hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of Iohn wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there is also shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive al glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Iesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful Servants 8 That our Vnion and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven The first eight Books of the Application of Redemption By the effetual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God In which besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 Christ hath purchased al spiritual good for HIS 2 Christ puts al HIS into possession of al that good that he hath purchased 3 The Soul must be fitted for Christ before is can receive him And a powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ 4 The work of God is free And the day of Salvation is whil this Life last and the Gospel continue 5 God cals his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age 6 The Soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 7 The heart of a Natural man it wholly unwilling to submit to the word that would sever him from his sins 8 God the Father by a holy kind of violence plucks His out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ The Ninth and Tenth Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God Besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 The heart must be humble and contrite before the Lord wil dwel in it 2 Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted 3 There must be true sight of sin â—fore the heart for the work can be broken for it 4 Application of special sins by the Ministry is a means to bring men to sight of and sorrow for them 5 Meditation of sin a special means to break the heart 6 The same word is profitable to some not to another 7 The Lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most when its most opposed 8 Sins unrepented of makes way for piercing Terrors 9 The Truth terible to a guilty consciente 10 Gross and scandallous sinners God usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart before they be brought to Christ 11 Sorrow for sin rightly set on pierceth the heart of the sinner throughly 12 They whose hearts are pierced by the Word are carried with love and respect to the Ministers of it And are busie to enquire and ready to submit to the mind of God 13 Sinners in distress of conscience are ignorant what they should do 14 A contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition 15 There is a secret hope wherewith the Lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners 16 They who are truly pierced for their sins do prise and cover deliverance from their sins 17 True contrition is accompanied with confession of sin when God cals thereunto 18 The Soul that is pierced for sin is carried with a restless dislike against it Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumus Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations Visions 2. Natural Supernatual Dreams 3 Impressions with and without Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2 Pet. 1. 19. 2 Christ in Travel Wherein 1. The Travel of his soul 2. The first and after effects of his Death 3. His Assurance of Issue 4. And his satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in Sermons on Isa 53 11. 3 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Great sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6. Temptation 7. Dissertion 8. Unserviceableness 9 Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42. 11. His Four Sermons concerning 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmitie 6 The false Apostle tried and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptaton 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life c. 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding-place c. 19 Christs Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 21 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Twelve Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 Gospel Reconciliation Or Christs Trumpet of Peace to the World Wherein is Opened Gods exceeding willingness to be Reconciled to Man And Gods sending his Embassadors to that End From 2 Cor. 5 19 20 21. 2 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4. 11. Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2. It is an Holy art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 3 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in General And particularly In hearing the Word Receiving the Lords supper prayer 4 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1 17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal. 17. 14. 5 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2. The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. verse Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. and on Phil. 3. 20. 6 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eight ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 8 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 9 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of sin on Job 16. 21. 10 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1. 1. 11 Of Hope on 1 John 3. 3. 12 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5. 7. Two Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrologie I. The Practice of Physick containing seventeen several Books Wherein is plainly set for t The Nature Cause Differences and several sorts of Signs Together with the Cure of al Diseases in the Body of Man Being a Translation of the Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been sold in a very few Yeers having been eight times printed though al the former Impressions wanted the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the cure for them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle II. A Sure Guide To Physick and Chyrurgery That is to say The Arts of Healing by Medicine and Manual Operation Being an Anatomical Description of the whol body of Man and its parts with their Respective diseases demonstrated from the Fabrick and use of the said Parts In Six Books
