murmurings whisperings hard thoughts evil speakings or any such thing Heaven is not now open upon you neither do you see Jesus as he comes up out of the Baptism of his Sufferings into a Resurrection of Glory with the Eternal Spirit in the Form of a Dove in a Form of Love resting upon him The Priests in the Temple were Morning and Evening to trim the Lamps in the Golden Candlestick by pouring in fresh Oil that the Light might not go out by day nor by night Your Persons O ye Saints are the Temple your Spiritual and Divine part the Golden Candlestick the Heavenly Person of your beloved is the Light in the Lamps of this Candlestick If you would preserve this Light of Glory continually shining in you be continually pouring in from that vessel of Love the Heart of the Father fresh Love which is the Golden Oyl of the Spirit in which the Life and Light of the Divine Nature burneth and shineth eternally But to conclude my discourse concerning these Three Sins The Scripture saith Covetousness is Idolatry We make an Idol of every Image besides the Lord Jesus alone which we set up in our Hearts as real and excellent to bow down our Souls to it by our esteem and affection Every Idol hath its Devil in it St. Paul saith plainly What the Gentiles Sacrifice to Idols they Sacrifice to Devils You cannot eat of the Table of the Lord which is his Glorified Person to feast upon the Delicacies of his Beauties set before your Spirits there and eat of the Table of Devils which is this world to feed upon the Dainties of the Flesh here You cannot drink of the cup of the Lord which is his Spirit to take in the Wine of Spiritual Sweetnesses from this and drink of the Cup of Devils which is the Spirit of this World to swallow down the riches and pleasant things of that 2 Pet. 2. 13 14. We read of Spots at the Feasts of the Saints who are those that have Eyes full of Adultery St. Jude expoundeth those Feasts to be Feasts of Charity that is Love-Feasts which were Joyned with the Supper of the Lord. The Appearances of Christs Person in the Visible Angelic l Divine Images are our several Love-Feasts An adulterous Eye in the moral sense which looketh upon any visible Object after an undue manner is a Spot upon the First Love-Feast The adulterous Eye in a legal sense which looketh upon any Fleshly or visible Figure of things is a Spot upon the Second The adulterous Eye which setteth its Love upon Created Forms on Earth or in Heaven is a Spot upon the Last and best Love-Feasts All these Spots are Clouds upon the Person and stains upon the Beauty of Christ which at once dishonour and grieve him darken and defile us making us unworthy and uncapable of his blessed Appearances to us As an adulterous Eye of Lust so the blood-shot Eye of Wrath is unable to look upon this Heavenly Object or to bear the brightness of his Glory I will wind up this Use with this solemn adjuration and charge If there be such a Person as our Jesus if this Person have such unsearchable Treasures of Beauty and Joy in it if the presence and appearance of this King in his Beauty as a Bridegroom as a Spiritual Sun in the hearts of the Saints be no dream or fancy but the very Spirit and Truth and Life of the Gospel I adjure and charge you all his Saints by the Hinds and Roes of the Field by the lovely Person of your Christ by the pleasantness of his Appearances in you that laying aside Covetousness casting away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit putting off all Wrath Malice Envyings and evil speakings you fix your Eye upon fill your Souls with the Beautiful and blessed Person of the Lord Jesus This is your own Fountain Drink waters from this Fountain alone Behold your selves one another all things in the Light of this Person of these Beauties as they lie here as they are comprehended in this fairest greatest and most Divine Image of all Loveliness Christ is the Truth The Appearance of things in the sweet Light of his lovely Person is True This is that Truth which if you walk in it shall dwell with you for ever shining with a precious and living lustre in the darkest places of Sorrow or Death In this Truth live at peace live in love within your selves with one another with all things So the God of Peace and Love shall be with you Amen Reas. 3. I now come to the Third Reason of the Doctrine our Lord Jesus is the fairest of all things because he hath all the parts of Beauty compleat and entire in his person That work with my own Spirit and with all Spirits which is my design and delight is to woo them for Christ and espouse them as chast Virgins to Christ. Eccles. 12. 10. We read that the Preacher sought out acceptable words and the words which he found out were upright Solomon was a figure of Christ in glory King in the Hierusalem above This Glorious Person is the Preacher the Text and the Sermon Acceptable words in the Original Language are words of delight as you may see in the Margin If ever it be fit to seek out pleasant and delightful words it is on this Subject when we treat of the Lord Jesus and his Beauties If ever it be necessary to take care to speak right words it is now when we speak of him whose Person is the Center from which all the lines of the Gospel of Evangelical Truths Graces Comforts Glories Spirits are drawn into which they all run in which they all meet My endeavour therefore is that all my discourses may be steps from one Scripture to another that by the explications and applications of these I may enlighten your minds to the sight and warm your affections to the love of these Blessed and Heavenly Beauties There are four Parts of which all Beauty consisteth 1. Variety 2. Harmony in the variety 3. Light in the Harmony 4. Life in that Light These four meet all eminently and transcendently in the highest degree in the Person of our Saviour 1. There is all variety in the Person of Christ. Colos. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell Observe how St. Paul cometh to this total Sum at the foot of the Account to this Conclusion of all Fulness in Christ. From the 15 th v. to this you have the whole Compass of Things in Nature Grace and Glory From the 15 th to the 18 th you have the Circuit of Nature in the full extent of the Creation with its Creator First there is God as he is the Author of Nature Jesus Christ is the Image of the Invisible God v. 15. Then you have the whole Creation He is the First-born of every Creature or of all the Creation The First-born is the Excellency of Dignity the Excellency of Strength Every
by two Illustrations and one Distinction 1. Illustr Then a thing is truly Right when it answereth to its Idea that is to its First Principle and Pattern in God God himself in the Fulness of his Person is the Principle and Pattern of Man Righteousness is the Image of God in Man Coloss. 3. 10. The New man which is the Righteous man and the Righteousness of man is said to be Created in Knowledge after the Image of Him who hath created Him There is a Twofold Image of God one Earthly the other Heavenly The Earthly Image of God in Man is the Righteousness of Nature The Heavenly Image is the Righteousness of the Spirit or in the Spirit 2. Illustr Then a thing is truly Right when it answereth its End in God God is the End of all things Prov. 16. 4. God made all things for Himself The End of Man is the Possession and Fruition of God as his only Portion of Being Beauty Blessedness Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is my Portion saith my Soul This then is the Righteousness of man his Union and Communion with God to live in Him by Him with Him to Him For this reason is Christ said to be made of God Righteousness and Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. Because in the Person of Christ it is that God and Man are made One one Love one Life one Likeness Distinct. There are two sorts of Righteousness 1. Imputed 2. Inherent 1. Righteousness imputed You may read of this Philip. 3. 9. That I may be found in Him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is of God by Jesus Christ. There is a Righteousness of the First and of the Second Adam That of the First Adam is our own the Righteousness of the Law It riseth out of the Earth it is but a Shadow at best the Gilding of an Earthen Vesâ—el a Reflection upon a Brick Wall That of the Second Adam comes down from Heaven is of God is the true Gold the sure substantial everlasting Righteousness As when a Cloud is placed in that part of the Sky on which the Sun shoots forth his Beams the Cloud is over-spread by those Beams and made Glorious in their Glories So are there four Things in this Imputed Righteousness 1. The Person of Christ as the Sky or Heaven 2. The God-head as the Sun shining in this Sky 3. The Cloud poor man drawn up from the Earth into the bosom of his Saviour by his Union with Him 4. The Glory of the God-Head falling upon him encompassing and clothing his whole Person in Jesus Christ. This is that Righteousness which is of God by Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 12. 