being life and a quickning spirit they are dead and sluggish And men may be full of Notions and Literal knowledge and yet have no power The Letter it suffers men to be dead idle sluggish as to the Life of Regeneration and the power of godliness The Letter never binds The strong man it never conquers the will and a mans Own Self it never makes a man to deny the World To rejoyce in the Cross To sell all and follow Christ. If the letters or the Grammatical sense were the word of God Christ would never have so often condemned and expressed so many woes against the Scribes and Pharisees for who took moe pains in them then they who had them or observed them outwardly more exactly and for That The people had them in High Honour and great Esteem yet Christ He condemns all their knowledge learning holiness parts c. for they sought not after the minde of Christ in them if they had known the Word of God they would have known him who was The Word If the Literal Scriptures were the Word of God why doth the holy Ghost so often say He that hath ears to hear let him hear And why doth the Prophet Esay say That hearing they may hear and not understand and seeing they might see and not perceive make the heart of this people fat their ears dull and their eyes heavy lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them This is spoken not in regard of those that are ignorant but of those that are very knowing and very much conceited of their much knowing and yet their knowledge and gifts and Precise Holiness according to the Letter is but a stumbling-block and an occasion of their falling death and destruction and Thus to know all things is but to be ignorant of all things And God accounts these knowing men among the number of those the world accounts The onely Prophane and he esteems them farther off the Kingdom of God Then Theeves and Harlots and saith That these shall go into the Kingdom of Heaven before them and therefore Christ himself sooner conversed with Publicans and Harlots and preferred them still before them as knowing there was more hope to work upon them then upon these Great Conceited puffed up Professors And therefore I have the more and the larger insisted upon this that if it were possible These men might come to know the Truth and so themselves that they might be saved Thus to understand the Scriptures is that which the Scriptures call Eternal liâ—e and That good part which Mary hath chosen this is to â—at Christ to believe to put on the new Man to be regenerate to be born again to live to the Spirit to be baptized to receive the Word to be ingrafted into Christ and the like The other Carnal Knowers they reach none of these things though they think they are possest of them and enjoy them but Even from this very knowledge and holiness they eat death and this is that forbidden tree of good and evil From whence they Enquire much after knowledge and Aime to be Like God and so live for ever and this is nothing but the Seed of the Serpent in our hearts whereby these men much admire themselves and kiss their own hands that is they much set up their own wills their own wisdom and their own carnal reason and cover themselves with fig-leaves as Adam did whereby also they are come to that pass that as I said before they are ready to teach God knowledge and To bring God to School to them and to prescribe and direct him what he shall do in the world and how he shall govern according to their wills and their prayers The word of God is Pure High Holy Heavenly Powerful Reviving Quickning Spirituallizing But the Letter is not onely dead in all these regards But killing and destructive in that sense formerly exprest If you live and dye with this word I mean the letter of the word and the Grammatical External sense which These men call the word of God All is nothing If you have it exactly by heart that you have it as ready at your fingers ends to apply it to all occasions as the Devil himself yet this can be no service of God this is but bodily labour and bodily exercise as the Apostle calls it which profiteth nothing this is but the flesh this is but mans teaching the Spirit of it The WORD of God Debir you never yet found But yet as I said let us not say If the Spirit be all then what do we with the Letter Let us then cast it away No no by no means the letter is of use to regulate the flesh and the outward man in bodily exercises But I say it reaches not the inward man and the heart That must be That bread which the Father giveth which comes down from Heaven Neither Moses nor the knowledge of the whole Law and of all the Scriptures can give us That bread as Christ saith Iohn 6. 32 33. Verily verily Moses gave them not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you the bread from heaven for the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world And besides as I said As the spirit of a man you cannot have without the body Nor you cannot have the Oyster without the shell so neither can you have these mysteries these Allegories without the flesh without the shell without Excrements that is without the letter of the word for we being of a dull low corporeâ—â— substance must have these high divine sublime things brought to us in such vessels and represented by such things as we understand feel hear and see and so come to know them We are not able to conceive of the spiritual meaning and Gods mind without something represented and pâ—oposed suitable to our Element to our language to our sphere to our condition something bodily must be presented that we may conceive of that which is in the same proportion done in us spiritually And therefore this is that I advise still Be sure still To maintain the letter of the word Undefiled Untouched Uncorrupted And let his tongue cleave to and for ever Rot in his mouth That goes about to abrogate the Letter for without the letter you cannot have the Spirit even as we cannot have Meat and Nutriment but you must have necessarily dung and excrements and if you cast away the Excrements you cast away The Meat with it Not that the Letter is dung and excrement as of it self or killing or dead but occasionally made so to us and to all those who crack it not smite it not and so suck not life but death from it Therefore it is said My heart or a Good heart a Caleb must set us a work and an Othniel must smiâ—e it for you
daily in our souls Did he heal the lame and cast out Devils then He doth the same in our souls And whereever he doth them he doth them so as they shall never be Blind more never Dumb more never Deaf more the devil shall never possess thee more The whole letter of the word is but Christs Body and therefore we must not be content with that and rest in that When once we have the Substance of Christs actions there is no more use oâ— the signes we must labour to find out the Truth that is hid in this shell and to find the treasure the pearl that is hid in this field seek for THE WORD as our Saviour prayes Father sanctifie them with thy truth Thy WORD is Truth Mosâ— men henâ—e think when they read the letter of the word they think they read Gods word No no this is not the truth that Christ calls truth for he himself is the Word the Truth and the Life He is the meat and the marrow of which that is but the Bone and the shell Search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have eternal life for they testifie of me I am the substance I am the SOUL of them And they do but testifie of Me they are not the life the soul Yet I prize the letter as high as any man but I must not prefer the Handmaid before the Mistress Yet much ado there hath been among many men about this Letter of the word who pretend to know much in Gods word as if they knew whatever were to be known They are gone so far and are come to such perfection as they think that they can resolve any point in Divinity give the interpretation of any place of Scripture and many large voluminous works have been published to the world and filled it full of their Expositions but God knows how many of them have kept a deal ado and much blustring to little purpose And in our dayes and in our Nation what talk is there everywhere of Gods word when indeed and in truth most men are ignorant of Gods word and all is because they take these Literal black letters to be The word of God you are deceived Is it The Word of God because it is English or Latin or Greek or Hebrew can we tell whether ever God spake in any of these languages or if he did These Letters cannot be The word of God If any way The word be taken in vain it is this way when men think God speaks to them And they hear him when they read the letter You are deceived in this The letter doth but bear Witness to the truth Christ is the Truth and the letter gives Testimony to him See what the Evangelist sayes The Word is Joh. 1. In the beginning was the word Bibleswere not then and the word was God This is That Word so magnified both in the old and new Testament To which all their Sacrifices and Prophesies pointed to in shadows but the Substance of them is Christ as the Apostle saith Heb. 10. The Law is but a Shadow of good things to come But Christ he is The Word He is The Truth He is those good things promised throughout All the Scriptures The letter is but the Shadow the Signes the BODY and Substance is Iesus Christ. And if it be so then let me say thus much more to you Never any man ever yet Saw the Truth nor ever any man Heard the truth nor ever read the truth Those that onely read the Letter they are ignorant of the word for the truth is the word and the word is the Spirit It is the Spirit That discerns the word through the letter and it is the Spirit that applyes it where ever it works it is the Spirit onely that knows the truth And t is the Spirit onely that fructifies and thrives by it and lives in it The word heard or read is but the Bark the Outside the Sheath the Lanthorn but the Sap the Life the Sword the Light that is within And this is Onely Christ Co-Essential with the Father This is that word which the Scripture speaks of which is able to make the man of God perfect for as the Apostle saith The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did for do you what you can yea keep the whole Law according to the letter yet this cannot make us perfect But this word this truth we now unfold is the Sure the real the true the eternal word against which The gates of hell shall never be able to prevail Have ye what ye can of the letter except ye have also Christ the substance thereof the letter will but deceive you for you have but the shadow and therefore you must needs be deceived for you to think you have the substance when you have but the shadow It is not any outward thing we can do will do us any good it is the Spirit the word it self that doth the deed Yet I must tell you more That this word and Christ and the Spirit All dwell Among us dwell In us and we know them not as Iohn 1. 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him He dwels among us and yet the world knows him not nay He came among his Own and his Own received him not These are strange expressions what may be the meaning of this Divine high-flowen Eagle for that is his Embleme I conceive it was to shew that he soared and flew higher in Divine contemplations of truth and in the knowledge of the Mystery then all the rest of the Evangelists This was he of whom it is said The Disciple whom Iesus loved and this is he thaâ— Leaned on his breast at supper This was he that had all those divine visions and Secret mysteries revealed to him in the Isle of Pathmos who writ the Revelation and was therefore called IOHN the Divine I conceive his meaning is when he saith He came and dwelt among us and yet the world knew him not although it was made by him was this that God in Jesus Christ dwells in every creature but the creature comprehends it not Because the light shineth in darkness and the Darkness cannot comprehend the light It is in him as the Apostle saith that we live move and have our being and yet we know it not because we are compassed about with darkness nay we are Darkness it self Is it not a strange thing that He should be in Us be so near us and be our light and our life our sun and our shield and yet we not know him we not be acquainted with him But He Shines in Darkness what 's that that is All creatures are darkness to him God in himself is light of lights infinitely far above and beyond all creatures if he put forth himself in the making of any creature that creature is infinitely below him the highest of creatures is
keeps the Sabbath Holy being void of skill and Will is subject onely to God In Him to go Out Work Will know Both How What When and Why he pleaseth Now The Whole World lyeth in This Death and Sin for that it doth nothing else but kiss iâ—s own hand That is Adore the Purpose Counsel Invention and wisdom of it self To this purpose are all things Intended Aimed Drawn and Bent Even the Holy Scripture and Words of God Namely to be consonant to Our Reason and not to cross Our Wisdom Course and Way But all these things must be Overthrown and unlearned again if we will see God For therefore do the Scriptures so Vehemently urge us to becom Children and Fools Vomiting up again all the Art and knowledge of this Forbidden Tree To be purged by the strength of the Tree of Life and consequently let Every man in this case look and observe Himself narrowly what he doth And He shall find all this True in his Own Breast THE Gospel-Treasury Opened OR The Holiest of All unvailing The Second Part. Containing I. Two Sermons on Psal. 68. 17. intituled Militia Coelestis or the Heavenly Host. II. Two sermons on Cant. 1. 7. Where Christ feedeth and where his flock resteth III. A Sermon on Rev. 2. 17. Of eating hidden Manna IV. Heads of Sermons on Ier. 6. 13. Covetousness anatomized or the generality of Covetousness V. A short Exposition on Psal. 148. The Plus Ultra of the creatures VI. The substance of several Sermons on Luke 7. 40. Milk for babes meat for strong men VII Two Sermons on Exod. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6. The mysterie or the life and marrow of the Scriptures VIII The substance of several Sermons on Mark. 1. 25 26. True and divine Exorcism or the Devil conjured by Iesus Christ. IX A Sermon on Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to Jesus Christ in heaven and in earth Also added I. Dionysius the Areopagite his mystical Divinity II. Grave and notable sayings in Latin and English III. Sayings of a certain Divine of great note IV. Taulerus his holy glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ. V. Another short instruction by the same Author VI. A short Dialogue between a learned Divine and a beggar LONDON Printed for Rapha Harford At the Bible and States-Armes in Little Brittain 1657. Militia Coelestis OR The Heavenly Host Two Sermons upon Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy Place Out of which the Bishops pretended matter of high accusation against the Author in their High Commission Court Preached at Giles Cripplegate when those masking Chariots and great shews were presented and acted at the Court the Temple and in the City after which there was so much running to be Spectators He chosing Texts on purpose constantly as his manner still was and being our Saviours practice in the Gospel he making use of present things most in use and most affected to take men off from admiring such vanities or rather to take an advantage by them and thereby improving them to raise up the mind to real Glories which have so few Lovers and Followers Saith our Saviour Matth. 11. 17. But we have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned and ye have not lamented And again saith he Wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth unto destruction and many there be that go that way but strait is the Gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Mat. 7. 13. SERM. I. AS this Psalm was undoubtedly Davids so it is more then probable the occasion of penning it as you may see at the bâ—ginning thereof was upon the removing of the Ark to Ierusalem the City of David from the house of Abinadab 2 Sam. 6. At which time David with the rest of the people of Israel played on all manner of Instruments and danced before the Ark Whereupon Michal his wife Sauls daughter despised him for a fool An extasie of joy seizing upon his spirit he enjoying so much of God in it caused him to leap and dance before it She hereupon takes upon her to reprove censure and revile him and in her heart scorned him sayes the text v. 16. But David being lifted up filled with divine joy slighted her and told her he would yet be more vile And the reason of this conjecture is because this Psalm begins with that very Proverb that was appointed to be said at the rising of the Ark out of its place Num. 10. 25. Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered let them that hate him flee before him I dare not offer at any Method in the whole nor at any connexion in the parts For I find that all your curious Dichotomizers do but dream play with the Scripture feeding themselves with fancies and not truth For sure I am the onely method that holy men of old observed was to speak as they were moved by the holy spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. But these words we have now read they being a clause in this Psalâ— I take them as a Melchizedeck without Father without Mother Heb. 7. 3. so having no dependance We will come to open the words as having a sufficient sense lying within themselves There be many Expositions on this place which I will not trouble you withall for men speak according to men but the Scriptures were written by Gods spirit dictated by his own finger for holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. We must therefore labour to find out if it be possible what is Gods mind in the Scriptures whatever men say I may call this Text as it is Luke 2. 13. Militia Coelestis the Heavenly Host There was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God or as Iacob did the Angels Gen. 32. 2. when he saw the Angels he said This is Gods host for there is in them both greatness and terribleness which is proper to the Angels of God But that we may give you the parts of the woâ—ds There are four things represented in them 1 Their Nature they are called Chariots 2 Their Number they are said to be twenty thousand or thousands of thousands that is they are innumerable or numberless 3 In regard of their Names they are here called Angels 4 In regard of the Commander of all these numberless number of Chariots and Angels and that is God himself The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels â— Their Nature they are called Currus Chariots The mention of Chariots is as ancient as any History either sacred or profane they being used both for peace and warre In the first Book of Moses Gen. 41. 43. there is mention made of Pharaohs triumphant Chariot for Ioseph he that exalted Ioseph And again in
bear me record for certain it is true both of this particular Scripture and so of the rest I say Caleb did say so and Kiriathsepher was taken by Othniel and he did marry Achsah these things were really and literally and externally acted And so the History of Abraham and all the rest but I cannot stand now to instance as I would though I could shew you clearely How the Mystery is hid and couched and interwoven in the letter But to touch upon the History of Abraham He had two sons The One the son of the bond-woman The Other the son of the free woman And there was A mount Sinai and A mount Sion as the Apostle Paul alludes to it and shews us Thy mystery of those things and tells us plainly Those things are an Allegory Gal. 4. 24. Which things are an Allegory saith he for these are the two Covenants the one from Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Hagar and answereth to Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children but Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all and as he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now and so he goes on shewing what the Holy Ghost Pointed out in that History because he would not have them Rest in the Letter but search for the Spirit The life and the mystery So neither do I deny nor diminish the least title from the letter but the Apostle and so I would bring the history home to our selves to our own particulars For what are these histories to us what good is it to us that there was Amount Sinai and A mount Sion and that Abraham had two sons the One by the bond-woman the Other by the free-woman but He would shew and teach us That the son of the bond-woman in us which is the Son of fear should be cast out and the son of the free-woman that is the Son of love should inherit so always reserving the Truth of the Letter yet not losing the sense and the meaning But if we rest and dwell on the Letter or on the history and so onely take it as an history and not see our own selves in it and by it then that History that Letter kills but it is the Spirit onely that gives life viz. the Mind and the meaning for there is no Scripture but is as a glass to behold our own faces our own Hearts So he that shall read the second and third chapters of Genesis where we read of the Serpents speaking to and beguiling our mother Eve and of Eves tempting her Husband and so both came into the transgression But now let us not onely read this speculatievly and so let it pass but let us consider how this Scripture is fulfilled in us see how our own condition is there related as well as our first parents let us come to the woof this is but the out-side the Letter what is the hidden truth in them for there is no part of holy Writ but is fulfilled alwaies in all times in every part thereof and in every member of the Church or In the enemies of the Church at one time or other alwayes the same things are in doing throughout all ages As I take it the meaning is The Serpents there speaking to Eve His first setting upon her solliciting and seducing her It shews that Satans method in the soul of every man is first to set upon the inferior part of man the affections which are soonest overcome as S. Paul sayes of Eve the woman was first in the transgression thereby understanding as I conceive the affections unto which and by which The Serpent is every day whispering Treason and suggesting Treachery into the soul against God The lower parts of the soul first hearken and they being overcome then they as Eve set upon Adam that is the Will and Understanding and the higher powers of the soul whereby both the Woman and the Man came into the transgression Understanding the Scriptures thus As fulfilled within us we make them our own hereby the word is made a Living word and Endureth for ever as David saith Those that see and feel the Scriptures Thus fulfilled In them They have found The Pearl of the Scriptures for we ought to sell All and the Hidden Manna which shall feed and nourish them to Eternal life Nay let me tell you These have the Spirit and the life of the Word though they never heard nor read the Scripture before If thou hast but found felt the Hissing Serpent cursed in thee overcome in thee if thou hast seen Lucifer fallen from his Heaven in thy soul like lightning I say to thee This day is the Scripture fulfilled in thee For if thou knowest the Letter of the Scriptures never so exactly if thou hast not this work brought about in thee Thou art a meer stranger to the Scriptures thou never yet understoodst what the Word of God was but finding these things in thee thou wilt say as those Samaritans said to the woman of Samaria who told them she had met with Christ the Messiah but when they themselves had conferred with him say they now we believe him to be so not because thou saidst so but because we have seen him and found him so to our selves so mayest thou say now I believe not only because it is written in Gen. but because I have felt it and seen it written fulfilled in mine own soul for Thus God is pleased for our capacities and comprehensions to convey to us the knowledge of this inward work within us by external representations to our understanding that so we may comprehend Those things that are so far above us for men naturally altogether live by sense and reason which reveal not these things but as they are rubbed and whetted upon us instilled by degrees Line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little And when thou canst say I have felt all these things done in my self this whispering and this solliciting I find I have that Adam and Eve in me I have eaten of that forbidden tree I find it was I that aspired to be equal with God and I would sit in his seat and this is Lucifer in me and the Devil in me and the old Adam in me but if thou canst say withal I have also found him overcome and cursed in me oâ— Beloved you then are in a happy condition It is said concerning our Saviour that he spake to them in parables and without a parable spake l. e nothing unto them so God seldome or never speaks to us but it is in parables under resemblances and figures So here this City Kiriathsepher here spoken of Of its Smiting and Taking it s a parable rather then a history something else represented of more high concernment The wisdom of God in the Scriptures is
daâ—kness to him He is darkned in the Sun and he is darkned in the Moon and Stars He is darkned in Angels and Archangels in Cherubims and Seraphims and more darkned in men and other creatures But he is in Jesus Christ The SOUL and life of all things There have been great disputes in all ages what the soul of man is whiâ—h I shall not now enter upon but whatever it be be sure of this It is infinitely below God For God is the life of lives the soul of souls He is that Sun and glory that Excellency and Beauty that shines in All creatures He not onely gives to all things life and being but He is Their life and being He fils all things with His Being So as all things are nothing Compared with God and yet for all this For all He is so GREAT And so much ALL yet they see him not comprehend him not Iohn who was the foâ—erunner of Christ confesses that he knew him not For all he was of such Excellency that he was He whose shoe-latchet he was not worthy to stoop down to unloose and yet he knew him not He saw not this Glory and Majesty that was in him For all he was The Messiah The Saviour of the world Lived with him and converst with him in all probability for he was his Cousin German according to the flesh And if their mothers visited one another while the children were but in the womb and for the childrens sake much more after their birth did they come together visit and salute one another besides many other reasons which might be given yet he knew him not all that thirty years till he came to be baptized of Iohn And he saw the Spirit descend upon him like a Dove And it was so with Iohn Baptist who was a Prophet and the immediate Harbinger appointed to bring tidings that the Messiah followed him I say Seeing it was so then do not wonder that men who read the word and teach the Letter of the word all their life long yet never know Christ never be acquainted with his Spirit and His meaning in the literal word Therefore take it not ill if I tell you If any man were able to speak the whole word the letter in every tittle That he could or were able or if it were possible To speak the whole Scriptures in one word or at once yet he may go to the Devil for all that for no man can do so much as He in this regard But I le tell ye if ye had once known Iesus Christ after the Spirit ye would not make such a stir about Forms Disciplines and Externals as if that were the great and onely reformation for all those things men may do and be not One hair better before God For all that the Devil is the Devil still and flesh is alive still and the heart may be set upon the creature still and to this man this word is amiable still I pass not what men say and prattle to the contrary Let us see their humility and self-denial and becoming all to all le ts see their self-judging and judging other men less and themselves most of all let the life of Christ appear in the fruits humility and lowliness of mind not seeking themselves and their own profit and advantage but the profit of many that they may be saved were it so as they pretend what means so much knowing men after the flesh having mens persons in admiration because of advantage what means their seeking greetings in the markets and uppermost rooms at feasts what means Their long prayers under a pretence but t is To devour widows houses and to ingratiate themselves so as to get the praise of men being exceedingly desirous of vain glory and the wealth of the woâ—ld And if they have not these they are dead on the nest heartless and little or no fruit of love comes from them but the contrary Censoriousness and bitterness and hatred and Envyings Were you but once come to the true Vision of God and the Life of Christ you would be Above and slight all these base and carnall things and they would here with the Apostle never more know Men nor the world nor any creature after the flesh that is in their choicest and highest love and esteem but all these things shew that these men are yet below and in the world and not above with God whatever They in Shew express to the contrary Object But it may be you will say to me Sir you so undervalue the letter and the Scripture that we know not what to do we took this to be Gods word what would you have us cast away our Bibles would you not have us worship God according to the letter shall not God be worshipped with our bodies I answer God forbid But I know men of the letter or the Devil in man presently runs into this extreme Either through ignorance and so is through the infirmity of the flesh and weakness of the inward man or else it is out of wilfulness and so of the Devil and one of his great designs to destroy the soul God forbid that I should so condemn the Letter as to bid men neglect good Orders and worshipping God in their bodies and in external worship far be it from me But this is that I say I would not have ye onely do this And I fear ye strive and contâ—nd so much for the letter and the external part of Gods worship that ye neglect the inward and internal altogether for where is the man that is so zealous and so hot for the Internal as he is for the External whereas the One is to be preferred far before the other but we find it quite contrary If we press men to the Inward before the Outward or do but as I desire to do Lift up that Either how cold and heartless are they or else how quarrelsome and malicious are they but this is that I say Strive chiefly for the Spirit and the Hidden sense get this but onâ—e into your hearts and then I will be bold to say Turn this man loose he hath that within will gâ—ide him Then I say let him neglect the outward if he can otherwise you do but hold men to it as a Beare to the Stake by cords of Humane inventions by Self-Love and self-interest by Fears Hopes and Rewards and these poor things without the over-ruling and commanding Natural power and principle of love And when you have done this what great act have you done Do not the Hypocrites the same do not sinners the same do not Heathens the same what great and goodly Converts have you made that you so glory in them Beloved if a man love his wife this love will produce all care and tenderness and all offices of love towards her that may be if he love her let him kill her if he can let him beat her or hurt her if he can
