft now should I kisse him How basely did I tread him under foot and how tenderly now should I lay him in my bosome Paul laboured more abundantly then they all If you would be eminent for the strength of love and for the truth of love look back COLOS. 1.21 You that were sometimes alienated c. THe Garden of God is pleasant ' thath variety yet in all congruity to make perpetuall delight We are come to consider a sad state yet surely this will be sweet to souls that desire to know their condition God and all creatures were in a league all good in common infinite felicity every ones mercy God in the bosome of every soul throughout the creation Sin hath broke this league the fat and fertill cloud that covered Adams Tabernacle and the Oracle upon his Mercy-seat that was so universally audible is drawn up and God that was neer every one is now far from all naturally And you which were sometimes alienated Alienation speaks all misery man quite gone from God and God quite gone from man body and soul under the perpetuall influence of infinite wrath God is all or nothing to the creature all favour or nothing but displeasure Displeasure orders every thing about a sinfull State as love orders all about a good condition poison is in every dish at a sinners Table not a bit he eats not a rag he wears not a thing he does but 't is cursed from heaven This is the proper expression of alienation The fruit of thy land and all thy labours shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway Deut. 28.33 These expressions suit a stranger he is one that is blasted in all things the divine hand of God doth only oppresse him i. only punish him only crush and curse him always Some men live so far from the Sun that they have nothing but hard weather only Winter and storms Alienation is a state shut out from all divine privilege Divine priviledges are of severall sorts some signifie more favour then other a man alienated from God is cut off from all he is none of the Commonwealth of Israel if he be called an Israelite if he be called a Christian he is mis-called The proper title of an alienated person is a Heathen a Publican a Dog A title is a small thing a shadow yet God allows not this to some an alienated person hath not the shadow of love he may not call himself by the name of Israel he shall answer for this that he bears the name of a Christian that he carries the name of the living and is dead that he calls himself homo and is cadaver a man and is a carkasse There be many things in the Commonwealth of Israel common and speciall yet nothing so common as an alienated person can challenge any interest in There were Candlesticks Basons Tongs Snuffers and there were Pins and Ashes about the Tabernacle an alienated person is not a pin not a dust of the Tabernacle he cannot write himself by the title of one Cinder of the Sanctuary not the least scruple of the Church of Christ militant he is not the dust of the ballance of the Sanctuary and yet 't is strange to consider the spirit of strangers they think they are wronged when they are denied the greatest priviledges of Church state and they are wronged when they have the least Alienated persons are strangers from the Commonwealth of Israel Yea they are stranges from the Covenant of Promise If from the lesse from the greater much more such steps as these the Apostle makes when expressing this thing Aliaens are alienated from the name of God and from the life of God that 's one expression to the life which the Apostle useth Ephes 4.18 Having their understandings darkened being alienated from the life of God because of the blindnesse of their hearts Alienation speaks God gone respecting externals but the weight of the expression lies in this God gone from the soul the heart without the life of God through darknesse The life of God is heart-panting to follow Christ Life makes pulsation Did you see my Beloved Which way is he gone that I may go after him Blind hearts beat out themselves after other things no pulsation of spirit after Christ this speaks the soul dead alienated from the life of God through darknesse As mens principles are so they stirre to or from God after or away from Christ strangers to God their principles are strange divinity is no rule reason is no rule That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men That 's wickednesse indeed which destroyes divinity and reason and yet 't is spoken of aliens whose lust is their law their belly their god not one lust but many lusts they serve divers lusts 'T is a strange life that strangers to God lead they obey that which God and nature forbids they serve lusts against religion and reason Reason is low divinity teaching things necessary and comly to the body it runs forth into many principles and makes conscience to keep them till temptation be strong and then an alien becomes unreasonable unnaturall a brute beast Every man is brutish by his knowledge the founder is confounded by his graven Image Jerem. 51.17 Pastors brutish people brutish temptations came and instructed persons waved all divinity reason and moved as nonsensically as wilde brutes and this is the Proprium of an alienated state in strength one
their fleshly minde Satan makes the spirit fleshly first and then makes all fleshly If the eye be dark if the heart be carnnall all is so 'T is not enough to Satan to live he is a Prince seeks a kingdome and so plants and seats himself as to be Lord over all where he sits down and this can be no where but in the mind Finally sin is so seated where it may best reigne and best ruine where it may be most lively and most deadly Inward diseases are most mortall There was a plague of the skin and a plague of the skull Levit. 13.31 If the plague go deeper then the skin then saith God it is a plague of the skull and the person must be shut out from all his friends I may tell you that there is a plague which goeth deeper then the skin yea and deeper then the skull a plague of the brain and of the minde and this is mortall it shuts out from heaven and all good Plagues that go deeper then the skull exclude from all They do erre in their hearts and they have not known my wayes their plague was deeper then the skull it reached their hearts and observe what followed they were shut out with a witnesse So I sware in my wrath they should not enter into my rest Hebr. 3.10 That which goes to the heart kills and cuts off for ever the Devill seated in the soul that soul is lost for ever such a one shall never have rest for God hath sworn it Vse You see where Sin and Satan are seated naturally Are they disseated by grace 'T is the greatest blessing in the world to get Sin and Satan throughly out of the minde I am affraid that few of you consider your own danger there is malignity in you you have taken poyson down in the first Adam hath the second given you any vomit and made you throw it up Physicians purge your bodies Doth Christ purge your mindes and your consciences from defilement Within lies defilement which if not purged out will spoile us for ever Naboths vineyard was gotten into Ahabs minde 't was neerer to him internally then externally though in the latter sense it lay very neer and it proved mortall to him he sickn'd upon it and died for ever Observe well with what vigour you sin if you would finde how sin is seated action that comes from the mind is intent Thoughts beat pangs are strong the party is with childe what it longs for it must have or it dies this is minding sin or sin gotten into the minde which was the case of Ahab before mentioned Sin gotten into the minde nothing can beat it out 'T is sad to consider how some men sleep how some men talk and walk in their sleep yea how they talk and walk when they are awake just as if they were asleep especially if one be talking to them of heavenly things 'T is dolefull to consider how some sit here for an hour thoughts quite gone to this thing and to that Ah wretches vanity is got into your minds it holds its seat there the plague of it is this God cannot enter the soul will be vexed to death 't will become a sot or a Bedlam Observe with what continuation you sin Action is lasting that comes from the minde the minde is an untired power that way it takes only evill and that continually Gen. 6.5 Such another power is Satan Satan roars like a Lion one would think it should tear his throat such violent action one would think should make him breast and lung-soare and tire him out yet it doth not he goes about gaping and roaring day and night and never gives off he is cordiall in what he doth he mindes evill and this is the ground why he is untired The minde is an untired power that way it takes in all creatures the spirit evill and it is so only and continually What the heart is taken up with 't is very intense at it so that one may in a manner say that its only about such a thing and then it holds its vigor thus is the soul towards one sin or other whilest corruption keeps it's seat in the mind There is a busie immortall substance in the midst of you 't were well if you did know about what Some minde earthly things saith the Apostle i. upon the matter only and continually this man is carnally minded and it will be his death if God be not gracious to him If sin hold its seat in the minde against all means there is no way but one with the man if sin die not in the soul the soul dies in it Ye shall die in your sins 'T is the greatest blessing in the world to get sin throughly out of the mind not only by way of negation but by way of actuall fruition not privatively only but positively too Sin throughly out of the minde and the soul is altogether in heaven That which cuts our wings when we would mount up where Christ is is that so many naughty things are in our mindes Contemplation pure and the man is an Angel taken up wholly with the admiring of God and the glory of another world Sin throughly out of the mind and all tears are wiped from the eyes already What makes mourning and sadnesse amongst Saints here but that sin keeps still in their minds the evill working of their mindes The minde pure and conscience is quiet peace is setled nothing can burthen when the minde is free Sin throughly out of the minde and it becomes presently the Presence-chamber of the great King in no creature is Christ so present as in a pure minde the full explanation of this is above us COLOSS. 1.21 Enemies with the minde c. ACcording to the former reading of these words we were led to consider the seat of sin and according to this reading we are led to consider the voluntarinesse of sin We are pressed to many externall services of men but we are by nature the Devils volunteers so and so bad and with our mindes desperately set against Christ and this with our minde Enemies with your minde The expression speaks intention Some things we do that which we do not mean the will is redeemed corruption not emptied this upon advantage surprizes and carries the soul captive to what it did never intend this is transgression of the rule but not sinning willingly i. with the minde a captive under another is no volunteer I finde a law in my members carrying me captive to the law of sin Powers within clash sometimes severall things in view which to be followed not agreed debates determined the way proposed actus voluntarius est actus pleno consensu pursued with full consent is an act with the minde And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel where he sojourned and come with all the desire of his minde be colarath naphsho in all the desire of his minde then he
shall minister in the Name of the Lord his God Deut. 18.6 There is preaching but of constraint not with a ready minde not toto desiderio animae i. not with intention nor approbation So there is living and walking in wayes that are divine but not toto desiderio with a whole desire but with constraint As about good things so about bad some sin from a coercive power not with a whole desire of the minde There is reluctatio debilis reluctatio fortis a weak reluctancy and a strong reluctancy in acts of evill with the minde there may be weak reluctation because conscience stings wrath and justice hems about the sinner sometimes so that he goes affrightedly along in his course yet this is consistent with full consent Pharaoh and Judas had this kinde of reluctation in their course and yet were enemies with their minde and fully consenting to what was done against Christ The expression speaks extention all powers fully consenting and all powers to the utmost acting to perform what is chosen and consented to Things naturally grown to bring forth venture one life to bring forth another and all pangs and throws nothing so the birth may be though but a monster when born What is with all the heart is with all the might they are joyned together in expression as they are in order of nature in working Enemies with your minde and enemies with your might with full purpose and with full endeavour if with the heart then with both hands as the Prophet speaks yea with every finger with every toe An enemie with the minde 't is one that fills his hand to the Devill as the expression is in another kinde 1 Chro. 29.5 'T was Davids speech when they were offering of jewels and wealth to the House of the Lord. Who then it willing to consecrate his service this day to the Lord Lemmalloth jado haijom c. to fill his hand this day to the Lord saith the originall An enemy with the heart is one that fills his hand to the Devill that offers like a Prince to the prince of darknesse that fills his hand with his heart in every action that sends forth every spirit the soul and all that is within him into every part without him to stand against Christ 't is one that doth draw out all to accomplish all that a corrupt heart thirsts after he doth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã do the wills of the flesh as the Apostle speaks i. not one thing that the flesh lusts after but every thing it lusts after You say of a servant that he is a willing servant when he gives his minde to serve you i. when he doth every thing you bid him not when he does one thing and neglects another thing which you bid him but when he doth your wills when he applies himself to serve you in all your command then you say hee serves you with his minde Vse 'T is a bad state this yet too common as you finde your condition laid open so own it Lust will run its course and then make its own construction of all Every mans last shift is when evill becomes open and ugly he did it against his will 'T were well if a sinners sentence of himself would stand when Christ comes to sentence all things over again 'T is sad when a mans servant shall lie out night after night and told of it and yet continue it and stand in it that all was against his will so doth your souls lie out of Christs bosome day after day and night after night and you have been told of it and whipt for it and yet so you have continued and is all against your will If will be so innocent why are you so unmoved in evill Full of action and yet without any passion you can do any thing to accomplish carnall ends and lay nothing to heart to break your sleep a wink With a light companion and a pipe of Tobacco you can whiffe away any thing that gathers about your heart and yet none must believe that you are not hearty in your way Art will put off bad wares but 't will not a bad heart Let 's hear no more pleading for self there needs no other demonstration of a willing transgressor Own your condition and what is due to it You are enemies with your mindes against God and so he will be against you you shall be punished with plague after plague and God will never repent You sin and sin and never repent so will God judge you When God lays any sad thing upon his people he doth not afflict willingly his people do not sin willingly they repent in like proportion doth God carry himself towards them You do evill with both hands so shall justice fight against you and wo to that soul that God strikes with all his heart and with all his might God will laugh at your destruction hearty sinners God will be very hearty in all those acts which fit you for your home Two in full carreer one against another one will be spoiled and surely 't will be that man that doth run with his mind against the Lord. Remedy must be speedy two enemies that set to it with their minde will dispatch one another quickly if they be not parted Wilfull sinners you cannot strike so desperately against God as he doth against you every blow is upon your heart he is turning that into a stone which work done you will sink presently like Pharaoh Properties are not suspended when you are once sinking ah Lord what will you catch hold on what can you catch hold on to keep you out of hell Doth a stone use any struggling to keep up when 't is falling downe Wilfull sinners this is your judgement written in your foreheads you will goe laughing like Bedlams to everlasting chaines you will have no booke nor aske for none Will as it runs its course swels bigger and bigger and it swels so big at last that it will breake eternally rather then stoop to God or man If this be the case of any sinner here let him tie a handkerchiefe about his eyes the halter is about his neck he will be turned off suddenly ere he is aware Wilfull sinners need remedie speedily but of all sorts are most untractable to it much must be done from heaven to stop a Balaam ere he would give back will was so perverse You that are Balaams must consider how God hath now drawne his sword against you from Heaven and give backe or you cannot long escape Consider how many wilfull sinners God hath slaine in these few moneths Bathe and soak your stubborne hearts in their bloud What a wonder is it that I am not yet cut off My will hath killed many but hath not killed me yet it may be God hath mercy in store for mee it may be he will make me a pattern of long-suffering as he did Saul I have but one thing to say to you all O that
Christ then 't is maturated and shall meet us as so many royall Diadems to adorn us for ever You see now the way to work well thus work and your work will be work and wages 'T is a very sweet life to do all in Christ Things are very lively and contentfull in their own element Set a Lark to flie in the open aire 't is his element 't is his heaven he will flie upward upward which is very hard work and yet he will do this and sing too The breast of Christ is the proper element of a Christian and when here a man works nimbly he works and sings too goes upward towards that place above which is very hard work and yet sings as he goes because he has such silver wings from Christ If ye abide in me saith Christ ye will do bravely you will bring forth good works as a Garden as a Vine doth fruits smilingly Let 's work as Christ did and we shall finde our work as he did 't was meat and drink to him to do his Fathers will his works were all works wrought in God as the Apostle speaks Let a Christian set himself in Christ when he goes about any action and he shall finde his work will be very sweet work and wages his meat and drink No motion so free and delightfull as Christian motion where 't is purely Christian We set upon work out of Christ and then the Chariot wheels move heavily and we look sadly and are tired presently Christs sayings are so hard to be done by this a stumbling block is cast before men of the world the works and wayes of God evill spoken of To work divine works is the joyfullest the sweetest life in the world if a man take the advantage of his work that is Christ with him in every thing a Christian and Christ will do any thing with ease remove mountains sins harder to be removed then mountains and stand and smile to behold the plagues of death O death I will be thy plagues to be the plagues of the king of plagues is brave action indeed A man might speak more consolatory from this point Every workman in Christs Vineyard hath a peny here and Christs peny is more then any ones pound but I cannot stand to sum up this now COLOS. 1.21 Yet now hath he reconciled THe love of God is wholly dispensed as love 't is in giving out as in taking in all along free birth bears it not to this rather then to that Not many noble c. friends work it not there is but one Mediator but one favourite in all the world that appears in the presence of God about any such thing and he is no respecter of persons The vilest as soon as those that are more beholding to nature obtain grace And ye that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled Reconciliation in the formality of it I have already handled this therefore I shall not meddle with again neither is it that which the Holy Ghost doth principally point at here but as you see by reading the whole verse one inviting property of reconciliation is most aim'd at to wit that the favour of God goes forth to all sorts that there is nothing in one sort of persons more then another to invite or discourage God to dispence his eternall grace all sorts and all at one price may obtain the favour of God i. Doctr. The Grace of God unto life is in all respects free and this is that sweet property of reconciliation which according to the scope of this place and the necessity of many poor souls at this time I would demonstrate to you The love of God is compared to a Feast in feasting men are free if men be not God is and you will say so if some circumstances in his feasting be observed Vniversally God doth invite universally You make feasts but yet every one may not come God sets no such bound nor makes no such distinction of persons Ho every one as many as you shall find bid to the marriage Matth. 22.9 The heavens are generall in their influence not one grasse on the ground but dewed The Ark had of all sorts brought into it from the East West North and South come and sit downe in the Kingdome of God As persons are in estate so they invite and so they feast Christ is a great King over all the earth and so he invites over all the earth he hath one house that will hold all he hath one table that will hold all yea he hath one dish that will serve all and answerably he invites Ho every one that thirsts If there be any thing looked at in those which Christ invites 't is something within not any thing without If the man be lame blinde halt if he be bodily soare yet it s nothing if he would sit at Gods table and if he would have crums or flagons this is all that is looked at God doth universally invite and he doth affectionatly invite Affectionatly which loudly speaks his love free The world is deaf 't would discourage any one to make a feast for a company of deaf folks stocks and blocks that one must strain ones lungs to make them heare and yet it doth not discourage God certainly his love is very affectionate God doth lay his mouth to the eare of the deaf and cries aloud Ho every one that thirsts John was a crier in the Wildernesse he did Christs work so are we at this day and the injunction is to cry aloud like a trumpet spirits lungs nothing to be spared in expression of Gods affection to mans eternall good Souls are precious to God distresse is laid to heart as 't is bowels sound lungs sound Ho every one c. vocations interjections c. speaks very affectionate motion towards the distressed Why will you die O Jerusalem Matters of weight move not us we make expression from no impression God smites his heart again and again and then speaks and proffers love O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah how shall I give thee up God calls and knocks and waites he calls and beseeches calls and weeps what he utters is from his heart that it may go to our heart Things are so molded and shaped as to make their own way Every word of God hath so much Majesty and sweetnesse conviction and consolation which plainly speaks him very free and willing to be reconciled to man Who puts on such apparell when he wooes a Spouse as Christ does Who speaks such effectuall words or presents such precious jewels when he wooes as Christ doth I will give you something else to demonstrate this thing to you God pursues prerogative altogether in his gracious dispensations Grace must needs be in all respects free because no obligement is upon God to give to this rather then to that I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy The
counsell of Gods will is his guide Mercy goes forth and embraces this or that person and not from any respect else but Gods will he does all things according to the counsell of his will Prerogative carries all with him God is free and will be free to give what he will to whom he will he hath no respect nor obligement upon him nor will have I will have mercy upon whom I will men proffer to some persons this or that to induce them to do this or that for them and they say no what we do we will do freely God is such a noble Spirit The whole creation is spiritually turned into a Chaos darknesse is upon the face of the deep upon the deepest understanding every soule under heaven without form and void of God As all things were then materially as clay in the hands of the Potter free for God to shape how he would one to this another to that so are we now spiritually and as then he was led in the old creation by his will so is he now in the new creation and by nothing else the will of none interrupts or swayes a jot with God Of his own will be begat us by the Word of truth Jam. 1.18 Not any thing without God swayes him in what he does in the old creation or in the new and therefore all that comes forth from him is free and can be no otherwise I will give you an argument more of this nature and then the use of all not a creature upon the face of the earth that can present any thing of his own to God to draw love and to make friendship in the least kinde Distance and disparitie is so great between some persons that there is an utter incapacitie in one side to make and ingage the other What can a begger a vagabond present a Prince with to make his favour if he would be made with a gift The case is ours out of naught comes naught we are naught and nothing else and can present nothing else to him who is nothing but good There is no soundnesse in us Esa 1. 'T is a remarkable expression if we had any soundnesse and 't were but very light we might present that to attract and make friendship and love and so with something of our own help by art a bad condition but there is no soundnesse in us from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot What grace doth by degrees in a very long space of time that sin did presently Grace doth purge wholly but 't is long first The God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Sin corrupts wholly presently as soone as ever Adam transgressed it did as some strong poyson run quite over him presently so that we are become as the Psalmist saith Altogether filthy Psal 14.3 Such as are altogether filthy cannot offer any thing of their own altogether cleane and yet so it must be to him who is altogether so or else it obtaines nothing with him and therefore 't is that the Scripture speakes of our righteousnesse as menstruous ragges Vse I have now shewed you that mercy cannot be merited but justice may The favour of God goes for nothing in man but the wrath of God goes forth alwayes for something in man a course of sin should be trembled at ah Lord what will this bring about My goodnesse extends not to God but my wickednesse doth My grace merits nothing but my sin merits much A man may doe enough to deserve hell quickly The troubles of the whole Land are many every Country dyed with bloud I know how folkes speake of all this yet not a drop of bloud more shed then merited If thy many wounds and much bleeding prove mortall O England thy death will be but just desert 'T were well if what now is upon us were all we have deserved we should then give a guesse when our troubles would end whereas now we can give none A person or Nation pursued according to merit perisheth unavoydably The wages of sin is death Our remedie is free mercy that God breake off from what he is yet but entred upon to wit judgement for if he goe on to doe but justice woe unto us all he will finde matter enough to keep justice alive till every person in the Land be dead See Esa 9. He shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry and he shall eate on the left hand and not be satisfied they shall eate every man the flesh of his own arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh c. And for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still vers 20 21. Justice will finde worke a great while if this be onely imployed about a people 't will eate out all and looke over the hatch for more For all this his anger is not put away c. When justice hath destroyed a whole Land yet not a jot satisfied nor pacified but stands ready to burne it againe and againe Mercy finisheth her worke that consummates the creature justice finisheth her worke too and this consumes the creature When justice doth finish her worke yet then 't is righteous 't is in righteousnesse He will finish his worke in righteousnesse If this be the determination of God upon us that justice shall finish her work in the middest of us we are in a consumption and can never recover He will finish his worke in righteousnesse c. That 's a fatall sentence If free grace intercept not till justice hath finished her worke 't will eate us out all Wee have deserved to die all beate at heaven to know whether the heart of God be hardened as yours is and whether he be onely judiciarily bent against us And whom he will he hardens c. Flint to flint strikes nothing but fire God hardened and we hardened nothing but blowes and fire will or can issue out of this Plead with God for grace and compassion for the Land or we cannot live More particularly I would make application of this point Grace is free in soule distresses let us all feed upon this doctrine God doth not choose us and imbrace us for our beautie as Ahasuerus did Esther and yet this is it that makes many poore soules to shake off what they should take hold on I am very filthy preyed upon with this lust or that should such a one as I kisse the King of glory Is there any reason to thinke that he will take me into his armes and make me his delight Wee may not measure the wayes of God by the wayes of man Grace workes above reason that which we can give no ground for God doth his love passeth knowledge in the breadth length height and depth of it in the spring of it Why is this man or that beloved can any man give a ground more then that which Paul doth It pleased God to reveale his Son in me Nothing can be rendered as
