thy Soul choose it however thou art found That 's the thing If thou canst but come in this Name of the Lord then be encouraged that he will receive thee he will make thee a feast of fat things and of wine well refined on the lees He will sit down at Table with thee and say Eat my friends eat abundantly Come and let 's be merry c. for Fury is not in him as we suppose He waits to be gracious and is more glad of one sinner that repents then of ninety nine just persons that need no repentance O therefore return thou Prodigal return say to thy Soul a thousand times over O return to thy strong hold Take hold on the horns of the Altar as thou art and be safe Say not If I were clothed I would come if I were shod and had Rings on my hands and were filled with the spirit of power then I could come But enquire Is there not life in thee Is not the principle quite dead then be encouraged for where there 's life there 's hope the Father will entertain thee But O Lord how long shall we neglect so great Salvation O Lord the thing is too much to expect That ever the sinner should be so received to stand before him spotless and blameless safe and sound But surely the Scripture has not said it in vain nor is that principle in you in vain that gasps and pants after it O therefore minde and consider that we might enjoy this portion and return from our Prodigality and the good Lord bring you in at the right door for there onely will he finde you and where 's that Why in the Name of the Lord. But so long as this pride and envy c lives we would never come to admire and say O the forbearance and long-suffering of our God! We would never clear him and own the thing as it is but this is the door by which the righteous enter and are safe Noah VVarned OF Things not Seen OR Faith piercing into Invisibles SERM. VII April 27. 1651. HEBR. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world and became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith The Analysis FRom the words was observed in general I. What Things Noah was warned of by God And they were these three 1. That all flesh was corrupt how fair and specious soever to sight 2. That the end of all flesh was come though all seem'd quiet and well 3. He is warned to prepare an Ark to the saving of his house None of these things were yet seen but Noah sticks to the Word This brought home to shew we have been warned in all these Cases 1. That all flesh is corrupt We have been warned of that three ways 1. By the Word of the Cryer that hath witnessed it 2. We have proved it over and over again by Tryal in our selves 3. Warned by Providence the world let out against us and the breach begun 2. We have been warned the end of all flesh is at hand often witnessed to us That He will not always wink and bear but call to an account 3. The warning hath oft been to us to provide an Ark a sure resting place and shelter from storms to know our portion in the eternal Love II. How is Noah affected Moved with Fear c. A Fear and awe seizeth on him and that in five Particulars 1. From the warning that all flesh was corrupt All in the man sin a Fear touches the Soul Lord is the case so with me 2. Moved with Fear because the end of all flesh was come Judgment ready to seize the Flood coming this moves a Fear 3. Because he was naked and had not an Ark provided 4. Moved with Fear lest he should slip over the present day and Call 5. Lest the Flood should come before his Ark be finished And this moves the Soul and makes it haste to the work All this brought home to Particulars to enquire whether we were moved with this Fear with much power and searching III. Consider He prepared an Ark the Fear took place The Ark was a Type of Christ It had three Stories which expressed the three Conditions Christ went through and All His must follow 1. A day of weakness sufferings and Death and this lowest story all that will prepare an Ark must first build In this Death of Christ was considered 1. He dyed to all things not only unlawful but lawful just Rights and Priviledges became poor for others 2. He did it willingly and quietly not grudging none took his Life from him This the pattern of the first story of the Ark. 2. The day of his Resurrection to Life that a second story 3. His ascending into Glory answerable to the third HEBR. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with Fear prepared an Ark c. IN all Times God had some to whom He hath been pleased to communicate his mind about what was to befall the world and therefore he saith He will do nothing but he will reveal it to his servants the Prophets and to them the forewarning they have had from God hath not been a slight Thing an idle Tale or a Fable but it hath taken impression As with many of the Prophets how have they cryed out in bitter distress That they were pained at the very heart and their bowels shook within c. at the sight of the miseries which were to come on a People before the thing was done or any present danger in view And so here Noah is warned of God of things to come though not at all yet seen and see what place it took He was moved with fear and that fear was not in vain neither but put him upon a work He prepared an Ark to the saving of himself and his house And therefore where ever we hear of great high words of great discoveries and revealings of God to any which many now in the world pretend to and yet all they speak of takes no place upon their spirits there is no fear nor awe nor dread no paining of heart nor shaking of inwards but they can live still as loosely and vainly as ever after their own fleshly wills this is a token God hath not spoke there but speak a false Vision of their own hearts But God hath in all Ages had some to whom he hath revealed what he hath intended to do to give warning to the world before-hand that when the Judgment comes they may know it comes not by chance and hap but that he hath a hand in it So Christ to his Disciples When these things come to pass you may remember that I have told you And it is often mentioned That such and such things came to pass that the Scriptures might be fulfilled The Word which God had spoke to his servants
builds an Ark a whole Ark not a piece of one Now the best of the World how do they sit down contented if they get but a broken board or two or a sorry cock-boat They think all is safe then I but when the storms come and the rain beats where is the Cock-boat then Will that secure them and be a compleat shelter Many are contented with a so far saving they are not the same they were they are not like this Publican they have escaped some of the pollutions of the world through lust and this they judg enough Now Soul take thine case No but this will not do What if a people be saved out of Egypt and yet perish in the Wilderness And if there be a saving through the red Sea yet if the Soul enter not into Canaan if it fall short of Salvation if it be not saved to the utmost what will come of all Men preach much against Papists for holding there can be no perfect Assurance in this Life but the best Faith is Doubting And in effect our Divines all hold the same Doctrine They say that in the best there may be fears and doubtings concerning their conditions in times of desertion and tryals But it is not so for had they ever been saved to the utmost they should never doubt that work more If the condition be indeed once made sure it is so without all doubts and scruples 't is clear and unquestionable and can never be shaken in that point more The gates of Hell cannot prevail against it And this sure and unmovable work of Truth is that which will condemn the World If the Lord count you worthy to be the people to rest no where short till the Ark be compleatly built and a sure condition of life attained not to settle on flashes