his own disposal In all which the Soul ought to follow its Leader to march when he says March and to rest when he says Rest be it Night or be it Day Winter or Summer even as the Hosts of Israel gave obedience to the Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by Night 20. And indeed so necessary is the resignation of the Conduct of this Trial into the hands of our Lord that altho it is no other than a more full subduing the Arm of Flesh in us to a more close Union with him and a departing from our Loss and Dross for his Righteousness yet I do think it is not the Duty of any to seek to hasten it because so doing must proceed from a Confidence in our own Strength in undergoing it or a Presumption we have so well kept the Word of his Patience as in the Merit thereof we have obliged him to keep us in the Hour of Temptation But rather to pray it may not come upon us yet watch for it and having so done to rejoice in it when it comes as then knowing it is not from our selves but of God who sees fit to try and purify us as Silver in the Fire And this I gather from these Scriptures First Christ bid his Apostles Watch and pray that ye fall not into Temptation Which Saying was in the same hour the great Trial of the Cross took hold of him And again the same hour he prayed the Father That this Cup might pass from him if possible yet with resignation Not my Will be done but thine in which as in all things we ought to imitate him And again he hath taught us to pray that Our Father which is in Heaven would not lead us into Temptation by which I take it this Trial or Warfare is meant because God * There are sundry kinds of Temptations Two wherein Men tempt God the first distrusting him as where the Israelites tempted God in the Wilderness Can he prepare a Table in the Wilderness Is God among us And 2dly in presuming upon his Goodness to the neglect of our Duty as Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Mat. 4. Which was our Lord's reply to Satan tempting him to a presumptuous Exploit Also two befall Men One from God as he tempted Abraham which is not seducing or alluring to evil but a Trial how far we can deny all things even Isaac and the Promise for him The other from Satan or our Lusts alluring to Sin And thus God never tempts as 't is written Jam. 13. Let no Man say he is tempted of God for he cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any Man but a Man is tempted when he is drawn away with his own Lust and enticed A third also of this kind may be admitted tho indeed but made up of both the other namely where the holy Spirit leads or drives one to give an opportunity to be tempted and Satan and Lust lays hold of it and enticeth to evil as our Lord who was tempted in all things like us was led or as St. Mark was driven by the Spirit to be tempted of Satan But now in the great Trial all these come at once for when God saith Now is the fit hour of this or that Man's Trial the Spirit leads him forth and Sin and Lust lay their Snares But altho God may be said to tempt or prove as he did Abraham yet it is in a certain particular Vnderstanding for he as St. James saith tempteth no Man because the root and matter of the Temptation ariseth from our own Lusts or Infirmities As in Abraham tho Father of the Faithful yet was it the weakness of Faith and too great confidence in the Promise of Isaac in a fleshly Interpretation that gave the Strength and Occasion of his Temptation for if he had been perfect in Faith the Sacrifice had neither been a Trial nor had a Trial been needful because no room for Distrust or if he had not had some carnal Hopes in Isaac which God would remove there had been no need of withdrawing his Hope and fixing all Hope in God alone And therefore God rather tempted Abraham premissively than actively that in the Trial his Faith might be strengthned and carnal Hopes abolished And surely God never tempts Man otherwise By a similitude I express my meaning thus The Dugnhil while the pure and spotless Beams of the Sun shine upon it doth more abundantly thrust forth its noisom and loathsom Stinks than in its own Nature as temperant yet doth not the Sun make or augment them but only by operating and rarifying that filthy Nature in it gives it power of sending forth its Corruption more abundantly so as neither doth the Sun cause the Stink nor without it could the Dunghil so send it forth And so I say the Sun of our Righteousness deals with Dunghil-Natures not tempting them by the influences of his pure and holy Spirit but whiles it stirs up to Life and Activity they produce such effects of Corruption as are original and inbred in them tempteth not in any other manner for he doth not entice or allure to Evil but only tries and proves So that when God tempts he proves and when Satan tempts he allures to evil Whence I say we ought alway to have it in our Prayers that God would not prove or try us by Temptation but still to be diffident of our selves to fear that even when we think we stand fastest we may fall But having thus besought and being thus armed with this humble Diffidency if then God will lead us to be tried we ought cheerfully and couragiously to take up the Cross because then we go not in our own virtue but his and have his Promise he will stand by us as is written Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience therefore will I keep thee in the Hour of Temptation which must come upon the whole World to try them that live upon earthly things And so shall such be blessed in their Trial as is written Jam. 1.2 Brethren count it all Joy when you fall into divers Temptations knowing that the Trial of your Faith worketh Patience And let Patience have its perfect Work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing And again vers 12. Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to those that love him But let no Man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God See the Margin And in another place Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have Tribulation ten days but be faithful unto Death even the Death of the Cross and I will give you a Crown of Life And it is remarkable that upon such like Trials as these God hath where the Fight hath been well fought poured in
to exalt the Spirit and in this we wrestle against Principalities and Wickedness in Heavenly Places Then Satan's Interest was to uphold Vows Merit in Touch not taste not c. to persuade that the Spirit was a meer Chymaera or Sound only heard in deluded Ears and now he cries up the Spirit as all pure and perfect that it doth not nay cannot lust after Envy upright in all its ways and no Word or Work or Way holy or acceptable without it be its simple Act and so the Reason Sense and Body are esteemed vile things and the Service odious to God And thus Satan wrests to every extreme our Minds and Christ in his Bounty so defeats this old Serpent the Deceiver as in the first Warfare presumptuous Flesh is beaten down and under the Gospel the Spirit apt to be puffed up is humbled that all things both in Heaven and Earth in Soul and Body might bow to the exalted Name of Christ yea that every thing which is proud or exalts it self may be brought down and that he that glories may find nothing to glory in save Christ alone and lastly that the Spirit upheld in its Humiliation by the Spirit of the high-exalted Name may uphold the Body and the Body minister to the Soul until it become a fit Temple for the holy Spirit to dwell in and that Christ at his coming may find us perfect in Soul in Body and in Spirit 9. And lest some might take it amiss that now in our Gospel-day the Worship whereof consists in Spirit and Truth we should speak of a Warfare against the Spirit and of an acceptable Service from the Body I shall explain my self a little further First I say our Lord doth not teach that this Worship is of Spirit only but Spirit and Truth and against them united there is no Law For this In Spirit and Truth implies a Worship where the very Spirit of Truth is present and assisting the Spirit of Man and helping its Infirmities which Spirit also dwelleth in us and is that which raiseth up Christ and also that quickens our mortal Bodies and therefore to subdue this Spirit were to reject God and Good in as deep Rebellion and Blasphemy as the Angels reserved to Blackness and Darkness ever did But there are two other Spirits one of God and yet is not his very immediate Spirit aforesaid of which the beloved Apostle thus Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits if they are of God for many false Prophets and consequently Spirits are gone forth Hereby we know that Spirit which is of God the Spirit that confesseth Christ is come in the Flesh is of God That Spirit which confesseth not so is not of God but of Antichrist Whence observe two Spirits one of God another not of him Secondly Consider