THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST IN THE SOULE OPENED In a SERMON before the Right Hon ble House of PEERS in Covent-garden-Church upon the Solemne Day of their Monthly Fast March 29. 1648. By PETER STERRY M. A. Sometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge AND Now Preacher of the Gospel in LONDON Published by Order of that House LONDON Printed for R. Dawlman and are to be sold at the Signe of the Crowne and Bible at Dowgate neer Canning-street 1648. Die Lunae 3 0 Aprilis 1648. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament assembled That M r Sterrey one of the Assembly of Divines is hereby thanked for his great paines taken in his Sermon Preached the last Fast before their Lo ps in the Covent-Garden Church And he is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be printed and published which is to be done onely by Authority under his owne hand IO BROWNE Cleric Parliamentorum To the Right Hon ble the House of PEERS Assembled in Parliament Right Hon ble I Have principally endeavoured in this Sermon to search What that is to Which we may Trust our Soules and What Foundation we are to Lay in our Religion If we were once Established in this maine Point concerning the Next World we should Enjoy our selves with much more Setledness and Security in This World For how quietly should we repose our Selves for this Outward Short Life in the Body on that Power to Which we commit the Care of our more Excellent and Immortall Part What Difficulty would there be in Trusting to Him for our Preservation from Death to whom we trust our Selves in Death for Eternity Our Lord Jesus seems to this End to be Shaking Heaven and Earth Church and State all Outward Powers and Inward Principles in Both that the True Foundation of Heaven and Earth may be Discovered Saint Paul saith Other Foundation can no Man lay than that which is laid Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. God Hath laid no other Foundation neither May we neither Can we On This alone hath God built the World His Church His Glory He hath made All Things by Jesus Christ Coloss 1. 16. On this alone must we build our Belief and Obedience in Divine Things our Wisdome and Power in the Things of Man For All Power is given to Him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. Whoever raiseth any Outward or Inward Frame of Things upon any other Ground-worke he makes a Lie he works the Works of the Devill whose End is to be Dissolved to Vanish into Ayre or Perish in the Fire S. Paul Divides Man into Three Parts Spirit Soule and Body 1 Thess 5. 23. The Body is an Outward Image made of Dust Gen. 2. 7. God formed Man of the Dust of the Ground The Soule is a Breath of Life Inclosed in This Image Clothed with It and Giving Life to It He breathed into his Nosthrils the Breath of Life and Man became a Living Soul The Spirit is the Fountain of Life which flowes forth from God to Feed and Maintain the Breath of Life in the Body When the time of Death Comes This Spirit draws back to Their Head again Those streams of Life by Which It went forth into the Body Then the Outward Image falls to the Ground and moulders away Thus doth the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit returns to God that gave it Eccles 12. 7. Now of These Three the Higher lives In the Lower and Above It. The Lower lives by the Higher And the Highest of all Three the Spirit of Man hath a Higher than That by which It Self lives even the Spirit of the Lord Jesus who is the King and Father of Spirits Our Saviour reasons after this manner Is not the Life More than Meat and the Body than Rayment Mat. 6. 25. My Lords We are all well assured of This that Nothing can Give More than It Hath These Bodies of ours which have a more Noble Image and Life than any other part of this Outward World in which they are cannot receive Either or continue in Either by any Inferiour and Outward Thing but by a Soule which dwells in the Body as a Silk-worm in her Work which lives in the Body as a Fire in the Flame Food and Rayment may be the Fuell by which the Soule maintains the Flaming Appearance of this Bodily Image But the Vertue goes forth from the Soule Our Saviour again teacheth us that Nothing which comes from Without can make the Soule Miserable or Happy Clean or Unclean This is done by that which comes from a more Inward and Higher Principle from the Spirit of Man In like manner this Spirit it self derives Its Life from the Right or the Left Hand of Jesus Christ His Love or His Wrath. From Hence our Spirits convey Life into our Soules and thorow them into our Bodies Thus our Bodies live not by Bread alone but by that Vertue which comes forth from our Soules Our Soules live not by their Counsels and Courages alone but by every Stream of Life that descends from our Spirits upon them Our Spirits live not by their own Eminencies but by Every Word that comes forth from the Mouth of Jesus Christ S. Paul said The Head of the Woman is the Man The Head of the Man is Christ The Head of Christ is God 1 Cor. 11. 3. So the Head of the Body is the Soule the Head of the Soule is the Spirit the Head of the Spirit is Jesus Christ as He comes forth to us in the Ministery of Angels Therefore let us have a Covering over our Heads a Power over our Soules and Spirits holding them in Subjection for these Angels sakes Amongst Which and By Which Jesus Christ the Head of our Soules and Spirits doth now raigne over us Our Lord Jesus calls Himself the Sun of Righteousnesse O that men did once Know that there can be no Right Judgment made no true Distinction or Discovery of Things but by the Shining out of Jesus Christ in their Hearts Are there not Invisible Things as well as Visible Have not They also Their Sun The Sun the Brightest Body is the Foundation and Fountain of all Light Vertue Forme and Being in this Globe of Bodily Substances If the Sun be quite hid all Shapes are lost in an Utter Darkness The Lord Jesus among Spirits and Spirituall Things is the onely Foundation of Truth Life and Power All Truth and True Life is lost in Doubt Uncertainty and a Spirituall Death to those Spirits in which He withdraweth Himself Why is the Heaven of our Religion darkened with Clouds of Dispute with so much Diversity such Uncertainty of Opinions that he begins to seem the Wisest among us who is most of all a Sceptique that is a Scorner or an Atheist How comes our Reason to such a Losse that She cannot Find or Know Her self She can give no Cleer or Constant Account of Her self in any One Man or in any One Particular Thing Doe not These things