nor true stirrings of spirit nor operations not to rest in a half Salvation but to be saved throughout to the utmost That wil judg and condemn the World You may go far and be mighty in shew get a high nest and reach to the clouds but Lucifer must come from his Throne and go down to the Pit God saith of Ishmael He shall be great also He shall beget twelve Princes This flesh brings forth great and high births but yet it shall not be heir with Isaac it shall not enter and inherit Life Though it may fare deliciously and be clothed in scarlet yet a time of dying comes and then this rich man is found in Hell How many servants in my Fathers house saith the Prodigal have bread enough and to spare I but the Inheritance is not their own The servant abides not in the house for ever Therefore what shall I say to warn you As the Martyr Bishop Latimer said being to preach from those words Beware of Covetousness If I should do nothing but repeat over this Text an hour together it were preaching enough said he to them that could hear So if whole days and weeks I should onely warn you of this Take heed be sure you sit no where short of the mountain rest no where till you have an Ark built a safe condition to stick to in all storms All this warning would be little enough to warn you Thus I have spoke something of the Effects following upon Noah's building the Ark 1. He saves his house 2. Condemns the World thereby And I told you he condemned it in seven Particulars four of which I have spoke to the other are yet behinde 1. He condemned the World in taking Gods Word and being warned The wise man foresees an evil and hides himself but this carnal sensual and devilish spirit this World in us and out of us will never be warned till it be destroyed 2. He beleeves concerning things not seen He disputes not with flesh and blood as all the World do Even children can plead Alass I am young and childish what can be expected from me The strong plead Why no need of such haste I may live long And others plead ' Sure God is not so extream He is merciful and will pass by failings And thus all the World shift it off till the Deluge come And how hardly hath it gone with some of the people of God because of this lingering and disputing spirit Moses reasons and reasons till the anger is kindled against him and Lot lingers in Sodom till he is almost in the burning and thus dangerously have we ventured to dispute and reason till our Day may be over and then wo to us 3. He begins this work alone though there be not one to joyn with him in it and the Soul that is truly sensible of its want and is indeed at a strait That must look out for help if none will go with it to cry for a certainty What shall become of them yet that must That must have bread or it starves So the blinde man he cries and cries after Christ and rebuke him who will yet there 's no stopping of his mouth till the cry be answered And this condemns the World they are for company they follow the wise and learned go with the multitude but alass it never was that the great ones and wise ones of the World were the Followers of Christ not whole Colledges and Congregations No The Prophets of Balaam are four hundred and fifty they go by Troops but onely one poor despised Micaiah for the Lord and he never prophecied good to Ahab but evil This true Spirit is the Troubler of the World and judges them nothings and vanities will content them but this cries for substance for bread indeed it looks after an Ark a certain condition and nothing less will serve it 4. He condemns the World in that he builds a compleat Ark ceases not till the work of Salvation be gone through with and finished till the Soul be conformed to the Death of Christ and to the Resurrection of Christ and to the Ascension of Christ till the Soul be brought to know the heart and counsels of God concerning it Now the World are contented with halves with piece-meals with some broken scraps belonging to Salvation but have not the thing it self are not saved to the utmost They cry for Parts and Light into Scriptures and enlargements and peace of Conscience and ease and they have their peny they agreed for God gives it them but this will not satisfie the Noahs nothing but an Ark. 5. This condemns the World That Noah builds an Ark and pitcheth it within and without a sure shelter that not the least water can soak into it Now as all the World and all their Ministers can never reach to this but some crevise is open some flaw sticks to the best conditions where questionings and doubtings will get in do what they can And this cuts them to the heart That no other condition should be approved of and pass for good and safe but that which is thus pitched within and without That which will stand in the
Souls will be at a strait and thirst after the living God But as yet the Door is open to you what is the reason you are no more upon it They are exceeding great and precious Promises in themselves why are they not precious to us Sure they would had we but a Heart Therefore consider of it it is offered to you and if you shall follow on to know the Lord you shall surely know Him Consider the Door is open the precious Promises are given to you of Life and Glory c. Why then are you passing away your days on such low trivial and dying things Josephs blessing was large reached out to the utmost bounds of the Everlasting Hills and why are we so scant-hearted and low in our desires Why are we not upon these great and precious Things promised and to partake of this Divine Nature and thence be fruitful in the Truth and bring forth somewhat that may stand and live for ever after us THE SOULS TRUE Wound and Cure SERM. II. March 30.1651 HOSEA 6.1 2. Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and He will heal us He hath smitten and He will binde us up After two days will He revive us in the third day will He raise us up and we shall live in his Sight c. The Analysis IN the words were intimated the three days Works of the Father Son and Spirit in their order 1. The Work of the Father to pull down and wound and thither the Return must be to Him that smiteth 2. The Work of the Son to revive After two days He will revive us c. 3. The Work of the Spirit to raise In the third day He will raise us up c. I. In this Returning three Things are considerable 1. They that return must truly know they are out of the way a true sense of that must be And that was here in two things 1. In breaking prison and running from the strait The Princes of Judah like them that removed the bound c. 2. They were out in seeking to cure themselves before the day came Hos 5.13 but a secret moth blasts all The Vses were 1. To look home whether not our own Case have we not removed the Bound run from the strait and not endured c. 2. To take us off of looking on anothers sin and keep close to our own strait lie under our own misery till delivered 2. 