The pain of sense will easilier be born than the pain of loss The Vision of God is the Heaven of the Godly O it is a blessed sight to see God and to be seen of him If a glympse here of his glorious Majesty be so joyous How glorious will a full and fixed sight of him be in Heavenly Glory May I be blind to all the glory in this World so I may live in a believing foresight and lively hope of beholding that inaccessible Light which is too glorious for Angels to behold without covering their faces This Light is Life it self the original of life to all whether of Nature Grace or Glory God in Scripture is said to be the true and Living God in opposition to false and dead Idols Life is his being he is because he Lives and our Life is hid with Christ in God even that of Nature of Grace and of Glory in him we Live and Move and have our Being Life in it self is a happiness O how precious a thing is Life Skin for skin and all that a Man hath will he give for his Life The Life of a Fly hath been thought to be more worth than the World The Life of a Man doubtless is more worth than many Worlds which are without Life but it is the Life of Grace which makes the Life of Man his comfort and the Life of sin to be a Living Death to him But the Life of Glory which is ever to be glorifying and enjoying God is the glory of Life To live with Life it self and for Life it self to live in us How infinitely satisfying will it be to them who are glorified That we shall be ever with this Lord of Life and Glory is the most comfortable word in all the Scriptures If any Man serve me saith Christ where I am there shall also my servant be Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The presence of Christ makes Heaven It is our Life eternal to live with him who is Life eternal and to live to him for none of us in Heaven liveth to himself we live there wholly unto the Lord. His Glory there is as truly our end as it is here he will give to every one glory enough but he will not give his glory to another None must glorifie himsâ—lf there God All-sufficient will glorifie every one sufficiently I will glorifie the House of my glory saith the Lord. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory will be the Heavenly Ditty and Duty Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created The main end of our Election or Predestination Redemption Justification Adoption Regeneration Sanctification Preservation and Glorification is to glorifie God in our Bodies and in our Spirits which are Gods Our vile Bodies are fashioned like unto Christs glorious Body so are our Souls transformed renewed sanctified and cleansed with the washing of Water by the Word that they might be presented to God himself glorious not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that they should be holy and without blame before him in love to the Praise of the glory of his Grace God is Love as well as Life the Life which he lives is a life also of Love What lovely living will it be in Heaven to live with love it self To love and be beloved by God who is Love will be the Saints everlasting happiness God will for ever be in love with all the Glorified Angels and Saints and they again will for ever be in love with him I Love them that Love me saith God not only God Essentially but God Personally is Love The Father is love the Son is love the Holy Ghost is love The knowledge we shall have of the Trinity loving each other with the love of Unity in an infinite manner and measure will very much contribute to our heavenly happiness If the Union Communion and Communication of Love between Husband and Wife be so great a Mystery How much greater a Mystery is that which is between Christ and the Church But O how mysterious a secret are the Transactions of mutuâ—l love between Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity If God so loved the World in this was manifested â—he Love of God because he sent his only begotten Son iâ—to the World that we might live through him herein is love that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins I say if God so loved the World What manner of Love hath he bestowed upon his only begotten Son The Father loveth the Son and the Son loveth the Father and the Holy Spirit loveth both the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost is loved of the Father and the Son and in their mutual loving and glorifying each other as they were happy infinitely from Everlasting so they would have been to everlasting though all persons and things had never been created Gods essential glory is neither capable of addition or diminution by reason of its infinite perfection God is not the happier for Angels or Men he needs neither their love or service but there is no being happy for any Creature save in the full enjoyment of God and his loving favour through all Eternity his loving kindness is life eternal We love him because he first loved us he loved us from all Eternity So God loved the World and by so doing hath engaged himself to love us to eternity whom he loves he loves to the end That which makes his love altogether lovely is That he set his love upon us because he loved us no Merit or Motive in us why he should love us there were Motives and Merits indeed why he should not love us when by wilful sin we had cast away the Mercies of our Creation he might have cast us off and cast us out to the loathing of our persons In the day we were born and lay polluted in our blood then he looked upon us and behold this time was the time of love he then said unto us when we were in our Blood Live His Love was our Life If God loved us so when we were sinful What manner of Love will he bestow upon us when sinless Our sin Original and Actual incapacitates us to receive the Mercies and enjoy the Love the Lord would willingly vouchsafe us But in Heaven we shall be able and perfectly capable and God infinitely willing to load us with all his Benefits God will never be weary of giving out his Loves nor we unwilling or weary in a Joyful and Thankful receiving of them and returning the same to our best Beloved It will be love of the nearest union the highest and holiest Communion and the freest and fullest
in well doing or doing as they would be done by seek it But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness that do not as they would be done by Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul that doth evil that worketh not Righteousness speaketh not the Truth in his heart that backbiteth his Neighbor with his Tongue that receiveth endureth or taketh up a reproach against his Neighbor in whose eyes a vile person is not contemned and honoreth them not that fear the Lord that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth that putteth out his Money to Usury and taketh reward against the Innocent he that doth these things shall surely perish Are we good indeed and in truth though not very good Are our hearts and lives good make the Tree good and the Fruit will be good every good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit. God is good essentially and personally it is his Nature and Property to be good to make good to do good so there is none good but one Thou art good and doest good saith David of God the Father Christ saith of himself I am the good Shepherd thy Spirit saith David is good These three Persons namely the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost had every one a hand in making Man very good at first Let us make Man so also in re-creating or renewing us after the Image of his goodness are we also filled with goodness The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness Are we good in all Estates in all Places in all Times in all Companies As we have opportunity do we good unto all Men especially unto them who are of the Houshold of Faith Doth our goodness extend it self to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom we delight Do we also good to them that hate us and Pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us then are we the children of our Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and Servants to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ who when he cometh and reckoneth with them will say to every one Well done thou good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord And How great is that goodness which God hath laid up for all them that are good and do good and trust in him before the Sons of Men Since the beginning of the World Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for them that wait for the hour which is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear the voice of the Lord Jesus and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation I have been the longer upon this use of Examination as being a matter of the greatest moment not to be deceived in That which is our greatest concern in this World next to the glory of God is to have an assured interest in the Kingdom of Grace and also a true Title to the Kingdom of Glory Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness is the word of Exhortation which high and low rich and poor young and old are to attend unto with all possible sincerity seriousness and diligence It is the duty and the dignity from the King upon the Throne to the Beggar upon the Dunghill to seek this Kingdom of Grace and Glory The greatest hath as great need to seek it as the meanest all are come short of the glory of this Kingdom because all have sinned Our greatest fear should be least any of us should seem to fall short for ever of so glorious a Kingdom and our greatest care desire and endeavor should be next to the glory of God to enjoy him in the way of his Grace here till we arrive at the full vision and fruition of him in Heavenly Glory This Kingdom of God is lost because we are lost it is lost to us and we lost to it but not so far lost but the true seekers of it may find it and themselves be found in the right way of seeking it It must be found otherwise the seekers of it lose themselves and this Kingdom for ever Many will seek to enter into the Kingdom of Grace and Glory but shall not be able There be many that say Who will shew us any good but few there be that strive to enter in at the strait Gate and walk in the narrow way which leadeth unto life and therefore few there be that find it There is no rational Creature upon the face of the Earth that is exempted from this duty of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness Sinners as well as Saints are to hearken unto and obey the Counsel Command and Proclamation of Jesus Christ herein The chiefest sinner hath a Call and Command to seek it which is his Warrant and a Promise for his incouragement Ask and it shall be given you Seek and ye shall find Knock and it shall be opened unto you The chiefest Saint hath no dispensation against this Duty Counsel and Command but looking diligently lest any Man fail of or fall from the Grace of God least any root of bitterness spring up seeing he looks for such great things is to be diligent that he may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless at his coming that when Christ who is our life shall appear he also may appear with him in glory Sinners such I mean as are unconverted and are strangers and enemies to God his Christ Grace and Glory and their own greatest enemies have most need to be exhorted excited and perswaded to seek first these things namely the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness which can never happily be done till they be first disswaded and prevailed with from self-seeking self-pleasing flesh-pleasing for the satisfying whereof earthly things are minded and sought after inordinately and therefore it is the Wisdom of our Lord Jesus before he persuades to the seeking of Spiritual and Heavenly things by Reasons Arguments Motives and Disswasions to free the Minds and Hearts and Affections of his hearers from their anxious and troublesome thoughts fears and cares concerning carnal and earthly things pertaining to the Body namely what they should eat what they should drink and what they should put on Take no thought for your life Is not the life more than meat and The body than raiment Your heavenly Father feedeth the Fowls of the air Are not you much better than they Why take ye thought for Raiment consider the Lilies of the field if God
his Son made of a Woman made under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons we are all the Childrâ—n of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Sanctification According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love God hath from the beginning chosen us to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth Consolation Our Lord Jesus himself and God even our Father which hath loved us hath given us everlasting Consolation through Grace Glorification There is no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus them he also Glorifieth they are called by the Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ especially at the day of Judgment when he shall come to be Glorified in his Saints to give Glory to them to receive Glory by them when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory The Glory which God the Father gâ—ve his Son the Glory which thou gâ—vest me I have given them Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me To receive Glory from them passively actively the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in us and we in him according to the Grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ The faithful Ministers of Christ and Christ himself saith What is our Hope or Joy or Crown of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of God ye are our glory and jâ—y for this Joy that was set before him he endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God where he sees the travel of his Soul and is satisfied The general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heâ—ven shall Sing this new Song to the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ in Communion with all the holy Angels Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and blessing And every Creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them shall say Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Thus out of the Fullness which is in Christ do we all receive and Grace for Grace as Grace without us and upon us so all Grace within us namely saving-wisdom and knowledge all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in him who is the wisdom in a Myâ—â—ery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the World unto our glory which none of the Princes of this World knew but God hath Revealed him unto us Even the Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints The Mystery of Godliness which without controversie is great God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory And unto us by his spirit it pleased God saith St. Paul who called me by his Grace to reveal Christ in me No Man knoweth the things of a Man save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God of him are we in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom For this end Christ as our only Mediator hath taken upon himself the Office of a Prophet a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son who was not only a Prophet but a Preacher of this kingdom of God of whom it was truly said Never Man spake like this Man For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him the Spirit of the Lord anointed him to Preach the Gospel to the Poor he sent him to heal the broken in heart to Preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to Preach the acceptable year of the Lord All bare him witness and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and undestanding It is he that Teaâ—heth in the wâ—y of Wisdom and leads in Right Paths that hath comp ssion on the ignorâ—nt and on them that are out of the way to give the knowâ—edge of Salvation unto them to give light to them th t sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide their feet into the way of Peace and to see that â—here be no wicked way in them and to lead them into the way everlasting which he doth by his Spirit by his Word by his Ministers Whom the Father will send in the name of his Son at his request I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you and at Believers request for whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do saith Christ If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Waters this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive which is the Holy Ghost which the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things that you need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things necessary to be known believed and practised in order to eternal life and therefore where the Spirit of God dwells there he is a Spirit of Wisdom of Counsel of Understanding in the fear of the Lord. Naturally we know nothing of God of Christ the Spirit of our Selves his Word Will Wayes Works as we ought to know the Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned no not the first Principles of the Oracles of God Having the Understanding darkenâ—d through the ignâ—rance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart The God of this World having blinded the minds of them that believe not least the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them They know not that of themselves they cannot know themselves The first beginning of true