their owne Spirits while they are one Spirit with Jesus Christ Many such lessons Jesus Christ teacheth us but they all are easily learn'd and practised when we thorowly understand those two great Lessons of the Lovelinesse and Love of Jesus Christ He that looks upon the Lovelinesse of Jesus Christ as he looks will feel himself by degrees transform'd into the same Spirituall beauties 2 Cor. 3. 1. Beholding the glory of the Lord we are chang'd into the likenesse of the same Image He that dives into the Love of Jesus Christ will feel himself irresistibly drawn and forc'd by it to answer and imitate it 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth us The Lovelinesse and Love of the Lord Jesus fall both into the same Path. He that hath found one hath found both This is the shortest sweetest plainest and perfectest way to Heaven What shall I now say to conclude this Exhortation If the Lord Jesus have been working with me this day confirming the words which I have spoken outwardly to your ears with his words spoken inwardly to your hearts then I know your Hearts have been powerfully touch'd and some one among you sweetly affected with Jesus Christ begins to say I have hitherto sought my Honour in the Glory the Sweetness of my life in the pleasures of this world But doe thou thus still teach me ô my Iesus Make me to hear from thy mouth the sound of thy Loveliness and Love in my Spirit Then shall I have more joy in these things then ever I have had when my Corne and Oyle have abounded the treasures and delicacies of the Flesh Use 4 Direction You shall know the Teachings of Jesus Christ from all other by these Properties 1. Love 2. Life 3. Power 4. Perpetuity 5. Infallibility in his Person 6. Demonstration of his Doctrine 1. Property Love The teachings of Christ fell upon the Soul like the Soft rain upon the tender grasse The Touchings of men have much of their own humours and passions mingled with them which often nip the young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breathings of Christ are soft and gentle not quenching any heat though never so weak and dark but fanning the least smoke till it be a flame As the Eagle bears her yong ones upon her Wing and so teacheth them to flie thus doth the Lord Jesus train us up to Spirituality bearing our infirmities 2. Property Life Jesus Christ speaks quickning creating words As he instructs he infuseth a Principle suitable to his Doctrine He holds forth a Light and makes a seeing Eye He utters divine Mysteries and makes a hearing Eare. He presents love riches joy strength and gives a heart to receive it 3. Property Power Jesus Christ speaks not Words but Things You have not so learn'd Christ if you have been taught of him and have learn'd the Truth as it is in him Ephes 4. 20 21. Christ doth not teach by signes but the sabstance it self He presents the Excellencies of which he discourseth He shews them to the life in his own Person He plants them and sets them in the Soule to grow there Christ so teacheth that he makes his words Spirit and Life Iohn 6. 63. one Spirit and Life with Himself and you He makes these three one Spirit the Teacher the Truths taught the Disciple that learns them 4. Property Perpetuity 'T is said of God that His work is for ever Eccles So are the teachings of Christ for ever He gives us his Spirit to be a Treasury and a Remembrancer of all Truth to us He shall bring all things to your mind Iohn Thou hast the words of everlasting life Iohn The words of Christ will live in your Spirits as long as ye live in your death eternally 5. Property The infallibility of his Person Let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. 4. Nay man is not onely a Lyar but a Lie Surely men of low degree are Vanity and men of high degree are a Lie to be laid in a balance they are altogether lighter than Vanity Psal 62. 9. Man is nothing more than an empty appearance If he pretend to be or appear any thing he makes himself a Lie The wit strength excellency of man serve only to make a strong delusion Man hath infallibity no more then he hath immortality But Jesus Christ is more than man He is God too God neither tempts any man nor can be tempted James 1. 13. Jesus Christ cannot deceive any man nor be deceived If He appear His appearances are true If Jesus Christ say It is I the winds of temptation the waves of doubt obey and the greatest storm in the Soul is silenced into a Calme There remains now only the last Property of Christ's teachings which is the Principall one I shall therefore be somewhat the larger upon it 6. Property Demonstration of his Doctrines Saint Paul testifies of himself 1 Cor. 2. 4. And my Preaching was not in the enticing words of man's Wisdome but in the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power When Paul preached with an infallibility it was not Paul but the Lord Jesus that spake and gave a Demonstration of that which he spake 1 Cor. 7. 10. Saint Paul makes a three fold Opposition 1. Oppos Between Words and Power 2. Oppos Between Enticing words and Demonstration 3. Oppos Between Man's wisdome and the Spirit Enticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswasive words such as are able to beget a humane faith to the highest The Demonstrations of Christ in his teachings are above not the Rhetorick only but the Philosophy of man They are more then words fancy wit reason or wisdome it self so far as man or any meer Creature is capable of them There are four Questions which being propounded and answered will give much light to this Scripture and this Property 1. Quest What is a Demonstration 2. Quest What is the Spirit 3. Quest What is the Demonstration of the Spirit 4. Quest How this is appropriated to Jesus Christ 1. Q. What is a Demonstration Answ A Demonstration is the Evidencing of things by an irresistible light and clearness of conviction The Philosopher teacheth us from the Principles of reason and nature that a Demonstration must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by such Truths as are the First truths in themselves and most immediate in respect to us The truths by which you will demonstrate any thing must be 1. First truths 2. Immediate truths 1. First truths Such as have none above none before them on which they depend for Certainty and Clearness Demonstrating truths must be absolute unquestionable such as no understanding can resist when they are presented That which manifests is Light Ephes 5. 13. That which makes clearly manifest without any deniall or doubt is Light in which there is no darkness as S. John speaks of God 1 J. 1. 5. Such a Light must that be which carries a Demonstration along with it It must be the originall and measure of all Truth as Light is
manifestly declare not only a Negation but a Privation of some Great Light which should by It's Immediate Presence rule the Day of our Religion and by Its Beams falling upon our Reason as the Lesse Light rule the Night of of Nature and Civill Affairs The Watch-men watch for the Morning so doth my Soule wait for the Rising of the Lord Jesus upon Her and upon the whole Earth He is the Image of the Invincible God the Light that is Sowne even in This our Darkness But He shall breake these Chains of Darkness For it is not Possible that He should be Holden by them I have onely One Thing more to say which is this that There are Some things which I could not speake before your Lo ps though I had prepared them These things I have now taken the Boldness to present to your Lo ps Eyes together with those which I had formerly offered to your Lo ps Ears That Jesus Christ may discover Himself a Living Corner-stone in your Hearts out of which may grow up a Building of Eternall Peace to your own Persons and Present Peace to This Kingdome is My Lords the Prayer of Your Honours most humble Servant in the Lord Jesus PETER STERRY A SERMON Preached at the Monthly Fast before the Right Honourable House of Lords MATTH 23. 10. Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ THE CONTEXT OUr blessed Saviour directs his discourse in this Chapter against the Scribes and Pharisees men of principall esteem among the Jewes for piety and learning for Exactnesse in the letter of the Scriptures Eminency of skill to Interpret and Comment upon the letter Austerity of Life Thus much they arrogated to themselves and had ascrib'd to them by the people Precious things these are where they are true and no more to be undervalued because they have their Counterfeits than Jesus Christ is because there are Anti-Christs The Lord notes Three things in these men 1. Their Practice 2. Their Principle 3. Their End 1. Their Practice This is Two-fold 1. Practice Imposalls upon men They require Vniversall Obedience Men must Believe all that they Say though Themselves Believe it not Men must Observe their Rules though themselves neglect and break them v. 4. They bind heavy burthens and grievous to be borne on men's shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers Thus it is for the most part They are such as have too little in them who take too much upon them 2. Practice Industry among men v. 15. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compasse Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made you make him two-fold more the Child of Hell than your selves They spare no Care Cost or Pains to make a Convert but it is to themselves by a Blind obedience and Implicite Faith While they promise to bring a man to Heaven they make his heart like Hell full of bitter zeale a violent heat without any light at all This was their Practice 2. Their Principle which is Hypocrisie Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites v. 13. They pretended to come in the Name of God as sent forth from God yet they had nothing of the Divine Presence resting on them working in them or going forth by them but were as other men It is a vain thing to hope to put Life into the Dead child by the Staffe without the Person of Elisha or to divide the Waters with the Mantle without the God of Elijah Whoever attempts to conjure down any Devill by the sound of Christ's name without his Spirit and Presence let him take heed lest the Devil flie in his face more enraged This is the second thing which our Saviour notes in these men 3. Their End This is Two-fold 1. Vainglory v. 5. All their Works they doe to be seen of men 2. Covetousnesse v. 14. Ye devoure Widows houses and for a pretence make long Prayers Gold and Glory are the baites which the Devill layes for men He hath escaped the hooke of the Devill who cares not for these He that cares not to have any Possession or to make any Appearance in this World he is already in Heaven and dwells with God This is the Way of these men whom the Lord reproves and condemns He warns his own Disciples to take heed that they follow not their Examples He gives them two Cautions to this purpose The first Caution is in the Verse before my Text And call no man your Father upon the Earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven The second Caution is my Text Neither be ye called Masters for ye have one Master which is Christ You see the Context THE TEXT THese words with those foregoing them are to be opened by a two-fold Distinction 1. Distinction between Naturall and Spirituall things These Cautions concern the Latter of these but reach not to the First The Heaven even the Heavens the true Heaven of Spirituall things are the Lord's but the Earth all things of Nature hath he given to the Children of Men Ps 115. 16. Naturall things are shadows of Spirituall The Naturall man is an Image of God and no more An Image may raigne as Father and Master among shadows But in Spirituall things which are substantiall God himself who is the only substance and truth will be and appear All alone 2. Distinction The second Distinction is a two-fold Consideration of man one as he is in God the other as he is in himself As man is in God so he may be owned and acknowledged for a Father or Master in Spirituall things themselves Saint Paul attributes so much to himself but marke how he doth it For though you have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet have you not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you thorow the Gospell 1 Cor. 4. 15. Saint Paul hedgeth in his expression on both Sides with Christ and the Gospell that the Glory might be all given to God In Jesus Christ I have begotten you thorow the Gospell I as I am not in my self but comprehended in one Spirit with Christ in one Mysticall Person which is Christ thorow the Gospell that is thorow the presence power and appearance of Christ Jesus in me Paul is ever carefull to speak with abundance of caution in things of this nature Now I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 1. 20. I wrought more abundantly then they all Yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. So here I have begotten you yet not I but a man in Jesus Christ yet not I but the Gospel the power of Christ which was in me Man in this sence is but the Garment and God is the Person that comes cloth'd with this garment While we call any man Master or Father in this sence we do as Thomas who put his hand upon the fraile the humane part of Christ his wounds and
our selves our Saviour Shall not the wrath of the one and the sufferings of the other make us sore amazed and exceedingly heavy unto death even the death of all our fleshly delights It is witnessed of Christ 1 Pet. 3. 18. He was put to death according to the flesh and quickned in the spirit S. Paul teacheth us 1 Cor. 5. 5. that after the same example every Humiliation should be for the destruction of the flesh and the saving of the Spirit Who calls himselfe a Christian and yet can forbeare in these times to sigh forth such language as this Lord Jesus thou art our Master we will learne of thee to die with thee Make thou these Calamities which our eyes see our eares heare our hearts feele and feare on every side of us to be our Crosses set up by thy Crosse on thy right hand like that of the good Thiefe We have had power pompe pleasures after the flesh But now let all these languish on these Crosses till they bow downe the head and we give up the Ghost of all earthly strength and hope Thus we will dye and our death shall be sweet unto us as the Spring of a better and more blessed life My soule breathe thou forth thy griefes and feares into the bosome of thy JESUS after this manner My dearest Lord All these miseries round about me shall be thy Crosse to me Here will I lay me downe on this Crosse in thine armes who hast been crucified upon it before me This shall be my rest in the day of trouble For here will I lay me downe and dye for ever to the world that I may rise againe in thy bosome to a new hope to sweeter and surer Joyes But for what shall we mourne We reade in the Gospel of a people that said of Christ We will not have this man to rule over us For this the Lord Jesus determines to go up and slay them Have not we refused the Lord Jesus for a Master to rule and guide us Is it not for this that he hath made these slaughters upon us Let us try our selves concerning these foure Masters Out Humour Our Lusts Our Passions The Examples of men 1. Our Humour God complaines Esay 52. 