al Created Nature What new what strange things what Miracles may we look for now in the government of the world especially when the Church is concerned seeing that our Lord Jesus in this Capacity as he is at the Right hand of God set above al Rankes and orders of the whol Creation is made Head over al things for the Church Jesus Christ could work no Miracles in one place because of the unbeleefe of the Inhabitants Our unbeliefe in that we see not the Lord Jesus as Esaiah saw him by a Spirit of Prophesie fitting upon this Throne of the divine Nature high and lifted up above every Principality and Power is the Reason why we have no more Miracles no more of his new and extraordinary Works in the midst of us It is our unbeleefe that we do not see and acknowledg those wonders which he hath wrought and is stil working while he fils the whol earth with his glory from his Throne John 6. 57. Jesus saith He that eats me shal Live by me even as I live by the Father Revel. 10. 9. 11. The Angel give St. John a Book to Eate and then tells him that he must prophesie before many peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings If we did eate this spiritual and Heavenly Person of Christ which is the Book of Life that Word comming forth from the mouth of God on which alone man Lives If we did by faith in the vnity of the spirit take in concoct digest turn into Nature and Nourishment these Evangelical truths concerning the Person of Christ above al given to his Church the Headship of Christ over al for his Church how certainly then and how speedily should we be fed with Honey from the Rock we should live in our own Persons in our private publike Capacitys upon a constant dayly Stream of Miracles comming down from the Father we should draw down and carry forth waters of life from the depth of the Godhead before the Kings of the Earth and into the midst of the Nations Thus much for the First Argument taken from Jesus Christ Arg. 2. The Second Argument is drawn from the Holy Spirit As the way of God is in Christ having his New name written upon his Person so the Way of Christ in his Church and in the world for his Church is in the Spirit and after the Newness of that Rom 7. 6. But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in Newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter The Soul of man is here set forth as having two Husbands The first Husband is the First Adam the Flesh the Natural Man This being slaine by the death of the Lord Jesus the Soul is set free from him and from his Law which is a Law of sin and Death Her second Husband to whom she is married upon the Death of the first is the last man the Glorified Person of Christ as He is in the Resurrection from the Dead And now the Soul is subject only to the Law of this Husband which is the Law of Free Grace of Love raigning by Righteousness which is the Beavty in the Face of the God-head unto Eternal Life through Jesus Christ by Vertue of our Marriage-union with him the Love Righteousness and Immortality of God the Father letting it self forth upon his Person first then in and through him upon us unto our Justification Sanctification and Glory That we should serve As to Fear God in the old Testament and to beleeve in the new so in both to serve him comprehends al parts of Religion the whol Communion between God and the Soul by which God Ministers himself in streams of Truth Grace and joy to the Soul or the Soul Ministers to him by recejving him by recejving al from him by receiving him together with al and by returning it self and al things to him in Love humility obedience thanksgiving The two ways of this Service are the Oldness of the Letter and the newness of Spirit The Letter is that Law which is proper and fitted to the Principle of Nature the flesh the first Adam in his power and purity The Spirit is the Law of the New man the Heavenly Image and second Adam as He is risen from the dead and stands in a Root of Glory from thence blossoming and bringing forth fruit in al his Members The Letter is like unto a Cestern The Spirit is the Fountain The water in a Cestern hath its stint and set measure it is a standing water which hath no spring to quicken it it is apt to corrupt with standing and to dry away Such is the Law of the Letter It is shut up in an outward narrow form and measure it hath not its root in it self it grows old it darkens withers and dies away But the Spirit is a Fountain and as a Fountain hath a Five-fold Newness of Life of Lustre of Purity of Variety of Immortality But here now although it may seem to be a digression from my present scope yet give me leave by the way to interpose a Caution very proper for this discourse of the Letter and the Spirit which is that you mistake not the Ryot Excess and Inordinacy of the flesh for the Newness Freedom and Extraordinariness