that Truth cannot tell where to find you Could it but find you though in a Goal or Stocks amongst Harlots or any where in the dirtiest hole that could be it would be a gladness But to be as runaways every where and yet no where sometime in this Harlots house sometimes in another this is a great woe and sorrow But let 's be merry saith the father for I have found my son again that was lost If you could but come forth and say to the Lord Here I am and declare the very particular place where you lie and stick 't were happy As a man in a mist when quite lost is glad to hallow and call to any to give notice he is lost and tells them where they shall find him But we slight it and say 'T is true I am in a lost condition but what will any telling another do me good We think there must be no crying out But the time will come that you will cry before delivered both to instruct others saying O come not here as the Lepers were to cry out to all O come not to me I am unclean I am unclean and then there will be a crying Can you help me can you tell me which way God delivered you Though the Father sent forth his word to seek up his son yet he came not till he was alive quick and sensible of his wants and this made him arise and go to his father c. The last thing yet remains wherein lies the conclusion of all and it is marvelous to consider how the work hangs together A third Reason why the Father is merry is the safe return of his Prodigal When the other son came out of the field and heard the musick and dancing he asked one of the servants what those things meant Why saith he Thy Brother is come and thy Father hath killed for him the fatted Calf because he hath received him safe and sound And if this should not be all would be an incompleat Salvation still But while I speak the word I sigh to speak it Shall we ever see the day to be thus adorned to have the best robe the shooes the ring and the fatted Calf to sit at the Kings Table and have the presence and favor of the Father to hear that concord between Heaven and Earth that musick and harmony to hear the gladness of the Father and all those holy Angels to see the Earth which is his footstool brought to the Will of the Heavenly to have Heaven and Earth brought together to a meet and close Therefore Let 's eat and be merry 1. Because my son was dead and is alive again 2. He was lost and is found And 3. He hath received Him safe and sound And this is wonderful that one so far gone that had been dead and lost that Lazarus lying four days stinking in his grave should be raised and made a sound man again that there should be no deadness nor confusion nor taint in the Principle of Life but all return sound this will be a wonder That there shall be no taint nor smell of any ill savor in all our words and ways left it will be wonderful indeed to have such a Resurrection There are three things considerable from this word To be Safe 1. That which is safe is well fenced about as Solomon saith The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth into it and is safe Prov. 18.10 But what 's the Name of the Lord He proclaims his Name thus The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means let the guilty go free c. Exod. 34.6 7. When the Prodigal is compassed about with this Name he is safe to purpose with long-suffering gentleness c. and with remembrance of this also That he will by no means let the guilty go free then is he made to give glory to his Father This will be a strong tower where the Soul may be safe 2. To be safe is to be where no harm can come at him In time of trouble saith David he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me Psal 27.5 A pavilion stands in the midst of the Army and what harm can touch one there To be in the City of Refuge there the Avenger of blood cannot come neer Now he is under the wings of his Father no Witchcraft nor Enchantment can touch him And when ever God shall make such a fence about you your estate will be good indeed when thus fenced about with the Name of the Lord. But 3. A man may be said to be safe when he cannot run away to harm himself neither When God makes this Covenant with Israel he saith And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That I will not turn away from them to do them good but will put my Fear into their hearts that they SHALL NOT DEPART FROM ME Jer. 32.40 A man that is lock'd in the Stocks or in a Gaol we use to say such a man is safe because he cannot get away So when God has put his Fear into the heart it 's made as an hook or anchor to the Soul it cannot get away from him But happy are they whom God will bring back again with the Prodigal from the Land of their captivity into his presence There 's the place of rest and quiet there the Father rejoyces over his Prodigal because he has received him safe and sound To be Sound hath these things considerable in it 1. A thing that is sound may be considered thus to be without rottenness without fault firm and durable Now the Prodigal before his return has a heart with a taint in it and 't will be wonderful if ever we shall be brought out clean spotless unblameable c. It 's nothing to keep a man from stealing when he can come at no prize but to have the Babylonish garments and the wedges of gold lie before the Soul and now not to have an Achans heart to covet them here will be the tryal O let me not taste of their dainties saith David The time was he was envious at the prosperity of the wicked But now to see them prosper and enjoy their portions and yet not envy nor cover in nothing to be tainted here will be the wonder But 2. To be Sound is to be compleat and without deficiency as of a Horse that is fit for service we say He is a sound Horse sound wind and limb compleat c. The Prodigal came home compleated as Paul saith That you may be wholly compleat in him not having any spot or blemish or any such thing And My Beloved saith the Church is wholly delectable compleat in beauty O that my heart were so direct saith David that I were sound in thy Law O Lord how far off are we
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
we lay if the Lord stept not in to help us out and whether this would ever be or not we knew not and here we were made to own and bow and lie under our conditions as undone Persons if Mercy help'd not out Thus we lay low for a time under this bond but soon as ever we heard a report of Deliverance and were pointed out to it as John pointed to Christ Behold the Lamb of God c. Here is one that can cure you and bring you out This is the Saviour of the World when a Light came to shew us this we presently reached at it and called all our own and would not lie in our misery till he called us to come till the Lord Himself delivered us but thought now that we saw the medicine lie before us we were wise enough to take it and to cure our selves we thought we could now live of our selves without being beholding to God that our Light and Instruction into the Truth that the sight of Salvation had been enough And here we went out like Prodigals till all was spent and Poverty came upon us as an armed man We got out and promised our selves liberty and ease as Paul saith of some who promising liberty Themselves became the servants of corruption We were the farther off and the more entangled that which Job speaks of If I wash my self saith he mine own clothes shal defile me We have indeed washed and washed our selves but that will not do we put on our own clothes again and we are presently all dirt as bad as ever Here hath been our going out and now we are out we would never stir home again But the Call and Counsel is to us Come and let us return That Charge is layd against us Thou hast forsaken thy first Love remember whence thou art fallen and repent This I speak is a Deep Parable if the Soul be not led in to read the meaning The Hypocrite he cannot know it he will ever be hoping and clambering up some way or other to get life and never endure these bonds though he perish for ever and how many are thus utterly lost And the Sons of God They cannot know this neither until it cost them dear till a dart strike through their Liver They will taste of the Whores dainties of her sweet morsels till they are made to vomit all up again and lose the sweet words We have taken up words of Scripture and Hopes and Promises to our selves but who gave us them The Door was open and we thought we might venture in and take what we pleased But the Spouse could give a better account He brought me into the banqueting house c. Did He thus take us by the hand and bring us in No no we thrust in without the wedding garment we stayd not till the Angel was sent to roul away the stone from the mouth of the Sepulchre till Christ Himself came to loosen the Prison doors and let the Captives go free And now to all you that have thus turned out and therefore have had a blast a mildew a secret moth consuming and destroying all your greenness and liveliness and freshness in the Truth for how dead and sapless do you now lie to you yet is this Counsel given and the Call made Come and let us return to the Lord for he hath smitten c. Lie under the hand and turn to him that smites you And that is Thirdly The third Thing considerable in this Return It is to the Lord who hath wounded that he may heal Many they are wounded indeed but they can heal themselves run to the Promises and wariness and resolvings and they are presently whole But when the Lord wounds indeed with the wound of a cruel one when he rends and teers and goes away then shall no healing medicine be found out when God comes to a strict enquiry once and searches Jerusalem with candles looks into every dark corner and asks for an account of the bottom of the matter if we know what shall become of us for ever how our everlasting Condition hangs whether all we have all the strong reasons and hopes and conclusions from the operations and enlargements and powers of Truth will all these prove our condition good for ever Was not Saul also among the Prophets and was not the Spirit of God upon Balaam and yet both fell short I wonder sometimes how we can pass it over from day to day and not consider what the end shall be but it is because the wound is not deep we have no sense to feel but are like a post in the wall but when He shall wound home indeed and strike the blow to the heart then it will seize it shall not be so easie getting from it then if ever we be cured the same hand must do it that struck the Blow all other Physicians will be of no value but Come let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal c. And He will heal us Now What Ways doth the Lord take to Cure this Wound 1. The first Way to cure a Wound throughly is by removing the ill humor that feeds and maintains the sore else all plaisters and salves applyed to heal are in vain and to no purpose So God deals with the Soul He goes first to the Root to stench the corrupt humor the bitter Fountain that feeds and supplies all the streams Sensse and Reason they have been the ill humor which have fed the sore all along whilest we could wring and wrestle and murmur and complain against God saying Why hath he made me thus Why hath he brought us into this Wilderness to destroy us Who hath resisted his Will Whilest these pleadings and reasonings live 't is impossible our conditions should be mended these will fester and corrupt use what means we will for healing therefore God promiseth I will heal their back-slidings that way He takes when he intends a Cure Whilest we go about to cure our selves and flee upon Horses because they are swift so long the case grows worse with us the wound encreaseth but stand still and see the Salvation of God saith Moses Let him alone and He will never leave till he hath met with the bitter Root that spoyls all our prospering 2. Another way of healing a wound is by taking away or asswaging the extremity of the anguish and smart of the sore else the violence of the pain will let nothing take place So is it with the Soul sometimes there is such an extremity of anguish that perplexes and torments it that nothing of hope or encouragement can come near it When it is made to look over all its rebellions and standings out and provocations what it hath done how it hath grieved the Holy Spirit and refused mercy and brought all this that it now lies under on its own head You may thank your self for this saith the Accuser this is your own will and way
and choyce and this causes a felt anguish and torture in the Soul when all circumstances come up of sins done seven years since as if but newly acted How Thou provokedst God and broke prison at such a time and slightedst and turnedst back This eats and corrodes and frets the Soul and gives it no rest to hear or hope or beleeve any thing from God And therefore this is the next Thing God doth in going to cure He removes all the guilt and sin and shame and unbelief that lay upon the Soul and lays all upon the scape-goat to be carryed into the land of forgetfulness that though the iniquity of Judah and Israel be sought for yet it cannot be found I will remember their sin no more saith God and this pacifies and asswages the pain and calms the Soul He makes the storm a calm and so brings them to their desired haven c. 3. Another way God takes in healing is by applying a plaister of mercy and loving-kindness Then He speaks kindly and friendly to the Soul comes with words of peace he comes enquiring Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physician there Is not the Lord in Zion is not her King in her The Lord opens to the Soul a soveraign Balm that can heal all sores He discovers his Son the Lord Jesus that seed of Truth that lies within This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Now He comes gently to the Soul and moves and stirs in it not altogether to despair and cut off it self from hope but an enquiry is made in the Soul Is not the Lord in Zion Is there not hope in Israel concerning this thing However desperate the case seems yet hope gets up Who can tell but he may be gracious It is one thing to have Truth manifested to be within the Soul and another thing to have the use and enjoyment of it one thing to have a healing plaister applyed and another thing to be healed In the third day He will raise us up and we shall live in his sight To be raised out of this pit of mire and clay out of this dark dungeon to live in his sight to be brought out of darkness into his marvelous light this is wonderful And how beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tydings of peace These good tydings are a sweet reviving plaister to the dying Soul When just now at the brink of the Pit and the Life draws nigh to the grave then for an Interpreter to come one of a thousand to shew to Man his righteousness to open that seed