fade It is before this Newness of Christ at it secretly beames forth into the Creation that Old things shake and fal away Thirdly Jesus Christ comes first in his Desirablenesses to beleevers to those among the Nations who desire him This seemes to be signified by that expression The desire of al Nations shal come He shal come under that formality as the Desire of the Nations The Saints in every Nation stand for the whol Nation in the esteem of God they being the Corn in the heap the rest of the nation as the Chaffe Esa. 43. 4. The Lord saith to his people Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable and I have Loved thee therefore wil I give men for thee and people for thy life or as it is in the Margin for thy person Those whom the Lord loves in a Nation are the only Figures there the rest are Cyphers which signifie nothing of themselves James 1. 14. The Children of God are said to be a Kind of first fruites of his Creatures So are they the first fruits of every Nation As the first fruits were presented to God every year at the Tabernacle or Temple by the hands of the Preist in the stead of the whol Lump so the beleevers are presented to God in the spirit by Jesus Christ as filling up the place of the whol Nation Upon this account when the prophet hath said The desire of al Nations shal come he adds He shal fil this House with his Glory Under the Gospel and in the spiritual truth which answers the Judaical Tipe the Saints are the House of God 1 Corin. 3. 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God When the Lord comes to work his wonders in the world he first comes into his Church into the spirits of his Saints fills them with that spiritual Glory shining from his own person which is the sign of his outward commings forth before he comes and the inside of them when he is come From hence as from his Temple he shines forth by degrees upon the world from these as the first fruites he sends forth a blessing to the whol Lump of the Creatures Fourthly When these shakings begin to break forth from the Spirits of the Saints into the World they are swift and spreading Yet a little while And I wil once more shake Heaven and Earth As when a stone fals into the Water the Circles in the Water made round about it do in a moment Multiply and as they Multiply grow wider each than other So when Jesus Christ comes with the Newness of a spiritual Glory into his House which is the heart of a Saint from thence he spreads himself in the newness of his Power and mighty works over the Nation round about from thence enlargeth himself in a wider Circle to the Neyghbouring Nations so he goes on til he ouerspreade with his Changes not the Earth only but also the Heavens and al this in a very little space as fire catcheth or the lightning flyeth Now let us look home Our Changes since the beginning of these times have truely been so quick and thick that they may wel appear one continued shaking You then in this Nation whose Souls love the Lord Jesus is your Desire come while others as Cyphers do bear the empty shadow of the outward work in these new and Extraordinary Motions is his presence his person his operation precious and of great value to you Doth he fil you who are his house with the freshness of his light and Glory while others stand without at a distance seeing a throng of changes and wonders but know not what is the matter Where then are your cryes of Joy The voyce of our beloved Behold he comes leaping over the Hils passing with swift changes over the powers of this world he comes consuming al old things the old Heaven and Earth with the heat of his presence but changing his own and al things unto them into the newness and Immortality of the Spirit making them new together with a New Heaven and a New Earth round about them Thirdly The freshness of our Changes Prov. 25. 4 5. Take away the dross from the Silver there shall come forth a Vessel for the finer Take away the wicked from the King and his Throne shal be established in Righteousness The former of these verses is an Allegory explained in the latter Both have a Mystical sense pertayning to every Saint and Typical concerning Jesus Christ Take away the Dross of Corruption out of the Heart from the Silver of Grace and the Saint wil be a King in the Spirit upon a Throne of Glory founded on the Righteousness of God and his Spirit in Jesus Christ this King wil be a pure Silver Vessel for God the finer to set on his table and fil with the Treasure of his Divinity Take away the dross of Corruption from the Silver of the Divine Image in the Creature then wil the whol Creation be a Vessel of honor for the Father to fil with his Wine then wil it be a Throne founded on the Eternal Rock on which Jesus Christ shal sit down as a King This extends it self to Nations and Priuciples also Let us take a view of our selves in the Glass of this Truth If we look to the great Parliament from the beginning of it was there not a Silver there a precious Mettal of excellent principles and Eminent persons But this Silver was mingled with the Dross of much Carnality and Corruption Hath not every change since that time been as a fire to take away the Dross from the Silver Hath not every succeeding form of things when it hath come first out of the fire of the fore-going Change bin as a Vessel for the finer with a greater Preciousness Purity Beauty Lustre Life and usefulness unto God How then is that day of the Lord risen upon us which is to try al things How should our mouths be filled with laughter and praises for this New thing which God doth this New day which God bringeth forth from Heaven Say now to Hypocrites Woe to you But say to the Righteouss It shal be wel with you For the Beams of this day are a Manifesting light a Refining fire to al but they are withal to the Saints a covering gloy and a Cherishing Love Our King is come forth into our Land not only to march through it with his troupes but to establish his throne here in righteousness and to sit down upon it O Dross Dross melt away before the presence of the Lord For his Eyes are a flame of fire They are stil Kindling fresh Furnaces of Change Fourthly The Life in these Changes from which they flow Rom. 12. 11. you have the knot of a three-fold Precept held forth Not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord This is likewise a Divine Character upon the Newness of extraordinary Times Works and Persons When the Lord hath any fresh
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
