on the Booke I saw and behold a White Horse and He that sate on Him had a Bow and a Crowne was given Him and He went forth Conquering and to Conquer The Booke is the Image of God the Seven Seales the Naturall Formes of Things The Opening of the Seales by the Lamb His Comming forth in the Spirit I will finish this Head with that place of Scripture 1 Cor. 15.45 The First Man Adam was made a Living Soule the Last Man was made a Quickning Spirit Our Blessed Lord in his Second Appearance comes into the World as a Soule comes downe into the Body The Soule comes downe upon the Body clothing it with a new Shape Life and Lustre So Jesus Christ descends upon the World to Comprehend to Act it to Appeare in it to Gather it up into One Spirit of Beauty and Immortality in Himselfe So shall the Heavenly Man sprout forth thorough the Earth as an Vniversall Paradise sending forth all Earthly Formes as Revived Plants by a New Growth out of Himselfe Then shall All Without the Circle of this Spirituall Person this Quickning Spirit be Death and Hell a Hell for Dogs and Devils each foule false and fiery Spirit I have now passed through the First Head The Comming of Christ 2. Head The Clouds in which Christ comes These Clouds are of Foure Sorts 1. Darknesse 2. Tempests 3. Worldly Changes 4. Angels 1. Clouds of Darknesse Clouds are used in This Sense as the Springs and Seats of Darknesse So they furnish out and set off the Comming of Christ as God into the World Psal. 97.2 Clouds and Darknesse are round about Him A Two-fold Darknesse surrounds our Saviours Person as He flides downe in a Glory upon the Earth 1. From His owne Will 2. From the World 1. Darknesse From His owne Will David in the 18. Psalme is confest by All to speak of His owne Deliverances Literally but of Christs Last Comming Mystically and Prophetically ver. 11. He made Darknesse His Secret Place His Pavilion round about Him were Dark Waters Thick Clouds of the Sky The Prince in the Poet wrapt about with a Thick and Darke Ayre entred into Carthage passed thorow the Court into the presence of the Queene there stood in the midst of them unperceived while they speak of Him as absent Lament him as lost till the Fire purified it selfe into a Clearnesse So the Great Prince of Peace and Spirits as He comes forth casts a Cloud about Him so He comes on upon us so He encompasseth us is still in Motion Yet still we speak of Him as far above and beyond the Starry Sky and of His Comming as at a Great Distance But Behold He is already in the midst of us He breaks forth on our Right hand and on our Left like a Flame round about us and we perceive Him not 2. Darknesse From the World 1 Thes. 5.2 The Day of the Lord commeth as a Thiefe in the Night 'T is the interposal of the Earth's shadow between the Sunne and our Eyes that makes Night The Devill benights Man-kind by interposing this shadowie world betweene their Saviour and their Soules In this Night he rocks them into a Sleep by a perpetuall Motion of vanities In this Sleep he deludes them with Dreames of Reason Counterfeit Images of Truth Now in this Night Sleep and Dreame the Day of Christ's appearance appeares not but as a Fancy or Dotage All things seem to continue as they were from the Beginning Where say they is the Promise of His Comming They discerne no Dawning of it All the Powers and Spirits of Darknesse hate the Light and Christ because He comes as the Light to increase and inflame their Darknesse They therefore Strive to raise Mists upon this Rising Glory that they may stain it if they cannot stop its Course So the Progresse of Christ is to the greatest part of Men like the Motion of the Sunne in a Winter day when 't is hard to perceive the Day-break or distinguish between Day and Night This is the First sort of Clouds Dark Ones 2. Clouds of Tempests Clouds are the Womb in which Tempests are bred and the Cradle in which they are rock't No Painter no Poet no Writer Holy or Profane hath any thing anywhere so Direfull so Tragicall as is the Description of our Saviours second Comming in the Scriptures Can you cast your eye on the eighteenth Psalm and not tremble when you see there the Earth Shaking and Trembling v. 7. a Fire Devouring v. 8. The Heavens bowing Down-ward v. 9. Thick Clouds darkning the Sky Thunders Lightnings Hail-stones flying through the Ayre The Foundations of the world below discover'd v. 11 12 13 14 15. Thus the Mighry God our Jesus descends Again Psa 97. Hils Melting The Earth Trembling Lightnings flashing thorow the Ayre and being its onely Light Dark Clouds environing all This is the Scene of Things This the State in which Christ comes forth Behold Habakkuk with quivering Lips trembling joynts bones mouldring into dust when he had onely a Prophetick Representation of our Saviours second Appearance All the Dreadfull things that attended the Presence of God in Aegypt at the Red Sea on Mount Sinai thorow the wildernesse are made but Types but shadows of this Terrible March of the Capteine of the Lords Hosts Christ in the Spirit thorow all Flesh Habak. 