can be more true And some others I know there be which will believe none of all these things but they will dwel in the Letter and think all the things spoken thereof are some visible and Ocular glories as the Disciples while they were weak and but babes they pleased themselves with apprehensions of their Master his being a temporal King and that he should sit upon his Throne they all should sit about him and Zebedees children nothing would serve them but That the one might sit at his right hand and the other at his left And such childish apprehensions have many yea most men They please their fancies hopes and imaginations with these things viz. That the glory of heaven shall be onely hereafter and that glory to consist in Thrones and Crowns and Scepters in Musick Harps and Viols and such like carnal and poor things compared to that glory and though they talk and prattle that grace is glory begun and glory is grace perfected yet how farre wide are they in this practise and how harsh and uncouth is this Doctrine to such men but it is the rejoicing of my soul that I speak to some that have seen and felt farre farre more then my tongue is able to express for these things are known not so much by mans teaching as by feeling and enjoying them and by the Teachings of God But indeed and in truth there is so much Litteralness even among great Professors and most Teachers that they are alwayes but at the very Beginning of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ And if those that profess and think themselves able Teachers do stick here and go no further how can they be a means to bring others on toward perfection I tell you Beloved this dwelling in the letter is that which hath been the occasion of so many Errors Rents and Differences as hath been in the Church The truth is known by none but by those that can come to the truth In thy light we shall see light You that are of the truth you have received the Anointing and that Anointing teacheth you all things Not as if any individual man knoweth all things But Ye Ye the Church Ye the Body Ye know all things as I have shewed you at large upon that Text. Take the compleat Body of Christ both past present and to come adde to them the Head then we may not onely say Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee but thou art altogether Amiable and YE know all things Beloved one runs away with one interpretation and another with another as the Apostle saith Every one of you hath a Doctrine a Psalm an Interpretation a Tongue a Revelation But let us mind this Anointing what that teacheth us let us labour to see that we must be All taught of God that we may come to have the Mystery and the Living sense and this will instruct guide lead and conduct us aright and safely that we shall not only SEE these hidden things but we shall know yea know undoubtedly that they are the Truth the life the Way as Christ saith of himself Did men but see things and were led by the Spirit and by the Truth they would not run away with such poor weak carnal and empty notions and interpretations as they do The Book of the Revelation is a most Divine High-flowen Revelation of most glorious and most Divine things and yet because men rest in the Letter as they do in the rest of the Scriptures we see how low and empty and poor they carry on their works what carnal apprehensions men please themselves withal yet I deny not in the least the truth of the Letter far be it from me I do not deny but those things may be fulfilled according to the Letter But therefore shall we rest and dwell there shall we not seek the Truth of all shadows Not that I would have men neglect preaching the Letter or whatever can be found out externally to be fulfilled but let us not rest there but seek for the Anointing for the Spirit promised by Christ that may lead us into all truth even into that truth which Christ spake of when he said I have many things to say unto you but as yet ye are not able to bear them But I will send the Comforter and he shall lead you into all truth And of which Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 3. 1 2. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet are ye able for ye are yet carnal that ye may come to see those things God reveals by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the DEEP things of God for he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man for who hath known the minde of the Lord that he may instruct him but we have the minde of Christ as there the Apostle in that of 1 Cor. 2. expostulates concerning the Hidden Mystery of the Scriptures which we cannot have except it be freely given unto us of God He that is taught these things hath the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God he hath even this Scripture fulfilled in him And the childe grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him Here you may see the reason and what Christ meant when he said Mat. 19. 14. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God And yet Lev. 21. 20. there t is forbid that any Dwarf of the Tribe of Levi should approch to offer sacrifice to God How shall we reconcile Gods Commandment and Christ his practise Truly thus I suppose Christ in that saying holds forth by little children such as are in an humble meek lowly and in a growing condition and coming on to perfection for saith he He that receiveth not the Kingdom of God as a little childe he shall not enter therein But for Dwarfs whose growth is stinted they are at their highest and will never grow taller I mean such who profess themselves tall Christians but are not so much as little children nor cannot endure to grow taller nor hear of new light or a new Birth or that any should know more then they this is hateful to them for they think they have been brought up with the Scriptures they have bin at the University sat at the feet of Gamaliel Exercised in the holy Scriptures from a child studied al points in Divinity searched out the judgment of most Authors Have Epitomized the quintessence of all their judgments and shall we tell these men of new light they cry New lights are old Errors Do you think that these men are true Disciples or fit to be
it your pleasure I should be committed yea Doctor you are committed for your bold carriage and for afâ—ronting the Court in your language most grosly and not to be born So the Court being rising the Messenger jogging him to come away he said but do you hear my Lord are you in good earnest must I go to prison indeed I think you are but in jest Well Doctor replied the Bishop you were tooâ—awcy â—awcy but we will pass it by for this time expecting better carriage from you hereafter And coming another day in the morning to the Bishops house privately to speak with him many waiting in the Hall before he was ready he made known his dâ—sire to the Secretary but it seemed the Bishop had no mind to speak with him and there he waited sâ—veral 〈◊〉 being called in and dispâ—tchd he thought himself Slighted and spake again to the Secretary to mind the Bishop of him at last he told him hâ— had told him twice and he thought the Bishop would not speak with him for he seemed displeased with him for naming him thereupon the Doctor still waiting and seeing the last man called in went after him without order the Bishop staring him in the face said How now Dr. Everard what do you mean by this who sent for you no my Lord replied the Doctor I might I see have waited long enough before I should be sent for but it is my dâ—ty to wait upon you without sending for And then further urged his expectation of his Articlâ—s and his trouble in attending and plainly told him he looked for no favour at hâ—s hands let him have but Iusticâ— which he had little hope of he had so little already and he desired no more and withal told the Bishop of his 〈◊〉 him and that if he would boast of his standing in his 〈◊〉 he was not behind him but if he would have sâ—attered and complyed as some did he might have been a Bishop as well as he and that he knew well enough whereat the Bishop stormed and flung away in a rage But to go on But such was his expâ—rience of truth and errour and also in distinguishing the spirit and the life fâ—om the dead and killing letter having alwayes had the same searching spirit as in other things so in diviâ—ity chiefly so that he had run through most mens judgements that differ to discover and divide between truth and errour â—nd had it so pleased God he had lived till now he would have been of singular use as a means and instrument in the hand of the Lord to have drawn aside the curtain from before the glory of the Holy of holies and to remove the dark vail still upon the heart and the scales of ignorance from the eyes for therein was his affection his excellency and the delight of his heaâ—t above all things he giving lâ—rge testimony to the truth of the Letter and yet making it but the Letter thereby giving the lye to any who did or shall ignorantly charge him with Familism but firmly estâ—blishing that he then laboured to draw men higher that they might 〈…〉 as he clearly saw most men did and so do still So also he would have had marvâ—llous faculty in reconciling differences between honest and well meaning Christians and would have clearly told them what they both meanâ— and how thâ—y might agree and reconcile whereas since through misunderstanding they have quarrelled extremely though but about shadows for the most part both meaning well but through ill managing have abused and reproched each other most unchristianly and making the difference more and wider then iâ— was or is So that a man may ask as the Apostle doth in another case 1 Cor. 6. 5. Is there not a wise man among you but brother goeth to Law and contâ—ndeth with Brother nay what censuring and bitter 〈◊〉 have they searched for and invented to reproâ—h each other even before the ungodly to make one another 〈◊〉 to all men witness those 〈◊〉 of mischief by Mr. â—dwards and others who intended and promised such fruit every moneth a most wicked bold and presumptuous allusion to the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God spoken of Rev. 22. but it is far better that the Lord hath cuâ—bed and prevented such intentions These Sermons we had much ado to keep out of the Bishops fingers the Pursevant upon search for any thing of his missed them very narrowly But God preserveth and bringeth to light in his due time all things designed for use according to his own purpose And these had been communicated sooner but that we waited for a fit time we conceiving time now more ripe and more fit to propagate such spiritual and more raised truths Professors of Religion formerly living more in externals having not so deep a sight of such things as these and of the greatness of heart-sins and of those deâ—ilements within and of those secret wickedensses in high places which the Auther setting himself against 〈…〉 labouring with all his might to unbâ—ttom 〈◊〉 and litteral Professors from their false foundations whom he observed and discovered to build the main stress of their Religion upon Form 〈◊〉 and generals and very few of them seldome ever came to see thâ— disorder of the inward frame of their spirits and of the defilements of the inner man yet he finding most men approving and commending though bâ—t sâ—ch yea most Ministers and Preachers sowing pillows under the Elbows even of such Professors especially 〈◊〉 withall they lived inoffensively to men in their lives anâ— withal retaining and expressing a 〈◊〉 esteem of them they thought them goodly converts and they passed for 〈◊〉 Christians for those that put not into their mouthâ—r they prepare war against them Therefore seldom or never never of late did our Author go thâ—ir way and tread their baths but purposely avoided them which paths the saw led men to be at best but novices in Christianity and to be fed alwayes with milk being not able to 〈…〉 stomacks would so turn at 〈◊〉 which state also they might come and yet be nothing at all therefore his labour and endeavour was to lay the foundation and to root them sure and stedfast and then to build them up and to cause them to grow up and come on to perfection which they cannot but do if truly â—ounded upon the true corner-stone Jesus Châ—ist he laboured to sit them for strong meat as the Apâ—stle saith Heb. 6. 