THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST IN THE SOULE OPENED In a SERMON before the Right Hon ble House of PEERS in Covent-garden-Church upon the Solemne Day of their Monthly Fast March 29. 1648. By PETER STERRY M. A. Sometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge AND Now Preacher of the Gospel in LONDON Published by Order of that House LONDON Printed for R. Dawlman and are to be sold at the Signe of the Crowne and Bible at Dowgate neer Canning-street 1648. Die Lunae 3 0 Aprilis 1648. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament assembled That M r Sterrey one of the Assembly of Divines is hereby thanked for his great paines taken in his Sermon Preached the last Fast before their Lo ps in the Covent-Garden Church And he is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be printed and published which is to be done onely by Authority under his owne hand IO BROWNE Cleric Parliamentorum To the Right Hon ble the House of PEERS Assembled in Parliament Right Hon ble I Have principally endeavoured in this Sermon to search What that is to Which we may Trust our Soules and What Foundation we are to Lay in our Religion If we were once Established in this maine Point concerning the Next World we should Enjoy our selves with much more Setledness and Security in This World For how quietly should we repose our Selves for this Outward Short Life in the Body on that Power to Which we commit the Care of our more Excellent and Immortall Part What Difficulty would there be in Trusting to Him for our Preservation from Death to whom we trust our Selves in Death for Eternity Our Lord Jesus seems to this End to be Shaking Heaven and Earth Church and State all Outward Powers and Inward Principles in Both that the True Foundation of Heaven and Earth may be Discovered Saint Paul saith Other Foundation can no Man lay than that which is laid Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. God Hath laid no other Foundation neither May we neither Can we On This alone hath God built the World His Church His Glory He hath made All Things by Jesus Christ Coloss 1. 16. On this alone must we build our Belief and Obedience in Divine Things our Wisdome and Power in the Things of Man For All Power is given to Him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. Whoever raiseth any Outward or Inward Frame of Things upon any other Ground-worke he makes a Lie he works the Works of the Devill whose End is to be Dissolved to Vanish into Ayre or Perish in the Fire S. Paul Divides Man into Three Parts Spirit Soule and Body 1 Thess 5. 23. The Body is an Outward Image made of Dust Gen. 2. 7. God formed Man of the Dust of the Ground The Soule is a Breath of Life Inclosed in This Image Clothed with It and Giving Life to It He breathed into his Nosthrils the Breath of Life and Man became a Living Soul The Spirit is the Fountain of Life which flowes forth from God to Feed and Maintain the Breath of Life in the Body When the time of Death Comes This Spirit draws back to Their Head again Those streams of Life by Which It went forth into the Body Then the Outward Image falls to the Ground and moulders away Thus doth the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit returns to God that gave it Eccles 12. 7. Now of These Three the Higher lives In the Lower and Above It. The Lower lives by the Higher And the Highest of all Three the Spirit of Man hath a Higher than That by which It Self lives even the Spirit of the Lord Jesus who is the King and Father of Spirits Our Saviour reasons after this manner Is not the Life More than Meat and the Body than Rayment Mat. 6. 25. My Lords We are all well assured of This that Nothing can Give More than It Hath These Bodies of ours which have a more Noble Image and Life than any other part of this Outward World in which they are cannot receive Either or continue in Either by any Inferiour and Outward Thing but by a Soule which dwells in the Body as a Silk-worm in her Work which lives in the Body as a Fire in the Flame Food and Rayment may be the Fuell by which the Soule maintains the Flaming Appearance of this Bodily Image But the Vertue goes forth from the Soule Our Saviour again teacheth us that Nothing which comes from Without can make the Soule Miserable or Happy Clean or Unclean This is done by that which comes from a more Inward and Higher Principle from the Spirit of Man In like manner this Spirit it self derives Its Life from the Right or the Left Hand of Jesus Christ His Love or His Wrath. From Hence our Spirits convey Life into our Soules and thorow them into our Bodies Thus our Bodies live not by Bread alone but by that Vertue which comes forth from our Soules Our Soules live not by their Counsels and Courages alone but by every Stream of Life that descends from our Spirits upon them Our Spirits live not by their own Eminencies but by Every Word that comes forth from the Mouth of Jesus Christ S. Paul said The Head of the Woman is the Man The Head of the Man is Christ The Head of Christ is God 1 Cor. 11. 