3. A wise Jew was wont to say from a Deep fore-sight of the Blacknesse of this Day The Messias will come but Lord let not me live to see His Comming The Comming of our Saviour in the Spirit is for the Full Dissolution of all Flesh 'T is no wonder then if every step he takes as he comes along strike earthquakes pestilences warres desolations thorow the Earth This is the second sort of Cloudes Tempestuous Ones 3. Clouds of Worldly Changes The Finest Piece of this Creation Naturall Flesh of Christ Himself is cal'd A Vail Heb. 10.11 A Living way through the vail his Flesh Well may we then call all other Fleshly Things Vailes and Clouds Gen. 1.2 The Creation in its first Principles is Figured out to us as a Dark and Deep Sea Each particular Creature is as a Cloud raised out of this Sea of Darknesse over-cast with Light and Images When the Temple was finish't which was an Earthly Palace shadowing out Heaven fil'd with all Excellencyes as Pictures of Heavenly Glories then Solomon saith to God 1 Kin. 8.12 Thou dwellest in Thick Darknesse Signifying that the Brightest Beauties of Nature are True Clouds In the midst of this Darknesse our Saviour passeth on upon the backs of these Clouds he comes riding along Behind the visible Formes of things He hides Himselfe and steales in upon us ere we be aware All Their Motions are His Approaches Mat. 24. The Disciples ask their Master What should be the signes of His Comming He relates by way of Prophesie the whole story of the World Publike in Nations Particular in Families Private in single Persons From His death to that
the blackest and most Trecherous Hearts A Sweetnesse that kindly Melts the hardest and most untam'd Hearts A Sweetnesse that gently Molds into a Spouse-like frame the roughest Hearts A Sweetnesse that ravisheth the most despairing Hearts into an Extasie of Supreame immortall joyes Vnhappy he that sees not the comming of Christ into the soules of men What is it which He sees not He sees not the Tabernacle of God among men the Distance lessening betweene Heaven and Earth the Glory of the Godhead growing to a Fuller Tide and winning upon the World as the Sea eating in upon the Land He cannot discerne the Times and their Changes How or Why they are the Fatality of Persons and Kingdomes their Periods For these Flourish and Fall as they Fall in with Fall off from or Fall foule upon the Comming of Christ He is the Corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Mat. 21.24 Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind him to powder Is it Day-break yet in our soules Doe we see how it growes Lighter and Lighter in the Souls of Men If we doe not perceive those Streakes and Flakes of Light which multiply upon the spirits of men pointing out the neere Approach of our long-lookt-for Sunne Let us clothe our selves with shame and confesse We are Physitians of no value We have not seen that Beame which is in our owne Eye not suffering us to discerne Day-light But as we are Blind so let us be Beggers too And as that Blind Begger in the Gospel let us sit by the way in which Christ comes and as we heare the noyse of his passing by let us cry aloud Thou Son of David King of Spirits have mercy on us Lord Iesus that we also may receive our sight that our Fleece may not be dry while it raines on the rest of the earth that our Soules may not be in the Dark while Glory flowes in upon other Spirits Doe you see your Saviour as He comes in the Visible Part of Things Mat. 24.8 The Lord Jesus discoursing of His Comming having before spoken of Warres Famines Pestilences Earth-quakes tels us in this Verse All these are the Beginning of Sorrowes 'T is in Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Beginning of Pangs The Commotions and Strife in This visible Frame are the Pangs and Throes by which It labours to bring forth Christ in the Spirit Psal. 97.4 5. You may reade the Manner and Discovery of this Approaching Glory His Lightnings enlightned the World The Earth Saw and Trembled The Hils melted like Wax at the Presence of the Lord at the Presence of the Lord of the Whole Earth Nations Kingdomes Nature the Elements feele the Approach of Jesus Christ and receive the Impression of His Presence increasing upon them How unnaturall then are we if we be insensible of it how Worthy to be cast forth from the Nature of Things into the Outermost Darknesse Seas of Common-wealths and Counsailes rowle and roare Mountaines of Worldly Greatnesse melt away Rocks of Humane Strength after the firmest Combinations and Consolidations cleave asunder Doe we not yet perceive the Lord Jesus The Earth Hearts quake Pestilences are kindled A Smoke of Obscurity Vncertainty and Confusion flyes over the Face of Things A Fire Burnes Doe we not yet feele our Saviour His Enlightnings Enlighten the whole Earth