knowledge is to know we know nothing For if any Man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Oh! How many wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Sinners are there in these Kingdoms that think that they have need of nothing especially the Rich that increase in Goods and others zealous of and with Spiritual Gifts but not according to knowledge â—now ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Unapproved or Reprobates who think of themselves more highly than they ought to think and that they are sufficient of themselves to think any thing as of themselves being ignorant of this that our sufficiency for good thoughts words and â—ctions is only from Gods allsufficiency who is the Author of every good gift and every perfect gâ—ft These are Sinners spiritually dead in St. Pauls Judgment Awake to Righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame and yet pretend and boast of the Spirit but not the true Spirit the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive Indeed they have the Spirit of the World visible by their love to the World and the things that are in the World but this Spirit of truth the World cannot receive All the Workers of Iniquity have no knowledge of God the World by wisdom knew not God nor Christ or Christians though they are the Sons of God therefore the World knoweth them not because it knew him not for if they had known him and them they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory and persecuted and put to death so many Sons Saints and Christians 15 John 20.16 33. Nor the Spirit because it seeth him not neither knoweth him nor his word but err not knowing the Scriptures Err in their Judgments call evil good and good evil put darkness for light and light for darkness bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter yet are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Nor his Wayes They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one and the reason is there is none that understandeth The Holy Ghost saith they do alway err in their heart and they have not known my wayes nor works either of Creation or Providence They regard not the Work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands because they have no knowledge But they who have received the Spirit which is of God know him and the things that are freely given to them of God they know that the Son of God is come and hath given them an understanding that they may know him that is true This is Life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent By the Spirit of truth they know the Spirit of Truth and Error and therefore do not believe every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God they know the Truth and the Truth hath made them free They also know Christ the Truth if the Son shall make you free then shall you be free indeed which he doth by his Spirit When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth by the Word of Truth Sanctify them through thy truth thy Word is truth the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus hath made them free from the Law of sin free from committing of it for he that committeth sin is of the Devil and whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin Know ye not to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether â—f sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God â—ollow not that then which is evil but that which is good he that doth good is of God but he that doth evil hath not seen â—od nor his Son Jesus for we know he was manifested to take away our sins whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him by his Word we come to the knowledge of God The entrance of thy Word giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple by the Ministers of Christ for the Priests lips should keep Knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth Thy Teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it When ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left they are sent to open Mens eyes and to turn them from darkness unto light The Work of the Ministry is for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more children in understanding tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive but in understanding being Men speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ This knowledge of God which is the first and chief part of the Image of God is a principal part of the Kingdom of God by which we are delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son Repentance towards God is also from Christ him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince for to give Repentaâ—ce to Israel which is not only our entrance into but part of this Kingdom of Grace even such a part as that without it the Kiâ—gâ—om of â—od cannot enter into us nor be carryed on to purpose with power to the Kingdom of Glory This Repentance is a turning from sin to God till we come to God it is a Confessing and forsaking of it till we sin no more that we may find mercy with God It is a Godly Sorrow for sin as sin for the evil that is in it against God as well as the evil that is by it against us it is a hating sin for it self especiâ—lly for that it is enmity to God and neither is nor can be subject to the Law of God for it is a transgressâ—on of the Law of God It is an abhorring of our selves for our sins through the knowledge of God and his mercy in Christ and a true sight of sin with full purpose of heart to sin no more but to live in obedience to all his Holy Just and Good Laws all our dayes I have heard of thee saith Job by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in
dust and ashes It is a bemoaning of our selves that we have been unaccustomed to the yoke of obedience both active and pâ—ssive a following hard after an Incensed God by our Transgressions with strong cries sighs groans a smiting upon the thigh being ashamed yea even confounded that we have sinned an accepting of the punishment of our Iniquities and weeping between the Porch and the Altar an attentive and intentive hearkning to the Call of God O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast faln by thine iniquity with an eccho Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned for thou art the Lord our God spare thy people take away our Iniquity receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips This is after a godly manner to sorrow unto Repentance for godly sorrow worketh Repentance to â—alvation not to be repented of This sorrowing after a godly sort worketh Carefulness in us yea clearing of our selves indignation fear vehement desire zeal revenge in all things to approve our selves to be clear in the matter of sin that we sin no more lest a worse thing come unto us The times of former Ignoraâ—ce God wiâ—ked at but now Commandeth all Men every where to repent The Kingdom of Grace is at hand repent to get into it repent to keep in it repent to get out of it into a Kingdom of Glory repent or perish repent and be saved repent and believe the Gospel for the Kingdom of God is at hand He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned There is no entering into or abiding in this Kingdom of God but by a Living Faith in God and in his Son Jesus Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me As Christ is the Author of our â—alvation so he is also the Author and Finisher of our Faith No entring into the Kingdom of glory without it for we are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation As many as are ordained to eternal life are ordained to believe God hath from the beginning chosen us to Salvation through belief of the truth that so Christ might dwell in our hearts by Faith which is the Bond of our Union with him Christ Prayes for them which shall believe on him that all may be one in us by vertue of this Union through Faith are we born from above Whosoever Believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God as many as received him even to them that believe on his name were born not of Blood nor of the will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God We are Justified and Reconciled to God by Faith being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and trusting or believing in Christ we are made accepted in the Beloved in whom we have Redemption through Faith in his Blood the Forgiveness of Sins Adoption into the number and priviledge of God's children As many as received him to them gave he power right or priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name We are also sanctified by Faith that is in Christ God now puts no difference between Jew and Gentile purifying their hearts by Faith God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Now this saving Grace of Faith is the Almighty Work of the Spirit of God whereby with the heart we believe all that God hath spoken because he hath spoken it It is a believing this faithful saying and accounting of it worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners It is a believing the record that God gave of his Son and this is the record That God hath given to us Eternal Life and this life is in his Son This is he that came by Water and Blood even Jesus Christ not by Water only but Water and Blood and the rather are we to believe for there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one And there are three that bear witness in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one if we receive the witness of Men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son I say it is a believing that all things are or must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms and in the Gospel concerning Christ and his Kingdom not because of Mens saying or Testimony only but purely upon the bare Word of God and his Son and his Spirit for in the mouth of these three Witnesses every Word of God in the Holy Scriptures is establisht It is a confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believing with the heart that God hath raised him from the Dead It is an humble and thankful hearty receiving or accepting of Christ for Lord and Saviour and trusting in his Allsufficiency as our one and only Mediatour through the vertue value and power of his Prophetical Sacerdotal and Regal Offices to bring us through all hazards and difficulties in a way of Grace to Glory in season and safely He that thus believeth and continueth to live by Faith hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life This Faith by the Holy Ghost which is given to believers worketh Love and worketh by Love The Love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of true Believers by the Holy Spirit by knowing and believing the Love that God hath to us we come to love God Who can know and believe heartily that God is Love and not love him God is Love in this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins we love him because he first thus loved us All God's graces together constitute this Kingdom of grace but Love is the life and soul of it even Gods love to us and our love to him and our love to each other he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him There is a threefold love between God and the godly a love of Union a love of Communion and Complacency and a love of Benevolence or Communication 1. Like as was between David and Jonathan the Soul of Jonathan was knit with the Soul of David Jonathan loved him as his own Soul Jonathan delighted much in David then Jonathan and David made a Covenant because he loved him as his own Soul and Jonathan stript
