with him so shall it be with thee A supernatural Power a mighty Angel from Heaven shall bind up thy Tempters thy Spiritual Enemies in chains of Darkness as in a deep sleep shall remove the great Stone the most powerful Lusts and Temptations from the mouth of thy Grave God himself in his Power in the greatness of his Power as it excelleth and transcendeth all Powers all things all thoughts of men or Angels God himself in his Almightiness in the infiniteness of his Power and God-head God himself in the immediate naked most potent most high most Glorious Appearances and Operations of his God-head shall come down upon thee shall arise and shine in thee and as he riseth raise thee together with himself into the Light of Life Whil'st thou lyest in Sin thy true Person or Life lie together dead in thee as to thee But beneath thy Soul at the bottom of it they lie hid in God who is the ground of every natural being and the Treasury of all Spiritual Beings At the season of the new birth God discocovers himself in thy Soul as a glorious ground out of which thy Life and thy Jesus spring up together by degrees like Twin-lillies Roses from the same stalk or root which is Christ. Thus shalt thou rise from the Dead with a shout of Heavenly Joys 5. Christ is the Companion in the Resurrection St. Paul tells the Galatians he travels in birth again with them till Christ be formed in them We read 1 Corin. 6. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit A saint and Christ are one Spirit by a Spiritual Marriage which makes two Spirits perfectly one yet so that they remain perfectly and distinctly two in one When thou risest from the dead in Regeneration thy Jesus riseth together with thee out of that Grave in thy Heart into which thou hast cast him by thy Sin at the Fall when thou in thy true Life and Paradise in thee fell into the same Grave together with him Jesus Christ and the Soul spring up together in the first Creation as Twins For St. John saith in his first Chapter of his Gospel that without him that is in a single state disjoyned from Christ was nothing made that was made Christ and the Soul like two Twin-lillies flourished together in Paradise Together they died by the Fall Many times since thy birth into this world have Jesus Christ and with him that Beautiful and Blessed Life which thou enjoyed'st in Paradise been rising again into thy Heart into a more excelling Paradise that in the Spirit and in Heaven which is Eternal But alass thou hast still thrown them back again into the same Grave in thy flesh by the new wounds which thy renewed Lusts and Unbelief have given them Notwithstanding all this when the set time is come nothing can withstand the rising in thee Jesus Christ and thy Soul are together born anew in thee from the womb of Eternal Love where they lay hid and wrapt up together in the Grave itself They now come up together in one Spirit into one Spiritual Life and Heavenly Image in which Paradise also comes up new and fresh together with them By the same immediate and glorious operation of the God-head they break irresistibly forth thorow the darknesses of the night and scatters them and breaks them up as it shines thorow them How blessed is this Union and Fellowship Christ and the Soul ever undivided grow up now together in the mutual sight in the mutual embraces of each other thorow every state and degree of the Regeneration or Resurrection Light or Darkness Solaces or Sufferings Life or Death In all by the Heavenly Union they are mutually a Crown of rejoycing one to another 6. Christ is the Life of this Resurrection So himself testiâ—ieth in the 11 of St. John I am the Resurrection and the Life How sure how sweet is thy Life O Believer who art risen from the Death of Sin and born again to thine Heavenly Father Thy Life is sure It is Christ himself the Power God eternal Life itself who is thy Life the Life of thy Graceâ— here the Living Hope of Glory in Heaven the Life of God in thee which never dies in the midst of Death Thy Life is sweet O Believer How unexpressible is this pleasure to feel Jesus Christ himself the only delight of the Father in Eternity the only Delight of all the Holy Angels and Glorified Saints in Heaven springing up in thy Heart flowing thorow thy whole Soul and Person working in all acting all as Life in thee Thus I have finished this fourth Head the way of the Resurrection in its first step the Regeneration or New-birth and the discourse itself upon this subject FINIS ERRATA'S PAge 15. line 22. for word r. world p. 19. l. 25. for and thou r. O thou p. 55. l. 1. for spirit r. letter p. 66. l. 15. for three r. four p. 115. l. 38. dele by p. 126. l. 2. dele the first have p. 139. l. 2. for ni r. in l. 14. for an r. any p. 151. l. 1. for no r. not l. 7. for diviness r. divineness p. 158. l 22. for thee r. the p. 175. l. uâ—â— for their r. there p. 189. l. 16. for because r. and 3dly because p. 194. l. 14. for word r. words p. 205. l. 11. dele the first 1 p. 206. l. 32. for beautiful r. beauty p. 208. l. 39. dele at the word below p. 210. l. 17. for of spirit r. of the spirit p. 211. l. 20. for creature r. creatures p. 228. l. 35. for forms r. form p. 236. l. 24. for each in r. each creature in p. 249. l. 20. for form r. forms p. 252. l. 33. for though be it r. though it be p. 279. l. 9. for Vse 3 d r. Vse 4 th p. 294. l. 35. for pants r. plants p. 297. l. 5. for the glory r. with glory p. 299. l. 27. for 4 r. 1. p. 300. l. 32. for so God is light r. so God is life p. 301. l. 31. for the Divine Sea r. the Divine Saint p. 311. l. 3. for 3 steps r. 4 steps p. 314. l. 11. for is vizor r. is a vizor p. 315. l. 28. for thine nature r. thy nature l. 39. for fields r. field p. 319. l. 39 for is it r. it is p. 321. l. 16. for thy will r. thy God p. 325. l. 22. for four r. two p. 329. l. 17. for nature of this thing r. nature of things p. 332. l. 33. for which the will r. which is the will p. 335. l. 35. for are r. have p. 341. l. 4. for flesh r. fleshly p. 342. l. 19. for beware r. 2 dly beware p. 349 l. 41. for it conquest r. its conquest p. 350. l. 39. dele the Light p. 352. l. 14. for to the end r. to the end are removed p. 380 l. 25. for thus r. thou l. 41. for o passionate r. of passionate p. 392. l. 36. for poureâ—h r. poured p. 423. l. 9. for are r. ere p. 433. l. 7. for tof r. of p. 448. l. 27. for it it r. it p. 450. l. 17. for so r. see p. 451. l. 21. for same r. next for 1 Cor. r. 2 Cor. p. 472. l. 32. for resteth r. rested p. 480 l. 7. r. form p. 512. l. 3. r. Look to thy Root
Den the Country a Wilderness all about So is this Fiery Spirit eager to consume all appearances of Life and God upon their first discovery As the Night which entombs all things in it self and makes the richest variety of Shapes but one Lonely shade such a Solitude is the Devil Consider this all ye who cleave to the Noise Glories Pleasures of this world and leave your God least you should be Melancholy See and tremble to see into what a Melancholy Shade what a solitude your souls pass when you die 2. Spectacle Horrour Imagine a world where over your head instead of a Sky black pitchy Clouds perpetually roul not suffering any Glimpse of Light or Day ever to appear under your feet instead of Land or Sea a vast amazing depth which no where by nothing bounds your sight or thought round about you a Desolate Darkness presenting near and at furthest distance all those Forms which are bred in the womb of darkness and carry an astonishing darkness with them to the Senses and Spirits of Men like apparitions Lightnings Shrieks dying Groans roaring Tempests Howling of wild Beasts to a man alone in a Forrest at Midnight Such a world of Horrours is this Evil Spirit Therefore he is set forth by the Outward Darkness where the Worm dies not a Darkness without Light or Limit in which all gnawing Forms of Horrour live Let him that hates not that world of Curses love this world of Varities For the Vanities of one are the Porch to the Vexations of the other 3. Spectacle Torture Every Wound is a Division What are Fears Pains Griefs Death Separations of Desires from their Delights Faculties from their Objects Principles from their Act End Perfection in a word Things from Themselves All Deaths and Tortures then are in the Devil at their heighth in their fullest Power For he is the Principle and Power of Division The Life of this Mighty Creature is a Two-edged Flaming Sword in the midst of itself Each Act and Motion of life is the Brandishing of this Sword Cutting and Burning in every Part and point of life with ten thousand Anguishes 4. Spectacle Ugliness Deformity is Darkness with a Disproportion Darkness in harmony with Light makes a Beauty So the Evening and the Morning make a Day So the Night and sleep are the shade of an Angel's wing dropping sweet sleep and rest on Men. Proportion is a Kind and Image of Unity Disproportion is a Division without any form of Unity Where this Division and Darkness first meet there is the Center of Ugliness the Fountain of ugly things This is the Babel where Ziim and Ijim dwell Unclean Birds Forms dry without any beautiful Water desolate no pleasant plant of Life putting forth it self there irksome and hateful being surrounded with a rude Darkness like rocky uncouth Islands in a Tempestuous Sea or Screech-Owles in a Melancholy Night These are the Four Spectacles of dread death in the Nature of the Devil Solitude Horrour Torture and Ugliness Now make up these Four into One let that One be a Living Spirit of greatest Activity and Capacity This is the Devil the Bottomless Pit of Things the Unpassable Gulf which divides Heaven from Hell This is the Father of Sin and Sinners Now before you commit a Sin propound this Question to your selves Can I eternally wander in a Darkness where I shall never meet Companion or Comfort Can I make everlasting Clouds my Canopy Can I lie under these at Rest Can I sleep sweetly over an unknown roaring Deep Can I imbrace Fire feed on Poysons drink down Tortures like Water Can I make those hateful Shapes at which when they appear the stoutest men grow stiff with horrour and feel their hair to stand on end upon their heads Can I make these ghastly dismal things my Play-fellows If you can do all this then go sin freely But if these be Terrours above Man to bear take heed and start at a Lust more than you would at a Ghost for these are but weak Types of those Tormenting Truths which Sinners must try below For as God makes Heaven so the Devil is the Hell into him do all polluted Souls descend they dwell not only with but in Him Obj. Why should any doubt whether there be a Devil But alass who believes him to be any thing besides a Scar-crow except Children or weak and superstitious Spirits Answ. Yet you that thus reason ask those Principles that govern you Do not Sense and Reason shew that all things have their Roots out of which they rise Are there not such things as Follies Filths and Furies spread through the World Are they not if not the All yet the Greatest part of the word Can these be and no Spring be in which they are United and at their Height This Spring is this Spirit which we call the Devil This is that untam'd Sea of which Job speaks Job 7. 12. Am I a Sea or Whale that thou thus breakest me What pity then is it to see Millions of men go with merry dalliance down the streams of fleshly delights and at the same time to see that Cloudy Sea of Horrours into which they are within a few moments delivered by these streams If every thing make hast to its own Principle and Element Fire to the upper Circle Earth to its Center below If it be Natural for every Plant to bring forth its own Seed then sure it cannot be but that each guilty Soul should sink downward to the Element of Woe and Horrours the Center of Darkness then sure every Sin must at last bring forth a Devil You that love your lusts more than your God learn from your Bodies the state determin'd upon your Souls Your Bodies are Dust and to Dust they must return Your defiled Spirits are of their Father the Devil and to him they must again go when they leave this World This is the first consideration to preserve us from Sin The Nature of the Devil 2. The Nature of Sin We read no where of Mary Magdalen that she was Possess'd according to the common acceptation of that word We read that she was a Sinner eminently absolutely without restraint as if she who is said to have been an Hostess had been an Inne to all Sins Yet she is thus describ'd Mark 16. 9. Mary Magdalen out of whom he had cast Seven Devils All Sins are rankt under Seven Heads These are the Seven Powers of Evil in the Devil which are as so many Devils there These are the Unclean Spirits which go forth from the Mouth of the Dragon into the breasts of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam Fly then from a Sin for 't is a Devil Fly from the sweetest Temptations They may look like Angels but they are the Devil's Angels the most immediate Emanations or Images from that foul Principle Qu. But you will say What is Sin How shall I know it That I may fly from it Ans. You may know it by the Image it
and then feeding their Spirit from thine who gave thee all these The secret of the Almighty was with thee 2. Principle The Removal of the Divine Presence is the Root of all Bitterness in this Life When God withdraws he draws in all his Blessings as the Sun often goes in and gives up the Sky and Day to dark Clouds What wilt thou do when like wretched Saul The Philistines are upon thee and God hath forsaken thee When Perplexity shall take hold of thy Spirit when there shall be no Counsel or Comfort left because God hath forsaken thee What then can all thy Pleasures or Honours do Will they not be as miserable Comforters as the Witch of Endor to Saul presenting thee with Devils under God-like forms ill-boding foretelling thy death and Ruine When our dear Saviour was on the Cross he did not cry out O my Disciples why do ye fly from me or deny me O ye Iews my Brethren why do ye wound so bloodily my Feet Hands and Head No but he cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This broke his heart David complains in Psal. 30. 7. Thou hast made my Mountain strong but thou didst turn away thy face and I was troubled Place a man in a Wilderness of Horrours in a Sea of Flames let the Secret of God be with him and he will fear he will feel no Evil. Plant a man on a Mountain where he may not only with Christ see but possess all the Delights and Glories of this World let God be gone and you may call them all Ichabod where 's the Glory Where 's the Delight The whole Mountain will moulder into Melancholy and crumble away into Griefs O! Fear to estrange this God from you by a neglect of him on whose Presence all your present Joyes depend Fear to put out his Light in your Souls by your Lusts fear to chase away by your hardnesses and Rebellions that God who when he removes his Glory from off any Person or Place gives up all to ruine and leaves a Hell behind him This is the first Persuasive 2. Persuasive Fear the lâ—ss of Divine Enjoyments after Death Is there any thing any where more moving more full of sweetness than the language of the Apostle 1 Thes. 4. 18. Then we shall be for ever with the Lord. Comfort ye one another with these words I will present your Spirits with the force of this place in three short Propositions 1. Proposition Thâ—re is a Lord over all a supream Principle or Power which makes maintains manages all the Creatures a Spirit of Strength and Wisdom which governs the affairs of the whole World Thus St. Paul speaks 1. Cor. 8. 6. To us there is one God the Father of whom are All one Lord Jesus by whom are All. 2. Proposition This Lord is the best of all things As he is over so he is above all 1 Cor. 2. 8. St. Paul calls him the Lord of Glory The Heathens teach us that the God of the Sun is the God of Musick because he tempers with his Beams and tunes all the visible world This Lord our Lord is the God of Light Beauty Musick the God of all Sweetnesses Glories Blessednesses For he tunes both the visible and invisible World to a happy Harmouy 3. Proposition All good Spirits are the Friends all evil Spirits the Enemies of this Lord. Each pure lightsome peaceful Spirit comes from this Jesus and goes to him again when it goes off the Stage of this Earth as a Beam darted from his Glory and drawn up to him again Each dark unclean disorderly Spirit is cut off and cast out from him One is every where in Scripture stiled His Child His Brother The other is thus spoken to by him Depart from me ye cursed Now what joy is it when a man in all the troubles of Life can comfort himself with these words and say This Life will quickly end then shall I be ever with the Lord my Lord the Lord of Blâ—ssedness Who can express the Peace and Pleasure of that Soul within which lies upon its Death-bed and in the last moment of its abode in the World comforts itself with these words Now I must be uncloath'd of all Being or Appearance among men on Earth for ever But it is that I may be for ever in the naked Embraces of the Eternal Spirit of Life and Beauty I go from hence for ever but I go to be for ever with the Lord. I had faintâ—d saith David if I had not hoped to see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the Living Who can tell those fainting fits in the midst of highest Pleasures those bitter Soul-turning Qâ—aulmes in fullest Glories which those men have that have no hope to see the Goodness of the Lord after this Life Many pangs many pangs of remorse and anguish pangs far beyond the pangs of a natural Death hath that dying Soul which hath no hope to live with God after Death Fear then this Loss so great so irreparable Fear to be prophane like Esau to sell your Birth-right for a Mess of Pottage to fell your hopes of Heaven for a short Satisfaction to your sensual Appetite 3. Persuasive Fear what God can do What cannot he do to make you miserable who is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh He can let forth Five Spirits upon you 1. Spirit of Diseases 2. Spirit of Folly and Falshood 3. Spirit of Melancholy 4. Spirit of Ruine 5. His own Spirit 1. Spirit of Diseases God can send a Spirit of Diseases into thy Body to strike thee with Worms with some foul and sharp sickness till thou dye a loath'd and horrid Death Thus he did to King Herod in the Acts. Can all thy Physicians then cure thee 2. Spirit of Folly and Falshood God can send into thy Breast a Lying Spirit that shall carry the on to foolish Counsels that thou mayst perish Thus he did with King Ahab Can thy Wisdom foresee or prevent this 3. Spirit of Melancholy God can let forth upon thee a Spirit that shall sit upon thy Brain and Heart like a black Cloud distilling poyson upon both This shall be thy inseparable Companion at Table and Bed in society in solitude to vex thee perpetually This shall make thy sweetest Delights thy dearest Relations a Burthen and a disease to thee This shall make thy surest Strengths and firmest aids a matter of continual Suspicion and mortal Jealousy to thee Thus he did with King Saul What delights or businesses can now divert thee 4. Spirit of Ruine God can let upon thee as upon Job a Spirit like a devouring Sea or Storm This shall take away from thee thy whole Estate from thy Children their Life from thy Wife and wisest Friends their Affection and Tenderness This will fill thy Skin with Noysomness thy veins with Fire thy Bones with Pains thy Head with black vapours This shall take away all rest from thy Sleeps filling them with affrighting
Object which is the Person of Christ rising in us like the Sun in his proper Sphere This Earth which we tread upon This Heaven which we see shining round about us are not so manifest to our natural Senses as Jesus Christ that Power of God which bringeth forth beareth up us and all things that Wisdom of God which encompasseth us round about with its various brightnesses and beauties is present open and evident to the Spiritual Eye Doth not this move us to understand that there is an Heavenly Person ever wâ—â—h us in whom are set before us all the Delights of our Eyes all the Desires of our Hearts and that the only Bar between us and these Beauties these Blessednesses is either our want of Senses or the Dulness of our Senses that we discern them not Mat. 10. 51. Bartimeus the blind beggar hearing that Jesus passed by cryeth out Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me He ceased not to cry till the Lord maketh a stand and asketh him what he would have He answereth Lord that I may receive my sight Isa. 50. 4. The Prophet saith of God He waketh mine Ear morning by morning he wakeneth mine Ear to hear as the Learned You that are no Christians indeed who have no Spiritual Senses cease not crying Jesus thou Brightness of the Father's Glory have mercy on me that I may receive my sight You that are in truth Christians and have Spiritual Senses drowsie and dull whose heart is awake in you while you sleep cry to the Lord Jesus to awaken your Eye and your Ears morning by morning moment by moment that you may see his Shape and hear his voice This is the first Argument to press you to the study of the Person of Christ the Easiness of this knowledge 2. The Second Argument is the Excellency which consisteth of two Parts the Comprehensiveness the Efficacy of this knowledge 1. The Comprehensiveness of the knowledge of Christ is the Excellency of it Col. 2. 2. All treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge are hid in him Several Propositions of great value and vertue lie wrapt up in this single Proposition 1. All Things that are to be known lie together in the Heavenly Form of Jesus Christ. All things are here in their first and proper Being in their Truth and Substance in their immutable essences as they are capable of being known Every thing as it is seen without this Circle of Divine Light the Person of Christ is a Shadow an Apparition a Mockshow of itself It may beget a Fancy or Opinion in our Souls but no Knowledge 2. That Light in which alone things are known is only in Christ. He is the true Supream and universal Light All things are naked and manifest before him Heb. 4. 13. This is that Divine Light in which every thing appeareth in its Divine Form in its naked Substance and Essence uncloathed of every Disguise and Vail as it lieth in the Divine Understanding which is the measure of all Truth Therefore our Lord Jesus in that place Heb. 4. 12. where all things are said to be naked and manifest before him is in the verse before called the Word of God the living Word the living Word of the Divine understanding in which it bringeth forth at once and eternally all knowledge to itself and beholdeth as in a Glass the eternal Truths and Essences of aâ—l things 3. The Eye which taketh in all Knowledge is in Christ As the Spirit of this world is both the Fountain and the Eye which sendeth forth and taketh in all nâ—tural Images then our Spirits by being comprehended in this Spirit become Springs in that Spring Eyes in that Eye bringing forth from themselves and contemplating in themseâ—ves the various Forms of being in this world so is a Saint Light in Christ a Child of Light in this great Father of Lights Jesus Christ in His Divine Form is the Light of Life that is 1. The First Light as the first Picture is called the Life 2. The True Light every other Light is a Picture of Light and no more 3. A living Light and so both a Fountain and an Eye In the Hebrew the same word for the substance signifieth both A Saint Springing up in his inward man out of this Spiritual Form of Christ and standing in it is made itself also a Fountain of living waters flowing from Lebanon of all living Glories flowing from the high and flourishing Mountain of the God-Head in the Person of Christ Can. 4. 15. He is made also an Eye set fully Can. 5. 12. Aben Ezra in his notes expounded that to be an Eye in which is set the full Image of the whole Nature of things in which according to the language of the Gospel is set the Person of its Beloved that entire Image of the God-Head and of both worlds where all Fulness dwelleth together in a Divine Form and Glory This is spoken of Christ first then is true of a Saint as a Saint is the Image of Christ. 4. All Things as they are known in Christ are a Treasure That which is born of the Spirit is spirit John 3. 6. That which is seen in this Spirit of Immortality and Glory is an Immortal and Glorious Spirit This is the true multiplying magnifying and glorifying Glass Each Dust is here known in the bright Form of a Beautiful Star each Star is discovered here to be an Heaven of Stars a new world of Glories Every thing as it appeareth in Christ is something of Christ. Christ altogether is Lovely Can. 5. 16. It is in the Original Every thing of him is desirablenesses The least Point that a Spiritual Eye can touch upon in the Person of Christ is a fresh spring a full Sea a great and bottomless deep of all Beauties Excellencies and Joys that may render any thing perfectly universally desirable 5. The Knowledge of things in Christ is a Treasure It is Wisdom as well as Knowledge It is a knowledge of things in their Head in their highest Beauty Life and Truth It is a Fulness of Things It is a Transforming Knowledge We are changed into the things themselves and they into us By knowing we possess and enjoy them we are possessed and enjoyed by them we stand both in one Image and Spirit mutually comprehending and comprehended mutually cloathing and cloathed All this Treasure is hid in Christ not as in a Cloud but as in the Sun by no darkness or obscurity there but by the Excess and Transcendency of the Glory by the Perfection and Purity of the Light as Christ is hid in God Col. 3. This hiding maketh the Object more a Treasure and more evident to a suitable Eye in as much at it is a Divine Form in a Divine Light a Form of Light dwelling in the Fountain of Light How worthy is this Knowledge of that Zeal to it and pursuit of it which the wise King stirreth us up to Prov. 2. 3 4 5. to cry for it to the
in their full beauty and sweetness ever fresh never fading never failing As fast as one is gathered another springeth up in its room These Immortal flowers of divine love grow here for thee They have thy name written upon them They bend and bow themselves towards thee They invite thy hand to gather them They are ripe in every season and gathered with the least touch of thy spirit Thou who hast a Spirit black and burning with the deepest guilt take the flower of justifying love stick it in thy bosom This will take out all the heat of pain and take away all the deformity and stain from thy spirit Thou who labourest under the disease of any corruption See here the flower of sanctifying love Carry this in thine hand in thine heart It is a powerful a pleasent remedy against every lust or passion Doth the Instability of thy spirit the uncertainty of thy spiritual condition afflict thee The flower of electing love hath a soveraign vertue in it to establish and â—ix thine heart in a triumphant peace and joy above all changes or fears Art thou melancholy is thine heart cast down within thee for some apparent reason or thou kno west not why look upon this pleasant flower of comforting love smell to it wear it in thy bosom It shineth with a heavenly lustre which recreateth the Eyes and infuseth strange joy into the heart It breatheth forth a sweetness from it which will make you think your self in Paradise or kissing those blessed Cheeks of your heavenly lover your Jesus which are Beds of Spices It hath a spirit in it which is the extract of all Cordials which hath all comforting vertues in it which is the soveraign Comforter of hearts and spirits the only causer of delight and pleasure on Earth or in Heaven If any one be dejected with a sense of shame let him make himself a Nose-gay of these three Flowers regenerating adopting glorifying love Every one of these casteth a wonderful light from it which will make thee to see thy self in the unity of the eternal Spirit in the form of the Son of God Thou wilt see the whole face of things as a glorious Heaven round about thee all full of bright and shining Angels encompassing thee guarding thee attending upon thee as the heir of God Jesus in glory walking with thee hand in hand as his Brother God himself beholding thee with an unmoved and full Eye of esteem wonder and complacency as his onely one the Object of all his love the Ground of all his joy The State of a Saints Soul and Body in Death THe peculiar consolations and joys of Death to a Saint pour forth themselves into ten distinct channels or streams 1. Death is no dissolution to the Soul or Body of a Saint but a restitution and return of both to liberty peace and perfection 2. Both descend no more but ascend in Death 3. Death hath in it no melancholy overcast or unpleasant darkning to the Soul or Body but a sweet unexpected surprising and ravishing increase of a pure divine and triumphant light circling in and shining through all 4. Death casts no deformity upon either part of a Saint but cloaths both with an heavenliness amiableness and beauty 5. Death is no streightning or imprisonment to Body or Soul but a blessed enlarging of both to a divine state and freedom 6. The Death of a Saint hath nothing bitter in it but is a spring of pure sweetnesses and pleasures dividing itself into every part and making all the garden of God 7. There is nothing of the Devil in the Death of a Saint but Christ risen and glorified is all fills all and shines thorow all 8. Death hath nothing of wrath in it but is all divine love unvailing itself 9. There is nothing of Death in the Death of a Saint but life and immortality unclouded and shining forth clearly 10. Death is no other thing to a Saint than a heightning of his spirituality making him all thorough-out spiritual purely spiritual without any mixture unchangeably spiritual without any interruptions inconstancies or darkintervals 1. Death is no dissolution to the Soul or Body of a Saint but a restitution and return of both to liberty peace and perfection 2. Corinth 5. 1. St. Paul expresseth this ground of confidence and joy in Death For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens It is the observation of learned Divines that the Greek word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render to be dissolved signifieth to take up ourâ—Inn from that circumstance of unloosing the Horses and taking them out of the Waggon or Chariot to bring them into the Inn and Stable that there they may be at their liberty to rest and feed and lie down From this word upon this ground an Inn or House of reception refreshing for Travellers hath its name in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At our Birth which is the morning of this life and our entrance upon our Journy through this weary world our Souls and Bodies are joyned to this fleshly Image by the natural spirit the spirit of this world as Horses put into a Waggon to which they are fastned by their Harnes and Traces The Body is as the fore-horse but the Soul as the filler which draws most and bears the chief weight All the day long of this life we draw this Waggon heavy laden with all sorts of temptations and troubles thorow deep ways of mire and sand This only is our comfort that the divine will which is love itself in its perfection as a hand put forth from Heaven thorow a Cloud at our Birth put us into this Waggon and governs us all the day In the evening of our life at the end of our Journey Death is the same divine will as a naked hand of pure love shining forth from an open heaven of clear light and glory taking our Souls and both Bodies out of the Waggon and Traces of this â—leshly Image and Spirit and leading them immediately into their Inn into a place of freedom rest and refreshing into the unity of the eternal spirit into the Bosom of our Lord Jesus Obj. But before I proceed any farther I will indeavour to make my whole way more clear by answering an objection which perhaps already ariseth in most of your thoughts You may be ready to say Is this your meaning as you seem clearly to express it that the Bodies also of the Saints suffer no dissolution in Death but return immediately to a state of purity and perfection This seemeth to contradict the common sense of all the faith of the Saints and the plain letter of the Scriptures Do we not with our Eyes see every day the dead Bodies of the best Persons thrown into the Grave turning to Corruption and Putrefaction either before or in the Grave dissolved to Worms and
practices do exceedingly vary and differ from the different degrees and waies of their light within and their educations and customs without The Apostle tells us Rom. 14. One Christian believeth that he may eat all things Another who is weak eateth herbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not And let not him which eateth not judge him which eateth For God hath received him One man esteemeth one day above another Another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully assured in his own mind He that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord And he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks And he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks Both these are different and contrary in their Notions Opinions and practices And yet in that difference and contrariety do both serve the same Lord and are accepted by him They both in their several opinions Notions and practices have the same apprehensions of the glory of God the same reference and regard to it the same aim and intention of Soul to make themselves a Spiritual sacrifice to him Nor does this hold only in the lesser matters of Religion but in the greater also Besides that Babel and confusion of languages that variety and contrariety of opinions which are in the Christian World about things of a lower consideration What disputes what controversies what contradictions do we see at this day among good men concerning the most substantial and vital truths of the Gospel How even among the best Christians themselves are some of the greatest points of Christianity darkened and perplexed with Clouds of disputes with diversity and uncertainty of opinions with different and contrary explications What Principle of Christianity how clearly and expresly soever it has been revealed to us in the letter of the Scriptures has been universally received and explained alike by all good men Do we not every where see those very Persons who have as we have reason to judge entertained the same Divine Truths in the inward power life and Spirit of them do yet discourse interpret and preach them in Notions Opinions and Forms very different and contrary to one another Do we not every where see good men puzling and confounding each other with their own explanations of those very things in the life and power of which they are all agreed Have we not upon this accompt seen some of the best of men such strangers to and so jealous of one another that they have been unable to bear one another Look abroad lay aside all thy prejudice fondness and partiality And then tell me if thou dost not every where meet with the same ingenuity modesty humility and meekness of Soul The same desire and diligence in the search after truth the same goodness holiness of heart and life The same Love to God and his waies the same sincerity and integrity the same purity of intention aim and end in persons that appear to thee and to one another of very different and contrary minds and practices in matters of Religion Their Souls are vitally quickened and informed their conversations beautified and adorned with the same Spiritual truths Which by their explications of them they seem not to understand yea to contradict I have some where read a story of a blind man who could distinguish and judge of all metals or pretious stones by weighing them in his hand I am perswaded if we had learn thus to judge of Spiritual things not by the beauty of some outward form and appearance or an agreeableness to our own Notions and Opinions But by the weight of an inward Principle and the Power of a Divine life We should discover a most harmonious agreement in the Essential and radical Principles of Divine truth and goodness among those who seem most of all to oppose one another in their Notions and Opinions If we did but know how to get into to open and interpret each others Souls How to weigh not only words and phrases but Spirits as God is said to do Prov. 16. 2. We should quickly find that we differ more in words then in thoughts and in the Notions of things then in the things themselves Our Spiritual wisdom holiness strength and happiness do not lye in our Notions and Opinions of Spiritual truth but in the truth itself St. Paul excellently distinguishes and explains this matter 2 Cor. 4. 6 7. Where speaking of the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ he tells us we have this treasure in Earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us That Spiritual truth which is the shining forth of the glory of God in the Person of Christ the first the supream the universal truth is the heavenly treasure The several Notions and forms in our understandings by which this truth appears to us are but a part of the Earthen Vessel which holds this treasure How weak is it to lay the weight of such a treasure upon such a Vessel subject to so many frailties flaws and cracks How unworthy is it to ascribe the excellency of that power to our selves which belongs wholly to God Sure I am it is not the Vessel that makes us rich but the treasure which is in the Vessel Thus again The same Apostle speaking of the same thing in another expression tells us 1 Cor. 4. 20. The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power This Kingdom consists not in the excellency of our notions and apprehensions of our words and expressions concerning Spiritual things But in the inward Vertue Vigour Life Power and Spirit that is in the Nature of them to change the whole man into one image of glory with themselves Spiritual knowledge is not a notional verbal and talking but a real living and practical thing Divine truth is better understood as it opens and unfolds itself in the holy and heavenly mind and life of a good man then by all the Systems of Divinity and good Books in the World Thy Brother has it may be several Notions and opinions of Spiritual Truth very different from thine But he is really sanctified through the same truth He has purified his Soul in obeying the truth through the Spirit He is become a living Edition of the truth it is written in his heart it shines forth in his life he has so learned the truth that he knows it as it is in Jesus although he cannot yet receive it as it is in thee nor thy notions and representations of it His Soul his life is dyed coloured and figured with it the truth is transforming his whole being into one beautiful and blessed image with framing fashioning his whole man according to itself This must needs be a better proof that he is truly one with thee in the same truth then the highest complement
Darkness must be the Ground Division the Work upon it There are then two Powers as two Parts in this Image 1. Power of Darkness 2. Power of Division 1. Power of Darkness This is the Form and Division the Figure of this Black Spirit Darkness is made his Character The Power of Darkness his Princely Title Colos. 1. 13. Who hath delivered us out of the Power of Darkness into the Kingdom of his Dear Son It is read thus in Greek out of the Principality of Darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of his Love The Devil as the Prince of Darkness which implies Division is opposed to Iesus Christ the King of Love which is unity and lives only in Light Again Ephes. 6. 12. We fight against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World You may thus translate it more to the words against the World-comprehending Powers of the Darkness of this State As God is One and Many by a grateful Distinction in the Unity so is the Devil One and Many by a grating Division without Unity many Powers of Darkness in one Power The Devil in this Darkness lies as a Stain upon the Beauties of the whole Creation defacing the Image dimming the Glory of God in them He lies as a Cloud upon all the Contents of the Creature spreading a melancholy Shade over them infusing a Poyson of Fears Falshoods Deceits Mistakes Dangers Death into them He is a Prison and a Chain Shutting up holding down the Spirits of men when they would break forth and raise themselves into that Light of Divinity which faintly glimmers in this Darkness Such is the First Part of the Image the Power of Darkness 2. Power of Division The Name Devil comes from the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies most properly one that casts in Principles or Seeds of Division So he is described by our Saviour in the Parable The Envicus man the Enemy hath sown Tares Our Lord with a Divine depth defines this Spirit in those words A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand Whatever stands must be founded upon a Unity The Devil is a divided Kingdom a Duality a Ruinous Thing This Power of Division divides itself into a Seven-fold Power which is known by these Names 1. Self-love 2. Lust. 3. Covetousness 4. Pride 5. Envy 6. Passion 7. Enmity or Despair 1. Power Self-love 1 John 4. 8. God is Love Love in the Abstract Love Absolute Unlimited Infinite a Universal Sweetness The Devil is Self-love a particular Being cutting off itself from the rest of things from Him who is the Great I am in whom all things have their Being These are the Circlings of the Serpent by which he folds and wraps up himself in himself This Serpent before he spake to the Woman tempted himself with this glittering language Es. 14. 14. I will be like the most High The first word in this aspiring speech is that which first made him a Devil of an Angel I The establishing of a Proper Interest divided from the general Interest of things in the God-head This Self-love is the Horned head into which he then sprouted forth the Cloven Foot in which he ended when he first with-drew himself from the all-comprehending Unity into a Circle and Center of his own 2. Power Lust. This is a praegnancy to multiply himself to bring forth himself in strange and diverse forms upon strange and diverse Images God is One Gal. 3. 20. God brings forth himself in One Image Jesus Christ is his Only-begotten Son Joh. 1. 14. God brings forth all things by this One Image and in it Coloss. 1. 16. In him were all things Created The Devil is contrary to God in all this He is that Son of God which broken and deform'd by his Fall from the First Unity goes full of monstrous Lust after the Daughters of Men dark divided fleshly Images of the Creature With these he mingles himself so he brings forth himself and them into Gyantly shapes and in a Brood of Gyants Gyants in Hebrew signifie Dead Distracted Prodigious Forms as appearing from the shades below or faln and sunk thither Our Saviour calls this Spirit of Lust Joh. 8. 45. The Father of Lyes because he begets himself upon all things in base spurious and various Shapes Solomon represents the Image of the Devil in Flesh and this World by a Whorish Woman because she lusts after and wanders thorow all the diversity of divided Forms in the Devil 3. Power Covetousness Pro. 30. 16. There are two things that never say enough the Grave and the Barren Womb. This Invisible Power is a Womb of Darkness which takes in all things but brings forth nothing So the Darkness is never enlightned but ever increas'd made deeper and more devouring This Spirit is the Invisible Grave which draws all things into it But then it crumbles them into Dust it divides them from themselves So the Principle of Division is sharpned not satisfied fretted to a greater wideness not fill'd This is the Serpent feeding upon Dust ever encompassing the Earth This is the Bottomless Pit 4. Power Pride The Devil under this property is call'd Is. 14. 12. Lucifer the Son of the Morning He saith v. 13. I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God His ambition is to shine alone and as he riseth to put out all other Lights by the Malignity of his appearance He goes on v. 13. I will sit upon the Mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North. The appearance of our Lord Jesus in the double flame of Terror and Triumph Consuming and Crowning is from the North Ezek 1. 4. The Mount of the Congregation is Mount Sion where the General Assembly and Church or Congregagation of the First-born are Hebr 12. 22 23. This is the Mount lifted up above every Mountain The Spirit exalted above every Spirit The Devil would seat himself upon this Mount in the place of Jesus Christ to be as he is the Onely One. Yet he would have it with this difference to be the top of the Mount while the great Congregation sit as the Clouds under his Feet to be a consuming Fire to all others a Crowning Glory only to himself God is the Heavenly Hierusalem where all things are Fellow-citizens The Devil is that Babel which saith I sit alone as a Queen Revel 18. She thinks her self never Great till she have swallowed up all her Companions never Great enough till she be Great alone This is the difference between Pride and Plenty 5. Power Envy This Power is a Reflection of Darkness and Division upon it self from the Sense of Beauty and Unity else-where It is Mystically describ'd Revel 20. 1. An Angel came down from Heaven with a Chain in one hand a Key in the other v. 2. He took hold of the Dragon the old Serpent and bound him up in the Bottomless Pit Divine Wisdom is that Chain which reacheth from the Top of Heaven to the Center of the Earth where at