1 2. Leaving the principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfectâ—on not laying again the foundation of Repentance Faith Baptism and laying on of hands of the Resurrection and of the eternal judgement but as the Angel commanded Iohâ— To come up hither and to look for those 〈◊〉 those 〈◊〉 and full things that wâ— may come to be in the spirit upon the Lords day as Iohn was which things are held forth to all
daily in our souls Did he heal the lame and cast out Devils then He doth the same in our souls And whereever he doth them he doth them so as they shall never be Blind more never Dumb more never Deaf more the devil shall never possess thee more The whole letter of the word is but Christs Body and therefore we must not be content with that and rest in that When once we have the Substance of Christs actions there is no more use oâ— the signes we must labour to find out the Truth that is hid in this shell and to find the treasure the pearl that is hid in this field seek for THE WORD as our Saviour prayes Father sanctifie them with thy truth Thy WORD is Truth Mosâ— men henâ—e think when they read the letter of the word they think they read Gods word No no this is not the truth that Christ calls truth for he himself is the Word the Truth and the Life He is the meat and the marrow of which that is but the Bone and the shell Search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have eternal life for they testifie of me I am the substance I am the SOUL of them And they do but testifie of Me they are not the life the soul Yet I prize the letter as high as any man but I must not prefer the Handmaid before the Mistress Yet much ado there hath been among many men about this Letter of the word who pretend to know much in Gods word as if they knew whatever were to be known They are gone so far and are come to such perfection as they think that they can resolve any point in Divinity give the interpretation of any place of Scripture and many large voluminous works have been published to the world and filled it full of their Expositions but God knows how many of them have kept a deal ado and much blustring to little purpose And in our dayes and in our Nation what talk is there everywhere of Gods word when indeed and in truth most men are ignorant of Gods word and all is because they take these Literal black letters to be The word of God you are deceived Is it The Word of God because it is English or Latin or Greek or Hebrew can we tell whether ever God spake in any of these languages or if he did These Letters cannot be The word of God If any way The word be taken in vain it is this way when men think God speaks to them And they hear him when they read the letter You are deceived in this The letter doth but bear Witness to the truth Christ is the Truth and the letter gives Testimony to him See what the Evangelist sayes The Word is Joh. 1. In the beginning was the word Bibleswere not then and the word was God This is That Word so magnified both in the old and new Testament To which all their Sacrifices and Prophesies pointed to in shadows but the Substance of them is Christ as the Apostle saith Heb. 10. The Law is but a Shadow of good things to come But Christ he is The Word He is The Truth He is those good things promised throughout All the Scriptures The letter is but the Shadow the Signes the BODY and Substance is Iesus Christ. And if it be so then let me say thus much more to you Never any man ever yet Saw the Truth nor ever any man Heard the truth nor ever read the truth Those that onely read the Letter they are ignorant of the word for the truth is the word and the word is the Spirit It is the Spirit That discerns the word through the letter and it is the Spirit that applyes it where ever it works it is the Spirit onely that knows the truth And t is the Spirit onely that fructifies and thrives by it and lives in it The word heard or read is but the Bark the Outside the Sheath the Lanthorn but the Sap the Life the Sword the Light that is within And this is Onely Christ Co-Essential with the Father This is that word which the Scripture speaks of which is able to make the man of God perfect for as the Apostle saith The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did for do you what you can yea keep the whole Law according to the letter yet this cannot make us perfect But this word this truth we now unfold is the Sure the real the true the eternal word against which The gates of hell shall never be able to prevail Have ye what ye can of the letter except ye have also Christ the substance thereof the letter will but deceive you for you have but the shadow and therefore you must needs be deceived for you to think you have the substance when you have but the shadow It is not any outward thing we can do will do us any good it is the Spirit the word it self that doth the deed Yet I must tell you more That this word and Christ and the Spirit All dwell Among us dwell In us and we know them not as Iohn 1. 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him He dwels among us and yet the world knows him not nay He came among his Own and his Own received him not These are strange expressions what may be the meaning of this Divine high-flowen Eagle for that is his Embleme I conceive it was to shew that he soared and flew higher in Divine contemplations of truth and in the knowledge of the Mystery then all the rest of the Evangelists This was he of whom it is said The Disciple whom Iesus loved and this is he thaâ— Leaned on his breast at supper This was he that had all those divine visions and Secret mysteries revealed to him in the Isle of Pathmos who writ the Revelation and was therefore called IOHN the Divine I conceive his meaning is when he saith He came and dwelt among us and yet the world knew him not although it was made by him was this that God in Jesus Christ dwells in every creature but the creature comprehends it not Because the light shineth in darkness and the Darkness cannot comprehend the light It is in him as the Apostle saith that we live move and have our being and yet we know it not because we are compassed about with darkness nay we are Darkness it self Is it not a strange thing that He should be in Us be so near us and be our light and our life our sun and our shield and yet we not know him we not be acquainted with him But He Shines in Darkness what 's that that is All creatures are darkness to him God in himself is light of lights infinitely far above and beyond all creatures if he put forth himself in the making of any creature that creature is infinitely below him the highest of creatures is
other have split their vessels in these days But the Author so clearly distinguishes that he misseth both Rocks and carries on the truth Amain with Top-sail against all battery and opposition Here ye shall finde the vail rent and the last shadows vanishing and some Rayes of the glory of the holiest of all appearing being hid from ages and generations but in these last times upon the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles and for the calling of the Iews more brightly breaking forth revealing the mystery of the Scriptures or the marrow of the true word of God which endureth forever wherein the Life and Spirit of the Holy Word is clearly distinguished from the outward and killing letter comparing spiritual things with spiritual that all those errors differences revilings and bitter censurings so much broken forth of late occasioned by resting in the letter may now vanish and make haste before the presence of the Lord and the glory of his coming whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather the wheat into his garner but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire And will baptize his own people with his own Spirit with the Holy Ghost and with fire Howbeit we speak wisdom onely among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world which comes to nought But we speak the wisdom of God in a MYSTERY even the hidden wisdom which God hath ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the princes of this world knew 1 Cor. 2. It is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for those that love him having revealed them unto us by his spirit And if in this life onely we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. We are fools for Christs sake but ye are wise we are weak but ye are strong ye are honourable but we are despised 1 Cor. 4. 10. Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world or to himself let him become a fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 1. 18. For the preaching of the CROSSE is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved it is the power of God verse 18. But the foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God is stronger then men verse 25. He that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man verse 15. The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2. 27. If any man have an ear to hear let him hear Verse 10. Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude 24. and to do exceeding abundantly for you above all that we can ask or think according to the mighty power which worketh in you unto him be glory and majesty dominion and power in the Church by Iesus Christ thoughout all ages world without end Eph. 3. 20. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Amen Rapha Harford An Approbation THe publisher of this Book is desirous that it might pass with some testimonial into the world but it needs not testimony from man for I find it imprest with such a Divine Image and bearing such clear lineaments of Heaven-born truths as testifie it to be of God and therefore strongly bespeaks us to receive it as into our houses so chiefly into our heaâ—ts I dare assure thee Reader if thou hast received a spiritual relish thou shalt taste much sweetnes in it And if thou canst rejoyce to be laid low and made nothing that God may be exalted and made all in all then shalt thou find here that which will help thy joy and let me intreat thee That as thou readest the Book to read also thine own heart and by this thou mayest come to find thine heart in the Book and the Book in thine heart and will make thee fall upon thy face with that Ideot and worship God and report God is in this word of a truth 1 Cor. 14. 25. Some are casting off the letter of the Scripture others resting in it some are despising Ordinances others overvaluing them I find the Author walking warily betwixt both giving due honour to the letter and the form while he is exalting the Power and the Spirit incomparably above both And thou shalt find him laying the Ax of truth and the Edge of his Spirit to that cursed Root of Self-Approbation in man which is daily bringing forth such bitter fruits in his heart in his life and in the world and yet remains unseen and untouched in the hearts of many that would be thought to be arrived at the brink of perfection while they scarce understand wherein the great imperfection of the natural man doth lie Some expressions in thy reading may seem harsh or obscure to thee as they did to me but if thou comparest one place with another thou wilt clearly see what the Author means and shalt find his whole discourse to have a Sacred tendency to lay man low and so to put him into a Rich capacity of coming in to the nearâ—st fellowship with God so that while some seek to build up themselves upon the deceitful foundation of corrupted nature and struggle though in vain in the light and power of it to advance towards perfection He is planting his spiritual Artillery against it to throw it into the dust that man may come to be surely bottomed upon the Righteousness Power and Wisdom of Iesus Christ which is the onely foundation that God hath laid and the Gospel revealed And in some things you must give him a latitude to his judgement as thou desirest to thine own in other If thou findest some truths delivered and inforced with reiterated expressions consider they were delivered for the most part in several Congregations so that in some particulars the same things may be re-inforced but yet with more lustrâ— to make Truth more clear And that thou hast them as they were Preached and Pressed in Sermons to the Capacity and Conscience of his Auditors and taken from his mouth by a Notary yet afterward owned and approved by himself and compared with his own notes Read Consider and Try and hold fast that which is good March 26. 1653. Tho. Brooks M. Barker Imprimatur Ioseph Caril Decemb. 6. 1652. In remembrance of the Author and upon view of his Essigies and SERMONS HIS ICON curiously
beloved our Apostle sleights all away with all these things I count them nothing they are dross and dung I desire to know nothing I seek for no knowledge you can name as if he should say you it may be account me ignorant in regard of some among you well all is one esteem of me as you will seek to undervalue and to crush me what you please I determined I resolved before I came I would know nothing hearken to no knowledge but the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified that is whether you knew this in experience or no whether you had that knowledge that would crucifie and bring to nothing all your great learning and your great parts Now that I may come to unfold and unlock those precious truths that are hid and folded up in these words by the gracious assistance of that Meek Lamb that was slain for us I shall endeavour to open these three principal things that ly plain in the words 1 What manner of knowledge this is that the Apostle so Highly sets it up even above all knowledge so that he himself was contented to be accounted nothing so he could but gain more of that among them or bring them to the knowledge of it 2 What is the subject of this knowledge that is Jesus Christ. 3 What it is to know Jesus Christ crucified as it is here meant He knew it was not enough to know Jesus Christ Externally nor to know him so Crucified No though they had been eye-witnesses of it yet this knowledge was nothing for sayes the Apostle Henceforth know we no man any more after the flesh no though we had known the LORD CHRIST himself Yet I know if I should ask any of you or take you one by one and ask you If you knew Jesus Christ You would presently answer me to this and tell me a large story that this was your faith and that you did confidently believe That in the fulness of time God sent an Angel to the virgin Mary to tell her that of her body Christ should be born and he was conceived in her by the power of the Holy Ghost the most High came upon her and overshadowed her she conceived without the aid or help of man and she brought forth her first-born son which was the Messiah and that he grew up in age and stature and in favour with God and man as the Scriptures express of him And also that wise men came from the East to see and worship him and at twelve years old he came up to Hierusalem with his parents and went into the Temple and disputed among the Doctors and then ye heard no more of him till he was 30 years old and then he was baptized of John at Jordan then he began to preach and then he was questioned for his doctrine despised derided 〈◊〉 that he wrought many miracles and taught such doctrine that many wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And at last he was apprehended examined scourged buffeted spit upon crowned with thorns and was crucified and dyed upon the cross and the third day rose again and shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead This is your faith this is he in whom you believe and this is your Saviour Well but give me leave to tell you you may know all this and a thousand times more and yet not know Iesus Christ nor know him crucified It is another manner of knowledge that our Apostle here determined to know all this faith will do you no good for this is no more then the Devils know Although it be all truth undeniably true this History of him is most certainly true and in defence whereof we ought to spend our lives and bloud And I say also they do well that teach this and who have learned it themselves and teach their children and servants to know it But if you learn this and no more yeâ— know not half so much as the Devils know This you may know also that God is a great and a mighty God the Devils know him to be so that he is a wise and omniscient God the Devils know as much and more The Devils believe all this I and tremble at the knowledge thereof as the Apostle saith They believe and tremble Iam. 2. 19. And because it is said in the Gospel This is eterâ—â—l life to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Doest thou think this is that knowledge St. Iohn means And because thou knowest that he is a merciful God the Devils externally and in general know as much That he is long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth to those that fear him and what else thou canst say of him they know as much and far more This is not therefore most certainly that knowledge that is there called Eternal liâ—e for such an Eternal life the Devils have and a better But many are so far from Eternal life that they know not so much as the history the bare letter of the Scriptures Although they that do know the history never so exactly in that they have every letter and word thereof without book and have gathered it into never so short an Epitome by their labour and industry yet these may be far from the Mystery the life and marrow of the word But what shall they do then how far are they from the mystery who have not attained the bare shell the bare history and outside Those indeed must be known though in themselves they do us no goodâ— for they are but the way to the Mystery and without the History we cannot have the Mystery for we cannot come to Believing without Hearing for how can they believe him of whom they have not heard We must not therefore cast away the letter because that is the Book which brings us the Word though they those letters be not the living word and in themselves do us no good if we go farther yet we cannot have the kernel without the shell These outward letters to the eye and to the ear are a means to convey the True word to the heart And therefore if you think you have Gods Word when you have gotten the knowledge of the letter or of whatsoever the outside or the letter bears without the mind and meaning you are deceived This knowledge will deceive you it will be but as a broken reed that whosoever he be that relyes thereon it will run into his hand deceive and destroy him This is Truth if ye will believe it from our Saviours own mouth The flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit the mystery the marrow that giveth life It is the mystery the Spirit that is eternal life The letter and the shell cannot nourish it must be the mystery and the marrow That which cannot possibly be known in the superficies in the outside in the flesh in
adore and worship thee and thee I will serve saith another Profit thou art my God thee I will please and obey Thus if you will examine your selves punctually and particularly you cannot deny but must confess that you have worshipped and served other Gods And thou mayest truly complain and say O Lord Other Lords besides thee have ruled over me Though Reason will excuse and defend it self yet hear God speak in thee hear what His well-beloved Son saith in thee and confess that thou art as the truth is Guilty of the breach of this Commandement and that the reward of sin is death hell and eternal damnation and this confession from the heart and from a true sight is a sure means and way that thy spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus This sight of thy spiritual thraldom and being delivered over to Sathan is that thy Spirit may be saved and that thy flesh may be crucified And so you might go over all the Commandments and try your selves by them as hereafter I may have time and if you do but thus examine your selves you will never complain of want of Catechizing But for this time the time hath cut me off SERMON VI. ROM 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together THis is the sixth hour I have spoken to you out of these words Many men may think themselves exempted from suffering with Christ because they do not suffer as Christ did viz. In Disgrace Buffeting Spitting upon Poverty Whipping Crucifying c. For As a Lamb dumb before the shearer so opened He not his mouth Therefore I defined a condition to you wherein every one may claim a part in his sufferings and that was in Phil. 2. 6 7. He Emptied himself And he Humbled himself Phil. 2. 