'T is considerable in this Return there must be counsel and calling to it Come and let us return else not stir a foot 3. This Return is to the Lord He that had wounded He will heal Many heal themselves but there is a wound too hard And these several ways God takes for healing 1. He removes the ill humor that feeds the sore Sense and Reason 2. He asswages the anguish and smart and pain of the Soul else all in vain 3. He applies a plaister of loving-kindness and mercy 4. He points the Soul to wait for the set time till that come II. The second Work is the Sons He will revive After two days He will revive us c. And that by these means 1. He takes off all bonds and chains fears and perplexities which keep down the Soul from stiring 2. He unswadles and opens Himself I am Joseph your Brother 3. He preaches Peace and Love He the Prince of Peace 4. He revives by preaching the everlasting Gospel the eternal Love and good-will of God to the Soul this enliveneth All was brought home by Vse to see how much of the work had passed on us there all the four Pa ticulars HOSEA 6.1 2 c. Come and let us return unto the Lord for He hath torn and He will heal us c. IN the former Chapter great complaint is made against Israel and Ephraim that they were Revolters that they committed whoredom and will not frame their doings to seek unto their God Vers 3 4. And this is that misery that befalls such as transgress against the Lord that received not the Truth in the love of it that obeyed not counsel the Hand of the Lord will surely meet with such He will teer and wound them There shall be no peace to the wicked When Israel was a child then I loved Him saith God then He was tender and soft and pliable to be ordered but as They called them so They went from them Hosea 11.2 As the Prophets called them indeed to come up and come nigh God then there is a going backward from Him He is bent to a back-sliding heart But Israel and Ephraim shall be sure to be dealt with and made desolate A Time comes wherein God will meet with Him The Pride of Israel testifies to his face therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity v. 5. And this is our case The Pride hath been such we thought we had been Some-body and could live alone of our selves and like the Prodigal have asked to have our portion and we would be gone and shift for our selves But alass all is soon spent with riotous living and desolation and famine have come upon us rendings and teerings perplexities disquiets and troubles in all our ways I will be unto Ephraim as a Lion I will teer and go away I will take away and none shall rescue Hos 5.14 And when thus it shall be in the midst of the Land when this is the Souls condition to be rent and torn by God and then left and forsaken that He cannot be found but He hides Himself though Job go forward and backward to the right hand and to the left yet He is gone and cannot be found He feeds among the lillies â—aith the Church until the day dawn and the shadows fly away As if she should say Alass I am unclean but He feeds among the clean ones among the Lillies that are spotless the Lillies that grow without toyling and caring there are his walks but I am no company for him He is withdrawn from Me until the day dawn c. This is a hard day indeed when the Soul is left in this desolate case there is now need to think of returning The Prophet He feels the need and therefore calls to the People Come and let us return to the Lord. And so all along the Scriptures the Prophets are brought in as sensible and crying under the misery though their People were senceless and careless and stupid How do Isaiah Jeremiah Samuel Hosea and so all the Prophets stand in the gap for their people and call upon them in their desolation to come in and return to the Lord But whom do they call to return not all men not such as never was nigh to the Lord No Onely Ephraim and Israel and Judah his own people that have been once nigh and are backslidden and turned Prodigals from their fathers house Onely to such is the Call and in the worst time of all when torn and wounded and left of God
not you that sold me c. ' I sent you into the wilderness to learn you experience that when you are converted you might strengthen your Brethren Thus you may see of what use Rings are and this is wonderful that God should so adorn the hand with his Rings To be 1. Skill'd in the works of Truth 2. To be diligent in the work of Truth And 3. To be garnish'd with this to be busied about things of worth to be exercised in things that abide for ever Let all your things saith Paul be done to edification Let nothing be out of strife or vain glory but all for the building of something that shall stand for ever But yet this son is wanting still as if the Father should say What if we clothe him with the best robe and put Rings on his hands yet if his feet be not shod too how can he go Therefore 3. This is the third thing And put shooes on his feet c. Let him be shod with the Preparation of the Everlasting Gospel of Peace The feet are the Affections which are to be wrought upon 1. To go but how why Let all your things saith Paul be done in Love There 's need your feet be prepared to serve the Lord in Love And that our loves might be prepared there 's need of shooes to put on that the feet might be enabled to go upon the bryars and thorns to endure the frost and the snow need to have the Love made strong to endure hardness Love saith Paul suffereth long and is kinde envyeth not seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the Truth c. 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6. It had need be shod indeed When God said to Moses Thou shalt carry this people in thy bosom as a Mother doth her child c. Alass pleads he how can I carry all this people If thou dealest thus with me I pray thee take me away that I may not see my wretchedness He had not Love enough to carry him through There 's need of great preparations if such a service be in hand And now the Prodigal shall be made to endure to bless when he is cursed because he knows now the heart of a stranger We our selves saith Paul were sometimes strangers and aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel hateful and hating one another He having a knowledg into this was made to endure Though the more abundantly I love saith he the less I be loved That there may not be a shrinking here this is one main thing he has need of of the shooes of that which may be a fence a safeguard to his feet that no fiery darts no discontents c. may stop or overturn him But then 2. The shooes are that the Love might run the swifter without fear Withhold thy Feet from being VNSHOD saith God and thy throat from thirst Jerem. 2.25 Thou makest my Feet like HINDES FEET saith David But when the Love is cold then the heart by and by waxeth feeble and faint Ezra was astonish'd and sat seven days so because he had said The Lord was able to save them therefore said he I was ashamed to go to the King for a band of men His Love began to be feeble at last And Job sat astonish'd seven days his Love was cold he could not have offended had that been alive Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing can offend them How do we stand and pick and choose But when we shall be made able to say as Paul I am not onely ready to be bound for the Name of Christ but to suffer death also When so shod then shall we go boldly without fear when the Love is shod with quickness then I shall run the way of thy Commands When thou hast set my feet at liberty saith David then will the Soul readily love the Lord with all the heart and all the soul and all its strength But when it 's not quick and lively there come in the miscarriages For 1. It 's not shod to endure And 2ly then it has not quickness to speed on the work but through reasoning and disputing the case the Love waxes cold And the Prodigal shall be made to see to his cost when he returns home what his Leaden-heel'd Love was But 3. The third thing that prepares the Love is singleness solidness and faithfulness these are the shooes that garnish his feet these are the Affections to be shod with The double minded man saith James is unstable in all his ways When the Prodigal comes home and sees how double he had been before in all his ways now he is made to say It was good for me that I was afflicted for thereby I learn'd thy Law Now he can say One thing have I desired which now I will seek after That I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever to enquire dayly in his Temple c. Now the Prodigal has learn'd this He knows what it is to put his hand to the plow looking backwards Now his Love is singly fixt upon its object but