bear me record for certain it is true both of this particular Scripture and so of the rest I say Caleb did say so and Kiriathsepher was taken by Othniel and he did marry Achsah these things were really and literally and externally acted And so the History of Abraham and all the rest but I cannot stand now to instance as I would though I could shew you clearely How the Mystery is hid and couched and interwoven in the letter But to touch upon the History of Abraham He had two sons The One the son of the bond-woman The Other the son of the free woman And there was A mount Sinai and A mount Sion as the Apostle Paul alludes to it and shews us Thy mystery of those things and tells us plainly Those things are an Allegory Gal. 4. 24. Which things are an Allegory saith he for these are the two Covenants the one from Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Hagar and answereth to Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children but Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all and as he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now and so he goes on shewing what the Holy Ghost Pointed out in that History because he would not have them Rest in the Letter but search for the Spirit The life and the mystery So neither do I deny nor diminish the least title from the letter but the Apostle and so I would bring the history home to our selves to our own particulars For what are these histories to us what good is it to us that there was Amount Sinai and A mount Sion and that Abraham had two sons the One by the bond-woman the Other by the free-woman but He would shew and teach us That the son of the bond-woman in us which is the Son of fear should be cast out and the son of the free-woman that is the Son of love should inherit so always reserving the Truth of the Letter yet not losing the sense and the meaning But if we rest and dwell on the Letter or on the history and so onely take it as an history and not see our own selves in it and by it then that History that Letter kills but it is the Spirit onely that gives life viz. the Mind and the meaning for there is no Scripture but is as a glass to behold our own faces our own Hearts So he that shall read the second and third chapters of Genesis where we read of the Serpents speaking to and beguiling our mother Eve and of Eves tempting her Husband and so both came into the transgression But now let us not onely read this speculatievly and so let it pass but let us consider how this Scripture is fulfilled in us see how our own condition is there related as well as our first parents let us come to the woof this is but the out-side the Letter what is the hidden truth in them for there is no part of holy Writ but is fulfilled alwaies in all times in every part thereof and in every member of the Church or In the enemies of the Church at one time or other alwayes the same things are in doing throughout all ages As I take it the meaning is The Serpents there speaking to Eve His first setting upon her solliciting and seducing her It shews that Satans method in the soul of every man is first to set upon the inferior part of man the affections which are soonest overcome as S. Paul sayes of Eve the woman was first in the transgression thereby understanding as I conceive the affections unto which and by which The Serpent is every day whispering Treason and suggesting Treachery into the soul against God The lower parts of the soul first hearken and they being overcome then they as Eve set upon Adam that is the Will and Understanding and the higher powers of the soul whereby both the Woman and the Man came into the transgression Understanding the Scriptures thus As fulfilled within us we make them our own hereby the word is made a Living word and Endureth for ever as David saith Those that see and feel the Scriptures Thus fulfilled In them They have found The Pearl of the Scriptures for we ought to sell All and the Hidden Manna which shall feed and nourish them to Eternal life Nay let me tell you These have the Spirit and the life of the Word though they never heard nor read the Scripture before If thou hast but found felt the Hissing Serpent cursed in thee overcome in thee if thou hast seen Lucifer fallen from his Heaven in thy soul like lightning I say to thee This day is the Scripture fulfilled in thee For if thou knowest the Letter of the Scriptures never so exactly if thou hast not this work brought about in thee Thou art a meer stranger to the Scriptures thou never yet understoodst what the Word of God was but finding these things in thee thou wilt say as those Samaritans said to the woman of Samaria who told them she had met with Christ the Messiah but when they themselves had conferred with him say they now we believe him to be so not because thou saidst so but because we have seen him and found him so to our selves so mayest thou say now I believe not only because it is written in Gen. but because I have felt it and seen it written fulfilled in mine own soul for Thus God is pleased for our capacities and comprehensions to convey to us the knowledge of this inward work within us by external representations to our understanding that so we may comprehend Those things that are so far above us for men naturally altogether live by sense and reason which reveal not these things but as they are rubbed and whetted upon us instilled by degrees Line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little And when thou canst say I have felt all these things done in my self this whispering and this solliciting I find I have that Adam and Eve in me I have eaten of that forbidden tree I find it was I that aspired to be equal with God and I would sit in his seat and this is Lucifer in me and the Devil in me and the old Adam in me but if thou canst say withal I have also found him overcome and cursed in me oâ— Beloved you then are in a happy condition It is said concerning our Saviour that he spake to them in parables and without a parable spake l. e nothing unto them so God seldome or never speaks to us but it is in parables under resemblances and figures So here this City Kiriathsepher here spoken of Of its Smiting and Taking it s a parable rather then a history something else represented of more high concernment The wisdom of God in the Scriptures is
