God Psal 86.10 unlesse such and such men stand by him What Is not God God alone Cannot he nay doth not he use to do great things alone Nemine adjuvante multis obstantibus Is not Heaven brought to us against all the strength of Hell by Christ alone I will make a more strict soule-application of this point Great things come in a very immediate way my inference is our eyes in matters of the soule which are the greatest things should be much fixed upon God Sinners undoe their soules in that little which they doe to save them 'T is enough to some that they put themselves upon Ordinances as if that were all to bring the soule to Heaven Grace and salvation come in a more immediate way 'T is not what men say to the eare but what God himselfe speaks to the heart which makes Heaven there and a capacity of Heaven for ever 'T is the voice behind you that turnes you and saves you Grace drops from Christs on we lips I create the fruit of the lips peace These waters are nothing to him that makes them enough 'T is the Angels stirring does the worke for Heaven Sinners when you come to Ordinances use them as Ordinances * Media ut media secùs slagella and not as Gods charge your soules to hearken what God will say and what God will doe I am going to divine Ordinances it may be a man may say many good wordes to me and God never a one man may lift and lift and be very lively and God give never a lift and then is my soule lost Ah Lord How ominous is that when God will not speake a word to the soule I am fallen upon a point of life death sinners attend or you will utterly lose your soules You have mediate favours cast upon you but what immediate You have men-preaching but what God-preaching do you find you keepe on in a rode-way what foot-way hath Christ within from heaven to your hearts The Law was written with Gods own hand and so dispensed in a very immediate way which was Israells greatest favor Is the Law written on your hearts by the finger of God What friends have you from Heaven visiting you which no eye sees What immediate dispensations from Christ to your soules What workings of the spirit of God upon your spirits doe you finde in Ordinances many a man hath no bigger favours from God then a Horse or a Cow naked corporall things for the support of such a corporall being bread and flesh as a bruite hath hay and grasse This was Caines curse banished from Heaven to earth cursed from the presence of the Lord to bruites mercies onely to what felicity the earth could afford no fellowship betweene God and his soule The World is full of banished soules from the presence of the Lord. Justice for this makes no difference O England betweene thy men and horse no more of one then of t'other because so like in qualification one looking no higher then t'other The noblest blessings the greatest favours Heaven and Heavenly things which God gives with his owne hands to the soule these thy wantons and worldlings O sensuall England have not esteemed A base sunke spirit hath sunk thee England If thou couldest have but the mercies of a bruite fat pasture and peace to grase in it 't would much as thy heart wishes As for those greatest favours which God in state dispences with his owne hand to the heart thou hast many children which will dispence with these and many which will scoffe at them Multitudes amongst you care not for the smile of a God so you may have but the smiling countenance of some great man so you may but sleepe in a whole skinne and enjoy fleshly delights whether God or your soule ever change a good word you heed not Yee base spirited wretches which care not for Heaven so that yee may have but earth know that yee are the plague of poore England The bloud of the Land will be laid at your doore Had not you growne so earthly and base in a fat Land as to sleight Heaven and sleight the greatest favours we had not bled at this day T is the badge of an Esau to prize earth and sleight Heaven to serve sence and to care for no nobler nor nearer fellowship with God then providence bring to the belly God may bring a Heaven to your bodies if this will serve turne and a hell to your soules Let every man know the plague of his heart and repent carnality will kill you all Spirituality onely covets the noblest things A spirituall man cannot feed so low nor so course as others doe hee must have a Dish from GODS owne Table or all dainties at his owne table rellish not The Creature is sweete but there is a Heaven beyond this saith hee Hee cannot sit downe without God nor rise up without him All is wanting when God cannot be found no body at Table when Christ is not there what dropping from Heaven upon my soule from every thing that 's still the Quaere with a spirituall man Immediate favours noblest God alone all to this man Whom have I in Heaven but thee whom have I in Earth in comparison of thee Words of men weighed words of Gods within laid up more choyce then Jewells The opportunity is still lost when Christ and the soule hath had no talke Vanites ensnare I am too fleshly for Christ to take mee by the hand sayes a spirituall man One spirit is still panting after another two spirits would be one in the bosome of another no lesse then the jewels which hang about Christs owne neck will content a noble spirit The Quaere is not how much the body hath of the Creature but how much the soule doth enjoy of God What immediate mercies doe I enjoy What hath God laid in for spending in these hard times with his owne hands What faith What experiments What divine resolutions Spirituality carries the soule sublime every thing is in price as it comes from Heaven and brings Heaven along with it That 's preaching that brings Heaven and the heart together that 's a christian whose breath smels like a garden which the Lord hath blest In whose mouth Heaven opens As things are wrapped up in Christ so they have their price still to a spiritualll man Carnality makes you mind no high things earth is heavy earthy soules cannot flee high no higher then the top of a golden dunghill Let these things hint a bad state and better it The noblest things make the noblest condition both here and here after Live low now and live low for ever as low as hell FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light T Is considerable how Christ makes his will how hee disposes of all where hee gives most where he casts
BAULME FOR BLEEDING ENGLAND AND IRELAND OR SEASONABLE Instructions for persecuted Christians Delivered in severall Sermons By NICHOLAS LOCKYER Master of Arts. ISA. 8.17 J will waite upon the Lord which hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him LONDON Printed by E.G. For John Rothwell and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Sun in Paule Church-Yard 1643. IT is ordered this fifteenth day of April Anno Dom. 1643. By the Committee of the house of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing that this Booke intituled Vsefull instructions for these evill times be printed by Iohn Rothwell John White The true Effigies of the truly Religious Learned and Iuditious Divine de Nichola Lockyer Mr of Arts Note well the Substance of this shade so bright Lo t is a Burning and a shining Light Neat Elegant Sententious High and Rare Lo all his Sermons and Expressions are R D To the Persecuted Christians In England and Ireland BLeeding hearts you are honour'd to be Baptized with Christs Baptisme to pledge your deare Saviour in his owne Cup. Count not call not honour misery The Wine in your Cup is red indeed but without dregs to you Christs drinking first hath sweetned it well to Saints Wrath makes sufferings misery let the World Houle in their wounds but doe not you complaine let them curse as bearing Caines marke but doe you blesse God and glory as bearing the markes of the Lord Jesus Love in the bottom of a bloudy Cup and the deeper a man drinkes the sweeter Christ powers out love upon the Soule when the body powers out bloud upon the truth A Spirit of glory is a bleeding Christians glory There is inward advancement when outward debasement The soule is in Heaven when the body is in Hell for Christ Was that a Dungeon or a Heaven in which they sang so sweetly at midnight Gods dealings are righteous when Mans dealings are wicked a man might beare suffering upon this ground that hee hath sinned but how sweetly may they be borne when sugar'd with love and all sinne forgiven Yee prisoners of hope what is your hope What say you of Englands night Will it ever have day Would my Soule could enter into your secrets Would I could participate with you in some of your Prison-enlargements If you finde a Heaven in Hell what will your Heaven be Now in the I le of Patmos * A patrimoniis jam ejecti What say's GOD to your soules concerning these bleeding Jlands Many Christians for whom you have bled are now a flying from you to save their Bloud write after them yee bleeding hearts preach your Prison-experiments the faith and hope of your Bonds and conclude like Paul Remember our Bonds and Wounds for Christ and you Surely if there be any Bowels this will bring them backe to die with truth and you I believe the Resurrection of thy dead O bleeding England Your Graves shall open yee Prisoners of hope and your buried glory and honor shall return to you Truth shall out-live tyranny Righteousnesse shall wash her Feete in the Bloud of the wicked Pride shall be dethroned and shame shal be her pavilion Your integrity yee Parliament-worthies Christ will vindicate your great paines and labour of love Christ will returne to you and yours Steele good resolution and Christ will carry you through all opposition You are great sufferers I would this little Booke might give some refreshment to you together with the rest of Gods suffering ones Bleeding Ireland God also is with thee and will be Thy Land is full of murderers but not too many for God to overcome God is as just as Man is cruell cruelty will cut its owne Throat when thou canst doe nothing to evade it Venomous Creatures die in thy land by a providence from Heaven which reason cannot reach God and the whole Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight against barbarous bloud-shed Thy naked Women and Children which mourned starv'd and died in winters past will fight against the monsters which stript them in â—ummers to come when thou want'st men money and meanes to doe it The Vipers which have gnawed out thy guts are got into our Bowels too that we might afford thee no reliefe Moriendo Christiaâ—o vivit Christus but God will relieve both thee and us 'T was a cursed crue which brought Gall and Vinegar when Christ cryed Eloi Eloi England had helpt thee Ireland had â—â—t not beene for this cursed Generation but the bloud of both Kingdomes will be upon them Christ was not overcome when killed Many may die but Christs cause in these poore enviâ—d ilands will live Mannage your bloudy businesse bravely yee Souldiers of Christ in England and Ireland the Lord of Hosts â—s with you Your sufferings are many your pay will bee great Two Heavens are before you one for you and posterity here another peculiarly adorned for sufferers unto bloud Câ—â—ant an pâ—nn slagellum above flinch from Christ and his cause and lose both Vale. Yours in continuall Prayers Nicho. Lockyer To the Reader REader there are some Errata's here and there throughout this Booke notwithstanding all our diligence to prevent them but yet such as with thine own observation of what preceds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and followes with a spirit of love may easily be set right to thy understaÌ„ding Be not a mouth murderer kill two at once my Name and thy Soule What is candidly presented to thee candidly receive and blesse Christ and the next Authour who is at Prayer for a blessing upon this Worke and thee Nicho. Lockyer The Table THE Power of God relieves weak man Page 2. Isa 8.17 The propertie of Divine power p. 3. 4. c. Strengthening power peculiar to Christians p. 6. Divine power workes in man to an eternall end p. 3. Power working relievingly walke humbly p. 9. Cheerfully p. 11 12 Faith should kill feares p. 13. What looseth divine strengthening p. 16. The evill which followes upon it p. 18. Power relieving is lost sometimes only according to our apprehension p. 20 The wicked will never beate the righteous out of heart p. 25. What al might in a ChristiaÌ„ is p. 28. 29. c. How differing from that power which Christ had and used here p. 32. 33. The Divell allmighty in some p. 36. How all might comes into the heart p. 38. 39 The happinesse of an Almighty Christian p. 41. 42. c. Divine power Workes gradually in a Christian p. 45. When power workes lowest in a Christian it workes above the ruining power of sinne p. 49. Power working according to higher or lower degrees we should observe how it workes in us p. 51. All paines spring from one that we have so little of God p. 52. How to know whether divine power workes strong enough to save p. 54. 55. Divine power should be acknowledged as it workes with thankfulnesse p. 57. 58. Apprehension should make due impression
becomes patient A proud heart resists and is resisted this is duro durum flint to flint fire to fire man hot and God hot no patience nor quiet in this soule nor can be High things made low rough plaine a proud heart humble then followes patience Patience has a humble meeke mother as any holy child in the soule therefore is meeknes in a promiscuous way of speaking put for patience whereas it is indeed the mother of patience according to that expression patient abiding of the meeke c. A meek heart makes patient abiding the will of God The will subdued the heart humble and the man will stay Gods leisure for any thing Patience presupposes faith knowing that the triall of your faith worketh patience saith the Apostle Patience 't is a Dove fleeing to and againe in a deluge and then resting the sole of her foote in the Arke t is a spirit toss'd and tumbled within it selfe and then rests in Christ by faith waiting what he will say and doe therefore t is said that tribulation workes patience because tribulation when strong worketh the soule off from all things here and puts a man upon the exercise of faith in Christ for relief and so sets the soule to expect and waite for good from God when it can finde none any where else Before tribulation comes a man usually does not exercise faith because he hath where withall within his owne reach to beare up himselfe and so thinkes he is patient when indeed he is not but one calme in a calme whereas patience properly is one calme in a storme a heart quiet waiting and expecting good when it can feele nothing but evill nor see nothing but a naked Word of God Patience presupposes faith and hope too therefore is patience called patience of hope 't is the result in the heart of the exercise of both these t is the blessing of faith and hope 't is the rest quiet expectation which the acting of these graces raise whereby the soule is as if it had all it wants As the soule in extremity stayes it selfe upon truth so 't is believing as it expects accomplishment of truth so it rises to hope as it waits for what it expects so it rises higher and this act of the soule is properly called patience The soule at this height is miserable as if not miserable as he useth the phrase about marriage married as if not married possessing as if not possessing This soule doth not possesse and yet is as if he did possesse he hath little and yet is as if he had all Patience presupposeth love charity suffereth long saith the Apostle it indures all things love represents every thing to view lovely all that God doth and all that man doth things thus represented the heart cannot swell nor sowre it selfe with its own thoughts love renders every person and every thing fragrant the veriest dunghill fragrant when every thing smells sweete to the soule the soule keepes it selfe sweete love thinketh no evill thinking evill â—akes evill passion as the soule is possessed of things so it workes within it selfe as the heart workes within it selfe so it makes passion still good or bad Vse I have shewed you what patience is and of what honorable house it comes I will now make some use of all I have as you see opened unto you a grace of graces and in a time of times a time wherein it was never more needed since we knew time Christ is takeing away our deere Earthly enjoyments servant from Master child from parents husband from wife soule from body he is setting every relation a bleeding one in the bosom of another this calles loud for patience God seems to be dealing with England as with Job yea with every good man in England as with Iob he seemes to be as one resolved to try us all to the quick in Country and City to bring us to a morsell of Bread to strip us of all which God knowes England hath abused and to set us upon a dunghill licking our wounds to take away all and then to set us in the want of all to complaine for pity to them that will shew none but powre Vineger into our wounds when we cry for mercy Ah Christians will not such a condition call for patience All in action now calles for nothing but patience all in view now calles for nothing but patience what a double miserable man is that which lives in England now without patience and yet Lord how much doe I see it wanting every where I see an evill springing up in these Evill Times which will spoile us all if GOD prevent it not and that is impatience activity degenerates into impatience forward men can beare no check from providence the most forward men are become the most froward men we set our mercies a day which is more then we can answer and because God doth not observe our limitation we flee out in heart and tongue fearefully 1. I am weary of this City to heare the murmuring and impatience that is in it The Country looks upon the City the City looks upon the Parliament the Parliament looks one upon another Commons upon Lords Lords upon Commons all upon the King and all looke short of the King of Kings this God saw right well the fruit of it is upon us we have lost much mercy this way and now are at murmuring hard that we may lose all relieving presence in the wildernesse and Canaan too Will murmuring and impatience ever bring us into that Canaan we hope for Christians you feare the King you feare the Cavaliers you feare Commanders you feare the Parliament I tell you my heart I am more afraid of you of your unbeliefe of your impatience that this will prove a City spoyling a Kingdome spoyling evill above all I will give you some principles of patience respecting our state and condition as things now stand and goe with us which is the best service I think I can doe you The first principle is this God takes time to administer to publique bodies England hath beene a long time polluting her selfe and this not with a Low but with a very high hand God is going gently to repeate over all and will you not give him time 't is but Justice to allow much time to one that is to repeate much What hath been the course of the publique for this twenty yeares together you have forgotten what hath been your course for twenty forty fifty yeares for these hundred yeares since we and our fathers have enjoy'd the Gospell you have forgotten how cold how formalizing how carelesse in your Families how Excessive and abusive of the creature how bowel-lesse and mercy-lesse who can reckon up how you have ordered your time and talents God can but he must have time will you thrust much work upon God and not give him time to goe through with it God takes time to administer Justice he was fourty years telling Israel
the exercise of al I dread to thinke what this presages Wee shal see poverty and heare cursing see bleeding and heare blaspheming and both in one house yea both in one person Wee shal see bodies wounded and soules breathing themselves through these wounds in the face of God and man because in a helpelesse state This grieves me no man layes to heart what God already suffers in these evil dayes from impatient spirits I have heard some as I have gon along the streets breake forth most bitterly against the most religious of the Kingdome as the cause of al our misery laying bloud at innocent mens doores great ones doe thus against conscience poore ones doe thus out of ignorance as rich mens echo being their creatures made through feare or hope or both all sides I am sure breath not forth al but little very little patience Ah! yee of little patience what doe yee meane to make a miserable condition remedilesse a state miserable damnable will you sin in poverty that wealth may never returne will you sin in War that you may never have peace wil you sin in bloud and death that Hell may follow Because men have killed your Trades your States your Bodies shall the devil have your Soules Is there any evil in the City or Country which God hath not done God takes away much to save the maine and you make the losse of much the losse of all the losse of your soules through impatience A rod should humble you and your skin swells with stripes Gods Hand on your back should make your hand on your mouth and you curse you curse and God curses surely you wil be cursed you sweare and stare because you have lost your peace your temporall respect and God sweares you shall neither have temporall nor eternall rest Ah Lord what hath this soule done murmured and sworne himselfe out of al for ever Yee men of no patience have you no light no conscience no soule doe yee sinne against no light no soule no God are yee heathens are yee worse I will tell you the evils of impatience that you may dread it and every degree of it and make them as I name them motives to endeavor after all Patience i a heart freed from all impatience The first evil is this so farre as the soule is impatient so farre 't is set at a distance from God Impatience grieves God grieved withdrawes So farre as Saul rages so farre is the Spirit of God gon So farre as the soule is shut out from God 't is shut out from al. A bedlam is put alone and there chained and whipt he is fit for no company but forlorne spirits like himselfe a Legion of these possesse every impatient soule No soule hath lesse fellowship with God then passionate God cannot dwell in fire nor worke in fire any otherwise then to torment the tormented Froward children are frowned upon and kept at a great distance 'till their hearts come downe A soule that hath little of God hath much of the devil if you would see the devil face to face looke a passionate man in the face you shall see the devils eyes his browes his tongue his mouth al as blacke as horrid as firey as Hell A second evill of impatience is this Impatience maimes parts gifts graces and makes a man otherwise able feeble and uselesse The counsells of the froward are carried head long saith the holy Ghost if their counsels how much more then those things they doe without counsell and thus most an end doe passionate men doe all they doe Passion puts out a man's eyes cuts-off a man's armes it thrusts a man in hast still to the wrong doore to the wrong end of his busines Passion cannot observe modus nor media agendi 't wil up to the top of the house presently before there be any staires made 't wil run and leave tools behind yea 't will run and leave God behind and so buries her honour still in an untimely birth A passionate man hath Reubens judgement written in his forehead never to excell Thirdly impatience is the mother of al evil 't is a sin-teeming temper it brings forth children to old Age and then most of al passion in old Age brings forth by troopes Impatience 't is a spirit set on fire of Hell prepared and ready to every hellish worke to sweare to curse to kill to speak evil to doe evil t is a short possession a man mad for so many houres that will not stick at any thing that the devil and deprav'd nature bid him doe he wil flee in the face of servants children wife magistrate God any one 't is a Snake whose tongue is his sting his teeth poyson he takes in and casts up venome by mouthfuls his heart brings forth sinnes by troopes he speaks as many sinnes as words he burnes al black with too much heat he over-heats words workes the wheeles light a fire still in carriage especially when loaded with any heft and burne cart and carriage both Passion 't is the devils glasse-house black fire workemen are at it in this soule day and night t is the devils sinne-moul'd to make many sins quickly many great sins on a sudden Impatience puts a price onely upon praesentia * Appetitui apta carnal present things a measse of potage at present better then birth-right although Christ and Heaven be wrapt up in it Tell an impatient man of things to come Heaven and Glory Praesentibus futura majora and the like he cannot stay so long Heaven a great way off is no Heaven to him he must have a Bird in the hand a Heaven here or else Heaven and earth shall ring of him he must have what he wil and when he wil or he wil make the house too hot for al that are in it This renders an impatient person utterly uncapable of the great'st blessings because these are longest a comming and he cannot waite Le ts have a golden Calfe as for this Moses we know not what 's become of him nor when he will come a golden glittering Calfe at present better then to stay for Moses though hee brought the beames of God the glory of Heaven shining in his face Le ts eate and drinke for to morow we die Magna â—â—â—antiâ nulla Impatience must have a Heaven at present a belly-heaven as for a soule heaven a heaven in promise t is a dead thing This renders an impatient man utterly below motive our greatest Gospel motives are fetcht from great things to come in another World and the greatest things are nothing at such a distance to this man hee cannot waite so long for a Heaven though hee lose his soule There is no divine contemplation in an impatient heart which is that that makes Heaven here So that an impatient man loses his Heaven here-after and here too Impatience 't is a soule still in a hurry never at home never at leisure to goe to