lay any thing to heart Such was âabals heart and such is ours stones as wee came from the rocke from whence wee were digd Affections follow sense where nothing makes impression there can be no compassion Wee are dead in trespasses and sin dead folkes consider not who mourne for them who die with griefe for them Faculties hardened the childe will throw aside what the mother which bore him underwent the pangs the screeches the teares of her that traveld in birth with him Abilitie to dutie springs not so much from things without as from things within as the soule is disposed not as the man is ingaged so the partie moves I will demonstrate to you that disposition to this dutie of being throughly and kindly affected with what others undergoe for us is hardly attain'd It springs from goodnesse purely contemplated this is a very high thing to doe Such a one did much for me I did as much for him or I may doe If such be out in flesh I am in purse Now is others goodnesse kild with our owne now is not the love of God nor the love of man thought of and how is it possible that either should be beautifull in my eye In such a spirit love hath her wings cut and no matter to worke upon which is that that gives disposition to the soule to keepe him alive for ever in my breast which hath done any good for me We can doe nothing for Christ nor his people and yet all that is done for us by either we thinke to be deserved 'T is certain that infinite love moulders to nothing in our breast under the notion of our owne merit one way or other though we observe it not If a man lose his state his arme his life for me if I thinke he was bound to it by any thing of mine the life of the action dyes the memory of the man and his kindnesse cannot live long Not an act that Christ doth but we dash it to death against some industry of our own That any creature loves me is all love that any one shews mercy to me whether God or man 't is all mercy I am vilder then the earth below all desert desire as far as hell is below heaven a heart at this height stoopes and takes up kindnesse fully sweetly and keepes it in memory firmely Things taken up as meere love stick otherwise not This is a high and hard thing I may instance this to you in God he merits every thing at our hands we doe and more then we can doe and yet he takes up all under the notion of kindnesse and love and this makes him to remember all we doe and all we suffer exactly I remember the kindnesse of thy youth and the love of thine espousalls All is kindnesse and love which man shews to God And when I was hungry yee did give me this and give me that God looking upon all that we doe for him as gift and as kindnesse this makes him to remember it alwayes 't is hard to get to that pitch which God moves at It springs from love strongly warm'd the heart must lie very neere God which hath this benefit God hath but few that lie neere him Things of life will not live in a dead sea the acts of God which he doth they are very lively and yet these will die if the soule be not suitable which observes them Every degree of divine life is not enough to keepe favours done for us so divinely alive as they should be 'T is more then hinted in the text These Colossians had their Christian life but yet not so as to remember the love of Christ to the life alas who have 'T is hard to melt some things much fuell much blowing and paines used and yet all this must be to dispose the matter fitly to receive a lasting stamp and forme upon it A heart melted with love layes to heart the least paines and kindnesse shew'd to it Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me said Elizabeth to Mary Vse As our hearts are below any duty it should humble us but as they are below things which are very weighty it should humble us much more The doctrine in hand beats hard upon us for melting hearts Christ suffers much for us man suffers much for us but neither considered by us What any Christian suffers for you you are to account it as Christ suffering he makes men willing to die for you to preach themselves dead to pray themselves dead to fight themselves dead and all these dyings the dyings of the Lord Jesus O that there should be so many persons bleeding in the fields for us and so few hearts bleeding at home for them and for our selves The strokes of God are various they are most mortall which kill the soule Our bodies are turned to dust apace and our soules into stones as fast Ah Lord how brawnie how bowellesse how hard-hearted is England become since a seate of war Husbands lose armes legs lives abroad and wife and children let starve at home Our war is very bloudy conscience in every man slaine not a tender heart scarce amongst us to consider the condition of the greatest sufferers for us in the Land Naball had his ease at home his quarters quiet and plentifull but what David underwent abroad to make it so at home did not move did not nor would not Nabal consider 'T is your case Londoners During all these bleeding times Christ hath been Quarter-master for you and so appointed your quarters that you have been very quiet very blessed in peace and plenty but what your brethren undergoe abroad to procure all this for you at home which of you doth lay to heart Vriah refused rest and solace at home because of the sufferings and hardship which the Armies of the Lord were in abroad The backes and bellies of thousands of you speake no such thing Ah Lord what will cure the pride and wantonnesse of this wicked Citie Drunkennesse and surfeiting now Can you laugh when your brethren mourne and when God frownes yee Epicures Can yee drinke wine in bowles and the bloud of your brethren in bowles You should at all your exorbitant meetings thus set fancy at worke The cup at my nose is the bloud of the slaine My curious napkins and table-clothes are the skins of Christians my guests the ghosts of the slaine my mad lascivious songs the groanings gaspings and shreechings of the wounded and dying Canst thou not thinke thus when thou art in the midst of thy jovall society O no 't would spoyle all my mirth 't would be like the hand-writing on the wall to Belshasar Dost thou tender more the spoyling of thy carnall mirth then the spoyling of thy eternall soule The guilt of all the bloud that is slaine will fall upon thee as an unsensible soule Hadst thou rather howle for ever then forbeare mad-mirth a little while If thou wilt not turne
and bones to feed on we may fetch a dish from heaven to mend the matter well enough if wee be so wise and so heavenly as wee should be We are the ruine of our own life 't is hard to get thoughts high enough Present things are the things onely to be minded we must minde this and we must minde it thus so we necessitate our minds and marre all What must I onely thinke of Shimei that curses Must I onely thinke of povertie and onely thinke of sicknesse that is upon me What necessitie of this There is no necessitie of this but yet I cannot doe otherwise Wouldst thou doe otherwise No I would not do otherwise How canst thou be remedied then Some are married to a Blackmore and will not be divorced to black melancholy spirits and humors c. which they love and will not heare to part with Rachel will not be comforted There is nothing to be said to these spirits till their burdens have more broken and humbled them Others are more ripened and mellowed by the rod to whom my question is Would you have your thoughts taken off from thinking so much of your calamitie Would you have your soules thinke much what you shall be and where you shall be O yes rather then any thing in the world The mercy is neare yea very neare which you thirst after Open your mouth wide and I will fill it Hungring longing and praying this is opening the mouth wide believe it the Lord Jesus is at hand he hath sent his Prodromoi his forerunners to lay in some provision he will sup with you anon and feast with you anon and then all will be well the soule strong and as high and as noble as its work Our strength to high duty is from full presence and full communion The choicest advantages to get this you should carefully use which would doe much in tother world which would be much above and before him where you shall ever be Some workes have a great deale of heaven in them reade them some persons have a great deale of heaven in them look out and read them some ordinances have a great deale of heaven observe them There is a great deale of advantage in ones standing to look a great way When David stood in Gods house he could see into heaven plainly and behold all the glory above and where his place should be for ever and what train should follow yea he was as if actually possessed of all Honour the Institution of Christ how ever despised by men or you cannot be so heavenly and so blessed as you would and should be COLOSS. 1.23 If you continue in the faith c. AS God turnes all to the good of his so Satan labours to turne all to their hurt The best people have one too many still at their table though they are not aware of him and he drops something still into every dish to curdle and sower it in their soules how sweet and precious soever in its own nature When the words of Christ wound Satan then drops in gall and vineger to turne convictions into despaire when they comfort he sophisticates and makes the doctrine of felicitie a medium to forget piety this in some words of this text is hinted in others prevented Heaven lengthens out a holy life to all eternitie it doth so in its proper nature 't is a laying of our soules in his bosome who hath us but by the hand here 't is not in it self nor under any consideration to end grace here or hereafter but to consummate it If you continue c. Two things of weight take up this text the doctrine of perseverance and apostasie cleaving to Christ and casting him off both these circumstanced and so drawne out that their aspect speakes them to the life To abide sweet a while and then to putrifie with the heat of times and smell carrionly this is not perseverance 't is not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã permanere continuing in the faith or through abiding of the faith what 's that This is answered in the next words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã founded ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã fixed One terme alludes to a house founded upon a rock that is unmovable The other term alluding to starres which continue holding forth their glory and vertue let what stirres will be in these lower regions they never fall from their orbe nor faile in it of any influence or lustre for any filthy vapours or fogges that come from the earth they are above them all and are faithfull and firm as the Heavens this is the propertie also of starres of the terrestriall globe Apostasie is also here drawn out to the life every fall doth not kill but falling away falling away from truth received glorious truth truth raising sweet hope glad Gospel expectation and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel c. That truth which hath had its demonstration before all sorts of men Through abiding of or in the faith is the first thing that we are to stand upon By faith is meant the Gospel as is explained in the next clause Christ as revealed in his Word Truth hath a latitude within and without it self the observation of both is a through pursuit Truth hath a latitude within it self that is in the matter of it 'thas many precepts and all these their proper extent Thy commandements are exceeding broad The Gospel hath many rules directory many consolatory when the soul sets before it self all as a rule of life then doth it throughly abide in the faith then are you my Disciples if you do whatsoever I command you The whole bosome of Christ is the seat of the soul hereafter and the whole will of Christ is the seat of the soul here when the soul doth not make it so it is wanton and wilfull and doth not throughly abide in the faith Christ had a materiall garment when materially present and it had many threads but all weaved into one web and robe without seam or signe of one so Christ now spiritually present hath likewise a spirituall garment of like form The Gospel hath many rules when all these are weaved together by a Christian in his life and made a spirituall robe of state for the glory of Christ and not one thread left out when the soul doth put on all Christ and clothes himself with him from head to feet then doth he throughly abide in the faith Truth hath a latitude without it self 't is to live as long as we We are to be faithfull to the death so in every truth no truth is short lived to last a season only as 't is said of them they rejoyced in his light for a season if we make any truth short lived for any temptation whatsoever we abide not throughly in it 'T is in our spirituall marriage as in our naturall we are not freed from the carefull and painfull obligation of it till death The observation of Gods will
for the thing though uncertain for the manner Christ doth number our haires at all times but what doth he do then when the head is going to be cut off He doth make all our darknesse light that which is upon nature state person Christ is with us alwayes according to an externall goodnesse one way or other They have Rosemary and Bays or some sweet thing or other in their hand in the view of all that go to the grave with Christ But internally they have much of him indeed that cleave closely to him What a box of ravishing odors did Christ open to Maries soul which did perfume his body and go along with him to his grave Can any one explain the depth of divine love wherewith her soul was filled That was heaven in hell What 's heaven but the love of Christ without measure powred into the heart To hearten on Abraham to follow the commands of God throughly to forsake Chaldea Babel and all the confusion of a blind proud generation and to go to the land of divine ordinance observe how God heartens him Thou shalt have exceeding much of me without and within I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And this promise repeated to him and his ââsterity in all straits and dangers Can you measure that love which exceeds all bounds Through action makes through reception through action is a soul giving up all to Christ against all opposition from men When we give all to Christ hee gives all to us and what a deal is Christs all I have all saith the Apostle when he wanted for Christs sake All What all A divine all When you speak of your all i. of all you have it rises sometime to a great deal to many thousands but what Arithmetick will expresse Christs all Shall I call his estate thousands millions millions of millions I shall mis-call it 't was never told never guessed nor never will by all those exquisite beholders and enjoyers above 't is infinite Can any finite creature guesse what infinitnesse is Can you tell the starres all their numbers all their influences Then may you tell all the smiles kisses and embracements which Christ gives to such as follow him to death This is Christs all he sits at the right hand of God embraced with that glory he had with his father before the world was and embracing all with the same glory which are with him COLOS. 1.23 If you continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel TErmes in themselves have been considered their intimation also may be usefully taken up which is that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course The state of man is a hid thing what he is what he will be a man looks well and yet that poison lurks in his body which some yeers hence gathers about his vitals and pales him that friends scarce know the man he is such a changling Nothing lurks so secretly as sin not a man that knowes his heart to the botome 't is deceitfull above all things who knowes it A man smiles upon a holy course this yeere and frownes and breaks out against it next So much is hinted here if you continue in the faith and be not moved away Man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course Light is a brave advantage to a steady course Demonst 1. We set our compasse by lucid bodies by the Sun and by the Stars and know whither and to what part of the world we are going which setles our minde and makes our journey sweet and our labour and travell lasting Dubitation tires every step is irksome when a man knows noâ whether he be out or in his way and yet where no dubitation is the soul tires When light unto information when light unto perswasion is made concerning the way and the end the soul is still in danger to turn off If ye continue in the faith i. the truth âe have understood and believed Pravity at some height will beâââ¦wn conviction spurn against an Angel in the way turn for Tarshâsh when it knowes it should go another way Conviction is a noble advantage to a steady course consolation is a nobler to be convinced of the way and comforted in the way the man hath a coach from heaven to prevent tiring Fruit that is specious to look upon is inviting to appetite but when we bite it and finde it to have no sweetnesse to our taste we throw it away but that which hath colour and taste too we retain firmly we incorporate such substances with our selves we eat them and so keep their vertue so long as we are The Gospel hath these two properties 't is cleer light and glad light They were glad when they saw his starre there was vision and consolation a light of life one would think now none could kill this and yet pravity at some height will put this to death a consolatory light They rejoyced in his light for a season here is light and joy light and life add yet this dies this brisk sparkling wine vapors away all its own spirits and dies This truth lies in the Text too be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel i. that word which makes hope and sets the soul at heaven door and can one be there and not joy Hope sets the soul like Moses within sight of the Holy Land Can a man see heaven and not joy A man may not see heaven and yet joy In whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce c. But can a man see heaven and not joy Can a man enter within the vaile and yet not joy And yet when at the border of Canaan when at heaven doore there is danger of turning back yea when something of heaven is given out at the door some tastes of the powers of the world to come may come to de distasted A vertuous property is inducing and the more generall this property is the more inducing That property is pleasant to one palate which is unpleasant to another that is fair in ones eye which is ugly in anothers but that which is glorious to every eye that sees it sweet to every palate that tastes it this we are doubly taken with and cleave to Such a thing is the Sun of a generall vertue and glory so in every ones eye no man ever saw the Sun but confest it a very glorious body and a very reviving body Such is the Sun of righteousnesse never soul saw or tasted him but confessed him surpassing all the fairest the sweetest of ten thouâând Now 't is a strange stomack that disagrees and nauseates ãâã âhrowes up that which is pleasant to every palate that hath tasted it as well as to its own when it did eat it And yet such strange changes there are naturally and the like spiritually a throwing up and a throwing off of that which hath had its demonstration
and commendation for vertue to some of all sorts in the world to every creature under heaven Which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature under heaven A man advantaged with his own experience and with the experience of all others may notwithstanding run against all Finally things have their stedfastnesse of motion not simply as they are advantaged but as advantages are compleat A Watch that hath some wheels true work and others not will go so long and then stand still run so long and then break if every wheel be not compleat work you have a fault in the motion Persons that have most advantage have none compleat wheels are something mended in Saints and set agoing but not finished The old man is outed but not quite the new man Christ is introduced but not fully What our Saviour said of societies that may I of persons ye are clean but not all Satan when he comes findes much in us and of this takes hold and drawes aside A Christian is neer heaven but not quite in it past danger when quite in heaven and not before Some work about a Christian is compleat some again not The work of justification is now compleat but the work of sanctification is not yet compleat the guilt of sin is done away but the filth of it is not and this rusteth the wheels and makes man in his best state vanity a light and an uncertain creature as in his being so in his motion The point in hand is necessarily true i. so that the thing which I say cannot be otherwise that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course Vse If men advantaged are uncertain towards good what will men be that are altogether disadvantaged men in a state of blindnesse perversnesse unsoundnesse Some hold not on others wil never begin good this is the plague of a blind soul God unknown is bid to depart Christ unknown is bid to leave the coasts to give place to Swine the sweetest wayes of Christ unknown men will never set foot in them The Levites Concubine lay forced to death and her hands saith the Text lay upon the threshold of the door Judg. 19.27 so do many souls Satan forces them to death at the door of good their hands as it were upon the threshold of Gods House so neer entring in and yet there Satan with one wile or other forces them to death Ignorance generates prejudice and now you shall see a blind man fencing to keep off Christ and salvation from coming to his house 'T would make a mans soul bleed to heare with what weak things many ignorant hearts are kept off from making so much as profession of some courses that are good they are fools or knaves all that go in such wayes meaning such persons as strive to come neerest the rule of the Gospel Persons are studied not the way that they go in the men are giddie and of no account therefore away with what they professe this is the proprium of a weak brain If Christ himself were present this man would stumble at him and lose his soul rather then he would take acquaintance of such a silly outside Christ hath his glory within so have Saints and the way they walk in The entrance into it as the Wise-man saith gives understanding to the simple Taste how good Christ is in his wayes begin the life of Christ and the Gospel No I will not Ignorance begets wilfulnesse and now Christ knocks no more Ignorance is a great deal of disadvange to a holy course but wilfulnesse a greater This is the strong hold of Satan the Devill crowned and all powers internall and externall united and fighting to keep the crown upon his head Many things torment but one thing gains a Sinner that is the beauty and sweetnesse of the Lord Jesus High spirits shut their eyes and shut their mouths they will stand in no capacity of remedy they will not come neer such a person nor such a place not they Why Christ is there Let who will be there I will not This is rebellion in open act and the Psalmist explains the nature of it 'T is a man setting his heart awry and such a soul surely can never move well a Watch set wrong cannot be stedfast in following the course of the Sun and time of the day And might not be as their fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Psal 78.8 A heart set awry is a desperate disadvantage to an even course where such a temper is men should think of the patience of Christ his love overcomes a stubborn soul O that goodnesse and mercy should wait to embrace a froward heart that will not continue no not begin good Ignorance is a great disadvantage to a steady course wilfulness a greater but Hypocrisie the greatest of all A double minded man is unstable in all his wayes and yet he hath many more then any sinner besides An hypocrites soul is like some wild Downs that have many cross ways upon them some this way some that but none to Christ and therefore the soul loses it self but cannot fix An Hypocrite is one that observes the winds not sweet gales within but gainfull gales without from the world his principles put him upon uncertainties he is ever about to sow but never sows the wind still turns so crosse when or where he will have a harvest I know not Things must be equally poised to make steady and certain motion and in this an Hypocrite is more disadvantaged then any man for he hath a great sail and a little bottome a great head and a little heart great broad wings and a little light body like a Butterfly and as steady in his flight Have you not observed the flight of a Butterfly how in and out he is The reason may be because body and wings carry no proportion 'thas wings big enough and broad enough for a body of some bulk which wanting it cannot master and steer its course steady in the aire Sinners have their proper punishment here as all sins have one common punishment hereafter to wit hell so they have their proper punishment here I may say of all sins but Hypocrisie that they are simply a not coming to Christ but I may say of an Hypocrite that he is one come and gone seemingly come and really gone and Cains curse is gone after him he ranges in forlorn places and things having seven more forlorn spirits in him then he had Truth and integrity is the soul of the soul this is quite dead in an Hypocrite A lie will choose a lie the heart a lie will choose any lying principles and ah what a many lies be there now in the world I am affraid of mens integrity lies are so generally taking and mis-leading now the spirit is as the things it strongly cleaves to Hitherto we have spoken to persons