when it was not single how did he soon wander from it He was bare-foot then but when he comes home then the Father puts on his shooes they were not of his putting on but the Fathers done by his command But all along while I am speaking to you and am seeing what divided hearts you come with and the great loss that is come upon you there 's great need to pray to the Father that he would bring the shooes his Love to set the Affections right to love with rightness readiness and singleness for if He bring them not this evil and hypocritical will will be our undoing But saith God You shall finde me when you shall seek me with all your heart and all your soul He will be sought to of the house of Israel And he has not said to the house of Jacob Seek my face in vain But he that offers to the Lord for a sacrifice that which is torn or lame and has a male in his flock He abhors that mans offering He will receive none but that which is without blemish and that will make our works accepted as Paul saith Faith that works by Love and doth all in singleness of Soul That will make every thing acceptable in his sight 4. A fourth thing the Soul is to be shod with is Soberness for there may be a real singleness of spirit and yet a great headiness Therefore saith Paul let your Moderation be seen in all things For if we cannot say as Job The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the Name of the Lord there is not a sober love Therefore Put off thy shooes said God to Moses He was yet over-heady and not fit to walk as you may see in his strait concerning Miriam because God had stricken her with Leprosie he prays Lord heal her now But as if God
that must not fall to the ground And thus was Noah warned of God of Things not yet seen He had onely a word for it and yet believes So Abraham but a word from God to call him and He goes out not knowing whither he went Consider I. WHAT THINGS THEY WERE THAT NOAH WAS WARNED OF These three 1. He was warned That all flesh had corrupted its way Gen. 6.12 This Word came to him from God first before the thing was so proved and known to him that all flesh was so corrupt nothing at all good in man but the imaginations of his heart altogether evil and that continually Now there is a birth of the flesh that seems very like the Child of God but yet it will not be owned it must not be Heir with Isaac What ever is born of the flesh is flesh it is no better and the best of flesh is corrupt All flesh how fair and specious soever it may seem And the same warning is now sent to you this day That All in you is corrupt before God an evil taint runs in all in the best we do a dead Fly spoyls the whole Box of oyntment In my flesh saith Paul dwelleth no good thing But we plead we do not so see this that we are so wrong and guilty in all Well but Noah is warned of God of things not yet seen not yet so clear to his eyes and he believes the Word and the warning sent and stands not to parl the case with God 2. He was warned that the end of all flesh was come before God that a day of account was coming a Judgment a Flood to drown all flesh God will not always strive and bear but the end comes And this Word Noah believes though nothing as yet is seen but all is well and at peace eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage yet he observes the warning and believes the Word and submits and cleaves to it The warning is given him Depart from the tents of these wicked men left ye perish with them c. and he obeys 3. He is warned of God to prepare an Ark for the safeguard of himself and his house And what a strange and mad thing would this seem to all the rest of the world They could not but laugh and mock at it What doth this man intend is he wiser then all the World and will he go contrary to all to build an Ark when no Flood nor danger appears this seems a mad way to Reason Well but Noah was warned of God and that is enough to him though the thing is not yet seen yet he believes the Word and sets to the work and goes on alone let them say what they will to him and mock on he observes the warning as Gen. 6.22 And Noah did according to all that God had commanded him so did he Now to bring this home to our conditions for Noah is dead and the Word yet concerns us It is certain we have been warned of God as he was in all these three Cases And 1. That all flesh hath corrupted its way we have been warned of God these three ways 1. By a word of true report God hath told you again and again That all flesh is grass that there is no good thing in man How long hath the Cryer cryed this That all flesh is wholly corrupted Though it be never so fair and goodly and the Sepulchre painted yet there is nothing but rottenness and filthiness within The mans fleshly wisdom that which is his guide and Counseller the eyes that he sees with the feet he walks with even that hath been a corrupt taint in all our ways and this hath often and often been told you and yet you go on and pass the Condition over and sleep desperately upon the top of a Mast and go contrary to all that comes to cut down flesh and destroy your wisdom and vain imaginations 2. You have been warned of this by a work upon your own spirits And if you believe not the Word yet will you not believe for the Works sake Have you not been spoyled and ruined by the charms and false flatteries of this whorish woman the flesh all along your days Have you not proved out the thing throughly And yet we plead we do not so see it We would justifie our selves in something according to the flesh But have we not seen have we not felt it to our loss what a treacherous dealer this flesh hath been It is then because we would not see it but blind our eyes and if we stand here pleading we may stick long enough in the mire and see no deliverance if we will first see and not at all beleeve our misery and danger Noah was warned of things not seen and he believes the Word told him Now you call me your Guide and witness that God is with me But how appears it you judg so indeed Would you not live after your own counsels still rather then the Truths Would you not see with your own eyes and not stir a step farther then your own Reason can reach But whose heart trembles when the Word goes forth from Christ One of you shall betray me to say Lord is it I or Is it I Who fears and lays it to heart when the Cryer tells you day by day and complains bitterly under it That All flesh is corrupted Who is touched to enquire Good Lord is it so with me is all in me corrupted all my hopings and resolvings and turnings and puttings off the strait is there a taint in all which way soever I turn me and doth not our experience prove this out to us also Have we not seen an end of all perfection and yet how strangely do we stick to our shadows which we have proved out to be dry and empty and like the foolish Bee light again and again upon the same flower when it can yield no more honey And thus your days may be worn out and spent and come to nothing if you will neither be warned of God nor your own experience to lie down in the dust and abhor your selves in ashes and own your own wretchedness All I speak is to bring you to a strait for help and to see it is not in your selves it grows not in that soyl though you till and manure it never so carefully What is the Reason think you we are not removed not translated into another Kingdom another condition but stick still where we were seven years ago What are we molded and wrought into of the mind and likeness of God We have more light indeed then we had but what hath it brought us to What have we submitted under and parted with of our lives and wills c. We turn like the door upon the hinges so the sluggard upon his bed and if we turn and turn never so often upon a fleshly bed alas all comes to nothing so long as we move upon that centre of fleshly
