al Created Nature What new what strange things what Miracles may we look for now in the government of the world especially when the Church is concerned seeing that our Lord Jesus in this Capacity as he is at the Right hand of God set above al Rankes and orders of the whol Creation is made Head over al things for the Church Jesus Christ could work no Miracles in one place because of the unbeleefe of the Inhabitants Our unbeliefe in that we see not the Lord Jesus as Esaiah saw him by a Spirit of Prophesie fitting upon this Throne of the divine Nature high and lifted up above every Principality and Power is the Reason why we have no more Miracles no more of his new and extraordinary Works in the midst of us It is our unbeleefe that we do not see and acknowledg those wonders which he hath wrought and is stil working while he fils the whol earth with his glory from his Throne John 6. 57. Jesus saith He that eats me shal Live by me even as I live by the Father Revel. 10. 9. 11. The Angel give St. John a Book to Eate and then tells him that he must prophesie before many peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings If we did eate this spiritual and Heavenly Person of Christ which is the Book of Life that Word comming forth from the mouth of God on which alone man Lives If we did by faith in the vnity of the spirit take in concoct digest turn into Nature and Nourishment these Evangelical truths concerning the Person of Christ above al given to his Church the Headship of Christ over al for his Church how certainly then and how speedily should we be fed with Honey from the Rock we should live in our own Persons in our private publike Capacitys upon a constant dayly Stream of Miracles comming down from the Father we should draw down and carry forth waters of life from the depth of the Godhead before the Kings of the Earth and into the midst of the Nations Thus much for the First Argument taken from Jesus Christ Arg. 2. The Second Argument is drawn from the Holy Spirit As the way of God is in Christ having his New name written upon his Person so the Way of Christ in his Church and in the world for his Church is in the Spirit and after the Newness of that Rom 7. 6. But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in Newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter The Soul of man is here set forth as having two Husbands The first Husband is the First Adam the Flesh the Natural Man This being slaine by the death of the Lord Jesus the Soul is set free from him and from his Law which is a Law of sin and Death Her second Husband to whom she is married upon the Death of the first is the last man the Glorified Person of Christ as He is in the Resurrection from the Dead And now the Soul is subject only to the Law of this Husband which is the Law of Free Grace of Love raigning by Righteousness which is the Beavty in the Face of the God-head unto Eternal Life through Jesus Christ by Vertue of our Marriage-union with him the Love Righteousness and Immortality of God the Father letting it self forth upon his Person first then in and through him upon us unto our Justification Sanctification and Glory That we should serve As to Fear God in the old Testament and to beleeve in the new so in both to serve him comprehends al parts of Religion the whol Communion between God and the Soul by which God Ministers himself in streams of Truth Grace and joy to the Soul or the Soul Ministers to him by recejving him by recejving al from him by receiving him together with al and by returning it self and al things to him in Love humility obedience thanksgiving The two ways of this Service are the Oldness of the Letter and the newness of Spirit The Letter is that Law which is proper and fitted to the Principle of Nature the flesh the first Adam in his power and purity The Spirit is the Law of the New man the Heavenly Image and second Adam as He is risen from the dead and stands in a Root of Glory from thence blossoming and bringing forth fruit in al his Members The Letter is like unto a Cestern The Spirit is the Fountain The water in a Cestern hath its stint and set measure it is a standing water which hath no spring to quicken it it is apt to corrupt with standing and to dry away Such is the Law of the Letter It is shut up in an outward narrow form and measure it hath not its root in it self it grows old it darkens withers and dies away But the Spirit is a Fountain and as a Fountain hath a Five-fold Newness of Life of Lustre of Purity of Variety of Immortality But here now although it may seem to be a digression from my present scope yet give me leave by the way to interpose a Caution very proper for this discourse of the Letter and the Spirit which is that you mistake not the Ryot Excess and Inordinacy of the flesh for the Newness Freedom and Extraordinariness of the Spirit To assist you in this Caution take this Distinction between the Novelties and Extravagancies of the flesh and the Newness and Extraordinariness of the Spirit First There is a Newness in which there is somthing unchangable an inward Principle a hidden Nature a Life a Rellish which is ever the same however the outward operations and manifestations vary The Life of the Spirit is as a Tree The Tree is new in the Spring the Summer the Autumn having for every Season its fresh puttings forth of Leaves Blossoms Fruit ripe Fruit Yet the Tree is still the same hath the same Root Sap and Nature Secondly There is a Newness where all things are changed not only the outward puttings forth but the most