that Confession which distinguisheth these Spirits namely Christ in the Flesh which cannot be meant of an historical Confession because also confessing must have had that Spirit of God and verily it is incompatible with the outward Profession to deny the History as far as concerns Flesh and Blood nor amongst those various Delusions touching his Nature which went abroad few or none held that Opinion Again the Spirit which denies this is the Spirit of Antichrist Now Antichrist doth not deny Christ in the Flesh but rather supposeth that he is extant as Flesh in the Bread to this day And lastly to make this the Caracter were to make Antichrist a Pagan which he is not but rather the Spirit which historically confesseth both God and Christ and sets up it self against them And this is that Spirit which in this Warfare ought to be made to bow the Knee And forasmuch as the Apostle affirms that this Spirit is of Antichrist the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition the best way to discern it is to apply to a fuller description of them 2 Thess 2.4 Who opposeth God and exalteth himself above all called God or that is worshipped So that he sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And now this must be a Spiritual Wickedness set in high Places usurping Authority in the Temple of God which Temple we are and the Spirit i.e. of God dwelleth in it 1 Cor. 3.16 And again Chap. 6.19 Your Body is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own for ye are bought with a Price Wherefore glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's And now I ask what this which is spiritual Wickedness can be but the Spirit of Man lusting after Evil deluded by the Spirit of Satan whose first and original Crime was to make himself equal with God and shall again once more shew his foolish Pride as in the description of Antichrist is further shewn Ibid. vers 9. Whose Coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and lying Wonders and with all deceivableness of Vnrighteousness in them who perish because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved And for this Cause God gave them up to strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie and that they might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in Vnrighteousness And besides this Text the holy Writers give sundry Admonitions to beware of the Pride and Deceitfulness of our own Spirits Jam. 4.5 Do you think the Scripture saith in vain The Spirit which dwelleth in you lusteth to Envy Which is a double Proof First as from James secondly as another Scripture cited by him tho perhaps we find it not So our Lord Ye know not what Spirit ye are of 1 Tim. 4.1 In the latter times shall come seducing Spirits and Doctrine of Devils 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of the Flesh and of the Spirit perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God Mal. 2.15 Therefore take ye heed to your Spirits and let none deal treacherously with the Wife of his Youth see also ver 16. Where the Spirit refers to the Man or Spirit of Teaching and the Wife to Obedience as in the Allegory afore-mentioned and from the Context is as much as The Spirit and Wife are one Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end they may bring forth Seed or Children to God and therefore let the Spirit beware it deal not perfidiously with the chast Form of Obedience that is go a whoring after strange Forms So as a Man's Spirit is as his Heart deceitful setting up spiritual Wickedness in high Places and dresseth them in so specious Forms of Light as who can find them out For doubtless to discern its workings from those of the Holy Spirit is me judging above measure difficult and few or none who do not sometimes mistake that for this And therefore we ought to take heed to our Spirits and above all to supplicate the Father of Spirits whom foul Spirits obey that himself would watch over them For in vain do the
of trial and in all other manner of Substance make thy self empty and know that thy Beloved is not only bountiful in giving but hath inexhaustible stores of all manner of good things so as though he gave mountains yet shall his store Houses be no emptier and therefore let not thy Poverty affright thee but rather embolden thee for what is poor shall be filled with durable riches what is cloathed in simple white shall be cloathed upon with Immortality what is empty shall be filled with all manner of pleasant and good things Consider the first Earth in its deformity and now behold the beautiful Structure raised out of it was it not empty dark confused a non Ens and did not the first seat of the same Master-Builder call forth the beautiful Light out of a darkness far more black than that of Egypt also the Air Sun Moon and Stars and many more heavenly Bodys without count and lastly the Soul of Adam all good beautifull innocent And whence now may we suppose he got these large stores with which he hath filled and beautified all these was it not out of himself did not his Word beget all and his Will bring all forth Can Infinity which fills all places and is all things seek to places or things for something it hath not Can he that hath no bounds step out of his own Territories to snatch and catch at somthing he wants in anothers bounds Therefore it must be him even thy Lord and Husband in whom all fulness dwels still abounding still running over Fear not threfore thou poor empty Spouse for thy emptyness is thy Innocence thy Innocence thy Rigtheousness thy Righteousness thy Beauty and thou art fairest among Women and thy Creator is thy Husband he is espousing thee in everlasting Love he will give thee of his own Grace for Grace Beauty for Beauty Glory for Glory and all he requires of thee is that thou take them not of due but of his own free Goodness and bounty and now let none deceive thee of thy reward 37. Who doth these things shall never be moved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever or until Eternity or most properly in or until the Age but the Hebrew word as also the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being of great mystery and to long to be discoursed here and the English giving a well agreeing Paraphraise we shall close with it And now that which is the last close of all fitly falls in with the last exposition he that doth these things that is that attaineth the wedding Garment shall in the day of his Espousals be so closely united with his immutable Creator as neither hight nor depth things present or to come shall be able to remove him as is writ I give unto them Eternal Life they shall never perish nor shall any pluck them out of my hands and if Christ was thus Zealous for his Sheep not yet passed over with him into regeneration how much more for them espoused unto him in everlasting Love 38. Before we conclude we shall resite the two other Sister Texts and to avoid prolixity in exposition give them in a brief Paraphrase yet with respect to the Hebrism and first minding that Psal 24.3 doth in a more peculiar manner refer to the Warfare of the Cross And Isa 33. To the Tryal by Fire yea verily so like are these wayes and proceedings as what is said truly of one is applicable to both and some Scriptures as Mat. 24. seem to refer interchangably to both and indeed the chief difference seems to be in the subject matter upon which they work For the Trial of the Cross is in opposition to the pride of the Arm of Flesh in outward carnal Idolatry and the trial by Fire is against Spiritual pride and wickedness in highth or as the Original is heavenly places 39. Psal 24.3 Runs thus Who shall dwell in the pleasant Contemplation of Salvation Sanctification and future Glory with thee until thou having subdued our Lusts wilt bring us into the Nuptial Chamber arrayed in white Who is he that shall find a covering for his Sins under typical Signs and Seals until the avenger of bloods Commission is expired he whose hands are clean from blood oppression and bribes whose Heart is free from Hypocrisy whose Soul is meek and humble not carried away with lies or vain hopes in its own righteousness and sweareth in yea yea nay nay to his Sheepherd and Friend and keeps his Oath religiously and faithfully this man shall never be moved Blessing from the Lord and Righteousness from his Saviour he shall receive Of these the Generation of the new birth consists them that walk in thy wayes O thou Wrestler with Angels Lift up your heads O ye strait and terrible Gates and be you lifted up ye Doors of Hulam the hidden Age and Messiah shall come in Who is this Messiah He is all Glorious he is Lord of Hosts mighty in Battle subduing all things Now this is a manifest Prophesy of the passing over from the Legal Holy Place to the Church of the new born in Christ referring to the strait Gate and narrow Path leading to eternal