in the Beloved Nothing else will carry it out against the Flood when that comes to overflow nothing then but that everlasting Rock Many are wise and great and honorable and knowing in their generation famous and men of renown but alas when they come to dye they have no understanding but are found like the beast that perish They are to seek their shelter when the storms beat But now to have a portion made over to thee in that Eternal Love that will be a sure Ark in the time of the Deluge this will be the happiness And such a condition as this you have been warned of God and are warned to press after and to rest in nothing till this Ark be prepared for you II. Consider next He being moved with Fear c. The Warning takes place upon him and leaves an impression behind it moves and touches his heart and that from these five Considerations 1. He was moved with fear from that warning to him That All flesh was corrupt a fear seizeth on him and makes him enquire Is it indeed so as the Lord hath spoken Though I see not so clearly that All is so corrupt and vile yet what means this warning from God Surely the case is worse then I yet see it sure I am leaning and hoping in some wrong thing some arm of flesh or other that the Lord warns me thus Hence the Fear moves upon him and makes him look inwards Now doth this come home to your doors Do you enquire whether these things are so or not Alas how is it with me How stands the case between God and Me What means the complaint and cry That All is corrupt Doth the Lion roar and are you not afraid Or do you stand upon your terms with Corah and say All the Lords People are holy We are not so base and vile as you would make us believe If you plead so you shall know shortly as Moses said to them who are the Lords People and who are not The search and dividing will come and if thy money be good thou art not afraid to bring it out Thou wilt not shrink from being enquired into Thou wilt come to the Light if thy works be good But this will be a testimony the case is bad if either there be a snuffing and taking it ill to be put thus on the Tryal or if a shuffling it off and laying it aside till to morrow or if a fear and shrinking and covering the condition close to your selves or if a wilful stubbornness and scorning to come to the Touch-stone If thou be a scorner thou alone shalt bear it that is certain thou shalt be alone by thy self and woe to him that is alone Who ever is in an Error or evil way he is surely alone in it There are not two in the whole world that are fully together in an evil way but some flaw and difference creeps in do what they can for it is a spirit of confusion and division and there is no true Vnion and Oneness but in the Spirit of Love and Truth Therefore enquire if there be not a canker-canker-worm a taint in all thy best things in thy Knowledg Fear Hope Believing Desiring c. if all be not corrupt And will not this cause a Fear 2. He was moved with Fear to consider Is an end of all flesh coming Is a Judgment so near Is it certain that an Account will be called for from me in all my ways and nothing of flesh shall stand and do I sleep in this condition Am I secure and the Judgment so nigh at the door ready to destroy all Hence the Fear moves and works upon the sensible Soul Now enquire whether this Fear touch upon you or not If you are not brought to be knit up to the Lord Christ and be made one Spirit with him you will be sure to be left behind to the perishing world I wonder sometimes how you can have any rest upon your spirits how you can go through your business and eat and sleep and talk or mind any thing whilest your Souls hang at such an uncertainty and thou knowest not what shall become of thee in the latter end If there be nothing but flesh in thee though never so high and fair and refined yet it will come to an end it will not stand in the fire for what is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord Now if thou searchest into thy self art thou sure thou canst find any thing better then flesh another spirit seed of God and then art thou sure that this is thine and shall ever abide with thee and be in thee For if the Spirit be taken from thee as it was from Saul then thou art miserable for that alone must stand in this day Therefore art thou sure thou hast that which will carry thee out through Death and Hell when the Flood comes to drown the whole Earth Now you are at ease and quiet and in health and go and come at will but do you not think a Flood will come and sweep away all flesh Do you not think you must dye and part with all your wills and loves and desires that are not born of God Therefore what need is there this Fear should seize upon you lest you should not be able to stand in that day 3. He was moved with Fear in this Consideration That he is naked and hath no Ark to betake him to The Judgment is at hand the Deluge ready to seize and he hath no shelter nor place to turn to and this makes the case harder to him then the rest of the World which saw not the danger and hence the Fear seizeth Alass his shelter is not yet prepared the Ark not made Now do you search and enquire into this Have you an Ark at hand to receive you or not Are you provided for such a day or no Are you sure you shall stand in the fire and not be consumed Do you know you shall go through with your building and that mock not fall upon you This man began to build but was not able to finish Doth this Fear touch upon your Souls as it did on Noahs There is a Rest for the people of God that 's sure an Inheritance in Light reserved for the Saints But is it your portion or is it not I wonder I hear not that voyce among you to cry out Oh who shall stand when God doth this when the Searcher comes with his fan in his hand with refiners fire and fullers soap when every plant shall be plucked up that my heavenly Father hath not planted This may seem light now and a vain enquiry to many that are high and at ease and think to dye in their nests as sure they could not but mock at Noah in his day What is this Fool doing What need of all this stir to build an Ark what need is there to what purpose I but when the Flood comes where are the Mockers then What is
the Hypocrites hope 4. Another thing that might move Noah to fear might be this lest he should slip over the present instruction and warning given him lest he should neglect the present day and then it may be too late Therefore the Soul that is sensible is afraid a jealousie strikes the heart O what would come on me if I should withstand my Mercy How were many envited to the Feast but because they made excuses and neglected the offer the door is shut and he swears They shall not taste of his Supper But now Josiahs heart was tender when the Judgments were read before him out of the Law it took place in his Soul And Mordecai says to Esther Who knows but thou wert raised up for such a time as this If now thou shewest not thy self thou mayst never have another offer And here the Fear comes in Lest the day slip and can never be recalled again and therefore Christ weeps over Jerusalem O that thou hadst known in this thy Day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Now see doth this Fear touch your Souls Are you struck with an awe of spirit lest you should slip away the present day of Mercy Doth it press upon you That whilest it is called to day you harden not your hearts and then the word go forth You shall never enter into his Rest Truly the venture is hard were our Souls but awakened If thou slip the nick and knowest not the time of thy Visitation He may never speak more of the things concerning thy Peace but that sad conclusion may come Now they are hid from thine eyes 5. Noah might be moved with Fear out of this consideration