3. So the Head of the Body is the Soule the Head of the Soule is the Spirit the Head of the Spirit is Jesus Christ as He comes forth to us in the Ministery of Angels Therefore let us have a Covering over our Heads a Power over our Soules and Spirits holding them in Subjection for these Angels sakes Amongst Which and By Which Jesus Christ the Head of our Soules and Spirits doth now raigne over us Our Lord Jesus calls Himself the Sun of Righteousnesse O that men did once Know that there can be no Right Judgment made no true Distinction or Discovery of Things but by the Shining out of Jesus Christ in their Hearts Are there not Invisible Things as well as Visible Have not They also Their Sun The Sun the Brightest Body is the Foundation and Fountain of all Light Vertue Forme and Being in this Globe of Bodily Substances If the Sun be quite hid all Shapes are lost in an Utter Darkness The Lord Jesus among Spirits and Spirituall Things is the onely Foundation of Truth Life and Power All Truth and True Life is lost in Doubt Uncertainty and a Spirituall Death to those Spirits in which He withdraweth Himself Why is the Heaven of our Religion darkened with Clouds of Dispute with so much Diversity such Uncertainty of Opinions that he begins to seem the Wisest among us who is most of all a Sceptique that is a Scorner or an Atheist How comes our Reason to such a Losse that She cannot Find or Know Her self She can give no Cleer or Constant Account of Her self in any One Man or in any One Particular Thing Doe not These things
himself 2 Cor. 3. 1. Need we Epistles of Commendations to you or from you ver 2. Ye are our Epistles written in our hearts ver 3. Ye are manifestly declared the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God not on tables of stone but on hearts of flesh These are the Commendatory Letters which a true Apostle the true Church carry about with them these are the Commission by vertue of which they challenge their authority The Epistle that is the Gospell that is the Discovery of Christ shining thorow them into the hearts of men by the Spirit These are the onely life power authority discovery of the true Church the Manifestation of Christ and the Ministery of the Spirit to the hearts of men We reade Gal. 4. 25 26. of two Hierusalems one above the other below that now is subject to temporary appearances in this world or that now is whose time is now whose being and glory is of this world These are the Two Churches one in the outward forme the other in the Spirit To be subject to the Hierusalem below to the Church in the outward forme for the outward forme's sake is a bondage For that Church is in bondage with her children This Church is but our Mother-in-law The Hierusalem which is above the Church in the unity of the Spirit is the true Mother of us all That Church is our right Mistresse which is our true Mother This is the Mount Sion that cannot be toucht that is not obvious to sense or subject to a carnall discerning Here is the great Congregation of the first-borne the meeting of all good Spirits in this one Spirit Heb. 12. 18 22 23. To be subject to the authority of this Church is to be truly free For this Church is seene onely in the Spirit and in that Spirit justifies her selfe This Spirit is the seale of the living God upon her Thus the Authority of the Church is none or t is that of Christ and his Spirit in her 3. Master Miracles Divines distinguish between Mirandum and Miraculum a thing to be admired and a Miracle That is to be admired which is unusuall or unknowne which proceeds from some unwonted or undiscovered cause in nature That onely is a Miracle which is above Nature which transcends the course and power of Nature which hath the Divine Nature putting forth it selfe in the vigour of its abstracted Being You have Miracles described Mark 16. 