I see one man make a god of another to get up and he that is indeed God and the onely giver of honour and worth neglected Men move according to their principles sense undoes all greatnesse is neither from East nor West advancement is by a very invisible hand and you onely catch hold of hands which you see to lift you up to a kingdome to such a great felicitie which you aim at How low do most men move to be high The soul is enslaved which makes humane industry all his endeavour to be blessed The countenance of God sets up or throws down man if all the world did love you could they make you blessed could they raise your eternall estate Deluded sycophants men may give you fields and vineyards but can they give you a kingdome an everlasting kingdome and yet so doth God to his favourites to adopted sonnes and to the naturall sonne Know your errour 't is ruining you that look onely after the love of men to rise which make so much of the love of man and so little of the love of God Both may be pursued but subordinately and candidly otherwise a man makes flesh his arm and himself liable to the curse of such a condition A great many men love me but what will this do me good when I die if this be all the favour I have Can mens shoulders carry me to the kingdome of heaven Will the vapours of many mens mouthes make silver wings to carry my soul to heaven What will conscience cry out for think you when that pale messenger comes to call you hence Ah my soul thou art now to leave every body indeed thy very own body in which thou hast lived so long Doth God love thee conscience will ask this question again and again O soul soul thou art to be gone out of the body presently doth God love thee dear soul art thou dear to God One spirit is going to another two spirits must reason together about all things done in the flesh and standers by may not plead a jot onely what is in the breast of God to plead for thee or against thee Sinners what is in the breast of a God towards you love or hatred So will be your great happinesse or your great misery in this world and that to come Love speaks it self and so hatred speaks it self by Gods dealing with you you may know whether he loves or hates you God is dear to them which are dear to him relations are indearing on both sides God loves all his children dearly and they love him dearly Christ was dear to his father and his father dear to him he would rather die then disobey his will The spirit of the naturall sonne is in all the adopted if God be your father where is his honour Death is easier then disobedience to a child of God Relations have their proper nature they that are begotten love him that begat God hath no unnaturall child Some of you stand upon your sonne-ship and yet transgresse the will of your father with ease is he indeed your father which you call so and use so Are relations the highest relations without bowels can you use your father at your pleasure Do you love God and fight against him against his spirit within and against his truth and people without Our war in England certainly discovers a great many dear children of the devil as well as a great many dear children of God 'T is a time of great thoughts of heart a time of great-stirring and 't is a brave time to know your hearts and who is in them whether God or the devil when humours stirre much 't is the onely time to know the state of the man and what is his distemper God lives in every heart he loves and stirres as he lives how divine are the strings of your hearts now how generally divine how strongly divine There are not two better things to demonstrate any ones estate not any love speaks the love of a father Christ looked upon the young man and loved him but 't was not with any indearing love so not any love speaks the love of a child but that love which takes up the heart and indears God there How precious are thy commandments my soul loves them saith the Psalmist and so elsewhere My soul thirsteth after thee Psal 143.3 Weak souls should warm and comfort themselves in that flame they feel in their souls towards Christ and his wayes I am to be generall in consolation to all Gods people from this point think how you are to God very dear and refresh your souls with it in all sad conditions Misery sinks us because we think every humane distresse speaks divine displeasure or at least an abatement of love Afflicted Christians adde not to your load God is never out with them he loves all misery speaks not divine displeasure Misery speaks divine displeasure onely when it makes the soul wicked more adherent to sinne and lesse to Christ and Christians Some mens bitters from God make them bitter and sowre to good I like not that state God would make a bastard a sonne and he will not be corrected Miseries which make you groan under sinne and groan after Christ speak you very dear children to God how heavie soever they be and you should account such bitters sweets Let such mourners chear themselves God is very mindfull of your condition As things are dear to us so we think of them Is Ephraim my dear sonne is he a pleasant child Since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Thy folly may be spoken against and yet thy person very dear and thy distresses compassionately carried in mind when thou thinkest all are slighted Christ strikes with one hand and strokes with the other 't is his usuall carriage to children Speak against them before men and speaks for them at the same time before God his Father