and principle of Life that is within and so save his life from going down to the pit Is not such a Balm as this able to cure all wounds how doth this calm and quiet the Soul and beget admirings O who would ever think any good should grow here that Truth should lie hid in such a filthy defiled and polluted heart as Jacob breaks forth God was in this place and I knew it not and Hagar I did not think to have met with the Lord here What! when all hope of life is gone yet then to have salvation and deliverance opened out of the Eater to have meat in the midst of all guilt and shame and sin and lusts that oppress and torment yet to have this opened That such a Soul as this is no less then the gate of Heaven where God and Angels are to pass in and out This is a pleasant plaister indeed This heals the dying inwards when it is given in by God not taken up by mans gatherings and conclusions and hopings as all the healings before were 4. The Lord heals this sore by setting a time appointing a day for deliverance and putting the Soul in a posture of waiting till that come so the Angel opens to Daniel Seventy weeks are determined to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting Righteousness And so in the Psalms the Church pleads with God that It is time to have mercy upon Zion yea the set time is come But what is this set time for Zion to be built Why it follows For it pities thy servants to see her stones lie scattered in the dust This is the set time when the hearts of any are raised to pity and take to heart the desolation and ruines of Zion and when the Soul is pitched upon this to lie in the dust lost and scattered and undone as it is till the heart of some or other be raised to pity it It is impossible you should ever be brought forth as children of the Truth unless the Heart of some be turned towards you to be a Father as the Text saith of Elias He shall turn the hearts of Fathers to Children and Children to their Fathers The Soul is layd down here it cannot get up it self but must lie wounded and half dead till some good Samaritan pass by and take it up and this is the greatest tryal and hardest thing to bear that ever could come to mans heart That He must lie thus buckled and submitted to another till his Brother come to pity and take him up And now if the heart scorns and will not come in here to be thus beholding to another it may lie long enough and not yet the time of healing is come If thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it if thou scorn this thing to lie as thou art till the heart of some father be turned to thee thou mayst go long enough without cure But the Soul that God hath indeed pitched upon this as the way for its cure that is ever looking when some shall turn in to pity it and ask how it doth and take it out of the dirt where it sticks fast and therefore it is ever crying out Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Is there none that mindes my sorrows Was ever grief like mine And is there none to pity and lay my case to heart and travel and pray and cry for me Such a breaking out is there not murmuringly nor commandingly but bewailing and crying out out of the sense of misery and longing for cure O that there were some to pity Nothing else can content because it is pitched upon that as the way for its cure all other plaisters cannot reach the sore and therefore it cries for some to help it as the blinde man cryed after Christ Thou Son of David have mercy on me and no rebukes from others to hold his peace and be still can prevail with him but still the cry goes on till the cure is done But it followeth After two days He will raise us up and we shall live c. The second days work now follows the day of reviving no man shall seek the Lord in vain The Prophet here invites calls to come and return and if any shall be prevailed with they shall not lose their labor in the Lord Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Mark the
out of the words I. Who are They that will kill the Body They are hinted out Vers 17 21. Beware of men And they are ranked into four sorts 1. Governors Which are set to defend and protect yet beware of these they shall be against you 2. Kings Which are set to defend and protect yet beware of these they shall be against you 3. Brethren Brother shall betray Brother to Death c. 4. Children and Children against their Parents c. This wonderful unnatural yet all made true in our own experience II. What is it to kill the Body what ways may they take to do that 1. By taking away estate and means which maintain the Body 2. By reproaches and evil reports that none will Trade with us 3. By binding our hands that we may not defend our selves 4. By ensnaring and making an evil of our words 5. By tentering the Law to the utmost that no stirring but we may be found offenders 6. By false witness as against Christ when He innocent 7. They may kill by their Law when we clear by Law of God These several ways may They kill the Body if the Lord prevent not III. The Exhortation Fear not them Why should not They be feared that kill the Body 1. Fear them not in respect of themselves For 1. They are vanity a nothing fade as the grass 2. They but instruments the sword cannot cut without the hand 3. Pity them 'T is their woe and misery to do this work 4. Before their Plots are ripe They may be cut off so Haman was and the Powder-Treason prevented in very nick 2. Fear not in regard of the Body which they can kill 1. The Body is but the outside the cask the shell 2. 'T is a perishing thing and will soon dye of it self 3. This is not to enter into glory but must first put on incorruption therefore this but a small thing to kill the Body IV. Whom ought we to Fear FEAR HIM that can destroy Soul and Body And that for these Reasons 1. He is our Maker our Being and all we have is of Him 2. He can bring down and twist away thy life and all in a moment 3. He hath no Controuler none can rescue out of his hand 4. In thy own conscience He hath many just occasions against thee 5. He will certainly bring to judgment and account for all thoughts words actions Therefore there is good ground to fear Him 6. Fear Him because there is mercy with Him VI. What is it to have the Soul destroyed what ways doth God take to bring this about Five several ways 1. By withdrawing the sap when God leaves striving and motioning the Soul dyes of it self if not fed upheld maintained 2. By giving up the Soul to beleeve lyes wholy filled with them 3. By leaving it alone without one to pity pray or care for it 4. By shutting out all prayers and means that nothing shall prevail 5. By taking away all doors and gates that all lusts and floods of ungodliness may break in and mould the Soul into the image of the Devil VII What is it to be in Hell In three Things 1. When the Soul sensibly feels it is excluded from God Many are in Hell and know it not the thing is not opened 2. To feel the torments and pains of Hell the warm that dyes not 3. To have the everlasting sentence of this condition witnessed to the Soul this makes up all the saved ones may be in the two former All summ'd up in a word of Vse 1. If possible to warn some of this woe That They may never come into this place of torment 2. To minde such as shall be saved both by hintings in themselves and witness from others yet see how neer destruction you may come 3. To counsel us to stand in awe always to fear not knowing what we may be left to lest that day come unawares c. MATTH 10.28 And fear not them that can kill the Body and are not able to kill the Soul c. I Would propound these several things to you to be considered of out of this Scripture 1. Who they be that will kill the Body 2. What it is to kill the Body 3. Why should they not be feared that can kill the Body 4. Whom ought we to fear Fear Him c. 5. Why should we fear Him what cause for it 6. What is it to have the Soul destroyed 7. What is it to be in Hell First Who are they that will kill the Body You may see in the Verses before Christ speaks to his Disciples Behold I send you forth as sheep amongst Wolves be ye therefore wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves But beware of MEN for they will deliver you up to the Councels c. And it is farther explained who these MEN be of whom they should beware Ver. 18. And you shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them And vers 21. And the Brother shall deliver up the Brother to death and the Father the Child and Children shall rise up against their Parents and cause them to be put to death So that these MEN are of these four sorts Governors Kings Brethren and Parents 1. Beware of Kings Kings should preserve their People and Solomon saith The Glory of a King is in the multitude of his People And we can truly witness for our selves and God is our Witness that we have been and are as true faithful and loyal to the present Government of the Kingdom as any other who ever yet we know not how their hearts may be ordered to consider of us Such cases have been we know as that Kings have been let out to undo and pillage and kill their own Subjects And though we may yet truly own the many mercies and liberties we have enjoy'd by this Parliament yet who knows how Things may be turned against us such a case may be Christ bids beware of Kings 2. Beware of Governors Now Governors and Rulers are appointed of God to be a Terror of evil works but not of good They were set to be Defenders and Protectors of them that do well to defend to secure to do them right and justice against such as falsly reproach slander or any ways wrong and injure them yet Beware of men saith Christ Governors themselves shall be against you such as should defend and secure you And we have lately had some experience of this how our Governors which should have been our safeguard and protection that they have slighted our Cause and rather inclined to the false accusations of our adversaries then hear us speak the Truth for our selves nay if the Lord had not prevented it we might have been knockt on head and have lost our lives by the rude and envious multitude which were set against us 3. Brethren Brother shall betray Brother c. Beware of Brethren And how hath this been made true upon us also
now what shall I say to you more but this 1. If it be possible that some of you might be warned never to come to this place of torment to taste the sorrows of Death and feel the pains of Hell to have the Soul destroyed to be turned into Hell with the ungodly Oh! who can express the misery What have we been upon caring and fearing about the Body and them that can kill it but alass this is the thing to be feared to have Soul and Body destroyed in Hell 3. Then you that are to be saved and truly belong to God and have had true hints in your selves and a witness from others to that purpose yet see what may befall you how far you may be let go how neer destruction you may come you may be cast into the belly of Hell so was Jonah and feel the pains of Hell so did David and be shut out from all enjoyment of God so was Job that he could not finde him though he went forward and backward on the right hand and on the left yet no entrance could be found but their mercy and salvation was in being brought out of Hell But now because you have yet no certain knowledg of your latter end how God will deal with you if the sense of what I have said were upon you it would put you to a great strait to know the end 3. Stand in awe lest this day overtake you unawares you know not what shall happen therefore stand in awe and fear CHRIST Weeping over JERVSALEM OR Truths Bowels towards its own SERM. IV. April 13. 1651. LUKE 19.41 42 c. And when He was come neer He beheld the City and wept over it Saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace But now they are hid from thine eyes c. The Analysis FRom the words these Things in general observed I. What City this is Ans It is Jerusalem the Beloved City a City compact a City built on a Hill typing out the People of God 1. As they are the beloved and chosen ones of God 2. Compact and made up of the Divinity and Humanity God in Man 3. Built on a sure Rock the everlasting Love and good-will II. And when he came neer c. Whence this observed That the great care and business of Christ is to come neer this City these saved ones to gather Jacob to finde the lost sheep to seek up the sons of Peace III. He beheld the City and wept over it Why weeps He Weeping ariseth either from 1. Joy 2. Grief On both these accounts Christ weeps 1. He weeps for Joy that He had found Jerusalem so Truth when it meets with the sons of peace And that for three Reasons 1. For joy that however now in their blood yet 't is the beloved City they are the people where Christ is to do his great cure 2. For joy that God had left the wise and prudent and chose such Babes Truth rejoyces at it 3. For joy however now they deal with Him that they shall accept and say Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord. 2. He weeps for Grief to finde Jerusalem in her sin killing her Prophets Where these three Aggravations 1. 'T is an unnatural sin in killing the Prophets they kill themselves 2. An ungrateful sin to reward evil for all the good done 3. A desperate and venturous sin to kill their present Prophets and know not whether ever another shall be sent to them or not 3. He weeps to see Jerusalems miserable ignorance that They knew not the things that belong to their Peace how He would have gathered them as a Hen her chickens c. This was parallel'd to Truths Dealings with us 1. A Hen calls and clocks her chickens after her so Truth call'd us together out of several places conditions relations c. 2. The Hen sits down when her chickens gathered so Truth sat down with us 3. She spreads her wings to take in and receive heâ— chickens 4. She gathers them under her wings to cherish and warm and heat them 5. She doth it the better to secure and proteâ—â— them 6. She doth it that she may nurse up and bring them to perfection to shift for themselves In 〈◊〉 these Cases Truth has dealt with us 4. He weeps from an unsatisfied Desire and Love towards Jerusalem O that thou hadst known eveâ— Thou c. 5. He weeps for the miserable Condition He foresaw coming on them that is intimated in severâ—â— expressions 1. But now they are hid from thine eyes 2. Thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee 3. And compass thee round and keep thee in on every side 4. And lay thee even with the ground 5. And thy children within thee 6. And not leave one stone upon another in thee 7. This is added as an aggravation of all Because thou knewest not the day of thy visitation Here is a full woe indeed LUKE 19.41 42 c. And when He came neer and beheld the City He wept over it And said If thou hadst known even thou in this thy day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes c. THe occasion of these words from Christ ariseth partly from the Pharisees envying the Discipl s joy singing Hosanna to Christ and rejoycing to see their King come meekly riding on an Asses colt towards Jerusalem Christ tells them If these should hold their peace the very stones would cry out secretly reproving them Well you will not regard it you rejoyce not you are not glad to see your King coming towards you you embrace not the Salvation offered but if you hold your peace and these should hold their peace yet He will have a people though He raise them out of the dust Of very stones he will raise up children to Abraham He will yet have a City a Jerusalem which shall receive him at last and be glad of their King what usage soever at present He may finde from them how sad and miserable soever their case now is And when He came neer He beheld the City and wept over it c. From the words I would have you consider these several Things I. What City this is that Christ beheld and weeps over It is Jerusalem the beloved and chosen Ciey where He had placed his Name and Worship and Ordinances 2. Jerusalem the compact City that is at unity in it self 3. Jerusalem a City built upon a Hill standing aloft on a sure foundation which cannot be moved And this was but a Type of the people of God the Jerusalem which is from above 1. They are the chosen and beloved people chosen out of the World redeemed from among Men gathered out of all Nations and Countries and People and Tongues to be a peculiar treasure to Him 2. The compact City such as are made up and compact of God and Man in one person