26. St. Paul teacheth us that if one member be honoured all the members rejoyce together with it When a Crown is set upon the Head of a King it puts a Royalty and Majesty upon his whole Person The Head of Man is Christ the Head of Christ is God The Glory of the God-Head in Christ is the Crown upon the Head of the Heavenly man this puts a Royal Beauty of Holiness the Majesty of that Divine Righteousness upon every mystical member upon each Soul how mean soever that is united to Jesus Christ in one Spirit thorow believing The Beauty of the God-head shining thorow the Humane Nature of Christ thorow his active and passive Obedience thorow his Wounds and so falling upon that Soul which hath cast herself into the Arms of her Saviour this is the Imputed Righteousness of man Take this Caution concerning this Righteousness It is said to be imputed not because it is not truly Ours and in us but because it is not Primarily Ours but by our Union with another Person The Colours in the Rain-bow are said to be Apparent not Real because the Rain-bow is not their Spring though it be their Seat but they are reflected from the Sun shining on the watry Cloud So this Righteousness is said to be imputed to us because it is First seated in Jesus Christ and then reflected from Him on us Yet it is a true Righteousness it is truly immediately on our Persons in our Persons as Jesus Christ is It is therefore said to be imputed because it is not ours Primitively but Consequently because Christ is ours yet not as Absent from us but Present in us possess'd by us 2. Righteousness Inherent 2 Cor. 3. last We all as in a Glass beholding the Glory of the Lord are Translated into the likeness of the same Image from glory to glory as by the Lord the Spirit The Lord Jesus at once enters into a Two-fold Relation to man one of a Sun shining all over him the other of a Root growing up in him We see his Glory in our selves as in a Glass we bring the face of Glory with us We have the Glory in our selves and are our selves the Glass There is the Sun shining which beautifies and justifies a St. We grow up into that Image by the Lord the Spirit of that Glory planting itself in us There is the Root growing which purifies and sanctifies us Our Saviour when he discovers Himself appears at once without us and within us Without us he riseth upon us as a Light of Loveliness Es. 60. 1. Rise out of the Dust and shine for thy Light is come the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Within us He riseth as a Light of Life Galat. 1. 16. When it pleased the Father to reveal his Son within me This is our Righteousness Imputed and Inherent This Righteousness is the Crown Robe Scepter of Royalty in the Kingdom of God 1. The Crown So St. Paul stiles it 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me in that day The Righteousness the Glory of God resting on Man is that Crown which both entitles him to and enstates him in the Kingdom of God As a King ever possesseth his Crown though he wear it only on high days at solemn meetings of the people so a Christian may have this Crown though laid up while he is on Earth But he doth not appear with it openly till that great day the Resurrection when the whole world shall meet 2. The Robe The Righteousness of God and Man is the Imperial Robe which both as Kings are cloth'd with Es. 61. 10 He hath covered me with a Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom dâ—cketh himself with Ornaments Behold a Royal and a Bridal Robe It is Righteousness which puts upon the Spirit the beauty of a Bridegroom the Majesty of a King That Soul which shines forth in Righteousness makes itself a King not by Right only but Choice too by Love as well as Law Psal. 45. 4. 5. In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of Truth Meekness and Righteousness c. Thine Arrows stick in the hearts of thine Enemies the people fall under thee This was sung of the Lord Jesus Righteousness cloth'd him
what all this means by another a plainer Parable John 12. 24. If the Corn dye not it abides alone But if it dye it brings forth much fruit The â—lâ—shly Appearances of Christ are the Talents un-multiplyed the Corn abiding alone While they so continue they are solitary melancholy bearing little fruit of Glory to God or Joy to the Soul But then the Soul casts these Talents into the Bank then she sows this Corn when she resigns them to God when she crucifies them and dies to them by the power of the Death of the Lord Jesus in her Now the Soul hath them within her rising again in the Spirit after a Spiritual manner Now she receives them again with an increase of Holiness Peace and Joy Now the Lord Jesus saith to the Soul Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a few things in poor low and dark manifâ—sâ—ations Thou hast submitted them to my will and yielded them up to the power of my Death I therefore will make thee ruler over many Thou shalt no more be subject to low and single Appearances Thou shalt reign in the power plenty and variety of more Glorious Manifestaâ—ions Enter thou into these high and Spiritual Discoveries of God in which thy Lord and Saviour now enjoys Himself So the Kingdom and Ioy of the Lord shall be thy Kingdom and Ioy. Application Use. 1. Examination There is nothing of more concernment to us than to distinguish and discern aright our Joys Sensual and carnal Joys are apt to make us sensual and fleshly ignorant and brutish as the Beasts Delusive Joys make our Souls as Devils in the form of Angels of Light Spiritual Joys when they are truly such make us most like to God The Delights of Nature and sense are indifferent things lawful if they be lawfully used They are therefore to be taken with much moderation and caution as the Wine that St. Paul speaks of to Timothy Drink not alwaies Water but drink a little Wine for thy healths sake Delusions and false Raptures of Spirit are a sweet Poyson which are taken in greedily and kill so much the more speedily The Soul is naked open free simple in her joys she mingles herself inwardly and deeply with the Spirit of her joys As Herod offered to the half of his Kingdom to Herâ—dias when she pleased him with dancing before him It is then a thing of great moment to understand the nature of our Joys that we may know when to admit and to reject them How and to what height to cherish or check them I will propound Four Tryals of our Joy 1. Tryal The First Tryal is this Spiritual Joys ever spring from a Spiritual sense of the Love of God towards us Rom. 5. St. Paul speaks of his Joy v. 5. Rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God He goes on discoursing of the growth strength effects of this Joy Then v. 5. He shews you the Ground of his Joy The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that he hath given us Spiritual Joys can give an account and a reason of themselves There are Three things which go to make up the Reason of Spiritual Joy when it is Right 1. The Love of God not any Loveliness of our own or the Sweetness of any Creature 2. The Discovery of this Love in an open manifest way with a Fulness and Clearness like a Liquor that is poured forth and spread abroad 3. The Holy Ghost making this Discovery and evidencing it by his own presence and power in the Soul This is the Reason which Spiritual Rejoycings and Gloryings give of themselves The Love of God shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which he hath given us Are your Joys ignorant sudden and violent such as spring from no appearing cause and can give no account of themselves Whence do your Joys arise from a Sense of the Love of God or from a Reflection upon your Selves upon any thing of or in the Creature Whence have you your Sense of the Love of God Is it wrought upon you by Fancy by the strength and frequency of Imagination or by the Persuasions of your own Souls or by the Reasonings of your own Hearts consulting with themselves and with the Letter of the Scriptures without the Holy Ghost by any of the Words or ways of mans Wisdom or Power without you or within you If your Joys be such as these you have reason to suspect and fear them least they be from the Father of Lies and not from the Father of Lights from the Fountain of bitterness and enmity not of sweetnes and Love 2. Tryal The Second Tryal of your Joy is the Effect of it Spiritual Joys increase Spiritual Strength in the Soul as they increase themselves Nehem. 8. 10. Go your ways saith Nehemiah to the People Eat the Fat and Drink the Sweet and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared For this day is holy to the Lord. Be ye not sorry for the Ioy of the Lord is your Strength Thus the Lord Iesus speaks to the Soul in the Ministry of the Gospel Go your ways Feed upon the Fat of my Glory Drink the Sweet of my Love Sond forth Portious and Manifestations of this Glory and Love to them who have nothing of it yet prepared and set forth in their own Spirits This day is holy to me in it you are to live altogether to me and in the Light of my Appearances Then let not your Hearts be heavy nor your countenances sad For my Ioy shall not weaken or betray you My Ioy shall be a Presâ—rvative against Corruptions a Strength against Temptation the Power of a new life carrying you up on high into further Communion with God and Conformity to him There is a Threefold Joy that takes to itself often the name of being Spiritual 1. A Joy flowing from our natural temper and Complexion from sparklings of Blood or Flashings of melancholy is many times mistaken for a Spiritual Joy But this Joy dissolves it makes the Soul airy light and loose it exposeth the Soul to Vanity and Sin 2. A Iâ—y brought forth by an Evil Spirit of Delusion carries the Appearance of a Spiritual Joy This swells the Soul makes it vain-glorious confident secure in itself In this State the Soul easily falis into Temptation â—asily falls in the Temptation 3. Spiritual Joy truly so called This Knits the Union between Christ and the Soul more close and strong It gathers up the Soul more fully into the Spirit of the Lord Jesus St. John saith He that dwells in Love dwells in God It is as true He that dwells in Spiritual Joys dwells of a Truth in the Lord Jesus Vanity Lust Passion Pride come to the Soul in other Joys and find her fittest for them But when they come to the Soul in her Spiritual Joy so far as she is in that Joy they find nothing in her nothing to comply with