of the Spirit To assist you in this Caution take this Distinction between the Novelties and Extravagancies of the flesh and the Newness and Extraordinariness of the Spirit First There is a Newness in which there is somthing unchangable an inward Principle a hidden Nature a Life a Rellish which is ever the same however the outward operations and manifestations vary The Life of the Spirit is as a Tree The Tree is new in the Spring the Summer the Autumn having for every Season its fresh puttings forth of Leaves Blossoms Fruit ripe Fruit Yet the Tree is still the same hath the same Root Sap and Nature Secondly There is a Newness where all things are changed not only the outward puttings forth but the most inward Principle where there abides nothing of the savor This is like that change where the Rod of Moses being cast upon the ground was made a real Serpent and the Dust of Egypt being cast up into the Air became living Lice Now as they say in Phylosophy Species et Essentiae rerum sunt sempiternae et immobiles The Essences and Kinds of things are ever the same however there be an Infinitness of uncertainty and change in the Individuals by the variety and change of outward Accidents So in a Saint compared with himself through the whol time of his Regeneracy or compared with all other Saints in all Ages ther is the same new nature the same inward saver in the Principle in the Spirit although the inward forms upon the understanding may have great change according to the different degrees and wayes of Light as also the outward forms of life and Conversation may have great variety in
to the world for the Churches sake I come now to the Uses Use 1. The first Vse is of Thankfulness God makes it his delight and praise to go new and extraordinary waies with his Church and with the world in order to his Church Let us then raise our delights and his praises from the sense of those new and extraordinary paths in which the Lord hath walked forth before our Eyes in the midst of al the nations round about us for our sake That the Newness of the divine footsteps in our dais and in our Land may leave the deeper print upon our spirits let us consider it in these Six Particulars 1. Our Changes 2. The Quickness of our changes 3. The Freshness upon our Changes 4. The inward Life whence our Changes spring 5. The Seal upon our Changes from their Living Principle 6. The Spirit of Grace evidencing it self as the Principle and the Seal First The Changes Which have been upon us shew the Newness of the Lords way with us Jerem 48. 11. The Lord complains Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his Lees and he hath not been emptyed from Vessel to Vessel therefore his tast remained in him and his sent is not changed How often hath England been changed from Peace to Warr from one Warr to another from one form of Government to another from Extremities to Enlargements from Enlargements to Extremities again These Changes have been as so many Vessels out of which and into which we have been emptyed Are we stil upon the Lees of Carnality and Corruption If we discern not God in a new Glory if we discern not Jesus Christ with his new name if we discern not the Newness of the Operations of the Spirit in al these things then doth our Earthly tast hitherto remain and our fleshly sent is not changed O for a refinedness of Soul now from the Lees of Earth to a pure wine of spirituality O for a heavenly tast a heavenly sent How should we rellish this feast of new delicacys which the Lord sets forth for us How should we love Jesus Christ for the Savor of his new and good Oyntments in which he powrs forth himself into the midst of us Revel. 6. 12. We reade of the Sun turning black as Sack Cloath of Hair the Moon as blood vers. 13. Stars of Heaven fel unto the Earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figs being shaken by a mighty winde Verse 14. Heaven departed as a Scroule rolled together Verse 16. The reason of al this i. e. The Face of him that sits on the Throne and the wrath of the Lamb Many times over in this our little world of these divided Islands we have seen the Sun of our Religious Formes our Church-state becomming black as a Sack-Cloath of Hair which is a mourning weed the Moon of our Civil affayres as Blood Nay al Blood we have seen the Heaven of the Supream power pass away as a scrol of Parchment roled up and laid by our Eminent Persons which were as Stars in the Heaven of that Power shining with a Lustre and ruling with an Influence of universal Authority yet on a soden falling from this Heaven to the Earth of a common rank and obscure condition Do we not thorow al this perceive the Face of God sitting upon his Throne among us a Throne of most exalted Grace and loving kindness to his people but of the most exalted vengeance and wrath to his enemy observe those two things the Face and the Face of God sitting upon the Throne What unvailings of new and extraordinary glorys do these Expressions speak forth Are not these the Seal to which these Nations as Wax are turned and changed Blessed are they that stand within these Wheels to be carryed a long by them and move together with them Over others who see them not these Wheels pass and break them to pieces Joel 2. 