Extraordinary Passages of Providence little lesse than Miracles to confirme the Presence of Christ in the midst of us High and Heavenly Truths publishing themselves even as the Brightnesse of His Comming These frequent Flashings forth of His Glory are the Enlightnings with which He Enlightens the Earth Doe we not yet See Jesus Christ Heb. 1.2 The Holy Ghost begins to speak of the 2d Comming of Christ v. 6. He goes on discoursing of the Same Thing to the 12. Verse There He saith to Him As a Vesture thou shalt folde them up meaning Heaven and Earth and They shall be Changed Suppose a Man by Miracle Borne and Grown up in One Midnight Day now begins to come on This Man to whom All Things were almost alike before now perceives Barren Shores Hanging Cliffes Devouring Seas on one Hand on another Pleasant Fields Faire Buildings a Peacefull Country As the Light increaseth the Face of these Things still Changeth Presenting Fresh Horrours and fuller Beauties Would not this Man Amazedly Wonder whence these Formes of Things should grow round about Him with such Sodainnesse and Change till He look't upward and Saw the Light of Heaven as It goes on in it's Course visiting the Earth and thus Changing it as a Garment Who is not Amazed to See the Changes that are made in the Garment of This Earth One Day we see it as a Field Flourishing with faire Hopes another Day that Field vanish't and in its Place as a City on Fire or a Sea of Blood He that now discerns not the Light of Heaven the Brightnesse of the Godhead which is Christ Comming upon us and thus Changing us what manner of Night is He in Sure a Night as Black as the Shadow of Death The Night is a Season for Heavinesse You that See not the Lord Jesus how He comes up upon the Earth and Invades it with His Troops as the Prophet speaks Habak. 3. Sit downe in Heavinesse Sensible of that Night which Surrounds You. But as you Sit Watch as the Watch-men for the Morning This second Comming of Christ is as the dayes of Noah The Lord Jesus in the Spirit shall be both Ark and Flood An Ark to those which are taken into Christ 〈◊〉 them high above all miseries towards Heaven 〈…〉 carrying away insensible Persons and Scorners 〈…〉 Woe This is the First Ground of Humiliation Insensiblenesse Unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Course of Christ's Comming The Comming of Christ calls for Two Things 1st A Respect to Christ in all our Counsailes 2. A Resignation to Christ for the Conduct of Those Counsailes 1. A Respect to Christ in Counsaile Ezekiel saw The Glory of God Ezek. 1. This Glory was the Spirituall Frame of our Saviours Divine Comming upon His Chariot composed of Living Creatures and Wheels Angels Spiritualized Bodies Angelized In this vision He saw the State of Jerusalem and accordingly forewarn'd the Jewes As the shadow went back upon the Dyal of Ahaz so Hezekiah's life was set back from Death The Person of our Lord Jesus is the Diall of Time as the Godhead is in the Course of it's Glory advances or withdraws upon this Diall So it points out the Rise or Ruine of Persons and Things We read Revel. 1. That God gave to Christ the Revelation of Things by a Light of Glory in His own Person to this end that He might shew to His Servants what will quickly Be Our Lord Jesus is that Word of God which is to be the Man of our Counsailes On Him we are to look in Him to see what should be by seeing God in His
God comes forth before us in all our Objects There is a Two-fold Enmity in our affections towards this Two-fold Intent of Christ in His Comming 1. An Adhesion to the Flesh 2. An Aversenesse from the Spirit 1st The First Enmity is an Adhesion to the Life of Flesh Our soules cleave to the Flesh-pots Our Spirits are drawn down into a land of Bondage and detain'd there by the Rank scent of Garlike and Onions We are very unwilling to travell thorow a wildernesse though it be unto a Land flowing with Milk and Honey We are like Lot we know not how to leave this Sodome of the Flesh till we be drawn forth by the Hand of Angels Then we are still like Lot's wife when we are come forth from the City of this World casting a longing look back upon it in the midst of its Flames But if we be like her in her fault let us be so too in the Consequence of it She was chang'd into a Pillar of salt So may we as in answer to the Type if we bring forth a Spirit of Remorse and Fire like salt to consume the Fleshly Corrupting Part that the Divine Part may be preserv'd untainted to Eternity 2. The second Enmity is an Aversenesse from the Spirit Jesus Christ promised His Disciples the Effusion of the Spirit at the Disappearance of His Flesh He spake to them of Divine Powers Lights Gloryes Joyes of the Highest Company and Contents which should come when His Spirit came Yet the Disciples were sad and as dead men still when their Saviour spake of His Death The Spirit appear'd to them a Miserable Comforter and Comfort when they were