according to the Pattern their elder Brother Christ the Humanity and Divinity joyned in together God with man and in man Christ in you the hope of glory For all others in whom something of God is not are but a meer outside and shadow but where ever in any man this Divinity is joyned in and to the Humanity there is the compact Jerusalem of such members is that City made the Jerusalem from above which is the Mother of us all And 3. These are the City built upon a Hill What is that what Hill It is the everlasting Love and good-will of God that unchangeable purpose which is a Hill too high for any thing to reach and come neer to destroy and undo them though the winds blow and storms beat and floods come yet the House stands because 't is built on a Rock unmoveable as Mount Sion And this is the Jerusalem this the City these the People that Christ weeps over II. And when He drew neer the City Whence consider That the great care and business of Christ is to draw neer this City Jerusalem to come nigh his people This is the thing He mindes above all other things Seek ye first the Kingdom of God That was the great work He layd upon his Disciples to seek up this Kingdom to look up the sons of Peace such as are to be saved It is his meat and drink to do the Will of Him that sent Him And that was his Will That He should lose none that were given Him of his Father All this have I said saith Christ that you might be saved And how contrary is this to the way of the Ministers of the World They seek Livings and Honors and respect they seek a multitude to follow them and to be called Rabbi But Christ the true Shepherd He seeks his own sheep where ever they straggle and wander He follows and searches them up among Harlots and Publicans by the high ways and hedges where ever He may finde the sons of peace there lies his way And this minde of Christ hath been in all his people in their day Not seeking yours but you saith Paul This is the thing Christ ayms at in all his seekings and labors and travels in leaving his glory and crown and ease in taking upon Him the form of a servant was not this the cause of all That He might come neerer to his Brethren Because the children were partakers of flesh and blood He also took part of the same That was the thing He came for to visit his Brethren to gather up Iacob to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel III. How is Christ affected when He comes neer and beholds Ierusalem He wept over it Now weeping is a passion or affection of the Soul being moved and stirred either with joy or grief and boâ—h these have a share in Christs weeping over his People 1. He weeps for joy that He had found the City of a blessing the beloved people His own Brethren His Soul is glad at it and breaks in him for joy So Ioseph when he saw his brother Benjamin his bowels were moved he could refrain no longer but weeps over him for joy But what joy can there be to see Ierusalem in this case killing her Prophets stoning them that are sent to her lying at present in a dead and sensless condition How can Truth be affected with joy to finde a people in this case though truly belonging to God Yes Christ weeps for joy in these three Considerations 1. For joy that however the present case stand with them that they are dead in their graves and now ready to stink in all appearance past recovery yet They are such Dead as He knows shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and live such Dead whose Souls shall not be left in Hell nor they suffered to see corruption He hath met with such Dead where a great Miracle is to be wrought and the glory of God shall be manifest and this is Joy to Truth When He came to Lazarus his grave He wept Why what was the cause He breaks out thus I thank thee O Father that thou hast heard me and I know thou hearest me always Why Lazarus was yet in his grave and the thing not wrought of raising him to Life I but Christ weepâ— for joy to see the thing shall be There was a hope and faith in the thing as if already done He joys that He hath met with one where a cure is to be wrought there is a work and service for Him to do to honor his Father by The beggerly the poor the out-casts that no man looketh after but lie in their graves like dead men out of minde That He meets with these where there is work for Him to do to set the Begger with the Princes of his people this Truth joys at to be employed to help its Brethren We have a little Sister saith the Church and she hath no brests what shall we do for our Sister c. 2. He weeps for joy to think that God hath hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes That God hath chose the weak and poor and foolish things of this world to confound the great and wise and honorable This breaks his heart to see the hungry Soul fed and the rich sent empty away They had their good things in this Life their Heaven and solace and content but Lazarus his evil things I but now he is comforted and the other tormented And this pleaseth and contents Truth to see these equal proceedings of God Therefore I thank thee O Father c. That the proud and scornful are not always suffered to reign and lord it and carry all before them but a day comes of doing right to the meek of the Earth this Christ joys at And certainly it is as great a content to Truth to see the rich and wise and proud and scornful that scorn and trample all under their feet to see these cut off as to see the Begger lifted out of the dunghill to see the poor ones saved 3. He weeps for joy that this Ierusalem how ever she be now against her Prophets and her own good yet the day will come when they shall say Blâ—ssed be He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. They shall be willing and embrace and receive Him in the day of his power they shall be a willing people and this He joys at in hope that he shall see Ierusalem recovered that his people shall not always be scorning and despising and kicking against the Truth that they shall not always be covering and hiding themselves and stand out against their own mercies but the year of Jubilee will come the day will be when God will break the yoke from off their neck and set them free And then saith David I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou hast set my feet at liberty Then all his Love will be
in three Relations 1. As His Children and so Christ stands as a Mother 1. A Mother brings forth her Children out of her own Bowels 2. She nurses up her Children to perfection So Christ 2. A People are given to Christ as his Sister and hence three Priviledges spring up to them 1. That they are of the same stock and kindred with Christ 2. They have right to the same portion and priviledges 3. Hence they are liable to be Christs Wife He must not marry out of his own kindred 3. A People are given to Christ as his Wife In which two Things called for 1. Serviceableness the woman is to be subject to her Husband 2. Fruitfulness no children without a Husband and no name to live after us if not children in the Truth to keep it alive 2. Another Branch of the Will of the Father is That none of these that are thus given to Christ should be lost Where two Things considered 1. What it is to be lost Opened in these Particulars 1. To be lost is to be left out of that good-will of God 2. Not to be of that stock which the Lord Christ is sent to gather 3. To have the eyes blinded Our Gospel hid to them that are lost 4. To be given up to believe a Lye to feed on ashes 5. To have in evil eye and grudg all done to Truth as Judas 6. To be left without any to gather up or take the care of the Soul 7. To be left without restraint that wickedness may take its full course and grow to cursing and madness against God 2. Why are not all lost since all wander and turn Prodigals It comes from these Grounds 1. From this Will of God it is his Will to give Christ a People 2. They are nigh related to Christ He cannot see them lost 3. They must not be lost because Christ cannot be perfect without his Members He must have a Body c. The Vses were 1. Throughly to understand on what bottom Salvation stands 2. To enquire Do you know your Lot here Are you given to Christ 3. To comfort all drooping hearts that lie under sense of their misery as if quite lost No Christ is to lose none given to Him JOHN 6.38 39. For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own Will but the Will of Him that sent me c. I Am daily and continually minding you that you might understand the sure principles and ground of Things that you might know the Foundation and Cause whence all springs in those that are saved and those that are lost For whilest we are judging according to appearance and effects all is uncertain and doubtful till we come to be unmoveably principled into the Foundation of all how that stands For Things are not as man judgeth for it is not what man would if he would be saved and labours and struggles to press in alas that is not the thing It is not in him that wills nor in him that runs And then it is not what man would not if he stands out and opposes and would never come in yet if the word goes forth Go and compel them it must be done It stands upon the Will of God what He will what He hath ordered and appointed all must stoop to that Christ himself submits here I came not to do my own Will but the Will of Him that sent me c. Where consider I. Who this I spoke of is I came not c. This I is the Son of God the Mind of God the Heart and Will of the Father brought forth and this Mind of his He hath pleased to put into earthen vessels into his People in all days This Son of his it was that spake in his Prophets and opened the Counsel and Purposes of God to them that which was hidden and layd up in his own Bosom from the foundations of the world that is now made manifest by the appearance of Jesus Christ by this Bosom and Heart and Mind of his sent forth into his Prophets that opened and doth yet open what was before the world began and what shall be after that comes to an end This opens the deep things of God None knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son shall reveal him There can be no coming near to God no knowing no being like him unless this Son this Mind and Heart be sent out and opened and grow up in the Soul Alas the Deity in it self is too large and infinite for man to conceive of If ever you come to have apprehensions of the Godhead it will drink and swallow you up No man can see my face and live saith God to Moses therefore He hides him in the cleft of a Rock till his Glory pass before him Man is not able to come nigh that infinite Majesty and therefore He is pleased to send forth of Himself His own Heart and Mind His Son into his People As He was once sent out in the flesh of Christ our elder Brother so is He now to be sent into his People the same Mind of God to grow up by degrees and degrees as we are able to bear II. What is this Son of God this Mind of His sent out to do what comes it for I came not saith Christ to do my own Will but the Will of Him that sent me It is a strange Mystery if you know not somewhat of it in your selves That this Heart and Mind of God that comes forth from God and is God Himself that yet this Son must not do his own Will but the Will of the Father that the Truth and Christ Himself though his desires be just and good and right yet He must not have them unless his Father please His will must suffer and be cross'd and denyed therefore it is said He learn'd obedience by the things he suffered It is strange how God seems to contradict himself that his own Heart and Mind and Truth must yet be denyed and suffer and submit to do this Will of the Father though it be against it self so great and Lord-like and commanding is this Will of the Lord our God He doth saith David what ever pleaseth him both in Heaven and Earth What ever he will do that comes to pass If he bring some far on in the way to Life that they come even to the door yea into the very room yet if he will then turn them out and enquire Friend how camest thou hither without the wedding garment The man is speechless and must be turned out presently if He will not have mercy c. And on the other hand if a man run never so far from him with Jonah into the bottom of Hell that all seems utterly lost yet if he will recover and bring back from thence if He will have mercy nothing shall hinder so absolute uncontroulable and over-ruling is this Will of the great Lord without giving any account of his matters And hence