Life 40. Isa 33.9 Thus the Body Soul and Spirit and all the lofty things of nature are whithered and now saith Christ I will return and will exalt and raise up the withered Soul c. But first he will convince you that your righteousness is chaff and your works stubble and out of the Spirit a fire shall proceed which shall burn up the dross of your works wrought in Silver and lay your hay and stubble in Ashes 12. They shall be as burnt Lime as Superstition cast into the consuming Fire they crackle and consume 13. Hear ye that are without ye not gathered within my pale what wonders I have done and ye that are near fighting the Good fight in your inwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know ye my might 14. A Sinner though shrouded in Sion my holy Mountain shall fear in Pachad servile fear Trembling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall surprise the Hypocrite Who is he that shall sojourn in the Baptism by Fire Who is he that shall abide the fiery Trial 15. He walking in Tammin and working in the Righteousness of Christ contemning riches gotten by Usury not working for servile hireling wages but is supported in all his painfull labour by the love and bounty of his Beloved At the name of persecution he stoppeth his Ears and shutteth his Eyes lest sin and vanity should enter by them This man shall dwell in the City which is above a Rock shall be the foundation of his Bulwark and God will appoint Salvation for the Walls thereof hidden Mannah shall be his food and of the Waters of Life he shall drink 17. The King of Glory he shall see in the beauty af Holyness The Holy Land of the rest of God he shall behold a far off And thus this elegant Prophet set forth in few Words what
that Death and giving Life Eternal The second part of the Parallel hath respect unto their Houses Now Moses's House was a dead Tabernacle the Service of which stood in the sprinkling of Blood Meats Drinks and external Ordinances but Christ's Temple is built of living Stones a living House a Service in Spirit and Truth an holy Priesthood a chosen Generation even the Hearts of the Elect in which God himself vouchsafes to dwell And hence often the Elect Church is called the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 6.19 Eph. 2.20 c. From whence how great the preeminence of the Antitype over the Type is in part appears and also how part of the Question of David is Evangelically to be understood 17. The next Scripture is Heb. 5.5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-Priest that is after the order of Aaron but he that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Before Christ was compared with Moses who was the Legislator and Prophet and now with Aaron the Administrator of the Sin-covering Ordinances where the difference is that Aaron was but a Servant that could make nothing perfect but every day offered Sacrifice to keep in remembrance the hope of a full Mediation to come but Christ is a Son a beloved Son in whom fully and in whom alone God was well pleased who needed not daily to offer Sacrifice first for his own Sin and then for the Peoples but at once by offering up himself wrought Salvation to the uttermost And whereas the other Priests were often removed by Death Christ's Priesthood is eternal according to the Order of Melchisedec without beginning without end of days King of Righteousness King of Peace Look Heb. 8.5 6. 9.7 8 c. But that which most fully reacheth our intention is Heb. 11.18 For we are not come to the Mount which might not be touched and that burned with Fire nor unto Blackness Darkness and Tempest and the sound of the Trumpet and Voice of Words which they that heard desired that the Word should be spoken to them no more And so terrible was the Sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake But you are come to Mount Zion and unto the City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable Company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judg of all and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling which speaketh better things than the Blood of Abel See ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much less shall we escape if we turn from him that speaketh from Heaven Now I say this Scripture fully answers our end states the Parallel shews the Gospel's preheminence and sets before us David's Question in the first part in its Evangelical Glory For this Mount that might not be touched was Sinai where Mountain-Worship gave up the Scepter to the Tabernacle and at this time were the Ten Commandments and Measures of the Tabernacle and all its Vessels given to Moses with this Charge See thou make all things according to the Patern shewed thee in the Mount And the Blackness Tempest and Majestick Voice of Words shew that awful Yoak which Jehovah in the Counsel of his Will thought fit to impose upon his Elect People only allowing a hiding-place in the Tabernacle till the evil day was past And on the other hand the Heavenly Jerusalem the General Assembly of the First-born from the Dead and Spirits of Just Men made perfect are those which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb and are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night So as the Tabernacle of Moses is become the Elect Church of the First-born and the purifyings and washings thereof changed for that fulling Soap which can make the Spirits of just Men perfect and the Wings of the covering Cherub are made a hiding-place which can save to the uttermost and which is more give a Kingdom which can never be shaken For they that are dead to Tabernacle-Worship are hid Col. 3.3 with Christ in God and when Christ their Life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in Glory So as the first part of David's Question in the mouth of the Followers of Christ is Lord who is he that thou wilt raise from Death and making his Spirit perfect wilt hide in the Bosom of thy Christ until he and they appear in that Glory he had with thee before Time was 18. Now concerning the latter part of the Question it must also be in the same manner sought after Now the Beauty of Mountain-Worship consisted in those Graces wherein the Worshippers were Types of Christ And first Noah figured him as he was the Preacher of Righteousness and forewarned of the Evil to come for it was not the Man Noah that preached to the Spirits then in Prison but Christ then figuratively spake by him 1 Pet. 3.18 whereby the World was condemned and only eight Persons saved But in the fulness of time Christ preached himself was heard seen and handled filling the Poor and Hungry with good things made the broken Hearts whole gave deliverance to Captives Luke 4.18 Eyes to the Blind and Light to them which sate in Darkness published the acceptable Year of the Lord to all Nations and Languages and teaching the Mystery of Salvation laid open a sure Path to the innumerable Companies of the Church of the Living God and to the making perfect the Spirits of Just Men. So also the Waters of Noah was a Type of Baptism by Water not as putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the Baptism of Christ was with the Holy-Ghost giving the Answer of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3.20 21. Again Noah taught a reverential Fear of God but Christ perfect Love And Abraham the next Heir of Grace was a Type of Christ as both were Fathers of the Faithful but he according to the Flesh and Christ according to the Spirit And Abraham tho every where justly celebrated for his never-failing Faith yet so far did Legal Faith fall short of Evangelical as Abraham only attained to offer up the Promise in Isaac and by Faith to receive him in a Figure Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4.1 2. Gal. 3.6 9. Heb. 11.17 But Christ freely and really that is not in a figure offered up himself to an ignominious Death bore the Wrath of God kindled by our Sins and pacified it by his Blood obtained the promised Glory and made us Co-heirs thereof Again Abraham left his Country and by Faith followed God he knew not whither but Christ left his Possessions in Heaven