matter of joy And yet there are no other prospects here below take what house what place what advantage you will to look abroad upon things here below you cannot look besides ruine and desolation that this shall be repaired and all these broken cisternes mended and filled and all made to run eternally into my soule this may doe something upon the soule when it can rise and reach so high and this is hope My flesh shall rest in hope Hope is a soule at rest concerning all things within and without concerning spirit and flesh that they shall be all perfectly well The soule of man naturally sits up much now distracted creatures can take little rest this is not well that 's not well all will be worse the world will sinke and I shall be undermost you may guesse by despaire what hope is Despaire is a soule wracking it selfe with what is Job 13.14 and with what will be 'T is one taking his flesh in his teeth torturing and tearing all under his own apprehension of things God is gone he will never returne if he doe 't will but be to send me to my place Hope is the correction of these distempers God is hid he is not gone I shall see him though not now every bone that is broken shall rejoyce every filthy issue in my soule shall be dryed up I will waite upon the Lord that hideth himselfe from the house of Jacob and I will look for him this is hope hope has the command of her selfe but will not have the command of God Shee has every thing that would rebell at her foote but Christ in the highest esteeme of any of his daughters Can he give bread Will he give a crum to me No I shall eate this morsell and die groane this groane and my heart-strings will breake You never heard hope speake such a word shee is a childe that speakes just like her father Our God is not come indeed yet but he will come and he will not tarry though he puls down quickly yet he takes time to build up and this time hastens Despaire looks upon mercy at a stand hope sees it coming and coming a great pace My beloved comes skipping upon the mountaines i Certainly coming and swiftly coming Hope hath but bad externall feeling but all other senses most acute Shee can see a great way heare a great way and the like In a dark day when fogs are never so thick shee can look through them and behold the land that is far off When shee is in the belly of hell shee can look towards Gods Temple When burthens presse that sense hath nothing but torture nothing but devils to shake hands with yet then shee can see a God amongst a thicket of Devils though shee cannot come at him as shee would though I cannot come to him he will come to me where ever I am though thousands incompasse me yet I will not feare that is I will not despaire of one to come to relieve me Hope will carry more burthens then any grace without sinking In perils by sea in perils by land c. In povertie in nakednesse distressed in all kinds with a witnesse but not cast downe Hope is never cast downe shee will cast downe any thing men devils but is never cast down her selfe Hope is a hardie long-lived grace 't will live in famine when ' thath not a bit of bread 't will live in sicknesse in warre in death The righteous hath hope in his death Hope was never knowne to have her heart-strings breake 't is semper vivens Death is the King of feares and yet it pales not the countenance of hope hope walks in the valley of the shadow of death and feares none ill i expects no hurt Hope can fee no ill no hurt in any thing not in death not in the grave that house is something darke indeed but I shall not alwayes lie there saith hope Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave though thou kill me I will hope in thee though thou burie me I will hope in thee I shall rise as Christ did this vile body shall be changed and made like Christs glorious bodie and then set for ever where his is The flesh doth rest in hope Hope is conversant about no ill but about all good and most about that which is noblest 't is appetitus excellentis boni cum fiducia obtinendi therefore is hope so often put for heaven it doth so often goe to heaven and is so much taken up there Looking for that blessed hope and for the glorious appearing of that great God and our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 and so by the Author to the Hebrewes urged To lay hold on the hope that is set before us You see hope is put for heaven and the reason is because so much conversant there Hope feeds delicately shee hath a table below and this is nothing but the word of Christ My soule hopeth in thy Word Shee hath a table above and this is nothing but Christ himselfe and the state he weares above this shee looks upon oft and smiles to her selfe when no soule alive is aware Rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God The two termes of hope are hell and heaven shee goes from the one to the other and in this way turnes the one into the other and this is all her worke shee goes into every house of mourning where Christ is and takes exact notice of every distresse corporall and spirituall and then bids the mourner be chearfull all teares shall be wiped from thine eyes there is a house eternall in the Heavens though this cracke and moulder and there thou shalt sigh no more Hope is that good Angel that carries Lazarus and lays him in Abrahams bosome 't is that grace which makes heavie afflictions light long afflictions short by shewing the soule what they worke about a far more exceeding and an eternall weight of glory Hope can speake nothing but Heaven and glory to a distressed heart I conclude as I began Hope is a glad expectation of good i of all good but especially the highest and the noblest good Drooping hearts thinke of this point how usefull is this grace for you you have taken a house by the borders of hell continually affrighted with evill spirits that walke up and downe in your soules and yet you love to dwell here Terrors take hold sometimes 't is a heavie stroake then the soule refuseth comfort Sense of fin is good but it s a wound of it selfe that must be carefully drest oft with the leaves of the tree of life 't will rankle and kill else Sinner dost thou know thy state Yes Dost thou know it exactly Yes Why whither shalt thou goe when thou diest To Hell Hast thou no hope of any other thing No. Why wouldest thou stand still all this while and let thy soule bleed to death Was there no Balme in Gilead No word in all the booke of God
that might speake matter of hope to thee Despaire in strength is very peremptory in conclusions but never deliberate in examinations of grounds 'T is a soule so tossed and tumbled between Satan and conscience day and night that it hath no power to ponder any thing Pressus ab exemplo discat sperare secunda Thou shalt goe to hell O my soule when thou diest Why I have sinned So did all the Saints that are in Heaven when they were in earth as now thou art did not David sin much in life and yet what a brave hope had he in death Sin enough in life to make him a type of Satan for bloud and unmercifulnesse and yet hope enough in death to make him a type of Christ Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave Yea but some persons sins have a very sad consideration over others have This is a truth but no sin or misery must have any such consideration as to sinke the soule Hold this position all that God doth is to bring us nearer to him If he whip us and strike never so hard or never so strangely 't is to bring us nearer him not to drive us further from him If he strike the body or the soule if he let loose Satan to tempt and let loose the heart to fall 't is to bring the soule nearer to God God doth nothing to drive away thy soule from him nor would he have any thing else doe it and wilt thou doe it thy selfe by every thing thou seest hearest feelest c Despaire makes use of externall senses all together more then of the Bible and construes all things amisse it harpes much upon the intention of God God intends my death he holds me for his enemie fury guides him in all that he doth about me one may run and read his frownes in all his actions Thou frownest alwayes O tempted soule and thou thinkest God doth so Thy soule is precious to Christ he doth not desire its death 't is more precious to Christ then to thy selfe Christ would save it and thou wouldest destroy it he meanes nothing else in the blackest saddest things that are upon thee but love and mercy therefore be not prejudized concerning his intention the saddest things that are upon thee if thou couldest but turne them upside downe thou shouldest see in them the smiling face of God Hold one position more that Gods intentions toward us are accompanied with the readiest means to accomplish them in us Good is long a coming this principle swallowed is destructive to Hope the next step will be this 't will never come Christ long a coming the next crosse makes the soule conclude he will never come Wee may not construe Christ tedious in his motion and yet 't is hard to doe otherwise when much put to it when tryals are sharpest mercy and deliverance is nearest The Heathen rage The Lord of hosts is with us saith the next verse Hold fast I come quickly When 't is as much as ever one can hold tryall being so strong then Christ makes hast and salvation is neare This principle well laid into the soule would make one hope to the end hope to the last man in a battell to the last breath in a sicknesse Jacob comes hindermost of the company Christ comes after all means are done Isaac which signifies laughter is a childe of old age Christ comes out of a withered womb the man-childe that makes us laughter comes out of means given up as barren When Christ throwes a man downe and throwes him very low then is he about to raise him When Christ kills then is he readie to make alive If this were received who could despaire Who would not hope of life when every one gives him over Yea of eternall life Finally hold one position more that Satan and thine own unbelieving heart conspire against thy tranquilitie hope is the joy of a mans life Satan hath none and it addes to his sorrow when he seeth any else have joy it greatens his hell when he sees any else have but a little of Heaven Finall despaire shuts up that cursed spirit and all those that are with him the worme that gnawes me will never die the fire that burnes me is unquenchable the chaines that hold me are everlasting chaines the pit I am in is bottomelesse no possible passage from hence not a drop of mercy falls in here to cole any scorched creature in the space of eternitie this is the tone of Tophet these are the dismall complaints which those restlesse soules below throw out as they role to and fro in that fiery furnace Despairing sinner Satan is fallen in with thy conscience to conjure thy soule into this condition Thou art in hell upon earth as that other phrase is of her that is dead while shee lives Tell me How dost thou sleepe How dost thou eate How dost thou walke How dost thou talke How dost thou looke Is not thy moisture turned into the drought of summer Thy body turned into skin and bones Alas for thee poore soule God never made such a way as this to Heaven 't is Satan and thy owne despairing heart one evill spirit tormenting another just as they doe below and the designe is to seale the soule up for wrath despaire is the black seale of the bottomlesse pit Lay all this together now and doe but thinke how unkindly you deale with Christ for all his love and paines which hath done so much for the tranquilitie of your life to make you hope here and possesse hereafter Christ hath taken upon him your debts there is not a sin that ever you committed not a trespasse against any rule but he will be accountable for it and in your stead and all to make you hope Some friends will undertake for part of ones debt to make one chearfull and this is much love too much to be slighted but then there remaines something behind and that sads and sinkes the heart How shall I pay that Bleeding soule Christ leaves thee no debt to pay no sin to answer for 'T is lively set out in that Parable Luk. 18.32 O wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desirest it shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-servant What should make feare when all is discharged If I did know it were so Dost thou not desire it should be so Wouldest thou not have all right and sweet between God and thy soule rather then any thing Yes Why this may be a demonstration to thee that all is right and even between God and thee Did I not forgive thee all thy debt because thou desirest me God forgives debts to Christ upon exact satisfaction but Christ forgives debts to us upon complaining of them and groaning under them and desiring their discharge upon a heart panting to be clean the voice goes forth from Christ I will be thou cleane Panting languishing soule for mercy thou hast obtained mercy thou desirest to
like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 no condition desperate to Christ he can give sight to one that is born blinde he ãâã change the spots of the Leopard plague spots all things touching the fallen condition of man are possible to him 't was spoken you know by himself upon a sad fight which none of Christs Disciples could do good to to wit one rended and torn by Satan which Christ cured with ease There be many thousand impossibilia to us yea in us not a sin in a mans soul the least but is impossible to us to subdue because in our nature Can a Leopard change his spots any one of his spots He may lick at them but can he remove them 'T is as if Christ had said Can a sinner take out any stain in his soul he may lick at them by prayer and the like but he cannot remove them because as a nature to him yet I can do it as if Christ had said I can take out any spot out of any cloth out of any part soul or body He is able to save all that come to God by him Christ hath this vast power and he cannot suspend it If he refuse to do what he can for any distressed creature that comes unto him and be the most miserable in the world he will displease his Father which we know he would not do he would undergo hell first The power that Christ hath for the good of sinners is necessarily acted The Sun shines upon all the world and it cannot do otherwise Christ in the 6th of John when he had discoursed largely according to what latitude and compasse he wrought for the salvation of souls he puts it to this conclusion I can do no lesse saith he for this is the will of my Father that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him might have everlasting life if it be the tatterdst the forlornst creature in the city that looks pitifully upon me I must look pitifully upon him if he hang about me for soul favour I must in no wayes cast him off but take him out of the jaws of death and carry him in my arms to eternall life What is the will of the Father is the will of Christ the will of Christ naturally not artificially in a way of self-deniall and contest as the will of God is said to be a Saints will so that what the Father would have Christ own Christ cannot but own for the same Spirit is in him and in the same measure and therefore you have him setting himself forth by the Prophet just as I do as one bound by that Spirit which anointed him The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath anointed me to preach unto these and these and to comfort all that mourn a Christ doth not say the will of the Lord is nakedly revealed to me how far I shall shew mercy and how far not but the same Spirit that speaks to me saith he is upon me i. in the same measure that it speaks to me 't is in me and so necessitates me to obey or captivates me as my own nature and as my own affection God is captivated with love toward all captives so am I saith Christ he would have all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Jewes and Gentiles so would I too saith Christ the same bottomlesse sea of love that fluctuates in his breast is in mine the Father and I are one and often Christ uses this expression when he speaks about love to the creature Vse Sinners if ever you would be saved consider this point well how wide the arms of Christ are how big the bosome of mercy is it hath many thousands between her breasts already and yet there is roome for you The love of Christ is not coy 't is not humerous ' thath not naturall antipathy against any but persons that sleight it Sinners sinners I beseech you consider it at what height you love your sins Do you love your sins above your bodies above your estates and names yet there may be hope Do ye love your sins above your souls this is sad yet there may be hope But do ye not love your sins above that love which stands with her arms open to you yet for all this What hope can there be in this case How can you escape the damnation of hell as Christ spake to this generation There is no art to make the soul set open the everlasting dores like telling him of the King of glory which would come in I conclude so because 't is the art the holy Ghost useth Mercy held out in the extent of it is the King in visible glory drunkards swearers adulterers set open your everlasting dores the King of glory would come into you he would forgive your sins against the light of Scripture your sins against the light of nature your beastly sins I those wherein you have been worse then beasts your sins against your own bodies as well as against your own souls Love would get her self a name upon you by cleansing and kissing of Swine by laying a Toad in her bosome by bringing a devill out of hel to heaven Can you spit in the face of this Love now in the sight of all this congregation and turn to your lusts again Mercy comes to all your dores she falls down at all your feet will you tread upon her Mercy shews you what she would have you do Christ humbles himself to the dust laies himself at all your feet if you would but do the like to him not a soul of you should perish We hold out to you now the riches of grace if it work kindly you shall know it by this the soul longs to be partaker of it this grace must be nourished if longing die ere it obtain the soul is guilty of stifling the Spirit What buds in the soul will blossome do but keep it in the Sun all that are weary and heavie laden have ease all that are opprest with the devill are healed 't is the thing we are upon If this grace work not kindly the soul hardens it self in its sin If love be so large I may go on in my sin yet a while longer and do well enough at last God rejects none not young sinners not old sinners I will make as much as I can of my sin and lie as long as I may in the lap of Delilah if I must part with it I will part with it at last when I must part with all Death is seised violently upon this soul he vomits his excrements Would a Judas speak worse then this man I will keep my covetousnesse and treachery as long as I can if I must leave it it shall be at last when I leave this world my master and my hope for ever You cannot imagine the depth of guile that is in our hearts naturally
and so owned though with never so much weaknesse or with never so many temptations yet that it should be effectuall to your salvation the touch of Christs garment did the cure COLOSSIANS 1.23 Whereof I Paul c. 'T Is for some speciall emphasis certainly that the Apostle doth here articulate his person with his name I Paul onely wee are various at guessing at it Some thinke he points at the signification of his name ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã cessare which signifies to cease As if he had said I that am stopped and ceased from destroying the Gospel and now made a publisher of it Divine love can quench hell-fire check violence stop and turne a man when in the height of rage against Christ This bloudy sinner had a remarkable stop by a word of love from Heaven Why dost thou persecute me Upon which his name was changed to print and perpetuate providence from Saul to Paul i one stopped and ceased No cords so strong as love a mad-man cannot break them when catched with them Paul was a mad-man a devill yet catched and tamed presently by a sweet voice from heaven If you would conjure a devill quiet if you would quench hell-fire in any ones breast if you would make cords strong enough to hold a Bedlam imitate Christ speake as one from Heaven in the sweetnesse and strength of the Gospel lay a mountaine of love in the mad-mans way Why sinner Why wilt thou goe over Christ This will ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã cease his course Others thinke the Apostle points at the signification of his name as a Roman name Paulus from the adjective Paulus which signifies little as if the Apostle had said Of which great mysteries I that am little and poore in gifts in place in esteeme little and base every way yet am made a dispenser and so an expression of great humilitie The more grace the lesse in our own eye The sight of God is humbling his majestie and glory is such that the soule necessarily fals at his feete The lesser and lower in our own eye the greater and higher in Gods all that he raises is out of the dust out of the dust he raiseth seed to Abraham and out of the dust he raiseth officers to look to this seede out of the dust he raised our Saviour and out of the dust he raiseth those Saviours which are in his stead Leaders in Israel He giveth grace to the humble i much grace grace enough for the man himselfe and many more Christ doth plow and sow altogether in low grounds these prove very fertile Mountaines are cursed if proud men be drawne out and set high 't is to be hanged by their preferment as Haman I think both significations may be eyed in this speech and the Apostle considered as one much admiring the way of God throughout that would look towards one so much as to intrust him with the care of all the Churches who a little while since was set against them all and now turned from so great wickednesse yet possessing but little goodnesse to discharge so great a trust That I should be turned is wonderful but that I should be so imployed is more wonderfull The freenesse of God in all his dispensations of grace and place should be matter of admiration Doctr. 'T is a brave eye that can tell all the rayes of the Sunne and all the vertues they worke and command all powers to sit downe and warme themselves in the consideration of them The heart is in frame when taken with goodnesse with all the goodnesse of God Thou hast been very pleasant to me saith David to Jonathan Thy love to me is wonderfull This he spake with an eye to all the love he had received from him which is the right frame of the soule in order to Christ and his Thou hast been very pleasant to me O Christ throughout my course and thy love to me hath been wonderfull to my soule to my body in person in office in every condition They are in a perfect frame above the spirts of just men above are all in a rapture because of all the love that shines upon them there is not a beame over-looked not a beame shines upon any soule in Heaven but 't is observed much and warmes him much our hearts are in frame as they arise to this Heat is the right temper of the soule I wish thou wert hot Heat is active activitie is a soule gathering up all the goodnesse of God and feeding upon it and then is the soule healthy and prosperous and not otherwise The constitution of grace is somewhat as the constitution of nature it feeds upon varietie but varietie of God God in riches God in honours God in every thing if God be missing in any person in any dish at the Table it stinkes Heat hath resolution divine resolution tires not in dutie though never so great Then is the soule well when it faints not in the praises of God Heaven is up-hill and to skim off the creame of every creature and to carry it up to Heaven and to present it to God is hard worke to finde out God in every thing here below and carry him home to Heaven and set him upon his throne and admire him is great labour and yet divine resolution doth this doth it in order to all divine dispensations throughout the terme of mans life and lays not downe the worke no lays not down the worke to all eternitie I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and his great goodnesse towards the host of Israel according to the multitude of his loving kindnesse Esa 63.7 Nothing is so numerous as sin and mercie but yet of the two mercie is more numerous The world hath not so many sinnes in it as mercies and to act divinely in order to all these to play upon a Lute which hath I know not how many strings to string a mans soule with many thousand thousand mercies that befall him and to play upon this sweely all ones dayes and never lay aside the instrument this is a haile constitution and yet all this but dutie divine president is extant Divine presidents of this nature are doubly binding what any Saint of God ever did as a Saint in order to the rules of sanctitie that comes to me with double authoritie to be observed and therefore is the Scripture cited and the cloud of witnesses as another superadded motive Presidents of sanctitie speake not onely the precept to be obeyed but the possibilitie and honorabilitie of the precept to be obeyed Vse Saints should live at this height they have lived at this height this is good argumentation How doe you live Are your soules in health and are you strong How doe you travaile then up and downe after God The Land wherein we live is full of mercies no Land like it Doe you tread upon them or take them up The latter