the womb as 't is said of Rebecca there 's the natural son and the spiritual son there 's the Jew and the Gentile the Jew is a natural branch the Gentile contrary to nature the Son of God and the son of man Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God saith Christ A man viz. the will the understanding the Soul for this house the body that we carry about with us that is not the man where the Son of God dwells as Paul saith He that hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Now where that Spirit is the Father brings that man to be his son to a new birth not to a new birth in the full sence for there 's a two-fold birth first there 's a birth to see the Kingdom and then a birth to enter into the Kingdom of God To the first the Prodigal was brought And this we can truly witness We are born in the house have eaten and drunk in his presence and heard him teach in our streets we have lived at his Table we have had bread enough and to spare having the world at will saith David c. But now we girded our selves in this day with Peter we could walk upon the Sea to Christ and thought our selves safe c. till at last getting up our portion we wandred from our fathers house And this Interpretation I intend to follow For though the other two are true yet if we come not to particulars what 's this to me to hear of a Jew and a Gentile without me or to hear of a Prodigal wandring from his fathers house c. if all this while I be not this man I this Prodigal spoke of I shall now go on to the several Observations rising from the carriage of this Prodigal son 1. The son said to his father c. Hence is considerable the distinct knowing that God of his mercy hath brought him to to know the Truth It 's not said that one said or that a certain man said thus but the son said to his father And herein have we exceedingly made an evil of the goodness of the Lord And it makes my heart tremble to think what want will come upon this Prodigal for it But 2. The second thing considerable in this Prodigal is this And the son said to his father Give me the portion of goods that belongs to me You shal see if you mind it another manner of carriage in him when he returns from his Prodigality Now he is upon his claiming Give me my portion but when he returns home he does not say though greatly pined with hunger kill the fatted Calf but he comes thus I am not worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants In the days of our Ignorance how do we claim our portions looking for a reward as due to us But no greater token that want is coming then this and this is a certain thing that all our losses have come from this and will come whilest you command God and his servants saying Why do'nt he regard me more And so there is a claiming of our portions and taking them out of the hands of Truth and so we thrust our selves out of the house as the Prodigal and say He will be such a hard Master to me I had better have it in my own hand Thus hath there been an evil intreating of the Son of God Now is that presuming and desperate venturing that we are able to go alone But I would you might read all along as you go that those of you who are not fallen if possible might be warned and if you are fallen that you might learn Instruction how to return How did destruction come upon Korah for his evil reaching What are not all the Lords People holy Will you put out the eyes of these men But by and by you shall know saith Moses And indeed how did they know to their woe How did the fire of the Lord consume some and the Earth swallow up others c. Oh that you might take warning But 3ly The father gives him his deresi a sad case And he divided to them his substance When Israel murmured against God complaining of the light Manna and craving for Quails God heard their cries He gave them their hearts lust but sent them leanness of Soul When I consider the cries of our hearts those evil reachings for the Truth it makes my heart tremble lest God may take advantage in giving us our desires We think because we reach after the things of God we do well But when I think what Lot got by desiring to go to Zoar though God gave him his choyce to go yet how did his heart reproach his mouth When he had it he could not abide there but feared to dwell in Zoar Zoar now will not maintain him the time comes when neither wisdom nor knowledg nor discerning will serve the turn Though I had the gift of Prophecy saith Paul and could understand all mysteries If I had all knowledg and faith that I could remove mountains it would profit me nothing if I had not Love 1 Cor. 13.2 3. When I enjoyed the world at will when my bough was green when the dew lay upon my branch all night then I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved thou Lord of thy goodness hadst made my mountain so strong saith David I know thy works saith the Angel to the Church of Ephesus thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear with them that are evil and hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars c. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love As if God should say I know thy gifts have not sprung from the garden of Nature but I have given them they were my Wool and my Flax but you have deck'd your Idols with them therefore they are taken away But he gives a portion to his eldest son that never shall be taken away He saith to him Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine But to the younger son he gives that which may be spent the common Faith as Paul writes to Titus Titus my dear son saith he according to the Common Faith But yet what a loss came to the Prodigal though truly a son Such a loss may the Soul come to to be as naked as a child that is newly born So foolish and ignorant was I saith David as a beast before thee Behold saith God I make the Earth utterly empty without an Inhabitant And then as Christ said you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and shall not see them As a dead man out of mind saith David If we were aware of this it would make us afraid of what we reach after I know many of you have an aspiring mind to be high and accounted eminent
but to be as an hired servant but while he claims nothing he enjoys something and while he was claiming something he spent all and had nothing a strange way that God takes He sets the Begger that 's taken out of the dunghil with the Princes of his people but the rich he sends empty away That such as lie reaching to be great should be sent empty away and such as lie and say I have sinned I have sinned against Heaven I have hindred this people I am conscious of it I have been a block in the way yet that He should be received this is strange But what is he saluted with not with the remembrance of his sin but bring the best robe which is that everlasting righteousness that clean Love for if the Prodigal does but return he will never go out again and Love covers a multitude of sins Bring the best robe that 's his best robe He hath beheld no iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel Numb 23. He does as Noahs best son did to his father go backward to cover his nakedness so before he can well see him he cries Come bring the best robe You don't know when you shall return thus buckled and bowed owning the thing as it is how the Father will reward you Be not discouraged do but cry out Lord I have sinned what wouldst thou have me to do And though thou shalt say but I cannot speak a word as I ought nor think a good thought yet let not this hinder thee Come as thou art Remember thou hast heard it reported the Prodigal came thus and his father received him better to be an hired servant in the house then a son a great way off better is it to wipe the childrens shooes then to be in a Kings house amongst ravenous beasts All this is written for our learning that we through patient waiting might have hope and return with this saying Peradventure he will receive me though we come forlorn c. yet see what his Prodigal received for God waits to be gracious O that I could but hear the sound of a right word All your complainings rising onely from being tormented c. are nothing to me because you still love to be in them but if there were but a minde to return see what entertainment it would finde Then he had the fatted Calf set before him the musique and dancing O the sweet harmony when God and man are at unity From this time it shall be said of Jacob and Israel What hath God wrought But minde this of a certain That all your forced confessings for fear c. bring no turn in you nor turns Truth to you but where truly the Soul is buckled it ventures and comes in to its Father and is received and this kinde of entertainment the son findes not a word of upbraiding for what he had done Though the servant owed his Lord ten thousand Talents and is not able to pay one peny of it yet in that he lies down at his Lords feet and owns the thing as it is saying Lord have compassion on me all is forgiven him and had he stood here his Lord had quite forgiven him for ever but because he began to lord it over his fellow servant that owed him a hundred pence taking him by the throat saying Pay me that thou owest me and though he fell down and besought him yet he would not have compassion on him therefore his Lord was grieved and cast him again into prison till he should pay the uttermost farthing Matt. 18.24 c. Therefore minde what will be the benefit of the Prodigals returning see what shall follow it but no man can beget Truth where it is not nor raise it where it is before its time but were you sensible of the reward that shall follow a right turning it were enough to make the worst heart in the world to bow For we propound He is a hard Master No there 's nothing remembred against him but bring the best rob c. There are five dishes which are set before this son for his entertainment 1st Saith the father Bring the best robe 2ly Put Rings on his fingers 3ly Put shooes on his feet 4ly Kill the fatted Calf 5ly There 's gladness Come let 's eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found c. Here will be considered the order next And why not meat for his belly first for he was now almost starved by reason of famine Yet saith the father in the first place Come bring the best robe Wherein you may consider these three things 1. The best robe is brought to cover his nakedness for there 's no standing else before God there 's no disputing with him at all except the sin be covered while there 's any guilt upon the heart there cannot be a neerness betwixt God and man But in all reason he should have had meat for his belly first yet that must not be till he has the best robe the Fathers best Love upon his back because there can be no standing in his sight to speak a word without it For who can stand before everlasting burning And God is a consuming fire Where this Love is not first a covering they will rather cry to the rocks and the mountains to fall on them for who can stand before God in his guilt Therefore first this is most needful to be covered with the best robe But 2. Bring the best robe because the sinner stands with such a shame upon him for while he stands guilty there can be no boldness nor freeness to receive any thing from his Father The poor sinner saith I know not why he gives me this and th' other for ought I know it 's for my greater condemnation for as Solomon saith Some have riches given them for their hurt And how many patterns do we see of it 3. The fear will remain till it be discovered that the sin is taken away therefore saith the Father Bring the best robe for the Father has robes that will wax old which the servants are clothed with I will turn them out of my house saith he and love them no more But after the Prodigal is thus adorned when the Love of God has covered him that he is made able to stand spotless and blameless before him in love now he stands covered in this long white robe he had none of this garment upon him when he went out for then had he never gone but he was covered with that which could be taken from him And you shall know saith God the breach of a Promise But there is Love that cannot be changed a Covenant that can never be broken a Foundation that cannot be shaken and now there 's a boldness to appear before God but so long as any guiltiness remains the Soul is afraid of God I remembred God saith David and was troubled Therefore he cries O
cleanse me from my blood guiltiness The Father is sensible how the Soul stands trembling therefore Make haste bring the best robe make haste to cover his nakedness saith the Father because our guilt is upon us How do we pull charging of sin upon our selves when God charges not and hide our sin when God would charge us but the best robe clears all it intimates the Father had others It 's said of Elkanah he gave portions to all his wives but to Hannah he gave a worthy portion because he loved her I have loved thee with an everlasting Love saith God therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee That where sin abounded Grace might superabound for yet in the worst day the Soul is made to say but my wisdom remained with me The Prodigal in the worst day retained his sonship still though when he returns he is made to confess the thing as it is But first he arises and that 's beyond all that howl upon their beds In their sickness-time and straits they will cry out Oh what a wretch am I but their iniquities are still upon their backs they arise not they dare not approach before God But the Prodigal though he comes bowing and blushing yet he comes knowing and hoping and he never says that word Father I have sinned but the Father saith presently Bring the best robe But 2. I told you this was considerable the Father saith And put a Ring on his hand Do you consider what Rings are used for They are not put on to strengthen the hands but to adorn them But what is the hand for It 's for work O prosper thou the work of our hands saith David Now what must the hand the work be adorned with There are these three ornaments for it 1. The Prodigal must be adorned with Skill as it 's said of David concerning Israel He fed them in the integrity of his heart and guided them with the skilfulness of his hand Psal 78.72 It has taught the Prodigal skill indeed he can say now as David Come â—y Brethren and I can tell you what God has done for my Soul how he delivered me and instructed me now I am made able to divide the word aright There 's great need of skill to know when to speak how to speak to what to speak for what purpose to speak either for edification or destruction All the while before he had no heart to pity strangers till he was fallen amongst thieves c. and now after his coming home he is able to instruct and teach others If there be a messenger one of a thousand to shew unto man his righteousness c. Now he has learnt expereince by his wandering But all the while we were in the house we were Novices we had learn'd no skill how to instruct others for we had learn'd none our selves But now the burnt child dreads the fire when we have run our rounds tryed what is in madness and folly it brings forth skill And who are fit to bring up a people in the wisdom and fear of the Lord but such as have gone down to the deeps as Joseph did First he had been proved and tryed himself he was separated from his brethren as Christ said of Peter Satan hath desired to sift thee and he shall c. but when thou art converted then strengthen thy brethren But 2. The