Coming is not Natural nor the Manifestation Moral both are Supernatural and Spiritual tâ—e Drawing of the Father A Seed hath a Power or Principle which sent it forth abides in it and works thorow it It hath also an Image which grows up out of it Jesus Christ is the Seed in the Soul of Man the Father is the Power the Son is the Image in this Seed When a Corn is cast into the ground a Power goes forth from it into the Earth round about which attracts and draws it which unites and incorporates it with the Seed which sends it forth again in the Form of that Plant first in the Herb then in the Blade last in the Ear. So the Father thorow Jesus Christ diffuseth himself into the whole Soul draws it into Christ who lies there as a Seed makes it One with him who brings it forth again into his own Form and Fruit. St. James saith Jam. 1. 18. Of his own Will beg at be us by the Word of Truth The Word is the Seed of Truth Christ Jesus in us The Will of God is composed of those two forementioned A Supream Fulness a Soveraign Sweetness These powerfully and pleasantly stir up the Godhead to bring forth the creatures and to bring forth it self in the creatures These delightfully and effectually move God to propagate himself endlesly and infinitely These heats of love the delights of fruitfulness are the inward and only Motives which put on our heavenly Father to quicken his Seed in us to make it grow up by degree till it hath perfectly brought forth it self into its own form and fulness Thus St. Paul tells us Gal. 1. 16. It pleased the Father to reveal his Son in him As the Sun draws up the Plants out of their Roots and discovers them to the open Air so the Father reveals and discloseth Jesus Christ in the Soul 4. Cause The Ministry of Man to Man Heb. 1. 14. We read that Angels are made Ministring Spirits for the good of those that are to inherit Salvation So it pleaseth God often to make men as Angels to minister Spiritual things to their Brethren It is one of the Mysteries of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit The great God is pleased by the Fleshly waies of man's doing speaking writing reading living to express and convey himself A Learned man admires it as having a Height of Wonder in it that so low so narrow so dark dead divided things as words and letters should carry into our Souls the highest Images of the divinest Life Truth and Glory This is the Infiniteness of the Godhead which brings forth itself in the greatest Variâ—ty of Shapes yet still keeps the Unity preserves it self entire and full in every one Thus the Divine Nature imprints it self upon the thoughts of Earthly man as scattered Dust and by the Motions of this Dust in words implants it self by one Man upon the Soul of another There is a Three-fold Ministry of Man by which God works in the Conversion of men 1. Elevation of the heart in Prayer to God 2. Exhortation by words to men 3. Example of life before men 1. Elevation of the heart in Prayer to God for men St. Paul describes Prayer Rom. 8. 27. God heareth His Spirit for it makes intercessions in us according to his will Prayer is the Conception of the Soul when it hath taken in from Heaven the Spirit in the Form of some Divine Blessing Then it grows big with this Blessing it travels with it it labours to raise it self into God that by the clearness of his Light by the fulness of his Life it may bring it forth to perfection A Spiritual man is like Abraham who had in himself that Seed in which all the Nations of the Earth were to be blessed He hath conceived with a Seed of Blessedness to all Creatures Therefore as Paul travelled in birth with the Galatians till Christ was formed in them so doth a good man travel in birth by Prayer having many Pangs and Throws in the Spirit till this Blessedness be formed in each Soul St. Paul tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3. 22. All things are yours c. A Heavenly Spirit is an Universal Father it lookâ— upon all Creatures as its own Off-spring or Bowels As Job sacrificed constantly for his Children while they were feasting in their course So is this Spirit praying for the Souls of men while they are playing away themselves in Vanity This is the First Ministry 2. Exhortation by words to men David promiseth and prophesieth Psal. 51. 13. I will teach transgressâ—urs thy ways and Sinners shall be converted unto thee Before in the former verse he had prayed Restore thy Ioy and establish thy free Spirit in me Then he adds I will teach transgressours thy ways the ways of thy Love and Wisdom with man Sinners shall be converted unto thee that is by the report of thy sweet Contrivances upon me and Compassions towards me When the Heart feels the Waters of Divine Life and Joy bubling up warm from the bosom of the Godhead then the Tongue becomes the Pen of a ready Writer labouring to imprint the Form of the same Life and Joys upon other hearts also If you will have me weep when you speak weep your self you that speak said a Wise man When a man utters those heavenly Loves Truths Delights of Jesus Christ in which his own Soul lies melting and bathing her self while he reports them Then he often hath his Tongue made the Quill of the Godhead by which he toucheth other Souls and makes the same Musick upon them David call his Tongue his Glory because by it he displayed that Glory of God which was treasured up in his heart to the view of many Hearts St. Paul tells us that God hath chosen the Foolishness of Preaching to make it His Power unto Salvation God sends down the highest Glory into inferiour Forms in which they descend by degrees then in the lowest they become a Seed out of which they grow and rise again by degrees to their first Height So the Divinity puts its self into our Saviour then into our Hearts then into our Tongues so into Words hovering in the Air thus low it is become Now by Words as a Seed it is cast into the Ear of another so it passeth into the Heart where it springeth up into the Fairness of Christ and from that into the Fulness of God 3. Example of Life before Men. St. Paul tells the Saints Philip. 2. 15. They should be blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked generation in which they shine as Light When one Candle is lighted we light many by that When God hath kindled the Life of his Glory in one man's Heart he often enlightens many by the Flame of that spread thorow his Conversation Philosophers tell us that every thing hath Beams by which it manifests and multiplies itself Sure nothing hath so piercing
Dreams all peace from thy waking hours filling them wâ—th Tumult and Sorrow till Life become more hateful to thee than the most hateful Death I chose Strangling rather than Life saith Job Chap. 7. 15. What can help or comfort thee at such a time as this When an evil Spirit over-whelms all the Creatures to a man what can the Creatures do 5. Spirit of God I cannot express I tremble to think this God can make his own Spirit a stream of Fire and Brimstone in thy Spirit If. 30. 33. The breath the Spirit of the Lord a stream of Brimstone God can himself be an everlasting Burning upon thy Immortal part Who can lie down with everlasting Burnings Can all thy Tears or Pleasures quench these Burnings Well might Moses cry out Psal. 90. 11. Who knows the Power of his Wrath. According to thy Fear so is thy Wrath. You may read the latter Clause thus As is thy Wrath so should the Fear of thee be There is an unsearchableness an Incomprehensibleness in the Wrath of God No Creature can take it in but is swallowed up by it Let men fear God according to his Wrath. Let men fear to make him their Enemy or if they do let them meet so potent an Enemy betimes while he is yet on the way that they may cast themselves at his Feet with Submission Repentance Fears and Tears If you harden your Heart by Insensibleness or sensuality he can multiply the Stroak of Sorrow upon thy Heart seven times seven times more still seven times nay seventy times seven endlesly till thy Heart be ground to the smallest Dust and so lie under his Feet If thy Soul be as high rough untractable as a Whale or Sea He can tame and calm thee by Griefs If thy Soul were a Leviathan arm'd with impenetrable Scales over-looking every lofty thing God can make his Sword which is his Spirit to approach thee he can put hâ—s Hook into thy Nostrils draw thee forth out of thy swelling Seas of Lust and Pride lay thee Panting and Languishing upon the dry Shore before him Thus ends the Third Persuasive 4. Persuasive Fear what God will certainly do to punish and purge Sinners 1 Cor. 3. 13. The Fire shall try every man's work Mark 9. 49. Every one shalt be salted with Fire That which is the highest Principle the Supreamest Power in every kind will subdue all other Powers and Parts of things to itself So it is said of Christ Philip. 3. 21. According to thaâ— working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself If this Principle of power meet wâ—th any thing suitable to itself it cherisheth and hâ—ightens that till it be perfectly like perfectly one with itself Thus every Sacrifice is seasoned with the Salt of Divinity But where it meets with a Contrariety it conflicts and contests with it making the Conflict as fierce and lasting as the Contrariety till â—t have consumed it Thus every man shall be Salted with Fire Thus is Fire among the Elements Thus is God among the Creatures as a Fire Salting every man's Person trying every man's Work If he meet with any holy work he rests upon it in the Secret of his Glory as a Fountain of Beauty and Blessings If he meet with any pure and sweet Spirit like hâ—mself he closeth with it in all manner of gentleness and softnâ—sâ— as Two Flames embrace one another But where he meets with opposition he rageth He bâ—rns upon dark unclean untractable Hearts as Fire in the Iron-works till he hath poured them forth into the Temper and Mold of his Spirit and Image Take heed then of feeding upon fleshly Pleasures withâ—ut Fear as St. Jude speaks O men and women what do you while you live upon the World and in Sin As the Woman said of her self in the story of the Kings 1. King 17. 12. I am gathering sticks to bake a Cake for me and my Son that we may eat it and die This is your posture You are every where wandring and busied to gather the Greatnesses and Pleasures of this world that you may feed with these your Fleshly part fat and strong as a Sacrifice that the Fire of Divine wrath may come down upon you and devour you I shall conclude this whole use thus If there be a God which hath brought forth all the Sweet and good things which are before us here which now move Desire or Delight in us sure this God is Almighty and can yet heighten this Goodness this Sweetness to an Infinitâ—ness as well as an Endlesness Fear then for a Drop to lose the Sea for a Tast the Feast thy share in such Delights for the short temptation of a Darling-Sâ—n If there be a God which hath contrived and sent abroad all the Evils which now afflict affright amaze mortal men sure this God is this way too Almighty and can extend these Sufferings till there be no Bound to them in our sense no end of them in our Eye Fear then to dare this God by your Dalliances in Fleshly vanities If there be a God who is pure just true sweet meek sure he loves such things as these and hates the contrary sure he will set himself â—gainst all proud impure false fiery Ways and Spirits till he have conâ—â—unded them or consumed these things in them Fear then to be sound before the Eyes of this God without the Righteousness and Spirit of your Saviour as a Garment fast and close giâ—t to you Fear to be seen by him in your Nakedness For his Eyes are a bright and hot Flame which will dâ—scover thy Shame and burn thy Flesh as the Whore's in the Revâ—lation with Fire I have spoken of Two Signs of a Servile State in Religion Fear and Dependencies There Remain Two more Forms Solicitude 3. Sign Forms There are Two Sorts of Forms which the Holy Ghost mentions in the Scripture 1. Eternal Forms 2. Temporary Forms 1. Eternal Forms Philip. 2. 6. Jâ—sus Christ is said to be In the Form of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in that Form He thought it no Robbery to be equal with God This Form is the Substance itself Spirit and Truth This is the Essential Form which is no Shadow but One with the Substance no Appearance Separable from Truth but that Appâ—arance which is Truth no Letter or Outside but One Spirit with the Spirit having Life in itself St. Paul speaks of this Fâ—â—m Rom. 12. 2. Re ye transformed in the Renâ—wing of your Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again Rom 8. 29. He hath predestinated us to be conformed to the Image of his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is an Inward and Spiritual Fâ—rm It is the Evangelical Form which is seen by Evangel'cal Eyes which is fâ—lt as well as seen being â—ower as well as Form 1. John 1. 2. 2. Temporary Forms The Apostle speaks of these Fâ—rms 1 Cor. 7. 31. The Fashion of this World passeth away St. Paul useth the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Outward Figure and Shape in Bodily Things whâ—ch is a meer Accident varyâ—ng often while the Substance remains the same not reaching to the Spirit but Inhering in the Outward Body and Perishing with it He makes use of the same word Rom. 12. 2. Be not ye Confâ—rmed to the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but be ye Transformed Temporary Forms are Empty Figures Accidental Out-side Shapes But Divine Forms are Substantial Spiritual Essential We speak now of such Forms as these under the Law which are not the Life and Power of God but may be without these and yet as Fair in themselves The Scripture makes use of this Word Form in this Sense frequently Rom. 2. 21. St. Paul saith of the Jew who is One Outwardly not Inwardly as he concludes in the last Verse of that Chapter that he hath a Form of Knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word is Elegant and seems to signify a Form not Natural springing forth from the Life or Substance but a Form Affectate Artiâ—icially made 2 Tim. â— 5. St. Paul speaks of the same thing and useth the same Word Having a Form of Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but denying the Power of it Thus much for the Explication and Justification of the Word Forms as they are a Sign of Legality The Thing which I understand by Forms is the Image of God and Godliness taken in or held forth according to the Principles and Appearances of This Creation St. Paul saith Galat. 4. v. 3. When we were Children we were in Bendage under the Elements of the World v. 4. But when the Fulness of Time came God sent forth His Son v. 9. After that ye have known God or rather are known of God or are made to know by God how turn ye again to weak and Beggerly Elements to which ye desire again to be in Bondage Mark what Oppositions the Apostle maketh 1. Opposition Between the Elements of the World and the Son sent forth When Jesus Christ the Heavenly Image of God is revealed in our Spirits then we are free from that Slavery of Spelling the Name of God out of the Elements of this Creation We no more go to the Aegyptians for their Learning that is to the Principles of Nature for the knowledge of God 2. Opposition Between the Knowing of God so as being known or made to know by God and the Elements of the World We know God by Divine Principles when we know him by an Immediate Union with Him which gives us the Naked Appearance of God in our Spirits by the Mutual Comprehension of our Spirits in that Appearance and Spirit Till we thus know God we know Him not We have no Image but Shadows only of Him We know Him by Worldly Principles which are Dark and Beggerly The Scripture often links together these as in a Chain The Law the Letter the Flesh Man the World the Outward Man the Iâ—w Forms Rom. 2. 28. 29. You have a Jew Outwardly in the Letter Outward in the Flesh whose Praise is of Men. Rom. 8. 3. The Law is weak thorow the Flesh. 2 Cor. 3. 6. 7. There are Coupled The Letter which kills and the Ministration of Death engraven in Stone Gal. 4. 3. 5. Those that are under the Elements of the World are the same with those that are under the Law Râ—m 2. 17. There is a Jew resting in the Law v. 18. He is instructed out of the Law and approves the things that are Excellent v. 20. He hath a Form of knowledge and of Truth in the Law All these and the Particular Sign of a Servile State now in hand which is Forms will be clearly understood by the Opening of Three of the Fore-mentioned Terms 1. The Flesh. 2. The Spirit 3. The Law 1. The Flesh Flesh and Spirit Carnal and Spiritual are opposed aâ— Time and Eternity the First and the Second Creation All the Empty and Temporary Things of this World are Flesh. Ioh. 6. 63. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Ioh. 17. 2. Sometimes Flesh is taken for the Corrupt State of Things as Iude 23. The Garment spotted with the Flesh. Sometimes it is taken for the Visible Part of Natural Things as 2 Cor. 7. 1. All Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit In the Former place Flesh was the Filth that defiled the Garment of Nature Here it is Natures upper and Outward Garment which is in danger of being defiled Thirdly Flesh is taken for the whole Frame of Nature in the Visible and Invisible Part of it So Mat. 26. 41. The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak The Spirit there is the Spiritual the Flesh the Natural Man So Luke 3. 6. All Flesh shall see the Salvation of the Lord. This place is cited from Es. 40. 5. The Glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all Flesh shall see it together Compare this with 1 Tim. 3. 16. God manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Angels are Part of that Flesh which sees the Glory of God and hath it revealed in them Lastly Flesh is taken for Created Nature both Body and Spirit as it is spiritualized Jesus Christ spake in this sense Iohn 6. 55. My flesh is meat indeed He expounds himself afterwards v. 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing Our Saviour means thus much The Creature in me as it is a meer Creature is uncapable of so near an Union with you or so great a vertue in itself as to be the food or Conveyance of Eternal Life to you But as it is become a New Creature and is made One in Person and Spirit with the Divine Nature So you may feed upon it after a Spiritual manner and be nourished up by it to Eternal Life For so the Lord adds The Words that I speak are Spirit and Life So we read of the Fleshly Tables of the Heart But the Common Acceptation of Flesh when it is opposed to Spiritual Things and joyned with the Law is the Third that is the first Creation or this World This is manifest from the seventh of the Epistle to the Romans v. 2. The Woman is bound by the Law to her Husband while he liveth saith St. Paul v. 4. Ye are dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that ye may be married to another even to him who is raised from the Dead He goes on v. 5. When we were in the Flesh the Motions of Sin which were by the Law Then v. 6. But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held The Principles and Frame of Nature in the Invisible Powers and visible Parts of it are our Husband by the first Creation For we were made subject to Angels in that State as in the New Creation we are to Jesus Christ. And we were made by Nature a little Lower than Angels in the next degree of Inferiority to them as the
that if we speak of Wisdom He is Wise if we speak of Strength He hath power if we speak of Glory He is beautiful if we speak of Joy and Delights He is sweet But oh that there were such Hearts in us to set up this God in our Spirits for the supream Wisdom Power Beauty Sweetness I will divide this Exhortation into Three 1. Exhortation Seek the Knowledge of God As our Saviour once spake passionately over the Jews O Hierusalem Hierusalem if thou hadst known the things of thy peace In like passion doth my Spirit breath forth this over you that now read it O Man O Woman If thou knewest the One thing of thy Peace the Knowledge of thy God This is the Chief the only thing the Allthings of thy Peace For when thou knowest him thou knowest Love in truth the Life of Love and this is Eternal Life John 17. 4. This is Eternal Life to know thee Press the knowledge of God upon thy Spirit by these Three Motives 1. Motive The Knowledge of God is the Inlet of all Grace and Comfort Rom. 10. 14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard If Faith be the mother and nurse of a Spiritual Life the knowledge of God is the Father and the Food of Faith and of that If Faith be the Fountain that sends forth the Streams of Divine Strengths and Consolations the Knowledge of God is the Sea that supplies this Spring Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God The Word of God is the Image of God which is Jesus Christ. This Word represents itself Three ways Eternally Internally Externally 1. Eternally the Word of God represents itself to Glorified Spirits That Knowledge of God which is begotten upon the Spirit by this Representation is call'd Seeing For it is a Representation in a clear Light as before a man as face to face 1 Tim. 3. last Seen of Angels 2. Internally to men on Earth by the Principles of Natural Reason or by Supernatural Principles from the Spirit or from the Written Word 3. Externally by the outward Creatures by the Senses and Objects of Sense These two last ways of Representation are call'd Hearing or Report For they are Representations of God conveyed thorow the darkness of our Natures as a Voice speaking from behind us from behind the wall of our Flesh. When God is pleased thus to give his Word to put forth a Discovery of himself thorow our dark Principles as by the Hearing of the Ear in our Souls then God in all that he appears to be appears to be Love This Sense of God thus imprest upon the Heart unites it to God makes it to believe him trust itself to him repose itself on him rest in him leave its desires and hopes with him that as He lives so this Heart may live as he works and carries on his own Desire so he may work on this Heart and advance the Happiness of it Thâ—s Faith cometh by Hearing Hear then what Nature without you speaks aloud of God that He is good true just full and free Listen to that report which is made of God by all your Senses by all the things of Sense in the several Languages of their Beauty Power Plenty Pleasure Variety Listen to the inbred voice of your own Reason Hear the clear report which that makes of God that there must be One the First and so the Best of all above All in All gathering up all into himself the Beginning and the End of All. Listen to Supernatural Principles If you cannot hear or understand the language of the Spirit yet hearken to the sound of the Written Word which cries in your Ears God gave his Love and Glory to man before he gave a Being to the World When man had made himself Miserable God gave Himself to misery and death for man God all along quite thorow Time to Eternity carries on this work of making himself wonderful in man and Man a wonder of Blessedness in Him He that stops not his Ears against these sweet Reports of such a God a God of Love cannot but be charmed by them A man that hears this will beleive he will at least cast himself on God and say Whither-ever thou goest carry me with thee Where ever thou stayest be thou my Rest. To thee only O my God to thee entirely O my Love do I trust my self This is the first Motive to the knowledge of God 2. Motive The Knowledge of God emproves and exalts the Soul Psal. 90. 14. I saith God will set him up on high because he hath known my name None can tell but they who have tasted what a Divine Height what a Height of Divine Strength and sweetness there is in the Knowledge of God I will set him on high the word in Hebrew signifies I will seat him in a strong Castle situate on a high Rock Such a Castle is the Knowledge of God for Air Prospect and Strength As a man grows in the Knowledge of God he feels himself lifted up into a Divine air in which purity peace pleasure Angels breath he perceives himself walled in with an assured safety and rest which nothing can reach nothing can shake The Knowledge of God opens a man's Eyes to see Fields of Glory and Rivers of pleasure in the midst of which he is every where together with Horses of Fire and Chariots of Fire which continually plant themselves between him and every Enemy 3. Motive The Knowledge of God preserves a man from Evil. Gal. 4. 9. After that ye have Known God or rather are known of him how come ye to turn back to those weak and beggarly Principles to which ye desire to be in bondage These Beggarly Principles are the Principles of this world in which we lye by nature as in a Prison â—n a House of Bondage where Sin binds us Shame covers us Death feeds upon us What shall deliver us from this Prison this Slavery The Knowledge of God will do it and that alone can do it When God puts forth his own Image in us he then owns us and makes us to know and own him Thus we know and are known by this Image of God living in our Spirits As the Serpent of Moses devoured the Serpents of the Magicians So this Image of God in our Spirits swallows up all the Images and Shapes of this inchanting World which are as Serpents tempting and stinging us casting forth the Poyson of Sin and death upon us This Image presents us with Heavenly Forms plants us in itself cloths us with itself so furnisheth us with Treasure and Armour Now having thus known God and the sweet Freedom of his Love how can we desire or bear to be again in bondage to our former Vanities 4. Motive the Discovery of God shews us all that our hearts cau wish to see Psal. 37. 4. You have this Counsel given you Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee
by two Illustrations and one Distinction 1. Illustr Then a thing is truly Right when it answereth to its Idea that is to its First Principle and Pattern in God God himself in the Fulness of his Person is the Principle and Pattern of Man Righteousness is the Image of God in Man Coloss. 3. 10. The New man which is the Righteous man and the Righteousness of man is said to be Created in Knowledge after the Image of Him who hath created Him There is a Twofold Image of God one Earthly the other Heavenly The Earthly Image of God in Man is the Righteousness of Nature The Heavenly Image is the Righteousness of the Spirit or in the Spirit 2. Illustr Then a thing is truly Right when it answereth its End in God God is the End of all things Prov. 16. 4. God made all things for Himself The End of Man is the Possession and Fruition of God as his only Portion of Being Beauty Blessedness Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is my Portion saith my Soul This then is the Righteousness of man his Union and Communion with God to live in Him by Him with Him to Him For this reason is Christ said to be made of God Righteousness and Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. Because in the Person of Christ it is that God and Man are made One one Love one Life one Likeness Distinct. There are two sorts of Righteousness 1. Imputed 2. Inherent 1. Righteousness imputed You may read of this Philip. 3. 9. That I may be found in Him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is of God by Jesus Christ. There is a Righteousness of the First and of the Second Adam That of the First Adam is our own the Righteousness of the Law It riseth out of the Earth it is but a Shadow at best the Gilding of an Earthen Vesâ—el a Reflection upon a Brick Wall That of the Second Adam comes down from Heaven is of God is the true Gold the sure substantial everlasting Righteousness As when a Cloud is placed in that part of the Sky on which the Sun shoots forth his Beams the Cloud is over-spread by those Beams and made Glorious in their Glories So are there four Things in this Imputed Righteousness 1. The Person of Christ as the Sky or Heaven 2. The God-head as the Sun shining in this Sky 3. The Cloud poor man drawn up from the Earth into the bosom of his Saviour by his Union with Him 4. The Glory of the God-Head falling upon him encompassing and clothing his whole Person in Jesus Christ. This is that Righteousness which is of God by Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 12. 26. St. Paul teacheth us that if one member be honoured all the members rejoyce together with it When a Crown is set upon the Head of a King it puts a Royalty and Majesty upon his whole Person The Head of Man is Christ the Head of Christ is God The Glory of the God-Head in Christ is the Crown upon the Head of the Heavenly man this puts a Royal Beauty of Holiness the Majesty of that Divine Righteousness upon every mystical member upon each Soul how mean soever that is united to Jesus Christ in one Spirit thorow believing The Beauty of the God-head shining thorow the Humane Nature of Christ thorow his active and passive Obedience thorow his Wounds and so falling upon that Soul which hath cast herself into the Arms of her Saviour this is the Imputed Righteousness of man Take this Caution concerning this Righteousness It is said to be imputed not because it is not truly Ours and in us but because it is not Primarily Ours but by our Union with another Person The Colours in the Rain-bow are said to be Apparent not Real because the Rain-bow is not their Spring though it be their Seat but they are reflected from the Sun shining on the watry Cloud So this Righteousness is said to be imputed to us because it is First seated in Jesus Christ and then reflected from Him on us Yet it is a true Righteousness it is truly immediately on our Persons in our Persons as Jesus Christ is It is therefore said to be imputed because it is not ours Primitively but Consequently because Christ is ours yet not as Absent from us but Present in us possess'd by us 2. Righteousness Inherent 2 Cor. 3. last We all as in a Glass beholding the Glory of the Lord are Translated into the likeness of the same Image from glory to glory as by the Lord the Spirit The Lord Jesus at once enters into a Two-fold Relation to man one of a Sun shining all over him the other of a Root growing up in him We see his Glory in our selves as in a Glass we bring the face of Glory with us We have the Glory in our selves and are our selves the Glass There is the Sun shining which beautifies and justifies a St. We grow up into that Image by the Lord the Spirit of that Glory planting itself in us There is the Root growing which purifies and sanctifies us Our Saviour when he discovers Himself appears at once without us and within us Without us he riseth upon us as a Light of Loveliness Es. 60. 1. Rise out of the Dust and shine for thy Light is come the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Within us He riseth as a Light of Life Galat. 1. 16. When it pleased the Father to reveal his Son within me This is our Righteousness Imputed and Inherent This Righteousness is the Crown Robe Scepter of Royalty in the Kingdom of God 1. The Crown So St. Paul stiles it 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me in that day The Righteousness the Glory of God resting on Man is that Crown which both entitles him to and enstates him in the Kingdom of God As a King ever possesseth his Crown though he wear it only on high days at solemn meetings of the people so a Christian may have this Crown though laid up while he is on Earth But he doth not appear with it openly till that great day the Resurrection when the whole world shall meet 2. The Robe The Righteousness of God and Man is the Imperial Robe which both as Kings are cloth'd with Es. 61. 10 He hath covered me with a Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom dâ—cketh himself with Ornaments Behold a Royal and a Bridal Robe It is Righteousness which puts upon the Spirit the beauty of a Bridegroom the Majesty of a King That Soul which shines forth in Righteousness makes itself a King not by Right only but Choice too by Love as well as Law Psal. 45. 4. 5. In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of Truth Meekness and Righteousness c. Thine Arrows stick in the hearts of thine Enemies the people fall under thee This was sung of the Lord Jesus Righteousness cloth'd him
thou hast Sorrow breaking thee by the Oppression of present Evils thou hast Fear pursuing thee with the expectation of more Evils yet to come thou hast thy Desires carried forth uncessantly and violently toward those Objects which cannot satisfy but divide disappoint and distract them making them to labour under a hard Bondage to work in the Fire and feed on the Wind. But when the Day of the Lord the Day of the Spirit comes then the Soul is in Covenant with all things she hath all Evils subdued to her so her Passionate part is Satisfied and calm she hath all good things freely to enjoy so her Desires are at rest in the bosom of their proper Objects thus the whole Soul hath Peace all her Faculties acquiesce in their several Perfections all her Powers move with a full Complacency in their several Operations Thus that is made good which is prophesied in another place Es. 32. 17. The work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the Effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever When thou hast the Lord Jesus in the Spirit then thou hast Righteousness brought forth to victory in thee For all things are then gathered up into One Body or Fulness of Divine Glory in thy Soul Now thou hast Peace with Quietness and Assurance for ever This is the Satisfactory Rest when no Passion hath any thing to disturb it no Desire wants any thing to distract it But all is quiet in the Soul for present and assured to Eternity This God doth when he brings us into his Kingdom which is the Unity of the Spirit Thus much for the Second Property of the Kingdom of God which is Peace in the Two Parts of it Silence and Satisfaction Application Use. 1 Direction If you would have Peace understand and distinguish rightly the Grounds of your trouble As they are Three so you shall know them by their several ways of working 1 Ground The Spirit of Wrath from God hath its way of Working in the Soul peculiar to itself It makes present Impressions of Trouble and Terrour But it doth it with an Absoluteness an Arbitrariness laying no Premises drawing no Conclusions This was the great Dispute between Job and his Friends Job complained that God set a Watch over him a Spirit of trouble that should suffer him to take no Rest no way on no side that He scar'd him with Visions and frighted him with Dreams God appointed a Spirit over him which fill'd him sleeping and waking with dreadful Appearances Job 7. 12. 14. Jobs Friends charge him to have Iniquity in his Hand Job 11. 14. And Hypocrisy in his Heart Job 8. 13. otherwise say they Thou shouldst have prosper'd still thy hopes should not thus have perished So they laid Premises to the Wrath of God which fell upon Job On the other side Job maintains the Vanity of this Life where all things fall alike to all the Absoluteness of God who deals alike with all at Pleasure the Slightness and Shadowiness of Man in this Fleshly State where God alike sweeps away the Lives and Glories of all sorts of men as Shadows The Excellency of Afflictions in the Saints the Propriety of this State of things which is properly subject to the Principalities and Powers of Darkness Job 9. 22. 23. 24. He destroyeth the Perfect and the Wicked None therefore can say that any Sufferings are a Sign of a Reprobate Man or of Hatred in God If the Scourge slay suddenly he will laugh at the Tryal of the Innocent God will laugh at the miseries of a Good man as being but a Melancholy Dream when the Man is asleep which wakes him and he finds himself well in Glory The Earth is given into the Hand of the Wicked and hath covered the face of the Judges of it It is improper to expect any thing right in this State which is the Season for Darkness and the time of the Reign of those Spirits which are the Powers of Darkness under whom the good Angels are vailed and imprisoned Thus Job shews his Friends how they plead deceitfully for God And Job hath this Testimony given him by God that his Friends had not spoken right things of God as he had done Job would grant that he had sinn'd But the Lord could forgive him all his Sins and he knew His Redeemer liv'd his Record was on High He would never grant that his Sufferings were any Argument of his Sinfulness or want of Sincerity in him Jeremy complains Lamen 3. 6. He hath set me in dark places as they that be dead of old The Spirit of Wrath from God can make itself a Prison of Darkness to thee depriving thee of all the Sweet Comfortable Lightsom Appearances of things leaving thee only Shady Frightful Empty Melancholy Shapes hovering about thee as they that are Dead This Spirit can keep thee in this Darkness that thou shalt find no way out of it by Friends Ordinances Prayers Endeavours of thy Spirit within thee This Spirit can bind thee fast up in itself sit heavy upon thee sink thee still lower as a Chain So he goes on complaining v. 7. He hath bedg'd me about he hath made my Chain heavy But the Spirit of Wrath from God never draws forth any uncomfortable Conclusions for Eternity No when such thoughts as these arise I am cast away for ever I shall be eternally damn'd in Hell These thoughts are not from the Spirit of God but from some other Spirit And so Jeremy brings them in v. 18. I said my Hope and my Strength is perished from the Lord. It is not He the Lord said though he were in His Wrath but I said Thus we see how we may know when the Spirit of Wrath from God is the Ground of our Inward Trouble There is a Four-fold Remedy against this Trouble 1. Remedy Resignation Say in the midst of this Darkness and Fear It is the Lord let him do whatsoever pleaseth him I am in His arms these are His ways with me Can the same Fountain bring forth Bitter and Sweet Waters Be not deceived be not disturbed O my Soul but leave thy self with God as a Faithful Creator let him make what He will of thee The Word of the Lord every Appearance in which God comes forth unto thee is good Fear not to receive him and to sit down though it be in Darkness for then thou sittest under his Shadow Only neither take from nor add to his Words or Appearances in thee by the Suggestions of any other Spirit 2. Remedy Retirement Withdraw from the Fleshly Man together with this Pillar of Clouds and Fire which sits upon that Draw thy Spirit up to the Unchangeable Spirit of Glory and the State of thy Spiritual Man in that Glory So did Job My Record is on High Appeal from that Testimony or Discovery which God gives of Himself below in thy Earthly Man to that Testimony or Discovery which God gives of thee above in the Simplicity and Nakedness of His Divine
Nature So did Paul Of such a man I will boast a man caught up into the Third Heavens into Paradise Though thou canst see nothing but anger and frowns in the Face of Jesus Christ as thou seest that in thy Flesh below yet thou mayst see Joys and Glories in thy self as thou seest thy Person in the Heavenly Person of the Lord Jesus above 3. Remedy Prayer Cry to God continually for Two Things First that He would take his Hand off from you No means or Power can remove your Trouble till the Hand of God be removed 'T is that holds down your Eyes that you cannot see the Light of Comfort No art or force can remove the Hand of God till Himself please to do it The Second is that He would turn unto thee 4. Remedy Waiting Submit and Wait. I waited patiently for the Lord â—nd he inclined unto me Saith David Give the Lord leave first to sit down Himself and Feast on his own Will and thy Comforts while thou waitest and ministrest all thy Peace and Strength to Him then will God say to thee Sit thou down and Feast upon thy Will in mine upon thy Joys together with mine So much for the Discovery and Remedies of the First Ground of Inward Trouble 2. Ground The Spirit of the Devil when he is the cause of Trouble manifests himself by his Lying Arts and Murthering Aims He increaseth thy Feelings by Fears and thy Darkness by false Reasonings He would teach thee to argue against thy self from the present Anger of the Lord towards thee that he eternally hates thee He would teach thee to dispute against thy self that no Sufferings are like unto thine and therefore never any Sinner like unto thee What clear Falshoods are these when God plainly affirms in his word that All things come alike to all and no man can know either Love or Hatred by any thing under the Sun The Devil is ever drawing Inferences of Despair from Desertions prompting thee to such Language as this in thy Spirit This Evil is from the Lord why should I wait any louger upon him There is no hope for me in God Thus the Devil is known by Lies leading to Despair which leads to Death and Destruction There is one Remedy against this Ground of Trouble besides those mentioned before and that is this Resist the Devil and he will fly from you Beat back his Suggestions by stopping your Ears against them Answer him that he is the Accuser of the Father and the Brethren one to another When he puts into you Dark thoughts of God Despairing thoughts towards God that he is a Lyar and a Murtherer But God is Light and there is no Darkness in Him God is Love aad Fury is not in Him All these Fears are thy weakness and thy Low Estate in which thou sufferest with Jesus Christ. 3. Property The Third Property in the Kingdom of God is Joy St. Paul in 1 Thes. 2. 19 20. joyns these Two Joy and a Crown Ye are my Joy and my Crown Spiritual Joy hath Three Parts 1. The Exaltation of the Soul 2. The Enlargement 3. The Activity of the Soul in God 1. Part The Exaltation of the Soul in God is Two-fold 1 There is a Spiritual Exaltation of the Soul over her Spiritual Enemies 2. Chron. 20. 27 It is said of Jehoshaphat and all Israel that they returned to Jerusalem with joy For God had made them to rejoyce over all their Enemies This is a Figure of the Souls Joy over her Spiritual Enemies when Jesus Christ brings her as a Conqueror into the Spirit which is the Jerusalem above This Exaltation and Joy is described in the Person of our Lord Jesus Colos. 2. 15. He spoyled Principalities and Powers making a shew of them openly triumphing over them Thus is her Royal State set above the Principalities of Hell the Powers of Darkness Corruptions Temptations Death and Devils She sees them set under her Feet that is beneath her lowest Appearance She sees them spoyled of all power to hurt and glory to tempt her She shews them and makes them manifest in the Light of God She Triumphs over them exalts herself and rejoyceth over them raising a Joy and a Praise to herself and her Saviour out of them This is the First Exaltation of the Soul in her Spiritual Joy 2. The Second is the Exaltation of the Soul to the Spiritual State of Jesus Christ. This is set forth in a Parable by our Lord Jesus Mat. 25. 23. The Lord saith to him that had emproved and multiplyed his Talents Well done thou good and Faithful Servant thou hast been Faithful in a few things I will make thee ruler over many enter thâ—â— into the Joy of thy Lord. Here is a Rule and a Joy the Kingdom and the Joy of the Lord. To both these the Soul is at once exalted with her Lord. This Parable is worth our stay upon it for a while The Opening of it will add much Light to this Particular of Spiritual Joy A Christian hath a Two-fold State on Earth 1. State of sad Employment 2. State of sweet Enjoyment 1. A Christian hath a State of sad Employment in a Two-fold Sâ—aâ—â—n while he is a Servant and while he is a Son before he is yet past the growth of a Young Man 1. Season The Fiâ—st Season of a Christians sad Employment is while he is a Servant He then lives under Legal Administratioâ—s which are the Manifestations of God in the Earthly Image These are the Two Talents with which the Soul is now to Trade When Adam was driven out of Paradise he was to till the Ground and to eat his Bread in the Sweat of his Brows So a Saint in this Season is put to dig into the Earthly Image and to feed upon the Bread of Heaven in the toil and labour of his Natural Principles 2. Season The other Season of a Saints sad Employment is when he is a Sâ—n but not yet grown up out of the Age of a Young Man to that of a Father or a King Now he hath in his Soul the Evangelical Appearances of God and Jesus Christ. But he hath them after a Flâ—sâ—ly manner and in a Flâ—shly way These Appearances are the Five Talents The Lord Jesus while he was in the â— lâ—sh had not where to lay â—is â—â—ad So it is with the Soul in this Season She hath not yâ—t attain'd to hâ—r State of Rest She is not yâ—t come to 〈◊〉 sweet Enjoyments As her Saviour so she hath a Baptism to be baptized with and she is strâ—ightned till it be over She is in difficulty pain and travâ—l till these Talents be multiplyed Then comes the sweet Enjoyment which is the Second State of a Christian on Earth 2. A Christian hath his State of sweet Enjoyment when the Talents are multiplyed But what is the multiplying of the Talents What is the casting of them into the Bank to receive them again with increase Our Saviour teacheth us
we are out of the Body St. Paul speaks to the Colossians as being Risen with Jesus Christ Col. 3. 1. If ye then be Risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the Right Hand of God 2. Answ. We may in this Life attain to a State of Royalty and Joy Comparatively We may come to that Degree of Liberty Power Peace and Pleasure in Holiness which may be a Resurrection into the Kingdom of God and Heaven compared with lower Degrees of Grace thorow which we pass St. Paul speaks to the Galatians But now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggerly Elements whereunto ye desire again to be in Bondage Galat. 4. 9. Here you have described a Two fold State of Grace on Earth The First is in these words After that ye have known God or rather are known of God This knowledge of God is in the Spirit and Truth There the Apostle expresseth it rather by a being known of God or as some interpret it a being made to know by God The sense is the same which is this The coming in of God after a Spiritual manner and making himself in the Spirit One with our Spirits so that God in the Power of his Spirit is the Principle by which we know and God in the Appearance of his Spirit is the Object which we know Now we know God not an Earthly Figure only of God Now we are known of God For we are taken up into the Light and Spirit of God Now we are made to know by God For it is God who both knows and is known in us It is the Light and Spirit of God in and by which we know The Second State described is in these words How turn ye again to weak and beggerly Elements The Principles of this Creation are these Elements which are weak because they cannot hold forth God to us but in a very uncertain way full of Fear and Doubt They are Beggerly because they can convey to us very little of the Riches Fulness Greatness Grace Glory of God When we first come to the knowledge of God for the most part we know him after this manner by the Rudiments of the Flesh the Elements of this World And so long we are in Bondage carried on by Fear and Hope in a Servile way seeing very little Glory enjoying very little Freedom in our Religion You that are in this Condition whose Fears are your Food whose Tears are your Drink by Day and Night Up and be travelling forward thorow this Shadowy Vale you may come to such a State of Holiness even here in this Life as will be a Heaven compared with this Wilderness in which now you wander When you shall attain to a Spiritual understanding of Things you will think your selves come forth from a Prison-bonse in which before like Samson you were made to Grind with your Eyes out into a Palace where you sit and reign like Kings in a Divine Light Liberty and Joy Thus we may while we live here attain to a State of Royalty Comparatively in respect to the former State of our Spirits in an Inferiour Degree of Holiness 3. Answ. We may enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth in the First-fruits of it Rom. 8. 23. St. Paul saith in the name of those Saints that were as he was Not only they that is the Creature but we also who have the First-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan in our selves waiting for the Adoption that is the Redemption of our Bodies The First-fruits of the Spirit is the Kingdom of God in the First-fruits For the Kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty These First-fruits are not from that Life which the Soul hath in the Body For in that Life the groans for the Adoption But they are from that Life which she hath above the Body in her Spirit of which she hath some Glympses Reflections and Fore-tasts as she is in the Body And these are her First-fruits The Body is as yet Un-redeemed from a Double Darkness that of the Flesh and that of the Devil The Soul as she lives in the Body hath her Communion with God in the Elements of one in the Enmity of the Other as kept under by a hard Master and opposed by a cruel Enemy both at once 4. Answ. We may on Earth enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and the Joy of our Lord by Faith 2. Corin. 5. 6 7. We are alwaies Confident knowing that while we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk not by Sight but by Faith St. Paul plainly signifies that our Presence in the Body necessarily imports and carries along with it an Absence from the Lord Jesus But this is in respect to the Presence of Vision and Sight not of Faith While we are in the Body we may have that Presence of the Lord by Faith which we shall have by Sight when we are out of the Body This Body is an Image which bears a Representation of the Divine Body or Image of Things in the Spirit but together with a Darkness hiding that Divine Image which is Christ and a Contrariety opposing it The Lord Jesus by his Spirit shews forth himself in this Bodily Life to us so that we see him in the Fleshly Image as in a Glass under a Fleshly Vail as in the Dark thorow the Contrariety of the Fleshly Appearance as in a Riddle Yet we see Him we enjoy his true Appearance in the midst of all these Difficulties And while we see him we see all these Difficulties reconciled and subdued in Him we our selves live in Him Thus we enter into the Kingdom and Joy of Heaven by Faith even while we are in the Fleshly Body to Sight When we dye then the Fleshly Body and Image is swallowed up in Eteranl Darkness Our Souls then come Home to Jesus Christ they enjoy the Heavenly Appearance of Things in its own Likeness Face to Face by Sight no more by Faith no more in a Glass or in a Riddle because the Fleshly Body is taken away but yet in the Dark still not with a Perfect Clearness or Fulness though with a Nearness and Likeness until the Body be re-assumed out of that Darkness as a Divine Body Then as in Christ so in us the Fulness of the God-Head shall dwell Bodily in its own Body which is our Body risen again out of Flesh and Nature into the Spirit Till then we have the Fulness of the God-Head dwelling in us in a Contrary Body before Death We have have it dwelling in us without a Body like an Appearance or Apparition like a Soul without a Body in Death I will attempt to make the Answer to this Question more plain and perfect by a Two fold Distinction 1. Distinct. The Spiritual Man hath a Three-fold State 1.
