wholy ignorant of the life of God must be convicted by the life of the Spirit that there is a better state more perfect happinesse which the Saints of God enjoye in the beauties of holinesse and in their communion with the Father and with the Sonne then that State wherein worldings take pleasure when therefore we know and earnestly study to walke so as it becommeth the Citisens of Heaven in our private and publike conversation doing all things as in the presence of God by vertue of the Covenant made betwixt him and us in Jesus Christ then we fulfill the second part of our profession of the Gospel and whatsoever undertakings may directly tend to advance the knowledge and the practise of this kind of life amongst men is most answerable unto the ayme of a publike good and ought by all meanes to be set forward towards posterity The third thing belonging to the advancement of the Gospel of Christ is the setting forth of the Doctrine of Truth wherein all the grounds of the holy profession are to be laid open unto the world That they may be taught what the ground of our hope is for which wee walke and what the rule is by which we walke in faith love to avoide offences to do good Hereunto belongeth fundamentally the Pastoral charge over a flock by Preaching of the word in season out of season by way of instruction and correction by exhortation and reproofe and by comfort and threatning and more particularly The Doctrinall charge which tendeth to confirme enlarge and maintaine the knowledge of Divine Truth revealed in the Scriptures the object of which charge should not be so much as now adayes it is almost wholy the Refutation ofsome errours and the handling of certaine common places but it should rather tend towards the setting forth of the hidden wisedome of God which is revealed in the written word not as it is the ministery of the letter which many doe onely attend and insist upon but as it is the ministery of the Spirit in the new Covenant wherein spirituall things are with spirituall words explained and being compared with the things of their owne nature and property they unfold the hidden mistery which God hath prepared for our glory before the world beganne In the opening of this mistery according to the Scriptures the Doctrinall charge should chiefely be employed and not in agitating with voluminous disputations after a Scholasticall way particular controversies for if this wisedome whereof the Apostle doth speake 1 Cor. 2. and the Ministery of the spirit whereof hee speaketh 2 Cor. 3. were really attended and made knowne all petty controversies wherein men spend their whole life Scholastically in Philosophicall notions without any profit to the Gospel would vanish away and be decided at an instant because the fundamentall Truth of the Covenant in the Spirituall and perfect wisedome of God which is hidden in the Mystery of Godlinesse is as a Sunne in comparison of a darke Lanthorne whereunto the particular straines and notions of learning followed now adayes are to be resembled Whatsoever undertaking therefore may tend directly towards the advancement of this kind of spirituall learning and the manifestation of the hidden wisedome of God in a mystery according to the testimony of the Scriptures that must be esteemed a reall furtherance of the Gospel and consequently a publicke good through the manifestation of the glory of God in the life of Jesus Christ From whence finally this conclusion is to be inferred That to partake for our selves and to impart the life of Christ to others the profession and preaching of the Gospel must bee maintained and advanced unto this generation and to posterity by the endeavors which tend first to avoyd and take away offences by composing of scandalous differences in Religlon Secondly to doe good workes in an examplary way that others may bee drawne on to walke after the spirit Thirdly to make knowne by the true discharge of the pastorall and Doctorall duties the Ruies and grounds of our spirituall life and conversation both for avoyding of evill and doing of good and what is not directly subordinate to some of these ends or to all of them is no true good nor a thing to be lookt after because it helpeth us not unto any part of our happinesse which is to partake of the life of God in the knowledge of Christ Having thus opened the grounds of that which I am to propose now I will make the motion which I suppose will commend it selfe as tending directly unto this most eminent publique good of this age and of posterity First then if wee beleeve what hath beene said and know that a man is first naturall and then spirituall I thinke it fit to move that assistance may be given as well by way of councell as by outward support unto those that labour for the rectifying of mens naturall parts by reforming and facilitating all the meanes of humane learning for the schooles aswell of old as young Schollers For the great defects and errors in the manner of teaching in the matters which are taught which are inferior and superior Schooles breede evill habits and make the Soules of men unfit for the apprehension of the mistery of Godlinesse in the profession of the Gospel Therefore to helpe the removeall of these and to frame aright course for the education of children and for the perfection of humane Learning is a most laudable publique good worke aswell for this