you need him most so that you shall get more of a suddain by Prayer then you could in all your life before A suffering Christian has his peculiar advantge let him but open his mouth heaven-ward and 't is fild presently let his heart be at his mouth and the holy Ghost wil be at his heart all upon wing and wrapt up in the third Heaven when the body in Hell Long suffering and joy are very neere as neere as night and morning if misery makes the night joy makes the morning and if the night cannot aske for the morning yet the morning will come of it selfe joy comes in the morning If a long sufferer be â—o worne so depressed with his burden that he be not able to pray not able to aske for joy and for comfort yet his joy will be ful 't will come of it selfe as things that are joyn'd together will call in one another long suffering with joyfulnesse Duties are immergent one springs and bubbles out of the belly of another all patience brings forth long suffering long suffering bringes forth joyfulnesse this is Divine Genealogy they are plac'd here by the holy Ghost according to their line as persons so vertues are noted according to their Genealogy Every grace beares patience brings forth long suffering long suffering joy joy brings forth Heaven now the Sun is up in the soule and begets Cardinall vertues glorious graces it makes the very emblem of Heaven in the heart The holy line must not be broken as things have their order in their owne nature so they must have their course in the soule long suffering for truth must bring forth joy and not griefe a Jacob must hold an Esau by the heele joy must embrace rough usage out of the sowerest stock ar't should make sweet fruit come out of long-suffering for Christ joy Duties are innocent graces are so ordained to move as best to speake out mans simplicity and Gods glory long suffering is not to leaven and sowre the soule to make it regurgitate bitterly in the afternone when things have lai'n long in the stomack but it is to give advantage to a Christian fully to speake forth his owne integrity and Gods glory Long suffering with joy is a full expression of mans simplicity and Gods Glory Long suffering in any cause hath its integrity as the heart is free from repining under it which it is when 't is meate and drinke to suffer for Christ joy to beare and to beare long Grace should move in grace that 's long suffering with joy grace should move to a Christians grace and to GODS glory that 's long suffering with joyfulnesse Vse Christians you see your lesson t is set very high can you play it What artists are you in your calling Can you make good Musick upon a bad instrument Can you make an instrument goe well that hath hung long by Can you play wel when the strings be broke When the back when the belly of the instrument is broke Can you sing the songs of Zion in a strange Land Can yee make melody in your spirits when never a whole piece in your flesh some of you it may be have never a peny in your purse scarce any rag to weare no house to put your head in but live upon the meere mercy of friends for giving testimony to Christs cause can yee joy now Christ hath mingled your drinke with weeping can yee drinke off this Cup with joy Suffering is suffering indeed when it goes quite through the man body and spirit body without all joy and soule too A man is plundred indeed when he is plundred in his estate within and without plundred of mony and goods and plunderd of peace and joy too no comfort without nor none within neither Ah Lord here 's a man quite undone indeed her 's a man all over miserable soule and body bleeding can there be any gathering to relieve this man I have heard many complaine that they are quite undone the expression hath cut me to the heart to heare it their faces all over blacknesse not one line drawne similingly You have lost all joyes without why but there are joyes within which the World cannot give nor take have you lost these too did the Cavaleers take away all together mony and plate and Christ too Ah! poore man thou art quite undone indeed certainly the divel was in those Cavaleers I would speake to such from this point which are quite undone which have lost all money and joy too which have many sufferings upon them for Christ but can make no joy out of them Surely I can guesse your paine you are blind you know not who hath strip't you nor when he will returne it againe 'T is impossible for a man to joy under long suffering unlesse a man can looke to the end of it This makes heavy afflictions light long afflictions short to look where they end Our light afflictions which endure but for a moment worke about a farre more exceeding and an eternall weight of glory Long suffering is but a moment when compared with eternity of glory The great Heaven at a distance makes a little Heaven at present a Heaven in hell to that soule which hath it in its eye as these lower Heavens give a great lustre and vigour at a distance to beholders and raise much so doth the Heaven of Heavens 'T is a Heaven to behold Heaven a farre off where ever the body be 't was Canaan to Moses Ab extremis miseriae quies to see Canaan a far off The sight of the end shortens the way suffering is deadly long when a man can see no end when a man is in darknesse and can see no light 't is hard to bring the soule to joy in such darkenesse A man must looke upon affliction from one end to to'ther that would fetch in joy to his soule from suffering At one end of long suffering for truth is a father at the other end a reward which if seen well will make the longest suffering very short and very sweet Can you make no joy out of your long sufferings for truth I can guesse your paine there is something heavier then your temporall losse that lies upon you Surely you have lost your state and found sinne death has a sting death of a mans body yea and death of a mans estate has a sting A little guilt is heavier then a great deale of misery then all the afflictions of this World When bare misery goes over a mans head though never so much hee may well stand under this but when misery clothes it selfe with guilt and goes over a mans head as Iniquity this makes the burthen too heavy to be borne when the apprehension of sinne startes out of misery and stares upon the soule this killes all joy dead and the man is not able to beare up if hee had all the World to comfort him The cause may be good and the man bad 't is hard
whether Christ will put in and beg the mans life here lies the case and depends wholly upon Christs Will What fellowship your soules have with God I know not whether God say any thing or nothing whether instruction with strong hand be come to instruction with weake hand by reason of your strong lusts whether your instruction with weake hand be not come to instruction with no hand but bare blows for your basenesse whether all whisperings be not layd aside and whispering turn'd into whipping this would be lookt well into for it speaks very ominously for eternity Love or hatred cannot be guessed at by things without but by Gods dealings within they may shrewedly be guessed at Profanatio 3. Profanenesse is a third property of a man fitted to wrath Profanenesse is the badge of an Esau wickednesse speaks out a cursed soule To what Country a man belongs you may understand by his language whether to Spaine France or the like Hell hath its openings as Heaven hath when Hell opens in a mans mouth what needs any further enquity what Country man Sir To what place do you belong A man moulded and shaped for wrath may be read in his face Death though it cease within yet it shew it selfe in the very superficies without You have such a common speech One may see Death in that mans face A mans life is in reference to his eternall estate as his face is in reference to his temporall 't is Index â—nimi index futuri index aeterni A mans life foretells his end What course any man leads broadly speakes what such a man is what he will be for felicity or misery An a man be in the broad-way he may prophesie where 't will end and to what inheritance he shall come whether to light or darknesse I know not what lives you lead Christ do's and you should Let them be led how they will you may spell Heaven or Hell out of them Life is but an expression of the frame of the spirit 't is but motion according to such wheeles and such a spring within If you will know of what frame or what make your soules are and to what fitted view your lives Your soules breath out themselves in your lives and they breath out themselves in the bosome of God or the devill into whose bosome you breath your soules in life into that bosome you will certainly breath them in death As you find your state now move To fit for Heaven is no trifle your eternall estate depends upon 't To fit for Heaven is not arbitrary you cannot come there without it To fit for Heaven is not easy the making power of God must go to it Sinners why do you put of this worke as a trifle And why do you put it of till death That man would never be holy if he could shift it that will not be holy till he dy He would never have to do with Christ if he could shun him that will not seek aquaintance with him till he must leave leave this Word When death is fitting the soule for Hell then the soule sets about to fit it selfe for Heaven Ah Lord that ever this man had a soule that damnes it himselfe Wrath doth usually crosse and curse this folly men are surprised in body or surpris'd in soule no strength or no heart and so dy in their sinne Fitting grace for Heaven hath its means hath its season hath its course and then hath its blessed end I will touch these a little ' T'ath its meanes Will you be fitted for Heaven yee wicked soules and use no means 'T is common to the worst man to cast their soules upon a miracle for salvation and not upon means God fits by his word they 'l heare none God fits by Prayer they 'l use none God fits by his People and they care for none holy Ordinances sleighted and yet the holy-Land promised Ah Lord Are not these soules mad to conclude the end and exclude the means These men will dy in presumption or else I dare dy for them 'T 'as its season Earthen Vessels have their season for molding and shapeing to such a forme and to such an use All times of the yeare are not seasonable for such a purpose Salvation hath its day the Sun stands not still 't is comming towards a man for so many houres and then goes away from him as fast Fitting seasons for Heaven are transient sleighted and eternally hid from a mans eyes O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. But now they are hid Love passions are strong but no fire cooles so fast as this when abused nor so hard to be kindled again when out God knocks and if no opening away to others that will He comes to a mans house and proclaimes peace if peace be not regarded he departs with a witnesse leaves the dust of his feet behinde him to testify what a base Earthy heart 't was that rejected him Fitting grace for Heaven hath its course Physick has its course to fit the body for health malignities are not carried away presently Bad spirits abounding râ—quire sweating and sweating again The great Physitian hath his course prescription upon prescription line upon line All is not done of an houre to make the soule fit for blessednesse for ever Grace conflicts with corruption long ere it can get â—he victory and render the soule fit for Heaven Some sinners will never be fit for Heaven because they cannot beare a fitting course Sorrow for sin spending the paine of conscience killing bleeding til binding up from Christ comes utterly consuming not to be thought of if these men can fit themselves for Heaven 't is wel they will never be made fit by Christ they are so idle headed and wilfull harted Finally after grace hath had its fitting course then it has the fruition of its end a fit soule expires into Heaven the soule fit for Heaven stayes not long thence The spirit say's come when fit the Bride say's come when fit a fitted soule for Heaven is a panting soule for Heaven and Christ a panting husband for this Spouse Grace hath its distinct property at every height when at full height and fit to be dissolved it desires dissolution and dissolution is granted as a medium to its ultimate forme which makes the perfection of a thing A Chrâ—stian is perfect when fit for Heaven his Grace is perfect when in Heaven Christians I have something to say to you from this Point and then I give it up and get gon 'T is many a good soules panting often O that J were fit For Heaven Why Christ makes so He workes at such a height as at which thy heart bends The bending of thy heart to such a height in Grace is a prevenient disposition to it 't is the worke thou wouldest begun and well on-ward to finishing Such a panting soule will be fit for Heaven and caught up into Heaven ere hee 's aware When the Soule is
pitched upon such a Noble height Christ hath taken it into his Hand to make it so high Strong desires are glimmerings of Sunne-rising I would have no Soule sad that pants after much grace Certainly the Sunne is risen very high in this Soule already 't will be at the Meridian apace Heaven is not farre off that soule which longs to be fit for it When Christ once began to pray Father glorify mee with thine one Selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the World was glory though so great was not farre off When the poore man would believe the spirit of Faith was neare and the next words are Faith and no more words of unbeliefe If thou canst do this if thou canst doe that heard There is no designe to become fit for Heaven like bringing a mans soule into a passion this way Divine passion makes strong compassion Christ does not quench smoaking Flax does hee quench flaming flax Panting to be fit to live in Heaven where so much holinesse is to live in the presence of God who is all holinesse this is flaming Flax. The fire goes as high as Heaven Heaven will open wide to such a Heavenly heart The Soule would have a sute to weare in the Country which will serve at Court a sute on Earth which will become it in Heaven this is flaming Fax Grace is never checked in its groweth by God but embraced most when it ascends highest God meetes a Prodigall and kisses him doth he not meete a deare child which is almost come quite home to his Fathers House and kisse and feast him A Soule that pants to be fit for Heaven is crope up to Heaven doore certainely CHRIST will welcome this Soule and let him into his desire Thou pantest to be made fit for Heaven why thou art fit Who hath made us fit c. These are said to be fit for Heaven by the Apostle and yet pray'd for by him as yet wanting much grace There 's a Fundamentall fitnesse and a complementall fitnesse for Heaven The lowest dram of true grace gives a fundamentall fitnesse for Heaven A weake hand of Faith on Christ will save a man from drowning a sparke of fire will ascend to Heaven as truely as a flame though not so strongly That there is any sparke in the soule to byasse it Heaven-ward wee should blesse God and blow the sparke by Prayer this is the way to have more A complementall fitnesse is when there is a double Testimony that all is ours from Gods spirit and our own when the soule is sealed with this double seale to the day of Redemption When Faith is strong love strong experience much joy much unspeakeable and full of glory then is the soule complementally fit i fully fit for glory This should be striven unto because it makes large entrance but the soule should not torture it selfe that it cannot with any paines yet attaine so high Some have Heaven here such are fit for Heaven in deede as carry Heaven still about with them 't is but out of one Heaven into another with these Others are made fit for Heaven in hell and come as out of hell to heaven and yet this is great mercy too and every poore low grac'd soule should say so Let these things settle weake soules banish bad objections and make your fitnesse for Heaven in that measure which it is your consolation in these miserable times Swords Guns Weapons of Warre may Wound Lame and unfit you for Earth but let this comfort you you are still fit for Heaven Lame Legs cut Armes bleeding bodies and holy soules will goe to Heaven well enough poore blind lame halt are most the guests that come there Christ had bloudy usage from base Wretches as wee have now speares thrust in his sides deepe wounds so deepe as to let out all his bloud and yet not any of his fitnesse for Heaven Should be enough to us all in these bad times that a mansion is prepared for us and we for it where all losse will be turned into gaine where lost Legs and lost Armes and lost estates will meete their right owners againe and glory in over and above FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light TO be partakers of the inheritance c. Thus read 't is interpretation not strict translation yet possibly I may make issue both wayes for your sakes both as you reade it and as 't is to be read in the originall The Text verbatim runs thus fit to a part or portion of a lot of Saints in light 'T is phrased in allusion to Canaan where the people of GOD had their part and portion and this by lot by an immediate providence and by no humane art by the speciall blessing and disposing hand of God and by no merit or means of their own The phrase notes top favors gallant mercies dispensations full of love all love all love to all eternity Doct. The highest mercies are communicable Heaven all that is in Heaven distributive distributive to men like our selves Partakers of the inheritance Love is bountifull shee gives all Participatio sacra est communicatio totius mercy empties her selfe upon her children she empties her pockets she empties closets Cabinets Jewells of price Jewells of glory of eternall glory are given away to her favorites Having given us Christ will hee not with him give us all things Love gives all Christ and all that Christ hath The Apostle argues a maiori ad minus Christ is a greater gift then Heaven and yet he is made communicable and communicable to man to us therefore no marvell that Heaven is Having given us Christ c. Love will make her heart bloud communicable which is more then making heart Jewells communicable Christs giving of himselfe is more then giving any thing without himselfe more then the giving of Heaven and Earth to man Heaven is not noted in Scripture as the height of Christs love but himselfe what himselfe is and what he puts himselfe unto His owne selfe bare our sinnes on his body c. 1 Peter 2.24 And to be with Christ is best of all 'T is not sayd to be in heaven is best of all Abrahams bosome is but alluding to the felicity that is where Christ unbosomes himselfe to Saints The accent of love is fastened upon Christ himselfe and not upon any thing else Christ himselfe is still noted as a greater communication of love then Heaven or Earth or any thing besides him Love opens her purse to her beloved yea she opens her bosome and sets her beloved there Heaven is in Christs bosome Communicatio sacra est ad demōstrandum-Communicantem and Christ opens this to his he makes this communicable Partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred Communication is to make suitable demonstration of infinite love Great love is not