pit out of the mirie clay and set my feet upon a rocke and established my goings Psal 40.2 Horrible pit a vault of hideous noises saith the Originall Christ can bring a man downe to such a condition as if his soule were in a vault where are all manner of hideous and dolefull noises and yet then raise the spirit as into Heaven where all manner of melodious and reviving noises are Vse Afflicted Christians should sucke the sweetnesse of this point Doth the paine in thy flesh rage inward to thy spirit Is the cup thou drinkest of bitter to thy soule yet it is a cup of love 't is no other then of what Christ hath drunke and left the sweet of his lips upon for the next to drinke 't is no other then what he gives to the best of his Misapprehension makes burthens intolerable which is heavier then ever Christ intended to any Saint When any twig in the rod stings the soule when any thing stickes and presses hard upon the spirit the conclusion is wrath made this rod and 't will kill me if I had a thousand lives These are our conclusions meerly ours and Satans Christ hath no hand at all in them Fatherly displeasure is love a God setting himselfe against your sin not against your persons he hath imbraced these with an everlasting love Satan visits much when the soule is in paine 't were well if good hearts did know when he comes his counsels his prescriptions are all desperate when the heart is heavie then he shewes such the nailes of that hand that is upon them how long they be and how hard they pinch and what deepe dints and blacke and blew markes they make i he makes an exact collection of circumstances about every stroake of God with his own comment in the margent As to instance Love doth strike her beloved ones indeed but doth shee strike so strong so long so deep Doth shee strike and not stroake a jot Not with her own hand nor no body else Doth shee wither every other womb of love when shee leaves bringing forth her selfe 'T is a frowne of God 't is a pang of death upon the soule certainly thou canst not recover it saith that cursed spirit One would construe the Devill under a notion of simplicitie in this there may be charitie to the Devill he is so under justice himselfe that he can see nothing else and this is the strength of the torment that is upon him but yet then he is to be judged no fit leader in such a case as this when he hath to doe with spirits in a better station then himselfe The workes of God are wonderfull especially such as reach the soule and need to be read over often ere a man venture to make a positive conclusion upon them that this and no other is the meaning Afflicted Christians you are too rash too venturous paine puts you into passion that 's a very mis-judging condition You judge things before the time this in small matters is no small fault nor of no small evill event but what is it when a man doth thus about the greatest acts that relate to him in all the world The tranquillity of the soul is embarked in a right judgement of things let Satan your own passion any wile whatsoever overturne this and you shipwracke and sinke your consolation irrecoverably therefore studie long pray long waite long ere you draw up a judgement upon that hand-writing that is in the wall against you Doe as that Heathen judge others better able to interpret the hand-writing against you then your selves And if you would have the exact meaning of this strange stroake or that doe as he did send for the most experienced spirituall man in all the world Some ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and let him rather then thy selfe make a judgement upon that hand that writes bitter things against thee Open thy breast and say Sir doe you see any plague-spot in my breast one cannot look very well in his own breast 't is so high open it fully to another Pray Sir deale faithfully with me Do you see any plague spots in my breast There be spots there are they the spots of Gods people or not How black be they How broad be they How many be they If thou wilt make many curious questions about thy state and drive things to an exact disquisition be sure that thou take one by thee better able then thy selfe to guide thee or thou wilt condemne the innocent and execute thy selfe Judgement setled and something may be spoken to the man to doe him good There are two considerations which may much relieve when trials pinch the soule 't is for some through and noble good to the partie and for some through and noble use for Christ The throne of iniquitie is struck at the head of the Serpent is trod upon powers within are Satans strongholds things which paine and shake these come to Satans bed-side and holds a knife to his throat where he lies tumbles and sleepes The Granadoes which are cast into the soule burne the devill in his bed they burne the branch yea they burne the root of sin 't is an axe to the roote Sin considered as it lies lodged in the heart is the root of it therefore saith the Apostle Covetousnesse is the root of evill it being as it were the heart to all other sinnes Exorbitant affections which lie all within these are the roots of all the sin you act that which is so ordered and steeped as to affect these dis-affected passions strikes at the root of sin Seest thou a man prickt in soule Stand still thou wilt see pride come downe branch and root Seven Devils turned out a floare throughly cleansed drosse purely purged away a man made cleane every whit outside inside all faire in the eye yea in the vote of Christ yea in the vote of Christ to the soule it selfe And now and not till now is a Christian fit for noble service thus throughly dead and thus throughly raised Pride slaine all her children that is loose affections murthered in their bed the meek and pure spirit crowned with a vision of God you may send this dove forth any where he will come home with an olive branch in his mouth Set this soule about what worke you will that belongs to a Christian and he will doe it truly and if it be to cloth the naked to relieve the oppressed hee l powre out his soule or state to the needie and he will doe it with tender bowels because he hath needed them himselfe and hath tasted how sweet they are When the soule goes forth in action then is action done nobly indeed The Lord is with them that uphold my soule says David and we thinke he points at Jonathan when he had scarce any else to cleave to him When every ones heart was as Iron Jonathan loved David as his own soule Jonathan had been put to it he knew what
't was to be in strait for his life so unfatherly was his father and therefore he proves a brave spirit for this noble service to save the life of David to raise him and Christ in him to his throne he was all heart and soule in it and God was with him God is doubly present with a man which he hath much exercised which is an incomparable advantage to all divine usefulnesse No man can speake so feelingly so healingly as he that hath much of God speaking in and with him this is the man of a thousand that can speake words in season like apples of gold in pictures of silver that can lend legges to the lame eyes to the blind that can comfort those which are cast downe with the same comforts wherewith he hath been comforted from the Lord. COLOS. 1.24 And fill up that which is behind c. THe afflictions of Christ are twofold in his person in those which hee personates the former are accomplished the latter are yet accomplishing Christs will and himselfe are one such as strike his will any part of this or any lover of this would strike Christ himselfe if hee were now present Christ is plaine hee cals actions as intended not as pretended The second Adam names things as the first when he stood according to their nature what is against truth is in the nature of it against Christ who ever be the professor of it and therefore so accounted yea and so openly called And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ And fill up the word in the originall is compounded ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and full of emphasis it signifies re-action or re-passion the doing or suffering of a thing againe to doe over that which some others have done already readimplere as one translates The measure of suffering that tendeth to satisfie for offence and ransome man from the wrath of God Christ hath fild up to the brim the cup was big but Christ poured out blood enough to fill it one would have hoped that all suffering worke belonging to a Christian had been done then No 't is not saith the Apostle I doe iterum implere rursus implere fill up againe the sufferings of Christ Malice lives still Christ is crucified afresh in his members Christ doth bleed in my veines afresh saith the Apostle if there were any drop of blood left behind when he bled upon the crosse now t is fetcht out through my sides How implacable is the fury of man the fury of God was stopped when Christ had bled to death and 't was not his will that ever Christ should die any more or that any one should die more for Christs sake but yet the fury of man lives and that would have Christ die over and over iterum iterumque againe and againe 't would have every house pulled downe and burned that Christ gets into 't would crucifie his image his picture 't would make him bleed as long as this world lasts yea to all eternity therefore doe wicked spirits in hell blaspheme and teare his name a worke which they will never leave though it continually adde to their plague and yet these doe but shew the nature of all malicious men on earth which are everlasting blood-hounds which spend perpetually upon the sent of Christians upon the sent of Christ in any earth Malice should be looked upon as t is an implacable thing and men in whose breast it is should be looked upon as they are fire-shovels fetched from hell to carry everlasting fire from house to house from place to place where ever Christ is to burne him out of this world quite to burne him againe and againe till there be none of him left not a finger not a toe not a haire We are much given to wondring we know the reason of things so little to see a man drinke blood and never be weary of drinking such a fulsome drinke t is strange to us yet t is the property of that fire that burnes in the breast of the man to make an unquenchable thirst after this red Wine t is a damnable disease that the man cannot helpe nor no man upon earth for him every good body must keepe out of his way as well as they can I know no other remedy the man will set abroach any ones blood Pauls Christs any one that lookes like either Christians have a blessed keeper or else how rare would they be in the world Blesse God that there is a good man left in the land at this day in the middest of so many blood-thirsty O how much are good hearts put to it every where by this generation Mourne over both persecutors and persecuted they are both in hell fire Ex ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã pro ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The word may signifie to suffer for another pro-implere to fill up in anothers stead according to his appointment Christ is gone out of this world and he hath left Christians in his stead and all his prime trust and businesse with them to doe it for him to accomplish his will to walke in his steps and to take in good part what befals them in this way Christs businesse left to Christians is comprised in that expression of bearing his crosse he did beare his crosse himselfe when he was on earth now he hath left it to his people to beare it for him to tread in his paths and take such lodging and fare at night as fals out When Christ died he left but one child to keepe for him but that one a precious child to wit Truth and this so to keepe as never to let it die what ever die I can doe nothing against the truth but for it I can doe any thing suffer any thing that truth may live I can die I can drinke off a cup deadly full deadly big which will hold all my blood to fill it This is our president in the Text. I fill into the same cup that Christ did saith Paul and the same liquor red Wine the blood of a brave Grape the blood of an upright heart and this for his sake At what heighth we are to be for Christ is considerable at the same heighth that Christ was at for us we are to rise to the losse of estate honour life Neither count I my life deare Life is the prime Jewell of nature t is the union of two great estates body and soule t is of more worth than rayment i. then all outward things and yet this of no worth and of no price in order to truth I account not my life deare I am about the worke which Christ was filling a cup that is deadly big that will hold my life-blood to fill it and yet it is nothing to me no griefe if it be any matter to me it is matter of joy Now I joy to fill up that which is behind c. Thinke how brave you should be and how neere you are
owne it is least considered when so but not least of importance for God hath some great designe upon the man when hee strikes every stroke himselfe Sometimes God stands behind Shimei and le ts fly at a man and wounds deeply and then t is not so easie to see him because an earthen breast-work is before him Sometimes he appeares in the front in person himselfe like Goliah and makes the incounter by duell hand to hand with the Creature the creature smites and God smites Name State Flesh and Spirit God would faine be seene and knowne of the soule when he does thus if it cannot be he lets the creature lick himselfe whole if he can Afflictions from man immediately are here meant and not such as are from God immediately Creatures of the same kind are used to spit in one anothers face to scratch and teare one another a Cat a Cat a Dog a Dog a Man a Man Creatures of the same kind to say no more are used to tread upon one anothers toes to afflict one another All earth beares thornes chuse out what earth you will sift it how you will appoint it to what you will to be a pillow for repose a breast a bosome a bed of flowers to solace in yet there will grow up thornes and pricke Creatures one by creation one by redemption yea one by mutuall election differ fall out afflict one another man afflictes man that was Pauls case here saint afflicts saint husband afflictes wife wife curses husband things made and chosen of purpose to delight sad thornes will grow in ones bosome here You cannot take a rose to smell to here out of any Garden but hath prickles unlesse the Rose of Sharon All is vanity yea vexation all below us all equall with us onely that all excepted which is above us which onely is indeed all and in him is light and no darkenesse sweet and no bitternesse in that earth growes no thornes Man afflictes man yea man oppresseth man that is affliction in strength malum multiplex a manifold evill which is the signification of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is here used t is translated by some compression a den of theeves a nest of hornets many afflictions in one or under one ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Heb. 11.25 simul malis vexari to be vexed with many evills together 't is spoken of Moses who cast himselfe upon oppression with Gods people in Egypt which expression sets out fully what oppression is 't is some vitall wounded some maine part trod upon as name state body soule something brutishly bruised and torne that maims or marres livelyhood internall or extenall some such thing troden to death as hath many little ones in the belly of it t is a Kid killed and seethed in such liquor as should nourish many in Mother-milke t is a Mother-mercy destroyed whilst in travaile for the good of the whole Good name is a Mother-mercy many are nourished by it so is estate so is the body so is the soule all these travell perpetually in this world for the tranquillity of the whole and of the maine to beare up great things Heaven and Earth the glory of God and the welfare of every relation wherein such a creature stands any of these therefore torne and ript up whilest thus in travaile for the good of the whole is cruelty and oppression Oppression speakes injury but no small injury not the dashing ones cloathes accidentally or intentionally as one goes by but it alwayes notes something that dashes the person in one main thing or other 't is a Dog that flies at the throate at something that is vitall and teares that at something that tends to throw downe the person and welfare of such a creature 'T is a diabolicall quality insinuated by a cursed spirit whereby one creatures being is too blessed in the eye of another Men one in birth from the Earth yet wisdome hath ranked them variously upon it some higher some lower some have much some lesse all have wisdomes portion and therefore it should be accounted enough and content but it doth not one mans mansion is not fine enough anothers not big enough one person better beloved better indowed better succeeded if hee were dead dead in esteeme or dead in being all these deepe waters would turne and run into my cisterne if Abel were dead if Iacob were dead if Mordecai were dead then I should be all and have all I should be the onely favorite in the world and so quietly abide Yee kill and desire to have and cannot obtain James 4.2 oppression is a bloudy spirit striking still at something that is vitall at the person livelyhood or life it selfe if one will not fall without the other 'T is an evill springing from the root of all evill to wit covetousnesse yee kill and desire to have 'T is a man of the Earth saith the Psalmist and hee would be alone upon it though there were no Rivers and houses in it for delight but such as hee hath made with the bloud and bones of all such as live neere him That the man of the earth may no more oppresse Psalme 10.18 the word oppresse signifies to terrifie and so you have it noted in the margent intimating what an oppressor is t is a brute that terrifies all that come neere him to eate or drinke by him that he may have all alone and what hee cannot eate or drink he puddles and spoiles Oppression is made vi aut dolis by force or by fraud man can use both as hee is advantaged and as his game lies Parts internall are all subdued by that lust which rules and taught to tumble and set this or that poore innocent soule for their master Innocency sleepes the most securely of any thing dreams of no affrighting things of no injurious usage but from Dogs and Beares and Wolfes from beasts not from any man innocency thinkes every man a man not a Fox nor a Serpent nor a Crocodile where as an oppressor conjureth his wits his parts his practises and so himselfe into all these to catch his prey Therefore is an oppressor imblazed by the Scripture in a Lyon couchant as one lurking for his prey as one whose words are Oyle yet sharpe speares as one who shootes his Arrowes in darkenesse and hits privily the upright in heart Over-reaching is oppression t is strong parts setting their feete upon weake and wringing bloud out of a brothers Nose 't is grinding the face of the poore words and dealings which are the face of a man to the World all by craft and wile ground to such dust as to choak and cheat the man that utters them What fraud cannot doe force externall is pressed to second Oppression commands all within and without to squeese out her will where shee fastens it turnes Iudges into evening Wolfes Kings Nebuchadnezzars into Beasts and gives them Nayles like Eagles-clawes that is makes them turne all their externall advantages
been driving this way and the Majesty and the justice of the Lord hath appeared and preyed upon them that would have preyed upon us fulfilling his word He shall breake in pieces the oppressor Psalm 72.4 As God remembers his word so we should remember him and write down his Noble acts upon our doore-posts bed-posts heart-posts to all which these beasts would have come for their prey These great acts of God prove mercies to men as laid to heart evill will returne and they which have beene so often driven back will be irresistible at length if he be forgotten which hath done all this for us COLOS. 1.24 For his bodies sake which is the Church ALL Christians in and under Heaven are related knit in one body by one soule to wit the same which breathes in God his holy Spirit Sacred society is glorious the Peers of all the world in a body robed and the great King of all the world in the midst of them such a fight as mortall eye never beheld His traine reaches from Earth to Heaven the foremost are in Heaven when the hindmost are here I helped you to a Scaffold to view the forepart the last day I would doe the like now to helpe you to view the latter that part of the traine which is going in at the everlasting doores but not yet quite in You may see a great deale of State at the doore of Heaven in the very hindmost soule of that company which are going in there That part which is gone in with the Bridegroome is mighty great so is that which is going in An innumerable company of believers conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies longing and waiting for the full redemption and liberty of the Sons of God The haires of our mysticall head grow not thin no not in this climate which is the most unhealthy they are thicke and bushy Can you number the haires of your head then may you number that company which Christ hath upon earth Can you number the Starres of Heaven Looke up to the Heavens saith God to Abraham and see if thou canst number the Starres so shall thy seed be which is fulfilled as appeares by the authour to the Hebrewes Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the Starres of the Skie in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea shore innumerable Heb. 11.12 The haires of our mysticall head are many yet all of one colour blacke as a Raven that is beautifull and flourishing Gray haires are not here and there upon this head the Militant Church is for quantity great a Nation for quality holy the foundation of this Nation Christ the cement faith something above the revelation of reason something above the revelation of the best parts something above flesh and blood Peter there are strange carnall apprehensions of me in the world as if Christ had said how doest thou apprehend me My apprehension is vitall Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God Observe the reply of Christ Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona Bar is a Chalde word and the same with ben an Hebrew word which signifies a sonne and Jona signifies gracious and as some translate a Dove so that t is as if Christ had said in our language Blessed art thou Simon sonne of grace sonne of that same Dove which descended on mee flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke will I build my Church Matth. 16.18 Ben which is the Hebrew word for a sonne is as much as the word building with us because the sonne is the building of the family our Saviour interprets so much himselfe in his allusive words upon this Rocke will I build my Church and Jona signifying gracious the metaphor is the same in sense with the former that Christs building here below is a gracious building foundation gracious to wit himselfe every stone gracious Bar-Jona's an innumerable company of believers I John saw a great company which no man could number ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and all sealed the cement of this building holy to wit faith a holy faith a most holy faith as the Apostle cals it Jud. 20. Conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies The Sea is a big body yet tossed perpetually so is the Church of Christ upon earth t is a body very big and very good and yet t is not so big nor so good but it hath as big and as bad a body to encounter it We are here troubled with Frogs and devouring vermin and the pit out of which they come is bottomlesse The gates of Hell are wide open against the Church of Christ here though they cannot prevaile against it they that take away mens soules come forth freely in what numbers they will and goe what compasse they will here all this world over of an instant and get at which hand they will of the best people when about the best worke they will take the wall of the Noblest soules and when about the Noblest worke get at their right hand The Sonnes of God were assembled and Satan stood at their right hand The locusts below goe forth by Troopes they are so populous in that land of death My name is legion for we are many Though but one speake when a poore soule is tempted yet the traine that attends upon this one is many I believe this roome is full of infernall Spirits and that not a soule of you now present but have a legion of them at your right hand jogging of you though these gates of Hell are not suffered to prevaile If there were no intermixing of Satans family and Christs in this world if those evill spirits which he hath at home by him did never come abroad so farre as into this world yet those that are here resident and weare the same skinne and clothes which Christs family doe are very many They that persecute my soule are many saith the Psalmist And he speakes of incarnate devils devils resident in our flesh and in our earth A doore is open to me a great doore saith the Apostle and there be many enemies how many that he could not tell nor no body else but him that set them on worke One doore open and many devils at it to shut it againe many devils at one doore so at every doore of hope that a Christian hath open to him surely Satans strength is great here that he can begirt every holy person and every holy action upon earth and yet this is the condition of the Church militant Elishaes condition shadowes the state of the Church militant mentioned 2 Kings 6.15 An Host compassed the City with horses and chariots in so much that the servant of Elisha cried out Alasse Master how shall we doe we are begirt with innumerable companies of mortall enemies many thousand deaths waite for us at every doore and this is the state
feated so it will abide if sinne be feated in the heart it will abide there till all the bloud of the man be spilt on the ground yea till all that which is ten thousand times more noble then this to wit the soule be lost I will tell you the property of the Word of God in order to such a foule as still keepes his sin t is though sweet in it selfe bitter to such searching piercing tormenting The word of God is quick and powerfull sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing of soule and spirit and this hee spake in order to them which abode in the stubbornesse of their heart and flighted the promise of perfect rest in that Canaan above The heart strongly ingaged to evill truth is very piercing he that so loves sinne that he slightes the rest above he shall have no rest here You cannot imagine the sad boutes and fearfull expectations that unsound soules have and yet this must continue because the breath of the Lord like a River of Brimstone keeps in this Hell as it doth that below The breath of Christ which you spurne against by your spurning lights a fire and shall serve to burne you though it will not to lead you Christ puts to the sword all they which yeeld not burnes and blowes up all that he cannot take Did not our hearts burne within us whilst he talked with us The breath of Christ is hot it burnes within men according to that degree of unbeliefe and resistance it findes in every one without respect of persons Did not our Hearts burne Sinners consider these things and repent sucke in the dying breath of Christ charge folly upon your selves Who is it that speakes to mee what would he have who is it within me that answers and what answers doth it make There are fleshly reasonings and carnall motions take heede of them Everybody will plead for it selfe the body of death will do so which is the death of the soule but methinks the Word of God should silence all If the voyee that speakes to us were considered as such a voyce surely it would In what posture your soules sit in an ordinance is all in all If you thinke I speake these things as a man as Paul saith that it is onely a mans word you will hush your soules asleepe againe as soone as gone from the presence of a man and yet ingenuity would honour mans voyce The beast that spake to Balaam that beast was honoured to speake with mans voyce and that was throwne in Balaams face that mans voyce from a beast would not calme his madnesse The dumb Asse spake with mans voyce But when man is honored to speak with Gods voyce and to forbid your sin and your madnesse therein will you on for all this how much more will this be throwne in your face Consider with what voyce we speak and for how little while this Oracle speakes in this earthen Tabernacle and see how it will worke To day if you will heare his voyce this Tabernacle in which his voyce is and speakes lasts but a day to day if you will heare his voyce sinners doe to morrow the tent will be removed the vaile will be drawne the Oracle will besilent his voyce and our own too will be gone out of our Mouthes and hid from your Eares COLOS. 1.26 Even the Mystery THe carryage of Christ since the fall is here hinted hee doth worke and speake above our reach when he goeth he maketh a path like a Ship in the Sea that no man can finde any thing after him not a step when hee speakes his words are a great deepe a Sea bottomlesse i of such vastnesse in all noble property that no man can mouth them nor utter them after him but stand dumb and silent they are as the title saith here ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is compounded of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they doe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã occludere shut up the Tongue and Lips of man that hee can say nothing Divine prerogative we are to stand upon There is a power opening and shuting things of eternall consequence in order to man in this life This power is purely spirituall action is used to close the Eyes of the dead but it is invissible mans doome is written in the wall and no hand seene nor caracter legible in order to the man concerned though all big and plaine and hee spelled and personated in them because Organs within enervated in which case man hath Eyes and sees not Eares and heares not They that see are made blind but do they know how action is used in this sad worke but can any one explaine it to sence for the time when it was done or for the thing it selfe that is done when went the spirit from me to thee The poore creatures eyes are out but when was it done did the man feele it can he tell the agent or the instrument that did it or what wheele in the Clock is crackt that the motion goes so false The nature of this spirituall occlusive act is this two spirits run their course at last one is finally left and so in the darke and able to see nothing according to the spirituall nature of it so as to stir any noble operation in the soule Faith a Ridle Selfe-deniall a Ridle Regeneration a Ridle a going into ones Mothers belly againe the death of the body of death the Resurrection and the Life all these great things of the Gospell strange things and like the talke of a son to a barren wombe laughed at The sâuting up or the opening of the Kingdome of God in order to any is a transaction onely by the spirit cannot enter into the heart of man to conceive but God hath revealed them to us by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things the deepe things of God There is an internall caelestiall vertue coacting with the soule the giving or the suspension of which is mans onely advantage or disadvantage to understand Gods Will the suspension of internall influence keepes the soule spiritually darke what ever other advantages it hath and shuts it out from the Kingdome of Heaven This spirituall occlusive power is feated in Christ For Judgement am I come into this World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Concerning spirituall judicature it is proper to me there is none good at this worke but I saith Christ to cast amist before the Eyes of the minde and to darken the light that is in men this onely I can doe to cast a mist before the Eyes of mens bodies this divells may doe and such men as give themselves to them but to cast a mist before the Eyes of mens soules and to darken the light that is in them and to make the things of eternall Life mysteries and meere ridles this is only Christs work Christ can put out the
