for eyes They that see pitty the blinde Wee have a little Sister that hath no breasts wee have a poor Brother yea a world of them that have no eyes What shall we do for our poor brethren in the day that they shall bee spoken for Oh! bee eyes to thy blinde bee a light to thy dark souls let them that dwell in darkness see thy great light Sinners those whom you persecute do thus pitty do thus pray for you Lord that their eyes might bee opened will you say Amen to their prayers or will you say Lord regard not their word wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Christians bee marvels You that have seen marvellous things bee marvellous persons set the world a wondring for some thing Let your light shine let the light which hath shined into your hearts shine forth in all your paths let the Spirit of Light within you bee a Spirit of Glory resting upon you Once you were darkness but now are yee light in the Lord Walk as Children of the light Bee yee holy harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation amongst whom yee shine as lights in the World Beclouded Christian thou goest on bemoaning and bewailing thy self complaining that thou art still blinde the light hath shined into thy darkness but thy darkness comprehendeth it not thine eye is yet but tender at least and thou canst see but little but little of Christ the Sun is but as a sparke to thee but little of sin that Mountain looks yet but as a Mole hill It is neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day thou hopeedst that long e're this thy scales would have fallen off the vail would have been removed but they abide upon thee thou waitest for light but behold obscurity for brightness but thou walkest in darkness thou goest on adding darkness to darkness the darkness of sorrow to the dimness of sight Thou fearest that the Gospel is hid from thee thou doubtest 't is still night because 't is not yet noon with thee But hearken as little as thou seest of Christ doest thou see so much that thou prizest and lovest and cleavest to him above all as little as thou seest of sin doest thou see so much that thou loathest and shunnest it above all things doest thou walke in that little light thou hast dost thou love long wait cry for the light Send forth thy light and thy truth lift up the light of thy countenance Sun of Righteousness shine upon mee why are the wheels of thy Chariots so long a coming when Lord Make haste my Beloved O might I once see thy face as the Sun looking over the Mountains Is this thy voice are these the breathings of thy soul Bee of good comfort these are the glimmerings and groanings of that Holy Spirit within thee which hath already delivered thee from darkness and will bring thee forth into his marvellous light thou shalt know if thou follow on to know the Lord. Arise shine thy light is come the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Though yet as to thy sense it bee neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day in the evening there shall bee light 2 As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification hee is given as an Holy Spirit and as a Sanctifying Spirit therefore Sanctification is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 he comes to change us into his own nature to make us partakers of his holiness hee is a Refiner's fire and Fullers sope Mal. 3.2 to purge and work and wash off the filth and corruption of our natures What it is said hee shall bee to the Church Isa 4.4 A Spirit of Judgement and a Spirit of Burning to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion and to purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof a Spirit of Judgement that is in the Rulers of Israel stirring them up to do Justice and execute Judgement that so the guilt of blood may bee taken away Isa 32.15,16 and a Spirit of Burning that is in the hearts of the people of Israel to consume and destroying the inward lusts of their hearts that no more such wickedness bee committed amongst them This hee is to every Saint A Spirit of Judgement to give Sentence against their Lusts to condemn them to the fire these must bee cast out to the fire with them away with them get yee hence yee Sons of the Bond-woman you may not bee Heirs with the Sons of the Free-woman The Spirit of the Lord first discovers and convinces of sin judges betwixt light and darkness grace and sin and then gives sentence away with these Lusts they may not bee suffered to live A Spirit of Burning to execute the sentence to consume them in the fire The Spirit of Sanctification is a spirit of Mortification Rom. 8.13 If yee through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body It is the Spirit that kills the Flesh profiteth nothing The Spirit implants the Soul into Christ gives it an Interest in his death brings it under the influence of his death Christus crucifixus est Christus crucifigens 'T is the death of Christ that is the death of sin these Theeves are Crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Our old man is Crucified with Christ that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should no longer serve sin Hell knew not what they did when they Crucified Christ Death with all its