is our portion for ever All true believers must enter into the Joy of their Lord whâ—ch is so great and glorious that it cannot enter into them Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit here but will reveale them in us hereafter Which made S. Paul to reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us And therefore though now for a season if need be the people of God are in heaviness through manifold temptations yet they greatly rejoyce and Joy in the God of their Salvation This is their time to weep lament and be sorrowful while the men of the World rejoyce but their sorrow shall be turned into Joy and Worldings Joy into weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever The weeping of the godly may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning for a short night of sorrow they shall have an everlasting day of Joy as a Woman when she is in travel hath sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the anguish for Joy that a Man is born into the World In like manner those little children of whom the faithful Ministers of Christ travel in birth with until Christ be formed in them What is their hope or Joy or Crown of Rejoycing but their New-born Babes through their Ministery come unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature or age of the fulness of Christ these are their glory and joy in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming when they shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding Joy for when Christ who is their life shall appear then shâ—ll they also appear with him in glory and though in these last dayes there are Scoffers walking after their own lusts saying Where is the promise of Christs coming yet such as are born from above believe and wait for the promise of his coming because he hath said I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you The end of all things spoken by Christ in his Word is that his joy might remain in them and that their joy may be full The end of their fellowship and communion with Christ and one another is that their Joy may be full even here upon Earth Whatsoever you shall ask the Father saith he in my name he will give it you hitherto have ye asked nothing in my Name ask and ye shall receive that your Joy may be full That eternal life namely Jesus Christ which was with the Father and was manifested from the beginning which the Primitive Christians heard and saw with their eyes which they looked upon and their hands handled for this Life was manifested and they declared it that they might have fellowship one with another and truly their fellowship was with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ came into the World and lived in it to the end their Joy might be full If there be such a fulness of Joy in the Kingdom of grace What a fullness of Joy will there be in the Kingdom of glory But the triumphing of the Wicked is short and the Joy of the Hypocrite but for a moment at the longest his hopes and his joyes at death will give up their Ghost together while the righteous have hope in their death that will not leave them ashamed and the upright shall dwell in the presence of God where they shall shout aloud for joy he shall guide them with his eye and counsel unto death and afterwards receive them to glory and so shall they ever be with the Lord in whose presence there is fullness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore unto which happy state and place the good Lord bring the King and his Kingdoms Amen The Kingdom of God as it is a Kingdom of grace so also a Kingdom of glory A glorious Kingdom is the Kingdom of God infinitely transcending all the glory of all the Kingdoms of this World The tongues of Angels and the tongues of Men cannot sufficiently express or their understandings conceive the glory of this Kingdom of glory Since the beginning of the World Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him O how great is that goodness which he hath laid up for them that fear him which he hath wrought for them that trust in him before the Sons of Men O could we see and hear and taste as the Queen of Sheba did Solomon's the Wisdom of God the House namely the third heaven he hath built the Meat of his Table and the sitting of his Servants and the attendance of his Ministers and their Apparel their Words Works and Wages their Acclamations and shoutings with Joy there would be no more spirit in us than was in her The one half of the greatness of his Wisdom and of the greatness of this goodness cannot be told us it infinitely exceedeth all the fame of report happy are those Men happy are those Servants which stand continually before this God to hear and see and enjoy this his Wisdom and Goodness happy are the People in the account of the World that enjoy the honors and pleasures and riches of this World but in reality happy are they who have God for their God If St. Paul who was caught up into Pâ—radise heard unspeakable words which was not lawful or possible for a Man to utter Who am I that darkneth this Kingdom of Glory by words without knowledge who is able to comprehend the breadth and length and depth and height of it which passeth knowledge This Kingdom is made up all of glory the three glorious persons namely God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are the glory in it and of it there dwells the God of glory the Lord of glory the Spirit of glory This Kingdom of glory is not Gods glory God is the glory of this kingdom of glory There is one glory of the Sun and another glory of the Moon and another glory of the Stars these derive their glory from the Sun there is one glory of the Sun of righteousness another glory of the Angels another glory of the Saints these also receive their glory from the glorious Sun of Righteousness there are Angels of glory Saints Vessels of glory Thrones of glory Crowns of glory no persons no manner of things to render this Kingdom of God inglorious God hath no pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with him the foolish shall not stand in his sight he hateth all workers of iniquity There shall in no wise enter into it any thing
Communication The glory which the Father gave unto Christ he hath given to Christians that they may be one in glory even as the Father and the Son are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one A Mystery that cannot be seen otherwise than by the light of glory From this most intimate union there doth arise such a Communion between Father Son and the Holy Ghost and the Triumphant Christian Church as will yield infinite and uninterrupted satisfaction much of this Communion will be a mutual Commendation Behold thou art fair my Beloved behold thou art fair behold thou art fair my Love yea pleasant thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee saith Christ of his Church Militant When Christ presents to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish there will be no want of expressions for commendation of her nor will the Triumphant Church want triumphing matter and words to set forth the Praises of her altogether Lovely and dearly Beloved Head and Husband when he comes to be glorified in his Saints he will be admired in and by all them that believe then will the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in us and we in him according to the Grace of our God and the Lord Jesus he will rejoyce over us with Joy he will rest in his Love he will joy over us with singing when his Glory shall be revealed that we may be glad also with exceeding Joy When Solomon was anointed King the People rejoyced with great Joy so that the Earth rent with the sound of them When Saints are Anointed Kings by the King of Kings What shouting for Joy then will there be in Heaven There is Joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth When all Sinners by Repentance have commenced Saints in Glory then not only the Angels of God but the God of Angels will rejoyce over them with Joy unconceivable and full of Glory Then will God supply all their needs according to his riches in Glory by Jesus Christ the riches of the glory of the Mysteries of Christ which now are unsearchable will then be laid open The Lord shall open unto his Heavenly Family his good Treasure where every one shall have full and free liberty to take his everlasting portion of glory not for himself only but for the Community the glorified have a partnership in each others happiness Every one in Heaven hath a full view of a share in and a right unto the glory of every blessed Angel and Saint which greatly adds to their glory therefore it is such a weight of glory In the Primitive Church they had all things common neither was there any among them that lacked 〈◊〉 the Church Triumphant where there is perfect Charity all things will be for ever common because they are of one heart and one Soul In this covetous World it is far otherwise every one stands much upon his own glory The Wise Man doth glory in his Wisdom the Mighty Man doth glory in his Might the Rich Man doth glory in his Riches but glorifieth not God with them in bâ—ing rich in good Works making others poor to make himself rich contrâ—ry to the Example and Prâ—â—â—ise of our L rd Jesus Christ that though he was Rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his Poverty might be Rich with the Riches of his Grace and the Riches of the glory of his Inheritance being heirs of that Kingdom which G d the â—ather in his everlasting Decree purposed to them We have obtained an Inheritance according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself being Predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will and not only purposed but prepared for them from the Foundation of the World In my Fathers house saith Christ are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared what God hath prepared Christ hath purchased Our Inheritance is the purchased possession We lost not only our selves but all our right to the Kingdom of Glory All have sinned and come short of the glory of God By the grace of Redemption our Lord Jesus Christ hath recovered this forfeited Glory That Kingdom and Glory which Christ hath purchased God hath promised to the Poor in this World whom God hath chosen rich in Faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him and because he is faithful that promised this Kingdom is preserved which is an Inheritance Incorruptible and Undefiled and that sadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them who are the called according to his purpose even the purpose of God according to Election not of Works but of him that calleth for as there is a Kingdom purposed so are there persons that are purposed to this Kingdom and prepared to it that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of Mercy which he hath afore prepared unto Glory even a pecu iar or purchased People the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood for we were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ that we might be the heirs of the Promise of the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation for as there is an Inheritance in Heaven reserved for all that are called according to purpose prepared purchased and Children of the Promise and if Children then Heirs and Joynt-heirs with Christ in his Kingdom of Glory so these are kept by him that is able from falling and presented faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy These are the persons unto whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and to enjoy the Mercies Graces Comforts and the glorious Priviledges thereof both for time and eternity Thus have I through the gracious assistance of Gods Holy Spirit in some measure opened the Mysteries and Treasures of the Kingdom of God which as it is a Kingdom of Grace so also a Kingdom of Glory having finished the Doctrinal part the Application followeth 1. For Information of the Necessity Excellency and Utility of the Christian Religion There is an absolute and infinite necessity that every one should profess and practise the true Religion in the Doctrine and Duties of it which are according unto Godliness for the attainment of Grace and Glory which in conjunction with the Glory of God is the one thing necessary Such a thing there is as Pure Religion and undefiled whereby we bind our selves in a Solemn Covenant to be what God would have us to
to walk worthy of God who hath called them unto his kingdom and glory which accordingly they are desirous laborious and careful to do being greatly engaged thereunto for this is the promise that he hath promised us even Eternal Life which is our â—ope In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie hath promised and he is faithful that promised and all the children of the Promise judge him faithful who hath promised and therefore they hold themselves obliged to be faithful in all their promises unto God and Man And as God is true their word toward him and each other is not yea and nay but in Christ Jesus yea and the Motive is For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God because Gods Promises are yea and Amen ours therefore ought to be so The Character of a Citizen of Zion is one that speaketh the truth in his heart that Sweareth to his own heart and changeth not Let us search our hearts and try our wayes as to our Promises relating to our own selves whether there be truth and faithfulness in them all We are to be Covenant-keepers as well as Covenant-makers whether our Covenant-promise refer to God our selves or others He that is not true to himself can never be faithful to God or Man and is not careful to perform all his promises faithfully to the Lord will certainly prove untrue to himself and others It is a sin of presumption for any to hope that God will fulfil his Promises to him while he mâ—kes no Conscience of making and keeping Promise with God and Man Gods Mercy is in the way of our Duty Oh let us seriously enquire into our Consciences Converse and Conversations whether we be habitually punctual as to our Promises Are they indeed like unto Gods Yea and Amen then have we good hope through grace that all Gods Promises Temporal Spiritual and Eternal will in Gods good time be made ours wherein are treasured up the unsearchable Riches of Christ This kingdom of God is preserved to them that are kept for it by the Power of God from every evil work and he will preserve them unto his Heavenly kingdom such are they and they only that keep themselves in the love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life The Mercy and Grace of God lays hold on them and they by the help thereof lay hold on Eternal Life Do we use all Gods holy Means faithfully to lay hold on Eternal Life when this Life is ended Eternal Life will lay hold on us But the greatest Evidence of our right to glory is Christ dwelling in us Christ in you saith St. Paul the hope of glory Know you not saith the same Apostle how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates or unapproved and our dwelling in him no surer sign of our dwelling with Christ in glory than his dwelling in us and our dwelling in him through grace We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ But How may we know this Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and if Christ be not ours his Kingdom câ—nnot be ours The Spirit of Promise wherewith we are sealed is the earnest of our inheritance the Spirit sealing is the making persons of ungodly godly and setting them apart for God and Glory the earnest is part of the sum to give assurance of the whole How shall we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens but by the earnest of the Spirit which God hath given to us and which hath wrought us for the self same thing according to his Mercy by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he sheds abundantly upon the heirs of glory through Jesus Christ our Saviour there is no entering into Heaven but by Regeneration we must be new Creatures or lost Creatures for ever Only those that are born from above by God are to live above with God Jesus saith Verily verily except a Man be born from above he cannot see the Kingdom of God Verily verily except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And we may be sure that Christ dwells in us and we in him that we have his Spirit in us and are Regenerated If we are in the Faith and are sound and sincere believers and such as love and obey the Lord. Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your selves Know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you â—n whom in you that are in the Faith thâ—t Christ mâ—y dweâ—l in your hearts By Faith the Spirit is received by thâ— hearing of faith the doctrine of Fâ—ith mixed with Faith in them that hear it who are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God for of his own will begâ—t he us by the word of truth working the truth of â—aith in us and whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth is born of God that loveth him that begat and loveth him also that is begotten of him and every one that doth righteousness is born of him If we can prove our Regeneration we may certainly infer our Eternal Salvation All the graces of the holy Spirit constitute the Divine Nature which is conveyed by the Holy Ghost in the way of Regeneration or the New-birth now Regeneration or the New-birth is a very great secret and can be known no other way by us but by the several graces of the Spirit and their operations upon the whole Man and influences into the Conversation to discourse at large of every grace And how we may know we have them in truth I leave to a better opportunity at present these three namely Faith Love and New Obedience may suffice to be spoken to for the evidencing of our Regeneration and Salvation as soon as we begin to Believe we begin to Live Faith is the first Life of Grace it knits and unites us to Christ who is our life It is out of his fulness that we receive by Faith and grace for grace It is that grace by which we behold with open face as in a Glass the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image from glory unto glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. They that believe on the Name of the Son of God may know that they have Eternal Life because that they believe on the Name of the Son of God Now he that believeth on the Son