20. They went forth and preached the Lord working with them and confirming the Word by signes following That onely is a Miracle or a signe from heaven for confirmation of the truth which hath the Lord Jesus working and appearing in it joyntly with some creature There is no way of confirming the Appearances of Christ but onely by the multiplying of those Appearances How then shall I know which is a Miracle I must have a Spirit large as the sand of the Sea that can put a Girdle about the whole Compasse of Nature in her widest extent I must fathom her in the utmost of her Power before I can say of any thing This is supernaturall this is a Miracle Or else he that saith He sees a Miracle must say he sees God as he is above all creatures comming downe in his owne likenesse into some particular Creature and making a change of it by that Discovery of himselfe in it The waters saw thee O God and were driven backward saith the Psalmist of the Miracles wrought in the passage of the Children of Israel out of Aegypt No man can discerne a Miracle 'till he discover God which can never be done but by the Eye of God in the Soul of man Jesus Christ is the Head-miracle For in him first the Face of God is seen in union with the Creature as in a glasse Each Miracle is the same Appearance over again in severall shapes as the same Soul which shines out in the Head shewing it self in the various Members and parts of the body Therefore is the Working of Miracles a Gift of the Spirit and the working of a Miracle is by the faith of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 9 10. Mat. 17. 20. But let us passe from Miracles to the Letter of the Scriptures 4. Master Letter of the Scriptures Nothing is to be said of these but reverendly They are to be set below the Spirit alone It is in comparison with this Spirit that themselves undervalue themselves and testifie of themselves these things 1. The Scriptures in the Letter are Dead But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we might serve him in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter Rom. 7. 6. The Law and the Letter are every where made of equall dignity power and extent Both as they are alone are old and dead The Scriptures thus taken signifie nothing except you bring some living Power or Principle to them to quicken them Lay them before a dead man and they are as dead as he 2. The Scriptures in the Letter are Killing 2 Cor. 3. 6. The Letter Killeth but the Spirit quickneth The Letter of the Scripture Kils two waies by confounding and condemning us It hath so much darknesse upon it so much difficulty in it it is subject to so many disputes to such variety of interpretations that it troubles and distracts our Vnderstanding making it able to see nothing to settle no where This indeed is the proper end and best effect of the Letter to put out quite all our Light that we may wait for a higher Light from Heaven which may restore the Letter without us and Reason within us as by a Regeneration Saint Paul saith I by the Law am dead to the Law Galat. 2. 19. Happy is he who can say in like manner I by the Letter am blind and dead to the Letter that the Spirit may shine thorow the Letter upon me and fulfill the law of the Letter in mee 3. The Letter of the Scripture is an Outward thing Rom. 2. 1. Saint Paul teacheth us that he is not a Jew who is one outwardly in the Letter but he that is one inwardly in the Spirit The Letter and the Spirit are opposed as inward and outward The Spirit is called a Sword Ephes 6. 17. The Scriptures are the Scabbard in which that Sword is laid up and out of which it is drawn The Spirit in the same place is called the Word of God This is the inward Word the Scriptures are the outward The Spirit is a Person the Scriptures are a Garment fitted to that Person and receiving their warmth from him before they can give any to us Yet every Principle and Power of falshood as well as truth can cloth it self with this Garment He is not a Jew that is one outwardly in the Letter Each Principle and Spirit makes the Scriptures appear to it selfe in its owne Likenesse Spirituall wickednesses
can set themselves up in the highest places of Scripture 4. The Scriptures in the Letter are but a Shadow The Law having a Shadow of good things to come but not the very Image it self Hebr. 10. 1. I have already said that the Law and the Letter are much one thing The Person of Jesus Christ in the Spirit is the Image it self of all good things The Scriptures are the Shadow which this Image casts from it self in the Light of the Spirit All creatures are Shadows of those good things which are in God and Christ The Scriptures are the largest the exactest the nearest the best Shadow and such a one as is rightly seen only in the Eternall light of Christ It vanishes into a confused spot when he withdraws and is clear again when he appears Saint Paul puts Timothy in mind of studying the Scriptures but then lest he should mistake them he gives him this Vniversall Caution 2 Tim. 3. 