6 7. And I told you If we suffer never so much if we suffer not on This foundation we do not suffer with Christ And if we do suffer from these two then if we suffer never so little we do suffer with him Nay if these two foundations be laid It matters not whether we be called to suffer in the former cases or no so we have but a readiness and a fit disposition and willingness to suffer therein also if God please but suffering in these two respects In Emptying our selves and humbling our selves as Christ did we do suffer with Christ and shall Reign with him For all other sufferings let them be what they will are nothing to these or without these yea the external and bodily torments of hell are below these sufferings It may be we are far from the sufferings of our neighbours in Germany in the other sufferings yet if we have suffered in these Two we have suffered beyond them if they have not suffered in these kindes All the Tyrants in the world cannot invent Tortures comparable to these sufferings The last day we came to handle one of those six steps that lead up to this Throne of Solomon The first was Condemnation of our selves The second Annihilation The third For saking all The fourth Indifferency to all conditions That is to be as willing to have pain as ease as willing to have want as plenty foul weather as fair bad report as good report that we can as well bless God for evil as for good Enough can say blessed be his name for good things God hath given me health Oh! blessed be his name God hath given me wealth God hath given me a good year of increase God hath sent fair weather to get in my crop Oh! blessed be his name God hath given me the life of my wife or the life of my children Oh! blessed be his name God hath given me many goodly and happy children that are a comfort to me in my old age Oh! blessed be his name Every one can bless God for these things And what great things do ye Do not Heathens and Hypocrites the same saith our Lord. But where is the man that when God hath taken away any of these things can say as heartily Blessed be his name that when God hath taken away his dear wife that when God hath taken away his hopeful child he can say Blessed be the name of the Lord God hath taken away my credit God hath taken away my wealth taken away my health yea all yet blessed be his name Thou mayest say so in words but what saith thy heart doth that say so The fifth was Conformity to Christ. And the last Deiformity when we are captivated and have given up our selves and delivered up into the will of God and all our members presented unto God A living Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable unto God that we no longer do any thing but it is God that doth all in us while we do it All Attain not to the same measure in these as I told you before but all must attain to the same desire and affection to come to these The first is Condemning our selves Iudge your selves and ye shall not be judged Beloved consider what it is that makes us afraid when we come to dye and to leave all our dear friends behind us when that hour comes that we have bur three Deep Groanes or sighs to fetch to cool our languishing heart And then to give up the Ghost I say What makes you afraid then to go out of this body and to leave the world behind you Is it not because you and the world have made a league together and you esteem it so dear a friend as you can have no better Answer me seriously Is it not because you are afraid the Comforts hereafter are not comparable to the Comforts here but would you escape this fear would you escape this judgement then you must ascend these six steps The first whereof is To condemn our selves Let your selves pass first under this judgement Iudge your selves and ye shall not be judged But you will say This Office belongs to Christ To judge as in Acts 10. 42. He is Appointed to be judge of quick and dead What have I do to enter upon the office of Christ All judgement is committed to the Son John 5. 22. To which we Answer It is true that whosoever is truly judged it is Christ that judges him for no man will condemn himself will reason judge Reason or will think you Lucifer cast out Lucifer will Belzebub cast out Belzebub will devillish practises condemn devillish practises You are not so senseless to think so It is true you say in our ordinary speech and you have it at your fingers end we must judge our selves and we mâ—st condemn our selves but as I said it can never be expected that Belzebub and Lucifer and Antichrist will condemn themselves he can â—ver suffer his Kingdom to be divided he knows then he cannot stand There be as I told you three sorts of men The Carnal The Reasonable And The Spiritual Man I am carnal
keeps the Sabbath Holy being void of skill and Will is subject onely to God In Him to go Out Work Will know Both How What When and Why he pleaseth Now The Whole World lyeth in This Death and Sin for that it doth nothing else but kiss iâ—s own hand That is Adore the Purpose Counsel Invention and wisdom of it self To this purpose are all things Intended Aimed Drawn and Bent Even the Holy Scripture and Words of God Namely to be consonant to Our Reason and not to cross Our Wisdom Course and Way But all these things must be Overthrown and unlearned again if we will see God For therefore do the Scriptures so Vehemently urge us to becom Children and Fools Vomiting up again all the Art and knowledge of this Forbidden Tree To be purged by the strength of the Tree of Life and consequently let Every man in this case look and observe Himself narrowly what he doth And He shall find all this True in his Own Breast THE Gospel-Treasury Opened OR The Holiest of All unvailing The Second Part. Containing I. Two Sermons on Psal. 68. 17. intituled Militia Coelestis or the Heavenly Host. II. Two sermons on Cant. 1. 7. Where Christ feedeth and where his flock resteth III. A Sermon on Rev. 2. 17. Of eating hidden Manna IV. Heads of Sermons on Ier. 6. 13. Covetousness anatomized or the generality of Covetousness V. A short Exposition on Psal. 148. The Plus Ultra of the creatures VI. The substance of several Sermons on Luke 7. 40. Milk for babes meat for strong men VII Two Sermons on Exod. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6. The mysterie or the life and marrow of the Scriptures VIII The substance of several Sermons on Mark. 1. 25 26. True and divine Exorcism or the Devil conjured by Iesus Christ. IX A Sermon on Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to Jesus Christ in heaven and in earth Also added I. Dionysius the Areopagite his mystical Divinity II. Grave and notable sayings in Latin and English III. Sayings of a certain Divine of great note IV. Taulerus his holy glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ. V. Another short instruction by the same Author VI. A short Dialogue between a learned Divine and a beggar LONDON Printed for Rapha Harford At the Bible and States-Armes in Little Brittain 1657. Militia Coelestis OR The Heavenly Host Two Sermons upon Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy Place Out of which the Bishops pretended matter of high accusation against the Author in their High Commission Court Preached at Giles Cripplegate when those masking Chariots and great shews were presented and acted at the Court the Temple and in the City after which there was so much running to be Spectators He chosing Texts on purpose constantly as his manner still was and being our Saviours practice in the Gospel he making use of present things most in use and most affected to take men off from admiring such vanities or rather to take an advantage by them and thereby improving them to raise up the mind to real Glories which have so few Lovers and Followers Saith our Saviour Matth. 11. 17. But we have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned and ye have not lamented And again saith he Wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth unto destruction and many there be that go that way but strait is the Gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Mat. 7. 13. SERM. I. AS this Psalm was undoubtedly Davids so it is more then probable the occasion of penning it as you may see at the bâ—ginning thereof was upon the removing of the Ark to Ierusalem the City of David from the house of Abinadab 2 Sam. 6. At which time David with the rest of the people of Israel played on all manner of Instruments and danced before the Ark Whereupon Michal his wife Sauls daughter despised him for a fool An extasie of joy seizing upon his spirit he enjoying so much of God in it caused him to leap and dance before it She hereupon takes upon her to reprove censure and revile him and in her heart scorned him sayes the text v. 16. But David being lifted up filled with divine joy slighted her and told her he would yet be more vile And the reason of this conjecture is because this Psalm begins with that very Proverb that was appointed to be said at the rising of the Ark out of its place Num. 10. 25. Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered let them that hate him flee before him I dare not offer at any Method in the whole nor at any connexion in the parts For I find that all your curious Dichotomizers do but dream play with the Scripture feeding themselves with fancies and not truth For sure I am the onely method that holy men of old observed was to speak as they were moved by the holy spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. But these words we have now read they being a clause in this Psalâ— I take them as a Melchizedeck without Father without Mother Heb. 7. 3. so having no dependance We will come to open the words as having a sufficient sense lying within themselves There be many Expositions on this place which I will not trouble you withall for men speak according to men but the Scriptures were written by Gods spirit dictated by his own finger for holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. We must therefore labour to find out if it be possible what is Gods mind in the Scriptures whatever men say I may call this Text as it is Luke 2. 13. Militia Coelestis the Heavenly Host There was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God or as Iacob did the Angels Gen. 32. 2. when he saw the Angels he said This is Gods host for there is in them both greatness and terribleness which is proper to the Angels of God But that we may give you the parts of the woâ—ds There are four things represented in them 1 Their Nature they are called Chariots 2 Their Number they are said to be twenty thousand or thousands of thousands that is they are innumerable or numberless 3 In regard of their Names they are here called Angels 4 In regard of the Commander of all these numberless number of Chariots and Angels and that is God himself The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels â— Their Nature they are called Currus Chariots The mention of Chariots is as ancient as any History either sacred or profane they being used both for peace and warre In the first Book of Moses Gen. 41. 43. there is mention made of Pharaohs triumphant Chariot for Ioseph he that exalted Ioseph And again in