age as for posterity Secondly I thinke it fit to move that assistance may be given towards the endeavors of Ecclesiasticall Pacification and taking away of scandales and differences amongst Protestants first and then also if it bee possible amongst all other Christians that the first part of our Evangelicall profession may be set forward to some perfection And the assistance to be given to this endeavour may bee besides the Spirituall Councell which by men of Spirituall parts should be suggested to the Agents and unblameable and peaceable conversation towards all men which every one is bound to intend for himselfe though different in judgement from each other a supply of meanes to maintaine the correspondency and the Printing of treatises and letters without which the negotiation of this matter towards Divines will bee wholly lame and imperfect Thirdly I move for the erecting of a professorship of Practicall Divinity in every University and one in London at Sion or Gresham Colledge That this Professor might intend besides the reading of Practicall matters The compiling of a compleate body of Practicall Divinity taken out of all the Practicall writers of this latter age which is a thing much desired by forraigne Divines as may appeare by their requests to that effect subscribed with many hands and sent to the learned Divines and the Patrons of Godlinesse and learning in England By which meanes the second part of our Evangelicall profession will bee much advanced towards some perfection
spirituall things as men do of their eyes in bodily matters And what matters do essentially concurre towards the apprehension of things in their bodily shape within the eye such like matters are intellectually also concurrent towards the Act of knowledge in the understanding Sixthly That the object of this knowledge is the glory of God The glory of God is the manifested excellencie and the evident appearance of his goodnesse and of his nature So when Moses Exod. 33. 18. desireth that God would shew him his glory God answereth verse 19. and saith I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will preclaime the Name of the Lord before thee By which we see that the apparition of his goodnesse and the apprehension and knowledge of his name that is of his nature for the nature of every thing is knowne by the name thereof is the manifestation of his Glory Seventhly That this glory of God is to be seen in the face of Jesus Christ The face of Christ is the expresse appearance of his being and life by which he is distinguished from all other men for men are to be discerned by their faces one from another now Christ is to be difcerned from all other men in this that he is a spirituall man and did live in the flesh a spirituall life for the Apostle saith that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe And of his own knowledge of Christ he speaketh thus Though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new The new Creature is the spirituall Creature for he that is in Christ is one spirit with him Because Christ is different from the old Adam in this that the old Adam was made to be a living Soule but the new was made a quickning Spirit Hence then we learn that the face of Christ which is the appearance of his life and being in the spirituall state wherein he walked in the flesh as God for he lived the life of God in the flesh 1 Ioh. 1. 2 3. is the proper Subject wherin all the goodnesse and the nature of God doth appeare So that if we can see and know the fare of Christ then we shall evidently also perceive the life of God in his glory because he that seeth Christ seeth the Father And Christ himselfe desireth us to beleeve him that he is in the Father and the Father in him nor will the Father be seene in any but in him in whom only he is well pleased and whom we should hear on his behalfe Matth. 17. and because he alone is the expresse image of his person and the brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1. 3. Therefore also he cannot be feene in any but in him for all which causes he is the only means to attaine unto the life of God for he only can give the light of life to such as come to him and follow him Ioh. 8. 12. and Ephes. 5. 14. And thus we have understood the manner how the life of the Father is to be known in the Son Now followeth the way how by that knowledge the life of the Father is conveyed through the Son unto us This is expressed 2 Cor. 3. 18. thus But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord Where we must observe that the Apostle doth not speak here of himselfe alone but of all Christians to show the way and the maner how they become parrakors of the life of God in Christ which in all Christians is but one and the same although there be differences of degrees in the participation thereof But here the substance of the matter is declared in these particulars First That all Christians are participant of this life for he saith we all meaning himselfe as a Christian and all other beleevers for seeing there is but one faith and one hope and one spirit therefore the beleevers are said to have obtained like precious Faith with the Apostles and to be baptized with the same Spirit for he saith that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body Secondly That all beleevers have their faces uncovered for he saith that with an open face