no more to have a grosse sight of their Jesus in Flesh He was as None to them when He was to be Onely in the Spirit When Peter felt Himselfe born up alone by the working waves he feares faints and begins to sink though he have the Call of Christ to carry him on and Christ Himselfe in his Eye to infuse Spirits into him This is an Example for us When we cal'd by God begin to feel the Foundations of the Earth and the Seeming-firme Land of Sense withdrawing from us when we are now Lanching forth into the Sea of the God-head we no sooner feel our selves left upon the waters of the Spirit to be sustain'd by them but Immediately we sink our selves by our feares and unbeliefe Let us then now weep that we have refused the All-quickning Spirit which is our Jesus as if there were no Life in this Spirit or no Light in this Life as if God were a wildernesse and the Building of God had no Foundation or Fairenesse in it Let us now returne weeping and say We have feared to commit our loves hopes and joyes to Thee O meek O Mighty Iesus But all our Springs are in Thee those that feed our outward senses our inward Faculties with Streames of Life Truth Strength and Pleasures Thou art our onely Husband the Image of all Loves and Lovelinesse to us the Best Image of our selves Come thou downe upon us appeare in thine Invisible gloryes and make our soules ere they are aware like the Chariots of Aminadab Thus I have concluded the First Use for Humiliation For Caution Take heed of making any Opposition against the Comming of the Lord Iesus I shall begin this use with an humble profession that my desire is to have every thing which I speake understood as proceeding from him who would faine speak and live in a Continuall sense of the Doubtfull Dimnesse of that Light of Reason which twinkles in his breast as also of the want of oyl to feed the Flame of the Spirit to any Height or Constancy I do therefore onely present what passeth from me submitting all ever to any Brighter Light in whatsoever Candle-stick it shine My care shall be especially in the subject of this use while I am in this Twi-light to avoid Particular Conclusions and Peremptory Determinations I shall in these Termes set before you these Two Cautions 1. Take heed how you Iudge or Confine the Comming of Christ 2. Take heed how you furiously oppose any thing that pretends to the Advancement of Christ in His Comming 1. Caution Take heed how you Iudge or Confine the Comming of Christ and that for Two Reasons 1. He comes as a Spirit 2. He comes in the Darke 1. Reason Christ comes as a Spirit Who can foreknow or set the wayes of a Spirit who can comprehend a Spirit in any outward Forme Is it not free to All and from All When Christ was risen he sometimes put on those shapes in which he had formerly liv'd or died as to Thomas Sometimes he cloth'd Himselfe with strange shapes sometimes uncloth'd Himselfe of All For now He was raised into the Spirit in which as in a Divine Ward-robe he comprehended All shapes to put Himselfe forth in them or to put them under His Feet at pleasure Saint Paul thus reasons Colos. 2.20 If ye be dead in Christ why as living in the Flesh are ye subject to Ordinances which perish in the using But this Reasoning is much more strong If Christ be Risen from the dead why do we subject Him to Ordinances as if He were still living in the Flesh or rather as if He were not come in the Flesh who is the Lord of All Fleshly Rites Formes are sweet Helpes but too severe Lords over our Faith They may be Ornaments to our Face and Neck serving the Beauty of Christ's Appearances to us and His union with us But then they must be of Gold or Precious stone taken out of the Mine or Treasury of the Spirit So worne they may become the Heires at age the Spirit-born Princes But if they be of Iron or Brasse laid upon our Feet and Hands that is Grosse in Fleshly Darknesse binding up the Activity and Motion of our Spirits towards God then are they sad Marks of the Bond-womans Children The Body is esteem'd a Prison or Grave to the Soul because it tyes the Soul up into One Particular Appearance suffering it not to enlarge it selfe to any other but as they are reflected in This Glasse When the Eternall Spirit is fast'ned and proportion'd to any One Form of Things is it not now imprison'd or buried It was a seasonable and High Contemplation that of Solomon at the Consecration of the Temple The Heavens Heavens of Heavens cannot hold thee How much lesse this House which I have made When we Consecrate or converse with any Ordinance or Peculiar way of worship let us then remember that our Object is the Person of Jesus Christ that Wisdome of God whose way is more untrac'd than the Eagle whose extent is wider than the Earth The Heavens of Heavens cannot take in All of Him to Containe or Confine Him much lesse any One Ordinance in this world or Fleshly Fashion 'T is in vain to attempt to shut up Christ in any Thing Though you kill Him that you