sizes some bigger some lesser two talents five talents ten talents concerning the glory above t is disputed whether it be graduall but concerning the glory of a Christian here it is a resolved thing that it is graduall there is migration in our glory here going from glory to glory from strength to strength Milke and strong meate babes and full age crums and Flagons love and abounding in love Our Kingdome comes our Kingdome here is a comming Kingdome Mercies are all shaped by Love it is the property of Divine Love to higthen dispensation still till shee hath lifted the soule beloved fully into her bosome Grace t is in the beginning little a graiââ of Mustardseed in progresse great in the end all to wit Heaven which is all now doth Love fully possesse her beloved and now she rests and not till now beyond Heaven there is no gradation no step higher Love hath got her full end which is the full possession of what shee makes out to and now rests Love shapes Mercy so as fully to bring about her end and that is to bring the soule shee loves into her bosome to the full fruition of her selfe of whatsoever shee is you may see this demonstrated in Christ the Father loves him and he gives him mercies greater and greater and never leaves till hee hath lifted him fully into his bosome to his right hand i the fruition of all John 5.20 The Father loveth the Sonne and showeth him all things that himselfe doth and hee will show him greater workes then these that yee may marveile My Father hath given me great things already but hee will give me greater for he loves mee and this will drop and drop till it hath dropped out all it will never rest till it hath brought mee into his bosome The love of God carries the same property and proportion to a Christian and this makes the grouth of a Christian necessarily as the grouth of a Crocadile of which it is written that hee groweth alwayes so doth a Christian till hee bee transplanted into Heaven Vse T is trying this point what truth is in you Your graces are not so great but you may have greater if this be not regarded as you taste not grace what tang it has so you understand not grace what order t 'as Spirituall fulnesse speakes a deluded heart hee that hath goods enough enough for many yeares enough to make his felicity for ever and therefore rests is a foole hee knowes not his state what hee has nor what he wants Blinde men 't is observed do not dreame so much as men that see because fancy in the day hath not so much nor so lively impressive imployment to set it at worke in the night but blinde soules dreame more a great deale then they that see This is one of their dreames among many I have enough grace to bring me to Heaven I hope and I care for no more I love not to be pragmaticall Some make a great deale of stir and run mad t is extreame naught this I like it not Answ this is one extreame but there are two extreames and vertue in the midst of them dost thou eye t'other extreame Some die with heate others die with cold Thou seest others too hot may'st not thou be too cold grace in the true knowledge of it is inviting 't is like some Liquids drinking makes thirstinesse and longing for more drinke every degree of grace possessed makes discovery of greater degrees not possessed One Chamber of Christ hath a window looking into another far bigger and more glorious Thou art entered into one thou sayest dost thou looke into another more glorious and long to enter into it if thou be a stranger to these things thou art a foolish Virgin that possibly hast knocked at the doore of Christs house a little but art yet indeed entered into no roome when Christ had opened the nature of spirituall bread unto his followers that they did indeed understand it they fell a longing presently for more what they had discovered much more behind which they wanted and therefore cryed Lord evermore give us of this Bread Vse This point is upbraiding the light which shines upon us is more glorious then that which shined upon our Fathers that which hath beene hid from Ages and from Generations we have made manifest to us wee have mercies according to externall communication of the biggest what have you according to internall communication this will be looked after This is a day of great things a time wherein Christ brings about great things to our doores our fathers day was a day of small things yet if they were judged for despising their day of small things how much more shall you be judged that despise the day of great things t is the Apostles argument to the Hebrewes and must be mine to you Despite is a spiritull act deliberate disaffection to the loveliest things The posture of our spirits wee least looke at and this Christs Eye is most of all fixed upon Externall carriages are all measured and titled from the heart God rules in the inside of his enemies hee unbowells this Generation and Christens it in blood according to its spirit We offer despite to the spirit of grace we tread under foot the bloud of the Lord Jesus can wee tell whether this iniquity will be blotted out till this Generation die The heart fired against truth abides so t is part of that unquenchable fire below God allowes Satan to bee fueler in such a soule till they both come to burne together in hell Love lost Christ cares not for the person let him be what he will if hee be the greatest man in the World he will burne to death in that fire which burnes in his breast against Christ Our love now to be least when greatest love is tendered can you imagine that this iniquity will be quickly forgotten great heare makes great thunders t is so now the Sun of love shines mighty hot and now wickednesse thunders and so will Justice and righteousnesse too believe it COLOS. 1.26 But now is made manifest c. THe word notes two things appareo et splendeo vision and shining vision that is according to Gospel speech still in the letter and in the spirit the understanding of words which one reads by workes which one feeles a voyce behind one interpreting that before one circumcision outward in the flesh and this explained by circumcision inward in the spirit There is a narrative and an operative light that which makes one talke well and that which makes one walke well that which enables one to produce bookes for his authority in discourse and that which enables one to produce his soule and his life for authority here is my soule and my life reade if it be not so as I say let men and Angells all the World reade if they will The Manifestation which our Apostle speakes of here is the latter for he speakes of such
as is proper to Saints which is Divine demonstration the person an Epistle knowne and read of all men Yee are our Epistle knowne and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.3 Divine demonstration notes two things exscriptum inscriptum and Christ makes both The written word is Gods mind copied out exscriptum a summary of his eternall counsell in order to all without him man is the principall party concerned in this but unable to apprehend the counsells of God though copied out to him Christ therefore gives concurrence in this worke and the first thing he doth in man is hee makes apprehension i hee enables the understanding to coppy out Gods copy to make an exscript from his and so to hold out a cleare and glorious Idea of Gods mind and what he would have to all inferior powers to make a draught and survey of the Kingdome of God very lively to sacred fancy This exscriptum is Scriptum digestum the written word digested and beholding by it as in a glasse Gods minde unto satisfaction an Idea of Gods minde by meanes hereof is made in the soule so lively and answers so exactly as face to face this is the first worke of Christ for the good of a poore soule which is called a copying out of his fathers bosome and pointing us by the hand to Letter after Letter No man hath seene God at any time but the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1.18 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i plane ac dilucidè declarare to open a thing very clearely and gloriously Like the Hebrew word Higgid Gen. 41.25 noting such a shewing as is by leading by the hand Divine demonstration notes inscriptum When Christ hath made apprehension in the soule the next thing he makes is affection hee doth eternally seate things revealed in all the passions of the soule and in each distinctly as principles are proper to them some in love some in joy some in feare c. and seates principles deeply in all these passions and makes them all for him and to vote him up still as chiefe over all within and without this is called in writing ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not with Inck and Pen but with the spirit of the living God 2 Cor. 3.3 in Tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart and yet this is but a branch of that manifestation mentioned in my Text ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the same word is used in the front of the Verse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã manifestly declared Christs internall manifestation is our externall manifestation that which enables us to hold forth our light in Life as Saints This demonstration is most sweete Divine light is pleasant all along its course in the soule in every roome of the soule as in the understanding though a very out-roome but most pleasant when seated in the will and affections these in-roomes then t is full of embracings then the soule pursues his light and is pursued with kindnesse from Christs internall presence Divine-Light is very sweet in speculation but a thousand times more sweet when drawne out into conversation Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them hee it is that loveth me and hee shall be loved of my Father and J will love him and will manifest my selfe to him Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them c. To have the will of Christ and to keepe the will of Christ are two things the one poynts at light in the understanding the other points at light in the affection which necessarily resolves it selfe into action and upon this is intail'd the sweetnesse of Christs presence this is he that loveth mee saith Christ and he shall be beloved of mee and my Father this is demonstratio demonstrata the builder banqueting in and warming of the house he hath built this is the mystery of the Gospel and manifested to none but Saints COLOS. 1.26 But now is made manifest to his Saints VVHat was a mystery and what was hid is still so to all but Saints but now is made manifest to his Saints What a long night some have they have Job's wish they give up the ghost in the wombe and their eyes never see the Sun no not when he shines brightest Gospel-light is the clearest plainest and yet this is hid unlesse to a very few If our Gospell bee hid the most are finally left Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth although ever making at it that is a sad expression ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Death and Life are made paralell for length one is everlasting so is the other Some never die others never live the fire of the Altar never went out the holy Spirit which is the onely fire in the new Tabernacle never goes out of some and never comes in to other hee never leaves nor forsakes some though in the fire though in the water though in the belly of Hell yet he comes to them others he never comes neere let them be where they will doe what they will pray or cut themselves like Baals Priests T is all day in some parts of the World t is all night againe in other parts such is the set and fixed course of the Sunne about the great World and such likewise is the motion of the Sunne of Righteousnesse about the little World Another thing is this Divine course is so steered as to fulfill will mans will and Gods Mans will therefore there can be no wrangling or discontent in this matter on no side The will of the wicked is at an utter and at a finall resistance of Christ they bid the Almighty depart for how long for a weeke for a month and then come againe No he is in good earnest for ever as one that does not like such a man for a Husband of all the men in the World and therefore bids him to come no more When Christ comes to any soule he comes a woeing to gaine the soule for his onely solace and delight a wicked soule hath no mind to this he hath so much love to his lust and to his own course and therefore if this be thy businesse saith he to Christ depart for ever let mee see thy face no more it was Pharoahs Language to Moses and yet Moses representing the person of Christ to him and Pharoah in that doth but represent to us the person and practise of every wicked man what he saith to Christ and the spirit and to all that is holy hee would see nor heare of these no more hee loves darkenesse better then light and would never out on 't nor never have light brought neere him This thing is accomplished by God the soule would have a finall parture God at a finall distance that so hee might take his fill of sinne and it is so J will see thy face no more thy night shall be as long as thou
wilt black and darke for ever hence forth sleepe on and never open thy Eyes more Now mans will is fulfilled and Gods will too for such sinners Gods Will he sweares the eternall death of them and hee cannot goe back When soules are so wicked to bid him depart for ever hee layes this much to heart and remembers it well for ever yea every repulse of this Strength Length and Nature yea and all the circumstances about it and opposes to this sinfull will a righteous will of as much Strength and Length he sweares a revenge which hath no revocation hee sets himselfe at a finall distance from repentance as the sinner hath Reade Amos the eight and the seventh the Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their workes This is spoken in order to Israels end and what is spoken in order to many hath its force in order to one J will never forget any of their workes Such persons as I have woed and laboured by all manes to espouse to my selfe for such to put mee off yea to cast mee off finally I will never forget this saith God I will set them at as great a distance from me as they set me from them and if there be any excellency in me it shall run out all this way in strength and length of Justice this is paying the utmost farthing Vse Sinners let this point entice you to consider your condition when our Saviour had discoursed of one that should betray him and be lost for ever a sonne of perdition which the Scripture had long before spoken off how they all smote their breasts Is it J is it I There are children of perdition now such as are lost for ever such as of old are ordained to this condemnation we have spoken off to wit a finall dissertion T is hard to determine who these be because we have not Christs skill in this point yet two things there are which more eminently hint such a state Hypocrisie and Malice The Kingdome of God comes nigh some men they have tastes of the good Word of God and of the powers of the World to come sweete tastes and then temptations intervene and then all these sweete âangs and tastes of truth are lost and the glorious throne and Kingdome of Christ that was going up apace pulled downe againe as fast and demolished quite and onely some out-workes left upon the tongue upon the eyes and the other externall parts to make a specious shew to the World this gives sad suspition of a forlorne estate of a child of perdition When Christ comes so neere a soule as to begin to sweepe and cleanse it and to fit it for his dwelling and afterward is thrust out and all given up againe to more uncleane spirits then before to make up temporary advantages of delight and profit Christ now returnes no more for this grosse Hypocrisie wretched soules suffer finally the last end of these men is sad worse then their beginning their soules abide in sinne till they abide no longer in this world an Hypocrites last-love to sinne holds him though his first love to Christ would not 2 Pet. 2. Further authority concurring to this is that of Peter where he discourseth of Hypocrisie largely and very sadly yea very prophetically as pointing at these times wherein we live He speakes of such who had escaped the pollutions of the World by the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Vers 20. and afterward were intangled and he speakes also of those which did generate these monsters to wit false Teachers Hypocriticall Prophets such as Baalam and then panells altogether Fathers and children thus Wells they are without water Cloudes carried about with a tempest to whom is reserved the mist of darknesse for ever Truth hath lost its power it is a stincking carcasse and no Christian whatsoever he saith Vers 17. and this stincking carcasse is to be buried for ever in such a grave as hath no resurrection Love to truth is lost and therefore no eyes can be found to see it so as to imbrace it and practise it other things stand in the way and make a mist that the man cannot see this nor that not he Hypocrisy raiseth this mist of darkenesse and such fogges and mists as spring out of this oft times abide for ever That which is here named the mist of darkenesse or the thicknesse of darkenesse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is translated in Jude blacknesse of darkenesse tenebras densissimas denotat it notes saith the Critick the most thick darkenesse the mist of the night which makes the greatest darkenesse such thorough which no sight at all can be made The second thing which hints a child of perdition one in utter darknesse or one finally punished is malice against the truth persecution of truth by unlightened persons The Apostle encouraging the Thessalonians tells them they had suffered such things from their owne Country men and compares them that did it unto the Jewes which crucifyed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets who pleased not God and were contrary to all men forbidding to speake to the Gentiles that they might be saved filling up the measure of their sinne alwayes whose doome observe for wrath is come upon them to the uttermost The allusion here made plainely shewes that these bloudy wretches were men of parts noone Devills as one of the ancients calls them or mid-day Scorpions t is written of this creature that he is most apt to strike and sting at noone when Sun beames are brightest and hottest upon him Innocent bloud shed by day light speakes conscience feared and conquered and this is the last power that gives up in the soule Divine Life is quite gone when this is gone the last breath gone is not sucked in againe Conscience twisteth cords and binds the sinner to keepe him in from his sinnes but when all the cords he makes yea and himselfe too are broken by the sinner then is the sinner given up as a Sampson in sinne one unconquerable and so left for ever Consider sinners what fire burnes in your breast and with what fuell and you may guesse whether it be unquenchable fire or not of the nature of that below which by decree is to burne for ever you are persons of parts the great dangers we speake about lies most amongst such as you Truth is hindered in its course every where by you within and without in your selves and in others for you to be oposites and adversaries to all men to all good men and to all good things persons and things of the noblest nature t is very sad write Lord have mercy upon such wretches at their doore wrath is come upon them to the utmost ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to the end that is which will make an end of thee thy soule burnes with such a Feaver as will kill thee for ever This generation hath a deadly countenance in my eye
doe the will of God this very phrase is used by the Apostle to the Romans There is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã exquirere the word notes diligent and painfull searching out of things through search till what is searcht after be found out but thus these did not doe and therefore were blind and as full soules they were idle and overly in the seeking after truth and so sutable was their light and life and therefore cast off How contrary to right judgement and to the welfare of this Land are they that seeke not after God themselves but seeke after lies and hate and persecute them that doe otherwise and labour to possesse authority that such as are desirous to know more of the Lords will and are earnest endeavourers to doe it better and better are the onely overthrowers of the Land and therefore worthy to be throwne out on 't T is against reason and against nature as well as against religion Bees throw out drones out of their hives but doe they throw out them that are diligent most diligent to bring in most and best honey Men that thus speake and act should be thought of as they are and made to taste of the fruit of their bad zeale the Land would soon be a sorry place for thee if such as thou hatest were out on 't What is hungring and thirsting after the world ripping up the bowels of conscience to finde out more mysteries of iniquity more crafty wilds in trading and traffiquing for gaine diggers and searchers in the earth plunderers of Saints sanctity conscience and Christ are men of these spirits the onely safety and the onely blessing of a Land God forbid it should enter into any soule to thinke so Such as would be desirous to know and cannot must remember this one thing the heart must stand right to doe or else the former cannot be desires to know springs from integrity of intention to doe My soule breaketh for the longing it hath to thy Commandements at all times Davids spirit was set for action the influence of this made that strength of affection soule-breaking and soule-longing There be many damps and earth-quakes in an unsound spirit these put out lights flames and blazes A heart unsound hath love bending still some other way then to that truth to which it seemes to pretend water that hath fit and full passage under earth will not spring and bubble up above it Our Saviour speaking of trying times saith that the love of many will wax cold When earthly things are going the heart as it is earthy and hypocriticall will be most greedy after them and die in order to the pursuit of Divine things to save the life of carnall let us all take heed of this I le speake a word to a case of conscience and conclude I am desirous and industrious to know and to get Divine things but I can make nothing of it I am ever learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth To this I answer Honey dewes you know fall in very small drops so small that t is too bigge a word to call them drops if I knew what else to call them distillation as Balme very small In the warres which Alexander mannaged in Jury the holy Land where this Balme grew history saith the whole Army thought it well if they could gather a spoonfull in a Summers day So if we can in the length of our whole life by all our travell and industry searching and seeking get but a little of the Balme of Gilead a little more of the knowledge and love of Christ then we have we should account it well and not dejectedly complaine COLOS. 1.27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery c. ANy mercy any thing that is or imports the least kindnesse to man now may be called riches riches of glory at such a great distance is man now from God But the Gospell is great riches to wit as much as man hath lost and more it sets man as high as ever he was and higher which is riches of glory indeed considering how glorious once man was It must be a great deale to set up a broken man but to set him up higher then ever he was before fallen is glorious riches i. unexpresseable The Gospell in the intention of it is nothing but love A voice of joy a voice of gladnesse a voice of the Bridegroome and a voice of the Bride a voice of them that shall say God is good and his mercy endures for ever Jeremy 33.11 This is the Gospell and you see that there is nothing in it but joy and gladnesse the Gospell is a salutation of love of the sweetest love it holds forth bosoming love i. marriage love a voice of the Bride and the Bridegroome saith the text i. the strongest love glorious love it holds forth love not to last for a little while but to last as marriage love yea to last longer then that can doe mercy enduring forever saith the Text which is rich and glorious that will hold its strength and its warmth it s a breast and bosome worth the being in that will never be cold The Scripture useth three words which will fitly serve to open this expression in the Text what glorious riches the Gospell is The Gospell is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Christ kind to man or a word holding forth man friendship which no other subject beside doth that 's a rich and a glorious booke which when I open smiles upon me as such a creature and no where else to be read the like Man is a very miserable creature and yet as miserable as he is nothing speakes to him no volume writes about him but onely the Gospell not with any matter of hope any other Volume no sooner opened but man reads his doome in every line The booke of the creatures opened which is a great Volume and yet not a line in it that smiles upon man nay any one may better looke into the booke of creation then man man no sooner lookes into this Volume but all the creatures fall a bleeding presently as having espied their murtherer thou hast murthered me saith one creature and thou hast murthered me saith another and this is the bloody tone to the very teeth of man throughout all the creation The gronings of the whole creation are throwne as it were by each creature in the face of man they all hold up their hands together against man and say this is he that hath destroyed us There is not a sinner upon the face of the earth but is in some degree in Cains case beset with all the creatures every bush ready to fly in his face to scratch and accuse him all the creatures are out with huy and cry after man as their murtherer which was the reason why Cain was so fearfull everywhere he came the whole