at once upon the Soul spring up together in it at the unvailing of the Face of the Lord Jesus as the whole knot of Beams pour out themselves in a moment thorow all the Air to enlighten quicken beautify and cheer it when once the Body of the Sun appeareth Look then to Jesus O poor burthened Spirit Look to him that his Light may shew him that his Living Light may be an Eye in thee to see him that thorow this Eye thou mayst drink in by the streams of this Light of Life him and all his Beauties to be a Well springing up to all Grace and Glory to everlasting Life in thee I shall divide this Exhortation into Two Parts 1. Let the single Person of Christ be the only ground of Faith in thee unto justification Es. 60. 1. Arise and shine for the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Thou who lyest in the Dust bearing thy shame as one free among the Dead be no longer unbelieving but believe The Person of Christ in the Glory of the Father is risen upon thee filleth all things round about thee arise and shine in the brightness of his Appearance Consider the Fulness of Beauties in Christ and say thus with thy self Hath the Sun Beauty enough to gild every Dung-hill and Dung-heap here below though that be on Earth and he in Heaven Is not my Jesus then rich enough in Glories to overspread my shame and nakedness to make my Person shine in the Beams of his though he be higher than the Heavens I fal'n down to the nethermost parts of the Earth Ther Person of Christ is an overflowing Sea of Spiritual Beauties For all Fulness dwelleth in him If thou canst not cast thy self into him stand still and see how he breaks forth on every side cometh on upon thee with mighty Floods with a Deluge of Light and Beauty till he cover thee and swallow thee up into his Bottomless depths of pure and Divine Glory as a vessel in the Ocean which is fill'd within and overflown without with the Waters of the great and wide Sea 2. Let the single Person of Christ be the sole Ground of Faith unto Sanctification All Fulness the Fulness of a Sea and of a Spring is in Jesus Christ Num. 21. 17 18. You have an excellent Figure in a History The Children of Israel wanted water in the Wilderness God gave them a Well Then they sung this Song They encompassed the Well they sung to it Spring O Well the Princes digged it with their Staves at the direction of the Law-giver Dost thou want streams of Grace Is thy Soul a dry and barren Wilderness Behold Jesus whom God hath given thee for a Well At the direction of this Law-giver dig up the ground in thine heart till this Well this Jesus appear Then whatever Grace thou wantest at all times encompass his Spiritual Person in thy Soul and sing to him Spring O Well Joh. 4. 14. The Water which I will give him saith Jesus Christ shall be a Well springing up in Him unto everlasting Life Take but in One Drop the least Drop of the Sweetness of Christ the least glance of His Beauty into thy Spirit in this thou takest in the Person of Christ Himself the Fountain that shall spring up within thee unto the Life of Holiness which is the same for Nature and Duration with Eternal Life in Heaven Divine and Incorruptible 2. Make the Single Person of Christ the only Object of thy Love Let all the Fulness of thy Love be poured forth upon this Person which hath All Fulness of Beauty in Him There is a Twofold Love of Benevolence of Complacency 1. Love thy Lord Jesus with all thy Love of Benevolence St. Paul complaineth Philip. 2. 21. Every man seeketh his own things no man the things of Jesus Christ. Seek and pray for the prosperity of Jesus Christ all thy daies in His Truths in His Graces in His Glory thorow the whole Earth in His Church in every Creature where he is sown as a Seed Love him with the Love of Wife Children Friend Country Parents Life In Isaac shall thy Seed be called said God to Abraham In Jesus let all Relations even of thy self to thy self have their Name Truth and Vertue to thee Let all those Blessings with which thou shalt bless any of these come upon the Head of the Lord Jesus Wish well to bless all these in the name of the Lord Jesus Say continually let the Immortal Word upon its Wheels run and be glorified thorow all these thorow the whole Heavens and Earth Those that are Florists and love Flowers procure the choicest slips of Flowers set them in their Gardens water them watch them cherish them with the greatest tenderness and care So do thou love Jesus Christ. Be continually sowing and setting him his Beauties in thine own in every Spirit in every Appearance Water them cherish them by Word Example Faith Prayer Go out often into the Fields go down often into the Gardens to see whether these precious Plants bud and Blossom 2. Love the Person of thy Beloved with all thy Love of Complacency Prov. 18. 1. A man through desire seâ—arating himself intermedleth with all Wisdom or with all Substance Behold here the Spouse her love of Complacency to her Spiritual Bridegroom in three Steps Desire Separation Enjoyment 1. Desire Thy Saviour is called in the Prophet Hag. 2. 7. The desire of all Nations Thy Jesus who hath all Beauties for all Eyes and Spirits who hath all desirable things in himself is the desire of all Nations Shall not he then be the desire of all Principles and Powers of Life or Being in thy whole Spirit Soul and Body shall not he be the Object of all thy desires This Person who is the Sealed Sum and perfection of all Beauties putteth this Song into thy mouth Can. 7. 10. My Beloved is mine and I am his and his desire is towards me As the word there signifieth he continually is circling round about me hovering over me with the Eyes of all his Beauties and Loves upon me as a Kite about his Prey Do thou add to thy Song this part also and my desire is toward him Psal. 27. David saith one thing have I desired of the Lord that I may be all the days of my life in his Temple beholding his Beauty and seeking still The Heavenly Form of Christ is the Temple or Palace and the God or King in it the Beauty of all Say thou to Jesus Christ I now for what is my sighing before thee This is all my desire that I may be continually in the Heavenly Light and Divine Form of thy Person that I may be continually feasting all my Faculties and Senses on thy Beauties and endlesly making fresh Discoveries of new Beauties in thee 2. Separation Cant. 8. 6. The Church cryeth to Christ Set me as a Seal upon thine Heart as a Seal upon thine Arm. For Iealousy that is Love in its Strength
Object which is the Person of Christ rising in us like the Sun in his proper Sphere This Earth which we tread upon This Heaven which we see shining round about us are not so manifest to our natural Senses as Jesus Christ that Power of God which bringeth forth beareth up us and all things that Wisdom of God which encompasseth us round about with its various brightnesses and beauties is present open and evident to the Spiritual Eye Doth not this move us to understand that there is an Heavenly Person ever wâ—â—h us in whom are set before us all the Delights of our Eyes all the Desires of our Hearts and that the only Bar between us and these Beauties these Blessednesses is either our want of Senses or the Dulness of our Senses that we discern them not Mat. 10. 51. Bartimeus the blind beggar hearing that Jesus passed by cryeth out Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me He ceased not to cry till the Lord maketh a stand and asketh him what he would have He answereth Lord that I may receive my sight Isa. 50. 4. The Prophet saith of God He waketh mine Ear morning by morning he wakeneth mine Ear to hear as the Learned You that are no Christians indeed who have no Spiritual Senses cease not crying Jesus thou Brightness of the Father's Glory have mercy on me that I may receive my sight You that are in truth Christians and have Spiritual Senses drowsie and dull whose heart is awake in you while you sleep cry to the Lord Jesus to awaken your Eye and your Ears morning by morning moment by moment that you may see his Shape and hear his voice This is the first Argument to press you to the study of the Person of Christ the Easiness of this knowledge 2. The Second Argument is the Excellency which consisteth of two Parts the Comprehensiveness the Efficacy of this knowledge 1. The Comprehensiveness of the knowledge of Christ is the Excellency of it Col. 2. 2. All treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge are hid in him Several Propositions of great value and vertue lie wrapt up in this single Proposition 1. All Things that are to be known lie together in the Heavenly Form of Jesus Christ. All things are here in their first and proper Being in their Truth and Substance in their immutable essences as they are capable of being known Every thing as it is seen without this Circle of Divine Light the Person of Christ is a Shadow an Apparition a Mockshow of itself It may beget a Fancy or Opinion in our Souls but no Knowledge 2. That Light in which alone things are known is only in Christ. He is the true Supream and universal Light All things are naked and manifest before him Heb. 4. 13. This is that Divine Light in which every thing appeareth in its Divine Form in its naked Substance and Essence uncloathed of every Disguise and Vail as it lieth in the Divine Understanding which is the measure of all Truth Therefore our Lord Jesus in that place Heb. 4. 12. where all things are said to be naked and manifest before him is in the verse before called the Word of God the living Word the living Word of the Divine understanding in which it bringeth forth at once and eternally all knowledge to itself and beholdeth as in a Glass the eternal Truths and Essences of aâ—l things 3. The Eye which taketh in all Knowledge is in Christ As the Spirit of this world is both the Fountain and the Eye which sendeth forth and taketh in all nâ—tural Images then our Spirits by being comprehended in this Spirit become Springs in that Spring Eyes in that Eye bringing forth from themselves and contemplating in themseâ—ves the various Forms of being in this world so is a Saint Light in Christ a Child of Light in this great Father of Lights Jesus Christ in His Divine Form is the Light of Life that is 1. The First Light as the first Picture is called the Life 2. The True Light every other Light is a Picture of Light and no more 3. A living Light and so both a Fountain and an Eye In the Hebrew the same word for the substance signifieth both A Saint Springing up in his inward man out of this Spiritual Form of Christ and standing in it is made itself also a Fountain of living waters flowing from Lebanon of all living Glories flowing from the high and flourishing Mountain of the God-Head in the Person of Christ Can. 4. 