If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together THis Text as I have told you represents a Christians whole time that is His Non-age and his Full-age if that be too long his Winter and his Summer if that also be then call it His Day His Evening and His Morniâ—g as Gen. 1. The Evening and the Morning were a day Observe The Evening alwayes before the Morning Now every one I know will be ready to say as Balaam said Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous and that my last end might be like his Numb 23. 10. Oh let my Full Age be like his let my Summer and my Morning be like his The truth is every one would Reign with Christ but none would Suffer with him When the time shall come that we must surrender up these precious souls of ours and that we feel and see we have but our three last groaning sighs to fetch and that we must be dissolved depart out of this Tabernacle and return to our first principles from whence we were taken and that our spiâ—its must return to God that gave them I say when we shall come to see this if so be we believe so far as this Oh then we would willingly dye the death of the righteous and that our dayes might end like his but by no means would we take part with him in his Non-age in his Winter in his Evening in his Suffering with Christ Oh no therein he cryes out Master favour thy self from these things let none of these things happen to thee but this Text I have now read unto you withstands all these wishes and desires In plain words If ye suffer with Christ then shall ye be glorified with him if ye suffer not with him there is no hope of glory no hope of reigning no hope of the crown Therefore it behoves us to look for sufferings we must make account of being sufferers and of being such kind of sufferers as may claim a part in Christs sufferings for there be many sufferers in the world yet have no part with Christ. Moreover it may be We never were whipt with Christ never poor with Christ never crucified with Christ never imprisoned with Christ we were never called as the Apostle saith to resist unto bloud how then can we claim a part of suffering with Christ therefore we must labour to find out such a condition wherein we may claim a part in Christs sufferings and then we may also in his Throne and Glory We must therefore suffer as the Apostle defines Christs sufferings Phil. 2. we must first empty our selves as Christ did and Secondly We must humble our selves as he did fot he being God equal with his Father yet he emptied himself of all his glory that is poured it all out and made himself of no reputation being so humble that he was found in the form of a servant Now when a Christian begins but to set his face toward Ierusalem if he do but begin to look towards this Emptying and suffering life he shall be sure to find enemies enough this old man Adam Lucifer Antichrist the red Dragon Sin c. All standing like so many Goliaâ—s or strong men armed standing at the very gate that if ye do but look towards the door they prepare to encounter they stand at the very foot of the six steps which I named unto you 1 Condemnation 2 Annâ—hilation of our selves 3 Forsaking of all things 4 Indifferency to all things 5 Conformity in all things 6 Deiformity or Transformity Wherein conâ—â—sts Our suffering with Christ which Enemies do labour might and main to hinder us from suffering with Christ so that before we can set one foot on this first step there stands I say Goliah That mighty Giant Standing for the whole army of the Philistims being six cubits and a span high with an helmet of brass upon his head armed with a coat of Male and greaves of brass upon his legs and a target of brass between his shoulders and the staff of his spear being like a Weavers beam and his spear head weighing 600 shekels of iron This Goliah thus armed stands and if any man attempt or have a thought to look toward these six steps he cries and proclaims Choose you a man and if he be able to come and fight with me if he prevail over me then will we be your servants and serve you but if I prevail over him then shall ye be our servants for ever But it may be some will say to me I know not the man I never saw any such thing as you speak of I have none of these things in me you touch not me I am free I have nothing to do with this strong man armed This Goliah nor Lucifer nor the Serpent nor the red dragon nor Antichrist Therefore I intended and began last day to open unto you those names that thereby you might see whether you knew any of these or no for the Scripture hath given this Enemy divers names and set him out divers wayes to us because these things are in themselves far above our capacitie therefore he hath divers names that if you know him not by one yet you may by another for he hath divers and various effects and workings in man and he works in darkness and his works are works of Darkness so that few ever come to discover him or them Therefore I hope after we have gone tâ—rough them all ye will not say Ye know not the man we speake of or that you have not heard of any of these things and that you have no such things within you Nor that you have none of these secret whisperings none of these resistances and fightings within you Nor you have none of these wars and rumours of wars within you you can repent and confess your sins when you list And you for ought you can see have none of this battle of Warriors as Isaiah speaks of which is with confused noise and garments tumbled in blood you have none of this burning up with the fewel of fire But assuredly know That all These things will be within you before there can be To us a child born and To us a son given And if there be Through Gods Blessing such a happy discoverie by that time we have opened these names so that you shall be able to say Sir as you say he is so have we found him truly Nabal is his name and Nabal is his nature Adam is his name and so is his nature the Serpent is his name and so is his nature the red Dragon is his name and so is his nature Then this will be a Happy â— Blessed day to you As I said if so be you find him in you by these names or by his effects then assure your selves He must be fought withal there is no overcoming of him without fighting Do not think that he is Scared with words
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
obtain this meeting and several times procured two but never could get three of them together to confer with and to give an account of whatever had been delivered by him which That he might vindicate Truth much hungred and thirsted for what the cause may be of such backwardness in them we leave to others to judge of But it may be if they would have met they might have learned that which they never knew For as truth is strongest so God had wonderfully come into him and declared himself by him in his late years and made him as it were a Sampson against the numerous Philistims and a David against the huge and mighty Goliahs of those times for even then in his dayes some of his acquaintance and followers who indeed were very knowing men and pretended High things as indeed they were but abused by them to great lieâ—nciousness making even those precious 〈◊〉 an occasion to the flesh insomuch that he 〈…〉 to threaten prosecution of them to 〈◊〉 for their vile words and actions if they so persisted after so often Admonition and he forbâ—d their following or hearing of him except they came with affection to truth and with desire to be built up in the most holy faith yet as he was a man of presence and Princely behaviour and deportment and fit to accompany such so he was also familiar even with the meanest and if willing to be taught he was as willing to instruct and teach them and they were upon this account more welcome to him then Lords or Princes imitating the humble carriage of his Lord and Master he not thinking it any disparagement to accompany with the worst and lowest of men so he might do them good for he knew he was not sent to call the righteous but the sinners nor to heal the whole but the sick not the Iusticâ—â—ries and those who though they