the heavenly Bridegroome IT is necessary to shew what these visitations are to convince that they are and so to undeceive those that thinke they are not It is also necessary to free those from errour who beleeving that they are yet doe mistake those that are not for those that are Such visitations there are for they are seene and felt by men seeing and waking and seeing and waking not onely with the bodily eyes but with two better eyes the one of humane reason and the other farre excelling that divine and heavenly light Spirituall light beholds these spirituall sights and shews them to the understanding which being convinced by that which it sees beleeves them it selfe and would also deliver over the sight and the beleefe of them to others But the thoughts of man are narrower than these joyes and words are narrower thā thoghts But which is worst of al the heart of an earthly man is narrower than the narrow words of a spirituall man for the carnall man perceiveth not spirituall things though they be held up before his fleshly eyes yet in the mouth of two or three eye-witnesses a word should stand and stand it doth though blinde men see it not standing before them and therfore stumble at it But who knowes whether an Ephatah may come downe from heaven that while a spirituall object is proposed a spirituall sight may be infused Howsoever the words of heavenly wisedome are not spoken in vaine to the children of wisedome and especially those who are yet but children and not perfect in tae art of discerning good and evill must not be left to the dangers of errour and mistaking The black Angel sometimes changeth himselfe into an Angel of light and then may he also make some shewes of lightsome visitations There is also a sanguine and naturall lightsomnesse and a bright beame of adustion that sometimes shine in the mind and these also may be mistaken to be divine But the spirit is not flesh much lesse is hee that evill spirit which is contrary to him And because the spirit is that which these are not the visitations are such as those imaginations are not which come from these And that this difference may the better be discerned let let us beholde the true characters of a spirituall visitation which the soule seeth when the husband of soules doth visit her A first marke and signe of his presence is light a light not fitted for the eye but the soule even a light spirituall and shining spirit and truth into the soule and spirit For the Lord is a spirit and when hee comes into the soule hee comes with abundance of that spirit which leadeth into all truth Hee is the light of the world even of the great world of mankinde and therefore when he comes into the little world of one man how great is his light And when this light shineth brightly then the soule by it doth see spirituall things as truly and assuredly as the corporall eye doth corporall things For there is an agreement betweene a spirituall eye and spirituall objects as there is betweene the bodily eye and bodily object By this light things formerly not knowne are seene and discovered and spirituall things knowne before onely by a carnall which is a false knowledge are spiritually and so truly discerned for the light is that which maketh manifest and this light being spirituall maketh spirituall things so manifest that it gives a full assurance of understanding and makes us know that wee know thē Even those things which before seemed fables and foolishnesse to the carnall eye to this spirituall sight and light appeare plainly to be deepe mysteries and most wise truthes Especially the great Bridegroom of soules who to the Iewes is a stumbling blocke and to the Grecians foolishnesse to this light appeares clearely to be the wisedome of God and the power of God For the light begotten acknowledgeth the light begetting and Christ is seene in the soule by his owne beames Hee is seene there as a Head and Husbād to the Church as a roote of life as an All-sufficient Saviour fit and able to restore a decayed and lost creation to disperse and treade downe a combined association of adversary and mighty spirits and to unite and recapitulate the scattered members of a mysticall body both in heaven and earth each to other and all to the Deity Hee is beheld as the fairest of men the soules well-beloved an infuser of that blessed sap of spirituall life by which the soule is purified here and made capable of the beatificall vision in an eternall life hereafter And as this derived light sheweth us the primitive light which begate it and being spirituall shewes us that Lord who is the spirit from whom it proceeded so doth it also discover to us divers other spirituall truthes and is a kinde of Oracle that gives divine answeres and resolutions Now that wee may certainely know this light to be a truth and not an imagination and withall to be truly spirituall and heavenly and not carnall earthly much lesse infused by a counterfeit Angel of light let us first observe that this light of the spirit doth agree with the light of the word The same spirit of God which shineth now in our soules in these heavenly visitations did first shine in the word so that the light of the word and the light in our soules are twinnes and resemble each other and agree like brethren If therefore there be this agreement then there is this brotherhood and if no agreement then there is no brotherhood Therefore to the law to the testimony if thy thoughts speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them for indeed if our thoughts be truly enlightened wee shall finde some words in the word of God confirming them yea many times this light within will call up some place of the word without for a witnesse to it to confirm a truth which in that place was not formerly perceived Such is the harmony and power of harmony betweene the spirit and the word that when you hit a spirituall truth in your soule there will often come a sound answer and eccho from some place in the word agreeable to it And as the word doth approve this light so doth this light approve the word It loves to looke on it it seeth a heavenly wisdome in it yea it seeth secrets in it yea many times it will in some short sentence yea in some single word find out a Mine of heavenly doctrine and as at a little crany discover a world of divine truths And so the light of the spirit doth approve it selfe not onely by being approved of the word but by approving and improving it This is a sufficient tryall and touchstone of this heavenly light though if neede were I might adde the willing resignation of reason even of the naturall light of the soule to the soveraignty of this divine and heavenly