15. He is made also an Eye set fully Can. 5. 12. Aben Ezra in his notes expounded that to be an Eye in which is set the full Image of the whole Nature of things in which according to the language of the Gospel is set the Person of its Beloved that entire Image of the God-Head and of both worlds where all Fulness dwelleth together in a Divine Form and Glory This is spoken of Christ first then is true of a Saint as a Saint is the Image of Christ. 4. All Things as they are known in Christ are a Treasure That which is born of the Spirit is spirit John 3. 6. That which is seen in this Spirit of Immortality and Glory is an Immortal and Glorious Spirit This is the true multiplying magnifying and glorifying Glass Each Dust is here known in the bright Form of a Beautiful Star each Star is discovered here to be an Heaven of Stars a new world of Glories Every thing as it appeareth in Christ is something of Christ. Christ altogether is Lovely Can. 5. 16. It is in the Original Every thing of him is desirablenesses The least Point that a Spiritual Eye can touch upon in the Person of Christ is a fresh spring a full Sea a great and bottomless deep of all Beauties Excellencies and Joys that may render any thing perfectly universally desirable 5. The Knowledge of things in Christ is a Treasure It is Wisdom as well as Knowledge It is a knowledge of things in their Head in their highest Beauty Life and Truth It is a Fulness of Things It is a Transforming Knowledge We are changed into the things themselves and they into us By knowing we possess and enjoy them we are possessed and enjoyed by them we stand both in one Image and Spirit mutually comprehending and comprehended mutually cloathing and cloathed All this Treasure is hid in Christ not as in a Cloud but as in the Sun by no darkness or obscurity there but by the Excess and Transcendency of the Glory by the Perfection and Purity of the Light as Christ is hid in God Col. 3. This hiding maketh the Object more a Treasure and more evident to a suitable Eye in as much at it is a Divine Form in a Divine Light a Form of Light dwelling in the Fountain of Light How worthy is this Knowledge of that Zeal to it and pursuit of it which the wise King stirreth us up to Prov. 2. 3 4 5. to cry for it to the
Glory In the Hebrew you may read every Thing as well as every One. So the Margin hath it every whit of it that is of the Temple uttereth Glory Such should we ever be as those who see the essence of Beauty who hear the Soul and Spirit of Musick who tast take in and feel the pure the primitive Life of all Sweetness and Joy in the Glory the God-Head itself inhabiting every part and point every passage motion of Things in this whole Creation as in a Temple How would our Persons and lives shine with a spiritual Lustre how sweet would the Musick of our Spirits and Conversation be if we did thus take up and bear this Natural Image as the Tabernacle and the Star of our God our Beloved Jesus Figures made by the Eternal Spirit to worship and enjoy him as St. Stephen speaketh Acts 7. 43. Eccles. 3. We read that there is to every thing a Season and a time to every purpose under Heaven v. 1. To be born and to die to plant and to pull up v. 2. To kill and to heal v. 3. To weep and to laugh v. 4. To love and to hate for war and for peace v. 8. He hath made every thing beautiful in his Time or in its Time v. 11. And whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever v. 14. In the Tabernacle and Temple every part every pin answered to the Pattern on the Mount which were the Heavenly Things themselves in the Spirit in Eternity All objects all actions in the Temple the Beasts the cutting their throats the taking off their skins the taking out their Entrails the cutting them in pieces the boyling the burning them were sacred Figures of Divine and Immortal Glories to which the Musick of the Levites round about upon the walls with their Instruments and voices kept time Thou O Man art set in this world as a Priest in this Temple Behold Both the Intellâ—ctual and the Bestial part in it Love and hatred War and Peace Joy and Grief Light and Darkness Weeping with Howlings Laughter with Shouts Life and Death with all that is delightful or dismal belonging to them all these Heavenly and Divine Mysteries Every one answereth to a purpose in the Heart of God to a Pattern in the Eternal and Essential Form of God Every one answereth to the Musick of the Holy Angels which stand in Quires in the uppermost parts of this Creation as the Levites upon the walls of the Temple The basest the bloodiest Persons and Offices those that kill and those that are killed bear the Figure of Jesus Christ like the Beasts for Sacrifice or the Sacrificing Priests in their linnen Garments stained with Blood Every thing is beautiful in his Time The Time of every thing is Divinely set by a Divine Pattern in a Divine Proportion by a Divine Power Thus each thing is cloathed with a double Beauty 1. The Divine Harmony of the Universal Image in Nature resulting from and resting upon each particular fitly set with a sacred proportion and contrivance in its own Time and in his Time that is by a Divine Hand in a Divine Time 2. An exact and ravishing Harmony with the Eternal Image of the supream Glories in God As line for line feature for feature colour for colour motion for motion from a Face in a Glass answer to the Beautiful Face which beholdeth itself in the Glass so is God and this world the Face in the water and the living Face Beauty itself by looking upon the water at once Figuring itself upon it and beholding itself in it all being reflections of its own Glorieâ— Obj. But you will say we see not now this resemblance of the Divine Glory in the face of the Creature Ans. What God doâ—h he doth for ever v. 14. As Jesus said to Peter of the washing his Feet What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter that may be applied here The work of God in this World and Time is for Heaven and Eternity to be understood and enjoyed there When we shall come into the presence of the Life and the Original then shall we look again with another manner of Eye upon the Picture and have an unexpressâ—ble pleasure to behold one in the other As the Tabernacle when its season was past was taken into the Temple So when Time and this world are past away Time and this world from the Beginning to the End shall be taken up into their first Patterns into Eternity God shall call every thing to the least dust or moment by its name and no one shall be wanting There shalt thou see the Beauty of the whole and of every part in the light and life of its Glorious Original Then shalt thou know what God hath done from the Beginning of the world to the End Thou shalt now possess and enjoy all with unexpressible pleasures when thou shalt thus meet them again in a new Light to be for ever with thee In the mean time as Christ said to Martha Believe and thou shalt see the Glory of God Thy Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and that now and that within thee in thy Spirit John 1. 14. The Word was made Flâ—sh and dwelt tabernacled among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth O Man O Christian open the Eye of thy understanding open the Eye of thy Faith see this world the Tabernacle the Temple of the Eternal Word behold all things full of the Grace and Glory of his Person in Shadows and Images formed by himself behold himself in the truth of all this Grace and Glory in that height of Glory which is proper to his own Person as he is the only begotten of the Father dwelling with thee in this Temple behind the Vail of every Shadow and Image Behave thy self as in the House of God Walk in the midst of all Creatures and Occurrences as in the midst of so many Divine Mysteries as a Priest in the Temple In purity in peace in wisdom in love bear in every state the Figure of thy Jesus and his Glories converse with it in every thing walk in it at all times See thy Glorified Jesus himself together with his shadow make him the mark of thine Eye and thine Heart terminate all the workings of thy Spirit upon him as the Truth and Substance So wait continually for the breakings forth of the glory as a Heavenly Flame thorow the Shadow upon thee to take thee up into itself And thou as thou ascendest carry up the Shadow with thee 4. Lesson Live abstracted from this world in the world Distinguish and separate thy self from the Natural Person Life and Image which are all the Shadow and no more that thou mayst stand in an Immortal Person a Life of Glory the Essential Image which is the Truth The Lord Jesus saith I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away For