may be large in confession of sin yet really see but little in themselves and less to repent of Insomuch that those who were about him either in sickness or health would often say they gat more good instruction from him in discourse then by many Sermons of other mens he being still forward if they were backward to take occasions to communicate some Divine truths so that he won their attention to hearken to him as Christ did Maries who chose that better part which should never be taken from her And when they were backward to enquire of him he would move them to ask him questions if they had any doubts or questions to propound then for saith he when I am gone many will miss me therefore I desire you would make use of me and get what you can by me while I am here and the more you so do the more welcome but Christ I know will be a Teacher to those that are his He was also a man of a choise couragious and discerning spirit endowed with skill and depth of learniag judgement and experience to mannage what God had though but of late revealed to him as he often would say affirming he was now ashamed of his former knowledge expressions and preachings even since he commenced Dr. in Divinity although he was known to be a very great Scholar and as good a Philosopher few or none exceeding him yet when he came to know himself and his own heart and also to know Jesus Christ the Scriptures more then Grammatically literally or Academically viz. experimentally he then counted all those things even all his acquired parts and humane abilities loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him câ—ucified not onely externally but particularly buried and risen again in himself and for that blessed sight to see how the Scriptures were daily fulâ—illing in himself and others they concerning as much all times all men and all ages as those of whom they were the history wherein lies as in these Sermons he sheweth the chief excellency fatness and marrow of the Scriptures and without which the word is of so little use to us that to us it is not the word of God which the Apostle saith Heb. 4. is quick and powerful and mighty in operation sharper then a two edged sword and peircing between even the joynts and marrow as he also largely in several parts of this Book sheweâ—h And this was the alone knowledge whereby he was crucified to the world and to himself And thereby his depth in learning and Philosophy being sanctified they so much the more confirmed and centred his spirit they brought him to his heaven home and rest even into that ever blessed union and communion with God which before was but skin-deep learning and Philosophy as he termed it And the couragiousness of his Spirit was such when he was but a bare literal University Preacher as he afterward still called himself that he was the onely man that opposed preached against and held it out to the utmost against the late Kings matching with the Infanta of Spain when others durst but whisper their consciences and thoughts he chose Texts on purpose to shew the unlawfulness and the great sin of matching with Idolaters being often committed to prison for it when he was Preacher at Martins in the Fields and then by the next Sabbath day one Lord or other would beg his liberty of the King and presently no sooner out but he would go on and mannage the same thing more fully notwithstanding all the power of the Bishops being committed again and again being as I heard him say six or seven times in Prison insomuch they coming so oft tâ— King Iames about him he began to take more notice of him asking What is this Dr. Ever-out his name saith he shall be Dr. Never-out Then began the Bishops for this to be his 〈◊〉 adversaries fetching him up into their High-Commission and never left prosecuâ—ing him until they had took from him his Benefice being four hundred pounds a year And at his second convening thither spoken of before 〈◊〉 threatned him he would bring him to a morsel of â—read and all because he could not have his will of him to make him stoop and bow to him And where is the man that hath adventured for all their forward and great professions so far as he hath done in discharge of duty and consciencâ— because he thought he was bound thereto by command from God! And yet for all this as he said of himself â—his he did by a meer power of self from natural abilities and from the power of the old man suggesting and working in him and carrying it out with much boldness mâ—gnanimity and true zeal as to mans judgement Oh! what great things may men do this way externally and have no principle of grace or true fear of God! yea not onely to the loss of Means and Liberty but to the loss of their heads and lives and meerly out of Vain-glory or some such Self-interest and herein truly is little
those that hunger and thirst for them and who cannot be satisfied without them and to none else Besides all this the importunity and sollicitations of many Scholers and other Christians from time to timeâ— who having experience of these practical things in themselves who though they want much of the Doctors schollership and parts yet deemed them worthy the publishing and have now prevailed to communicate them publiquely assuring themselves that those who have the things themselves in them will not be captious to spy out faults but receive in good part what is well intended Moreover another main reason of deferring them no longer is the abuse of many truths more broken forth of late them foâ—merly many of those Diamonds of truth being therein cleared and polished which have been so much abused and abased either by those filthy dreamâ—rs who have as to men wofully mistaken corrupted and defiled many glorious truths and by their false and devillish conclusions have not onely given occasion but a justification to defile the â—lesh falsly pretending that truth allows it though truth in it self cannot be corrupted or defiled or else by those blind Seers of 〈◊〉 times who yet calling themselves Prophets but are not do as Isaiah saith Isa. 5. 20. call truth errour and errour truth call darkness light and light darknesâ— evil good and good evil c. here also thou shalt find many of those Diamonds and prâ—cious Tâ—uths taken up from under their feet having been by them so trodden in the dirt as to men I say still they not knowing the worth of them by their viâ—ifyings and by their foul names of Errour Heresie Familsm c. because they knew not a true and right Diamond or if some yet not all and thâ—m they knew not they presently vilifie as cheating and counterfeit indeed few can know them from such or from dirt they have so daubed and trampled them in the miâ—e yet here thou shalt find them made orient spaâ—kling and refulgent as â—it to be numbred among those foundation precious stones whereof the New Ierusalâ—m is built Rev. 20. And those blind Seers pourtraitured to the life and their seemingly-holy disguises pulled off And yet in all this we have said commendatory of the Author Christian friends do not think that we have gone about to praise or liâ—t up Man or that we would have you fasten your eyes on any creature whatever No no God forbid far far be any such thing from our thoughts for what is man or wherein is he to be accounted of neither was it the Authors practise at all to lift up Man neither do we here present him as a perfect man but with Eliah as the Apostle saith of him Iames 5. 