Satisfaction and Certainty Here the Divine Eye is the Faculty the Supreame Image is the Object the Vnion is the Spirit of Unity Each Image each Eye each Sight is not so much as a Dream Shadow Glance to This where the Eye of Heaven and the Beauty of Heaven possesse each other in One Spirit 2. The Outward Eye shall see Christ Now the Inward Powers of the Soul are unrighteously detain'd as by an Imprisonment or Buriall in the Exterior Senses But when Christ comes the Outward Man with His Faculties and Senses shall be taken in by the Intellectuall and Spirituall Man as the Tabernacle was into the Temple So Both shall see the same Glory by the same Light Saint Paul tels us 1 Thes. 4.16 The Lord Himself shall descend with a Shout with the voyce of an Arch-Angel with the Trump of God The Lord Jesus shall fill the Angels with the Discoveries of the God-head as Trumpets with a Loud Blast or Triumphant Flourish Thorow them this Double noise the Shout of Divine Appearances the Voice of Angelicall Gloryes shall come rushing like a Mighty Wind upon the Dead Saints and awaken their Bodyes into the same Harmony as they had done before their souls So Both shall be a Treasure of Divinity in an Angels vessell To this agrees that of Jesus Christ Mark 12.25 They shall be as the Angels in Heaven Speaking of the Resurrection which is the Comming of Christ to the Body Then shall our Bodyes be in our Soules as a Lesse Angel in a Greater Christ as He comes transfigures Both into Angelicall shapes so pours forth Himselfe into Both and Both enjoy the Clearnesse of His Appearance 4. Head The Sweetnesse that flowes from Christs Appearance And all the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn over Him Sweet Teares upon a Sweet Subject Christ when he shines out pierceth the Hearts of Men with the Golden-headed Arrow of Love and Loving Griefe by a Four-fold Discovery 1st Of the Eternall Relation between Christ and the Soul Christ comes and All the Saints with Thee Hos. 4.5 When Thou appearest then thou Discoverest All His Saints in Thine Hand in thine Heart Deut. 33.3 Thou shewest thy selfe O King of Saints as the Everlasting Father the Father which hath sent forth All Generations from the mid'st of his own Tender Bowels This is the First Discovery 2. Of the Eternall Affection in Christ to the Soul Divines say that the wounds shall appeare in the Glorified Body of Christ when He Appeares 'T is true that he opens His Bosome and shewes those Wounds of Love which he had there from Eternity and those Wounds too which He received on the Crosse as they are Glorifyed in His Eternall Love 3. Of the Emptynesse and Eternall losse of those Things for which we undervalued our Saviour 4. Of the excesse and Eternity of Glory which we shall see comming forth upon us in the Person of Christ As at the Discovery of Ioseph He and his Brethren fell upon the Neck of each other and wept So will this Discovery in the Appearances of Christ bring a sweet Confusion upon the Spirits of Men Then shall a Man fall at the feet of His Saviour and weeping say O my Iesus Thou art my Father Brother Husband Selfe While there were other Things I loved other Things more than Thee Now they are Everlastingly gone and have left me alone Yet now thou ownest me See as thou breakest forth thou drownest my sins and me in a Flood of Glory in thy Selfe O my Iesus Thou breakest my Heart I have now pass'd thorow the Doctrinall Part of the Point distinguish'd into Foure Heads The Application 1. For Humiliation I shall first present you with a Preparative to the Vse and then put into your Hands the Use it selfe 1. The Preparative Worthy Patriots I shall humbly undertake to be a Remembrancer to your Piety and Prudence in a Two-fold Consideration for a Preparative The First Consideration is this 'T is now many years since our Fasts and our Fights have been mutually interwoven Yet what Profit have we of the One what Peace from the Other what end of either Still we fast still we fight if not in Camps yet more dangerously in Counsailes Our ship is fil'd with waves more still pressing in ready to sink it So that we may cry O God! carest thou not that we perish in the mid'st of all our Prayres Praises Fasts and Holy Feasts Now you are met againe to fast and pray Now put on your Tenderest Bowels of pity and affection So look upon this poore Kingdome which hath wrapt up in it your Countreymen your Kinred all your Dearest and sweetest Relations Nay that which to you sure should be more than all These the Glory of your God See it trembling and hovering between A Heaven of Reformation all good Angels and Men striving to raise it up thither and A Hell of Ruine the weight of all Devils and bad Men hanging upon it to sinke it downe thither Let this sight melt you Let it move you to call up all your strength this once to cry mightily to God Who Knows what this One Day may do to Crosse the feares to Crown