Conscience stands firm and quick it will not fail to detect all its Sorceries To speak out of my own experience it hath already manifested four of its gross Deceits Of the first in the day of Vocation for until then it shews not the depths of its Craft because all Men by Nature set forth into the World much leavened with the Love Lusts and Vanities of the Flesh and as long as the Soul is content to take part with it in wallowing in Sin so long the Heart troubleth not the Soul nor Satan the Heart because his desires prosper in that way which is most pleasing to him because most destructive to Souls neither will he tempt in this State to Superstition or Idolatry because it makes better for his end that neither God nor Religion should come within his thoughts But if the Soul shall become sensible of this Bondage and threaten to leave Egypt that it may sacrifice to God in the Wilderness then the Heart leavened by Satan sets on foot all its Stratagems and if God in favour of the Design raise up a Moses in it and smite the Heart with some noisom Plague or Affliction it cannot bear it makes shew of Repentance and promiseth that if God will remove his Hand it will become a true Leige-man but no sooner is that taken away but it hardens it self as Pharaoh did and will not consent that the Elect Seed shall depart out of its Slavery until the ten Egyptian Plagues have passed upon it for in that Story the Conflicts of the Spiritual and Natural Seeds upon Vocation are shewn in Allegory The second is That after the Soul is manumitted by a strong hand the Heart also enters into Covenant taking upon it the Oath of a holy Life and promising to perform all that Jehovah commands but yet upon the first strait or want murmurs starts aside like a broken Bow oft wishing it self in the Pleasures of Egypt again as sometimes the Sons of Israel did for God will put Trials on his called Ones in the first Journeying and these are to teach us to beware of the like Evils as it is written Now all these things happened unto them for example the original Types and are written for our Admonition upon whom the ends of the World i.e. Age are come Another Admonition we have in good Peter whose Heart being warmed with Love to his Master strait way boasted And though all should be offended with thee yet will not I vehemently affirming that he could die with him rather than deny him and doubtless the good old Man intended to do all he professed but so far his false Heart deceived him as on the appearance of Danger he denied his Master thrice before the next Cock's Crow was finished Which also serves for our Instruction fore-warning us not to boast in our own Strength always to distrust our Hearts and if perchance we be overtaken in Peter's Snares that we may with him renew our selves by bitter Tears The next Deceitfulness of the Heart is now when it entred on the Rule and whole Course of Obedience and persuades it-self its Works are upright before God and done upon the pure Principle of Love towards God and Man but indeed is meerly hypocritical moving upon mercenary hope of Reward or a base servile fear of Punishment not loving Justice and Mercy for Christ's sake not doing good to others for love of them but because they love themselves and hope to be Gainers by their Gift And this I fear is a frequent Evil as Experience teaches for whose was once zealous in Obedience in Duties and Charity and after upon the Incomes of Grace and hope that the Scourge is over becomes cold and remiss therein let them boast of what new Light and Gospel-Liberty they please they will be found Hypocrites Bastards and not Sons and so they may behold themselves in the Glass of their own Conscience For if the Command for Duties be still the same and thy Brother in want as before and thou shalt not communicate in both as formerly where is thy Love or Obedience and how were they formerly sincere No assuredly because thy Fear of Punishment is vanished so also Love and nothing more certain than that it was founded upon some base Foundation And thus the false Heart makes many play the Hypocrite persuading that those Hypocritical Sacrifices were acceptable to God which were verily little better than Swine's Blood And therefore here is great need of watching over the Buddings of the Heart and if upon this account Zeal or Charity languish it ought to be brought before the Judg and its Hypocrisy manifested and that if possible that may be renewed which was ready to die And if this be not done by thy self be assured that he that searcheth the Heart and Reins rendring to every one according to the Fruits of their working will do it and appoint thy portion amongst the Hypocrites But now the fourth and last Treachery of the Heart is whilst it is indeed zealous and perhaps competently faithful in these Duties and pretends that all its performances are as Dross and Dung and i◠〈◊〉 uprofitable â—â—rvant and therefore hath no dependence in them but sâ—â—ply on free Grace but nevertheless doth in its secret thoughts say Soul take thy rest for thou hast much Riches laid up for many Years And this is a sore Evil and frequent and thus Experience discovers it If the Heart say to the Soul Take thy rest there is assuredly some shreds of it but if it say to another who fears the Lord and walks by the Rule whereunto it hath attained Get thee far from me for I am more righteous than thou it hath taken a deep root Or if it boast with the Pharisee I thank God I am not as this Man I fast twice in the Week I pay my Tithes I pray in Spirit and read the Scriptures in Understanding and this Man is carnal he prays by a form of words and reads and understands not the Case is clear For how canst thou prefer thy Holiness to another's that believes in the same Christ and owns him to be Righteousness except thou suppose thou hast inhanced thy Merit by some false Vertue or Performance for this is but the vain boasting of the Heart puffed up with knowledg not considering that not many Wise are called but that God hath chosen the foolish and base things of this World to confound the Wise for it is not the Whole but Sick that stand in need of the Physician of Souls therefore seeing the humble and poor in Spirit are the fit Objects of Grace and Christ hath promised them Blessedness why should not the Heart taught to speak the Truth rather boast that it is enrolled amongst these for I know that whatsoever it thinketh yet it will openly profess that it must be saved by Grace and how knowest thou but he that is the Fool in thine eyes hath more Humility Meekness yea is greater in
Grace than thou and therefore thy Boast is not of Grace but pretended Merit and thy false Heart hath betrayed thee and thou in danger of being a Cast-away for when thou shalt say Lord have not I prophesied and cast out Devils in thy Name the Answer 't is to be feared may be Verily I know it not For assure thy self this one Ejaculation from the humble contrite Fool Lord be merciful to me a Sinner uttered in sence of Sin and Faith in Grace shall make a stronger Battery on the Gates of Heaven than a whole Quiver full of thy opinionated Abilities And therefore in this Case we ought again to bring our Hearts before the Judg and to know it is not enough before Men to cry out Unclean unprofitable a Worm a Wretch with the loudest but to teach our Hearts to speak this great Truth in secret between God and themselves their Consciences bearing witness And therefore let us beware lest we be not like Solomon's Buyer crying in the Market-place It is naught it is naught but being come home boasteth in secret of a rich Purchase for this is but confessing Christ in outward shew and our Hearts in the mean while far from him Wherefore when we come from Duties and especially when we hope we have performed best we ought to call our Hearts under examination and yet to suspect they will dissemble Art thou a Speaker and hopest that thou hast taught or spoken well to the Hearts of thy Hearers or prayed in Spirit yet let not thy Heart puff thee up but stop its Mouth by convincing it that it was not thee that spake but the Holy Spirit of Christ in thee and that out of a heap of Stones even of the Walls of that Auditory God can raise up a better Son and Teacher than thou art Art thou a Hearer and hast been attentive was thy Heart warmed in Zeal and Love so as it leaped for Joy at the words of the Salutation Then let it not boast but teach it to speak this great Truth That it was not in its Merit that thou thus heardest or didst understand but Christ in thee and that it was his Spirit that bare witness with thy Spirit that the Word is true and that thou art a Son of Adoption and in so doing thou shalt not unravel thy Joy but make it great sure and lasting But on the contrary if thou ascribe to it thy hopes are as the Grass upon the House-top it shall dwindle and wither away as it is writ Cursed is he that trusteth in Man or maketh Flesh his Arm for out of his Heart shall the Lord depart And Blessed is he whose hope is the Lord he shall be as a Tree planted by the Waters neither shall cease from yeelding Fruit. What shall we say to these things shall we bolster up our Hearts in proud and lying Hypocrisy or rather suspect them and watch over them as the most deceitful things in the World and yet have in them the Issues of Life and Death Weal and Wo trying them by the Word the Law the Conscience the Judg and setting Experience upon them as a Spy Informer and Sollicitor and at length teach them to speak the Truth namely That they are vain and deceitful above measure their Righteousness Loss their Merits a Shadow and that to God the Glory is due and to them Confusion of Face And so to attain the third Qualification which will entitle the Soul to a resting place in the holy Mountain of God Vers 3. 