of convictions make a man fall at the feet of Christ or flee in his face Hast thou found me O mine enemy Wounds that goe to the heart if they let not out corruption and pride they make men desperate and bleed them to death desperately a proud man stab'd to the heart by the word if it be not sanctified to let out his pride he will spet the blood of his soule in the face of him that wounded it Are you Gentiles in heart then be so in name doe not miscall yourselves T is a thousand pities that many are called Christians You doe onely but flatter them that flatter themselves enough and too much you helpe hug soules to death The name of a Christian given to such a one that hath not the nature of a Christian is satans chariot in which he hath carried thousands to hell asleepe Let persons and things be called as they are let us name things according to their nature let Divinity have its name Morality its name Barbarity its name You give men their severall distances as they stand ranked by a common providence one to another but we doe not give men their distance as they stand all rankt by speciall providence in order to God and the highest greatnesse Let us follow Christ in this say some are neere some are far off some are in the Kingdome of God The Kingdome of God is in you saith he to some t is neere you saith he to others t is far off from you saith he to others Let us give all persons and things their due distances in order to God as they discover themselves Doe not waste breath vainely to make a gale a pleasant gale to blow soules faster to hell Iitten gnatsabeth Prov. 10.10 which are sailing thither but too fast of themselves He that winks with his eye causeth sorrow saith Solomon dabit dolorem he will give sorrow he that puts out his owne eyes and others to he will give a great deale of sorrow to others and yet keep a great deale more for himselfe and yet this is common blind lead one another neither knowes whether Make not a bad condition hopelesse t is not so in it selfe here A Gentile simply as a Gentile was without hope because out of roade of God Enter not by the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not Matth. 10.5 6. but goe rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel said Christ when he sent forth the word The preaching of the word is the meanes of life to whom this is denied death is concluded the people necessarily perish where this vision must not come This was our condition but t is not now the channell of love is turned toward us not from us life is come amongst us as the expression here is the riches of this mystery among the Gentiles or in them saith the originall The expression notes effectuall mercy is now revealed an efficacious proffer a light of life shines amongst us such as makes sight and makes blessednesse to us as much as to the Jewes so is this expression explained Matth. 4.16 t is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a great light and that which they did see they which sat in darknesse saw great light Matth. 4.16 All this was shadowed in giving the promise to Abraham before Circumcision and before the Law to note that the Uncircumcision to wit the Gentiles should be partakers of the promise as well as the Circumcision And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham that is before the Law saying in thee and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blest Gentiles you that see your selves such Dogs Wolves Lyons effectuall mercy is tendred to you You that lie in the high way and villages blinde lame halt you are invited the others had their excuses some had bought Oxen others Farmes others had married wives the meaning is covetousnesse and voluptuousnesse carnality did cut off the carnall Jew and nothing but this will cut off you too Undervalue every thing in order to Christ which now invites you to him the creature hath our hearts which is a strange act a man stretching out himselfe for the grave The lust of the Gentiles spoyles them t was shadowed by the Prodigall if any of you be come to your selves like him to returne and looke after Christ you may finde grace and mercy as he did If you finde your hearts averse Christ will by his Word if you attend it perswade them And he reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath saith the Scriptures of Paul and perswaded the Jewes and the Greekes Acts 18.4 the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of perswasion now to the Greekes that is to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes Perswasion notes the power of the Word the Word carried to the heart and this Christ hath engaged himselfe to doe Hosea 2.14 Gnal libbah Therefore behold I will allure thee and bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably to her the word is to the heart I will allure her and speake to her heart God in them ingaged himselfe to us and stands obliged now to every poore soule that complains of his aversnesse to Christ to allure these soules and to speake to their heart COLOS. 1.27 Which is Christ in you AS there is an externall society body with body so there is an internall society spirit with spirit God is a spirit and sutes his society he moves about corporeals but holds communion and fellowship onely with spirits drawes out himselfe here his face and his heart that is communion where one drawes out his heart If any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy Phil. 2.1 the latter explaines the former what ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the communion of the Spirit meanes to wit such an internall operation as whereby the spirit of man is made like the Spirit of God for bowels and mercies and so for all other Divine dispositions a drawing out his owne heart and his nature in ours partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 There is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a communion of the Spirit and a communion of the Divine nature I thinke the termes are expository and note the Spirit so effectually operating in the soule of man as imparting its owne nature to it such an operation or communication of Christ as this is called Christ in us because he leaves his Image and similitude in us as you say sometimes of children his fathers spirit is in him and this is spoken similitudinaliter not formaliter because of that similitude and onenesse of disposition that is between father and child God was in Christ that expression poynts not at the Divine essence nor cannot be proper speech so applied but at Divine existence noting how the persons in the Trinity doe act one in and by another
sit down in here and yet this is not all 't is a place much haunted which is the last particular which speaks the forlornnesse of a place you take but a fancy that this place and that is haunted with evill spirits and you will not sit downe in such a place for all the world this is reall and no fancy concerning your soules there is no place in all the world hell excepted so haunted with evill spirits as the soule of man that room within us Come out of the man thou unclean spirit saith Christ and Christ askt him his name and he said my name is Legion for we are many but how many that the devill himself could not tell or would not Mark 5.9 The invisible world is more populous then the visible you have an innumerable company of evill spirits haunting one soule the numerousnesse of diabolicall spirits infesting the soule is hinted by that similitude of our Saviour comparing them to Fowles that flock to their prey Some fell by the high way and the Fowles came and gathered it up saith the Text Rev. 16.14 There be flocks of Crowes and Rooks and Ravens and black fowle in the aire And then they are called Locusts in the Revelation a creature more populous then any History writes of them that they foresee a famine and then leave such parts and flee in such a mighty company that like a great thick cloud they darken the Sun for a great compas that whole countreys of people see them as they flee and fear lest they will light where they live and devoure all There is another title given to diabolicall spirits to note etheir populousnesse in the pursuit of the soule of man the devill is called Beel-zebub an Idol or God of flies intimating that those evill spirits that haunt our soules here are as thicke as swarmes of flies There is another Scripture that speaks to this point Math. 7.21 This kinde goes not out c. There are it seems divers kinds of evill spirits The result of all is this Christ useth a very forlorne seat in this world There is a necessity of this if he have to doe with us for there are no other seats to be found here It speaks the great condiscension of Christ and should be taken notice of by us and mentioned to his honour Meek sitting upon an Asse Consider or this expression how divine condiscension is observed and extold Had not Christ been very meek and full of humility he had never stoopt so low as to take a dwelling in us the word you translate meek is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Latine word parvus comes from it which signifies little meeknesse and humility is that which doth little one The great God oh how doth he little himselfe to come to live in us how doth he obscure his glory to lie in a Stable and in a Manger brutish filthy places and yet those did but typifie where his internall lodging as God is to wit in a stinking loathsome hellish place the souls of men the highest the perfectest purity to seat himself in the perfect'st impurity The Apostle when he speaks of something a this side this he cals it humbling and debasing himselfe he humbled himselfe to the death yea to the grave yea to a spirituall grave not onely to at base place for his body which was quickly over but to a base place for his soule to wit our soules which grave lasts a great while Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave yes 't is left in our soules and what is this but a grave a place of rottennesse a continent of devills an uppermost though not a neather most hell Can a hell praise God Can the grave praise Christ The Scripture seems to put an impossibility upon what I exhort to I am exhorting the grave to praise Christ that hee would come there if it be possible let the grave praise Christ let your soules which are the spirituall graves of Christ open their mouthes and make a resurrection of him and of his love that lies there Take up Hannah's song The Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth downe to the grave and bringeth up the Lord maketh poore and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up He raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dung-hil to set them among Princes and to make them inherit thrones of glory for the pillars are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them c. Vse 'T is mighty consolatory this point where Christ lodges himselfe yea be it never so filthy or forlorne a place he will make it absolutely blessed before he hath done Doe but observe what he saith O grave I will be thy victory and the Apostle applyes this spiritually and cheares the godly the grave death and hell they are all within you and there lyes Christ and he will be the destruction of all though your soules be as the grave full of rottennesse full of filthy smels a thousand times worse than any grave in the world yet he that sweetned the corporal grave by lying in it he will sweeten this before Christ hath done with the soule he will not leave the least ill favour in it not any thing that is sinne or lookes like it not any evill spirit not any wicked spirit shall fift you haunt you he will make the place where he lyes even as pure and perfect as heaven what is that which kils good people in this world but when the grave opens and they see their misdeeds and smell how loathsome they are you see the grave open you must also think who lies there as it were buried you must as she * Martha look for the living amongst the dead and remember what Christ hath said That he will be the victorie and rest and cheare your soules with this hath Christ conquered the greater hell and will he not conquer the lesser hath he made victory over the grave in which he lay under infinite wait of sinne and wrath and will he not make victory over that grave where some sinnes lye and no wrath Certainly he will turne the grave into a Palace and furnish it royally and so hang it that it shall doe any one good to behold it The soule is Christs in-room and he is very curious about this all appurtinances to it shall be like the possessour of it very exact there shall be nothing called lignum as the Roman Dames were wont to say that is meare wood COLOS. 1.27 Hope of glory DIvine things at a distance have their influence upon the soul a word of heaven sets the soul a longing and looking after it and this is called hope Hope speaks an heire under age knowing his inheritance and expecting possession writings are throughly read propriety plainly found out evidence about the man yea evidence in him to shew Christ in you the hope of glory As corporall nourishment passeth through severall concoctions and
the last the noblest so doth spirituall nourishment Hope is the last concoction of the soule the last digestion of words and workes by which pure bloud spirits substance and strength is delated and defused all over the state The Scripture makes three concoctions as Nature doth corporall and Hope is the last Tribulation worketh Patience Patience Experience Experience Hope and now the spirit hath spirit hath it self strength setlednesse therefore it followes and hope confounds not Providence toumbles the soule and the soul toumbles providence and the first result of this is patience the second result experience what God is at present and in the breast of this sits hope what God will be and smiles till things worke to this last issue the soule is confounded as the Apostle speaks Hope sucks the sweet of the words and works of God to the bottome that which lyes in the bottome of all God saith and doth to a Christian is heaven what ever lyes utmost the end is eternall life still to a Saint what ever things are a this side Things looke variously sometimes to a neare sight and explicite repugnancy betwixt words and works between such an end and such meanes ordained to it and yet all in an ultimate interpretation carry an exact subordination to the soules highest good Hope is a great Peere privy to the depth of wisdome to the intentions and resolutions of God and to the harmony of all changes and turnings how when and where they will meet in such a blessed end and lies and bathes and sports her selfe in the consistances of all varieties with and towards her prime good 't is a grace to which felicity is alwayes in view a halcyon that findes out a quiet place upon the most moving and boysterous body to wit the sea Hope t is a soul free from a Consumption fat and merry eates not out it s owne spirits nor its owne marrow Some kinde of Spiders eate out the Dam which sits upon them as soone as hatcht so do the thoughts and apprehensions of some souls kill the minde and spirit that brings them forth they are such poysonous and eating things they are so venemous so fiery so dark so gnawing so voyd of heaven of any glimpse of it and so full of hell I reckon upon my afflictions from morning to night saith Hezekiah and I have cut off mine own life his soule hatched such thoughts in time of distresse as did gnaw out the bowells and. life of it selfe that affliction became as death and death as hell which is the property of despaire and unbeliefe to render persons as destroyed and damn'd already as that expression is As there be soules damn'd already and in hell already so there be souls saved already and in heaven already in heaven whilst looking for it apprehension of it in Christ so strong so clear what ever accidentals turmoile the outward man the while Accounting that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation 2 Pet. 3.15 t is a soule that hath so clear an apprehension of the issue of all sufferings for Chirst that the issue of them is in him already what he expects is to him already in a degree in judgement and account judging that the long-suffering of God is salvation yea not onely in judgement not onely in strong evidence and conviction but in sweet contemplation delectation and fruition for 't is a grace that speaks the love of God shed abroad in the soule and experience hope and hope makes not ashamed why because the soule now hath a good part what it hopes for Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5.5 Vse Our felicity lies in noble principles 't were well if we had an impregnable estate in these times Every thing is unsetled and almost hopelesse how is your spirituall condition Every thing without hath made its will and bequeathed it selfe to Death Devills Ruine have your soules made their will and bequeathed themselves to Death and Devills too Ah my soule what a sad state is this Sinne reignes though every thing runne to ruine this doth not The Sword of the Spirit can kill no sinnes therefore it doth soules O how consciences bleed how ghastly are many soules now more to seek for eternall safety then temporall I know not what these wretches will doe God and man are upon you and against you whither will you flee what will you doe for relief Nothing destroyes hope like an evill conscience Now sinners tell me what is sinne now to you Where is that sweet that did ere while so extraordinarily take you what is that in your sinne that did hold you so fast and so long from Christ Shew me now the kirnell of your course You have been cracking shells a great while and what now is the in-side of all nothing but Death and Hell and in stead of your wonted joy an afrighted soule and a fearefull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation Now that which you chose should stand you in most stead doth it thus cheat you then write upon thy sinne Vanity upon thy heart Thou hast deluded me I know not what will be the issue of these evill times death is gathering to the heart apace to the heart of Kingdomes Estates and the like if it be there already in order to your soules truly Justice is quicke with you and you had neede looke about you In swoning fits cordials be necessary something to be taken inwardly that is Christ he fetches life and hope Christ in you the hope of glory Sinfull fearefull wretches there is nothing in you but nature and the old man therefore are you so weake and wicked in your course so dreadfull in apprehension about the end Men would do much sometimes in their owne strength when a lively word takes hold on them but this cannot be never considering how desolate all within is Your eyes are not in your head as the wise man speaks that is they are not in your heart you see nothing within as you should When conscience is fired by the word you thinke to do this and that presently and then all will be well and then fayle in the action and so increase the flame Conscience when a fire must have something dropt in to it things done without are nothing to wit the bloud of Christ Not a sparkle of hell is alayed without bloud without the bloud of Christ or the bloud of the soule Application of remedy must be as the distresse lies your hell is within you and Christ must descend into hell to do a sinner good to set his soule in rest and hope he must goe into the World to save it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Heb. 10.5 Christ must come into this World and then into the heart of man that is in it into the great World and then into the little World which he is willing to doe and so expresseth himselfe Heb. 10.5 When
gnola an whole ascension holocautomata a whole burnt offering all ascending in a flame to Christ that did so for us to God Divine Light carries Energy with it all tooles and instruments whereby all faculties and organs are made answerable to the eyes it opens it makes not a blinde man open his eyes and lie still but opens eyes in order to legs and armes and all other joynts when God opens eyes he opens cares opens all David is a demonstration of this and Christ Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not Charitha but mine eares hast thou opened digged open Eyes were digged open and eares together when David knew what God would have his Light warmed and opened his heart and made that obedient unto it and so Christ if you apply the words to him when he opened his Commission at his journeys end when come into the flesh and into this world and unto offering age to Priestly maturty for that Office and saw what kinde of offering God expected not such offering as under the Law the bodies of beasts but his own body his Light inflamed his heart and he proclames his Commission what body he might offer a body hast thou prepared me and he longed to give it to its intended use when he knew the intention of God concerning it there is a proportion to this in all the revelations of the same light in our hearts Christ puts his honour here upon us as he doth above as we shall have what he has in heaven so we have in a degree what he had on earth his spirit and his peace his light and his life our life is said to be hid in him t is bravely typified I think Numbers 27.20 Put some of thy honour upon him saith God to Moses concerning Joshua their Unctions were communicative under the Law to shadow that so should Christs Unction under the Gospell be communicative unto us you will be a whole ascension which have a whole light and hee that ascends wholly to Heaven must needs have a sweet and blessed life on 't COLOS. 1.28 Warning every man ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The word here used may be pursued strictly according to what it signifies as so compounded or it may be considered largely according to what it signifies as so in severall Scriptures used The composition of the word notes a putting of a thing into the mind from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies the mind and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifies to put Divine words reach the heart they put themselves into the minde and into the soule This resolution of the Text makes resolution to that question Job 38.36 Who hath put wisdome into the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart The words of Christ doe this and nothing else these doe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã put things into the soule wisdome and understanding into the inward parts The words of God have the advantage of their matter they are pure Justice is of Majesty what shines with the beames of this is strongly impressive O how forcible are right words saith Job that is words made up of rightousnesse and thus are all Gods words necessarily his breath is as himselfe pure Breath is a very internall thing this stinking speakes something filthy in the inward parts God is light and in him is no darknesse Satan comes and finds nothing in me No impurity no unrighteousnesse in God he must needs therefore breath purely Purity is of great Majesty when Adam bore the Image of God his words were as thunder to all the creation his words yea his lookes went through and through Purity and Majesty be joynd together Cant. 6.10 Cleare as the Sunne terrible as an Army with Banners what is pure is of great power and Majesty The words of Christ have the advantage of their forme God opens his mouth in righteousnesse and in wisdom Some have good breath but not good braines and gutterals to shape it and utter it Children come to the birth cannot be delivered or else delivered too soon untimely births are not taking to looke upon none lodge such in their bosomes Indiscretion turnes the point and edge of things that otherwise are very penetrating The words of the wise are like goades and nailes they goe into the heart wisdome takes the utmost of all advantage which is very forcible she sits her down in the center of a businesse and takes into her bosome all the small lines that doe circumstance it and so makes her motion in every thing effectuall heart-reaching and heart-working The heart is put for wisdome in the old Testament and I thinke for this reason because wisdome is that which brings in all to the heart words workes that which makes every thing like goads and nayles piercing or like honey dewes so king melting Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he is mighty in strength and wisdome Choach leb Iob 36.5 t is strength and heart or strength of heart Wisdome is that which brings in things in strength to the heart and so makes it strong upon the heart Strength and wisdome are joynd together here things that we say or doe are of strength as this conjunction is kept which is never separated in order to God No word of God no worke of God but uttered and wrought in wisdome which makes all his words like goads and nayles in entering The words of God have the advantage of their end They are spirit and life that is they are intended above all words to be spiritually forcible they are appointed to be the Sword of the Spirit that by which one spirit should reach another the Spirit of God the Spirit of man e contra And take unto you the Helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God The Sword ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith a critick that which fetcheth blood with delight that which joyes to goe into the veines and into the heart the seat of life Things move delightfully to their end to that scope and center to which they are appointed The center of the word is the soule of man the words of God sinke downe into the eares Let these words sinke downe into your eares saith Christ they are directed from one spirit to another they may knocke without but they will be restlesse till they get in into affection or else into conscience into the marrow and joynts which are the inmost things of man an in-roome they will have Spirit will to spirit the Spirit will use the Word which is to be a Sword according to Divine appointment being put into his hand as a sharpe weapon he will joyfully sheath it in the soule in one part or other of it how painfull soever it be to man hee will wound the spirit pricke the heart let it be never so deepe The words I speake saith Christ they are spirit and life that is they are so