3. My people have sold themselves for nought How often have we sold our selves our soules our Saviour for nought for a Humour Let us thinke and weepe that many a time the Lord Jesus hath dropt upon our soules the precious discourses of life peace and immortality like the dew from the wombe of the morning that is from the eternall Fountaines of light and truth Yet we have cast it off without consideration meerly because our Humour lay that way to be carelesse of these things O stiffe-neckt spirits Jesus Christ hath come to us eating and drinking that is filling himselfe with immortall strength and truths with divine sweetnesse and joyes that he might flow forth on us and feed us with the same bread and wine of Heaven O hard-hearted Spirits He who is the Beloved of God the Beauty of the Godhead comes to us neither eating nor drinking but weeping and dying testifying the greatnesse of his love by the greatnesse of his sufferings teaching us to hide our selves from griefes and death in his wounds and through them to passe into Paradise Yet we suffer all this to run waste making no entrance into our eares or hearts and that for a weak empty Humour for an inclination without reason because we are listlesse to such things and have no pleasure in them But now let us fall downe before Jesus Christ and say Lord thou art the Wisdome of the Father None Teacheth like thee Thy love and wisdome have overcome me Many Masters many Hamours have reign'd over me besides thee But I bring my stiffe neck to thee with a halter upon it till thou please to take it off and put on thy yoke which is light and easie I bring my hard heart to thee and lay it broken at thy feet till thou gatherest it into thy breast and make it whole there 2. Our lusts These are our second Masters Psal 12. 13. God saith of Israel I gave them up to their owne hearts lusts And then afterwards O that my people would have heard my voice Lusts lead us away from Jesus Christ and suffer us not to heare his voice Let us try our selves concerning this thing What in all the course of our life hath put us on the frequentest or chiefest actions of our life Have the Spirituall appearances of Jesus Christ within us conspiring with his Word before us been the Oracle with which we have consulted Or have our lusts prompted us and thrust us on Have our eyes been upon the Eye of Christ to guide us or on some Wedge of gold or the Babylonish garment of some power office or honour What is it in the great action of this Reformation that hath put us to travaile so far about by the way of the Wildernesse of a Warre to meet with so many fiery Serpents What is it which now hath cast us into this feare that we shall waste a weary life and drop our Carkasses in this Wildernesse before we see the Land of Rest Have we not loath'd Manna and lusted after Quails We have found no Savour or Relish in the discoveries of Beauty Sweetnesse Rest in the Spirit and Person of our blessed Saviour But have been longing for the Bravery Ease and pleasures of the Flesh Doe we thus requite Jesus Christ He hath spared no losse trouble or paine to make his way to us to make known Himself his Father and the Glory of Heaven to us Yet now every motion of Ambition Vanity Covetousnesse or foule Desire hath more power to perswade with us than the Life and Death of Jesus Christ than all his Words Teares and Blood Let our Saviour speak by his Providence as loud as Thunder let him speak by his Promises with the tongue of an Angell to our eares and affections let him speak by the power of his Spirit with the voice of God to our Spirits we cannot heare him But let a Lust whisper onely from out of the ground of our sensuall part we heare it with ease and speed Shall we not be ashamed and grieved for these things 3. Our passions You have an admonition from the Apostle Ephes 4. 27. Let not the Sun goe downe upon your wrath To that he addes ver 28. Neither give place to the Devill Passions are Devils come up into our spirits with the fire of hell burning hot upon them and flaming from them These are uncleane Spirits which for the most part haunt the high places of Power and the desolate places of Warre When Passions are loud God himselfe cannot be heard by the best men as we see in the example of Jonah What griefe is it to thinke that we should refuse the Prince of Peace for a Counsellour when we take our passions in his stead that Jesus Christ
should come with his wounds upon him and not be able to quench the heat of our enflamed blood with his blood that was poured out for us that Jesus Christ should come with all the joyes of heaven upon him and not be able to put out the hellish fire flaming in our hearts by these heavenly Beames that he should unbosome to us all his consolations and yet not asswage some carnall griefe in us O how deepe a wound doth this make if the time have been when Jesus Christ in our soules hath been heard to say Spare when our Passions have cryed Ruine Kill and have been obeyed It is good for us to take words to us and pray Lord Jesus thou canst make this Heathen this Rebell my Passion thy Captive Thou canst cut her nayles and haire thou canst take off her earthlinesse and extremity Doe this and then make her thy Spouse Let my Passion be subject to thee beare thy Image bring forth to thee the fruit of a true repentance and humiliation for my Passion O! that anger griefe revenge which have been as the fire of hell upon my heart may hereafter be as fire upon thine Altar to make my heart a Sacrifice to thee 3. Examples of men This is the third Master Wee reade that all the world wondred after the Beast Revel 13. 3. The Power of Man is a Beast the Glory of Man is a Whore Which of us hath not worshipt this Beast and taken his mark upon us which of us hath not committed fornication with this Whore and bred up children of adultery by her while we have received opinions or engaged in actions as they have had the stampe of some persons or partie which hath been the most the most potent or the most excellent in our esteeme Are not the greatest part of all cases of Conscience in Church and Common-wealth thus ruled Have not the faith of Christ in respect of persons saith S. James c. 2. v. 1. The Apostle layes the weight of his Argument on a Contradiction cleerly implyed That is not the faith of Christ which we have in respect of persons but the faith of men If any one among us would take an impartiall account of those Principles which his head hath taken in or those paths in which his feet have trod and would set as sheepe at his right hand those which he hath had commended to him by the life of Christ bringing them forth from his Word in his Spirit and confirmed to him by the cleere light of Christ shining in them upon his soule and then set as Goats on his left hand those which have manifestly or insensibly prevailed with him because they have the Inscription of Man's power or Image of Man's Glory upon them how few would the Sheep be with the most of us in comparison of our Goats But hath God the Father sealed any man with the Brightnesse of his owne Glory to be an Author of Truth to us as he hath done Jesus Christ Him hath the Father Sealed John 6. 27. Hath any man sealed his Truth and Faithfulnesse to us by his blood as Jesus Christ hath done was Paul crucified for you 1 Cor. 1. 