inward Principle where there abides nothing of the savor This is like that change where the Rod of Moses being cast upon the ground was made a real Serpent and the Dust of Egypt being cast up into the Air became living Lice Now as they say in Phylosophy Species et Essentiae rerum sunt sempiternae et immobiles The Essences and Kinds of things are ever the same however there be an Infinitness of uncertainty and change in the Individuals by the variety and change of outward Accidents So in a Saint compared with himself through the whol time of his Regeneracy or compared with all other Saints in all Ages ther is the same new nature the same inward saver in the Principle in the Spirit although the inward forms upon the understanding may have great change according to the different degrees and wayes of Light as also the outward forms of life and Conversation may have great variety in
hundred-fold by possessing al even that which was the enemies too by having al after a loss a fight by a victory having al natural joyes heighthned by their Vnion with spiritual enjoyments The deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib is set out in verse 4. by a comparison with the destruction of Midian Thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen and the staff of his Shoulder and the rod of his oppressour as in the day of Midian You may see the story of Midian in the seventh Chapter of Judges It was wholly miraculous and had these Eztraordinary things in it First God divided Gideon's Army from him by one Division upon another until he had lessened it from thirty thousand to three hundred vers. 3. 6 7. Secondly The terror upon the spirit of the Midianites and courage infused into Gideon by a dream verse 13 14 15. Thirdly The manner of the victory on Gideon's part who with his men stood stil breaking their pitchers holding forth their Lamps blowing with their Trumpets crying The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon which were al signs of faith and Prayer of the vertue of the Death Resurrection Glory and Spirit of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel verse 20 21. Fourthly the destruction of the Midianites one by another before that Gideon or his men strik one strok The overthrow of Sennacherib and his Army holds a resemblance with that of Midian in general in the miraculousness of it in particulars First Al the land of Judah was over-run and only Jerusalem left where also was as commentatours tel us from the Scripture a powerful numerous party divided from Hezekiah in a conspiracy to deliver up the City to Sennacherib Secondly Hezehiah's mourning and Humiliation was the breaking of the Pitcher Esaiah's prophecy and message to him upon it which was ful of spirituality of Evangelicalness of tryumph which was the Lamps shining forth upon the breaking of the pitcher the Comming down of the Angel by which the Army perished was the sounding of the Trumpet and the cry of the Sword of the Lord Thirdly The Army was overthrown without a fight Fourthly Sennacherib was slaine by his own Sons as the Midianites set every man his Sword against his fellow In the 9. verse the Reason of this wonderful Salvation is given For to us a Child is born to us a Son is given c. This in the letter is expounded of Hezekiah as he was a figure of Christ But the Jews themselves acknowledg this whol Scripture to have a more sublime sense and to relate to the Messiah which is Jesus Christ We may learn this from it First That al the eminent works and wonders of God in the world by which he saves his people or executes vengeance on his enemies are figures and forerunners of the Day of Christ Secondly Some new birth and bringing forth of Christ into the world in his own Person or in his spirit or in some eminent Type or Saint or Dispensation is the ground on which God builds his works of wonder in the world for the good of his Church or the Ruin of wicked men and powers Having thus levelled the ground round about my Text I come to my Text it self which compares the destruction of Sennacherib before Jerusalem with al warres by way of transcendency For every battel of the warrior is with confused noyse and garments rolled in Blood but this shal be with fire and burning of Fuel The difference between every battail and this slaughter of the Assyrians is three fold First There are warriors on both sides here Fire and Fuel meet Secondly There is a confused cry here al is in silence Thirdly There is a plentiful effusion of blood Here no blood is shed An Angel went forth and smote of the Assyrians in one night one hundred fourscore and five thousand Esa. 37. 36. It is frequent in Scripture to set forth the Miraculous Appearances and Works of invisible Powers either of God or of the Angels or of the Holy Ghost by Fire both to the Ear and to the Eye A Pillar of Fire led the Children of Israel through the Wilderness Horses of fire and Chariots of fire carried up Elijah into Heaven and encompassed the Servant of Elishah when he was afraid of an Army of Enemies the Holy Ghost descended in the form of fiery Tongues upon the Apostles The Lord promiseth by the Prophet Esaiah to be a wall of Fire round about his People And John the Baptist tells us in the Gospel of St. Mathew that Jesus Christ shall Baptize his People with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Fire is the most potent and glorious of all the Elements Some say that the Sun the chief and the Golden Head of this visible World is the Element of Fire and that Fire shal at last convert al the