1. Not casting Reproach upon his Reproacher Now in the rendring of this and next Clauses also I confess I have departed from the Footsteps of the Flock for I think none do so read the English He that backbiteth not the Vulgar deceiveth not with his Tongue which seems not so agreeable to Gospel-Language because to backbite openly is only by the Tongue which tho restrained yet then the Heart not taught to speak the Truth may backbite more secretly and desperately and therefore I say Backbiteth not at all no not his Backbiter The learned Munster differs not much from us in effect for he reads Transgresseth not with his Tongue which comprehends all Backbiting and Reproach by it And indeed not to offend with the Tongue is a great and essential part in true Piety Hence it is said of Job that he offended not with his Tongue tho provoked thereto by his reproaching Friends And hence supposing the Hebrew will bear it as well as the other I read Not reproaching his Reproacher being well assured it is in fuller harmony with the Gospel-Precepts and a surer Step towards the holy Hill of Jehovah for saith our Lord Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you And in this sence I take our Prophet I grant indeed not to backbite a Neighbour is a good profitable Precept because the natural Man is prone to abuse Friendship but yet is it no more than Morality writ in the hearts of all People and Nations by Nature And indeed as usually read here Backbite not with thy Tongue the Precept is dressed in the slenderest attire Divinity can well shape for it for without all Controversy 't is but a slender Morality not to reproach a Neighbour or Friend who hath not reproached us but may have done us good for even half-debauched Nature would nauseate such an Action and they not so doing may yet fall short of the holy Hill But not to reproach a Reproacher to render Good for Evil is Saint-like nay Christ-like and may as far as any Grace lay claim to the Promise And if it be said It was of old Love your Friends and hate your Enemies and David spake ac-according to the then Institution yet I say admit it were a Command yet doth it not affirm that not to backbite at adventure was more than a Moral Vertue but indeed I suppose Hate your Enemies was not by a Command but Permission as Bigamy was because of the hardness of hearts for assuredly it was not our Prophet's practice for he hated only the Enemies of God and not his own upon his own account for he spared Saul's Life twice and rendred him Good for Evil and in the case of Shimei the Son of Gera he said Let him curse So Solomon Doth thine Enemy hunger give him Bread doth he thirst give him Drink And therefore in this sence I proceed to the Text. 2. Now hitherto the Precepts of our Prophet do chiefly belong to the first great Commandment in such Matters as lie between God and our Consciences but now he comes to such as refer to the second between Man and Man and yet still is this a Link of the same Chain For until the Heart be taught to speak the Truth it is impossible to keep the Heart from lying and reproaching because Out of the abundance of the Heart the Tongue speaketh And again With
Church And this is a sore Evil I fear frequent in our Land for saith our Lord Whosoever shall say to his Brother Thou Fool is in danger of Hell-Fire I perceive not fully what is meant by Thou Fool for I do not confine it wholly to the literal sence but however it leaves it without controversy that to reproach a Brother is a great Offence Which Evil began even yet before the Apostles had finished their course and in this Age hath taken so deep root as if that day were come in which the Love of many shall wax cold For if any differ from that Form which is constituted to the Generality of a Nation and is practically used by all as well he that sweareth and he that feareth an Oath or professeth not Godliness as he that doth he is strait way reproached with Names of Contempt and but to name a Worship more in Spirit and Truth than this is is a matter to be brought before the Judg And which yet is more to be lamented even those that desire to sacrifice in Spirit deride and bite one another in such matters as are but form so as Pulpits and Books writ in Vinegar take this way of reproaching To whom I say nothing save in the words of the Apostle The Tongue is an unruly Evil full of deadly Poison with the same Mouth yea and Breath bless we God even the Father and curse Men which bear his similitude yea even such as earnestly seek to be more and more conformed to Christ My Brethren these things ought not to be so Was ever the Church of Christ in all things of one persuasion No not in the Apostles days But did Paul ever reproach them of the Concision who believed in Christ and yet were zealous for the Law Acts 21.20 Was not the great Decree of the first General Council held by the Disciples at Jerusalem Acts 15. in order to the binding up of all in the Bands of Unity And when the Church multiplied did not differences in Judgment increase And when it was most free from difference was it not most shadowed under Superstition and ignorant Zeal as is most manifest if we look but two Centuries back Why therefore should we reproach one another as long as we all agree in that great Fundamental That Jesus is come in the Flesh and that he is the Christ of God and the Lamb that takes away the Sins of the World How therefore seeing by this Confession John 1.42 we know the Spirit of God is there how shall we escape if we say to such a Believer and Confessor Thou Fool Thou poor deluded Soul was not this the Message from the beginning 2 John 3.11 Love one another not as Cain the wicked one who slew his Brother because his Works were more righteous than his But above all things beware that thou persecute not thy Brother for filthy Lucre's sake or because he stands as an Umbrage to thine outward Interest Riches or Glory for as Godliness is great Gain so to convert Godliness into Gain is utter Shipwrack For a Bishop ought to be blameless not given to Wine no Striker not given to filthy Lucre but patient not a Brawler not covetous not high-minded not reviling his Reviler but seeking the Peace and Good of the Church Are there not some that have the form of Godliness without the power Are there not others that whilst they boast of the Power despise the Form to their own Loss And hath not God a choice People who taking the safe and middle Path join both in good weight and measure And doth it not behove that the Strong bear with the Weak and consequently because no Professor but in his own Persuasion thinks he is joined to the Strongest Therefore ought every one to bear with every one as it is written Let us therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk in the same Rule let us mind the same things Lastly I say Whosoever so confines Christ to any one Form of Worship as to persuade himself none save they walking in that way can be saved is a Reproacher of the whole Church of God not walking in that Form Or whosoever excludes any one Form so far as to pronounce no Observer thereof can find Grace he is a Reproacher of all under that Form tho they believe that Christ is come in the Flesh is the Son of God and able to save Sinners of whom he is one amongst the chief And surely if Christ was so severe as this Man O Lord who might abide it Be not high-minded but fear Blessed are the meek humble poor in Spirit blessed are the Merciful and Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Go and learn what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice and then you will not condemn the Guiltless Love covers a multitude of Sin Love is the fulfilling of the Law And if Christ hath magnified his Love in giving his Life for us whilst Enemies will he not much more magnify it for that loving Servant who is ready to lose Life House and Goods in the confession of him Fear not therefore thou Worm who lovest so but persevering in Love walk humbly reproach not be faithful to the end and so receive thy Crown But now the far end of the Precept is Reproach not thy Reproacher If a wicked or prophane Person or a Drunkard not having God in all his thoughts or one making a Gain of Godliness shall make thee their Song and Scorn yet do not thou if thou wilt not offend with thy Tongue retort upon them for as Solomon saith There is a Fool not to be answered in his Folly lest thou be like unto him But whoso reproacheth a Reproacher becomes a Reproacher and consequently this Fool. But this is almost as difficult as to go and sell all that we have and give it to the Poor But however if we cannot so bridle our Tongues wholly let us strive to do as much as we can and when Passion hath transported us let us at least confess the evil of our Hearts and mourn under it For that this is the Rule we should walk up unto is manifest from our Lord 's walking whom we ought in all things to make our Example as it is written For this is thank-worthy if a Man for Conscience towards God endure Grief suffering wrongfully For even hereunto were we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his Steps who did no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously And again 1 Pet. 3.8 Finally my Brethren be all of one mind have compassion one to another love as Brethren be pitiful be courteous not