Letter speaks that is but Solomon but the spirit is Jesus Christ the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth And when Solomons wife speaks observe and mind the wife of Jesus Christ his Church and Spouse the dearly beloved of his soul being professions of dearness and intimateness of love to his wife and of his wives to him do but set forth the unexpressible and reciprocal dearness between Christ and his Church The Letter is but a dead resemblance or picture of the life within as of good things promised so evil threatned It speaks of devouring fire and everlasting burnings Isa. 33. 14. and of the Tophet prepared of old and of the worm that never dyeth and of weeping and gnashing of teeth and all these are but resemblances and shadows of the terrors of the Almighty the thing it self is infinitely beyond these expressions As I have read of some who of old time kept for their security fierce dogs within the House and were wont to have without doors upon the wall a painted Dog with this Caution Cave Cave Canem Beware Beware the Dog And I have read of some ignorant people that would place burning Lamps made of combustible matter mixt with oil in the Sepulchres of their friends and have likewise pourtraied fire on the stones on the outside to shew there was fire within So the outward Letter is but the picture the resemblance of the truth within that is but the Literal Historical sense the life the fire is another thing Jesus Christ is the Spirit and Life he is the fire as Iohn 5. 35. Christ saith of Iohn He was a burning and a shining light that was so far as Christ did shine and give light in him and by him As true fire is infinitely unspeakably beyond the shadow resemblance and representation both in heat and splendour so is the truth beyond the Letter And as a living Dog is more then a painted or a dead Dog for they bite not at all but the Dog within is of another nature Psal. 110. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool that is The Lord said unto his son or unto his word for so the word in the Original may be as well taken The Lord said unto his Word Sit thou on my right hand c. This great Kings word is like the Kings daughter Psal. 45. 13. All glorious within And he that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom that is He thâ—t hath the living sense given to him he is instructed to the Kingdom of God The living sense is the Word the Word is Christ himself the letter thâ—t is but the shell but this is the kernel and is of perpetual use As all the Scriptures are symbolical and figurative so this more especially These words then are a request of the Spouse to her Husband whose love and instruction she never wanted and yet here she sues for it though he was not wanting to her yet still she desires to grow in the knowledge and love of him that she might abound therein as he filled her so still she desires to be filled I gave you four things to consider of which was rather for memory sake then order 1 Her request Tell or Teach her 2 The weight she hangs upon her request Oh thou whom my soul loveth 3 The matter of her Request what it is she sâ—eks these two things where thou feedest and where thou restest at noon 4 Lastly The reason of all For why should I be as those that turn aside to the flocks of thy companions thereby intimating if he did not continually teach her and direct her she should presently turn aside to the flocks of his companionâ— some are so full their Omers run over they are wiser then the Spouse here as God said to Tyrus Ezek. 28. 3. Art thou wiser then Daniel these men they are wiser then Daniel They if they had been but with God at the Creation they could have directed him to have done many things wiser then he hath done they would have shewed him a better way and in their prayers they are still teaching God what to do but there are none of these things in Christs Spouse this is not her voice but in all her conditions and at all times yea till the world shall be no more she cries Tell me Teach me Let us dread the sentence of the Church of Laodicea Thou sayest that thou art rich and wantest nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked There is nothing so pleasing to the ears of God as this sound this voice Tell me teach me direct me Oh thou whom my soul loveth All other prayers are but the prayers of the Devil they can confess God to be and know him to be Mighty Glorious Omnipotent Omnipresent to be the Mighty Lord Iah Iehovah they can herein out-strip any man living therefore let us examine how much we love God and how much more then any thing else if thou canst not examine it by it self examine it by the fruits for by their fruits ye shall know them How much hath thy love increased toward him or doest thou love him as well as ever thou didst for thou lovedst him ever since thou wert born that 's never a whit If thou bearest no fruit thou art dead yea it may be twice dead and pulled up by the roots for if thou be rooted in him thou canst not if thou wouldst but bring forth fruit What ever prayers come from a soul that can truly say it loves God from this root I may boldly say it never returns in vain if it can say Oh thou whom my soul loveth thou art my God and I will love thee I would not commit adultery with any creature but my love is taken off all and is towards thee then is Gods love shed abroad in thy heart But we will go on to the next to the Spouses request Tell me what where thou feedest it is a strange speech now at this time that Christ should eat yet it is a true speech and a real question not imaginative but real not a transitive but a substantive It is true he did eat when he was upon earth you will say but he eats not now For your answer and for your better understanding of this take this short Theory They that conceive Christ according to the short time of 33 years that he lived upon earth or thereabouts they do limit and circumcise as I may say and cut short the vastness of his greatness Yet it is very true he lived 33 years upon earth and One only merit of his One action that he performed at that time was sufficient to satisfie for the sins of all the world abundantly and to perfect the work of Redemption considering what person he was viz. God equal with his Father
truth or to speak precisely is to speak at once the truth that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth as for example if I tell you this is a Church this is not a precise truth for in saying it is a Church I neither tell you whether it be built of wood or stone or brick I neither tell you it is little or great I neither tell you whether it be high or low c. which I not doing do not tell you the whole truth Or if I tell you I saw a man I tell not his age nor stature nor complexion nor kindred nor riches nor bigness c. which is not the whole truth I shall unfold this to you these similies I use for your good God onely is able to speak such a truth A Precise Truth at once in one word as shall include all this God could have spoken such a word as should have included the whole truth in one word but where should he have found Auditors that were able to have heard him where had been our ears to have heard such a word or our understandings to have understood it you know a great noise deafs us and abundance of light blinds us if there be too much light it may as well blind a man as too little now you know truth is the object of the understanding as light is of sight so if there be an excessive truth spoken to us it destroyes it splits the understanding as the people of Israel they were not able to hear God speak but they must dye for it and Moses himself complains that he was afraid and trembled we are not able to hear God speak if he should speak to us as he would if we could hear he should speak us all to pieces he should speak us to nothing Oh let not God speak to us lest we dye We should cry out Oh do not speak to us as thou art in thy self for we are men but let Moses speak to us and we will hear him O Lord speak to us as men as we are able to hear Beloved the not knowing of this truth and our receiving the word and understanding it according to the Letter hath the been the ground of all the Errours of all the schisms of all the rents in this poor Church of ours But to go further and to give you a little further light I know the Scripture in the Letter speaks of election reprobation and predestination But if we take it according to men we are much deceived As for example when I say this man is like such another man And though he may be so in some things yet not in all and far be it from us to think because God speaks according to the manner of men that therefore we conclude his wayes are like our wayes or his thoughts like our thoughts but whatever God sayes of himself those are sentences and expressions spoken but by way of similitude to make us understand and not that we should think that the almighty infinite God to be like weak man so when he speaks of any of these things of election or reprobation or his foreknowledge there is indeed such a kind of thing in God 't is true but it is true as God intends it and not otherwise It is said also that God made a Covenant and the Scripture speaks of Gods knowledge but do you think that Gods Covenants are like the Covenants of men or his knowledge like means God forbid and wo be unto that man that takes it contrary to Gods intent and meaning so also we read of Gods hatred and of Gods love but his love and hatred is not like mens love and hatred Are my wayes like your wayes or my thoughts like your thoughts As if he should say will you wrest my word and take it according to your own ways will you take me according to my literal words away away As high as the Heaven is above the Earth so high are my thoughts above your thoughts And when God sayes he repented doest thou think that he repents as man repents He does repent it is true but according to his own sense and meaning not according to thine Alas alas we poor ignorant low narrow-spirited creatures as we are not able to comprehend God so neither can we Gods word we can see but a glympse and a little glimmering of the Truths of God As Elias he could not apprehend God nor discover him neither in the thunder nor in the lightning nor in the mighty rushing nor in the fâ—re though God was in them all but when God came in a still soft voice then he could apprehend God heard him and saw him and then he came to see that God was also as much in all the rest though he saw him not but he being as also we of a low soft and tender nature and so much children that he could not endure to hear the mighty God but in a still soft and tender voice the thunder and the fire and the mighty rushing is too terrible too destructive to our weak natures For in God there all things coincide even contradictories coincide in him as the Vision of God shews at large in some Chapters So when God promiseth here To him that overcometh will I give him to eat of the hidden Manna we must not take Gods meaning according to the Letter nor think it was or is that Manna that God rained from Heaven Num. 10. But by that expression he would win us to consider the heavenlyness and excellency and the rareness and the welcomness of that Manna that feeds the soul and what spiritual food is How welcome was it to the Israelites at first though afterwards the commonness made them loath it O lack I am but newly entred into my Text and now the time cuts me off I have opened the Windows to let in light into the Chamber into this Subject and the time bids me shut them again and I now must let it alone till another opportunity which is contrary to my purpose and full intent which was to have discovered what God hath revealed to me concerning these deep points now so much controverted and wherein there have been such errours and general mistakes even among them who have thought themselves very knowing in the Scriptures For vain man would be wise though he be born as a wild asses colt And he in his foolish wisdom and in his humane Reason would fain frame and square out God like unto himself that so he might as he thinks well near fathom comprehend him within the poor weak and narrow bounds of Reasons Line or Rule So much for the present Covetousness Anatomized AND THE Generality of Covetousness JER 6. 13. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness and from the Prophet even to the Priest every one dealeth falsly Preached at Putney BEloved this speech as it is