19. Knowing that every Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by inspiration of God Vnhappy is he that trusts himself to any thing as Scripture any further than it carries a Divine inspiration the breathings of God or his Spirit along with it That is Scripture which is the Word of God and that the Word which is in union with the immortall Word This Word hath the words of everlasting life John 6. 68. I will conclude this particular head of the Scriptures with an Answer to an Objection which the Papists make against us So shall we fall upon the last Master the Spirit Object They say we run in a Circle while we make not the Church the ground of our belief For we pretend to Know all things by the Scriptures But how the Scriptures by the Spirit And how the Spirit by the Scriptures Thus we run round Answ But if a man say he converseth with my body by my soule and with my soule by my body doth he run in a circle or speak vainly No for both are true in a distinct and proper sense The Body is the appropriate and immediate Instrument of the Soule the Soule is the Breath that fills that Instrument and gives it a distinct sound The Spirit quickneth As the Humane nature to the Divinity of Christ so the Scriptures are a kind of Incarnation or as a Body to the Holy Ghost which alone is their proper Soule The Scriptures are the materiall object of our Faith the Spirit the formall both the ultimate the last object in their kind The Truths which I am to believe lie in Scripture as Colours in the wall or in a Picture The Spirit is as the Light I see the coloured wall by the Light for that enlightens it actuates its shape and colours brings them unites them to my eye enlightning and actuating that also I see the Light by the Wall for it reflects and directs it self from that to my eye So the Spirit and the Scriptures as Light and Colours on a Picture are mutually seen in and by one another without any Maze or endlesse Circle Thy Word is a Light to my feet and a Lanthorn to my paths saith David Psal 119. The Eternall Word in the Written Word is the Light in the Lanthorne The Scriptures are my Spectacles though the Spirit of Christ be my Light or my Eye and his Person the Word which I read My God! Let me not want thee in the Humanity while I am a Creature Blessed Spirit let me enjoy thee in the Scriptures while I am in the flesh 5. Master the Spirit This is the Christ the true Master 1 Tim. 3. 13. Great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit The Spirit is God and Christ in their Divine appearance as they are invisible to carnall eyes pure simple perfect in one All Flesh is a Manifestation of God and each Manifestation which is not the Substance it self is but Flesh The Spirit that is the Spirituall appearance of God in Christ tries and justifies or condemns all Appearances of Truth or Falshood This is the onely Judge at whose Bar every Manifestation of God in the flesh receives its Justification even the Spirit The Lord Jesus is that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17. 1 John 5. 6. The Spirit is Truth that is the Highest Truth Reason saith There must be One there can be only One first and last Truth from which all Truths primitively derive themselves into which they all ultimately resolve themselves for certainty and evidence Reason saith This Truth can be no other than the Highest of all the only true God as he is in his own Spirit and Spirituall appearance Thus the Spirit which is above Reason and can reveal it self at pleasure without Reason is witnest to by Reason This Spirit is the most high God This God is our Jesus as he stoops into our Natures as he puts forth himself in our Persons to become the Fountaine the Glasse of truth love life joy within us This is He who calls to our fluttering wandring Spirits and points them to himself and saith Here shall be your Rest build your nests on this Rock His Name is I am that I am I am Certainty I am Truth All other things are so far certain and true as they have a Certainty and Truth in him being comprehended in his Appearance or carrying forth his Appearance in themselves Come then all that hunger and thirst after Truth sit downe at the feet of this Master as Mary did There are many Objections made against these inward Teachings of Christ by the Evidence of the Spirit 1. Object How shall I know this Spirit Answ If you ask me how you shall see other things I answer by the Light But if you ask me how you shall see the Light I have nothing to say but the same thing again by the Light That which makes manifest is Light The Light comprehends the object in it self flowes with it into my eye unites it self to my eye informs it immediately with it self and with all shapes and colours in it self Thus if you ask me how you shall know Divine things I answer by the Spirit But you reply how shall I know the Spirit Still I answer by the Spirit 'T is the rule of School-Divines when you come to objectum quo sistendum est when you come to the first Principle of seeing or knowing you must stop there For that discerns and judges all but is discern'd and judg'd only by it self Saint Paul joynes them two a Spirit of Revelation and the opening the eyes of our understanding Ephes 1. 