the Angels and all the Spirits of Just men the General Assembly of all Glorious Spirits meet on Mount Sion which is a Spirit that cannot be toucht with hands The Person of thy Saviour is such a Spiritual Substance He can come into thy Closet thy Bosom thy Heart He can dwell in the same Body in the same Soul with thee in the most Inward Parts in every Part of Both and yet take up no more Room The Word which is Christ is within thee even in thy Heart and in thy Mouth in the most Inward and most Outward Part. All of Man and every Creature is either Heart or Mouth an Indrawing or an Out-driving Power the Inward Principle or the Out-ward Appearance Our Saviour divides the whole Man into Heart and Mouth when He tells us that Nothing which enters into the Mouth defiles a Man but that which comes forth from the Heart Jesus Christ is a Spirit in thy Heart and in thy Mouth He pierceth to the Bottom of the most Secret Principle of Life and Being in thee He is as Inward with That and Thee as That is with Thee He passeth quite through all over the Bredth and Length of that Body that Appearance in which thou walkest He makes it His Clothing as it is Thine This is the First Power of a Spirit 2. Power Receiving A Spirit receives other Things into self as Inwardly as Entirely as It conveys itself into Them We read of the Depths of Satan Rev. 2. 24. of the Deep Things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. We read of a Pit for the Devil which can be no other than a Spirit of Darkness and Wrath in himself or in God Rev. 20. 3. We read of Chambers for the Saints Es. 26. of a House and Mansions for them above which can be no other than Spirits of Grace and Glory in God A Spirit hath an Opening and a Depth in itself into which it can receive all things without any Breach in it self An Evil Spirit hath its Pit into which it taketh in and swalloweth up whatever it taketh hold of A Good Spirit hath its Chambers and Mansions its Retreats and Abodes in it self for what Guests it pleaseth to admit or draw in Abide in me saith Iesus Christ to his Disciples Iob. 15. 4. As every Thing may be a Temple to a Spirit Your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. As a Saint is the Temple of Christ So a Spirit may be a Temple to any Thing So the Lord Iesus is a Temple into which the Saints may at all times enter and have Communion with God Destroy this Temple and in three days I will build it again This he spoke of his Body John 2. 21. The Body of Christ was a Temple shut up with a Vail before it while it was Natural But when it was made Spiritual by the Resurrection it was the most Holy place set open for thee to come into it and never to go out more Heb. 9. 1 3 8. Flesh is a mere Shadow which can only touch upon Things but can take in Nothing A Spirit is the Life and hath a Depth in it for which it is compared to Water This is the Second Power of a Spirit 3. Power Uniting The Spirit is the Band of Unity 'T is true of every Spirit so far as it hath the Nature of a Spirit in it Bodies in Flesh are Divided and Broken things being held together only so far as they are Bound up in One Spirit Bodies in Flesh converse with all things at a Distance in a Divided Manner Our Saviour is said to take away the Wall of Partition in his own Flesh when he crucified the Flesh in himself for Himself and the whole World Eph. 2. 14. A Spirit is Uncapable of Division being One in it self and making all things One with it which it takes in or converses with Spirits are compared to Flames Heb. 1. As Flames they lick up into themselves and Incorporate as it were with themselves whatever they light upon or work upon So the Power which caught up Eliah was represented by a Chariot of Fire It was as a Chariot because it took him into it self It was a Fire because it took him up into the Fellowship of One Life Glory and Spirit with it self This is the First Answer to that Question which asketh What we understand by the Person of Christ when we speak of his comprehending us 2. Answer Christ is the Highest Spirit He is Lord of all We read 2 Cor. 4. the last words thus the Spirit of the Lord. It is in Greek the Spirit the Lord. Jesus Christ is the supreme Spirit that Spirit which is Lord of All. The Majesty of our Saviour's Person consists in this that he is that Spirit which hath the most Absolute Power over all Spirits Persons and Things together with the most comprehensive Greatness A Spirit is like a Prospect the Higher it is the more Commanding and Comprehensive it is 3. Answer Christ is the Brightest Spirit He is the Brightness of the Father's Glory Heb. 1. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Out-shining All the Effusion of Beams from the Godhead is through the Person of Christ. All the Beams meet within the Compass of that Person We before cited a Place of Scripture which calls the Spirit A Band of Unity The Lord Jesus is that Spirit in which all the Goings forth of the God-head are united as a Knot of Beams a Band a Bundle of Divine Irradiations or Manifestations This Blessed Person and Spirit is the Highest the clearest Light which as a Garden-bed discloseth and exposeth all things to view in the most natural naked and distinct manner This is the Word which being spoken all things are exprest Heb. 4. 12 13. The Word of God is lively All things are naked and bare before him with whom we have to do 4. Answer The Person of Christ is the First and fountain-Fountain-Spirit The Second Adam is a Quickning Spirit a Life-giving or Life-making Spirit All Spirits Persons and Things that have Life or are from Life they are in this Spirit as Waters in their Fountain They are in Him Primarily and Eminently They are in Him more truly than they are in themselves For they derive that which they are in themselves from Him 5. Answer Christ is the Image of God Col. 1. 15. He is the Image of the Invisible God But you may say that every thing is an Image of God one way or another It is true for St. Paul saith that the Invisible things of God are made manifest by the things that are made Rom. 1. 20. Therefore the meaning of St. Paul in that other place is that He is the Image the Full Image the Proper the Perfect Image of God All the Workings and Manifestations of God are in this Blessed Spirit and that according to their several States with their Proper Distinctions Otherwise the Image were Imperfect All the Discoveries of God are in
the Creature should dwell in Him Coloss. 1. 19. Obj. But you may object and say It is true all things that have a Being or Subsistency have it in Christ For all things subsist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Him Coloss. 1. 17. But there are Two ways of being in Christ One as He is Head of the First Creation So Plants and Brute Creatures have their Being Motion and Life in Him as well as Men or Angels What Happiness or Joy can I have in this Another Way of being in Christ is as He is Head of the Second Creation the First-born from the Dead The Lord Jesus in this State comprehends the Spirits of men in Himself with a very great Contrariety some in Love others in Wrath. So we read that there were Sheep set on his Right Hand and Goats on His Left Mat. 25. 33. What comfort can I have in the Lord Jesus till I know on which Hand I stand What shall discover to me whether I be comprehended in his Love or his Wrath Ans. I entreat thee to understand and lay up this which I shall now say carefully in thine Heart It is a Preparation to the Answer to this Objection which thou hast made and the only way of Satisfaction It is this The Left Hand of Jesus Christ is his Weakness his State and Appearance under a vail of Flesh as he bears the Image of the Creature upon Himself For this Reason the Works of Wrath are the Strange Works of Christ and God Es. 28. 21. This Expression His Strange Work signifies a work with which he is not acquainted in His own Person and Nature a Work which is uncouth to Him in which the Height of his Skill and Power delight not to put forth themselves a work in which he is descended out of his own Form into some inferiour Form of the Creature and so become a Stranger to Himself The Right Hand of Christ is the Person or Spirit of Christ in its full Power and Glory as Christ is at the Right Hand of God that is in Immediate and Personal union with the Father When the Love of Christ is signified by his Right Hand the meaning is that Love belongs to Christ in the Proprâ—eâ—y of His Person Therefore St. John saith God is Love 1 John 4. 16. Now the Answer to the Objection follows clearly from these Premises if they be clearly understood You shall know that you are comprehended in the Love of the Lord Jesus if you look within the Vail beyond the Creature to the End to Jesus Christ in the Simplicity of his own Person as he is the Beginning and the End of all the Works of God 2 Corin. 3. 13. It is only the Discovery of the naked Person of Christ in you which can discover your Persons naked in the Love of Christ. 2 Corin. 4. 6. God hath shined into our Hearts the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the â—ace of Jesus Christ. You cannot see the Glory of God in his Eternal Love to your Persons but by the Shining out of God from the Naked Face or Person of Jesus Christ within your Hearts 1 John 5. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in Himself because He hath the Son of God in Hâ—mself who is the only True and Faithful Witness While you look at any thing below Christ whether without or within your selves while you look at any thing oâ— or in Christ besides himself while you look upon Christ in any Relation Capacity or Consideration and not in the Singleness of his own heavenly and Divine Person you will sit under a Cloud though light may be sown for you He that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8. 12. You can have Light in your Eye no longer than your Eye is upon the Person of Christ. Every other way iâ— Darkness Then do this Tâ—ke off the Eye of your Souls from all Outward Things Turn it Inward into the Sâ—cret of your own Spirits There lay aside all Appearances of your Self or any Creature which would draw your Eye to it â—â— Glittering Cloud at best or a Shining Vail So wait till Jesus Christ sets his own Person before your Spirits in the Light of God When you see him you shall in the same Light see your Selves in Him and together with Him in Love Now for ever after make your self your Graces but Glasses to see the Face of Christ in and Christ will be a Glass in which you shall see your own Face in the Love and Glory of God Obj. Still you may urge and say But how and when shall I have this Appearance of Jesus Christ to me Ans. 1. St. Paul tells thee how Jesus Christ shall appear to thee 2 Corin 4. 6. God who hath made Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our Hearts As Light shined out of Darkness so shall Jesus Christ appear in thine heart out of the midst of Ignorance Unbelief Lusts and all manner of Contrariety Thy Evil shall no more hinder his Discoveries than Darkness can the shining of the Light His breakings forth no more depend upon or are assisted by thy Spirit than the spreading of the Light through the Air depends upon the Air. As Light was brought forth upon the Waters when there was no Light by the Moving or Hatching of the Spirit of God and by the Word of God So shall God upon thy Spirit as easily as soon as a Word is spoken bring forth in thy Spirit the Sight of Christ where there was no Sâ—ght at all of him Thus you see How the Lord Jesus shall be discovered in thee But still thou cryest How long Lord When shall this be I answer thee to that also that it shall be in the Fulness of thy Time As the World hath its fulness of Time so hath a particular Soul for the bringing forth of Christ in it God hath several works upon thy Soul various Forms to bring thee thorow and to bring forth himself in before thee When these are full then will he last of all come forth to thee in his Last and full Appearance which is the Manifestation of the Lord Jesus God hath his Ordinance with the Sun and Moon which run their Race from one end of the Sky unto the other These at length enlighten every part of the Earth in its Season as they come to it in their Course The Ordinance and Covenant of God is as sure with Jesus Christ who is the Day-star and Day-light of thy Spirit He hath his Goings forth decree'd and set Him from Eternity Wait thou for him as the Watch-men watch for the Morning For thou shalt so certainly see his Appearance in thy Soul The Vision of Christ is for an appointed Time It is like the Birth of Isaac who was the Type It hath its Set time In its Set time it shall not fail Go thy ways then be at
which the Angels drink in rich Discoveries of God the Glories and sweetnesses of the Divine Nature which are there poured forth immediately from their Fountain which are that Wine of Love with which Christ and his Spouse entertain each other O the Dignity O the Delights of a Holy Soul Angels sing to it Angels pry into its Beauties and Joys Angels draw the Waters of their blissful Light and Life from this Well The Sounds Operations Lives Essences of Angels are only a Musick Songs of Love and Joy to the beloved Soul and her Bride-groom in their Union In this sense Christ and a Saint in their Spiritual Glory ride together upon the Cherubims The Angels are made as perfumed gales of Wind on which they Flie Flames of a Divine Fire of Love Joy and Glory which continually spring up shine before them and round about them penetrate thorow all things converting all things into the same Ministerial Brightnesses and Harmonies of an Immortal Life and Love under their Feet But there is another passage worth our observation before we leave the Title to this Psalm To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim Shoshannim was an Instrument of six strings upon which the Tune to this Song was plaid If there be as Divines say Tot Mysteria quot Apices so many Mysteries as points of words letters or Marks in the Holy Scripture we may well believe this six-stringed Instrument to allude to the Creation made up of the several Works of six several Days He that hath Eyes to see what the Spirit doth and Ears to hear the Sound of the Spirit understands this great frame to be a well-tuned Instrument of so many strings as there are Creatures in it the whole Composure of Providence from the beginning of the world to the end of it this Song of Loves plaid upon it by Jesus Christ to his Heavenly Bride whose Spiritual senses see the Harmonious and Delicate Motions of his Hand upon every string and take in with unexpressible delight the ravishing Melody Shoshannim signifies also the six-leaved Lilly Can. 2. 1. It is doubtful whether the Holy Spirit speak in the Person of Christ or the Church when he saith in his Song I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Valleys It is generally understood of Christ. In that Mysterious History of Esther as Esther Mordecai the Jews so the City Shushan the City of the Lilly represent the Church of Christ in general or each holy Soul in particular Interpreters here apply the Lilly to the Bride It is in the plural number Lillies and the clause may be rendred concerning the Lillies So the Subject of this Song of Loves is signified to us Jesus Christ and his beloved Bride two Lillies upon the same Root Flourishing with the same Beauties smiling Reflections each of other Either of them with his six leaves comprehends in itself the perfections of the whole Creation in their Original Purities and Sweetnesses Both alike in that Spiritual Image in which they are united are to the variety of Creatures as the Seventh Day to the other six a Bed of Rest and Delights with a Canopy of Glory their Rest Sanctification and Blessedness But it is time to pass from the Title to the Psalm itself The first verse is a Preparation to the matter contained in the Song It consists of Three Parts 1. The Flame and fulness of the Author My heart enditeth a good matter The word Enditeth is used only this once Some expound it boileth with a good matter and make it an allusion to Meat-offering in the Sanctuary prepared by fire in a Frying-pan So the eternal Spirit which is Love hath the place of the Holy Fire The Heart is the Frying-pan The Excellencies of Jesus Christ in his own Person and his Brides with their mutual Affections and Joyes are the Meat-offering Some interpret this Boiling by the bublings and wellings forth of a Fountain Thus the Chrystalline Waters of the Light Life and Beauties of Christ mingled with the Heavenly Fire of his Love are the Sea The Heart is the Spring into which this Sea by Invisible Tracts and hidden Passages conveyeth its flowing Treasures which from thence pour themselves forth into rich pleasant and plentiful Streams 2. The Excellency of the Subject I speak of the things which I have made touching the King This King is called God and seated upon the Throne of Eternity v. 6. which verse is cited and applied to Jesus Christ as he comes the second time into the World attended by all his holy Angels after his Resurrection and Ascent to the Throne of his Father This is the King this is the Bridegroom and the Beloved of the Soul Jesus cloathed with the Royal garment of his Divine Nature crowned with the Glory of the Father perfumed with all the good ointments of the Holy Ghost 3. The Power by which the Author is inspired in the composing of this Song My Pen is the Tongue of a ready Writer Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2. Pet. 1. 21. As the Son is the Wisdom Power and Glory of the Father So the Holy Ghost is the Love of the Father and Son he is called by the name of Charity or Love 1 Cor. 13. v. 1. 8. He is that Love by which God and a Saint dwell one in another as Love is described to be the Union between the Lover and the beloved Object So he is spoken of 1 John 4 16. God is Love He that dwells in Love dwells in God and God dwells in him It is the Inspiration of this Holy Spirit of Love by which this Song of Loves was penned My Heart is enditing a good matter My heart is full boileth up and floweth forth with a good matter sweet beautiful and profitable This Heart represents every Member of Christ which all have one and the same Spirit These words thus opened afford us this Doctrine 1. Doct. A good Heart is a Treasury of good things Matth. 12. 35. A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good Things A Treasure or Treasury implyeth two things 1st A Place A good Heart is a Treasury like Heaven in three respects 1. It is great and spatious It comprehends all things within itself It hath nothing above it or without it to shut it up and confine it 2. It is of a shâ—â—â—ing and glorious Substance made of Light 3. It is incorruptible immoâ—â— impregnable No Thief can there break in to steal No moth or rust consumes There is no Principle of corruption or decay within No power from without can prevail there 2. Precious things laid up in this Heavenly Heart make it a good Treasury All the precious things of the Sun and Moon of the Heavens above and the deep below are here Here are Eden and Paradise Gen. 2. 10. A River went out of Eden to water the Garden The Jews observe from this place that there are two Paradises a
Superiour and Inferiour One above Another below In that above is the Fountain of Pleasure from thence the stream descends which makes that below ever-green and flourishing with delights Eden signifies Pleasure or Delight which name in another word is given to Christ as he was eternally in the bosom of the Father Prov. 8. 30. I was by him one brought up with him Delights from day to day Jesus Christ in his Heavenly Image in the Substance and Essence of the eternal Light is Eden the Paradise above In his earthly Image the sweet Shade where all his Beauties seem at once to sleep and spring he is the Paradise below There is he the Eden and the Fountain in the midst of Eden Here the Garden watered by the River going forth from Eden A good Heart hath in itself both these Paradises the Fountain and the Stream Eden and the Garden Cant. 4. 15. The Lord Jesus calls his Spouse A Fountain of Gardens a Well of living Waters flowing from Libanon The holy Heart is both the Fountain which makes all things Gardens Paradises which way soever it flows and those Gardens too It is both Libanon with the Fountain in it and the Gardens below in the vallies in the midst of which the Living Waters from this Fountain run along Reasâ—n The Heart is that Spirit which is the first Spring and Principle of Life in man Prov. 4. 23. Keep thine heart with all Diligence For out of it are the Issues of Life All the treasures of this World its Light Forms Vertues operations are first in the Sun From thence they flow forth in various Streams all round about him while yet they are still comprehended in him as being not only their inmost Center but also their outmost Circle of Light and Life So is the Heart or Spirit of Man an Invisible Sun in the midst of him far more great or glorious than this which we see in which all forms and acts of Life like Beams rise up first and fullest from whence they are dispensed and dispersed The Hebrew word to keep imports a double sense 1st Diligently observe thine Heart what Spirit or Principle it is by which thou art acted Such as this is such is thy whole Life If thy Heart be a Substantial true pure Spirit thy whole way and work all thy Joyes are Substance Truth Light Immortality as the Visions of God If the Heart which is in thee be shadowy thy Life is vain and empty the dream of a shadow Is thy heart corrupt and polluted then are all thy Streams poisoned death lurks and sports itself in them with an innumerable company of Devils 2. Keep that is preserve thine own thy true Heart with all diligence Abide in Christ and his Love as the only root of Life from whence alone spring the sap greennesses flowers fruits of true Sweetnesses Beauty and Blessedness Watch day and night that no other Spirit put forth itself in thee for every other Principle besides Christ and his Love will certainly prove a Counterfeit and instead of a Heart out of which the Issues of Life ought to be a root of bitterness There is a Twofold Heart 1. Natural 2. Spiritual 1. There is a Natural Heart This is the supream part of the natural Soul the Angelical Spirit in Man 1 Thes. 5. 23. St. Paul prayes The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we have the natural Man divided into three parts which are equally capable of being sanctified or by defilement made subject to blame 1. Spirit 2. Soul 3. Body The Spirit is as the Fountain the Soul the Stream of Life The Body the Channel in which this Stream runs along The whole Man is one Beam sprung immediately from the Divine Glory The upper end of the Beam where it is fullest and brightest immediately united to and rooted in the supream Light makes the Spirit The lowest point least and darkest almost vanishing into the Shade with which it mingles its light where it toucheth the Earth is the Body The Soul is the middle of that Beam partaking of both these dividing and uniting them like the Firmament between the Waters above and the Waters below the Angels being the Waters above the Firmament and Corporeal Lives those below The Spirit is the Angel in Man or Man in the Similitude and Society of Angels the invisible Image the first Treasury of all his Natural Beings Beauties and Life which afterward descends and distinguisheth itself into the varieties of Inferiour Acts and Appearances St. Paul therefore in the forementioned place calls it their whole Spirit The Body is the Outward and Visible Image the Shadow below of this above The Soul is the Life by which the Spirit descends into the Body maintains communion with it and gathers it up again into itself According to these Distinctions and Descriptions Solomon discourseth Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it The name of God there signifies Gods or Angels for whom it is frequently and expresly used in the Holy Scripture The Jews say it properly imports the Divine Nature as it is cloathed with the Angelical God in the midst of all his Holy Angels coming forth into the Creation descending to be the Head of it It is an English Proverb If men could live without the company of Women men they should converse with Angels This is true when the Spirit which is the Head and the Man in us withdraws itself from its Shadowy Image the Body which is as the Woman it finds itself in the Form of an Angel and in the Society of Angels From the Angelical State and Company it descends into the Body Thither it returns again when it leaves the Body This is the Natural Heart the Angelical Spirit in Man made in the Similitude of God as he cloaths himself with the Angelical Image as with a Garment of Light and so vailing his naked unaccessible Glories comes forth to be the Head of Angels This Spirit is the Immediate Seat of the Divine Presence the Glory the Angelical Throne Here the precious things of the Sun and the Moon of the Invisible and Visible Image of the Divine Nature here the Riches of the whole Creation appear together in their fullest Lustre and most beautiful Order The Letters of the Latine Name for Heart Cor make the first Letters of those word Camera Omnipotentis Regis which being interpreted are the Chamber of the Almighty King It is a common observation that the Heart of Man is Triangular which therefore cannot be filled with the round World but only with the Trinity This Heart of which we speak is properly Triangular consisting like the Angels of these Three Essence Understanding and Will the proper and Immediate Type of the Trinity which as it can be
persecuteth him that is born after the Spirit In the First of these verses Jerusalem above is said to be the Mother of us all In the Second these All us are expounded to be the Children of Promise In the Third verse the same persons are described by being born after the Spirit This Phrase of being born after the Spirit is fully explained by that of Jesus Christ from whence it seemeth to be taken John 3. That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit To be born after the Spirit and of the Spirit signifie both the same thing Is it not then evident that the Jerusalem above which is free which is the mother of all the Spiritual Seed is the Eternal Spirit after which a Saint is born that is of this Spirit and in the Image of this Spirit where there is Liberty 2 Corin. 4. Now lay the Third Scripture by these two Heb. 12. 22. We are come to Mount Sion the Heavenly Hierusalem the City of the living God to the Millions of Angels the general Assembly to the Church of the First-born written in Heaven to the Spirits of just men made perfect to God to Jesus Christ. Before we Saw Hierusalem above and the Spirit now we see Mount Sion and the Heavenly Hierusalem to be the same Is it not then an infallible demonstration that Sion and the Holy Spirit are One as the Type and the Truth Can any other be the living City of the living God where all the Holy Angels the First-born of the Father the Spirits of all Saints as well on Earth as in Heaven Jesus Christ in his Mediatory Kingdom the Father upon the Throne of Judicature meet and appear together in the full liberty of Eternal Light Love and Joy besides the Unity of the Spirit which is the Sweet and Sacred band between the two Glorious Persons in the Trinity between all pure Spiritual Divine Beings above and below This is the Spring and Immortal Seat of them all 2. We have in this place another Person set forth by this bright and lovely Character the Perfection of Beauty We may discover our own Beloved and Bridegroom the Lord Jesus under this Title if we bring to it the Lights of two other Scriptures shining like this by his Appearance in them In Heb. 1. 3. He is stiled the Brightness of Glory Is not this the same as to say The Perfection of Beauty 2 Corin. 4. 6. God hath shined in our hearts unto the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face or Person of Jesus Christ Can Face answer Face in a Glass more exactly than these Two Scriptures answer one another In both you have God God shining in one you have God shining from the Perfection of Beauty in the other God shining with a Light of Glory in the Face or Person of Christ. God in all the Creatures whether they be Visible or Invisible casts forth Shadows only of Himself Then he appeareth in the Perfection of Beauty when he appeareth in the Person of Christ as Light in the Body of the Sun 3. But why are these two so joyned as if they were the same Thing from Sion the perfection of Beauty I will not examine whether we may not disjoyn them in reading by putting in between them and or in Particles frequently understood from Sion and or in the Perfection of Beauty God shineth This needeth not There is plainly a difference between the English and the Hebrew The Hebrew runneth word for word thus From Sion from the Perfection of Beauty God hath shined So you have the Three Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity clearly distinguished and united in this shining of the God-Head The Father shineth from the Spirit his holy hill of Sion from the Person of Christ the Perfection of Beauty These Two Persons are placed here as One in Another a Globe of Light in a Globe of Light and the Father shining from them both to awaken in us this great and glorious Truth that the Persons of the Sacred Trinity have their Perfection in each other and are ever undivided when they appear nakedly in their proper Forms The whole Trinity is the Crown of Beauty upon every one of them In particular Jesus Christ never appears as the Perfection of Beauty but when he and the Spirit appear both in One 2 Cor. 3. from the 14th to the end you read of a vail upon the Face of Moses the Person of Christ in the Type then of a vail upon the Hearts of the Jews These are both the same vail For the vail is never upon the Person of Christ properly and simply but upon the Eye of our Spirits as the Cloud is never upon the Body of the Sun but upon our Corporeal Eyes For as that doth in the midst of its world so doth the Person of Christ in the midst of all things ever comprehend and contemplate himself and all things in the simple and pure Light of his own naked Beauties But then in the same place we read that the Vail is taken away in Christ and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty that is freedom from the Vail Christ is seen unvailed in his naked Glories It is added Now the Lord is that Spirit Then mention is made in the last verse of beholding the Glory of the Lord with open Face that is Eye to Eye the naked Eye of our Souls to the naked Eye of his Beauties every Spirit being all Eye The verse is closed thus as by the Spirit of the Lord or more agreeably to the Greek as of the Lord the Spirit I have alledged all this to make it plain to you and to seal it upon your understandings and memories that Jesus Christ is then only seen in his true Person and shape without a vail when he is seen in the Spirit when Christ and the Spirit are seen as two distinct Persons in One. Sion the Type of the Spirit signifieth Vision Hierusalem the Figure of the same Spirit the Heavenly Hierusalem is by interpretation the Heavenly Vision of Heavenly Perfection and Peace The Lord Jesus is the Perfection of Beauty the Heavenly Harmony of all things the Peace of all Hearts and Desires The Person of the Spirit is the Heavenly Vision of this Heavenly Perfection By the way observe that the Holy Ghost speaks in this 50 Psal. of the Day of Judgement the Second and last Coming and Appearance of our Lord and Saviour after which he shall go away and disappear no more See here what manner of Appearance this is in what State in what Form the King of Glory comes to the Marriage of his Bride and to reign upon the Earth He comes in a Spiritual and Divine Form in the Person of the Spirit The Eternal Spirit is an anointing of Beauty upon the whole Person of our Beloved He again is a Sun of Beauty looking forth in the Person of Spirit Nay the
murmurings whisperings hard thoughts evil speakings or any such thing Heaven is not now open upon you neither do you see Jesus as he comes up out of the Baptism of his Sufferings into a Resurrection of Glory with the Eternal Spirit in the Form of a Dove in a Form of Love resting upon him The Priests in the Temple were Morning and Evening to trim the Lamps in the Golden Candlestick by pouring in fresh Oil that the Light might not go out by day nor by night Your Persons O ye Saints are the Temple your Spiritual and Divine part the Golden Candlestick the Heavenly Person of your beloved is the Light in the Lamps of this Candlestick If you would preserve this Light of Glory continually shining in you be continually pouring in from that vessel of Love the Heart of the Father fresh Love which is the Golden Oyl of the Spirit in which the Life and Light of the Divine Nature burneth and shineth eternally But to conclude my discourse concerning these Three Sins The Scripture saith Covetousness is Idolatry We make an Idol of every Image besides the Lord Jesus alone which we set up in our Hearts as real and excellent to bow down our Souls to it by our esteem and affection Every Idol hath its Devil in it St. Paul saith plainly What the Gentiles Sacrifice to Idols they Sacrifice to Devils You cannot eat of the Table of the Lord which is his Glorified Person to feast upon the Delicacies of his Beauties set before your Spirits there and eat of the Table of Devils which is this world to feed upon the Dainties of the Flesh here You cannot drink of the cup of the Lord which is his Spirit to take in the Wine of Spiritual Sweetnesses from this and drink of the Cup of Devils which is the Spirit of this World to swallow down the riches and pleasant things of that 2 Pet. 2. 13 14. We read of Spots at the Feasts of the Saints who are those that have Eyes full of Adultery St. Jude expoundeth those Feasts to be Feasts of Charity that is Love-Feasts which were Joyned with the Supper of the Lord. The Appearances of Christs Person in the Visible Angelic l Divine Images are our several Love-Feasts An adulterous Eye in the moral sense which looketh upon any visible Object after an undue manner is a Spot upon the First Love-Feast The adulterous Eye in a legal sense which looketh upon any Fleshly or visible Figure of things is a Spot upon the Second The adulterous Eye which setteth its Love upon Created Forms on Earth or in Heaven is a Spot upon the Last and best Love-Feasts All these Spots are Clouds upon the Person and stains upon the Beauty of Christ which at once dishonour and grieve him darken and defile us making us unworthy and uncapable of his blessed Appearances to us As an adulterous Eye of Lust so the blood-shot Eye of Wrath is unable to look upon this Heavenly Object or to bear the brightness of his Glory I will wind up this Use with this solemn adjuration and charge If there be such a Person as our Jesus if this Person have such unsearchable Treasures of Beauty and Joy in it if the presence and appearance of this King in his Beauty as a Bridegroom as a Spiritual Sun in the hearts of the Saints be no dream or fancy but the very Spirit and Truth and Life of the Gospel I adjure and charge you all his Saints by the Hinds and Roes of the Field by the lovely Person of your Christ by the pleasantness of his Appearances in you that laying aside Covetousness casting away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit putting off all Wrath Malice Envyings and evil speakings you fix your Eye upon fill your Souls with the Beautiful and blessed Person of the Lord Jesus This is your own Fountain Drink waters from this Fountain alone Behold your selves one another all things in the Light of this Person of these Beauties as they lie here as they are comprehended in this fairest greatest and most Divine Image of all Loveliness Christ is the Truth The Appearance of things in the sweet Light of his lovely Person is True This is that Truth which if you walk in it shall dwell with you for ever shining with a precious and living lustre in the darkest places of Sorrow or Death In this Truth live at peace live in love within your selves with one another with all things So the God of Peace and Love shall be with you Amen Reas. 3. I now come to the Third Reason of the Doctrine our Lord Jesus is the fairest of all things because he hath all the parts of Beauty compleat and entire in his person That work with my own Spirit and with all Spirits which is my design and delight is to woo them for Christ and espouse them as chast Virgins to Christ. Eccles. 12. 10. We read that the Preacher sought out acceptable words and the words which he found out were upright Solomon was a figure of Christ in glory King in the Hierusalem above This Glorious Person is the Preacher the Text and the Sermon Acceptable words in the Original Language are words of delight as you may see in the Margin If ever it be fit to seek out pleasant and delightful words it is on this Subject when we treat of the Lord Jesus and his Beauties If ever it be necessary to take care to speak right words it is now when we speak of him whose Person is the Center from which all the lines of the Gospel of Evangelical Truths Graces Comforts Glories Spirits are drawn into which they all run in which they all meet My endeavour therefore is that all my discourses may be steps from one Scripture to another that by the explications and applications of these I may enlighten your minds to the sight and warm your affections to the love of these Blessed and Heavenly Beauties There are four Parts of which all Beauty consisteth 1. Variety 2. Harmony in the variety 3. Light in the Harmony 4. Life in that Light These four meet all eminently and transcendently in the highest degree in the Person of our Saviour 1. There is all variety in the Person of Christ. Colos. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell Observe how St. Paul cometh to this total Sum at the foot of the Account to this Conclusion of all Fulness in Christ. From the 15 th v. to this you have the whole Compass of Things in Nature Grace and Glory From the 15 th to the 18 th you have the Circuit of Nature in the full extent of the Creation with its Creator First there is God as he is the Author of Nature Jesus Christ is the Image of the Invisible God v. 15. Then you have the whole Creation He is the First-born of every Creature or of all the Creation The First-born is the Excellency of Dignity the Excellency of Strength Every