13. Let us be ashamed of this double neglect of our Saviour and our Soules of our Saviour that we have thrust him out of His chaire in our Spirits and set up Man in it of our Soules that we have made a man who is a slight and vanishing Shadow our Master and Measure when we reject Him who is the eternall Image it selfe of all Truth Let Heaven blush let the Earth tremble if men blush and tremble not at these things God is come downe into our shape our Saviour comes downe into our Spirits to instruct us and shew us what is good And we will have none of our God for our Guide but our fellow-wormes which crawle on their bellies upon the same earth and feed upon the same dust with our selves The Clouds are a covering between Him and us that we cannot learn of Him He who is the Image of God would shine upon us and goe before us in his Glories as a Pillar of cleere and sweet Light But He shall not rule over us Our lusts shall leade and our Passions drive us We savour and relish these things But the light of Christ is too mysterious high and glorious for us we cannot see or follow it with our eyes Jesus Christ hath put himselfe out of the bosome of the Father into the hand of men death devils to make known to us the things of our peace hope desires and happinesse Yet we stop our eares without consideration whether he speak right things or no whether it be reason to refuse or receive his words being carryed to it onely by an humorous carelesnesse Have you any sense of these things I beleeve I know you have if you have any sense of your Saviour I have two sad words yet to speak for a double close to this Vse 1. Close These refusals to hearken to the Lord Jesus have been the ruines of these Kingdomes thus far I intreat you to reade a few words with me from the Psalmist Psal 81. 13 14 15. O that my people had hearkned unto me and Israel had walked in my wayes I should soone have subdued their enemies but their time should have been for ever Saint Peter teacheth us 2 Pet. 1. 1. that no Scripture is of private interpretation but hath an universall concernment for all estates and times I now pray that each of us had a spirituall eye to see a spirituall eare to heare spirituall things Then should we see Jesus Christ hovering in his Spirit over these Islands we should heare him making this lamentation over them in his owne language O that the Princes and people of these Lands had knowne me in my secret wayes of converse with the spirits of men O that they could have heard and would have hearkned to what I have spoken by my appearances in the depths of their soules O that the Rulers and people of these Nations could have seene that path which I have pointed out to them from heaven by my light invibsile indeed to fleshly eyes but visible to the eye of Faith How soone would I have subdued their enemies and enmities But their righteousnesse should have appeared as the Sunne the time of their peace should have already been and have been for ever O that when I had spoken of the Law of my lips and the Light from my face these had not been as strange things to them But now they have walkt as men and taken to themselves the counsailes of men For this their feares are increased their troubles are multiplyed as the waves of the sea For this palenesse is upon every face bitternesse upon every tongue upon every heart a sad expectation of greater evills yet of those dayes when the Cities that yet flourish shall be laid waste and a blacker a more overflowing storme shall sweepe away
himself 2 Cor. 3. 1. Need we Epistles of Commendations to you or from you ver 2. Ye are our Epistles written in our hearts ver 3. Ye are manifestly declared the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God not on tables of stone but on hearts of flesh These are the Commendatory Letters which a true Apostle the true Church carry about with them these are the Commission by vertue of which they challenge their authority The Epistle that is the Gospell that is the Discovery of Christ shining thorow them into the hearts of men by the Spirit These are the onely life power authority discovery of the true Church the Manifestation of Christ and the Ministery of the Spirit to the hearts of men We reade Gal. 4. 25 26. of two Hierusalems one above the other below that now is subject to temporary appearances in this world or that now is whose time is now whose being and glory is of this world These are the Two Churches one in the outward forme the other in the Spirit To be subject to the Hierusalem below to the Church in the outward forme for the outward forme's sake is a bondage For that Church is in bondage with her children This Church is but our Mother-in-law The Hierusalem which is above the Church in the unity of the Spirit is the true Mother of us all That Church is our right Mistresse which is our true Mother This is the Mount Sion that cannot be toucht that is not obvious to sense or subject to a carnall discerning Here is the great Congregation of the first-borne the meeting of all good Spirits in this one Spirit Heb. 12. 18 22 23. To be subject to the authority of this Church is to be truly free For this Church is seene onely in the Spirit and in that Spirit justifies her selfe This Spirit is the seale of the living God upon her Thus the Authority of the Church is none or t is that of Christ and his Spirit in her 3. Master Miracles Divines distinguish between Mirandum and Miraculum a thing to be admired and a Miracle That is to be admired which is unusuall or unknowne which proceeds from some unwonted or undiscovered cause in nature That onely is a Miracle which is above Nature which transcends the course and power of Nature which hath the Divine Nature putting forth it selfe in the vigour of its abstracted Being You have Miracles described Mark 16. 20. They went forth and preached the Lord working with them and confirming the Word by signes following That onely is a Miracle or a signe from heaven for confirmation of the truth which hath the Lord Jesus working and appearing in it joyntly with some creature There is no way of confirming the Appearances of Christ but onely by the multiplying of those Appearances How then shall I know which is a Miracle I must have a Spirit large as the sand of the Sea that can put a Girdle about the whole Compasse of Nature in her widest extent I must fathom her in the utmost of her Power before I can say of any thing This is supernaturall this is a Miracle Or else he that saith He sees a Miracle must say he sees God as he is above all creatures comming downe in his owne likenesse into some particular Creature and making a change of it by that Discovery of himselfe in it The waters saw thee O God and were driven backward saith the Psalmist of the Miracles wrought in the passage of the Children of Israel out of Aegypt No man can discerne a Miracle 'till he discover God which can never be done but by the Eye of God in the Soul of man Jesus Christ is the Head-miracle For in him first the Face of God is seen in union with the Creature as in a glasse Each Miracle is the same Appearance over again in severall shapes as the same Soul which shines out in the Head shewing it self in the various Members and parts of the body Therefore is the Working of Miracles a Gift of the Spirit and the working of a Miracle is by the faith of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 9 10. Mat. 17. 20. But let us passe from Miracles to the Letter of the Scriptures 4. Master Letter of the Scriptures Nothing is to be said of these but reverendly They are to be set below the Spirit alone It is in comparison with this Spirit that themselves undervalue themselves and testifie of themselves these things 1. The Scriptures in the Letter are Dead But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we might serve him in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter Rom. 7. 