17 18. 2. Object But how can this be seeing my Soule knows not this Spirit hath no sense of it no suitablenesse to it Answ Saint John satisfies you in this doubt 1 Joh. 5. 20. The Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true Looke upward to the Mountaine of the Godhead from whence Salvation comes Jesus Christ
their owne Spirits while they are one Spirit with Jesus Christ Many such lessons Jesus Christ teacheth us but they all are easily learn'd and practised when we thorowly understand those two great Lessons of the Lovelinesse and Love of Jesus Christ He that looks upon the Lovelinesse of Jesus Christ as he looks will feel himself by degrees transform'd into the same Spirituall beauties 2 Cor. 3. 1. Beholding the glory of the Lord we are chang'd into the likenesse of the same Image He that dives into the Love of Jesus Christ will feel himself irresistibly drawn and forc'd by it to answer and imitate it 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth us The Lovelinesse and Love of the Lord Jesus fall both into the same Path. He that hath found one hath found both This is the shortest sweetest plainest and perfectest way to Heaven What shall I now say to conclude this Exhortation If the Lord Jesus have been working with me this day confirming the words which I have spoken outwardly to your ears with his words spoken inwardly to your hearts then I know your Hearts have been powerfully touch'd and some one among you sweetly affected with Jesus Christ begins to say I have hitherto sought my Honour in the Glory the Sweetness of my life in the pleasures of this world But doe thou thus still teach me ô my Iesus Make me to hear from thy mouth the sound of thy Loveliness and Love in my Spirit Then shall I have more joy in these things then ever I have had when my Corne and Oyle have abounded the treasures and delicacies of the Flesh Use 4 Direction You shall know the Teachings of Jesus Christ from all other by these Properties 1. Love 2. Life 3. Power 4. Perpetuity 5. Infallibility in his Person 6. Demonstration of his Doctrine 1. Property Love The teachings of Christ fell upon the Soul like the Soft rain upon the tender grasse The Touchings of men have much of their own humours and passions mingled with them which often nip the young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breathings of Christ are soft and gentle not quenching any heat though never so weak and dark but fanning the least smoke till it be a flame As the Eagle bears her yong ones upon her Wing and so teacheth them to flie thus doth the Lord Jesus train us up to Spirituality bearing our infirmities 2. Property Life Jesus Christ speaks quickning creating words As he instructs he infuseth a Principle suitable to his Doctrine He holds forth a Light and makes a seeing Eye He utters divine Mysteries and makes a hearing Eare. He presents love riches joy strength and gives a heart to receive it 3. Property Power Jesus Christ speaks not Words but Things You have not so learn'd Christ if you have been taught of him and have learn'd the Truth as it is in him Ephes 4. 20 21. Christ doth not teach by signes but the sabstance it self He presents the Excellencies of which he discourseth He shews them to the life in his own Person He plants them and sets them in the Soule to grow there Christ so teacheth that he makes his words Spirit and Life Iohn 6. 63. one Spirit and Life with Himself and you He makes these three one Spirit the Teacher the Truths taught the Disciple that learns them 4. Property Perpetuity 'T is said of God that His work is for ever Eccles So are the teachings of Christ for ever He gives us his Spirit to be a Treasury and a Remembrancer of all Truth to us He shall bring all things to your mind Iohn Thou hast the words of everlasting life Iohn The words of Christ will live in your Spirits as long as ye live in your death eternally 5. Property The infallibility of his Person Let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. 4. Nay man is not onely a Lyar but a Lie Surely men of low degree are Vanity and men of high degree are a Lie to be laid in a balance they are altogether lighter than Vanity Psal 62. 