the Heavenly Canaan lyes through the Briars and Thorns of afflictions and that through many Tribulations we must expect to enter into the Kingdom of God We may learn from them that it is possible for poor frail Men to overcome all the Rage and Cruelty of the World that the greatest Torments may be patiently endured and that Christ can Ride Triumphant on such poor Worms as we are and by the weakest conquer all the strength and power of the World The same Spirit that animated and enabled them is yet alive to Cloath us with like Magnaminity and Resolution the Captain of Salvation is the same the Spiritual Weapons that we are to fight with are the same the promises of Spiritual supplies and supports are the same why then should Christians now despond or despair of like success and victory How many of the Primitive Saints did trend in their steps despising Torments and trampling on Death it self Justin Martyr * In dial cum Tryph. Jude◠applies that of Micah 4.4 to the Christians of his time he thus Addresses to the Enemies of the Church saying You behead us burn us and in several other ways kill us but yet you cannot make us afraid or destroy us When the Devil raged in the Roman Heathen Emperour Rev. 12.1.2 3 4. A great Red Dragon standing before the Church that was as a Woman in Travel to devour her Man-Child to destroy any Christians as soon as they were Spiritually brought forth to Christ yet this did not hinder Men from Embracing and Professing Christianity v. 11. but they overcame all the threatnings and cruelty of the World by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their Testimony and they leved not their lives unto the death Cyprian said of old Nos Christiani Spiritu magis viventes sumus quam Corpore We Christians do live rather in our Spirits than in our Bodies They did estimate and value the life of their Better and despise the life of their Baser part Arnobius contr Gentes tells the Heathen You benefit and not hurt us by killing of us our Souls are in our Bodies as in a dark Prison and by Martyring of us you do but pull down the Walls of our Prison and let in the pure and comfortable light upon us What a great Speech is that of Ignatius in Epist ad Rom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now being bound in Christ I learn to desire no worldly or vain thing He intimates he was weaned from and dead to all things in this World And doth not the same Spirit dwell and act in all the Saints of God How then should we trust upon the same Spirit for the same quickning Courage and Strength Direction 7. We must look beyond this World and above our ill Treatment and Usage here Faith sees him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 and causes the Soul to look at the things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4. last Though Christ be withdrawn from the Eye of Sense and Heaven be behind the Vail far removed from the Apprehensions of the Natural Man yet Faith can pierce the Heavens behold the Churches King there in his Glory and see that goodly Heavenly Canaan that is afar off Isa 33.17 If your Eye doth not go out of the World your Hearts will not go beyond it and if your Eye and Hearts do not pass out of this World you will never be willing to go without the Camp to Jesus It is Faith that must survey that glorious City that is above and make report of it to the Soul It is the Belief of what is testified of it in the Scripture that must animate the Soul to overcome all the Dangers and Difficulties that are in the way to it You must listen to what the Word declares concerning this excellent City Glorious things are spoken of this Heavenly Zion the City of our God Christ mentions it as an excellent Privilege to have the Name of the City of his God to be written on any Man and for him to be reputed a Citizen of the New Jerusalem Rev. 3.12 I will write upon him that overcomes the Name of the City of my God There is no Temple or need of the Light of the Sun or of the Moon in this City God is All here to his People to their Souls without Ordinances and to their Bodies without Creatures Rev. 21.22 23. This is a most rich and self-sufficient City it needs not Provisions to be brought in from without the Tree of Life grows in it Rev. 22.1 2. and a River of pure Living Water issues from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. The Fruit of this Tree of Life and this River of Living Water will make a delicious and eternal Feast to all the Inhabitants of this Blessed City Look for this abiding City that hath Foundations Heb. 11.10 Heb. 13.14 from whence all Sorrow Pain Misery and Death are banished for ever and where fulness