second thing the hand is to be adorned with is Diligence being now once brought from his prodigality he will redeem the time and be more watchful and diligent then ever Be you vigilant for your Enemy the Devil goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour It 's an ornament to the work when it goes on with diligence not sleepingly we say of such a man sure the work is never like to come to perfection The Lord expects a diligent hand in all your services and that beautifies the work but to beautifie a slothful hand is like to the putting a Ring in a swines snout He will not reward the slothful hand but the diligent he rewardeth The Soul that is diligent night and day how to further the work of the Lord therefore Be you always abounding in the work of the Lord saith Paul knowing that your labor is not in vain c. But alass while we are in the Land of Harlots we are ashamed of our work A man that has no meat to eat nor clothes to put on nor a friend to go to to impart his grief what a miserable case is he in such a Land are you in where there 's no growing of any thing that good is nothing but leanness and ill-favoredness because you have outed your selves of all friends But when you shall be brought home then will you say Well I will be diligent Then will you set an high price upon the Truth and say as David O what shall I render to the Lord c. I know how many precious days and seasons you have troden under foot but the time will come that you will be glad to glean them up again and say I will be more diligent to hear and lay up every word and Look The least smile of Truth will be layd up every Mercy will you be made to prize There will be no more a claiming as the Prodigal Give me my portion and saying to me You are bound to preach and look after me and give me this and th' other No there will be a diligent hand prizing and improving to the utmost the least mercy But 3. A third Ring that adorns his hand is the weightiness of employment when the hand shall be employed in things of great concernment When we pass and see a man at work in carving some curious piece and not busied upon baubles and trifles like children that make dirt-pyes we stand and prize the work This will adorn the hand when it shall be employed about things that profit to be about a work which shall abide for ever Let all your words be full of grace seasoned with salt To be employed about such a work which neither fire nor water can hurt this adorns the hand indeed But alass what a little of our work will endure the fire but we shall know the difference I shrink to think what I shall say But must you all go a prodigalling Will you all see your hearts by desperate venturings Indeed Travellers learn experience but they pay dear for it None will know how to distinguish between works and works but they that have traded through them When I was a child saith Paul I did as a child and spoke as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things The Prodigal did foolishly in forsaking his Fathers house and going to Harlots c. but God shall say to him at his return Be not grieved that you sold me c. He has lost nothing by it he is made now to love him the more When God shall say 'T was
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
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
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
against it c. This Great King is the same spoken of cap. 4. Better is a poor and wise child then an OLD AND FOOLISH KING that will no more be admonished c. In all Ages this old King the old serpent the Devil hath played these pranks against this little City he will never leave spitting his Venome and Poyson against the Truth to destroy it utterly That the name of Israel may be no more This Haman can have no rest so long as Mordecai lives Poor Mordecai is an eye-soar and troubles and disquiets this Great King and Gallows must be provided to hang Mordecai and D crees sent out to destroy the whole Nation of the Jews for his sake nothing lesse will serve then an utter ruine He will never be admonished this Old King will never take warning though his plots have been again and again disappointed and he hath been taken in his own snare yet he wiâ—l go on to besiege this little City to disturb and perplex and torment and if possible destroy this little Remnant Now I have heard many say that they never were thus troubled with the Devil they thank God He harms not them they never were under his temptations and torture and cruell batterings were they never troubled with him I but this is an Argument they are a friend to him they live in his Kingdom and there all is in peace so long as he keeps the house but if you are ever brought out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Christ if you shall ever be gathered out of the great City Babylon to this little Sion this small remnant if ever plucked out of the world then you shall feel him stirring For this old Serpent hath ever from the beginning of the World been casting out his floods after the Truth if possible to drown and destroy that and the neerer any of you shall be brought to God be sure he will be the more busie you shall have the harder encounters and assaults from the Dâ—vil you shâ—ll then see he will raise his great Bulwarks But what makes he these Bulwarks of out of what matter doth he work them Why whatsoever is of the Earth be it what it will yet if it be but an earthly material he can raise Bulwarks out of it well enough not onely out of gross earth out of dirt and mire not onely out of lusts sensual delights and pleasures but out of the finest earth out of a golden myne he can do it out of wisdom and parts and righteousness and zeal and hope and faith and what not that he cannot raise a Bulwark out of against the Truth Paul had these strong Bulwarks fram'd in him against the Truth in Stephen when he was stoned to death He was of the strictest way of the Pharisees He walked according to his Conscience He was as concerning the Law blameless and yet all these were made Bulwarks for the Dâ—vils service And therefore all your zeal and forwardness and love which seems to be for God see whether the Devils bulwarks be not in all to keep thee off from the Truth for he works himself strangely under ground he hath strange wiles to cheat and cozen by by knowledg of the Scriptures by zeal by forwardness to venture lives and estates for the Truth as we then think by these doth he sâ—â—ly winde in and raise his great Bulwarks and if the Lord help you not and deliver the City he will soonest of all destroy you where you think you are safest and so keep off all Truth from coming neer to touch â—ou and therefore great need you should well minde and consider the sleights for he hath bulwarks of all sorts shapes and sizes Bulwarks of dirt and clay and mire they are strong enough to destroy some Bulwarks of Gold and Silver and Pearls if need be any thing that is but this Worlds material and that takes in a great compass he can make a Bulwark to save himself and undo the Soul by Good Lord what strange devices hath hâ— He 'l put a man upon zeal and forwardness put him to give his goods to the poor and body to be burned and whatever you will if so be under all this he may but make a Bulwark and lurk behinde it to keep himself alive and do a mischief to the Truth Therefore there is need to consider what we lean on for if we are trusting and hoping and lightly promising our selves that God will sure help at last and we shall be delivered when he pleases and so rest in hearing and coming together when nothing is done I say all these hopes and conclusions which we get up to keep off the strait from our Souls and get ease by All these are but the Enemies Bulwarks and certainly intended by him to destroy us and if we be left to shrink away so and neglect the Truth in our day we may never be met with again when the time is once gone Sure the Lord is righteous and will not let the guilty go free though as I told you the last night he is all Love and sweetness in himself if we could but get in to him to his heart now if we could go and meet him thus as a Father and fall down and own our shame how well were it Were it not better then yet to stand out and war for the Enemy against our Brother then to joyn with the Devil in his Bulwarks against the Truth for one of these hands we must needs fall into But this is a hard case saith the Soul Am I so liable to the Devils Bulwarks and lie open dayly to all destruction and misery and is there no remedy Yes there is remedy There is Balm in Gilead V. In this City was found a Poor Wise man and he by his wisdom delivered the City A POOR WISE MAN a Jacob a plain man no such cunning tricks and deceits as the Esaus have and yet by his plain wisdom he can over-reach and supplant and go beyond all the deep plots and cunning of this great King How soon was Paul stopt in the midst of his run when he drove furiously for the Devil Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Not any great weapons are used but a wise word whispered into his Soul and that turns all and strikes the great Champion down to the Earth So Abigail comes to David but with a wise word a soft answer and how doth it prevail and prevent the great destruction intended against Nabals house It is but a word and the stream is turned I come against thee said David to the great Goliah in the Name of the Lord No more but so That Name is enough against the great Gyant and all his armor but a word Why persecutest thou me and that is enough to strike down the stoutest heart in the World if it be but set home What dost thou fight against God Art thou able to stand in his hands Alass what dost
thou do Dost thou war against I AM Thou and all Creatures all thy strength and hope and plots all the forces in which thou trustest ARE NOT and wilt thou fight against I AM He that Is strength and Power and with a word can crush thee to nothing Such a word from this poor wise man is able to overturn and shake down all the great Bulwarks of this great King But the rumor and noise of a barly loaf is heard and this wise man can so order the matter it shall skare and undo a whole Army Now for you that are indeed besieged by this great King against whom he hath raised his strong Bulwarks and fills your ears alwayes with desperate rumors and hot alarums of ruine and destruction and possesses your Souls with strange fears and perplexities and sinkings Alas what a sad case are you in if you now are to seek and know not whether this poor man be in you or no who alone by his wisdom can deliver the City These things will surely bring you to a strait when seised upon your hearts to consider 1. That for certain God hath a City a people in whom he dwells 2. this is but a little one and hard to find 3. There are but few men in it Little help to wage war and defend it 4. A great King comes against it and besieges and builds great Bulwarks against it all in appearance makes to destroy it he raises all his forces Gebal and Ammon the Philistines with them of Tyre the Ishmaelites and Hargarens all the Legions of Hell will be sure to have a throw at this City and now here will be the strait whether this poor wise man be in thee or no if he be not there it is impossible thou shouldst ever deal with this great King and his Powers they will surely undo thee but if thou canst find the wise poor man in the City if thou lightest on him happily he may help thee by his wisdom he may find out some wyle or other to draw this great King out of his Bulwarks and if he can but cast him out the unclean Spirit shall then enter no more if he can but draw him forth out of the City out of his Bulwarks then he will soon spoil the strong man of his Armor and deliver the City Buâ— truly wonderfull it is that ever man or woman should be saved since the fall of man such is the maâ—â—gnâ—â—y and strength of this enemy and such the mans weakness and utter incapableness to help himself All are against Truth be what they will they all agree against the Lord and his Christ a great Councel is held and great resolutions neither to eat nor drink till they have slain Paul till this City be destroyed but well there is yet hope in Israel in it was found a poor wise man c. Whence I would consider these two things 1. Where this poor wise man is to be found And that is in it in the city in the man in thy soul now shift it not off and say who shall go to heaven to fetch him thence or go down to Hell to bring him thence but the word is nigh thee It is within if it be at all The Kingdom of heaven is within you the poor wise man is in this City else it can never be saved by him And this might shew the great vanity of peoples thoughts who look for the Kingdom of God to come by observation they think to pull it to them by their huntings and seekings and endeavorings and strivings no but if ever it be to be had it is within thee truth is to spring out of the Earth the seed is there already that seed of God onely the spirit goes forth to unlock and open the ground that it may get out when it pleased the Father saith Paul To reveal his Son in me c. He was there before only now is revealed and made manifest but 2. How then shall you know whether this poor wise man be in you or not whether Christ be there or no It is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall enter many have good words and can learn the language of truth as a Schollar learns Lattin by road but it is not their own it is not their mother Tongue in which they were born they have not a root in themselves and so the seed soon withers How then shall we know it whether Christ be in us or not 1. If Christ be in thee the body is dead because of Sin the Humanity is certainly convinced that he cannot help himself nor ever deal with this Enemy the man is cut off from ever getting life at his own hands but he cryes out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. that is the first work of Christ where ever he is in any Soul to be ever stopping and curbing and snibbing the man in the vain runs and promises of his heart he sets a flaming Sword that man may not put forth a hand to reach to the Tree of Life and as Job says He seals up the hand of every man He shuts up and there is no opening Now many are wearied and wearied by their own labours because they see nothing come out of all and so their hearts dye and are weak to go on in their old way but yet truth hath not cut them off Thou hast wearied thy self in the greatness of thy way saith God yet hast thou not said there is no hope hope lived still in all this I but Christ when he works cuts off all hope from man ever to deliver himself The Body is dead because of Sin c. 2. Where Christ is though the man would dye and sink and give up all and again and again run to despairing yet he cannot it is impossible to drown this truth cast it where you will it will swim and get above this seed of Life cannot quite dye Thou holdest our souls in Life saith David and again thou holdest me fast behind and before he can get out no wayes he can neither promise himself deliverance nor yet conclude destruction such a strange bond holds the Soul and I would now seriously enquire of some of you in whose souls the truth is whether ever you could say soberly in all your lives you were utterly cut off and there was no hope in God for you for as it is impossible to bring up others to this close cleaving and hanging upon truth though they seem never so high and confident and nail their God never so sure yet he will fall so impossible is it to kill this Spark of Life where-ever it is but it will hope and cleave and look towards God though it be in the bottom of Hell c. 3. as Christ saith to the Jews If God were your Father you would love me for I came from God so I say if Christ be in thee thou canst not but love Christ that of