thoughts and all his former thoughts were banished Even so doth this man behave himself when once God hath spoken to him and discovered himself to be so near He doth as David sayes he did Set the Lord alwayes before his eyes then he minds God and observâ—s his workings his out-goings and incomings he alwayes then puts God forward in him He must do all Before He was the forward man and who but he All Gods acts in him he arrogated to himself and as he thought the actions were His done by His power wisdom and parts so he took home The glory and praise of all to himself But now Upon Gods appearing to him this man is Undonâ— slain crucified Then he can with all his heart let God Be all and Do All Speak in him Move in him Live in him Work all his works in him and for him He now minds God in whatsoever any creature saith or doth to him He no longeâ— lives his own life but the life of God t is true He lives as the Apostle saith Yet not He but Christ in him He now As a New man Hath no words but the words of Christ no thoughts but the thoughts of Christ made One spirit and life with Him and so he becomes throughout A changed Man A New man But the other he that is not aware of God He that is a Reprobate who knows not That Christ is in Him He takes no knowledge of all this but does what he list and as he thinks He speaks his own words and thinks his own thoughts and All their thoughts words and actions All their aims and endeavours tend to the fulfilling the desires of the flesh Either more gross and open or else more subtile and refined and more hid from the eye of the world Their desires and aims are How they shall procure such a benefit to themselves such an estate or how he shall be delivered from the danger of the times and he is full of carking and caring how his flesh shall be provided for and the like And truly beloved it cannot be otherwise for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh and whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit for it can never act without its own sphere and compass were we born of the Spirit we could not but dye to the flesh and seek the things of the Spirit then all his thoughts for the advantage of the flesh Cease and he is altogether fot Increasing and Perfecting This life of God begun in him let God live more and more and himself less and less As John Baptist saith he must increase but I must decrease This is his life now which before was his death and contrary his death is his life God is now A welcom Guest Yet Not that God is more or less there you being alwayes Gods Temple as well before you see him as when you see him for Christ cannot Alter his lodging in the reality of it This is a certain truth Nothing can make Christ depart in regard of his Essence and Being but to you he may depart and so you are to understand all such expressions for if you think and as some preach that God comes and goes from place to place from earth to heaven oâ— from heaven to earth departs and returns and that you can stay Him and change Him or make him return These are all childish fopperies in this ye do as it were Create another God to your selves and make the true God an Idol but it is spoken in refâ—rence to the Creature in regard of our sight and apprehensions As To you He is departed and dwels above far remote And indeed and really he is as having no being and is as no God to thee However thou mayest flatter and deceive thy self Until thou hast smitten and taken Kiriathsepher and marryed Achsah Calebs daughter Till there be power given To rend the vail But then you shall see Him who is the truth of all things The substance of all things and not before for whatever you can see are but Shaddows and not the Truth As in this my body you cannot see the Internality and the Truth of it for the truth and Substance of it doth not consist either in the coldness or in the hotness for it hath been hotter and it hath been colder neither in the Oldness nor Youngness for it hath been younger and may be older neither in the heaviness nor lightness for it hath been lighter and may be heavier nor in no accidents you can name Then if so none hath ever heard or seen or spoke that which is the Truth of me for my Substance cannot be seen but onely Accidents the truth consists in things internal and t is the like for any other thing you behold besides And so likewise such is the Word of God it consists not in any thing you can hear or see or can perceive or comprehend for Gods Word is as himself Mighty Incomprehensible Omnipotent c. not included in any place His Word is the Being and life of all things the Letter cannot possibly contain the Eternal Majesty of the Word it is not the Word of God till it be expounded to the heart and made a word of power and quickning in the hearts of his people The Word is Eternal and was before any Letters or Scriptures were and shall be for ever when all those things Cease Gods speaking is His creating Let it be done there can be no resisting sayes David whatever he commanded it was wrought God Hath spoken As many Words as he hath made Creatures But He hath spoken One Great and mighty word and that One WORD includes All those Words and that One Word is Jesus Christ the Onely begotten of his Father and the first born of every creature all the rest of the creatures are but as so many Letters of this GREAT Word for he is called the Word He being in the bosome of his Father He was Unspoken Unuttered Unpronouncedâ— there was not then any one creature in heaven or earth but God was ALL there was then Neither Father Son nor Spirit as divided But He being Once pronounced He is the Word Spoken then immediately there is Father Son and Spirit For these are expressed Several or TRINE onely in relation to the creatures which to me is clear for there is not diversity in God but God is one and in Himself cannot be more and I hope it is clear to you If any should think or say unto me the words of Pilate Oh Sir What thing is truth I must answer thus truth is not possible to be either spoken or heard for God onely is truth and nothing else can be now it is impossible to see or hear God saith our Saviour No man hath seen God at any time for we cannot see him and live we must depart Out of the nature of man and return into God and be one with God Else we can never know
6. Did he heal the sick and diseased give light to the blind open the ears of the deaf untie the tongues of the dumb feed the hungry preach teach to pray sigh and groan and weep reprove with Authority Was he hungry and thirsty and went up and down doing good Was He Arraigned and condemned under Pontius Pilate did he dye rise again ascend into Heaven and sit at the right hand of his Father All these are true So let us in all these mind that these mighty works be done in our souls that they be cured from the putrified sores of sin and lusts Isa. 1. 6. and from our spiritual leprosie and cry Open thou O Lord mine eyes that I sleep not the sleep of death Psal. 13. 3. We should labour and pray that our understandings may be enlightned that we may have The seeing eye and Hearing ear to confess and praise him with our tongues that they may speak the language of Canaan and say Open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise And that we should hunger after righteousness and be watchful in prayer sigh and groan and weep for sins committed against God Mine eyes gush out with tears Psa. 119. O that my head was a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night c. Jer. 9. 1. Reprove and rebuke and loath our selves as Iob I do abhor my self Job 42. 6. Do good especially to those of the houshold of faith Condemn and accuse and judge our selves I called mine own ways to account saith David I dye daily saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. Christ rose again Arise and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 4. And so we should rise again to newness of life If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above Col. 3. 1. He ascended and so do we when our conversation is in Heaven He sits at the right hand of his Father All power is given unto me Mat. 28. 18. Now I live saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ in me And Jesus Christ cast out Devils too and so must we cast out spirtiual wickedness in high places All these are the works of Christ in us and happy are we if we can truly say This day are these Scriptures fulfilled in us But must our Saviour cast out Devils in us what in me If an Angel should tell me so I cannot believe it and I would ask with the Virgin Mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How can this thing be Luk. 1. 34. If our Saviour himself should tell me 't is and must be so and except I cast the Devils out of thee thou canst not be saved I should ask him as Nicodemus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How can it be Ioh. 3. 4 For where is there any Devils in me to be cast out Just so Peter said to our Saviour Ioh. 13. 8. Thou shalt never waâ—h my feet but certainly as our Saviour then told Peter Except I waâ—h thee thou hast no part in me So in this case except he cast out the Devils they are in us still for Beelzebub will not cast out Beelzebub But it may be Here you wil say to me as the Jews said to Christ Iohn 7. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainly thou hâ—st a Devil To tell us such strange things To make us believe that we are Possest For this purpose it will be necessary to see what the Devil is for that which is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An unclean spirit in Luk. 4. 33. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Spirit of an unclean Devil Devils for substance are Angels for quality Evil ones or Angels of darkness A man is in substance a man though Evil and his Evilness of quality doth not make him lame or blind or deformed There are secondly many good Angels as our Saviour testifies More then twelve Legions of Angels Mat. 26. 33. And there are many bad Angels My Name is Legion for we are many Mark 5. 9. Whereas 't is said of both of them that they are spirits 't is true it taken comparatively not positively or simply for this word spirit hath divers Acceptions in Scriptuâ—e As 1. Spirit is taken for the Air Ve-ruach The Spirit of the Lord rested upon the waters Gen 1. 2. 2. 'T is taken for the Wind Ve-ruach The East wind brought in the Locusts Exod. 10. 13. 3. 'T is taken for the spirit of life All flesh died in which was Ruach the spirit of life Gen. 6. 17. 4. For the immortal part of man Ve-ruach The spirit of man returns to God that gave it Eccl. 12. 7. 5. For the purpose and mind of man Kol-rucho A fool opens and speaks all his mind or spirit Prov. 25. 11. 6. For the influences of the spirit As I will take of the spirit that is in thee and put it on them Num. 11. 17. 1. So then Devils are Angels yet different from good Angels Yet not in substance power strength agility or the like but in that one accident of Evil Therefore they are called Evil Angels Psal. 78. 49. And Angels that sinned 2 Pet. 2. 4. And The Devils Angels Mat. 25. 41. and Angels of Darkness Good and evil Angels differ not then in substance but in quality 2. The Devils are spirits who maketh his Angels spirits Heb. 1. 7. And so in the words of my Text The Unclean Spirit But yet they are spirits comparatively or respectively not simply or positively for so onely God is a Spirit it is his peculiar Title Iohn 4. 24. And as God is a Spirit so he is called the Father of spirits Heb. 12. 9. 3. They are Bodies But not Natural or Terrestrial but Spiritual and Celestial 1 Cor. 15. 40 44. Non ut nos yet have not bodies as we have So speaks the Nycene Synod Corpora multo tenuiora quam natura But much more subtile bodies have they then we not so gross and heavy as ours are but more Aerial and sublime so speak the Greek and Latine Father for God is Onely Incorporeal Yet know this That their Corporiety or Materiality hinders not the being of many in one place As a whole Legion in one person Mark 5. 9. and seven Devils were cast out of Mary Magdalen for the Penetration of bodies spiritual is not As of bodies Terrestrial For As the light of many Candles through One hole they are to our senses confounded yet in themselves distinct like the lightning from East to West Luk. 17. 24. And as all the Sun-beams make but one JUBAR till received by several subjects so is it with spiritual bodies 5. That every Devil is As the Star of His ORB as concentring of light to our sight is of things near or far off Ibi est ubi operatur There
describing that which was Above all Affirmation or Position it was fit to Begin and Establish the Fundamental Affirmations from that which is most Proper and Nearest unto it But now when we go by way of Taking away from that which is Above All Ablation or taking Away it is likewise fit we should begin our takings away at Those things that are furthest temote from it For is He not Rather and more properly Life and Goodness then Aire or A Stone And may it not Rather and more Properly be said that he is not Weak or Angry then that he is not Spoken nor Understood CHAP. IV. That He that is eminently the Cause of all sensible things is yet no sensible thing at all 1. VVE say therefore That the Cause of all things and that which is above all things is neither void of nor without Essence nor Life nor Reason nor Mind 2. Neither is it A Body nor hath it shape nor Form nor Quality nor Quantity nor Bigness neither is it in Place nor is it Seen nor hath it any Sensible touch 3. It neither Perceiveth by Sense nor is it Perceivable by Sense it hath neither Disorder nor Trouble as if it were Agitated by material Passions 4. It is neither Impotent as subject to sensible Passions or Accidents neither is in Any want or Indigence of light neither needs it any Light to see By or Withal 5. It hath neither Alteration nor Corruption nor Division nor Privation nor Flux or a Continual flowing and Succession of Parts nor any other Sensible thing Nor is it Any of all these Chap. V. That he that is eminently the Cause of all intelligible things is none of those intelligible things 1. AND going downward again we say it is neither Soul nor Mind nor hath it Phantasie nor Imagination nor Opinion nor Reason nor Understanding neither is it Reason nor Understanding nor is it Spoken or Understood 2. It is neither Number nor Order nor Greatness nor Littleness it is neither Equality nor Inequality nor Likeness nor Unlikeness 3. It neither Standeth still nor is Moved nor Resteth It neither hath Power nor is Power nor Light It neither Liveth nor is Life It is neither Essence nor Eternity nor Time nor is there any Intellectual Touch thereof 4. It is neither Knowledge nor Truth nor Kingdom nor Wisdom nor One thing nor Unity nor God-head nor Goodness 5. Neither is it a Spirit as we can know or understand or after Our manner of knowledge nor SON-SHIP nor FATHER-HOOD nor any other thing Known to us or to any Other of the things that Are. 6. Neither is it any of the things That are Not Nor any of the things that Are neither do the things that Are know it as it is nor doth It know the Things that Are as they Are. 7. There is no Speech of it nor Name nor Knowledge it is neither Darkness nor Light nor Errour nor Truth 8. There is of it No Position or Affirmation nor Ablation or taking Away or Negation But when we make Affirmations or Negations of the things That are After it yet we do neither Affirm nor Deny 9. Because He that is PERFECT Compleat Onely and Singularly the Cause of All things is Above all Position or Affirmation And the SUPER-EMINENCE of Him which is most Simply and Absolutely freed from all things and is Above All things is likewise Far Above All Negations The end of the Book of Dionysius the Areopagite concerning Mystical Divinity Blessed be he that is that was and that is to come AMEN Dr. Everards ADVICE upon these following Sentences in Latin and English REad not what follows till thou have Read and Felt and dost Understand what goeth before For here follow certain Grave and Notable sayings whereby the diligent Disciple of Christ may examine himself and know what is to be thought or determinated of the True and Inward Union to the Onely and Supreme Good that we may depart from our selves and being dead to our own will may live to God alone and to his will Grant it O God by him which resigned up his own will to his Heavenly Father who liveth and reigneth with the Holy Spirit in a perfect Trinity for ever Amen These in regard of their succinct and pithy shortness they were hard to be understood if put into so few words as the Latin I have therefore not onely translated them into English but also annexed the Latin to them that where the one Language shall be obscure it may be helped by the other 1. DEus est unicus unitas existit manat ab eo solo nec tamen de eo alioquin enim decresceret fieretque minor 1. God is onely One and Unity is in him and flows from him alone yet not of him nor any way from him otherwise it would decrease and become less 2. Ubi sunt duo quae una servari aut convenire oportet fieri potest ut inter ea oriatur discordia 2. Where there are two things that must be kept or agree together it may come to pass that discord or dissention may arise between them 3. Haec duo non nisi voluntate dissidere possent id quod esset summa causa occasio omnis dissidii etiam in Deo sit duo possent esse in eo 3. These two could not disagree but in Will which would be the greatest cause and occasion of all discord or disagreement Even in God if Two things could be in him 4. Nihil enim est quod dissentionem pariat inter omnia quae dissentire queant nisi dissimilitudo voluntatum 4. For there is nothing can breed dissention among all things that can disagree but the dissimilitude and unlikeness of wills 5. Hoc unum Deus vult unum estque omnibus binis contrarium 5. This one God willeth One thing and is contrary to all Two things 6. It aque ergo quicquid etiam creavit ipse super unico illo creavit alioquin ei defuisset ordo 6. Therefore also whatsoever he created he created upon or To that One alone otherwise it had wanted order 7. Praeterea nullam potuisset ejus creatio sive creatares habere consubstantiam propter voluntatem contrariam quemadmodum videlicet nunc fit ideoque eam interire oportuisset 7. Moreover His Creation or created thing could have had no constancy because of the contrary Will to wit as it is now done therefore it must needs have dyed 8. Ea unit as metiri cogitari tractari cognoscive non poterat nisi duntaxat ab uno per unum idque interdum in suo contrario 8. That Unity could not be measured thought handled or known but onely of One and by One and that sometime in its contrary 9. Contrarium existit a se ipso sine culpa adversarii 9. The contrary is or exists of it self without the fault of the Adversary 10. Hinc apertissime perspici potest oportuisse ut uni optimo esset aliquod
necessario debeas ad unicum hoc est ad Patrem venire qui Pater eum huic rei destinavit 29. This may and must be done Onely by the losing of that which is contrary to the One otherwise it cannot that is Obedience in Obedience to wit An Intire Resignation A certain Perfect Sacrifice which is Voluntary Briefly that Christ is the true Son of God the first begotten of his Brethren To whom it is Proper whatsoever the Father can who is the True Intercessor by whom alone thou mayest and necessarily must come to the onely One that is to the Father who hath appointed him to this end 30. Si quis hujus orationis rationem consequi nescit is caret spiritus testimonio cujus ipse disciplinam excludit repudiat Si quis eam intelligit judicet judicat autem Dei Spiritus omnia Si quis eo destituitur caret ejus culpa est quod de casu sollicitus non est ut corrigatur qui tamen corrigendus est Si quis haecdicat acutiora sciat maximam Sancti Spiritus stultitiam ut it a loquar acutiorem esse summa totius mundi sapientia 30. If any man understand not the meaning of these speeches he wants as yet The Testimony of the Spirit whose discipline He shuts out and reâ—uses If any man understand it let him judge and the Spirit of God Iudgeth all things If any man Want and be destitute of it it is his own fault because he is not careful of his fall that it may be Amended which yet must be Corrected If any say that these things are somewhat subtil and acute let him know that the greatest Folly of the Holy Ghost if that I may so speak not derogating from him is wiser then the Highest wisdom of the whole world * Non est mirum si haec carni acuta videantur sunt enim divina de quibus judicare caro non potest Ideoque acuta judicat quemadmodum si noctua neget se posse cernere claritatem diei quippe ut ens luce noctis cujus clarissima pars obscurior est quam obscurissima diei * It is no marvel if these things seem somewhat Acute and Subtil to the flesh for they are Divine of which flesh cannot judge and therefore it thinketh them Acute as if an Owl should deny that it can see the brightness of the Day when it useth onely the light of the Night the clearest part whereof is more dark then the darkest part of the day To the Eternal Trinity in Unity neither confounded nor divided be all glory and praise Amen The Sayings of a Certain Divine of great note and name IN conclusion I will hereunto Annex the judgment of Iohn Denqui concerning the holy Scriptures made in his Recantation not long before his death and printed I do saith he prefer the Holy Scriptures before all Humane Treasure yet so that I do not so much esteem them as the Word of God which is Living Potent and Eternal and which is Free and at liberty from all the Elements of this world for if that be God himself it follows that it is Spirit not the Letter written without peâ— or ink so that it can never be Obliterated And for this cause True felicity or the word of God is not tyed to the Letter of the Scriptures The reason is because it is impossible that by the Scriptures alone an Evil mind should be Amended though it may be made more learned but a good mind that is such A One as is endued with any spark of Divine study or knowledge is made better by All things so that the Holy Scriptures are Clean to them that are Clean Good and wholsom i. e. to those endued with the Holy Spirit but to the Unclean and Unbelievers they as all things else are Unclean and Deadly Thus then it is possible that a man chosen by God may be saved without Preaching or the Scriptures yet it follows not that therefore no witness taught of God is to be heard or that the Scriptures are not to be Read and Enquired into but on the other side that all Unlearned Illiterate men are not in the state of Damnation because they cannot Read neither whole Cities and Nations sometimes because they have No Preachers sent them from God Thus far He. All these things aim at this That we should by a Received power from God do our endeavour to hunger for God and his word and not go on so securely with the Killing Letter of the Scriptures but giving them all Convenient Honour should grant them to be a certain Image Splendour Lanthorn Scabbard Manger and Vestry of the Word but withal should know that there is more required namely A Sword to this Scabbard A light to this Lanthorn that it may cut and shine but we know that whilest these things are saying There are some that are much Troubled and Offended as in the case of Mary Saying we would reject the Scriptures whereunto we say There can never be Too much Honour given but the truth is whilest unto the Scriptures as unto Mary is ascribed the Honour due to God Alone it becomes the Worshipping of Idols and of the Scriptures as of Mary is made a certain Idol which is Put Honoured Accounted Adored and Consulted with in the place of God The Scriptures indeed as an Holy thing ought to be a Terror to men and to be Read with Religious Fear and Trembling and as before is said to be preferred above all earthly Treasure but not made Equal to God and His Word The Scriptures as the Law and all things else Are Good to the Good who onely know How to use them well But as now adayes many ignorant people handle them and are conversant in them without all doubt it were Better they were asleep the while For from the wrong understanding and abuse of them flow All Heresies Sects Superstitions so that not onely the Jews but the Turks also make them their Advocates and think the Holy Scriptures are the foundation of Their faith My self know at least twenty Christian Religions all which rest upon the Holy Scriptures and every one Hopes they are on their side all these things proceed Either from far-fetcht Expositions and Allegories nothing to the purpose or from the dead Letter of the Scriptures or lastly from a certain Arrogance and Abuse of them Now it is far better in many cases not to use A thing at all then so to abuse it therefore I must needs say Once again that the Scriptures are Shut up and Forbidden to all flesh because it can Never understand them for to that end there is required to them a Supernatural Divine NEW-MAN Born of God who may bring with him to them The light of the Holy Ghost Such a man can Compose Dispose Understand Interpret Place and Accommodate All things in their due places nay more that which is the Table Feast and Life of these God-born men
other have split their vessels in these days But the Author so clearly distinguishes that he misseth both Rocks and carries on the truth Amain with Top-sail against all battery and opposition Here ye shall finde the vail rent and the last shadows vanishing and some Rayes of the glory of the holiest of all appearing being hid from ages and generations but in these last times upon the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles and for the calling of the Iews more brightly breaking forth revealing the mystery of the Scriptures or the marrow of the true word of God which endureth forever wherein the Life and Spirit of the Holy Word is clearly distinguished from the outward and killing letter comparing spiritual things with spiritual that all those errors differences revilings and bitter censurings so much broken forth of late occasioned by resting in the letter may now vanish and make haste before the presence of the Lord and the glory of his coming whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather the wheat into his garner but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire And will baptize his own people with his own Spirit with the Holy Ghost and with fire Howbeit we speak wisdom onely among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world which comes to nought But we speak the wisdom of God in a MYSTERY even the hidden wisdom which God hath ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the princes of this world knew 1 Cor. 2. It is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for those that love him having revealed them unto us by his spirit And if in this life onely we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. We are fools for Christs sake but ye are wise we are weak but ye are strong ye are honourable but we are despised 1 Cor. 4. 10. Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world or to himself let him become a fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 1. 18. For the preaching of the CROSSE is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved it is the power of God verse 18. But the foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God is stronger then men verse 25. He that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man verse 15. The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2. 27. If any man have an ear to hear let him hear Verse 10. Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude 24. and to do exceeding abundantly for you above all that we can ask or think according to the mighty power which worketh in you unto him be glory and majesty dominion and power in the Church by Iesus Christ thoughout all ages world without end Eph. 3. 20. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Amen Rapha Harford An Approbation THe publisher of this Book is desirous that it might pass with some testimonial into the world but it needs not testimony from man for I find it imprest with such a Divine Image and bearing such clear lineaments of Heaven-born truths as testifie it to be of God and therefore strongly bespeaks us to receive it as into our houses so chiefly into our heaâ—ts I dare assure thee Reader if thou hast received a spiritual relish thou shalt taste much sweetnes in it And if thou canst rejoyce to be laid low and made nothing that God may be exalted and made all in all then shalt thou find here that which will help thy joy and let me intreat thee That as thou readest the Book to read also thine own heart and by this thou mayest come to find thine heart in the Book and the Book in thine heart and will make thee fall upon thy face with that Ideot and worship God and report God is in this word of a truth 1 Cor. 14. 25. Some are casting off the letter of the Scripture others resting in it some are despising Ordinances others overvaluing them I find the Author walking warily betwixt both giving due honour to the letter and the form while he is exalting the Power and the Spirit incomparably above both And thou shalt find him laying the Ax of truth and the Edge of his Spirit to that cursed Root of Self-Approbation in man which is daily bringing forth such bitter fruits in his heart in his life and in the world and yet remains unseen and untouched in the hearts of many that would be thought to be arrived at the brink of perfection while they scarce understand wherein the great imperfection of the natural man doth lie Some expressions in thy reading may seem harsh or obscure to thee as they did to me but if thou comparest one place with another thou wilt clearly see what the Author means and shalt find his whole discourse to have a Sacred tendency to lay man low and so to put him into a Rich capacity of coming in to the nearâ—st fellowship with God so that while some seek to build up themselves upon the deceitful foundation of corrupted nature and struggle though in vain in the light and power of it to advance towards perfection He is planting his spiritual Artillery against it to throw it into the dust that man may come to be surely bottomed upon the Righteousness Power and Wisdom of Iesus Christ which is the onely foundation that God hath laid and the Gospel revealed And in some things you must give him a latitude to his judgement as thou desirest to thine own in other If thou findest some truths delivered and inforced with reiterated expressions consider they were delivered for the most part in several Congregations so that in some particulars the same things may be re-inforced but yet with more lustrâ— to make Truth more clear And that thou hast them as they were Preached and Pressed in Sermons to the Capacity and Conscience of his Auditors and taken from his mouth by a Notary yet afterward owned and approved by himself and compared with his own notes Read Consider and Try and hold fast that which is good March 26. 1653. Tho. Brooks M. Barker Imprimatur Ioseph Caril Decemb. 6. 1652. In remembrance of the Author and upon view of his Essigies and SERMONS HIS ICON curiously