his Son in sufferings and that we also as he must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh let us arm our selves likewise with the same mind by putting off the old man and putting on the new man he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the Lusts of Men but to the Will of God let us be followers of that which is good who is he then that will harm us but and if we suffer for Righteousness sake let us not be afraid of their terror neither be troubled Let them as Christ Jesus did that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator which is to walk worthy of God who hath called us unto his Kingdom and Glory and if we be faithful herein unto death will not be long ere he call us into his Kingdom of Glory where we shall receive the Crown of Life but then we must walk in the Spirit and the Spirit will walk in us which he promiseth to do if we keep our selves from Idols come out from among them and be separated and touch not the unclean thing if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit we cannot walk worthy of God his Kingdom of Grace and Glory without walking in the Spirit It is the Spirit and walking in the Spirit thâ—t makes us worthy or meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light it is only through the Spirit we do mortifie the deeds of the body that we may live a life of Grace and Peace and Joy we are carnally minded by nature and the carnal mind is enmity against God not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be which is death nor can we be spiritually minded which is Life and Peace if so be that the Spirit of God dwell not in us for as the body without the Spirit is dead so the Soul without the Spirit of Christ is dead also and they who are naturally or spiritually dead cannot walk we must be quickned and sanctified by the Spirit before we can live or walk in the Spirit To walk in the Spirit is to be spiritually minded or of the mind of the Spirit for as many as are led by the Spirit or they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit now the things of the Spirit are either spiritual or eternal Grace or Glory or what relates to it which the minds of spiritual persons are taken up with such are all holy duties commanded by the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit which is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. which constitute the divine nature in us whereby we lead the divine life which is our walking with God in the Spirit or glorifying God in our Body and in our Spirit which are Gods walk we then in the Spirit and we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes nor walk in pride To walk worthy of God his Kingdom and Glory is to walk in wisdom toward our selves if thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self and towards them that are without and to walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming our time as we have opportunity to do good unto all men especially labouring to be so wise as to win Souls for they that be wise Teachers turn many to righteousness and shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever the wise shall inherit Glory To walk in Wisdom is to understand what the Will of the Lord is and to do thereafter for a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments it is to understand the way wherein we ought to walk and to walk therein The Wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way which is Gods way this was Davids prayer Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain â—ath cause me to know the way wherein I should walk lead me in the way everlasting and Gods promise I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye and his performance he led his people forth by the right way that they might go to a City of habitation Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory saith David his practical resolution I have chosen the way of Truth I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart It is to behave our selves wisely in a perfect way and to walk within our house with a perfect heart To understand also the Work of God his Work of Creation Redemption Providence and Grace and to do with all our might maugre all opposition whatsoever our hand findeth to do whatsoever Gods Providence layeth before us to go through with it considering there is no Work nor Device nor Knowledge nor Wisdom in the Grave whither we are all going That we may be alwayes so doing we had need to pray mightily to God so to teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom The Works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein they are honourable and glorious he hath made his wonderful Works to be remembred known taken notice of admired and praised God hath also ordained or prepared that we should walk in good Works then walk we in Wisdom indeed when we are prepared and ready unto and zealous to maintain every good Work To walk worthy of God is to walk in Faith we walk by Faith not by sight Faith is our sight the evidence of things not seen without which it is impossible to please God To walk in Faith is to live by the Faith of the Son of God the life which we now live in the flesh It is a continual coming to God in the Name of Jesus Christ till we come to God a believing that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him It is also a daily receiving the Lord Jesus and of his fulness receiving and Grace for Grace that we should shew forth the praises or virtues of him who hath called us unto his Kingdom and Glory To walk worthy of God is to walk in love as Christ hath also loved us to love God and one another as Christ hath set us an example and given us a Commandment This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son and love one another as he gave us Commandment Our walking in Faith is that we might walk in Love Faith worketh by Love Faith unfeigned worketh Love without dissimulation Let us not love in word neither in tongue but
being poor in Spirit that you may be rich in Faith and Heirs of a Kingdom the comfort and content of a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth The Kingdom of God is not meat and driâ—k but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Let your Conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have that your Conversation may be in Heaven Heavenly-mindedness is your duty let it be your delight to seek those thingâ— which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore for all thosâ— and onely those that have and exercise the Graces of the Spirit in truth and uprightness Labour therefore in the last place for the Grace of Sincerity which is not so much a Grace as that which makes Grace to be â—race If I may sâ—y so what is Faith but Fancy if it be not unfeigned Or Love but Lust except it be without dissimulation What is Obedience good for if it be not universal and constant Our hearts and lives are not sound if we have not respect unto all Gods Commandments to perform them alwayes unto the end Suppose our Gracious Majesty the King command nothing but what is holy just and good for His own Honour and Interest and the good of His Subjects will he judge those persons sincere to him that lives in open disobedience to any of his righteous Laws God and man would and should be served in sincerity and truth God is to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth he is rich in mercy but to whom to them that call upon him in Truth The good and the right way is only fear the Lord and serve him in Truth with all your heart God is for the heart and the whole heart man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart the heart and the sincerity of it is all in all with God Grace and Mercy is with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity with incorruption Sincerity is the Salt thâ—t keeps our Love and other Graces from corrupting and perishing it is the root of the matter which makes the hâ—art good and honest in bringing forth the fruit of rightâ—â—usness with patience unto perfection Whereas the seed sown in the heart where there is no root â—iâ—hers away the Word of the Truth of the Gospel bringeth forth fruit in them that hear it who knâ—w the Grace of God in Truth Do not my words saith God do good to him that walketh upright God is good to those that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts which David intimates in his Prayer None are good indeed but the upright and sincere their hearts are good their lives are good they are like Saul and Jonathan lovely and pleasant in their lives and their death is precious in the sight of the Lord. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is Peace He shall enter into Peace that walketh before God in Truth and with a perfect heart doing that which is good in his sight uprightness integrity and sincerity in heart speech and behaviour is very pleasing to God Behold thou delightest in or desirest Truth in the inward parts They onely are the Sons of God who are blameless harmless or sincere speaking the Truth in love as being sincere which is all one speaking the Truth from the heart is a character of a Citizen of Zion and the property and duty of the true Ministers of the Gospel who are not as many which deal deceitfully with or corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak they in Christ his Doctrine shewing uncorruptness sincerity sound speech that cannot be condemned ordering also their Conversations in the World by the grace of God in simplicity and godly sincerity that they may approve things that are excellent that they may be sincere and without offence toward God and toward man till the day of Christ They who are allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel are even so to speak and live not as pleasing men but God which tryeth their hearts not at any time using flattering words for a cloak of covetousness whom St. Paul would have the Brethren to mark And I most humbly beseech His most peaceable Majesty for His own and His Kingdoms sake and safety He would also mark them who cause Divisions and Offences upon what pretences soever either in the State or Church or Families contrary to the Doctrine of Christ for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple walking in craftiness doing the work of the Lord deceitfully But such as would first seek the Kingdom of God with comfort must labour to be Israelites indeed in whom is no guile that they may grow in grace in every grace going from grace to grace from strength to strength for the pure in heart and he that hath clean hands and is sincere perfect and undefiled in the way shall be stronger and stronger till he be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus being strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man to exercise himself in all holy conversation and godliness in every condition in every relation for the truth and strength of grace lies much in relative religiousness None are really holy that are not relatively holy they who are not good loyal and sincere loving Subjects to His most Excellent Majesty the King are far from the true power of godliness and so in all other Relations which I leave to a fitter opportunity to handle What more plain in all the Word of God than that every Soul is to be subject unto the higher Powers How apt are men to forget it Put them in mind therefore saith St. Paul to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates What follows To be ready to every good Work Why for Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the evil He is a Minister of God to every one for good both to the good and to the evil to make evil men good and good men better The Supreme Power which is the Ordinance of God is not to be resisted upon pain of damnation but all Dues Duties Tribute Custom Fear Honour the rather to be rendered with all chearfulness and humble thankfulness for Magistrates are Gods Ministers attending continually on this very thing wherefore let every one of us as it is our bounden duty shew the truth and power of our godliness herein for we must needs be Subjects not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake to our Superiours in the Lord And that they may rule for God and for good let Supplications Prayers Intercessions and
Word are his Laws Angels all Kings and Kingdoms are his Subjects All power is given unto this King in heaven and in earth he hath a Kingdom in every true Believer where he dwells and reigns as King The Sacred Scriptures are his Laws written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of their hearts their bâ—dies souls spirits every member faculty power quality and all that is within them mind memory will conscience affections thoughts intents desires c. words actions and all their enemies sin Satan and the world the honours pleasures treasures thereof are his Subjects This King of Saints is personally in heaven but dwells and reigns mystically in true Believers by his Spirit by his Word by his Grace Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Now the Office of the holy Spirit is by Regeneration to wash and cleanse our bodies souls and spirits from all filthiness that by his divine power we may be partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth And by applying also the blood of Christ If the blood of bulls and goats sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead works Ye know ye were not redeemed from your vain conversation with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ The holy Ghost is given to purifie our hearts by the grace of faith This King by his Spirit Word Bloud and Grace creates in us clean hearts and renews right spirits within us and thereby also prepares our bodies souls and spirits to be temples and habitations meet for his Majesty to inhabit and dwell in As our bodies are filled with our souls and spirits so would our gracious King have us filled in our bodies souls and spirits with all the fulness of God Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit Such is the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man that according to his mercy he saves us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he sheds upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour He would have his word dwell in us richly in all wisdom for reaching and admonishing one another By his blood he dwelleth in us How free was he of it during the time of his pâ—ssive obedience in his estate of humiliation He poured out his soul unto death Being in an agony his sweat was as it were great drops of bloud falling down to the ground He offered his side to be broached that he might shed his hearts blood for our redemption the remission of our sins reconciliation our sanctification and salvation In whom we have redemption through his blood Without shedding