Since I spake against him I remember him still I do earnestly remember him as yet recordando recordabor ejus adhuc as they read the text which is very lively When misery is upon a child of God he thinks then he is forgotten and then he is most remembred then 't is not recordabor ejus I will remember him but 't is recordando recordabor I will certainly remember him or I will earnestly remember him now in that very time that I have spoken against Ephraim a dear sonne notwithstanding all that I have laid upon him I do as yet earnestly mind him as divine love is towards us so it works if it be strong towards a person it is very earnestly intent about him for good Dear hearts in affliction believe that God remembers you and that he remembers you earnestly your deliverance is shaping day and night and thoughts shall never lie still till it be finished and you confesse what a deal of love is set upon you Dear children your blessednesse is above all mens here let times
more then a Prophet John was a teacher farre beyond all the Prophets before him and therefore said to be aboundantly more then a Prophet but Christ was a teacher farre beyond John farther beyond John then John was beyond any of the Prophets before him and therefore he may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aboundantly more then a Prophet Matth. 11.9 Concerning his Kingly office he is said to be greater then Solomon so I may say concerning his Propheticall office he is greater then John or any Prophet I will demonstrate the superiority of Christs propheticall office Christ doth otherwise receive and otherwise imparts then ever any Prophets or Teachers did Visions were transient to the Prophets the word of the Lord came to them and then went away again Balaam in a trance could see much and then of a sudden saw nothing no more then another man so it was with the greatest Prophets seers and then in the dark again the spirit of the Lord was transient and came and went from one to another That bad man intimateth this truth that I tell you which struck the Prophet and said Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to thee Vision is an abiding thing in Christ light abideth in the Sunne it doth so to day it doth so to morrow and it doth so for ever Christ seeth much to day as much to morrow and as much to all eternity his eye is not darkned the spirit of the Lord is not accidentally but naturally in him the Sonne lieth in the bosome of the Father No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten which is in the bosome of the Father he hath revealed him I think these terms of Father and Sonne and bosome they point at the naturalnesse of Christs ability to explicate infinite excellency There is no new thing to Christ under the Sunne no nor above the Sun no new thing to Christ in earth nor in Heaven nor in the bosome of God Christ is never at a losse respecting the knowledge of things above or below present or to come he never needeth instruction from any in this thing or that Who hath instructed him The lamp in the Tabernacles went out and Vision did fail or at least it is conceived so by some of the learned which undertake to interpret these things but the lamp in the true Tabernacle never goeth out nor vision never fails Light dwelleth with him Daniel 2.22 As the spirit dwelleth in the body as the eye dwelleth in the head which confirmeth me more in that which I said before concerning the naturalnesse of Christs abilities Vision to the Prophets was of this or that particular thing The greatest seers were not cunctis oculati seers in all things in some things they knew much and in other things nothing David a great Prophet and a very knowing man yet in some points a beast The greatest Doctours knew but in part skild in this knowledge or that each had their particular eminency But Christ hath all wisdome and all knowledge He is not onely skild in all the wisdome of the Egyptians to use that allusion but he is skild in all the wisdome and learning that is in this world or in any other world In Christ is all wisdome and all knowledge yea all the treasures of these the spring of whatsoever is admired for light and skil amongst the Sonnes of men In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coloss 2. His eyes runne through the earth so they do Heaven and he masters all he looks upon his understanding is infinite and this without study primo intuitu at the first look There are but few things that lie naked before you you are fain to make a stand at every thing to make understanding but Christ makes a stand at nothing for all things are naked before him that is he looketh upon all and understandeth all presently his beholding of a thing and understanding of it are the same He is quick of understanding saith the Prophet The Lamb opens sealed books and though all dark sayings to every one else yet he readeth and understandeth presently when there was none found to open the book the Lamb could and therefore called Palmoni by Daniel the revealer of secrets Dark things and plain things day and night are all one to him He revealeth deep and secret things he knoweth what is in the darknesse Dan. 2.22 the revelations delivered by John are called the revelations of Christ The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him c. Revel 1.1 Vision to the Prophets was by a borrowed power their light was not connaturall but supernaturall to them Light is connaturall to the Sonne it is not onely naturall but connaturall