we behold That is to say that the face of our Soule which is our minde is not now covered with a vaile as the face of Moses and of the Iewes was least they should behold the end of that which was to be abolished for to this day the minds of the Iems are blinded and the vaile remaineth untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which vaile is done away in Christ For the Lord is the Spirit which causeth the vaile to vanish for where the spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty That is to say there is free accesse unto God to take notice of his whole life for the spirit searcheth even the deepe things of God and we have received the Spirit of God that we should know the things which are freely given to us of God For now is the Prophesie fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet I saiah chap. 25. 6 7. That God shall make in his holy mountaine which is his Church a feast of fat things unto all people a feast of wines on the Lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the Lees well refined And that he would destroy in his mountaine the face of the covering cafl over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations This Prophesie I say is now fulfilled for in the Church of the Gospell the feast of all wisdome of all knowledge and understanding and of all promises and comforts unto the wearied soules is largely set before us in the writing of the Evangelists and Apostles and that we should be able to make use of this feast God hath also taken away the face of the covering and the vaile that was spread over all Nations which kept them in blindnesse so that now our faces are opened and uncovered before the Lord because he is well pleased with us in Christ whose Spirit he hath sent forth in our hearts to give us the liberty of Children that we should come to him and call upon him Abba Father Thirdly All that have their faces thus uncovered behold the glory of Lord as in a glasse The end wherefore God doth uncover the faces of Beleevers and giveth them his free Spirit is that they should know the things which God hath freely given to them as the Apostle faith now those things cannot be known but in the fountain and receptacle where they are which is Christ for in him is all fulnesse and the Father hath made him unto us Wisedom Righteousnesse Sanctification
knowledge and the unity of faith which now a dayes is so greatly requisite for all men are now for the most part drunken with their owne opinions reeling to and fro in uncertainties and the more ignorant sort which is oft times such as think themselves the wisest are so incapeable of true heavenly wisedome that all things delivered unto them out of the Scriptures must be delivered as unto little babes line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little and so we alwaies stay in the very elements of knowledge and never go forward to perfection because we cannot bear one with another and hear one another with patience because we pray not one for another that things unknown may be revealed but we blame one another and suspect one another and envie one another to our mutuall destruction now the Lord of his mercy mend these things both in the teachers and in the hearers that by the faithfull prayers and endeavours of Gods people once at last the divine order of the holy wisedome of God revealed in the Scriptures may be made manifest for me thinkes that Babilon which is the confusion of the whole world in all things but chiefly in the originall language of Canaan which is the true sence of the Scriptures will never be overthrown till this generall order of the text in the uniforme sence of all the distinct parts of it be raised up by God and brought forth as a true Zorubbabell to confound this confusion of uncertaine sences and when this shall be effectuated by the Lord of Hosts who is wonderfull in counsels and excellent in working then I am sure that the question shall be determined who ought to be judge of controversies the Pope or the Scriptures then Atheists mouthes who acknowledge not the divinitie of it shall be stopped and all those that seek the Lord shall find him and be fedd with understanding for there is such an incomprehensible extent of knowledge in a little parcell or book of the Scriptures and so uniforme a sence and light through the manifold parts of it that I cannot compare the parts of it more fitly then unto the body of the Sunne in our worldly firmament which though in appearance it seemes but a hand breadth yet it fils the whole world with the glory of one light by the meanes of infinite beames making up but one stream of resplendencie on every side alike defused so is it with one epistle even with every one of the epistles they are but as a hand breadth in substance but in light of knowledge through the infinite respects and references of divers parts as of great beames they are able to fill the whole church and the heart of every living soule with the resplendencie of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and as Ideots that wote not what optike or opticall demonstrations mean cannot beleeve or perceive although it be told them that there is an orderly dispositions of the beames of the Sunne amongst themselves and a subordinate proceeding of their parts from the body of the Sunne and that there is an unspeakably and incomprehensibly