6. The Law and the Letter are every where made of equall dignity power and extent Both as they are alone are old and dead The Scriptures thus taken signifie nothing except you bring some living Power or Principle to them to quicken them Lay them before a dead man and they are as dead as he 2. The Scriptures in the Letter are Killing 2 Cor. 3. 6. The Letter Killeth but the Spirit quickneth The Letter of the Scripture Kils two waies by confounding and condemning us It hath so much darknesse upon it so much difficulty in it it is subject to so many disputes to such variety of interpretations that it troubles and distracts our Vnderstanding making it able to see nothing to settle no where This indeed is the proper end and best effect of the Letter to put out quite all our Light that we may wait for a higher Light from Heaven which may restore the Letter without us and Reason within us as by a Regeneration Saint Paul saith I by the Law am dead to the Law Galat. 2. 19. Happy is he who can say in like manner I by the Letter am blind and dead to the Letter that the Spirit may shine thorow the Letter upon me and fulfill the law of the Letter in mee 3. The Letter of the Scripture is an Outward thing Rom. 2. 1. Saint Paul teacheth us that he is not a Jew who is one outwardly in the Letter but he that is one inwardly in the Spirit The Letter and the Spirit are opposed as inward and outward The Spirit is called a Sword Ephes 6. 17. The Scriptures are the Scabbard in which that Sword is laid up and out of which it is drawn The Spirit in the same place is called the Word of God This is the inward Word the Scriptures are the outward The Spirit is a Person the Scriptures are a Garment fitted to that Person and receiving their warmth from him before they can give any to us Yet every Principle and Power of falshood as well as truth can cloth it self with this Garment He is not a Jew that is one outwardly in the Letter Each Principle and Spirit makes the Scriptures appear to it selfe in its owne Likenesse Spirituall wickednesses
can set themselves up in the highest places of Scripture 4. The Scriptures in the Letter are but a Shadow The Law having a Shadow of good things to come but not the very Image it self Hebr. 10. 1. I have already said that the Law and the Letter are much one thing The Person of Jesus Christ in the Spirit is the Image it self of all good things The Scriptures are the Shadow which this Image casts from it self in the Light of the Spirit All creatures are Shadows of those good things which are in God and Christ The Scriptures are the largest the exactest the nearest the best Shadow and such a one as is rightly seen only in the Eternall light of Christ It vanishes into a confused spot when he withdraws and is clear again when he appears Saint Paul puts Timothy in mind of studying the Scriptures but then lest he should mistake them he gives him this Vniversall Caution 2 Tim. 3. 19. Knowing that every Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by inspiration of God Vnhappy is he that trusts himself to any thing as Scripture any further than it carries a Divine inspiration the breathings of God or his Spirit along with it That is Scripture which is the Word of God and that the Word which is in union with the immortall Word This Word hath the words of everlasting life John 6. 68. I will conclude this particular head of the Scriptures with an Answer to an Objection which the Papists make against us So shall we fall upon the last Master the Spirit Object They say we run in a Circle while we make not the Church the ground of our belief For we pretend to Know all things by the Scriptures But how the Scriptures by the Spirit And how the Spirit by the Scriptures Thus we run round Answ But if a man say he converseth with my body by my soule and with my soule by my body doth he run in a circle or speak vainly No for both are true in a distinct and proper sense The Body is the appropriate and immediate Instrument of the Soule the Soule is the Breath that fills that Instrument and gives it a distinct sound The Spirit quickneth As the Humane nature to the Divinity of Christ so the Scriptures are a kind of Incarnation or as a Body to the Holy Ghost which alone is their proper Soule The Scriptures are the materiall object of our Faith the Spirit the formall both the ultimate the last object in their kind The Truths which I am to believe lie in Scripture as Colours in the wall or in a Picture The Spirit is as the Light I see the coloured wall by the Light for that enlightens it actuates its shape and colours brings them unites them to my eye enlightning and actuating that also I see the Light by the Wall for it reflects and directs it self from that to my eye So the Spirit and the Scriptures as Light and Colours on a Picture are mutually seen in and by one another without any Maze or endlesse Circle Thy Word is a Light to my feet and a Lanthorn to my paths saith David Psal 119. The Eternall Word in the Written Word is the Light in the Lanthorne The Scriptures are my Spectacles though the Spirit of Christ be my Light or my Eye and his Person the Word which I read My God! Let me not want thee in the Humanity while I am a Creature Blessed Spirit let me enjoy thee in the Scriptures while I am in the flesh 5. Master the Spirit This is the Christ the true Master 1 Tim. 3. 13. Great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit The Spirit is God and Christ in their Divine appearance as they are invisible to carnall eyes pure simple perfect in one All Flesh is a Manifestation of God and each Manifestation which is not the Substance it self is but Flesh The Spirit that is the Spirituall appearance of God in Christ tries and justifies or condemns all Appearances of Truth or Falshood This is the onely Judge at whose Bar every Manifestation of God in the flesh receives its Justification even the Spirit The Lord Jesus is that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17. 1 John 5. 6. The Spirit is Truth that is the Highest Truth Reason saith There must be One there can be only One first and last Truth from which all Truths primitively derive themselves into which they all ultimately resolve themselves for certainty and evidence Reason saith This Truth can be no other than the Highest of all the only true God as he is in his own Spirit and Spirituall appearance Thus the Spirit which is above Reason and can reveal it self at pleasure without Reason is witnest to by Reason This Spirit is the most high God This God is our Jesus as he stoops into our Natures as he puts forth himself in our Persons to become the Fountaine the Glasse of truth love life joy within us This is He who calls to our fluttering wandring Spirits and points them to himself and saith Here shall be your Rest build your nests on this Rock His Name is I am that I am I am Certainty I am Truth All other things are so far certain and true as they have a Certainty and Truth in him being comprehended in his Appearance or carrying forth his Appearance in themselves Come then all that hunger and thirst after Truth sit downe at the feet of this Master as Mary did There are many Objections made against these inward Teachings of Christ by the Evidence of the Spirit 1. Object How shall I know this Spirit Answ If you ask me how you shall see other things I answer by the Light But if you ask me how you shall see the Light I have nothing to say but the same thing again by the Light That which makes manifest is Light The Light comprehends the object in it self flowes with it into my eye unites it self to my eye informs it immediately with it self and with all shapes and colours in it self Thus if you ask me how you shall know Divine things I answer by the Spirit But you reply how shall I know the Spirit Still I answer by the Spirit 'T is the rule of School-Divines when you come to objectum quo sistendum est when you come to the first Principle of seeing or knowing you must stop there For that discerns and judges all but is discern'd and judg'd only by it self Saint Paul joynes them two a Spirit of Revelation and the opening the eyes of our understanding Ephes 1. 17 18. 2. Object But how can this be seeing my Soule knows not this Spirit hath no sense of it no suitablenesse to it Answ Saint John satisfies you in this doubt 1 Joh. 5. 20. The Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true Looke upward to the Mountaine of the Godhead from whence Salvation comes Jesus Christ