17. He was a man subject to like passions as we arâ— and with Lot Abraham David Pâ—ul and Peter he had his infiâ—mities but he could say also with Paul 〈◊〉 me that is in my flâ—sh dwelleth no good thing But I dâ—ligâ—t in the Law of God aftâ—r the inward man now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sâ—â— that dwelleth in me neither did he ascribe any good either graces or gifts to himself but all to God he would not set that crown upon his own head or upon the head of any creature but with Paul confessed Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And when God had wrapt up his spirit in pâ—eaching even as it were to behold himself in the third heaven yet he had that prick in the â—lâ—sh which would cause him often to say even in publique Beloved if at any time you find any good by me or see any truth more then you did before or find your souls raised from death to life or the Cripple from his mothers womb healed and cured within you or if you see any grace any gift in me as Peter to the Jews Ye men of Israel why look ye on us so earnestly as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man walk if you see in me any good know that is none of mine I dare not claim it neither can any creature claim it But if you see in me or your selves any sâ—â— any evil that is most properly mine and yours and yet it is not I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me but all good is Gods whatever it be that comes under the notion of Good under what name soever it is Gods and his onely So that we have onely hereby laboured to set and six your eye on him from whom all excellencies slow to see and behold the excellencies and vertues not of man but of him who calleth from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God and that you should wonder and be amazed that the Almighty should stoop so low as to work in men and to communicate of his own nature and put â—orth his mighty workings in and through such poor nothings as men are And in this respect let no man â—ear to speak to the utmost freely and fully of the Vertues Excellencies and workings of the Lord in the hearts of his people for in them he displayes his gloâ—ies they are his Sanctuary his Temple in them he rests as in his holy hill where every one speaks of his glory and although these motions and mighty miracles be wrought in man yet they are not of man or by man Therefore let men or whoever shall have occasion to speak either of the dead or of the living but keep to this rule and fix their eye on him to whom all glory and praise is due and then let them set forth freely and fully whatever vertues or what ever is praise-worthy in any of the sons of men thus far made the sons of God then they need never fear to be charged with flattery or hope of rewards from men Let not so far as lies in man the graces of God and his glorious working in his Saints dye no not when thâ—y dye 〈◊〉 this is far from over praising the dead or the 〈◊〉 as the mistake hath been though man may and must return to his mother the Earth and to his principle of dust yet let the Lord alone be exalted and in this sense spare not to speak out freely the vertues and endowments of God in any man although for the best of man or men we must say of them with Daniel and other Saints To us belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face for ever but to the Lord honour and glory mercy and forgiveness for over and â—ver Let no man appropriate to himself or put upon others any good for all good is fâ—om God and whatever is evil is mans although naturally and generally mens practises are quite otherwise appropriating all good to themselves and nothing of evil whereby the poor blind creature Man deludes his poor soul while
thoughts and all his former thoughts were banished Even so doth this man behave himself when once God hath spoken to him and discovered himself to be so near He doth as David sayes he did Set the Lord alwayes before his eyes then he minds God and observâ—s his workings his out-goings and incomings he alwayes then puts God forward in him He must do all Before He was the forward man and who but he All Gods acts in him he arrogated to himself and as he thought the actions were His done by His power wisdom and parts so he took home The glory and praise of all to himself But now Upon Gods appearing to him this man is Undonâ— slain crucified Then he can with all his heart let God Be all and Do All Speak in him Move in him Live in him Work all his works in him and for him He now minds God in whatsoever any creature saith or doth to him He no longeâ— lives his own life but the life of God t is true He lives as the Apostle saith Yet not He but Christ in him He now As a New man Hath no words but the words of Christ no thoughts but the thoughts of Christ made One spirit and life with Him and so he becomes throughout A changed Man A New man But the other he that is not aware of God He that is a Reprobate who knows not That Christ is in Him He takes no knowledge of all this but does what he list and as he thinks He speaks his own words and thinks his own thoughts and All their thoughts words and actions All their aims and endeavours tend to the fulfilling the desires of the flesh Either more gross and open or else more subtile and refined and more hid from the eye of the world Their desires and aims are How they shall procure such a benefit to themselves such an estate or how he shall be delivered from the danger of the times and he is full of carking and caring how his flesh shall be provided for and the like And truly beloved it cannot be otherwise for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh and whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit for it can never act without its own sphere and compass were we born of the Spirit we could not but dye to the flesh and seek the things of the Spirit then all his thoughts for the advantage of the flesh Cease and he is altogether fot Increasing and Perfecting This life of God begun in him let God live more and more and himself less and less As John Baptist saith he must increase but I must decrease This is his life now which before was his death and contrary his death is his life God is now A welcom Guest Yet Not that God is more or less there you being alwayes Gods Temple as well before you see him as when you see him for Christ cannot Alter his lodging in the reality of it This is a certain truth Nothing can make Christ depart in regard of his Essence and Being but to you he may depart and so you are to understand all such expressions for if you think and as some preach that God comes and goes from place to place from earth to heaven oâ— from heaven to earth departs and returns and that you can stay Him and change Him or make him return These are all childish fopperies in this ye do as it were Create another God to your selves and make the true God an Idol but it is spoken in refâ—rence to the Creature in regard of our sight and apprehensions As To you He is