my meaning is equally naturall to the Sonne as to the Father The Father and the Sonne are one their power one their wisdome one they are one in hand one in tongue one in vision and sight Christ sees of himself with his own eyes he sees all things and as exquisitely as the Father as exquisitely as he from whom he receives What Christ hath as an officer he hath it not in way of talent interest and inferiority as you have things but he hath it as his own and as his own joyntly and equally with the Father Moses was faithfull as a servant but he as a Sonne in his own house The Church militant here and the Church triumphant above that is to say grace and glory they are all Christs own even as they are his Fathers and if there be any thing beyond these it is Christs own too even as it is Gods own which I think that expression points at where he saith Glorifie me with thine own self with the glory that I had with thee before the world was Grace is as properly Christs own and as fully Christs own as sinne is said to be the devils own when the devil tells a lie he tells it of his own that is he doth that which is naturall to him and that wherein there can be no superiour to him to lie more facilly nor more exquisitely then he So what truth Christ speaks he speaks it of his own that is that wherein he is naturall and not supernaturall and as it were above himself and that wherein he is equally full and paralell to any speaker of it connaturall with any that speaks this language The paralell state of Christ with the Father in point of imparting spirituall things is hinted methinks in that form of speech which the Apostle James useth chap. 1. 18. Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures Propagation here which speaks all spirituall excellencies is made coaction or conaction in order to the persons of the Trinity that wherein they are joynt and equall and do with one another as two eyes which are convisive seeing together and seeing equally together without
there is Christs highest seat of glorie in this world I may make an externall demonstration of this such parts of the creation as in which God most manifests himself for the ordering of all that is by way of eminence called his throne His throne is in the Heavens saith the Psalmist which is not spoken exclusively as if God had his seat no where else but comparatively that is no where so eminently as in that part of the creation that orders all the rest As the most noble part of the great world is Gods prime seat so the most noble part of the little world is his prime throne his throne is in the heart in that totum gubernans Thrones are erected in chief places more of Gods state and glory is to be seen in one soul then in all the creation a spirit speaks what God is and makes at the very esse of God as it were whereas all other things speak but what God doth and so make but at his back parts Where you can find God most according to what he is in himself and according to what similitude he makes to himself by operation there is his seat of glory he seated himself in the hearts of these Colossians and shewed himself as a God making covenant which is more then remembring covenant as the Prophet before speaks and therefore by so much the more fitly may be called the throne of his glory Majestie Kingdomes have majestie a kingdome is the union of many to hold forth greatnesse and dread to its own safety Solomon had Lions about his throne to set forth the Majesty of it to make transaction between that and all other people with awe Christ manageth his way in this world with majesty Heaven and earth tremble at his presence he utters his voice to the great world and the rocks rend thunder is the voyce of God to the great world and with what majesty doth he expresse himself to all creatures below in that voyce As there are thunderings without so there be thunderings within in great majesty doth Christ speak to the soul sometimes ask your consciences else ask Felix the Goaler and Cain else yea ask your father Adam else what a case were all these in when Christ did but reason with them Yea I ask you hypocrites if any here is not the way of Christ full of majesty What means those loads that gather about your hearts and that fearfulnesse which surpriseth you else Thou dost but touch the mountains and they smoke saith the Psalmist God doth but now and then give a touch within and the ruddie merry face pales and sadens presently he doth but whisper within and spirits flie up into the head into the face and about every where and the heart within beats for want of them ready to swoune away Twenty years time not enough to heal the wound of a word of Gods mouth O the majesty of that word Gods word is a sword hath not a sword dread especially when ranted against the breast ask wounded spirits whether Gods words be not full of majesty Look upon the whole creation upon the earth upon the sea upon the heavens do they not all speak the majesty of Christ God is mightier then the noise of many waters yea then the mighty waves of the sea saith the Psalmist tossings rollings and roarings of the sea do they not speak loudly the majesty of Christ But ah sinner the tossings rollings and roarings of a troubled soul speak the majesty of Christs words much more Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men Know ye the terrour of the Lord the majesty of God as manifested by his Word and Spirit Paul did Job did the dread of God fell upon him these Colossians did