Armies were put to death with him The Spirit raises up another party in the soul a party against a party an army against an army brings Grace in to take up arms against sin Grace doth not onely fight against sinne but is in the very nature of it the death of sinne as the Generation of a new is the Corruption of the old form Humility is pride dead meekness is sinful passion and frowardnesse dead patience is impatience slain The Spirit excites and stirs up the soul against sin sets it a praying against it the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Supplication fetches down Hail-stones and Thunder bolts from Heaven to destroy these Amorites sets a watch against it presses the soul to deal wisely with it to keep it low by cutting off all provision from the flesh restraining and keeping it short of all those fleshly objects which would keep it in heart and so it 's starved to death It is true our greatest wisdome watchfulness abstinence self-denial and all external means alone will fall short of killing one lust it is the Spirit that killeth without it the flesh profiteth nothing all external attempts for the mortification of the flesh are but a fleshly mortification but if yee through the Spirit do mortifie pray in the Spirit watch in the Spirit curbe and keep short and keep under this body still taking in the assistance of the Spirit then it shall dye Christian thou livest in a weary Land and thou hast but a weary
is sin that sins so may it be said of duty It is no more I that do it but Christ that dwelleth in me Though both be the act of the Person both the sin and the duty yet the Principle of the one is Lust the Power of the other is of Christ Christians cannot go through and they dare not set upon a duty without looking up to Christ and leaning upon him for assistance They cannot go through and therefore they will not set forth but it the strength of the Lord. All tâ—eir Acts of Obedience are exhibited and offered up in the name of Christ Their services are their sacrifices to God and Christ is their Altar What is a sacrifice without an Altar Christ is our Altar which sanctifies our gift God looks on all and so do they as nothing worth without Christ God will not accept and therefore they will not offer other then the Lamb for their sacrifice All their acts of Obedience are acknowledged to the praise of Christ It is no more I that do it but the grace of God which was with me Grace does the work and Grace shall carry away the praise Christ is all in the race and therefore on his head the Crown is set Not unto us Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the pra se Not of us and therefore not unto us of him and therefore unto him If I am any thing what others are not if I have done any thing more then others no thank to me and therefore no praise To him be all who is All in all to me Christians Obedience is their walking in Christ Christians Obedience is their walking in the Spirit They have received the Spirit and they walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 they have not received the spirit of this world their spirit is not flesh but the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 They are dead to things carnal the spirit of the world is departed they have given up this ghost 'T is the Spirit of the living God that lives in them and in this they live and walk They walk in the Light of the Spirit in the Power of the Spirit the Spirit of the Lord steets their Course and fills their Sails is their Pilot and their Star and their Wind that carries them on When they pray they pray in the Spirit when they hear they hear in the Spirit through the Spirit they mortifie the flesh are crucified to the world they obey they suffer they fight they overcome through the Spirit of the living God that is in them They live in fellowship with the Spirit and by him with the Father and the Son They dwell in the invisible world their acquaintance and converse is in Heaven thither they have access and there they have acceptance thither they have their recourse and thence they have their returns Duties and comforts are the tokens that are passing betwixt Heaven and Earth Their life is Love and Joy and Praise these are the most noble acts of their Obedience and these give Wings to their hearts carry them on more swiftly and more sweetly through all their course Oh how heavily do we drive on how slowly do our Wheels move when the Spirit of the living God is not in the Wheels Oh how dead are our Duties how lame are our walkings what low and poor spirited creatures are we How weak are our hearts how unripe our fruits we do but half do what we do there is no heart in our life we are as bodies without souls whilest our soul is without a Spirit Oh how sad is it with many of us upon this account By our estrangement from God we have even lost our selves we are not what we are because we are no more where he is By our distances from Heaven we are even choaked with the damps of the Earth We are fit for little we prosper in nothing God takes no pleasure and we take no comfort in any thing we do our spirits are so chil'd and benummed within as that we neither make sign in our work not ridance of our way And what are