of bloud there is no remission He hath made peace through the blood of his cross Reconciling all things unto himself whether they be things in earth or things in heaven The blood of Christ through the eternal Spirit purgeth our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him In his estate of Exaltation how free is he also of his blood by the virtue of it he makes continual intercession for us In the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper we have his blood given to drink which he tells us is drink indeed and calls upon us to drink yea to drink abundantly He dwelleth in us by his grace It pleâ—sed the Father that in him should all fulness dwell a fulness of grace and truth The fulness of him that fi leth all in all That of his fulness we all might receive grace for grace Through him great grace was upon all the Apostles and many of the Primitive Christians He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers with gifts and graces for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That we henceforth be no more children tâ—ssed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love The Universal Church is the body of Christ his Spirit the virtue of his Bloud his Word Graces and Comforts are the life welfare and soul of it Christ our King dwells in this his body and every member of it which is his Kingdom by righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost He covers his body with the robe of his righteousness for their Justification which is their upper garment And to the Church the Lamb's Wife is granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen her under garment which is righteousness for Sanctification and purity both in body soul spirit and conversation The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus This Church or Body of Christ looking for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness is diligently to be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And knowing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for the sake of his Body which is the Church he became poor that through his poverty it might be made rich through him have an access by one Spirit unto the Father of lights from whom cometh every good gift and every perfect gift whether of Nature of Grace or of Glory For the Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with hold from them that walk uprightly The spirit of power of love and of a sound mind are his gift which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created the new man to be renewed in the spirit of his mind For that the soul be without knowledge is not good especially the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ and him crucified all other knowledge shall vanish away but this is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ
himself of the Robe that was upon him and gave it to David and his Garments even to his Sword and to his Bow and to his Girdle and said moreover to David whatsoever thy Soul desireth I will even do it for thee There is between God and the goldly a love of Union My Beloved is mine and I am his The Bond on Gods part is his Spirit hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit he that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit The Bond on our part is Faith working by Love Christ dwelleth in the heart by Faith he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God This is the most intimate Union as near as Head and Members Root and Branch Man and Wife Corner-stone and the Building which may be severed cut off separated and disunited But this Vnion between God in Christ and Spiritual Believers is inseparable because wrought preserved and maintained by the Holy Ghost who is God 2. From whence followeth a near Communion Truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ Can two walk together except they be agreed There is an Agreement between God and all True Believers by Covenant the Covenant and Agreement that was once betwixt Them and Sin Satan and Hell and Death is disannulled and a Covenant made with God by Sacrifice by all the Saints and by means and vertue of this Holy Agreement it is that God and his People walk together in every Holy Duty and Ordnance there is a Holy Communion between them a Fellowship in Desires and Loves I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early He brought me into his Banquetting House and his Banner over me was Love Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair saith Christ to his Beloved Spouse Tell me oh thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest saith the Spouse to Christ Here is a Love-Communion nothing but expressions of Love between them and mutual Joy also Draw me We will run after thee The King hath brought me into his Chambers We will be glad and rejoyce over thee with Joy he will rest in his Love he will Joy over thee with Singing in our Prayers and Praises we hold up our Communion with him Oh my Dove that art in the cleft of the Rock in the secret place of the Stairs let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely and doubtless he that calls upon us to Pray will vouchsafe his ear to hear and a heart to answer Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Pray and granteth our Request so he heareth our Praises and Thanksgivings for the Mercies obtained by Prayer we are to offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the Calves of our Lips giving Thanks or Confessing his Name This is to Glorifie God he that offereth Praise Glorifieth me There is an Active and Passive Praising of God an Actâ—ve when in heart tongue and life we shew forth his Glory Thus David Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name bless the Lord O my Soul And St. Paul Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places or things in Christ Our Tongue is called in Scripture our glory in nothing more than in Glorifying or Praising God therewith bless we God I will Sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will Sing Praise unto my God while I have my being is the purpose and practise of every faithful Christian Our Lives should praise the Lord then we praise God indeed when our Conversations are only as becometh the Gospel of Christ There is also a Pâ—ssive Praising of God All the Works of God Praise him his Saints only bless him our Bodies Souls and Spirits declare with all the rest of Gods Works his glory but when they are by Gods Spirit changed into the Im ge of God from glory to glory and the faculties of the one and the members of the others are Instruments in tune exercising Righteousness and true Holiness then they much more speak the Praise of God 3. There is also a Love of Communication and Benevolence which is Mutual between God and the Godly God is a Communicative Good he is never weary of giving We are too often weary of asking and receiving God is good and doth good He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things he that will give grace and glory will withhold nothing that is good If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him We have nothing to give to God but what we have from him the best thing we have to give him is our heart My Son give me thy heart Our whole Man and our whole duty is intirely to be presented to God as a living reasonable service and yet when we have done all we are but unprofitable servants Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself Good Lives is profitable to all things and persons but not unto God we cannot add any thing to God's Essential Perfections God is so good that a Cup of cold Water given to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall not lose its reward Our Love of Benevolence to God is by his gracious power a willing what God wills and a nilling what he nills a doing what he commands us as he commandeth us and a not doing what he forbids us because he forbids us when we are good our selves and good to our selves and do good to others when we forget not to do good and to Communicate as we have opportunity but do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith and remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being our selves also in the Body then are we if I may say good to God though our goodness extendeth not to him but to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the excellent in whom we are to delight There is also a Real Union Communion and Communication between Christians in Love Every Saint loves all Saints By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another and by this we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the
and having a righteous Judge who is King of Salem that is King of peace and a wonderful Counsellor both to hear and plead their cause the Spirit the Word of Promise and the Wise Pure and Peaceable to be their Witnesses doubt not but to carry it in Gods good time against Sathan and the World who are Enemies and Adversaries to the Peace and Prosperity of Sion That the fruits of Righteousness may be sown in peace of them that make peace is the end of their desires of peace that being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ all may live to the glory and praise of God for herein is our heavenly Father glorified when we bear much fruit The fruit of holiness to God the fruit of righteousness to Men for the fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness and Righteousnes and Truth Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Faith Faithfulness Meekness Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly-kindness Charity The best sowing-time for these Seeds of Holiness is in the fair weather of Peace though Persecution through Sanctification of the Spirit may be good to root them and make them grow where they are sown And therefore we should follow after the persons the things the means that make for peace follow peace with all men till we overtake and catch it as hunters without weariness till they have got their game Especially Magistrates and Ministers the great Peace-makers and keepers in Church and State are to follow it amain with and for each other who are Commanders of it and Counsellors to it they who Preach the Gospel of Peace should be for the Peace of the Gospel The best way to gain all to follow after Peace is for the Leaders to begin hold on and hold out Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another and the Lord of Peace himself give us Peace always by all means The way to be perfect to be of good comfort to be of one mind to have and to hold the God of Love and Peace in the midst of us is to live in peace he is not a Son of God nor a true Son of the Universal Church that is not a Son of Peace The Kingdom of God which is a Kingdom of Grace Righteousness and Peace is also a Kingdom of Joy in the Holy Ghost Every Grace hath Joy in it and being well exercised hath Joy accompanying it Joy is the flower of Grace rejoycing with joy unspeakable and full of Glory is the effect of believing in and loving of the Lord Jesus Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance and Repentance Joy they that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing the seeds of Grace with the showers of Grace and the Influences of the Sun of Righteousness bring forth a crop of Joy they who walk in the fear of the Lord will live in the comforts of the Holy Ghost Joy or Rejoycing is a Duty a Grace a Blessing Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Rejoyce in the Lord evermore and again rejoyce rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject to you but rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven they who are Justified by Faith and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus by whom they have access into the Grace wherein they stand rejoyce in hope of the glory of God The Lord is to be served with Joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things The Light of Gods countenance upon the Godly puts gladness in their hearts more than in theirs whose Corn and Wine encreaseth everlasting joy shall be upon the heads and in the hearts of the ransomed of the Lord they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away this Joy of the Lord is their strength it is strength to their outward man it is not only strength to but the very strength of the inward man A sound heart is the life of the flesh What is it that makes the heart sound and consequently the body but grace and joy exercised effectually David a man after God's own heart whose heart was sound in Gods statutes How often do we find him rejoycing in God in his Word delighting in the Godly and in their Communion Thou art the God of my strength saith he How O send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy Holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles then will I go unto God my exceeding joy the gladness of my joy The God of his exceeding joy was the God of his strength they cannot want joy that make God their joy the God of hope the God they hope and trust in the God they hope to see face to face will fill them with all joy and peace in believing that they may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost By this spirit in the inner man the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will grant unto them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-sufferings with joyfulness that they can do and suffer all things through Christ which strengthens them they know both how to be abased and how to abound every where in all things instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need to suffer for the name of Christ for the name and power of Godliness for all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution but they rejoyce in as much as they are made partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed they may be glad also with exceeding Joy The great fight of Afflictions partly whilst they are made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst they become Companions of them that were so used and the spoiling of their Goods they take joyfully knowing in themselves that they have in Heaven a better and an induring substance What is Joy but the Exultation Dilatation and Enlargement of a holy heart running the wayes of Gods Commandments with delight power patience and perseverance working therein a fervent willingness to be and readiness to do and suffer any thing whereby God may be glorified a rejoycing in the way of Gods Testimonies as much as in all riches the unsearchable riches of Christ the riches of Grace and the riches of Glory are the matter of this Joy the beholding by faith as in a Glass this glory of God our relation to him and his dear Son and thereby our interest ingrace and right and title to glory are means both to beget encrease and perfect this joy which is the strength of the heart What is the ground of our hope and confidence when our flesh and our heart fails us but God our exceeding Joy who is the strength of our hearts because he