at its Height is strong as Death cruel as the Grave the flame of it is as the Flame of the Lord. Love and Death both agree in this that they are a separation I protest by my Rejoycing in Iesus Christ I dye dayly saith St. Paul The Love of a Saint to Jesus Christ is a Daily Death a Separation from all created Objects a Retirement out of this whole World visible or invisible into the World of the Blessed that World of Eternal Light and Beauty to be alone with Him and in Him to be inseparably united in One Love in One Loveliness in One Spring and One Stream of Beauties with Him as a Seal upon His Heart as a Seal upon His Arm. Where we read Cant. 8. 6. Love is strong as Death cruel as the grave the coals thereof are coals of Fire which hath a most vehement flame which hath is put in by the Translatours a most vehement Flame is in Hebrew the Flame of Jah of the Lord of Jesus Learn here the Divine Mystery of Love in Death The Death of a Believer a Lover of Christ is Love itself which is the Fire of God burning from the Center of our Spirits from beneath the Foundations of our Natural Being till it have consumed the whole frame of this Creation in us and transformed us into one everlasting Flame with itself till it have separated us from every Form of things into his own Shining and Flourishing Form which is the Person of our Beloved the Temple Palace Paradise of Love of the God-Head which is that Primitive the purest Love 3. Enjoyment This is the Third Step in the Love of Complacency The Intermedling with all Wisdom or all Substance Our Jesus is the only Wisdom Substance and Truth The Fulness of things in Harmony as they make all Beauties and Pleasures in their Substances and Truths as they have the first freshest Glory upon them and are incorrupâ—â—â—e lie in the Person of Christ. The Hebrew word to intermeddle signifieth to mingle with or roul our selves in the midst of all Wisdom and Substance that is in the Bosom of Jesus O believing loving Soul Thy Beloved when He cometh into thy Spirit saith Can. 1. I am come into my Garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my Spice I have eaten my Hony with my Hony-Comb I have drunk my Wine and my Milk When thou comest into his Bosom and Spirit say thou to him Now am I come into my Garden my Brother my Bridegroom I gather all pleasant precious and incorruptible Fruits in thy Person together with their Root thy Person So I transplant them into my Spirit and Person I eat of the excellencies of Wisdom which are sweeter to my Soul than Honey is to the Palate I eat them in and with thy Person the essence of Wisdom itself as live Honey with the Honey-comb I drink in my Wine and my Milk the Spirit and Sweetness of thy Divine and Humane Nature of the New Heaven the naked Appearance of the God-Head and the new Earth the Divine Appearance of the whole Creation in thy Spiritual Form Thus I stretch my self at large I roul my self at liberty in the midst of all Beauties and Delights Here I rest in Eternal Ioy with the perfect Complacency of all my Faculties of my whole Spirit Soul and Body in thine Heavenly Person 3. Make the single Person of Christ the Fountain of all thy Comforts 1. Consider that there is indeed such a Jesus so Beautiful Eccl. 11. 7. Solomon telleth us the light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun If the light of this Heaven be sweet and the sight of this Sun infuse a pleasure into us when we look upon it what is the Light that shineth in the Person of Christ What doth once glance of this Sun of the Divine World How doth it make the heart in our bosom leap to him and dance about him as the Needle to the Loadstone To go forth in a fair Summers day to look upon the green Fields and clear Skie is a refreshing to our Natural Spirits and begetteth a lightsome Joy in us come forth ye dark and melancholy Souls see this Jesus in his unvailed Person as he rideth forth upon the Circuit of the whole Heaven and Earth in his name Jah in his Divine Form in which he comprehendeth and filleth all see that New Heaven and New Earth which he maketh in himself As Snow at the shining forth of the Sun so will the heaps of Snow the Mists and Clouds about your Heart dissolve into an unexpressible Sweetness and Light of a secret Joy and hope at this Sight By the Light of the Beauties of this Person cometh the Sight of him by this Sight cometh Faith then cometh all Peace and Joy in Believing Could Davids Harp chase away Sauls evil Spirit which vexed him Is there any evil Spirit which will not be chased away any vexation or melancholy which will not be charmed by this Harp of God by the Harmony of all Heavenly Beauty and Musick in the Person of Christ. 2. Consider that this Jesus is Beautiful to make thee Beautiful Ephes. 1. 6. God is said in his Grace that is in his sweetest and richest Love to have made us acceptable that is to have made us lovely in the Eye of his Love to have set us in the Embraces of his Love in the Beloved One in the Person of Christ. When thou liest on the ground covered with Sack-cloath and ashes in thine own Spirit then think thus with thy self When the Lord Jesus appeareth in all his Glories before the Father then doth he represent me then doth he present my Face and Person to the Eye and heart of his Father in the Glass of his own Beauties Will not thâ—s revive thy Soul within thee to understand that the Father taketh that Beautiful Image and sweet Impression of thee upon his heart which he receiveth from the most lovely sight of Jâ—sus Christ in his fullest lustre that all the thoughts and works of the Father concerning thee pass thorow this Medium the Beautiful and Blessed Person of Christ Thou sittest on the dunghil of this Body of Sin this Flesh covered from Head to Foot with the Sores of thy Corruptions Thâ—u liest in the Grave of this Body of Death where all cares and fears like Worms feed upon thee But see Jesus boweth the Heavens and cometh down He descendeth in that Form of Glory which is the Heaven of Heavens encon passâ—ng thee on every side transfiguring thee into a shining Glory as the white Cloud of the most excellent Majesty transfigured him when it rested upon him 3. Consider that this Jesus is Bautiful for thee to make thee happy in the enjoyment of Him David in a pang of grâ—â—f comforteth himself after this manner Why dâ—est thou cast down thy self O my Soul why art thou so troubled within me Hope in the Lord I shall yet praise Him the Health
Person of the Lord Jesus without and filled with the same Person within Every Creature rightly seen is as a Garment of Light cloathing the Body of the Sun the Person of Christ and wrought in every part of it with the Figure of this Spiritual Sun The Type of it was the Vail before the most Holy Place Within were the Cheruâ—ims of Massy Gold Upon the Vail was wrought the Similitude of the same Cherubims in all manner of rich Colours Thus the Earth is turned to Christ as a Clay to the Seal and every thing in it standeth as a Garment upon him Perhaps he who peruseth this place in Job will find reason to believe that the Holy Spirit pointeth at Three States 1. The Creation as the Figure 2. The Person of Christ incarnate as the First-fruits 3. The Reformation as the Life in the full Harvest Neither will it seem unlikely to those who compare the Scriptures that Zacharias alludeth to Job and Job here to the first of Genesis In three things all agree 1. a Darkness 2. A Light rising in this Darkness and triumphing over it 3. A New Form given to all things by this Light But to return Heb. 1. 3. Our Lord is said to be The express Image of his Fathers Substance The word is Character which signifieth an Ingraving as upon a Seal Great Persons first engrave their Arms upon some precious matter as Gold or a rich stone This is their Seal With this they stamp the same Image upon several pieces of Wax as they have occasion So God the Father setteth deeply and richly the compleat Form of his Divine Person and Substance upon the Person of his Son Then he setteth him as a Gold-Seal upon the Creation as Virgin Wax and so imprinteth all his Beauties upon it But the Lord Jesus stampeth one part of the Creation with the Impressions of his Person thorow another so that the Figure is more clear and perfect in the invisible part of things upon Angels and Spirits more obscure and imperfect upon the Visible part the Things of Sense Before I leave this we are to take notice that the matter of the Creation which Job calleth Clay is expressed by Water in the beginning of Genesis Iâ— you set a seal upon water it receiveth the Impression without resistance but keepeth it only by the continuance of the Seal itself upon it Thus the Preservation of the Creature to the end is the same thing with the Creation of it at first it is the Impression and Figure of our Saviours Beautiful and Blessed Person which is the Essence and Form of each Created Being It is this Glorious Person itself the Fountain of all Forms fixed in the Impression which alone every moment preserveth each Essence and all Beings by renewing them If the Seal be taken off immediately the Figure vanisheth and is no more Use. 1. Let all this that hath been spoken of the Person of Christ perswade us to study this Person in which such unsearchable riches are laid up and to seek the knowledge of him Beautiful things alone are worthy of knowledge This Jesus then is worthy of our knowledge For he is fair He is fairer than all things and so most worthy to be known all Beauties are comprehended in and derived from him His Person then should be the Center where all the lines of our knowledge meet and from whence they are drawn I shall press upon you the Study of your Beloved in the simplicity and nakedness of his Heavenly Person by Two Arguments 1. The Easiness 2. The Excellency 1. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is Easy Heb. 5. 11. The Holy Spirit had made mention of Melchisedech in the verse before In this he addeth Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered by reason of the dulness of your hearing Melchisedech signifieth the King of Righteousness This is Jesus Christ in that Spiritual Form of Divine Glory which is the Throne of Righteousness In this he was eternally with the Father in his heart and Eye In this he was with the Saints from the beginning of the World the Immortal Seed in their Hearts the Joyful and Glorious Object in the Eye of their Faith In this he appeared frequently to them thorow outward Figures The Holy Ghost telleth the Hebrews that He hath many things to say to them of this Person He hath many innumerable Beauties in Him to unvail and shew to them He hath many things to say many words and expressions to declare the riches of each single Beauty When David saw this Person of Christ as a City compact in it self where all Spiritual Beauties and Beautiful Spirits dwelt together in a most Beautiful Order in the unity of this First and Great Spirit in the Eternal Palace of His Spiritual Form he cryed out Glorious things are spâ—ken of thee O thou City of God! Psal. 87. 3. So saith the Spirit here of whom I have many things to Say Then He addeth and hard to be uttered This seemeth a strange Testimony to bring to prove the Knowledge of Christ to be easy which saith plainly the things of Christ are hard to be uttered But you will presently see these words to have in them a full and manifold proof of this which we intend The Beauties of Christ are hard to be uttered Whence ariseth this Difficulty From the Nature of the Things St. Paul teacheth us that Every thing which maketh manifest is Light Eph. 5. 13. If that which maketh every thing manifest be Light then is the Light itself most manifest of all things then the higher and greater the Light the clearer the fuller is it in the Manifestation of Itself and of all other things The Person of Christ is the most pure most perfect and most universal Light Nothing shineth so openly so clearly in every creature in every place in every Spirit Nothing so easy to be seen as the Person of this Lovely One Whence then is the difficulty of uttering His Glories The Spirit answereth the Question It is from the Dulness of our Hearing How evident an Argument is this of the Presence of our Beloved with us that He is before our Eyes in every Appearance of Things that He is in the midst of us How plain a Testimony is it of the openness and clearness of His Beauties of their nearness and suitableness to our senses that it is a Dulness in us not to see this Person these Beauties We never account it to be a Dulness of Sense not to discern things Distant or Difficult Solomon saith Prov. 14. 6. Knowledge is easy to him that understandeth The Knowledge which this Divine King had his eye upon thorow his whole Book was that Wisdom which is the Brightness of the Glory of God shining forth in the Soul The Holy Ghost seemeth thorow this book of the Proverbs to express by understanding a Divine Light and Sense which is the Spirit of Christ in us by Wisdom that Divine
Fountain of wisdom above with the voice of our Faith to seek it as Silver in every thing round about us the pure mettal in the oar of the Creature by the Flame of our Love to dig for it as hidden Treasures within our selves below the Foundations of this Creation by Humility and the Cross This is the Comprehensiveness of the Knowledge of our Saviour 2. The Second Excellency in this Knowledge is the Efficacy This divideth itself into three Branches It worketh Grace 1. Universally 2. Powerfully 3. Kindly 1. The Knowledge of the Lord Jesus worketh Grace Universally It worketh all Grace together in a sweet Harmony John 17. 3. In a bosom-discourse between himself and his Father where he is most naked sweet and free the Lord Jesus saith to his Father This is Eternal Life to know thee the only true God and Him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ God is True the Truth as he is God He is the True God as he is the Onely One Jesus Christ is sent forth from him as he is the Brightness the Effulgency the Outshining of his Glory his essential Image Thus is he also one with him The Father cannot be perfectly known by him if he be not perfectly one with him This verse hath in it a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One thing expressed as two like that a Cup and Gold for a Golden Cup. So here to know the only true God and Jesus Christ sent forth from him is to know that God who is the Unity and Truth in Jesus his essential Image in which he comprehendeth and cometh forth into all manner of various Images the outgoing of his Divine Essence in Eternity and Time Eternal Life is the whole Work of God upon the Souls of the Elect from the Beginning to the End the Divine Life begun in Grace on Earth compleated in Glory in Heaven I have formerly said that Knowledge maketh the Spirit One with that which is Known How should this endear the Knowledge of our Blessed Lord and quicken us to follow hard after it The true Knowledge of our Beloved maketh us One Spirit with Him and transformeth us into His Image which is the whole Armour of God put on at once the compleat frame and fabrick of all Grace rising up at once in the Heart All Graces are One in the Person of Christ. By taking him in and being made One with Him we take in All Grace and are molded into All Grace in One according to the measure of the Revelation of our Lord Jesus in us The want of having this Pattern upon the Mount Jesus in His Heavenly Form in the Eye of our Spirits is the great reason why the Tabernacle of God goeth up so imperfectly and brokenly in us One Saint is careful of his way but goâ—th sadly on another is chearful but careless One is sweet and slight another serious and soure censorious One is zealous and ignorant another high in his Light and loose in his Life Particular rules and precepts are like a Watering-pot which a man carrieth up and down in his hand watering his flowers and plants singly and slightly While one is watered the other withereth The Discovery of our Saviour in His Spiritual Person to the Eye oâ— our Spirits is as the gentle Rain from Heaven which at once watereth thy whole Garden and descendeth to the Root of every Truth Grace and comfort in thee Grow saith St. Peter in Grace and in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. l. l. Grace indifferently universally in the whole Nature and Kind is inseparable from the Knowledge of Jesus Christ. These two mutually breed and feed each other All Grace in the entire Frame and Harmony is the similitude the Image of Christs Person as it is in Glory formed in us As Christ riseth and shineth forth upon us this Image springeth up groweth clearer and fairer As this Image cometh to perfection so Jesus Christ is seen more perfectly in it as in a Glass If you be compleat Christians grow at once proportionably in all Grace in Light in Life in Love study the Heavenly Person of your Bridegroom grow in the Knowledge of him As the Eye of the Husband should be the Looking-glass of the Wife by which she adorneth her self so let this glorious Person of thy Beloved be that Spiritual Glass in which thou O Queen O Believing and loving Soul dressest thy self 2. The Knowledge of our Lord Jesus worketh Grace powerfully Psal. 19. 5. The Sun cometh forth like a Bridegroom out of his Chamber and a strong man to run a race His going forth is from the end of Heaven to the end thereof nothing can hide it from his Heat St. Paul testifieth to us Rom. 10. 18. that the Lord Jesus is the subject of the Spirit in this Psalm When he cometh forth from the Chamber of Invisible and Spiritual Glories in his Resurrection He cometh into the Soul at once as a Sun for Light and Glory as a Bridegroom for Love and Beauty as a strong man for Life Power and Progress When he riseth and shineth out in us he encompasseth our whole Person and Life from one end to the other he searcheth out every corner in both There is nothing so close so dark so corrupt so hard so unclean so dead so comfortless that can hide itself from the convincing enlightning consuming softning cleansing quickning comforting heat and power of his Appearance Every Beam of the Sun is a Figure of the Sun sheweth the Sun itself and carrieth along with it three Things Light Heat and Influence or Vertue Such is every Spiritual Truth in the Soul It is a Beam from the Person of Christ. It beareth a Figure of his Person and setteth his Person open and naked like a clear Sun before the Soul drawing the Eye of the Spirit to that and terminating it alone upon that Each Spiritual Beam each Glance every Discovery of Christ bringeth with it into the Soul a Light of Knowledge a Heat of Love a Convincing Converting Melting Transforming Chearing Sanctifying Spiritualizing Glorifying Influence and Power Go then in all thy pantings in all thy Prayers by night and by day cry to this Blessed Person Arise O Sun shine O Light that my Soul may become a Spiritual Garden that my Garden may flourish with all Spiritual Plants of Truth Grace and Joy that all my Spiritual Plants may give forth their smell and vertue by thine Appearance 3. The Knowledge of Christ worketh all Grace and maketh it most kindly Psal. 110. 3. The Spirit saith to Christ in the day of thy power thy people shall be a willing people in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the Morning the Dew of thy Youth The word Power signifieth also Armies Willing hath a twofold sense a natural pleasant Freedom and a Princeliness The Morning is the Person of Christ in the Glory of the Spirit who is called in Scripture the Day-spring the Light the Sun-rising When this
lovely morning breaketh upon thy Spirit from the midst of the shades of unbelief and thy natural State it maketh a day of Power a day of Armies Jesus Christ appeareth now in the Glory of his Father in his own Glory in the Glory of all his holy Angels He boweth down all these Heavens and with them descendeth from above into thy Spirit With these Armies of Glories he fighteth against all the Powers of Darkness in thee With the Power of these Glories he subdueth thee to himself winneth thy Love transformeth thy Spirit and Person shineth upon and draweth forth to maturity every Seed of Glory in thee The Person of thy Jesus shining out in thee is that Morning from which as from a Beautiful and Blessed Womb falleth the Dew of Christs Youth which is his Spirituality his Eternity ever-full ever-flourishing with all Divine Beauties upon his Person This Dew maketh all Graces to spring in thy Soul powerfully plentifully beautifully pleasantly with State and Majesty As that Vine which hath most of the Sun bringeth the most kindly Grapes the greatest Clusters the fairest and best coloured the sweetest the largest Grapes the most abounding with Spirit and Heat yielding the best Wine so doth that Soul which liveth most in the Eye of the Lord Jesus under the Beams of his Person unvailed bring forth the most kindly Fruits of the Spirit in all these respects 1. All Grace aboundeth most it is as the Dew 2. It is pleasantest Thy people are a willing people There is most of Love of Life and Delight 3. It is most Beautiful There are the Beauties of Holiness 4. Every Grace is greater spreadeth and enlargeth itself more hath more vertue and force in it The Appearance of Christ. maketh a Day of Power 5. It is more Princely hath enstamped upon it more of the Person of the Lord Jesus and so more of the Majesty of the Divine Nature 6. It yieldeth the most excellent wine of Heavenly Joys to make glad the heart both of God and Man It is the Dew of Christs Youth It hath in it a Confluence a Concurrence of all the Lovelinessâ—s Sweetnesses of the Person of our Lord in his Spâ—ritual his Immortal State which is his Youth flourishing in the height of all Divine Pleasantness and Glory never to fade or decline O! Let us all be found in the â—umber of the Watchmen that watch continually for this morning Let us go forth from under the vail from out of the Cave of the Flesh and of the world into the Light of this morning into the sweet breakings of the Eternal Day from the glorâ—ous Person of our Saviour Let us receive the Dew of his Youth falling upon us Let us see the Dew of his Youth falling upon all things round about us making the Deseâ—t to Blossom as the Rose our Hearts all things to us Spring Blossom and Flourish with the Spiritual and Immortal Beauties of our Beloved This Dew is his Sowing his watering them every where Use 2. A Direction to the Knowledge of the Person of our Saviour and his Beauties The Lord himself saith The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life John 6. 63. Jesus had been speaking of Himself of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood He meaneth by words the Things which those words signify The Person of Christ the excellencies and vertues of his Person concerning which he spake to them are not Flesh and Blood which are the Shadows only dying dead yea Death itself nor meerly Spiritual but Spirit Substantially and Essentially which is Life not by Participation but Primitively in the Essence in the Spring This is the ground which I lay for the direction which I am to give you in your study of the Beautiful Person of Christ Christ and his Beauties are Spiritual Now not I but St. Paul giveth you two Rules 1 Corin. 2. 7 8. The Holy Apostle speaketh of the Knowledge of the Wisdom of God in a Mystery Then he expresseth this Wisdom of God in a Mystery to be Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory the Lord whose Person is all Glory whose Principality and Kingdom is Glory in the Abstract Glory in its utmost extent He had said this was unknown to all the Princes of this world the Princes in Wisdom as well as Power the highest ranks and orders of Men or Angels To confirm this he citeth a Scripture in the next verse v. 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entered into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Observe by laying these three verses together how St. Paul meaneth one Thing by these three expressions The Wisdom of God in a Mystery the Lord of Glory Things prepared by God for those that love him The Person of Christ is that Image of Glory and of the God-Head in which lieth the entire Mystery Wisdom and design of God from the Beginning to the End with all its way He is a Collection of all those Beauties and Blessedness Loves and Joys prepared by the Father for his Beloved Ones to feast upon to Eternity Of these St. Paul determineth that the noblest highest largest senses understandings hearts of the most excellent Creatures are uncapable of the least Glympse or tast of them This he draweth down afterwards to a Rule which is my first Rule Rule 1. Spiritual Things are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. This Rule divideth it self into Three Branches 1. Spiritual things are discerned by a Spiritual Eye St. Paul saith The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he for they are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Nature hath a Twofold Eye the Eye of Sense the Eye of Reason The Eye of Sense is common to Man with Beasts and is the Bestial Eye This discerneth the Beauties of Flesh and Blood We have histories of Beasts Birds and Fishes which have been in love with Beautiful Virgins and Youths But this Eye is blind to Spiritual Objects A Material and Corporeal Object if it excel and be transcendent in Sweetness Harmony or Beauty destroyeth the Sense as the Sun dazleth darkeneth and putteth out the Eye How much more unable are our Senses to take in or bear Immaterial and Spiritual Glories Nature 's other Eye is that of Reason of the Mind the Intellectual Eye which is common to Man with Angels This is the Angelical Eye in Man This can discover can take some measure of the Invisible things of the Creation and maintain some Commerce with Angels But the Darkness of this Eye to the Beauties of Christ is painted forth in a lively manner by that sweet and sublime Prophet Isaiah c. 6. v. 1. The Lord Jesus appeareth sitting upon the Throne of His Spiritual and Divine Form His Train of Glories filled the Temple v. 2. The Seraphims themselves which are â—eputed the Highest Order and Degree of Angels cover their faces
this Light is a Divine Wonder a Divine Mystery Incomprehensible for the greatness of the Glory to sense and reason but familiar and plain to the Spiritual Eye as bred up with it and continually before it known to it from the Beginning The Spiritual Bride meeteth her beloved here with all his Beauties in this Light and kisseth him as her Brother as born of the same Mother There is no strangeness between them This Light is indeed the Temple the Palace of the God-Head of Eternity The Father and Christ are here upon the Throne of their Kingdom in the Glory of their Divine Nature But a Saint is a Royal Priesthood a King and a Priest So he is taken in called by God into this Sacred Palace and Temple to behold the Beauties to contemplate the vertues of both the Father and the Son that they may declare them by the Divine Power of their words and the Beauty of Holiness which is the Sun-shine of the Divine Nature in their Lives We are now by this Circuit of Scriptures brought back to that First on which we grounded this Second Branch of our Rule and for the explication of which we have taken this compass If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Who are these that have Fellowship one with another St. John had said before These things we write that you may have Fellowship with us And truly our Fellowship is with the Father and the Son v. 3. Philosophers tell us that we must come within all the Beams of the Sun to the Body of the Sun itself if we will see the Sun in his true and proper Glory Some speak of a Blessed world in the Sun the Rarities and Beauties of which are seen only by the Inhabitants of the Sun Gods own Light is a Divine World in which the Father the Son all the Saints dwell together eternally have their proper life of Divine Sweetness and Blessedness appear in their proper Forms of Divine Purity and Beauty If ye will be admitted into this Society to a sight of these you must go beyond you must come within every Light of the Creature all Beams into the Bosom of God himself into the Brightness of the Divine Essence which is the Living-looking-Glass of the Holy Trinity Here you shall see your Jesus as he is You shall see him as you are seen by him For now the Blood of Christ cleanseth you from all Sin This Light of the Divine Nature which is the Light of Life and the Spirit Himself is the Blood of Jesus eminently in the vertue of it as it is Incorruptible This is that which poureth forth itself thorow the Humane Nature into the lowest Forms of Dust Darkness Wrath and Death in the place of Sinners as a Ransom of Infinite value This is that Precious Blood of the true Vine which when Justice and Wrath have drunk of they are satisfied sweeetned and changed into Grace and Glory an over-spreading Loveliness and an overflowing Love This is that Blood in which the Life is which as it is let forth in Death wrappeth up all things in it self washeth them from filth and flesh then riseth up again as high as its own Spring in the Heart of the Father and carrieth up all things with it self into the Newness of the Glory of God Nothing is so directly contrary to the Divine Light as Sin Therefore it is expressed by Darkness and the Night As the Light of the Day cleanseth all Forms of things from the Darkness of the Night which lay upon them that now they have fellowship one with another mingle their Beams and Beauties with mutual Joy so doth this Blood of the Lamb the Light shining in the Person of Christ when it breaketh forth from the Shades of Death in the morning of the Resurrection sanctifie the Heavenly things themselves bring forth from under every cloud stain and dust the Heavenly Persons of a Saint of Jesus Christ of God the Heavenly Truths and Lives of all Things that they may in the Unity of this Light maintain a precious commerce and traffick of all interchangeable Sweetnesses Excellencies with Immortality unto a full Joy Psal. 4. 6. David thus openeth the Hearts of the multitude and his own Heart Many will say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift up thoâ— the Light of thy countenance upon us When all thy faculties and Affections all the Powers of thy Soul cry Who will shew us Iesus Christ in Glory Let thine Heart answer to God and say Lord lift up thou the Light of thy face upon me In the Shinings of thy Face is my Iesus hid and in these Shinings alone will He be seen by me Thus the Spiritual Beauties of Iesus Christ are to be discerned only in the Spiritual Light of His own Person 3. Spiritual Things are to be seen in Spiritual Forms This is the Third Branch of the Rule Joh. 20. 30. When the Lord after his Resurrction had appeared to the Apostles in a Body of Flesh as He had been cruciâ—ied the Holy Ghost addeth And many other Signs did Jesus in the presence of His disciples Observe this expression well His Appearance in a Natural Body the same in which He had formerly lived with them was not the Truth it Self but a Sign of it Luk. 24. 38. Jesus shewing Himself after the same manner to His Apostles raiseth them from their fears that This was the Apparition of some Spirit by these words Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as you see me to have The Lord seemeth to speak to them after this manner You have not yet received the Spirit but are hitherto carnal If I should shew my self to you as I am now in the Glory of my Resurrection in which I am altogether Spiritual and a Spirit you would not know me you would not believe that I were the same Person you would be afraid of me I have therefore wrought this Miracle and given you this Sign in a tenderness towards you and a Condescention to your present weakness By that Almighty Power over Heavenly and Earthly Things which I am now cloathed with by the virtue of that Spiritual Divine Form and Substance into which I am now raised which comprehendeth within it self all Form Substances and Virtues I present my self to you in that same Body composed of the same Flesh and Bones in which I lived with you and dâ—ed upon the Cross before your Eyes with the same Wounds which I then received And because this is a Sign therefore do I accompany it to your Senses and to your Spirits with a Double Evidence and Seal from my Divinity One that this is no Imposture or Apparition with which Evil Spirits have power to deceive your Sight your Hearing your Touch all your natural Faculties but that
Lord Jesus before Death and after it is much more large than that which is between a single grain of Wheat cast into the Earth and the standing Corn upon the ground full-ripe with many perfect grains of Wheat in the Ear than that between the single Seed of a Rose and a Rose-Tree full of fresh and flourishing Roses or the Seed of an Apple and a well-grown Apple-Tree laden with ripe Apples What Image could any man frame to himself or what conjecture would he make of a Rose-bush or a Rose by the single Seed if he had never seen the things themselves No more is it possible for us to take any measure of the Body of Christ in Heaven or at all to guess what manner of things it should be by his Body on Earth 1. John 2. 3. we read from the mouth of the Beloved Disciple who lay in the Bosom of Christ knew most of His Divine Secrets and was best acquainted with His Person in Glory that now we are the Sons of God but it doth not appear what we shall be but when he appeareth we shall be like him for we shall see him as He is Now we have the Seed of God in us now we have in us the Seed of a Divine and Glorious Soul of a Divine and Glorious Body But what this Seed which is sown in our Earth will be when it is a Tree in the Heavenly Paradise what this Glorious Soul and body will be when they are come forth grown up and perfected we do not at all know Only this aim we have We are sure that we shall be capable of an immediate Sight and Enjoyment of God without any Vail or Garment without any Representation or Distance as He is in His naked and simple Essence in His own proper and immutable Form This is an infallible Argument that then we shall be in the Form of God For otherwise it would be impossible for us to see it and take it in St. Paul illustrateth this difference between the Body of a Saint in its Life on Earth and in the Resurrection by two Comparisons the Varieties of Flesh and of Bodies All Flesh is not the same Flesh. There is one Flesh of Men another of beasts another of fishes another of birds v. 39. There are Terrestrial Bodies and Caelestial the Glory of the Terrestrial is One the Glory of the Caelestial is another There is one Glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars one Star differeth from another in Glory so also is the resurrection of the Dead v. 40. 41. 42. It is a very great mistake to think that the Apostle intendeth here to set forth the different Glories of Saints in Heaven He hath a far higher and nobler design This is his sence and the force of his arguing You must not think because we have Bodies on Earth and Bodies in Heaven that upon this Ground these Bodies must be of the same Nature and Kind or at all like one another How vast a variety of Bodies do we behold with our Eyes on this Earth and in this Heaven As great as the number of the Stars in the visible Heaven so great and incomprehensible is the Variety and Several Sorts of Bodies For every one of these differeth from the other Such yea far greater is the Difference between a Body when it is sown in Death and a Body when it is raised up A Body raised though be it still a Body doth more vastly differ from it self here than any two Bodies differ in the frame of Nature or within the Compass of the whole Creation The properties of a Body in Heaven by which it is distinguished from a Body on Earth are four as the Apostle reckoneth them up Power Glory Incorruptibility Spirituality v. 42. 43. The ground of these differences he layeth in that Primary and Radical One It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body v. 44. The Sun doth not so much differ in matter and make from a Clod of Earth as a glorified Body doth from itself on Earth For both those are Natural here one is Natural the other is Spiritual Nay an Angel doth not so much differ from a Worm in its Essence and Image For an Angel is still a piece of Nature a part of the first Creation all which the Holy Ghost comprehendeth under the term of Natural But a Body risen from the dead is Spiritual of a new Creation for Matter and Form vastly different from vastly above every thing within the compass of this whole world in the visible or invisible part of it To conclude this Proposition observe how St. Paul begins this discourse with a quick touch Thou Fool Thick skales of folly do lie indeed upon the Eyes of our mind if we perceive not all things in this Flesh to be in a disguise of Sin Death Wrath the Devil by his Sorceries That which we call Death is the casting off the disguise In the Spirit we see and are seen with open Face Prop. 2. The Second Proposition which is the Second Story in my building raised upon this Scripture is this we may not compare the Body of Christ in Heaven with the Body of Adam in Paradise This Proposition riseth up plainly out of St. Pauls words v. 46. And so it is written the first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit Three things lie plain in these words compared with the Context 1. The Apostle-speaketh of Adam and Christ with a peculiar and principal respect to the Bodies of either The Subject which he now professedly handleth is the Resurrection of the Body He bringeth this up to its Principle and Pattern the Glorified Body of Christ. In the verse before he established this Assertion as a Pillar on which the whole Frame and Fabrick of Divine Truths here delivered doth lean There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body He strengtheneth that distinction by this Root and main reason of it in the verse immediately following And so it is written the first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit You seo clearly that this relateth to the Natural and the Spiritual Body 2. Adam is here spoken of in respect to his Paradisical Body Jesus Christ to his Heavenly Body The place from which this is cited is the History of Adams Creation as he was brought into Paradise Gen. 2. 7. As his Body was taken new and pure out of the Virgin-Earth before the fall and the curse The first man was of the Earth Earthy v. 47. such as the first Earth of which he was composed which was then say some far siner than Christal Gold or Pearl yea than the Sun is now Angelical Earth Jesus Christ in that Body which here is meant is The Lord from Heavâ—n 3. As much as a living Soul differeth from the quickning Spirit that is as much as a small Stream of
Life from the Ocean which hath its Fountain in itself which is therefore unconfined and infinite as much as a little Shadow from the Eternal Incomprehensible Truth and Substance such is the dissimilitude and disproportion between the beautiful Body of Adam in Paradise and the Blessed Body of our dear Lord in Heaven As the Earth in Essence and Appearance in Greatness and Glory in vertue and Comprehension differeth from Heaven not only this Heaven which we see not the Heaven of Angels above our sight but that Heaven out of which our Jesus cometh as Lord of all an Heaven higher than all created Heavens such is the difference between the New-created Body of Adam our first Father which shone about his spotless Soul as the Light about the Sun and the glorified Body of Jesus our first and last Lord and Love O all ye that hear and believe admire with me the insiniteness of the wisdom and love of our God who hath made the loss of Paradise by Sin so great a gain to us instead of that giving us our Jesus But we shall come yet more clearly to the mark at which we aim if we examine these words more exactly To that end I shall propound three Questions 1. Question What the general Nature of a Body is Answ. A Body is the compleat Image Instrument and Fulness of that Soul or Spirit to which it doth belong Col. 2. 17. A Body and a Shadow are set opposite one to another Which are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ or is Christs is the Body of Christ. A Body and a Shadow agree in being an Image But the Shadow is a confused useless emply Image the Body express Instrumental Substantial and full In the same Chapter a little before v. 9. we read of the Lord Iesus in him dwelleth all the Fulness of the GodHead bodily God is the Person in Christ the glorified Body of our blessed Saviour is the express Image of the God-Head God is seen there as a Man is at home in his house nakedly clearly familiarly constantly entirely in all Forms and Postures This glorious Body is the Universal and Immediate Instrument of the God-Head the Sphear of its Activity God judgeth all acteth all exerciseth all the operations of the Divine Nature and life here as the Sun runeth his race from the beginning to the end of it in his proper Orb and Heaven God dwelleth with all his fulness in this Body He delighteth to pour out into the Body of our Beloved and his Beloved all the precious Treasures of his God-Head Here he delighteth to possess and enjoy them in a Bodily Form in the Form of a Spiritual Heavenly and Divine Body As at the Incarnation the word was made Flesh. A Body of Flesh Iohn 1. 14. by emptying itself to nothing so now is the Eternal Word again in the Resurrection made a Spiritual Body by returning and rising up into all its Fulnesses in the same Body in which he had emptied himself The Lord Jesus speaketh of himself in Glory when he saith In my Fathers house are many Mansions John 14. 2. The Body of our Bridegroom is a Spiritual Palace in which all the excellencies and Off-springs all the operations and works of the Divine Nature have their several distinct Mansions and apartments We read of a Tree in the branches of which all the Birds of Heaven have their Nests The Spiritual Body of Christ is the Tree of Life and of Love which hath Branches enough and large enough for all the Birds of the highest Heaven the seven Spirits of God with all their Train all the variety of the God-Head to make their several Nests in them I may add also for all the Beasts of the Field all inferiour Forms of Things to lodge under its Shadow You who love the Lord Jesus and his Appearances doth not this move you doth not this make your hearts to spring and dance in your breasts to hear that your Saviour is cloathed with this Heavenly Body so full of Glory and of God Can we forbear now from saying to our own hearts and one to another these five short words 1. If we have formerly known any thing besides our Jesus let us now know it no more If we have hitherto known Christ after the Flesh let us know him so no more This is the only object worth all our knowledge and study Jesus in his Spiritual Body purer and brighter than the Body of Heaven in Paradise far beyond that in the height variety and compass of its Glories 2. How black doth every Sin appear in this Light of our Lords glorified Body When a Soldier was about to kill Cresus his dumb Son cryed out thou killest the King So cry to every Lust in thine heart thou crucifiest my Jesus in his Spiritual Body the Body of all Divine Beauties shining like a Divine Sun upon thee comprehending thee as the highest â—eaven In every Creature in which thou seest not the blessed Light of this Body in which thou doest not kiss it with the pure mouth of the Spirit in thee thou doest crucisy it 3. Is not this Bosom this Heavenly Body of our Beloved a Field of Lillies indeed the Field of all Spiritual Beauties and Divine Graces Shall we not like pleasant Roes be ever feeding here As Booz said to Ruth let us never go into any other Field to gather or to feed Is not this the Paradise itself in the third Heavens where all the Fulnesses of the God-Head are in a Body a Divine Body 4. How pure and Spiritual are we to be in Body and Spirit if we are to be Brides to this Lamb of God whose Body outshineth all the Angels and is raised to a degree of Spirituality far above them 5. Is this that Body of which the poorest believing Soul may say by the Law of its Spiritual Marriage my Jesus hath not power over his own Body but I have power over it to command its presence with me to delight my self in it as my Garden of Eden of pleasure to bring forth Fruit by it Is this that glorious Body of Christ to which these vile Bodies yours and mine are to be made like by that Power by which he is able to subdue all things to himself to the similitude of this Body of Divine Glories Is this the Body into which we are taken up and which we are at home with when in death we are withdrawn from these Bodies of our Pilgrimage here Qu. 2. What the force of this phrase is A Living Soul The first Adam was made a Living Soul Was he not made a Body as well as a Soul The Body seemeth to be so far from being concerned here that it is excluded Ans. This Word Soul hath Three Acceptions in the New Testament and so that which answereth it in the Old 1. It is taken for the Person composed of Soul and Body So Gen. 46. 26. All the Souls which came with