we in our Societies To how little profit do we meet How little heat do we get yea how much do we lose at our brethrens fires We serve often but to damp and cool each others spirits as if it might be no longer said Wo to him that is alone but wo be to him that is in company alone hee 's more warm Christians I solemnly profess I am ashamed of my self and my heart is pained within me to observe how insipid how spiritless how carnal our converses are how often may we meet How long may we sit Christian with Christian ere any thing that savours of the spirit of a Christian comes from us Oh how hard must we strain for a few gracious words How little does come How heartless when it comes How very few of us are there whose ordinary converse speaks us to be men of another world whose business and whose delight lyes above and are in good earnest pressing on towards Heaven How seldom and how short-breath'd are our spiritual discourses How little must suffice How quickly are we diverted to things carnal and sensual Sure 't is our little communion with God that hath thus incarnated and communion of Saints Oh let us live more in the fellowship of the Spirit and we shall have fellowship one with another to better purpose Le ts warm our selves at the Sun le ts dwell more in his Beams and we shall get and give more Light and Heat Thus must it be considered ere we resolve what there is in this Obedience 2. It must be considered What it is like to be attended withall from without What suffering it may cost us what scorn and contempt and reproaches and persecutions of all sorts it 's like to set Earth and Hell upon our backs if carnal counsels and fleshly policies if all the powers of darkness if might and malice can do it this way will be made too hot and too hard for thee Tribulation great tribulation thou must expect and canst not escape and the more strict and circumspect the hotter must thou look thine Assaults will be Professors of Religion that are of the largest size that are not so strict to their Rule but they can dispence with Duty nor so forward in point of Zeal and Activity but they can remit and abate as occasion serves may escape this persecuting world the better but he that will be faithful who ever escape is sure to be made a Prey This also must be well considered I will follow Christ but can I drink of the Cup that he drank of Can I be baptized with the Baptisme the Baptisme of Blood that he was baptized with There are persons who sometimes take up the profession of Religion and resolve all on a sudden they will follow Christ not understanding what there is in it or what Christianity may stand them in who by
HEAVEN OPENED OR A Brief and plain DISCOVERY OF THE RICHES OF Gods Covenant OF GRACE By R. A. London Printed Anno Dom. 1665. To The Reader Reader THe Providence of God hath led mee on to the publication of the ensuing Treatise much beyond my first intentions There came to my hands A Synopsis of the Covenant of Grace on Gods part with a Soliloquie annexed both penned by the worthy Authour of that form of Mans Covenanting with God inserted in my Vindiciae Pietatis attended with the Authours desires and of divers other Christians that this also might bee incorporated into the same book These desires neither being able to resist nor willing to deny I prepared some meditations to bee premised with a purpose to have put forth another Edition of that Book with this addition but finding it to grow into too great a bulk to bee there incerted both this on Gods part and the former on mans part come into thy hands in this distinct Treatise followed with my Prayers that the good Land whereof some Clusters are here presented to thee may be thine Inheritance See and take Thine because the Lords Covenant servant R. A. July 8. 1665. The Contents THe Introduction pag. 1 Chap. 1 God himself granted in the Covenant p. 3 To bee our Friend Portion Sun Shield Chap. 2. Christ in the Covenant 22 As The Light of life The Lord our righteousness Our Lord and King Our head and Husband Chap. 3. The Spirit in the Covenant 35 As a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Holiness and Sanctification Truth and Direction Comfort and Consolation Chap. 4 The earth in the Covenant 51 The good things of the Earth The evil things of the Earth 1. The Covenant hath its Cross 2. By vertue of the Convenant the Cross is a blessing The Blessing of the Cross stands 1. In its being separated from the earth 2. In its being sanctified to its ends 3. In its being proportioned to our needs and strength 4. In the special comforts annexed to it Chap. 5. The Angels of light in the Covenant 74 Chap. 6. The powers of darkness delivered over in the Covenant 78 Chap. 7. Death in the Covenant p. 84 Chap. 8. The Kingdome in the Covenant 87 Chap. 9. All the means of salvation in the Covenant 88 1. External means 2. Internal means In special a new heart Chap. 10. An heart to know the Lord. 96 Chap. 11. One heart 114 Chap. 12. An heart of flesh 141 Chap. 13. An heart to love the Lord. 166 Chap. 14. An heart to fear the Lord. 193 Chap. 15 An Obedient heart 221 Chap. 16. Perseverance in the Covenant 249 Chap. 17. A Synopsis of the Covenant of Grace on Gods part by another