9. Man is nothing more than an empty appearance If he pretend to be or appear any thing he makes himself a Lie The wit strength excellency of man serve only to make a strong delusion Man hath infallibity no more then he hath immortality But Jesus Christ is more than man He is God too God neither tempts any man nor can be tempted James 1. 13. Jesus Christ cannot deceive any man nor be deceived If He appear His appearances are true If Jesus Christ say It is I the winds of temptation the waves of doubt obey and the greatest storm in the Soul is silenced into a Calme There remains now only the last Property of Christ's teachings which is the Principall one I shall therefore be somewhat the larger upon it 6. Property Demonstration of his Doctrines Saint Paul testifies of himself 1 Cor. 2. 4. And my Preaching was not in the enticing words of man's Wisdome but in the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power When Paul preached with an infallibility it was not Paul but the Lord Jesus that spake and gave a Demonstration of that which he spake 1 Cor. 7. 10. Saint Paul makes a three fold Opposition 1. Oppos Between Words and Power 2. Oppos Between Enticing words and Demonstration 3. Oppos Between Man's wisdome and the Spirit Enticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswasive words such as are able to beget a humane faith to the highest The Demonstrations of Christ in his teachings are above not the Rhetorick only but the Philosophy of man They are more then words fancy wit reason or wisdome it self so far as man or any meer Creature is capable of them There are four Questions which being propounded and answered will give much light to this Scripture and this Property 1. Quest What is a Demonstration 2. Quest What is the Spirit 3. Quest What is the Demonstration of the Spirit 4. Quest How this is appropriated to Jesus Christ 1. Q. What is a Demonstration Answ A Demonstration is the Evidencing of things by an irresistible light and clearness of conviction The Philosopher teacheth us from the Principles of reason and nature that a Demonstration must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by such Truths as are the First truths in themselves and most immediate in respect to us The truths by which you will demonstrate any thing must be 1. First truths 2. Immediate truths 1. First truths Such as have none above none before them on which they depend for Certainty and Clearness Demonstrating truths must be absolute unquestionable such as no understanding can resist when they are presented That which manifests is Light Ephes 5. 13. That which makes clearly manifest without any deniall or doubt is Light in which there is no darkness as S. John speaks of God 1 J. 1. 5. Such a Light must that be which carries a Demonstration along with it It must be the originall and measure of all Truth as Light is
11. We read of abusers of themselves with mankind Idolaters Extortioners c. Such saith the Apostle were some of ye But ye are wash'd but ye are cleansed in the Holy Ghost and the name of the Lord Jesus You that have the most foule and loathsome souls heare this The name of Jesus Christ is the Image of his beauties Doe but cast your selves into the embraces of these beauties You are alwaies embraced by them Let but this Person spread his armes about you you shall immediately be changed and cleansed you shall shine forth fairer than any Creature by His comelinesse you shall be made a sit Spouse for God Doe you not feel the eyes of your understandings to open and take in a Glory Doe you not now learn that it is more honourable and more pleasant to be in a Prison on a Dunghill on a Sick-bed in a Grave with Jesus Christ than to be in a Palace without him Were it not a happinesse to be dead that we might be for ever with him My Lords I beseech you to receive a short sentence from the mouth of a Worme and lay it up in your hearts When the houre comes in which all your comforts shall forsake you it will be of inestimable Vertue and value to you It is this The Person of Christ satisfies the Father beautifies the blackest Soule glorifies the basest and bitterest condition This is the first Lesson the Lovelinesse of Jesus Christ 2. Lesson The Love of the Lord Jesus We read of Christ's sending his Spirit to convince the world of Sin Righteousnesse and Iudgment John 16. If the Lord would have you learn his Love he must send his Spirit into your hearts to convince you of Sin that you may know how much he bears with you of Wrath that you may know how much he bears for you of Righteousnesse that you may know how much he bestows on you He must send his Spirit into your Hearts to stretch them all waies to the utmost heighth depth breadth and length that they may take in His Love And yet then they will not take in the thousandth part Saint Paul praies for the Saints that they may know the heighth depth breadth and length and all this but as a preparation that they may know the Love of Christ and yet then he saith of it it passeth Knowledge Ephes 3. 