is our Seal As many as have fellowship with us in the same principle of divine Wisom wil according to the measure of it so farr as they are free from carnal prejudices and temptations to exercise this Principle know and own this Seal The Manifestations of God are in the Flesh but the justification of those Manifestations is in the Spirit And this is that which makes the whol way of Godliness a Mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. But now it is necessary to interpose two Cautions for the removing of two Objections Object 1. This Principle seems to make the Light of Reason useless even in Civil things and to lay aside in Humane Affairs the common Principles of Natural Light by which we should converse with men as men and approve our selves to them Object 2. This makes a Gap in the Hedg of all Civil Government for Licenciousness and Confusion to break in when every man may alike pretend to an Inward Justification I intreat you therefore to keep your selves close to these Cautions which I shal now add for the cleering of this matter from these Aspersions Caut. 1. It is the duty of every person in every Affair to provide for things honest not only in the sight of God but in the sight of all men This is a Principle and Law in Christianity Rom 12. 19. Provide for things honest in the sight of all men Honest or Beautiful and Comely for so the word signifies in the sight of all men that is in that Light of Nature which shines universally in al men The Natural Light in the Conscience and Understanding of Man is a Picture of the Spiritual Light which is the Life Reason is a Shadowy Figure of Jesus Christ Now as the Life and the Picture if it be true answer one another and that which is beautiful in the one will be so in the other too so the Spirit and Reason mutually give their testimony each to other what is comely in the eye of one is so to both St. Paul prayes 2 Thess. 2. 3. to be delivered from unreasonable men for al men have not Faith It is true that those who are not Spiritual are also unreasonable the wordis {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Absurd uncapable of any common place of Reason any common Principles of Natural light In another place Tit. 1. 15. The same Apostle tels us that to those who are defiled and unbeleeving al thing are impure even their minds and consciences are defiled As a Poet cals the light of the Moon when she is Ecclypsed by the interposal of the Earth between the Sun and her that his beams cannot flow freely and purely unto her Lucem Malignam a Malignant light so is it in men meerly natural the prince of darkness and a principle of Corruption inwardly the world with carnal interests and Humors outwardly put in between the Face of God the Fountaine of al light and their Souls to the making of such an Eclypse that the light of their Minds the highest and purest part of their spirits the lights of their Consciences the divinest part of their Minds like the tops of the Mountaine which receive the beams of the Sun neerest first and fairest the light of both these is defiled and become Malignant Upon this account they either are unable to judg a right of that Testimony which the light of Nature inwardly gives or else unwilling outwardly to acknowledg this inward Testimony but do falsify corrupt deny it according to their fleshly lusts and ends They only for the most part in most affaires can understand and submit to the light of Reason and Nature especially there where Jesus Christ comes forth in new and extraordinary waies upon the Face of Nature and Civil things who have the Spirit in them loosing their Reason which Satan hath bowed down for so many years like the Woman in the Gospel Yet notwithstanding al this a Christian is in every thing to follow after whatsoever is praise-worthy of good report comely with God and with men in that which is the true light of men and right Reason So if their Minds be not altogether reprobate and their Consciences seared if there be any spark of Natural light left alive in them you shal approve your selves to the Consciences and minds of men inwardly although they outwardly speak evil of you As the Historian says of the Romans concerning that excellent Person their deliverer Camillus simul oderant et Mirati sunt they wil admire you while they hate you Answ. 2. Caut 2. Let every one that nams the name of Christ depart from iniquity Whoever pleads a Spiritual life and light for the Principle and Seal of his actions ought to beware that he sow not divers seeds in this field that he mingle not Fleshly designes with Spiritual discoverys Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully If you undertake the worke of the Lord to do your own work the better If you make a shew of the work of the Lord or make use of the work of the Lord so farr to cover and to bring forth the works of the Flesh there lies a curse upon you The Name of the Lord Jesus is like the water of Jealousie which the suspected woman was to drink If thou cal the name of the Lord Christ and of his spirit to witness falsly while thou art unchast and untrue to thy spiritual principles and ends while thou knowest thy spirit to have plaid the harlot and to live in uncleanness with this present world this Name wil like that Drink make thy belly to Swel and thy Bowels to rot within thee it wil certainly bring thee to destruction with shame and abhorrency He that sets upon Extraordinary things upon the account of an Extraordinary Principle Seal hath one of these two things to rely upon First A Divine Power in an irresistable way to subdue the spirits and Forces of men to him Secondly or else a Divine Presence in an unexpressible sweetness to support him when he shal suffer in the thoughts of men or at the Barr of Ordinary powers How watchful ought we to be in affayres of so high a nature or consequence that neither Hypocricy nor Delusion shut the Door to these Confidences in us Sixthly The spirit of Grace the principle and Seal of these Changes This is the last Argument of the Newness and Extraordinariness of the way of the Lord Jesus in the midst of us There are five Marks of the Spirit of Grace First The Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Prayer Zach. 12. 9 10. And it shal come to pass in that day that I wil seek to destroy al the Nations that come against Jerusalem And I wil poure upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of Grace and Supplication Two things are observable here First It is an Argument that the Lord hath a designe by himself to destroy the enemies of his people