not forasmuch as they are so zealous and hot about Forms but if they are by any drawn up to speak of the Substance they are as men lost cold and heartless which is a plain evidence to me that they prefer the Shadow before the Substance being meerly exercised about childish things and are not willing to come up to the Truth to the Excellencies and Glories of what Baptism and other Ordinances signifie And there is no telling them of a more excellent way as the Apostle saith They see all excellencies in the Shadow none in the Substance Whereabouts think you is these mens Religion and truth of Grace Truly my Friends this sticking in the Letter is that which hath been the bane of all growth in Religion and an occasion of so many disputes and differences therein which I do not wonder at for Children can do no other then quarrel about trifles and things of no great worth Not that the soul should slight or undervalue Ordinances or any other duty Beloved I am fain to use this caution the oftner because ye are so subject to catch and carp I say Let all those things have their due time place and esteem but to rest in these is the worm the Gourd But this I say when the soul by these Ordinances or in these or whatever you will name shall come to see and enjoy God Her Portion when she is in the pursuit of her Beloved she undervalues and leaves all things of this nature behinde and presseth after the mark the Price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ And to this soul in this condition I may boldly say what 's Duties what 's Ordinances what 's Christ in the flesh I beseech you give me leave what are all these when the soul embraces the truth of all these things Can that soul at that time leave its Beloveds arms and prize the Shadows the Handmaids above or equal to him But I grant that those that never came to these Embraces these swallowings up these overcomings This spiritual drunkenness may censure and revile a soul that may say indeed and in truth he is above these What do you think Paul thought of these things when he was caught up into the third Heaven I grant also Beloved that the most elevated triumphing and most raised soul lives not always in this condition these things and these raptures and these embraces come but seldom and the soul comes to fall lower and have more use of Ordinances but she uses them as Handmaids so as to conduct her to her Beloved Beloved I would have you ponder these things well If ye set up Ordinances c. so as to build and Rest in them ye do make Idols of them or at the best you play the Babes and the Children with them by Resting always on such Crutches and Go-bies and never come to be Yong-men much less as Fathers in Christ Paul and Peter Iames and Iohn they would have always enjoyed those Raptures Paul in the third Heaven and the other in the Transfiguration But the one had a prick in the flesh and the others came down again from the Mount and in these declinations and lower enjoyments I would not for a world forbid men to use means not onely in regard of themselves but of others who may by those come to have the same enjoyments making them no more but means and not the end And so much more I will say to satisfie you that I have great cause to mistrust those spirits whether they come the right way to God or into such Raptures that leap into them on a sudden without use of means or Ordinances But out of a Blinde and Prophane condition come suddenly into these enjoyments for God doth usually make use of these means yet I may not limit nor direct nor circumscribe the Soveraign Almighty yet usually faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word preached But herein lies the general abuse of these truths and of these enjoyments that because some may and do come thus to enjoy God and forsake Ordinances at a season at the very time of such enjoyments therefore some having gotten this in notion have presumptuously affirmed that they are above these and so far abuse themselves and shew an ill example to others that they have quite forsaken the Assemblies and the use of any Ordinances Beloved all these things are an offence and hereby many a soul by this delusion of Satan drowns it self in perdition And yet I may say more then all this and say properly too he that uses them and rests not in them lives above them and in this sense living above Ordinanceâ— is most properly taken and is a truth though much abused viz. That man hath not his comfort his Life in them this man lives above Ordinances I do not say he must forsake all Ordinances as men take it usually But to have our Life and enjoyments in the Truth and Substance and against this Doctrine the gates of hell shall never prevail And this I will say more those that come into such pretended enjoyments in this extraordinary way that for the most part they never hold on in a Christian course but abusing this light run out into fleshly liberty But the right enjoyment of God is such a hedge to a man that he cannot but love God and seek to honour him with all his might But I conceive all these things are but to lead us to Jesus Christ and therefore to put more in them and depend more on them then ever was intended is an high abuse of them Concerning Baptism we see Paul rejoyced and said 1 Cor. 1. 16. I thank God I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius and the Houshold of Stephanus for Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel and withal blames them there that they set their eyes on him or Apollo or Cephas or whatever it was either Men or Means or Duties or whatever that they once did begin to settle upon and rest in to make the cross of Christ of no effect All these things were they never so high in esteem among the Famousest Teachers and Professors he laid them aside and undervalued them If Baptism be set in the room of Jesus Christ and men content themselves though in a true observation of it or of the Lords Supper according to Christs rule or in Fellowships or Gatherings together then we make Idols of them and set them in the room of Christ and Christ the Truth and Substance is slighted and neglected So also you know that at the beginning of the Primitive Church when it was weak and in its infancy and could not digest strong meat the Apostles by consultation fed them with milk and such Doctrine as they were able to bear And all was to this end that they might use such things as Help to shew them Jesus Christ as Act. 15. 28 29. It seemed good to
of Professors I would the rather press this point in consideration of two respects 1. That ye may know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the methods of Satan in men to make men to stand still not to grow for he can be content to let men have a Religion and a supposed true Religion and to use Ordinances and Duties and Rules of worship to be content in them but if he can keep them from growing as he may very easily for all the use of them his Kingdom is never like to be by them much shaken Therefore as he sometimes tempteth men to despair by making children to measure themselves according to the rules of the Perfect so more often to security and blessing themselves in an unsound condition by making those that think themselves strong men yet still to measure themselves by children that because some or many are weaker and darker then they therefore themselves are grown men and tall Christians This is no other but Satans method that though they have a Religion yet they shall be never the better for it 2. Another reason why I would commend the knowledge and consideration of this point is for fear lest some being deceived in their own judgments they should also deceive you making you to rest upon a reed of Egypt which will deceive and destroy you And whilst they never leave the Doctrine of the Beginnings of Christ nor regard going on to perfection Heb. 6. 1. they propound unto you all as one common Faith which they ought to do so one common measure of faith which they ought not to do as though there were no different degrees of grace and proportions of faith And as I said Babes and Sucklings they pretended to finde you so such and no other they will leave you but the Apostle saith Rom. 12. 