soule is resolved of her choise for she hath fixed her love on that Spirit which is the true object of the love of spirits But even that excellency which draweth her love awaketh her fear and beholding admirable purity and majesty together with her owne impurity and lownesse shee is moved at once both to runne to happinesse and to fly from it Shee stands distracted and in this distraction asketh Will God indeede dwell with men and will the highest Spirit who inhabiteth eternity and cannot abide iniquity dwell with low spirits that are defiled and be full of impurity Who shall dwell with the devouring fire and who shall dwell with everlasting burnings But the Lord himselfe speaketh to her and saith Feare not for thy maker is thine husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel the God of the whole earth It is the glory of the greatest spirit to blesse the lesser spirits as it is the happinesse of the lesser to bee blessed by the greatest Fulnesse is glorified most by filling the greatest emptinesse and majesty by succouring greatest infirmity As for thy impurity true it is that thou art indeed too uncleane to touch God in an immediate unity but there is a pure counterpart of thy nature and that pure humanity is immediatly knit to the purest Deity And by that immediate union thou maist come to a mediate union For the Deity and that humanity being united make one Savior Head and Husband of soules and thou being married to him who is God in him art also one with God He one by a personall union thou one by a mysticall And being thus united and married to him his spirit flowes into thy spirit and the sappe of the Deity sheds it selfe into the soule For as man and wife in a corporall marriage are one flesh so in this spirituall and mysticall marriage Christ and his spouse are one spirit The spirit of Christ entring into our spirits layes in them an immortal seed and from thenceforth those whom he found impure he makes pure even pure in heart so that they may see God The Sonne of God so loved the soules of men that hee would make them a wife and marry them And that hee might make this wife fit to be brought into his Fathers house hee left his Father to come to his wife that he might cleanse her frō spots blemishes and present her pure glorious to his Father By his precious blood he purgeth her from her guilt by his spirit he purifieth her from her uncleannesse and both of these hee bestoweth on her in his marriage with her And then the soule thus washed hath boldnesse to approach unto God through her husband the Sonne of God who hath loued her and giuen himselfe for her and giuen himselfe unto her For God beholds her and she beholds God as one with his Sonne euen as his Sonnes wife Then draw neere O soule to this husband of soules the Lord is the spirit that marieth spirits and makes them one spirit with him in a knot of eternall blessednes Cleare vp thine eye and fixe it on him as upon the fairest of men the perfection of spirituall beauty the treasure of heauenly joy the true object of most feruent loue and inflamed affections and accordingly fasten on him not thine eye only but thy mightiest loue and hottest affections Looke on him so that thou maiest lust after him for here it is a sinne not to looke that thou maist lust and not to lust hauing looked For the spirit hath his lust also it lusteth against things contrary to it and it lusteth for things connaturall to it Accordingly it lusteth against the flesh but it lusteth after spirituall objects wherof Christ Iesus is the chiefest Let thy spirit then looke and long and lust for this Lord who is the spirit the chiefest spirit let it cleaue to him let it hang about him and neuer leaue him till hee bee brought into the chambers of the soule Yea tell him resolutely thou wilt not leaue him untill thou here a voyce in thy soule saying My wellbeloved is mine and I am my wellbeloveds To this end bee still gazing on him and still calling on him Kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth Yea kisse my soule with such a kisse of thy spirit that they may be no longer two but one spirit say to him whom haue I in heauen but thee and whom haue I desired on earth besides thee My soule thirsteth and panteth for thee the liuing God Tell him that thou art sicke of loue Vexe him with Importunity and put him out of hope of ease as the widdow did the Iudge but onely by satisfiing thy desires It is the right-voyce of the spirit I found him whom my soule loveth I held him and would not let him go If then thou hast found him with thine eye hold him with thine heart and winde thy affections round about him And if he see thee all on flame with loue and obstinate in Importunity by loue he who is loue cannot deny the importunity of loue The bowels of loue in him melt at the sound of loue in thee as one string danceth at the sound of another agreeing with it Hee was great with loue before thou louedst him and hee looked but for a loue to draw his loue from him Hee was great with spirit and did but looke for spirits that by loue would draw some spirit from him And now when his loue meeteth with thine his loue joyneth with thine when his spirit meeteth with thine his spirit powreth it selfe out into thine hee is joyned to thee and thou art one spirit with him his spirit and thine being united and mingled in a blessed communion II. The soule hath but one husband at once THere is a law in heaven that the heavenly Bride may at one time have but one Husband The first marriage on earth was a patterne of this Law for then God gave one woman to one man God that made this first marriage gave not two women to one man nor two men to one woman but he gave one to one that two not three or foure may be one flesh Accordingly the heavenly marriage-makers espouse the Church to one husband and that they may doe so they doe teach that the former husband must be dead before the soule can marry with another No soule can marry with Christ Iesus but a widow for she must be freed from the law of her old husband by his death before shee can come to be subject to the law of the new Her olde husband was concupiscence to who she was married in carnall generation and this husband must be slaine and put off by death if Christ Iesus the new and true husband of the soule shall be put on in regeneration And indeede if the soule will give her consent this new and true husband will kill the old not so much an husband
as a thiefe and adulterer A theefe he is for he hath stollen the foule from her first Lord and husband even the Lord that made her and an adulterer he is for he lives with her that belongs to another and while hee lives with her he keeps her not for love but lust wherefore let the soule give her consent to his death that thereby her true husband may recover his right in her and that she may receive her true husband and in him life liberty and felicity And indeed she may well be weary of the old for her living with him is most unreasonable most slavish and most miserable It is most unreasonable for there is no sense in the mariage of a soule with lust What good can lust do to a soule there being no likenesse but a meere contrariety betweene them and wee know that things are cherished and augmented by their like but they are destroyed by their contraries The soule is light and lust is darknesse and can darknesse give any increase of being or wellbeing to light Yea doth not darknesse goe about to lessen to quench and kill light Againe lust hath in it a venome contrary to goodnesse and can evill give any accesse or addition of goodnesse to the soule Yea this venome hath in it a force and power to draw the wil and affections from that soveraigne good which is the true and onely beatificall object of the soule and to glue and fasten her to objects of vanity yea of death and misery Againe the soule in her substance is a spirit and what kindly or naturall pleasure or profit can a spiritual essence receive from grosse and fleshly