will come by his Spirit into your Spirits he will come as an uniting quickning informing transforming Spirit into your soules He will give you an Understanding to Know him a Will to Love him a Power to Abide in him Jesus Christ comes to a man as Life from the dead as Eternall life spreading it self through the Soule 3. Object How shall I judge of this Spirit in another man Answ Saint Paul replies Rom. 14. 14. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant that is a man in his relation to God He hath a Master of his owne to whom he stands or falls Doe as the Father hath done leave all judgment to the Son to his manner and measure of appearing in thee So judge not that ye be not judged Judge not the Spirit by carnall Principles lest you be judged as evil doers and busie-bodies by the Spirit 4. Object Men may deceive themselves and abuse the world under this pretence saying I have the Spirit Answ What hath this Objection peculiar in the case of the Spirit The Jewes cry up The Temple of the Lord to cry down the Lord of the Temple May not men pretend falsly to Reason Miracles as well as the Spirit May there not be Apocryphall Scriptures as well as Apocryphall Spirits false Churches false Christs and false Gods What strange thing is there in this Hath not Saint Paul determin'd the state and manner of men universally in the world so far as they are not in Christ Deceiving and deceived 2 Tim. 3. 13. We read of the Law of the Spirit of life The Spirit is no further my Law then it is my Life The Spirit in another man is but the Letter to me which is old and dead till it be justified and quickened by the Spirit in my own breast If I then be deceived I deceive my own soul 5. Object But how ill is the Consequence of Impostures in this kind what confusions doe they beget Answ The best things counterfeited are most dangerous as the Idol-gods for many years drowned almost the whole world in Temporary deceits and desolations in eternall flames yet is this no disparagement to no argument against the Divine Nature The Counterfeiting of Mony brings confusion upon a Common-wealth yet men cannot traffique without Money 'T is true the aping of the Spirit the setting up of mockspirits is a darknesse a snare a storm upon the spirits of men in civill and religious affairs yet can we have no commerce with Spirituall things without the Spirit Ephes 2. 18. We have accesse to God in one Spirit There is no Communion with God but in the Unity of the Spirit These three the Father the Spirit the Soule are made One in every act of Spirituall life or enjoyment Hear then the voice of Jesus Christ calling you by his Spirit Come to me and I will give you Light Certainty Rest Man lives not by bread alone but by every word that commeth out of the mouth of God Mat. 4. 4. This is the bread of Heaven that alone feeds and satisfies the understanding this Eternall Word that comes forth from the Father and every word as it comes forth from this Word every Appearance as it springs up in this Appearance Oh! that He would Kisse our Souls with the Kisses of His mouth and so seal Truth upon our Vnderstandings The Philosopher describes Truth to be that which sistit intellectum stayes the Vnderstanding If you lay your Souls to rest upon any Opinion or Principle besides the sweet Breathings of this Master your Souls will sink thorow them So let them sink thorow every Creature till they fall below all into the Spirit of Jesus Christ This Spirit is the golden Girdle of Truth which will bind you fast and hold you in on every side This Spirit is the bed which God makes on which you may safely repose your selves Here an eternall Certainty shall be under you to sustain you an Infinite Cleernesse round about you as Curtains of Light shining upon you and shewing you all things in their lustre Use 3 For Exhortation It is often said that great Persons are much flatter'd They seldome know truth because they see with the eyes and hear with the ears of others Right Hon ble I humbly commend to you a Master who is Truth it self I beseech you to hear with his ears to see with his eyes to make his Person your book in which you shall read the stories of God and Eternity to make his face your glasse in which you shall see how glorious you are in him how to make your selves gracious for him If you are willing to be his Disciples I will point out to you some of those Lessons which he teacheth There are two Lessons which are most principall and most difficult They are hardest to be understood or believed But when these are learned they make all the rest easie They are these two 1. The Lovelinesse 2. The Love of Jesus Christ 1. Lesson The Lovelinesse of Jesus Christ I do not now wish that I had the skill of a powerfull Oratour to write the Lovelinesse of my Saviour upon your fancies with well-chosen words But I pray that He the Lord Jesus himself would write with the Spirit of the living God upon your hearts somthing any thing one Iota one tittle of his own Lovelinesse then I am sure you would go from this place as the Eunuch did from Philip rejoycing and praising God The Lord said Psal 27. 8. Seek ye my face Divines well interpret this of Christ The Face is the beauty and majesty of man Jesus Christ is the naked face of the Godhead He is called a Branch or a Flower Zach. 3. 8. Jesus Christ is the Godhead branch'd forth into its diversities of glories the Flower of the Divine nature ful-blown John 1. 1. The word was with God Prov. 8. I saith Wisdome was as one bred up with him that is God I was his delight Our Saviour's Person is the Word in which all things are exprest the Wisdome in which all things have their form and fulnesse God is a Spirit of an infinite capacity yet he entertains himself eternally with the musick of this Word and the beauties of this Wisdome God pleaseth himself to the heighth with the lovelinesse in the Person of Christ and satisfies himself to the full with the Varieties in that lovelinesse Do you not now begin to perceive something extraordinary in the Person of the Lord Could you not exchange the whole world for a Sight a tast of him When the Sop and the Devill were entred into Judas Jesus Christ saith Now is the Son of man glorified and the Father is glorified in him John 13. 31. Jesus Christ descends into the darkest shape the lowest state of things among the Creatures Yet by His presence He puts a glory upon it he makes it fit for the Father to glorifie himself with it because he finds himself and his own Heaven in it 1 Cor. 6.