6. Having gifts differing according to the grace that is given unto us Whether prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith c. And verse 3. Let no man think of himself more highly then he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath deal◠to every man the measure of faith For as there are Babes in Christ which can bear but weak and small beginnings of truth and faith who can bear but the first principles So also there are young men in Christ which are growen up to more ripeness and strength of faith actings and sufferings So also know there are Fathers in Christ as 1 Iohn 2. I have written unto you little children I have written unto you young men and I have written unto you Fathers Why Fathers because ye have known him that was from the beginning But in these days children will turn Teachers and look upon themselves as Fathers before they are hardly born or not scarce out of their swadling bands conceiving they know all things when indeed they know very little if any thing rightly especially not experimentally but quite out of their own line making use of things in another mans line as the Apostle speaketh and boast thereof as if they were their own experiences when as indeed they have little or none but what they have catched up from other men And as there are degrees of grace and proportions of faith so they should be preferred according to their degrees and proportions And not do as the common way now is to prefer the smaller matters of the Law before the greater and weightiest and to say they are more excellent if not in word yet in practice As 1. Preferring faith acquired before faith infused 2. Implicit before explicit faith And 3. Formed faith before all these in observing the outward and formal part of Religion as hearing praying receiving the Sacrament c. when as these are but poor things without the truth and substance these are but The Beginnings of Christ and to rest in these is but to be always children As if you should bid a Taylor make a garment for a man and he should take measure by a childe and if he be to make a garment for a childe to take measure by a man what a disproportion were this Therefore in all the ages and degrees of Christians we must observe what things and what garments best fit them that garment that will fit a child wil not a man that which will fit a man will not fit a child therefore there must be consideration had to distinguish times seasons Under the Law they were led by outward and visible things riches and honour and prosperity and health and long life and such childish things And are not most men now so even great Eminent professors that are still under the Paedagogie of the Law outward prosperity and are led by these things And these are the chief things they seek and make petition to God for which indeed we do allow to children to draw them on to a use of prayer but this garment though it may fit a childe yet it will not a grown man in Christ. But they are to seek first the Kingdom of God and to rest quietly in the will of God whether these things shall be added or no When I was a childe saith the Apostle I did as a childe I spake as a childe c. and I prayed as a childe but when I came to be a man I put away childish things Those that are come to be grown men in Christ for these outward things they are indifferent they see no such excellency in them as all worldly men do and even as children in Christ may through their weakness do the same But let us now put away childish things and be ashamed to lie crying and whining and begging for Bables and Rattles for riches and honour and beauty and favour of great men and such like things how unseemly is it for a man to cry or strive for childrens things O that I had such a Preferment and good Lord let me have such a place let me have such a house I must have such a purchase of Land Oh that I had my health again my wealth again not but that these prayers are lawful but to seek these things in our chief desires so that if you had but these things then you would be fully pleased and as quiet as Lambs let who will look after the souls portion and inheritance Truly Friends after all these things do the Gentiles seek All the men of the world gape for these things and see an excellency in nothing else but these men that are grown up in Christianity I tell you worldly men prize them not so much but they do as little and they see seek and pray for those things which are of a more excellent nature viz. things Divine and Spiritual these they finde worth praying for These are those better things which Mary chose which could never be taken away they see the vanity the uncertainty the vexation of the other things but the excellency
Nay he that goes no further and rests on that goes no further sees no more then the very Devils for they by long custom and experience have gotten whatever can be known in the history far beyond any man upon earth And therefore he whose faith hath brought him no farther then to believe in an external Christ in that Christ that was born at Bethlehem and there brought up and afterward wrought miracles and was crucified dead and buried and rose again c. This man The Letter kills him he knows no more nay not so much as the Devils themselves know and believe nay I say herein the Devils outstrip thee the Apostle Paul was so far from accounting this any thing that he slights the knowing any man after the slesh Henceforth know we no man saith he after the flesh no though we had known Christ yet henceforth know we him no more insomuch that if he had known and seen exactly what Christ did what he said how he lived how he dyed and how he rose again all is nothing henceforth we will know him no more after this manner No no but let me know all his actions his death his life his miracles his passion his resurrection all within me let me know and experiment them in my self if we know him thus this is knowledge worth prizing indeed this is worth Boasting of as 2 Cor. 5. 16. Christ died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again and again Col. 3. 1. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above This is that we should labour to finde Christs death and Christs life in us to see if Christ hath done all his actions not onely among the Jews at Ierusalem other then spiritually but in us I must finde that he hath been born and brought up in me that he hath put all the Doctors to silence within me that he hath wrought all his miracles in me opened my eyes as he did then open the eyes of the blinde open my ears as he did then so opening my lips that my mouth may shew forth his praise And as he cast out then both dumb and deaf Devils That there are the same to cast out in us If these actions be thus done in thee as verily as ever Christ did any of these actions in the flesh if this knowledge and this experience be fixed in your mindes and you feel the power thereof in your hearts then you have crackt The Shell you have gotten the Marrow the Fatness of the word Yet for all this we must not do with the Letter as I then told you because it is the shell as men usually do with the shells of Oysters or of Eggs Having once the Meat throw away the Shells no no for they are the means to bring the Word to us for to us because of our weakness cannot this word be conveyed without The shell therefore our merciful God hath bin pleased to convey it to us in earthen vessels and under Earthen resemblances that so we might hear it understand and receive it If we look upon it as it runs in black and white letters t is true It s a Lofty Majestical kinde of writing That carries Majesty and Authority in it and the proof is in it self Whereas other Writers are fain to bring proofs and witnesses of the truth of that they write whilst this carries proof and Authority in it self and at the best it is no more but he that can get within it He that can get into the midst of the burning bush He shall see Such spirit and life That eye hath not seen ear heard nor ever entred into mans heart to consider In short he shall know what it is to marry Achsah To have the vail rent and what it is to enter into the Holiest of All. And so of this history concerning Moses bringing Israel out of Egypt To see what slavery they were in and how Pharaohs Taskmasters beat them and increased their bondage taking away their straw and making them Toil harder and harder and yet the more they oppressed them the more they increased I say All this and the rest in the history runs High and Majestically and that is the best you can say of it but he that through the history shall see that the History was not written barely for a history but mainly and chiefly for us He shall see there is therein contained an eternal LIVING SENSE He that looks within himself shall finde all verified in himself And not onely This Scripture but the whole Scripture All the five Books of Moses Ioshua the Kings and all the battels of the Kings and so throughout that whatever part of Scripture he shall read he shall be able to say and feel experimentally This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears this day is this Scriptare accomplished in me for the substance of all those histories throughout is verified to this day and shall be to the worlds end It is no matter what other Pharaoh there was what Typical Pharaoh there was so we have found the True Pharaoh Nay it were no matter then though we had never heard of that Pharaoh for that Pharaoh doth but Type out unto us what the Spiritual Pharoah is How he labours to strengthen and advance himself in his Kingdom and if any offer to go out from him he will lay heavy burthens upon them He will make them groan under service insomuch that their cry shall come up before the Lord And if they do get out from him by strong hand it is By Miracles and wonders and he will be sure to pursue them till he himself be quite overthrown in the midst of the Sea and so he that sought for honour and glory in overcoming them the Lord shall get himself a name on that Pharaoh and on all his Host. And That we may come to the history in particular concerning bringing Israel out of Egypt There be three principal things in the Chapter 1. The Preparation before this vision That Moses saw 2. The vision it self the bush burned and was not consumed 3. The effect That followed of the vision viz. Moses his Commission to Pharaoh To deliver Israel 1. For the Preparation to the vision that is in the first verse Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law and he led the flock to the backside of the desart c. Moses it is testified of him in the Acts that he was a man mighty in all the learning of the Egyptians for being brought up as a Kings Son he wanted for no teaching in the Kingdom For the Egyptians had the chief learning of the world For I must tell you We and all Antiquity are beholding to the Egyptians for all their and our chief learning in natural things Now we must labour to see in all the words of