have their force and make issue according to their majesty and glory in the hearts of you all words of majesty and glory resplendent words which are so shaped above as to make strong reflections of the Sunne upon soules here below will make very saving or very killing influence God speakes gloriously to take affect and save the most obdurate heart let him have his designe this is the last thing that I would presse upon you and this concernes us all God makes his words glorious his workes glorious that the heart may be melted and moulded to a glorious forme by them doe not frustrate divine art Words which goe forth with much of God from Heaven let them leave much of God in your hearts When vision is glorious the soule should be in a transe when the speaker is in Heaven the hearer should be there too The Lord spake in glory in shining light to Saul he cast the beauty which he uses above upon his words and these wrought indeed and made Saul cry out Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Methinks this expression in the Text is as if there were such another Heaven opening and such another shining word to some Saul here to some bloudy malicious sinner Sinner sinner why doest thou shut thine eyes and thine eares against glorious words of Christ Some glorious Meteors they render the Heavens to us as if they did gloriously open Heaven me-thinks opens in this expression glorious power how can any heart keepe out of Heaven when Heaven opens to it How can any heart but be taken with that which is full of nothing but taking lustre what man can passe over such an expression without laying his hand on his heart with such a quaere what is that power which the Holy Ghost admires Surely there is glory indeed in that which he calles glorious O that my soule could see this glory Where Christ sets a hand in the margent pointing to the observation of any thing of his that surely is very remarkeable there the soule should stand still sit down and dwell The very accents and aspirations of truth must have their place in the heart of man the heart is to hold all not a tittle of truth must fall to the ground our hearts must catch it and keepe it from falling and dying Power and Love and Wisdome they are accented and aspirated glorious power infinite wisdome love passing knowledge c. These titles and aspirations this dust of gold must not be throwen away but adde to the impression of truth for 't is God setting all his strength to thrust things into the heart 't is God using his best soule-saving art to get into Sanctum sanctorum As the heart behaves it selfe so Divine truth lives or dies in it as Divine words die or live in the heart so God dies or lives in the World Much of God dies when glorious expressions make not glorious impressions much God-dying makes much man dying that God is so much dead in England makes so many men dead Man is lesse then a tittle of truth yea the World is lesse then a tittle of truth Spretis punctâ—s expiraâ— Anglia tittles of truth kill'd by the Christian World kille the Christian World so generally at this day As truth hath apparel'd it selfe so let it goe in the World and live in our hearts let us not take the least spangle from Her attyre Truth and Wisdome and Love will otherwise lose their dimensions and God will lose the glory of his heights and depths of divine dispensations The goodnesse of the heart is as the words of God make totall impression upon it T is the best heart in which God can best read all that hee hath said to a tittle and finde glorious impressions suitable to the glorious words in which he deliver'd himselfe How you judge of your hearts I know not God judges of them as your breath turnes into his as your spirits admire adore rise and ascend into Heaven with his That heart which can reade and heare glorious words of Christ and not be answerably affected will never be a glorious Christian Christ makes the place of his feet glorious as he treades in the heart so hee makes it glorious as his Word makes impression so is sanctification and no otherwise they that heare and let goe divine words of the the movingst forme and force will certainly die loose Soules Men goe to reading and hearing the word with a carelesse spirit 't is most mens sinne all that such get is judgement they eate and drinke judgement saith the Apostle respecting another Ordinance So these heare and reade judgement to their soules that is heart hardning and not heart raising The handling of such a glorious expression as this though by a weake servant of Christ must needs have set your hearts something more Heaven-ward had yee heard with such preparation as becomes you A man finds God in his Word as hee seekes him in Prayer and no otherwise Wax receives impression as 't is prepar'd Esther must fast and pray and come with her life in her hand to the King to have a glorious Scepter stretched out unto her So must we come into the presence of the King of Kings with much seeking of God and selfe-judging with our lives temporall and eternall in our hands to finde glorious words worke gloriously to have a glorious Scepter stretched out from Heaven to us a glorious power working in us in the hearring of glorious things Hee that minds little about what he is going finds little but the fruit of his sinne he goes away from divine ordinances worse then hee came to them he goes away with a sop with a heart more poysoned in malice more hard dead and cold condemned and executed to wit tortur'd I conclude this point with a note of admiration That God will put glosse upon necessary commodities such as we cannot be without and doe well to make them off is wonderfull Yee doe not use to put varnish upon Bread that 's such a generall necessary dish that its double and maine use to the state of man sets it off well enough without any by-things about the dish Such is the Word of God 't is as bread to our soules of supreme use this one would think should be enough to set it off with us and yet because this is not God paints bread guilds Loves and sets them upon the Table to us * Puts glosse upon the words of eternall life That GOD will put himselfe into a passion to put us put Heaven into his words to put Heaven into our hearts le ts wonder That Christ will let fall his mantle when hee ascends that we may ascend too make his raised spirit breake forth into glorious raised words to raise our spirits too let his love and humility be ever before you 'T is our great worke Christians 't is our great worke to admire God in his words and workes in his
speaking and doing how hee does shape all to a gaining and saving end of lost man Glorious power how big-bellied with Heaven are these words what a transcendent shape have they to save In what a little can God wrap up much in what a little all in a word Heaven in a word the Heaven of Heavens in a word he wraps up glory infinite glory According to his glorious power How smilingly doth Heaven look upon us in this expression God breakes out glory in your very faces here can yee see so much of the World to come and in this World and not admire FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 According to his Glorious power c. ALL Starres are glorious but some are very neere the Sun and double in magnitude and glory and as a sun in comparison of other stars All dispensations of grace are glorious but some exceede in glory so full of Christ and glory that they give a great resemblance in the heart of his triumphant state in glory and set the soule as in the borders of Heaven when the body is in the belly of Hell this is here called glorious power as appeares by the expressions following unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse He speaks of such an assisting power as is superior to all opposing power and makes up of it selfe to the soule whatsoever the Creature could and much more According to his glorious power Doct. WE are come now to the sight of the holy-Land there be glimpses of Heaven upon Earth power workes glitteringly and gloriously here Christ hath a glorious Dominion in dying man Strengthened with all might according to his loving glorious power c. Things which give being give beauty and being glory and being Esse tale esse esse et radiatum esse Splendidum esse Nature hath a power to put forth and a power to shape unto beauty and glory the earth gives vertue and glory life and beauty which makes the earth such a glorious foote-stoole under us So doe the Heavens give influence and glory the Sun derives not onely influence but its very glory to the Sars which makes the Heavens such a fruitfull and such a glorious Canope over us So doth the Sun of righteousnesse give glory and vertue We are called to glory and vertue According as his Divine power hath given us all things that pertaine unto life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 Divine power makes vertue glory and vertue that is grate unto a glorious and very Heavenly height grace unto tranquillity and tryumph let disadvantages in the World be what they will Hee spake this to sufferers they might thinke their calling to be to nothing but misery or at least to nothing but naked godlinesse and Gospell-profession which exposes to much hardship no saith he yee are called to more then naked vertue then meere conscience according to such Gospell-prnciples yee are called to glory and vertue to the participation of such vertue as will worke gloriously and never leave working so let what opposition soever be made till it rise above all opposition unto all glory Divine power workes in order to truth The promise to us Gentiles is which stand not in the first and prime relation not in the highest sphere of love rest yea glorious rest dispensations so rich as to rise unto glory joy and tryumph as their rest above is And in that day there shall be a roote of Jesse stand for an ensigne of the people to it shall the Gentiles seeke and his rest shall be glorious glory saith the Originall i a rest so glorious as shall be very neere that glory which is above He shall quiet guilty conscience and crown it sprinckle it and adorne it hee shall give a spirit of Peace and a spirit of tryumph a glorious rest a rest next to that above where there is no restlessenesse nor any thing wanting that may make the soule fully happy The promise is a Lord and a glorious Lord streames yea Rivers broad Rivers But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad Rivers and streames c. The expressions note Divine Power working gloriously Isa 33.21 in the Kingdome of grace raising grace here under the Gospell to a glorious height a power setting the soule in Heaven the body being in Earth the soule in glory though the body in shame These are the words of promise now the worke of power is to make words of promise words of truth to accomplish truth to give full being to all that God hath said that not a tittle fall to the ground Power workes gloriously necessarily as engaged by promise Divine power workes in order to dignity and majesty as well as in order to truth Christ hath a Kingdome and a throne here as well as above and Kingdomes and thrones must not onely have power simplicitèr but power ornatè not onely a power which is absolutely necessary to uphold the being of such a thing but power also to adorne dignify and felicitate such a being upheld Kings and Kingdomes have a power unto glory as well as a power unto life and lively-hood I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place and hee shall be for a glorious throne unto his Fathers house Isa 22.23 Power workes in order to state as well as in order to truth he shall be for a glorious throne We are Kings and therefore must necessarily have power ornatè power gloriously working in us grace and grace unto glory being and triumphing There is being in Christ and triumping in Christ triumphing is glorious power and this necessarily belongs to a crown a Kingdom Power workes in Order to expresse words and to types and shadowes it doth in the new house as it did in the Old and more They had presence filling presence glorious filling presence The glory of the Lord filled that house so doth this power workes thus still presence filling presence and glorious filling presence There is grace riches of grace and exceeding riches an inheritance riches of inheritance and riches of glory and all in the Saints That you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. They had aide and glorious aide under the old Covenant power and glorious power so have wee and much more our Ministration doth exceed in glory saith the Apostle by how much nearer all glory then they Power workes and will worke still more and more glorious within and without as the Christian world drawes nearer and nearer full glory as all things worke stronge stnearest their spring and rise Power workes gloriously now but it will worke far more gloriously every day then other the Moone will become a Sun and the Sun seven fold more glorious then now it is Power workes in order to its own absolute nature Nothing is too
you and fetch you from the ends of the Earth to judgement and to your place Glorious power can put you into darkenesse into utter darkenesse into blacknesse and darkenesse as Jude speakes into exquisite darkenesse and yet where you shall see exquisitely to wit spirits which here you cannot do damned spirits spirits burnt black with everlasting burning spirits flaming spirits spirits all a fire burned and burning sucking in and breathing forth in one anothers face nothing but fire unquenchable fire Glorious power can put you into darkenesse yea under darkenesse they are reserved under darkenesse saith Jude Glorious power can bundle up you and bundle up darknesse and put one bundle upon another and put you under-most under all the waight of Hell Christ can put all the waight of hell upon one cursed spirit Glorious power can cast you into the bottome of the bottomelesse pit and chaine you there with everlasting chaines reserved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse unto the judgement of of the great day saith Jude These things sinners have I spoken that you may dread glorious power seeing you will not love it and seeke out to be saved by it A fourth principle which springs out of this point and which concerneth us all is That our condition is very advanceable Power workes gloriously you may live very neare Heaven as well as very far of if you will you may see the holy Land you may eat clusters of the fruit of the Country above As you order things you may live in Heaven or Hell here Christians I have a high question to aske you how neare Heaven do you live doe you see it do you feele it did you ever have you any bunches of the fruit of the holy Land The spirit of God is in you but is the spirit of glory and of God in you you have grace but have you grace and peace you may have grace and peace but are these multiplied as the Apostle speaks to a glorious height doth a glorious spirit and power dwell and worke in you my Dove which art in the cleft of the Rockes saith Christ let mee see thy countenance and heare thy voyce c. So say I to you Christians which are in desolate conditions mourning amongst Rocks and hard-ships like doves let me see your countenance let mee heare your voice what is your peace your joy your love your hope all these are the rays and beams of a glorious power I have none says one I never had says another I doubt whether ever I shall says an other this last I like worst for surely hee is furthest off from the blessing of glorious power There be but two things that I know which hinder power from working gloriously glorifyingly in the soule and they are sinne loved and unbeliefe I will insist upon these a little because I would have those that mourne comforted all that belong to Heaven in Heaven From sinne no man can cease but cease love to sinne if yee would have a Heaven upon earth a glorious power and presence of GOD in you Render your spirits free to God let them not be insnar'd with any lust such intanglement spoiles your glory kills a glorious working spirit and power in you Set wide open your hearts those everlasting-doores to the King of Glory and onely to the King of Glory and the King of Glory in much glory wil come in a glorious Throne will hee erect in your soules Pure hearts see the Face of God impure onely the black back-parts of GOD. Blessed are the pure in heart they see GOD. The heart is pure as love is pure love is pure as it goes all to Christ to him that is all pure As love goes all to Christ so it turnes all into Heaven in the heart into glorious presence All our worke should be to be disingaging out hearts still from all here Heaven comes into the heart as earth goes out the heart sees God as it purifyes it selfe Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Purity makes capacity of Heaven a cleane heart is Christs most intimate companion hee spreades open his Glory in this Bosome The holy'st men have alwayes had the most glorious visions as Daniel and Iob. God chuses his place to make Heaven he makes Heaven above in Jerusalem that is above in soules that are above above the vanities of this World in love and desire he makes a Heaven Moses is led up to a mount to see Canaan Christ upon a mount had his glorious transfiguration he had his Heaven upon a mount Love must mount above all these low things ere the soule can see Heaven enjoy glorious presence You cannot lie-along upon earth and see the Heaven of Heavens you may lie along upon earth and see earthly Heavens that must passe away Sinne loved and the soule chuses his Heaven here no man shall have two Heavens two Heavens that differ specie Power will not work gloriously in that heart that works filthily A man may see hell in his sinne but shall never see Heaven It falles out unhapily still with man when hee goes about to make a heaven here when hee sets love at worke to take her fortune to make her glory and felicity here below as shee can this checkes the working of a glorious power in any heart and sets it a working another way to whip the man with vexation of spirit for seeking Heaven in Earth in glorious vanities So far as the heart is unmortifyed 't is not simple with God simplicity is an absolute requisite to make capacity of a glorious working power in the soule God descended like a Dove upon a Dove sweetely and gloriously upon him in whose mouth was no guile A heart and a heart has none of Gods heart God never proclaimes himselfe well-pleased in that heart which makes not him his pleasure Divine Power workes not gloriously where the heart works basely An hypocrite has least of Heaven of any man and most of hell As men draw neere to God so they see him neere to him in quality and neer to him in duty We see heaven best upon our knees As wee glorify God so hee glorifyes us When we open our mouths wide hee gives us great things filling things when we beg for flaggons we are stay'd with them At the throne of grace we finde grace grace in glory heaven at Gods feet when most in his presence most in Heaven A man must goe to heaven to finde heaven a man must live in heaven to have heaven live in him Much going to heaven brings heaven at last downe along with one Things doe worke best in their owne element power works most gloriously in heaven the neerer the heart comes to heaven in simplicity in purity in pure qualities and habits in pure acts and exercise the more glorious doth power woâ—ke in the soule still Unbeliefe is another hinderance of a glorious working power Said I not if yee would believe yee should see
not have my soule if I may not have this or that which my soule desires This is vanity growen up to maturity and turned into vexation of spirit which patience cures Patience is a soule still enjoying it selfe when nothing else in your patience possesse your soules Patience helps a man to his soule againe that is to the enjoyment of his soule and of himselfe when all is gon 'T is a christian semper idem one that is the same in sanctity in the greatest poverty as in the greatest prosperity the same in all holy and sweet frame of spirit in the greatest affliction as in the greatest advancement 't is one blessing God giving and doing the like when taking away 'T is one that has all having God when Esau is comming to take away all J have all saith Jacob in a very sad condition Est aequanimitas sacra Patience 't is an even Sea in all winds a serene soule in all weathers A threed even spun with every wheele of providence t is a soule above extremes neither in excesse nor in defect neither over sensible nor under sensible of any affliction neither without teares nor without hope neither murmuring nor presuming neither despising chastisment nor fainting when corrected Affected with all cast down with nothing Quiet when toss'd very quiet while extremely toss'd expecting his salvation salvation from God when none can be had from man Patience is not stupidity an insensibility of soule under Gods hand that 's a block a stone a Nabal not a patient man Patience is not a mute drooping a sullen silent soule-sinking and consuming under adversity this is despaire this is soule vitality spent the marrow of the bones dried up Patience is virtus in medio a vertue betweene these two extremes a soule sensible of one hand upon him and of another under him a soule sensible of a rod and a staffe and so very quiet and very comfortable in a very low condition as having nothing and yet possessing all things this is patience Patience t is a divine power Est vis sacra subjugans a holy subjugating power working in the soule rendering all afflictions still-borne God may say what he will doe what he will and a patient soule charges God with nothing If a reasonable creature be called dog used like a dog yet patience will not let this dog barke nor flee out but call him Lord which calles her dog and shee said truth Lord the dogs eate of the crumb's c. Mat. 15.27 Patience gives sweet language for sowre to God and man being reviled reviles not againe being defamed intreates God has the day in a patient soule hee may use his tongue or his hand how hee will a patient heart is dumbe and answers not againe Passion saith I doe well to to be angry but patience saith I doe well to lay my hand on my mouth I have spoken once but I will speake no more t is thy doing Patience takes all well at Gods hands shee loves him so dearely Patience can give no ill language how ill soever it goes with her friend in whose house shee dwells Patience is a silent laying downe all at Gods feete 't is a christian proclaiming freedome to Christ to doe his owne will with him and his in love Patience was never knowne to put any other limitation upon the almighty Make mee childlesse make me husbandlesse wivelesse penilesse any thing so thou doe it in love to my soule saith patience T is the Lord let him doe what hee will said that patient man God has freedome proclaimed him to doe what he will with a patient man nothing shall be retorted upon him Patience can be in honour in disgrace high or low at Gods dispose and be contented A patient man can live can die and see advantage in either to live Christ to die more Christ the greatest gaine of all hee can see gaine in all that God does gaine in sickenesse gaine in disgrace gaine in losse the greatest gaine in the great'st losse soule-gaine in bodily losse and therefore can patience speake of evills as good of bitters as very sweet Patience can kisse a rod kisse one that looks frowningly which every one cannot doe Patience t is a soule at rest T is sacra requies A soule daily at rest in God Wives gon substance gon house plunder'd Ziklag burnt all mourning many murmuring ready to stoning and killing of David and yet hee makes up all in God and is at rest this is patience Patience 't is Iacob sleeping heartily upon a stone a heart at rest in hardships t is a poore Widow cheerfully giving and obeying a Prophet though but a little meale in the barrell nor but a little Oile in the Cruse t is one cheerefully going to eat her last provision and die t is one quietly going up to take a view of Canaan and die at the doore making death life Christ Canaan T is one going to sacrifice an onely son with a God will provide Patience can speake no worse divinity in the greatest straite 'T is one breathing out a soule at rest in the face of the cruel'st misery not my will but thy will be done If this Cup may not passe let my bloud passe if this cause cannot live without I die let me die let money goe let limbes goe let heart-bloud goe that Christ may stay the Will of Christ may be done Let the will of the Lord be done this is a patient mans Amen All runs into this That patience is a holy behaviour in affliction In short patience hath three things in it Râ—sumptio 1 Passion subdued 2. The soule quieted 3. Expectation and waiting for good A heart plain'd and made even with its condition neither higher nor lower a heart still and taking all well a heart expecting of and waiting for what is needed and Christ hath promised this is a patient soule Patience presupposes a state of grace a rich state of grace for t is the cream of many vertues the result of many graces combining 't is virtutum virtus a good child of good parents 'T is virtus a virtutibus derivata * Therefore call'd virtus imperfecta by the Moralist a pleasant branch from many rootes under ground Patience presupposes an understanding full of the best light the soule is argued not beaten quiet as you beate a dog Thou speakest like a foolish woman saith he shall I receive this and not that at Gods hand he argues his soule quiet Folly wrangles thou speak'st like a foolish woman A foole was never a patient person hee cannot argue with his heart nor hold forth convincing satisfying principles Cleere divine light swayes and keepes down all insurrection in a depraved state Patience presupposes a divine understanding and a Divine will that is a will subdued where there is a stubborn will there is not nor cannot be a patient heart every high thought is brought into subjection ere the heart