or no difference at all between them and Sufferers as evil doers And in reading these Sermons we shall finde those things made good and we â—re sure the experienced Christian would not censure us though we thus judge but herein judge even as the Author and as we have found in our own knowledge and experience for he that hath a true sight of his own heart by a reflection of the sight of the bright-shining face of Jesus Christ upon his soul will set to his seal that mans heart is the most cunning and deceitfullest jugler in the world and seal to that Scripture Ier. 17. The heart of man is deceitful above all things who can know it and that none but I the Lord can search the hear and can try the reins Concerning the discerning spirit of this present Author if we shall relate but one passage spoken confidently by him after God had Opened his eyes thou mayest suppose there was 〈…〉 discerning spirit in him as it were to prophesie My friends saith he remember and mâ—rk well my words you now see the Bishops high great and swelling 〈◊〉 all the power both of Church and State into their 〈◊〉 but if ever you live to see a 〈◊〉 Parliament in Eâ—gland explâ—iâ—ing his meaning thus I mean a Parliament having power in themselves so that the King may not 〈…〉 hath at his pleasure break them off which will be â—re long you shall see the utter downâ—â—l of 〈◊〉 This being spoken near two years before ever it came when there was â—o sign of any such thing O Sirâ— replied his friend then present how can such a thing be they have now 〈◊〉 so much power and are 〈…〉 by Law that such a thing will â—hake the very rooâ—s and 〈◊〉 of the Nation perhaps they may have their wings 〈◊〉 and their power weakened and their great Lordlâ—ness taken away but they themselves to be 〈◊〉 taken away seems to be impossible Well saith he yet for all 〈◊〉 take special notice what I say and we both may live to 〈◊〉 it That the very race and function of Bishops will be 〈◊〉 overthrown Not long after he was himself fetched up again by them into their High-Commission and kept there depending till the preparations hereunto began to work viz. The rising of the Scots c. so that he would then say The work was begun and I do observe saith he by their counâ—enances their hearts fail for I see very Lead in their eyes But there his cause was depending even till he fell sick and he lived to see Strafford and Canterbury put under the black Rod and then he was gathered to his Fathers Besides this take knowledge of one thing more when by some religious Lords and men of worth and ability â—illiam Laud the Archbishop was much solicited to give way for Dr. Everard to preach to clear himself as to others so chiefly to the Ministers of England which was offered to be done by a Latin sermon once a week in Londoâ— whereiâ— he would have unfolded his whole judgement and what God had taught him wherein he was never sparing especially when he met with Auditors who were not too wise to learn as he would say usually your bare litteral-knowing men are they esteeming it a very great disparagement to be ignorant of any thing when indeed they are for all their pretended great knowledge really ignorant of all saving truth as it is in Iâ—sus These great men also promised if this request might be gâ—anted they would have undertaken to pay a â—00 l. a year to whatsoever 〈◊〉 he would appoint but it could not be obtained whereby was prevented we suppose as useful a piâ—ce of work as this Age 〈…〉 or is like as yet Take one passage or two more he giving his attendance several Terms at the High-Commission expecting Articles against him which were long preparing and he growing impatient under such extreme delays waited an opportunity and before the Court addressed his speech to the Archbishop saying to this purpose My Lord I am forced to complain I suffering more then is 〈◊〉 for any Subject to bear I have given attendance from Court to Court and from Term to Term above this half year expecting Articles against me If you have any or can make any let me see them and let me not be kept waiting here for nothing and if you have nothing against me let me be discharged or else if you will not let me save my attendance until they be ready and upon the least notice from your meanest Officer I will be ready to appear And I conceive this is but a reasonable motion for this unnecessary charge and attendance is burthensom to me To which motion replied the Archbishop Dr. Everard you need not be so hastiâ— do you suppose we make you wait here for nothing your Articles are almost ready and 〈◊〉 warrant you you shall have enough of them Replied the Doctor Enough of them my Lord what mean you Do you know Iohn Everard better then Iohn Everard knows himself Enough of them my Lord do you censure me before ye hear my cause I had thought you had sat here to do justice and is it justice to prejudge me whatever tales or informations you may have against me do you know how I may clear my self I wonder at your censure and being somâ—what moved said again shall I have Enough of thâ—m my Lord I tell you I have several things that I know will bear me out That is well said the bishop what are they I le tell you one or two of them the first is my Innocency and another is my Poverty My Innocâ—ncy in that I know what I have either sâ—id or done I know what I have taught and by the help of God I shall be able to make it good however you may misunderstand me for I have well advised and considered what I have dâ—livered publiquely before I durst deliver it as my Masters eâ—rand and embassy Secondly for my Poverty I know poverty is Aâ—mor of proof against the 〈…〉 of this Court. I want thâ—t which is the support of your Couâ—t Money for I must be my own Advoâ—â—te my own Doctor my own Proctor my own Spokesman all you 〈◊〉 looking toward the Doctors and Pâ—octors I have no money for you but some expence I must be at coming by water but for other disbursements I can part with none do what ye will with me and I know you care not for such Customers Well Doctor well replied the Bishop do you know where you are I do and have well considered before I spake Have you Well Messenger take him aside we have other business Pray withdraw He there waiting till the Court was rising the Messenger urging him to go away with him he said what to do Sir you are committed You are mistaken replied the Doâ—tor I will first speak to the Bishop My Lord said he The Messenger would have me to Prison is
knew him in the â—lesh in his latter dayes for those savoury and experimental Truths wrought in you by the power of Christ which he was an instrument to bear so clear witness unto And I for my part if I had the most precious Balme or the most Odoriferous ODOUR in the whole Earth I could freely pour it forth upon the NAME and Memory of that man as upon any English man I ever read or heard or ever were acquainted with But I have it not and he needs it not for he is far above all things of that nature or the most precious things the whole Earth can afford For He Resteth with Christ. But that which makes me now remember Him is That Mystical and Divine Exposition he gives of those 2 or 3 verses in the 15 Iosh. 15 16 17. being very suitable to the MYSTERY we are now unfolding I will read you the words and then I will give you the Interpretation in His own Words for I cannot give you a better And although the Men of the Letter or the Masters of the Letter will not cannot endure an Interpretation but what the bare Letter bears but presently they cry out ERROR and HERESIE according to their wonted manner In vilifying that which they do not apprehend but we leave them to themselves I pray give ear The words are these The Holy Spirit speaking concerning Caleb And he went up to the Inhabitants of DEBIR And the Name of DEBIR before was Kiriathsepher And Caleb said He that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it to him will I give ACHSAH my Daughter to Wife And Othniel the Son of Kenaz the Brother of Caleb took it And he gave him Achsah his Daughter to Wife Saith he Kiriathsepher signifieth The City of the Book or The City of the Letter And Debir signifieth THE WORD And Caleb A good heart OTHNIEL The Lords Opportunity and Achsah The Rending of the Vail So that the Dr. reads the verses in English thus And A good Heart said He that smiteth the City of the Book or the City of the Letter He onely shall marry Achsah and have the Rending of the Vail And Othniel The Lords fit Opportunity he onely smites This City of the Letter and takes it and to him alone are the Scriptures made DEBIR The Word from whence he draws most Heavenly and Divine Conclusions c. But I refer you for your better satisfaction to the Book it self And return to our business in hand To all Those Blessed and Precious Souls Wheresoever Scattered Throughout the World Yet united in One Spirit Which Rejoyce in the Revelation Of the Mystery of Christ Being also reconciled unto God In One Body By the Cross He Having slain the Enmity thereby And do or may Comprehend This LANGUAGE To Them Is the Word of This Salvation Sent In all Humility Greeting A light to lighten the Gentiles And To be the Glory of the People of Israâ—â— To make known among the Gentiles The Manifold Wisdom of God And The Unsearchable Riches of Christ. THE RENDING OF THE VAIL OR Some Rayes of Glory from The HOLY of HOLIES MARK 9. 50. Have Salt in your selves In one Sermon Preached at Islington at the Publique Meeting-Place MY beloved now you are here gathered together in this place I beseech you hearken diligently to what shall be now â—poken I will use no other Preface then a word or two from that saying of our Saviour in the Paâ—allel place to this Luk. 14. 35. from which he makes this conclusion He that hath ears to hear let him hear Let him now hear the word of him by whom he shall be judged at that great day Let him now hearken to that word which shall certainly one day either sooner or later rise up in judgement against him Let him hearken to the word of him who spake as never man spake for his words are like the wine he made at Cana no wine like that wine nor no words like his words fot the best words that ever man spake had somewhat of Self and Carnal ends in them but in his words there is no tincture no concourse or tast at all of the Creature no Allayes of humane weakness but they are all words of grace and peace the words of spirit and life insomuch that all that heard him wondered at the gracious words that proceeded frrom his lips who in all his words never sought himself nor his own glory as men do but the glory of him that sent him Nay hearken I pray you to his word that could have spoken far beyond all that ever he hath spoken had he but had Auditors fit to have heard and understood him I beseech you therefore silence yourselves a while I mean your own Wit and Reaâ—â—â— and your own blind understandings And let there be silence in Heaven for half an hour that you mâ—y learn to know what it is to have salt in your selveâ— that you may have salt in you that you be not spewed out of Gods mouth as unsavoury and loathsome to his stomach It were far better you had never heard then that these words should prove unprofitable to you But as you are here in this your so great zeal to hear and in such thronging and â—locking together this day to whom should we address that our zeal and meeting may not be in vain for as the woman of Samaria said to our Saviour Iohn 4. 11. so may we say The Well is deep and we have nothing to draw with mans reason and understanding cannot reach Truth ad quem ibimus then whether shall we go saith Peter Iohn 6. 60. and he answers it there himself truly O Lord Tu habes verba vitae aeternae Thou hast the words of eternal life Therefore let us pray with the Disciples Mat. 13. 36. O Lord declare thou to us this Parable And I humbly pray and beseech that God who opened the mouth of Balaams dumb Ass that he would be pleased to open my lips and then my mouth shall shew forth his praise for the instruction of those that are his servants here And I pray God you may rouse up your attention maugre fulness drowsiness wandring thoughts custom in sleeping and the like The things that I intend through Gods assistance to open to you and answer are these three Questions O Lord In lumine tuo lumen Psal. 36. 9. In thy light we shall see light And by no other light Then Let us see 1. What salt is 2. What it is to have salt 3. What it is to have it in our selves 1. What salt is Christ saith in the Verse before my Text That every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifiâ—e shall be salted with salt We must first find what fire is and then we shall know what salt is This fire is Christ and that very properly as you may see he is so called Isa. 10. 17. The light of Israel shall
the soul then and not before expect to hear and see God God is never seen or heard but when all things in us as of us are at rest Those that come and acknowledge him and deny themselves and all they are even all their parts both of Nature and Grace these are come to enâ—oy their rest these onely keep Subbaths these are they that have overcome and are set down with him in his throne even as he hath overcome and is set down in his Fathers Throne In the evening it is said God came into the Garden and called to Adam in tâ—e cool of the day Gen. 3. 8. that is when the heat of Adams lust and self-will was over till then lust made such a noise in Adams soul God could not be heard Then the Lord God puts Adam upon the examination of his soul Adam where art thou whâ—t hast thou done hast thou tasted 〈◊〉 eaten of thine own will that forbidden frâ—it whiâ—h 〈◊〉 shalt find the very eating or tasting will be death to thee which every soul thâ—t God hath really spoken to findes true in his own feeling and experience Thus have we run through this hour allotted it may be God may open your eyes that you may see into these things and I pray God you may even far beyond what I am able to express that you your selves may say and feel that this knowledge is that one thing necessary For this is that word which if you believe not will be the savour of death unto death but if believed and received will be the savour of life unto life THE STARRE IN THE EAST Leading unto the true MESSIAH 1 COR. 2. 2. But I determined to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified In two Sermons Preached at a Private meeting at KENSINGTON BEloved there are such things In-wrapt and folded up in the sacred Sriptures of God Almighty which being once known he that knows them in a right way he need not with the Apostle here being taught by the holy Spirit deire to know any thing more And because the treasure that is in these words and also in all the words of God is so fast lockt up so that no natural man can come at them he knows nothing of them for he perceiveth not the things of God neither indeed can he for they are spiritually discerned Therefore let us implore and beseeâ—h his help who hath the keys to open the seven seals as it is in the Revelation of S. Iohn He who onely was counted worthy to open the book that He may unloâ—k and reveal to us these precious mysteries I determined to know nothing among you c. What doth the Apostle mean by these words was he a man that knew nothing or was he an ignorant in all those other things and therefore sleighted them That because he had no learning therefore sleighted learning No 〈…〉 me leave to tell you He was no Fool he was 〈…〉 he was no Babâ—â— no not in all that great and â—hiefest learning which was in his time accounted so highly of for he was as great a proficient Therein as most of them all He was brought up as he â—aith of himself at the feet of Gamaliel and he waâ— a great man in the learning of the Pharisees who were at that time the onely learned men of the Church yea of the whole world Insomuch that they were had in reverence of all because they thought these Rabbins had all knowledge that these were the onely men to whom God himself opened and revealed himself So that he was counted a madman or a fool one led with the spirit of error and schism that should dare to oppose or speak a word against them Yet our Apostle here being inferiour to none of them all and could have gone their paths to have gotten their estimation in the world if he had then seen any excellency in them as before he did he could have gloried after the slesh as well as they But now having to do with these Corinthians and seeing the vanity of all humane learning without this knowledge he layes all aside and undervalues all as dross and dung and comes to them in wonderful plainness of speech that he might preach to them Iesus Christ and not himself as they did to gain honour and profit in the world and to make themselves great in the esteem of others it was death to them to fail of these ends These they put so 〈◊〉 confidence both Preachers and People in this kind of way and in this learning being onely litterally learned and knowing in the Scriptures onely Externally so that all the world was undervalued to them for so it was at that time All this great fabrick of the world was divided into two parts onely viz Iews and Barbarians if they were not Iews they were Barbarians and Heathens And this kind of learning was then and so alwayes is accompanied with all manner of riches and honour with all the glory and splendour of the world every man bowed to their parts and worth they were presented with gifts and it was accounted a great honour to have them accepted by them they were repaired to at all times As to resolve doubts and give counsel c. they were as Oracles in the peoples esteem generally And he that went not this way was like to lead an obscure beggerly life no body taking notice of him scarce having a hole to put his head in nay He should be sure to be trampled down and cast under foot by these great men by their great blustering and by their great parrs and by their great learning The foxes have holes and the birds of this world have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Well notwithstanding all this our Apostle sticks not at it but layes all aside learning credit honour and dishonour riches poverty he tramples all under foot and is content to expose himself to whatever their malice could bring about he reposes no confidence in whatever Parts he had equal with them and sayes that he expected and was content to be accounted a Fool and to hide himself and be as one that had nothing in him He will never go about to dispute it out with these great Rabbins that is not the way he knew that would do no good for he had experience that of disputations there was no end for every one stuck so fast and unmoveable to his opinion one to shew his wit and eloquence another to gain honour and riches another because he had declared what he held and being once past the bars of his lips he must not recant and be a flincher and discover his ignorance wherein he had declared so much confidence but must then stand it out to the death so one for one end and another for another mens Ends being infinite and unspeakable so that therein he had no hope Well
the true the real crucifying of Christ all other crucifyings are but the representment of this This is that crucifying that all the external crucifyings and deaths in the world are not sufficient to figure it out to us and make us sensible thereof unless we our selves partake thereof for herein chiefly consisted the sufferings of Christ even as the Apostle layes them down in Philip. 2. he emptied himself and he humbled himself he emptied himself of all his riches glory and greatness which he had with the Father and came down here among us and was content to be as a servant he that was Lord of all to be content to be trampled upon and crucified both literally and mystically by his own creatures herein were sufferings indeed far beyond his bodily whipping or nailing to the Cross far beyond his buffeting crowning with thorns and the like and if we herein suffer with Christ this is the true Cross of Christ and this is to be made partakers of his sufferings S. Paul largely expresses how he came to know these true sufferings and so shall all that ever shall tast of heaven saith he though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more you know that as soon as the body comes the shadow goes away when we enjoy the body the substance there is little use of the shadovv And Christ himself beats us off from these things vvhen he saith The flesh does us no good prositeth nothing but it s the Spirit that giveth life that onely profiteth If once vve have the body let the shadow go if once vve have teh Sprit leâ— the flesh go if you suffer vvith Christ as vve said before then you have the life the Spirit of the Scriptures in that particular and so likevvise in the rest To arise and triumph vvith him c. But by the way because I would have you understand me let me remember you except you know the mystery of the Trinity you will never understand what I mean when I speak of Christ for it is the knowledge of HIM The ONE in Trinity and the Trinity in ONE Being rightly grounded in that it makes all these things easie viz. to him whose eyes and whose heart God hath opened This is that I say Ye must first come to the knowledge of the Three in One and the One in Three or you will never rightly come to know what Christ is Mind this when we speak of God the Father then we speak of him that is Unknowable Unspeakable Unnameable and then you must consider him as abstractedly from all manner of creatures neither in possibility of Creating or being Created He is That he is I am that I am that is he is God Unknown Unspoken Unpronounced either by men or Angels or any Creature as having nothing to do with Creatures or Creatures with him And so the Father Son and Spirit are All one Here is the Trinity in Unity But if ye come to speak of any THING any manner of conception or of Things created then we divide the Godhead into persons then there is immediately Father Son and Spirit There is Iesus Crist the Son of the Father the first begotten of all Creatures The Heir of ALL THINGS And so we behold Iesus Christ as the second pâ—rson in Trinity Although the persons in the Godhead are not before or after other and so He hath to do with creatures and is In the creatures is the Being Action and Life of the creatures And so Iesus Christ is called The WORD Spoken for so he is called in that first of the Hebrews as He was in the bosome of his Father he was Unspoken Unpronounced or in possibility of being pronounced so He was and is God equal with his Father but being once spoken or pronounced so he is less then his Father he is after his Father but before he was neither before nor after As for example for I would illustrate these unknown things to you as well as I can I have a word in my mind while it is in my mind it is my own what have you or any one to do with it but being once past the door the bars of my lips then t is yours Brethren I beseech you mind these things He that hath ears to hear let him hear but it must be given to you to understand these things Flesh and blood cannot reveal these things But I will open them unto you as familiarly as I can As suppose the word in my mind be A House A Tree or any other thing while they were in my mind you knew them not but being once spoken Then you know them and apprehend them the figure and representation of that Word or Thing is immediately also in your mind So long as Jesus Christ was or is in the bosome of his Father he is unknown to the creature he is God Equal with his Father neither One before or after other But if God please to speak THIS WORD if he please to put forth himself in the Creating of any Creature Here now The word is Spoken I say Here now is Iesus Christ come OUT from the Father here is now The MEDIATOR That is between God and man without whom we cannot come to the Father He Onely complyes with his Father and complyes with The creatures If God should speak to us as he is in himself we dye Our God is a consuming fire if he should speak to us as he is in himself all the Creation would be undone consumed to nothing But here is our comfort Onely Jesus Christ HIS SON is Our Mediator otherwise Tell me his name or his Sons name if thou canst Tell as it is said in the Proverbs No man cometh to the Father or knoweth the Father but by the Sonne and him to whom the Sonne will reveal him Christ is called also The Eternal purpose of God and so All things in him had their IDEAL form but vvho knevv vvhat that IDEA vvas or vvhat vvas in his mind But he put forth his Son that so he might reveal to us what his Eternal purpose was And knovv this that what ever was In God vvas God hiâ—â—elf Christ vvas and is in him therefore is Himself His purposes vvere in him and they are HIM And so Christ vvas Equal with his Father Unknown Unspoken But as soon as ever ye think of any word or of any manner of Form then fasten presently on God the Son as Col. 2. 15 16. Who is the image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist The same also is exprest Heb. 1. 2. 3. And then The third Person
in Trinity the Holy Ghost He is The Motion or Reciprocation between the Father and the Son The Act of Love as I may so say or that Bond of Love between the Father and the Son for God is Love saith the Apostle Then God the Holy Ghost is nothing else but that constant love and amity that the Father bears to his Son and that love that the Son bears and returns to his Father again and so Proceeds from the Father and the Son and this is that Holy Spirit of love whereby we are sanctified and conformed to our head Christ and so is The third person in Trinity and after both though in themselves One and the same But know this God cannot communiâ—ate himself to us but by One in Three and Three in One it is impossible but in himself he is but One and cannot be more there is not three things in him for he cannot be multiplied nor divided But BY Jesus Christ God made all things that he hath made as in Ioh. 1. The world was made by him and without him made he nothing that was made In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God There was God In Himself But if God make any creature it follows The world was made by him and without him made he nothing that was made There is God IN the Creatures Christ Jesus And in This Son is all the Fathers complacencie and delight in him he is onely well-pleased he loves Him and Him onely Him and nothing else That is His own image in every creature for t is certain God cannot love any thing but Himself It is impossible His love should go out of himself if it should let me tell you He could not be God Almighty So that in conclusion The sum of All we have said is thus much You can conceive no otherwise but thus if you conceive of it rightly God is in himself Unspeakable Unknowable and Incomprehensible having no relation to Creâ—â—ures nor to a Creator neither in possibility of Creating or being created But Thus it is God the Father hath been pleased to put foâ—th his Son and to send him into the world who is the express image of himself And This image of himself he loves Infâ—nitely indeed nothing else he can love viz. The image of himself in every creature This is His Son and nothing else he can love And it is one and the self same thing in God though to us they be dâ—verse Himself loves Himself and onely Himself now you see here is three things named the Loving the Loved and The Love yet all is but One and the same thing Beloved these are High Mighty Sublime Unexpressible things we have now in hand but if God be pleased to give us this KEâ— I speâ—k of then these things will be easie to us Now having a little disgressed for your sakes that you may the better understand These things we come nearer to our matter in hand mind me I pray you As long as any thing whatsoever lives in us besides Christ As long as those things we brought into the world with us Any thing that is US or I lives Christ is whipt his mouth is stopt he is crucified dead and buried As long as Reason lives Christ is dead As long as our own Wills live Christ is crucified As long as our own knowledge lives he is dead He may knock and knock long enough at the door of our hearts but we will not hear we will not open to him he is as one dead to us we dead to him Our ears are onely open to hear the voice of Nature the voice of flesh and self Oh! here is a way how thou shalt be made rich Here is away how thou shalt come to be Honourable we are deaf except it be to these things Oh! here is a way how thou shalt come to be esteemed a wise man a Famous Professor How thou shalt be set up and esteemed and every one shall speak Well of thee People shall flock to thee for Counsel and thou shalt he The onely man in the City Oh beloved Let me tell you while we hearken and are Taken with such things as these Now is Jesus Christ whipt blind-folded crowned with thorns and smote on the mouth made to carry his Cross crucified dead and buried and a heavy stone rolled upon him that he may never rise again Now is Jesus Christ Taken Apprehended with a strong guard carryed from one judgement-seat to another And every lust cryes Crucifie him Crucifie him they are all willing and give sentence that he shall be condemned that so THEY may still live and rule for They know His life is their death Therefore he is now taken for the Grand Transgressour and why Because He hath broken the Laws of flesh and blood therefore Crucify him Away with him It is pity he should live The Innocent is hereby taken and led Captive and he that was Righteous in all he did is now taken for a Wicked man and a Sinner My beloved Herein Lies The life of the Scriptures Yet do not think that I go about to deny the Letter I hope I shall stand in justification thereof to the death that those things were Externally and Literally acted But this I say still Let us not be content with the Letter Only Friends Bear me Record I say They were All Actually and Really done in the flesh but yet I also say They were To Teach us That the same things are Alwayes In doing I am so far from having such a thought as some ignorantly charge me as if I would make all the Scripture a Fable and meerly Allegorical and no such things done that I wish from my soul Cursed be those lips and for ever be the sealed up even with the wrath of Eternal fire that shall deny in the least the truth of the Letter The truth is Christ was conceived in us as soon as ever we were born as I said before Nay as soon as ever we had A Being Nay it was He that created us and gave us Our Being But now This we must know and believe Christ was born in us at our first Being But that is not enough as to us But He must be manifested IN US and that is To be Born again We condemn those Cursed Jews that apprehended our Lord and Saviour and put him to death And we condemn Iudas for betraying him And we condemn the Souldiers that nailed him to the Cross and that pierced his blessed Side with a spear Oh! we count Them Bloody Villains and we would have them pâ—t to a Thousand death But Let me ask thee What doest thou do when thou followest thine own will and thine own pleasure against his pure commandâ— I tell thee Thou art the man as Nathan told David thou art thâ—t very Iudas The very Traytor that hast betrayed him For when he would live in thee