other Elements into it self and so give them their Perfection Fire is Burning and consuming only on Earth where it is straitened and meets with resistance But in Heaven it is only vital transparent shining cheering incorruptible In al these respects how proper is it to represent the Miraculous descents of God from above upon the Earth as he shines forth upon his Church or flames forth upon the world by Fire The Doctrine which I shal observe to you from these words and insist upon is this DOCT. God makes it his Delight and Praise to go New and Extraordinary waies with his Church and with the World for his Churches sake I wil give you Two Arguments for the cleering and proving of the Point One from Christ The other from the Spirit Arg. 1. The First Argument is taken from Christ The way of God with his Church and with the World in order to the Church is in Christ I intreat you for the fuller understanding of this and how it makes to the Point in hand to lay three Scriptures together Ephes. 3. 8 9 10. Matth. 28. 8. Ephes. 1. 20. Ephes. 3. 8. You read in the latter end of the verse of the unsearchable Riches of Christ Two things go to make up Riches Preciousness and Plenty The things of Christ are Rarities Precious things such as are no where to be found in the Creature They are the Things of God the Righteousness of God the Wisdom of God the Power the Peace the Grace the Glory of God Now Jesus Christ hath Plenty of these Precious things and this makes him Rich. But the Holy Ghost thinks not that word of Riches enough to express the Excellency and Fulness of Christ Therefore he adds to Riches Vnsearchableness and calls them the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ Vnsearchableness respects the Nature or Number of things The Excellencies of Christ are both waies Vnsearchable Every thing of Christ is Vnvaluable and those Vnvaluable things in Him are Innumerable They are past our Understanding We cannot comprehend the Excellency nor count the Number of them They swallow us up and lose us in Admiration At Verse 9. St. Paul goes on
to the world for the Churches sake I come now to the Uses Use 1. The first Vse is of Thankfulness God makes it his delight and praise to go new and extraordinary waies with his Church and with the world in order to his Church Let us then raise our delights and his praises from the sense of those new and extraordinary paths in which the Lord hath walked forth before our Eyes in the midst of al the nations round about us for our sake That the Newness of the divine footsteps in our dais and in our Land may leave the deeper print upon our spirits let us consider it in these Six Particulars 1. Our Changes 2. The Quickness of our changes 3. The Freshness upon our Changes 4. The inward Life whence our Changes spring 5. The Seal upon our Changes from their Living Principle 6. The Spirit of Grace evidencing it self as the Principle and the Seal First The Changes Which have been upon us shew the Newness of the Lords way with us Jerem 48. 11. The Lord complains Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his Lees and he hath not been emptyed from Vessel to Vessel therefore his tast remained in him and his sent is not changed How often hath England been changed from Peace to Warr from one Warr to another from one form of Government to another from Extremities to Enlargements from Enlargements to Extremities again These Changes have been as so many Vessels out of which and into which we have been emptyed Are we stil upon the Lees of Carnality and Corruption If we discern not God in a new Glory if we discern not Jesus Christ with his new name if we discern not the Newness of the Operations of the Spirit in al these things then doth our Earthly tast hitherto remain and our fleshly sent is not changed O for a refinedness of Soul now from the Lees of Earth to a pure wine of spirituality O for a heavenly tast a heavenly sent How should we rellish this feast of new delicacys which the Lord sets forth for us How should we love Jesus Christ for the Savor of his new and good Oyntments in which he powrs forth himself into the midst of us Revel. 6. 12. We reade of the Sun turning black as Sack Cloath of Hair the Moon as blood vers. 13. Stars of Heaven fel unto the Earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figs being shaken by a mighty winde Verse 14. Heaven departed as a Scroule rolled together Verse 16. The reason of al this i. e. The Face of him that sits on the Throne and the wrath of the Lamb Many times over in this our little world of these divided Islands we have seen the Sun of our Religious Formes our Church-state becomming black as a Sack-Cloath of Hair which is a mourning weed the Moon of our Civil affayres as Blood Nay al Blood we have seen the Heaven of the Supream power pass away as a scrol of Parchment roled up and laid by our Eminent Persons which were as Stars in the Heaven of that Power shining with a Lustre and ruling with an Influence of universal Authority yet on a soden falling from this Heaven to the Earth of a common rank and obscure condition Do we not thorow al this perceive the Face of God sitting upon his Throne among us a Throne of most exalted Grace and loving kindness to his people but of the most exalted vengeance and wrath to his enemy observe those two things the Face and the Face of God sitting upon the Throne What unvailings of new and extraordinary glorys do these Expressions speak forth Are not these the Seal to which these Nations as Wax are turned and changed Blessed are they that stand within these Wheels to be carryed a long by them and move together with them Over others who see them not these Wheels pass and break them to pieces Joel 2. 