Jacob out of Egypt which came out of his loyns that is All the Persons For the Immortal Soul cometh not out of the Parent 's loyns 2. The Soul signifieth the Natural State by the first Creation in distinction from the Spiritual State by Grace 1 Cor 2. 14. The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit It is properly The Man of Soul So in this 1. Cor. 15. 44. There is a Natural Body there is a Spiritual Body In Greek it is There is the Body of a Soul and the Body of a Spirit The word is the same there and in v. 45. A Living Soul 3. By Soul is meant that Life which the Soul exerciseth in the Body and which dependeth upon the Body The Life of Sense and Reason as it is inseparable from Sense Jude 19. Sensual not having the Spirit The word Sensual is the same with Soul Men of Soul From these Scriptures laid together you may collect this Explanation of a Living Soul A Natural Person living a Life of Sense and of Reason awakened by Sense and inseparably tied to Sense in an Earthly Body The Body is as the tree the Life as the Sap the Root as the Person out of which both spring and in which both are comprehended Such as the Tree is such is the Sap and such the Root which have their perfection in the Tree Such as the Earthly Body is such is the Life such is the Person of the first Adam For the Body is the Result and proper Image of the other two But the surest and clearest Light into this Phrase a Living Soul will be that Scripture where it is first used and whence it is cited Gen. 2. 7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of Life and man became a Living Soul Three things lie plain in this Text. 1. The denomination of Man is put peculiarly and signally upon the Body God formed Man of the dust of the Earth 2. That part in Man distinct from the Body is expresly here named a breath of Life 3. The Living Soul is the Body having received the breath of Life into it Man became a Living Soul Man relateth evidently to the beginning of the verse God formed Man that is the Body of the dust of the Earth So in this Chapter to the Corin. The Body is called the Man The first Man is of the Earth Eartâ—y v. 46. The reason why the Holy Ghost peculiarly respected the Body while he speaketh of Man seemeth to be this the Body was the united Image and Fulness of all those Beings and Beauties which were divided thorow the whole Câ—eation a most harmonious Body and sacred Collection of all those â—iving Excâ—lences Appearances and Operations of the Eternal Spirit which made up the several Creatures like single Flowers in a Garden Thus the Body of Adam was a Paradise in Paradise the Paradise of Paradise The breath of Life was in this glorious Body as a Spring in a Garden to quicken and to animate it Without this Body the breath of Life is naked and solitary except Christ above the Law of Nature be in the place of a Body to it which St. Paul signifieth 2 Corin. 5. 6 8. Where he speaketh of being at home in the Body and absent from the Lord and again of being absent from the Body and present with the Lord. By this time it appeareth with some clearness that the living Soul is either the Body of the First Man having received the breath of Life into it or at least his Person consisting of Both comprehending Both but with a Principal respect to the Body This only I will add that nothing is more frequent with most Authors and Languages than to express the Soul without the Body by a Shade or Shadow I have now finished the 2d Question What we are to understand by a Living Soul Before I pass from it let us make a stand here while we hearken to a Twofold Voice from Heaven sounded in the very Essence of a Living Soul 1st O Living Soul cease from thy self and from every thing round about thee 2. O Living Soul cast thy self into the Bosom of thy Saviour and cleave to Him 1. O Living Soul cease from thy self and from every thing round about thee Consider what thou art what an Emptyness what a Vanity what a Nothing Thy Body is of the Earth Earthly The Earth is a meer Darkness without any Form or Vertue except that which it receiveth by the impression of Heaven above it figuring itself upon it like the Images of the Sky in the Waters Thy Body is a piece of this Darkness All that which it hath of Being Beauty or Goodness is the Figure of the Heavenly Body of Christ cast from above upon it Thus thy Body in Paradise was a Shadow onely What then is the Breath of Life in this Body which is suitable to it and confined to it which hath this Body for its only Cloathing for its proper Image and Fulness which hath the Compleatness of its Subsistency and Operations in it which hath it for its Glass in which alone it beholdeth it self and all Objects in which alone it converseth with them This is a Shadow of a Shadow a Shadow in a Shadow the Dream of a Shadow The Body a Shadow the Life of this Body the Dream of a Shadow The Person then which consisteth of this Shadowy Life in a Shadowy Body can be but a Shadowy Person This is the Best of Man in his best Estate the Living Soul in its primitive purity and Glory Adam in Paradise a Shadow and no more So saith the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. The first man was a Figure a rude Type a confused Shadow of Him who was to come The Shadow lyeth upon the ground often moveth and appeareth before the Body But the Body is first is above it casteth the Shadow from it and governeth all its Motions If this were Man the golden Head and Sun in the Paradiscal world if all the Creatures in their Paradisical Births and Beauties went forth were renewed every moment from the Divine Presence resting in the Center of his Person and surrounding him as Beams go forth from the Sun what then were all the pieces of Nature in their first Strength Lustre and Sweetness but Shadows of this Shadow None had the Principle or Truth of its being in itself nor the Power of itself for a moment But now Man and the whole Creation are fallen by Sin the Figure in the Shadow is defaced the Impression and Image of the Eternal Glory in the Darkness of the Creature which gave it a Being a Beauty a Force are withdrawn The Frame of Nature is now a Pit of Darkness full of Confusion where Death reigneth in the midst of all sorts of deformity and weakness That Counsel of the Lord was seasonable in Paradise itself Es. 2. l. Cease from Man whose breath is in his Nostrils
one Spirit In the verse before he had said What know ye not that he who is joyned to an Harlot is one Body For two saith he shall be one Flesh. v. 16. Here the discourse is clearly of the Body As the earthly Marriage maketh two Bodies one Flesh the Heavenly Marriage maketh them one Spirit The union between our glorified Lord and our Bodies in the Resurrection is as immediate and entire as between our Saviour and our Souls so that these also are Spirits and one Spirit with him Is not his Body then first a Spirit Doth not the Union between the Divine Nature and his Blessed Body make that a Spirit and one Spirit with itself The glorified Body and Soul of a Saint are one Spirit They are one Spirit with the glorified Body and Soul of their Jesus with the three Persons in the Trinity with all Beautiful and blessed Spirits All are one Spirit Yet are they all distinct Spirits If the distinction were taken away the Harmony the Beauty the Musick the Marriage-joy and Marriage-love in Heaven were all lost Obj. But you will say how can this be Are not Body and Spirit contrary How then can a Body be a Spirit Ans. Flesh and Spirit are every where in Scripture opposed one to the other but not so a Body and a Spirit Those very Terms on which the Contrariety is set so frequently by the Holy Ghost between Flesh and Spirit shew that the Heavenly Body the true Body the Body of Life and Glory is a Spirit I shall instance only in a Twofold Opposition one where the Flesh and the Spirit are set as Life and Death the other where they are set as the Truth or Beauty itself and the Vail upon it 1. The First is Rom. 8. 6. To be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually-minded is Life and Peace In each of these Words Life Peace all Joys of Life and Immortality are expressed by the language of the Spirit Both together are Joys heaped upon Joys Blessedness upon Blessedness to express the Infiniteness in which they rise up ever New though there can be never any thing more Or the Circle of Eternity where all Fulnesses of Life and Joy run one into another multiplying themselves upon themselves endlesly Life is the Flourishing State of Things a Perpetual Spring The Happiness of Princes the Blessedness of the Divine Nature is sum'd up in Life Live O King The Lord liveth Peace is the whole Gift and Legacy of Christ to His Saints My Peace I leave with you My Peace I give unto you It is All the Good that goeth along with His Presence and Appearance in His Immortal state Hee stood in the midst of them saying Peace be with you when He appeared to them after His Resurrection Peace is the Plenary Rest of all Parts and Faculties of the whole Person in a perfect Union with and full Fruition of their proper Objects in Perfection The Greek Word for Peace signifieth the Band of all Perfections the Circle of Eternity All things within and without linked together in the Golden Chain of a Blessed and Divine Harmony making an Ornament of Beauty for the Soul to put on making a Musâ—ck to charm the Soul into the Divine Sleep of the sweetest and deepest Complacency The Hebrew Tongue expresseth Both Perfection and Peace by one Word This is the Name of him who was the Eminent Figure of Christ in Glory Solomon This is the Name of Jesus Himself as He sitteth upon the Throne of the Divine Nature in the Kingdom of the Spirit Isa. 9. 6. The Prince of Peace Some translate it very properly The Prince The Peace or Perfection Shalom But to apply this to our purpose The Image of things as they stand in the Spirit is in it self the Appearance of things in this Image is to those who see it Life and Peace that is Eternity of Blessedness Heaven it self But the Image and Appearance of things in Flesh is not onely Dying or Dead It is Death itself The Life of Nature and of Flesh is a Shadow onely of Life and the Death of the True Life which is in the Spirit This universal Image of things which we call the World comprehending the whole Creation in all its Beauty is no more than the Grave in which the Spiritual Image lyeth sleeping the sleep of death 2. The second Opposition between Flesh and Spirit is that of the Truth and the Vail upon the Truth Job 4. 24. Our Saviour saith The Father seeketh such Worshippers as worship Him in Spirit and Truth Spirit and Truth are here joyned in the same sense as Spirit and Life go together Job 6. v. 63. The words that I speak they are Spirit and they are Life The Spirit is the Truth and the Life The Flesh is a Dead Counterfeit as a Picture is the Counterfeit of a Man being neither the Life nor the Truth 1 Joh. 6. 6. The Spirit beareth witness For the Spirit is the Truth The Spirit is the last and onely Witness For the Spirit is the Truth itself the Universal and Eternal Truth There are two Maxims in Philosophy that All Truths and the Essences of things are Eternal The Truth then and Essence of a Saint's Body and of Christ's the true and essential Body is a Spirit in the Eternal Spirit It is not Living but Life it self The Body of Flesh is a Vail upon this True Body which is an Immortal Spirit So it is expresly named Heb. 10. v. 20. where Christ is said to have entred and made a living way for us into the most Holy Place by the rending of the Vail that is His Flesh. The true Body is a Spirit and Spring of Immortality in the most Holy Place the Eternal Spirit When it cometh forth from thence into the open streets and fields of this Creation it casteth over itself the Vail of this Fleshly Body In Death it rendeth and casteth off this Vail of Flesh so it returneth pure and naked in the Resurrection into the most Holy Place into the Eternal Spirit again where it ever stood after an unchangeable manner in its simple and unvailed Beauties So is that Mystery of the Gospel accomplished in the blessed Body of our Saviour No one goeth up into Heaven but he who come down out of Heaven the Son of Man who is in Heaven Qu. But you will ask me now What becometh of this Body of Flesh in the Râ—surrection Ans. What becometh of the Seed of a Plant in the Spring and the Summer The Plant first contracteth its Parts and Powers its Beauties and Sweetâ—â—sses under a Vail while it maketh itself a Seed Then again it breaketh this Seed casteth off the Vail discovereth by degrees its entire Form with all its Flowers and Fruits As before the Plant was hid and imprisoned in every poâ—nt of the Seed so is the Seed now Flourishing and rejoycing with all its several vertues and pleasant Forms in every part of the Plant. We read
Job 1. 14. The Word was made Flesh. The true and Spiritual Body which is an Immortal Plant in the Heavenly Paradise according to the Almighty Power and Mysterâ—ous Will of the Eternal Word in which it standeth and Flourisheth maketh itself into a Body of Flesh. Again by the same Power in the sweet and glorious Mystery of the same Will it maketh this Flesh a Spirit If you ask now where it is it is Singing and Triumphing throughout all the Divâ—ne Powers throughout all the â—nnumerably various Forms of Eternal Life Beauty and Joy in the Heavenâ—y Body â—or that which was Flesh is now Spirit As the Tabernacle was removed into the Temple when the Temple was built up and set there as a part of the Sacred Mysteries in that Holy Place so the Spiritual Body when it is raised taketh up into itself and comprehendeth in itself the Vailing Form of Flesh as a Beautiful Form in that Divine Mystery which it finisheth in itself Qu. But you will say now perhaps How is this done by what Power and in what manner is the Body of our Lord in the Resurrection made a Quickning Spirit Ans. I answer that it is done by vertue of the Personal Union between the Divine and Humane Nature in Christ. The Person is the Word the Eternal Spirit This Word the Soul the Body of our beloved Jesus are all one Person so all one Eternal Spirit the Fountain of Life As the Soul is said to be all in the whole Body and All in every part of it so is the Person in Christ the Immmâ—rtal Word All in the whole Humane Nature and All in every part of it either Soul or Body The Union between the Divine Nature in our Bridegroom and his glorified Body is equally immediate and entire as between that and his Triumphant Soul The Humane Nature subsisteth and standeth in the Divine as a Tree in its Root But this Union in the days of his Flesh is as that between the Tree and its Root in Winter The Resurrection is our Saviours Spring-time and Summer Every living Root in Spring ceaseth not to send forth its Sap into the Tree until it have brought forth the Tree into that Form and laden it with those Fruits which are proper to the Root In the Resurrection the Divine Nature riseth up with all its Sweetness and Fatness all its Vertues and Powers into the Humane Nature till it have spread and fashioned it entirely into its own Form till it have laden it all over with the precious Fruits of its own excellencies Joys and Glories In every power part and point of Soul and Body though never so mean so small the Fountain of the God-Head openeth itself the Fulness of the God-Head poureth forth itself that as the Waters cover the Sea so every distinct Part or Point appeareth as a distinct Sea of the Divine Life Joys Loves and Glories without bottom or bound This O shadowy Man O faln lost Man is thy Jesus thy Life thy Saviour Look to this Jesus with an Eye of Faith with an Eye of Love live by Him live in Him live to Him Triumph thou because of this Jesus Look to Him as 1. Thy Principle 2. Thy Pattern 3. Thy Price 4. Thy Portion 1. Look to this Jesus who is All-Beautiful with the Beauty of the GodHead itself as thy Principle I am the vine ye are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him bringeth forth much fruit Without me ye can do nothing saith Jesus Christ Job 15. 5. The Tree first comprehendeth the Branch in itself then sendeth it forth supplying it continually with its own Life and Sap. By the vertue of this Life Sap the Branch taketh hold of the Tree sucketh in continually fresh and vital nourishment by which it flourisheth and bringeth forth much fruit What shall I say for thee who yet partakest not of the sweetness and fatness of this Spiritual Tree of Life and love Thou canst bring forth no Fruit thou canst do nothing towards thine own fruitfulness Without this Jesus thou canst do nothing O that thou didst understand thine own Emptiness and the Fulness of Sap in this Vine How truly All things Angels Men All the Creatures can do nothing are nothing without this Jesus that Spirit which is the onely Truth the onely Lfe in and thorow All I will pray over thee with inward bleedings of Divine Love from my heart O that Jesus thy Root who comprehendeth even thee also in the Fulness of His Heavenly sap and vertue would bring thee forth by a new birth as a Heavenly branch in Himself O that He would continually milk forth from His Breast the streams of His Life into thee Thus He abideth in thee Now do thou now wilt thou by Him abiding in thee abide in Him Shoot forth thy self into Him as roots do their Sprigs and Branches into the Earth beneath by the actings of thy Faith upon him Draw his Spirit and Grace into thy self Be green be fair and flourishing in the Eye of Heaven Bring forth much Fruit for thy self thy Saviour thy Heavenly Father all Angels and blessed Spirits to feed upon in Eternity 2. Look to this Jesus as thy Pattern What thou hast seen done in his Soul and Body by the Union between these and the God-Head the same Glory shall be brought forth in thy Soul and Body also by the Union between him and thee if thou in thy Soul and Body adhere and stick to his glorified Soul and Body as they are full of the Eternal Word dwelling in them and resting upon them The Angels reproved the Disciples when Christ was taken up into Glory because they looked to a visible Heaven to see their glorified Lord still with Eyes of Flesh Why stand you here gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven I say to you in another sense stand and look upon your Jesus as he ascends This is your Pattern As you have seen him in his Humane Nature go up out of all Fleshly and Visible Images into an Invisible Glory as you have seen him taken out of the sight of every created Eye in the white Cloud of the most excellent Majesty of the Father which is the Heaven of Heavens so shall the same Jesus in like manner come again in your Souls and Bodies descending into them upon those Spiritual Heavens and changing them by degrees from Glory to Glory till they also put off every thing of Flesh and disappearing to every natural Eye be made perfectiâ—n the same Spirit to be for ever together with him there where he is and like him 3. Look to Jesus as thy Price The Lord taketh notice of the low thoughts and disesteem which the Jews had of him by that which they gave for him thirty pieces of Silver This saith he by the Prophet is the Price at which they valued me
droppeth from the Lips of Christ like Myrrhe from Lillies Joh c. 3. v. 15. No one ascendeth into Heaven but He who cometh down out of Heaven the Son of Man who is in Heaven Mark how the Lord to prevent all Objections â—ixeth that Title the Son of Man upon that which hath its constant abode in Heaven all along the several degrees of its descent and Ascent Jesus Christs encompasseth and circleth in His Human Nature Descending walkiâ—g sadly on the Earth hanging on the Cross lying in the Grave with the Glory of the same Humane Nature Eternal in the Heavens I will now finish my Building and lay the Top-stone by giving you three Representations of the Person of your Beloved with its Beauty in the Resurrection as his Spiritual Soul and Spiritual Body stand in the same Glory with their Spiritual Principle and Pattern as they are two distinct Heavens exactly answering that Heaven from which they come it being both their Mine and their Mint So I shall conclude this use 1. Repres All my representations shall be grounded on clear Scriptures Can. 8. 6. The Spouse prayeth to Christ Set me as a Seal upon thine Heart as a Seal upon thine Arm. The prayers of the Heavenly Bride are made by the Spirit according to the will of God and so are always answered The Divine and Humane Nature are Bridegroom and Bride married together in one Person As the Impression of a Seal in Wax hath all its Substance and Subsistance in the Wax is nothing but what the Wax is in that Form so the glorified Soul and Body of our Blessed Lord stand as Seals as Impressions in that glorious depth of Love of Light of Life of all Being which is the Root and Heart of the God-Head they stand as Sealed Impressions on the Arm of God that is on every Excellency every Beauty every form of Glory in which the God-Head with endless variety with incomprehensible Sweetness and Majesty spreadeth forth itself This is all that which they are the unfathomable Love and Innumerable Beauties of the Divine Nature in the Forms of a Divine Soul and a Divine Body 2. Repres Job c. 38. 14. speakâ—ng of the New Heaven and Earth telleth us that they are turned to the Eternal word as Clay to the Seal The Manhood of Christ in Glory hath the first Model of these in itself As a Golden Seal maketh the Impression of itself on Wax and then fixeth itself unto a constant abode in the Impression which it hath made so the Eternal Word imprinteth by itself immediately upon its own Soul and Body a clear deep and full Image of itself in all the Treasures of its Immortal Life and Blessedness uniting itself in its Divine Substance to this Divine Image most intimately most intirely inseparably After this manner the Glory with which the Humane Nature of Christ is glorified is the Form and fulness of the Divine Nature in its Purity unmixt with any other Substance or Image in its Perfection possessing comprehending enjoying itself in each distinct part here distinctly and compleatly The God-Head by its unvailed Presence and full Appearance at once fashioneth the Manhood of our Jesus in every part and point into its own Supream Form and filleth that Form throughout with its own most glorious Fulness 3. Repres St. Paul telleth the Saints that their Souls and Bodies are Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Corin. 6. 19. If it be so in the Members it is so without question in the Head Jesus himself calleth his Body a Temple Destroy this Temple and in three days I will build it up again This he spake of his Body The Divine Nature the Glorified Soul the Spiritual Body of our Heavenly Bridegroom are three wonderful Temples The matter of which these Temples are made is all Spirit of the Eternal Spirit the Light of Eternal Life in the Spirit The fashion of these Buildings is the form of God All the Beauties and varieties of the Essential Wisdom all the ravishing delights of the first the highest and most universal Harmony in the God-Head shine in every part of these living structures Within is seen the high and Holy Trinity with all its deep dazling and delightful Mysteries unvailed all the Persons appearing in the Lights of their naked and united Beauties In the pure and transparent brightness of this Supream Glory which is the first and the last are seen all things that ever passed or are to pass over the Stage of this Creation from the Beginning to the End with their several Motions and Changes yea Forms far more innumerable and greater than ever were or can be seen in this World the whole compass of Eternity and Time as it cometh down out of Eternity as it beareth the Figure of it as it returneth again as it lieth in the bosom of Eternity as it is one piece with it and maketh a Triumphant part of the Divine variety there All these are seen in the amiable and admirable Face of the Trinity within these Temples as they are continually rising up out of their Fountain the Unity of the first and most transcendent Love the Father of all as they are continually falling down into this Fountain again as they are ever playing upon the bosom of it All things are seen here as rich varieties in the Harmony of an entire and Immortal Beauty which comprehendeth all Forms and hath no bound besides itself which sitteth entire and undivided upon every Form and Part throughout the whole which is the only Birth and Image of the Father All things are seen here as they make up one unexpressible Marriage-Joy between this Love the Father the Original and this Beauty the Birth the Son the Image by which they both breath forth themselves into one Spirit the Band and Union the Inmost Center and outmost Circle of all Sweetnesses Graces Amiablenesses Pleasantnesses Pleasures Rests Complacencies Delights and Joys thorow Heaven Earth Time Eternity In these three Temples these Things are to be observed that we may understand their Divine Nature and wonderful make aright 1. All three are perfectly distinct in the highest degree of distinction each from other 2. All three perfectly answer and are alike to one another 3. Every one comprehendeth the other Two exactly and entirely in itself that all Three stand together in each several Temple 4. All three Temples joyn perfectly into one Temple 5. The first Temple is the precious and living Stone out of which the other two grow up into living Temples It is the Root the Life the Substance the Form the Fulness the perfection the glory of the other Two I must interpose here two Cautions to prevent mistakes 1. Cant. Preserve carefully the distinction between Spiritual Things both in the Person of our Saviour and in his Mystical Body The Spirit taketh away all Separations and Divisions from God All breaches upon the Unity of God are wounds with which Sin pierceth the Prince of Life The Spirit
healeth these breaches But it preserveth entire all distinctions of things in God in the Divine Unity The God-Head the Manhood the Soul the Body the Persons of the Saints and of their Saviour ever keep their proper parts in the variety to make the Musick of Heaven pleasant As Spirituality heightneth the Unity beyond every Created comprehension that the Sweetness and the Glory may be heightned in like manner so doth it enlarge the variety beyond all finite proportions that the Marriage-Joy may be more free more fresh more full 2. Cant. Preserve carefully the distinction between God and the Creature God is that which he is in himself and of himself The Creature is that which it is by its Union with God This is the Incommunicable Name of God I am that which I am The name of every Creature on Earth and in Heaven is I am that which I am in God I am that which God is in me I have now made an end of my third Proposition which was this that the Spiritual Body of Christ is to be compared with its Spiritual Principle and Pattern Jesus speaketh to this sense in one place If they had known the Father they would have know me if they had known me they would have known you they The Person of the Bridegroom is known aright only by its Pattern and in its Principle which is the Father as he is the brightness of the Fathers Glory the express Image of his Substance and sporteth eternally in his Bosom The Person of a Saint is then only seen aright when it is seen by its Pattern and in its Principle which is the Heavenly Bridegroom as it is the brightness and fulness of him who shineth thorow and filleth All in All the Glory of Christ in Christ like the purest Light rejoycing continually in the Bosom of the Sun I am now arrived at the end of my second Rule to compare Spiritual Things with Spiritual And thus I have concluded my present use which is a direction to the knowledge of the Person of Christ and his Beauty Use 3. An exhortation to Holiness and Comfort thorow Faith in Jesus Christ. This exhortation is raised upon these three Grounds 1. Ground The Person of our Lord is unchangeable For he is in his true Person when the Vail is taken off from him an Eternal Spirit in an Eternal Glory John 8. 58. He saith of himself Before Abraham was I am I am is the name of Eternity and unchangeableness See how the Lord Jesus comprehendeth all the Successions and Distances of Time before Abraham from Abraham to that moment as one present sixt undivided point in himself As a Rock standeth firm on the Shore while Millions of waves rise and fall at its foot such a Rock of glory and Eternity is our Saviour While all the Streams of Time roul along successively and pass away while all the waves of change life up themselves reak bury themselves onein another this Beautiful and blessed Personstandeth unchanged unmoved in the midst of them all How great an Encouragement is this to you who are tost with the Tempests upon the Sea of this world and find no rest to retire and withdraw your selves into Jesus Christ by Faith His glorious Person is a perpetual Calm with Sun-shine Here in him in the midst of all the Storms of this world is the same sweet untrou-bled Calm which was in Eternity before the woâ—ld was Mal. 3. 6. Our Saviour is brought in speaking after this manner For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed The unchangeableness of the Lord Jesus is founded upon the unity of his Person in which he comprehendeth beholdeth converseth with himself and all things It is said to this Jesus by the Psalmist cited Heb. 1. 8. Thy Throne O God endureth for ever and ever This Throne in the same Epistle is stiled a Throne of Grace that is of Love The Person of Christ in its Unity is the Throne of Love and Eternity Hear this Word all Sinners and Saints Hear this you who have an ear to hear what the Spirit saith of the Person of Christ. You that have none let this word come to you and make in you a hearing Ear. Hear this you who believe not that you may believe you who have Faith that you may have it in greater abundance The same Eye with which Jesus Christ looked upon you the same Beauty in which he beheld you the same Love with which he embraced you in himself in Eternity before that Sin or the world had any Being with the same Eye he now looketh upon thee in the same Beauty he now beholdeth thee with the same Love he now embraceth thee in the midst of all thy Pilgrimages through so many Darknesses and Deaths For he is unchangeable All the Waters all the Fires of Temptations and Troubles thorow which thou passest cannot drown consume or at all empair thy Beauties thy Joys For thou awakest and findest thy self ever with thy Beloved thy Jesus thou findest him the same to thee thou findest thy self the same in him For he changeth not So those Waters and fires vanish as a Dream 2. Ground The Pâ—rson of Christ comprehendeth all Changes in itself after an unchangeable manner Heb. We are commanded to look to Jesus the end of our Conversation the same yesterday to day and for ever As all successions of Time lie united in one point in one present undivided moment in Eternity where all things past and to come are ever present and every thing of Time appeareth cloathed with the Form of Eternity so do all changes lie in one unchangeable Glory in the Lord Jesus The Yesterday of Inâ—initeness before the world this worlds Day Eternity after this world are 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 one Eternity of Life and Love in this blessed Person This world in itself lieth as a small Island in the midst of the Ocean of Eternity bounding it on all sides In the Heavenly Person of Christ this Island is sunk and swallowed up into the Depths of that Ocean Which way soever you look there is nothing but Heaven and Eternity Are you wearied with the Changes of your own Heart and This World Retire into the bosom of your Loving God and Saviour There every Change lyeth in an Unchangeable Beauty and Blessedness Do variety of Objects with their Changes distract and divide you making you unsetled and unsafe Would you be unchangeable in a Holy and Heavenly Frame of Heart Would you be unmoved in the Work and Joy of the Lord Fix your Eye on Jesus Christ Abide in Jesus Christ. There you shall see the Same there you shall be the Same Yesterday to Day and for Ever The Lord was buried in a New Tomb hewed out of a Rock in a Garden What a Mysterious what a beautiful what a blessed Figure is this Let us fear none of those things that are to come upon us A Sick-bed a Prison a Grave
Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under his Shadow with great delight and his Fruit was sweet to my taste There are three distinct parts in the Hebrew 1. I desired and sweetly delighted in his Shadow 2. Then I sate down 3. And his Fruit was sweet to my taste The Apple in Holy Scriptures and in the writings of Learned Authors is famous for a pleasant Cordial nourishment of Life and for an Emblem of Love You may see this in this Chapter v. 5. Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of Love Apples are Emblems of Love for their pleasant looks to the Eye their fragrant smell their delightful tast their cordial vertue their round form which is a Figure of Unity the Root and Sap and Fruit of all Love In the midst of the Wood of this Life where all Forms of things are like blasted and barren Trees good neither for Shade nor Fruit Jesus Christ standeth as an Apple-Tree a Tree of Life and a Tree of Love Fair Flourishing and Fruitful When the poor Spouse of Christ thorow all this Life is wearied with scorching Heats sounding Tempests raging Storms then her Beloved when He seeth His Fit Time springeth up as a Paradisical and Heavenly Tree As He springeth up He overshadoweth His Spouse not as a cloud overshadoweth the Sun or as Darkness in the absence of the Sun overshadoweth the earth but as the approaching and rising Sun overshadoweth the Stars So the Lord as a Tree of Glory spreadeth His Shadow over all those Lights of the Night the Principles Powers Activities Appearances oâ— the Natural Man drinking them up into One Light of Glory and Immortality with Himself while He drowneth them with a Sea of Love breaking in upon them and overflowing them How sweet is this Approaching Shadow of her Lord's Blessed Person to the Love-sick Soul a Shadow perfumed with the Ointments of His Love shining with the purple Lustre of His Beauties quickened with the Life of His Glories a Divine Shadow With what Desire with what Delight doth the Holy Soul go under this Shadow How precious in the Eye of God of all the Angels of a Saint Himself is This Death This Death is no Evening to a pleasant Day but a Lovely Morning and glorious Sun putting out the Lights of the Moon with all the Sars because the Time of the Night is past and the Day is come Never did the softest and sweetest Sleep 〈◊〉 with more pleasure upon the Senses of any Person than this Shadow of Death cometh upon the Heavenly Bride Here a Saint sitteth down As Hee entreth into this Shadow he entreth into Rest into the Unâ—ty of God where He resteth for ever from his own Work and Spirit to lye down in the Eternal Spirit Now he catâ—h of his own Apple upon this Apple-Tree He meeteth with Himself in Glory in the Glorified Person of his Beloved as the ripe Fruit of Life and Love hanging ready upon its own Tree in Eternity In the same moment he seeth it he taketh it in he rellisheth it with unexpressible sweetness and delight as being Great Glorious His own by the nearest dearest Suitableness and propriety Himself in the Entirest Unity in the same Moment he seedeth upon it is Transubstantiated into it and becometh that Lovely Apple that full-ripe Fruit of â—ove upon the Tree As he thus seedeth upon his own Apple and is changed into it at once he seedeth upon is changed into all the Apples of the Tree and the whole Tree itself For this is the Divine Mystery of Spiritual Pâ—anâ—s in the Heaveâ—ly Paradise each Fruit each part of the Plâ—nt comprehendeth the whole Pâ—ant all the Plants stand live and grow together in each Plant. Every Person aâ—d Spirit in Glory hath its own Name all Names written upon it It is itself an Entire Heaven in which all the Heavenly Inhabitants shine and sing and dance together with their various Beauties Musicks and Motions cast into the most Divine Harmony by a most perfect Unity 3. Script Iohn 14. v. 2. 3. In my Father's hâ—use are many Mansions If it 〈…〉 I would have tâ—ld you I go to prepare a place for 〈◊〉 And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come again â—nd receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Three Mysteries are opened to us in these words 1. The Place of Blessed Persons after this Life 2. The Preparation of this Place 3. Their Passage into this Place All are full of a Joy glorious and unspeakable 1. The Place of Blessed Spirits after this Life It is saith Christ my Father's House The House of the Father is the Glorified-Person of His Son This is the Temple of God in Heaven the Palace of the great King In Him the fulness of the God-Head dwelleth bodily All glorious Persons Angels Saints and Spirits as they are comprehended in the Person of Christ and make up His Body the Divine Body the Body of Glories and Eternity in Him as they are Beautiful Members in that Body so are they Mansions in that Temple Apartments in that Palace Every Apartement in this Divine Palace hath the whole Palace with all the Persons Prospects Furniture Entertainments of the whole within itself This is the Place 2. The Preparation of this Place I go to prepare a place for you While this Palace of Eternity with all its Apartments which are also its Inhabitants the Glorified and Immortal Persons of all Saints stood in the Father in the Divine Nature alone it was hid from the Eye of every Creature it was shut up that none could enter into it it was remote from every Creature at a very great distance The Lord Jesus by His Death and Resurrection entring with the Humane Nature into this Eternal Habitation hath set it up in the Nature of Man hath brought it near to us hath set it in our view hath set it open for us The Gates of this Temple of this Heavenly Hierusalem stand open day and night to all quarters of the Heaven and the Earth All the Apartements of it with our several Names written upon them our several Persons in Glory appearing in them stand ready The Lord Jesus Himself is the Beautiful Gate the Living Way the Ascent the rich Stair-case to this Temple The Angels are continually descending in Him as Chariots to bring down riding upon them our glorious Saviour and our glorious Selves into the Bosom of our Spirits here below The Bridegroom and the Bride ready trimm'd and already joyned in One come thus down out of Heaven come thus forth from the Temple The Angels are continually ascending by this Stair-case carrying up our Spirits beforehand on visits into this Palace into our own Apartments into the Bosom of our own Glorified and Immortal Substances there Every Grace every Providence every Motion of things to him whose Eyes are opened is such an Angel