of joy doth dwell and rivers of spiritual pleasures do flow for evermore All Gods Children shall be gathered into their Fathers House all his Subjects shall be taken into and shall dwell in the Kings Palace And Gods Palace is not like the Great Turk's Seraglio * Turkish Seragl at the end of Tavernier 's Travels which one ingeniously calls a Paradise for one but a Prison to all others that reside in it But this Royal Mansion of the King of Glory is not only a Paradise to Christ but to all his Members they enjoy the Riches partake of the Honours and taste the Pleasures of it Let Faith pass within the Walls and walk in the Streets of this heavenly Jerusalem O! strive by a Spiritual Eye to see the true King Solomon wearing his Glittering and Glorious Crown though men hid their Faces from him as a Leper trod on him as a Worm despised and abbhored him Is 49.7 yet he was glorious in the Eyes of the Lord God the Father received him into Heaven and welcomed him thither with these Honourable Words Sit thou on my Right Hand till I make all thy Foes to be thy Footstool Ps 110.1 And as Christ was treated after his Sufferings so will he entertain his People after their Sorrows and Afflictions How welcome will they be to him when they come out of the Field and arrive from off a Stormy and Raging Sea how will he chear and comfort them How kindly will he speak to them What marks of Honour will he put upon them How will he praise their Faith commend their Love approve and applaud their Constancy and Loyalty to him 1 Pet. 1.7 How honourably doth Christ speak of Antipas Rev. 2.13 He Styles him Antipas his Faithful Martyr So Christ will Paint out the Services and Sufferings of his People before his Father he will acknowledge and confess their Names thus These are they that have followed me in a Wilderness that have walked after me in the Valley of the Shadow of Death that have abode with me in
dark hours of Temptation that have passed through Fiery Tryals and have endured great Fights of Affliction have taken joyfully the Spoiling of their Goods that have rejoyced they were accounted worthy to suffer for my Namessake that have not loved their Lives to the Death How will such a Confession of their Names by Christ put Eternal Honour on the Saints O! look beyond this gloomy Valley of the Shadow of Death to an Inheritance in Light Col. 1.12 Look beyond this short Night of Sorrows and Sufferings to the bright and glorious Morning of the Resurrection Ps 49.14 Though Saints now bow down and are laid as the Mire of the Streets Is 51. last Yet the upright shall have Dominion in the Morning they shall tread down the Wicked they shall be as Ashes under the soles of their Feet Ps 45.14 Mal. 2.3 Abigal went forth to David in his Afflicted State 1 Sam. 25.4 14 40 42. Married and followed him in a Wilderness and afterwards did partake of his Honour and Prosperity We read that after Sauls Death he led her out of this Wilderness-state into the Royal City of Hebron 2 Sam. 2.2 Even so if you now go out to Christ while his People are in a Wilderness Afflicted and Persecuted in the world Jesus Christ will make you partakers of his Honour Felicity and Glory The time will come when this Spiritual King David will lead his Afflicted Spouse to his Royal City above will place her at his Right Hand and delight in her as his Hephzibah for ever 8. Direct We must be filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 As there is such a strong and swift Current that always runs in at the Straits Mouth into the Mediterranean Sea that a Ship cannot come out at the Straits Mouth if it hath not a good stiff Gale of Wind So truly there is such a strong Torrent of Self-love and Carnal Affections that runs into the Camp of this World that a Soul can never come out to Jesus through the Streights of Afflictions and Sufferings and cross this violent Stream of sinful self-love and worldly lusts if the Sails of our Souls be not mightily filled with the Gales of the Spirit The Hebrews after they were enlightned endured a great fight of Afflictions Heb. 10.32 And who is it that doth enlighten but the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Eph. 1.17.18 Our sight is cleared and recovered by the Spirits Eye-Salve Rev. 3.18 so that we can see more and further than the rest of the World Hence Saints are called Children of Light Luke 16.8 because they look into and take hold of another world As Stephens Eye was extraordinarily fortified and improved that he could see up into Heaven and behold Jesus at the Right Hand of God Acts 7.55 56. So the Spirit doth so renew and enlighten the Eyes of Saints Minds that they can see