lest the Flood should take him unawares before his Ark was finished and therefore he sets to the work presently And Noah did as the Lord commanded him so did he lest he should be prevented and not finish his Ark in time and then all his labor and pains are lost this strikes him with fear Now consider doth it take this place upon thy spirit Doth it set thy Soul to the work presently now this very season to say Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Doth it make you look out for a guide to lead you on and counsel you in the work For an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew to man His Righteousness Sure the Idol gods keep the room some base lusts or hopes or promising your selves Peace or else you would be afraid and all that God intends that everlasting good to sure the strait will come That they shall not be suffered to let their eyes sleep nor their eye-lids slumber till they shall finde out an habitation for the God of Jacob. Do these things take place upon you or not if not what is the cause what hinders you are not baptized Are you sensless and carnal living in the flesh upon any seen thing Alass That is miserable the Flood will come and sweep away all of that kinde Whilest they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage unawares the Flood came Or canst thou give a good account what will be thy latter end and canst say with the Apostle We know that if this earthly Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building not made with hands eternal in the Heavens I would you could say that word indeed But O Lord when I think of it what if he should come now unawares this night where are your mindes Are you fit to go out and meet the Bridegroom Are not your Hearts either cavilling or reasoning or murmuring or hunting and lusting after somewhat or fearing and sinking under your bonds But who has a minde prepared to meet the Lord in the ayr and so be for ever with him Thus I have shewed you what the things not seen were of which Noah is warned 1. God tells him All flesh is corrupt 2. That the end of all flesh is come 3. He invites him to build an Ark to save himself And this I applyed to our present condition for Noah is dead and this is written for our instruction I told you how we have been warned in these cases And that 1. By a word that hath cryed long to us All flesh is grass 2. By the proof of our hearts 3. By a voyce of Providence letting out the world and the out-cries of men against us if it be possible to break us asunder and not leave a stone upon a stone Then I told you how the thing took place with Noah He was moved with Fear from five Considerations all which might seize upon us and cause an awful dread and enquiry in our spirits 1. To see what is our confidence and hope that we lean on Is it not born of the flesh And then though it be never so fair-spun a threed though never so wise and sober and patient and meek yet if it spring not from a good root if it be born of the flesh all is nothing You cannot love Him unless it be opened that He first loves you Now many pretend that they love God and prize and honor him do you so but are you sure that he loves you What if he shall answer you in that day when you plead Lord we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets well but for all that I know you not saith Christ Depart from me c. How will your Love to God then stand Have you indeed an Ark prepared to receive you in the great overflowing Deluge in the day of desperate sorrow that shall come to try all that dwell upon the Earth The Day will surely come ere long now are you sure you have that which will carry you through 'T is not your Learning nor Knowing if you knew all Mysteries 't is not your Parts nor Hopes nor mans conclusions will do it Many measure themselves by themselves they are not as they were they are more strict and observant I but what then Will that carry you out And many measure themselves with others and say I am better then such and such I am not like this Publican Well but they that thus measure themselves with themselves and others are not wise saith Paul the root and principle may yet be Self and then what the better Then 2. This might move us to fear That the end of all flesh is come God will not always wink as he hath done in the days of Ignorance if he should we would never come up to any thing And will not this strike upon you an awe That the Judgment lies at the door Death is entring in at the windows and nothing of flesh nor mans Will though never so fairly painted and gilded over will be able to stand Is it not time to fear 3. Have you an Ark prepared to shelter you a sure resting place from all storms if not is there not great cause of fear and trembling I know not
Truth that searches and tries and will give us no rest They envyed Moses and Aaron the Saints of the Lord c. The heart is unruly and unsubmitted and its life is torn and rent from it but this is not the giving up not the free-will offering that God looks after He loves a cheerful giver and not of constraint When they offered and would by force have made Christ a King he refuseth and Moses chose afflictions with the people of God his heart chose the thing And if you are yet upon those terms to have a hankering mind upon honor or ease or quiet or any seen things you are not Christs followers and you can never build this Ark of Salvation unless you lay the foundation thus low with Christ all you build though never so fair and beautiful it will not stand without this bottom unless there be a heart to take up the Cross and give up your lives unless you are willing to go through Hell with him Many may abase themselves to Hell I but they make that their Heaven they say not There is no hope the pains of Hell are not indeed felt and endured But Christ was brought to that pinch that his Hope was lost My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If the Fear of God seize upon you you will be jealous every step you take in this work it will put an awe upon your spirits lest you should miscarry in any thing from the pattern How ever the words you hear from me may be rude yet the Knowledg is sure so far as God hath led me and if you pass not through the condition the thing spoke of I am sure the building will not stand The man that thrust himself in without the wedding garment when he was enquired into Friend how camest thou hither he was found speechless But those that were compelled to come in from the high-ways and hedges they can answer Lord I came hither thus I was drawn None comes to me saith Christ except the Father draw him I would never have come of my self I stood out to the last and had I not been compelled and forced I had never been here If you cannot give an account you have passed this way That you have been drawn and haled to it contrary to your wills and been made to lay down your lives with Christ your building will not stand This is the way God takes with his own He turns man to destruction and then he says Return you children of men He will give no other sign but the sign of Jonah the Prophet and this way He passes He goes down to the bottom of Hell He cries out I am cast out of thy sight and the Earth with her bars was aboue me for ever as if he was now quite lost and gone and hence deliverance comes but not before And this first story of the Ark you must build go through the Death if ever you think to attain the second and third Stories the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. It will be afterwards considered II. About the Resurrection Which had three ends in it 1. To shew the mighty power and free Grace in raising when all hope gone 2. That the Man may tread on the neck of his Enemies 3. That the Soul might declare and preach his praise III. About the Ascension of Christ into Glory Three things in it also 1. A taking up of the Soul into the third Heaven from all Earth 2. I heard unspeakable words saith Paul The Decrees of Life opened 3. The Soul is given into Union with the Divinity marryed to Christ Several other things may be observed about the length bredth and height of the Ark the pitching it within and without All which had a meaning of Truth in them Noah's Ark IN THE WORLDS DELVGE OR Truth a Saviour and a Judg. SERM. VIII HEBR. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the World and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith The Analysis NOw a proceeding forward to declare the Effects and Consequents of this Ark being built And they were three 1. He did it to the saving of his house a people he had a charge of not himself chiefly 2. By which he condemned the World c. This judges them 3. And became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith I. About Noah's saving his house three things considered 1. He saves them by being a Hearer himself He is first warned of God and preaches to them what he received from the Lord. 2. He takes the charge over them makes them as his own Soul 3. He follows on till the thing be brought about He doth the work He doth save them c. II. Another Consequent of this Ark-building is He condemns the World And that in seven Particulars 1. He beleeves God and is warned and this the World is condemned by they do not so 2. He beleeves though the things not seen as yet The World they are upon their Reason and consult with flesh and blood 3. He sets to build the Ark alone The World look for company of wise and learned and follow them onely this judges the World 4. He builds an Ark a compleat one This judges the World to look after a compleat Salvation they content with broken pieces 5. He builds an Ark pitcht within and without a sure and certain condition to keep out all doubtings c. This the World can never reach 6. Noah not satisfied with the Ark but sends out a Dove to enquire of God The World is condemned by this they have no holy Ghost to enquire of God by 7. He condemns the World by doing a Work He doth save his house They build and build but it comes to nothing none are saved by it III. A third Consequent He became Heir of the Righteousness by Faith 1. What is this Inheritance he enjoys The Lord himself The Lord is my portion an Inheritance that fades not away 2. What is it to be an Heir To have an Inheritance fall by right which cannot be sold nor given away This is wonderful 3. How comes he to this By Faith He became Heir That 's the way the Soul is made to prosper in by beginning with Faith HEB. 11.7 Prepared an Ark to the saving c. I Have been speaking from these words all the last week in which many things have been opened to you at large I shewed you how in all ages God hath had some to whom he hath revealed his minde and secrets And here Noah is pick'd out for the man of whom God thus witnesseth Thee onely have I found righteous in this generation and to him he opens his counsel what he intends to do concerning the destruction of the World and that the End of all flesh was come before him I opened to you 1. What the Principle was he went
ravished my heart with one of thine eyes that is the thing to be beloved to find favour in his eyes Love will bear all things Love is as strong as death Love will save to the utmost and this Lot fal's on some Though Esther be an unlikely maiden one of another Country of mean degree yet she pleased the King and obtained kindnesse of him Chap. 2.9 and vers 17. and the King loved Esther above all the women and she obtained grace and favour in his sight and this is the thing that brings the Crown to her be she what she will Thou art fair my Love my undefiled Though she complains I am black yet he loveth her and Love sees no faults she is comely in his eye this is the portion of the chosen Generation 3. What a man chooseth to himself He taketh it out from other things he gathers it near to himself Thus is it with God He pulls the Brand out of the burning He takes the Poor out of the Dunghill leaves them not there and this is a sure token of choosing indeed where he leaves not a man or woman in their darkness in their bonds in their snares but pulls them out separates the Wheat from the chaff who hath translated us out of darkness into the Kingdome of his dear Son and in the Revelation it is said they were redeemed to God from amongst men and Christ saith because I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hates you He takes his chosen ones out of their chains out of their filth out of a perishing condition cuts them off from the old stock That which he intends for a vessell of honour he takes it out of the Lump he leaves not his own in the same Lump with the rude world Now this is the great thing to be considered whether you are yet thus pulled out hath he made thee indeed to differ from the rude world art thou pulled out of the old Kingdome of Sathan where the whole world dwell in wickednesse though in severall ranks forms and degrees yet in the same Kingdome still not a new Creation made but this will make it appear he chooseth thee if thou canst say with David He plucked my feet out of the Snare he brought me up from the nethermost Hell and saith Jonah yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God that is his Salvation there it appears God is God We would vainly promise our selves as the whole world do to be saved by his love onely and so quietly passe our Lives in our own wills here and go to Heaven when we die but alas if ever saved we must be taken out of the condition we stick in Come out from amongst them my people that ye partake not of her Plagues Many have great words and great knowledge and light I but they are not yet translated out of the old Kingdom they remain still on the same stock but things that are chosen are taken out of the midst of other things and therefore Moses speaks to Israel Was ever such a thing known as that God should go to take to himself a people out of the midst of another people by great signes and wonders c. to take out of Snares and Bonds and Intanglements for God to say Come out of all and be you clean and be my people and I will be your God I shall inquire of you are you thus chosen are you pulled out of darkness and out of death and joyned to all the living Though in never so mean a place ne-never so despised an outcast though but a living dog yet if living if taken out of death and planted into a new Life that is the thing If there be that seed of Life it will ever be stirring and moving and bending like the Needle touched with the Loadstone set it where you will it can never rest untill it come into its right place till the Soul be brought to God Now there is a restless spirit in the Cains and lost ones but that is onely out of Torment the worm that never dyes and this restless spirit never moves towards God but runs from him but to this Centre the spirit of life ever tends to come from and out of all things unto God c. 4. Things that are chosen have no hand in their own choice All that befalls this Chosen Generation is of mercy and free goodness who made thee to differ nothing they could do could ever make a difference but the Case stands thus Two things lie together and a man passing by takes one and lets the other lie the things have no hand in it so is it in this choice of God all is done according to the pleasure of his own will see and read as you go that you may have nothing to glory and boast in nor challenge the least to thy self as if he saw some readiness or activity or towardliness in thee more then in others no he saw nothing but his own pleasure if there be any thing good in thee he put it there you have not chosen me saith