lust The soule hath no savour in the ranke and grosse pleasures of the flesh but they are to her as the onions and garlike of Egypt to a dainty delicate taste Surely so well may the earth lighten the Sunne and a tempest give rest to the sea as lust can give light or life or rest or happinesse to the soule but darknesse and death and misery it can and doth give and so under the shape of an husband it is a cruell enemy and a very murtherer of the soule And surely hee could be no other but a mortall enemy of the soule that made such a marriage betweene the soule and her mortall enemy And hee had neede to be as cunning as malicious to put a shew of reason upon a match so absurd and unreasonable And if in a second place wee beholde the slavery of the soule in this marriage with lust the teares that bewailed the virginity of Iephthahs daughter are not sufficient to bewaile this slavish marriage The body commands the soule earth heaven and dust that noble and divine essence which was breathed into man even from Gods owne mouth and had his owne image imprinted on it Neither is it the body of dust onely that commands the heavenly soule but the body it selfe being commanded by lust doth command the soule so is lust the chiefe lord both of body and soule even a certaine venome itch and fury dwelling in this earth of man There may be some proportion betweene the dust which God turned into a body and that soule which God made with his breath though in a large and remote distance and difference But betweene the soule which God made according to his owne image and this blinde and wilde lust which God made not in man there is no portion or part of proportion whereupon any right or power of command may be grounded Yet in this base and wretched marriage vile and odious lust spurs up the soule with his commands and makes her to trudge up and down in businesses of darknesse filthinesse and wretchednes The soule is set on work in things that are no kin to her no good to her yea that are contrary to her being and well-being For contrary they are to that image of God which is in her and consequently contrary to that God whose image this is and to whō this image points and leades her as to her soveraigne good And thus have wee a third mischiefe of this marriage even misery annexed to slavery For as the image of God in the soule turnes the eye and heart of the soule to looke unto God her chiefe happinesse so lust turnes about the eye and heart of the soule from her happinesse and what can her prospect and object be then but misery And if the eye of the soule happen to cast up some glances to heaven and happinesse yet the heart even the will and affections are hurried away by this lust to objects and workes of vanity and misery so that the soule can onely say I see the better things and follow the worse I see happines and runne after misery Thus by slavery shee buyeth misery and slavery it selfe being misery by misery she earneth misery And indeed is it not the true misery of an Egyptian bondage that the soule should bee still set on worke by lust in a fiery fornace yea be beaten and tormented when shee doth not worke though her worke concerne her selfe nothing but onely to strengthen her owne bondage and to increase her owne misery And indeede therefore is she kept so hard at this worke that she may haue no leisure to thinke beyond bondage and misery Accordingly if the soule at any time doe but lift up her eyes above her present bondage to that Lord of life liberty and happinesse which would once have married her and still makes new offers unto her this tyrannous husband like a Taske-master strikes in deepe lashes into her side and tells her she is idle though she thinkes on her nearest businesse and dearest happinesse If it be in the morning there is a bargaine of profit imposed on her and this lot of bricke must be made that day and about it must the soule goe being pierced throgh with the thorns of covetousnesse by the violent hand of her false husband that she may have no leisure respiration or rest And if at night the soule be weary of this dayes worke and would faine goe to bed with the body the night is lusts day as it is the Owles for both are blinde and then there is a wife whose husband is from home and the poore soule being a spirit must crafficke in this errand for the flesh to make a wary but a wicked meeting betweene her owne lewd husband and another mans wife and while she plots it she doth a worke of slavery and when she hath done it she shall have no other but the wages of misery But endlesse were it to set forth the whole story of this Aegyptian bondage Let the carnall man reade over the story of his owne life and he may see the one in the other And all being summed together amounts to this that the marriage betweene the soule and lust is monstrous as betweene a woman and a beast slavish as betweene a woman and a tyrant mischievous and mortall
secondly there is yet a farther use and benefit of desertions For it may be thou hast gone beyond neglect of thy beloved and hast proceeded unto some offensive crosse and contrary carriage toward him thou hast entertained some thought purpose or act which hee cannot endure and then it is best both for him and thee that he hide himselfe from thee If thou come once to entertaine his enemies and to lodge them in one roome with him how canst thou expect but that hee should leave that roome since there is no agreement betweene light and darknesse betweene Christ and Belial And surely hee should neither regard himselfe nor thee if hee should give thee his loves when thou entertainest his enemies For since thy husband is thy happinesse the enemies of thy husband are the enemies of thy happinesse and so both his and thine enemies Therefore is it good that thy friend should a while goe aside when that thou grievest him and hurtest thy selfe by the entertainment of his and thine enemies And while thus hee is hid from thee and thou art left to those enemies whom thou hast entertained in stead of him thou maist learne what odds there is betweene a friend and an enemy and what a folly it was to grieve him that loved thee by loving them that hate thee Thou hast perchance had a touch with thy olde husband the flesh and jealousie which is the rage of a man much more of a man that is a jealous God is angry with thy whorishnesse and puts a day of wrath upon thee wherin he seemes not to spare thee Therefore thy conscience is let loose upon thee and it teares thee to peeces it breakes thy bones and grindes thee to powder Satan also who tempted thee hath leave to set upon thee and to teare thee with vexations whom he had seduced by tentations And now art thou left as it were wholly in hell who wouldest entertaine a peece of hell into thy heaven And indeede it is both a just and mercifull dispensation to tyre thee with thine owne wayes to make the flesh to come out at thy nostrills to make thee weary of thine enemies and to make thee long and looke grone and cry for thy friend whom thou hast grieved and driven out of thy sight Therefore is heaven shut up and become as brasse unto thee and hell hath enlarged her mouth to swallow thee yea thou art like Ionah in the belly of hell thou art like Nebuchadnezzar cut downe by the commandement of the holy one and driven away from men to the