that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a Lie Sin Satan and Sinners must never more come there this Kingdom will have a happy riddance of them The everlasting presence of one only God is the heaven of heavens and the glory of this Kingdom of glory Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with thâ—m and they shall be his People and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neiâ—her shall be any more pain no more curse there will be nothing of Hell in Heaven no more then there will be of Heaven in Hell But the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in this Kingdom there will be no need of Sun Moon or Candle for the Glory of God will Lighten it and the Lamb is the Light of it Truly the Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eye to behold the Sun in the firmament but with invisible eyes to see the invisible Sun of Righteousness in the firmament of glory Oh how sweet and plesaant will that be God is Light and in him is no darkness at all this Light shineth in darkness but the darkness comprehendeth it not The blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath Immortality dwelleth in the Light which no Man can approach unto whom no Man hath seen nor can see because he covereth himself with Light as with a Garment for now we see through a Glass darkly or in a Riddle God his Word his Works of Nature Grace and Glory every thing we see hear taste touch smell hath an inexplicable and unutterable mystery in it now we know but in part but in the kingdom of glory we shall know as we are known It doth not yet appear what we shall be it doth not yet appear to us what God is Who can tell what God is but we know that when God-man shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is not in a Glass darkly but then face to face which will be our blessedness Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God we walk by Faith and not by Sight here but in Heaven we walk by sight and not by faith perfectly to see God Father Son and Holy Ghost in heavenly glory and to understand the Mysteries of Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity and that great Mystery of Godliness without Controversy God manifested in the Flesh Justified in the Spirit seen of Angels believed on in the World received up into Glory Preached unto and among the Gentiles even the unsearchable Riches of Christ to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God to the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God which the Angels desire to look into to behold with understanding at once all the secrets of nature grace and glory according to our capacities and to live for ever in the perfect vision and knowledge of them all will be our life eternal This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent If to see the Face of Relations and Friends especially Saints be so desirous but we Brethren sâ—ith St. Paul being taken from you for a short time in presence not in heart endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire With what desire should every one of us desire to behold the Face of God in righteousness that we may be satisfied with his likeness and the faces of an innumerable company of Angels and the faces of the general Assembly and Church of the First born with the beauties and comliness of God and perfect Godliness put upon them to see also a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth nothing but righteous persons and righteousness to see the great City the holy Hierusalem having the Glory of God and her Light like unto a Stone most precious even like a Jasper Stone clear as Crystal and a Wall great and high and Twelve Gates and at the Gates Twelve Angels and Names written thereon which are the Names of the Twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel on the East three Gates on the North three Gates on the South three Gates and on the West three Gates and the Wall of the City twelve Foundations and in them the Names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And the City lyeth four square and the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal The Wall thereof an hundred and forty and four cubits according to the measure of a Man that is of the Angel and the building of the Wall of it of Jasper and the City pure Gold like unto clear glass and the Foundation of the Walls of the City garnished with all manner of precious stones the first foundation Jasper the second Saphire the third Chalcedony the fourth Emerauld the fifth Sardonyx the sixth Sardius the seventh Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Jacint the twelfth an Amethyst and the twelve Gates twelve Pearls every several Gate of one Pearl and the Street of the City pure Gold as it were transparent glass where there is no Temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it and the City hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God doth Lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof And the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there a pure River of water of Life clear as Chrystal therein proceedeth out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb In the midst of the Street of it and on either side of the River was there the Tree of Life bearing Twelve manner of fruits every Month which is in the midst of the Paradise of God which Jesus Christ will give to him that overcometh to eat of that he may live for ever Who is he that hath had from the Father of Lights the least saving glimpse of this glory that saith not it is good to be here Who hath had also the very least true sight of the vanity insufficiency brevity and certain uncertainty of all under the Sun that saith not Behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit my eye is not satisfied with seeing nor my ear with hearing nor my tast with eating and drinking or smell with smelling nor the hand with touching and handling Vanity of vanities all is vanity saith Solomon the Preacher A sight of the glory of all the Kingdoms of the World which the Devil gave Christ an opportunity to behold is but a glorious vanity compared with
that Majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ and that excellent glory which the Apostles were eye-witnesses of for they beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth the glory of his people Israel were the Majesty Beauty Comliness and Loveliness of all the reasonable Creatures that ever were is or shall be contracted and comprised in one Man How Lovely would that person be to see to but Christ God-man is altogether lovely How great is his goodness and How great is his beauty who is the beauty of Zion the perfection of beauty No wonder that he is the desire of all Nations and that all true Saints have one thing to desire of the Lord namely To behold the beauty of the Lord and that their Soul desires him in the night and with their spirit within them do seek him early Even new-born Babes sincerely desire the Word Christ and the word of Christ that they may grow thereby having tasted that the Lord is gracious at his gracious Invitation O tast and see that the Lord is good not as still-born dead hypocrites who have onely tasted in a way of profession the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come and so fall away Crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh by not Crucifying their Lusts and being Crucified to the World and thereby put him to an open shame but by a lively Faith and Hope they have seen and viewed their Beloved from head to foot and can by experience say My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten thousand his head is as the most fine Gold his Locks are bushy and black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of waters washed with Milk and fitly set his cheeks are as a Bed of Spices as sweet Flowers his lips like Lilies dropping sweet smelling Myrrh his hands are as Gold Rings set with the Beryl his Belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires his Legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his Countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet having kissed them with the kisses of his mouth and they at his command kissed him least he should be angry yea he is in the esteem of the poorest New-born Babe altogether lovely The believing Beloved Spouse is also Lovely to Christ Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes within thy locks and thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse saith Christ thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck If the borrowed created beauty of a true Believer a Spouse yet imperfect be so really ravishing to Christ How ravishing will the beauty of the Creator of such beauty be to the glorified spectators of it in the State of Glory which Christ desires on the behalf of all Believers Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The beholding of this glory is our glory if Joy unspeakable and full of glory is to be had in a way of believing and loving of an unseen God and Christ and glory Oh what unspeakable unconceivable Joys will the perfect everlasting Vision of these afford to the glorified This is that they are Watching Working and Waiting and Hoping or Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe for when Christ who is their Life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in glory Christ and his Church long to see each other not in a Glass darkly looking at one another at the Windows shewing himself through the Lattess but face to face The Spirit and the Bride say come Christ saith surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus saith all them that love his appearing This perfect beatifical Vision of God in Heavenly Glory will breed unutterable sweet fruition in the nearest Union Communion and Communication between God and the Godly as there is an Union in grace between Christ and every true Christian by Faith through the spirit which is inseparable So there is an Union in glory or a glorious Union between the glorious Trinity and all the glorified beyond all apprehension and expression now and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one not one in Essence with God in Christ but one by resemblance or similitude an oneness there will be betwixt God and all the Godly glorified infinitely surpassing all other unions here below The Mystery of Husband and Wife one Flesh of King and Subject one Kingdom Soul and Body one Person Root and Branches one Tree Foundation Corner-stone and Building one House are very great and Mysterious but this of Grace and Glory much greater and far more unconceivable those are as shadows and so pass away this substantial and eternal for Brethren to dwell even together in the unity of the Spirit in the unity of that Faith which worketh by Love in the bond of Peace Behold how good and how pleasant it is beyond all expression apprehension and approbation But for the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect to dwell even together in unity with Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity through all Eternity in that glory which God the Father gave unto Christ and Christ hath given unto them that they may be one even as the Father and his Son Jesus are one I in them saith Christ and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one How good and how pleasant a sight will this be to behold here and onely here will the Natural and Intellectual eye be satisfied with seeing the hearts of all knit together in Love and unto all Riches of the full assurance of Understanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ and that Mystery of Godliness which without controversie is so great God manifested in the Flesh becoming one with us in Nature that we might become one with him in Grace and Glory for by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one Body for the body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ for we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones as Head and Members make up but one Body so the Son of God who is also the Son of Man and the Sons of God which are as head and members make
them depart in peace be you warmed aâ—d filled notwithstanding ye give not them those things which are needful to the body Doth such a one love or hate his Brother Is he not in darkness and walketh in darkness unto outer darkness if he that hateth his Brother say I love God he is a liar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen How can he love God whom he hath not seen There is a wide difference between the godly and ungodly's sinning It is too true that both of them sin The godly Mans purpose promise and practise is habitually and ordinarily against all sin The wicked Mans Trade Custom Conscience Work and Way is sin he is known to be wicked by being a worker of Iniquity he lives in sin in a state of sin in the practise both of sins of Omission and Commission which they who are Godly doe not dare not do they also do no Iniquity the transgression of the wicked saith That there is no fear of God before his eyes they that fear not God fear not to sin by the fear of the Lord Men depart from evil The fear of the Lord is to hate evil The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself to stand in awe that he sin not Every godly man is negatively and positively holy in heart speech and behaviour His Prayer is his Practise Incline not my heart to any evil thing to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity I have inclined mine heart to perform thy Statutes alway even unto the end No corrupt communication proceedeth out of his Mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying he speaketh the truth in his heart his speech is alwayes with grace seasoned with salt sound that cannot be condemned The mouth of the Righteous speaketh Wisdom his Tongue talketh of Judgment his Tongue is his glory so called in Scripture and used only for Gods Glory with it he Prayes to and Praises God The high Praises of God is in his mouth Prayer and Praise with heart and voice is a good Mans daily practice He walks uprightly that is he walks not after the Flesh in the lust of Concupiscence he makes he takes no provision for the flesh to satisfie it in the lusts thereof In rioting and drunkenness in chambering and wantonness in strife and envying all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking he puts away from him with all malice yea all that is in the World the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of heart and life Whatever else God forbids he forsakes he avoids and hates every false way and work he approves himself to be a Citizen of Zion for he backbiteth not with his Tongue nor doth evil to his Neighbor nor taketh up receiveth or endureth a reproach against his Neighbors that Sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not that putteth not his Mony to Usury nor taketh reward against the Innocent As he walks not after the Flesh so he walks after the Spirit because he lives in the spirit and also walks in the spirit which is a walking in wisdom or in the light a walking in faith and love and truth after Gods Commandments for this is love that we walk after his Commandments Moral and Evangelical the rule of our life for as many as walk according to this Ruâ—e Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God What God and his Commandments are to us that are we to be unto him and them God is holy just and good all his Commandments are holy just and good such are we to be before God and the World holy just and good in our dispositions communications and conversâ—tions This was St. Paul his Prayer for his Thessalonians The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ This is the will of God even our Sanctification in our Bodies that we should abstain from fornication for which end every one should know how to possess his Vessel in sanctification and honor not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God for God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness because our bodies are the Members of Christ and the Temples of the Holy Ghost Shall we