11. We read of abusers of themselves with mankind Idolaters Extortioners c. Such saith the Apostle were some of ye But ye are wash'd but ye are cleansed in the Holy Ghost and the name of the Lord Jesus You that have the most foule and loathsome souls heare this The name of Jesus Christ is the Image of his beauties Doe but cast your selves into the embraces of these beauties You are alwaies embraced by them Let but this Person spread his armes about you you shall immediately be changed and cleansed you shall shine forth fairer than any Creature by His comelinesse you shall be made a sit Spouse for God Doe you not feel the eyes of your understandings to open and take in a Glory Doe you not now learn that it is more honourable and more pleasant to be in a Prison on a Dunghill on a Sick-bed in a Grave with Jesus Christ than to be in a Palace without him Were it not a happinesse to be dead that we might be for ever with him My Lords I beseech you to receive a short sentence from the mouth of a Worme and lay it up in your hearts When the houre comes in which all your comforts shall forsake you it will be of inestimable Vertue and value to you It is this The Person of Christ satisfies the Father beautifies the blackest Soule glorifies the basest and bitterest condition This is the first Lesson the Lovelinesse of Jesus Christ 2. Lesson The Love of the Lord Jesus We read of Christ's sending his Spirit to convince the world of Sin Righteousnesse and Iudgment John 16. If the Lord would have you learn his Love he must send his Spirit into your hearts to convince you of Sin that you may know how much he bears with you of Wrath that you may know how much he bears for you of Righteousnesse that you may know how much he bestows on you He must send his Spirit into your Hearts to stretch them all waies to the utmost heighth depth breadth and length that they may take in His Love And yet then they will not take in the thousandth part Saint Paul praies for the Saints that they may know the heighth depth breadth and length and all this but as a preparation that they may know the Love of Christ and yet then he saith of it it passeth Knowledge Ephes 3. 18 19. I will give you severall places of Scripture to be as Hints to you of the Love of Christ and His Teachings of it in the Soule Revel 1. 5. Who that is Jesus Christ hath loved us and wash'd us in his bloud Acts 9. 4. Jesus Christ complains from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me John 17. 1. Our blessed Saviour praies to his Father for his Disciples that that Love wherewith thou lovest me may be in them and I in them Come you that yet wallow in your Lusts and think nothing so sweet as they are to you Come you that Welter in despair as in your bloud and think nothing can be sweet to you Learn the love of the Lord Jesus as He teacheth it When thou hast polluted thy self with the greatest Vncleannesse then feel the drops of thy Saviours bloud trickling apace from his Wounds down upon thy Bosome to Wash off that Staine then heare the Voice of thy Saviour sweetly speaking forth these words in thy Spirit Thus I die for thee yet thus thou Killest me all the day long Will not these words break your hearts and kill your Lusts When you are at the lowest ebbe of grace or comfort when your feet stick in the myre of clay then look upward see Jesus Christ in Heaven heare him in the midst of all his joyes speaking to his Father concerning thee after this manner O my father why doest thou still persecute me with thy displeasure My joy is not full while this man's sins and sorrows are upon him I suffer shame fear want woe in him Here shew that love which thou bearest to me on this poor soule When you seem to your self most neglected of God and man most afflicted from both then look inward see Jesus Christ in your own Spirits hear him thus comforting thee Yet have I my Heaven here in thee Yet hast thou thy Heaven thy Righteousnes thy Joy thy Jesus hidden in the midst of thee ready to be made manifest upon thee in their own Season Doe not your Souls pant within you after this Jesus now that you hear so much of his Love Now let each one say Depart from me ye fruitless Delights ye causlesse Despairs For now I know that the love of the Lord Jesus towards me excells all things that ever were His loving kindnesse is sweeter than life it self Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life said the Devill But skin lusts life and all will he give for this love that hath once had any tast of it All my contents are in this and in thee ô Jesus These are the two principall and most difficult Lessons in the school of Christ There are many other besides these of which I will cull out six 1. Loath the World and live in Heaven Christ teacheth us to seek a City not of this Creation whose Builder Building and chief Inhabitant is God He teacheth us to find this new Hierusalem which is above us within us and there to dwell He discovers this City with its Citizens in our Spirits and draws us into it 2. Hate Sin and be Holy Jesus Christ teacheth with a tongue of Fire in the Heart of man which melts and makes new which as it teacheth toucheth takes hold consumes the drosse and refines the gold 3. Cast off your selves and abide in Jesus Christ The teachings of Christ run much upon two Creations the one Old the other New and a dying to the one that we may Live in the other Take away the Earth and Heaven is every where Take away the old appearance of the Creature and Christ with God appears One Appearance is the Garment spotted with the Flesh the other is the White Rayment 4. Have a beautifull Conversation among men The rule of Christ is that good men should shine as Lights in the world Light is clear the same in every posture and motion It enlightens and cheers It draws and directs It is of the same stuffe and appearance with Heaven 5. Be a Servant to all in Humility Learn of me for I am lowly saith Christ Mat. 11. 29. The Son of man came not to be served but to serve Mat. 20. 28. He is likest to the most High that can descend lowest to serve and please others in Christ 6. Be a Father to all in Charity This is a Mystery of sweetnesse which the Lord Jesus infuseth into the Soules of his Hearers to comprehend all things in one Spirit with themselves by being themselves comprehended in one Spirit with God to look upon all things as their owne and the out-goings of