man alive as the highest and gloriousest Saint But the One he is senâ—ble how Jesus Christ is near him and He knows how he hath been overtopt in him and overmastâ—â—ed by him and therefore he is ashamed and will do so no more But the Other not knowing of thisâ— he goes on according to his own laws and his own will and kills him Again and Again and runs his own wayes and thinks his own Thoughts and pleases himself Rushes upon any thing that tends to satisfie his own will He rushes upon any sin as a horse rushes into the battel as the Prophet speaks without fear He pleases himself and Tickles himself in his own delights cryes Ha Ha and he feels nothing sees no danger what ever men talk of Hell and Death and Bitterness Destruction and Damnation yet he believes none of these things and therefore he goes to the same course again and again But having onâ—e espyed the King Him who stands Behind the Hangings Him whom he hath so often kickt at and crucified then he is amazed at his Horrid Oaths and Blaspheâ—iâ—s of his Pride and Arrogancy against Him of his Envies and Reproches against his Brethren being onâ—e come to a true sight of this He is amazed and confounded in Himself Sayes he Have I been the man that hâ—th put the Son of God to death have I trampled his Blood under my feet I will not any more adde to hiâ— torments no not to gain the world Hath he dwâ—lt so near been my guest and lodged within me been my life and my stay and have I been he that hath starved and famished him have I so often moâ—kt whipt derided crucified him and knew it not Rather then I will do it again I will dye ten thousand deaths All the world shal never make me commit thosâ— Horrid Facts again I will now be ruled by him I will now do his Will not mine own I will now by his assistance live as he will have me live now I am content to deny mine own wisdom gifts parts strength For now I see I am Nothing And so by this means Christ shall be fed nourished and brought up and he shall grow in wisdom and stature and favour with God and man By this means Ye shall bring Christ to the Temple who shall put all the Doctors within you to silence and so non-plus them that not one shall be able to gain-say or answer him By this means you shall find him do all his miracles more truly over again the substance of his miracles as I shewed you before you even you your self us shal see him work all his miracles in thy sight within thee and this shall make thee more run after Christ to see these Divine miraâ—les far more affectionately and with more wondring and with more true love then ever they did in the dayes of his flesh to seeâ— his external mighty works and miracles This was that S. Paul determined and desired Onely to know for he knew this knowledge would never leave him till it had discovered such things such Miracles as neither eye had seen nor â—are heard no nor ever entred into the heart or thoughts of any man things unutterable unspeakable Let others seek after what they will to get glory and splendour in the world and to get those things that the world accounts great matters or any external literal knowledge of Christ though never so glorious though never so received yet sayes he I lay all in the dust for the Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World for all those things shall vanish with them and perish in the using and come to nothing But these comforts will stand a man instead this is such knowledge that it will set one foot in Heaven while the other is upon earth when as other men who rest in the Flesh and in the Letter who know none of these things God knows when they come to dye how many weary winter Cold and comfortless steps they have to fetch that they shall be forced to Fly upon the Sabbath and in the Harvest and have their Oyle to buy when all things are at rest with others and they enjoy a fulness and a harvest and have Oyle in their Lamps at the Bridegrooms Coming for they have given up their wills and their lives to Christ So that Christ and they have such sweet Embraces as if they were in heaven already Insomuch that they are gotten above the world â—and all things below go they Even or Odde with other men they alwayes go Even with them they have gotten above Themselves and their own wills Now Christs will is their will And Christs â—eace is their peace And They have begun â—â—eir Eternal SABBATH and are at Rest in the bosome of Jesus Christ their Blessed Saviour OF SVFFERING AND REIGNING WITH CHRIST ROM 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together In eight Sermons Pâ—eached at Kensington Publique Meeting-place T Is true the Coherence of the Text imports An exception after some vast and immense Priviledges asserted and those priviledges Such whereof a Christian may boast of and triumph in as first of his Sonship Ver. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God have received the Spirit of Adoption Verse 15. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 2. Such is a Christians Priviledge and Sonship that he is delivered and set free from the Spirit of bondage he need never fear more And 3. He hath also received the Spirit of Adoption whereby he can own God and cry to him and call him Abba for he is his Father 4. The testimony of the Spirit of our Father with our Spirit Verse 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God And lastly Of our being made the Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ As in the former part of the Text And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ. Our Text being much like the Exceptions in the Kings general Pardon wont to be given in the end of a Parliament where at the first beginning you would think he had forgiven all and every One but by that you have read it to the end you will find so many exceptions and limitations he hath scarce forgiven any So this out Text is such a restriction or limitation narrowing and bounding all those large Priviledges Immunities and indulgences and tells us in plain terms Except we suffer with him we shall not regin with him for every one is ready to catch at the Priviledges and assume them to themselves but stay as if he should say Although these be very large priviledges yet let me tell you to whom they
Cry what shall I cry Cry that all flesh is grass and all the goodness thereof but as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it but the Word of the Lord abideth for ever Therefore arise depart hence this is not your rest Mic. 2. 10. Of all these and to all such we may say as our Saviour Luk. 23. 27. when they wept for him Weep not saith he for me O daughters of Ierusalem when he was going to suffer but weep for your selves and for your children as if he should say away with all this tenderness of heart away with all this seeming suffering with and for me away with all your thousands of tears were they never so many I regard them not all this is nothing worth to me as you do it Beloved These are not those sufferings the Apostle Peter speaks of 1 Pet. 4. 13. Where he bids us rejoyce in as much as ye are made partakers of the sufferings of Christ to suffer with and for Christ are other kind of sufferings then these which I shall hereafter come to unfold to you But saith he weep for your selves and for your children that is for those bitter calamities that are coming upon you the cause whereof is bred in you and you see it not weep for that lament for that But secondly some as I said go farther then this they suffer as Christ did actually with and for him and as he commands as they think in shame in reproch in imprisonment in loss of goods houses lands wife children yea in loss of liberty and life it self But though they think it is for him and they pretend and seem to suffer for and with him yet it is not for him but for themselves nay not onely so but many are come so far that they do not onely suffer these things suffer poverty and forsaking of houses lands wives children good name liberty life but they may and also do take pleasure in suffering with him and for him This indeed they may do but how do they do it they suffer indeed willingly and cheerfully and yet unwillingly Willingly as it may accomplish ends to themselves and ends of their own but they suffer not for his will sake They may thus suffer because this is a way as they think to bring about their own happiness so that though they suffer willingly and may rejoyce in it yet it is but as of necessity that seeing there is no other way to heaven but by sufferings and by undergoing the cross but yet withal they grudge and think hardly of God they accuse him of severity and cruelty and think he is a Hard Master and they accuse the Law also of severity and difficulty they could wish the way had been easier and smoother without such crosses and such hard self-denyal they would that God would have more pleased them and are ready to direct him a better way as they think There is indeed in them a willingness to suffer and act things being as they are but they do not suffer freely they do not choose to have them so as they are their wills and Gods jarr They like not in themselves the Cross of Christ they wish God had done otherwise then to make their way to heaven so Rough They do his Commands but they do them as a hard and sore Task These do indeed as one says carry the cross but they do not follow Christ and of both these sufferers Christ saith Non novi vos I know you not And though all these be good Herbs in regard of the matter of them yet a little Colaquintida among them spoils all self-ends poyson all 2 Kings 4. 39. and we may say of them Mors in olla there is death in the pot Therefore I had need to say to you as Christ did Mat. 16. 6. Take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces Take heed of the poyson of self-ends in all you do for you may run far and act much and soare high but if Selfe be your end you lose all the things you have wrought though it be but a small thing as you would think yet it corrupts your best duties as you know a dead slye is but a small thing yet it corrupts the oinâ—ment and makes it stink so doth this all your duties all your actions therefore I say to you as the Apostle to the Galatians Gal. 3. 3 4. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit ye will be made perfect by the flesh have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain and indeed it is so in vain that there is no hope except you see and amend this evil therefore this is to be mainly looked to that this self-seeking in your actions and duties do not poyson and bring all you do to nought for all of this Kind is but from â—lesh and self but when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and the Spirit of the Lord blow upon it we shall see all this is as grass and all the goodness thereof but as the flower of the field therefore arise depart hence also This is not your rest But there is a third sort and These are They which suffer with Christ indeed and we may truly say of them with St. Peter 1 Pet. 4. 13. They are made Partakers of the sufferings of Christ these are they which have cast Anchor and are entred with Jesus Within the vail into the Holiest of All These go the third days journey these not onely See but enter and possess the Land of Canaan these are the Little slock that shall inherit the kingdom these are the Poor Remnant the Scripture speaks of That though the number of the children of Israel were as the sands of the sea a Remnant onely shall be saved Rom. 9. 27. And though all the world weâ—e Christians in profession and were Sufferers in the two former respects It is this Remnant this Poor Remnant onely that shall be saved as the 9. of the Romans testifieth and as in the 29. Verse of this 8. of the Romans where it is said These are they whom he makes conformable to the Image of his Son These are they that enter in at the strait gate for our Saviour saith Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many finde and go that way but strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Mat. 7. 13. There is in the way to Heaven so many Snares set by the Devil and so many By-pathes and False ways which others have beaten and trodden before us that a man may easily be led out of the way many false ways but onely one true way But very few finde or come ever to know The True Sufferings of Christ and do we not see how
Christ as Act. 10. 42. it is Christ that was ordained of God to be judge of quick and dead he is not onely Judge at that great and last day but he also is Judge in this life as our Saviour sayes Ioh. 12. 31. Behold now is the Prince of this World judged or cast out there is no man nor nothing of man that is judged or condemned but it is Christ that is The Iudge in that soul for if we tarry till Satan condemn Satan if we tarry till Belzebub condemn Belzebub till the strong man bind himself we may tarry a day too long as the Proverb is for never while the world stands can we expect that flesh will judge flesh that our own will will condemn our own will that Lucifer will judge Lucifer this can never be if you expect that you may wait till it be too late the door will be shut and there is no more hope The Scripture then makes mention of three sorts of men that are Judges the first are Carnal men Rom. 7. 14. 1 Cor. 3. 3. For we know the law is spiritual but I am Carnal sold under sin For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envyings and strifes and divisions are not ye carnal and walk as men that are led meerly by carnal and fleshly sense given up onely to please their appetites and fleshly desires they see no farther and their aim is no higher The second sort are Animales reasonable men and they are such as are more refined of a higher and more sublime nature even those that mind the intellectual part their souls And these reasonable or rational men as we call them being guided by reason there they rest and there they are satisfied for let a man but shew a reason for what he does and who will condemn him But neither of these have the wisdom that is from above for all this wisdom is but earthly fleshly and devillish Iam. 3. 15. Can it be expected that either of these two will judge themselves will carnal fleshliness judge carnality no it approves it it justifies it or will reason condemn reason how can it overthrow it self it is impossible a Kingdom divided against it self it cannot stand but yet the rational man doth judge and condemn and sits as Judge oftentimes over the actions of the carnal man But there is a third sort of men and they are Spiritual men Gal. 6. 1. and 1 Cor. 2. 15. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self left thou also be tempted But he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man And This MAN judgeth both these the Spiritual man Omnia judicat judgeth all things we esteem little of the carnal man every one condemns him but we highly esteem of the rational man because he is guided by reason and doth all things that reason guides him to he minds not his body onely it is reason he should regard that but he regards his soul too and That above his body he knows he hath an Eternal soul and therefore it behoves him and he hath reason to look for an estate and well-being for it and who can now judge who is able to blame this man can any man do better But now comes the spiritual man and he judgeth all things when he comes he judgeth and condemneth the very best and highest actions of this reasonable man and tells him that his very thoughts are abominable to God his hearing reading praying his sacrifices are an abomination In the two former men we could not find such a judge but here comes ONE who indeed is no man nor any part of man but the Son of God himself he comes now into the soul the spirit of God he is the judge this spiritual man this Christ being formed in the soul this word being spoken in the soul for Christ is the Word spoken It comes and sayes Reason for all thou art so set up and esteemed amongst men yet thou art a fool and Reason sayes again that God is a fool But let me tell you God is capable to understand Reasons wayes but Reason cannot understand Gods ways And beloved God and Man have been a long time at this God sayes Reason thou art a fool and again Reason sayes God thou art a fool But now Reason must be condemned Reason must be cast the inward man must judge the outward the New man the old the second Adam the first This is that voice in the soul This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear him Do you think that is meant onely of his words that he then spake when he was on earth No but Hear him that is Hear Him in your selves Hear Him in your souls the one is but a fleshly hearing this is a spiritual a soul-like hearing His Word silences all Of this word we may say Blessed is he that hears my words and doth them And as David saith Arise Lord and judge the people but by the way Do you think that God ariseth or removes from place to place No no Rise Lord in our souls be Judge there among the Gods amongst those that have been our Gods and have ruled over us those strange Lords bring them down and do thou Lord exalt thy self the wicked flourish in thy House and Courts And break down the carved work c. In that place that should be thy House witness those effects those murthers and thefts and cruelties that express themselves daily many in action and many more lye lurking in the soul to betray the innocent and guiltless man Oh then sayes this soul let God arise and his enemies shall be scattered and again Psal. 35. 24. Iudge me O God according to thy righteousness and let not mine enemies rule over me Judge me according to thy righteousness not according to flesh not according to reason but according to thy righteousness And if that condemn me this condemnation is not unto death as Christ said concerning Lazarus This sickness is not unto death So likewise This delivering unto Sathan is for the crucifying of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Oh Lord sayes this soul judge thou me my flesh hath judged me and my soul hath judged me the carnal and the rational man hath judged me but they can find no fault with me but up Lord exalt thy self that so this man of sin may shew himself no more in me Now He that hath been judged and condemned by the world must now condemn the world Now He sits down with Christ in his Throne To judge even the twelve Tribes of Israel all Outward and formal profession The wisdome of the world which hath long condemned the wisdom of God to be folly must now by
the wisdom of God be codemned of folly 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of God for they are foolishness to him And again 1 Cor. 3. 19. The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God for it is written he taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise are but vain And now that which hath laboured to quench the spirit 1 Thess. 5. 19. must now be quenched by the spirit that which the darkness could not comprehend nor love shall now be both comprehended and loved And that which was crucified dead and buried must now rise again and be exalted and sit in judgement Oh! where is he that doth or dare say and pray with David Psal. 35. 24. Iudge me O Lord my God Search me and try my Reins Though I be found guilty and so lyable to all punishments both here and hereafter yet judge thou me But He in whom this Spiritual man is risen he can say so for he knows this judging is but to escape judgement t is not unto death but to escape both Death and Hell T is for the destruction of the slesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus This is the day of Jesus Christ the former day was Our day this is that Great Day of Jesus Christ wherein he will judge all things Suffer then I beseech you the words of exhortation For until this work â—f condemnation be wrought in us we have no need of a pardon we have no need of a Phisician for we are whole And he that thinks this work needless he hath as yet no Saviour Intercessor or Mediator Mat. 19. 12. The whole need no Physitian but those that are sick Christ never dyed for him the precious blood of Christ let it speak better things to whom it will to thee it speaks no better then the blood of Abel till this great act of condemning our selves be in thee Christ dyed in vain to thee If then by all that hath been said of Adam the Old man the Serpent and Lucifer and the rest if still thou wantest Water to thy Mill if still thou wantest Argument or Evidence against thy self if yet thou wantest water in the midst of the Ocean or light in the brightest sunshine vâ—z Cause to set thee upon this work what shall I say I will say as Isaiah saith to the Law and to the testimony either contractedly or at large which sayes Thou shalt love God above all with all thy strength with all thy mind and with all thy might and the second is like it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self See and examine thy self by this Law and see whether there be no cause of condemning thy self It is a Law made for thee to walk by and â—bey by him that made thee who hath power to command thee A Law so full so holy and pure that Moses himself trembled and was amazed at the delivering of it by God being deliveâ—ed with such terror and dread the people were not able to look toward the Mount nay they had much a do to hear Moses deliver it to them And if it were so terrible in the Proclamation of it what will it be in the execution of it upon Rebels in the breach of it Examine thy self by it and see how short thou comest of that which is injoyned thee Nay t is a Law given thee by him that gave himself for thee he laid down his life for thee besides how agreeable is it to thy well-being and to the well-being of thy neighbour how agreeable to the principles of nature and reason how hath it been justified in all ages and lastly in observing whereof consists thy life and breath or else thy eternal death as Moses reasons the case in the 28. of Deuteronomy And because you shall not hereafter complain of your not being Catechized I will in this point teach every of you to chatechize himself and do it I charge you till you find matter enough to condemn your selves and before you go about it you had need to pray O Lord open thou mine eyes c. that I may receive my sight Take then the first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods but me I know now when flesh and blood hears this Commandement it thinks it hath shelter enough it can answer this Commandement well enough Have I any other but one true God I worship no other God we are no Papists Turks nor Heathens we are free from worshipping Angels and Saints and Stocks and Stones or any false God I worship onely one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity but withal know you are bound to love him with all your whole mind and strength and alas if you did but see your selves and examine your ways you would find even every man before me for I implead my self and all that hear me this day that according as the Prophet saith Ie. 2. 28. According to the number of your Cities so many are your gods See if thou hast not bent thy heart rather to the satisfying of some lust rather then to the obeying of Gods Commandement whâ—ever sin and lust it is that thou hadâ— but â—desâ—re 〈◊〉 commit when Gods Law hath told thee 〈◊〉 said I charge thee commit it not yet thou hast 〈◊〉 chosen to obey it and hast not regarded Gods Commandment I appeal to thy self That thou hast pleased thy self but Gods Commandments thou hast cast them behind thy back and trodden them under foot Let it be what sin it will whether Pride Gluttony Covetousness Deceit Malice Revenge whoever they are that dare displease God for the satisfying of any lust or sin whatsover thou hast hated righteousness and loved wickedness Psal. 45. 7. thou hast made that very lust thy God What Lord what God what lust hath power to command you and you to obey and to break Gods Law as the Prophet complains Other Lords have ruled over us what doth the Prophet mean there doth he mean when Israel was carried Captive No not onely so those were all but types of the Captivity of the soul although we have not fallen down on our knees and worshipped these sins yet in thy practise thou sayest dayly to them as to instance if it be pleasure thou followest it against Gods Commandement if it be profit thou lovest if it be mony thou esteemest though I say thou hast not fallen down and worshipped it yet thou hast done worse for thou hast given thy heart to them And I tell thee that therein As the Israelites did thou hast worshipped them and said when they had made a GOLDEN CALF These be thy gods O Israel these are they that will help thee and deliver thee it matters not whether thou do it with thy body and in words but thy heart hath fallen down and said Pleasure thou art My God I admire
indure STRONG MEAT and not to be alwayes Fed with PAPPE SERMON VIII Rom. 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together THose which have no part in Christs sufferings they have none in his glory And those are expressed in Phil. 2. 4. in two words 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. 7 8. 1 In Emptying of himself 2 In Humbling himself And these are sufferings indeed Far beyond his scourgings far beyond his nailing to the cross far beyond his crowning with thoâ—ns far beyond his whipping his mockings c. All those sufferings are not worthy to be named the same day with these for though he was God equall with his Father yet he came down from Heaven And dwelt among Us among men in the similitude of sinful flesh and took upon him the form of a servant And made Himself of no reputation and he had not so much as a hole to hide his head in and also he became Obedient unto death Now if these sufferings of Christ be in us If we Empty our selves viz. Of all that gall of sin and bitterness that is in us and also of all our Excellencies and Endowments both of Nature and Grace and lay it all down At the feet of Christ giving him all the power and glory for ever Then be assured whatever we do on this foundation God accepts it be it never so little And though we do never so much without this it is to God no more Then the cutting off a dogs neck and as odious as the offering up of swines blood under the Law On whom saith God Isa. 66. 2. and to whom will I look even to the humble to him that is of an humble and contrite spirit and trembleth at my words This foundation being laid Then come what will come Then neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heights nor depths nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 8. 38. They instead of separating us from Christ shall make us nearer to him and shall make us morâ— conformable to our head To fill up that which is behind of the measure of Christs suffering IN US which is his body And you may remember we compared these sufferings with Christ to those six steps which are the six steps that led up to Solomons Throne to wit 1. Was To abhor in our selves all those sins and defilements that we are guilty of which we called Condemnation The second was To beat our selves to dust to just Nothing which we called Annihilation yea to less then Nothing and vanity The third was Willingness to forsake all to Sell All for Christ which we called Resignation That is To be alwayes in affection and readiness till GOD call us to action The fourth was Indifferency which we are now to come to to stand equally affected to all conditions Faith being the ground as I told you the last day Believing undoubtedly that nothing can be better done then what is done God doing All. We have a pattern set us of this by the Apostle Paul He was come to this Ephes. 4. 11 12. I have learned saith he Implying That he was long about the work before he could attain it but now I am grown to be a good Scholar in it That is in what estate soever I am to be content and now I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me I know Now but not till now Both how to be abased and I know how to abound Every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound and suffer need Phil. 4. 11 12. I have learned and I am instructed saith he which implies that there is a secret in Gods school which cannot be attained at the first entrance and by Beginners but when we are well entred and exercised therein we may know how too look with a smooth face upon all changes for they do as Christ their pattern in that of Iohn 4. 34. which is a copy set St. Paul by Christ My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work they account it not their meat and drink to do their own will As all the world doth but to do whatever He wills And to suffer whatever He Wills this is Their meat and Their drink and as the Apostle sayes I count it not in any case expedient to consult with flesh and blood surely in this case it is not onely not expedient but altogether unlawful for how tart is this to flesh and blood To tell a man when he is to go a journey he must be alike patient and alike thankful and he must neither desire fair weather nor foul To tell a man that is at Sea He must neither desire a wind with him nor against him To tell a man that expects a harvest he must neither desire a good harvest nor a bad Sunshine nor Rain To tell a man that is Naked that clothes and no clothes must be all one to him To tell a poor man That money or no money must be all one To tell a man that is sick that pain and ease health and sickness must be all one to him Labour and pleasure Ease and suffering Liberty and Imprisonment Glory and Infamy All this must be alike to him How can flesh and blood indure this Doctrine if we consult with it And therefore He that Means to practise this must not at all consult with flesh and blood As the Apostle saith I â—onsulted not with flesh and blood And the reason is because Thou mayest not desire any thing that may cross Gods will or his providence for that weather that is for thee may be hurt to another and that wind that is against thee may be for the good of another c. You will say it may be Here is a doctrine indeed What will this Babler bring us to at last Acts. 7. 10. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said What will this Babler say other some He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods beâ—â—use he preached unto them Iesus and the resurrection What new doctrine is this I have been an Auditor and a Professor this 20 30 or 40 years and I never heard such a doctrine as this And I have heard above a 100 Preachers and none like this man I never heard my own wayes so much thwarted He clean contradicts our byas and we have been alwayes taught otherwise and therefore this cannot be true doctrine these are some new tricks and some new crochets and devices some new querks and quillets for novelty This Doctrine is as strange to you as if I were A Setter forth of