beasts of the field thou art like Sampson when his lockes were cut off the good Spirit leaves thee and the evill Spirits like Philistims are upon thee But hath God forgotten to be mercifull and hath he shut up his tender mercies in an everlasting displeasure Will hee breake the bruised reede and deliver up the soule of his Turtle into the hands of her enemies Nay wee shall not die O Lord Thou hast ordained them for judgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction The enemies of the soule are suffered to scourge her for loving her enemies so to beate that love out of her and to beate her into that olde love from which in some great degree shee was fallen Thus is she beaten by her enemies from her enemies and the stripes sent her from her friend bring her backe to him that sent them Shee had grieved the spirit of her beloved and by the griefe of her owne spirit shee now learnes what the griefe of a grieved spirit is and thereby learnes to grieve him no more Hereupon she resolves to cast out whatsoever hath offended him and to put on that singlenes and purity of soule which makes her one for one and one fitted by holinesse for that one who is holy She will be his alone whose alone she is and from henceforth shee will scorne and hate any sinne that will offer to bee a rivall with her wellbeloved and especially that sinne whose rivalty hath lately cost her so deare as the losse of his familiarity And the soule being thus washed and trimmed by repentance holy resolutions and renewing her covenant the bridegroome of the soule appeareth to her againe and giveth her his loves And now is she like a garden watered after a scorching heate the heate being overcome by moysture makes her more flourishing and more fruitfull the belly of hell having vomited up the soule of a Saint because it could not digest her shee then runnes much more readily in the wayes of Gods cōmandements The stumpe of the tree for it was not pulled up by the rootes springeth and flourisheth againe being watered with the dew of heaven and is more glorious than before by a greater acknowledgement and glorifying of the Lord of glory The haire for it was onely polled groweth again so doth the strength of the spirit and greater exploits are done against the enemies of the soule than ever before For the soule having beene long kept fasting feedes more heartily on the bread of life and this being the true bread that strengthens the heart of man the more feeding on it the more strength of heart A long drynesse of spirit hath made her very thirsty and the more thirsty she is the more doth shee drinke of the waters of life and the more shee drinkes of life the more lively and active shee is The late breach of love increaseth her love and by love her union with her Lord and husband and the increase of that union is the increase of holinesse and happinesse There is yet a third profit by spirituall desertions and it is the preventing of pride which usually ariseth upon spirituall revelations or any other excellencies of the spirit It is a precious and a glorious thing to know the counsels of heaven and the secrecies of that kingdome and these mysteries doth the husband of the soule often reveale unto her in the bed of love There is a secret murmure of things inutterable and then the soule wonders at the deepe wisedome and unspeakeable truthes which are discovered to her yea anon she wonders at her selfe and her owne happinesse because they are discovered to her But then the flesh which is apt to swell upon the apprehension of any honour or eminence steps in too often and puts his swelling into the soule and then the thoughts of the soule are changed For whereas before shee was a spirit that did magnifie the Lord and rejoyced in God her Saviour because to her lowlinesse hee shewed high and great things now shee rejoyceth in her selfe because of that which she hath received even as if she had not received it She growes proud against the giver even by his owne gifts and boasts of a selfe-sufficiency even against him from whom her sufficiencie came and without whom she hath no sufficiency Accordingly as shee changeth her thoughts so she changeth her voice for now she speakes in
the eyes of the Church being annoynted doe see him and all things that cōcerne him Spirituall things are spiritually to bee discerned and Christ and his spouse are one spirit and by that spirit wherby she is one with Christ doth shee discerne spiritual things The husband of the Church is the wisedome of his Father and when wisdome goes into a soule he giveth wisedome to the soule The Spirit by which he enters into us taketh of his and giveth it to us Therefore as he is wisdome in himselfe so is he also made wisedome to us Christ is light and when light and the soule are knit together by that vnion with light there is a Communion of light The wine of the Spirit is herein quite contrary to the bodily wine The bodily wine whē it inebriates darkens the understanding and being grosser than the soule casts a mist upon the soule But the spirituall wine being purer than the soule enlightens and clarifies her and even then when it brings her to an extacie it doth it not by the diminution but by the excesse of light Wherefore let the soule make speciall use of this precious light which shineth within her in the accesses of her husband let her marke and learne and record the discoveries of that light for a spirit so enlightened will discover more than seven men upon a watch-tower There are some mysteries and secrets which thy husband wil whisper unto thee by his spirit in the bed of love and then let him that hath an eare heare what his spirit saith But if he doe not speake to thee doe thou speak to him know of him those things that are needfull for thee to know and bring to his light those things that thou wouldest have truly seene and discerned Goe into this Sanctuary and there receive Oracles and Answeres for there shalt thou finde resolutions of those things that were before too high and too hard for thee and when thou hast truly seene them beleeve them to be that which by this light thou seest them to be and resolve never to beleeve the flesh hereafter when it shall put any other shapes upon them For darknesse puts false and imaginary shapes upon things but it is light that makes all things truly manifest For example when this light shines in upon the soule looke out for thy happinesse and that thou maist finde it set all things before this light which are briefly these The Creatour and the creature God and the world and having done this thou maist plainly see where is true solid and permanent felicity and where is vanity transitorinesse and misery And when thou hast seene it know it to be the very truth which thou hast seene and that which is once truth is truth for ever If thou wantest the skil of truly measuring time and eternity so that a short life seemes to thee like eternity and eternity lesse than a short life when this light shines in thy soule bring the life of man and eternity together in one view before it and thou shalt quickly learne the art of numbring the few dayes of thy life and withall thou shalt learne that the dayes of eternity cannot bee numbred There is not so much proportion or likenesse between them as there is betweene the very lowest and least