God further then man any man can doe made to pierce the sides and to pierce the heart the Arrowes of the Allmighty are within mee saith Job their poyson drinkes up my spirit the terrors of God doe set themselves in array against mee Job 6. A body so shot a soule so shot to come off so bravely as Iob doth there Let him not spare for I have not concealed the words of the holy one Let man wound God wound God and man doe what they will to soule and body and not spare yet God that wounds will I obey to the death this is all patience that is patience that holds its own in all conditions All Parience 't is patience breathing her selfe forth in the Teeth of a dog and setters on Shimei may barke Standers by hisse to make barking againe and yet all patience divinely turnes off all beholding GOD in a dead Dog a righteous God in an unrighteous man All patience 't is a heart able to suppresse all insurrection from the naked consideration of God and sinne a heart that can quiet it selfe from the very rod gather patience from the very twigs that whip and smart All patience 't is a heart which from the shaper and shaping of affliction can shape it selfe shoulders to beare it well 't is a heart so principled as able to fetch out of every eater meate out of a tearing Lyon Honey out of every bitter sweete something in or about every evill to keepe it selfe good and make it selfe better All patience 't is a spirit growne to an angelicall height able to carry himselfe sweetly to a dog to a Divell to the worst creature offending with no worse passion then this The Lord rebuke thee All Patience notes a totality in reference to time totum temporis All Patience is patience in graine such as will hold its colour yea it 's very glosse as long as the cloth last it notes such a patience as dies not till the man die such a patience as keeps the soule in all stormes and till all stormes be over that keeps the soule quiet till the very weather be quiet or till the soule hath quietly expired it selfe into the bosom of eternall rest above all disquiet All patience 't is holding fast till Christ come 't is a wayting all our dayes for better dayes in another World till our change come for liveing againe where barely to live is Heaven where being and wel-being are not distinguished All patience 't is a house upon a Rock a house so built a spirit so principled so sinewed so nerved and joynted that nothing can pull down but death it notes a soule so much out of it selfe and so much in Christ in his armes and under his dominion that it lies under a kind of impossibilitie to be stirred as mount Zion that not onely is not but cannot be moved the house may moulder and that may downe otherwise all patience is such an inmate such an inward soule-lasting thing that it will never out all patience was never knowne to leave any house till it fell down all patience and the last breath goe away together Father into thy hands J commit my spirit these are the last words of all patience Luke 23.46 The result of all is this All Patience 't is all advantages taken away al provocations incompassing and yet the soule abiding holy in behaviour and cariage in thought word and deede unto death 't is God against man the devill against man wife friends fire winds all creatures below man armed and set against man and yet man patient 't is man buffeted scratch't with thornes nayled spear'd spit on hell inflicted on Earth and yet holy and without sin and so continuing till hell be turned into Heaven the soule out of the body both into eternall rest All patience the Apostle expresseth in few words 't is patience having made her full fortifications her perfect worke as he calls it 't is every faculty in combination to beare what is or can be 't is the Militia setled in the soule by act by consent of the three states understanding will and affection 't is all soule-powers united to beare and endure all that can befall man All patience 't is a strong spirit as the expression is used of John Baptist and of Christ and of none else a spirit fortified with cleerenesse of light strength of faith fulnesse of resolution and made Musket proofe Cannon proofe impregnable against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile All Patience t is patience all in armour 't is a stubborne heart subdued and risen againe to divine resolution and now as divine hardy as before foole hardy 't is a spirit that will know no evill after the flesh no evil as 't is fleshly miserable but as 't is soule sinfull All patience 't is enduring hardship as a Souldier as a good Souldier as a good Souldier of Christ as the Apostle saith not opely suffering for truth but sleighting suffering as you know Souldiers doe they make nothing of hunger nor cold of blowes of wounds no nothing of death 't is a notable expression this of all patience to wit enduring of hardship as a good Souldier All patience 't is a spirit that can indure all hardship with ease perils at Sea perils at Land perils amongst false brethren perils amongst professed enemies any misery any death burning tearing cutting sawing a sunder and scorne base deliverance this is al patience patience al over patience patience throughout patience so liveing so dying Vse I have authority by this point to command you al to weigh your patience and to tell me to a graine how much you have Christians how much patience have you have you little or have you much have you al I speake to you al. The Heavens you see are growing al black over you the Earth al bloudy under you al miseries are marching towards you Famine Plague Sword white Horse black Horse pale Horse neither true white nor black al sorts of Men amongst us on Horse-back and going about deadly worke have you al patience to entertaine them al who ever come and what misery soever they bring Doe yee not expect a very miserable time yes And I expect a very sinnefull time there is so little patience A little suffering I see wil make you sinne much ah Lord what wil great suffering then doe seven yeeres bleeding ten yeeres bleeding twenty yeeres bleeding as Germany hath had you murmure now a little is gone surely you wil blaspheme when al is gon curse King Parliament and GOD too Lord what shal we doe wee shal have a Kingdome advanced to Heaven thrown downe to Hell a Kingdome full of devils full of evil spirits quickly if these Evil Times continue Men can beare nothing and God now calles to bearing much men cannot tell how to abate a little of wanted contents and God is going to strip of al men cannot exercise patience a little and God is calling for
t is a spirit of the right breed for the devil t will fight and fight till death t will worke to the utmost vires as long as nerves and sinewes bind bones together 't is everlasting burning which nothing will quench but its owne bloud Saints have had the triall on 't long long suffering A Christians condition is qualifyed Tristitia laetis he hath sweet things and bitter in every dish downe along to the lower end of his Table al-long his life he shall know that he is not at home He hath enough sometimes to say 't is good being here but never enough to say 't is best being here His rapture hath a rupture a sad breaking off his glory a shadow his statue a curtain drawen before it his heavenly vision is let down and drawen up his sunshines and clap's in suitable to this clowdy and impure region thus it doth through out the day Few and evill many and evill all evil doth good Iacob call his dayes so were all his sweets imbitter'd and qualifyed by God If one mercy be come another must be gon if corne be come Benajmin must be gon some thing for life is come and he that had the fathers soule must be gone If some children come home well some evil is befallen the rest Joseph is without doubte rent in pieces Gen. 37.33 So 't was with the blessed seed afterward which inherited the promise Milke and Hony and prickes in the sides whilst eating on 't and so it must be all a long as long as in Canaan the best people long sufferers in the best place that earth will afford A Christians condition is improved Christians are Gods Vineyard into this Vineyard God sends labourers to worke hard and to worke so long to the sixth ninth and last houre to make much fruit Afflictons are Gods day-labourers they work and worke thoroughout mans day to plow and breake up his fallow heart to grub up rootes bitter rootes and to prepare the way of the Lord for good fruit As God hath day-labourers to belabour the eare the heart the inward man and these kept at worke till the ninth and last houre of mans life so hee hath day-labourers to be labour the back the belly the outward man and these kept at worke as long as the other as long as man lives the one to prepare the way for the other one to plow and breake up and the other to sow The heart of man hath an unexpressible hardnesse the hardnesse of an Adamant many blowes will not break this stone it must be soakt in teares and in bloud long Afflictions are bitters to weane To moderate in lawfull things from sweets that are not necessary There is but one necessary the soule makes many t is whipt and whipt long ere 't will leave this Some children are not easiy to weane bitters must be laid upon the breast and lie long there ere the dug be cast off 't was long ere David could say Lord my heart is not haughty surely I have behaved and quieted my selfe as a child that is wean'd of his mother To take away unlawfull things Afflictions are to take away sinne By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne c. Isa 27.9 Afflictions and sufferings were onely to torture sin this might quickly be done but they are to take away sinne this is long work The furnace is to purify it must be heate and heate long to melt and segregate to discover disperse and take away drosse Afflictions are to worke truth in the inward parts t is long ere man be good at heart they are to heighten integrity t is longer ere the heart become so upright as to be a heart after Gods owne heart t is long ere a foule stomake will be made vomit up all t is long ere man will be brought to observe all Gods will this makes great plagues and of long continuance If thou will not observe to doe all the words of this Law that are written in this booke that thou maist feare this glorious and fearefull name THE LORD THY GOD. Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sickenesses and of long continuance Deutrenomy 28.58 59. God puts weight To serve in truth great weight upon truth to make it enter and make thorough impression truth is managed with great art to put back every spring and to make the bolt goe forth as far as it should and as fast and facile as it should Let these sayings sinke downe into your eares for the Sun of man shall be delivered into the hands of men Luke 9.44 Christ made a weight of himselfe and ties this to his words to make them sinke down into mens hearts he makes a weight now of us speakes and then strikes strikes and strikes often and long and then sayes secretly to the soule let these and these words now sinke down into their eares Christ is faine to bore way for truth to bore a long hole from the eare to the heart and this many times is a long while a doing six yeeres ten yeers twenty yeers A Christians condition is conform'd 't is made to speake Christ within and without in spirit in flesh the booke is written within and without in our soules in our bodies we are made to beare the markes of the Lord Jesus markes broad and long just like his in every circumstance The plowers made long furrowes on his back as long as his life he was acquainted with griefe griefe and hee were long acquaintance his whole voiage about this lower world was in stormes A man of sorrowes his life made up of sighs groans teares words bloud thus breath'd thus expir'd a mourning life a bleeding death The servant is as his Lord sufferers both as long as livers in this World the Apostle apprehended these Christians would finde it so therefore so prayd Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse Vse I have given you a survey of the way to Heaven expect dirty lanes and very long The way is narrow t is so all along scratching and tearing thornes and briers on both sides touching one another that 't is hard to make one step skin-whole Can yee beare these sayings Can yee beare such doings Can yee beare till your backes ake Can yee beare till your backes breake Can yee beare till you sinke and die under your burden Can yee suffer long as long as yee live Can yee leave all and follow Christ all your state all your limbes all your comforts al your dayes Can yee spend and end your dayes in misery to be blessed in another world you may think yee can doe so and be deceived Peter did so I will speake to this point a little There be three sorts of hearts which
in the eyes of many great and small as ever was Moses in the eye of Corah and his company for discharging his conscience This spirit became very spreading then and so strong that God was faine to make Israels misery long till he had cut off all that were unworthy of that which Moses and Aaron laboured to bring them to so may this spirit make our sufferings long so long till God hath cut off al these proud jostling spirits which are altogether unworthy of those great mercies which our honest-hearted Parliament painefully labours to bring us to A third thing that makes our troubles have a long visage in my eye is this That the one thing necessary to publique welfare is not preferred and prosecuted as such a thing that is according to its dignity and our duty The maine thing I conceive to our publique wel-fare is to perfect our reformation of Religion to raise up and finish that building the foundation whereof our Fathers bravely laid in their owne bloud Israel suffer'd much and suffer'd long a consumption followed them till it had brought them almost to nothing because they grew slack about the maine and preferr'd their owne houses the seiling and finishing of them before Gods House At first when they came togegether to Jerusalem they were hot upon Gods House but being diverted by troubles they grew cold and involved their spirits in their owne affaires which cost them deare and brought them into a deepe consumption I am affraid this is our case Our Parliament at first comming together seem'd very hot about Church affaires though not so hot then as I could have wish't God had his Committee amongst many other of our owne I meane a Committee about scandalous Ministers and matters wherein God is most immediately concerned this Committee was of life and heat a time and the dread and Majesty of that great Court hereby great many troubles came in and this Committee laid downe and other things relateing to this stay'd off by meanes of which the Majesty of that honourable House is much weakened because God much neglected I am affraide this will bring us into a deepe consumption and make Englands sufferings long because wee make God suffer so long all the Kingdome over by blinde worship and blind Ministers who are now the activest Engines against us A fourth thing which makes our troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this God hath suffered our troubles to grow beyond our Tiller as the Archers terme is our bow is made too strong for us to bend this makes long worke to bee ready If an unruly child creep up under the lenity of Parents to become an unruly boy one in bodily strength suiteable to his spirit before taken downe this speakes long suffering to such parents this is Englands case Our wicked children are growne up under the wing and lenity of the Parliament to virility to mans estate to externall strength suiteable to their internall temper this I am affraid speakes long suffering to thee O poore England Justice doth not looke as if shee would lay down her rod presently when shee is gathering more and more twigs A few malignants are become many many without Armes many in Armes our locusts goe forth by troopes Justice doth not use to make a rod of so many and so great twigs for a little worke strong twigs and rods are gather'd to last for long work A fift thing that makes Englands troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this A heavy spirit seemes to be fallen upon us Make their eares heavy saith God their Eares that is their hearts I am affraid that plague is heavily fallen upon us Heavy jades are shap'd to much beating a little will not make them goe Men come up to their light like a beare to the stake how heavy hath our motion beene to blast the Common Prayer Booke by publique vote how heavily brought on to judge it an agreement how heavily brought on to clip the power of Bishops how heavily brought on to vote them quite downe although such as had voted and almost acted downe God and all good in the Land how much farther hath many Parliament men gone in matters of Gods worship then droven I keepe honour in my breast towards them who have done throughout truely honorably For the execution of thorough Justice are they not now by the sword droven and will they goe now My heart bleeds to consider this what a heavy spirit is upon us in the prosecution of that worke which God hath thrust us upon Our eyes are halfe open as heavy-headed mens eyes are to see our advantages and our handes in our bosom like heavy sluggards when wee should take and prosecute advantages which God wonderfully gives us A heavy spirit speakes heavy misery suffering much and suffering long a heavy spirit makes heavy misery necessary such a temper otherwise will never go so far in good as it should The last thing which makes our sufferings looke with a long visage in my eye is this suffering doth not soften our fire doth not melt but harden and make brawny the heart of the most The weekly newes of our bleeding is become as the weekly bill of the plague read over and throwne a side Many bodies kill'd how many soules more alive then were What heart goes in secret and bleeds in his brethrens wounds Many kill'd many more worse then kil'd maim'd spoil'd turn'd out of all and likely to starue to death goe weeping wailing and wringing their hands up and down the Country yea up and downe here and doe fully looke some of you in the face and yet I see no signe of all this in your faces Their tone is dolefull doe wee eccho to them The spoiled mourne to the saved doe we weepe with them that weep doe we beare their burden as our own Let every mans conscience speake and acquit him if it can Doth not this saddly speak more suffering because no man will suffer till Justice bring suffering to his own doore No man will be afflicted till it come to his owne turne no man will afflict himselfe all is put upon God he must doe it man by man many will not be afflicted in few this will be long worke I can sadly tell you of hearts more brawny then these hearts that would not have spoiling cease because it inricheth them no not killing cease because 't is their gainfull trade that see bloud and desolation dayly and yet have no bowells but feare this wil end too soon that cut out their worke to last this is not the spirit of a Souldier but the spirit of a Butcher that lives by killing as his Trades and pockets up the prize of bloud and misery with joy This a Souldier a Judas a Wolfe that growes fat upon the carkasses of the slaine Men that strive after places to kill bodies for gaine Ah Lord who hath kill'd such soules This is the spirit of a Souldier