God that the Truth and the word of God it self is hid and coucht under mighty parables for without a parable spake he nothing unto them and indeed without parables can we not have the truth As we cannot have meat without excrements for in all the meat we eat there is abundance of excrement to a very little nourishment the greatest part though never so refined and decocted is excrement And so I say of the Letter the Letter compared with the Spirit is but the Shel the Excrement the outward Husk of the word and we have a great deal of excrement and Husk and Shell that doth us no good at all to a very little meat for you know excrement doth not nourish at all that comes away again and goes into the draught as our Saviour saith yet we may not abhor nor undervalue the Excrement of the Word because it is Excrement for we cannot have the meat thereof without Excrements for that which is Excrement doth but serve to convey the nourishment into the body God could not possibly speak to us nor convey his word but by the Excrement of the Letter as he hath done Something must be presented to our eyes and ears externally that we may conceive what is done internally for if Almighty God should have spoken as he would have spoken we should not have been able to have heard him for he should have quite undone our understanding As the Sun shines to us and gives us light at such a distance and through so many elements ayr and clouds and Mereors and many such interruptions so many thousand miles of distance which keeps his own perfect and full lustre glory and brightness from us for if it should not do so we should be quite blinded and our sight destroyed by it for we have much ado the strongest-sighed man that is to behold and look upon the Sun at that distance as it is what should we do then if these things and such a distance interposed not themselves between our sight and the Sun So if our great and Almighty God should speak to us in a spiritual way and as himself would speak if he should shine into us in the least part of his own splendor and glory all our sights all our apprehensions of him would be quite put out he would utterly destroy our sight and we should be quite swallowed up for we cannot possibly see God nor hear God but onely in that way that he hath already spoken to us But happy is that man who gets not the excrement but the nourishment of the Scriptures And I pray you for all this which I have said To magnifie the Spirit above the Letter let us be so far from throwing away the Letter that you rather infinitely bless God for it and be very thankful to him that he hath so far condescended to stoop so low to our weak capacities that we may come as we are able to receive the knowledge of him who is our happiness and eternal life O praise his infinite goodness for ever that the Mighty Strong Infinite Wise Creator hath been pleased so far to abase himself as to deal with us as with Babes for we are no better That HE the Mighty Jehovah is become weak to the weak that he hath made himself a Babe to us Babes Oh! be amazed and astonished at it for ever and fall down continually before his footstool with all trembling and fear St. Paul who was but a man tells the Corinthians that he could not speak unto them as spiritual men how then could God himself speak to them as spiritual or they to bear His words If we cannot bear the words of a weak frail man how is it possible to bear the words of God Himself As the Poets fain of their God Iupiter and his Wife Iuno a certain woman desiring of Iuno that she might but lie with Iupiter in all his glory and majesty she answered O woman thou hast asked thine own destruction but she persisting in her desire and having her request granted presuming upon her own strength And as soon as ever Iupiter drew near she was presently made in to powder Shewing thereby thus much unto the people that the true God was infinite and incomprehensible For let me tell you they intended as much as ignorant as you conceive them to be though to the common people they spake after this manner Covertly by similitudes and comparisons For there was not one of all the learned but knew that such a One must the true God be Neither let us be so simple as to think that they thought these to be Gods Or that their Gods and Goddesses were so wicked as to be Adulterers or the like They were not so sottish but they hid and couched the Truth under these shadows So God Almighty even Our God who is the true God if he should speak unto us as he is in himself what creature could stand before him he would speak all the world to powder to nothing for if he had pleased he could have spoke All Truth in One Word but where had been Auditors to have heard or understood that word As when the people murmured against Moses and Aaron and were divided against them and for them They thought that all the people of God were holy and Moses and Aaron took too much upon them and God could speak by them as well as by Moses and Aaron but as soon as God began to shew himself in his power and majesty they all trembled and were not able to stand before him and again when the people thought they would go up to the mountain as well as Moses Well saith Moses if ye will do but as soon they drew near to the foot of the mountain and the storms began but to arise and they heard the thunder and the lightnings and the terrible noise and the trumpets sounding louder and louder then they began to tremble and fear and prayed that God would not speak unto them lest we dye said they but let Moses speak to us for we can Hear Him Brethren know this for an undeniable truth that in Gods word there is such a depth of light and of glory Such ravishing profoundness That will serve all the men that ever were are shall be yea all the Divines and People of God through all generations nay and adde to them all the Angels in heaven to pry and dive into through all eternity and yet shall never be able to find out the bottom and the Vast stupendious depth thereof But as I say God is pleased for our capacities to give us these things hid under a vail That he may give us The Norishment He is faine to give us with it the Excrement which he would not do if we could receive the Nutriment alone For saith the Apostle Till this day while Moses is read they have still the vail over their heart In the outside of the Letter you see
describing that which was Above all Affirmation or Position it was fit to Begin and Establish the Fundamental Affirmations from that which is most Proper and Nearest unto it But now when we go by way of Taking away from that which is Above All Ablation or taking Away it is likewise fit we should begin our takings away at Those things that are furthest temote from it For is He not Rather and more properly Life and Goodness then Aire or A Stone And may it not Rather and more Properly be said that he is not Weak or Angry then that he is not Spoken nor Understood CHAP. IV. That He that is eminently the Cause of all sensible things is yet no sensible thing at all 1. VVE say therefore That the Cause of all things and that which is above all things is neither void of nor without Essence nor Life nor Reason nor Mind 2. Neither is it A Body nor hath it shape nor Form nor Quality nor Quantity nor Bigness neither is it in Place nor is it Seen nor hath it any Sensible touch 3. It neither Perceiveth by Sense nor is it Perceivable by Sense it hath neither Disorder nor Trouble as if it were Agitated by material Passions 4. It is neither Impotent as subject to sensible Passions or Accidents neither is in Any want or Indigence of light neither needs it any Light to see By or Withal 5. It hath neither Alteration nor Corruption nor Division nor Privation nor Flux or a Continual flowing and Succession of Parts nor any other Sensible thing Nor is it Any of all these Chap. V. That he that is eminently the Cause of all intelligible things is none of those intelligible things 1. AND going downward again we say it is neither Soul nor Mind nor hath it Phantasie nor Imagination nor Opinion nor Reason nor Understanding neither is it Reason nor Understanding nor is it Spoken or Understood 2. It is neither Number nor Order nor Greatness nor Littleness it is neither Equality nor Inequality nor Likeness nor Unlikeness 3. It neither Standeth still nor is Moved nor Resteth It neither hath Power nor is Power nor Light It neither Liveth nor is Life It is neither Essence nor Eternity nor Time nor is there any Intellectual Touch thereof 4. It is neither Knowledge nor Truth nor Kingdom nor Wisdom nor One thing nor Unity nor God-head nor Goodness 5. Neither is it a Spirit as we can know or understand or after Our manner of knowledge nor SON-SHIP nor FATHER-HOOD nor any other thing Known to us or to any Other of the things that Are. 6. Neither is it any of the things That are Not Nor any of the things that Are neither do the things that Are know it as it is nor doth It know the Things that Are as they Are. 7. There is no Speech of it nor Name nor Knowledge it is neither Darkness nor Light nor Errour nor Truth 8. There is of it No Position or Affirmation nor Ablation or taking Away or Negation But when we make Affirmations or Negations of the things That are After it yet we do neither Affirm nor Deny 9. Because He that is PERFECT Compleat Onely and Singularly the Cause of All things is Above all Position or Affirmation And the SUPER-EMINENCE of Him which is most Simply and Absolutely freed from all things and is Above All things is likewise Far Above All Negations The end of the Book of Dionysius the Areopagite concerning Mystical Divinity Blessed be he that is that was and that is to come AMEN Dr. Everards ADVICE upon these following Sentences in Latin and English REad not what follows till thou have Read and Felt and dost Understand what goeth before For here follow certain Grave and Notable sayings whereby the diligent Disciple of Christ may examine himself and know what is to be thought or determinated of the True and Inward Union to the Onely and Supreme Good that we may depart from our selves and being dead to our own will may live to God alone and to his will Grant it O God by him which resigned up his own will to his Heavenly Father who liveth and reigneth with the Holy Spirit in a perfect Trinity for ever Amen These in regard of their succinct and pithy shortness they were hard to be understood if put into so few words as the Latin I have therefore not onely translated them into English but also annexed the Latin to them that where the one Language shall be obscure it may be helped by the other 1. DEus est unicus unitas existit manat ab eo solo nec tamen de eo alioquin enim decresceret fieretque minor 1. God is onely One and Unity is in him and flows from him alone yet not of him nor any way from him otherwise it would decrease and become less 2. Ubi sunt duo quae una servari aut convenire oportet fieri potest ut inter ea oriatur discordia 2. Where there are two things that must be kept or agree together it may come to pass that discord or dissention may arise between them 3. Haec duo non nisi voluntate dissidere possent id quod esset summa causa occasio omnis dissidii etiam in Deo sit duo possent esse in eo 3. These two could not disagree but in Will which would be the greatest cause and occasion of all discord or disagreement Even in God if Two things could be in him 4. Nihil enim est quod dissentionem pariat inter omnia quae dissentire queant nisi dissimilitudo voluntatum 4. For there is nothing can breed dissention among all things that can disagree but the dissimilitude and unlikeness of wills 5. Hoc unum Deus vult unum estque omnibus binis contrarium 5. This one God willeth One thing and is contrary to all Two things 6. It aque ergo quicquid etiam creavit ipse super unico illo creavit alioquin ei defuisset ordo 6. Therefore also whatsoever he created he created upon or To that One alone otherwise it had wanted order 7. Praeterea nullam potuisset ejus creatio sive creatares habere consubstantiam propter voluntatem contrariam quemadmodum videlicet nunc fit ideoque eam interire oportuisset 7. Moreover His Creation or created thing could have had no constancy because of the contrary Will to wit as it is now done therefore it must needs have dyed 8. Ea unit as metiri cogitari tractari cognoscive non poterat nisi duntaxat ab uno per unum idque interdum in suo contrario 8. That Unity could not be measured thought handled or known but onely of One and by One and that sometime in its contrary 9. Contrarium existit a se ipso sine culpa adversarii 9. The contrary is or exists of it self without the fault of the Adversary 10. Hinc apertissime perspici potest oportuisse ut uni optimo esset aliquod