if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send Him to you Joh. 16. 7. Jesus Christ in the Shadow in the Flesh is the Crucifier and the crucified Jesus Christ in the Substance in the Spirit is the Comforter and the Comforted How expedient is it for us in the midst of these Shadows to withdraw our selves into the Life and Truth that when all things there are dying upon the Cross all things here may be Comforters and Comforts which continue for ever The Lord Jesus saith to the Father Sacrifice and Burnt-offering thou wouldest not have but a Body hast thou prepared me that is to be offered up in the place of all Sacrifices Hâ—b 10. 1. We read v. 1. that the Law hath a Shadow only of good things to come Jesus and all His Members have the Shadowy Body of this Natural Man and the First Creation fitted for them only to sacrifice themselves in these to the Eternal Truth that thus they may return on high into That All Shadows are under the Law The Law hath Shadows only of Good things to come All Sacrifices are under the Law The Gospel is a Feast Spirit and Life How wise how blessed is he who gathereth himself up entirely out of Nature and Flesh into the Invisible Glory of the Spirit In which while Flesh is suffering as a Sacriâ—ice by Fire he seeth all Flesh Suffering and Sacrifices to be Shadows only Shadows of Immortal Joys and Himself already in those Joys triumphing over and comprehending those Shadows in the Beautiful and Blessed Truth These are the Lessons from the First Principle which was that this World in its pure Naturals falleth as a Shadow from the Glorified Person of our Saviour 2. Principle The Presence and Appearance of the Person of our Lord Jesus and His Glory is withdrawn from the faln and corrupt World The Devil is called in the Scriptures The Prince of Darkness and The Prince of this World This World the World in this faln state is Darkness Darkness is the Privation of Light The absence of the Sun from the Earth is the Cause of Darkness Our Saviour in Glory is the Light the Sun of the whole Creation While He goeth away with His Beams into a far countrey to shine in the Invisible World He leaveth all behind Him in the Dark Three Lessons naturally flow from this second Principle 1. Lesson Believe not any Appearances of things in this World Darkness in the language of the Holy Ghost signifieth Deceit The Lord Jesus saith of Himself I am the Truth Truth hath lest the World together with Jesus Christ. Blessed is he who having the Possessions or Powers of this World in his Hand the Smile or Frowns of it before his Eyes the Griefs or Joys of it in his Heart can with a good assurance say Have I not a Lye in my Hand and in my Heart Are not the Apparitions of the Devil the Father of Lyes before me 2. Lesson Love not the things of this World James 4. 4. Ye adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the Friendship of this World is enmity with God It is not now the Seed of the Woman which is a Divine Loveliness and Love in the Person of our Heavenly Bridegroom which springeth up in all the Forms and Fruits of this World Yet a little while saith He to the World and ye shall see me no more No! It is the Seed of the Serpent in Deformity and Enmity in a Contrariety to all Spiritual Beauty Goodness and Truth which groweth up every where Your Love to any part of this World is Unclean and Adulterous By it you leave the pure and sweet embraces of your own Glorious Husband to ly down infolded in the treacherous Twinings of the old Serpent the Dragon 3. Lesson Walk not after the Fashion of this World Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to this World While the Lord Jesus was with this World it was His Shadow He figured His Beauties upon it He acted it with His Spirit His Name was as an Ointment poured out upon it He spake to us and conversed with us there But now when He is absent the beautiful Figure is gone the Darkness with all its confusions and cursed Fruits remain The Spirit of Darkness ariseth in it with all his Hellish Forms of Deceit Defilement and Wrath If thou cloath thy Spirit with any Worldly Image thou puttest on a filthy Garment which will pollute thee thou puttest on a fiery garment which hathâ— the burning poysons of Hell hidden in it which will cleave inseparably to thee torturing and consuming thee with a hidden inward and uâ—quenchable flame This is the Second Principle 3. Principle Jesus Christ hath reconciled all things hath gathered up all things into One hath made all things New with the Spiritual and Eternal Glory of the Father as the World standeth in the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead and in His Glorified Person as a New Head to it with a New Name Lesson You then that are Christ's live victoriously and triumphantly in this World Abide in your Head â—There you see all this World lying conquered captivated comprehended in a new and endless World of Life Love and Glory Rom. 5. We rejoyce saith St. Paul v. 2. And not onely so but we glory in tribulation v. 3. Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us v. 5. O Christians live in Joy Live in Glory live in perpetual Triumph For by the Resurrection and Ascension of your Jesus the bitterest Enmities the blackest Extremities are Forms Floods of Light and Love in that Sea of Light and Love the Holy Ghost breaking forth from the sweet and glorious Deep of the God-Head in the Heart of the Father Rom. 8. v. 57. In all these things famine nakedness sword mentioned before we are more than conquerours through Him that loved us v. 58 59. For nothing life nor death nor Angels things present nor things to come nor height nor depth shall be able to sparate us from the love of god wlâ—â—â— is in Christ Jesus Dear Soul dwell for ever in this good Land of Life and Love thy Saviour in the Spirit Nothing here can separate thee from the Divine Love Every thing then that cometh to thee in life or in death must come in that Element of Love it must come in a Lovedress it must be Love itself in a Lovely Form Every thing that toucheth thee here must touch thee with the Heavenly kisses and Embraces of Divine Love Otherwise there would be a Separation between Love and thee In thy glorified Jesus is the Love of God that Love which is God the God-Head of Love O blessed Habitation O Happy and Heavenly Countrey thine own Countrey indeed What so much our own what so near us so much One with us as Love Here Love in its God-Head filleth all in Spiritual Forms in Forms of Glory and of God
already said in order to my present purpose to shew how the knowledge of Christ in Glory sanctifieth and sweetneth Death 1. Obser. Here are three distinct Frames 1. A Building v. 1. 2. A Tabernacle v. 1. v. 4. Where take notice that in both places it is translated this Tabernacle but is in Greek the Tabernacle 3. The Earthly House v. 1. This seemeth to allude to the Temple which was a standing stately Building set up by Solomon in the Kingdom of the Jews to the Tabernacle in the Wilderness which was less and moveable but rich and â—ine for the Workmanship and for the Materials to the Tent of course stuff a covering â—or the Tabernacle All these were Figures of Christ and his Church to which they are also applied 1. The Heavenly Person of Christ as it standeth in the high and holy place of Eternity as it springeth up out of the Bosom of the Father and abideth in his Bosom as it is one Spirit and one Glory with the Father is the Temple the Building For the Building hath this Three-fold Character 1. It is of God in Greek out of God as Gold is out of a Mine of Gold 2. It is Eternal 3. It is in the Heavens The Glorified Person of every Saint as it is comprehended in this Glorious Head of all Saints is a Temple a Building in Heaven in Eternity of the same manner and fashion 2. The Tabernacle made of Sky-colour of Scarlet of Purple of fine Linnen with Silver and Gold and all manner of precious stones wrought with Cherubims and all curious Workmanship is the Image of God in Christ and a Saint here below in the Wilderness of this World John 1. 14. And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt in Greek Tabernacled among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the onely Begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth Here you have the Temple which is higher greater in compass and more glorious than the Heavens contracting itself into a Tabernacle and residing in that Tabernacle filling it with its own Sweetnesses and Glories which are Grace opposed to Wrath Truth opposed to Shadows The Word was made Flesh. The Eternal and Substantial Image of God which is the Temple the true Heaven brought forth itself into a Temporary and Shadowy Image which is the Tabernacle and the Paradise of the whole Creation As it is in the Lord Jesus so is it in his Spouse who is the Fulness of him that silleth All in All. This vile Body in which a Saint is here this dark and course Form with which our Souls and Bodies are cloathed here is the Tent that covereth the Tabernacle the Earthly House of the Tabernacle 2. Obser. The Effect of Death is different in these Three 1. The Tent the Earthly House onely is dissolved It is dissolved and no more It is taken to pieces The Word belongeth to the taking down of a house or the taking of Horses out of the Coach and setting them up in a stable at an Inn when the day and the Journey are ended The Dark and Narrow Form which made it a Vile Body a Body of Death is lost The Materials are laid up in the Tabernacle 2. The Tabernacle is taken into the Temple This is that which shall be cloathed upon from Heaven v. 2. If so be that being cloathed or as it is in Greek if having been cloathed namely with the Tabernacle we shall not be found naked of the Tabernacle in Death v. 3. So it is explained in the words following For we that are in the Tabernacle do groan being burthened not that we should be uncloathed of the Tabernacle but cloathed upon that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life that the Form of Mortality might be lost for ever in Immortality and the Mortal Things continue being now become Immortal When thou puttest on Jesus Christ thou puttest on that Image of Grace and Nature in which Paraâ—ise is revived and heightned in which is contained all that is good fair and pleasant thorow the whole Creation quickned with a new Sun-shine from on high This thou puttest on in thy Natural Man This thou shalt never put off after that thou hast once been cloathed with it It is still cloathed upon with a higher and higher Glory from Heaven until in Death the Glorified Body of Christ come down entirely upon it in the fulness of all its Divine Beauties 3. The Eternal