point of the earth and the circle of the uppermost sphere And what thou hast now seene to be true beleeve to be true ever even when this light is so obscured that thou seest not the truth of it If thou doubt which is better the prosperity of the wicked or the adversity of the godly bring them before this light even into the Sanctuary and Temple of thy soule wherein the holy Ghost dwelleth and shineth and there shalt thou see that prosperitie ending in a never-ending misery and that adversity ending in a never-ending felicity Besides thou shalt see the prosperity to bee but a light vanity yet followed with a weghty misery and thou shalt see adversity to be but a light affliction yet followed with a weighty glory And having seene this thou maist easily judg which is the better and as they appeare now to thy judgement such let thy memory present them to thee for ever If thou art doubtfull of thy way and thy path seeemes to be covered with darknesse search thy way by this light for it shall be to thee instead of a voice saying This is the way walke in it VVhen after some darke nights the soule is visited through the loving kindnesse of her beloved with these day-springs and mornings of grace then let her say Cause mee to see and know the way wherein I shall walke and then The good Spirit will leade thee into the land of uprightnesse If the word written be darke to thee bring it to this light and if it be fit for thy measure and the glory of thy Lord this light shall reveale it For the Spirit doth reveale the hid things of God If the infidelity of men without thee or of thine owne flesh within thee cast a mist of doubts on the Gospel of Christ Iesus with this light beholde this Gospell and thou shalt see in it a plot of divine wisedome and a mysterie of high and supernaturall truth Yea thou shalt see the face of him who is the summe of the Gospell as the face of the onely begotten Sonne of God full of grace and glory For God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. It is an ancient promise They shall be all taught of God And when will God sooner teach than when he visiteth a soule with his spirit which communicates both his light and his love unto her For both light and love are discoverers of secrets light makes manifest things hidde in darknesse and love tels counsels unto the beloved It is our Saviours owne inference I have called you friends therefore I tell you my counsels But remember that the knowledge which thou learnest from this teacher of hearts be laid up by thee safe as a precious stocke or treasure and account it thy best learning which thou hast learned of the best Teacher Having bought this truth sell it not keepe it and it shall keepe thee When thou goest thy steps shall not be straitned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble Therefore take fast holde on this instruction let her not goe keepe her for shee is thy life Secondly these seasons of love are seasons of prayer If thou want any thing now aske it for in these heates of love thy husband will deny thee nothing These be the times when the spirit moveth the waters therefore now cast in thy petition and what soever griefe it hath in it thou shalt be cured of it Now the King holds out his golden Scepter therefore let
the Queene come in boldly with her request though it be for a kingdome Yea this King likes it best If thou doe first seeke a kingdome wherefore whatsoever thou askest be sure to aske this kingdome yea to aske it first and the righteousnesse inseparably annexed to it It were a madnes in thee to offend him by asking a lesse gift when thou mayst please him by asking a greater especially since if thou aske and obtaine the greater the lesser by promise is annexed to the greater And accordingly thou maist come down in thy petitions from the greater to the lesser and having desired the mayne petitions that the King of glory may bee glorified by the comming of his kingdome of grace with the righteousnes therof then after mayst thou petition for dayly bread to bee given thee Yea know that thou art now in a high degree the Temple of the holy Ghost and whatsoever prayer or supplication shall be made in this Temple by a man that shall know the plague and griefe of his owne heart He that dwelleth in Heaven will heare the prayer made on earth he will forgive and doe according to that prayer The spirit of prayer supplication is in this Temple and he is most powerfull in these seasons of love he who gives this spirit of praier will heare the prayer of the spirit which himselfe giveth For he gave this spirit of purpose to make those prayers in vs which himself might approve grant We know not how to pray as wee ought for we are carnall and flesh will not aske so as it may bee pleasing to a spirit A spirit loves a spirituall prayer and therefore hee gives the spirit that he may have that spirituall prayer which he loves So when he heareth his spouse hee heareth himselfe and how can any one deny his owne prayers Christ and his Spouse are now and that in a height of eminence one spirit And if a man who is flesh do not hate his owne flesh but cherisheth it surely much more assuredly the Lord who is a spirit cannot hate his owne spirit but loveth and cherisheth and consequently heareth it Thirdly when the soule is visited by the spirit of the Bridegroome then set upon some good yea upon some great worke The spirit which we receive is a spirit of power and when the spirit floweth much into us in these tides of grace we receive much power Now great power can doe a great worke and it were both a losse and a shame to thee with a great power to doe a little worke when thou maist doe a great one Therefore if there be a worke which was before too great and too hard for thee yet now set upon it for when thy strength is greater thou maist doe that worke which thou couldest not doe when thy strength was lesse Our Saviour saith to Peter Thou canst not follow me yet but thou shalt follow me hereafter thou canst not follow mee yet untill thy strength be greater by a greater portion of the spirit But when thou art more strengthened by the spirit then thou shalt follow mee And accordingly he that before Christs resurrection denied Christ at the voice of a maid after his resurrection confessed him in the face of a Councell And no wonder for for it is then said of Peter that he was filled with the holy Ghost Neither is it true of Peter alone that a great measure of the spirit enables to a great worke but in others also When the spirit of the Lord comes mightily upon Sampson he doth mighty workes for hee breaketh cords as flax and slayes a thousand with the bone of an asse And Paul being filled with the holy Ghost worketh a miracle by which at once he confounded Elymas and converteth the Deputy Though two talents gaine but two yet five can gaine five Therefore marke when the spirit comes mightily upon thee and then attempt some mighty worke As the Seaman watcheth the naturall winde and tide so doe thou watch the winde and tide of the spirit The spirit bloweth when he lifteth and when hee listeth to blow then set forth on some noble action when the tide of the spirit floweth then put thy hand to the oare for then if thou rowe strongly thou maist advance mightily The soule lying in flesh and bloud is like a boate on ground all the