the hopes and toyle of many yeares if it please the Eternall Spirit to blow right and strong upon your Spirits this One Day Six dayes the Army of Israel compassed Iericho yet still It stood On the seventh Day they compassed it seven Times at the seventh Time the Priests blew with the Trumpets and the people gave a Mighty shout and the walls of Iericho fell downe flat to the Ground This is the First Consideration The second Consideration is this No teares prevaile with God but such as are wept over Jesus Christ All the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn over Him If Jesus Christ be not the Flame in our Breast that melts our Hearts if He be not the Object that draws forth our Teares though we weep Blood our Blood will be but as Water spilt upon the Ground If we grieve and not in Christ our Griefe is Hypocrisie or at best but Formality If we grieve and not for Christ our Griefe is Idolatry What makes the Discourses of men mutually understood and moving 'T is the union of Men in One Vniversall Spirit of Reason What makes Colours Sounds understood and moving in the Eye or Eare 'T is the union of Sense and Sensible Things in One Common Spirit or Principle of Sense If you will touch the Heart of God with your Prayers and Sorrowes it must be by a union between Him and you in One Vniversall Common Person the Lord Jesus God-Man Iacob obtained not the Blessing by Prayers and Tears alone But as He prayed and wept He held fast in His Armes the Angel of the Covenant Then shall the Day break upon us and we become as Princes with God when we pray and with our Jesus in our Armes when we weepe upon the Bosome of our Jesus If then you have any
Sense of the utmost good or ill of this Kingdome first your Parent now your Foster-child If you have any Sense of your own Safeties your Soules your immortalitie any thing Send up a strong and secret groane which God may heare and say within you O! that the Lord Jesus that All-quickning Spirit would descend into our Spirits and become a Spring of Divine sorrowes there Then should our Teares be as His Blood O! that the Lord Jesus the Highest Image of Love and Beauty the most profaned and persecuted would set Himselfe before our eyes Then should we know Why and How to weep then should we weep indeed If our Dear Saviour would make his Arms our Crosse that we might from thence offer our Broken Hearts in Sacrifice to the Father then would our God smell a sweet Savour of Rest in us and at length give us Rest in Himselfe This is the second Consideration in the Preparative 2. The Vse This is A Humiliation from a Three-fold Ground 1. Insensiblenesse in our Spirits of our Saviour's Approach 2. Unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Course of His Comming 3. Enmity in our Affections to the Intent of His Comming 1st Ground Insensiblenesse Is not the Comming of Christ that by which God designes to make Himselfe Admired among His Saints as Saint Paul testifies 2 Thes. 1.10 When He shall come to be Glorified in His Saints and Admired c. Is not this that at which All the Angels of God bow themselves and worship Heb. 1.6 When He bringeth His First-begotten Againe into the world He saith Let All the Angels of God worship Him Is not this the Grand Wheel which moves All the Centrall Motion which carries about Persons Kingdomes the whole Creation Heb. 1.7 When Christ comes the second Time God saith of the Angels He hath made His Angels Spirits His Ministers a Flame of Fire All Angelicall or Elementary Instruments of Motion are but His Ministers propagating His Motions thorow the world Can This be thus and we Ignorant or Insensible of This Comming of Christ without the Highest sinne against God the Kingdome our own safeties Let us then endeavour to apply this use to our selves more properly and powerfully by a Three-fold Enquiry concerning this first Ground of Humiliation Have we seen Iesus Christ as he Comes among the Angels 1 Tim. 3.16 Saint Paul tels us now This is the Greatest Mystery of Godlinesse God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Behold Jesus Christ as God puts forth Himselfe in the Forme of Flesh of the Creature and over-spreads that Form or Flesh with the Glory and Spirit of the God-head Thus He shines forth already upon the One Half of Things the Invisible Part He already is risen upon the Angels as Starres at once gathering them up into His Divine Light and riding forth upon their Beames So each Starre now carryes forth a Sun along with it Each Angel the Son of man and God Saint Paul tels us Colos. 2.10 that Christ is the Head of All Principality and Power Our Lord Jesus cloth'd with the Glory of His Father hath united Himselfe to the Acting Principles and Ruling Powers of this Creation Now He Flames forth thorow these invisible Fires into all Courts Campes or Counsailes into every Frame of things Now He flyes abroad upon the Backs of these Cherubims and the Wings of these Winds into the Breast of each Man into the Bosome of each Creature We reade Colos. 