doth cast off former delights utterly upon such a present excellency of delight and joy as doth suffice and fill up the soule now the Word of God got into the heart the voice of the Bridegroom heard in the soule or with the soule it makes a full joy such a joy as beside or beyond which the soule knowes none nor desires none John 3.29 This my joy therefore is fulfilled said John therefore is fulfilled Wherefore why that as a friend of the Bridegroome he could stand and heare the voice of the Bride spiritually heare Christ eare and heart his words take in and take downe the drops that fell from his mouth Though they are but drops that fall from Christs mouth here in comparison of what falls from his lips above yet they are so big that they fill the soule every Grape of this Vine ounce grapes There is a grape in forraigne parts which because of the greatnesse of it is call'd an ounce grape Every grape of this Vine to wit Christ is an ounce grape every drop from his mouth an ounce drop of so much juyce and liquor as fills the soule with joy and the soule filled once then it doth indeed bid farewell to all joyes and all delights parts with all parting things utterly If you finde that the Word is of no spirituall force that it doth not go into your soules Christ in this case must be move'd Divine institutions are not necessarily successefull all meanes are so ordered that the soule in the midst of them should looke up to Christ The word and Christ as well as the creatures and Christ are separable here below though not above and joyn'd together by faith and prayer Many brave things may be spoken to us from the word but we can receive in none unlesse we have a higher helpe then the meere Word which we heare There arose a question between Johns Disciples and the Jewes about purifying John answered the question briefly and pithily A man can receive nothing unlesse it be given him from heaven meaning not extraordinary graces and gifts for office nor ordinary as a Christian John 4.27 Receptions and takings in of divine things these are high things indeed gifts from heaven We may bring many brave things and lay them at your doore at your eares but the taking in of these into your heart this must be given you from heaven And blessed him that had the promises Heb. 7.6 't is more for a person to have the promises then to have meerly the Word preacht to him Abraham was one that had the promises and yet he needed a super-benediction to make all promises blessings to him something from heaven to make all the words he heard on earth heaven to him how much more need there a blessing from heaven attending men which have not the promise as Abraham had but onely the Word sounded to them The spring is in God still therefore let no man mistake himselfe when he looks upon the Trunke The Word is but a Pipe and conveyance of the Spirit All my strings are in thee To have springs in our soules to have words turned into works working words we must with the Spouse look up to God Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to beare it Cant. 8.13 'T is the complaint of many poore soules that the Word is of no power in them that it gets within such and such and they are melted and delated and run out in strength of love to Christ Why tell your sad story to Christ as the Spouse doth the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to heare it such and such can eare and heart the Word cause me to doe so too COL 1.28 Teaching every man DIscipline is suted to the state of sinners some are obstinate unruly in thy filthinesse is lewdnesse Ezek. 24.13 to such belongs warning that is Blaming Warne the unruly saith the Apostle Obstinacy is not a first but a last growth of sinne it notes a sinner of so long standing a senior in sin one almost ripe for wrath The Word must be sharpe and keene when hearts are hard to make their owne way because the heart will not yeeld and give way Reprehension is not to goe alone without instruction whom we warne we are to teach Men are obstinate because ignorant as reprehension is proper to men as unruly so is instruction proper to them as ignorant the one doth but lop sinne the other doth grub it up by the rootes Christ aimes in the Discipline he uses at the rooting up of sinne he hath a double property in his breath he doth blast and then blesse blast by reprehension and then blesse by instruction by breathing in right principles The nature of a Christians cleansing I am to stand upon Gospell purification is full Doct. 1 Christ doth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã expurgare purge out filth filth is not detected and then cloakt and hid againe dust is not swept together and then laid behinde the doore but throwne out The eternall God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say destroy Their enemies in Canaan shadowed the enemies in our heart which Christ did not onely detect but thrust out he saies to his Spirit and to ours thrust out sin purge out therefore the old Leaven kill and carry out the dead and 't is so Christs words are actions what he bids what he commands his Spirit and our spirits to do they doe opposition is strong between Christ and Satan and yet the spirit of Justice guides him in all that he doth to the most unjust and cursed things in the world Christ doth no other to Satan and sinne than they would doe to him they have killed Christ and thrust him out of the world out of the great world and they would doe so also to him in order to the little world they would kill him and thrust him out of the heart This and no lesse is in the nature of sinne and without possibility of any thing else and therefore compared to Thornes and in a type named children of Belial seeking to de-throne David yea to take away the life of David i. Christ and therefore are but justly served so themselves But the sons of Belial shall all of them as thornes be thrust away because they cannot be taken away with hands 2 Sam. 23.6 Belial signifies perversenesse sine jugo non ascendens things that are without yoak or things that will not ascend such things Christ do's make to descend Christ doth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã repurgare he doth purge out and then repeat this act for perfection sake 'T is in grace as t is in nature there is in nature an expulsive power and this can repeat it selfe till all that offend be throwne out and nature fully quiet and at rest Grace can doe thus it hath an expulsive power to throw
is this when Christ would perfect a soule in himselfe he turnes a man off and out of himselfe out of creatures of Gods making and out of creatures of the mans owne making out of his prayers and all his duties and this he doth sometime by letting the man fall into sin when proud of any parts or workes and sometimes in a more mild sweet way where nature is more meek and sweet and then when the soule is turn'd off and turnd out of all he that is indeed all presents himselfe to him and woes and wins the soule I will be a husband to thee saith Christ friends riches honours whatsoever can be desired to make one blessed the great world is han'gd upon nothing so is the little world to wit a Christian brought first to be nothing in understanding but a brute nothing in action but worse then a brute a devill very poore very poore in spirit and then blest with a Kingdom and now the soule that was nothing nor could do nothing for Christ or against sin can do all having regnum he hath proprium regni having a Kingdome he hath the proprium of that Kingdome which is dominion over all hee that is made a King and hath a Kingdom doth not rule in this Town only or that Town but over all parts in the Kingdom and this order Christ will move in towards you that desire it for this Kingdom and all belonging to it is a perfect gift COLOS. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour TO take soules from off themselves and to set them downe in Christ beares much by divine Ordinance upon our calling and makes our worke very hard which is noted in this terme labour ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the word signifies such actions and industrie as faints wastes and weares out all such a labour as Solomon speaks of Eccles 10.15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to goe to the City This Emphasis of the word is held forth to the Thessalonians to worke them to a reverend esteem of their teachers We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which spend and waste themselves amongst you to take you off from sinne and selfe and to set you downe in Christ in whom onely soules are fully and perfectly blessed We are as Jonathans armour-bearer whither so ever our Master goes we are to goe after him though we creep upon all foure Your life is our death your fatning is our leaning your Raven-black haires are our milke white We are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Tim. 3.2 Such as wax white with painfulnesse and watchfulnesse reading praing sighing mourning and groaning for your good Coaction with Christ is no idle imployment he doth not attempt small things neither is he of small strength to keep pace with such weak agents as we are 't is hard work to draw in yoke with one that is double and treble in strength above me We are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã workers together with Christ he attempts the greatest things that are and the most desperate the taking of holds strong holds Canaanites Hittites c. which dwell in Towns which are walled up to heaven and founded downe to hell he attempts the bloud and death of all the conquest of this whole world the generall making such desperate attempts and taking onely Rams-hornes a sling and a stone such a fraile party as we are you may easily think our work to be desperate full of paine and perill Had man been set to fight with man one man with one man that had been painfull worke but man is drawn out to fight with beasts the fiercest beasts with Lions Beares Wolves Serpents Scorpions yea with devills there was never such a fight in the grand Circue at Rome We wrestle with such creatures as have no hold-fast to be taken of them which have no armes no legs no flesh nor bones we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places Ephes 6.12 We are drawne out to fight upon all the disadvantage in the world against creatures that are upon higher ground that have pitched field in high places that have no flesh to be wounded nor bloud to lose that can make ambushments at pleasure being the rulers of the darknesse of this world this is the Rhetorick of the Apostle We are Stewards of mysteries sentence is past upon us to dye according to the Law which we have broken onely we have the benefit of our book but this book is written as books of such nature usually are very mysteriously with an old strange Character our worke is to stand by and prompt soules concerning their neck verse which is very painfull and trembling worke the book in which sinners are to read for their life is written with bloud which is very inward and ominous inke The Characters and Syllables sutable when put together into words these words are spirit The words I speake saith Christ are spirit What is a more inward and hidden thing then this and yet this are we to interpret our worke is to be an interpreter betweene two of very remote parts that live as farre asunder as heaven and earth as heaven and hell I might say between Spirits the spirit of God and the spirit of man one whereof 't is more proper to say is in hell whilst out of heaven then in any middle place between Transactions between God and the soule are the deepest the weightiest the intricat'st things in the world A sinner is convicted sentenced carried to the place of execution his winding sheet wrapt about his shoulders his handkerchiffe tyed before his eyes his halter about his neck his sentence written upon his forehead in this shalt thou hang till thou bee dead and yet possibly no internall intention concurring or meaning the bloud of the soule Divining in this case at the foot of the Ladder what will become of him that is on the top on 't sitting trembling whether he will be turned off or fetcht downe with a pardon is extraordinary hard work to determine and yet beares not upon any extraordinary office no Angel is dispatcht from heaven to be an oracle in this difficult case but it lyes upon our shoulders by ordinance The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge If there be any divining in this extraordinary worke t is not by extraordinary but ordinary office there is not one from the dead to tell who shall dye next no one sent from hell to tell who is to come next thither Things belonging both to the death and life of the soule are made manifest by our ministration by our labour wee are the Heralds of Heaven the Trumpet of God in which he sounds Retreat and March fight and victory funerall and triumph we are to sound sad and dolefull sweet
and joyfull to tell who are slaine and who saved our Travells are to all remote parts that are into Heaven into hell into the heart of man where these two meet to search the book of life and the book of death to finde whose names are written in the one and to informe the persons Paul could tell Clement and others that their names were written in the book of life Phil. 4.3 And whose names are written in the other to wit the book of death and to informe likewise the persons Jude could tell who were of old ordained to condemnation we are to seek creatures lost in hel which is hard work to finde to search out things hidden in God from ages and generations which is harder worke Vse The soule of man certainly is very precious to Christ he sits up with it late watches with it very long burnes out many watch-lights to save it if possibly from dying eternally Estimation is to be made of things according to cost about it provided that the layer out bee prudent When you let houses or lands this comes in as a consideration to heighten rent what you are out in purchase and repaire Christ cannot be taxt for imprudence or improvidence and yet he is at more cost and paines about the soule then about any thing not onely here and there a man is pickt out to minister to the soule but all the creatures in the world are severally gifted vertued decked and adorned to minister to and worke upon the soule the words and works of God have all a harmony in this they all therefore are and abide which otherwise should all passe away were it not to take and gaine the soule there is a juice and Verdure a spirit in every living creature to incline it to serve man and so to by as his soule to God The multitude of preachers to the soul of man is great some he had at the third hour some at the sixth some at the ninth God and the Creation were preaching to man from the beginning all creatures brought their full goodnesse to mans full view and use to keep him fully good but could not he fell asleep in the fore-noon in the morning when the primest and sweetest sermons were made that ever the eares of man heard and dyed in his sleep Wee that come in labourers at the latter part of the day we preach to the dead our worke is to fetch the dead to life againe to raise Lazars out of their grave that have lain there long and stink and yet how unsavory soever how impossible soever our worke is and seemes to be we must upon the perill of the bloud of our own soules discharge it our labour is spending and ending we like Rachel dye in travell to bring forth sonnes and daughters to Christ and yet woe to us we shall dye twice if wee hold not on this labour and this travell Certainly Christ hath put an high price on poore soules I am sadded to thinke how mis-judging some persons are of Christ and their soules Doth Christ milke out his breast to bastards such as are base borne and no sonnes Can he summe up nought nought many noughts to a great summe and to a great price A naughty tongue a naughty hand a naughty heart a naughty conscience all these naughty parts to a precious whole I answer Christ doth prize naked beings the soule according to its esse though it hath never a good quality in it What shall a man give in exchange for his soule high price is put here upon the soule simply as it is such a transcendent being beyond others then againe Christ sets a price upon things according to what he can work them too he can lay out cost and paines mans meate horse meat seed and grain of this kinde and that and plow in hope Persons of art and skill put a price upon this and that grasse which others tread under foote as weeds and nothing worth because by such and such decoctions they know what precious things to bring them to Nero put great price upon Thapsis a gigantine Fennell his great men about him wondred to see him send so farre for it and put such esteeme upon it but hee did so because he knew how to order it with Frankincense and other things to take away the bruises of his body God hath Frankincense by him to wit Christ and though wee be but as Fennell a weede little worth yet hee can tell how to order us and shape us so as to bring us to great maturity and price and according to this to wit what he can do with soules doth he put price upon them though at present of little worth and therefore let empty creatures judge righteously concerning Christ and their soules Would Christ be at paines and at cost to lay pipes to the cisterne if he did not meane to fill it Be just in opinion concerning Christ and mercifull in practice concerning us and this is the last thing I have to say upon the point Our calling is full of wasting labour very painefull easen it to us by your plyablenesse to Christ Sinners are full of sores putrified from head to foot and yet will not be lanced nor drest this is the killing paine of all our paynes that all we do is rejected Ministers would not be gray headed so soone nor die so fast notwithstanding their great labour if it were but successefull but this cuts to the heart and makes us bleed in secret that though we do much it comes to nothing I am placed in an Hospitall where there are so many score Diseased creatures that 't would pity any ones heart to looke upon them and yet when I come to dresse them they all curse mee in their heart and one hides his wounds from mee an other sees and sweares he is as well as I in as good a condition as his Minister and yet lookes as pale as Death as black in the mouth and in the eyes as if he were in Hell already an other tumbles in blood and filth and sayth this is his Scarlet-shute hee hath no other habit to go brave and gallant in if he should not do so and so he should die in the neast and wishes those hang'd that contradict and trouble him there is so many filthy breaths and dampes in the places where wee worke these are the things that kill us more then our meere paine there is so much conjuring in the spittle where we are placed and so many eyes stare and looke so fiery and gastly so many devils walking among the Tombes and Graves where we are labouring to rowle away stones that lie at the mouthes of them These are they that teare our Lungs consume our Spirits Our worke dies therefore we die not so much that we labour as that we labour in vaine wee can send none out of the Hospitall where wee are Phisitians upon two Legs but all upon foure none goe out well all
die under our hands all the solemnitis belonging to our company are for the most part Funerall solemnities going to the Grave with the dead in trespasses and sinnes our invitations are Sir mourne with me I beseech you for such a one that lies upon his eternall Death-bed that hath Plague-spots in his breast that lies raving blaspheming and much a doe to keepe him in his Bed to keepe him from leaping into a worse if worse may be from leaping desperatly into Hell When our Ministrey petrefies turnes hearts into stones and these taken up and throwne at us this kills us the recoiling of our paines kills us when our peace returnes to us as Christ speakes J have laboured in vaine spent my strength for naught saith the Prophet When we spend our strength to make men more naught then they were this wounds our heart which should be considered of sinners to kill ones selfe and ones Minister too which would save him what a bloudy condition is this the bloud of a Minister upon a mans soule is more then the blood of many men stubborne soules lay this to heart When the Poet would cure drunkennesse in the Heathen Emperour he said remember thou drinkest the Blood and the Life of the earth meaning the juyce of the Grape So I say to you stubborne sinners remember when you breake the heart of your Ministers by your stubbornnesse you destroy the Blood and Life of the World I would I could say any thing to breake the Iron sinnew that is in the neck of some sins and sinners Be a friend to us in our worke and be a friend to your selves come off readily and speedily to Christ our work will be easy and your condition safe hold us fight long and I know who will fall at last with a witnesse The warre betweene the house of David and Saul was long saith the Text 2 Sam. 3.1 the issue was answerable had that malitious stubborne man layd downe his Armes and readily yeilded to the Will of God to Christ that came against him in David hee might have found mercy but he would stand it out to the last and weary God and David his servant till at last there was no remedy and then all Davids Teares Prayers and brave services that he had done tooke place and effect with a witnesse Make our life dolefull and Christ will make your death dolefull be as great as you will stay long in the birth and kill Midwife and you will be delivered in hell ease us and ease Christ for Christ striveth in us we strive but according as be striveth in us as saith the following clause in my Text striving according to his working and therefore is Noahs suffering so long in his paynes for that people called the long suffering of God 1 Pet. 3.2 London England the blood of many Prophets is upon thee is this nothing the blood of God is upon thee and God layes this to heart now now he makes inquisition for blood hee makes blood to touch blood your blood to touch the blood of them whom you have kil'd in their labour by your frowardnesse and wickednesse to Christ and them COLOS. 1.29 Striving according to his working c. STriving This word seconds the explanation given of the former that the labour of the Ministery is very painfull t is a putting off all powers externall and internall to it to the utmost t is a strife contention running for a victory a fight so the word is in severall places translated Fight the good fight of faith I have fought a good fight in both places is the same word that here is translated strive fighting running for victory they are acts wherein the whole man intends it selfe as in matters of life and death The worke of our calling is in the former word generally and summarily exprest in this word t is particularly specified as it beares upon its particular and proper cause When we say such a one labours this satisfies not what is his labour this question is answered by this following word in order to our calling Our labour is in some sence the worst the sowrest t is contention spirituall contention i. a contention which hath its rise not from our owne spirit but from the spirit of God and its termination in the spirit of man We strive not according to our own will but according to his Word and Spirit that striveth and worketh in us Contention hath a bad and a good acceptation the spirit lights on fire of Hell sometimes and flames out of the mouth and burnes all that stand neere in name in whatsoever is deare this is bad contention Folly lurkes long in an unmortified soule at last gets a head and then words without wisdome or conscience toumble out one upon anothers backe as if they should toumble downe all that is before them but they throw downe him onely from whom they come A fooles lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes and in the next verse a fooles mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soule Prov. 18.6 7. If standers by can keepe off the flame this fire burnes no more houses then into which it comes The flame that comes out of one mans mouth if it be not suckt in by another onely one tenement is consumed folly is full of humour humour disguiseth every person and action and apprehends all for enemies and so fights against yea slayes with the tongue deare friends for deadly foes that is as much as in him lies Folly generates humour humour is a bastard pride now none so beautifull in any proceedings as the man himselfe other folkes children are all untimely births and mishapen brats and deserve all to be murthered with the mouth and bit to death Butchery is some persons trade neighbours children kild quartered and hung out to sale every day for all that come by and will buy pride hardens the heare hardned the man will runne against any one with his tongue till he can get other weapons and spot himselfe all over with the blood of the best mans repute in the world before his face Contention is a murthering of a mans off-spring before his face and throwing the blood of them in his face thou didst say this and thou didst doe that Pride hardens 'tas this property in every soule many hearts quard and become sulpherous stones the divell takes them up and strikes fire with them to burne all Bad contention hath alwaies a diabolicall concurrence more or lesse many things may charge and load the Gun but the Divell gives fire still and makes it off and helpes to fetch out all that is within the man Contention hath a good acceptation good contention is an expliced zeale against sinne Sinnes are of severall sorts some have their tongues cut out of their mouthes by conscience and can nor dare say nothing of their course others have their tongue in their head and can and will say
a noble life as we pretend to when we professe a religious life this life is according to every dram drawne from Christ 't is not from the speciousnesse of our owne action nor from other folkes incouragement This time is full of straits externall ingagements byasse men much about internall and externall things if this temptation were over saith one I would take a better course No thou wouldst not courage to the things that are noble springs not from any earthly advantage if all secular authority in the Land should say they would secure thee for any dammage that thou shouldest suffer in pursuite of such a Religious cause yet would thine owne heart fall off like the Jsraelites from entring the holy Land and thou wouldest as they step back when at the doore ready to enter who though Moses and Aaron bid them to enter yet they fell off so though Parliament and Synod were at thy back and did incourage thee to enter yet if thou have no other incouragement thou wilt not step a step in the wayes of God by the grace of God J am that J am saith Paul let all the men in the World be never so gratious to thee yet wilt thou be as ungratious as thou art to the day of thy death if the grace of Christ do not put Spirit and Life into thee Externall inducement is nothing that mans Religion is nothing that thinks otherwise and 't will prove so to his shame and losse if his eyes be not opened to see it If a man speake meerly of a naturall life that is a life as a man as such a creature then a man may say of externall good things as Hezekiah of health and strength and other outward advantages in these is the life of my spirit but if you speake of Divine Life life to that which is Heavenly in riches honours friends parts in no exernall thing in no internall thing but in Christ is the life of my spirit according to his working not according to my own working shall I worke for God and for his glory Stratagents and wiles is much made use of in these times of woe Satan uses it too stay saith hee till Parliament and Synod put life into thee till they doe this and they do that 't is good to honour authority in that which is proper to such authority but so you may stay till the sword of Gods wrath that is in the Land kill you all Worke according to his working within you and take heed of checking this to waite for others working without you to set you forward strangle the quicknings of the spirit and expect quicknings from men and thou wilt be executed by conscience for the greatest murtherer in the World Our life beares upon the operation of Christ Le ts make Christ the fountaine and then le ts draw as much water of life from him as may bee You see how exact and expresse the proportion is made betweene Christs operation and our life such operation such life we strive according to his working therefore le ts set Christ at worke hard and get as much divine operation and life from him as may be Divine operation is the choysest mercy in the World how full of life is my spirit when in the Hands of God! when hee hath it working and moulding of it commend thy spirit therefore often into his hands send him much worke Spirits are so much imployed and over-wrought in the World that Christ hath little or no work sent him no house nor shop to work in A man no an image stands before God in duty a thing without a soule no spirit sent to God to talk with no soule no child of the soul at home to tell where the Parent is children of the soule I meane thoughts desires all sacrificed to devills at the end of the earth and thus farre from home must abide and never be sent for home who ere come to visit them though it be Christ himself what Divine operation can be in the soule when the soule is so given up to gadd after worldy things Divine operation is a very retired act two great Pears in conference may not be interrupted things in discusse being of such great concernment the Spirit of God and the spirit of man Divine operation it is a vision from Heaven of property like that of Pauls that bindes the soule in order to all carnall objects that may make the minde gad and in this vision as in that is a voyce a still voyce Saul Saul sinner sinner why dost thou do this and that against me but this still voyce is full of life to the soule that stilly listens this operation of Christ silenceth that noyse which is in the soule by the operation of other things and then is there a voyce from Heaven to the soule come up hither O soule thou must be above this and that for the tranquillity and felicity of thy life These are the operations of God in which is the life and Heaven of man All divine operation hath voyce the word and the spirit goe together still Christ workes and talkes makes peace and speakes peace makes war and speakes it to conscience You might know what God is a working in your soules hee speakes it now and then very plaine to conscience you that have eares to heare what the spirit saith the spirit workes and then it speakes what it workes the spirit saith now and then in still weather if you listen now and then you may heare what it saith The spirit and the word go together one moves and quickens the soule by the other Hell-ward or Heaven-ward the one should be much dreaded and the other much desired Divine operation is a thing of the greatest concernment in the World 't is as the spirits in the blood if the Pulse beate and worke not spirits are all wasted death is seized upon the state Sinners I know not how God workes in your soules how hee hath stirred or how he doth onely know this when he leaves pulsation that is ceaseth knocking know that your life is departed the operation and the pulsation of God is the life of the soule the life of the soules is the blessednesse of the soule as I am lively and agile in divine things carried upon Eagles wings to God in all duties so am I in Heaven Get as much therefore of this operation and life as you can I speake this because there is a great difference in Divine operation There is an operation that makes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to will and there is an operation that makes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã all readinesse of minde to will 2 Cor. 8.11 Act. 17.11 they received the word with all readinesse of minde speaking of the noble Bereans There is a great difference betweene Divine operations and this makes a great difference betweene Christian and Christian one farre more noble then an other These were more noble then those of
Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of minde there was not onely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Willing but all readinesse to will all strength and life of affection to Christ and the Gospell which is the Nobility of a Christian These are the Noble operations that I would have you long and looke after COLOS. 1.29 Which worketh in me mightily Or in power IN-operation simply and in-operation extraordinary are both to be stood upon a little to open this expression unto you the one will open the first part of this expression which worketh in me the other will open the latter part of the expression which worketh in me mightily or in power In-operation simply considered is a supreme act making an eternall impresse upon the soule for life or death Things have their advantage by position so they may be put that every one cannot reach them nor finde them out the heart hath this advantage t is a hidden man an inward creature What you looke upon or touch when you have to doe with a creature of your owne making is flesh and bones but the manhood of this substance or that which makes this substance a man is hidden within so hid that none can reach but by supreme power of its owne or borrowed Among these Nations shalt thou have no ease but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and sorrow of mind Deut. 28.56 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart a stone may be stirred and toumbled sometimes when it is not broken Consider the heart under this metaphor as the Scripture doth for some refractory properties of it and this stone that lies at the center of the little world cannot be stirred nor the foundation of this little world shaken in the least but by a supreme power The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart Those internall operations which make a wicked mans heart shake and tremble sometimes they are from the Lord and when the Lord takes off his hand the stone lies still againe lift and pull whoso will as long and as much as hee will the sinner stirres not which is authority enough that internall operation is a supream act If this be not Job gives further authority and makes a higher instance Consider the stone that lies at the center of the earth the foundation stone of the little world I meane the heart as shaken or as broken and God doth it God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me Job 23.16 When a Christians heart melts and is dissolved take it in a refreshing sense or take it in an afflicting sense supreame power doth it man cannot doe this himselfe a sinner a Saint cannot move the stone in his bosome one jot t is an Almighty act that reacheth the heart of any man the Almighty stirs me within Internall operation is as I have said a supreame act This act makes eternall impresse Internall operation is from a high hand and of high concernment t is of everlasting force the Spirit is called an eternall Spirit not so much in order to being as in order to operation the things that this Spirit worketh in us and for us are life eternall the workman the workhouse the worke wrought in this house are all eternall the Spirit eternall the soule eternall the workes wrought here the carvings or cuttings are eternall unalterable if Christ make but the least dint upon the heart I may challenge all powers in heaven and in earth to even it Operations externall are not eternall not a worke you looke upon without though never so great or glorious but fades and shall be turnd into its fitst nothing but operations internall are eternall what God doth in the soule is to last as the soule if he drop mercy into us this drop shall last for ever though all the mercies without us may be gone in a moment if he drop justice and wrath into us this drop abideth for ever God is called immutable not so much in order to being as in order to action and not in order to all action neither but in order to internall actions such as are done about the soule I am God immutable and change not Change not in what in esse that is granted of all and needs no affirmation no this is not the thing but in operari and about this many doubt I have droped mercy into the hearts of the sonnes of Jacob and it shall never out I have begun a good worke a good internall worke and it shall last to the day of Christ it shall last unto Heaven that is for ever therefore is the Spirit according to his presence and internall operation called the earnest of Heaven and the scale to the day of redemption it makes impresse upon the soule so deepe that abides for ever the worke the Spirit doth in us outstands the gates of hell the Temple that Christ now builds in us not a stone not the least pin of it moulders to all eternity t is so wrought t is so on the other hand what he doth internally in poynt of justice he doth it to purpose All the world on fire without you may sooner quench it then one sparkle of the fire of Gods wrath which he casts into a man this is an everlasting fire an alway punishment as the Scripture speaks Bow downe their backe alwaies pointing at Doeg and Judas and such like wretches that were internally punisht A man internally smitten by the justice of God his backe is broke for ever take Job but as hee personates a wicked mans case forbeare the application of it to himselfe as he doth being then in a temptation let his person alone but take the thing as his apprehension is opened fully in this poynt to his triall for a time and you shall have him speake notably of the property of internall operation in order to evill men God is in one mind when he is at worke in wicked soules one cannot turne him what his soule desireth that he doth Job 23.13 If after great provocation workings and strivings without by words and blowes hee goe to worke within to fit the vessell for wrath if this be now the will of God there is no turning of him nor no turning of the point nor edge of the tooles hee workes with no terminating the effect short of the Authors intention the Trinity in their action internall to expresse this property of it are called agents hitherto The Father worketh hitherto and I worke observe about what works Christ was when he spake thus he was about internall action to wit the curing of the cripple which had laine so long at the poole which was a cripled soule as well as a cripled body Internall operation is of eternall force this is generall and indetermined therefore it followes in the definition t is of eternall force to such an expresse end to life and death that which Christ doth within about
the heart is vitall or mortall to dispatch the creature for his furthest end To make miserable or blessed here is not the furthest end of internall operation though the furthest end of externall operation Externall donations which are the workes of Gods hand their furthest end is to make a sweet condition here as riches and the like they will availe here Money answers all but they will not availe any further then here for the felicitating of man they will not availe in death much lesse in judgement to doe man any service but the furthest end of internall operation is to make cursed or blessed in death and after death in another world when and where nothing else can There be gifts that be meere Spirit which have not a jot of any carnall thing in them these we call internall these are moulded some by justice some by mercy and you shall see what their end is by an instance or two God hath given them a spirit of slumber Rom. 11.8 Here hee speakes of operations all spirit God hath given them a spiris of slumber internall workes and the Prophet tels the end and issue of these t is decisive to dispatch them they have a spirit of slumber that they may goe away in a slumber Shut their eyes lest they should see with them stop their eares lest they should heare with them and convert and be healed Internall operation wee see dispatches the soule one way or other Into whatsoever house ye enter say peace and if that would not take speak death These were but emblems of Christs internall action Into what house or heart Christ goes to worke by his Word and Spirit hee makes through worke the Axe is then to the root it makes excision or circumcision at least All internall operation is to cut off sinne off the soule He is a Jew that is one inwardly Circumcision is that of the heart When he goes to worke inwardly he doth excise or circumcise and thus I have opened the nature of internall operation The worst evill is curable the greatest good attainable this issues naturally from this point that there is such an engine to be found that can worke inwardly Our greatest maladies are those that are within that one plague that was upon Pharaohs heart to wit the hardning of it was more then the ten plagues upon his outward man Evils are not rightly weighed this is one of the greatest evils they which strip us most of externall things they are accounted greatest no they are not that which gnawes upon the soule after outward things are gone is greater There is death and the bitternesse of death as Agag said the one it is a greater evill then the other by farre The death of husband wife child or the death of estate is nothing if it be but a naked departure of these if their ghost doe not walke afterwards in the soule if there be not after their departure a bitter tang in conscience as evilly got or as evilly kept got with too little conscience and kept with too much affection the cup of affliction fill it as full as the world or as satan can if God doe not put one Ingredient in it or other to make it off with a tang and a touch upon the spirit t is nothing when a malady doth fester inwardly and lights of some blood-vessels that carries it more directly to the heart then it is a malady indeed and yet in these cases there is hope if taken in time because there are things inwardly vertuall and operative so we can say spiritually the strongest poyson that the soule hath taken in cannot render the condition desperate because there are things of an internall vertue operations that can reach the soule Christ can purge the inward man and can let the inward man blood with his Word he can pricke the heart any tumor or swelling in it and let out all the watery or fiery matter that is in it he can wound the spirit and then heale it make clouds and then expell them make darknesse upon the face of the deepe upon the soule that deepe part of man and then make a Sunne rise in this horizon in that more then halfe the little world that lies out of fight when more then halfe the little world is drowned when that in part of man is quite overwhelmed yet then is not the case desperate nor should any soule give it up as so Misery sometimes arises to extremity extremity is darknesse without any light a whole Army engaged and routed without fightings within feares the hand can doe no more the head doe no more all faculties have pumpt themselves dead in the place I cannot thinke a thought to refresh me the waters are come in to my soule and come in so deepe that I give up my selfe for lost This poore soule hath more sorrow then is godly Pressure is unkind when it oppresses oppression is not alwaies from another I may be an oppressor to my selfe and this is when I write death upon my person because Christ hath written death upon all my actions Wher thou canst doe no more wilt thou give up thy soule for lost if this should be generally practised there would not a soule be saved Waters are come into thy soule and thy heart is overwhelmed and yet in this deepe internall distresse a Rocke may be found something higher then thee may appeare for reliefe by a supreame hand From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead mee to the Rocke that is higher then I Psalm 61.2 When the water is got in to me and overwhelmes my heart yet then there is one higher and taller then I that can pull mee out of these deepe waters pull body out yea pull soule out and save the heart when it is overwhelmed The worst evill is curable the greatest good attainable I see by this point The greatest good in this world is that which Christ most loves that which he most loves is truth in the inward parts Wee are taken with outward beauty and outward glory Christ is not All the glory of this world was shewed to him by satan at once and yet no temptation to him affection not stird a jot internall glory takes Christ much truth in the heart himselfe seated in the soule is the greatest good in the world to him and to us and this takes him exceedingly If the Divell when hee tooke Christ and set him upon the top of a high place could have taken Christ and set him downe in any mans heart and seated truth in the inward parts of any one though it had been the poorest person in the world this would have taken him indeed but Satan cannot doe this for Christ neither doth Christ need it from him he can doe it himselfe he works inwardly at a greater depth and from a more underived strength then he hee can take Chariot in his Word and ride over all the
great world over all the little world into every roome of the soule into joynts and marrow and set downe himselfe where he will in conscience in affection in what inward part he sees good in some one part or in all parts that is the greatest good in the world when truth is in the inward parts i. not in one faculty but in all not onely in the understanding but in the conscience in the affection in every faculty this Christ loves mightily and what hee loves hee can accomplish there is no torture upon him affection larger then power as t is usually with us All power is given to him to worke without to worke within in Earth in Heaven that is in the more internall and heavenly part Hee giveth wisdome to the heart I will give my Lawes into your mind By Lawes is meant all grace and yet all this made a gift and given into the soule that desires it Christ gives things into the hand yea into the heart all precious things and derives them into all parts and when all this is done in us and the like laboured for to be done by us in all others then is internall operation in power or then Christ workes in us mightily which terme pointing onely at a gradation in the same operation hath raveld out it selfe according to what is difficult in unfolding the former A concluding Speech WHich worketh in me mightily The concurrence of this power wee have had in our measure all along our labour which I would should be much acknowledged to Christ by vertue of which wee are now come to our period of this Verse and of the whole Chapter Our pace in this long journey hath been slow that you might all goe along with mee in the well understanding and imbracing of weighty things and yet how many notwithstanding our double industry are left behind in the blindnesse and mis-beliefe of their soules I know not If our Gospell be hid after all pains fully to lay it open such soules have great reason to feare themselves Child-bearing is no easie worke to any but doubly hard to some so that life out of death may that which comes forth betweene the legges be called This birth though but a hard-favoured child hath beene hard travell to us 'tas made many a sigh and groane many a heart pang and crying out to God What you will doe with the child now borne whither you will be a Pharaoh or a Pharoahs Daughter to it murther it or keepe it alive in your hearts I know not This I know that no man can spill all the blood of any child of God some will stick upon you doe what you can to tell the murtherer at the great day Sighes and groanes are the teares of the heart the heart venting it selfe at the mouth when it cannot at the eyes and other lesser pores every drop that hath fallen from our heart and head from our Eye-lids or Eye-brows shall be all gathered up and put as marginall notes along by all our labours and all put in one Volumne together and this volumne put in your hand at the great day and opened Leafe after Leafe and read distinctly and exactly to you and your soules made to attend regard and remember better then here many of you have done and when all is thus read over this booke shall be closed and this question solemnly put to you all now O soules what have you profitted by all Words Prayers Teares Sighes Groanes As Conscience can answer to this for nothing else may then speake so shall your sentence be and I shall be called out to give witnesse to the justice of it and say Amen Lord Jesus righteous is all that thou hast pronounced upon these soules Our labours lost if this were simply all truly 't were nothing but our labours lost and your soules are lost and yet what is losse to you shall be gaine to us for wee are a sweete savour to God both in them that are saved and in them that perish As wee dresse and as wee water Trees in the Lords Vinyard so shall wee have our wages and not as these Trees beare if Trees be dressed and watered well though they never beare well wee shall have a good Vintage You Londoners are Trees watered choisely indeede 'T is storied of the Plane Tree that at its first transplanting into Italie 't was watered with Wine to make it take and prosper in those parts of the World you are Trees watered with Wine I cannot say that you have beene so watered by mee I dare not but this I can humbly and truly say that if our choisest strength and spirits may bee nam'd in steade of Water Wine or if the blessing which hath gone along with these Waters at any time have turned them into Wine in vigour upon your soules then hath God by mee watered your Rootes with Wine and yet if after such costly watering you grow not nor beare not certainly such Trees are neere unto cursing which sad effect that my Ministey should be an instrument to hasten to this place or to any soule will make mee to continue mourning still in secret for you all and so spend and end my dayes * â * FINIS TABLE MAn is in soule misery page 1 So naturally judicially universally p. 2 3 Whether sensible of soule misery moved and what demonstrates insensibility p. 3 4 5 Christ snatcheth soules out of Hell P. 7 Christ moves swiftly throughly preventingly ravishingly to save p. 7 8 9 Whom Christ hath snatcht out of Satans power p. 10 11 12 That power which workes irresistibly to save the soule with much ease can save our body p. 13 Ignorance makes prophanenesse p. 14 Ignorance pollutes will the practicke understanding the conscience and is the Divels element p. 15 16 The darke Church of England spoken to p. 16 17 Christ carries soules to Heaven p. 18 Christ saves laboriously fatherly surely p. 19 20 Satan carries soules to Hell and how p. 22 23 Demonstrations of Christs Kingdome in this world p. 25 26 Some not far from the Kingdome of God and yet never come there p. 30 31 Love gives forth preferment to all Gods children p. 32 God gives orderly purely solacingly p. 32 33 The folly of men that looke after humane favour to rise p. 34 35 The blessednesse of them which are beloved of God p. 36 37 What redemption meanes p. 38 39 40 41 Bodily bondage lookt after but not soule bondage p. 42 43 What a spirit of bondage and a state of bondage are p. 43 44 What men in bondage and those which are out of bondage should doe p. 45 46 The choicest mercies come through the greatest miseries p. 47 48 Grounds to give God the glory of his way let it be how t will p. 50 51 52 53 Great things comming to us in way of hardship exhorted to prepare for hardship p. 54 What sin meanes p. 55 56 What reconciliation notes p. 56 57 What
any time Christ makes it up so that the soul is still full full of content full of joy and that 's a blessed life that cannot be made miserable Thou hast no righteousnesse but Christ hath enough which is all thine if thou couldest see it Thou canst not pray but Christ hath the art on 't for he is full of the Spirit and he makes thy requests thou hast no spirituals no corporals but Chist hath all and thou mayst from hence as the Apostle doth conclude that he will supply all thy wants Phil. 4.19 Christ will do for you according to his riches and that will amount to very much to the supply of all your wants let them be what they will But now my God will supply all your wants according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ According to that all fulnesse which now Christ hath in glory will he dispence Lord how full how rich how blessed will all Saints be I leave them to admire this till I can speak of it more COLOS. 1.19 That in him should all fulnesse dwell c. Opportunity and assistance hath continued to pursue our work both beyond our expectation God must have all the glory We spake last day of Christs wealth and we founde his revenue very great we are now to tell you where it lies Much may be nothing so it may be situated situation is the glory of our inheritance Christs inheritance lies very commodiously very blessedly it lies all in him It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell You dwell in your inheritance but Christs inheritance dwels in him You have a hint here how to raise estimation Doctr. We are to prize persons and things according to the wealth and worth that they have in them Christ hath all worth in him Felicity makes estimation as we contrive things to contribute to this so we put price upon them Mans felicity lies inward as his soul and not as his body is in wealth so is he blessed Sin is a gangrene the bowels are gnawed the plague of man is at his heart health is best wealth that 's wealth indeed that makes the soul well Faculties fight the Devill sets them on the heart cannot still its own stirs if God in this case do nothing within the man is a poor creature for all his riches a million of money cannot give a moments ease the man wil be distracted in the midst of abundance and curse his gold as an Idol god and wish his bags his winding sheet things ill within and nothing can be well without but the spirit full of God though the purse be not full of money the condition is blessed and to be admired as possessing all 'T was Christs case and is here admired by the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell without him he had nothing Internall wealth is great outward things are but seemingly big like watry vapours internall wealth is the Sun himself and no seeming big rayes of the Sun Know ye not that Christ is in you c. So much grace in the heart so much of Christ himself soul-fulnesse is nothing else but one spirit filling up another Magnitude makes admiration a ârum of grace is great 't is God the great God in you Judgement amongst us is false things should be weighed in an even ballance to make right estimation of persons and things We value the casket only and not what is in it if vastness of estate makes difference in price that 's greatest which lies within The weaknesse of God is stronger then men So may I say the least of God in the heart is more then all the world A thing may take up little compasse and yet be vastly big in price What a great estate lies round together in some little stones can you value one vertue The price of Wisdom is above Rubies and yet the seat of this is within the inner man hath many Jewels about his neck of inestimable price the Bride hath a chain of Pearls given her when married to Christ so had Christ of his Father when married to the flesh which is that according to which he is admired here as so wealthy the Jewels which he had within him in that casket of flesh Internall wealth is delightfullest riches are of two sorts earthly and heavenly base and glorious grace is riches of glory as delightfull as heaven Read how grace is called Colos 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit according to the inward man The riches of the inward man are riches of glory Stars twinckle and make the heavens all glorious so Grace sparkles and makes all glorious within Christ is transient in the world but he dwels in the hearts and where he dwels is his chair of State that 's glorious The Kingdome of Christ is glorious that 's within you the killing of sin is sweet the soul drinks the blood of the slain and growes fat 't is heaven to any soul to be conquered by Christ his smitings are precious balm what are his embraces then Not any thing in grace but most contentfull to the soul the bitterest things about grace are sweet the very bark and rind of grace sweet Persons have not heaven as they have much without but as they have much within Heaven is all the person that hath this in him is admirable though never so contemptible in the world It pleased the Father that in him should be all the sweetest delights that are in the bosome of God and therefore admired here by the Apostle Internall wealth is the lastingest Much for yeers begets it self little every hour to think of its end riches yea life is a death under this notion that they will end Life is dated all things here are dated Such a yeer such a moneth such an hour and all mine yea I my self shall die this lies cold about the heart to consider and lessens much Internall wealth is lasting grace is a tree of life Mercy that runs only into the purse runs out again but Mercy that runs into the soule abides there for ever You value estates not as things hazardous but according to what is sure What wealth is in the heart is sure riches leave the bodie but God never leaves the soule Riches and honours are with me yea durable riches and substance Things have a naturall advantage to wit the advantage of their kinde long lived by kinde spirituall life is begotten by him that lives for ever and so long lived by kinde That which is borne of the spirit is spirit so I may say that which is borne of one that is eternall is eternall All wealth within us is borne of the everlastingest Spirit and is everlasting it selfe Things have also an accidentall advantage or an adventitious advantage the advantage of their station In Heaven wealth is sure saith Christ there be no theeves