to goe about a bleeding worke with a bleeding heart and yet this is consistent with the spirit of a Lyon to a mans place Must I kill bodies to save soules O that wickednesse should thrust such deadly worke upon me how many such Souldiers have we if deliverance from suffering come no faster then true sensibility under it surely Englands sufferings will be long That sensibility that is more selfish then divine When will our troubles have an end when this and when that who is that man that lookes upon the plaister as suited to a sore When will the sore be well whose heart beates thus but every mans tone is when wil the War end Why when all bad bloud is out of thy veines will not that be long first and yet wil not that be soon enough These things and such like make me feare Christians that your sufferings will be long but be not offended we cannot be too long in the Hand of God If long lying among the pots bring us forth with silver wings at last our long suffering will recompense it selfe who wil then complaine that Englands sufferings have beene too long Gold seven times purified wil glister gloriously thorough refining wil make England the the glory of al Landes If Ioseph lye prisoner long and be raised to be Prince at last hath he cause to complaine of hardship that his suffering was too long A heart apt to take offence at Gods dealing is willing to depart let such goe God wil have enough to doe his worke Revolt under your long suffering and your suffering wil be long indeed as long as England lasts as long as Hell lasts FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Long suffering with joyfulnesse TO make a rod bud and become pleasant to turne a Hell into Heaven misery long misery into joy this is hard and high yet thus high doth a Christians duty rise in this Text Long-suffering with joyfulnesse This last terme doth explaine what sufferings for kind the Apostle meanes to wit suffering for truth the reproach of Christ and this how great so ever should be treasure how lasting so ever should be undergone with joy long-suffering with joyfulnesse Sufferings are various and differ in their nature according to their immediate cause Sinne is the immediate cause of some sufferings righteousnesse the immediate cause of others When man suffers for his sinne he should beare it accept the punishment of his iniquity and not kick against his Maker how long soever such suffering be but joy is not proper under this suffering because such suffering speakes wrath I will beare the wrath of God because J have sinned Bearing is proper under divine displeasure but not joy to smile when God frownes is to despise the chastening of the Lord no affliction is joyous as it referrs to sin and wrath Righteousnesse is the immediate cause of other miseries patience is proper under these and more suffering and joy beareing long and bearing long with joy because these afflictions speake onely the displeasure of man not the displeasure but the pleasure of God A man should smile when God smiles joy when God joyes though in a dungeon Doct. Suffering for Christ how great how long so ever should bee managed with a spirit of joy A man should suffer the spoyling of his person the spoyling of his goods the spoyling of all for Christ and suffer it with joy yee had compassion on me and tooke joyfully the spoyling of your goods c. Heb. 10.34 Joy is to follow the soule as long as the soule followes Christ 't is to follow the lambe and the follower of the Lambe whithersoever they goe Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say rejoyce hee spake this to suffering Christians he lifts and lifts againe to lift the heart as high as its duty which is to make christianity throughout a course of joy to make faire way and foule way alwayes all wisdomes wayes all Christs wayes pleasant Some duties have their termination joy hath none 't is an alway worke an everlasting duty t is not to cease when goods cease when honours cease no 't is not to cease when all contents cease 't is to last Summer Winter Spring Fall Day Night joy is the Nightinggall-grace in the soule it is to sing all night long let the night be neuer so long never so darke ever more Rejoyce ever more truth and joy are never to part they are to keepe company together and beare up one another truth joy and joy truth till they lie downe both together in the bosom of eternall felicity Duties are consistent one duty is not to destroy another the leane Kine are not to eat up the fat long suffering is not to kill and bury joy yet this sweet child is never so neere its grave and its end usually as when suffering is long If Rachel suffer much and suffer long till al her children are not joy is not if children be kill'd she thinkes shee may kill her joy if al be kil'd shee thinkes she may kil al her joy and never let it live more Refuse to be comforted One beame of the Sun does not devoure another they all shine together that makes that celestiall body so glorious so al graces are to shine in a Christian together this gives a Christian his glory long-suffering and joy Long suffering is a beame of God this does not put out or darken other beames hee is long suffering indeed he suffers more and longer then any of us and yet he is joyous to hee does not barely beare but joy and beare hee does not overthrow no nor diminish in the least kind the felicity of his condition by suffering Christians are to be like him Duties are made consistent we must not make them inconsistent Long suffering and joy seeme inconsistent to flesh and bloud yet joyned together by God in my Text we may not part what God joines long-suffering with joy Duties are assistant long suffering makes great capacity not great incapacity of joy Some people are by situation you know neerer the Sun then others who are so neere the Sun by situation and placeing from God as those whom hee chooseth out to suffer and suffer long suffering long and joy are very neere by situation there is never a word between them in my Text joy is Peters Angel if Peter be in Prison and have been there long this Angel is at the doore More then this as soon is a Christian is in prison for Christ Christ is at the doore which joy let such a man but aske and his joy will be full presently Christ is so neere him aske and your joy shall be full Ioh. 16.24 You know he speakes it to such who apprehended how much they should undergoe when Christ was gon from them Ah! saith Christ though I goe away I wil set joy at your doore a comforter to be very neere you when any discomfort surprises and then neerest when
not be a joy to a man to put forth an Arme to cast out Devils though he never pluck it in againe should not a Christian make it his honour his joy to make devils subject to him to make insolent wickednesse asham'd and returne or swell and breake and hang it selfe should it not joy a man to suffer any thing to kill a devill legions of devills principalities and powers Scarlet wickednesse wickednesse grown so high as scarce ever was in England 't was the joy of Sampson to suffer any thing that hee might make wicked Nobles suffer scarlet wickednesse a never dying Monument of shame mee thinkes it should make the most fleshly fearefull spirit in the World Joy to suffer any thing to help forward such noble acts as these To die in the prosecution of a just cause to the life such a death is it not life such heart bloud dropping forth does not every drop give back a cordiall to the heart from whence it comes Such misery does it not create it 's owne joy Can you not joy in such sufferings as bring cordialls with them Such sufferings as are rather joyes then sufferings they have so much honor and glory in them You shall be the death of the Kingdome of the devill throughout England throughout the Christian world Some thinke the Throne of the Beast is in England I believe the life of the Beast the life of al beastly wickednesse through out the Christian world depends much upon these wicked wretches which live in England is it not time then they were dead should it not joy any one to suffer any thing to send such to their place to damne up Springs of wickednesse to cut off the devils right hand to pull downe strong holdes of hell should it not joy a man to die dead the divelish world to die like Sampson and pull downe all the Philistims strength at once A blessing is pronounced twice in one Psalme to them that take Babylons little ones and dash them against the stones what blessednesse then to them which take Babylons great ones and dash them against the stones should it not joy one to goe about a bloudy worke to be so blessed so particularly so doubly blessed You shall be the life of Christs Kingdome the life of his children Ordinances spirit glory throughout the Christian world should it not be the joy of a man to die that God may live 't was the joy of God to die that man might live God shed his bloud saith the Scripture to save the bloud of man and he did this bloudy service with joy with delight saith the Psalmist which notes an intention of joy should not a man gloryingly breath forth his glory and die that Gods panting glory in England may recover breath and live who would not be ambitious to be his Saviours Saviour to beare up the pillars of the Christian World as the Psalmist speakes The integrity of your suffering depends much upon your ioy in suffering murmuring suffering is sinning you will suffer for this againe As God calles for the heart in doing so in suffering I cannot stand on this let mee conclude all thus GOD ownes the cause that you owne should it not joy a man to march after God you are willing to lose your bloud and God is willing to spare it The more backward you are to suffer the more you will suffer the more forward the lesse Joy to suffer long for Christ will shorten longsuffering FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Strengthened with all might according to His glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulnesse EVery word in this Verse hath it not been a sweet flower to smell to the whole is a bundle of myrrhe 'T is a Verse filled with the pantings of a precious spirit which are to be filled with God to have all of that which is indeed all all soule strength all soule wealth all might all patience all joy all Christ in fellowship and fruition to doe him all cheerfull service as long as life lasts There is holy ambition in Christianity i to be greatest in the Kingdome of God * In the Kingdome of grace to sit on Christs right hand as he sits on his Fathers right hand to have all power given unto us to doe all workes well which are assigned to us as he did the whole soule to lie in the bosom of Christ and so to be all in all and answerably all unto all all in point of power patience joy ability and cheerfulnesse unto all duty O how good a good heart would be all good all good in the worst condition grace would be absolute grace would have all grace that all the world may see nothing in her but like her selfe in the lowest condition a man in Christ would be all in Christ all unto Christ outside inside whole man whole man Christs with joy Things have their instinct stones fall downward and they fall as low as ever they can to get to the very center if it possibly may be so sparkes fly upward and they ascend as high as ever they can to get into their own Heaven if it may be Eagles fly high and come as neare the Sun as they can Grace hath its instinct it ascends and ascends as high as ever it can would come as neare the Sun as 't is possible 't would be like him 't would shine in a darke World in a darke night in a desolate condition gloriously as he did A Christian would be all of that nature of which hee is so little hee would bee in all conditions himselfe above himselfe a Christian in state when a man in no estate Things have their sense Senses are greedy they are never satisfied they stil cry give give the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing nor the mouth with tasting so grace 't 'as i'ts instinct yea 'tas more 't 'as sense grace can see grace grace can tast grace grace is sweet to grace the new man can savour the things of God A Christ can desire as hee tastes pantes and Prayes as he feeles hee pants for flagons he feeles drops so sweet for water brookes he sees little streames so pleasant Gods children are very craving the more receiving the more craving receptions are so sweet sense is still eged on divine sense divinely exorbitant never satisfied it cries give give all all strength all patience all joy The crying of a babe is after all that the breast will yield yea after all that both breasts will yield after all that a Saviour hath purchased and made giveable Things have their reason man moves ex judicio he discourseth worth and so makes out pearles are no lumber silver and gold no lumber but treasure pure treasure I would I had my house-full of these saith he Reason hath found out and pitcht upon worth and this makes desire mighty vast the man would have all 't is so good
easily mounts Heaven-ward when God lifts it As sorrow is Gods casting downe the soule Why art thou cast downe O my soule c. And then the soule is fit for no duty disadvantage is so strong upon it so joy 't is Gods lifting up the soule upon this advantage it can doe any thing goe up hil with ease mount to heaven facilly Joy 't is Gods giving winges to the soule to fly after him A soule winged by God will mount as high as God as high as the highest Heaven where God is 't will after God from favour to favour from bush to bush as young Birds doe after the old one when they are by the warmth of the old one fledg'd and can flee as soone as the old one hath featherd and winged them by warmth they after him from twig to twig from Tree to Tree and hang about him So doth the soule as soone as warm'd and winged with joy from God make after him to Heaven with praise let disadvantages bee what they will You cannot keepe young ones in the nest when once feather'd and winged no more can you keepe the soule from ascending to Heaven when warm'd by God with Joy As the soule is in divine strength so it ascends Smoaking flax goes up to the lower region flameing flax goes higher and is far more mounting joy 't is flameing flax 't is the soule in a blaze a great blaze ascends very strong and very high as high as Heaven into the very presence Chamber of the King Things mount as they are in spirits joy 't is a soule full of the holy Ghost one spirit in the bosome of another a soule captivated in Christ cannot but goe where 't is carried every heart Christ takes hee carries home to his Father with joy magnifying love revealed with joy giving thankes to the father c. As the soule gets oâ—â—od so it ascenâ—â— to him when it gets most of him it ascends most and best to him Joy 't is Gods comming downe and filling the house as you reade of the Devils comming downe that expression notes his extraordinary working in and by the children of disobedience so notoriously as if he were in person present here and had no other residence but in their hearts no dwelling but here as if he had removed his shop above in the Aire and brought all his tooles and black family downe upon Earth so joy 't is Gods comming downe I cannot borrow a fuller expression 't is God extraordinarily present and working in the hearts of his people as if he did make Heaven it selfe descend and bring down all the glory that is above and set it in the midst of man God thus working in man such workes worke out work up very high Ordinary workes may be vail'd and hid extraordinary cannot they will breake out ascend and publish themselves in the Eares of the Author these are workes so wrought as made alive and with Legs to goe home again and acknowledge their Father so are all graces when divine joy takes them made alive and ascending home to acknowledge their Father with joyfulnesse giving thankes to the Father c. I have said something for the soule I wil say something for graces to hold out the truth of this point to you That joy makes a very ascending frame of heart As graces grow to maturity so they make home Joy 't is grace growen up grace growne tall to mans estate to maturity of knowledge to maturity of expression Joy knowes her father which no child else in the soule doth can owne her father Joy is strong she can she doth necessarily extoll and lift up her Father With joy giving thankes to the Father c. Finally for I will name no more things of this nature As things are in puâ—â—ty so they ascend Nothing so pure as divine joy 't is the meere reflection of Sun beames the resplendency of Gods smiling Face Sun rayes and beames goe forth and then reflect backe againe warme the Earth and then back to Heaven againe so doe the beames of Gods Countenance warme the cold heart of man with joy and then these and the soule too back to God againe with joyfulnesse giving thankes to the Father c. Vse You see the nature of divine joy it makes a very ascending frame of heart it sets the soule upon wing for Heaven it makes Cripples leape and praise God What is the nature of your joy Doth it make you flee up or flee out Does your joy make you wantons or Puritans 'T is a pastime to fooles to doe wickedly many are worst when merry'st Ah Lord what basenesse doe many belch forth when their hearts are upon a merry pin how proudly how uncleanly how loosely doe they speake and doe If there be any joy in Hell 't is this certainly the divel liftes up that heart that thus joyes that in joying lifts up it selfe against God Cursed is that joy that makes God sad Cursed is that joy that leades to weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in a time of joy as you make it I am come to speake of joy 't is a good hand of providence so to order our way I wish I could so handle this point of joy in this time of joy as to make you all to looke wel to your joy Time wil not suffer me to say much It fell-out to be an eclipse that day this Sermon was preached Christmasse eclipsed Sunday 't was very sad to behold to tender hearts I can onely say this watch your hearts a loose time is come 't wil suite wel with loose soules you wil see many damnably merry Carnall creatures wil leape out of their skin out of their soules into Hell when their bellies be ful Belly-gods set a knife to your throates have a care of your soules as you love your soules looke to your joy eate and drinke and rise up to play and not rise up to pray and praise God and your Table wil be your snare your death Your brethren have too little wil you eate too much your brethren fast will yee feast your brethren bleed wil yee wantonly sport they are kill'd with griefe wil yee kil your selves with joy What a strange Kingdome shal we render our selves to be in the sight of God some bleeding and groaning and some surfetting and chambering some reeling and falling with deady bullets in their sides and others reeling and falling with too much drinke in their bellies some wallowing in the field in bloud and others wallowing in the streets in vomit Ah Lord will not this make vengeance smoake against England Christians and sinners I am affraid of these prophane dayes Jobs feare respecting his children when they were going a feasting is strongly seis'd upon me lest you pull your houses about your eares by carnall and unseasonable joy I charge you al by the dreadfull comming of the Lord Jesus whose bloudy sword is drawne in the Land and set at your breasts that
acknowledge their proper Author all the power al the wisdome al the love that is in them to God as their Father Every Creature hath a rude speech to this purpose of its owne that is as Gods owne glory gloriously revealed in them sensibly speakes forth himselfe But man is formed intentionally and very transcendently to this worke to speake not rudely but divinely accurately to make power speake and to speake to the life wisdome speake and speake to the life every mute Creature and action and al the love that lies mute and silent in them to speake out and prostrate it selfe to God as it's Father Giving thanks to the Eather who hath made us c. All things in the World in the Heavens in the Earth in the Sea have Gods marke upon them as his goods as great Merchants set their marke upon all the goods which are theirs God hath not left himselfe without witnesse throughout the Creation Now thankfulnesse 't is a going from Creature to Creature from worke to worke to finde out God his marke his image and superscription to whom doth this belong To whom that if the Echo be to God why give unto God the things that are Gods if this creature or action be so fat so mute that it cannot speake nor call God Father I will for it saith a thankfull soule let God have all his owne let him weare his one glory himselfe and none else Father al love to al things here below temporall love eternal love upon him Give thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. Thankefulnesse is a making every thing that is good to cry Abba Father to God every thing that is good and al the good that is in every thing what is simply and totally good what is subordinately and finally good good in its end as troubles which prepare and fit for Heaven what good is in the staffe what good is in GOD what good is in good and what good is in evil thankfulnesse goes a fishing and gathering for love every where and to every ones doore to hel doore to Heaven doore to present it to its owne Father giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light Thankfulnesse it is Gods faithfull register 'T is Recorder to the great City above ' t' hath an admirable memory nothing dies that love does t is a grace which layes up doings sayings yea whisperings of love in the heart many yeares and ponders them every day every houre and keepes them alive and as fresh and fragrant in the soule as if but now done Shee writes love as he writes beloved upon the Palme of her hand she is never forgotten nor never forgets she remembers dayes of Old dayes of love though never so old are new Thankefulnesse makes mercies live as God lives for ever His name is had in everlasting remembrance c. By whom by a thankefull soule by none else There is no grace makes Chronology so exact for yeares for dayes for houres for all circumstances as thankfulnesse doth How long God hath beene a Father in what condition a Father in what manner and measure a Father to what end a Father to bestow an inheritance what inheritance for kinde for situation whether in darkenesse or in light she exactly records all Giving Thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Thankefulnesse 't is Gods bountifull paymaster 't is a returne of Gods own with advantage his favours and mans heart in over and above for Gods favours A thankfull man cannot nakedly returne fatherly love hee binds up his heart in his acknowledgements hee bundles up blessings and bundles up his soule in them and so carries them al together to Heaven All his benefits and all my soule and all that is within it let them al goe together to Heaven to make an offring of thanksgiving Let the Arke goe home againe but by no meanes let it goe home empty send costly Pictures of Gods dealings home with it golden Emrods golden Mice let Christ and love revealed in my soule be returned by my soule home againe but let them not be returned empty sayes a thankfull man let me picture out and engrave Gods kinde dealings in my heart and so send Divine favours and heart together home to Heaven yea if I had ten thousand soules ten thousand Jewells more precious then that inmost Jewell of all in my breast let that love which hath made it selfe my father and made me out an inheritance as a child and me fit for that inheritance have all Giving thankes to the Father c. Understand this to be a heart speech a soule breathing an intense totall soule breathing heaven-ward Thanksgiving 't is a presenting God with his own with all his own with thine own have wee offered unto thee saith David in his thansgiving wisdom might are thine all that is good comes of thee A thankfull man hath no good thing of his own 't is all Gods that he has his wisdome Gods his strength Gods every good thought of God to doe to will good of God whatsoever hee has whatsoever hee is is grace by his grace I am that I am this is the naturall language of a thankfull soule All good in me al good that comes from me is of him and through him and therefore all shall be for him inheritance fitnesse for this inheritance all felicity all that belongs to felicity have no naturall but a divine father Giving thanks to the Father c. 'T is an expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a breathing out of all for all to him that is al. Gods fathering of man hath al favours in it all favours have two parts an inheritance and fitting for it and both in this Text and both taken up with one hand to wit with thanksgiving and lifted up as high as Heaven Thanksgiving 't is a spirit still upon the wing rising and ascending to Heaven from every thing never at home but at Heaven 't is a very low thing that he cannot rise from as high as Heaven hee eates and lookes up drinkes and lookes up lookes downe and lookes up whatsoever he lookes upon he cannot looke off God whatsoever he sees heares tasts smells he takes wing from and goes bound in spirit for Heaven whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever hee doth he doth all to the glory of God Thankfulnesse is an Eagle-grace whose game lies all in soaring mounting towards the Sun 't is a soule still travelling from Earth to Heaven from the creature to the Creator t is he that brings tidings to Heaven still of the lost groat of the lost sheepe of the lost Son of what of Gods was lost and is found here and there in this person and that in this thing and that which makes that transcendent joy above 't is a man whose minde runs upon God as you