2.15 Having spoyled Principalities and Powers He made a Shew of them Openly Triumphing over Them See the Lord Jesus binding Evill Spirits the Powers of This world in straiter Chaines of Darknesse leading them Captives at the Taile of His Chariot making them His Slaves to Serve Him for Executioners as the Mutes doe the Great Turke to raine downe Snares Tempests Fire and Brimstone on His Enemies Have you seene the Lord thus mounted on His Horses of Fire Like the Sun like a Champion comming forth to run His Race from one end of Things to the Other Are you come to this Mount Sion where the Mediatour appears with God in the midst of His innumerable Angels If you be Strangers to such Sights then Mourn For you are yet at Mount Sinai in the midst of Clouds and Stormes You are still in a Wildernesse full of Fiery Serpents where every Step you take may be to a Death As you Mourn Pray Sweet Iesus Shine Sweet Iesus Come thou as the Day-spring from on High upon us Change the Appearance Open to us this New Frame of Angels Glories covering the World like Clouds and thy Glories raised on These Have you Seen the Lord Iesus Comming in the Spirits of Men on Earth This is the 2. Step of our Saviour's Descent from the Bosome of the Father We are taught Luke 17.20 21. that The Kingdome of God commeth not with Observation For the Kingdome of God is within You. The Glory of the Father in which Christ Comes is the Kingdome of God This is not obvious to Sence or Reason grounded upon Sence For it comes not their way from without It bubbles up from an inward Spring like Life From within it Enlarges it Selfe as Circles from the Center the Out-most being Last This is the Method by which our Saviour comes Spiritually into the world First the Godhead opens it Selfe upon the Humane Nature of Christ making that the First-fruits of the whole Creation Colos. 1.18 Secondly the Lord Jesus with this over-spreading Glory comes downe upon the Angels making them the First-fruits of Spirits The Third Step which He takes is through the Angels into the Souls of Mortall Men In these He plants Himselfe as a Throne Circled in with the various Beauties of Angels like the diverse-Coloured Raine-bow Revel. 4.3 Thus these become the First-fruits of Men Rom. 8.23 The Fourth Remove is upon the Bodies of the Saints that they may be the First-fruits of Bodies The Last is the Passing of the Lord Jesus from the Bodies of the Saints into the whole Frame of Visible Things as a Flame still taking hold of Neighbouring Fuell Still Catching and Infolding it selfe thorow All Things By these Degrees the Lord Descends in Glorious State and as He Descends Transfigures all Things into the Same Glory The Comming of Christ is Compared to the Day 1 Thes. 5.5 Ye are Children of the Day And so 2 Pet. 1.1 Till the Day dawne The Lord Jesus as He riseth like a Sun upon the World first diffuseth Himselfe through the Skie of the Angelicall Nature Then falls as a Glory upon the Tops of the Mountaines the Higher Parts of the Earth the Soules of Men From thence He slides downe into Plaines and Lower Valleies The Bodily Part of Things Unhappy He That Sees not the Comming of Christ into His own Soul What is it which He Sees not He Sees not the Sweetnesse in His Saviour's Eyes A Forgiving A Melting A Molding A Ravishing Sweetnesse A Sweetnesse that freely Forgives
may keep Him safe though you lay Him in a Grave hewne out of a Rock in a Garden a Frame contriv'd with greatest strength and Beauty though you set the Seal of Authority upon it and a guard about it yet Christ will rise with an Earth-quake and appeare to His Disciples 2. Reason Christ Comes in the Darke The Lord darkens His own Appearances who then shall Determine the way of Christ's Comming to us when He makes it His Designe to obscure it Why do we Condemne the Discoveries of Christ for being above our Reach beyond our Measure and Light when 't is His Plot and will to Come in Clouds If the Light of the world please as He breaks forth to hold the eyes of the wisest Men and Holyest Disciples that they shall not discern Him though He walk in the mid'st of them Let Us bear our Blindnesse and not lay the fault on Heaven calling Day Night or censuring the Light for being Dark Jesus Christ tels Peter What I do thou knowest not but thou shalt know hereafter Ioh. 13.6 Our Saviour puts forth Himself to Men in Many Appearances of which they are uncapable to lie as seeds in their Spirits and perhaps after many years grow into distinct Fruits in their understanding and ripe Fruits in their Affections Then they know that a Prophet hath been among them That the Highest Appearances of God have been plain before their Eyes when they have least imagin'd it The Wise-man that spake in Parables and Proverbs tels Prov. 25.2 'T is the Glory of God to conceale a Thing the Word in Hebrew and of Kings to