Building in Heaven thy Glorified Person which was hither to hid in God with and in the Glorified Person of thy Saviour now cometh down cloatheth thee entirely resteth openly upon thee never to go off from thy Tabernacle more 3. Observ. See the beautiful and sweet manner of Dying Death is expressed in Two Representations 1. A Dissolution 2. A Deluge a Swallowing up 4. Death is a Dissolution If our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved v. 1. A Troop of everblessed Spirits united by Eternal Love into one Form of Glory make the Heavenly Body of thy Beloved In the same Form and yet another they make thy Heavenly Body and Person in the Bosom of thy Bridegroom O Believer These descending are by the sacred knot of this dark and narrow Form in Nature tied together into One Mortal Person in which they are the Shadow of themselves and tied down to the Earth to stand their Tryal in the midst of all sorts of Temptations Thus they continue till they have finished the Mystery of God and compleated the Figure of Divine Things in their Persons here below Then when the set Time is come according to the Laws of that Eternal Harmony in the Nature of God which is the Supream Love Beauty and Wisdom all in One they dye after this manner That Troop of glorious Spirits which is Thy-Self above come down upon Themselves Thy Self imprisoned in their Shadow below As the Fire of God they touch with some Mysterious Stroak of Providence the knot of this Earthly Form Immediately it untieth and is dissolved Now all these Spirits thus set free retaining the Unchangeable Unity of thy Person return Each to Itself in the Liberty Beauty Joy and Glorious Majesty of its proper Substance and It s own Its First Heavenly State Yea they are already there in their Building Eternal in the Heavens This Eternal Building these Heavens come down upon them to cloath them from above that in no one moment they may be found naked At once they spring up out of the Earth they come down out of Heaven and meet and kiss each other and fall into One with a Wonderful Shout a Triumphant Concurrence of all Blessed Spirits in the Perfect Freedom of all their Joys and Glories They fall into One because they are One and this One is Thy self In an Instant the Twinkling of an Eye the Living Word cometh to them the knot of Nature is dissolved all fly this knot the Figure itself the Shadow like Doves to their Windows like a Court to their
Believing Soul seeth and smelleth the Heavenly Flower of Comforting Love living and flourishing in this Root of Eternity the Divine Unity The Spirit himself whose Unity is the Band of all Peace and Joys is now with thee and in thee a Comforter the Fountain of all Living Comforts 5. Believe and Faith will set in thine Eye this Glorious Unity as the Crown of Glorifying Love Jesus Christ saith expresly among his last Words John 17. 22. That Glory which thou hast given to me I have given to them that they may be One as we are One. This is the concluding and crowning Glory This is the Glorifying Love Love in Glory the Unity made Perfect The Father hath given Glory to Christ by giving him the Being of his heavenly Person which is the Glory and himself in that Being a Glory in that Glory Jesus giveth the same Glory to us himself and his Father to make us One Glory with themselves that the Unity may be the Glory and each in the same Spirit may be a Unity of Glories O! believe Can any thing be desired sweeter sâ—rer greater by any Soul than to be one Love one Glory with Jesus Christ and his Father Faith planteth thee into this Love into this Unity 3. Argum. Faith by planting thee into the Unity of God bringeth thee into the Light of God The Eye of Faith seeth the Truth of Things as it is in Jesus and Jesus as He is in the Unity of the Spirit Ephes. 4. 21. If yeâ— have been taught in Him as the Truth is in Christ. Ephes. 4. 3 4 5. Keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Band of Peace One Body One Spirit One Lord. The Light of Faith is the Light of the Divine Unity as the Light of Sense is the Brightness and Glory of the Corporeal Unity which is One Sun This Light discovereth the Truth of things in the Secret of the most sacred Unity in the Lord Jesus as He is One in the Unity of the Spirit How different is the Appearance of things to Sense and to Faith What different Lights shine in the Diversity of flesh and in the Unity of the Spâ—rit In the latter of these are seen all beautiful and pleasant things all things in Beauty Pleasantness in Heavenly Immortal Forms And this Sight alone is the Truth Believe so shalt thou see thy self in Christ in One Glory Thou shalt know that this which thou now seest is the Truth thy True Person and Form Now thou shalt cry out with Joy and Wonder Behold I am fair I am altogether fair It is easie for me now to believe that I am my Beloved's and that His desire is toward me while I see my self in this Glass of Christ's Glorified â—erson in this Circle of Glory the Unity of the Spirit Believe So shalt thou see all the Saints in One Glory with Christ and shalt know that this is the Truth of every Saint Then shalt thou stretch forth thine arms to them and say How is my heart enlarged towards you Ye are as I am all look like Princes the Sons of the great King My joy is fulfilled in You all Believe For when thou behevest thou shalt see all the Works of God in a Vision of Truth and Glory Thou shalt see them in Christ as Christ is One in the Unity of the Spirit All shall appear to thee like the Joynts or white Circles of the Thighs of the Spouse Cant. 7. 1. Jewels the Work of a curious Arâ—ificer Mâ—ster-pieces of Divine Love they shall be all to thee as the hands and fingers of thy Beloved Rings of Gold with a precious stone set in them Circâ—es of Divine Light and Life figures of the Supreme Unity with that Glorious Unity itself set in them to enrich them Believe O what a Paradise in the third Heavens is a Believer caught up into when first the Eye of Faith is opened in him Yea as often as it openeth itself in him He beholdeth all Forms of Things as they are in Truth this Truth as it is in Christ this Christ as he is in the Unity of the Spirit With what pleasure like that of a Resurrection from the Dead when all things that ever we conversed with rise together with us into the same Glory doth a man now look round about him and say O all ye Appearances of Things that ever were or are to be Are these your Forms your true Forms Is this sight of you which I have now in the Divine Unity the only Truth Then the Believing Soul stretcheth forth her hands to them all and cryeth out with wonder and delight my Father my Mother my Husband my Wife my Brethren my Sisters my Children all the delights of my Eyes all the Sweetness and Joy of all Relations are ye all Use. 4. You who are planted by Faith into the Divine Unity shew the Fruits of this blessed Root in Purity and Love 3. Let a Divine Purity shine in thy Life O Christian. The Unity of God is his Simplicity The Simplicity of God is his Purity The Purity of the most excellent things is their freedom from mixture The more they are themselves the more they shine the more pure and precious they are Live and walk in the Unity of the Spirit Galat. 5. 25. Behold thy self and all things converse with all as they appear as thou meetest them in thy walks in this circle of the Divine Unity Sleep not the sleep of Sense or Flesh lest thou be hurried in Dreams into the Land of Darkness where the Light is Darkness where there is no Order no Unity Awake into the Light of this Blessed Unity So shalt thou be ever with God So shalt be ever like God 2. Be unmoveable in Love God is Love because he converseth with all things in the Light of his own Spirit alone which is the Light of Lovelâ—ness and Love Be thou a Child of God a Child of this Light and so a Child of Love Be a Priest of Divine Love Be ever within in thine own Spirit as a Temple of Holy Loves filled with the Glory of that God which is Love Know nothing any more in any Appearance besides that which sheweth itself to thee in this Temple by the Light of this Glory Object Here an Objection cometh in our way which may arise in every understanding against all this discourse which we have had concerning the Divine Unity and Divine Love Doth not God see Sin and hate Sinners Ought not we to do so Ans. I answer affirmatively the Divine Nature both in God and in the Children of God discovereth the deformity of Sin by a most clear Light and hateth it with a most perfect hatred I shall confirm and explain this Answer by four particular Answers 1. Ans. Sâ—n is a privation of Holiness which is the Beauty of Spirits as Darkness is a privation of Light and every Evil of some Good Privations are known only by their contrary habits God and all Holy Spirits see