30. The Lord saith I wil shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth Blood and Fire and pillars of smoake Verse 31. The Sun shal be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come There are three daies of the Lords comming First To a Particular Nation Secondly At his Incarnation Thirdly To the last Judgment Al these are Capable of having this Scripture applyed to them especially where the first of these daies the Comming of Christ to a Nation follows after the Second day of his Incarnation and borders upon the Third day of his last comming This Scripture hath been litterally fulfilled in our times in our land What frequent Eclypses of Sun and Moon have we seen What Comets Concussions and Prodigyes in al the Elements Earth-quakes Tydes changing their Courses Meteors of al sorts in the Ayre Devouring Fires Behold the Earth the Air the Waters the Fire the Heavens see the Lord and are troubled shal his Saints be insensible of him shal not they shout and say This is the day which no Created or usual light but the Lord hath made by his shinings forth It is wonderful in our Eyes beyond the whol Course of Nature we wil rejoyce and he glad in it Secondly The Quickness of our Changes This is the Second thing that argues the Newness of Gods way with us I intreate you here to compare 2 Scriptures Hagg. 2. 6. For thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while and I wil shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry land verse 7. And I wil shake al Nations and the desire of al the Nations shâ—l come and I wil fil this House with glory saith the Lord of hosts Hebr. 12. 26. Whose voyce then shook the Earth but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also the Heaven Verse 27. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine The comparing of these two Texts affords us these Particular Observations First This word Once signifies one continued act of shaking unto an universal and Total Change Secondly That which maks this shaking is the Newness of Christs comming forth in the unchangable Glory of his Father and of the Spirit For the Prophet Haggi seeming to speak of the first comming of Christ in the flesh to fil that present Temple which was then building with the Glory of his Doctrine and Miracles is by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews interpreted of the comming of Christ in Glory as being the truth and the end to which the other comming was only a Type and a Preparation So also that which the Prophet calls The Desire of the Nations is in the Hebrews called Those things which cannot be shaken in opposition to things that are made and to be taken away Both together cleerly describe Jesus Christ in the Newness of a Heavenly Glory which can never
and peculiar piece of work in which he is to be served he fils men with a strange unwonted vigor in his business to contrive attempt and execute wonderful things To this end as a man puts fire under a pot so he sends forth his Spirit after a new manner into their Hearts that they boyl and run over they are no more in their own power they can no longer contain themselves Such a Description as this David makes of himself Psal. 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth as with a Bridle while the wicked are in presence I was dumb with silence I held my peace from good my sorrow was stirred My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue David and Christ in him were opprest by wicked men He resolves to suffer in silence and to suppress all Motions towards the outward advancement of Goodness At length the Word of the Lord comes to him first it warms his heart by degrees it grows hotter while he museth upon it is irresolute unwilling to come forth openly upon the Stage it becomes a fire it breaks forth burns out like a mighty and irresistable flame You have an Example like to this in St. Paul Acts 20. 22. And behold now I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem c. God had a new and great work for St Paul to do to testifie to the Gospel of Christ by preaching and by sufferings at Jerusalem the chief City of the Jews at Rome the Head City of the World before Rulers and Princes And now though afflictions and death were Manifestly before his Eyes in this journey though friends Saints Prophets his own heart lay Weeping Bleeding Breaking in his way to stop him from going on in that course from whence he should returne no more as ye may see verse 23. 25. 27 28. Chapter 21. verse 4. 11 12 13. Yet he shuts his Ears and his Eyes to al these treads them under his feet goes over them al Would you know the reason He was bound in Spirit An extraordinary power of the Spirit came upon him bound up al his facultys in its heavenly chaines and carryed him Captive to its Divin Force and Wil. There are many witnesses that the like unto this hath been heard known and felt often in our daies and affaires Supernatural Impressions Divine and Irresistible Impulsions as gales of wind from Heavem have filled the Spirits affections counsels and actions of men like sails by which the ship of this Common-wealth hath bin carryed on from port to port from change to change When the two disciples wer going to Emaus Jesus Christ in the midst of them they said did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us but their Eyes were held that they could not know him If Jesus Christ have been in the midst of us as a fire if he have made the hearts of his Servants to burn within them yea to flame forth to lick up all the water of opposition to consume all the Damps of Discouragement that have been cast upon this fire from their own reason reputation affections purposes former principles within from difficulties dangers disswasions of friends combinations of of Enemies without Shal our Eyes stil be held that we should not know him who is thus a burning and shining Light among us or shal our spirits be held from rejoycing and dancing in this Light while its season lasteth Fiftly The Inward Principle of Life being the Seal upon our Outward Changes 2 Tim. 2. 