thine own kind wherever thou findest it as Paul says we cannot do any thing against the truth but for it though the heart would be spurning and shrinking away saying he is a hard Master yet where this Spirit of Christ is it will joyn to his own the heart will be taken with him and cannot get off quite to leave him 4. Where Christ is He is a searcher he discovers al the inward and secret workings all the plots and stratagems of the Devil that all are but to destroy the soul is made to take notice of the secret carriages of things within it sees all the Train of his wyles and tricks and inventions how they are laid and how they work and whither they tend the world is blinded in all they see no danger they know not whither they go but Christ he is a divider in the souls of his People he will not believe every good word and fair promise that the enemy may make Master save thy self and cause these stones to be bread no but he will weigh and try what runs in all he will not take all for gold that glisters though you speak never so good words and fair promises and all seems right yet the Spirit of Christ where it is will try and examine whence it comes from what root all spings whether from heaven or hell c. 5. Where Christ is he will never yield up his City though it cost him his life he wil stand to his charge what ever comes on it as the three children answer though our God should not deliver us yet this their souls are resolved in we will not fall down and worship the golden Image what ever it cost yet they cannot turn to a Lie to worship an Idol Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet cannot we lift up our hands to a strange God c. though the Soul may be taken and carryed Captive by force yet where Christ is it still breaths with Paul but with my mind I serve the Law of God I chuse not this Service though halled to it it is the burthen it cryes under that is certain it cannot go backward though it cannot get forward neither though made to yield and say well this is your hour and the power of darkness yet the soul consents not it will not fall down and worship an Idol God Jacob will not go back again to Labans service what ever comes on it though Laban pursues behind and Esau meets him be-before and God seems to leave and discouraged him yet he will wrastle it out with God and never give over without the blessing 6. Where ever Christ is though the Soul be never so low in the bottom of hell yet there is a strange looking towards God out of the belly of hell saith Jonah I looked toward thy holy Temple where truth is sown in the Soul it cannot but look thither ward towards God bind it and fetter it and keep it down and shâ—ke it as you will yet it will never leave turning and turning and looking thither ward as the Needle ever bends towards the Northpole I remember in my lowest day and it was low indeed when all appeared as if I were quite lost and should sit down in Hell for ever among the damned yet I said in my Soul sure I shall love God th re I shâ—ll â—p ak something well of him amongst all that cursed and hatefull crew such a strange turning God ward is there in the worst of times 7. Where Christ is though all enemies beset it though all the Legions oâ— H ll and darkness of fears and doubttings come about it as a swarm yet the Soul is able to look beyond and through all to a Deliverance that it is yet possiâ—le it says still well yâ—t if he will deliver he is able thâ—re is a strange long Prospective Glass by which the Soul looks beyond all Seas and Mountains and impossibilities and fears and sees the Land that is very far off the good Land of rest and Peace and says well if the Lord delight in us he will bring us thither he is able still who can tell but he may be gracious Sure if the Lord Christ that Poor Wise Man be in you you cannot but savour and understand these words you will know the Language and though not able to express them plainly yet you cannot but know and feel these Leadings in your Souls It would now follow to speak of the Deliverance what way he takes how he delivers this City from the great King and that is not by force nor might nor multitudes but by his wisdom by a sleight that great Goliahs head is presently taken off by a wyle an unexpected way If thine Enemy hunger give him meat who would think this was the way to destroy him Yet this is the way he takes he gives the Enemy his Will lets him take his own course and run out his run thus he feeds him till he be insnared in his own net and so taken This can the Poor man do by his Wisdom but I would wish none of you to take it in hand 't is too hard for you to put your hand in the fire and not be burnt Mans Backwardness TO THE Lords House OR The Little Good-will to Truth SERM. XI May 25. 1651. HAGG. 1.2 3 4 c. Thus speaketh the Lord saying This people say The Time is not come the Time that the Lords House should be built Is it time for you O ye to dwell in your sieled houses and this house lie waste c. The Analysis THese general things were observed from the words I. What this house of God was and what it typed out It was a house built and separated to the Worship of God typing out the uniting of a people into one heart and soul where God may dwell II. Why will God have this House built For three Reasons 1. To be a Pattern of the Life to come where all live in Love and Peace 2. To be a standing place of Worship whither the Tribes go up 3. For a Witness to condemn the World in all their false ways III. What are the Materials of this House 1. Not of all but onely living stones such as will abide in whom the spirit of life is sown A living Dog is better then a dead Lion 2. In this House are to be vessels of all sorts and all for their proper use none in vain none unfruitful IV. Why do they plead It is not time to build this House For these three Reasons 1. From their ignorance They knew not that all their blastings and mildews and curses came for want of this This is our case 2. From love to their ease easier to sit still at home then go up to the mountain for wood to build The heart loves to be at ease 3. Fear hinders because yet they were under Tribute to the King of
in my place Lo thus shall the man be blest that feareth the Lord he shall be as a Signet upon his hand O then that your Souls were at a strait indeed that you might cry out O who will give me of the waters of Bethlehem to drink Who will help and counsel and direct who will shew me how to begin to build this House of the Lord that I may share in all these blessings and escape all the great curses and stand in that day That the Lord may take pleasure in me and be with me and bless me in all my ways and bear me as a Signet on his hand so nigh himself and make me so like himself so serviceable and highly impowered to act for him O that it were in your hearts to cry this night every Soul apart O that he would count me worthy to help on this building That is the next thing if God will please to give us a heart to cry together and strive with him and not let him go until he bless us till we shall be counted worthy to begin to build and made to say and feel My heart is ready O God my heart is ready That you may say to all Idols Get you hence Friends and relations and ease and honors farewel all let the dead bury their dead you are but dead enjoyments and I am called and must go to build a living House to the Lord God Speaking BY A PROPHET OR Truths way of instructing the Soul SERM. XII June 1. 1651. DEUT. 5.27 Go thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it The Analysis FRom the words in general was considered I. That the way of the Lord in speaking to his people is by a PROPHET And that for these Reasons 1. It is his pleasure his ordinance as for bread to nourish 2. It is a gentle familiar way suitable to their weakness 3. His power and wisdom more appears in such weak means 4. By this he brings his people into an oneness order and government 5. Hence the distinct way of their being saved appears They know who was their own Guide and Leader II. This Prophet is to go NEER TO GOD Go thou neer c. And that implies three things 1. To be free and familiar with God Fear and guilt are removed 2. To stand in an awful and reverent frame of spirit 3. To learn the carriage and minde of God his wisdom meekness c. III. HEAR ALL that the Lord our God shal say to thee Now the Lord speaks three things in general which they should hear 1. The Lord would have them know where they now are 1. Saved out of Egypt brought out of the rude world 2. That no returning back thither what ever come on us 3. Know we are still in the wilderness In which two things 1. To know this is the day of proving our hearts 2. That this is not our Rest we are far from home 2. God would have them know what way they are to go all along by Enemies Amalek and Ammon and Moabites all will rise and stand in their way This they must lay down the way of the Cross 3. Know the end whither they are going what the latter end will be Hence three things considered 1. Know there is surely an End a Rest for the people of God 2. This cannot be till Christ have put down all other Rule and Authority 3. Then is the Kingdom to be delivered up to the Father and God to be all in all this is the end IV. Consider the Promise And we will hear it and do it About this Hearing five things were considered 1. To hear who it is that speaks to be sure to know the voyce of Christ 2. Hear what he speaks thy particular lesson 3. Hear to whom not every one to thrust in but Is it to me 4. Hear when the thing is to be done now or afterwards 5. Hear for his sake that calls so lovingly O that my people would harken All brought home in five particular Uses DEUT. 5.27 Go thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it TWo things I have already mentioned to you out of this Scripture I. Why it is that God will speak to his people by a Prophet why not alone by himself without outward means and help of man No but Go thou neer to the Lord our God for us and speak thou unto us c. and God approves of the thing as good They have well spoken in all that they have said I shewed you five Reasons why this was so 1. Because it is his pleasure his ordinance the way he hath appointed for that purpose where he hath commanded the Blessing and if we neglect that way we can prosper in no other 2. It is a gentle and familiar way suited to mans capacity and weakness God in himself is too dreadful and dazling but a Prophet will the Lord raise unto you out of your Brethren him shall you hear 3. The Wisdom and Power of God is more manifest by using such weak means a worm a nothing That this rich treasure should be put in earthen vessels it makes the glory wholly to appear Gods 4. By this he brings his people into an union an order and government else all would live loose alone and scattered to themselves but now all are brought under one Guide one Shepherd one Interpreter between God and them 5. By this the particular work of Salvation is made more distinctly to appear Of Zion it shall be said such and such a man was born there The particular characters shall be set down In such a place at such a time by such a man from such a word the Soul shall distinctly know all its leadings on Then something hath been spoke of that II. Go thou neer This Prophet is to go neer to God They hit on the right nick God will have it so And that for these Reasons 1. To testifie his freeness and open-heartedness to them To you it is given saith Christ to the Disciples to understand the mysteries of God but to others in Parables They come not so nigh to read his heart and bosom They that travelled with Paul to Damascus they saw the light that shone about him but none heard the voyce That was whispered unto Paul alone Saul Saul why persecutest thou me None else was taken to be delt with in that manner in whom the Word entered and searched and came nigh to the inwards but they that would indeed know the minde of God the inward meaning there is need they should have a heart raised to search and enquire of God privately What is the very thing he intends in all Many enquire no farther then the Scriptures