God in the Valley of the shadow of Death in the Grave As a Sun at night casting up its Cloud and foretelling a fair day so is the Death of a Saint the Glorified Body of a Saint being one Spirit with the Glorified Body of his Beloved casteth up the Cloud of this Natural Body which had lien as the Cloud of Death upon it and now immediately maketh a â—air and Heavenly Day without the interposal or succession of any Night The Glorified Body of Christ and his Bride are hid under this Body oâ— Flesh like the Sun under a thick Mist. It is long glowing and casting glympses of itself thorow the Mist. The Mist groweth thinner The heat and light of Divine Love Beauty and Joy groweth stronger At last the Mist is quite gone drunk up into the Sun The Sun shineth out with open Face and the Freedom of all its Beams 3. Prince That which this Body is to a Saint here that his Glorified Jesus is to â—im in Death We take pleasure rather to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord saith St. Paul 2 Corin. 5. 8. These words Absent Present relate in Greek to a Country a People Such a presence as the Soul hath with the Body in Lie it hath with its Lord and Love in Death Here thy Body is the Country the Region of thy Soul Thy Body is the Image into which thy Soul is formed in which alone it appeareth to itself or others All thy Relations Companions Contentments are Images presented unto thee in this Glass and Impressions made upon thee by the Images appearing in this Glass All this World is nothing to thee but as it is an Appearance rising up in thy Body which by vertue of the Personal Union raiseth a suitable Act of Life in thy Soul All this World to thee is only a diversity of Forms into which it is varied and a diversity of Impressions made upon thy Soul by this variety of Forms In Death this Glass is broken this Image vanisheth this Country disappeareth like an Enchantment Thy Glorified Jesus cometh in the place of this Body and is a Heavenly a Divine Body to thee Thy Glorified Jesus is that Beautiful Pure and Immortal Form in which thou appearest to thy self and to all Thy Relations Companions Entertainments are the Glorified Person of thy Jesus varied into Innumerable Forms of Love Light and Loveliness All thy Motions Affections and Pleasures are in Sympathy and Consort with thy Jesus by vertue of the mystical and unexpressible Union between thee and him All acts of Life in thee all Touches upon thy Spirit are the kisses of his Divine Mouth Myrrhe dropping from those Lillies of the Heavenly Paradise his Lips This is thy Country thy People thy World the Fulness of the God-Head dwelling bodily in Christ. Spring for joy O dying Saint The World thy Country thine own People the Body into which thou now comest is the Fulness of all Divine Light Divine Life the Fulness of all Divine Forms Loves Joys and Glories dwelling together with the Fulness of a Divine Harmony in the Glorified Body of thy Beloved This hath drunk up into itself thy former Body with all its acquaintances and entertainments the former world with all its furniture PART II. Psal. 45. 2. Thou art fairer than the Children of Men Grace is poured forth in thy lips Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever I divided these words into three parts 1. THe Loveliness of our Lord Iesus Thou art fairer than the Children of Men. 2. The Love of Christ The Love of this Lovely One Grace is poured forth in thy lips 3. The Seal of the God-Head of a Divine Blessedness and of Eternity upon both these the Loveliness and the Love in this Glorified Person of our Saviour Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever I have finished my discourse on the first part I now take in hand the second part I have spoken something of the Loveliness of our Beloved One as I have by any Beam from his Beauties been enlightned to some glimmering vision of them and quickned to a weak expression of that which I have seen Now I am to speak of his Love as the Grace and Sweetness of it shall pour forth itself from his Lips into mine by a Spiritual kiss from the Mouth of this Heavenly Bridegroom Grace is poured forth in his Lips The rich composition of this Heavenly-sweet Sentence is made up of three rich Materials 1. Grace 2. Effusion or the pouring forth of this Grace 3. The Lips of the Lord Jesus These are to be explained 1. Grace This in the Language of the Scripture signifieth three Things 1. Grace is Love For the Grace of God which bringeth salvation to all Men hath appeared Tit. 2. 11. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward Men hath appeared Tit. 3. 4. That which in one place the Apostle calleth Grace in the other he expresseth by kindness and love Grace is love in its Fountain freest and sweetest 2. Grace is Loveliness or Beauty Prov. 31. 30. Favour is deceitful and Beauty is vain Favour there is Grace It is the same word in Hebrew with this in my Text. Grace is Beauty with its most powerful charms as it toucheth every Spirit answereth every desire maketh all things answer it and dance to its Musick So the Hebrew word imports 3. Grace is Joy or pleasure a fair and smiling Child begotten between these two amiable and ever-pleasant Parents Love and Beauty St. Paul commandeth the Saints to sing making melody to God with Grace in their hearts that is with Divine Joy kindled into a Heavenly Flame from the Love and Loveliness of the Lord Jâ—sus shining forth there unitedly and concentring their joint Beams in the Beloved Spirit Thus Grace is all three Love Loveliness and Joy all these with a peculiar and most eminent heightning as the Sunshine is the Grace of a Garden and the Fâ—owers in it So Grace in the sense of the Gospel is Love Beauty Delight with the God-Head the Sun of Spirits peculiarly and nakedly shining in them But principally and primitively Grace is Love Then it is Loveliness as that is the first Birth and lively Image of Love in which it bringeth forth itself to its own Eye and embraces then sporteth with it as its Spouse It is Pleasure as that springeth from the Union of these two and is their mutual Life and Perfection each in other Grace is a Tree where Love is the Root and Sap Loveliness the fair Tree with its Body and Branches rising out of this Root whose Sap formeth itself into this Beautiful Figure Joy is the Fruit into which the sweet Sap of Love from its Root thorow the Body and Branches of its shining Beauties digesteth itself unto a perfect admirable and Divine Maturity to be the Food and Feast of all Lives all Spirits in Time and Eternity It is Love smiling in the face of every Beauty which is
estate in the Flesh of Christ and his Members by a Dove a Groaning Dove The Dove is in the clefts of the Rock and the holes of the Stairs Cant. 2. The Spirit descended upon Jesus at his Baptism before his Temptations in the form of a Dove The Spirit in his Heavenly strength and Glory is set forth by an Eagle I have born them upon Eagles Wings saith God They shall mount up on high like an Eagle saith the Prophet Esay The Spirit is often expressed in the plural number because he is that Unity which is the Spring the Center the Circle and Band of all blessed Spirits He hath in himself an endless variety of Spiritual Glories which are all glorious Spirits in him as he is and one with him whithersoever his Will is to go they all go together with him He is therefore expressed by seven Lamps seven Spirits and Eagles here Where the Carcass is there the Eagles will be gathered together The end of all this is to make way for the letting in of a flood of Heavenly Balsom of Divine love upon every heart upon the broken heart to heal it upon the hardest heart to soften it Eagles from afar and from on high are drawn to slaughter'd Carcasses as to their proper Prey So when the Divine Image lyeth in thee as a loathsome Carcass at the bottom of a dark and deep Dungeon now is it the most proper Bait and most powerful Attractive of Divine love Now the Lord Jesus the Eternal Spirit with all the Troop of Spiritual Powers and Glories resort to this Carcass descend upon it hunger after it Now they feed and feast upon it until they have eaten it up until they have converted it into one pure nature and glorious Spirit with themselves When Ignatius was to be devoured by wild Beasts now saith he shall the Teeth of the Lyons grind me into fine Flower to make fine Manchet of me for the Table of God So do thou say concerning all thy Sufferings within and without These are the Divine Teeth of the Spirit of Heavenly love Now doth my God feed upon me If my God feed upon me if he nourish and enlarge his own Life Joys and Glory by me then shall he also change me take me up into himself diffuse his own Life Joys and Glory into me This is the first Answer Ans. 2. Dear Soul whoever whatever thou art thou art the Off-spring of God St. Paul citeth this from a Poet confirmeth it by a Divine Testimony applyeth it Universally to all maketh it the ground of Evangelical Truths and Loves Acts 17. 28. As some of your own Poets have said We are his Off-spring St. Paul hath something very like this Ephes. 3. 9. The Gospel was hid in God from the Foundation of the World who made all things by Jesus Christ. God had the love of the Gospel in his Heart and sowed it as a secret Seed in the Foundations of the whole Creation when he made all things by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Seed of Nature as well as of Grace and so lyeth hid in the Bosom of every Creature as the true Pearl in the Field That Divine Image of which we spake before was the similitude only the Mother of Pearl This is the Substance the Pearl itself In the Off-spring of God is the Seed of God Where the Seed of God is there is God himself in the Vertue Power and fulness of his Divine Nature For so the Seed of every Plant hath that Plant Virtually and Spiritually in it Be now no more unbelieving but believe Believe the love which God hath to thee Believe that all the Inclinations of the Divine Will are to thee that the Eye and heart of God are turned toward thee in every place fixt upon thee with all that intention and force of Sweetness in the Divine Nature For why He is drawn irresistibly to his own Seed his own Son his own self in thee Thou art his Off-spring When Micah was reproved for crying after the Company he replâ—ed Ye have carried away my Gods and ye say why criest thou after us No more now doubt and say why should the most high God with an Eye of love from Heaven thus follow me into every state of life into all the corners of my heart Why should he by a voice of love from Heaven in the Word in Providences in the motions of his Spirit thus cry and call after me Thou hast his Seed his Son himself in thee Do thou answer him again and say Thou seekest thy self thy Seed thy Sheep crucified buried lost in me O seek and find it find it and take it up into thine Arms keep it in thine Arms till thou bring it home to its own self to its lost Life Joys and Glories again But I also seek my Life my Original my true self hid with Christ in thee in the brightness of thy Glory O take thy crucified self in me home to thee into thy Bosom O give me my Glorified self with thee home to me into my Bosom Thus much for the second Answer Ans. 3. Still the wounded Spirit sigheth and saith Can God take pleasure in any thing common or unclean Dear Souls ever dear to the Divine Will when you have a sense of Sin or Love and when you have none understand the Mystery of the Divine Will in the order and method of Divine love When you understand this you will have a deep and kindly sense of Sin indeed but so as to have a righter and sweeter sense of love by it There is a Twofold Love in God a Love of Complacency or Delight a Love of Benevolence or good Will The first is that by which he taketh pleasure in thee as a Bridegroom in his beautiful Bride The second is that by which his Will is set on work to make thee beautiful and a Bride to himself The love of Complacency is the first and the last love The love of benevolence is a middle-love which ariseth out of this and endeth in it as Springs and Rivers come from the Sea and run into it This is the Order of Divine love First thou art beloved with a love of Complacency from Eternity as thou art seen in that Glass of Eternity the Word the Lord Jesus Secondly Thou art for this love's sake beloved with a love of benevolence in time in thine own Person by which love God willeth all good to thee and worketh all good in thee Lastly Thou art beloved with a love of Complacency to Eterniâ—y in thine own Person as thou art decked with all the Ornaments of the Divine Nature This is the order of Divine love It s Musick is made up of these three Parts 1. Part. Divine-love in the first Part is a love of Complacency or Delight in thee as thou art seen Eternally in the Person of Christ. Dear Soul while thou art complaining here below and fixest thine Eye upon thy shame thy God seeth thee all-glorious
Unity which is the Divine Nâ—â—ure and which is Divine Love by three Principles of our common Orthodâ—â— Divinity rightly founded upon the Scriptures 1. Prin. God beholdeth All things in himself He goeth not forth out of himself to converse with any Thing He receiveth not any Impression from thing without himself Rom. 11. v. 35. 36. Who hath been his Counsellour or who haâ—â— given to the Lord first that he should repay him God is Simple ever Perfect uncompounded He seeth all things in the Glass of his own Essence He Himself All to himself his own Center and Circumference 2. Princ. Every thing which God seeth in himself he seeth at himself All Forms of things as they appear in God appear cloathed with the Form of God James 1. 5. every good and perfect Gift cometh from above from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of Turning All appearances of things in the Fahter of Lights the Sun of Eternity are Lights good and Perfect Lights not Beams but so many entire Suns Springs and Seas of Light the Light of Life and Love in the Bosom of that Sun the Father of them All. For there is no Variableness in God although there be Variety God is the Same in every season and Appearance without any Shadow of Turning 3. Princ. God as he seeth all things in himself in one Divine Form with himself comprehendeth them unchangeably in the closest and sweetest Embraces converseth with them Eternally in the highest degree of all mutual Suitableness Sweetness Satisfaction and Delight Pythagoras said Friendship the best Kind of Love on Earth was One Soul in several Bodies as in so many Images and Reflections of itself Such is God such is Love One Incomprehensible Spirit multiplying itself into Innumerable Representations and Reflections of itself that it may contemplate itself possess itself delight it Self Infinitely for the Divine Form compleat in every One endlessly for the Variety ever New This is the sacred Unsearchable Unity of the Divine Majesty Thus this Unity is the most Sacred and Supreme Love Quest. Now you may perhaps say within your selves some one of you This Love of which you speak is the Love of God within himself the Love of God to himself What is all this Love to me Answ. My answers to this Question shall be so many Applications of this Truth Use. 1. All this Love is nothing to thee who separatest thy self from the Divine Unity by sin Your Sins separate between me and you saith the Lord by the mouth of his holy Prophet You have accounted your selves unworthy of Spiritual Loves in that you have divided your selves from the Unity the Heavenly Body and Spirit of the Lord Jesus You stand in the strength of your own Spirits and walk after your own Imaginations Principles and â—mages which you have found out and chosen to your selves to stand in the Power and walk in the Light of them Matth. 23. 37. Jesus Christ mournâ—th over Jerusalem in these words O Jerusalem Jerusalem who stonest the Proâ—hets and killest those that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered â—hee as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her Wings But ye would not Thereâ—ore now shall thy house be left unto thee desolate I say unto you Ye shall see me no more until ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Wretched Soul who art still in thy Sins hear thy Saviour after this manâ—er mourning over thee with tears of blood falling from those Wounds which Love in him Sin and Unbelief in thee have made with Words of Pity and tender Compassions falling from his Lips O wretched wretched Soul which by sin woundest that Unity of Divine Love which first sent thee forth from its Blessed Womb which by Unbelief continually killest in thy Self that Unity of the Eternal Spirit which springeth up in thee which sendeth forth sweet glances maketh strong Impressions of itself upon thee to draw thee into its Blessed Bosom O sinful O Unbelieving soul how often within thee without thee in thoughts of thine Heart in touches upon thy affections in the ministery of my Word in the works of my Providence have I spread over thee the Shadowing wings of the Divine Unity the wings of Divine Love of the Heavenly dove my Spirit How often would I have gathered thee under these wings to have lien safe from every Bird of Prey every Evil and Unclean Spirit to have lien warm under that Divine Heart which would have cherished the Divine Life in thee with all the Graces and Joys of it But thou wouldest not Therefore is thy Spirit and Person left to thee desolate without Spiritual Life Spiritual Comfort Spiritual Company which all as Plants of Immortality grow and flourish together in the Unity of the Eternal Spirit as in their Root But poor forlorn Soul when thou shalt see thy Saviour come again in his Spirit into thy Spirit then shalt thou fall down at his feet fly into his Arms and say Blessed is my Jesus coming in the Heavenly Evidence of the Divine Unity which is the Supream Love that subdueth all things to itself Now I believe This Unity this Love is the Ground and Root of Faith Use. 2. All this Love is nothing to thee who livest in the enmity of the Serpent Thou hast no lot nor portion in that Divine Unity which is the Fountain of Love who livest in Wrath Malice and a bitter Zeal The Spouse of Christ the Soul on which he hath set his Love is a Dove hath Hony and Milk under her Tongue Divine Love Heavenly Peace and Joy are a Fountain of Milk and Hony in her Heart Gentle Language Words of Meekness Healing Peace-making works are streams of Milk and Hony under her Tongue flowing from the Fountain of Divine Love in her heart We read in the Book of Job that the Wicked Man shall never see the Land of Brooks of Fountains and of Rivers of Waters but the Serpent shall bite him These expressions seem to allude to the Land of Canaan and the fiery Serpents in the Wilderness which things themselves were Types of the Paradise of Love in the Divine Unity and the Enmity of the old Serpent in the Wilderness of Sin As thou likest not to retain Love in thine Heart language and life but art a fiery biting Serpent by deadly hate bitter Speeches works of wrath and malice formed in Hell so thou shalt never see the pleasant Land flowing with Brooks with Fountains and Rivers of Love The crooked Serpent shall wrap thee up in his cursed folds to draw thee into his hideous Den there bite and devour thee Use. 3. Believe So shall all this Love be thine in thee and to thee I shall make good this to thee by 3 Arguments which are so many Motives to perswade thee to believe to stand fast in the Faith to grow in Faith 1. Argum. Believe and by believing thou shalt be transplanted
mixture in Christ I shall give 3 Answers to this Objection 1. A Concession 2. A Distinction 3. An Application 1. Answ. A Concession It is true Contrary things are spoken of Jesus Christ in this point We read I judge no man Moses in whom you trust he judgeth you The Son of Man came not to dâ—stroy Men's Lives but to save them The Work for which Christ came is a Work of Love of Light of Life not a Work of Wrath and Death Jesus Christ came to destroy the Works of the Devil The Devil Is a Lyar and a Murtherer from the Beginning He is the Serpent the Seed of Enmity The Deceit of Sin Death Wrath are the Devil's Work Jesus cometh full of Grace and Truth like the Sun full of sweet Light and influences of Life to destroy the Deceits to scatter into Nothing the Clouds and black Shades of Sin of Death of Wrath to make all a clear and Lovely Sky over our heads a Green and Flowry Earth under out Feet O the Delightfulness of Christ's Person and of his Appearance We read again I came not to send Peace but a Sword I came to Kindle a Fire The Lord Iesus shall come in a Flame of Fire to render vengeance to all those who know not God and who have not believed our Gospel 2 Thessal v. 8. O the Dreadfulness of the Lord Jesus and of his Appearance 2. Answ. A Distinction 2 Corin. 3. 13. You have Moses brought in with a Vail upon his Face You have the Effect of this Vail There is a Blindness upon the Minds upon the Notions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Jews The Children of Israel cannot see to the End of that which is to be done away They cannot see thorow beyond the Shadowy Glory of the Vail to be taken off to the Naked Glory of the Heavenly Face which liveth and is the same for ever v. 13. 14. There is the Interpetation of the Vail The Vail upon the Face of Moses is a Vail upon the Hearts of the Israelites v. 15. The Vail is removed by the Turning of the heart to the Person of Christ v. 16. The Person of Christ and the Removal of the Vail are Both described v. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty The Lord Jesusâ— in Glory is a Spirit the Eternal Spirit The Person of Christ was ever a Spirit the Spirit the same Yesterday to Day and for ever even in that Day when he was made Flesh in his humane Nature this Spirit carrieth Liberty along with It as the Sun doth the Light of the Day This Liberty of the Spirit answereth to that Removal of the Vail in the verse before The Vail shall be taken away It is significant Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be taken away quite all round about on every side from off the Whole Image of things from off the Whole Person of Christ from off the Whole Heart the Compleat Person of the Lord Jesus in his Supream Glory as the Supreme Spirit shall shine entirely in the whole Image of things in the whole heart in every Part in every Point of Both. The Close of all is the Blessed Effect of the Removal of the Vail of the Free and full Appearance of this Spirit the Lord Jesus A Liberty of Sight A Liberty of Growth a Liberty of Union and Divine Communion A Saint looketh forth with Opâ—n Face with an Open Eye in the Naked Glory of the Spiritual Man having cast the Vail entirely off He seeth the Glory of the Lord in the Naked Beauties of the Spirit himself compleatly unvailed He seeth this Glory in the Unity of the same Spirit as in a Looking-Glass where Face answereth Face where one is seen as the Dear Image and Reflection of the other A Saint in the same moment seeth and is changed into the Image which he seeth as by one Spirit at once working Both. The Lord the same Spirit in its Unity is the Root the Eye the Life the Light the Looking-Glass the Glorious Face in the Looking-Glass to a Saint Where this Spirit is there is Liberty in that Heart The Vail is taken off from it when the Spirit existeth and appeareth in it There the Lord Jesus and a Saint see each other grow up together in one Glory We all with open face as in a Glass beholding the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord or by the Lord the Spirit By this time I believe you see the Distinction which I aim at Jesus Christ with the Vail upon his Face is Mâ—ses Mâ—ses unvailed is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ to the Vailed heart is Moses still Moses to the Naked heart is the same Jesus from the Beginning The Appearance of Jesus Christ according to the Letter after the Flesh is Christ with a Vail upon his Face casting a Vail upon the heart The Appearance of Jesus Christ as the Spirit the Lord of Glory is Christ with his Vail cast off taking the Vail off from the Heart that Both may meet see embrace each other Nakedly Immediately at Liberty in the Open Light of their Eternal Loves and Beauties 3. Answ. Applications 1. Application Fear the Wrath of the Lamb. There is a Day in which the Kings of the Earth Great Men Captains of Thousands shall cry to the Rocks and to the Mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the Wrath of the Lamb. When the Great Day of his Wrath cometh who is able to stand Rev. 6. v. 16 17 18. Revel 5. 6. 8. You read of a Lamb who had bin slain standing in the midst of the Throne of God of the Four Living Creatures of the 24. Elders having seven Eyes and seven Horns which were the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth Behold the Lord Jesus risen from the Dead He standeth in the mâ—dst of the Throne of God of the Four Living Creatures of the four and Twenty Elders He is the Center of All Glories He filleth All He uniteth All and Compleateth All in his own Person the Uncreated Glories of the God-Head the Four-fold Fountain Glories of the Uncreated and Created Natures in Union The Manifold and Multiplyed Glories of Those Fountains in the Person of every Saint from the Beginning to the End of things having his Crown upon his Head the Universal Kingdom of all Glories in himself with which Kingdom he standeth out of the Person and in the Person of the Lord Jesus which Mysteriously and Divinely involveth and unfoldeth all in itself For this reason they cast down their Crowns at his Feâ—t This Jesus uniteth all States in himself from the highest the Sweetest Light of Life to the Darkest most Dismal Deep of Death For he standeth in the midst of these Glories as having bin slain shewing all the Bloody Baleful Forms of Death in the Triumph of Eternal Life This
round about you Then shall Worldly Christians Hypocrites Temporary Believers all who have lived in the Lusts of the Flesh or the Letter onely of the Gospel take hold of climb up upon the outside of the Ark the outward Fleshly Form and Appearances of the Eternal Word the Lord Jesus Then shall they too late cry to be taken into the Spirit which alone is Truth which alone hath Immortality But they shall be rejected They shall lose their hold drop off into the flames and perish there I will conclude all with that Scripture John 14. v. 30. 31. When Jesus Christ perceived that the hour and Power of Darkness were now come upon him he saith The Prince of this World cometh Arise let us go hence Thus saith the same Jesus now in the Hearts of his Beloved Ones to his Spouse The Prince of Darkness The hour and Power of Darkness of dread of Destruction of the Devouring Fire cometh Arise let us go hence out of the visible things of the Flesh into the Invisibility of the Spirit The Ark of Pure Gold Paved with Loves 3 Property Plenty This is the Third Property in the Effusion of Divine Love upon the Glorified Person of Christ. It is poured forth plentifully I will divide this Head by Streams flowing from it 1. The Fulness of all Love is poured forth in Iesus Christ. 2. The Person of Christ is all Full of Love 1. The Fulness of all Love is poured forth in Jesus Christ. We read Colos. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that all Fulness should dwell in him that is in Jesus Christ. All Fulness and so the Fulness of All Love had its Seat its Bed in the Bosom of our Saviour But the Pleasure the Will of the Father which is the Highest Pleasure Pleasure in one Substantial most Perfect Eternal Act is the Well Spring which sendeth forth this Plenitude of Divine Love into Christ. The Words lye so in Greek that they may be properly rendred according to the rules of Grammar after this manner All Fulness was well pleased to dwell in him God is the Fulness which filleth all in all He alone is in any Place in any Spirit in any Creature Repletive so as to fill it God is Love God then is the Fulness of all Love Nothing attracteth and draweth so powerfully as Pleasure doth God who is that Love which is all Fulness the Fulness of all God who is the Fulness of all Love poureth forth himself to the Full to the last drop if we may so speak of that Love which hath neither First nor last Beginning nor End in the Lord Jesus For in Christ he poureth forth himself with Pleasure which is the highest of all Pleasures The Effusion of Love is itself a Pleasure Then the Beautiful and Blessed Person of the Lord Jesus is the most pleasant Channel the most pleasant Seat and Palace of Divine Love This Fulness of Divine Love in Christ shooteth forth itself into Three Branches 1. Love in all States 2. Love of all Kinds 3. Love in all Degrees 1. There is in Jesus Christ flowing forth from the Father a Fulness of Love in all States There are Three States of Divine Love in our Blessed Saviour There is 1. Preventing Love 2. Assisting Love 3. Finishing Love Divine Love in Jesus Christ hath these Three States and a glorious transcendent triumphant Fulness in every State 1. There is in the Lord Jesus poured forth from the Father A Fulness of all Preventing Love 2. Tim. 1. 9. St. Paul teacheth us that God hath saved us not according to works which we have done but according to his own Purpose and Grace given us in Christ before the World was Before thou hadst any thoughts of Love to Jesus Christ before thou hadst any Being in This World before the World was there was a Love from the Father in Jesus Christ to Thee to Thee whoever thou art that liftest up the Eye of thy Spirit the Eye of Faith to see thy true Self thine own Person in this Dwelling-Place this Palace of Divine Love where thou hast bin hid where thou hast had thine abode thorow all generations from Eternity Christ in the Glory of the Father the heart of the Father in Christ. This Preventing Love well understood removeth Two Objections out of the way of many hearts to the Bosom of their Jesus Object 1. Broken-hearted Sinners distressed Souls frequently plead thus against themselves We cannot think that Jesus Christ hath any Love for us because we cannot believe his Love Answ. Hear O broken-hearted Sinners O Distressed Souls Hear and believe Jesus Christ hath in himself from his Father the Fulness of all Preventing Love He beginneth to you in Love He beginneth with you He giveth you Faith to believe his Love To you it is given to believe The Son of Man cometh and giveth you an understanding to know the True God by his Proper Name of Love 1. John 5. 20. The Preventing Love of God in the Bosom of Christ cometh to Thee poureth forth itself in thy Bosom giveth Thee a new Eye to see the Divine Beauty a new Ear to hear the heavenly Melody a new heart to take in rellish and understand the Spiritual Sweetnesses Fulnesses Joys of this First Love Love in its Fountain in the Fountain of Eternity This New Wine of the Everlasting Kingdom giveth itself to Thee with a New Bottle a New Spirit which will take in and hold this precious Liquour Not one drop of it shall ever fall besides this Bottle or be spilt out of it Object 2. But still thou poor troubled trembling Soul thinkest the glad Tydings of the Gospel of Pure Preventing Love too good to be true Thus thou arguest against thy self If I were but moderately evil or morally good if I could in any degree comply or close with Jesus Christ when he offereth his Love and himself to me then might I have some hope that I had some place in his heart But if the Lord Jesus himself should shine forth with the Sweetest Vision of Preventing Love in the midst of my Fleshlinesses Filthinesses hardnesses Enmities and should say to me as the Angel to Mary hail thou that are greatly Beloved Hail thou that are freely Beloved I should not onely wonder at this Salutation but believe it all to be a vain Dream of my deluded Fancy Answ. Let me tell Thee a Story A beautiful Aegyptian Youth when his Friends desired to take his Picture desired them to take him up seven daies after his death and then to take his Picture Thou the most defiled the most deformed Sinner wert once beautiful once in the freshness and flower of thy Youth in Paradise It is true thou art now dead dead of the most loathsom disease dead by the most killing and corrupting Death dead in sin Yet now after that thou hast bin many years dead Jesus Christ in his Glorified Person cometh like a Bridegroom from heaven not onely to take thy Picture but
the Creation the Living Creatures in the Chariot are the Angels of the Thronâ— in the Glory of the Kingdom of the Coronation and Marriage-Day The Firmament the New Heaven is the Glory of the Father The Chariot itself which containeth him in which he descendeth bowing down the Heavens as he descendeth The Lord Jesus himself in his own Glory is Distinct from all these Glories compreâ—endeth them and rideth forth in them This is that Image in which he shall appear at the last Day as a New Creator and a New Creation making all things New as the most Entire most Naked Image of the Invisible God in all his most Pure and most Invisible Glories as the First-born of the whole Creation in general and of every Creature in Particular as the Whole Creation in its Virgin-State in its Ideal Glory while yet it sprung up out of the Bosom of God and stood onely in the Bosom of God and was a Sister-Spouse to the uncreated Beauty This is that Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophesy That Divine Presence that Word of God which came to all the Holy Men of old in the Light of which as in the Glass of Eternity the First and Supreme Truth they saw Visions dreamed dreams and spake of him This is the Chariot of the Princes of the Saints in the Glory of the Spirit 4 Qu. How doth the Soul of the Spouse make her as this Chariot of her Princely People or set her in it Answ. The Soul of the heavenly Bride is her Lord her Life her Love her heart her True Self her Beloved her Jesus He descendeth in his Chariot and taketh her up into it He appearing in his heavenly Image composed of the Glory of his Father his own Glory the Glory of all his holy Angels which is his Chariot as he appeareth in her translateth and transfigureth her into the same heavenly Image She also is now become a Chariot made up all of the same Glories with the same Jesus the same Queen the same Company of Princes riding together in it The Soul of the Bride is also Faith the 〈◊〉 of God the Divine Nature the Spirit in a Saint This Divine Life in a Saint by a Descent of the Lord Jesus upon it in a moment ere a Saint is aware he knoweth not how both taketh him up to set him in this Chariot and Transformeth him into it I have onely prepared you by all this for the Application of the Scripture opened by us to our present purpose that we may take in with a greater Sense with a Deeper Impression the Comfort and Joys of Finishing Love making Perfect its most Beautiful Works and Displaying its most pleasant Strengths in our Weaknesses Ere I was aware my Soul made me as the Chariots of my Princely People or set me in them Hearken to me my Brethren Is there not among you a Poor Believer a Mournful Saint which hath long prayed long sighed for a Clear Sight of Jesus Christ a Sense and Seal of his Love Sweet and Constant Communion with him To this Soul I now speak Perhaps after all this thou art embracing the Dunghil of Distrust and Despair Perhaps thou art sitting upon the Dunghil of some Fleshly Lust or Earthly Care of Covetousness or Lasciviousness Vanity or vexation Now in a moment which thou thinkest not of ere thou art aware Jesus Christ in the Divine Brightness of some heavenly Truth flashing like Lightning in upon thy Spirit may descend may discover himself in his Heavenly Image with his naked Glories naked Loves to thee Now are thou art aware he may make this heavenly Image at once a Laver of Precious Blood in which he washeth Thee white as the Light itself from every Spot a Chariot of heavenly Princes in which he cometh down to Thee upon thy Dunghil taketh Thee off from thy Dunghil to ride with him in the Fellowship of all Immortal Spirits while all the holy Angels bear Thee up and carry Thee on upon the Firmament of the Father's Glory at the side of thy Beloved whither the Mind of the Spirit is for Thee to go Ere thou art aware the Lord Jesus can change thy Dunghil can change Thee into a Divine Chariot of Eternal Spirits in which he will ride forth with Thee thou shalt ride forth together with him having his Loveliness in thine Eye his Love in thine heart thorow all Forms of things Light and Darkness Life and Death as thorow various Fields differing Regions of Spiritual Beauties and Delights in the Vast Continent the Vast World of the Divine Nature Thus comfort thy self against the Discouragements of Life with the Fulness of Divine Love â—inishing Love in the Glorified Person of Christ which maketh Perfect its Strength and Sweetness in Weakness and Enmity which giveth Thee the Desire of thy Soul thy Jesus most clearly most dearly into thy Bosom when thou lyest locked up fastest in the Bosom of the Strange Woman oâ— This Strumpet and this Witch the Hellish Darkness cloathed with Figures of Fleshly Softnesses Sweetnesses Lights and Treasures Gen. 28. 11 12. Jacob had pursued the Spiritual Blessing the heavenly Birth-right and had obtained the Promise the Purchase After all this he flyâ—th alone as a Banished Person from his Father's house He is benighted in an open field He lieth upon the naked ground He hath under his head for a Pillow a Cold Hard Stone Now Finishing Love maketh Perfect its Strength in this Weakness giving him now the Evidence the Pledge the First-fruits of that Spiritual Blessing that heavenly Birth-right which he had a Promise of and a Title to Now Heaven is opened to the Eye of his Spirit in a Dream A Ladder â—â—acheth from Heaven to Earth One End of it resteth on the Bosom of God above The other End standeth upon the Ground at his head below Angels descend and ascend upon the Ladder He awaketh and saith This is none other than the Gate of Heaven the house of God and I was not aware of it The Stone on which he lay is now anointed and becometh a Pillar and Altar a Figure of Jesus Christ in all his Divine Loves and Lovelinesses Jacob is in every holy One. Hear this you broken hearts You complain We have tasted something of the Sweetness of Preventing Love if this be Preventing Love to cast in upon our Spirits gracious hints and hopes of Spiritual Blessings and heavenly things when we sate in the Shadow of Death and did not so much as know or Believe that there was a Spirit a Heaven We have also tasted something of the Sweetness of Assisting Love if this be assisting Love to help us to carry us on for a wearisome length of time with sighs and groans unutterable to cry for the Revelation the Possession the Fruition of these Spiritual Blessings and heavenly things in the Foretast of them But O! where is Finishing Love Now instead of this behold we are benighted with Darkness of Spirit