departed and dwels above far remote And indeed and really he is as having no being and is as no God to thee However thou mayest flatter and deceive thy self Until thou hast smitten and taken Kiriathsepher and marryed Achsah Calebs daughter Till there be power given To rend the vail But then you shall see Him who is the truth of all things The substance of all things and not before for whatever you can see are but Shaddows and not the Truth As in this my body you cannot see the Internality and the Truth of it for the truth and Substance of it doth not consist either in the coldness or in the hotness for it hath been hotter and it hath been colder neither in the Oldness nor Youngness for it hath been younger and may be older neither in the heaviness nor lightness for it hath been lighter and may be heavier nor in no accidents you can name Then if so none hath ever heard or seen or spoke that which is the Truth of me for my Substance cannot be seen but onely Accidents the truth consists in things internal and t is the like for any other thing you behold besides And so likewise such is the Word of God it consists not in any thing you can hear or see or can perceive or comprehend for Gods Word is as himself Mighty Incomprehensible Omnipotent c. not included in any place His Word is the Being and life of all things the Letter cannot possibly contain the Eternal Majesty of the Word it is not the Word of God till it be expounded to the heart and made a word of power and quickning in the hearts of his people The Word is Eternal and was before any Letters or Scriptures were and shall be for ever when all those things Cease Gods speaking is His creating Let it be done there can be no resisting sayes David whatever he commanded it was wrought God Hath spoken As many Words as he hath made Creatures But He hath spoken One Great and mighty word and that One WORD includes All those Words and that One Word is Jesus Christ the Onely begotten of his Father and the first born of every creature all the rest of the creatures are but as so many Letters of this GREAT Word for he is called the Word He being in the bosome of his Father He was Unspoken Unuttered Unpronouncedâ— there was not then any one creature in heaven or earth but God was ALL there was then Neither Father Son nor Spirit as divided But He being Once pronounced He is the Word Spoken then immediately there is Father Son and Spirit For these are expressed Several or TRINE onely in relation to the creatures which to me is clear for there is not diversity in God but God is one and in Himself cannot be more and I hope it is clear to you If any should think or say unto me the words of Pilate Oh Sir What thing is truth I must answer thus truth is not possible to be either spoken or heard for God onely is truth and nothing else can be now it is impossible to see or hear God saith our Saviour No man hath seen God at any time for we cannot see him and live we must depart Out of the nature of man and return into God and be one with God Else we can never know
all the good things he hath promised we shall say by experience Now we know that heaven and earth shall pass away but not one tittle of his word hath failed We shall then see All Solomons Love-songs fulfilled and never till then And yet Beloved all these things are but dark shadows to the Truth and The Things themselves But to conclude We run over these things for time hastens Those that are brought to this condition To have the vail Rent before their faces They shall see Such things as I am not able to express For eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither ever entred into the heart of man those glorious things which God hath prepared to entertain To Feast such self-denying souls which are both Full Satisfying and Ravishing contentments Beloved these are such things as cannot be enjoyed Seeing them by feeling till the vail be Rent But yet know this t is Othniel that takes this City t is The Lords good time or fit opportunity We cannot take this City nor marry Achsah Calebs daughter when we would but we must wait Gods opportunity when he pleases to give it noâ— in our time but in his time nay we cannot so much as hasten that time When we shall have power to smite Kiriathsepher and marry Achsah no more then a woman in travail by all the means and industry she can use can hasten the time of her delivery We must wait the time Till God reveal for we must take it When he will give it And As He will give it by degrees time after time line upon line and precept upon precept And so We wâ—iting in Gods way He will Reveal and we shall come to understand The Good Will of the Lord One time after another Now A little and then A little line upon line that so you may come To glorifie God your heavenly Father Not that you may bring Honour or Profit to your selves though This be our greatest Honor and profit or take the praise to your selves as though by Your power you had smitten the City or married Achsah And so possessed the Upper and Nether springs the letter and the Spirit Thus to do is not to smite the City You as yet have not smitten it this is not The power of God this is but Your selves this is but by the power of flesh this is but by the power of Satan in us but here is the misery of the Sons of men they are ready to think and believe that they have smitten the City when t is Nothing less they think they know as much as can be known and Glory in this and so look for and give praise and Honour to themselves And if Any go beyond them if they cannot fathom what you say presently they cry out upon it as an Error and no body must know more then they and they must have the honour and praise of all they must and will be sure to keep men within their compass and knowledge always holding them in the letter in the Rudiments in the Pedagogies and in the shadows of Religion and cannot indure nor bear that men should be brought up to perfection to possess those Plerophorias those Full Enjoyments prepared for them that so they may be delivered and set at liberty from under the Law and from the killing Letter From Bondage and thraldom that they may come to receive The inheritance of Sons and Freemen hâ—t so the glory and praise of All may be to God Almighty none to them who hath given power to smite Kiriathsepher the City of the Letter that it may be unto us DEBIR The Word of God and so reveal unto us things Unutterable and unspeakably glorious Even The hidden Manna and the Living Waters to nourish us to Everlasting life Where the Glory of God is the light of that Temple whose brightness you shall see so far as you are able to Receive where you shall have Safety from all your Foes you shall see and behold their Ruine where you shal have the company comfort of all the Saints And God himself shall strive to Fill and if it were possible and Glutt you with happiness Where the City Gates are built with Pearls The streets paved with gold the walls of Precious stones the Temple in this City Is Almighty God Himself and Kings and Princes shall be but Vassals and cast out and nor regarded as such Where the River springs from under the Throne and Hill of God the Water clear as Chrystal The Banks set with Trees of Life Where your Chear is Ioy your Exercise Singing the song of Moses and the Lamb your Duties praising the Subject God the Quire consisting of Angels and Saints the Songs Hallelujahs Rev. 19. 