30. The Lord saith I wil shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth Blood and Fire and pillars of smoake Verse 31. The Sun shal be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come There are three daies of the Lords comming First To a Particular Nation Secondly At his Incarnation Thirdly To the last Judgment Al these are Capable of having this Scripture applyed to them especially where the first of these daies the Comming of Christ to a Nation follows after the Second day of his Incarnation and borders upon the Third day of his last comming This Scripture hath been litterally fulfilled in our times in our land What frequent Eclypses of Sun and Moon have we seen What Comets Concussions and Prodigyes in al the Elements Earth-quakes Tydes changing their Courses Meteors of al sorts in the Ayre Devouring Fires Behold the Earth the Air the Waters the Fire the Heavens see the Lord and are troubled shal his Saints be insensible of him shal not they shout and say This is the day which no Created or usual light but the Lord hath made by his shinings forth It is wonderful in our Eyes beyond the whol Course of Nature we wil rejoyce and he glad in it Secondly The Quickness of our Changes This is the Second thing that argues the Newness of Gods way with us I intreate you here to compare 2 Scriptures Hagg. 2. 6. For thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while and I wil shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry land verse 7. And I wil shake al Nations and the desire of al the Nations shâ—l come and I wil fil this House with glory saith the Lord of hosts Hebr. 12. 26. Whose voyce then shook the Earth but he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also the Heaven Verse 27. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine The comparing of these two Texts affords us these Particular Observations First This word Once signifies one continued act of shaking unto an universal and Total Change Secondly That which maks this shaking is the Newness of Christs comming forth in the unchangable Glory of his Father and of the Spirit For the Prophet Haggi seeming to speak of the first comming of Christ in the flesh to fil that present Temple which was then building with the Glory of his Doctrine and Miracles is by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews interpreted of the comming of Christ in Glory as being the truth and the end to which the other comming was only a Type and a Preparation So also that which the Prophet calls The Desire of the Nations is in the Hebrews called Those things which cannot be shaken in opposition to things that are made and to be taken away Both together cleerly describe Jesus Christ in the Newness of a Heavenly Glory which can never
when he pours out a Spirit of Grace upon his people Secondly He alwaies and more especially when he is seeking the ruine of his enemies joynes these two a Spirit of Grace and of Supplication Are there not many that can testifie by their own experience concerning the works of these times that the Heart of God in a Spirit of Grace hath bin let down into the Bosom of his beloved ones that thus their hearts have bin by a Spirit of Supplication drawn up into the Bosom of God and have drawn forth these deliverances from the Wells of Salvation there These Wells are Deep the Deep things of God his Love his Wisdom his Righteousness his power his Glory as these lie in the very depths of his Essence and Divine Nature But Saints have had their Buckets their Hearts to draw with and a line a Spirit of Supplication long and sure enough to let down their hearts into these deep Wels of Salvation which are in the Heart of God These Wells are stil ful of living Waters and these Buckets are stil going Saints keep your expectiations stil fresh Secondly The spirit of Grace is a spirit of Prophecy Esai 43. 9. God challengeth al the Nations Let them bring forth their witnesses who among them can shew us former things that is things before they come to pass or things before their times before the world by a spirit of Prophesie Verse 12. I have declared and have saved and I have shewed when there was no strange God among you therefore ye are my witnesses saith the Lord that I am God Hath not the Lord many Witnesses in these Nations yea here present I know he hath In the former daies when ye were with him at your Banquets of spiritual enjoyments on your Bed of spiritual Loves then did he by his spirit before hand signifie within you the snfferings of these times and the Glory which hath risen out of them And as he hath declared so hath he saved us by the same Spirit And now tel me ye that are the Lords witnesses when ye are in your holyest seasons when there is no strange God or Love but Jesus Christ alone shines in the midst of your spirit doth he not stil shew you greater things than these which are yet to come Thirdly The spirit of Grace is a spirit of Holiness Ephes. 1. 13. It is called a Holy spirit Ye were sealed with the Holy spirit of Promise Holiness is the Character and Seal of that spirit of Grace which is promised to the Saints Psal. 99. 