separated from life zeale from integrity an honest heart but something cold and heavy does not run well I confesse in Christian propriety of speaking but we will suppose this case and speake on let there be what integrity and honesty in the heart there will be if there be not fervent love and life warmth and heat thankesgiving will bee poore Thankfulnesse comes the deadliest off of any duty in a dead heart Some birds have longer wings then others they usually flee highest which have longest he had neede have a large strong wing'd soule that is good at thanksgiving the duty is so meerly and so highly heavenly A cold heart can doe but little at prayer but just nothing at thanksgiving you were as good goe to string a stone and play upon it as to make divine melody upon a stony cold heart Defect in natural heat maks benūmednes to action if you be benumm'd to duty certainly there is a defect in spirituall heat you are not warme enough at heart a man is in thankfulnesse as he is in strength of love strong love will fall a limming out of Christ from head to foote acutely his eyes are like his haire like that c. Thirdly as the soule is in Prayer so t is in thanksgiving as a man is in conscience to the meanes so he is in assistance to the end as a man is at one duty so he is in likelyhood and capacity to be at another Dutys they are introductive one leades into another we goe from strength to strength from the strength of one duty wee are made strong to another the blessing of one duty leaves supply behind it to bring on another higher God steps in on a sudden and lifts up the soule when the man is upon his knees A man does beyond expectation when hee humbly casts himselfe upon the means when a Christian cannot doe a divine duty let him come as neere it as he can and God steps in and makes it out When a Christian cannot give thankes let him pray and God will turne a spirit of Prayer into a spirit of praise Some are discourag'd from Prayer they can give thankes no better I come still as a Raven meerely craving why doe so still t is not impossible to God to teach a Raven to sing Finally a man is at thanksgiving according to an inward secret assistance and concurrence which no man can expresse as the spirit helps in Prayer with sighes and groans which cannot be expressed so in thanksgivings with heart-liftings and heart-raysing and ravishing which cannot be expressed Saylers to Heaven finde some times a current as Saylers here below doe in some voyages when the soule lights of this it sayles a pace whether it will or no with no paine there are secret whispers from above bunches of the holy Land tastes of the powers of the World to come these are above all to raise the soule and to set all a praysing God as the soule is brought nearer Heaven this duty becomes naturall I see some very thankefull and yet very poore scarce any thing without to make Musick on surely they have a mighty advantage within there is one winds up blowes and breakes within the instrument could never goe without any thing else so as it seemes to doe FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light OUr way is mountainous every word is wonderfull high we need wonderfull aide to doe well I againe beg your Prayers I prize them above all parts to facilitate and felicitate my way make me and your selves happy in them make wings for me to ascend to Heaven my Text and worke lies all there Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Who hath made us meete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath made us fit or sufficient Idoneum facere Who hath made c. Vox creationis terminus creandi * Creating and making idem sonant see Gen. 5.1 Doct. est 'T is a terme of Creation Grace is another Creation t is much out of nothing much made from nothing by nothing but by him that is all Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. The Image of God in Adam was a piece of the Creation a peculiar prime piece t is noted so In the Image of God made hee him c. Gen 5.1 The image of God was the result the ultimate the glosse the glory of the whole piece the furthest reach the designe proposed the top of creating art lay in this * Creating and making idem sonant see Gen. 5.1 Doct. in the likenesse of God made hee man c. This prime piece was lost deeply lost generation will not reach it regeneration onely can the result of generation is but mans image nakedly and no more Gods image is a piece that beares still upon Creation Who hath made us meete One miserable Creature brings forth another no Creature makes another good Men of gifts have not this gift men of grace cannot make gracious The skilfullest man cannot set another in Christ he must be created in We are created in Christ Jesus unto good workes c. Saith the Apostle Men whose art and trading lies onely this way to make gracious yet these cannot we are but instruments by whom men believe but pipes thorough which grace is conveyed the fountaine open is Christ He is the fountaine of life life and the fountaine thereof spirits bubble and spring out of his bosome and blood Fountaine 't is a terme that notes no reception because none knowen is used by the holy Ghost as Melchisedeck to set forth a transcendent thing a worke immediatly and onely from God as Creation was so would the Apostle have this word sound in our eare which is used in my Text who hath made us meet who alone i hath done this as he did things at first Cunctis patientibus every thing laying meerely passiue as the Chaos before him The naturall spirit is still created you give Semen sanguinis semen carnis but not Semen spiritus the seed of flesh and bloud but not the seed of your soules you bring nothing to this glorious worke not a stone not a dust to our inmost roome God breathes the soule still if the naturall spirit much more the divine the holy spirit Gives the holy spirit to them that aske it Grace is another inbreathing another in spiration upon expiration solemne request as dead an immediate Act from Gods owne Mouth as the first breathing of the soule was not leaning to or admitting of any subordination or co-ordination No Father hath grace but God Giving thankes to the Father who hath made mee c. The way of grace is via creationis the way of Creation The spirit moves freely absolutely first as it did when it
moved upon the Chaos It workes not in reference to any preceding worke or signe of enducement much lesse ingagement All are under sinne dead a Chaos and he quickens whom he will all inducement is onely from GOD and will An out roome here below hee would have and he sayd let there be this and let there be that and it was so and this was the manner of raising it so now a roome he will have here below more inward from the noise of the World and hee sayd Ephata let this window be opened and let there be light and 't is so Vessels hee will have for this low roome and he makes them al himselfe according to absolute will hee makes one to honour c. Terminus creandi est 't is a terme of Creation Synonimicall with this in my Text who hath made us meete i by his word and of his one free wil. Media gratiae ordinem creationis subeunt The meanes of grace have the order of Creation stamp'd upon them Christ the great wheele that turnes all other wheeles of our salvation is made unto us what he is and made of God Who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse c. 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is a full Sea indeed but not a drop to us but as made of God So we are made able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit Could such a poore man as I by speaking a while to the eare turne the heart from sinne to Christ did not a creating blessing sit on my lips Divine institutions have the formality of a Creation in them because they have what they have and doe what they doe from supreame power onely above all cause and reason Other meanes have their reason in them as a cause Therefore are institutions and meanes of grace here not so much as mentioned onely the Father meanes are so beside likelyhood and reason to so noble an end as to make and fit soules for Heaven Giving thankes to the Father who hath made c. None else worthy to be so much as mention'd in this noble worke Grace is a Creation Creatio talis creatio ' and 't is such a Creation there is Creatio transiens continuans Grace is a continued Creation The Father workes hitherto and I worke hee speakes of Gods working grace under the motion of Creation and in that very phrase that wee should call the working of grace a Creation The Creation of the World ceased in so many dayes Transiens and God rested from that labour and doth still but the the Creation of grace lasts hithertoo 't is the worke of the Trinity to this day without resting and how long yet further 't will be whether to the end of the externall Creation I cannot say The Word of God is a lively word it hath a spirit in it this is the worke of the Trinity still to put spirit into the Word to make living words and so living soules So the workes of God are lively workes what God does ' has a voice the staffe a voice all that God sayes and does all his words and works they are made lively that is breathing and forming eternall life in man by a transcendent concurrence of Father Son and holy Ghost the first is here mention'd to wit the Father the rest are to be understood to wit the Sun the holy ghost the workes of the Trinity ad extra are not to be divided Giving thankes to the Father i to Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Who hath made us meete c. Under this terme made the Word of God and workes of God are meant as meanes for he speakes in the foregoing Verse of sufferings which attend truth which are al conducing to this noble end to fit man for God Grace 't is a new Creation Nova a Creation that makes old things passe away things as old as the old Creation and then things to become new 'Tas destruction in it and then erection and edification it takes away and then sets up it destroyes sinnes which are old things as old as the Devill and then sets up grace takes away the stone and then builds with flesh this is the fashion and manner of building within kils the old man and then makes a new new light new love this makes a new heart a new Creature a new man Who hath made us c. i who hath made us againe who hath made us anew Grace is a hid Creation Abscondita 't is formatio secreta our life is hid Know'st thou the way of the spirit in man 't is as the way of a Bird in the Aire 't is as the way of the wind in the Earth very unknowne Invisibles stellae A new name which none knowes but he that hath it 't is meate to eat which the World knows not of no which Christians know not of One Christian doth not know what meate another Christian hath at his Table nor how sweete not what guests nor how merry together J have meate to eate which yee know not of A Christian is bound in the spirit and cannot see the girdle raised high and cannot see the hand taught wisdome secretly and like Samuel cannot tell the voice warmed and cannot describe the fire the soule as in Heaven and yet in the body and then whether in the body or out of the body cannot tell As there is killing without hand so there is making alive without hand without any seene or to be discerned Trees have their sap and seed in them their sap and life is hid it creepes up under the barke and puts out gloriously but very secretly and unexspressibly beyond all demonstration so is the way of grace and the working of the spirit of God in man Interna Grace is an internall Creation it makes a new heart and a new spirit 't is glory within t is bones broken not flesh and set againe and made glad 't is a heart prickt wounded and heal'd not a head Grace 't is the foreskin of the heart taken away a Jew inwardly 't is great hammering yet no noyse heard 't is so inwardly a cry but none heard in the streetes t is in such inroomes 't is not onely the hand without put forward but the watch-wheeles within set right to the sun Grace 't is Anima indivisibilis the soule broken all to pieces by supreame power and curiously by the same power set together againe Grace is glory within a roome of royall repose private 't is Christ in the heart of the Earth the Kingdome of God is within us The words which Christ speakes they are spirit and life so are all his workes which now he workes they are spirit and life i of life upon the spirit hee hath done all his workes without doore all his worke now is within spirit upon spirit not a worke more should be wrought now were it not to make
as any piece of the foundation can be found A ruinous state is not affected with it selfe but with utter ruine if it can keepe off there 't is well A ruin'd soule can beare ruins al that is dreaded is desolation Hell surely there is much or Hell in this heart already he doth so onely feare Hell and as long as hee keepes on thus 't wil increase Scratching is nothing wounding nothing bleeding nothing if it can be stay'd ere all be out All bad to day worse to morrow all the reliefe that keepes up is I hope not starke naught I hope so too but surely this is onward a pace to it All will be better though little or nothing done to better what 's amisse this is a second principle demonstrative of a state ruinous A ruinous soule is idle his industry lies in shifts to evade not in care to amend Times will turne and be better though the heart keepe on as it was and the man in his old pace Something is in the view of sense and this strongly cleaved to what tender hearts feare is but feare he believes stil what is neare hand and shapd by the lasie fancy a ruin'd soule is sensuall as long as he can see or feele he is never without hope though lust every houre baffle his light and make a knowing man an evil doer a man of light a walker in darkenesse What a state is this can any condition come worse then this which this man is in He can thinke of no bleeding and yet his soule has scarce a drop of good bloud left of no misery and yet scarce any can be more miserable then hee is already good still in his own eye and yet stil bad and does nothing to amend The punishment of neglect is upon this man when troubles were far of hee did nothing to prepare for them now they are neare he is left to apprehend none Justice is in this that the man may eate the fruit of his way A ruinous soule growes stil more ruinous Justice hides opportunites or denies stirrings to take them for abuse of so many that she may take folly naked with a stinging rod. Things are better with me yet then with such a one A ruinous soule compares himselfe with more ruinous bad with worse which is the way to be starke naught One would thinke it sad reliefe to a Leper to heare him say I am not so al over Leprous yet as such a one when t is natural to the disease to rise to this upon every one One would think it sad reliefe for a man to say to himselfe such a one is going to Hell a little faster then I. A ruinous soule is base he maks base and not noble spirits his patterne that he may keep on his way to serve his lust He goes as neare a down right worlding a downe right time server as hee can there is so much income to accomodate an engaged heart this way over there is in nobility of spirit A ruinous soule is a dunghil kept from stinking in every ones nostrils and that 's all When hee begins to smel strong the shift is smel to such a one he does this and that A ruinous soule lives within the confines of Hell to gaine Earth 't is a piece much below his allowance hee wil be judged with the World in this life hee wil have a Hell here scarce bee saved seeme to come short of eternal rest hee wil be saved by fire A fiery salvatioÌ„ an hellish heaven wil be to this man he wil be dragged by the heeles out of his basenesse Having given these principles of discovery attend to your charge I charge you ruined and ruinous soules with al the ruines of England Ye desolate soules yee have desolated a glorious Land the cry of bloud and desolation is against you what do you do to discharge your selves yee ruined do you stiâ—l lie weltering in your bloud to procure more bloud yee ruinous do yee meane to continue cold luke-warme and base still till God spues us out all the bloud of all be upon you I wash my hands from the bloud of every base soule Know that you have a seasonable word your misery sleeps not which have made so many miserable by your basenesse If you plead you would be better if you could why God can make you better Your wil is your worst piece and you thinke 't is the best You have no minde to be better because to be better wil not so wel serve your turne Had you had a wil to be better could you have rub'd along so base til now that judgement states you in the Face Creating and making power hath but three hinderances 1. Vnbeliefe 2. Frowardnesse 3. Besottednesse it never failes else to make any man meete to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light Creating power workes in order to believing as a man credits Christ so hee puts forth power to cast out Devils Christ wil have the honour of judgement ere he wil make towards a man Judge highly and honorably of Christ and he wil visit you and shew you what an arme hee hath and how possible your state is to him If you judge that he can make you cleane he wil honour your judgement and fulfill your Faith Christ wil be to you in action what you make him in apprehension not a dram of your faith shall faile you If you believe that he can remove mountaines he wil do it that he can create a new heart hee wil do it Your faith puts you into a capacity of a Creation Creation puts you into a capacity of any thing what can be wanting to him that stands under the blessing of a creating power Creating power workes in order to submission Stubbornnesse gets nothing at Christs hands but blowes A man must lay his soule at Christs Feete and let him doe with it what he wil that would be made happy by him Pride is resisted a pitifull condition must be pitifully layd open and then bowels beate Son of David have mercy upon me and then saith Christ what wilt thou Any thing now Finally creating power workes in order to sense A besotted soule abides so he is what he is in conceit hee dies so good opinion keepes him bad leaves him so to death The rich need nothing they have nothing to make them better They have all what needs a Creation making power is put forth upon extreamity sharpe sense men and brethren what shall I do Now Christ bestirres himselfe and does something indeed to make a miserable Creature happy partaker of an inheritance The riches of the Saints is in this point I will touch this and conclude Your mercies do not generate Generation kils it caries away so much of the strength of the reines they are created created power is omnipotent everlasting so it makes Christians mercies Generatio est limitatio fertur ad quoddam tale ad individuum tale Generation speakes
past by should account so and spell his death out of it Abels offering accepted and Cains nor this was to hint to Cain how things went in Gods breast and it did so but wrought desperately Christ in the same breath in the same expression can speake consolation and condemnation life and death life plainly death noddingly so hee doth here in this forme of expressing himselfe Who hath made us meete c. Vse This point dischargeth a broad side against an errour of the World Every one thinkes himselfe in the favour of God That wherein God is most curious the World thinkes he is most carelesse his love workes very choisely and they thinke it workes very commonly What man alive but promises himselfe the love of God when hee dies What mans state so bad but he thinkes â—will end in Heaven Ignorant soules make Heaven and the Bosome of God â—he center of soules that to which all soules necessarily goe and can goe no whither else I am pain'd at the heart to heare prophane mens opinions and their principles respecting the love of Christ and their eternall estate I will give you two or three of their principles and speak to them They thrive in the World therefore â—ove hath given them her favour and chosen out them to be the onely happy men who ever be miserable Did not the sunne shine upon Sodom was not Dives a wealthy man and yet where is he Where is hee was not â—ophet prepared for the King The things of this life are consistent with death with wrath A man may lie in the bosome of the Creature and in the bosome of the divel too nothing more common A full Table speakes snares and death as well as love That man will certainly choke his soule that will not rise from his Table to fetch an argument of Gods favour towards him I am beloved of all men in this some blesse themselves as beloved of God Truth seldome gets so much favour 't is a strange carriage that will carry it with all All men may speake well and God speake ill of a man All men love thee Doe Gods people love thee there is a love of pity David loved Saul a 〈◊〉 yet Saul was not beloved of God There is a love of relation David loved Absolom yet Absolom not beloved of God Gods people may fasten love where God will not Gods people are weake 't is usuall with them to fasten love where God cannot And as for the Worlâ— they love their owne they hug one another to death what then can'st thou argue from hence touching Gods favour to thee I am not more jealous of any man then of him that aleadges a generall approbation for his goodnesse The World gives no certificate to Saints nor Saints give no certificate to the World he that gets a certificate from both Lord what is he a Saint or a worldling good or bad or made up between both Common vote for goodnesse speakes common goodnesse commonly seldom is this height a height to argue speciall love from Some men can goe in and fetch thee out an evidence of their eternall state My conscience is as cleare and as good as any Mans my heart is at rest J thanke GOD. The soule is corrupt 't will lie downe with a lie There is settling upon lees this speakes not love but deadly hatred When the strong man keepes the house all is at peace Some are quiet because there is no grace to oppose corruption The old man is quiet enough if he may have what he will The divell is as quiet as another Creature if hee be let alone to rule all as hee list's There is peace peace and yet no peace have you never heard of that They shall cry peace peace and yet no peace no favour with God but wrath burning and judgement at the doore Peace may be in a sinners mouth and wrath in Gods peace may be in a sinners heart and wrath in Gods heart yea when wrath is in Gods Hand and ready to cut him off There is a peace of mans speaking and a peace of Gods speaking When they shall cry peace peace meerely they and not God this peace peace this double peace speakes double wrath Delusions are many sinners looke to your soules This is certain love elects she goes forth with choyce not promiscuously she makes some not all blessed Who hath made us c. Are ye amongst this number Can yee say thus who hath made mee meete and mee meete for Heaven Every one thinkes speciall love embraceth him I 'le therefore give you the proprieties of an electing love 'T is in living Sun rayes generate Vita sun rayes regenerate Love is warming heate makes life The Love of God revealed begets love in man Wee love him because hee loved us first God gives all great favours so as to returne to him naturally Divine love shed abroad in the heart carries the heart to God The spirit returnes to God that gave it the naturall spirit doth so at death the holy spirit doth so before death all along even unto death Gods Countenance where 't is similing 't is winning where 't is winning 't is drawing where divine love is drawing the soule is running to Heaven A favourite is much at Court ever at the Kings elbow Gods favourites are much with him still bending Heaven-ward Love is alwayes in her journey towards her beloved No bosome so sweete as that from whence shee came forth Divine love makes divine it comes from Heaven it carries to Heaven Chosen are called electing love hath a still sweet calling voyce This is the way saith love and there is no way to this saith the beloved Grace echo's to God the giver Wisdoms wayes have the name for pleasantnesse with a chosen soule Love inflames the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Vâ—atal's Infinite love makes a kinde of infinite it generates simile Love is as strong as death 't is spoken of the love of the Spouse The Husbands love is unexpressible strong so is the Wives Love sets the soule for Heaven with full saile All the heart and all the might Electing love carries al captive to Christ 't is not to be exprest how strong love is when made divine That love that is set upon God is the strongest of all 't 'as such a transcendent object and such secret transcendent influence No sinner loves sinne as a Christian loves Christ Love is made from the object no object so lovely so soule-drawing out as Christ is No such rapture did Salomons soule ever make in the Creature as in Christ nothing is so drawing out of love as Christ the very vastnesse of the soule is suited in him how vastely doth the soule love when fully suited When every power of the soule hath enough to take full hold on Thou hast put joy in my heart more then they when corne and wine and oyle increased Gods Countenance drawes more