then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Know ye not that he that is joyned to an Harlot is one Body and therefore the holy Apostle exhorts To flee Fornication and all youthful lusts for every sin that a Man doth is without the Body but he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body and yet our Bodies are not our own to use them as we please because they are bought with a price and therefore we are to glorifie God in our Bodies as well as in our Spirits which are Gods by presenting them a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable Service not conformed to this World in outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of Apparel but in behaviour as becometh holiness No sin is to reign in our Mortal Bodies that we should obey it in the lust thereof neither must we yield our Members as Instruments or Weapons of unrighteousness unto Sin but as Instruments of righteousness unto God as the Body must be holy throughout so must the Soul also in all the faculties and powers thereof Mind Will Memory Conscience and Affections be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind and put on the new Man which is renewed in knowledge that being transformed by the renewing of your mind ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God till ye be a willing people in the day of his power to be what he would have you to be to do what he would have you to do and to suffer what he would have you to suffer choosing the things that please him having a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly yea living in all good conscience which is to exercise our selves to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men their conscience also bearing them witness and when others accuse excusing for their rejoycing is this the Testimony of their Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God they have had their conversation in the World and having renounced the hidden things of dishonestâ— not walking in craftiness but by manifestation of the Truth of their profession by the holiness of their Conversâ—tion commend themselves to every Mans Conscience in the sight of God and their hearts being sprâ—nkled from an evil Conscience and purged from dead Works to serve the living God have the answer of good Conscience towards God which breeds peace of Conscience the Peace of God
which passâ—th all understanding and as theâ—r Minds and Wills and Consciâ—ncâ—s so their Memories are sanctified they hide the Word of God in their hearts or memories a repository for this heavenly Manna to be laid up and kept in for then are we saved if we keep or hold fast in memory what is Preached unto u and we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we hear lest at any time we should let them slip out of our memory or run out as leaking Vess l and whereas they that like not to retain God in their knowledge or to acknowlede God and therefore are given over to a reprobate mind void of judgment fulfilling the desires or wills of the flesh to do those things which are not convenient being convinced by their own defiled accusing Conscience forgetful hearers deceiving their own selves for which cause God gives them up unto vile affections yet the Sanctified Soul having crucified the Flesh and mortified the inordinate affections thereof set their affections on things above not on things on the earth having their conversation in heaven These are Israelites in whose Spirit Speech and Behaviour there is no guile for he is an Israelite which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the â—pirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God Behold the desire and delight of God is in truth in the inward parts the hidden Man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price these are the upright in heart and life who dwell in the presence of his grace here and in the presence of his glory hereafter those who are holy are just doing as they would be done by and if a Maâ— be just and do judgment and justice that which is lawful ind right hath not lift up his eyes to the Idols of the House of Israel neither hath defiled his neighbors Wife neither hath come near a menstruous Woman h th not oppressed any but hath restored to the Debtor his Pledge hath spoiled none by violence hath given his Bread to the hungry that hath taken off his hand from the poor and hath not given forth upon Usury neither taken any increase that hath withdrawn his hand from Iniquity hath executed true judgment between Man and Man hath walked in Gods statutes and hath kept his Judgments to deal truly he is just he shall surely live with the General Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written or inrolled in Heaven which are the Spirits of Just Men made perfect The Just are good also not good as God or good to God our goodness extendeth not unto him so there is none good but one that is God who is eternally essentially absolutely infinitely and originally good Every good and every perfect gift cometh from above from the â—ather of lights When God had made every thing he saw that it was good but when he had created Man in his own Image then it is said God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Man at first was made very good he was naturally good before he sinned he was very good through the Image of God upon him and before he is good again this Image of God must be in a supernatural way restored unto him which consists in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Nothing can make our Natures good but the Divine Nature the good work must be begun in us before we can think a good thought speak a good word or do a good work till then we are disobedient and unto every good work reprobate and void of judgment being sanctified we are meet for the Masters use and thereby prepared unto every good work yea throughly furnished unto all good works Let us examine our selves Are we holy as God and his Law are holy God is our only perfect pattern his Word or Law our rule to walk by His command is be ye holy for I am holy God is essentially holy and personally holy the Father is holy the Son is holy the Spirit is called the Holy Ghost The Law is holy the People of God are holy called holy Brethren and a holy Priesthood chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World to be holy and without blame before him in love his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Redeemed and delivered out of the hands of our enemies to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life effectually called out of darkness into marvellous light to be holy in all manner of conversation presented a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Have we then this holiness in our hearts and lives the end of our Predestination new Creation effectual Calling and Glorification which is to love God and hate evil Godliness is Godlikeness Do we as God doth Love righteousness and hate wickedness Are our hearts sound sincere and perfect in his Statutes Have we respect unto all his Commandments Are we negatively and positively holy Do we deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Do we and are we fully and firmly resolved to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and to have our fruit unto holiness then shall our end be everlasting life Are we just both to the just and unjust Do we speak the truth in our heart and act accordingly Do we to all men as we would be done by or Do we go beyond and defraud our brother in any matter the Lord is the avenger of all such Do we desire we labour we to owe no Man any thing but love He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much Do we render to all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honor to whom Honor Are you like God without respect of persons just in all your dealings to low and high small and great to the poor that want power to come by their own as well as to the rich Are you just and faithful in matters of Distributive and Commutative Justice to all men in all estates bond and free in all times good and bad prosperous and adverse and that alwayes then shall ye be recompenced at the Resurrection of the just while the unjust whose Damnation is just are reserved unto the day of Judgment to be punished for every transgression and disobedience shall receive a just recompence of reward Every Man according to his Deeds Glory and Honor and Immortality Eternal Life to them who by patient continuance
God and the everlasting good of many a poor yet precious Soul so that all our contentions and mutual devourings shall end in a holy amicable contending earnestly for the Faith of the Gospel that we may stand fast in one Spirit with one mind and one mouth glorifying God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ receiving one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God than which what can be more pleasing to God honourable to our selves creditable to Religion profitable and comfortable to His Majesties Three Kingdoms If there be joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth what joy will there be in Heaven over all the Sinners in these Kingdoms that repent The Lord our God in the midst of us will be mighty to save us he will rejoyce over us with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over us with singing if as Brethren being called unto liberty we use not our liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another for all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self but if we bite and devour one another let us take heed that we be not consumed one of another And it shall come to pass that as the Lord rejoyced over us to do us good so the Lord will rejoyce over us to destroy us and bring us to nought which will assuredly come to pass if we bless our selves in our hearts saying We shall have peace though we walk in the imagination or stubbornness of our hearts to add Iniquity to Iniquity the Lord will not spare but his anger and jealousie shall smoke against us and all the Curses written in his Book shall lie upon us and he will blot out our names from under Heaven Cursed also is every one that doth the Work of the Lord negligently or deceitfully But I am persuaded better Things of you and Things which accompany Salvation and that we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of our Souls Let us take heed lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of us be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin looking also diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble us and thereby many be defiled for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end and also of his Kingdom of glory for the securing whereof these plain Directions are absolutely necessary to be put in practice I. That all Sins be avoided and hated especially Unbelief Pride Covetousness Carnality Lying and Hypocrisie II. That all the Duties of Holiness be rightly zealously and constantly performed both publick and private III. That all the Graces of the Holy Spirit be had and exercised They who would set themselves in earnest to seek the Kingdom of God must heartily set themselves against all sins stand in awe and sin not while you are seeking if you would find this Kingdom Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near but then it follows Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous who is a man of Iniquity his Thoughts and let him return unto the Lord who will have mercy upon him but then he must have nothing to do with Sin who will have any thing to do with God and his kingdom otherwise God will have nothing to do with him the wages of Sin is not Heaven but hell every final impenitent unbelieving Sinner is to be shut out of Heaven and shut up in Hell to all eternity Sinners you must quit your state and course and way of sin before you can enter the state of Grace or walk in the way of Life Grace and Glory are inseparable so are Sin and Hell O have nothing to do with any the least yea the very appearance of evil as near as you can except to hate abhor leave and loath it and your selves for it as ever you hope to speed in this most important duty of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness more especially let Unbelief Pride Carnality Covetousness Lying and Hypocrisie be abandoned and abhorred as the root and source and spawn of all other abominations These are the Master evils that hinder men from being and doing good We must be negatively before we can be positively holy Wash ye make â—e clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes first cease to do evil then learn to do well c. If we would cease from evil we must take heed of the evil of Unbelief in the heart which is a sin that giveth every Truth of God the Lye Every one that believeth not goes about to make God a Lyar. The very Word of the Scripture is He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son as Faith is a coming to God by Jesus Christ so Unbelief is a departing from the living God O take heed of it as also of the sin of Pride which is a lifting and setting up our Wisdom and Will against the Wisdom Will Word Way and Work of God preferring our own Honor before Gods Glory Priâ—e was the first and worst sin that could be committed virtually and interpretatively it is all iniquity as all sinners were in one and came from one so all sins are summed up in this one namely Pride which is the Parent of all other abominations The onely sin that is so sinful This was the sin that made good Angels Devils and our first Parents and us evil like unto them yea only evil and that continually by it we have lost God our selves our knowledge of him all our righteousness and true holiness and all the happiness of Heaven it is so desperate a sin that it will not suffer any one to seek after God his Grace and Glory The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God he will be happy without God In seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness O seek first to be delivered from the pride of heart and life otherwise you may ask and not have seek and not find knock and it shall not be opened unto you Covetousness which is Adultery and Idolatry a loving and desiring after the World and the things of the World so inordinately and overcarefully as both to neglect and make light of the things of God which are above The Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth his prayer and practice is Lord Who will shew us any good his Labour is only for his mouth and therefore his laying up much Goods for many years is to take his ease eat drink and be merry he is one that layeth