Invisible Heavenly and Eternal things And it is this sight that establishes the Heart against the threatnings and terrors of the World That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit John 3.6 that is Such are Spiritual Creatures and are also called Heavenly 1 Cor. 15.48 If you are Spirit you will not lust after and be captivated by Carnal things If you are heavenly Creatures you will not stoop and bow down to this Earth for your Happiness It is by the Spirit that we must mortifie the Deeds of the Body and Members upon Earth Rom. 8.13 Col. 3.5 These lusts that are fixed on fed and filled by Objects on Earth are tempting and drawing down Souls to a Center and Portion here below and it is by the Power of the Spirit only that we can repress and subdue them The Apostle bids Timothy to partake of the Afflictions of the Gospel according to the Power of God 2. Tim. 1.8 If we are to bear them our selves and were left to the frailty of Nature how soon should we be foiled and overcome But Saints by the Spirit and its power are enabled to deny themselves to conquer the Flesh and tread the world under their Feet Christ hath promised not to leave his People comfortless John 14.16 18. but that he would send them the Comforter What the Spirit shews John 16.13.8 Rom. 16.17 Eph. 1.13 testifies seals to the Souls of Believers is sufficient to buoy up the Hearts of Christians against all Temporal Evils If the Spirit could make supply instead of Christs Bodily Presence with his people if it could chear them in the absence and withdrawing of Christs Humane Nature can it not much more comfort us in the absence or loss of outward Enjoyments As a Tree that hath a River at its Root can retain its Verdure and Flourishing Sate though there be a great Drought and no Showers come upon it Jer. 17.8 Ps 5.2 So if we have the Comforter within if we are watered by the Rivers of its Consolations may we not be satisfied from our selves Prov. 14.14 though we have no Showers of worldly comforts or enjoyments If men would stir and labour and thereby excite their Natural Heat they would not absolutely need Fire in the coldest Weather to warm them So if Christians did more stir up Faith and walk in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 they would little need or regard the worlds consolations If you be led by the Spirit of Christ it will in some measure work in you as in him it will raise in you such apprehensions and kindle in you such Affections as were found in Jesus He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 That is He is of the same Spirit of the same Temper of the same Disposition and Inclinations with Jesus Christ As if the same Soul did animate many Bodies these several Persons would be of the same Will and have the same Affections So the Spirit of Christ dwelling in his People the same will be in them as was found in Jesus Rom. 8.9 Phil. 2.5 O! how freely did Jesus Christ yield himself to sufferings and death Ps 40.7 8. Lo I come I delight to do thy will O God yea thy Law is within my Heart And what was the Will of God that Jesus Christ did delight to do We are told what this Will was in Heb. 10.10 viz. that Jesus Christ should offer his Body once for all How difficult and hard was this Service yet such a Law of Love to the Father and perishing sinners was written in the Heart of Christ that he was straitned till this Bloody Baptism was fulfilled Luke 12.50 Though his Cup of Sufferings was so deep so large tempered with so many bitter Ingredients yet he resigned himself and said Father if this Cup may not pass except I drink of it thy Will be done Matt. 26.42 When Peter tempted him to favour spare and indulge himself he sharply rebuked him and said Get thou behind me Satan thou art an offence to me Matt. 16.22 23. How did Christ deny himself and subject his Will to the Will of God And when Christ was raised from the Dead how did he despise and disdain to be tempted to stay here below by the best things of this World Would the Riches Honours Pleasures of this world then have allured the Eye captivated or chained the Heart of Christ here below Could such things stay or stop detain or six him here below Was he not exceedingly raised in his Mind and Affections above the best things of this world This was his Request and Prayer to the Father Now glorifie me with thy own self with the glory that I had with thee before the Foundations of the World John 17.5 His Mind did soar upwards his Heart did aspire to a heavenly Kingdom and Glory Now if this Spirit of the Lord Jesus do dwell in our Hearts will it not fix our hearts and fortifie our resolutions to go through Fire and Water Floods and Storms for the Honour of God and for the Glory of Christ Shall we be of timerous base dastardly Spirits if the blessed Spirit of Jesus do dwell in us And shall we not slight also and contemn turn our Eyes from and our Backs upon all the Beauty and Excellency of this world if the Spirit hath given us a sight of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Shall we not cry out to God as the Psalmist Ps 73.25 26. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee How will such a Soul rate away and rebuke tempting Objects and say Get you gone I have fatness and sweetness I have fulness and satisfaction in my Lord Jesus my Eyes are closed against your Beauty my Ears are stopt against your Charms Christ I have chosen and I see no cause to repent of my choice to him therefore will I cleave and stick for ever And that you may obtain this blessed Spirit and all Spiritual good things as flowing from him Bow your Knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ And if Parents that are evil do yet know how to give good gifts to their Children much more shall our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11.13 FINIS
be defiled by touching Sacrifices on whom the sins of Men were laid and so Christ was Condemned and cast out of the Gates of Jerusalem as if he were a very unclean loathsome and abominable Person having yet no sin of his own but being burthened with the sins of his People O! what reproach was this for Jesus to be separated and thrust out from among the Citizens of Jerusalem and then as a Sacrifice to be burned in the Fire of the Vengeance and Wrath of God without the Camp as those Sacrifices for sin were burnt in Material Fire without the Gate on the Day of Atonement And this is further to be observed that the Blood of these Beasts so charged with sin was yet brought into the most Holy Place in the Temple to sprinkle the Mercy Seat and to make Atonement by it in a Type even so though Christ died as an Infamous Person in the Eye of the World and as one charged with the sins of his People in the account of God yet his Blood as most precious is brought into the true Heavenly Sanctuary cries in the Ears of God and is pleaded before his Glorious Throne for the blotting out our sins and the making our Peace with God Thus our Transgressions which are our true and real shame and Reproaches are covered and wiped away before the Lord O! did Jesus Christ die to take away those sins that would have been our Eternal Infamy and Reproach and shall not we willingly go forth to Jesus without the Camp bearing the just and undeserved Reproaches from the World 4. Reas The World still banishes Christ thrusts and keeps him out from among them This is their Language against God and his Son Christ Come let us break their Bonds in sunder and cast their Cords from us Psalm 2.1 2 3. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us Is 30.11 We will not have this Man to Reign over us Luke 19.14 his word hath no place in them John 5.38.42 and the love of God and Christ dwells not in their Souls and may I not here apply the words of the Prophet Jeremiah They have saith he rejected the Law of the Lord and what Wisdom is in them Jer. 8.9 so I may say the World rejects the Lord of this Law and what Wisdom or Excellency is there in them O! shall we value the Favour Esteem the Friendship or Communion of such a World as rejects Jesus Christ Fox Martyr It is related of Bishop Ridley that it repented him that he had Eaten and Drank that he had accepted any Meat or Entertainment in the House of a Princess that refused to hear the Gospel Preached when it was by him offered to her and shall we Magnifie the kindness of a World that is unkind to Jesus Christ will not yield to his Authority entertain his Kingdom submit to his Laws or accept of his Salvation O! should we not call that Place and those Persons Ichabod 1 Sam. 4. two last Verses that thrust away Christ will not suffer him to dwell and reign among them Where is Glory if Christ be excluded and kept out what is Trade Honour Riches if Christ be absent O! how desolate how solitary how uncomfortable should that place and people be to us here we may not protess Christ may not Worship him and enjoy Communion with him in his Ordinances 2 Chron. 