such that it minds higher things then to tell Stories and relate Histories but he would thereby set out to us The picture of our selves and of his own workings in us And this is divine the other is but Humane it is but bare and empty base and carnal in comparison of the spiritual and living sense But herein lies the very wisdom and power and footsteps of God The very finger of God This we have spoken by way of prologue that so we might bring you to converse and to have your eyes within and upon your own hearts while we are opening unto you the Scriptures then will your hearts burn within you And I pray God that he would be pleased to shew you These things in your selves so that he may thereby so warm your hearts that they may make them burn within you even while He himself opens these Scriptures to you and in you The smiting of this Kiriathsepher is the smiting of the Letter we must stâ—ike this Letter this Scripture and take it and then we shall have Honos the gift or reward there is no getting of Achsah to wife without the Smiting this Kiriathsepher and Taking it you your selves must be the Othniels But it must be a Caleb a good heart that must make a proclamation in you encourage and put you on to this work You must know this Self can never smite this Letter If you smite it for your own ends for your own carnal advantages or for your own liberty there is enough would so smite the Letter as S. Paul saith to abuse their liberty by Jesus Christ to the satisfying of the flesh this is nothing but the Devils and Satans smiting and taking the Letter for flesh and the old man wisheth there were no Law to rule and bridle it this is not an Othniels nor a Calebs smiting and taking but this is our selves this is not to strike it in Christs Name but in our Own names and then we shall never marry Aschsah He that rightly strikes the City of the Letter Shall have Achsah to wife observe hence That we may have the Scriptures and yet not marry Achsah we may be very conversant with and dayly use the Scriptures and yet never marry Achsah never possess the Rending of the Vail Oh Brethren know this for certain we may be bred and born with the Scriptures live and dye with the Scriptures rise and go to bed with the Scriptures Eat and drink with the Scriptures they may be alwayes in our hands and alwayes in use insomuch that we may be able to give account of the whole Bible by heart and yet not marry Achsah and yet this rock yeeld no water to quench our thirst and all because we read them as a History as things done long ago without us and not at present doing in us Moses might have stood long enough looking at the Rock Till he had fainted for thirst if he had not smote the Rock So the reason why we get no milk from the breasts of consolation as the Prophet Esay saith it is because we force them not we milk it not forth but he that striketh the Letter of the Word shall have the interpretation thereof given to him Obj. But it may be you may say to me But hath not God given us this Letter of the Word for our rule the which he hath been pleased to keep and preserve in all Ages and hath brought them to our hands and so to our Posterities and have not many Authors spent their labours and written whole volumes upon This very Word on the Letter of it and will you say there is nothing in it or will you say the Letter kills What hath God given us poison in the Scriptures to destroy us then it were far better to neglect them and never use them Answ. No Beloved far be it from me to say so yet I would have you rightly understand me for your own sakes The Letter the Scriptures are all True as I said before but let me tell you withal they are true onely as God means them We must give him leave To interpret his own meaning He that wâ—ote the Scriptures certainly knows best His own mind in them but I say if you have Onely the Letter Nay though ye have the external signification of them that kills that destroyes But you will say Is the Letter is the Book written in black Letters is it then Evil If so then let us Throw away the Letter if God hath given us therein poison to kill us then what do we with it let us throw away our Bibles nay let us burn our Bibles No in no case let us labour to preserve the Letteâ— of the Word whole entire and untouched But The Letter is said to kill not that it doth so in its own nature but per accidens it is so to him who looks no farther then the Letter we make it so to our selves A killing Letter As if suppose I should give you a Cockle or an Oyster and I should tell you Take this for therein is precious meat to sustain and nourish you Now if you take this and keep it by you and never crack the shell that so you may come at the meat and the vertue whiâ—h is in it I may say now the sâ—ell kills you for if you onely look on the shells and lie Licking the outside onely will this nourish will this give life certainly no but if you crack it and open it and eat the meat this will nourishâ— yet I may justly and truly say This Cogal or These Oysters kill you because you depend upon That which will starve and undo you But The meat that gives life So in the same sense is it spoken concerning the Word The Letter kills but the Spirit gives life If you be alwayes handling the Letter of the Word alwayes licking the Letter alwayes chewing upon that what great things do you no marvel you are such starvelings no marvel you thrive not no marvel you are such Monsters alwayes children and never come to any growâ—th no marvel you go not on To perfection what do you in this more then every carnal man may do what do you more then Hypocrities Do not Hypocrities the same nay do not the Devils the same For he knows the Letter exactly and he can discourse excellently thereof far beyond the learnedst Rabby in the World but I say then if you rest onely in the Letter That kills except this Letter be crakt except this City Kiriathsepher be smitten and taken ye cannot come at the kernel ye cannot have Achsah Calebs daughter Though the Letter contain in it Life and nourishment as the Oyster-shell doth the Oyster and as the shell of the Cocal doth the meat and ye cannot have the Oyster without the shell Yet you see you cannot have the meat neither without you crack and break the shell As for instance If you give me Beef or Mutton there
is in them both meat for nourishment and also excrements buu who can say when he looks on either This is the meat and This is the Nutriment and this Other is the excrements and this is that which goes into the draught and is good for nothing Yet you know The stomach will sever these and divide to either their proper way and places and to their proper uses and a skilful Physician which knows the body the arteries and the veins and all the parts how they lie he knows how nature disposes of all these things and knows both the things and the causes And so likewise in Physick ye can have no Physick without excrements though ye cannot see the virtue and the Life and the Spirits yet ye may see the effects and though in meat you cannot see the nourishment yet you may see the thing nourished by it So we cannot have the true word of God without the letter God could not as I may so say considering our state as we are he could not give us meat or Physick by the word but by the Letter And although it be not the Physicians intent to give excrements but onely Physick and we do not eat meat for the excrements sake but for the meats sake and for the nourishment So my Brethren we being of so low a nature and quality so earthly so fleshly so sensual so far from a spiritual nature That I say God cannot give us His Mind and the soul of the Scriptures which is so Divine Heavenly and Spiritual without the Letter without the shell without those excrementsâ— Yet His meaning is not to give us the shell or the excrements but the nourishment his meaning is to give us Living water springing up to eternal life and to feed us with Hidden Manna and to give us the white stone wherein there is a new name that no man knoweth but he that receâ—veth it But we must not therefore Throw away the Letter because there is excrements with it as we do not throw away meat or Physick because excrements are in it because if you throw away the meat you throw away the nourishment as well as the excrements But if you take the Carnal letter as carnally spoken The literal letter as literally spoken Then you have not taken the City of the letter If you look for no more in the Scriptures we do but cast pearls before swine you go no further then the Pharisees The Jews and the Pharisees before Christ came they were so literal sensual and carnal they thought that whosoever did not break the letter of the Ten Commandments If they did nothing against the Outward Literal letter they thought themselves blameless As in the seventh Commandment They thought If they had not actually layen with a woman then they had perfectly kept that Law but Christ goes further and tells them He that looks on a woman and lusts after her hath committed adultery already in his heart And so for murther they thought if they did not lay hands on their brother to murther him they thought they had gone a great way in keeping that Command but our Saviour goes further then every eye can see and saith He that is angry with his brother without cause is guilty of murther So they rested on the Letter and the Letter perished They had not married Achsah they had still The vail before their eyes and those that are come no further they are still Jews as the Apostle saith They have still the vail before their eyes even while Moses is read and Christ is a mysterie Hid to such even from the beginning of the world Beloved we have many Chatechisms now adayes and They say they are for children and I believe so to Onely for children to get by roat and be never the better for them and I am afraid there are Too too many such children who think themselves Tall men who have most of the Scripture at their fingers ends And because they can answer any Catechistical point in Divinity they must be accounted The greatest Proficients and tallest Châ—istians But you see by this we have said how far men may go herein and yet know nothing to salvation As we said The children of Israel how expert were they in the Scriptures so as they thought themselves the strictest observers of the Commandments yet you see how our Saviour undervalues all their knowledge and strictness And now seeing it is fallen in our way we will touch upon each Commandment briefly The Israelites they thought if they observed the litteral Ten Commandments there was no more required As in the first Commandment if he worshipped either Sun Moon or Stars or any creature then he thought he should dye the death but if they never bowed to any creature in a way of worship then they were innocent But This they might do and be never the better for saith the Apostle The end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned To have any thing in the world for thy God Either to love or fear so that it draws away the love and fear of thy Creator that thing is to thee a God and thou givest it that worship fear and love that is due onely to God So far as any creature hath caused thee to offend thy Creator thou hast broken this Commandment If either riches or beauty or honour or promotion hath weighed down thy love from obeying God Almighty thou hast set it in the room of God and cast Him behind thy back And that thou hast worshipped and served thou sacrificedst to it thy heart thy fear thy love thy trust which is onely due to God They never came to this To observe what they set up in their hearts for God and herein lay The marrow The nourishment the meat of the Commandment and all because they had not smitten Kiriathsepher they had not crackt the Letter And so the second Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image Here let me tell you thus much In making of Images God loves Carvers better then Painters It may be The strangeness of the expression will cause you to take the more notice of what I am to say Be not offended aâ— the expression for I shall open my intentions in so saying Quest. Why sir what do you mean Answ. I le tell you Carvers you know in their work they lessen cut pare and take away but Painters they do not so but they adde in their work they put colour here and there So this is that I mean God loves those that seek him in poverty in a way of emptiness and self-nothingness And as for those that seek him in riches and greatness and in high things in mens esteem they go farther and farther from him The Virgin Mary found it so in experience when she said The hungry he fills with good things and the rich he sendeth empty away he hath regarded the
see what fruits follow any other smiting The heart that seeks liberty to it self it abuses the Scriptures It comes in privily to spie out our liberty that it may be an occasion to the flesh I say a Caleb must smite this City and not a heart that seeks for liberty to satisfie its own will and its own desires for such Smiters there be too many that would cast away the Letter of the Word They would have no Law to rule or curb them but this is not a good Hearts A Calebs or an Othniels smiting But to it I say viz. to this Good Heart Let it smite the Letter and spare not nay I counsel ye Take it and Tear it And Rend it all to pieces as we do meat else ye get no nourishment for in the Letter lies the nourishment hid there is no getting out the Nourishment and vertue without we do as it were Tear it with our teeth and Chew upon it to get out all the vertue As cleane Beasts Chew The Cud and that by a power given from above and the more we can tear it and chew it in that sense the more and the better nourishment it gives Nor do I bid you do it as of your selves by your own power but by the wisdom and power of God who will enable you to find the Treasure if you dig for wisdom as for gold And search for it as for Hid Treasures With a resolved heart To dig for truth for truths sake and not for self and for sinister ends and advantages but out of love to truth thus I say let a good heart use the Letter of the word and spare not Take it Strike it Smite it Tear it all to pieces not because he hates the Letter but as men do by meat they tear it champ it chew it between their teeth not because they hate meat but because they would get all the nourishment out they possibly can Beloved in this manner Strike Kiriathsepher In the Name of God and the Almighty prosper ye Go on and the Lord of heaven give you good success that he may enable you to get out Those pure waters of life proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb That Hidden Manna that may nourish you to Everlasting life that ye may have that Treasure that Pearl hid in the field that white stone and that New Name that ye may be enriched with gold purified seven times as David in that 12. Psalm sayes the Woâ—d of God is Do you think he means the Letter No no but That thou mayest have That white raiment to cover they nakedness and that eye-salve to anoint thine eyes that thou mayest see then also art thou Him that overcometh to whom it shall be given to sit with him in his Throne even as he also overcame and is set down in his Fathers Throne Then shall ye come to be marryed to Achsah Calebs daughter Then shall Othniel Gods fit time or opportunity give you possession of this City Kiriathsepher that it may be unto you The Word of God That the Vail being Rent you may look within and see the glory of the Holie of Holies and that you may behold The Beauty of the Lord and may visit His Temple and there fall down and worship and desire there to be for ever and for ever AMEN Shadows vanishing SOME Rays of Glory appearing The two last SERMONS on JOSH. 15. v. 16 17. And Caleâ— said he that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife And Othniel the son of Kenaz the brother of Caleb took it and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife THE last Sabbath I told you that part of this Chapter was as the One Cherâ—b and that in 2 Cor. 3. was as the other Cherub which as the two Cherubims lookt directly face to face to each other so doth this Chapter look forward to that and that turns it self and looks face to face upon this that is the One is the interpretation of the Other and you may remember as a Prologâ—e to our Text we gave you a brief Epitome of the History of Moses his sending the twelve Spies to discover and view the Land of Canaan whereof Ioshua and Caleb were two of the twelve and they bring news of the goodness of the Land with the other Ten which Ten All but Caleb and Ioshua they brought up an Evil report though they All confessed the Land was Excellent and good and abounded in plenty of all things flowing with milk and honey yet they said it was impossible to get it or conquer it for the men were mighty sons of Anack Giants and the walls Thick and high The people hearing this began to murmur Then Caleb and Ioshua standing up they clear the slander and encourage the people and for this confidence and saith of theirs they two onely entred the Land all the rest being about Six hundred thousand that murmured died in the Wilderness and not one entred the Land And as we related the History we raised some observations and endeavoured to bring the History home to our selves and shewed how these things were daily in fulfilling spiritually and really within us Then we came to our Text where I also told you that this Text as I have now read it It is Hebrew and reading it but as it is printed is still Hebrew But as I then told you we may not nor will not deny the Truth of the History and of the Letter but we must take heed we rest not in the Story and go no further for the Word of God Endureth for ever There is a secret in the whole Letter of the Word which lasts to Eternity which is accomplished not onely in that time and of that man of whom it is written but fulfilled as well and as Really in all times in all ages in all men ever after and before As Ambrose said of Ahab and Nabal These Histories are old in time but new in practise for there are many such persecuting Ahabs and many such churlish Nabals So may I say of this History and the rest of the Scriptures Old in time but ordinary in use To this very day Caleb proclaims Whosoever shall smite Kiriathsepher and take it he shall have Achsah his daughter to wife This was done Once in the Letter but Ever doing in the Spirit for the world of God lasts for ever as David saith Thy Word O Lord endureth for ever Often in the 119. Psalm and elsewhere They are such things as not onely instruct one age one season but every age and every season that follow it The meaning and the mind of God we must look at and not to the bare History hear what the Apostle Paul saith Bodily exercise profiteth nothing or rather hear it from our Saviours own mouth The flesh profiteth nothing but the Spirit giveth life Caleb here signifieth A good 〈…〉 or the City of
Nay they cannot relish any thing Higher That which is spiritual heavenly and divine and like God That they turn at and quarrel at because it is out of their Element And all because The word of God the Bread of God they cannot come at The book is still sealed they have not their senses exercised to discern between good and evil between the precious and the vile The word is not in them Aningrafted word turning the stock into its own nature they are not converted moulded into the word that so it may be able to save their souls as the Apostle saith they get no good by the meat they eat they feed upon Husks and not upon the FATTED Calf Luk. 15. 23. Nor on thefeast of fat thingsful of marrow nor of The wine on the lees well refined Esay 25. 6. Therefore it is no strange thing that they profit not to salvation because they champ onely The Letter of the Word and feed upon Husks and can get no nourishment from it and no marvel for it can give none I marvel much how such men can hope for Heaven or hope for the Gift and the Reward here spoken of that never eat any thing but the Letter of the word That only do as the Jews did onely desire but to touch Christs outward Garments and to see His Body or to see his external miracles on others but they touch not HIM not his person His miracles are not wrought in themselves they touch him not as the woman did with the bloody-issue she touched not onely his garments but touched him inwardly she got vertue from him for Christ as soon as she had touched him askt when all the people pressed him Who touched me Peter wonders and asks him Doest thou ask who touched thee when there have so many hundreds toucht thee the whole multitude presseth thee By this you may see what I mean Christ knew he was not onely Outwardly toucht as multitudes do all that make any profession of Christ do that but he was toucht inwardly which fetcht Vertue and nourishment from him For all your great professions and running after Christ in much hearing reading and praying c. Let me tell you He is senâ—ble when ye touch him you may do all these things constantly all your life and yet never touch him He can feel when vertue goes out of him For we all in the flesh and in the letter and accoâ—ding to carnal men may be wise in carnal things According to men and the rudiments of the woâ—ld and for external government and the like And herein we touch Christ but as the Iews did onely see and touch His body but none gets Strength and Marrow Life from him Indeed they handled Christ when they crucified him and they handled him Hard but who once I say handles him as the woman to get vertue from him for a man may read the letter diligently gather his family together duly every day morning noon and night read it and converse of it and teach it to them but may not Christ ask for all this pressing about him who hath touched me To what end is all this ye do what good do ye what meat what marrow get ye unless withal ye touch Christ inwardly what does all Touching do you good this is but to touch Christs body this is but to touch the Letter this is but the Shel As the Disciples going to Emaâ—s They read and conferred but they could not understand till Christ came for all they had been brought up in the Family and in the House of Christ in the School of Christ alwayes hearing and receiving at the feet of Christ yet they were ignorant of the Mystery and the Spirit The Letter of the Scripture is but the Outward Court of the Tabernacle where all the people may be admitted Where Beasts clean and unclean come and are sacrificed And there was also the inward Court whither came the Priests and there were onely Outward Ordinances and Laws for Discipline and Outward worship But there was also the Sanctum Sanctorum where onely entred the High priest and that but once a year The Letter is but this outward Court or the Priests Court at most where were nothing but Outward duties of preaching and sacrificing of reading hearing and praying and the like but within in the Sanctum Sanctorum There is the hidden Manna there is that which all the Other things Without did but represent for they were not the things themselves there onely is to be found Debir the word There is that which is quick and powerful mighty in operation Sharper then any two-edged sword dividing between the bones and the marrow and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart All the former things were but cold low dead things Here is the Life here is the Quickning the Spirit it self There you shall find That word that sword of Ionathan which never Returns in vain In this regard the Letter alwayes returns in vain Thou saist thou Readest it in the Church and in thy family twice a day and thou delightest to be exercised therein and to see that others do so Thou doest well it is good in its place but what good doth it convey to thy soul what refreshment and nourishment dost thou find by this thou so delightest in and so boastest of where is the Power that the word hath abroad among these kind of men that seem so much to throng after Jesus Christ what manner of people are these that so champ the Letter between their teeth and Troul it on their tongues what are they in their lives have they got any vertue from Christ by being so conversant with him are they transformed and made new Ceratures do they live the inward and spiritual life of the Word are they dead to the world and the world to them does Christs life shine in them and by them so that they live not any longer in themselves are they fetcht off their own bottoms and ingrafted into Christ or rather do not They altogether live and Christ is dead in them do they feed upon any thing but Husks upon the Letter of the word and upon the world and upon creatures And there they have their chief Life hope and dependance for had they new diet they would become new men by the men you may guess at their meat As Take a man that hath been hard kept with ill fare ill diet and want of clothes his very countenance will shew it but let him come to better keeping good nourishing diet and warm clothes and you shall see his Complexion and his flesh come again and his whole body and countenance will be more white smooth and sightly So He that feeds upon the Life and Marrow of this Word Oh! He is cleâ—n another man then he was before the time was that he lived like a swine eat and fed and fared like a swine walkt