exact order in the disposition of all the parts of light so the spirituall Ideots that have no optike Organs it is no marvaile that they never beleeve nor see any order to be in the body of the Scriptures but so many of you as can make evident demonstrations or experimentall tryals in gathering the beames of the light together in your looking glasses to doe by the meanes of refraction or reflection some wonderfull effect either of representation or of burning in the hearts and before the eyes of godly soules you I say may know and can see that in this light is not onely an excellent order and disposition of all the parts of it but also the very cause of all order that is or ever shal be in this world for even as darknes is the mother of all confusion disorder because it bears under its wings as it were the shadow of destruction and the nature of a Chaos and as light is the mother of comlinesse and order setting forth and making manifest by the onely presence of it selfe the whole decency distinction varietie unitie and symmetricall disposition of every thing in heaven and earth and of the whole world so also ignorance hath been hitherto the mother of Babel and knowledge shall beget Zorubbabell now no knowledge is certaine but that which is in the word of God even as no light is pure light but that which comes from heaven by the same therefore that light can onely and shall bring all order and righteous disposition of all things in the church and world for in it onely is the true weight measure proportion and situation of every thing and by it onely the disposition of the Creatour who hath framed every thing most orderly and decently can be made manifest unto mankind and can any now be so sencelesle as to think that that word and light which is and must be the onely cause of order in every thing should want order and be confused in it self can any be so confused in judgement and drowned in foolish and disorderly imaginations as to think that Gods spirit who by wisedome hath in the first creation of this temporary world ordered all things in so admirable a manner that whosoever beholds it cannot but acknowledge the infinite providence of the workman of so strange a frame should not in the second creation of an eternall world which is his church order and expresse in the Scriptures the very decrees and precepts of wisedome it selfe orderly If the kingdome of nature which shall perish is established by so wonderfull an effect of wisedome and stands only by it for heaven and earth are naturally subsistant by no other thing but by the pillars and foundation of order shall the kingdome of grace and of the word of God which lasteth eternally be lesse wonderfull in the same effect of that same wisedome No surely for if order be one of the most certaine and chiefe effects and consequents of wisedome then wheresoever wisdome is expressed there order must be also and where wisdome is most eminently and highly expressed there also order must be found in the most eminent and high degree of prudencie righteousnesse decencie and comlinesse and for this cause I hold for certaine that in the text of the Scripture a divine order and disposition not only of matter but also of words and manner of expressing that matter is to be found which being perceived and found will bring a new light to all mens eyes and will discover hidden things more evidently hereafter then ever knowne things have been knowne heretofore which I beseech the Lord in his mercie to performe and to make manifest by his spirit of propheste in the testimony of Iesus Christ that in the revelation of his deare sonne all those that love him may be filled with joy and that the glory of his wisdome and goodnesse may be knowne in the truth of his word to the praise of his holy and glorious ame both now and evermore Amen Even so come Lord Iesus and let him that hear it say come Rev. 22. and 20. and 17. Finis Mat. 19 17. â—phes 4. 18 1 Iohn 2. 16. 17. 1 Iohn 3. 2. Heb. 3. 13 14. Colos. 2. 9. c. 1. 19. 1. 3. 1. 5. 8. 1 Iohn 1. â— 1 Tim. 6. 1â— Iohn ibid. v. 9 10 11. Phil. 2. 13 â—â—r 5. 19 〈◊〉 v. 16 17. â—â—r 6. 17. â—â—r 15. 45. Iohn 14. 9 10 11. 2 Pet. 1. â—â— 1 Cor. 12. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 13 14. ibid. v. 17. 1 Cor 2. 10 11 12. â—â—r 2. 11 12. 〈…〉 3. 17. 1 Per. 2. 3. â—nt 1. 1 Pet. 2. 5
and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Therefore the Spirit by which our faces are uncovered doth lead us unto him for to know the things of God he must be known and that he may be known he must be seen and lookt upon for in him all the treasures of life are to be seen and no where but in him Therefore the Prophet when he proposeth the greatest of blessings saith that our eyes shall see the King in his beauty intimating that in the sight of him and his beauty was our happinesse And verily those that once have had a true sight of him cannot but continually seeke to behold him We may see it in David how he stood affected towards him One thing saith he I desired and will feeks after to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple and Psal. 42 1. 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee O God Oh when shall I come and appeare before God but chiefly Psal. 63. 