8. Thou answeredst them O Lord our God thou wert a God that forgavest them though thou takest Vengeance of their iniquities The Lord testified his presence with the Jews in the Wilderness by his Holiness in taking Vengeance of their Inventions There is a Three fold Vengance which the Lord takes for Sin First On the Persons and this three waies 1. By Casting them off for ever 2. By Cutting of the inward Beams of spiritual Communion between himself and them for a season perhaps for al their life long 3. By Clouding their outward Man with trouble and sorrow God alwaies pardons iniquity to the Persons of his Children in respect to the first of these Vengances He cannot give them over or cease to love them sometimes also in respect to the second and third He continues the sweetness of their Communion with him and the Serenity of their natural comforts un-interrupted Secondly The Second Vengance for sin is on the publike Cause Thus the Lord did forgive the Israelites in the Wilderness and not take Vengeance on the publike Cause For though they al died in the desert yet the Lord kept his cause a live carryed that Victoriously over Jordan into the Land of Canaan and planted it to grow there for many generations The Third Vengance on the Inventions on the Corruptions and Idols of the Heart In this sense the Lord never pardons any The Spirit which hath bin our guide hath Signally declared it self a Spirit of Grace by its abundant Forgivenesses and a Spirit of Holiness by the Vengance which it hath taken for Sin When any have risen up against him his Purity his Progress from the Enmity of the Serpent he hath made the Earth to open and swallow them up into the darknesses below by a Natural or Civil Death he hath made fire to come down from Heaven a spiritual fire of Divine judgement and wrath by which they have bin so withered dryed and burnt up that they have lost al that Greenness of Religion Honor Honesty Morality Natural light which they seemed before to have and have fallen to open Perfidiousness to ranting Profanenesses to a reprobate Sense a stupid Atheisticalness But when the Children of the Kingdom have transgressed by temptations of Covetousness Ambition Fleshliness Passion Delusions Spiritual Pride have fallen to Murmurings Divisions Sensuality Worldly Designs although this Spirit may have pardoned all this to their Persons hiding them in the cleft of the Rock in the wounds of Christ there preserving their Outward their Inward Life and Peace while he hath passed by yet hath he taken open Vengeance of their Inventions by manifest eminent Disappointments in their Expectations and endless confusions in the way of their Designs Yet all this while hath the Holy Spirit pardoned the sins of all Parties to the Cause He hath not suffered that to fall but hath gone on when it seems to faint renewing its strength carrying it up on high as on an Eagles wing enlarging it in Victory Peace Spiritual Liberties at home spreading its Branches over the Seas and to Forraign far distant Lands breaking the Head of the Leviathan the chief strength of Antichrist in the deep Waters Fourthly The Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Vnity Ephel 4. 3. Endeavoring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Vnity is the Character the most immediate and inseparable Property of the Spirit The Bond of Peace hath its strength and root in the Vnity of the Spirit as the Sympathy and Vnion of all the Fellow members in the Body arise from and is preserved by One Soul by the Vnity of the Soul There is a Twofold Vnity First of Inward Affection Secondly of Outward Effect As to the Latter of these I had rather much speak in silent Groans to God than by words to men bleed inwardly than breath forth outward Complaints for the Breaches of the Daughter of my People But so far as concerns the First of these the Inward Affection to Vnity let me call forth you who have the Testimony in your selves that it hath been the Spirit in the Living Creatures in the Hearts of the Saints quickened by the Life of Christ which hath been in the Wheels that have turned about and carried on this whol work from the beginning hitherto I appeal to you What are the Meltings the Weepings over the Divisions among the Saints What Yearnings and turnings of Bowels after a
Re-union Do you not in the secret of your hearts in your secret Meetings bleed forth your souls before the feet of your Savior at every breach in his Body as at a Wound or the Cutting off of some Member in your own Body As Jacob lamented over the loss of his Children Joseph is not Simeon is taken away from me you would have Benjamin also all these things are against me So you mourn such Brethren left us at such a change these Saints are not with us in this change and there are others ready to divide themselves from us at the next turn of affairs al these things are against us As the spirit of God spreads it self over the deep of darkness at the beginning of the Creation like a Bird over her naked yong ones till they be hatcht up and fledged to form it to a beautiful and harmonious World Light and Order Do you not after the same manner perceive the Spirit of Vnity on your souls stretch forth it self over all your fellow Members that lie in a Chaos in a Deep of Darkness Division and Confusion As Iesus Christ once wept forth these Words over Jerusalem As a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings How often would I have gathered thee but thou would'st not So he weeps so he speaks the same words in your Souls to all his divided Brethren in these Nations as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wing how long have I called and waited and longed to gather you up into the Vnity of my Spirit that you might not by your scatterings become a prey to the Kite but