11.14.16 as the Levites and Israelites came away to Jerusalem If the World rage against us would separate us from Christ and obstruct our Converse with him how freely and readily should we go out from such a World When the Israelites by their Idolatry had highly provoked God and done much to drive him away and to berave themselves of his Gracious Presence among them Moses took the Tabernacle and Pitched it without the Camp far off from the Camp and those that sought the Lord went out of the Camp unto the Tabernacle to Worship God Exo. 33.7 So truly the World sets up so many Idols of jealousie in their Hearts and so put the stumbling Block of their Iniquity before their Faces that Christ cannot delight in them or dwell among them his Tabernacle is as I may so speak Pitched without this Camp and shall we not go forth to the Tabernacle of Christ and enjoy Communion with him though by this we lose a place in the Worlds Camp O! will you not follow Christ and resort to him will you prize their Favour or court their Friendship that slight and reject Jesus Christ As Amos 7.10 the Idolatrous Priest accuseth Amos the Prophet of the Lord to the King of Israel and saith the Land was not able to bear his words And Ezek. 3.7 the House of Israel will not harken unto thee for saith God they will not harken to me Jer. 12.8 Mine Heritage is unto me as a Lion in the Forrest it crieth out against me therefore he hated and forsook it And shall we linger and stay in such a Camp where God and Christ are not listened too where the Word will not cannot be born where Sinners indeed cry out against God when they pretend only to declaim against and revile Men O Righteous Father saith Christ the World doth not know thee John 17.25 As for Christ he was in the World and the World was made by him and yet it knew him not John 1.10 and the Spirit of Truth the World cannot receive because it knoweth him not John 14.17 And should we be much concerned or dejected if such a World doth not know us 1 John 3.1 but reproaches and casts us out 5. Reas We cannot be Faithful to Christ or enjoy Communion with him for ever if we do not go out to him without the Camp if we do not venture and Sacrifice all for Christ if we be ashamed of him before Men he will be ashamed of us before his Father and his Holy Angels if we deny him Mat. 10.32 33. he will deny us but if we confess him he will confess us before his Father in the Great Day of Judgment We cannot serve two Masters Mat. 6.24 especially when those are contrary to each other and each of them demands our whole Heart and Service we cannot please God Christ and the World too Know you not that the Friendship of this World is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God Jam. 4.4 You cannot keep in with the World but you must break with God you cannot gratifie and oblige the World to you except you will fashion your selves according to its Pattern and Example you must drink in its Corruptions stain your selves with its Filth and run with them to the same excess of Riot else they will exclaim against you and speak Evil of you 1. Pet. 4.4 If you have not ductile Consciences flexible and compliant Spirits and Tempers if you cannot change say and unsay the World will not care for you it will be
hard if not impossible to keep in with the World and that Soul is in a most dangerous case that is fixed and resolved in this that he will be the Friend of the World that he will not venture the Frowns of Men or hazard his stake in the World that will not suffer Shipwrack of his Interests and Concerns on Earth If a Man be thus Principled and affected he is the Enemy of God and Christ he doth prefer something else before and above them he will swallow and practice that which is very grievous and displeasing to God rather than be undone by Men and hereby he proclaims his Enmity against God therefore this should be rooted and riveted in our Hearts that we must suffer with Christ if we would Reign with him we must be Faithful to the Death if we would receive the Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And Paul saith 2 Tim. 2.11 12. This is a Faithful saying that if we be Dead with Christ we shall live with him if we Suffer with him we shall Reign with him if we deny him he will deny us It is observable how the Apostle ushers in this Assertion what a Character of Truth he puts on this Sentence If we Suffer with him we shall Reign with him this saith he is a Faithful saying Why should he preface thus these two Verses but because he saw there was need of it Flesh and Blood can hardly swallow and digest this Doctrine of Suffering How do men stretch their Wits to distinguish themselves from under an Obligation to Sufferings How do they dread and recoil from the Cross surely they may reign without sufferings Christ will not be so hard to them as to deny and reject them if they shrink and comply in dangerous Times But let not Men beguile and deceive themselves the Apostle is peremptory in this he doth not he cannot mince the Matter this is a Faithful saying if we suffer we shall reign with Christ if you refuse Christs Cross you refuse his Crown 6. Reas We should go forth to Jesus without the Camp for it is but little that we leave or lose by ownning and cleaving to Jesus Christ The Holy Ghost disgraces debases and lays low all the Grandure and Glory of the World by calling it a Camp O! what a short and mutable thing is a Camp How easily is it removed how soon is it gone Our Life is but a Vapour that appeareth a little while and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.14 Our Days on Earth are but as a Shadow that flieth away and there is no abiding Job 14.2 1 Chron. 