hand 262 Chap 18. A Soliloquie representing the Believers Tryumph in Gods Covenant and the various conflicts and glorious conquests of faith over unbelief 316 Chap. 19. An exhortation to sinners with directions for their entring into Covenant 342 Chap. 20. A form of words expressing mans covenanting with God 365 Chap. 21. An Exhortation to the Saints 369 Heaven Opened OR A brief and plain discovery of the Riches of Gods Covenant of GRACE The Introduction GOod news from Heaven the day-spring from on high hath visited this undone world after a Deluge of sin and misery behold the bow in the Cloud the Lord God hath made and established a new Covenant and this is it that hath cast the first beam on the dark state of lost and fallen man and hath brought life and immortality to light This Covenant is the hope of Sinners The riches of Saints the Magna Charta of the City of God The forfeited Lease of eternity renewed Gods Deed of Gift wherein hee hath on fair conditions granted sinners their lives and settled upon his Saints an everlasting Inheritance Hear O yee forlorn Captives who have sold your selves to eternal bondage spoiled your selves of all your glory sealed your selves up under everlasting misery you are dead in your sins guilty before God under wrath under a curse bound over to eternal vengeance But behold there is yet hope in Israel concerning this thing the Lord God hath taken compassion upon you hath opened a way for you to escape out of all this misery and bondage Lift up the hands that hang down comfort the trembling knees An Ark an Ark hath God prepared in which is salvation from the Flood A Covenant a new Covenant hath hee made and established which if you lay hold on it will recover all you have lost ransome you from death redeem you from Hell and advance you to a more sure and blessed condition than your original state from which you have fallen This is the hope of sinners This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Glorious tydings good news indeed but what is this Covenant or what is there that is given and granted therein Why in summe there 's all that Heaven and earth can afford all that can bee needed or desired and this by a firm and irrevokable Deed made over and made sure to all that will sincerely embrace it Particularly God hath in his Covenant granted and made over 1. Himself 2. His Son 3. His Spirit 4. The Earth 5. The Angels of Light 6. The Powers of Darkness 7. Death 8. The Kingdome 9. All the means of Salvation CHAP. I. God in the Covenant 1. THe Lord God hath made over himself in this Covenant That 's the great and comprehensive promise Jer. 31.33 I will be their God I am God and what I am 't is all theirs my self my glorious incomprehensible essence all my glorious attributes my omnipotence my omniscience my wisdome my righteousness my holiness mine all-sufficiency my faithfulness c. I will make over my self to them to be henceforth and for ever theirs Their Friend Portion Sun Shield 1. Their Friend I was angry but mine anger is turned away I was an adversary I had a controversie with them but I am reconciled I have found a ransome the quarrel is composed my wrath is appeased I am friends with them I will forgive their iniquity and their sin will I remember no more I will take away their iniquity and receive them graciously I will heal their back-sliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them Jer. 31.34 Hos 14.4 Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men Fury is not now in me favour and friendship love and good will is all they may henceforth expect from me Sinners what is there to be feared what is there dreadful but an angry provoked God Thence is sorrow and anguish thence is famine and pestilence and sword thence is death and hell he doth not know what the wrath of God means that doth not see in the bowels of it all the plagues above ground and all the vengeance of eternal fire Whatever terrors or torments have seized upon thee upon thy body upon thy soul whatever losses crosses
vvhat vvould they have Judg. 19.23 What aileth thee said the Danites once to Micah that thou comest thus after us vvhat aileth thee Why you have taken avvay my Gods and vvhat have I more VVhat aileth these crying longing running Souls vvhy 't is after their God they cry 't is after their God they run 1 King 19.20 Go back Elisha said once the Prophet to him vvhen hee had cast his Mantle on him Go back for vvhat have I done unto thee VVhat hast thou done enough to hold me from going back there vvent vertue vvith the Mantle the Mantle fell on his heart as vvell as his back and drevv it after the Prophet Should you say thus to these go back soul go back from follovving thy God for vvhat hath hee done unto thee Oh hee hath gotten mine heart no no I cannot go back hee is my God and vvhat have I more 2. The end guides and directs to means Whither shall I go from thee thou hast the words of eternal life 3. The end governs I shall put these both together what is it that Governs sinners but their ends this points them out their work and their way this holds them to their work and keeps them in their way what ever fetters and chains their lusts are to them 't is their carnal ends to which