and were brought out of it into the kingdome of a dear Sonne a Sonne of love Kingdomes have supremacy one in chief Supremacy and over all such as are Monarchically governed and so is the kingdome of Christ Christ moves as by a majesticall so by a superiour power to all and this is basis majestatis Christ is a great King over all as the Psalmist titles him he moves here below by a power above men above the greatest of men above Kings and therefore called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he moves by a power above Angels good and bad his throne is above thrones dominions principalities that is those spirituall principalities which by Angels are expended he rules yea he captivates all which is more Every knee bow to him of things in Heaven of things in earth and of things under earth men and Angels good and bad The Sunne is supream and swayes all virtues of the Heavens and earth Christs dominion is from the sea to the worlds end there is not a power from one end of the world to the other but 't is under Christ The first Adam was over all and so is the second his motion yet but darkly speaks this but 't will every day now more then other the kingdomes of the world will become the kingdomes of Christ what he yet darkly over rules he will take visibly into his hands and the kingdomes shall become one and under one Israel had one Lord the Lord thy God is one Lord. Distance of place destroyes not the Supremacy of Christs Kingdome nor the Monarchicall government of it which will be plain by this demonstration Talk with Christians here and talk with Christians in the furthest part of the world and you shall find consent of divine motion within and without amongst them all which speaks them all under one supremacy all subjects of one kingdome though so farre distant they grone under sinne as you do and extoll Christ as you do face answereth to face and yet these faces never saw one another pulse beat and spirits work alike the state is the same the bloud is the same though it run in various veins and some to the extreme parts of the earthen fabrick As things are in their native power Christ is above them and supream and as things aspire and exalt themselves and pretend to something above their native state as things strut themselves and stand a tiptoe so Christ also is above them Low things will stretch and lift up themselves to over-top and this may do something amongst men but 't will not with God In that wherein they dealt proudly he was above them said Jethro of Pharaoh and his company Order or laws A kingdome hath a scepter Kingdomes are not many together like heaps of stones confused and any one upmost but many together by rule and this holds altogether to the weal of each Bonds knit many together every man loose and to his will and then many kings but no kingdome every man to his will and publick weal makes her will too and dies Bread is the life of particulars and law is the life of generalls bread is the life of persons and law is the life of
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
make him become bloudy God is love fury is not in him naturally but love he delights not in the death of any God is nothing but life and so is his motion naturally and therefore called a fountain of life nothing runnes from him naturally but life if death runne out of the fountain of life 't is because of poyson cast in by you Generation in bloud one mercy to die to bring forth another is such a generation as was not known in the beginning God never appointed things thus to generate but life to bring forth life and such a happy creature to bring forth such a happy creature all happinesse to live each speak out fully the vastnesse of the fountain and the similitude of the stream to it The sinne of the first Adam cost the bloud of the second and all the bloud that ever since hath been shed to keep any good alive in the world Murmuring souls you are blind justice steres the ship when it sails in bloud with jewels to you you would never open your mouths at all the bloud that is shed in the land no nor at all the bloud that ever hath been shed in the world if your eyes were but open to see this first thing God makes his way most sure to such an end let the means proposed to it be what they will through bloud and death or hell I will surely do thee good saith God to Abraham and yet they must into hardship so much and so long and yet still the end sure and this hart-bleeding condition the onely sure way to it and no other way would have been sure to such an end Certainty of an end with us depends upon the standing or falling of such a thing but the certainty of Gods end which he proposeth doth not stand upon the standing or falling of this or that but upon the resolution of his will I will certainly do thee good One may die another may die and yet whilest the will of God remains resolute to such an end the end will live and the dying of such prime persons is onward to it and without which it could not be Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one tittle of Gods will shall fall to the ground The certainty of Gods intention you see depends upon his will heaven and earth may die which are greater bodies then man and yet Gods intention live because his will lives I must say again that murmuring spirits are blind they can see nothing certain in these uncertain times they think that all that God intends must bleed and die because all that men intend bleed and die and the very men too