suitabley expressed by small things * Magna parvis minima exprimuntur Springs make Chanells Streames Rivers suitable to their strength they make their rent without suitable to their bubling within under ground Heaven is but a suitable expression of the love of a God 't is but a streame suitable to such a fountaine but beames suitable to such a Sun Heaven is but legible writing out of infinite love Were not heaven made communicable infinite love would be but halfe expressed 't would have no sutable demonstration 't would be far more in it selfe then knowne to us 'T is with Christ here in this World as 't is with a Christian a Christians fortune here doth not suite his titles called a King and has nothing Now are we the Suns of God but does not appeare what wee shall be Why we shall be but the Sons of God his meaning is that now title and revenew do not agree nothing in possession that speaks out the Son of a God the Son of a King state and title do not fitly and fully expresse one another so 't is with Christ now his love and his expression of it are short one of another many expressions of love are made here but they all expresse it but brokenly heaven will speake out an infinite love 't will demonstrate it to the life to all the senses at once which is such a demonstration of a thing as here man cannot make of any thing There a man shall have the advantage of all senses together to fathome infinite love he shall heare it see it taste it c. He shall see the fountaine where and how it riseth the Ocean how vast it spreads and how broad it beares Christ demonstrates infinite love fully fitly therfore is heaven made communicable to poore Earthen creatures partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred participation is to make soule satisfaction Communicatio est ad implendum subjectum cui communicatur Every thing lesse then heaven is too title to satisfy the soule All is vanity c. Put all things on this side heaven together and all is empty i in reference to the vast partaking spirit of man it swallows and swallows the whole Creation and makes nothing of all participation of Earth of all the Earth will not satisfy heaven must come in too or else the soule like the Dove remaines utterly restles and crys like the grave gâ—ve gâ—ve There is excesse in the Creature but not proper filling Bee not drunken with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit 't is one spirit that filleth another Abundance of Earthly things may make excesse and turne the soule into sinne but participation of fulnesse in God is that which gives the soule its felicity in it selfe and this is in Heaven Absolute fulnesse is in heaven and this maketh absolute content therefore is our participation here still reaching after more then can be had here All that is dispensed in way of inferior ordinance makes but tasting and longing does but put on appetite to a full meale Heaven is Gods supreme ordinance to give the soule satisfaction * Participando Other ordinances bring in the soule but drops and therefore it still thirsts this supreame ordinance brings in the Ocean the soule in this ordinance is swallowed up * T is Gods letting forth of al to things without him it can breath nothing but blessing as seeing feeling hearing tasting nothing else Sacred participation is made according to Christ s will Communicatio est ad placitum communicantis The pleasure of the King is that we should sit at his Table that we should dip our morsels in the same dish with him eat as he does drinke as he does weare and fare to all eternity as he doth Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where J am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me Iohn 17.24 Christ would not be in heaven alone to eate his morsels alone his pleasure is in choice company though not in any J will that those which thou hast given be with mee The pleasure of Christ is the spring of favors as high as this rises a Christian rises necessarily The naturall Son may have what he will for the adopted Sons the Will of Christ is the rule of Communication all is his to make gifts to his favorites as great as he will These have continued with me in my temptation these shall sit on Thrones the pleasure of Christ Thrones us heaven's us Heaven riseth out of Christs breast It comes out of the belly of divine will Participation is to suite will will is infinite vast therefore is Heaven communicable Great persons do great things to satisfy their will Participation is proportion'd to promise no lesse then the Land flowing with milke and honey is promised Communication is according to obligation Heaven is but little enough to fulfill truth to pay debts Christ hath beene so free of his promise that all he has will but make it good and render him just He hath engaged his own honor his own inheritance all below yea all that he has above upon poore terms but upon our service which is more disservice more sinne then service at best If any man serve me let him follow mee and where I am there shall my servant be Iohn 12.26 We are by promise to have as much wages as Christ to receive as great pay though not in so great command and though but common Souldiers and he a Captaine yet all that serve under him are to have as he has a house full of silver and gold yea a house not made with hands a very vast house a house full a heaven full of Jewells Communication is according unto obligation debts must be payd although never so great Mercy never dies in debt to justice every man shall partake of as much as fit for and promised to him although Christ himself hath no more Communication is according to instigation sometimes Participation is proportioned sometimes according to merit Gods giving is according to Christs deserving not according to ours the best of us should partake of hell and not of heaven if we had our deserts Heaven is great and yet lesse then Christs merit and therefore God himselfe is proposed as a Saints portion and Christs purchase The Lord is my portion he doth not say heaven The Lord which made heaven and can make more heavens yea is more then all heavens upon a glote of whose eye upon a cast of whose countenance stands heaven and hell he is my portion He is so in whom why in Christ by his merit Participation is proportioned to merit merit is vast it challenges heaven more God himselfe Christs merit makes God ours the holy Ghost ours what God is in himselfe ours which is the heaven of heavens that which makes heaven heaven Christs bloud is of more worth then heaven it
spirit for Heaven Perversenesse is in your pathes and yet you plead for your will Sinners observe that speech of Christ If any man will be my Disciple let him denie himselfe and follow me Christ makes deed to demonstrate will if a man be willing to be Christs companion and scholler he will follow Christ yea hee will take up his Crosse i goe through any difficulty to enjoy his fellowship What will is indeed to the end it is to the meanes 'T is idle talke fancy and dreames not will to a thing that will use no meanes Yee tell me yee are willing to be made partakers of the inheritance above what doe you doe to be made partakers Doe you walke in the way which leads to Heaven Are you not in life according to your lusts In your course according to your company Unto divine duty according to your humour Does not will rule truth and not truth your will Let persons convinced be instructed Ye cannot be partakers of the Cup of the Lord and of Devills saith the Apostle so say I ye cannot be made partakers of Heaven and keepe on in the way to hell you must first be made partakers of the Heavenly calling as the Apostle calls it ere yee can be made partakers of Heaven it selfe Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling c. Heb. 3.1 That is a calling to Heavenlinesse Heaven must begin here Christ must rule all and be made all here as he is above A Heavenly calling speakes three things A heavenly rule a heavenly subject and then a heavenly end I am the way That 's a heavenly rule Not I live But Christ lives in me That 's a Heavenly Subject I have fought a good fight henceforth is laid up for mee a Crowne of Righteousnesse that 's a heavenly end The two former are subordinate to this latter Christ must be without a man and within a man or that man will never come to Heaven He must be all without and all within he onely must be the way I am the way And he only must live in the heart to guide this way yet not I but Christ lives in me The Word of God and the Spirit of God must meete in the life of man or that life will end in death in hell not in Heaven A heavenly rule and a heavenly heart lead to Heaven Few Christians lives are cleerely Christian Christ is our sanctification as he is our justification he is our life here aswell as our life hereafter hee must be made so by every soule and then all will goe well at last Heaven is a Crowne of Righteousnesse not of our Righteousnesse but of Christs His spirit must rule all his merit must be leaned upon for all this soule will certainly be made partaker of all Christians should be comforted from this point All the wealth of Christ is communicable Heaven communicable communicable to you to Saints The complaints of Gods people are many this point answers all My losses are great sayes one so sayes an other Will not Heaven make them up Thou hast neither money nor goods Thieves and Plunderers have stole all Hast thou not treasure laid up in Heaven where no spoile can be made In cases of persecution Christ teaches us to comfort our selves with Heaven how all is doubly made up there When men persecute and revile you rejoyce and be exceeding glad c. Upon what ground Why Upon this great is your reward in Heaven Losse hath its quantity 'T is great that makes it so heavy reward hath its quantity too Great is your reward in Heaven If a man had lost a Kingdome on earth Is not the Kingdome of Heaven responsible If a man had lost all this World Is not the World to come as good as this Is not Heaven as big as Earth As good as Earth Asmuch good As lastingly good Will not your Heaven above be as sweet as your hell here is bitter â—uppose there be nothing above but Christ to make up al thy losse here below is not he enough Canst thou not comfort thy selfe in Christ alone What a soule hast thou 'T was high time thou diddest lose thy treasure here 't was thy God Thou wouldest otherwise have lost thy soule Obj. And 't were but for my selfe I could be contented whatsoever I underwent But I have wife and children and no Bread to put in their hâ—nds nor no clothes to put on their backs this makes my heart sinkes within and I doe not know how to keep it up Sol. Are thy children fit to be partakers of Heaven If so let that comfort thee that they are in a capable condition though temporally miserable to be eternally happy Say to thy sinking soule there is a house above big enough to hold me and all mine and the owner is kind to strangers There is bread enough clothing enough for me and all mine Thou art but stript before quite dead death would have stript thee of all if Cavaliers had not Naked thou camest into this World and naked thou shalt returne Thou maist goe to Heaven stark naked without money without clothes All things are naked and bare before Christ that 's the manner of all going hence thou art put in a posture to goe to Heaven they goe stript of all here below to that felicity above Thou hast nothing now thou art fit for all nothing of earth now Heaven would be welcome Thou hast no home here now thy long-home above O! How sweete would it be Why It may be it will not be long ere thou be there Be still 't is God things wil end wel if Heaven wil make it so Ob. Yea but mine are not such yet as concerning whom I can thus relieve my selfe that they will be partakers of eternall felicity when this miserable life ends Sol. Doe thy duty to bring them to be such thou hast now time and leisure now all is gone What else shouldest thou doe now but give all diligence to make up a felicity for thee and thine where it may be seeing all is gone here Time was thou diddest pretend multitude of businesses and great imployment in thy calling that thou couldest not discharge this and that duty in thy family for the eternall good of servants and children as thou wouldest why Now thou hast nothing to doe God hath removed that let let 's see now how heavenly thou wilt be in the discharge of the divine duty 'T will lie heavy upon thee indeed to see thy children lie in bodily misery and yet still goe on to doe nothing to deliver them out of soule-misery If God stir up thy heart by this to doe thy duty throughly for the soule-good of thine thy misery may prove blessed misery to thee and thine This will be thy comfort at giving up that thou hast discharged thy duty to make a miserable condition blessed But if successe suite thy industry thy miserable children are made indeed This may cheer thee under sad
at such a place for echo Some things are done so and so to suite and joynt to others The holy Land was divided by Lot immediate providence caryed it there Friendship made no revenue in Canaan Gods own hand cast every man his fortune so big and so good in such a place in the Mountaines or in the vallies with springs or without Divine dispensations are harmonious Heaven comes in no new way to us God gives as he did give Hee did give Canaan with his owne hand so hee gives Heaven Power wrought very immediate to plant our fathers in the holy Land Ioshuah did cast lots and so divided the Land power did worke very immediate to plant persons there so it doth to plant Persons above I goe before to provide a place Iosh 18.10 c. Our Ioshuah assignes our mansion situation building conveyance all done with Christs own hand I goe c. Though power worke without hand yet not without rule not a word spoke nor a worke done by Christ but with scope and look to some rule though sometimes that rule be a great way off as far as Heaven Truth fulfils Types dispensations under each covenant one eccho to another Canaan went by Lot so does Heaven the lot of Saints Dispensations of grace and glory suite Gory is suited to grace in dispensation as grace is suited to glory in fruition as really the same Heaven and Christ come both one way to a Christian by immedate providence grace and glory are wrought both with Gods own hand 'T is the finger of God that turnes the heart towards Heaven and that turnes the heart into Heaven Grace is an inspiration glory is so too there is no remoter agent of either then Gods own spirit A soule and such a soule so happy and so glorious was breathed altogether into Adams nostrils The breath of Gods own mouth makes alive stil and the breath of his owne mouth cast varnish and glory upon that being to maturation 'T is Christ al in al here 't is no otherwise above Christ al in al no lesse makes grace and no more is glory Grace is such an immediation according to such a location glory is such an immediatioÌ„ according to such a translocation Christ is next to and onely with the soule in both Vse If this point were rightly applied to the heart hope would not fall respecting great favours depending providence hath more wayes then one to bring great things to us it can worke with hands and without hands divine power can bring a Heaven to you on its owne shoulders cast a Heaven upon you as a Lot into your lap in a very immediate way beyond all provision or expectation God does most and best for man alone when hee has no toole or no toole considerable in his hand Wee have a Heaven depending but yet a hell betweene us and it and no man can see but one way to it if that way do not hit which we propose we are all undone this is almost every ones vote This point should relieve us in this desperate case respecting our great feares our great hops which are so opposed There are great mountaines before Zerubbabell great hindrances in the way of our great mercies so that we see no likelyhood in an ordinary way how or when our great Heaven desired should arriue with us Let the point in hand support the greatest favours come in the most immediate way of providence heavenly favors come to us as if they did drop out of Heaven The more heavenly and divine the mercies are which wee expect in the more divine and immediate way they 'l descend The stone shall be cut out without hands that shall smite the image of various mixtures and breake it to pieces new Ierusalem comes downe out of Heaven Power will worke in a very immediate way to bring in that new Heaven into the Christian World which now the Christian World is labouring for Yet once more I shake not the earth only Heb. 12.26 but also Heaven God himselfe will after a speciall manner set his own shoulders to shake that rotten heaven of mens inventions and those which set their shoulders to keepe it up and make battery with such Cannon as we are not aware of Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord respecting the building of that house which typifyed this Not by might nor power i not by humane strength so much as by his owne power shall the old Heaven be destroyed and the new erected We expect our Heaven too low from men but 't will come from God when it comes As 't is a great favour so ' â—will come in state in the way of sublime favors very sublimely Magicians great heads and divellish wits shall be non-plust by God owne finger and art not by mens wisdome and art Egiptians shall be drownned on a sudden by a stratageme made in Heaven and managed from heaven Iericho shall fall by Faith by making no more or the power of men of Swords and Guns then of Rammes-hornes but magnifying the power of Christ and trusting in that Surely wee are yet too many and too strong to be delivered Christians I would yee were skilled in the way of GOD. GOD keeps his Old way in bestowing great things and yet yee wonder and murmur your folly is your owne affliction and many's more Things of great worth Christ will trust no Messenger with them but bring them himselfe Christ will trust none to bring your Heaven to you neither your Heaven here nor hereafter Men are false they would marre your heaven and bring you an old one in stead of a new one or an old one new patcht up Blessed be he that will bring a new heaven to us all new divine favours in their maturity though every man be trampled under foote and none seene in the worke but God though he trample all men in the dirt and he onely be left alive with the cause in his hand If men would allow God his way they would never be at a losse of Faith so fearefully as they are Yee open one doore and there comes in nothing but your shame yee set open another doore of your owne for Christ to come in at and there also comes in nothing but your folly and shame Ah Lord When will yee looke up and expect Christ from Heaven Do not great things come in a very immediate way to man Hath God tyed himselfe to do every great worke with such and such great meanes as your eye is fixed upon to cast out a Legion of bad spirits with a Legion of good Is not one enough to do it Christ brings an eternall weight of glory upon his owne Shoulders to your doores can he not bring a temporall weight of of glory which is far easier alone Thou art great and dost great things thou art God alone sayth the Psalmist We thinke God is not God nor able to do like a