18 19. I will give you severall places of Scripture to be as Hints to you of the Love of Christ and His Teachings of it in the Soule Revel 1. 5. Who that is Jesus Christ hath loved us and wash'd us in his bloud Acts 9. 4. Jesus Christ complains from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me John 17. 1. Our blessed Saviour praies to his Father for his Disciples that that Love wherewith thou lovest me may be in them and I in them Come you that yet wallow in your Lusts and think nothing so sweet as they are to you Come you that Welter in despair as in your bloud and think nothing can be sweet to you Learn the love of the Lord Jesus as He teacheth it When thou hast polluted thy self with the greatest Vncleannesse then feel the drops of thy Saviours bloud trickling apace from his Wounds down upon thy Bosome to Wash off that Staine then heare the Voice of thy Saviour sweetly speaking forth these words in thy Spirit Thus I die for thee yet thus thou Killest me all the day long Will not these words break your hearts and kill your Lusts When you are at the lowest ebbe of grace or comfort when your feet stick in the myre of clay then look upward see Jesus Christ in Heaven heare him in the midst of all his joyes speaking to his Father concerning thee after this manner O my father why doest thou still persecute me with thy displeasure My joy is not full while this man's sins and sorrows are upon him I suffer shame fear want woe in him Here shew that love which thou bearest to me on this poor soule When you seem to your self most neglected of God and man most afflicted from both then look inward see Jesus Christ in your own Spirits hear him thus comforting thee Yet have I my Heaven here in thee Yet hast thou thy Heaven thy Righteousnes thy Joy thy Jesus hidden in the midst of thee ready to be made manifest upon thee in their own Season Doe not your Souls pant within you after this Jesus now that you hear so much of his Love Now let each one say Depart from me ye fruitless Delights ye causlesse Despairs For now I know that the love of the Lord Jesus towards me excells all things that ever were His loving kindnesse is sweeter than life it self Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life said the Devill But skin lusts life and all will he give for this love that hath once had any tast of it All my contents are in this and in thee ô Jesus These are the two principall and most difficult Lessons in the school of Christ There are many other besides these of which I will cull out six 1. Loath the World and live in Heaven Christ teacheth us to seek a City not of this Creation whose Builder Building and chief Inhabitant is God He teacheth us to find this new Hierusalem which is above us within us and there to dwell He discovers this City with its Citizens in our Spirits and draws us into it 2. Hate Sin and be Holy Jesus Christ teacheth with a tongue of Fire in the Heart of man which melts and makes new which as it teacheth toucheth takes hold consumes the drosse and refines the gold 3. Cast off your selves and abide in Jesus Christ The teachings of Christ run much upon two Creations the one Old the other New and a dying to the one that we may Live in the other Take away the Earth and Heaven is every where Take away the old appearance of the Creature and Christ with God appears One Appearance is the Garment spotted with the Flesh the other is the White Rayment 4. Have a beautifull Conversation among men The rule of Christ is that good men should shine as Lights in the world Light is clear the same in every posture and motion It enlightens and cheers It draws and directs It is of the same stuffe and appearance with Heaven 5. Be a Servant to all in Humility Learn of me for I am lowly saith Christ Mat. 11. 29. The Son of man came not to be served but to serve Mat. 20. 28. He is likest to the most High that can descend lowest to serve and please others in Christ 6. Be a Father to all in Charity This is a Mystery of sweetnesse which the Lord Jesus infuseth into the Soules of his Hearers to comprehend all things in one Spirit with themselves by being themselves comprehended in one Spirit with God to look upon all things as their owne and the out-goings of