Blind creatures the certainty of what God intends doth not depend upon any of these when all is in bloud and dead God is alive and on in his way to his end the unspeakable good of many God alwayes makes his way most honourable to such an end let difficulties in the way be what they will though God may cast much hardship upon us yet he casteth no disgrace upon himself nor upon his way His way is honourable and glorious saith the Psalmist all his wayes are so when he goes in bloud for he speaks of the execution of justice there when he goes in the death of one thing to the life of another he goes in in state and glory God is alwayes tender of his name when he seems not tender of any person his sonne his onely sonne scoffed crowned hanged used in all the cruellest and basest manner that men and devils could devise and yet this sonne so used by men was so managed by God and all his hardship that the name of God was made wonderfull honourable in all Noble persons stand not upon losse but upon their honour they value not life they will step every step in bloud rather then prosecute their designes basely An honourable spirit is naturall to God he bringeth nothing about basely he eyes not the bloud of men nor the bloud of his sonne nor the bravest bloud that ever ran in bloud vessels but what he eyes is the accomplishment of his will honourably Murmuring spirits you are blind and you are base so you may but have your own ends the fafety of your lives and states you care not how God brings this about whether honourably or dishonourably Unruly hearts are unfit to order weightie matters such spirits must be guided by better then their own what is done with dishonour to God saves a little bloud and forfeits a great deal God will manage his way with honour though he drown and burn worlds and turn all the creation into bloud Our spirits should move like Gods that his will may be done by me to his honour What is my bloud What is God break my back with standing upon it and squeez out my bloud so that it may but colour his garments scarlet and honourable Finally God makes his way most beneficiall when most bloudy and difficult Who can expresse the benefit that redounds to the Church by the bloud of Christ the like I may say of the bloud of Christians the benefit which redounds to God and to man is not to be expressed The like I may say of the bloud that is now shed in England Truth by fiery trialls is made famous Christ is clothed with scarlet and crowned with glory here a mans life is his glory and this given to Christ in flames is double glory put upon Christ a mans bloud veins are the lowdest trumpets on earth to sound out any thing What a noise hath Christs bloud made all the world over And so the bloud of Martyrs is it dried up yet What virtues and graces smell so sweet and look so glorious as those that are died rose-colour with bloud with the bloud of that earthen breast in which they grow Bloud hath a very crying voice it cries up guilt to heaven and so it cries up grace in heaven and earth it makes Christ terrible holinesse immortall truth eternall what is written in bloud never goes out and all that reade wonder I have but one thing more to say and that is for as much as great things come in a way of hardship to fallen man that you would all prepare for hardship London dost thou not see England dost thou not feel that thy mercies come in bloud that thy redemption is likely if ever to be through much bloud but through much more then yet is shed who can say Men die dayly bloudy clouds go up and down and fall upon this citie and that and shalt thou London escape the storm Londoners Londoners are you prepared to welcome in your mercies in bloud You have had a Thames of water bringing in wealth to you for a great while are you prepared to have a Thames made of your bloud to bring in brave wealth to you for another while God hath stirred up some brave spirits amongst you I would all were such and yet I see many
possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning when there were no depths I was brought forth c. Proverbs 8. He speaks you see in reference to the creature and challenged priority of being in reference to them all and therefore called in the Revelation the beginning of the creation of God and therefore here also called the first-born of every creature Birth-right you see by this hath a double consideration naturall and spirituall and both honourable and to beheld up and maintained and so doth the spirit of God here inferre Doctr. Birth-right is an honourable thing and to be holden up and maintained 'T is taken for granted to be honourable and to be maintained and therefore is so used and prosecuted in reference to Christ what is due to him by birth in a spirituall sence is held forth and maintained to wit that he is the first-born of many brethren and what is due to him by birth in a naturall sence is held forth and maintained also that he is the first-born of every creature all his priviledges are protested Right is the priviledge of being and felicity falls as this falls a being without priviledge is a being without felicity and a being without felicity is hell Birth-right contains much 't is a bundle of priviledges bound up by God and man as many as grace and nature affords to make such a being blessed both here and hereafter Consider a man as born and he hath such naturall priviledge from nature and consider a man as new born and he hath such spirituall priviledge from grace That