1 2 8. early will I seeke thee my soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seene thee in the Sanctnary Because thy loving kindnesse is better than life If he had never seene him in the Sanctuary of the Spirit he could not have â—â—â—â— carnestly desired him But having once seene him and tasted of his goodnesse he could not but long for the continuance and renewing of this sight and and taste This also may be gathered from the Apostle Peter who exhorteth us to desire the â—inâ—â—re milke of the Word if so be we have tasted that the Lord is gracious The tasting of Gods graciousnesse will not be soone lost out of the sanctified minde but will leave a desire after it to looke after him Now this glory of the Lord is beheld as in a looking-glasse his outward actions which are regished in the Gospel are the looking-glasse wherein all the divine properties of his goodnesse and loving kindnesse do appeare to the full when they are spiritually considered Fourthly Those that behold this glory are changed into the same image This glory is so excellent in goodnesse and lovely to all that behold it that it subdues the soule and drawes it by a sympathy to become comfortable unto it selfe as it is said 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. The love of Christ constraineth us to what to be conformable unto his death For when the soule seeth his great love to us it cannot possibly but it must needs love him again and where love is there is a Symbolizing of affections which is the change here mentioned for through love the thing beloved doth receive a being in him that loveth it and thus our Souls are transformed into the same image which we perceive to be in Christ See concerning this these places Phil. 3. 21. Ephes. 5. 1 2. and 1 Iohn 3. 2 3. and 4. 10 11. Fiftly This change is from glory to glory that is from one step or degree of glory to another For Christ is the ladder which Iacob saw Gen. 28. 12 13. wherein were steps reaching from earth unto heaven that is to say from the lowest estate of a temporall to the highest of an eternall being And upon these steps the Angels ascended and descended these Angels are our spirituall messengers sent up to God and his gracious answers sent down upon us The steps and degrees are in the life which we live in Christ Jesus the motions of spirituall growth wherby in the dayes of his flesh he was daily mortified in respect of the outward man and quickned by the Spirit in the inward to which mortification and quickning we become conformable by proceeding from one state of glory to another because he also in the dayes of his flesh went by the same progresse alwayes from earth to heaven till he came againe to his Father from whence he came forth Sixthly This change is wrought by the Spirit of the Lord in the soule that beholdeth Christ The Spirit of Christ is the Author of the change which is wrought in us for when we see and behold Christs glory the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5. 5. So the holy Ghost proceeding from Christ by the knowledge and faith which we have of him and of his life Ephes. â— 5. worketh love in us to him by which we Sympathiâ—e with him and are changed into the same state of life wherein he did live after the inward man for the spirit which commeth from him taking hold of our spirits draweth the same with it selfe up unto Christ to whom it goeth back again by the manifestation of the life of Christ in us For when it prevaileth over the powers of our soule to bring the same unto the obedience of Gods will then it bringeth us backe to Christ for this was the life of Christ not to do his own will but the will of his Father who who sent him into the world Iohn 6. 38. Thus then when our will is brought to yeeld it selfe by the spirit wholly unto the will of God in all things as Christ did then we are changed and by the Spirit led from one step of glorious conformity to another Then the soule being betrothed unto Christ through love doth desire to be drawn that she may run after him and then the mistery of the song of Solomon is begun in us that it may also in due time be fulfilled through all the degrees of love therein expressed which mistery is not to be understood by any but by such as proceed in the degrees of this change from glory to glory Thus then we see how the life of God is both made known and conveyed to us by the means of Christ from all which by way of Recapitulation we will gather these conclusions First that as the life of God is the only good to be sought for and procured unto all so Christ as he is a Spirituall man is the only meanes to purchase that life Secondly That that life is purchased in Christ by none other way but by the free gift of God through the illumination of our soules with knowledge Thirdly That this knowledge doth reflect immediately upon the glory of God as upon his proper object which is to be manifested in the heart of man Fourthly That to make this glory manifest in our heart the face of Jesuc Christ must be seen by us Fiftly That to behold the face of Christ we must have an open face free from the vaile and then we must looke upon the glorious excellencies of his spirituall life in the glasse of his outward conversation amongst men Sixthly That by this contemplation and apprehension of the life of Christ a new life is begotten in us conformable unto that which is in him by which we are changed into the same image of glory and are led from one degree thereof unto another