rowing in the world will not move it but let the tide come and set him afloate the same tide that enables him to move will also mightily advance the motion which it first enabled VVherefore if there be any vertue or any worke of excellence not yet well done thinke upon it in these times and tides of grace now set upon them that so thou maist goe from vertue to vertue untill thou be skilfull active in all vertues and having attained the full number of them then strive to the fulnesse and perfection of degrees On the contrary if thou have some mighty enemie that hath beene too hard for thee even some raging and wasting concupiscence feare distrust or other tentation now set upon him mightily for now canst thou best see the way to conquer him and now hast thou most might to effect this conquest and to doe what thou seest Having tasted this honey thine eyes shall be opened and thy strength revived wherfore make thou now a more mighty slaughter of the enemies of God and thy soule And let thy fighting be against all these enemies though chiefly against the chiefest There are some little foxes that have strong holdes and these will ask some strength to be digged out and taken Remember that thy warfare is against the whole Nation of the Canaanites thou maist not suffer a little one to live Thou must strive against all sinne and strive for all righteousnesse for the fruite of the spirit is all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth It is the saying of a Saint I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens mee If therfore Christ strengthen thee strive thou to doe all things also Neither hast thou in these times onely a greater strength to encourage thee to great workes but also a great joy And indeede the joy of the Lord is our strength The joy that is in us is a peece and patterne of the joy set before us and by this peece of joy within us beholding the joy set before us we may despise the shame and endure the Crosse and runne with patience the race set before us As sure as wee have this pawne so sure shall wee have the performance and therefore we may labour comfortably in the workes of doing and suffering because our labour is not in vain in the Lord. The joy which we have excites us to labour because as this joy is followed with labour so shall the labour be followed with an over-waighing joy and the greater the labours are to which this joy of the spirit
encourageth us the greater shall those joyes be which follow these labours for hee that soweth plentifully to the spirit in labours shall reape plentifully of the spirit in the joyes life everlasting Though no life everlasting can be longer than another yet one life everlasting may bee more joyfull than another and this greater joy shall follow those that dying in the Lord doe rest from greater labours And as the joy precedent and the joy subsequent doe encourage us to the labours of holinesse so doth also the joy concomitant The spirit thriveth growes fat prospereth and rejoyceth in the doing of good workes even like the mighty man in the running of his race As the naturall man pleaseth himselfe in eating and drinking so doth the spirituall man delight himselfe in well-doing and it is meate and drinke to an heavenly Sonne to doe the will of his heavenly Father VVhen a thing worketh naturally it worketh pleasantly and it is naturall to the godly nature to work godlinesse Therefore by all these wayes Blessed is the people that knowes the joyfull sound they shall walke in the light of thy countenance O Lord. They that know the joyfull sound are blessed and they are walkers The joyfull sound is a precedent blessednesse and a present blessednesse it is to walke in the light of Gods countenance and the future is to walke by that light unto the countenance it selfe which is perfect blessednesse The joyfull sound and the light of Gods countenance doe not allow any to take up their rest here but they call on them to walke even to walk cheerfully in good duties by these streames of blessednesse unto the ocean and fulnesse of blessednesse VVherfore let us make this use of the precedent present and following joyes even to walke and runne that race of piety which is here prevented with that sound accompanied with gladnesse and the light of Gods countenance and shall be followed with the never-ending sight of that countenance which is the fountaine of that light and which to behold is true felicity Fourthly in these times of plenty lay up a stocke of confidence and comfort for times of scarsity It hath bin tolde thee before and thou shalt finde it true that the Bridegroome sometimes hideth his face and holdes backe his oyntments and the spirit which bloweth when he listeth bloweth not when he listeth not Therefore goe unto the Pismire and learne of him in the summer of consolation to provide for the winter of desertion If with Thomas thou hast seene and felt Iesus to bee Iesus in his neare and palpable approaches and visitations and hast then truly called him My Lord and my God lay up this truth for the times of desertion and beleeve that truth to bee then true when thou feelest not the truth of it and that though thou art changed yet Iesus Christ is yesterday to day and the same for ever And for the better helpe of thy memory and assurance of thy soule set downe upon record these testimonies and tokens of love and seales of union which Iesus gave to thy soule when hee visited her in the bed of love In an ill matter Tamar kept a seale and a staffe for the safeguard of her life in a good matter doe thou much rather keepe these seales for the safety of thy soule And if thine enemy who is both a Tempter and an Accuser and in these times of desertion doth commonly tempt by accusing doe call thy soule into question for her life accusing her to be an adulteresse of the flesh and not a spouse of Christ Iesus bring forth thy seales tokens which lye by thee and tell him that whose these are his thou art thy well-beloved is thine and thou art thy well-beloveds Tell him That thou hast not followed cunningly devised fables but hast beene an eye-witnesse of Christ Iesus and his love And what thou hast seene and heard and felt that declare and shew to the face of thy accuser tell him The spirit of Iesus hath left a testimony with thy spirit that thou hast beene one spirit with Iesus in an heavenly marriage and then say also Wherefore wee are no more two but one spirit let no tempter nor temptation put asunder what God hath put together Thus in laying up the seales of union thou layest up a stocke of confidence and thou maist see Saint Paul making the same provision and the same use of it God hath given us the earnest of the spirit therefore are wee alwayes confident Neither do thou only from these Memorialls gather confidence but comfort True it is that confidence it selfe will bring comfort for hope is the juice of confidence and this juice is an especiall cōfort and cordiall to the soule But besides this comfort which ariseth from the apprehension of the things to come thou mayst take comfort in that which is past and therewith refresh thy soule in times of drought and wearinesse By these memorials pledges call to remembrance his loves his sweetnes his kisses his oyntments Renew the Images and keepe them fresh in thy soule and these shall comfort