hitherto you will not Joseph when he thought fit to speak roughly and deal severely with his Brethren with much difficulty concealed his affections was forced to make hast into a private room to weep Hath this been your temper when the wisdom of State or the season hath made it seem necessary to you to handle any one of Christs Flock roughly have your Bowels been turned within you hath it been hard and grievous to you to act this strange part and to hide your affections have you inwardly and privately melted into tears while you have openly thundered out hard speeches Do you not much more contend with God by Spiritual Wrastlings to have the hearts of all his People that differ from you than you do by outward force or policy with them to have the upper hand of them If these things be thus go on and prosper When Esau came with an Army against Jacob his Brother Jacob wrastled with God at Penuel which signifies the Face or Vision of God he conquered his Brother the most excellent way like a Prince in conquering God and carrying away a Blessing by Conquest Esau when he met him instead of drawing his Sword upon Jacob embraced him and offers him those Bands for his Guard which came forth Enemies Could one Jacob thus subdue the Heart of rough Esau and shal not many Jacobs by their strong cries in the Ears of God and tears in his Bosom prevail with God for a Victory of Love over the Hearts of many Jacobs only disguised and concealed under the rough hairy Garments of Esau Yes the hour is coming in which you shall come forth hand in hand in Spiritual Dances and answer one another with Spiritual Songs saying These our Brethren were lost but now are they found in our arms These Brethren were dead one to another but now behold they live together in the Vnity of the Spirit As Joseph and his Brethren so shal you after long Concealments be discovered one to another in a Light of Heavenly Love then shal ye fal one upon anothers Necks and weep for joy then shal you say We meant evil but it was the Lords contrivance who hath turned all to good Thus shal ye receive one another into the Glory of God as Christ hath received you Fiftly The Spirit of Grace is a spirit of love to Jesus Christ It makes his person alone and the Glory of that to be the Mark and Price of our calling Phil. 3. 14. As water wil ascend as high as it first descends so the spirite which is often compared to water is like water in this if it come down from Christ it wil carry the ayme and affections of the soul to Christ That which is the first Principle is the last end If it be Jesus Christ who hath been the first principle of motion in our hearts he wil be our only End we shal terminate and rest no where but in him When Jacob had served an Apprentice-ship of seven years for the Love of beautiful Rachel he was marryed by Laban to bleare-eyed Leah Did this satissie Jacob No He chose to endure the hardship of another service for seven years more to suffer the heats by day and frosts by night in the open fields that he might gain his first Love If it were a Conjugal Love to the person of Christ which moved us to undertake and undergo the hard service of so many years in difficulty danger in a field of warre Blood and Death we cannot now lie down and take up our rest in the Embraces of the blear-eyed Beavty of this World though it be given to us in marriage and be exceedingly fruitful to us No We shal begin another service of as many years more in prayers in conflicts in sufferings of al sorts til he whom our Souls love come and give his own person into our Armes As the Spouse in the Canticles Cant. 3 4. We shal never cease til we hold his glorified person in our Marriage-Embraces never to let him go more until we bring him into our Mothers house into this visible World to make al things new and to raigne here as he doth in Heaven It is not this that a Saint seeks thorow Seas of water and Blood to rob the Nations of their Gold but to communicate to them this God It is not this which is his joy and tryumph to see his enemys drowned in the Floods but to let in the Rivers of Christs blood upon them to over flow them and that they may die the Death of Christ only When Alexander drew neer to Jerusalem with his conquering Army he was met by the High Priest in all his Ornaments his Garment his Girdle his Ephod his Urim and Thummim of Gold Silk Sky-color Purple White all sorts of precious Stones with the most Holy Crown upon his Head which was the Figure of the Glory of Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father in Heaven as he is our true High Priest Alexander seeing him said In this very form did that God appear to me in a Dream by night in Macedonia who commanded me to pass over into Asia and undertake this War Upon this account he used the Jews with all Kindness and Honor My end in bringing in this Story is to make this Application of it If we have had any glimpses in our Spirits of our dear
hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of Iohn wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there is also shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive al glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Iesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful Servants 8 That our Vnion and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven The first eight Books of the Application of Redemption By the effetual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God In which besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 Christ hath purchased al spiritual good for HIS 2 Christ puts al HIS into possession of al that good that he hath purchased 3 The Soul must be fitted for Christ before is can receive him And a powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ 4 The work of God is free And the day of Salvation is whil this Life last and the Gospel continue 5 God cals his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age 6 The Soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 7 The heart of a Natural man it wholly unwilling to submit to the word that would sever him from his sins 8 God the Father by a holy kind of violence plucks His out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ The Ninth and Tenth Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God Besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 The heart must be humble and contrite before the Lord wil dwel in it 2 Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted 3 There must be true sight of sin â—fore the heart for the work can be broken for it 4 Application of special sins by the Ministry is a means to bring men to sight of and sorrow for them 5 Meditation of sin a special means to break the heart 6 The same word is profitable to some not to another 7 The Lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most when its most opposed 8 Sins unrepented of makes way for piercing Terrors 9 The Truth terible to a guilty consciente 10 Gross and scandallous sinners God usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart before they be brought to Christ 11 Sorrow for sin rightly set on pierceth the heart of the sinner throughly 12 They whose hearts are pierced by the Word are carried with love and respect to the Ministers of it And are busie to enquire and ready to submit to the mind of God 13 Sinners in distress of conscience are ignorant what they should do 14 A contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition 15 There is a secret hope wherewith the Lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners 16 They who are truly pierced for their sins do prise and cover deliverance from their sins 17 True contrition is accompanied with confession of sin when God cals thereunto 18 The Soul that is pierced for sin is carried with a restless dislike against it Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumus Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations Visions 2. Natural Supernatual Dreams 3 Impressions with and without Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2 Pet. 1. 19. 2 Christ in Travel Wherein 1. The Travel of his soul 2. The first and after effects of his Death 3. His Assurance of Issue 4. And his satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in Sermons on Isa 53 11. 3 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Great sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6. Temptation 7. Dissertion 8. Unserviceableness 9 Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42. 11. His Four Sermons concerning 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmitie 6 The false Apostle tried and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptaton 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life c. 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding-place c. 19 Christs Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 21 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Twelve Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 Gospel Reconciliation Or Christs Trumpet of Peace to the World Wherein is Opened Gods exceeding willingness to be Reconciled to Man And Gods sending his Embassadors to that End From 2 Cor. 5 19 20 21. 2 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4. 11. Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2. It is an Holy art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 3 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in General And particularly In hearing the Word Receiving the Lords supper prayer 4 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1 17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal. 17. 14. 5 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2. The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. verse Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. and on Phil. 3. 20. 6 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eight ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 8 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 9 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of sin on Job 16. 21. 10 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1. 1. 11 Of Hope on 1 John 3. 3. 12 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5. 7. Two Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrologie I. The Practice of Physick containing seventeen several Books Wherein is plainly set for t The Nature Cause Differences and several sorts of Signs Together with the Cure of al Diseases in the Body of Man Being a Translation of the Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been sold in a very few Yeers having been eight times printed though al the former Impressions wanted the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the cure for them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle II. A Sure Guide To Physick and Chyrurgery That is to say The Arts of Healing by Medicine and Manual Operation Being an Anatomical Description of the whol body of Man and its parts with their Respective diseases demonstrated from the Fabrick and use of the said Parts In Six Books