Fountain in the Person of the Father For there Love is in its Glory There is a Three-fold Crown the Marriage-Crown the Crown of a King the Crown of a Conqueror There is accordingly a Three-fold Glory 1. There is the Glory of Beauty This is that of the Sun which sendeth forth his Beams thorow all things and outshineth all things among the Earthly and Heavenly Bodies 2. There is the Glory of Soveraignty which ruleth over all 3. There is the Glory of Victory which subdueth all things to itself and maketh every thing an Ornament to its Triumph This Three-fold Crown doth Love wear this Three-fold Glory is it cloathed with in the Person of the Father It is the Eternal Sun which enlightneth enliveneth sweetneth cheareth all things by its Beams sent forth thorow all from the heights of the Heavens above to the depths of the Sea and the center of the Earth below It also infinitely surmounteth all things in Beauty and Sweetness as it shineth Eternally It is the great King that swayeth and ruleth all every where by its Golden Scepter It is the Glorious Conqueror which pierceth deep into the hearts of all which subdueth all to itself by its flaming Sword of Paradise turning every way By this Sword it cutteth off and consumeth all Flesh and Earth to keep that out of Paradise and from the Tree of Life By this Sword it refineth and converteth all into a pure and Heavenly Flame into Spirit So it bringeth them into Paradise to the Tree of Life in the midst of it Every thing every where doth Victorious Love make the Subject of its Conquests and the Ornament of its Triumphs This is Divine Love in its Glory in its Fountain This is the Divine Nature in the Person of the Father This is the Glory of Free-Grace 2. Inlet into the Fountain of Divine Love All the Riches of Love are seated in the Person of the Father The Apostle applyeth the Riches of Grace to the Father Ephes. 1. 7. According to the Riches of his Grace Three things meet in Riches Preciousness Plenty Power Every thing is purest and so most precious every thing is most united and so most plentiful and so most powerful every thing thus is richest in its Fountain The first Person is the Fountain of Divine Love For in him are the riches of Grace Love is Richest in the Father The heart of the Father is the Treasury of Love No where is Love so pure so unalâ—ayed so precious as in the heart of the Father Traffick O Man for the Treasure of this Love with all thy faculties with all that thou hast and art This Merchandise is beyond that of Gold and Rubies Traffick to this Coast of Spices to this Land of rich and precious Cordials the Land of the purest Love the heart of the Father No where is Love so plentiful in such abundance as in the heart of the Father The heart of the Father is infinitely larger than the Sea yet doth Love cover it as waters do the Sea where it is deepest when it is fullest Cast thy world of Sins O guilty Soul with all thy Mountains of guilt into this Sea of Love Love shall cover them that they shall never appear more If thou seek for them thou shalt not find them Come drink thy fill of Loves O dry and thirsty Soul from this rich and full Spring in the heart of the Father Come thou most insatiate Soul cast thy self into this full Sea of Loves in the Bosom of the Father hath thy self roul thy self in the midst of its rich Billows which rise as high as Heaven No where is Love so powerful so irresistible so full of vertue as in the heart of the Father Wash thy heart in this Fountain and it shall be healed of the Leprosy of every Lust. Lay thy heart down in this Spring in the Bosom of the Father and all its hardnesses shall be dissolved Drink in these waters of Love fresh from the heart of the Father and it shall be a powerful Cordial in thine heart It shall restore thy Life thy Strength the complexion of thy Soul thy Beauty thy Spirits thy Joys as at first as in Paradise as in Heaven as in thine Eternal Original 3. Inlet The Father in the Trinity is the Fountain of all Relations and so the Fountain of Love Father is the sweetest of all Names the Name of the highest tenderest purest and most perfect sweetness A Father is the first Relation and the Fountain of all Relations Adam was first a Father then a Husband So the Humane Nature from him streamed forth into Husband and Wives Sons and Daughters Brethren and Sisters into all Degrees of Kindred Allyances and Friendships Ephes. 3. 15. St. Paul saith that from the Father the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named Some render that word Family the Fatherhood or Paternity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Fathers in that Relation all the Fatherhoods and Paternities of every Father in Heaven and Earth lyeth first in that first Father the first Person in the Trinity as in their Fountain What comfort is this to every tender careful grieved Father of every sick sinful or lost Child The true Father to thy Child which acteth the part of the Father behind the vail of the shadowy Father in thee is the Father in the Trinity He is the strength sweetness and truth of the Relation every where The Paternity the Fatherhood every where is named from him But if we take the word according to our Translation it affordeth us the same sweet sense more fully The whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named from him from the Father of our Lord Jesus A Family is a chain of Relations which are as so many Links in the chain fastned one to another Father Mother Husband Wife Brother Sister Children Friends All these are named from the Eternal Father All these sweet dear names of Union of Love agree first most properly most truly to him who is the Supream Unity the Original and Fountain of all Unions of all Love All these are named from him He is the true Parent in the Parents the true Child Husband Wife Brother Sister Friend in thy Child thy Husband thy Wife thy Brother thy Sister thy Friends He is descended into all these shadoweth himself under them subsisteth as the truth and substance in them It is this descent of his in them this Presence and Appearance of his which giveth these names to them Love is either the Relation itself or the Blood which runneth along in the vein of every Relation Every Relation is a Union Every Union is Love in its proper kind and degree The Original the Fountain of all Unions of all Loves of all Relations is the Supream Unity which is the Father the first Person in the Trinity All Relations in Heaven and Earth all Unions are broken pieces of the great Diamond of Divine Love The Father is this great Diamond of Divine Love
see the high and gloriouâ— Trinity the adored and amiable mystery of Eternal Love the three Beauâ—tiful and Blessed Persons of this Trinity of this mystery the Father 〈◊〉 Fountain of Love the Son the Fathers Lovely Birth Bride in their Love-union on their Heavenly Marriage-Bed figuring themselves and shining wilâ— the naked substantial Glory thorow the Figure You will say to the sweetneâ— of every Flower to the Beauty of every prospect in your walks this is thâ— Love-union between the Father and the Son this is the fruit of the Marriage-Bede on which the Father of Loves and his Lovely Image his Son aâ—â— his Bride lie eternally embracing each other This is thâ— perfume this is thâ— lustre of the holy Spirit You will say of every Sickness Sorrow and Death Here also is the Love-union These also are Love-Births Love-Images froâ— the Marriage-Bed of Love in Eternity These also are Doves with Wings 〈◊〉 Silver and Feathers of Gold from that Mother-Dove the Holy Spirit 〈◊〉 Love-Marriage between the Father and the Son in the most holy Triniâ—â— Use. 2. Give Glory to the Persons of this blessed Trinity to this mysteâ—y of Divine Love continually Dost thou perceive any good principle in Grace or nature putting forth itself in thee Give thanks and say This is the Father the Fountain of Diviâ—e Love opening himself and springing in 〈◊〉 Dost thou feel any sweet Appearance of Truth or Goodnes Light or Love in thy Spirit Rejoyce and say this is the Son the Love-Birth the Love-Image the Lord Jesus rising up from his Fountain the Bosom of the Father in me If there be any Vertue any Power any Pleasantness any Joy any Life of Love lift up thine heart and hands on high say This is the Love-union the Love-knot in the most high and Holy Trinity this is the Holy Spirit the Marriage Bed of the Eternal Bridegroom and Bride the Father of all Loves the Image of all Lovelinesses This is thy high and Heavenly Marriage-Bed which is now Green flourishing and fruitful in me Use. 3. Let this be the mark at which thou aimest O Believer to be taken up into this Love union into this Eternal Marriage-Bed to be one with the Father and the Son as they are one in the Unity of the Spirit I have now finished the last Argument for the confirmation of that proposition God is Love The Argument was this The mystery of the Trinity is a mystery of Divine Love Let me conclude this Argument with one general Use. Use. Hold fast the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity Study it with humble pure Spiritual understandings with the Scriptures in your Eye as your mark to guide you in your way with the Holy Ghost in your heart as your Light of Life to discern your mark your way and your end It is a deep and Divine contemplation that of a Learned Acute and Heaâ—enly Person God hath two Boxes in which he hath laid up his Jewels the â—ncarnation and the Trinity God hath opened one Box the Incarnation There we have seen rich and sparkling Jewels in the union between the Diâ—ine and Humane Nature here below God manifested in 〈◊〉 But O! What â—ewels shall we see what Loves what Glories what Unions when God shall open his other Box of the Trinity when we shall see God justified in the â—pirit The Trinity is the Supream the Soveraign mystery of the Gospel the â—undation of fair Colours upon which all evangelical mysteries are built â—e Fountain in Eternity from which they slow Then shall we understand 〈◊〉 mysteries when God shall take the vail from before this which is the entire 〈◊〉 clear-shining Face of the God-Head Here is the Supream Unity the Founâ—â—in of all Love Life and Light Here is the variety of Love and of Life 〈◊〉 its fairest Light in its first and fullest Image Here is the Love-union the 〈◊〉 Treasury the curious Spring the golden Band of all Unions Motions â—easures and Joys Blessed is he who with Eyes washed in this Fountain looketh into it seeth himself and all Divine Mysteries there Unvailed So Austin wished to have seen Christ in the Flesh. O how much more Divine and Blessed a Spectacle is it to see Christ in the Spirit that is in the Glory of the Trinity the Three Persons in One with all their Eternal Beauty fully and freely displayed Pray for Wait for Look up continually into the Heights and Lights oâ— the Spirit for this sight I have now brought to an End my last Description of Divine Love which is the Divine Nature God is Love I will seal up this Sweet and Soveraign Truth of the