3 4 6. Where there is no more need to fear that your Eyes shall be dimmed with Tears or your Ears Affrighted with Cryes or your Senses disturbed with Pain or the Heart Damped with Sorrow or the Soul Ever Surprized by death VVhere there is All God and No Evil there is No Persecutors None to Claim your Possessions from you None To Envy your Happiness the Rich cannot be Robbed Nor Kings shall not be Flattered VVhere there is Possessions without Impeachments Seigniories without Cares Length of yeares without decay of Strength Love of All without Ieâ—lousie of any Greatness of STATE without Conscience of Corruption Where we shall be Ravished with Seeing Satisfied with Enjoying And Secured for Retaining Beloved All these things are Very true True In the Letter But far more true Taking it All as meant Spiritually There are Such Things as These Buâ— infinitely more Spiritual Divine and Transcending Such things As These and whatever else The Heart of man can Imagine Are but Poor Things to what we shall there Have and Live with and Live in viz. In Heaven The Beginnings whereof are given you Here as an Earnest and First Fruits For Heaven is Nothing else But Grace perfected T is of the same Nature with that you Enjoy Here For He that is United and made ONE with Jesus Christ by Faith Hath A True and REAL Glimpse of those Ravishing Glories And Delights which he shall for ever Enjoy But you must Wave All Carnal Sensual and Worldly Enjoyments And look upon the Highest Chiefest and Rarest here To be But Shadows and Dark Resemblances of those Blessed Good things which we shall then Enjoy For Ever and Ever THE TWO MIGHTY AND Wonderfull TREES OF EDEN In the Garden of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ELOHIM Incognita Vnknown Ever since Man was driven out of Paradise until Admitted to Return in Again viz. THE TREE of KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD and EVIL AND The TREE of LIFE Taken out of A Book Called The LETTER And The LIFE Or The FLESH And The SPIRIT Translated by Dr. EVERARD THE TREE of KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD and EVIL What it is I Will not much contend with them that will have The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil as
that he emptied himself of all his glory took upon him the form of a Servant made himself of no reputation and One action from him was sufficient this you will not deny And therefore in all the Scripture you may observe that from the very instant of the Creation the second person in Trinity took upon him a body he had a body from the beginning from the first man and shall have a body to the last man as David saith of him a Body hast thou prepared me consider of this and compare it with the Scriptures and see if this be not more agreeable unto the vastness of the largness of Christ then to confine his body onely to the short time of 33 years He it is that suffers in man in the first man and shall suffer in the last man from the time of his suffering in the first righteous Abel to the last to the last righteous Abel from the time of taking his Kingdom of his Father till the time that he shall render up the Kingdom to his Father it is he that suffers I know when at any time ye hear of Christs Body and of his sufferings you presently fly to that short time that he lived upon Earth to those 33 years that he was visibly seen to walk upon Earth and I doubt many Divines intend no less when they speak of his sufferings they presently have recourse to that time and to Pontius Pilate and Herod and the Iews and intend no more but Beloved Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Christ suffers now as much as he did then and before that as much as he doth now for while any of his members suffers he suffers I appeal to you examine this truth whether this be not more agreeable to truth and to the Scripture to acknowledge this Vast Largness of Christ then to narrow and scant his body to that short time for if ye say he wrought our redemption and satisfied Gods wrath in those whole thirty three years then you contradict your selves for none can deny but any one of his actions alonâ— considered was abundantly sufficient and the Apostle Paul saith That he did fill up in his body the measure of the sufferings of Christ and certainly he that thus suffered in him doth still and shall do so to the end of the world And so I say concerning this request of the Spouse to Christ it is a strange question if ye consider it according to the three thirty years he was on earth in the dayes of Herod for to ask him where he fed and where he rested we know in that regard where he fed and where he rested at that time but she asks where he feeds now and where he rests now to the very very last day and from the first day this is the Spouse her question where he feeds and where he feeds at noon But by the way God forbid that we should go about to deny Christs coming in the flesh for he did come in the flesh and whatever the Scripture saith he did in the flesh is really undeniably true and let his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth that shall deny it But yet give me leave to tell you that is but the History there is a mystery in all the words there is a symbolical truth hid in them that is not obvious to every eye T is true he cured the eyes of the blinde and healed the lame and cured the deaf but that is but the letter the history that dyed with them for they are dead their eyes are shut up and their members are dissolved and returned into their first elements But he by that resembled to us how he hath ever since and before and will for ever cure the eyes of the blind and heal the lame and cast out Devils and cure the bloudy Issue in our souls for the other was but the outside the visible sensible part of his actions and miracles but that which Christ would represent to our understanding by that that is the fixed and eternal truth And so Christ still hath and shall have his food and his resting place And whoever shall eat of this Food shall never hunger again whosoever shall drink of this water that he shall give them shall never thirst again Your Fathers have eaten Manna in the Wilderness and are dead saith he but whosoever shall eat of this manna shall never dye Those actions Christ did then but these actions that those represents he doth alwayes those were visible representations presentations of them which he invisibly and mystically doth now yet as really Not onely I say as truly but more truly The spirituality of those actions never end for put all together that ever Christ raised from death or cast out devils out of and healed c. they were but few he could have healed and cured all if he pleased but that was not the end of his coming but he did so much and enough to manifest God come in the flesh that he will always do the same things to the end of the world Spiritually Where thou feedest what then may be Christs food for even Christ now hath his diet and food though not of figs after which he hungred nor of flesh which he did eat nor of boiled fish which he seemed to eat c. But Christ himself tells us My meat is to do the will of my Father and to finish his work and he tells us where he rests Cant. 6. 