they are in bondage these are they that Lord it over them and hereupon it 's impossible to perswade a sinner to make a through change of his way till hee hath changed his ends herein stands the conversion of a sinner in the changing of his ends when hee ceases to bee any longer to himself to his flesh to the world and for a worldly happiness and is brought about to pitch on God as his portion and happiness to whom hee devotes and dedicates himself there 's conversion Sin is our turning away and conversion is turning back to our God Beloved consider not barely how but to what you live not onely what you do but what you would have and never count your selves truely Godly what-ever of God bee in your way till God bee in your heart and eye Hee that hath first chosen God and therefore a Godly life whose Godliness of life springs forth as the fruit of his choice of the Lord that 's a Godly man God Governs as our King and as our End as our King by his Soveraignty as our End by his Excellency by his worthiness and goodness as our King by Laws as our end by love Love will find out our way will tell all our wandrings will check us for our sins sweeten our labours quicken us on our course cut out our way through dangers and difficulties and keep us in our way till wee come to the fruition of our end Therefore 't is said by the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law is not for a Righteous man Love will save the law a labour the Law is not for a Righteous man not so much at least as for sinners not as to the coertion of it though still as to its obligation the constraint of Love will much supersede the coertion of Laws 4. The end Rewards they have their Reward Mat. 6. that is they have their end the reputation for devout and charitable men was the end of their Devotion and Charity They prayed and fasted and gave almes for no other end and the obtaining that reputation was their reward Verily I say unto you they have their reward God is the reward of his Saints Gen. 15.1 I am thy exceeding great reward Isa 46.4 My judgement is with the Lord and my reward with my God God is the reward they shall receive and the reward they look to receive Heb. 11.29 Moses had respect to the recompence of reward And therefore the Argument is weighty which Christ us'd to disswade his Disciples from being in their Devotions in their alms-Alms-deeds as the Pharisees and Hypocrites are who disfigured their countenances in their fasts who sounded a Trumpet to proclaim their Alms Bee yee not like them for they have their reward The Argument was strong to the Disciples who being men of another Spirit could not bee satisfied with such a reward In these two things Saints greatly differ from the men of this world 1. They are not willing to defer their Duties till hereafter and 2. They dread it to have their reward here they would dispatch their work and are willing to go upon trust for their wages Sinners would have their wages in hand and bee trusted for their work till hereafter they would bee happy here and can bee content to stay for holiness till hereafter 't is soon enough to bee Saints in Heaven But Oh! it would bee a dreadful word to Saints there are thy good things take them these are thy reward these are not their end and therefore they cannot take them for their reward Poor foolish worldlings how are you dis-joynted how are your weary hearts scattered through the ends of the earth how many masters do you serve how many matters have you to minde you weary your selves in the greatness of your way and what is your reward What the fields can give you have what your sheep or your oxen can give you have what your beds or your tables or your houses or your cloathes can give you have here a little and there a little you get up your beds give you ease your houses shelter your sports and companions pleasure your parasites honour and that little you can pick up here and there this is your reward Verily I say unto you you have your revvard unhappy souls you are troubled and carefull about many things for nothing one thing is needful and if yet yee will be wise chuse that good part which shall not bee taken from you 2. This one heart hath but one thing to do Philip. 3.13 This one thing I do There are all things in that one thing all things needful How many things soever his hand findeth to do all is but one Hee intends in all God A renewed heart designs God and is making God-wards in all hee does Whatever journy he goes 't is God is his home whatever race he runs 't is God is his mark and prize Whatever battel hee fights against flesh and blood against principalities and powers 't is that hee may cut his way through all to his God What-ever he does hee does it for God what-ever hee suffers hee suffers for God When hee hears or fasts or prayes 't is all for God When yee fasted did yee at all fast to me Yes to thee a Christian is able to say hee hath many things to pray for and fast for hee hath bread and cloaths and friends and health and safety and liberty to pray for but in all hee prayes for God Hee entitles God to all hee hath and marks it up for him and he sees and enjoyes God in all hee has hee will not own that for a mercy that hath not God in it