peculiar bosome beloved sins search out your own sin keep your self from your iniquity if you would have good success in seeking first the Kingdom of God II. Let us put off and put away far from us these and all other sins in the fear of God or all our seeking the Kingdom of God will be but labour in vain Sinners God calls Heaven and Earth to record against you this day that he sets before you Life and Good Death and Evil Blessing and Cursing and desires you to choose Life even eternal Life O choose not Sin and Death before it Let my counsel be acceptable unto you break off your sins by righteousness and the iniquity of your covetousness by shewing mercy to the Poor lest God be wroth smite you and hide himself from you but rather seek good and not evil that ye may live be not faithless but believe God upon his Word Seek ye me saith God and ye shall live Their heart shall live that seek God his Kingdom and Righteousness in the use of all his holy means which I need but almost to name they are so often insisted upon but too seldom duely practised as namely 1. Hearing the Word preached in season and out of season instantly as Ministers are to preach it with solemn Preparation Intention Retention and a loving Affection in the hearing of it turning every Truth and Duty you hear into practice without delay for not the hearers of the Law but the doers are justified and blessed in their doing 2. Frequent Fasting frequent Praying and Watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all men that they may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth which is our striving to enter in at the strait Gate Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it even of them who seek to enter in and are not able because not willing to be at the pains and patience which is necessary to the finding the narrow Way and walking in it till they be meet and worthy to enter in at the strait Gate there is no pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations or Reasonings and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God or bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and the Laws of his Kingdom but by this good old way of Fasting Praying and watching to purpose every man that striveth for the mastery especially of spiritual enemies is to be temperate in all things some do it to obtain a corruptible Crown we an incorruptible If we would so run as to obtain so fight as to overcome we must keep under our body and bring it into subjection that our Old Man being crucified the body of sin may be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin lest that by any means when we have done all save this which is the main we our selves should be everlasting Cast-awayes better the body of the flesh and the body of sin be destroyed in the severest way of duty than the soul be for ever lost in a way of sin how pleasing soever to the flesh Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into Life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire by Fasting Praying and watching Heaven suffereth violence and onely the violent take it by force Holy Fasting especially alone and by our selves Prayer without ceasing keeping our Hearts Lips and Lives with all diligence by circumspect watchfulness from sin and all occasion and temptations thereunto are Gods gracious means appointed us for the obtaining of Grace and Glory 3. Reading searching and meditating of the Holy Scriptures day and night that the Word of Christ may dwell richly in us in all Wisdom with fervent and faithful Prayer before and after the duty for the Spirit of Truth to sanctifie us through the Truth duties much neglected both in Families and in our private communion with the Lord and I fear by too many of us slightly indifferently and indiligently done Were the Word of God read searched and meditated daily by us as it ought to be it would make us wiser for our selves in all respects than we are it is able to make even Children that exercise themselves therein wise unto salvation It is very great pity and a very great sin it is that every one that cannot doth not learn to read and every one that can doth not walk in Wisdom redeeming his time to search these Sacred Records day and night in which he thinks he hath eternal life I make no doubt but our most Gracious Sovereign the King and Governors will out of their Christian Wisdom Care Zeal and Charity which in many things they have manifested take order also that all who are capable both young and old in these Kingdoms may be diligently taught to read the Holy Scriptures that they perish not for want of knowledge that so the good Word of God may be daily read publickly in all Faimilies with Prayer and Praise to the Praise and Glory of God the Increase and Advancement of the Kingdom of Christ and their own immortal Honour Which I daily pray may come to pass and am in a longing expectation of as knowing there is Wisdom Wealth and Willingness Power and Prudence every way Ability and Opportunity in you our Governors and Counsellors for the accomplishing and effecting so great and good and necessary and pious a Work besides the many Thousands that wait for your Call Command Counsel Countenance and Encouragement to assist herein which labour of Love to so many perishing Souls will never be forgotten by the Lord and the administration of this Service will not only supply the want of Saints but will be abundant also by many Thanksgivings unto God Now the Lord make all Publick Persons in Church and State Publick spirited herein that the fruit of Righteousness may be sown in Peace by them that make Peace to the Glory of God and the Publick Good Were the Law and Gospel which is not to depart out of our mouth read and meditated therein day and night by us all high and low rich and poor c. that we might observe to do according to all that is written therein this would make our way prosperous then we should do wisely and have good success especially in seeking the Kingdom of Grace and Glory which is our best Wisdom to do every one for himself and each for other till we find it and attain it Whosoever delights in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditate day and night shall be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doth shall prosper the universal faithful practice of these duties would through the blessing of
the unity of this faith and knowledge and the neglecting of this is the frustrating of the whole work of the Ministery for let us preach never so many Sermons to the People our labour is but lost as long as the foundation is uâ—laid and the first principles untaught upon which all other Doctrine must be builded Thus far the worthy Bishop in his Sermon before King James at Wansted 7. Often remembring and real renewing our Covenant with God whenever the Holy Sacraments are administred Baptism is but to be administred once but we are solemnly and frequently to remember and make use of our Baptismal Covenant upon all occasions especially in avoiding all occasions and temptations and motions to sin within or without in time of tribulation and desertion and at the point of death we are buried with Christ in Baptism wherein also we are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God that so many of us as are bâ—ptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his death therefore are we buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life By Baptism we are planted together in the likeness of his Death and also in the likeness of his Resurrection that our old man might be crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Covenant making and Covenant keeping is the sum of our Religion We are sworn in our Baptism to believe all the Articles of our Christian Creed and to live by faith to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless to pray according to the Lords Prayer without ceasing for Grace that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we may live soberly righteously and godly in this present World that so with comfort we may look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and as we have sworn so we are to perform it even in keeping all the righteous Judgments of the Lord so also the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper which if there be opportunity should often be received by us wherein we shew forth the death of Christ till he come is another excellent means appointed by God both to convey and assure to us the Kingdom of God as also to strengthen and confirm us in the Grace we have received that we draw not back to perdition but going from faith to faith from one degree of Grace unto another we may receive the end of our faith the salvation of our Souls Let us shew the Lords death till he come by often eating this Bread and drinking this Cup but let us examine our selves lest eating and drinking unworthily we be found guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so eat and drink damnation to our selves III. All the Graces of the Holy Spirit must be had and exercised we must go to the God of all Grace for every Grace he will give Grace and Glory first Grace then Glory It is through Grace we have good hope the Grace of Regeneration according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he sheds on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of eternal life there is no hope of eternal life without Grace It cannot be expected I should discourse of all the Graces these may suffice 1. The first Grace we are to labour for is Humility by which we come to know our vileness and unworthiness that we are no better than wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and have need of every thing and yet deserve nothing that we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God The way to be rich in Grace is to be poor in Spirit God will give Grace to the humble the more humble the more holy Saint Paul the chiefest of sinners less than the least of all Saints in his own account yet not a whit behind the very chiefest of the Apostles in Grace and Gifts labouring more abundantly than they all yet not I saith he but the Grace of God which was with me Be cloathed with humility walk humbly with God humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time God will save the humble person 2. Acquaint your selves with God know the God of your Fathers This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent the principal part of the image of God is the knowledge of him If you would have his mercy and his favor you must have understanding for to a people of no understanding he that made them will not save them and he that formed them will shew them no favor they who like not to retain God in their knowledge are not like to go to Heaven that the Soul be without knowledge it is not good the Soul cannot be good without knowledge it is the image of God which makes the Soul good The new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness is renewed in knowledge we escape the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Grace also and Peace are multiplied unto us through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord yea all things that pertain unto life and godliness are given unto us through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue Therefore if you determine to go to Heaven determine not to know any thing so much as Jesus Christ and him Crucified Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy getting get Understanding get Wisdom get Understanding â—orget it not embrace her and she shall bring thee to Honour and Heaven She is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her 3. Repent and believe the Gospel I put them together for brevity sake as I find them Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus are our very entrance into the Kingdom of God True Repentance which elsewhere I have described at large le ts the Kingdom of Sin and Satan out of the heart that Faith unfeigned may receive Christ and his Kingdom into it Repentance is a turning from Sin and Satan and the World and Faith is a coming to God by Christ a choosing and closing with him as our Lord and Saviour a receiving of his Fulness and Grace for Grace that we may glorifie God and be glorified with him in our Bodies Souls and Spirits which are Gods Seek first the Kingdom of God in a way of repenting and believing and you are sure to find it 4. The fear of God especially for
giving of Thanks be made by us all for the KING and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men first to seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and come unto the knowledge and the acknowledging of the Truth which is after godliness that they may be saved for which end the Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord that hath called us to glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature and the divine life The last direction for getting and growing in grace is to get well acquainted with every promise of grace and every promise unto grace to mâ—ke a believing lively application of them to your selves Turn these Promises into Prayers and God will turn them into Performances He hath purposely made them known unto you that he might make them over to you for all the Promises of God in Christ Jesus are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God and your salvation if having these Promises we cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flâ—sh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God The promises of God are the breasts of Consolation from whence new born Babes desire or suck sincere milk that they may grow thereby in grace unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature or age of the fulness of Christ till they become such as have no need of milk for every one that useth milk is unsk lful hath no experience in the word of righteousness for he is a Babe but of strong meat which belongeth to them that are of full age of perfect even those who by reason of use habit or perfection have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil For Consolation to all the Sons and Saints and Servants of the Lord that hearken unto the counsel command and proclamation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness as you have heard that have this Kingdom and righteousness in you Look unto Jesus lift up your heads and hearts for your redemption draweth nigh when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Let us comfort one another with these words God and Christ and Grace and Glory are ours we are sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory all things are ours for we are Christs Paul Apollos Cephas the world life death things present things to come all are ours in possession and reversion This All should comfort us it is worth being a Son a Saint a Servant of God to be as rich as Heaven and Earth yea richer in having God for our portion Let not the Consolations of God seem small to us the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come are all ours here are the unsearchable riches of Christ treasured up for the heirs of promise wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto them the immutability of his counsel confirmed them by an oath that by two immutable things in which it were impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which is Christ in us the hope of glory for we look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ to be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and they in him It s worth going through the Kingdom of grace all the way which many poor Christians are fain to do in a way of persecution and tribulation to the Kingdom of glory where they shall ever be with the Lord whose presence will make amends for all There God and Christ will be all and in all here Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith hope and love but when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with him in glory then shall we be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is then shall we be filled with all the fulness of God that will do for us exceeding abundantly above all that now we ask or think unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting Consolation and good hope through grace comfort our hearts and establish us in every good Work to keep us from falling till we be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy To the onely wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power both now and ever AMEN FINIS