which carries the felicity of life in it it s own worth necessarily calls for standing for if I must stand to maintain my life against deadly creatures which invade it much more that which is the felicity of my life right and priviledge is the felicity of life the felicity of naturall life and the felicity of spirituall life Right not maintained institution is despised all runnes to ruine necessarily for one devours another Priviledge gives not onely felicity but proper felicity that is every one his happinesse so as not to be the least unhappinesse to another Priviledge makes many heavens a heaven for master and for servant a heaven for father and for child a heaven for prince and for people and ones heaven not anothers hell Birth-right is God and nature giving distinct proprietie This temporall good belongeth to this and not to that this spirituall good belongs to this and not to that Propriety confounded Ahabs and Naboths vineyard become one heaven and hell become one children and dogges would fare alike which is sad confusion and which nature abhorres and grace much more What is peculiar and proper to Christ birth-right gives him he is the first-born of every creature Use I am to speak to two sorts of persons from this point to you which have a naturall birth-right and to you which have both a naturall and a spirituall birth-right You which have but a naturall birth-right onely it were well if you did look for more that you were as high in priviledge as Christ that ye had a naturall and a spirituall birth-right he was the first-born of every creature and the first born among many brethren Naturall priviledge makes naturall felicity and this becomes a snare oft times accommodations of nature make men slight grace which was Esaus sinne and ruine birth-right in the spirituality of it he despised obtaining carnall content The more of the world enjoyed the lesse is Christ cared for this is a common plague and consider how 't is with you Are you beloved of God or do you look after it they are his first-born his prime birth which issue out of the wombe of love There is a child and a pleasant child is he not a pleasant child So there are sonnes and first-born sonnes All men are Gods sonnes in some sence We are his off-spring but some are chosen out of the world and have speciall love set upon them they are called a first off-spring a prime birth because born of love their birth being not onely from the hand of God but from the heart of God born of water and the spirit brought forth to the obedience of the Gospel by a spirituall efficacy in the word if this be not your condition your honour is not full whatever your worldly priviledge be and you will soon know it for though you seem to be sons made much of you will quickly be cast off none but first-born are written in heaven and imbraced for ever To the Church of the first-born written in heaven First-born have a propriety in eternall felicity they are written in heaven and others are written in hell they are joynt heirs with Christ which a state worth the looking after You see how all things go here tyrannie tramples your priviledge under foot you are born to much and it comes to nothing but bloud and miserie you dare not go where your revenue lies to challenge your birth-right the sword is so furbisht and set against you had you a state in grace were you a generation of first-born as Christ there were something sure to take too let times and things work as they will The folly of men is great this world is onely prized and men will not be reclaimed which is a destructive thing Let me ask the children of this world doth the bloudy sword make you question your state whether you are the children of God or no born of the spirit to an inheritance eternall immortall that passeth not away New-born are first-born you are as you were in life and you will be as you never were in death Do ye see children of this world how black and bloudy this world is But what 's that to come where your names are written and unto which you are heirs Look about you children of this world your misery gathers every day more and more and nearer and nearer and it will swallow you up and feed upon you for ever if not prevented your birth-right is barely naturall that is such priviledges in such a kingdome and you had need fight hard for these for you have no more these gone and all gone loose what you are born to of flesh and bloud and you loose all fight hard carnall creatures or you will be quite undone else Birth-right is honourable and to be maintained you that have this honour in a full sence in a naturall and in a divine sence as Christ had hold up your honour and maintain it as Christ doth here by his spirit in my text assert your state as Christ doth here and not desert it tell the children of this world what you are children of such men and children of such a God that you are born to such secular priviledge by man and to such spirituall priviledge by God and will maintain it in his way as long as bloud is in your veins
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 cannoneeâ—s 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestatur so
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 â—rum 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
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 Joyâ—s 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
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 sâ—â—on He brought me up also out of a horrible