2 3. Among the beds of spices among broken and contrite hearts and his delight is to be among his lilies and among his roses in his garden there doth he refresh himself Christ is fed in his members Take heed then ye suffer not Christ to starve within you lest at the last day it be laid to your charge I was a hungry ye gave me no meat thirsty and ye gave me no drink naked ye clothed me not in prison and ye visited me not c. But do you think that Christ is fed with corporal food I assure you this for your comfort that those that feed Christ shall never perish but now to feed the hungry with bread externally to put clothes upon the naked to give drink to them that are A-Thirst to go to them that are shut up in prison this every man may do by his natural power ye may do this and yet give where there is no need you may do this and yet suffer your Saviour to starve This is not a true feeding on Christ no no it is Another-guess feeding that he requires or that he will Reward The meaning is I had a spiritual hunger and a spiritual nakedness this ye did not relieve satisfie and supply when I lay begging knocking at your door for relief in this kinde ye would not hear me and now I will not Hear you You suffered me
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
he will Tear and Rent the Man and when he doth not though he seem to depart he keeps possession still or will Return with seven other spirits worse then himself Many perswade themselves they have grace because they are of a smooth fine affable disposition and carriage and many Prophets daub them up with untempered morter as if they had grace from their Cradles whereas indeed All men are as deep in Adams fall one as another and one as hard to be recovered as another I have shewed you upon another Text how all must suffer with Christ none excepted if they will be glorified with him and shewed you wherein viz. All and every one must be emptied and humbled as Christ was When Christ comes to cast the Devil out of these men in person himself I le warrant you he will Rend and Tear them When for Christ and to enjoy the life of Christ they must be emptied of all their fine natural endowments and come to see the ugliness the sinfulness of all their thoughts words actions and to be arraigned as the vilest Malefactors for all their great progress in Religion for even these are as far off the life of Christ as the other And they must be at the mercy of the Judge as much as the other And their Secret and Heart-Idols and defilements are as odious to God as the other I pray where is then their In-bred gracious natures If they must pass through that Condemnation and annihilation and abdication and indifferency c. as I then shewed you And must fight with the strong man Armed before he be cast out I le warrant you they will find this A Fiery Tryal Also the Apostle calls it A new birth What throws and pangs is there in natural births And do you think there is less and easier in the New birth No no deceive not your selves far far more for ye must be Slain and Crucified with Christ. I pray consider seriously of these things and be not deceived and lulled asleep nor receive not any such pillows under your Elbows from any for they cry peace peace when there is no peace and they say Thus saith the Lord when he hath not spoken unto them but they flatter you with the visions of their own heart Jet 23. 16. But be sure these unclean spirits are in every one of us naturally and they depart not without Tearing Beloved know All these are the unclean spirits in men that God will cause to pass out of the Land Zech. 13. 2. And I say t is to be suspected That when as the unclean spirit goes out without RENTING he intends a second return And contrarily where Satan departs with Renting he hath no hopes of re-possession For where he spoils and tears his lodging at his departure he finds that he that is stronger then himself casts him out and that such a soul is weary of such a troublesom Guest and turbulent intruding Inmate whom he rents he leaves and whom he Teares God Repairs whom he Rents God Renews Oh how I desire to have all our hearts Rent for then and not till then will God regard them Rent your hearts saith Ioel Joel 2. 12. And A broken heart a soul that is contrite and rent O Lord thou wilt not despise Psal. 51. 17. And therefore O sweet Saviour Rebuke thou all our unclean spirits with power command all our sins and corruptions to depart out of our hearts let them not reign or have the dominion over us but be thou our Lord our King and reign over us Other Lords indeed have had rule over us but do thou set up thy Kingdom O Lord and cast down thine Enemies under thy feet Thy Kingdom come for thine is the Kingdom power and glory for ever AMEN Come Lord Iesus come quickly ALL POVVER Given to IESUS CHRIST IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH MAT. 28. 18 19 20. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth c. In one Sermon Preached at a private Meeting in Old-street Augustine and others with him reckon this to be the ninth and last time of our Saviours appearing to his disciples after his Resurrection And that for this end he appeared so often to manifest the truth of his Resurrection and yet for all this some still doubted as you read in the foregoing Verse And they had great cause for though he had appeared to so many and so many times as this being the ninth time and it is also said He was seen of more then five hundred brethren at once yet for all this some doubted and although the Disciples were particularly appointed by Jesus to come at this time into this mountain and when they saw him they fell down and worshipped him yet some for all this doubted they knew they had seen him in great and extreme sorrow and anguish of soul even to the utmost that the malice of men and Devils could invent they saw him yield up the Ghost and they thought they had done their last office for him accompanying him to his execution and death and so to his grave and sepulchre but here He after many appearings to them to confirm their saith appears this once more and it seems to be very probably the last time of his appearing immediately before his ascention and now he gives them a commission and command To go and teach all Nations as it follows in the 19 and 20. Verses baptizing them in the name of the Father c. and teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you for â—o I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world And because they should be able to shew their Authoritie and Warrant if any should ask who sent them he tells them He that is IAM hath sent you IAM is with you and further tells them that their power they shall derive from Him For all power is given to me in heaven and earth And these words however they be few in number yet there is in them an Abyss of matter there is a mighty power and a vast length and breadth height and depth in all His words for His words are alwayes full of sense spoken to the highest pitch that our capacity can conceive or reach The words of Christ are most pure free from all concourse of the depravedness of the creature they are like the pure wine that he made at Canaan there is no tincture no brackishness no leaven of the old Adam or of the Pharisees Mens writings and speakings are alwayes low they have in them some Allay of humane weakness but in his words there is not the least allay they cannot admit of any moderation or modification Others it may be writ they knew not what themselves as I may so speak even the Penmen of the holy Scriptures for they wrote things beyond their own comprehension they being directed by another spirit they spake not of themselves but the holy