madness of the heart shews it self when there must be no water given but what comes out of a rock a flint such a strange unthought of way and impossible to reason and that they must have no bread but what is given them new every morning that they can turn them no wayes from their miseries nor to their mercies that they cannot reach out a hand to help themselves but though they dye and starve and perish yet there is no remedy but they must lie at the foot of God and take what he gives and no more this is a day that will prove the heart indeed and what is in it 2. As it is a day of Triall so God would have us know it is not our rest our home there is a great journy to be gone up Elijah why sittest thou here Alass you are far from home you are not come to the good Land yet which brings forth of it self milk and hony and this greatly displeased the Lord that they should here in this wilderness sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play Is this a place Is this a time to sit down in and feast Alass as if God should say you know not how long you shall enjoy any thing what I give you to day I can take away and deny to morrow and then what becomes of you you know not yet my Heart and Mind and Good-will and Eternal Thoughts how they stand towards you and can you sit down here to take content and pleasure in any thing This God would have them and us know in what a dangerous place we are still in the Wilderness 2. Hear all The second thing the Lord would have them hear is what way they are to go And all along they are to pass through their enemies Lands they must go by Amaleck and by the children of Ammon and Moab all along stand enemies in their way to oppose and hinder All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution they must take up their Cross and follow him He could have led them another way a nearer cut to Canaan if he had pleased but he chooses this way to go through the Lands of theâ—r enemies and they must follow him if ever they will come to their journies end they must through the Cross through hunger and thirst and Serpents through sore temptations and sorrows and sins Now this you are to hear if you will hear all hear what your way is and submit to it if he will lead through hunger and drought if he will deny and shut up if he will destroy our next companions if Korah Dathan and Abiram must be swallowed up yet murmur not be not affrighted nor skared but go on still and know the way is through strairs and sorrows Expect no bettter 3. God would have them know their latter end whither they are going he hath given an expected end And here three things are to be known 1. That there is surely a Rest for the people of God that they shall not alwayes be as a rowling stone not always vagabonds and wanderers following the Prince of the Air with those restless tossing Spirits this God would have his people know that there is a Rest there is an expected end a day of freedom when all bonds and chains shall be broken Sin shall not alwayes reign the enemy shall not afflict and torment for ever I would not live alwayes saith Job by any means I am weary of it This God would you should hear but now whilst we are in that horrible pit the pit of noise we can hear nothing but destruction upon destruction one storm and wave comes upon the neck of another there is no respite given no time to swallow the spittle as Job complains so that the soul is as it were distracted to see no way of escape that it is like alwayes to be thus with it But is there not an appointed time for man upon earth Yes God would have you hear and be surely set down in that that there is an end 2. He would have you know when this end is to be It is said when Christ shall have put down all rule and all authority all power then to comes the end a time is to be when Christ shall reign in the world in his glory and his Saints reign with him and all Scepters and Kingdoms shall be made to bow and stoop under him but there is a time of his reigning in the particular souls of his People when all that opposes and offends shall be taken out of the way no end will come till then we shall find no rest in our Souls till the word of Life shall come and put down all other rule and government to bring every thought into subjection every Lust and Hunt of heart all Pride and Envy and self-love all those lords that have ruled over us must down before this end shall be and till this be done there will be nothing but wars and rumours of wars Nation against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome and famine and pestilence and earthquakes nothing but troubles and perplexities and trialls till this end come now to be kept through all these is the Salvation He that endures to the end the same shall be saved 3. What is this end What is the Rest of the People of God Hear and know that and that rest is the sole raigning and rule of God in the soul when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all Now the Heir is under Tutours and Governours now up and now down under fears and faintings and Terrors because the Kingdome of God is not yet come that Kingdom of Peace and Truth God is not yet all in all we are yet stragling after our wills and lustings and covetings to our selves and so can have no peace in all our wayes till we shall be brought under that peaceable Government to submit to that one Lord in every thing to give the Crown out of our hand unto him whose due it is that God may be all in all Now hear all that the Lord shall say not by halves and piecemeals but hear all every word of God is good how many of you content your selves when you have but a little Light to see where you are how your condition stands but alas that is misery if you hear only your shortness that you are in a Wilderness if you hear not of a rest too of an end if you perish and fall short in the mid way what shall then come of all but oh how impossible is it to make any thing seise upon a flint to make a word enter upon an iron heart I wonder sometimes the word should sink no more being it is told you over and over again and yet all passes away as an idle tale but that I know it is impossible to be otherwise till there be a new heart given and an ear bored by God to
but saith Paul I would to God you did reign viz. that it were such a reigne as would last and hold Now who spake he to not to the rude world nor to the ignorant but such as he had in his heart to live and dye with such as he had espoused to Christ the match was made but not the thing done they were not wrought off from all things nor wrought up to that one husband into the minde of Christ though out of a light instruction and choice the thing was owned and approved And here the man gets peace and ease and liberty is free from guilt and torments and perplexities the man can goe on either hand if a mind to God and Truth thither he can turn if a mind to the Creatures he can turn thither the door is open and he can suck sweet from every thing his wayes are all washt in butter smooth soft and easie And here saith David my mountain was so strong I said I shall never be moved here the man sits as a King this is his day of reigning But II. There is another dispensation follows a time of the Devils reign this is a sad and wofull change Another king arises which knows not Joseph the man when he was King he knew God and owned truth and joyned it with him in his Kingdom though yet in the throne Pharaoh will sit above the man was uppermost in all But now another king rises that will not know Joseph and he deals cruelly with Israel then the hard Task-masters and cruel burdens come he will know nothing but his own will and lust and cruelty And Wo to the inhabitants of the world when the devil comes down to reign amongst them when Jeroboam reigns that makes Israel sin And how often have our fathers been at sore pinches and cried out in bitterness of soul when this time of the devils reign was upon them It is a woful kingdom indeed a cruel reign And these seven Woes lie up in it 1. One Wo is that he is a strong man How have our fathers owned his might and cried out under it Thou hast delivered me saith David from my STRONG enemy for he was too strong for me And again My enemies live and they are MIGHTY And Hezekiah cries out Lord I am opprest undertake for me And again We have no might against this GREAT HOST Alas when the man compares but himself to him what a Nothing is he to this great Goliah but as a fly a worm a gnat a stripling and he a man of war from his youth And here the heart sinks and dies at the very thoughts of dealing with him Was he but an ordinary enemy that might be matched any ways and the thing but feasible to fight with him then Man would have some hope but alas he carries all before him Shall not one be cast down at the very sight of him as 't is said of the Leviathan who was a type of the devil Iron is counted as rotten wood to him he laughs at the shaking of a spear Who is able to deal with this monstrous Leviathan If ever you but begin to reason and tamper the matter with him you are certainly foiled and worsted he will surely get beyond you 't is in vain to contend with him But let him vaunt and boast and rail on the Kings commandment is not to answer a word that 's the way Truth points us to to be still and lie under and say with Christ This is your hour and the power of darkness Until we can go out against him as David did in the Name of the Lord let us never stir though he come and vaunt himself and reproach Israel fourty days yet there is no other way but with Hezekiah to spread the Letter before the Lord and cry under the misery 2. He is not onely strong but a thorowout malignant enemy maliciously set and bent to destroy all truth exalts himself above all that is called God root and branch he strikes at all he deals as Herod who killed all the children from two yeers old and upward that he might be sure to meet with the childe Jesus and not let him escape So this malicious enemy kills every budding and springing of God in the soul he kills all the light kills the single love kills all the good desires that not so much as a right word or desire or groan may live and in all this his aim is utterly to destroy the Truth the principle of God sown in the soul Alas he cares not else if he can but kill the little spark of the Spirit of life he cares not what else passes by and lives Let us hear and meet together and eat and trade and take ease and content this is not the thing he is set against so but to smite the king of Israel onely that is his plot that was the wicked counsel of Ahithophel to kill David onely and bring all the people back to Absalom Neither small nor great doth he strike at but the King onely he cares not what lives so the Lord Christ the Truth the Seed of life the Heart and Minde of God may die in us Such a height of wickedness is in him that nothing else will content him but the death of all that would be a Lord over him a controuler a King this Herod cannot bear That which sits in the kings gate and will not bow to him that resolved Truth that will not fall down and worship the Idol nothing will content Haman but the death of this though he get Decrees against all the Jews though invited to the Queens banquet and sit next the King yet nothing will content him whilst this Mordecai lives that Seed of God that root of the matter that which will not stoop and buckle to him that he aims at and his fingers itch to cut off this name of Israel for ever And Oh what a Wo is this to be under such a cruel malicious enemy that would not give a moments respite not so much as a little breathing-time for the Truth not a little hope not a little desire not the least stirring of an inclination but he 's upon it presently if it were possible to stop every chink that the smoaking flax might not have the least vent but be utterly extinct and quenched 3. A third great Wo lies in this that he hath a time and power given him of God to afflict and try God allows it and gives him leave to strike Job This is YOVR HOVR saith Christ an hour was given them And God saith I will cause them to pass under the rod. And 't is said in the Psalms He TVRNED the hearts of their enemies to hate them He gives him his time and commission to rend and tear waste spoil and imprison and none can call him to account for it his Commission will bear him out Alas what a day is this In the time when the Man reigned he promised himself
and garnish him over with never so many fair pretences yet he cannot be so whited do what we can but his black 〈◊〉 appear to them that have eyes and can discern Paul was brought to own and discover these goods of the devil he cries out In me dwells no manner of good thing all is corrupt And God saith of Jerusalem As a fountain casts out its water so Jerusalem casts forth her sin Now a fountain casts out water naturally it flows without pumping and continually it never slacks night nor day and 3ly a fountain casts out abundantly no measure of it and 4ly irresistibly who can stop it So the heart casts out sin such a stock and endless store of the devils goods are laid up in the heart Do you believe this 6. Another great Wo is this He is not onely a strong enemy and most maliciously bent and power put in his hand and in possession and hath stuffed the house with his goods but 6ly he is armed too he hath armour to defend and maintain himself and keep off all assaults that are made against him Now his Armour may be expressed under these three Notions 1. He hath a coat of male upon him which covers him quite over that no word of Truth can come to touch and enter into him and finde him guilty though you try again and again and shoot and shoot bullet after bullet yet nothing shall enter his scales are so close to one another that not the least air can come between until the Lord shall direct an arrow thorow the joynts of his armour and come to the heart but it 's out of the reach of any creature to do it his coat of male keeps off all And though you may crush his coat a little sometimes and hurt him a little yet he presently gets up again and shakes himself and he is well the wound is healed for it never came to his heart his coat of male hath a thousand twistings and windings to keep off all guilt from coming so nigh him 2. He is armed with a helmet of brass upon his head his wisdom fences him that he is mighty able to plead the cause and reason and dispute for himself you shall never out-speak nor out-reason him he has so many subtil windings and ways to put off the guilt The fool is wiser in his own eyes then a man that can give a reason He hath a brazen brow that be the case never so clear yet he will not blush nor ever yeeld he is guilty but some way or trick or shift is ever at hand to put it off and save himself from being a sinner some plaister or other he will finde to heal the wound and keep the guilt from sinking to his heart though the case be never so plain against him and though seven a compleat number witness and accuse him yet his helmet of brass keeps off all he will not be guilty 3. He is armed with a great spear in his left hand like a weavers beam and with this he dare challenge all Come neer him who can By this spear he 'll seem to be for Truth and fight the Lords battels with Saul and slay the Philistims And who dare charge him now He is on our side he cries A friend a friend He hath the Watch-word and the Colours he 'll come and build the wall with you and who shall set upon him here He 'll be zealous and forward in the Truth he 'll plead and answer and prove and condemn others for being thus and thus as the Pharisees did Christ And this spear reaches out so far that there is no way to come nigh to reach or once question him Will you speak wickedly for God saith Job to his friends There is a wicked speaking for Truth many times a preaching of Christ out of envie to snare another or finde another guilty and keep up our selves some base selfish end or other lies in it that spoils all Therefore God says He will be Judge himself he will judge between ends and ends between thoughts and intentions The Word of the Lord is quick powerful that pierceth between marrow and joynts that can get between and meet with this enemy when the time is come But the work is wonderful He is so sorely armed all over 1. with a coat of male 2. with an helmet of brass 3. this long spear like a Weavers beam that alas what man shall