beloved Teacher making him so happy in the Children of his Youth as he shall not need to be ashamed when he speaks with his Enemy in the Gate Let Doctrine pour forth the great Holy Name so in the sweet Odours of healing Ointments as the Virgin-Sisterhood may be sick of Love and reply Draw us that we may run after thee And so let them increase in Graces and Gifts as the Peace and Comfort thereof may make Obedience desirous to learn again and Obedience its Dutifulness may allure Doctrine to read study the Word and to enquire into the choice Treasures hid therein The sum is Hear and learn that thou mayest obey and so obey as thy great Teacher may delight to entrust thee For as thy Obedience is perfect so shall the Holy-Ghost the Spirit of Truth enlarge thy Knowledg and so whilst Obedience is weak so shall thy Knowledg be And all this in Love namely lest the Servant great in Knowledg and weak in Obedience should be beaten with many Stripes And better is it never to learn than so to learn as not to obey 10. And here we observe that in the Dispositions of Religion which God at sundry times and in divers manners hath given the last whereof was spoken by his Son some consisted more in the Gifts of the Man or Doctrine and Knowledg as Mountain-Worship did others in the Gifts of the Woman Obedience and Form And lastly the Gospel stood in more equal disposition of both yet so as in all the pure and undefiled Religion of St. James was strictly required as from the before-recited Texts are manifest which is enough to shew how well-pleasing that Foundation is from whence they arise namely Contempt and Vileness in one's own Eyes And consequently to be conversant in that part of Obedience wherein chiefly these Vertues are required is a high Duty Secondly It is observable that in all those Lapses of the Church of old which brought Wrath upon them the neglect of these Duties was still laid to their Charge Thus Esay and Hosea reproved Judah and Israel before the Captivity Zachariah a little before the Restoration and our Lord also a little before the Scepter departed pronounced Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees upon this account All which confirm that Religion without these is a dry formal and unprofitable Service 11. And hence it behoves all Professors in this our day to examin their own Hearts lest they may have warped a little from this sound Form of obeying towards Pharisaical Leaven in their own Righteousness preferring a Gift of Knowledg of Teaching Expounding to the under-valuing of this Duty of Vile in our own Eyes Nay sometimes Men pretending to high Gifts running tatling from House to House who in the end have discovered themselves to be Boasters in meer words for a long time ride on Horse-back while others great in Humility Mercy Patience and Charity have been esteemed no more than good formal Christians And verily this I fear is a sore Evil and perhaps a common Vanity in our Land I have in my time heard some esteemed true Israelites thus bemoaning themselves That verily to wonder Knowledg Preaching Praying and Doctrinal Religion had spread the Cord of their Tent but in the mean time they rather were puffed up than humbled and Meekness Mercy brotherly Love and Charity lagged strangely behind We hear of good things by Whole-sale but the Retailers of Good are few But there is as Solomon saith a time and season to every Purpose of God under Heaven a time to speak and a time to be silent a time to learn and a time to obey what we have learned and the hand of God so in all as through his wise disposal all shall work together for good to them who love him and are called according to his purpose For first in the Gospel's setting forth both Doctrine and Obedience set forth together as Work-fellows equally yoaked together to the great increase of the Church but in process of time the Doctrinal Gifts began to shrink up and the Traditions of Man encroached upon the inspired Word blind Obedience began to speak and to usurp Authority over the Man teaching and setting forth the most gross and formal parts of her Form as pure Religion So Religion consisted in Zeal and Zeal in an ignorant benummed Obedience And now this having filled up Iniquity to a full measure of those Bounds God set them he in tenderness to his Church awaked the Spirit of Doctrine Teaching and Understanding and touching the Hearts of some chosen Instruments they began to enquire into the Touchstone of Truth Law and Gospel how far the imposed Innovations by the See of Rome had Divine Authority and finding that by this means many gross Idolatries were discovered and laid naked and that by reading preaching and expounding the Word Light sprang forth to many sitting in darkness and consequently perceiving in all this that abused Obedience placed the Snare and Knowledg breaking forth cut it off they did so far set their Affections and Interest upon the Doctrinal Part as the chief Streams of their Devotions and Labours turned into those Channels a little more to the Umbrage of Obedience than is now tho not perhaps then necessary But now Knowledg having for a long time even a whole Century rid on prosperously I hope the time is come that God will also yoak this together again in equal Fellowship and stir up his own to a more full Obedience in that part which is pure and spotless as by his Spirit he reproved the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.2 Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy Works thy Obedience perfect before God Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent I come as a Thief in the Night But still to keep the Scales in equal Ballance and Hearing and Reading be by no means neglected we say That none can in seriousness hear or read too much but what we press after is that as by these Faith and Knowledg increase so pure and spotless Obedience may grow up with them And therefore seeing Doctrine and Teaching must precede Obedience let no Pretence delay us to hear and to read First because every new discovery of any Duty before unknown or not understood is like unto one of Jacob's new digged Wells flowing with living Streams of wholsom Water that is Every Precept Promise Admonition or what else is writ for our Instruction manifested is by faithful and upright Obedience made a replenisher of the Soul with good things Again our Saviour who was in all things tempted like us did upon every temptation stop the mouth of Satan with a Scripture-Text as Man lives not by Bread only and Thou shalt not tempt c. and he being our Example it behoves that we be ready at the same Weapon The Souldier that knows his Enemy will assault him but is ignorant whether by
If any man i. e. the Man of Sin corrupt this Temple him shall God destroy with the Spirit of his Mouth 18. Let no man deceive himself If any man think himself Wise in the Wisdom of his own Spirit let him be a Fool that he may be Wise in the Spirit of God 14. Next let us observe how in a gradation the Apostle proceeds from things which best abide the Fire to them that least abide it which in an Allegory aludes to such Works built upon the Sure Foundation as will best and worst abide or live in the everlasting Fires of Hulam But not to enlarge upon the particulars of the Allegory First Because it would be too long Secondly Because Conjectures are the best Evidence I shall briefly hint at some from sundry Texts Gold which abides the Fire without any loss seemes to refer to Works wrought in Spirit and Love or rather Spirit of Love and next Faith which seeing from one manifest Text it is the bearer of that Shield which can quench all the fiery darts of Satan we may not doubt our own experience witnessing that its Work 's not unstable in the Heavenly Flames Next Silver passeth not the Fire without some loss yet looseth not by its Trial because what it fails in matter of quantity it gains in quality i. e. Purity Now Silver is that we are forbidden to give in Usury therefore must be something which we are apt to put forth to that purpose and in that seemes to agree well with Workes of Obedience according to the true Rule or Form and saith our Prophet Psal 12.7 Thy words are pure words O Lord like Silver