the aforesaid Things and is Comforted and Led by God and hath alwayes a Free introversion or turning inward into himself And all his works and Himself also are made Divine so that in this Perfect imitation of Christs example He doth plainly and clearly know the Lively Truth of the Sacred Scriptures in his own experience and as it shineth into all Pure Hearts The PRAYER THE Almighty power of God the Father vanquish and overcome in us whatsoever may hinder us from him and give us strength to do his most acceptable will in all things The most bright wisdom of God inlighten us and lead us to all good things which may bring us forward to him Alone The unspeakable and super-abounding love of the Holy Ghost pierce through all the oppositions in us kindle and unite our love unto himself with a most Ardent and Pleasant Turning all our powers and strengths So that forgetting those things that are behind we may follow His most Sweet calling and Amorous drawing whereto from Everlasting The-more-then Most-glorious Trinity hath predestinated us Namely from the love of This deceitful world to the enjoyment of Himself and to all His Riches and infinite Blessedness So that by Grace we may be made that which we are not Nor cannot be by nature To whom be All Praise Obedience and Reverence from Every Creature Through Infinite Ages Amen A SHORT DIALOGUE Between a Learned Divine and a Beggar A Certain Divine who if we may believe the ancient Copies was Iohn Taulerus himself who meeting with A Beggar Had this Discourse Containing A most Excellent Example of a Perfect man whence we may be taught How in All things we ought to be of the same mind Resigned to the Will and Appointment of God There was in times past a certain famous Divine who by the space of eight years had continually importuned the Lord by prayer conceiving He wanted the Right knowledge of the Truth notwithstanding all his Learning And spent whole Nights therein begging of God to let him know Him and know himself and to shew him Any man that might teach him The way of Truth and when upon a time He was inflamed with a most Vehement desire thereof a voice from Heaven Thus spake unto him Go forth to the Church-doors and there thou shalt finde A man that can Teach thee the way of Truth And going forth he found there a certain BEGGAR with Patcht and Torn apparel and filthy dirty feet all whose Apparel was scarce worth three half pence to whom by way of Salutation He thus spake unto Divine God give thee a good morning Beggar Sir I do not remember that ever I had an Evil one Divine God make thee Fortunate and Prosperous why dost thou speak in this manner Beggar Neither was I ever Unfortunate or Unprosperous Divine Be Happy what mean these words of thine Beggar Nor was I ever Unhappy Divine God save theeâ— now at last speak more plainly Beggar Truly Sir I will do it willingly Thou Sir didst wish me a prosperous and good morning and I answered I never had an Unprosperous or Evil one for when I am pinched with hunger I praise God if I suffer cold if it hail if it snow if it rain if the weather be fair or foul I praise God if I be wretched and despised I likewise praise God and therefore there never happened any Sad or Evil Morning to me Thou didst likewise wish that I might be Fortunate and I answered that I had never been Unfortunate Because whatever God Gave me or I suffered or whatever happened to me whether it were agreeable to Me or otherwise were it Sweet or Bitter I gladly received it at his hands as the best And therefore I was never Uâ—fortunate Thou saidst moreover that God would be pleased to make me Happy whereunto I likewise answered that I never had been Unhappy for I am fully resolved through his grace to adhere and onely to cleave to The will of God as the best as abandoning mine own will into which I have so wholly poured out mine Own will that whatever He Wills that I Will also and for this cause as I said I was never unhappy Seeing that I will cleave to his will onely and have wholly resigned mine own Proper Will Divine This is very strange But what I pray thee wouldst thou say if the Lord of Majesty would Drown Thee in the Bottomless pit couldst thou Then be content with His Will Beggar Drown me in the bottomless pit Why certainly if he should I have Two Arms by which I would still Embrace Him And claspe fast about Him One is True humility and that I lay Under Him and By Him I am united to His Most Sacred Humanity The other and that is the Right arm which is Love which is United to his Divinity And by this love Given to me from Himself I hold him so fast that he would be Forced to go down to Hell with me and it were much more to be wished by me to be in Hell with God Then to be in Heaven without him By this That DIVINE learned That the most Compendious way to God is A True Resignation with profound Humility Hereupon the Divine spake again to the Beggar and asked him Divine Good Lord Whence camest Thou Beggar From God Divine Where foundest Thou God Beggar Even There where I left All the Creatures Divine But where didst thou leave him Beggar In Humble and Clean hearts And In Men of Good-Will Which is His Temple and Dwelling-Place Divine I pray thee friend who art Thou Beggar Who am Iâ— Truly I am a King and and Jesus himself hath Crowned me with Peace power and Rest. Divine Art thou A King But Where is thy Kingdom Beggar Sir The Kingdom of Heaven is Within me In my Soul And I Can Now and Do by His power in me So Govern Command All my Inward and Outward senses That all the Affections and Powers of the Old man in my soul are Conquered and are in Subjection To the New man In me Which Kingdom No man can doubt But is better Then All the Kingdoms Scepters Crowns and Glories of This world Divine Lord What brought Thee To This Perfection Beggar My SILENCE Sublime Meditation and Above All My Union with the Ever-Blessed God of Peace and Rest Which is MY Kingdom And To say the Truth I could Rest in Nothing which was Less Then God And Now Having found My God I have Forsaken The Un-Quiet world And In HIM I have Found Everlasting Peace and Rest. JOHN 1. 45. PHilip Findeth Nathanael And saith unto him We have found HIM Of whom Moses in the Law And The Prophets did write ISA. 53. 7. OH How Beautiful Upon the Mountains Are the Feet of Him That bringeth Good Tydings That Publisheth Peace That bringeth Good Tydings of Good That Publisheth Salvation That saith Unto Zion Thy God REIGNETH LUKE 1. 29. LOrd Now lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart in peace According to