29.15 Man is like the Flower and the Grass of the Field a Wind comes over it and quickly withers this Flower and blows out this Lamp of Life Ps 103.15 16. The Sentence is already past Dust thou art and to Dust thou must return Gen. 3.19 The Body is dead by reason of sin Rom. 8.10 If God doth but loose our Cords our Tent will presently drop down to the ground if he say return we must presently lie down in the Dust Psalm 90.3 If he give out the Sentence Jer. 15.1 Let them go forth there will be no continuing in the Camp no staying in the World if you cleave and cling to the World never so fast if God saith let them go forth you must be removed from hence Those who embrace and hug their Earthly Comforts and Enjoyments most must be stript and deprived of them whether they will or no The wicked is driven away in his wickedness Prov. 14.32 As the whirle wind passeth so the wicked is no more Prov. 10.25 He shall be driven from light into darkness and chased out of the world Job 18.18 His substance shall not continue neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth Job 15.29 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy Dwelling-place and root thee out of the Land of the living Ps 52.5 In this Verse we may observe an Elegant Climax It is said God shall pluck a Wicked man out of his Dwelling-place but yet may he not continue and flourish elsewhere No God shall root him out of the Land of the living But if he be rooted out of the Land of the living may he not find Favour and Mercy in another world No to this it is answered God shall destroy thee for ever God sets the men of this Earth in slippery places he casts them down into destruction Ps 73.18 Those that will not go without the Camp to Jesus that hold fast their Riches and Honours how soon may they be bereaved of them Micah 1.15 I will saith God bring an Heir unto thee O Inhabitant of Mareshah And what Heir is meant By an Heir here the Lord intends Robbers and Spoilers which he would let loose to break in upon them such Heirs as they never thought of or intended When men by their care and industry have been like Birds laying up and filling their Nests with Riches as Eggs a Robber may come and take all away as Is 10.14 the King of Assyria glorieth My Hand hath found as a Nest the Riches of the people and as one gathereth Eggs that are left have I gathered all the Earth It will be our Wisdom and Interest to make a Virtue of Necessity We must forsake these things whether we will or no and is it not better to relinquish them for Christ which will turn to our account and unspeakable advantage And is it any great matter to leave a mutable Camp a weak Tent if we look upon things with a Spiritual Eye and judge right judgment we shall have very low thoughts of all Natural Excellencies and worldly Glory Observe how the Scripture represents these things as passing and perishing Their Beauty shall consume in the Grave from their Dwelling Ps 49.14 Doth not their Excellency that is in them go away Job 4.21 All Flesh is Grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the Flower of the Field Is 40.6 When they die they shall carry nothing away their Pomp and their Glory shall not descend after them Ps 49.17 And should we stick at going out of such a Camp where Beauty consumes Excellency goes away all the Goodliness of the Flesh fadeth and all the Glory of it vanisheth away 7. Reas We ought to go forth to Jesus for then there will be a happy issue of all our Sufferings a good return of our Venture a full Compensation of all our Losses Jesus was led without the Gate was put to a servile ignominious and painful Death but did God leave him in the Hand and under the Power of Enemies Did he sink under the burden of his Sorrows Was he swallowed up in a Sea of Sufferings Hath he not abolished Death Hath he not overcome the World led Captivity Captive and Triumphed over the Malice of Earth and the Rage of Hell Is he not returned to his Father arrayed with the Spoiles of his