tried seven times in a Furnace of Earth Now this Word is the true Rule and Form of sound Obedience and tho through the vanity of our Hearts such Works we are apt to abuse to Usury yet may we affirm that such Works built upon the Right Foundation in the Spirit of Love are like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver for that rare quality pure Love hath as it cannot work for Usury or Reward but only to please its Beloved David again thus Psal 66.10 Thouâ— O God hast proved us thou hast tried us as Silver is tried We came through Water and through Fire through Baptism into the Death of the Cross and through the Fiery Tryal and thou hast brought us into an overflowing place Whence appears That David and the Patriarchs also had some throws of the Fiery Trial as well as the former Warfare and that Humane Spirit as well as Arm of Flesh ought to be subdued to Christ Next Precious Stones of which I have little to say for how far they will abide the Natural Fire I find not but probably some more some less They were used as deckings in Holy Things and also the Great Harlot gloried in them so that they seem such embelishments as shine forth both in Christ and in Antichrist The Brest-plate of Judgement was adorned with them according to the twelve Tribes also the twelve Foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem which wrought in rows became the Frontispice of the Purse where the Vrim and Thummim lay by which the High Priest received Oracles and therefore Precious Stones may refer to Prophecy Vision gift of Tongues Knowledge in Spirit as they are from God and also to these in the Spirit of Antichrist but these must be melted down and cease when Charity shall abide 2 Cor. 13.8 Wood is easily consumed but is the common fuel which rightly disposed by Men is so useful as without it Man can scarcely and neatly subsist and so ought our Sacrifices and Performances to Burn to Cherish to Vanish in Smoak and all we may hope for is that God will accept them as a sweet savour Next Hay and Stubble is most combustible and burnt or not burnt useful for nothing and may refer to works in Antichristian Pride and gross Usury 15. But some may say What is this Fire how shall I know and find it To which I answer The last Quaery is not needful for it will find thee in due season and it is enough that thou give it free course for as the Spirit so may it be quenched And for the first Quaery It is as in my dimn Glass it appears not far distant from the Spirit John's Testimony of Christ was He shall Baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire That is through the Holy Ghost he communicates Gifts unto Men whereby they may work and by the Fires he consumes the Chaff and Stubble which grow up with those Works and yet both as it were but one Spirit exercising two Offices and know it thou mayest thus If any thing more thee in Meekness Gentleness Love Joy c. to Duties and raiseth thee up to good performance that call thou the Holy Spirit and if any spiritual searching any trying of Heart and Reins ensue examine if thou hast done all in Integrity without Usury Pride or Hypocrisy and burns down or destroys all wrought upon that account as Chaff and Stubble and leaves such a remorse and grating in thee as will make thee afraid to offend again in the like kind Know that this is the heavenly Fire first nibling at the Heel and after will bruise the Head of thy lusting Spirit So marest that that gently treads upon any thing which bears the Image of thy Creator or is Meek Merciful and Humble and yet with Feet of burning Brass tramples upon Pride Usury Lustings Call it this trying Fire As for Example one for many The Spirit saith Give Alms or Pray and so thou dost but after an Examiner comes Was this in Sincerity didst thou not Give or Pray for Gain or for vain Glory Pride c. and before thine eyes spares what thou hast wrought in Gold purifies thy Silver and consumes thy Hay and Stubble this I say is the fruit of the Fire of God which thus by the sence of thy loss and after regret not only consumes thy Work but by degrees undermines those Principles from whence this Building with vain Mortar proceeds and establisheth those Works which shall live in the everlasting Fires of Hulam 16. And now these things permitted we proceed to the Critical Trial to which because the Last Days are yet far off even every one though newly Regenerated cannot set their Seals to yet for some particular Assaults may have some prospect thereof Now I say when the Spirit of Antichrist hath prevailed in any Believer building upon the Right Foundation as far as the fore-known Decree had alowed to it bounds Hitherto and no further Christ comes to re-visit his Heritage and not in the company of Fishermen as poor and despised but in great Glory and companies of Angels like Refiners Fire and calling to the Soul for an account of its Stewardship This saith he was my Promise I will be with thee and keep thee which I have performed for tho I withdrew from thee yet my Grace which
hoped by this time to have been an Apostle or Prophet and to have fed upon the choice Mysteries of salvation and no secret too deep for me but these dry Ordinances are all my Food and therefore the Lord was sore displeased and the Fire of the Lord burnt amongst them and consumed the out-skirts of the Camp which yet at Moses his Prayer was quenched and the Place called Taberati i. e. the burning or brutish because the fire of the Lord burnt up their brutish lustings But for our teaching it's further observable that at Moses his Prayer though in his displeasure God to prove them gave them flesh dainty food as they lusted namely Quails by Interpretation Tranquility or ease which they receiving as due and still lusting as David reports it So they did eat and were filled for he gave them their Hearts desire but they were not estranged from their lusts the wrath of God came upon them and slew the wealthiest of them and smote the Chosen of Israel so as this was the soarer Evil for the former the fire only burnt the outcasts Hay and Stubble but this fell upon the choicest and the Place was called the Grave of lusts Whence it is again observable that to weeping though even murmuring Soules God somtime gives or as I may say humours with pleasant Gifts such as they lusted after more then their dayly bread which if they thankfully recieve and cease from Vsury and Murmuring it may go well with them but if they still lust God will bring their lustings to the Graves and Smite them in the choisest Gifts Secondly Though to covet the Golden Wedg is a great Sin yet it is much more displeasing when God condiscends to give Wisdom Knowledg Experience and you to abuse it to lust 22. But neither is this the utmost Tragedy which happens in this Trial for some loose all their Works and themselves though Saved yet throught Fire and sharp Trials some perish utterly for here abouts the Sin against the Holy Ghost seems to lie which are described 2 Tim. 3.1 more full 2 Pet. 3. and lastly Jude 17. which is thus Beloved remember the Words of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that they told you that in the last Time should be Mockers who should walk after their own ungodly lusts these be they who seperate themselves Sensual not having the Spirit which is of God but ye beloved by building up your selves on the most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep ye your selves in the love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save by feare pulling them out of the Fire Thus Lot was plucked out of Sodom but surely after a sheep hath followed Christ into regeneration though in great infirmity he will not willingly leave it behind him 23. But leaving the bitter part let us enquire after the End of the Lord as James calls it and as it is most fully represented in Job who meek and patient as he was yet was not by all his affliction from God and stripes from his Friends sufficiently humbled nor vile in his own Eyes until God spake to him and reproved him Job 28.2.40.2 And lastly until by the Eye of the Mind he perceived him 42.1 Then Job answered the Lord and said I know thou canst do all things no thought hid from thee Hear I pray thee and I will speak I will ask and do thou make me know by the hearing of the Ear I have heard thee and now my Eye seeth thee therefore I contemn my self and repent in Dust and Ashes And now as after this humiliation and ascription of all Glory to God his sorrows ended and after he had prayed for his Friends for Charity is never out of Date his Peace and Riches were doubled so shall it be to all them who with him thus close up this Trial no more rumours of War only some such Sicknesses and Ridintigrations of Love as for the absence of her beloved as the Song of Sons Celebrates 24. And now I say this Tryal burning up our Spiritual lustings is