16. Nevertheless the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his And let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity This word Nevertheless implies a tacite Objection arising from the foregoing words of the Apostle verse 17 18. Hymeneus and Philetus of eminent Beleevers and Preachers of the Gospel were become Hereticks whose words did spread and kil like a Gangrene insomuch that they had overthrown the saith of some Now might a poor Saint say Good God! what way is there to attain to a sound and saving Faith which cannot be overthrown or when shal I know that my Faith is thus sound and saving Who can be sure of their Faith that it shal not fail them when it hath failed these The Apostle gives two Answers to this Objection First The Foundation of the Lord standeth sure God the Father of our Lord Jesus makes himself in the hearts of his Children to be a sure Foundation unto their Faith so that it can never be shaken This Foundation he layeth in the fair colors of his own Spirit of a mystical and peculiar Union in the Spirit of an especial work of Grace flowing from this Union Secondly This sure Foundation at the bottom of our hearts and faith is also the Seal of Assurance upon them both Having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his In Spiritual things that which is the Life is the only Light which is therefore so called in the Gospel the Light of Life the Principle is the Seal Ye mere sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise faith St. Paul Ephes. 1. That Light of Knowledg which is Originally the Knowledg of the Lord in us that Communicatively by Vertue of the Union is our Knowledg and this Knowledg is our Seal As in Natural things the Eye sees not alone neither doth the Soul but both concur in every act of sight So is it in every act of Spiritual Sence The Spirit of the Lord witnesseth together with our Spirits saith St. Paul Rom. 8. The Spirit of the Lord and our Spirit like the Soul and the Eye joyntly concur in every act of Spiritual Knowledg The Lord knoweth in us we know in the Lord that we are his Thus this Union which is the Principle of Life in us is in like manner the Seal of Light Object The world hath often objected to the servants of the Lord in the great Works of our times You plead inward Principles Power and Light for your Justification in extraordinary waies that it is from the fervency of your spirit in the Service of the Lord and of the publick welfare How shal we know this that you do not Cloath contrary designes and corrupt interests with these pretences how can we or you tel that your impressions are not delusions Answ. What hath the answer been Hath it not been that of Jesus Christ to the Jews when they refused to mourne to his weeping or to dance to his Musick Wisdom is justified of her Children Matth. The Lord Jesus as he is by his spirit the Power of God in us from which we act and on which we stand as on a sure Foundation So is he in like manner the Wisdom of God in us by which we know him and his out-goings by which we are also known of him and owned by him This
when he pours out a Spirit of Grace upon his people Secondly He alwaies and more especially when he is seeking the ruine of his enemies joynes these two a Spirit of Grace and of Supplication Are there not many that can testifie by their own experience concerning the works of these times that the Heart of God in a Spirit of Grace hath bin let down into the Bosom of his beloved ones that thus their hearts have bin by a Spirit of Supplication drawn up into the Bosom of God and have drawn forth these deliverances from the Wells of Salvation there These Wells are Deep the Deep things of God his Love his Wisdom his Righteousness his power his Glory as these lie in the very depths of his Essence and Divine Nature But Saints have had their Buckets their Hearts to draw with and a line a Spirit of Supplication long and sure enough to let down their hearts into these deep Wels of Salvation which are in the Heart of God These Wells are stil ful of living Waters and these Buckets are stil going Saints keep your expectiations stil fresh Secondly The spirit of Grace is a spirit of Prophecy Esai 43. 9. God challengeth al the Nations Let them bring forth their witnesses who among them can shew us former things that is things before they come to pass or things before their times before the world by a spirit of Prophesie Verse 12. I have declared and have saved and I have shewed when there was no strange God among you therefore ye are my witnesses saith the Lord that I am God Hath not the Lord many Witnesses in these Nations yea here present I know he hath In the former daies when ye were with him at your Banquets of spiritual enjoyments on your Bed of spiritual Loves then did he by his spirit before hand signifie within you the snfferings of these times and the Glory which hath risen out of them And as he hath declared so hath he saved us by the same Spirit And now tel me ye that are the Lords witnesses when ye are in your holyest seasons when there is no strange God or Love but Jesus Christ alone shines in the midst of your spirit doth he not stil shew you greater things than these which are yet to come Thirdly The spirit of Grace is a spirit of Holiness Ephes. 