the Sons of God The word led is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acted As the Soul acts the Body as the principle of reason the Soul of Man as the nature of the Sun acts the Sun in its shinings in its motions thou also art acted by the Divine Spirit to which the Sun the Soul of Man the principle of reason are empty and weak shadows so far as thou in truth art a Child of Light and a Son of God the Father of Lights Let me here by the way touch a three-fold string in your Souls 1. A mournful string 2. A string of desire 3. The string of praise 1. Is the Spâ—â—it the principle of a Saint how then should we mourn thâ—â— this Spirit of Grace this Comforter is grieved that this Spirit of Light and Life is quenched by unbelief sensuality unkindness and neglect how should we mourn that this Holy Spirit this Spirit of Truth is slighted and spoken evil of as a Spirit of licentiousness or as a fancy and delusion and all this among Saints at least in profession when as this Spirit is the only principle of Saintship St. Jude in his Epistle speaketh of this as the Sin of Devils for which they are cast down to Hell and bound in Chains of Darkness that they did forsake their first state and their own habitation It is in Greek not their first state but their first principle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Saints is not this a Sin greater than that of Devils not only to forsake but to grieve and cast shame upon this first and most blessed Spirit which is your only principle a principle of Divinâ— Life Light and Purity your own habitation a habitation of Divine Rest and Glory 2. O all you who desire to be Saints or to grow in the new and Divine Nature of a Saint let your hearts burn by day and by night with continual longings for the Spirit This alone is that of which a Saint is bred by which he is nourished This alone is the Heavenly Root the Sap the sweet Dew Showers and Influences the warm and cherishing Sun-shine to every Spiritual Plant Cry therefore and wait for this Spirit wait upon it minister to it seek it suck it in by all means thorow all its own manifestations and ordinances of Nature or of Grace When this world was first made a beautiful frame out of a dark Deep the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters When Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin the Holy Ghost overshadowed her and rested upon her In both places the expressions seem to allude to a Bird or a Dove spreading itself over its Nest to hatch its young Ones When the Lord Jesus was Baptized the Holy Ghost descended and rested upon him in the form of a Dove Dost thou indeed desire to have thy dark defiled dead heart made a new Creature to have Jesus Christ to be born or to grow within thee and to be Baptized yet more into Jesus Christ the Sea of all Heavenly Beauties Loves and Joys O then pray to the blessed Spirit to make thy Soul his Nest to move upon the face of thy Spirit to overshadow thee to descend and rest upon thee in his Dove like form 3. O all ye Saints sing the praises of the holy Spirits let the high praises of the holy Spirit be ever in your mouths Say to the Spirit this is the womb of Divine Life and Power which hath born us and brought us forth to be Children and Heirs to God these are the Breasts of Divine Life and sweetness which give us suck this is itself the Heavenly Milk of the Eternal word by which we live and grow Do you see any glympse of Evangelical Light and Truth do you feel any workings of Grace any sweet springings of Love and Joy Give Glory to the Spirit it is this blessed Spirit which now shines in you enlivens you and acts you The Children of Iracel in the Wilderness in a great want of water met with a Well then they sang to it in these words Spring O Well the Princes have digged it with their Sâ—aves When ever thou meetest with any fresh stream any sweet drop of the water of Life rising up within thee in thâ—s parched Land and weary Wilderness sing to thy Well sing to the blessed Spirit and say in thy Song my Well springeth my Jesus hath digged it in my heart with the Golden Scepter of his Gracâ— and Love Thus let every gracious thought gracious moving of thy mind will or affections put into thy mouth a new Song of joyful praises to the Spirit as the dear and inseparable principle of Life of Heaven of Eternity within thee thine ownâ— principle Thus much of the Principle 2. The two effects of this Principle are a Spiritual sense savour both comprehended in that expression to be heavenly minded How often doth my Spirit labour in the Bosom and power of the Eternal Spirit for these two things 1. That all Men were brought forth into this Spiritual Principle 2. That all who have the Spiritual Principle within them were continually acted by it How sweet would life be to them for the sight of their Eyes and rellish of their Spirit They that live in the Spirit see all things by a Spiritual Light It is indeed a pleasant thing to behold this Light Every glympse of it infuseth a heavenly joy into the Heart and scattereth all Clouds of grief or melancholy These see all things in a Spiritual Image that is in a Divine and Immortal Glory They tast the sweetness of a Heavenly and Divine Love in every thing Every thing presenteth itself to them in an Heavenly Appearance and every appearance of things entreth into their Souls with a heavenly taste and rellish far sweeter than Hony to the Palate All our converse with things of every kind of Nature or Grace of Sense or reason proceedeth from a union with those things in one Principle and is a communion with them in that Principle Such as the Principle is such are the Appearances and rellishes of things to us such is our converse with them All Appearances of things to Men or to Angels in every natural Principle to our senses or to our understandings are no more than shadows or dreams The Spirit alone is Truth When melancholy forms and Images of things in this world afflict our Spirits when the pleasant things here lift them up to vain joys and glories if the holy Spirit awaken himself and arise in us all these fly away all other appearances of things break up into an appearance of Eternal Beauty and Blessedness springing forth from this Spirit like the shadows of the night when the Sun is seen and a dream when a Man awaketh We are taught by natural Philosopy that the Images of things are seen thorow a Christalline humor in the Eye as a fine Glass If this Christal be dyed with any colour all things which we see appear
to us in that colour In like manner there is a native moisture upon our Palates and Tongues by which we tast things If this moisture have any tast of its own every thing tasteth of it Blessed art thou who livest the life of a Saint Thou livest the life of Heaven upon Earth The Spirit is the Christal in the Eye of thy Soul thorow which thou seest all things This Christal hath a heavenly colour of Glory ever upon it Thou then feest all things in this ravishing colour in a Heavenly Glory The Spirit is the Divine moisture and water of life upon the pallate of thy Soul by which thou tastest all things This water of the Spirit hath ever the heavenly rellish the unexpressible sweetness of the Divine Nature of the Divine Love of the pleasures of the God-Head Thus thou savourest all things This Love and Sweetness thou rellishest in every thing 3. The two companions of these two effects of a Spiritual Principle are 〈◊〉 and Peace To be spiritually minded is Life and Peace 1. Life The Spirit and Life are inseparable one from another The words that I speak they are Spirit and they are life saith Jesus Christ Joh. 6. The Spirit is the Fountain of Life For he is called the Spirit of Life Rom. 8. The Quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15. The Power of an Endless Life Heb. Let us ever pray that we may ever live in the Spirit For now we live if we stand fast in our spiritual Principle The Life which we now live is first pure It hath nothing of any Mixture of any Defilement or of any shadow of Death Secondly It is perfect It hath all the Sweetnesses Virtues Joys and Beauties of Life in it Thirdly It is perpetual It never ceaseth It never endeth but springeth to Eternity Fourthly It is a powerful Life It maintains itself against all the Powers of Darkness and Death It maintains itself in the midst of them as a sweet Light of Glory shining in a dark place and triumphing over the darkness In a word this Life is the purest sweetest and most lasting Liâ—e For it flows immediately and springs up continually from the Fountain of Life itself Nay which is far sweeter and more glorious it is Life as it lies in the Fountain of Life It is Life not only from the Spirit but in the Spirit So St. Paul speaks in this Chapter They that are in the Spirit and to the Galatians if ye live in the Spirit 2. The other Companion of a Spiritual Sense is Peace Peace in the Language of the Scripture signifieth a perfection of Happiness It is distinguished into 1. Peace above with God 2. Peace within in your own Consciences and Spirits 3. Peace with all Creatures round about you O how true is it that they keep the Feast continually a Royal and Divine Feast in white Garments who live in a spiritual sense of things Every day to them is a Holy Day a Festival Day All things are festival round about them All things are in a Covenant of Peace with them in a Covenant of Grace and Divine Peace All appearances of things in every State shine upon them from the glorified Person of Christ as heavenly Beauties smiling upon them All Providences Changings and Motions of things are a Heavenly Musick springing up to them and sounding round about them in the Unity of the Spirit All Impressions made upon their Souls from every passage of Providence or Change is a most delicious sweetness upon their Spirits an unexpressible Taste of Heaven and Eternity But the manner of St. Paul's Expression is very observable and hath a great force in it To be spiritually minded is Life and Peace The sense and favour of the Spirit is itself Life and Peace universally absolutely in the abstract in perfection without any Confinement or Allay The spiritual sense of a Saint is the pure and compleat Essence of Life and Peace in its highest Activity How true is it that a good man is satisfied from himself How Holy how High how Happy how Heavenly a thing is it to be a Saint to be spiritual to live as a Saint to live spiritually Thou now comprehendest all things in an uncorruptible Beauty Love and Joy in thy self as in Heaven For all things are to thee thine own spiritual Principle thine own spiritual Sence springing up and diffusing itself into all blessed Forms of Glory Delight and Immortality within thee Jesus Christ tells his Spouse in the Canticles That she is a Fountain of Living Waters flowing from Lebanon That she is a Fountain of Gardens That all her Plants are Plants of Paradise O blessed Spirit who livest in the Eternal Spirit as thy Principle by which thou art inwardly acted The Principle of thine is the Fountain the ground of Paradise within thee All forms of things are Paradisical Plants at once pleasant to the Eye good for Food desirable to fill thee with all the most glorious Treasures of the Divine Wisdom Thy Spiritual Principle is the Divine Ground out of which all these Plants of Paradise grow up within thee as thine own Plants Thy spiritual Sense and Savour is a perpetual Feeding and Feasting upon the Fruits of Paradise which these Plants continually bring forth 2. The Fleshly or Carnal Sense is also illustrated by three Circumstances 1. The Principle 2. The Effect of that Principle 3. The Companion of that Effect 1. The Principle of a Carnal Sense is the Flesh. It is expresly called the Mind or Sense of the Flesh. The Flesh the Natural Man the Earthly Man the Spirit of man the natural Soul in the Language of the Gospel and most of them in this present Chapter signifie the same Principle of a carnal Sense of Sin and of Death Happy is he that is not here deceived Every Earthly Heavenly Humane Angelical Spirit or Principle however enlightened sanctified heightened by the work of the Spirit below that Spirit which 〈◊〉 immediately born of the eternal Spirit which is one Spirit with it and liveâ—â— in it is Flesh and this Principle of a fleshly Mind or Sense or of Death 2. The Effect of this Fleshly Principle is Twofold 1. A Carnal 〈◊〉 Fleshly Sense 2. A Fleshly or Carnal Savour How unpleasant is thy Life who livest in this Principle for the sight of thine Eyes The Light of 〈◊〉 World which alone thou seest is Darkness and the shadow of Death Foâ— the Prince of this World is the Prince of Darkness Thou measurest Heavenly and Spiritual things by Earthly and Carnal When Jesus Christ in the Gospel was reproved by Peter for the mentioâ— of his Sufferings and Death the Lord replies to Peter Get thee behind 〈◊〉 Satan For thâ—u savourest not the things of God but the things of man Theâ—â— are Three things remarkable in these words 1. There is a Humane 〈◊〉 there is a Divine Sense of the same things and these two are contraâ—â—â— one to another 2. Those things that are the things
of man and dreadfulâ— man in an humane Sense as Death are Divine have a Divine Beauty 〈◊〉 sweetness in them to a Divine Sense and Savour 3. The Humane sense the Humane Image and rellish of things springs from the Devil as he is Saâ—tan that is the Hater the Enemy to all things Divine to Love to Lighâ— to Truth to Immortality and Blessedness 3. The Companion of a Carnal Sense and Savour is Death To be Caâ—â—nally minded is Death 'T is Death in all the black Properties and Powers 〈◊〉 Death 1. That Divine Image of things which alone is the Truth is Spirit and Life both the Paradises the Heavenly and the Earthly as it is new born and united unto the Heavenly lie captivated in a Carnal Mind or Sense as in a Prison or Grave 2. A Carnal Sense is that outermost Darkness which is without the new and Heavenly Jerusalem 3. In a Carnal Sense are disorder confusion and desolation the dissolutions of all the banâ—s of Peace Beauty and Life For these all consist in that order alone which hath for its band the Unity of the Spirit 4. A Carnal Sense hath ever the sting of Death in it Fears Cares Grief Pains Anguishes Torments never cease here They are the Worm which never dyes the Fire which never goes out in this region of the shadow of Death a Carnal Mind or Fleshly Sense Naturalists tell us that some Candles may be so made that all the Persons seen by those lights shall appear as Ghosts one to another or the whole place seem full of Snakes and dreadful Serpents Such are those lights of a Carnal Sense by which all things are seen of thee who art in a Carnal Fleshly State Every thing of Truth as it appears to thee is an apparition from below bearing Paleness Terrour Death and Hell in the face of it Thou canst no where walk sit lie down in peace All places all States to thee are full of Serpents hissing shooting out their forked stings casting their poyson at thee Wo to you O ye Inhabitants of the Earth ye who dwell in a fleshly sense of things The Devil is ever in the midst of you with great rage here he is known by his name Satan the Enemy the Hater But ye O ye Inhabitants of Heaven who live in a Spiritual Principle why are you ever found abroad Why are not all your walks within in the Spirit the heavenly Paradise which God hath planted and set you in to dress it and to keep it and to eat of the fruits of it without any exception within your own Spirits Behold not a single Cherubim but the whole Army of glorious Angels with the Presence and Power of the Eternal Spirit as a flaming Sword turning every way keeps the entrance into this Paradise not to keep you out but to defend you in it by suffering no evil thing none of the Powers of Darkness of Death of Wrath to enter here While you are without in a Carnal Mind and Worldly Spirit you are among the holes of the Foxes the Dens of the Lyons and the Mountains of Leopards All things with which you converse ascend from below from the Earth from the natural Soul and from the Devil as St James teacheth us All these three the Earth the Natural Soul and the Devil are Links in the same chain of Darkness immediately fastned one to another The light and breath of your life in the Spirit of this world is the smoak from the Bottomless Pit Your Beauties your Joys your pleasant things are those Locusts sent forth from thence mentioned in the Revelation with Faces and Hair like Women with Crowns upon their Heads false Shows of Sweetness Softness Greatness and Glory but stings invenomed stings the stings of Death are in their tails O! Retire into your own enclosed Gardens there within your own enclosed Grounds your own Souls sit under your own Fig-Tree your own Vine which are your own Spiritual Principle out of which the universal Image of things both Heavenly and Earthly springeth up into the perfection of all pure Beauties and Joys with immortality Delight your selves under their shadows where you are safe from all Evil and at rest for ever I again testify unto you as I have often and alwaies testified in all my Sermons and Discourses that there is no Salvation to the flesh or in the flesh O then ye who are yet found walking after the flesh give no rest to your selves here Cry night and day without ceasing to the Holy Spirit to take you up upon his Wings and to translate you suddenly in a moment out of this Wilderness of fiery Serpents into the promised and good Land flowing with Rivers of Milk and Hony the Milk of the Eternal Word and the Hony of the Divine Wisdom which both are Jesus Christ the Fulness Sweetness and Glory of the God-Head O that these words as now you read or hear them in this very moment thorow the power of the blessed Spirit might be as the hands of Angels laid upon Lot to hasten you out of this Sodom of the flesh while you linger here into a place of safety the City of the living God in the secret of the Spirit before the Lord rain down fire from the Lord upon all Flesh. The profit the pleasure the seasonableness of this discourse hath carryed me farther stayed me longer upon it than my method seemed to require Let us now return to apply this distinction of a twofold sense Carnal and Spiritual to our present purpose which is to set forth the Beautiful and Blessed Staâ—â— of a Saints Soul and Body in Death We have heard that a Spiritual sense is Life and Peace absolutely universally eternally without mixture confinement or change that all things here are in the purity and perfection of Divine Life Beauty and Joy We have also heard that the Carnal Sense is Death as it reigns entirely here so it it is confined hither shut up in this Pit and without this fleshly Principle hath no where any place I shall bring this Distinction home to my purpose of making Death all over in every part lovely and pleasant to a Saint by two Propositions 1. Propos. This is the first A Saint by dying is taken entirely in his whole Person Soul and Body out of the Carnal or Fleshly Principle out of the Fleshly Sense and so out of Death 2. Propos. A Saint by dying is in his whole Person Soul and Body gathered up entirely into a Spiritual Principle and so into the Immortality of a Divine Life Peace and Delight 1. Propos. A Saint by dying is taken entirely in his whole Person Soul and Body out of the Carnal or Fleshly Sense and so out of Death I shall open and confirm this Proposition to you by two Scriptures 1. The first Scripture is the 1 Epistle of St. Peter 4. 1. Wherefore seeing Christ hath suffered in the Flesh let us also arm our selves with the same mind For
he that hath suffered in the Flesh hath ceased from Sin The Holy Ghost clearly relates to the death of the Lord Jesus and of a Saint He speaks of the time perfectly past he that hath suffered in the Flesh that is he that by dying hath compleated and finished his sufferings in the flesh he hath ceased from sin He that dyeth in union with Christ in the vertue of his death and in a conformity to it in the first moment of death ceaseth from all the Evils of Sin the Guilt the Power the Pollution the Punishment and so from Death itself See the inseparable connexion between the Flesh Sufferings Sin and Death All these continue together and cease together O you that hear or read understand these things and lay them to heart This Flesh which is so dear to us which we are so loath and unwilling to part with which we tender as our nearest and dearest self is our only division from our self a bed of Snakes and Enmity It is the root the seat the food the fewel the fruit of Sin and suffering and death This Fleshly Principle and Sense this worldly Light and Image which we account Life and the Sweetness of Life in which we think all the dear Treasures and Joys of Life are comprehended is no other than a deep dark and miery Dungeon where we lie in the midst of the hissings stings and poysons of innumerable Toads and Serpents This Sin which so easily besetteth us and winds itself into our bosoms is that weight which presseth us and sinketh us down that chain of Darkness which tyeth us down and fastneth us here below in the horrible Pit and Dungeon of this Fleshly Principle and Sense this Fleshly this worldly Spirit and Image This Death which seemeth so dreadful to us which we so tremble at and fly from is that dearest Friend come down from Heaven from the bosom of God that beautiful hand put forth from the secret of Eternal Life Love and Glory which taketh off this weight which knocketh off this chain of Darkness and restoreth to us our silver Wings and golden Feathers by which in a moment we fly forth from this Cage of unclean Spirits this Dungeon of the Fleshly Principle and Sense never to return into them any more O Believers fear not fly not from Sufferings Be willing to sacrifice and offer up this Flesh as a whole Burnt-Offering in the Flame of Sufferings unto Death Kiss Death as a lovely Bride as those perfumed Flowers those Beds of Spices the Cheeks of the Heavenly Bride-groom mentioned in the Canticles For the Flesh the fleshly Principle and Sense the Spirit and Image of this Flesh of this World together with the Sufferings Sin and Death end all at once in the Death of a Saint in the very first moment of his Death A Holy Divine when he was dying lay upon his Death-Bed singing this often over Now I shall sin no more We read Isaiah 59. 2. That our Iniquities separate between us and our God our Sins hide his face from us Death is indeed a separation but it is not the separation of the Soul from the Body The separation of the Soul or the Body from God this is Death indeed this alone is Death This world this worldly Spirit and Image is the Curtain or Vail the Partition wall between us and the Face or Bosom of our Heavenly Bridegroom our Lord Jesus So saith St. Paul Our Gospel is hid to those whose Eyes the God of this world hath blinded that they should not behold the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face or Person of Christ. The Fleshly Principle or Sense is the unpassable gulf between us and the unsearchable Treasures of the Divine Nature of the Blessed Persons in the Divine Nature the Father the Eternal Word the Holy Spirit Sin digs up and keeps open this Gulf sin builds up this Partition wall Sin draws this Curtain between us and the Divine Beauties the Divine Blessedness O dying Saints break forth into singings O all ye Saints rejoice and triumph at every thought at every approach of Death Abraham saw the day of Christ and rejoyced to see it saith our Lord Jesus in the Gospel The word rejoyce in Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he danced a Galliard When the Virgin Mary with Christ in her Womb came to the Mother of John the Baptist the Babe within her sprung for joy Thus O Believers let your hearts spring for joy within you at the approach and presence of Death So Death coming to you as a beautiful and a heavenly Virgin with Jesus Christ in its Womb not after the Flesh but in the Glory of the Spirit to be delivered of him immediately into your Bosoms as a Bridegroom that at once in the same moment appears to you in Glory makes you worthy of himself by being like himself and one Glory with himself makes all things Life Immortality Glory round about you Behold the day of your Death both afar off near at hand as the day of Christ as a day which the Lord Jesus makes rising himself as the true Sun upon you so iurning this Sun into Darkness before the brightness of his own appearance enlightning all within you and without you with another Light infinitely greater infinitely sweeter At the sight of this day as Abraham did so let your hearts spring with a pleasant lightness and dance Galliards in your Bosom Now sing of Death and say in your songs every one of you as you lie upon your Death-beds I shall sin no more I shall be in Flesh no more no more for ever in this Fleshly Principle and sense which hath so long bewitched me and held me by their â—orceries in the House of Whoredoms and of Death I shall be in this world so loathsome and so hateful to me I shall see this world and this Image of things which hath been so long so tempting and tormenting to me no more for ever Farewel for ever all distances all divisions between me and my Jesus my God Henceforth shall I with open face in my Soul and my Body behold the open and unvailed Face of God Henceforth shall I with my naked Soul and Body lie for ever in the naked Bosom of my Glorified Saviour my King and Husband giving him of my Loves drinking in abundantly his Loves and bringing forth continually by him all the Spiritual and Heavenly fruits of Life and Immortality The morning is called Rosy-fingred because the morning Beams as Rosy-fingers seem to open the Curtains of the night and let in day upon us Death is to a Saint of a truth this Rosy fingered morning which by sweet beams breaking forth from on high draws aside the Curtains of this night of Flesh and lets in upon us the Eternal day which at once in a moment overspreads our Souls and Bodies and fills all things to us with its blessed Light making us and
these so far as you stand in a Spiritual Principle are as another Heaven the Heaven of Heavens the Pallace of the great King which he fills with his Glory where he heeps his Court sits upon his Throne 3. The Saints have communion with God in his Temple In the Temple was the Golden Mercy-Seat There saith God will I commune with thee This was overspread with Cherubims of Glory as St. Paul calls them These Cherubims covered this Golden Mercy-Seat with their Wings and so made the State or Glory about the Throne This is therefore called the secret of the most high and the shadow of the Almighty where a Saint is said to dwell and to lodge Hear O ye Saints what glorious things are spoken of your Bodies be Spiritual and behold in these Temples the Golden Mercy-Seat which is the glorified Person of Christ and the Cherubims of Glory covering it with their Wings and God here upon this Golden Mercy-Seat the glorified Bosom of Christ from between the Wings of the Cherubims ready alwaies to commune with you yea taking you up upon this Golden Mercy-Seat within the Wings of the Cherubims to commune freely with him at all seasons in this secret of eternal safety rest love joy and glory This Temple is the Body of a Saint while he liveth below but now it is in too great a degree covered with a cloud of Flesh filled with the smoak of the Spirit of this world that a Saint too rarely enters into this Temple of the holy Ghost in his own Body and more rarely seeth with any degree of clearness the Glory or heareth the voice of the blessed Spirit there What joy is it to think in what a purely sacred and Divine Temple in what a clear and shining Pallace of the eternal King in what open and unstained unvailed visions of Divine Glory in what a secret in what a presence of glorious Angels and Eternal Spirits in the midst of what sweet overshadowings dear encompassings naked outshinings of the Eternal Spirit in what most blessed most ravishing Communion of Eternal Light Life and Love with this Spirit in what sight and embraces with what kisses of incomprehensible Beauties in the sound of what words what salutations what wooings what expressions of the highest Loves and Joys from the Eternal Spirit a Saint finds himself even in his own proper Body in the very moment of his Death when departing out of this Life at once he departs for ever out of the Fleshly Image and the Spirit of this World 4. The Divine Presence and Glory was the defence of the Temple Esa. 4. 5. There is a Prophesy concerning the times of the Gospel expressed by figures taken from the state of things under the Law And the Lord will create upon every â—welling place of Mount Sion and upon her Assemblies a Cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night For upon all the Glory shall be a defence or a covering When the first Temple was to be destroyed the Prophet Ezekiel saw the Glory removing off from it afterwards when the second Temple was near its end a voice was heard in it saying Let us be gone from hence which was understood to be the voice of God and of his holy Angels with all those invisible companies and Ministers which made up the Glory of the Divine Presence as Nobles Officers and Guards make up the Court of a King O Saints why do you fear for your Bodies hidden Conspiracies or open force diseases the fury of the Elements the malice of Men or Devils These Bodies of yours are the Temples of the Holy Ghost Here are the Holy Assemblies of all the Heavenly Company in the unity of the Spirit whose Temples your Bodies are Of these it is Prophesied to these it is promised that God will create upon them a cloud and a smoak by day the shining of a flaming fire by night Upon these the Glory is a defence or a covering God himself with all his holy Ones his Angels his Watchmen his ministring Spirits is this Cloud this Glory which is the defence and covering upon your whole Persons your Bodies as well as your Souls both have together with Christ a hidden Life a secure Life in this secret of God within this covering of this Divine Cloud Flame and Glory From off these Temples of your Bodies this Glory never removes From within these Temples of your Bodies this heavenly Company never departs for as much as the union in the Spirit of Grace under the Gospel is Eternal Thus the Bodies also of Believers in this Life are the Temples of the Holy Ghost All things in them here are divine Figures of a divine Glory They are filled and covered with the Glory itself They are the seats of the freest Communion with this Glory being the Temples of the God of Gods and so the Pallaces of the King of Kings All this is true of them here as they stand in a Spiritual Principle and in union with Christ by the new birth But this Life is a mixt State We stand partly in a Spiritual partly in a Fleshly Principle These Temples of our Bodies are covered with a corrupt Flesh that we can hardly discern their Spiritual Beauties They are too frequently in too great a part filled with a smoak of Hell the smoak of the Spirit of this world that a Believer can rarely enter into this Temple of his Body to behold and converse with the Glory there This is the precious the blessed work of Death in a Believer It breaketh the union it maketh a separation not between Christ and a Believer not between the Soul and Body of a Believer as they are joyned together in Christ by the band and unity of the Eternal Spirit and make one Spiritual Man or Person in Christ but between the precious and the vile between the Carnal and Spiritual Principle of a Saint both in Soul and Body Now in the moment of Death the Soul and Body of a Saint come forth immediately clear and shining Temples of the Spirit the smoak and clouds of the Fleshly Principles and of this worldly Image being for ever driven away from within them and from without Thus you understand St. Pauls sweet and blessed sense of Death when he speaketh of the Body and saith 1 Corin. 5. 1. 2. That we shall not be found naked but be cloathed upon from above with a building of God Eternal in the Heavens which shall swallow up mortality in life Our Spiritual Body which we have in this life by our new Birth as we stand in our Spiritual Principle is this Divine Building sprung from a Divine Root of a Divine Nature or Substance of a Divine Form and Workmanship This is ever in Heaven being inseparably united to Christ and being ever in the Spirit This is Eternal when we die this casts off the Cloud of corrupt and cursed Flesh. This springs forth out of its Spiritual Principle
Principle he stood under the curse receiving and feeling all the stings and bitterness of the curse to the utmost extremity 4. Propos. This our Jesus as he at the same time with his Divine Nature in his Humanity stood in a Supernatural and Eternal Principle he in his Humanity comprehended his Humanity itself in its natural Principle together with the natural Principle itself the Curse all the stings and bitterness of the Curse in a light of Divine Glory in a life of Divine Love as so many varieties of pure Love Joy and Glory with Immortality 5. Propos. The Curse with the stings and sense of it upon the Natural and Temporary Principle as also the conflict between the Natural and Temporary the Supernatural and Eternal Principle in the Lord Jesus through his whole Person as it lived in a Humane Soul and Body were highest at his Death These are the five Propositions which set forth the trouble of Christ at his Death In the other two followeth his Triumph 6. Propos. This Eternal Person our Jesus with his God-Head in his whole Humanity both Soul and Body in the moment of Death by dying went entirely forth from the Natural or Temporary Principle and so from under the Curse 7. Propos. This same Jesus in his whole Person with his whole Soul and Body in the moment of Death by dying went forth entirely into the simplicity and singleness of his Supernatural the Eternal Principle and so into a State of pure Eternity unmixt Joy and Glory I shall briefly open these Propositions in their order 1. Propos. It was the most glorious and eternal Person of God himself in two Natures Divine and Humane which was our Jesus John 1. 14. The Word was made Flesh. The second Person in the Trinity from which the other two Persons the Father and the Spirit are inseparable the eternal and essential Son of God which hath the fulness of the God-Head in himself in its most express Image and greatest Glory he in his own Person in this Eternal Person and Sonship was made Flesh. This Eternal Person this Essential Son of God was that Flesh. This Flesh was that Person that Son which had the Father and the Spirit inseparably with himself and was essentially one with them O Christians study this union of the two Natures Divine and Humane in one only Divine Unchangeable and Eternal Person which is the most glorious and Ever-blessed God This is the deep and rich ground of the Christian Religion out of which as the true ground of the Heavenly Paradise the God-Head itself makes to spring all the precious mysteries of the Gospel all Evangelical Truths Graces and Joys in their most Spiritual Beauty Sweetness and Life Understand this Pray for the understanding of this for a sight sense and feeling of it within your own Spirits that it is God God himself in his own only Divine unchangeable undivided Person in your own Form in your own Nature in your own Persons and Spirits which is your Jesus your Saviour Redeemer Husband and King your Ransom Atonement and Righteousness your Beauty your Life your Joy your Root Branch Flower and Fruit. This union between the Divine and Humane Nature in one Person in our Lord Jesus is the Original and Reason of the union between you and this Jesus which is God in Person to which Person thorow this union you also are immediately eternally united in one Spirit in one mystical Person which is Christ as St. Paul speaketh as there is one Body and many Members so is Christ. A Spiritual knowledge of this union of two Natures in one Person and that God himself is this Person will sweeten all sufferings of life to you and perfume the Grave Open the Eyes of your Spirits and behold with joy and wonder the going of your God and King in the Sanctuary of this Earthly Body It was the ever-glorious and immutable Person of God in the most high and holy Trinity which made itself Flesh in the Womb of the Virgin which was that Flesh which in that Flesh eat drank slept talked and walked upon the Face of this Earth which passed under all the clouds thorow all the storms of life here which hung upon the Cross dyed and lay down in the Grave O with what a Divine and delightful Glory hath this Divine presence and Person silled and cloathed this Flesh this Earth all the natural actions and passions of this Flesh on this Earth Clouds Storms the Cross Death and the Grave to the Spiritual Eyes of Believers What living Plants of Paradise how beautiful how laden with most pleasant and Immortal Fruits are all these springing up out of this Root this Divine and Eternal Person What Jewels are they of incomprehensible virtue sweetness and lustre hanging upon this Person See your selves O all ye Saints even the lowest and the least conformed to this Image It is the immortal Seed and Son of God in you it is your Jesus the most glorious Person of God himself in this Seed in you which is made partaker of Flesh and Blood which walks on Earth and acts all the parts of the natural Life here which passeth thorow all the Clouds and Storms of life which suffers dies and lies in the Grave The Spoase saith of Christ he is a bundle of Myrrh he shall lye all night between my Breasts Thus the Humane Nature of Christ saith to the Divine Nature Thus the Earthly Nature saith to the Heavenly Nature to the Divine Seed to the Lord Jesus to the Divine Nature in the Lord Jesus thou art my bundle of Myrrh thou liest all the night of this life and death between my naked Breasts What corruption can I see in the Grave itself What Divine Sweetness breaths forth itself in all States What Divine Treasures of Life and Immortality fill and overflow all while we thus lye most intimately united entirely wrapt up in each other in the most sweet and glorious Unity of one Divine and Eternal Spirit one Mystical Divine and Eternal Person 2. Propos. God in his own Person as the Divine Nature lived in our Nature here on Earth stood at once in a twofold Principle the one Natural and Temporary the other Spiritual and Eternal The Lord Jesus was truly and really a man in every point like unto us sin only excepted as the Scripture speaketh in the Epistle to the Hebrews Thus he did bear in himself the Earthly and Natural Image he stood in an earthly and natural Principle He came forth from the Father into the World So was he made a Servant and made under the Law But the Lord Jesus was in Person the Eternal Son of God In this Person alone did the Humane Nature of Christ with its Natural Principle and Fleshly Form in this world subsist The second Person in the Trinity was the Glorious and Invisible Root which through the Divine Nature sent forth sustained lived and appeared in the spotless Flesh of the Lord Jesus Thus
of them all when you come most covered with Dust and Blood when you come immediately out of the greatest sufferings when you come so much the lovelier by how much the liker you are to Christ when Christ and the Father have been so much the more glorified in you when they in their Glories have so much the more clearly eminently shined forth in your Persons and rested upon them by how much the more extream your sufferings have been When the Father hath thus accomplished his will in you what a Feast of Eternal Pleasures what a Crown of Eternal Glories will he make this will of his to you how will he accomplish your will in himself to the utmost height of all delights blessedness 3. See here a threefold comfort against sufferings and Death 1. He who hath conquered them is your Captain the Lord Jesus We read Heb. 2. That the Captain of our Salvation being to bring many Sons to Glory was made perfect through Sufferings There are four things in that word Perfect 1. There was a perfection of sufferings in all kinds and degrees Nothing of any evil of sufferings in the evil of it was absent or could be added 2. Jesus Christ perfectly endured these sufferings in the sense of them in the continuance under them in pressures and oppressions by them 3. He was a perfect Conqueror over them 4. To be made perfect signifieth an initiation in Sufferings as in Sacred and Divine Mysteries So Christ was at once in his Sufferings the Priest the Altar the Fire the Sacrifice the Temple the God This Jesus thus a perfect and a Divine Conqueror over all Sufferings who holdeth all evil of Sin and Sorrow as Captives in Chains of Eternal Goodness pure Love Light and Joy He leads you upon Sufferings he goes before you into them he turns them all into Holy and Heavenly Mysteries of Divine Life and Love and makes you in the midst of them as Priests like Aaron in his Priestly Robes and Ornaments and Anointings in the Temple of the Eternal Spirit 2. You O Saints have nothing to do in your greatest Sufferings that you may be Conquerors over them but to abide in the Lord Jesus He himself in his dying discourses thus comforts his Disciples in the Gospel of St. John In the World you shall have trouble but in me you shall have peace be of good chear I have overcome the World Stand still be stedfast and unmoved in the Lord Jesus so shall you never have any other sight of your Enemies or Troubles but such as the Children of Israel had on this side of the Red Sea when they came forth with their Timbrels and Dances You shall see them drown'd in the Sea of your Saviours Blood in a Sea of Glory in his Victory never to appear more in any melancholy shape When thine Enemies encompass thee on every side like mighty Floods with greatest force and fury lie down upon thy glorified Saviours Bosom as the Bed of Love have his high praises in thy mouth sing aloud of his Love his Loveliness his Victory in his Death his Resurrection and return in the Spirit So shalt thou see all the powers of Darkness Death and Hell under thy Feet bound in Golden Chains of Love Immortality and Glory 3. Look forth now with a Spiritual Eye and see that Sufferings and Death are a name only and empty shadows without any substance The things themselves are for ever destroyed by the Death of Christ and buryed in his Grave never to rise more A good Woman a Martyr being reproved for going with joy to the Fire when Christ was sad at the approach of Death answered My Saviour was sad that I might be joyful Sufferings and Death are now to Saints like Snakes out of whom the Lord Jesus hath taken the Sting that we may take them into our Bosoms and make them our soft and shining Play-fellows They are become now in the Blood and Spirit of Christ like Vipers in Wine which have lost their Poyson and are high Cordials like Bees they have shot their stings into the Lord Jesus and lost them there They have Hony now without any sting for thee to suck forth and feed upon 6. Propos. This Eternal Person our Jesus with his God-Head in his whole Humanity both Soul and Body in the moment of Death by dying went entirely forth from the Natural or Temporary Principle and so from under the Curse I shall open this by four Scriptures 1. Scrip. Heb. 10. 19 20. The Lord Jesus is said to have conâ—â—erated a new and living way for us to enter into the holiest through the Vail that is his Flesh Math. 27. 50 51. You shall see that as Jesus Christ yielded up the Ghost immediately the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom The Temple was a Figure of the Person of Christ as the Vail was of this Flesh. How particularly and emphatically is it expressed that the Vail was rent from the top to the bottom to its utmost extent in the Person of Christ The Flesh was as a Vail lying upon the Divine Beauties upon the Eternal Person and the Heavenly Image in the Soul Body of Christ. The Flesh of Christ was a dividing Vail separating between the Lord Jesus the naked Beauties the naked Bosom of his Father keeping his Soul and Body his blessed Person and Divine Nature as they subsisted in his Soul and Body out of the holiest out of the pure and open Glories of the God-Head As the Lord Jesus dies in that same moment this Vail is rent from the top to the bottom from the the highest part of his Soul and Spirit to the lowest part and appearance in the Body Now the Holiest the Heavenly Image the pure and naked Glories of the Eternal Person of the God-Head were opened and discovered thorow his whole Soul and Body His Soul and Body both entered into the Holiest into this Heavenly Image into these pure Glories in the unity of the Eternal Spirit 2. Scrip. John 19. 30. When the Lord Jesus was now breathing his last he formed his last breath into these words it is finished As he spake those words he bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost What was that which was finished with the life of Christ Not the work of our redemption Many great and principal parts of that remained still behind the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus his Ascension his Intercession his return in the Spirit at the pouring forth of that his last Appearance his Judgment and Kingdom What then was that which was finished with the finishing of the life of Christ The days of his abode in the Flesh without the Vail his Humiliation his Sufferings the State of Nature the Curse the Wrath of the Father were now finished the Spirit and Image of this world the hour and power of Darkness the bloody Fight with the Prince of Darkness the Prince of this World were now