all the good things he hath promised we shall say by experience Now we know that heaven and earth shall pass away but not one tittle of his word hath failed We shall then see All Solomons Love-songs fulfilled and never till then And yet Beloved all these things are but dark shadows to the Truth and The Things themselves But to conclude We run over these things for time hastens Those that are brought to this condition To have the vail Rent before their faces They shall see Such things as I am not able to express For eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither ever entred into the heart of man those glorious things which God hath prepared to entertain To Feast such self-denying souls which are both Full Satisfying and Ravishing contentments Beloved these are such things as cannot be enjoyed Seeing them by feeling till the vail be Rent But yet know this t is Othniel that takes this City t is The Lords good time or fit opportunity We cannot take this City nor marry Achsah Calebs daughter when we would but we must wait Gods opportunity when he pleases to give it noâ— in our time but in his time nay we cannot so much as hasten that time When we shall have power to smite Kiriathsepher and marry Achsah no more then a woman in travail by all the means and industry she can use can hasten the time of her delivery We must wait the time Till God reveal for we must take it When he will give it And As He will give it by degrees time after time line upon line and precept upon precept And so We wâ—iting in Gods way He will Reveal and we shall come to understand The Good Will of the Lord One time after another Now A little and then A little line upon line that so you may come To glorifie God your heavenly Father Not that you may bring Honour or Profit to your selves though This be our greatest Honor and profit or take the praise to your selves as though by Your power you had smitten the City or married Achsah And so possessed the Upper and Nether springs the letter and the Spirit Thus to do is not to smite the City You as yet have not smitten it this is not The power of God this is but Your selves this is but by the power of flesh this is but by the power of Satan in us but here is the misery of the Sons of men they are ready to think and believe that they have smitten the City when t is Nothing less they think they know as much as can be known and Glory in this and so look for and give praise and Honour to themselves And if Any go beyond them if they cannot fathom what you say presently they cry out upon it as an Error and no body must know more then they and they must have the honour and praise of all they must and will be sure to keep men within their compass and knowledge always holding them in the letter in the Rudiments in the Pedagogies and in the shadows of Religion and cannot indure nor bear that men should be brought up to perfection to possess those Plerophorias those Full Enjoyments prepared for them that so they may be delivered and set at liberty from under the Law and from the killing Letter From Bondage and thraldom that they may come to receive The inheritance of Sons and Freemen hâ—t so the glory and praise of All may be to God Almighty none to them who hath given power to smite Kiriathsepher the City of the Letter that it may be unto us DEBIR The Word of God and so reveal unto us things Unutterable and unspeakably glorious Even The hidden Manna and the Living Waters to nourish us to Everlasting life Where the Glory of God is the light of that Temple whose brightness you shall see so far as you are able to Receive where you shall have Safety from all your Foes you shall see and behold their Ruine where you shal have the company comfort of all the Saints And God himself shall strive to Fill and if it were possible and Glutt you with happiness Where the City Gates are built with Pearls The streets paved with gold the walls of Precious stones the Temple in this City Is Almighty God Himself and Kings and Princes shall be but Vassals and cast out and nor regarded as such Where the River springs from under the Throne and Hill of God the Water clear as Chrystal The Banks set with Trees of Life Where your Chear is Ioy your Exercise Singing the song of Moses and the Lamb your Duties praising the Subject God the Quire consisting of Angels and Saints the Songs Hallelujahs Rev. 19. 3 4 6. Where there is no more need to fear that your Eyes shall be dimmed with Tears or your Ears Affrighted with Cryes or your Senses disturbed with Pain or the Heart Damped with Sorrow or the Soul Ever Surprized by death VVhere there is All God and No Evil there is No Persecutors None to Claim your Possessions from you None To Envy your Happiness the Rich cannot be Robbed Nor Kings shall not be Flattered VVhere there is Possessions without Impeachments Seigniories without Cares Length of yeares without decay of Strength Love of All without Ieâ—lousie of any Greatness of STATE without Conscience of Corruption Where we shall be Ravished with Seeing Satisfied with Enjoying And Secured for Retaining Beloved All these things are Very true True In the Letter But far more true Taking it All as meant Spiritually There are Such Things as These Buâ— infinitely more Spiritual Divine and Transcending Such things As These and whatever else The Heart of man can Imagine Are but Poor Things to what we shall there Have and Live with and Live in viz. In Heaven The Beginnings whereof are given you Here as an Earnest and First Fruits For Heaven is Nothing else But Grace perfected T is of the same Nature with that you Enjoy Here For He that is United and made ONE with Jesus Christ by Faith Hath A True and REAL Glimpse of those Ravishing Glories And Delights which he shall for ever Enjoy But you must Wave All Carnal Sensual and Worldly Enjoyments And look upon the Highest Chiefest and Rarest here To be But Shadows and Dark Resemblances of those Blessed Good things which we shall then Enjoy For Ever and Ever THE TWO MIGHTY AND Wonderfull TREES OF EDEN In the Garden of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ELOHIM Incognita Vnknown Ever since Man was driven out of Paradise until Admitted to Return in Again viz. THE TREE of KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD and EVIL AND The TREE of LIFE Taken out of A Book Called The LETTER And The LIFE Or The FLESH And The SPIRIT Translated by Dr. EVERARD THE TREE of KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD and EVIL What it is I Will not much contend with them that will have The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil as
delicate or wanton flesh and blood saith is good as to eat Calves out of the stall and Kids out of the flock and then rise up and sing to the sound of the Vial and the Harp Can there be any true comforts in these discomforts which if attained are but vanity and if not attained are vexation of Spirit Teshavah Teshelemoth nay most commonly better not attained then attained because they prove but snares and destructions But here may be applyed that of Sampsons riddle out of the sowre came forth sweet and out of the eater meat therefore O that we could behold the love of God in all conditions Indeed there is nothing happens to the wicked that hath any thing of love in it but if we belong to him how heâ—vy soever the afflictions be or how evil or unjust soever the Instrument be from him it is alwayes just and is in love and intended for our good and the issue shall be sweet just and good Shall then any servant of God grudge at whatever such a Tender father lays upon him we suffer the fathers of our bodies to correct us as the Apostle saith Heb. 12. 9. and we gave them reverence and shall we not much rather be in subjection to the father of spirits and live so verily they for a few dayes chastened us for their pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness I might shew you in many things wherein our profit by afflictions ariseth but this is not our point in hand we must return to it that we may end at present and commit you to God And let not me think because there are so many men and creatures in the world in Heaven and in Earth to provide for defend and protect that therefore I shall be neglected or that he hath not Armies and Angels enough to defend me or that thou who ever thou art that trustest in him shalt be neglected no no. To think because Kings and Princes and great Ones have Angels to defend them therefore to doubt there will be none or not enough to mind or to assist me Yea yea fear not he hath Chariots enough to assist all yea all his Creatures in all places in all times through all ages Beloved those sweet Babes the Kings children that now are How pleasant are they they take their sleep their food their play and care for nothing And yet little do they think how many heads must bleed and hearts must ake before their royal persons can be touched but I say they take their play and sleep quietly in their Cradles neither fear nor care toucheth them So my beloved Let the true royal seed of God do so Let all Gods Servants lie down in peace and take their rest and say O Lord thou alone makest me dwel in safety Psal. 4. for their Gods Armies lie round about them and shall make them all dwel safely They cannot be touched or hurt For besides al this that these millions of Angels both in Heaven Earth are their Guard That great General himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is their Saviour Protectour and his Everlasting Arms are under them for evermore But it may be their infirmities and their ignorance wil not let them see it or confess it yet little do they know how many thousand thousands of the Armies of God must be overthrown before Gods people or any one of his children can be touched before ever any one member of Jesus Christ can be hurt for this God as he is great dreadful so he is a God infinite in bowels and compassions who fills and commands all Creatures and all his Armies and Chariots are for their defence relief and protection And therefore from henceforth and for ever let us all cry out in an holy admiration Oh the Heighth Depth Breadth and Length of his Power and Mercy and Loving-kindness 1 HEIGHTH For saith David Psal. 36. Thy Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds Thy righteousness is like the great Mount ains and thy Iudgements are a great deep O Lord thou â—reservest man and beast How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the â—adow of thy wings â—hey shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light we shall see light 2 DEPTH Psal. 86. 13. Great is thy mercy toward me thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell 3 BREADTH Psal. 104. 24. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 4 LENGTH Psal. 98. 3. He hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Isaael all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And now Brethren if this OUR great God be Lord and Governour of the House what then can be out of order If he be our spenditory our house of Store what fear of want If he be our Treasurer what fear of poverty Surely he hath enough and enough infinitely more then enough He can make the Philosophers Stone he can make gold he can and will create comforts and therefore let all these things stay your hearts and depend on him as on that Rock to whom there is none like him though all the men all the Kings Princes on earth should consult and conspire together and all contribute their utmost to make thee happy yet there is none like the God of Iesurun who rideth upon the Heavens in his help and in his excellency upon the skie for the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are THE EVERLASTING ARMS And so I commit you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and bring you on to perfection Militia Coelestis OR The Heavenly Host The second Sermon upon Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy Place At Giles Criplegate in the Afternoon the Repetition omitted WE may well call this Verse The heavenly warfare wherein as I told you were contained four things 1 Their nature they are the hariots of God because God was pleased to ride in them 2 Their number the Text saith that they are twenty thousand thousands of Angels and I told you from the Text that they were Infinite 3 Their name they are called Angels 4 Their Commander and that is God The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels We spake of these two in the forenoon we come now to the two last The third is their name Angels There is much adoo about this name of Angels what they are what their nature is but we will not now stand
1 Cor. 7. 30. and therefore to live here without carefulness This would be a notable means to bring you out of love with this deservedly hateful Monster Covetousness Thirdly Temperance in the desire of them be not too much affected with them rejoyce not overmuch in them do not overvalue them but labor to see how vain and empty these outward things are and that there is nothing in them to satisfie or feed thy soul which must be fed with Heavenly Manna and not with Worldly trash Fourthly Another means is Freedom from that false conceit that men generally have of them viz. That they are full of content and satisfaction for none ever found them so The best Happiness that is in them is not in having much of them but in doing much good with them and this will bring the owners there of the greatest comfort though men in these days cannot as yet be brought to think so but the time is coming when they shall be esteemed as they are Empty and vain things God will bring men to be more like himself who being rich delights infinitely to communicate of his Riches and Goodness to his creatures but especially to those united and made one with himself Fifthly With Moses before thou goest out of this world go climb up to Mount Nebo and take a view of the promised Land learn to have a sight and be acquainted with the pleasures of Gods Right hand for all these things are but those of his Left he gives them most plentifully to those that at the consummation of all things shall stand on his left hand And let me tell you There is little very little of the love of God in them yea no love at all without the other These means if it please God to enable you to use them in good earnest with a strong and eager desire to be freed from this ugly Fiend Covetousness then will Hee without doubt drive him out of you and dispossess him from his strong holds within you And Lastly Let us commend all these Helps Means and Remedies and all that we have said to the Lord by Prayer resigning up our own Power and wisdom to God alone who must by his own power cast him out or he will never stir out of you but keep his POSSESSION till he hath dispossessed us of all our Comfort Joy and Happiness SOME things in this Sermon also very much offended the Bishops and heightned his Charge in the High Commission The Reader may perceive wherein without particularizing THE PLUS VLTRA OF THE CREATURES AN EXPOSITION OCCASIONED By singing the 148. Psalm Spoken privately in Old-street BEloved we have here sung a Psalm but if we have not understood what we have sung we have but prated like Parrots for there is a threefold singing there is a singing with understanding as the Apostle commands To sing with the heart and with understanding sing with the heart that is sing with zeal but as the Apostle saith They have zeal but not acording to knowledge For a man may sing with his lips and sing with zeal but yet not according to knowledge not with understanding if we understand not what we sing we exalt not God in our hearts by our singing I do not mean such as say they know not what but they may know the litteral meaning and sing with zeal too and with their Spirit but their eyes are not open to see The spiritual mystery of the words As here in this Psalm here be many things easie to be understood they are clear to every eye as when David doth exhort Kingâ— and Princeâ— Old men and Babes to praise god this is easie to be done and we know the meaning as soon as we look on it but here are some things again that are hard and obscure and they are two First In that David doth exhort dumb unreasonable and senseless Creatures to praise God such as cannot hear at least cannot understand Doth the Holy Chost in the Gospel bid us avoid impertinent speeches and vain repetitions and shall we think he will use them himself no no. But Secondly Not onely doth he call upon these creatures but also he calls upon the deeps and the seas to praise God These two things are hard to be conceived But to give you some Reasons The first Reason may be this why David cals upon the unreasonable Creatures to perform this duty he doth his duty like a faithful Preacher whether they will hear or no that he preaches to yet he will discharge his own soul a true Preacher he speaks the truth and calls upon them to hear though his Auditors sleep and regard it not so likewise doth David in this sense with these creatures he doth his duty and calls upon them to do it though they understand not though they comprehend it not The second Reason may be this He doth it craftily by way of pollcy to incite others to perform this duty that if such creatures as they ought to do this then those that are above them in degree they have more cause and may be ashamed to neglect it as an ill-governed master though he â—tay himself at home yet he will send his servants to Church so David being conscious of his own neglect yet he calls upon others not to be slack and negligent though he came infinitely short of that he should do yet he shews his own desire to perform this duty But if these Reasons will not satisfie you Though they have done Others a third Reason may be this to set forth the sweet harmony that is among all Gods creatures To shew how that all the creatures being Gods family do with One consent speak and preach aloud Gods praise and therefore he calls upon some above him some below him on both sides him every where to speak Gods praise for every one in their place degree and calling shew forth though in a dumb sense and way Their Creators praise Or Fourthly and Lastly which I think to be a good Reason zeal makes men speak and urter things impossible the fire of zeal it will so transport him that it will make him speak things unreasonable impossible as Moses in his zeal desired God for the safety of Israel to blot his name out of his book and Paul wished himself Anathema Maranatha accursed or separate from Christ for his breâ—â—rens salvation which was a thing impossible it could not be But I think David doth not intend this here for he calls for nothing but that which is done and therefore possible for No creature can turn out of the way of His praise for he is not only glorified in their graces but even also as much in their sins and rebellions against him though men should spit their malice and their blasphemies in the very face of God their maker yet they hurt not him they cannot touch him nor his sacred glory his praise shall as well and as
Goodness the Wisdom Excellency and Beauty of him You may say these indeed in themselves are glorious creatures but say withal Where is He that enlightens them and makes them so glorious Oh! What and How glorious is He that thus shines in them and through them And as they All testifie the glory of their Creator so they All suffer him to be their Lord and Ruler Every thing is contented to stand in his place and be obedient to him the beasts they are appointed for food to man as other things are for beasts every one increasing and yielding their sweetness and fatness to the next creature above them and this they do willingly without grudging And All these creatures though they do speak God yet that they say of Him it is nothing in comparison of him Though they say something yet they all say not All of him but in us there is such a deal of ignorance which I was about to say was the greatest sin that we are so far from using them as we should making them serviceable to us and keeping them in their place that we are rather serviceable to them and are their servants and we make them Masters we are sooner turned into their kind then they into ours And the creatures though they speak God and speak aloud of him yet know this they still cry Plus ultra plus ultra there is more behinde still look beyond us for we are nothing when thou beholdest The Beauty glory sweetness or Excelencie of any Creature or of all the Creatures together Hear This voice from Them Look Beyond us for we All are Nothing Nothing to Him who made us and gave us to be What we are And we all speak infinitely short of Him As when I see This Church or House I know he was a workman that built it yet I know not All of him I neither knew what age he was of nor what means he had but that he was a workman this his works do tell me So in the works of Creation when I look upon any of the creatures I must needs acknowledge he was a Rare workman and a wise that contrived and made it but they come infinitely far short of him And they still cry with that man in the Gospel We believe But Lord help our unbelief 2. For their prayers You know prayer consists of two parts Of Prayer or Invocation Of Praise and Adoration As I told you every creature praises God the work praises the workman and every creature praises God I and with a loud voyce But whoever heard and understood the noise and the language of the stones and the voyce of the still and quiet earth But even All these praise God Aloud and he receiveth it at their hands They all praise him in his Sanctum Sanctorum The whole world and the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens are all but His Temple as David saith In this Temple doth every one speak of His glory In this Temple they all sing praise and Hallelujahs to him every one even as it were vocally as Psal. 84. 3. David complains that the Swallows and the Sparrows were more happy then he for they might draw nigh unto God in his Temple to praise him for what is their chirping crying and singing but the voice of nature and to whom do they cry and to whom do they sing but to their Creator and God knows their voice and their cry as David saith He feeds the young Ravens when they cry unto him As a mother knows the signs the Child makes knows by the nuzling what it craves even so doth God by all his creatures The eyes of all things look up unto thee and thou givest them their meat in due season What the eyes of all men nay of all things You know one creature understands the voice of another they understands one anothers complaints one anothers singing and rejoycing one Dog understands the voice of another and so every creature in its kind and shall not God who is the God of nature he knows whereof we are all made and He knows all our complaints and wants The Lions seek their prey of God and he feeds the Ravens when they cry unto him But if these should not preach Gods praise yet the very stones do speak his praise and cry unto him but yet in such a language as God understands who made them and therefore you to whom God hath given rongues and understanding if you do not praise God and glorifie him if you hold your tongues all these dumb creatures and even these senseless stocks and stones shall rise in judgement against you for this is a true rule Nature hath done nothing in vain What 's the reason the poor sheep bleats when it comes to the slaughter and the swine Roars when he is killed do you think they cry to us that pursue them kill them no no but to God who is witness of their surrendring up their precious lives according to his will STEVEN when he was stoned to death nor Jesus Christ when he was crucified and said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit they did not cry more Audibly I say not more Audibly in Gods eares to God to take notice of their innocent yielding up their lives then these creatures do Cry to God when they suffer cruelly and unjustly crying to God Lord lay not this sin to their charge And Father into thy hands I commit my life and my spirit and fall asleep as Steven did and return to their rest 3. The third thing is their Decalogue but this belongs onely to us because they need none they never broke their law they alwayes walk according to Gods will The water and the sea summer and winter hay-time and harvest with all other things these all keep their appointed time they all obey thy will O God True it is they have not that reason that we have and therfore they have not so exact A Decalogue Yet God hath power even to break this exact Law yea man also may if God give him a dispensation and then if he break any of these Laws it is no sin as God commanded Abraham to kill his son and he did kill him in his intention and he had killed him had not the Angel staid his hand and it was not Evil but Obedience in Abraham But if any one shall do this from their own will then it were sin for he that gave the Law may break the Law And for this third part we need say no more 4. For their Sacrifices or Sacraments I do not say they sacrifice as of themselves but they are not onely an occasion of our praising God and sacrificing to him but they are also the matter of our sacrifices yet David in that of I Chron. 16. 31 32 33. Exhorts Let the Heavens be glad and the earth rejoyce and let men say among the Nations The Lord reigneth so withal saith he Let the sea
will fight and kick with those that would do them good And our Saviours counsel is Cast not your pearls before swine leâ—t they turn again and all to rent you I say again some of the Servants of God have found it so and for goodwil freeness and faithfulness and not keeping back any part of Gods counsel have been ill-rewarded rent and torn for their faithful counsel and it hath therefore been the Serpentine Wisdom of others to hide their talent in a napkin that so they might avoid the cross of Christ and sleep in a whole Skin I remember a speech of R. Moses More Nevochim part 3. chap. 34. Legem accommodatam esse ad totam gentem communiter non ad singulos the Law is fitted for the people in generall for all the Nation and not for particular persons only There was and is many a good man who wants those outward things when those that are evil have them in abundance as well then as now And shall we then say and conclude the word or promises are not true no God forbid Heaven and earth shall pass away before one tittle of his word shall fail Mat. 5. Therefore I say they in the old Testament and also we now mistake because by Moses was promised the Kingdom and the Land flowing with milk and honey temporal peace multitude of children bodily health these were in themselves temporal blessings but they figured out spiritual because these were promised but to the old man under the old Law and those that look no farther now under the Gospel what are they better then the old Jews and the CHILDREN of Israel 3. I affirm I have alwayes holden it a dangerous thing especially of late years to press God with particulars of temporal things as of health wealth honour c. but to leave all those things to the will of God walking on in our duties and calling and leave the success to him But while we are in our childish condition we are still telling God in this regard what he shall do for us and how he shall govern the world and when we would have fair weather and when rain and when a fair wind and so every man would serve his own turn and then I pray thee if thy will be done who shall take care of thy neighbour t is no matter though thousands miscarry and fail of those things so thou hast them it matters not What kind of prayers do you think are these dost thou in thy self think God were wise if he should answer thy prayers that which is for thee as thou thinkest is against multitudes of others and who shall seek their good that wind that serves thy design is as much opposite for others And therefore my advice is be very tender how you press the infinite wisdom of the Almighty Who when he will bless he will turn crosses and evil things as thou esteemest them to be the greatest blessings and therefore let the Almighty Alone in governing the Heavens and the Earth by his power and wisdom he hath upheld supported preserved and ordered the heavens and the earth to our knowledge almost these six thousand years well enough and I le warrant thee he will do it still without thy care or direction Who shall teach him knoledge and Who shall shew him the way of understanding or being his Counsellor hath taught him I remember a speech of Bernard Longe a Deoest animus qui in oratione c. That mind is farre from God or Heaven which in prayer is full of earthly requests And I say for the most part men are mistaken both in the nature and end of prayer which is first to ask things according to the will of God and our end ought to be God and the things of God in which our happiness is involved 4. I affirm it is certainly more excellent to seek the Kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof then to trouble God and our selves with wordly requests I say still distingue tempora distinguish of seasons there is a time when we may take more liberty because we know no better and we think it a great deal of Religion that we will acknowledge God and will come to him for temporal blessings but as the Apostle saith Behold I shew you a more excellent way covet after the best gifts Then doth God best accept thy prayer when thou onely seekest him for himself and not when thou seekest any other thing by or through him this will declare what thou lovest him for whether for thy self or himself what thou most lovest what thou most earnestly prayest for and what thou most weepest for when wanting that thou most lovedst when thou hadst it but to all true believers both in this as in all thinigs God is their end their chief love c. and therefore tis him they seek to enjoy above all things Although it be with the loss of all things Him they esteem Portion enough And to conclude I affirm as it is said of Abishai 2 Sam. 23. 19 there were three most honourable among the thirty but Abishai was the most honourable of the three therefore they chose him their Captain And so say I prayer is honourable in its time season and seeking for temporal blessings according to the will of God but more honourable in seeking graces to adotâ— the soul and inward man but when in prayer we seek God for himself having so much love to him such strong desires after him that we forget and lose our selves and mind onely him as our chief end then say I let Abishai let That Prayer be Captain for that hath done the most honourable of all the chosen Worthies the other have done worthily but this is the more Honourable of all the three for if we had time we might shew you that there can no prayer do more worthily then this for it answers first to the Lords Prayer Mat. 6. 17. Secondly to Christs Prayer immediately before he suffered Iohn 17. Self-denialls in his resignation to the will of his Father and love to his Flock Disciples and Members A most ravishing prayer and such a prayer as no man ever prayed but time will not suffer me now to open any thing about it Thirdly this prayer is most agreeable to the example of the Apostles who under-valued all the world to enjoy the life of Christ insomuch that they esteemed his Cross their Throne and his sufferings their Crown So that by all this we have said you may examine your prayers of what excellency they be consider the matter and end of your prayers whether they be of Flesh or spirit whether in them you seek God or your selves And with the words of the Apostle Rom. 7. 6. I conclude all for this time seeing God hath put it into your heart to seek him and to worship him Let it not be in the Oldness of the Letter but in the Newness of the