Christ but I have chosen you This will make it appear free indeed when you shall be made to see there is no hand of yours in it but of his own good will begat he us No man ever begun first to seek after God but I was found of them that sought me not else no Soul would ever be saved Can a stone move upward no nothing can move to God but what came from God none can go to Heaven but the Son of man which came down from Heaven It is contrary to man who is born from beneath from the Earth to move upward his Centre is below unless he be pulled and drawn and born up and carried upon Eagles wings he falls to the Earth like a stone the natural man cannot please God he neither will nor can be subject to the Law of God and this is that God may have the glory alone in the work of Salvation as he says in Isa It shall be to me for a name and for a praise That he should save such unlikely ones and out of stones raise up children to Abraham this will seem wonderfull I did not think to have seen the Lord here saith Hagar when she had given up all for lost this will make the Soul say indeed as David doth God alone doth all 5. Things that are chosen are set apart for some speciall use a man hath some end in choosing them so was it with God in this choice he had a peculiar end and design to bring about and he chooseth some for that purpose but why are not all the world for this use True they might have been had he put in them the same spirit had he fitted the vessel to that purpose but he spends a great deal of cost and pains upon some he prepares the Vessell for that very purpose to put in new wine Old Bottles
I guilty For though it chiefly concern the Leaders and chief ones to consider and take it to heart yet something belongs to all to look after What is my place Where am I to stand Am I faithful in the work entrusted me To be faithful in little things is the way to be trusted in greater Surely surely 't is time to bethink our selves we have no good nor peace in our way though we live and are kept together by a mighty hand yet we live loose and scattered and consume in our spirits Certainly if we could but meet with the very root of all these ill humors and get that cleared then we might hope for cure if we were but once brought to leave the cumber about many things and minde the one thing necessary then we might prosper O Lord that he would sink it on your hearts as God saith here Consider your ways you that are called to for all are not materials for this House not any dirt and rubbish but you that the Prophecy hath taken in That you are living stones and that witness is born It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom will not you build him a House you that he hath bestowed all this cost on you are called upon to begin and set upon the work and lay the foundation of this House that your children may have a pattern to build after and a foundation to build upon We pretend to love our children and Oh how tender are we of them but alass we do what we can to undo them utterly if we come not up to this work to begin a House for the Lord and leave a way behinde us for them to walk in Hence come all our blastings we eat and are not satisfied put on clothes and are not warmed we have no good runs in all we enjoy the life and spirit is stoln from them because there is not a true and single and clear coming off from the world but we stick and linger and put off the time and look back to our old Lovers and hanker and still love our selves and come not forth resolvedly to build this House and thus in stead of leaving a good example a blessing to our children we are like to leave them a curse and a blast if the Lord prevent not The way is open at present there is no outward persecution that hinders but we might build this house in peace but we trifle and dringle and loyter and say It is not yet time Good Lord when shall we say It is time but we plead we have no heart Have we no heart and what is the reason of that We have a heart to our ease a heart to our own wills we have a heart to build sieled houses for our selves to dwell in and shall we dye thus with this old heart and never see a new heart given a heart wholly to follow the Lord But then lastly If any thing will invite and move us to stir VI. Consider THE GREAT PRIVILEDGES THAT ACCRUE TO THEM THAT SHALL SET THEIR HAND TO THIS WORK And they are these four The first is mentioned Vers 8. Go up to the mountain saith God and bring wood and build this house and I will take pleasure in it Now to have the Lord accept our sacrifice and take pleasure in our work what a high favor is it Were it but truly layd to heart That the God of the Heavens and Earth whose all creatures are to command and turn at his Will That I should do any thing may the Soul say to please him in which he will take delight who can express this favor c. 2. Another Priviledg is mentioned Vers 13. I am with you saith the Lord Will he be with them in it that they shall not go nor stir a step in this work but he will go along with them Is not this enough to carry them on If thy presence go not with me said Moses send me not hence I but if that presence go along then send do and command me whither thou wilt What would not a man do that loves God indeed what would not he suffer and part with and undergo to have God always with him to have his Friend his Counsellor Life and Protector to have him always stand by him in all that befals If God be for us saith the Apostle who can be against us what can be too hard Therefore we see our Fathers have rejoyced in prisons in fires in bonds because the Lord was with them and so long affliction is no affliction 3. A third great Mercy is promised v. 19. From this day will I bless you From that day that the foundation of the Lords house was layd Consider it now saith the Lord from this day and upward will I bless you In all thou takest in hand shall a sure blessing follow in thy going out and coming in when thou walkest abroad and when thou sittest at home when thou sleepest and when thou wakest from that very day you shall be helped to set a hand to the work indeed He will surely bless you We have forsaken all and followed thee saith Peter what shall we have Have you shall have enough you that have endured with me in my Temptations you shall sit on Thrones you shall be blest in all your way and what can you desire more 4. The fourth Mercy is mentioned in the last verse I will make thee as a signet upon my hand saith God to Zerubbabel And in that these three Priviledges lie couched up 1. A Signet hath a neer relation to the hand it is worn always and carryed upon the finger 2. A Signet carries the image and superscription either of a mans self or some friend or some weighty thing or other is carved in it 3. A Signet or Seal is to witness confirm and ratifie to make things sure and unalterable that are once sealed with it And now 1. To be thus neer to God as the signet upon his hand to lie so close so nigh him in his heart and bosom and love as his delight his jewel his ornament This is wonderful And then 2. To bear forth his own image and stamp to be like him to own our Father by our faces as 't is said of Moses His face shone when he came from talking with God in the Mount It will appear to all whose we are to whom we belong by the image and likeness we shall hear in us all our words and carriages savoring of God bearing forth his image his minde and heart And then 3. To be as a seal to witness and ratifie the deeds of God to confirm and make all sure This is a mighty honor that man should ever be employed in such a service Whose sins ye remit they are remitted in Heaven and whose sins ye binde in Earth they are bound in Heaven I will make thee as a God said the Lord to Moses to act and order and counsel and confirm