Rest. In this confidence doth the Flesh of the Lord Jesus rest in Death It hath no more for ever any Conflicts or Allarms It is overspread with a sweet and clear Heaven It breaths in a gentle and delicious air where there is no storm no rain nor cloud It is in a State of immutable joys where there is no Death no Shadow of Death no trouble no fear no shadow of fear or any such thing All things sing an eternal requiem and rest to it As the Flesh of the Lord Jesus resteth in Confidence so it resteth also in Hope Hope is good in prospect or in progress At our first conversion the Eternal day breaketh upon us While we live on Earth in a State of Grace we have sweet and clear streaks of the Light of Life appearing thorow our Spirits which still grow clearer and brighter unto a perfect day But all this while there are dark and black shades of the Night Sins and Sufferings every where mingled with the pure Light of this blessed Day At Death it is perfect Day The shadows of the Night are perfectly drunk up into the rising Light that now they appear no more in dark Forms but are seen only as by a lovely temperature with the Light they make beautiful and pleasant colours of Saffron and of Roses In the Resurrection the body of the Sun the Eternal Sun the Lord Jesus in the Glory of his God-Head ariseth upon Soul and Body both and is nakedly seen nakedly enjoyed without the Vail of any dark and nightly shade or any Floury Spicy or morning shade From the Resurrection to the utmost point of the ascention this Divine Sun is rising higher and higher in Glory upon us till he comes to that Noon-sted of Eternity and of the God-Head where there is no more any ascent or descent where the Unity is entire where god is one and that one God is all in all In the Confidence and full assurance of this Hope doth the Flesh of our dying Saviour and of every dying Saint rest Object But you may say we have formerly seemed to affirm according to the Language of the Scripture that the days of Christ on Earth before his Death were alone the days of his Flesh that the Flesh of Christ was a Vail upon his Body which was rent in Death that it was not the substance of his Body nor its true proper and natural Form but a darkning and dividing Form in which the Body of Christ appeared and with which it was cloathed in the State of fallen Nature in the State of his Humiliation in his Earthly State This State ended this Form was put off in Death How then had the Flesh of Christ a part in his Triumph How did the Flesh of Christ rest in Hope Ans. In a Garden of Flowers by night the Flowers are seen in dusky and dark Forms while the shades of the night lie upon them as Vails upon their Beauties When the bright day riseth upon this Garden the Flowers appear in their naked and shining Beauties in their proper and lovely Figures their dark appearances together with their darkning vails the shades of the night are drunk up and transformed into the brightness of the Rosy morning The Body of the Lord Jesus and of all his holy Ones are the immortal Flowers Flowers of the Heavenly Paradise Their Fleshly Form is the shadow of the night upon them their dim and dusky appearance thorow this Shadow Death is the lovely and rosy Morning of the Eternal Day rising upon them The Spirit of Glory and of God is the brightness of this Day The Flesh is now changed into Spirit the dusky appearance thorow the Vail of Flesh into a Spiritual and Heavenly brightness In this brightness these bodies of which we spake shine forth in their naked native shapes and Beauties from all parts they shed a Divine Lustre they breath a pure sweetness of Divine Joys like the Flowers of the Spring in a fair morning Thus the Flesh of Christ resteth in Death 3. The ground of this Triumph is the inseparable union between the God-Head and the whole Humanity of Christ living or dying These are the words of the Lord Jesus by his Spirit in the mouth of David Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell Expositors agree that the word Hell signifieth not a place of torments according to the common acception but the State of Soul and Body in Death The Greek word by which it is rendered in the New Testament is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by its notation signifieth the State of things Invisible or the Invisible State of things It is also well known that the Soul in the language of the Old Testament is not used to express only one part of a Man but the whole Person It is a Maxim in Divinity laid down by all learned and holy Men that when the Natural Union between the Soul and Body of our Lord Jesus ceased in Death the Supernatural and Hypostatical or Personal Union between the Divine or Humane Nature in both parts of it remained inviolable and entire Thus it is frequently said that although the Soul of Christ was separated from his Body in the Grave yet the God-Head was never separated from either O sweet and sure truth A Spring of Holy Heavenly and Immortal Joys in Life and in Death This Truth rightly understood is a blessed Light which discovereth to us a Divinity in our Life here Immortality in Death and Heaven in the Grave This Divine Truth is the rich ground of our dear Saviours Glorious Triumph over Death in Death There was a twofold band of Union between the Soul and Body of Christ while he lived in Flesh one Natural the other Supernatural 1. The Natural Union was that composition of soul and Body by which he became a Natural Man and had the true Forms Substance and Essence of a Man sprung from the first Adam This band of union was broken in Death by which means the Natural Man now was no more for ever according to its Natural State and Principle but vanished like a shadow breaking up into the Light of a Spiritual Glory 2. The Supernatural Union is that of the second Person in the Trinity which is the Eternal God who at the Incarnation of Christ made himself Flesh that is a compleat Man himself subsisting as the single and undivided Person in this Man in both parts of this Man in Soul and in Body giving in like manner a personal subsistence to them in himself that the Divinity and the Humanity in its Soul and in its Body both were all one simple individual indivisible Person This is that which Divines call the Hypostatical or Personal Union in Christ which remained firm and altogether unimpaired in Death itself See now the beautiful and delightful consequences of this Union The Soul and Body of Christ continued immediately intimately sweetly triumphantly united upon the Cross in the Grave were both one Immortal
and despair that by him these beautiful and blessed Lives may rise again 2. The Death out of which this Life is raised is that of Sin and of the Curse for Sin Eph. 2. 1. v. St. Paul saith we were dead in Sin Hear and read this O man with sighs and tears with trembling and terrour Thy Life it self is now a Death and a cursed Death such a Death as makes the difference between an Angel in Glory and a Devil in Hell The corruption of the best things is worst The fall of the highest and greatest things makes the greatest and most dreadful Ruine The Divine Life is dead the Divine Image is fallen in thee Thou art dead in Sin Sin lived and I died saith St. Paul in the forementioned place A Life of Darkness shame Disorder deformity enmity the Life and Image of Hell and Devils are sprung up in thee and are become a Grave of hate and horrour which hath swallowed up the Life the Image of Love Beauty and Joy of Heaven of Angels of God into a cursed Victory in thee All the stings and terrours of the first death in the separation of the Soul and Body are all the secret burnings of this Hellish fire of the Death in Sin now quite consuming the broken Relicks of the Divine Light and sweetness in the Flesh and enlarging itself into the second Death as into an eternal Flame of Wrath and torment Look up oh man see this whole World of these Heavens and this Earth as a Charnel-house or a dark Vault for the Dead See thy self in this Body as a melancholy Coffin in the midst of this Vault where thine own Divine Life and Image with ten thousand blessed Lives the Life of Christ of Paradise of Heaven lie dead and buried See this place in which now thou art the smoaky porch and gloomy entrance into Hell like a cloudy Evening to that dismal Night See thy self walking here as a wretched Ghost and Shade in the midst of the Dead in the midst of cursed Apparitions from below and thy self together with all these ready every moment to vanish into everlasting Darkness and Flames This is the Death out of which the Divine Life is raised in the first Resurrection or the Regeneration 3. The Resurrection of this Life out of this Death is to be declared in its first step which is the Regeneration or New-birth The Divine Nature which lies hid at the bottom and in the center of the Soul lives there to itself with its Heavenly and Earthly Image as in the Secret of its own twofold Paradise whereof one was never yet revealed in any Creature until Christ the other with drew itself hither from the sight of the Soul at the Fall This Divine Nature as to the Soul itself whose Root it is of whose Being it is the only Life and Truth lies slain by the Life of Sin and buried in its own Ruines beneath the Darkness and Confusion of the Corrupt the Fleshly and the Hellish Image This Divine Nature in the moment of Regeneration or Conversion is new-born in the Soul or which is the same the Soul is new-born into the Divine Nature and comes forth with a new and Divine Being into a new and Divine World This change is called a Birth because the Divine Nature as the Seed of God sown in the Soul diffuseth itself thorough the Soul changeth the Soul into one Nature and Life with itself so bringeth forth itself in the soul and the Soul together with itself in its own Divine Life and Likeness The Eternal Spirit is the Father of this Birth which sendeth forth this holy Seed This Spirit is also the Mother For in the naked Bosom of the Eternal Spirit at once the Seed of God is sown in the soul and the Soul is sown as a new Seed sent forth immediately from God wrapt up in the Seed of God The Spirit also itself is this Seed For so the Lord Jesus saith John 3. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit This New birth is said to be from above because it is immediately from God the Birth of God as he is in the Simplicity of his Godhead uncloathed of every Vail infinitely transcending all created powers and perfections This Birth is expressed by being born again as a second Birth For man was first born unto a Divine Light and Image in Pâ—radise where he aâ—so dyed to this Life and Image unto which he is now born a second time That was a Shadow onely This the Shadow and the Substance both in Union This Birth is also called a Resurrection and is truely so upon this account That same Divine Person in his own proper and individual Existency which died in Paradise which ever since hath lien slain and buried in the corrupt sinful Person sprung up in its place as in a Grave now riseth again As it riseth it casteth off this cursed and Hellish person as a Body rising to Glory casteth off the form of a dead Carcass of Rottenness and dust recovering it s own proper place and right But there is a threefold difference between this Divine Nature in its first Life in Paradise and its first Resurrection in its Regeneration or New-birth 1. In Paradise the Divine Nature sprung up and appeared in a Earthy Image and in an Earthy Person only as in a lovely shadow of itself The Heavenly Person the Heavenly Image although it were the Root the Truth the Life the Fulness of this Shadow yet it lay concealed beneath it as a Vail or as the Fruit lies hid in the Blossom By Sin the Blossom falls to make way for this Fruit. In the new birth out of the Ruins of the Earthy Person and the Earthy Image as the rending of the Vail the Divine Nature springs up and shines forth in its own Heavenly Person and Image Thus that which was sown by the Fall a Heavenly and Divine Shadow riseth again by the new birth a Heavenly and Divine Substance which is the Shadow in its Life and Truth The Holy Scriptures declare this Glorious Mystery 1 Epist. John 5. c. where we read That there are three which bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit A little after we read That he who believeth hath the record in himself If a Believer hath the Record within himself he hath also within himself those who bear the Record For a Record or Testimony hath all its authority and force from the Persons of the Witnesses as it is given by them and cometh forth out of their mouths Behold then here in the moment of believing God himself in the three Persons in their Heavenly Image which is the Heaven of Heavens bringing forth the Divine Nature as their own proper Birth and Child in an Heavenly Person and in their own Heavenly Image in which they themselves dwell together with him giving their Testimony to him in which he believes 2. That which was the Beauty and the beautiful
Inhabitant of Paradise was the Divine Nature in the Earthly Image and in an Earthy Person which stood singly in a shadowy Joy and Glory The Heavenly Person and the Heavenly Image which were the Life itself were hidden and Vailed beneath this Shadow like the Glory of a Flower in its seed beneath the Earth when the Plant begins first to appear or like the ripe fruit hid in the Blossom In the New birth that Divine Person and Form which died in the Shadow riseth again in the blessed life and most beautiful Truth of the Eternal Substance As the Accorn which was first an Oak being sown in the Ground and dying springs up again into a fair and flourishing tree But there is this difference the Accorn is not the same Oak which at first it was but only another of the same kind But here the Shadow in its new birth riseth again in that Individual Person and proper Essence of Glory out of which it first descended As Jesus Christ saith I came forth from God into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father So Saith this new-born Child of God I was before the World with my Elder Brother in the bosom of the Father I was with the Father in the bosom of my Elder Brother one Spirit one Heavenly Image one Brightness of Glory together with him I came forth from this Glory into a Shadowy similitude of it into an Earthly Paradise From thence I fell by sin into that Death which is my Life in this present evil World Again through the Death of Christ by the Resurrection of the new Birth I leave both this living Death in the World that Shadowy Life of Paradise return to my first Glory with Jesus Christ in the bosom of the Father Moreover that Earthly Image and shadowy Paradise are not lost These also rise again in their Regeneration They arise again the same Individuals but in a far different Form and in a far differing manner of subsisting The Earthly man of the first Paradise is born anew subsisting in the Person of the Heavenly Man as the Humanity of Christ subsisted in his Divine and Eternal Person The Earthy Man springs up in the bosom of the Heavenly Man It is no more now as at the first a vail on the Sun-like Face and Spiritual Beauties of the Heavenly Pattern and Original But it is to it as the frâ—shest Beams and the most Flowry Light of the Sunshine is to the Sun It Flows immediately from the naaked Form and fulness of the Heavenly Glory it is transparent to it filled and covered with it The Earthly Paradise now flourisheth in the midst of the Heavenly Paradise which shineth all through it bringing it forth as one Person and one Spirit with itself This is the new Heaven and the new Earth the Heavenly Man and the Heavenly Paradise newly and nakedly discovered so as it never before was in this Creation The earthly man also and the earthly Paradise brought forth into a new state and Glory by their Union and fellowship with the Heavenly Man and the Heavenly Paradise as a Bride adorned by the presence of her Bridegroom coming forth like the Sun Thus Jesus Christ makes all things new in the new Creature and brings forth the new Creature together with himself in himself as St. Paul speaks 2 Corin. c. 5. v. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature or a new Creation For behold saith Christ I make all things new This new birth and Resurrection of the Heavenly and earthly Glories united in one Person in a Saint is excellently represented in that forementioned place of St. John 1. Epist. c. 5. v. Having said There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit he adds There are three that bear record on Earth and saith he these three agree in one The first three were one Heavenly Spirit and Image The last three agree in one Earthly Image with themselves and in one Heavenly Spirit with the Heavenly Image and the Heavenly three A Believer as is before noted is said to have the Record or Testimony of these Witnesses in himself He hath then also the Witnesses in himself for these Witnesses testifying of themselves to the Soul are in their own unvailed persons and Divine presence the Tâ—stimony the Truth of the Testimony the Authority the Witnesses all in one The second Trinity of Witnesses is 1. the Water 2. The Blood 3. The Spirit 1. The Water is the natural or Earthly Image washt as by a Baptism of Water from its filth like a piece of Gold fallen into the dirt The first Creation is exprest by Water It was a pure and clear Sea of finest Christal The Face of God shining forth upon this Sea of Chrystal at once filled it with the sweet Light of his Beams and figured his Beauties upon it which Light and Figure were the Light of Paradise and the Life of the first man in it Sin by a mixture of Earth with this pure Water pollutâ—th it troubleth it changeth the Light into Darkness and the Beautiful Figure of the Divine Glory into Confusion The clear and sweet calm is now changed into a black and foul Tempest The new birth separating the dark dâ—filing Earth from the clear pure Flood gives a Resurrection to the Divine Light the Divine Form the Earthly man in its puritiâ—â— and the first Paradise in its Beauties 2. The Blood is the second Witness joyned together with the Water This is the Earthly Image heightened with a more excellent washing than that of Water which is this of the precious Blood of God himself This Blood taketh away by the vertue of Christs Death the darkness of the vail which interposeth between the naked Glories of the Heavenly Image and the Earthly Image keeping it in the state of a shadow only Now this most precious Blood as a rich Flood of Divine Light and Life breaks in freely and fully upon the Earthly Image in its new birth that it is no more the shadow to that Heavenly substance but the face in the Glass answering to the living face of the supream and Eternal Beauty Thus the Earthly Man and the Earthly Paradise returneth and riseth again in the Regeneration not by Water only but by Blood not as the shadowy Similitude of a concealed Beauty but the shining brightness of a present and unclouded Glory This is the second Witness on Earth The Spirit is the last of the three Witnesses in the Earthly Image This giveth his Testimony joyntly in both Images the Heavenly and the Earthly This Spirit is the same in both the Mother which bringeth both forth from its own Eternal Womb the Life which dwells in both the Glory which fits and cloaths them both the Love which Eternally sports in both which fills both with purest perpetual Pleasures in themselves in each other This Spirit is that band of perfection which
Fellowship between the Father and Christ and the Spirit and the Saints in the Spirit at the coming of the Spirit is this 1. The blessed Person of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity is the beautiful band of that sweet and sacred Union in which the two other Persons the Father and the Son most nakedly most entirely at the utmost heighth of their Beauties and Loves possess and enjoy each other The same Person of the Spirit in the mystical and Marriage Union between Christ and the Soul is that sweet and sacred Unity by the Virtue of which the Father Christ and a Saint in the Purity and Perfection of all Heavenly sweetnesses and excellencies behold love and take Pleasure in each other as one Spirit By this you may see how the Spirit is the Promise and the Seal and what this Seal of the Spirit means The Lord Jesus fully expresseth it in the verse mentioned At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you This day is the day of the Spirit the day of the Spirits coming into the Soul and appearing there In the Revelation of this third Person the Holy Spirit when he shines forth in the Spirit of a Saint the Father Christ and a Saint are all seen together in one Glory the Glory of the Father in the Fellowship and Unity of this Spirit which is the Spirit of Glory This Union and this Vision takes the Saint up into itself fixeth itself in a Saint displayeth itself there by the immediate Brightness and Glory of that Heavenly Person the Spirit himself which is the Spirit of Truth This is the Seal of the Spirit this is the Banner of Love Thus he sets himself as a Seal upon the Heart of his spouse thus he spreads himself as a Banner of Love over her head in his Banqueting-house How clearly in this Day in this Vision and Unity of the Spirit doth the Beloved Spouse of Christ see Heaven and Paradise ten thousand Heavens and Paradises new-born and risen within herself herself new-born and risen into the midst of them and enjoying them all Dost thou mourn O dejected Soul that thou hast not received this Seal of the Spirit Alas how few have How hath this Seal been withdrawn since the Nations of the World received the mark of Anti-Christ Mourn thou together with all the Saints for the absence of the Heavenly Bridegroom in this Vision of his Glory and Seal of his Love But mourn not as without Hope Press forward to this Day of the Spirit and to the Brightness of the rising of the Lord Jesâ—s together with the Father upon thy Soul in the Person of the Spirit which is the Union of all Loves Joys and Glories as all Lights are United in the Sun This Day hath already dawned some few have seen the dawnings of it and rejoyced to see it when it hath shone forth upon the tops of their Spirits as the Sun in the pleasant morning of a Summers-day gilds the Tops of the Mountains 2. The Second Evidence is the Witness of the Spirit Of this Paul speaketh Rom. 8. v. 16. The Spirit itself beareth Witness in our Spirit that we are the Children of God This Witness of the Spirit may be more interrupted and be accompanied in the Soul with less Glory and a less triumphant Joy yet is it clear and sweet and sure although the clearness and the sweetness have their different degrees The Witness of the Spirit is as tho Voice of God in the Soul received and ecchoed to by the Soul The Seal of the Spirit is the Glorious Face of God unvailed in the Soul and by the kiss of its mouth Uniting it to the Soul so that it stamps its own Heavenly Image upon the Soul and Ravishing the Soul into one Life and Form of Glory with itself becomes its own Reflection there equally embracing and embraced enjoying and enjoyed in the Unity of the Spirit Thou who feest not the Seal of the Spirit upon thy heart open thy Spiritual Ear hearken unto the voice of the Spirit hearken to the voice of thine own Spirit These two by a sweet Consent and Harmony may testifie together the Love of God in thee Their voice may be low and not to be heard in the Tumult and noise of thy Fears and Doubts In the calmness quietness and rest of a meek and resigned Spirit hearken diligently and thou mayest hear this low voice Though this voice be low yet is it clear and sweet The Love and Peace and Joy of the Spirit the Spirit of Love Peace and Joy himself are in this low voice 3. The third Evidence is the Instinct of the Spirit which seems to be mentioned by St. Paul as a less degree of Evidence going before that of the Witness of the Spirit Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby ye Cry Abba Father The little Lamb newly yeaned and come forth from the Dam in a great flock amongst many Lambs and Ews knoweth its own Dam discerneth its call from all others runneth to it keepeth by its side when it is in any fear seeketh and sucketh its Milk and the nourishment of its Life from it This is the Instinct of Nature which faileth not the Births of Nature Thus every Child of God hath much more a Spiritual and Divine Instinct which is inseparable from the Divine Nature in it The Spirit of God in it when the Light of the Divine Nature is most obscured is a Spirit of Son-ship or Childhood in the Soul by secret Impressions leading it inclining and carrying it to God as its Father giving it a secret sense and discerning of the Voice of God and of its Relation to God as by the instinct of the Divine Nature Consider this ye doubting fearful and distressed Saints consider this and be comforted Thou hast no clear sight of the Face of God Thou hast no clear Testimony of the Love of God in thy Spirit Thou hast no distinct understanding of thy Union with God or of the Nature of God or of the things of God Thou hast no Evidences by which thou canst satisfy thy own Reason thorow any discourse of Reason But thou art inwardly carryed in thy desires and inclinations to God to please him to be with him Thy Soul secretly hangs upon God and cleaveth to him Thou inwardly longest and thirstest to suck in from his Breasts the milk of Spiritual Life Comfort and Light In the day of thy fears and distress thine Eye looketh to God thine Heart cryeth and hasteth to him The call the voice of God in his Providences his Word and the inward motions of his Spirit touch thine Heart and turn thy Bowels within thee How often in the greatest doubts and distresses of thy Spirit dost thou sigh forth to God the name of Father Behold this is the instinct of the Divine Nature in thee This is the Spirit of Adoption by which thou art acted and by
Lamb hath seven Eyes and seven Horns which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth Seven is a Perfect Number the Power of all Numbers which multiply themselves endlesly by the Marriage of the Two First Numbers Three and Four the Numbers of the Trinity upon the Throne and the Four Living Creatures most immediately to the Throne and from thence spreading themselves thorow all things being in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne on every side Revel 4. 6. The seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth are the Holy Ghost that one Manifold Infinite Spirit which divideth Itself into Innumerable flaming Tongues Eyes Horns into all Forms of things according to its own Good Pleasure ever Containing all within itself ever filling all with itself See now the Lamb with seven Eyes and seven Horns seven Spirits sent forth into all the Earth The Lamb is Jesus risen from the Dead The Lord the Spirit who hath Innumerable Living Lights of Glory in himself Innumerable Living Springs of Light and Glory with which as with so many ever-waking Eyes he shineth and seeth thorow all things who hath innumerable Powers Almighty Powers Fountains of Power as so many Horns with which he ruleth and reigneth in the midst of all things A Poet in a bright Night taken in a Wood by Robbers which would kill him said to them As many stars as shine in the Sky so many Eyes now look upon you and will be witnesses of this Murther O Sinner who art hatching who art practising any lust in the most secret corner of thine heart or Closer be awake be aware See the Lord Jesus with ten thousand with a Numberless Number of Eyes Shining Flaming Eyes of Pure Glory looking forth full upon thee from every point of the Walls the Roof the Floor all things round about thee from every point of thine own Heart and all that is within Thee See the Lord Jesus with as many Horns of Divine Power from every Point of things running upon thee to break Thee off from thy Lusts or to break Thee in pieces O Saint who mournest sitting in Darkness Lying in Prison encompassed with black thoughts with Enemies Invisible or Visible be awake be aware See thy Jesus thy King thy Beloved with ten thousand a Numberless Number of Eyes sweetly-shining sweetly-Flaming Eyes of Pure Love from every Point of the blackest Darkness of the darkest Prison of thy Darkest thoughts themselves looking forth upon Thee See him with as many Golden Horns of Divine Power from every part from every side running upon thine Enemies to ruine them to cast them down to the Ground down to the bottom of the Pit until they rise no more whether they be things Visible or Invisible See him with the same Innumerable Golden Horns from every part of things from the thickest Darkness round about thee running to Thee to raise Thee up to set Thee on high upon the Rock of Eternity in the midst of the Throne of God Revel 1. 14 The Eyes of the Lord Jesus are compared to a Flame of Fire A Spirit is all one Entire Eye and full of Eyes The Lord Jesus is the Supreme Spirit spreading himself thorow all things from the height of Heaven above to the Depth of Death and Hell beneath The Firmament is not set so thick with Stars as the Whole Earth the whole-Creation all things are set with the Eyes of the Lord Jesus These Eyes are so many Suns of Love to the Flowers the Wheat the Gold the Diamonds to increase their Beauty draw forth their Sweetness ripen their Fruit make them sparkle and shine more pleasantly But to Stubble and Thorns to Vanity or Enmity they are a flame of Fire burning upon it until it be consumed O Fear the Wrath of the Lamb. 2. Application Fear to look with a Vailed Heart upon the Vailed Face of the Lord Jesus If thou seest the Shadow the Letter of the Gospel if thou seest the Vail the Flesh of Christ if thou seest not to the End of these as things to be done away if thou seest not thorow these beyond these the Lord the Spirit which is the Heavenly Body and Substance to the Shadow the Naked Face the Naked Unchangeable Eternal Person of Christ hid under the Vail it is not Jesus Christ but Moses in whom thou trustest Thou art not in the Arms of a Lovely pleasant Bridegroom but at the feet of a severe Judge This is the Law from Mount Sinai which engendreth bondage which trembleth and shaketh for fear where Thunders roar and Lightnings fly abroad from the midst of a thick Darkness This is not the Lord Jesus full of Grace that Perfect Love which casteth out fear the Perfection of Beauty on Mount Sion which standeth firm for ever which may be touched kissed and embraced Take heed to thy self O Temporary Believer Thou Jew thou Christian outwardly in the Letter onely This is not the Sun of Righteousness on which thou lookest but the Cloud which covereth the Sun If the Eye of thy Spirit stay here and pierce no further out of this Cloud will come down upon thy head a tempest a Whirlwind and Flames of Fire The Vail is upon your Hearts while the Gospel is read even to this day 3 Application Blessed art thou who lookest with a Naked Heart upon the Naked Person of Christ. He who is fixed in the Letter the Outward Form the Flesh of the Eternal Word is One of the People of the Jews who stood below at the Foot of the Mountain having in their Eye the Outside onely of things These saw nothing but the Blackness of Darkness and the Flashes of Lightning these heard nothing but the dreadful claps of Thunder He who ascendeth and entreth into the Truth the Spirit is with Moses within upon the Top of the Mount He talketh with God face to face as a man talketh with his Friend He seeth the Divine Light and Calm of Eternity in the naked Person of the Lord Jesus He receiveth the Language of Divine Love the Musick of Eternity with kisses of Love immediately from the Lips of the Lord Jesus He feeleth the Fountain of Life all Joys flowing from the Heart of the Lord Jesus running nakedly thorow his whole Body and Spirit being a better Feast than that of all meats and Drinks filling him with Spirit and pleasantness cloathing him with a fresh Lustre Beauty in a more excellent way The Lord Jesus saith of himself in the Gospel I have a Baptism to be baptised with and how am I streightned till it be over The Loves the Lovelinesses the Divine Life the Delights the Glories the Lord Jesus all the Treasures of the Eternal Word are streightned in the flesh of Christ as the Beauties and Sweetnesses of a Flower the Fruits of a Tree are shut up and imprisoned in the Seed When the Lord Jesus by Death is baptised into a Divine Form and Glory when he cometh
forth as A Spirit as the Eternal Spirit having married the Humane Nature into One Heavenly Form and Spirit with itself Now all the Treasures of Righteousness Life Immortality Love Joy all the Treasures of the God-Head display themselves over the whole Person of Christ entirely nakedly richly to the Height of all their Beauties and Sweetnesses as Flowers full-blown in Spring as Fruit-trees laden with ripe fruit in Autumn Who now can express the Joys when a Naked Heart meeteth with its Naked Jesus when both have cast off their Vails One from his Face The other from his Heart It is the same Blessed hand of the Eternal Spirit which taketh off the Vails from Both dropping Myrrhe a heavenly Sweetness Purity and Immortality as It taketh them off The Reflection of the Face of God upon the Face of Moses on the Mount cast a Divine Lustre and Beauty which remained upon it He came down into the midst of the People bringing a Heaven in his Face along with him But they could not bear the Brightness of this Naked Beauty He therefore casteth a Vail upon his Face So they remain in Darkness their Minds are blinded until Wrath cometh upon them to the uttermost This is an Example unto us upon whom the Ends of all Fore-going Times and Actions are come Behold the Lord Jesus is gone up to the top of the Mount He is ascended He is Glorified with the Father with that Glory which he had with the Father before the World was As a Spirit he cometh down again to us in the Shining Form of this Spiritual Uncreated Eternal Glory Wo to you who cannot bear the Brightness of this Appearance who cannot look stedfastly upon the Naked Face the Naked Form of the Lord Jesus this Spirit To you he casteth a Vail over his Face and as he casteth a Vail over his own Face he casteth a Vail over your Hearts To you now he cometh as a Thief in the Night bringing Darkness and Doubt Trouble and Terrours Confusion Desolation and Despair spoiling you of all your Counterfeit Jewels false hopes false Joys false Graces false Christ. But you who love and wait for this Appearanâ—e of your Lord and Saviour like Lightning shining from Heaven into your Hearts you who with the single Eye of a Chast Spouse look to the Beloved Person of your Jesus in the simplicity of his Spiritual and Divine Form Blessed are you of the Lord Jesus To you he cometh as a Sun of Righteousness with healing in his Wings Overspreading you with his warm and Naked Beauties Covering your Deformities Curing your Maladies Infusing new Cordials of Immortal Life and Joy into your Hearts Hatching you to Spirituality raising you upon Silver Wings and Golden Feathers to Heavenly Flights with himself To you he cometh Enlightning enlivening Transforming Glorifying Gathering you up into One Spirit One Glory with himself Where this Spirit the Lord Jesus is there is Liberty of beholding of enjoying the Lord Jesus nakedly immediately entirely eternally without any chain clog cloud interposal or interruption There is Liberty of growing up into a Spirit out of All the Vails of Flesh into One Spirit with him O the Joys of a Naked Heart when it meeteth with its Naked Saviour But as it was with the Painter who called to remove the Vail that he might see the Picture when their was a Vail onely painted there The Vail was all the Picture so is it with the hypocrite with the Temporary Believer His Jesus his Heaven is a Vail onely a Vail like that of the Tabernacle finely wrought with Pictures of Angels of Heaven of Jesus but Keeping him for ever from the Face the Bosom of Jesus the society of Angels the Joys of Heaven in the Outermost Darkness His hope is a Spiders Web. The Poison of Death and Hell are bred there I hear a Voice frequently in my Spirit saying to me Cry What shall I cry 1. Cry There was an Ark in which Noah and his Family were safe from the Flood which drowned the World The onely Ark in which Noah the Believer the Child of Rest shall be safe from the Flames which are now ready to devour the World is the Naked Person of Christ in the Invisibility and Spirituality of his Divine Eternal Form 2. Cry The Sound and noise of the Hammers framing the Ark for Noah preached the Righteousness of God the Ruin of the World very near The Sound and noise of the Lord Jesus the Spirit of Life the Spirit of Love in his Naked Person in his Naked Loves and Lovelinesses growing up forming himself in the Spirits of his Saints preaches now a Deluge of Destruction Death and Hell at the Door ready to enter in The Rest and Righteousness of God in his Bosom alone the Rest of God in his Loves the Righteousness of God in his Loveliness 3. Cry As it was in the Days of Noah so it will be now The whole World will go on to eat and Drink to marry and give in Marriage to mock at this Preparation of an Ark at these Discourses of these Endeavours for the Spiritual Person of Christ in the Heavenly Image for the Revelation of him in our Spirits for the Retirement of our Persons into him The whole World will go on in Sensuality and Carnality mocking at the Lord this Spirit the Ark till the day that God open the Windows of Heaven from above and break up the great Deep of Hell from below to cover them with and swallow them up in Unquenchable Flames They say that Seth foreseeing Two Destructions of the World prepared Two Pillars upon which he engraved all Mysteries of Humane and Divine Knowledge One of Marble to endure the Flood the other of Brick to continue in the Flames St Peter speaking of the Flood and the Ark addeth The Like Figure whereunto now saveth us Baptism not the washing away of the filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a Good Conscience by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead The Lord Jesus counselleth the last Church Laodicea to buy of him Gold tried in the Fire Gold tried in the Fire no more loseth any thing or receiveth any harm in the Fire but shineth more gloriously The Lord Jesus risen from the Dead and become a Spirit the Fountain of Life is the Gold tried in the Fire of Death and the Divine Wrath. An Ark of Wood saved Noah from the Waters Behold an Ark of pure Gold a Spirit of Immortality and Glory which shineth with greatest Glory in the midst of the Everlasting Burnings This is our Jesus who saveth us from the Fire which is already Kindled and burneth upon the World which will immediately raise itself to a Mighty Irresistible Flame Blessed are you who enter into this Ark of Gold and shut your selves up into It. Here you shall lie upon beds of Love as in the Marriage-Chamber in the Bosom of your Bridegroom encompassed with Songs of Joy while the Fire dreadfully devoureth all without