come near to deal with him 7. The last great Wo is that this enemy is desperately ventrous dares venture upon any strange designes He 'll set on Christ and hurry him about to a high mountain to a pinacle of the Temple into the wilderness This Leviathan is made without fear being thus armed and fenced he cares for nothing Whilst his armour is so close about him he can venture on the mouth of a Canon and is safe enough He can vent out all his malice and poison and rage and do all his mischiefs and none shall touch nor controul him nor come nigh to search his heart He 'll be a friend to God and Truth and his People come not nigh to judge him And this is the armour of the whole world they are thus cheated by the devil and think all is well and right with them and under this covert he can work all his pranks and bring about all his mischiefs and murtherous plots against the Truth And this is a great misery the desperate ventrous spirit of this enemy that rushes on all mischief without fear and dread Now minde whilst this strong man armed keeps his Palace his goods are in peace all is at rest and quiet there 's no trouble nor perplexity no fears the whole earth is at quiet and if it were possible he would never be disturbed nor pitch battel with Christ but keep his goods in peace I but a time comes when a stronger then he comes upon him and then the war begins and the battel stirs and the clashings appear but this is the great happiness that there is one that is stronger then this strong man that can deal with him one that hath all the keys of hell and can open and unlock all the doors one that can take away all his armour in which he trusted and utterly overcome and rout him Then saith Job the poor hath hope and all iniquity stops her mouth And the way by which Christ accomplisheth this is twofold First He doth it as I told you by taking away all his armour in which he trusted He trusted in his armour that that should save him and keep off all blowes He trusted no arrow should ever pierce that and come into his heart and finde him guilty He trusted in his wisdom that he could reason and plead the case and maintain his Way to be right and just He trusted his speaking good words for God and pretending for Truth and his love zeal and forwardness should never have been questioned
and ransacked I but Christ when he comes he takes away his armour all that in which he trusted and hoped and said Now I am safe I shall sit as a Queen for ever I shall never see sorrow I but all his armour and fence is taken from him and this is a downfal indeed when he is thus found out and nothing can hide nor cover him any longer his coat of Male is taken from him and then Truth can easily enter then nothing appears but the mans nakedness and guilt and shame then the man cries out with Paul I am the chief of sinners then the Word takes place and enters and every arrow sticks Thine arrows stick fast in me saith David Then the man falls under as a poor naked helpless hopeless thing then he is counselled by Christ to buy eye-salve of him and gold tried in the fire and fine linen for he is found wholly naked and blinde and miserable We had thought Christ had ruled in us and we had been for God and the Truth we had thought our zeal and forwardness and speaking for God should have passed currant but take away this armour of the devil and then we are found out to be a wretched deceitful people a lye and deceit appears to be running in all and that there is nothing single for God and Truth without base selfish ends of our own And this is the first work Christ is to do in your souls to spoil this strong man of his armour else no Word of truth can ever come nigh and seize 2. After Christ hath taken away his armour he then seizes on his goods and DIVIDES THE SPOYL the spoyl Why what use can Christ make of his spoyl what can he do with all the devils goods You may see the thing illustrated Jer. 15. where God speaks thus Let that which is for death go to death that which is for the sword to the sword that which is for the famine to the famine and that which is for captivity to captivity 1. That which is for death to death some of these goods are presently to go to death to be utterly destroyed The enemies which you have seen to day saith Moses you shall never see them more The malignant disposition that was so wickedly bent against all prospering of Truth that evil eye that which lay in the way that one step Godward could not be taken that must be utterly destroyed and cut off for ever that abomination must live no more that ill favour that gave a taint and poison to all our ways and thoughts and words that man to Death Christ will say to that unclean spirit Come out of the man and enter into him again no more That enmity of spirit and hatred and ill will to all good the end of that is to be destroyed for ever That Cain-like love that hates its brother and would not suffer the least breathing nor prospering nor looking up of the Truth for according to that evil disposition in you if you minde it the heart rises against all good where-ever it appear though in a childe in a brother in a husband or wife yet the enmity works and hates to see your offering accepted and mine laid by as nothing But before Christ can ever come to reign this must certainly die and a whole turn of soul be wrought and we made naturally to love and chuse the prosperity of the Truth 2. Something must go to the sword That which is for the sword to the sword The Word of God that sword of the Spirit that shall still go on after that great enmity is slain to search and judge and quicken and stir up the man and cut off what hinders that the soul may grow up into the minde of God and as it hath born the image of the earthly so to bear the image of the heavenly as we have given our members servants to sin so to give them up to be servants of righteousness to be as free and voluntary and earnest in the service of the Lord as ever we have been to serve our selves to spend and be spent for the truth this the sword must do cut out a way thorow all rubbish for this minde to arise It must cut away all that sloth and carelesness that sluggish and carnal minde that sits still at home and would not come out to help the Lord against the mighty When Christ shall come to deal with us indeed and use his sword this must all be cut away and the soul pruned 3. Something must go to the famine That ill taint and setled indisposition that has been gathered and contracted by long custom in evil that hankering and lingering after the wickeds dainties all this must to the famine and be worn out by degrees and pined by little and little till it come to die Where-ever the heart is taken and hangs on the creatures on eating or wearing or trading or whatever enjoyments by degrees and degrees a secret moth shall eat and consume all a wasting and consuming famine must cure this evil disease 4. Something must go to Captivity and that is the last enemy to be destroyed the Devil he will yet keep some hold and footing and not be utterly routed so long as there is any dust to be the serpents food so long as the man hath any life beside the life of God I but now Christ shall designe him to captivity he shall be under a hewer of wood and drawer of water a servant to Christ he shall lord it no more He shall be bound for a thousand yeers and that will be the souls greatest happiness to keep him but in his prison that he may not break forth do his mischievous pranks but lie in his dungeon and be an underling to Truth though he still live for some Canaanites will ever live in the land to be the souls trial c. And thus I have opened to you this Day the great block that lieth in our way the bonds and shackles that hold us so fast It is Satans day 't is his hour and the power of darkness the mans Day of reigning is declining and laid aside in most if not all of you the man is not suffered so to bear sway and go at liberty and soar aloft in his minde but there are secret checkings and mindings of a shortness and the black feet appearing make the feathers fall And in some of you it is an empty and desolate Day you are left without much stirring either from God or from the enemy The land is void of both her kings But the greatest and sorest Day which lies sore upon some of us is The reign of the enemy and then wo to the inhabitants of the world Wo to that Land indeed where the Wicked are in Authority I opened to you the several Woes in it And now to make some Use 1. Examine How is it with you Every soul look home do you feel this strong enemy Do you
false they were sent to be their Guides and Deliverers to bring thâ—m to the good Land But the Lyars mouth was open and this Christ is made to submit to to have his Life taken from him unjustly and without cause 4. Another Thing Christ submits to when he says Thy Will be done is to be put to the worst and shamefullest death of all The Circumstances aggravate the Death 1. He is crucified among two Thieves as one of that company guilty as they He is numbered with transgressors The Truth suffers as guilty though it be clear as Deceivers and yet true saith Paul Truth suffers between the Man and the Devil they are the two Thieves The Devil he is the great Thief he steals to himself Lordship and Power and to sit in the seat of God and to be Disposer of things He brags and vaunts All this will I give if thou wilt fall down and worship c. Alas they are none of his goods Then the Man he is a Thief too he steals a little hope and ease and rest a little release of his burthen when it presses very sore and this Thief steals for his want to satisfie his hunger and therefore he may be saved with Christ But between these two the Truth must dye as one of that number as a sinner and transgressor We have looked amiss as if the man only and the Devil were to suffer but the Truth in us because clear therefore that might scape No no that must suffer and lead the way to the man or else he alas can never suffer nor go through death But the good shepherd when he puts forth his own sheep he goes before them He suffers first and drinks the first cup. But 2. Where do they crucifie him Out of the City out of the place of blessing and carry him to the place of a skull as one of the Evangelists hath it a field of blood as another calls it but by both it appears to be a loathsom unworthy disgraceful place a place of filth and rottenness Out of the belly of Hell have I cryed unto thee c. No better a lodging for the Soul in this day then the belly of Hell it self and this Christ submits to 3. Yet further The Souldiers part his garments among them And truly this is a very sad case to consider How the Lusts that crucified the Truth yet they will divide its garments and put them on and they 'l be covered with a garb and covering of Truth The wisdom of the flesh that puts in for a share the hasty and eager zeal and affections they plead for a share the strange imaginations they plead a share and all will seem to be Friends to Truth notwithstanding they have but now put it to death yet they part his garments among them And this is a sad case to the sensible Soul that is bereaved of the Life of its Truth and of the garments also that hath lost all such a Soul can cry out bitterly with Mary They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have layd him 5. Yet further He submits to be left and forsaken of all his Friends His Disciples left him and fled Might he but have had them to stick to him in this day of his calamity it had been a great support and stay but they all leave him and are scattered every one to his own And herein lies a sore aggravation of misery if your Souls can read it that now in this woful day when all these woes are upon the back and press the Soul to death almost yet this must come in to add to all the rest That all the good that ever the Soul hath done and thought and laboured in the Truth all is now scattered and leaves it What ever it hath done singly and honestly and out of the good-will sown in its heart towards the Truth all the labours under the Sun now take their leave and seem vanity and vexation of spirit And here Christ cries out I have spent my labour in vain time will come you will forget that ever you had a good thought or a good word or did any thing for the Truth all wil leave you and be gone when now your Souls can sometimes hold on the innocency and single mindedness within and truly pray to be remembred according to that inward cleanness yet a day will come when all this will be laid aside and forgotten I forgot prosperity saith David and in another place he compares himself to the Dead that are forgotten for ever How had Christ once his Disciples about him and ready to his command when he sent out the Seventy two by two and now to be left of all and not one to stand by him this is a hard Trial and if it were not hid from the Soul if it could foresee what a day of Scattering of all its good and labours would come upon it as though they had not been it would discourage and make it flag in all its actings for God if it thought such a day of stripping all were to come They pierced my hands and my Feet saith Christ His Hands that had laboured in the Truth and his Feet that had ran the way of his Commandments These are now nailed fast to the Cross and he is not able to stir them The day will come when your Souls will hate all the Labours you have taken under the Sun when that Strait shall be upon you to crie out My God My God Why hast thou forsaken me Mark what I say for the day will surely come upon you and then all your Works and Labours will leave you All the good that ever hath passed upon you will not stand you instead in that day nor answer that Strait O Lord how is my Soul troubled when I feel how senselesse you are and far off from having the thing seise upon you indeed But it will surely come and then you will remember what hath been told you this Condition will befall you to be left alone as Christ complains Lover and Friend hast thou put far from me and my acquaintance into darkness 6. Another misery greater then all is this His father hides his face from him he seems to forsake him and become an enemy that he cries out my God my God c. My God he can yet say but not my father he hath hid himself from the house of Jacob all the bowels are hid But why must this befall Christ that his father leaves him 1. He hides himself that he may not see the death of his childe the father cannot endure that and therefore he turns aside and hides his face his bowels and tenderness and puts on another habiâ— Cloaths himself with vengeance as with a garment when this work of death must pass then he seems all anger and hardens himself against the cries and tears of his Son then he comes with Refiners fire now the fire that hath no mercy