thee when the things themselves are absent It will be a pleasure to thee to tast over his loves againe againet by renewed remembrances of them It will be a pleasure to thee to repeate the pleasure thy soule hath enioyed and to say His love was pleasanter then wine and I eate vnder his shadow with great delight and his fruite was sweete to my tast Thou hast tasted by tasting seene that thy Lord was gracious and now see and by seeing tast how gracious thy Lord was For as tasting brought forth seeing at the first so now a revived seeing wil also bring forth a revived tasting ech mutually begetting other Yea many times when thou doest this only by remembrance and representation of that which is past thou shalt bring into thee the substance of that whose shadow thou recallest And so while Iesus and his sweetnes are represented to thee as they have beene heretofore seene and tasted they will even now present themselves afresh to be tasted and seene by thee While the Disciples going to Emaus talked of Iesus as of one that was absent Iesus became present unto thē and then their hearts burned with an heavenly fire And so while thou talkest with thy soule of Iesus of his beauty of his graces of his sweetnesse he wil present himselfe to thee and thou who wouldest have accounted it a great comfort to sit under the shadowes of his remembrance shalt now enjoy his reall presence and eate of his most pleasant fruites for when hee comes hee comes with abundance of consolations Thy remembrance of him brings him into thee whom thou doest remember and then thou needest not to borrow comforts out of the stocke of thy former remembrances for thou hast the Comforter himselfe to give thee new comforts and so maist adde them to
parts of the soule to water the roote of her and to give her true kindly and reall increase As mudde is to the thirsty bodies so are these to thirsty soules they cannot drinke them in nor quench their thirst with them But the spirituall joyes enter in and enlarge the very soule of man they make her who is a spirit more spirituall for shee opens her mouth wide to them and then shee is filled with that spirituall and divine sappe which accompanieth them and wherein they are founded And then as shee hath heard so she hath seene and tasted that an heavenly joy is to the soule a restaurative medicine and that when she enjoyeth her Saviour in the contemplations and tastes of his love then is she filled with marrow and fatnesse But I hasten to a third Marke of spirituall visitations and that is holinesse For when Christ visiteth the soul as he doth clarifie her with light and ravish her with joy so he doth beautifie her with holinesse Externall joyes and joyes of the body have not this vertue neither can they give it to the soule but when Christ commeth into the soule by his spirit the same spirit that doth enlighten and glad her doth also hallow her yea as by the light she is directed to holinesse so by the gladnesse shee is lifted up encouraged and actuated unto holines In these accesses of Christ there are heights of union and the increases of union bring with them increases of uniformity The spirit of union is fire and fire turnes that into it selfe to which it is united and the fuller and closer this union is the more is this turning So Christ Iesus the more hee comes into a soule by his spirit the more spirituall doth he make her yea the more doth hee melt a soule into himselfe the more doth hee turne her will into his will and the more doth hee increase his owne image in her and wee know that his image is righteousnesse and true holinesse He brings with him those oyntments for which the Virgins love him and those oyntments also make them more lovely Hence are they inwardly more glorious and hence outwardly they smel more sweetly in their conversations The Kings daughter is all glorious within and her garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia In these touches of Christ if in any other there comes forth vertue frō him The spirit of the lover passeth into his beloved and makes her of one heart and will with him and this conformity of the will with Christ is true holinesse The spirit by which Christ visiteth his spouse is an holy spirit and a spirit of power and accordingly when this spirit is shed into the soule there is power holynes infused with him and by him And hēce it is that they who receaue the true oyntments of the spirit in true visitacions they passe beyond a speculatiue discoursing holynes even beyond a forme of godlines and advance to the power of it to a fruitful expression of this power Yea I may say that hereunto the very loue of Christ constrayneth vs. For in these visitacions and by them the loue of Christ is shed into our harts The spirit of power holines is the spirit of loue and this loue giuen by the spirit may be called holinesse for it is the fulfilling of the law They that love Christ are certainely willing to please him and to keep his commandements and they that have the spirit of love cannot but love him Yea they cannot but love him for the union they have with him and the joyes of this union And loving him they wil desire to bring forth fruite unto him and by him even fruite that may be like him The pleasure of love and union in outward marriage is a kinde of hire of fruitfulnes and in the spirituall marriage the joy of love and union is the hire of a fruitfull holinesse Wherefore those that truly enjoy Christ in these spiritual accesses both desire and obtaine this spirituall fruitfulnesse for the spouse of Christ is most truly that vine which is fruitfull by the sides of the house and whose children stand like olive plants yea in olde age is shee full of fruite Wherefore if with light and joy the soule doe feele that the spirit of Christ by spirituall heate power and love have wrought a powerfull and fruitfull holinesse in her let her know that Christ Iesus himselfe hath beene with her Carnall and corporall things cannot doe this evill Angels neither can nor will doe it good Angels though they rejoyce to see it done yet they doe it not but that spirit alone both can doe it doth it which is the power and right hand of God which onely writeth the lawes of God in the hearts and soules of men He it is alone that giveth the soule the new wine of the kingdome wherewith the soule being once refreshed shee rejoyceth as a gyant to runne the race of holinesse It is the spirit of Christ alone that so anoynteth the soule that shee runneth after Christ in the wayes of righteousnesse And as it was said to this Head and Husband of the Church Thou hast loved righteousnesse and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes So it may bee also said to the Spouse Thou hast loved righteousnesse and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnes above all those that were thy fellowes by carnall generation For there is no oyle of gladnesse that hath with it the love of righteousnesse but that wherewith Christ Iesus the Head was principally anoynted and which dropping from Christ the Head to the Members and Spouse of Christ makes her to excell the rest in vertue and holinesse And as there was not any such spice as the Queen of Sheba brought unto Salomon so there are no such oyntments of grace and gladnesse as a greater than Salomon doth give to his Queen when hee and shee are met in the heates of a spirituall conjunction and the excesses of a fruitive union CAP. VIII A Corollary of counsailes and directions to those that are entred into the estate of this blessed Marriage LEt it be the maine endeavor of a soule married to Christ to keepe her selfe still in that point wherein she may keepe him and so keepe him that she may still say and feele what she sayes My well-beloved is mine and I am my well-beloveds To this end let her still cast and consider with her selfe what those things are which hee most loves and make her most lovely in his eyes for the spirit of this lover loves to be there where his love is Therefore if there be any praise any vertue thinke on those things and set them as pearles and jewells about thy soule to make her glorious and amiable in his sight Let the face