his best blessings to wit in the bosome of the best persons Heaven is the inheritance of Saints Doct. Divine fruition is still made according to capacity Men many times give place and honor where there is no capacity nor fitnesse but Christ never doth Christ brings not hell to Heaven wickednesse inherits wrath grace onely inherits glory Heaven is hell to a depraved state As guilt shunes Justice so doth sinne holinesse A wicked man would not be where sinne is punished nor where grace is onely practized He is as unwilling to Heaven as to hell yet to one he must Christ casts hell upon many against their will but Heaven upon none but upon such who are both willing and capable Holinesse makes capacity of happinesse purity will bosome purity Christ puts no Toads in his bosom but Saints Inheritance of Saints c. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption Heterogeneals will not incorporate Choyce flowers will not grow by stinking weeds Capacity is absolutely necessary respecting the inheritance above If Sinners would into Heaven they cannot Light and darkenesse are inconsistent Fire and water oppose God and ungodly men cannot live neare Justice will fight it out with sinne to the death Without holinesse man cannot see God without this God cannot endure to see the man There be thousands and ten thousands in Heaven but not one sinner amongst them all the Land will not beare Snakes Toades Serpents no poysonous creatures only Saints Inheritance of Saints Justice makes exact distinction Sheep and Goates though many yet all parted Not a Goate upon Christs right hand Every attribute is exact at it's Office mercy brings her children from the foure winds of the Earth to Heaven and leaves not one short nor brings not one over Justice gathers her brats too from the foure Winds and leaves not one for any higher preferment then hell will afford The Lord knowes who are his that 's the Seale of Heaven A Seale is for exact distinction What a seale is unto us for exact distinction that is Christs knowledge to him hee doth as firmely as lastingly as exactly distinguish by vertue of this all persons in the World as wee doe by our seales and Markes distinguish amongst multitudes of things Though the devill have many thousands here below and Christ but a few and these tumbled up and downe amongst the wicked yet Christ knowes which is which and who are his And onely his shall have all hee hath Saints inherit God moves in relation Children only inherit bond servants have a little and turned off when their time is out If children then heires joynt heires with Christ This Hypothesis is a Thesis onely in a Saint Hee is a child of God out of question the nature of God is only manifest in a Saint A holy man plainly and without controversy speakes out himselfe to be a Sonne of God Jus legale carries the inheritance to him The wicked are of their father the Devill they may not lay claime to Heaven upon paine of hell If they touch the tree of Life they die when they promise Heaven wrath then smokes and hell never so neare as now Bondslaves doe not inherit nor bastards doe not inherit the case is the same of either respecting Heaven No Bastard Christians no Bastard Saints but Saints indeed inherit Vse Let every man looke to his sanctity It doth not merit but it doth entitle to the inheritance If children then heires A man may looke into his bosome and tell what he shall be for eternity Know your hearts and know them throughly you cannot doe well else 'T is death to mee to smell the breath of some of you your inwards are so rotten and yet I feare I feare you take notice of nothing My Quaere to you all is what have you to take to for eternity Heaven How doe you make that good Can you make demonstration of a holy state Yes I live justly I pray to God I heare his Word This is not infallible demonstration of sanctity Civill conscience calls and thrusts to all these as 't is so principled and under such a government A man may be just to men and not just to GOD. Heathens have beene as just as any of you all That yong man which came to Christ when the Law was read hee should not kill nor steale but love his Neighbour c. All this have J done from my youth .. He was exact for Justice and yet but in a sorry state for Heaven if one may belâ—eve his owne words Drawing neare to God in duties is a better demonstration of sanctity and yet this may be done with the lips when the heart is far from God They draw neare and sit before mee as my people saith God But their hearts goe after their covetousnesse A mans devotion may be hot for the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord And yet himselfe the Temple of the devill strict for new moones and solemne feasts and Gods soule loath all both men and their devotion There is blind devotion profane holinesse I will give you two or three principles demonstrative of it for I feare there are some deluded soules amongst you Out-side holynesse how splendid so ever it lookes is profane holinesse The heart denominates action The Pharisee was for Temple praying for lifting up of eyes and hands but no heart A meere image drawne out in such a posture with his eyes and hands inclining upwards and Christ made basenesse of this best piece God is worshipped in spirit If holinesse reach not this 't is grosse profanenesse Holinesse is spirit yielding to spirit bad to good 'T is a pure heart a heart captivated with Christ and spending it selfe upon him Holynesse 't is everlasting doores within doores of the soule that everlasting thing opened to a King of glory T is affection catched with truth one spirit bound by an other a bad spirit by a good and carried whither that list It is a flame and an Angell ascending in it A spirit a fire and ascending upward A man upon his knees and his heart upon his lips taking rise for Heaven from this advantage Profane holynesse is holinesse meerely formall piety suited to policy to things on this side Christ and truth My father did so my grand-father did so the most doe so therefore 't is best to doe so and 't is idle to doe otherwise Many mens sanctity is a meere piece of antiquity A humour to weare such an old fashion No devotion but Schisme that is not in this old habit No holinesse but faction that cannot be clasp't up within the covers of a Common-Prayer Booke Wednesdayes and Frydayes the onely dayes for Prayer The printed liturgy an onely forme for Prayer Ah Lord What is Bishops holinesse onely blessed holinesse Did not their bloudy zeale lie here What a curse is blind devotion The things that dame them are deare True holinesse is regulated by truth and not by persons nor time Sanctifie them with thy truth
nothing Hee bathes soules in his bloud for nothing Vertue goes from him for nothing to cure issues Vertue is gone from mee c. Healing vertue makes to it selfe leggs and goes of it selfe to relieve distressed it boiles runs over and runs out it selfe and quenches strong fire which would burn the soule 'T is a facile birth The wind blowes where it lists Christ can doe what hee list within as you can set your mouth and blow and breath this way or that way as you list 'T is nothing to Christ to wash a black-Moore white to make scarlet sinne white to fetch out filth in graine Christ quickens whom he will hee can will you cleane When the strong man comes hee takes him and binds him c. Saith the Scripture 'T is nothing to Christ to take the strong'st man and binde him to throw downe and throw out the strongest lust The strong man is no man to Christ Christ can with his finger cast out Divells If I by the finger of God cast out Divels 'T is a full birth One grace cannot be had without another no grace without all Christ All Christ is our sanctiâ—y Yee cannot have the streame unlesse yee have the fountaine Yee cannot have a beame of the Sun unlesse the Sun be yours T is in vaine to talke of holinesse till Christ be owned by faith Christ made ours makes us Faith fetches him that brings down and brings in all to the soule Christ is a troop of vertues Behold a troope comes when he comes Behold he comes if yee believe Sinners can yee believe in the Son of God Can yee resigne up all to him which is all holy if so he will make you all holy without this he will not Christ is holynesse all-over so is the soule that iâ— filled with him Sinners make it your designe to get Christ to be holy get the Sun to be glorious Saints make it your designe to get more of Christ to be more holy Of his fulnesse yee receive and grace for grace Christ in fulnesse in the soule makes grace for grace T was Simeons ambition to have Christ in his armes to have his bosome full of him then had he his spirit at the fullest height for Heaven Our soules rise in holinesse and heavenlinesse as Christ comes in all Christ come in to the soule and all presently makes away post to perfect glory if the King of glory were come in ad suam plenitudinem the soule would arrive instantly apud suam beatitudinem at his full blessednesse FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meete to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light LIght is used in Scripture â—o resemble the noblest things as darkenesse is used to resemble the dreadfull'st civill felicity is set forth by light Thou shalt not goe forth with us any more to Battell that thou quench not the light of Israel They spake this in a civill sense as David was the prime member of such a body a Sun by whose rayes all Israel had their flourishing lively-hood Divine felicity likewise is set forth by light every step of it to the last step which is Heaven Christ is called light I come a light into the World c. Hee is called a Sun that great Seminary of light which makes glory and felicity to a World at once The rayes of this Sun to wit graces and their exercise are set forth by light If wee walke in the light as hee is in the light c. Our blessednesse here and our blessednesse above grace and glory All that ever the Saints shal have for eternity are shadowed out by light The inheritance of the Saints in light The holy ghost alwayes makes apt similitudes apt similitudes alwayes illustrate what illustration of our highest felicity light gives I am to give you by charge from this Scripture which I will discharge as well as I can Light is a very immediate thing 't is a medium to bring all other things to view but 'tas no medium but it selfe to discover it selfe light onely discovers light The first thing the eye takes in is light ere it can doe its office for the body as such a prime Organ Our felicity above is of a very immediate nature it selfe best discovers it selfe no discovery here can be made to any purpose t is felicity so immediate from Christ T is Christ and the soule face to face the Bride and Bridegroome hand in hand T is the soule where Christ now personally is and with these eyes i not through ordinances but as it shines in it self beholding Christs personall glory 'T is the soule brought into the presence Chamber above and beholding the great King of all the Earth at dinner yea sitting downe next to him and feasting with him Our felicity above 't is the solace of the marriage bed so you know the Scripture compares it where there is the most neere and most immediate enjoyement that any Ordinance affords to man T is a feast the King in person present 't is a feast and every bit given with the Kings owne hand and blessed with his owne mouth Heaven t is glory falling immediatly from Gods face upon ours by standing neere him and beholding of him you may take its glimpse and resemblance from that glory which fell upon Moses face immedatly from Gods by discourse with him Our felicity above is full union members joyned to their head according to their full and mature conjunction and so receiving all fully and onely from the head hearing no other words but what Christ himselfe speakes feeding upon no other sweet meates but what Christ with his owne hand gives about Our felicity above t is communicatio sine mediis est receptio sine mediis drinking at wel-head more immediate 't is springs bubling up in the soule to an eternall life i felicity so you know doth Christ similize it Another property of light is this T is immense Can you make a girdle for the Sun Can you span the light Or tell the house where it dwel's As God speakes to Iob. His expressions are very high and noble Where is the way where light dwelleth Job 38.19.20 c. That thou shouldst take it to the bound thereof c. Our felicity above is immense that holy-Land has no bounds there is more milke and hony then ever will be eaten 'T is not flagons of love above but Sea's which cannot be fathomed all the worke there is admiration because none can finde botom not Angels those tallest spirits can feele the botom of that love in which they have so long stood and so deepely weighed Our felicity above is as vast as GOD 't is onely God A Father with all his Children in his armes Christ manifesting forth his owne glory to make some as blessed as himselfe T is mortality swallowed up of life not onely filled with felicity but swallowed
up Here the soule swallowes up every good and lookes for more but is swallowed up of none the soule is vaster then the things you put into it so that nothing filles it much lesse swallowes it up But our felicitie above swallowes up the vastest soule there is every Vessell filled and swallowed up every sense satisfyed and swallowed up This is not consistent here but 't is above There is much within reach as much within reach as capacity to reach and there is much beyond reach for the soule to admire to all eternity and this not as a lessening but as a filling up of its owne and others felicity Infinite swallowes up finite God is beyond the soules capacity when vastest therefore all are in an extasis above Not a soule in Heaven but in a rapture Light is pure The Sunne is without spot so are all his beames so is all the light of those beames light is the purest thing that man beholds 'tas no defilement nor takes none though nothing more generall in its course 't is over all an uncleane World and yet without all uncleannesse Can yee dirt the light Yee may defile your selves in the light but yee cannot defile the light 'T is simple corrupts not within it selfe nor can any thing without it corrupt it Our felicity above is pure Heaven is a House without Spider or Spiders-web there is no dirt nor dust within doore nor without the very gates and streetes are Gold and Pearles * In allusion to our City above may those expressions be Râ—vel 21.21 As the Kingdome of grace in the highest glory therof is expressed by termes and things of the noblest nature and highest glory pure Gold c. If the City of Christ here below will be so what will that City above bee Holy holy holy is our felicity above purity absolute this is the Sunne that shines upon all there and all there shine like this Sunne with absolute purity There is no sinne aboue not the least appearance of sinne Every spirit there moves steadily without the least jogging or shaking Christ and the soule goe exactly in one path The nature of the place and the nature of every one in it fully suite all Divine Christ and the soule all one Here Christ and the soule are one in purity my undefiled is one c. i In simplicity and purity But above they are all one Here is simplicity in the Spouse 't is not a heart and a heart in the Kingdome of grace but one heart my undefiled is one c. But in the Kingdome of glory there is absolute simplicity truth and the soule all one Not a soule-stirring no not a Soule inclination impure nor under the least possibilitie to bee made so Light is pleasant Truely light is sweete and a pleasant thing 't is for the Eye to behold the Sunne saith the wise man Eccles 11.7 Light is glorious and casts glory upon every thing It suites a most noble and generall Organ which makes a very noble and generall content Light sets out all the Creation in glory to mans view and so makes a very royall and full employment for such a royall and vast Creature Light is medium universale it brings in for all senses parts faculties to solace themselves withall Our felicitie above is pleasant Heaven is a stately House to behold 't is glorious and makes all so which come in to it Glory filles that House and all in it The very doore-keeper of that House is a King of Glory All great Princes and peeres persons of great glory to looke upon above and the glory of GOD as the glorious Canope over all The Glory of GOD is the light of our City above There is a great heape of Pearles above and there is a glorious Sunne that shines upon them which makes so many * Quot conchi tot Phoebi Jewells so many Sunnes such abounding of sparkling rayes and glory that I am amazed with the thought of it There is another expression which by way of allusion to the glory of the City above is used The Lambe is the light thereof c. 'T is a made glory which light discovers to you here yea and 't is a made light which brings in this glory to you But what God is himselfe and what discovery hee makes of himselfe by himselfe without any medium is the glory of our felicity above God according to his Workes is the glory here God according to Himselfe is the glory there his owne Face is the daily Sunne the glorious Sunne that shines in Heaven The Lambe is the light of it The Sunne that made the Sunne shines above the sweet that made all sweet is tasted on Feasted on altogether in Heaven This Sunne which you behold is but as a spot or broad blemish in the Face of the Creation in comparison of the Sunne which shines in the brave World to come This Sunne though very glorious in it selfe yet very inglorious a piece of stained paint for feeble senses to gaze at in comparison of that above Something to declare his pleasure rather then to make pleasure are all the Workes of Gods Hands here what hee is in Himselfe is properly to make pleasure for the soule of man All that the Lambe is in himselfe all that glory and lustre hee hath of Himselfe is opened by himselfe in Heaven Surely the glory of this World is but a Dunghill to that to come Sunne beames but a pyramid bundle of strawes Light is homogeneall Every twinkling of light is light as every drop of Honey is Honey and has the nature and definition of the whole 't is throughout like to it selfe Our felicity above is homogeneall Heaven is all Heaven Every corner of Heaven is a Heaven every thing that is tasted a Heaven every thing that is smelt a Heaven ever thing that is look't upon or medled with a Heaven a full felicity to the soule Our felicity here is not homogeneall wee have some things delightfull more things grievous some things pleasant more things displeasant Above all is pleasant GOD pleasant Angells pleasant Saints pleasant all that all these say and doe pleasant * On earth God is afflicting as well as felicitating but in Heaven never seemingly displeased Christs face is continually as Lebanon bright and glorious as the looking forth of the morning No deformity above Every thing in Heaven a Heaven GOD is light and in him is no darkenesse 't is a mighty expression As 't is spoken of sinne here so it may be spoken of affliction respecting our Country above God is felicity above and in him nor from him is no infelicity not so much as the least affliction God is not an afflicting God not a chastening Father in Heaven So it may be said of Saints and Angels there is felicity in them and in them nor from them no affliction but all happinesse Every glote of the Eye of every one above pleasant and glorious the
stirring of every Finger of every Toe of every Haire of every one in Heaven a Heaven to behold There is no distinction of habit and act time and place meanes and end in point of felicity as here is as you know there is misery all along in the meanes with us and felicity onely in the end and that uncertaine too and so a little good habitually scarce any at all actually and the like In Heaven there is none of these miserable distinctions but Heaven in all in every quality Heaven in every action Heaven in every time Heaven in every place Heaven in every meane to such an end equally as in the end it selfe Heaven Simili dissimile In things which are but like there is some dislike Light is not universally permanent Our Sunne sets and rises rises and sets so 't is with most parts of the World very few parts have all day and no night all light and no darknesse 'T is not so above our felicity there is universally permanent there is all day and no night to all that upper World the Sunne goes round that glorious Globe without any interposition to any There is no drooping Soule in Heaven no wounded spirit in all the Land above nor never will Our life above is everlasting Shall of the spirit reape life everlasting c. Saith our Apostle There is such inspiration as shall never admit the least expiration in any comforts never faint nor flat no soule growes weary of place company habit dyet imployment every ones Heaven is an eternall Heaven every ones rest an eternall rest Some have beene in Heaven many thousands of yeares and yet not a thought of dislike of any thing there nor the least desire stirring to be any where else but the strong desire of all that all Gods deare ones were there The spirit and the Bride say come Christ and all those members hee has above pant for the rest that all were as they are one as they are one Joy is made as vast as the soule as lasting as the soule and the soule as lasting as Christ There are no broken Cisternes above not one Vessell drops out one droppe of its felicity in the space of eternitie though hee stand brim full No consumption no Disease above every thing lives yea and thrives for ever There is eternall Revelation in Heaven Infinite excellency taking suitable time to lay open it selfe to all others there 's Johns rapture to all eternitie All these particulars gathered up render the meaning of the Metaphor to be this That our felicity above is a full and absolute felicity a transcendent blessednesse suiting such a transcendent being as the soule of man is Vse Now my question to you all is what labouring for absolute felicity for blessednesse to suite your soules for ever 'T is the judgement that lies heavy upon the soules of most men they seeke not after full mercies a perfect blessednesse Feele your Pulse tell mee how your hearts beate how nimble doe they worke out after Earth How slow after Heaven I looke upon some men's Lives and my heart trembles to thinke what will become of their soules al the care is for the body how does Trading goe on How does money come in When is the Question How will 't goe with my soule for ever What blessednesse is provided for my soule to inherite Are your bodies everlasting Is this World everlasting Can any thing but Heaven make an absolute felicitie for you Are not your soules everlasting Can any thing lesse then Heaven make a suitable felcity for them Pravity is misleading but when the Soule is judged for this there is noe turning the man this consideration makes mee shake indeede when I consider how Earthy some men are and how wilfull in their way Speake to them of minding their Soules and beating off their thoughts from this VVorld you are as Vinegar to their Teeth and smoake to their Eyes When corruption thrives in the soule 't is dangerous but when it has got a head Ah Lord The state of that man is desperate Who shal save that man from Hell and bring him to Heaven which is earthy and wil be so still The Creature is seducing much is promised but it s still a lie to the soule the fulnesse of the World makes up no fulnesse to that noble part within If there bee any absolutenesse in things here below 't is in point of vanity they are Vanitie of vantie and vexation of spirit i Perfect vanitie just nothing as our English phrase is Consider all the Word in reference to the spirit and t is a heape of perplexitie A Bush of Briers and Thornes shall all your industry lie to Crowne your soules with Thornes With our Saviours Crosse and Curse Are you not scratcht enough with the World yet Will not your spirits be vext enough hereafter but will you be vexing of them here too Will you begin your Hell in Earth and inure your spirits to tearing and torment before the time Know your soules and what is the felicitie of them and what you doe do in good earnest to attaine it you move as you love Christ concluded that when the Jewish Church sleighted him If you love darkenesse better then light you will never seeke out for light nor for that Inheritance which hâ—s there If Heaven were more absolute felicitie or more transcendent blessednesses then 't is a heart pre-engaged i set upon an other Heaven will sleight Heaven indeede your life lies upon this poynt to looke how and where your love is picht where a mans Treasure is there will his Heart bee if you make money onely your Treasure you will onely bend in good earnest after it If you make not Heaven your chiefe Treasure you will not seeke after it heartilie Heaven has beene shadowed out to you according to the Metaphor in the Text is it now of any price in your Eye Has it gained your love 'T is a transcendent blessednesse are your hearts taken with it as such a blessednesse Till this I shall not looke to prevaile with any soule to seeke out after Heaven to any purpose 'T was the Art that Christ used when hee spake of eternall things first to set out the excellency of them to make that sparkle gloriously in the Eye to stirre love and then answerablie come on to doe good J am the Bread which came downe from Heaven c. J am the Bread of Life c. And hee that shall drinke of the Water that I shall give him shall never thiâ—st c. Many such expressions to take love you shall finde in the Scripture What have wee gained upon your love by all our discourse of Heaven An love bee as it was the man will be as hee was if Heaven be at his doore hee will step beside it into Hell Divine Love is that flame that carries the soule upward where this is not Heaven though all is nothing There is darkenesse And