1. 13. It is called a Holy spirit Ye were sealed with the Holy spirit of Promise Holiness is the Character and Seal of that spirit of Grace which is promised to the Saints Psal. 99. 8. Thou answeredst them O Lord our God thou wert a God that forgavest them though thou takest Vengeance of their iniquities The Lord testified his presence with the Jews in the Wilderness by his Holiness in taking Vengeance of their Inventions There is a Three fold Vengance which the Lord takes for Sin First On the Persons and this three waies 1. By Casting them off for ever 2. By Cutting of the inward Beams of spiritual Communion between himself and them for a season perhaps for al their life long 3. By Clouding their outward Man with trouble and sorrow God alwaies pardons iniquity to the Persons of his Children in respect to the first of these Vengances He cannot give them over or cease to love them sometimes also in respect to the second and third He continues the sweetness of their Communion with him and the Serenity of their natural comforts un-interrupted Secondly The Second Vengance for sin is on the publike Cause Thus the Lord did forgive the Israelites in the Wilderness and not take Vengeance on the publike Cause For though they al died in the desert yet the Lord kept his cause a live carryed that Victoriously over Jordan into the Land of Canaan and planted it to grow there for many generations The Third Vengance on the Inventions on the Corruptions and Idols of the Heart In this sense the Lord never pardons any The Spirit which hath bin our guide hath Signally declared it self a Spirit of Grace by its abundant Forgivenesses and a Spirit of Holiness by the Vengance which it hath taken for Sin When any have risen up against him his Purity his Progress from the Enmity of the Serpent he hath made the Earth to open and swallow them up into the darknesses below by a Natural or Civil Death he hath made fire to come down from Heaven a spiritual fire of Divine judgement and wrath by which they have bin so withered dryed and burnt up that they have lost al that Greenness of Religion Honor Honesty Morality Natural light which they seemed before to have and have fallen to open Perfidiousness to ranting Profanenesses to a reprobate Sense a stupid Atheisticalness But when the Children of the Kingdom have transgressed by temptations of Covetousness Ambition Fleshliness Passion Delusions Spiritual Pride have fallen to Murmurings Divisions Sensuality Worldly Designs although this Spirit may have pardoned all this to their Persons hiding them in the cleft of the Rock in the wounds of Christ there preserving their Outward their Inward Life and Peace while he hath passed by yet hath he taken open Vengeance of their Inventions by manifest eminent Disappointments in their Expectations and endless confusions in the way of their Designs Yet all this while hath the Holy Spirit pardoned the sins of all Parties to the Cause He hath not suffered that to fall but hath gone on when it seems to faint renewing its strength carrying it up on high as on an Eagles wing enlarging it in Victory Peace Spiritual Liberties at home spreading its Branches over the Seas and to Forraign far distant Lands breaking the Head of the Leviathan the chief strength of Antichrist in the deep Waters Fourthly The Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Vnity Ephel 4. 3. Endeavoring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Vnity is the Character the most immediate and inseparable Property of the Spirit The Bond of Peace hath its strength and root in the Vnity of the Spirit as the Sympathy and Vnion of all the Fellow members in the Body arise from and is preserved by One Soul by the Vnity of the Soul There is a Twofold Vnity First of Inward Affection Secondly of Outward Effect As to the Latter of these I had rather much speak in silent Groans to God than by words to men bleed inwardly than breath forth outward Complaints for the Breaches of the Daughter of my People But so far as concerns the First of these the Inward Affection to Vnity let me call forth you who have the Testimony in your selves that it hath been the Spirit in the Living Creatures in the Hearts of the Saints quickened by the Life of Christ which hath been in the Wheels that have turned about and carried on this whol work from the beginning hitherto I appeal to you What are the Meltings the Weepings over the Divisions among the Saints What Yearnings and turnings of Bowels after a
it be the Knowledg of the Holy is that alone which comes by the Infusion and Illumination of the Holy Ghost Cant. 1 2 3. For the Savour of thy good Oyntments saith the Spouse to Christ thy name is as an Oyntment powered forth Therefore do the Virgins love thee Draw us and we wil run after thee The spirit of Christ in the brightness and sweetness of its light Purity Love Joy is this Oyntment powered forth No Savour is good to a Virgin-Spirit but that alone of these Oyntments Where there is a Virgin love to Jesus Christ the Soul is drawn to run after any excellency only by this Savor by the light and sweetness of the spirit as this Oyntment is poured forth there As it is in the Objects of sight there is the Material Object and the Formal The Material is the thing seen as a flower a Picture The Formal is the colors by which it is seen Besides these is the Light in the Ayre which actuates these colors and makes them to appear So is it in things pertayning to the understanding and Judgment The outward appearance is but the Materiality of the Object the shinings forth of the inward principle is the Formality the Color But the Holy Spirit is the only Light by which the discoverys of the principles of things are drawn forth and laid open I have done now with the Second Vse and come to the Third Vse 2. This is for Exhortation If God go forth in New waies let us be New that we may be fit to meet him and go along with him We read in the Gospel of the Pool of Bethesda John 3. 