Spirit So be it THE MYSTERIE OR THE LIFE and MARROVV OF THE SCRIPTURES An Exposition on Exodus 3. the Six first Verses EXOD. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Now Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law the Priest of Midian and he led the flock to the back-side of the desart and came to the mountain of God even to Horeb. And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt c. Delivered at a Private Meeting at Kensigton being in Two Sermons THis Chapter contains one of the greatest miracles that the Scripture affords namely That Moses a plain shepherd should attempt to bring six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty fighting men Num. 1. 46. beside women and children and young men besides the TRIBE of LEVI from under the bondage of Pharaoh a great and a mighty King much less think to bring it about or else having done it he might have pursued after them to slay them all which he did but was not able to prevail but was drowned in the sea He and all his Host all which was wonderful and then wonderful in regard of the people themselves that they should follow an odde man who led them no man knew whither nor what way they should go nor where they should rest and sit down but as the Apostle Paul saith concerning his Gospel He received it not from men nor by men but by the revelation of Iesus Christ So Moses here had not his authority from men nor by men but onely from the Lord immediately as in this Chapter you may see his Commission and what Authority he had to bring them out of Egypt And the Almighty hand of the Lord Acting All. But that I may not stand long in the History but come to something profitable to us I may say of this History as one of the Fathers saith concerning Nabals churlish practise It is old in time but rife in practise So may I say most truly of Moses bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt it is old in the History Long once this time was but it is ever in Use Every day is this History fulfilled and the children of Israel are daily brought out of Egypt by a strong and a mighty hand for whatever was then done was done in Types and Figures Beloved this I hope is not strange to you for the Apostle Paul reciting some of these Actions saith plainly 1 Cor. 10. that they were but Figures to teach us and applies many of the passages and what the Apostle saith of some of them I may be bold by the same spirit to say of the whole that they were all done in Figures But little doth any man here think that he is in Egypt and that he Toils under Pharaoh and that Pharaohs Taskmasters use them roughly and abuse them little do they think that they are Brick-makers when we are yet in the Kingdom of darkness and are governed by the Prince of darkness by the Prince that ruleth in the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience what do you think are we not then worser then slaves under Pharaoh in Egypt I And a more real slavery then the Israelites underwent and are we not then imployed in his work and in making Brick and Morter to raise Temples to set up Antichrist in to worship serve and adore as doth all the world And Truly Every one here present doth the same But he that will marry Achsah Calebs daughter as I had occasion to shew you upon that Text he must smite Kiriathsepher the City of the Letter The Letter of Scripture reveals nothing which will be saving to us it is the Spirit that must do us good to him shall be given Achsah which by interpretation is The Rending of the Vail As it was at our Saviours Passiou so to this man The Vail of the Temple shall be rent from the Top to the Bottom And he shall Have the Secrets and See the Secrets of God Almighty but this He cannot have unless he strike the Letter and smite the waters and divide them else there is no word of God for us for the word lies hid and no man findeth it but he only that smiteth Kiriathsepher The City of the Letter that it may be to him Debir The Word for that City as I then told you out of Ioshua 15. 15 16. before it was smitten by Othinel That is The Lords sit time or opportunity who took the City it was called Kiriathsepher but being once Smitten then it was Debir and not before So if we rest in the Letter of the Word either of the old or new Testaments we shall never come to make it Debir to us it is still the words of a book sealed up to us and resting therein the letter in stead of saving us it will destroy us for so saith the Apostle The Letter kills but the Spirit gives life if we rest in the Letter and think that Or external observations or obedience thereunto will save us we are deceived without caring and endeavouring to get that word which lasts for ever the history lasts not for ever those things then done are done and past but that very word lasts for ever i. e. is still in doing and concerns as much every time every age sex and degree as well as them this is the internal sense we must seek for that by it we may live for ever Your fathers have eaten manna and are dead I am the true bread so we must not rest in Manna but look for true bread true food thousands have perished by resting in the Letter but blessed are they that shall taste of this heavenly manna this is meat indeed and drink indeed Bread from heaven that bread of life c h Christ speaks of Ioh. 6. Beloved all other knowledge let it be never so esteemed in the world by whomsoever Perishes a man if he Rest therein As if I give a Boy Oysters and tell him there is meat that will nourish him but if he know not how to open the shell but onely licks the outside of the shell and he thereby not coming at the meat it starves him did not I say true when I told him There was meat to feed him and do I not say true likewise in saying the Oyster killed him for the shell killed him because he could not come at the nourishment for the shell in the same sense The Word though it be full to the brim of precious liquor and Heavenly dainties yet if a man be taken up in the outside in the shell of the word and never crack the shell very fitly may the Holy Ghost say The Letter kills
God that the Truth and the word of God it self is hid and coucht under mighty parables for without a parable spake he nothing unto them and indeed without parables can we not have the truth As we cannot have meat without excrements for in all the meat we eat there is abundance of excrement to a very little nourishment the greatest part though never so refined and decocted is excrement And so I say of the Letter the Letter compared with the Spirit is but the Shel the Excrement the outward Husk of the word and we have a great deal of excrement and Husk and Shell that doth us no good at all to a very little meat for you know excrement doth not nourish at all that comes away again and goes into the draught as our Saviour saith yet we may not abhor nor undervalue the Excrement of the Word because it is Excrement for we cannot have the meat thereof without Excrements for that which is Excrement doth but serve to convey the nourishment into the body God could not possibly speak to us nor convey his word but by the Excrement of the Letter as he hath done Something must be presented to our eyes and ears externally that we may conceive what is done internally for if Almighty God should have spoken as he would have spoken we should not have been able to have heard him for he should have quite undone our understanding As the Sun shines to us and gives us light at such a distance and through so many elements ayr and clouds and Mereors and many such interruptions so many thousand miles of distance which keeps his own perfect and full lustre glory and brightness from us for if it should not do so we should be quite blinded and our sight destroyed by it for we have much ado the strongest-sighed man that is to behold and look upon the Sun at that distance as it is what should we do then if these things and such a distance interposed not themselves between our sight and the Sun So if our great and Almighty God should speak to us in a spiritual way and as himself would speak if he should shine into us in the least part of his own splendor and glory all our sights all our apprehensions of him would be quite put out he would utterly destroy our sight and we should be quite swallowed up for we cannot possibly see God nor hear God but onely in that way that he hath already spoken to us But happy is that man who gets not the excrement but the nourishment of the Scriptures And I pray you for all this which I have said To magnifie the Spirit above the Letter let us be so far from throwing away the Letter that you rather infinitely bless God for it and be very thankful to him that he hath so far condescended to stoop so low to our weak capacities that we may come as we are able to receive the knowledge of him who is our happiness and eternal life O praise his infinite goodness for ever that the Mighty Strong Infinite Wise Creator hath been pleased so far to abase himself as to deal with us as with Babes for we are no better That HE the Mighty Jehovah is become weak to the weak that he hath made himself a Babe to us Babes Oh! be amazed and astonished at it for ever and fall down continually before his footstool with all trembling and fear St. Paul who was but a man tells the Corinthians that he could not speak unto them as spiritual men how then could God himself speak to them as spiritual or they to bear His words If we cannot bear the words of a weak frail man how is it possible to bear the words of God Himself As the Poets fain of their God Iupiter and his Wife Iuno a certain woman desiring of Iuno that she might but lie with Iupiter in all his glory and majesty she answered O woman thou hast asked thine own destruction but she persisting in her desire and having her request granted presuming upon her own strength And as soon as ever Iupiter drew near she was presently made in to powder Shewing thereby thus much unto the people that the true God was infinite and incomprehensible For let me tell you they intended as much as ignorant as you conceive them to be though to the common people they spake after this manner Covertly by similitudes and comparisons For there was not one of all the learned but knew that such a One must the true God be Neither let us be so simple as to think that they thought these to be Gods Or that their Gods and Goddesses were so wicked as to be Adulterers or the like They were not so sottish but they hid and couched the Truth under these shadows So God Almighty even Our God who is the true God if he should speak unto us as he is in himself what creature could stand before him he would speak all the world to powder to nothing for if he had pleased he could have spoke All Truth in One Word but where had been Auditors to have heard or understood that word As when the people murmured against Moses and Aaron and were divided against them and for them They thought that all the people of God were holy and Moses and Aaron took too much upon them and God could speak by them as well as by Moses and Aaron but as soon as God began to shew himself in his power and majesty they all trembled and were not able to stand before him and again when the people thought they would go up to the mountain as well as Moses Well saith Moses if ye will do but as soon they drew near to the foot of the mountain and the storms began but to arise and they heard the thunder and the lightnings and the terrible noise and the trumpets sounding louder and louder then they began to tremble and fear and prayed that God would not speak unto them lest we dye said they but let Moses speak to us for we can Hear Him Brethren know this for an undeniable truth that in Gods word there is such a depth of light and of glory Such ravishing profoundness That will serve all the men that ever were are shall be yea all the Divines and People of God through all generations nay and adde to them all the Angels in heaven to pry and dive into through all eternity and yet shall never be able to find out the bottom and the Vast stupendious depth thereof But as I say God is pleased for our capacities to give us these things hid under a vail That he may give us The Norishment He is faine to give us with it the Excrement which he would not do if we could receive the Nutriment alone For saith the Apostle Till this day while Moses is read they have still the vail over their heart In the outside of the Letter you see
bring them to be Purer and Purer Finer and Finer till they be all made pure As himself is pure He who is called often Fire in Scripture as Mar. 9. 49. He will purifie the impure from the pure the dross from the gold The light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy one for a flame and he shall burn and devour his bryers and thorns in one day All wickedness shall be before him like the Thorns of a forrest before the fire and shall not be able to stand before Him It shall All be burnt up and nothing remain thereof as it came of nothing so it shall return to nothing And this Christ will do not at once but by degrees as Fire makes not a thing at first as hot as it self but by degrees but it wil not rest nor cease till it hath Heb. 12. 29. Our God is a consuming fire Wickedness nor any impurity shall not be able to stand before this consuming fire no more then thorns and stubble before devouring fire but by degrees he will purifie us throughout in bodies souls and spirits All the works of man as of man shall be burnt up and he shall suffer loss but himself shall be saved yet so as by fire as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3. 15. For the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is Therefore I say take heed of Standing Up before this fire If thou arâ— not 〈◊〉 â—own beforehand this â—â—e will burn thee down to ashes Do not quench the motions of the Spirit in you do not strangle them in the birth as Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew Midwives To strangle the Male-children of the Israelites in the birth Exod. 1. 18. But let this Fire have its Perfect work as the Apostle Iames saith of Patience Expand and give up your selves to Him Let him work his will in you give him leave to burn up your dross That you may be brought nearer and nearer to him and be made more like unto him that ye may more fully enjoy him That so at length ye may be Swallowed up and Emptied into him Even into that Ocean whence ye came as all the small rivolets which come from the Sea never rest till they return into the Sea And let us continually Magnifie the infinite goodness of Almighty God who of his Meer mercy will so far Humble himself to sit as a refiner over his work and never ceaseth but is always Purifying Clarifying and Refining from one degree of purity to another till we come to be like unto his own Dear Son Jesus Christ and all our dross so separated till we be made all pure silver and pure gold and that all our chaff may be removed till we become pure wheat and fit to be gathered into our Lords Garner Even till we be Clarified Rarified and Glorified even like unto the Precious and Glorious body of Jesus Christ himself who is blessed for ever and ever Amen TRUE and DIVINE EXORCISM OR THE DEVIL CON-JURED BY IESVS CHRIT MARK I â—5 26. And Iesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace and come out of him And when the unclean spirit had torn him and cryed with a loud voyce he came out of him The Substance of several Sermons preached at Kensington Publique meeting-place AS the holy Apostle Paul divides a man into body soul and spirit so do I this present Text the body is the history according to the letter the soul is such moral observations as arise and are deduced from the letter and history the SPIRIT is such heavenly instructions and divine documents as rightly applyed may be fitly termed The Marrow and Quintesscence of the Word of God The History according to the letter is so plain that he that runs may read and understand it and so needs no explanation and therefore I intend to collect the moral observations And 1. From the place where this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This man with an unclean spirit was in the Synogogue at Capernaum We from hence are taught That no place can secure from an unclean spirit 't is not a Church Chancel Communion-Table or Pulpit no Bishop or rigid Chancellor or stout Archdeacon nor yet any Politick Official can with all their wit wealth or power excommunicate him or drive him out when he hath once entred in He appeared among the Sons of God Job 1. 6. He stood at Ioshuah the High Priests right hand Zech. 3. 1. nay into Heaven it self and Paradise he intruded therefore we should as our Saviour saith Beware even of Men Such men as are of His spirit Unclean they will deliver yon up to their counsels Mat. 10. 17. And the Apostle hath it Phil. 3. 2. Beware of dogs That is beware of men of proud cruel fierce and dogged spirits And then 2. As no place can secure us from Others Evil Men or Devils without us So nor can none of us assure our selves that we are what we should be If Templum Domini If the Jews crying out The Temple of the Lord would have serv'd the turn Ier. 7. 4. but that did not though they rested secure and blest themselves in it So also do we now in the Outward Baptism so in the Outward receiving of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper and also in the outward profession of Christianity c. Sed ista omnia folia sunt but all these are but leaves but 't is the fruit God looks after For though no tree that bears fruit but hath leaves yet Wo to those Trees which bear nothing but leaves Then 3. From the Devil his confessing Christ we learn That though as Paul saith Ore fit confessio with the mouth confession is made Rom. 10. 10. yet that is nothing without the other except the heart believes unto salvation for that confession is vain which is void of faith saith Fulgentius 4. Observe For all the uncleaneness strong possession of this unclean spirit as soon as our Saviour speaks for he spoke a s one Having Authority and not as the Scribes 't was a destruction to him for he cryes out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Art thou come to destroy or to torment us Luk. 8. 28. the Scribes and Pharisees might have preach'd long enough ere this Devil would have Roared For as some go not out but by fasting and prayer Mat. 17. 21. so some unclean spirits wil not stir out of men but by powerful preaching which is Christ coming Himself with power and casting them out And 5. From this Renting the poor man we learn how furious and raging his malice is to man Tearing and renting Them whom he may not cannot longer possess The Dragon never watch'd the Woman so narrowly as when nearest her time of deliverance Rev. 12. 4. So Pharaoh pursued the Isralites most eagerly when departing his land And the Prophet Isaiah saith For unto us a Child is born and a
or none Evil Actions as they are Actions that are in Scripture attributed to Satan that are not likewise ascribed to God either for things External or Internal Truly friends I may not keep back any part of Gods counsel for fear of the Iews Although they be Angry at the preaching of these things First For External Actions If we look upon Iob Did the Sabeans come and take away his Oxen and slew his servants and was that done by Satan upon that Commission given to him Iob 1. 12. All he hath is in thine hands why yet we know it was God gave him that very Commission who is the Lord of all Hosts yet acted by Bands of Sabeans and Armies of men Did the Chaldeans set upon his Camels drove them away and slew his servants know as David saith The Lord teacheth my fingers to fight And the mouth of the sword of the Chaldeans could not bite till God bad it Did the fire burn up his sheep and his servant yet we know that it is the Lord God Who raineth snares fire and Brimstone Psal 11. 6. and in that very History it is called Ignis Dei The fire of God Job 1. 16. Did a great wind come from the wilderness and blew down the house and killed Iobâ— children yet 't is certain He that is the Lord Bringech the windes out of his treasure Psal. 135. 7. Iob saith The Lord hath taken away c. Job 1. 21. But to come nearer yet Did the Devils enter into the Girgasites swine So that they ran headlong into the sea and were drowned but yet they did not could not enter into them till Christ bade them go no no He that sends is greater then he that is sent the Lord is above the servant though the Devil may desire to do mischief yet he cannot accomplish it till he be authorized and impowred by God himself Now to come to spiritual Actions and such as may seem to have a Near and almost inseparableâ—ffinity â—ffinity with the worst sort of evil Sin for the other were but Medicines Nocumenta Documenta Nocuments are Documents Did the Devil Harden Pharaohs heart yet the Text saith plainly of God I will harden Pharaobs heart Exod. 7. 3. Obduration and hardness of heart is a grievous sin and a Heavy punishment yet God saith I will harden Did the Devil tempt Absalom to take his fathers Concubines yet 2 Sam. 12. 11. saith God I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house Yet again Thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel Did a Lying spirit that is the Devil Seduce Ahab that he might go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead yet it is recorded in the same place Behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets saith Micaiah 1 King 22. 23. I will sum up all in HIM who is the sum of all Christ Jesus Ioh. 12. 40. who citing that of the Prophet Isaiah Isa. 6. 10. where God commands to make the heart of this people fat and shut their eyes c. Christ saith plainly Ioh. 12. 40. HE hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not seeâ— nor be converted And saith he These things spake Isaias when he had seen the glory of God And then spake of him So likewise did the Devil enter into Iudas his heart to betray his Lord Luk. 22. 3. It was true yet I will say as Austin upon Psal. 61. towards the end of it Malignus Iudas Traditor Christi Maligni persecutores c. Iudas was wicked who betrayed Christ the Jews were wicked who persecuted him with malice to death all of them were impious and miserable wretches to crucifie the Lord of life And yet Paul saith to the Romans Rom. 8. 32. The FATHERâ— spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tradidit BETRAYED HIM yet it was HIS FATHER And Ephes. 5. 2. tradidit seipsum And He gave up Himself and yet Iudas He betrayed him What shall we say herein Dispone si potes distingue sipotes dispose and distinguish if thou canst To that end Let us then take the counsel of our Saviour Let us give unto God the things that are Gods and unto man what is mans let us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with boldness give unto God as the SOLE SUPREME Agent The Glory of all Actions of what nature or kind soever as actions As to the soul The power and act of seeing but of seeing doubly or dimly to the organ it useth so God gives to the soul the Act and power of Hearing smelling tasting speaking thinking Going and Doing and the like but for the Evil and viciousness of any or all these to the organ they use and imploy In bâ—ief Take this as the sum of all let God have all the glory honour and praise of all actions they belong to him alone but to our selves let us take shame and confusion Baldness to every head and shame upon all faces Ezek. 7. 18. Gods righteousness in all these is like the great mountains and his â—udgements are a great depth Psal. 36. 6. like the mountains indeed Eternal and Eternally mountains though we climb never so long never so high They are still past finding out and are like the great DEPTH Depth still though we sink never so low and therefore Cusanus speaks learnedly to this point Omnia creat Deus etiam alterabilia mutabilia corruptibilia contraria c. that is God creates all things alterable changeable corruptible contrary yet he created not Alteration Changeableness Corruption nor Contrariety for seeing that he is HIMSELF Entity Life and Substance Essence and Being He doth not cannot create Non-Entity Destruction Death or Ruine but Hee is Alone BEING LIFE and SUBSTANCE And yet so it musts needs be for God is the God of Order and order implyes plurality and diversity And then secondly what harmony or musick is made upon one string or if it be a Monochorde yet there must be divers fâ—ets and stops and cliffs In this case you know The sweetest Harmony is made where there is the greatest discord and Variety To go a step or two further In that famous and memorable story of Ioseph his Brethren t is said sold him to the Midianitish Merchants in their malice and they into Egypt where he was tempted by his Mistris An act worse then the other yet when he makes himself afterwards known to his brethren Gen. 45. 5. Ioseph saith plainly Misit me Deus c. God sent me hither before you into Egypt They did it and God did it they indirectly God directly yet Ioseph saith it was not you but God sent me before So also in that act of Shimei he was set on by the Devil to curse David yet David saith Let him alone let him curse the Lord hath
sent Shimei and bid him To curse David 2 Sam. 16. 11. In all these actions sin cleaves so near and fast to the Action that Chrysostome in Tom. 1. upon the 45. Chapter of Genesis cryes out Vidisti Ioseph tolle malitiam fratrum ejus tolle invidiam fratricidii commentum c. simul abstuleris omnia illa quibus Aegypti stetit incolumitas hast thou seen Ioseph take away the malice of his brethren their envy and their lye you will then take away all those things whereon Egypts safety stood and the interpretation of Pharaohs dreams revealed by God himself to Ioseph And Drexel Heliotrop lib. 5. cap. 8. saies further and clearly Tolle Iudae avaritiam Iudaeorum invidiam simul abstuleris genâ—is humanae lytrum Christi sanguinem mortem Take away Iudas Covetousness and the Jews Envy and Malice and you will take away the vertue and efficacy of the blood of Christ Jesus Again Tolle Diabolos certamina victoriae praemia magna ex parte cessabunt Do but take away Devils and then spiritual conflicts and trials victories and conquests over temptations nay rewards for them will also cease and end these quotations out of the Primitive Fathers I rather use for your help and good then any way to strengthen truth which needs not any humane assistance but the weakness and childishness of men need all helps that they may receive and digest such meat as is fit for strong men Beloved friends were it not for Tyrants where should we finde glorious Martyrs The furious sire tries and distinguishes the gold from dross From Contraries every action seems necessary t is God himself by his Prophet Isaiah that saith I make peace and create war Isa. 44. 7. Some may say This is hard and seems impossible to distinguish betwixt Actio and Culpa Actionis the Action and the faultiness or sinfulness of the Action True it is so to us impossible but the word of God Heb. 4. 12. is sharper then a two-edged sword and divides betwixt the soul and the spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and secrets of the heart so also WE cannot divide the fire yet the voyce and the word of the Lord divideth the flames of fire Psal. 29. 7. his word and voyce divideth between the fire and the heat which to man is impossible for as Basil speaks Fire T is heat for the wicked t is light for the just so also it purifies gold it consumes stubble it softens wax it hardens dirt From what hath been said we may learn three things First HUMILITY towards God Wo to him that striveth with his Maker Isaiah 45. 7. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee to walk humbly with thy God Mic. 6. 8. You know God did regard the humbleness of the Virgin Mary as for the proud He sends them empty away beholds them afar off if we be proud and haughty and lifted up in our selves he hath power enough for all power is in his hands to bring us down This is more for our benefit then we are aware of to be Emptied and laid Low in our selves To be Children in our own esteem Little in our own eyes as God Commands and highly Commends This fits us for His Heavenly Kingdom And all that God requires of us Is out of meer Love to us and out of tender care for the Good of Man There is not One of His Commandments but they are made more for mans good and Salvation then out of respect to Himself as Eliphaz and Elihu confessed Job 22. 23. A wise man may be Profitable to Himself but not to God Is it any Pleasure to the Almighty that thou Art Righteous Is it Gain to Him that thou makest thy ways Perfect and again Iob 35. 6 7. If thou sinnest what canst thou do against Him or if thy Transgressions be multiplied what doest thou unto Him Or If thou be righteous what givest thou unto Him Or what receiveth he of thine hand Thy wickedness may Hurt a man as thou Art and thy righteousness may profit Him But what canst thou take away from God or adde unto Him certainly nothing He remaineth Perfect Eternal Vnchangable Impassible to Him nothing can be given or added detracted or subtracted If a man throw up a Heavy stone into the air it will return down again upon his own Head we can make God neither Richer nor Poorer Greater or Lesser but He hath a care of Us and Our Good He hath a hand always open Ready to give if we could but receive He is Rich and free to all that call upon Him And He requireth nothing at our Hands but onely this That we quietly receive of Him what he is willing to give Secondly we may learn hence confidence and trust in God for he is stronger then all our enemies though the hills should be moved and those hills carried into the midst of the Sea and though the seas roar and the heathen rage yet God is mightier and can curb and command the waves and make A great calm when the Nations are in a Hurly-burly and they are like a tempesâ—uous sea as contrary winds ruâ—â—ing and fighting one against another if Jâ—sus Christ do but say to these troubles Peace and be Still they must obey and become still and calâ— and therefore we should with David check and correct our weakness and diffidence Why art thou so cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me still trust in God Psal. 41. and 42. And indeed as David saith why should not we trust in him at all times Our father 's trusted in thee They hoped in thee and thou didst deliver them Psal. 22. we should do and say as Paul I know in whom I have trusted and with Iob though he kill me yet will I trust in him And therefore David exhorts O trust in him at all times all ye people for he hath wrought deliverances for Iacob and is terrible to the Kings of the earth Thirdly hence we may learn Content in all estates and conditions whatsoever for nothing câ—mes to us but by him and from him as Iob confesseth when he rebuked his wife Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evil Job 2. 10. why should we at any time murmure against him in whatsoever he doth to us when as The judge of all the earth cannot but do right Gen. 18. 25. And I have learned saith the Apostle Paul in what estate soever I am in therewithal to be content and the Prophet David when he was afflicted and visited by Gods hand Rested contented I held my tongue saith he and said nothing for I knew it was thy doing Psa. 39. 9. Iob looked not so much in his affliction upon the Sabeans or Chaldeans Nor reviles frets against the fire or the winds but quiets Himself