not only matter of Joy profitable but upon the tenure of our Lords promise and our yea yea nay nay is necessary for on his part it is I will be with thee and bless thee and on ours thou vouchsafing so to do we will be thine and have no God but thee And forasmuch as God will not lead them to whom he hath not given Power to follow nor none have Power given to follow him who have enslaved their own Minds and Affections to their own by mistaking the Guid taking their own Spirits in which the Spirit of Antichrist is begun to Work for the Spirit of Truth therefore a necesssary Fundamental on God's part is that he consume the tincture from Antichrist and subdue our Wisdom to his and that we in the Strenght he affords cheerfully resign them to him and therefore as long as our Hearts by dayly and full experience convince us that our own Counsels are the Compass by which we steer our Course and our vild affections the Loadstone at which our Compass points it is necessary that God in his fit and long before seen opportunity visit us with such corrasives as his Wisdom hath predestinated to cousume the wicked one and subduing the will and all other affections that stood in the Gap of that performance of our mutual Stipulations which is the heavenly fire and brightness of his comming 25. And now seeing the subduing and consuming of what is to be consumed and subdued is necessary it is not fit to question whither it shall be done in our way or Gods and yet assuredly the great Remora is that Man perâ—mtorily persists to have it in his own way that is to have it speeily easily and by Usury and Merit as the Sons of Zebedee who but now warmed under the Wings of Christ ask Master we would that thou wouldst do whatsoever for us we desire i. e. that we pray for and perhaps the first desire would have been a Serpent for a Fish Wisdom Prophesy Revelation Healing Miracles all which were prepared for them in the set time and what else might puff them up make them glorious in the eyes of men so boundless is self-love opinion of self-merit not considering how these would inflame that pride which was already too strong for them for surely as our Lord answered these petitioners we should ask we know not what as after James reproving himself saith Ye ask and have not because ye ask that ye might bestow it upon your own lusts And now God's way is that first this lustings might be burnt up our wills conformed to his and the Spirit of Anti-Christ consumed which cannot be if asking for our lusts we obtain and working in Usury we gain the Hire 26. And here is another sore Evil we all even the most perfect presume we
We endâ—avoured to express by name 41. Now we shall conclude in summing up all within the compass of one prospect Lord who is he whom thou wilt to espouse in everlasting Love Him walking in Integrity by Consumption resisting his original corruption undermining the power and pride of the Arm of Flesh rejecting his own and laying hold upon the merits of Christ Him studying to find out the deceits of his Heart oft calling it under strict examination is allwayes jealous over it and especially when it with the Buyer cryes it is nought it is nought yet in private boasts and by this his diligence teacheth it to speak the Truth and to believe unto Righteousness And having thus subdued his affections takes his Tongue to task knowing it to be an unruly Instrument often set on fire by Hell cursing and blessing in one breath oft wounding others and not rarely it self And so bridleth it as it will not reproach any no not its Reproacher but will plead for the Innocent set forth the Goodness and Glory of God and confess unto Salvation Him not rending evil for evil but doth good to them that do him evil yet not casting his Pearls before Swine forgiving all men and a Brother though though he offend him seventy seven times Nor yet will offend him though he be impertinent in matters lawfull or indifferent but seeking to build up such in brotherly kindness according to the faithfull precepts of Gospel Unity Who being called unto his Spiritual Warfare meekly takes up his Cross following his Captain General wheresoever he leads without murmurringly saying Where goest thou Forsaking without regret whatsoever Righteousness by legal Merit or Works he had gathered patiently yeilding up every strong Hold that these or his own Wisdom or Education had erected And lastly resignes the Promise believing with Paul that his naked Lord is better than all these and with Abraham that he that hath promised is able to make it good unto him in a more excellent way than he could conceive still loving the Word and frequenting the Assemblies though in this Crisis he find no relish in them but believes that they are good and holy and profitable because commanded by him not commanding in vain and so enters the strait and terrible Gate Layes down his Life bringing no reproach upon his Warfare or Inwards And now having thus fought the good Fight and finding himself delivered and raised up from Death and not by himself concludes he is poor and miserable and writes upon the Tablets of his Heart in the point of a Diamond Vild and contemptible thou Saved by one that ought thee nothing and gave for thee a great Ransom yet required no Price or Recompence from thee and in the sence of this puts on Humility Meekness and Gentleness Love Mercy and Charity towards others and especially the poor needy and labouring Souls in the distresses he was in and so becomes a doer and not a hearer of the Word in that Religion which is pure and undefiled and girding the Loines of his Mind and Will fall's not under the sluggish Sleep of I cannot I cannot but renewing reverential Fear cutteth down with its twofold Edge such sordid ungratefull Allurements or Suggestions as draw back to ease and supine neglect and renders due Honour and Love to every candidate in the Fear of the Lord. And for as much as full Experience assuring that God is with him loves him and will never forsake him he freely nails his Ear to his Door-Post in an Everlasting Covenant of yea yea nay nay And that he so assisting will not be drawn into the seducing Doctrines of Anti-Christ or any Spirit Principality or Power in Heaven Earth or under the Earth that claimes rule with God or compartnership with Christ his Master in working Holiness and therefore carfully watches over the envyings pride lustings of his own Spirit and fearing the fawnings of Satan is allwayes suspicious least he should delude his Spirit into a twisting of Interest and him into a Perswasion that they together are the Spirit of God in him speaking and teaching in his Name and oft begging as verily the case urgently requires that God will enable him to discover the Frailties of his own and Forgeries of this old Deceiver now working in the depth of Satan yet disguised in the form of an Angel of Light And having done all this acknowledgeth himself an unworthy Servant no Wages or Usury due to him but will patiently wait for the Reward until he be made fit to receive it Nor yet when the Trial comes will think it some strange thing or murmur that it burns down his Wood Hay and Stubble but rejoyceth that he is made thereby conformable to Christ and that those counterfeit Riches he had gathered though upon the right Foundation shall not any longer deceive them with their outward Splendor but are consumed only the Foundation left and he upon it naked and empty saving a white Linnen Garment which he rejoycing well calls his Innocency and knows no other Righteousness he hath beside this outward covering and therefore does not upon it lay claim to the Reward nor is so hasty for it as it will awake her Beloved for it though sick of Love until he please Who so doth these things shall never be moved in his legal State he will find a City of Refuge from the Avenger in his Warfare whilest he walks in the Valley of the shadow of death he shall fear no evil but the next day he shall sing a new Song in the Land of Confession We have a strong City Salvation will direct the Walls and Bulwarks Open the terrible Gates of Hulam that a new born may enter in and to worship in Spirit and Truth Him will I keep in perfect Peace his mortal hush through the good Will of him that dwelt in the bush shall live in ease in the everlasting burnings of the hidden Ages and in that Mountain Isai 25.6 where God shall make a Feast of fat things and where our Lord shall swallow death into Victory his Innocency shall be cloathed upon with Immortality and his corruption shall put on incorruption O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory and he shall be ever with his Lord God shall give him Light and he shall Reign for ever and ever wherefore let us comfort one another with these things rendring to him who shall make us more than Conquerers All Honour Glory Praise Age and Age Amen FINIS