felicity And yet againe she may looke on it to see the curse that is cast upon it and in the terriblenesse of that curse shee may see the horrour of sinne that looking from it againe to her Lord and Saviour she may see the excellency of his love and inestimable value of his person who hath taken away the curse and the sinne from his beloved Spouse and gives her a blessed use of the creature and full blessednesse in the eternall fruition of the Creatour Thus looking to the creature by looking to it shee lookes from it she rests not in it but passeth by it to her only true rest And indeed by these and the like removals the soule should ever bee kept loose from the world For as when we would not have things to glue and fasten we doe often touch and turne and moove them so the soule being apt to glue and fasten to the world wee must by these and the like meditations often touch and remove her that so she may be kept continually loose from it But because the cyment which joynes the soule to the world is the flesh and she must adulterate first with this old husband before she can prostitute her selfe to the world let the soule take especiall care to watch and resist the approaches of this fly but deadly enemy that commeth in the shape of a lover This is he whom the true husband whose name is jealous doth perfectly hate for there is a perfect contrariety betweene them Therefore so much as thou admittest the flesh so much thou expellest thy Lord and Saviour But so much as thou banishest the flesh so much roome doest thou make for Christ to come into thee by his spirit Therefore bee thou so farre from loosing thy husband for this old adulterer that thou gaine him the more by expelling and killing the other The flesh is good for nothing but to be slaine and therein there is this gaine that the more he dyeth the more thy love and life loveth thee and liveth in thee Therefore whereas the flesh would make it thy pleasure to live after the flesh doe thou make it thy pleasure to kill the flesh let the hunting pursuing and killing of the lusts of the flesh be thy pastime and pleasure even the hunting and destroying of these foxes that would destroy thy vineyard And then will the Lord of the vineyard get up early to his vineyard the vine shall flourish and the tender grape appeare and there shall he give thee his loves But if through thy owne remisnesse or the fleshes importunity the soule by concupiscence hath conceived sinne make haste to the fountaines set open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash and to be cleane Wash thy selfe in teares and bloud the spirit of penitence contrition and conversion washeth white the bloud of the Lambe washeth whiter than snow And by the cleansing spirit is given to thee the cleansing bloud That false husband whom thou hast pleased hee hath defiled thee and thy true husband whō thou hast offended he it is that must wash thee therefore hee came by water and bloud to wash thy guilt with his bloud and thy filth by his spirit that thus being washed thou maist be without spot and blemish and againe lovely in his eyes and acceptable in the eyes of his Father And being thus made faire by his washing he will yet againe embrace thee and put thy evill out of his remembrance by his owne overcomming goodnesse But then let his goodnesse overcomming thy evill teach thee to overcome thy owne evill with goodnesse Hate and resist all sinne and especially that sinne by which thou hast most offended so loving a husband and hate and resist that false husband who tempted thee to this sin Love thy true husband the more the more thou hast offended him and the more he hath forgiven thee And the more thou lovest him the more strive not to offend him And if thus after thy sinne thou art the farther from sinne more faire in holinesse and fuller of love to thy heavenly husband thou shalt heare from his mouth the voice of ioy and gladnesse and shalt feele from his mouth a kisse of peace in thy soule And this spirituall kisse shall drop a spirituall oyntment the very pledge and seale of pardon and peace even a testimony of his spirit speaking to thy spirit Thy sinnes are forgiven thee And having regained him make thy selfe more one with him and increase thy communion with him Touch him hard with thy faith sucke him strongly with thy love that more vertue may come out of him to cure that issue of sinne yet abiding in the remnant of the flesh and to make thee more one and uniforme with him For as a bough the more hee suckes from the tree the larger is his union with the tree and the more is his likenesse to the tree so the more a soule draws from Christ the more is she one with him and the more is shee like him And againe the more shee is like him the more will hee delight to bee one with her and thus shall she goe on in an endlesse circle of happines The highest and happiest and sweetest harmony is when the soule is in an unizon with her Saviour and husband every touch and sound of the soule thus tuned to Christ Iesus resoundeth in him toucheth and moveth him And as with the sound of outward musicke the spirit of God came upon the Prophet so with the sound of this inward musicke be it in holy contemplations ardencies desires invocations resolutions the spirit of Christ Iesus commeth more powerfully and plentifully into the soule And when hee comes doe thou draw from him that spirituall sappe and nourishment by which thou maist grow up to the stature appointed thee By the supply of this head grow up to this head in a due proportion even to the fulnesse of that part which thou holdest in his body And let not the head be the head of a man yea of the fairest and goodliest of men and thou a starved dwarfish crooked or mishapen hand or foote but both in measure and shape strive to be a member proportionable to so comely an Head And that thou maist thus grow let not swelling but growth be the end of thy sucking Desire the sincere milke and hony and wine of the Deity that thou mayst growe thereby in solide substance not in frothy and puffy imaginations Growe thou in the reall excellence of a divine Nature and not in the empty swellings of a fleshly pride For the flesh hath sometimes a desire of spirituall excellencyes but it is for a fleshly end even to puffe it selfe up by thē But seeke not these pearls to cast it to these Swine nor this Bread of heaven to give it to such dogs Rather buffet this flesh and beate it downe lest a messenger of Satan be sent to buffet thee for not