2. An Angel at certain times came down into this Pool and troubling the waters infused a healing vertue into them Many sick persons lay round about the Pool ready to step in There was also a House to receive the poor diseased waiters This House was called Bethesda which signifies the House of Free Grace You who have the blackest Guilt the deepest brand of any Lust the darkest despair upon your Spirits behold here a way for you to be made new this very moment The Blood of Christ is before you as a Healing and Clensing Pool Your Savior himself is every moment descending into it from Heaven and ascending out of it to Heaven by the Vertue of his Death Resurrection and Ascention to impart the Efficacy of al these to it himself to take you into his bosom in the midst of these Waters to bath you throughly in them till you become quite new then to carry you up with himself into the Newness of the Spirit of Heaven and of the Glory of the Father But perhaps you wil say you are so sick so dead in sin that you cannot move toward this Healing Pool Let not that discourage you the Father himself is ready to take hold of you and by his strength to put you in He draws us to Christ It may be you wil say that you are under the Wrath of the Father and therefore cannot hope that he should give you his helping hand To answer this he hath built a House of free Grace a Bethesda he hath called this Pool of most precious Blood the Pool of Bethesda the Pool of free Grace The Doors of this House stand continually open day and night All Persons are invited and press'd to come in All whom the Father finds here he himself takes and carries in his own Arms to this Pool and laies them in the Arms of his Son who is alwaies descending into it waiting in the midst of it and rejoycing exceedingly when any sinful sick Soul comes thither to him Open your Eyes and see Oye Sons and Daughters of Men Here now in this place at this very hour is the House of free Grace the Healing Pool before you if you will enter into them Nay even here and now you are already in the house of Free Grace and in the Arms of the Father you are in this healing Poole of your Saviors blood you are in your Saviors Armes he is come down to you he is carrying you up with himself thither where al things are New your being Beauty Life company delights new if only you wil beleeve if only you wil open the Eye of your spirit to see the truth as it is in Jesus The Lord Jesus is set down upon the Throne of Grace and fils the whol Earth with the Glory of his Mediation Only the Eyes of men are held that they see not this Glory Vse 4. This is my last Vse which is for Consolation and Encoragement You have now a warr with the most potent Prince in the whol Christian world who is Cheif staff of the Papal Anti-Christian strength You have reason to expect a Combination of al the powers of darkness and this world Visible and Invisible within and without from at home and from abroad against you But fear them not This warr shal not be like other warrs but after a new manner It shal be with the burning of a spiritual and divine Fire Take notice here for your Comfort that this Fire shal have contrary effects upon the Saints and upon their enemys First This Fire upon your enemys shal have these Propertys It shal be First Dreadful Secondly Irresistible Thirdly Devouring Fourthly Tormenting Fiftly Sodeine Secondly This Fire to its friends shal have these Property It shal be First Cherishing Secondly Enlightning Thirdly Defensive as a Wal of Diamonds Fourthly Heightning Fiftly Transforming into one glorious Heavenly immortal nature with it self Sixtly Separating al dross from the Gold Seventhly Vniting melting the Gold til it al run into one undivided mass I shal conclude this use and my Sermon with an allusion to the story of Eliah who sat upon the top of Mount Carmel when the Captaines and their fiftys in the name of the King commanded the man of God to come down But he answered if I be a man of God let fire come down from Heaven and destroy you with your fiftys Carmel signifies the Vineyard of God This top of Mount Carmel is the Church in the spirit of glory in the glorified person of Christ her head where she is as a flourishing Vineyard to God upon the top of a Mount of spirituality Let Kings with their Armys encompass us if we be men of God the seed of God if this be Mount Carmel on the top of which we stand the cause of God the Church the spirit the Mediation of Christ then shal the Holy Angels the spirit Christ himself come down as Fire from Heaven upon our enemys to consume them but upon us to carry us up on high as in the Charriot of Eliah burning with the Love and Glory of God FINIS Books printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book-seller in Cornhil at the Printing-press Several New books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England And Attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own