search out the matter the Word God makes it His Designe in this World to bring forth the Eternall word the Brightest Image of Himself so as that we Seeing Him shall not See Him But then it pertaines to the Kingdome of Christ as the proper Glory of that to comprehend this Dark World and make it understood by it's Light Take heed then how you judge the Comming of Christ by the Day-light of this world seeing 't is His Glory to come in the Night The Devil too labours to Darken the Comming of Christ Sweetest and Clearest Spirits in which the Bride-groome comes forth most Beautifully are by Him clog'd and clouded with the Disguise of Faction Sedition Licentiousnesse and Atheisme as in Paul and Christ Himself The most Heavenly Truths which are as the lookings forth of this King of Glory are by him presented to the World in the most deformed Appearances of Hellish Blasphemies As the Devill hath his Arrowes which flie in the Dark so hath Christ His Comming in the Spirit is an Arrow that flies in the Dark at Noon-day Woe be to him that stands in its way it will pierce his Liver Our Saviour speaks it of Himself If the Good man knew at what hour the Thief would come he would watch and not suffer his house to be broke open If you know the Time and way in which Christ will certainly come you might define that and confine Him But now fear to be mistaken because of that place of Scripture The stone which the Builders refused is become the Head of the Corner Psal. 118.22 The stone which the Builders refused is become the Head of the Corner O ye Builders Take heed what stone ye refuse O ye Men Take heed of stumbling at that Stone which the Builders refuse lest your Buildings and Selves be broken upon it but That grow up into a Building of Glory which can never be broken or shaken Thus much for the First Caution Take heed how you furiously oppose any thing that pretends to an Appearance of Christ Habakkuk speaks of Christ in the Spirit C. 3. v. 4. His Brightnesse was as the Light Hornes were in His Hand and there was the Hiding of Power All the Spirituall Discoverys of Christ are as Hands of Light by which He puts forth Himself and takes hold of the world The Invisible Spirit the Presence of the Godhead in it 's Two-fold Piercing Principle of Love and Wrath These are the Hornes in the Hands Take heed how you resist these Hands when they are stretch'd forth lest you rush upon the Hornes If you launch forth with fury upon any stream of Spirits or Opinions and strike upon the Power of the God-head lying hid like a Rock in those waters how great will the wrack and Ruine of your Souls be I will close this use with the Story of Balaam He went forth upon his Asse to curse the Children of Israel having first obtain'd full leave from God for it as he thought His Asse gives back crusheth his foot against the wall He is enrag'd Yet if his Asse had gone on he had bin slain For an Angel stood with a Drawn Sword in his way I intend no particular Application but onely a generall Allusion Balaam is fleshly Man that hath the visions of God in the Fleshly Image The Asse the Externall Power of Nature and the Creature on which he rides When you go forth against any that call themselves Israel and think your selves most clearly sent from the mouth or face of God yet if then your Asse retreat fall back Rush upon the walls of Difficulties take heed of putting him on too fiercely Let it fairly warn you to fear Perhaps the Power of Nature and the Creature sees the Lord Jesus Comming forth with the Sword of His Spirit Brandish'd in his Hand If it should go on it might carry you into an Absolute Ruine Take heed then of being furious against any thing that pretends to be an Appearance of Christ For Consolation When first you pleas'd to call me to this I thought thus with my self What can I say more then hath been said To what end shall I speak or Have we any more Hopes yet in our Breasts We have bled and wept wept and bled again for many years Still we weep and some feare lest we bleed again with greater danger As Iacob complain'd of Laban so is it with us Our wages our Hopes have been chang'd now these ten times Our Hopes and our Saviours have devoured each other as Pharaoh's Lean Kine did the Fat yet as They are still Lean. What do we cry to a sleeping God or a God at a great Distance from us as in a journey or Are our Services in the Church our Sacrifices in the Field no more to the living God than the Gashes which Baal's Priests make upon their own Flesh While I was thus discouraged in mine own Spirit I was refresh't with a Two-fold Comfort with which I shall now indeavour to comfort you 1. The Way of Christ is in the Dark 2. The way of Christ is among the Angels 1. The Way of Christ is in the Dark Then may our King be come a good way on in His Travels of Love and Glory towards us though we yet discern him not We know not how Near he may be to us how full of Life and Sweetnesse before