consider How to remove them how to dispossess them and to cast these unclean Devils out of our souls and spirits And if you desire to know How this may be done For though it be Hard and difficult yet it is not a needless thing to undertake nor a thing impossible nay 't is high time 't was done left you be utterly Undone and without any hope For Quanto diutius inhabitat tanto difficilius ejicitur The longer he stays in us the Harder will he be gotten out His quiet possession will plead custome and Prescription An Old disease is hardly Curable And we cannot but with Augustine confess Quot Crimina tot Daemonia Every Sin in our mortal bodies is no other Then A Devil And according to the Old-man and the Unregenrate part the best of us however we may flatter our selves are in worse state then Mary Magdalen was out of whom our Saviour cast seven Devils Luk. 8. 2. So that we may too truly say of our selves we have more then Seventy times seven within us For if Our Saviour should speak Audibly to our ears as he doth intelletually in our souls to the Devil in me or you as he did to the Unclean spirit who came out from the Tombs and Deserts What is thy name he would reply My Name is LEGION For we are many Beloved thus to see our selves in the Word is the right understanding of it And this Word and Glass when Christ sets it before us and teacheth us by it then we cannot forsake it but view our selves in it though it represents us to our selves never so ugly and deformed And he that sees himself Thus A Captive to the Devil Oh! Jesus Christ is A welcome REDEEMER indeed To that soul For the two great and Highest ends of Gods Word To us are in our now fallen condition to throw the Creature low in its own esteem to make it a Beggar as it is indeed to bring it to see its own Nothingness Nay it s undone and miserable condition and to make our Soveraign Lord Christ High Exalted Rich and All in All things To preach to the understanding of the Word thus to have such a powerful influence iâ— to the soul this can no man do no nor all Men and Angels but onely Jesus Christ himself His alone All-powerful Voyce who spake saith the Holy Ghost As never man spake Joh. 7. 46. Man Could never speak so to have any such operation on the spirit of man but onely that High and Mighty Conquerour through the whole Earth that is so powerful that whereever He will conquer he will conquer Of whom all those Mighty Emperours Warriours and Conqueroars we have heard or read of in the Scriputure or elswhere are but dark obscure glimmering shadows and resemblances O Beloved what Heights and Depths of sin are in every one of us Alexander himself with all his victorious-Armies nor all the Magistrates and Powers in the world cannot weaken them in the soul one jot no noâ— all the Angels in Heaven One of which could kill and destroy A hundred fourscore and five thousand valiant men in one night in Sennacheribs Army Yet are not able to conquer Those Legions of Devils in our souls to bring us into subjection to the Crown and Scepter of our onely and true Liege-Lord the Lord Christ What 's thy name saith he to that man so possessed in the Gospel that he was so fierce that no bands or fetters would hold him among men but he broke from all and lived among the Graves and Sepulchers yet he confessed Christs powermaking him ful sore against his own will for the Devil in us will not let us either see or confes him to be there saith he my name is LEGION because many Devils Lu. 8. 30. This and all other miracles Christ did that we by this man them night See ourselves as in a glass And so likewise by all the miracles that ever he did and by all the parables that ever he spake All were written for us All those Rebellions in our souls are LEGIONS Armies of Rebels they are as it is exprest Iudg. 7. 12. In us like the Midianites which were As thick as grashoppers upon the earth They are in some as thick as motes in the Sun innumerable not to be numbred by millions Who can number the thoughts of a man They are not onely of a spiritual nature but they are as quick and swift as the lightning I saw Satan fall down from heaven like lightning And you know what the Scripture of them The thoughts of mans heart are evil and onely evil continually Gen. 5. 6. I have read some are of opinion the Angels good and bad are as thick in the Air as motes in the Sun but I am sure so thick in us are these desperate barbarous inhumane cursed as I may say Irish Rebels and English Traitors in our souls And as I said before As all the victorious Conquerers in the world are a Type or Shadow of Christ in this spiritual Soul-war so also the Characters and expressions of any evil that ever was or ever shall be in the world are but dark shadows of this Evil One within us This is truth but none can see and acknowledge this but those in whom this evil one is in some measure discovered fought withal and overcome How far then are they deluded that dream they can by a power in themselves overcome this mighty mighty Giant this Goliah of Gath that stands for the whole Army of the Philistines who is so armed and so terrible that were our eyes but open to look upon him Drest in all his Armour and Accoutrements he would would make all Creatures Amazed Agasht at him What a hiddeous cry was there think you when the earth gaped so wide open to swallow up Corah Dathan and Abiram and their whole kindred and all that sided in that rebellion it swallowed up them their houses their tents their wives their children and all their substance Such would be and such is the astonishment of the soul where this Evil One this Antichrist as I may properly call him is discovered For herein is set before us the true Antichrist real Antichrist the Ugly deformed Person of Antichrist fO whom all Outward Antichrists are but the Picture take the Turke the Pope or Hereticks or who you will in this kind they are but the Symboles the Resemblance the Shadow of HIM Let the Ministers of Christ then look on their work they are called Embassadors let them look on their message and errand they are sent on and to whom they are sent Moses was a grown man in grace a man of Admirable parts skilled in all the Arts of the times he lived in the meekest man on earth therefore I conclude thence a grown man in grace as I shall touch by and by Yet when he was to grapple with Pharaoh a mighty King and But the
we see what A Great work it is To bring the soul out of Egypt spiritually and which is woâ—st of all That we with the Israelites after the Lord hath thus gloriously and triumphantly bâ—ought us forth that we should have so much as a look toward Egypt again or any inclination to be under Pharahs bondage again which desires of ours will certainly bring us nothing but sorrow and vexation we shall not get so soon to Canaan as otherwise we might but the Lord will exercise and sit us forty years in the wilderness Oh! the difficulty of the New-birth Oh! The Throwes Here is iron labour women if ye talk of iron labour and many times Throws to no purpose the child sticks somewhere in the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Here needs a skilful Midwife indeed a faithful practical Physician one that hath the Practick part as well as the Theorick or else the childe may miscarry But here is our comfort the work is in the hand of the Lord and this childe being designed for life shall 〈◊〉 miscarry though the birth be the worst of â—â—â—ths And as cross as cross may be Oh WONDER wonder That ever childeâ—hould â—hould be saved This simile the Apostle â—imself uses to the Galatians My beloved of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in you And Christ being once born in the soul then he grows and by degrees comes to perfection as it is said of him Luke 2. 52. And Iesus increased in wisdom and stature and favour with God and man then he begins to work all those miracles in our souls that he did in the flesh cures the blind casts out Devils blind and dumb so that we could not hear nor see nor believe our selves to be in this miserable condition we cannot See our selves in Egypt in bonds in slavery or if we see yet we are dumb we are not able to open our mouches to express our misery fain we would express what we feel but cannot utter it Therefore you shall find our Lord in one place mingling clay and spittle to anoint the eyes Iohn 9. 6. in another place opening the eyes of a poor blind man that cryed after him so that he would take no nay Iesus thou son of David have mercy on me Mark 10. 47. in another place Raising the dead in another place causing the poor lame Cripple to walk and dance and all sounding out his praise through all the Regions before they could not speak and now they cannot hold their peace but must proclaim what great things the Lord had done for them Out of Mary Magdalen he cast seven Devils and then she sate attentively at Christs feet to hear his words O Beloved Such words from such an experimental Teacher from such a faithful High-Priest who knows our condition as they are powerful so to an experimental soul they are as sweet as honey and more desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold His words were so sutable so aptly spoken to what she experimentally found in her own soul No marvel Mary sate so contented and quietly at Christs feet while Martha was troubled about many things and minded not so much her inward condition And though I have a little digrest yet I hope it is for yours and my good I could not but follow my thoughts and express them to you which came in of a sudden and beyond my premeditation Beloved seeing we are so full of these unclean spirits t is but necessary they should be cast out and that will be effected when our Saviour shall be pleased to cast them out and to do to us as he did here in the Text Rebuke him in us and bid him hold his peace and Come out of us for he hath the Onely power and strength to do it Therefore this Text may betermed a New And a true Divine EXORCISM let not the word offend you for Satanis here Conjured by Jesus Christ and commanded forth here needs none of the Papists fooleries no holy Water no Copes Vestments Adjurations Crucifixes Relicks Lights Candles nor any mumbling Mass-Priests nor Christned Bells Nay no use of ordinances nor all your duties can do it simply no t is Virtus the Power and Word of Christ that onely expels Sin and these foul spirits out of the soul not but that we should use the word of God and pray often to him that he would be pleased to exercise his power over these great and potent enemies And when he will please to work A short work hâ— will make of it when he pleaset to begin nothing shall stand up in his way and blessed shall we be when the Lord himself shall effect it for us for he doth it with two words here in the Text 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hold thy peace Come forth And therefore let us pray unto him and say Lord speak thou the word onely and thy servant shall be healed And Genesis 1. it was no more but one word Let there be light and Let there be a firmament c. and it was so and such is the power of God in the soul when ever he will arise and till then where is your power And note this also further that as our Saviour speaks by way of Authority and Rebuke unto Satan Come out of him So in this particular Satan counterfeits them in himself who will in all things turn himself into an Angel of light for he will sometimes in men silence himself and Rebuke himself and seem to help to destroy his own Kingdom but he doth it as Augustus Caesar once said of Rome Inveni lateritiam relinquam marmoream that is I found it built of mud and bricks but I will leave it of the hardest marble He seems to be cast out in one sin But he doth but change shapes to root himself the surer in another Shape he many times makes a Retreat but he doth it to take breath as I may so say to Rally up his forces for a stronger encounter And when the unclean spirit returns he enters with seven other spirits worse then himself So it is in many men Even by Beelzebub they cast out Devils as when outward respects and the fear of shame onely keeps them from some sins and exorbitances As many who love the upper end of the tables and the uppermost rooms at feasts Mat. 23. 6. but yet abstain some to avoid the cost others for fear of censure so divers do refrain from lust because they are afraid to lose their reputation and credit so many forbear to do actions of violence as Murther c. but t is for fear of the Law so also many forbear to be drunk because none but base people use it so many resrain themselves from committing whoredom for fear they should get noisome and infectious diseases so many turn religious and use constancy in duties of Religion publique and
the blessed Apostles and Disciples were brought to Oh! but where are such Disciples now where are your Great Doctors and your learned men Are they Doctors in this School of the Cross of Christ No no nothing less Are They Dead men Are They come to this to let others rejoyce in the heaping up riches And adding Land to Land and making themselves and their posterity great in the world These things should not concern Dead men And saith David again I am as a broken pitcher that can hold no water Just so is This man He is a broken pitcher that can hold Nothing Pour Riches into him Health Wealth Praise Honour or the contrary Whatever ye give to him or take from him He is all one if ye take his Cloak from him he will give you his Coat if ye strike him on the one cheek he cannot revenge He will rather turn the other Curse him and He will pray for you And all this he learns of his dear Saviour JESUS CHRIST And all this He hath attained by being united and by being made One with Him whose practise and Command you know it was so to do and whose Nature and life he partakes of knowing assuredly by experience That there is No other way to find rest to his soul But by forsaking his own will and living Free in the world and Dead unto it and to his own proper will and affections Oh Beloved How Happy and how Free doth such a soul live how at liberty and free from those Chains that most men are fettered with as love of Money and Honours and Houses and Lands Distracted with hopes on one hand and Fears on the other and are never at rest but are like the Troubled Sea tumbled this way and that way rolling to and again and never quiet But this Man is Delivered Set free from all such things What a comfort is it for a man to be made Willingly to leave the love of the world to live free and above all hopes and fears What a comfort is it not to fear death for this man dyes daily not to fear To Answer All our enemies in the gate to look boldly and undauntedly on Death on Satan as knowing them overcome and brought under what a comfort is it to Find See and Feel The life of Christ In Us and that we are in some measure and every day more and more made conformable to our Head And that we shall now for ever Overcome and be at Rest and Sit down with Him upon His Throne even as he is set down upon his Fathers Throne what a comfort is it to feel and see our graces Faith Hope and Patience And the rest to Revive to live and flourish which in former times flagged and dyed what a comfort is this To see That when either the North wind or the South wind blow Let him be in any kind of condition Yet His Garden prospers His Soul flourishes And the Spices thereof flow out and Christ and He To eat the pleasant fruits thereof To this man Nothing is a Rod to him Nothing a judgement Let God do what he will with him He can see no Anger no Frowns in any thing but all that comes is to Him Mercy and Loving kindness This is The Soul That lives with God and lives in God This soul is at Rest And none else But This Soul For he hath in pâ—rt Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven Possession of him Even while he is in the body which possession he knows he shall never be deprived of but shall have the FULL Possession and Enjoyment thereof for ever and ever In His Fathers due Time O my Dear Freinds To What A Blessed Tranquillity AND SERENENESS of SPIRIT Is This Soul Attained These are to Him BLESSED and HALCION DAIES Here end the SERMONS of JOHN EVERARD And All that can be of His Expected Here follow certain brief Collections out of some Sublime and Mortified Authors Translated out of Latin by Dr. Everard Hereunto Annexed to these Sermons as things suitable to His preaching and giving further light each to other viz. To him who is in the light 1. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. These two placed in the midst of this book the other six herefollow 2. The Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God 3. Dionysius the Areopagite his Mystical Divinity 4. Certain grave and notable sayings in Latin and English 5. The saying of a certain Divine of great note and name 6. A lovely glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ his life taken out of Taulerus his works 7. Another short Instruction out of the same Author 8. A short Dialogue between a Learned Divine and a Beggar THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite Converted by Paul the Apostle who did at Athens believe and cleave unto him ACTS 17. 34. Written to Timothy Translated into English By Dr. EVERARD JOB 36. 26. Behold God is great and we know him not ISA. 55. 6. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. LONDON Printed by Iohn Owsley for Rapha Hartford at the Bible and States Arms in Little Brittain 1657. THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite Written to Timothy CHAP. 1. What the Divine Mist or Darkness is OTRINITY That art above ESSENCE above GOD above Goodness the Governour of the Christians wisdom concerning God Vouchsafe to direct us to the More-then-unknown More-then-shining Highest-top of Mystical Oracles where the simple and absolute and unchangeable MYSTERIES of Divinity do Hide by the More-then-lightsome MISTINES of Secret-Teaching SILENCE in the Darkest Darkness Even Him that over-shineth That which is More-then-most-Glorious and under that which is utterly impalpable and invisible doth More-then-fill the blinded or Eye-less Mindes with More-then-fair Shinings 2. And these things I pray for but do thou O my friend Timothy by thy most intent study and exercise about MYSTICAL Visions leave and forsake thy senses and all sensible and intelligible things and thy mental operations and all things that are not and that are and after an unknown manner lift up and advance thy self to the Conjunction and Union with Him who is above all Essence and Knowledge for by a free and purely absolute departing from thy self and all things having separated all things and being freed and loosed from all things thou shalt be brought back to the Super-essential BEAM of the Divine Darkness 3. But take heed that none of them that are not Entred or Initiated in our MYSSERIES do hear these things I mean such as are still detained and holden in the things that are and do imagine nothing to be super-essentially above the things that are but presume by their own knowledge to understand HIm that maketh DARKNES his Secret place And if these Divine Institutions concerning Mystical things be above Them what is to be said of such as are yet more strangers and
the souls Teacher she is still turning aside to the creatures p. 97. A sweet illustration thereof by a comparison p. 99 c. If we love Iesus Christ love will not suffer us to be our own but his p. 104. The heads of a Sermon on Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to â—at of the Hidden Manna c. ALL the words of God have not onely a dead letter but a living sense in all ages alike p. 109. Overcomers do eat this Hidden Manna and these that eat overcome p. 110. Three things laid down to understand the text 1. All the seven promises to the Churches though diversly exprest are but one and the same thing in it self p. 111. 2. They all imply that which is here began in this life and to be perfected in that to come p. 113. 3. Not one promise to be understood according to the letter yet the letter undeniably true p. 115. As Gods wayes not like mans so not his Covenants nor Knowledge nor Love nor Hatred Election or Reprobation c. p. 118. Mans foolish wisdom would square out God like unto himself else not own him nor his wayes p. 110. Which things should have been enlargâ—d because therein there are so many mistakes but time prevented ib. A Sermon on Jer. 6. 13. From the least of them even to the greatest every one is given to covetousness c. THe whole house of Israel Accused Condemned of Covetousness p. 122. This Indictment includes 1. Fault 2. Extent 3. Intention 4. Râ—proof Sentence p. 122. Covetousness hard to be uncased it ever wears a cloak p. 124 A competency ought to be the limitation of our desires A Question answered what is sufficient or a a competency p. 125 c. Wherein Covetousness consists 1. Eager desires 2. Inordinate love p. 126. The covetous man known 1. By his course of life p. 127. 2. By his Company p. 128. 3. By his Breath ibid. 4. He can dispense with any sin p. 129. 5. He is a man of all arts or no art ibid. The Covetous and Covetousness in Scripture rankt with the vilest sinners and sins p. 131. No Saint read of in Scripture though stained with other sins yet not with this and why ihid c. Covetousness the breach of all the Commandments shewed particularly 136 to 148. 2. Head the Extent t is Epidemical p. 149. How particulaâ—ly to 1. Kings ibid. 2. Noblemen ibid. 3. Rich men p. 150. 4. Learned men ibid. 5. Wise men ibid. 6. Poor men p. 151. 3. Head the intention which is the greatest aggravation They give themselves up to it p. 153. 4. Head the Puâ—ishment of this sin of Covetousness p. 155. First The peculiar plagues are either 1. In his body p. 157. 2. In his goods ibid. 3. In his posterity ibid. 4. In his soul ibid. Secondly in Gods denying them the use p. 159. Depriving them of the possession ibid. Six Remediâ—s 1. Faith p. 163. 2. Sobriâ—â—y ibid. 3. Tâ—mperance ibid. 4. Abandon conceit of contâ—nt in them ibid. 5. Compare if ye are able and view them with the true riches p. 165. 6. Pray for a right knowledge of both ibid. A brief Exposition occasioned by singing Psal. 148. THere is a threefold siâ—ging with the lips with the spirit and with understanding we may sing with lips and with zeal as the Aposâ—le saith of knowledge yet not with understanding p. 167 c. Two things in this Psalm hard to be undâ—rstood p. 168. 1. That David doth exhort unreasonable creatures to praise God ibid. 2. That he calls upon the deepâ— and seas and all vegetative and inanimate creatures to do this dâ—ty ibid. Some Reasons given in answer viz. four p. 169. How even the dumb and deaf creatures sing aloud Gods praise p. 170. Wherein these creatures may be said to have Religion p. 171. Religion of men consists of four parts and how agreeing to the creatures p. 172. 1. A Creed and therein they give testimony to some of his Attributes ibid. 2. Petition p. 176. 3. A Decalogue p. 178. 4. Sacrifice p. 179. Uses 1. To make us ashamed of our backwardness to this duty p. 180. 2. To take notice of the vast circumference of Gods Kingdom ibid. 3. To go boldly to God in the name of Jesus Christ p. 181. 4. To look upon all the Creatures as Angels on Iacobs Ladder ascending and descending according to his commission p. 182. 5. Because it is impossible to find out the â—â—finiteness of Gods praise by all creatures therefore to take notice they all cry Plus ultra look beyond us p. 183. 6. Take heed of abusing any creature t is enough that we may use them ibid. A Sermon on Luke 2. 40. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdâ—m and the grace of God was upon him THe words contain 1. A History 2. A Mystâ—ry p. 187. The History brief and shews onely the truth of Christ his Humane nature Hypostatically united to the Divinity ibid c. That which is more material is the Mystery p. 189. The Letter of the Scripture kills and how p. 191. What imitable actions Christ wrought in the days of hâ—s flesh he works stil spiritually the other though wrought for us yet do us no good except these also be wrought iâ— us p. 193 c. Where we may in pâ—rt take a view of the glory of the great City the Holy Ierusalem spoken of Rev. 21. and what the 12 gates represented p. 196. The Kingdom of God is within us and whereever he is pleased to unvail his glorious presence p. 197. All these things hid to those that stick or rest in the Letter yet the letter not to be neglected p. 200 c. The Apostle his undervaluing Ordinances duâ—ies yea the knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ if they keep us from Christ p. 205. A caution not to make Idols of Ordinances p. 209. Yet high raptures sometimes questionable p. 210. Instances in Baptism p. 211. The Apostles consultation and message to the weak believers Acts 18. p. 213. How the Apostle carries this point very high Gal. 4. 1 2. p. 215. This point pressed in two respects 1. In regard of the Mâ—thods of Satan with men p. 217. 2. From the deception of some pretending to be high in Christianity because much in literal knowledge when indeed they are but Pigmyes and Novices ibid. Appearing in preferring faith 1. Acquired before faith infused p. 219. 2. Implicit before expliâ—iâ— ibid. 3. Formed before all these ibid. 4. In making temporal blessings the main of their desires and prayers though professing the contrary p. 220. After what manner grown Christians pray for temporal blessings p. 222. Four several affirmations by the Author concerning praying for temporal blessings p. 224. Three dâ—grees of the excellency of prayer ibid. Which Honouâ—able p. 229. More Honorable ibid. Most Honorable and that which wears the Crown above all and to pâ—ess to attain the last
as the best and most excellent ibid. Two Sermons on Exod. 3. 6. the first six verses Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law and he led them to the back side of the Desart And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in the midst of a bush c. THis is one of the grâ—atest miracles in the whole Scriptures p. 232. This History and Miracle concerns us now as much as the Israelites then p. 233. The Spirit magnified above the Letter p. 237 The truth couched under parables p. 240. The infinite condescension of God to become weak to the weak p. 242. The depth of the true word is imployment for Men and Angels for Eternity p. 244. Why Moses and the Patriarchs are taken such notice of that they were Shepherds p. 246. What the life of a true Shepherd is and why preferred before Husbandmâ—n p. 248. Moses led the flock into the desart before God appeared to him so must we foâ—sake the world or God will not manifest himself p. 250 c. Whether Miracles be ceased now oâ— no an ignorant question p. 253. Greater miracles done in accomplishing the truth of miracles then in the type or shadow p. 254. Yet this a mighty miracle in the letter but the mystery a miracle far transcending p. 255. How suitable Iacobs Vision of the Ladder reaching to heaven was to him and so this miracle to encourage Moses so the great work he was to go about p. 255. Why the Almighty is somâ—times termed an angel and why angels were worshipped in the Old Testament and St. Iohn forbidden p. 258 God not more present in heaven then in earth p. 260 c. God is to be worshipped as present in all places and in all creatures p. 265. The error of the Papists in worshipping Images condemned and why ibid. Hence a ground to interpret that saying of our Saviour Their Angels alwayes behold the face of their father c. p. 268. The use and Application from the foregoing truths p. 269 c. The second Sermon on the same Text. THe life of a Shepherd and of a Husbandman further explained p. 27â— The life of a Husbandman not condemned but a Shepherds life prâ—ferred before it p. 276. Going into the Dâ—sart not meant of forsaking all things actually but in aâ—fection and using them as if we used them not p. 280. The reason of all mens unquietness p. 283. The way to understand the vision is to put off our shoes from our feet as Moses and what that means p. 285. Men as men can comprehend nothing but what is within their own sphere of reason p. 288. Something about the name and nature of angels ibid. Every beam of the Divinity is an Angel p. 294. Christ the Substance of all types and visions p. 296. The true interpretation of visions and types from God alone p. 297. He that can see God thus cannot so far fear any creature nor any cross or death it self p. 298. The wonderfulness of the vision opened p. 300. Making known Jesus Christ is the business of all creatures of all men and all ages p. 302. The substance of this vision is Jesus Christ he is that fire that burns and changeth all things but not himself ibid c. He weighs the mountains and measures the waters he alters all things yet preserves the substance entire so that nothing is lost p. 304 c. How Gods will and theirs harmonize and coincide to whom God hath shewed this vision p. 308. They cannot find fault with anything God doth but they see one spirit moving and guiding all actions of men and creatures through heaven and earth p. 310. Vain man as his ignorance so his wisdom is to stoop and bow before the Almighty p. 311. He that looks no further then the letter of the vision he sees not these mighty things p. 312. But he that doth he sees Jesus Christ not onely changing all things but how at last he shall change our vile bodies ta make them like his glorious body p. 315. The substance of several Sermons on Mark 1. 25 26. And Iesus rebuked him saying Hold thy peace and come out of him and when the unclean spirit had torn him and cryed with a loud voyce he came out of him THe Text divided as Paul diâ—ides a man into body soul and spirit p. 318. Six morall observations onely named from the soul or letter of the Text not stood upon ibid c. Nothing absolutely evil but sin and nothing perfectly good but God p. 323. Obâ—â—r 7. That Christ is stronger then the Devil though he seem weaker and lets the Devil sometimes prevail in the world more then himself p. 324. Distinctions in the will of God as Revealed Secret Permissiv Ephes. 4. 17 18. Luke 10. 42. Phil. 3. 8. Heb. 4. 12. Gal. 6. 14. 1 Pet. 4. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Jer. 17. 9. Ephes. 4. 21. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Exod. 26. 33. 2 Cor. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 6. 5. Rev. 22. 2 Ephes. 6. 12. Ezeâ— 13. 18. Mich. 3. 5. Heb. 6. 1 2. Rev. 1. 10. Isa. 5. 20. Isa. 2. 22. James 5. 17. Rom. 7. 18. Gal. 2. 20. Acts 3. 12. Rom. 7. 20. Acts 26. 18. Psal. 26. 9. Dan. 9. 7. Mat. 7. 2. Mat. 7. 11. Jer. 31. 33 34. Luke 14. 35. Luke 2. 12. Luke 4. 22. Rev. 8. 1. Rev. 3. 16. John 4. 11. John 6. 60. Mat. 13. 36. Num. 22. 28. Ps. 51. 15. Mat. 9. 49. Isa. 10. 17. Mal. 3. 2. Mat. 5. 29. 30. 2 Pet. 3. 7. Joh. 11. Isaiah 20. 3. and Joel 2. 10. Acts 26. 18. Exod. 19. 16. Hos. 2. 19. Mat. 26. 39. Heb. 12. 29. Col. 4. 6. Prov. 16. 21. Eccl. 8. 1. Mat. 5. 13. Heb. 2. 11. Mat. 5. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 4. 5. 1 Cor. 1. 13. Mat. 5. 14. Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 8. 12. Lev. 6. 13. Lev. 2. 13. Num. 18. 19. 2 Kings 2. 21. Ezek. 16. 4. Job 16. 4. Gen. 27. Mat. 3. 17. Mat. 1. 24. Mat. 13. 34. Prov. 15. 23. Psal. 119. Rea. Hos. 13. 9. Luke 10. 34. Reas. 2. Psal. 38. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Reas. 3. 2 Chro. 13. 5. Numb 18. 19. Mal. 3. 6. Psal. 102. 26. Ps. 139. 4. Rev. 3. 14. Heb. 1. 3. Col. 1. 17. Heb. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 51. Mat. 18. 1â— Psal. 104. 3. Col. 1. 15 17. 1 Cor. 7. 31. Heb. 13. 8. Heb. 6. 19. Joh. 1. Rev. 19. 13. Col. 1. 15. Object Luk. 14. 34 35. Maâ— 9. ult Answ. Exod. 16. 18. Prov. 30. 4. Job 12. 7. Gen. 28. 17. Psal. 18. 11 c. Psal. 18. Eph. 6. 12. Psal. 15. Psal. 24. Hab. 1. 2. Rom. 10. 7. Ioh. 1. 26. Gen. 18. 27. Psal. 12. 4. Job 12. Isa. 20. James 4. 13. Isa. 9. 9. Hos. 13. 9. Rom. 12. Mat. 24. 49. Ioh. 9. 41. Mat. 24. â—0 Isa. 2. 18. Gen. 19. 35. 2 Cor. 13. 15. Isa. 46. 10. Jer. 48. 11. Psal. 62. 11. 46. 2. Job 42. 5. Jude 1â—