Gospel with One Use. Use. If you will be Children of God be Children of Love God is Love Love is the Divine Nature in God and in all His Holy Ones 1. Beware of Lust the Corruption of Love 2. Beware of Passion the Contrariety to Love 1. Beware of Lust the Corruption of Love The Corruption of the best Thing is the Worst All Lust is Love degenerated Love Corrupted Love is the Best of all things Love in its purity at its Height is the Godhead in God Lust is the Formality and Essence of the Devil as he is a Devil St. Jude teacheth us that fleshly Lusts are the similitude of that First sin of the Faln Spirits which made them of Angels Devils Ixion in the Poets loved a Goddess in the place of whom he embraced a Cloud formed into the Shape of a Divine Beauty Thus he became the Father of the Centaures half Men half Beasts Then he was cast into hell where he is fastened to a Wheel turning continually round on which he is tormented day and night This Pâ—rabâ—e is meant of thee O Lustful Spirit Thou wert made for Divine Love fâ—r the Love of the Divine Beauty Thus hast changed this Love into various Lusts. Thou defiâ—est thy self with Shadows Clouds of Darkness formed into the Empty Snapes of Beauty Instead of the Divine and Humane Nature in the Blessed Harmony of an Immortal Union all thy Births all thy Production are Horrid hateful monsters Man Beast and Devil all in One Spirit in One Person Thy end is the Endless Circle of thy Lusts and of the Divine wrath as the Wheel of Eternity a Wheel of Fire holding thee fast tied to it and torturing thee without any Rest or Period 2 Beware of Passion the Contrariety to Love Sampson tied Foxes together by their Tails with Firebrands between them So he sent them forth to burn up the standing Corn of the Philistines in the Fields O men when ye fall from the Wisdom of God into the Subtlety of the Serpent you become Foxes not Men. Your Lusts your Carnal Interests are your Tayls by which you are tied together in all your Unions and Commerce your Passions are Fire-brands fastned to your Tayls Thus the Devil sendeth you forth to deface and consume the Beauties the Peace the Comforts each of other of the whole Creation round about you
Lamb hath seven Eyes and seven Horns which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth Seven is a Perfect Number the Power of all Numbers which multiply themselves endlesly by the Marriage of the Two First Numbers Three and Four the Numbers of the Trinity upon the Throne and the Four Living Creatures most immediately to the Throne and from thence spreading themselves thorow all things being in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne on every side Revel 4. 6. The seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth are the Holy Ghost that one Manifold Infinite Spirit which divideth Itself into Innumerable flaming Tongues Eyes Horns into all Forms of things according to its own Good Pleasure ever Containing all within itself ever filling all with itself See now the Lamb with seven Eyes and seven Horns seven Spirits sent forth into all the Earth The Lamb is Jesus risen from the Dead The Lord the Spirit who hath Innumerable Living Lights of Glory in himself Innumerable Living Springs of Light and Glory with which as with so many ever-waking Eyes he shineth and seeth thorow all things who hath innumerable Powers Almighty Powers Fountains of Power as so many Horns with which he ruleth and reigneth in the midst of all things A Poet in a bright Night taken in a Wood by Robbers which would kill him said to them As many stars as shine in the Sky so many Eyes now look upon you and will be witnesses of this Murther O Sinner who art hatching who art practising any lust in the most secret corner of thine heart or Closer be awake be aware See the Lord Jesus with ten thousand with a Numberless Number of Eyes Shining Flaming Eyes of Pure Glory looking forth full upon thee from every point of the Walls the Roof the Floor all things round about thee from every point of thine own Heart and all that is within Thee See the Lord Jesus with as many Horns of Divine Power from every Point of things running upon thee to break Thee off from thy Lusts or to break Thee in pieces O Saint who mournest sitting in Darkness Lying in Prison encompassed with black thoughts with Enemies Invisible or Visible be awake be aware See thy Jesus thy King thy Beloved with ten thousand a Numberless Number of Eyes sweetly-shining sweetly-Flaming Eyes of Pure Love from every Point of the blackest Darkness of the darkest Prison of thy Darkest thoughts themselves looking forth upon Thee See him with as many Golden Horns of Divine Power from every part from every side running upon thine Enemies to ruine them to cast them down to the Ground down to the bottom of the Pit until they rise no more whether they be things Visible or Invisible See him with the same Innumerable Golden Horns from every part of things from the thickest Darkness round about thee running to Thee to raise Thee up to set Thee on high upon the Rock of Eternity in the midst of the Throne of God Revel 1. 14 The Eyes of the Lord Jesus are compared to a Flame of Fire A Spirit is all one Entire Eye and full of Eyes The Lord Jesus is the Supreme Spirit spreading himself thorow all things from the height of Heaven above to the Depth of Death and Hell beneath The Firmament is not set so thick with Stars as the Whole Earth the whole-Creation all things are set with the Eyes of the Lord Jesus These Eyes are so many Suns of Love to the Flowers the Wheat the Gold the Diamonds to increase their Beauty draw forth their Sweetness ripen their Fruit make them sparkle and shine more pleasantly But to Stubble and Thorns to Vanity or Enmity they are a flame of Fire burning upon it until it be consumed O Fear the Wrath of the Lamb. 2. Application Fear to look with a Vailed Heart upon the Vailed Face of the Lord Jesus If thou seest the Shadow the Letter of the Gospel if thou seest the Vail the Flesh of Christ if thou seest not to the End of these as things to be done away if thou seest not thorow these beyond these the Lord the Spirit which is the Heavenly Body and Substance to the Shadow the Naked Face the Naked Unchangeable Eternal Person of Christ hid under the Vail it is not Jesus Christ but Moses in whom thou trustest Thou art not in the Arms of a Lovely pleasant Bridegroom but at the feet of a severe Judge This is the Law from Mount Sinai which engendreth bondage which trembleth and shaketh for fear where Thunders roar and Lightnings fly abroad from the midst of a thick Darkness This is not the Lord Jesus full of Grace that Perfect Love which casteth out fear the Perfection of Beauty on Mount Sion which standeth firm for ever which may be touched kissed and embraced Take heed to thy self O Temporary Believer Thou Jew thou Christian outwardly in the Letter onely This is not the Sun of Righteousness on which thou lookest but the Cloud which covereth the Sun If the Eye of thy Spirit stay here and pierce no further out of this Cloud will come down upon thy head a tempest a Whirlwind and Flames of Fire The Vail is upon your Hearts while the Gospel is read even to this day 3 Application Blessed art thou who lookest with a Naked Heart upon the Naked Person of Christ. He who is fixed in the Letter the Outward Form the Flesh of the Eternal Word is One of the People of the Jews who stood below at the Foot of the Mountain having in their Eye the Outside onely of things These saw nothing but the Blackness of Darkness and the Flashes of Lightning these heard nothing but the dreadful claps of Thunder He who ascendeth and entreth into the Truth the Spirit is with Moses within upon the Top of the Mount He talketh with God face to face as a man talketh with his Friend He seeth the Divine Light and Calm of Eternity in the naked Person of the Lord Jesus He receiveth the Language of Divine Love the Musick of Eternity with kisses of Love immediately from the Lips of the Lord Jesus He feeleth the Fountain of Life all Joys flowing from the Heart of the Lord Jesus running nakedly thorow his whole Body and Spirit being a better Feast than that of all meats and Drinks filling him with Spirit and pleasantness cloathing him with a fresh Lustre Beauty in a more excellent way The Lord Jesus saith of himself in the Gospel I have a Baptism to be baptised with and how am I streightned till it be over The Loves the Lovelinesses the Divine Life the Delights the Glories the Lord Jesus all the Treasures of the Eternal Word are streightned in the flesh of Christ as the Beauties and Sweetnesses of a Flower the Fruits of a Tree are shut up and imprisoned in the Seed When the Lord Jesus by Death is baptised into a Divine Form and Glory when he cometh
to take thy Person into the Arms of his Preventing Loves to breath bis Preventing Loves into Thee as a New Life the Spring of a New Beauty excelling that which was lost by Thee in Paradise incorruptible that never fadeth not passeth away Ladies and Queens have sometimes hatched Eggs in their Bosoms Thy dead deformed Person will thy Saviour hatch in the warm and naked Bosom of his Preventing Loves unto a Divine Life that shall answer Love with Love and flourish in the Loveliness of every Grace every Glory through thy New-born Soul and body according to their proper seasons Having known the Love of the Lord my Spirit laboureth yet not my Spirit but the Love of the Lord Jesus in my Spirit laboureth by all means to bring forth itself in the fresh and full Sense of its First its Free its Preventing Sweetnesses in your hearts as a Spring of Living Waters in a dry and barren Wilderness But as a tender Mother taketh a beloved Child weak and peevish laieth it in her lap poureth a Cordial down into its stomack so will your Jesus do with you O Grieved Spirits who are weak without strength froward will not take in his Love He will take you lay you upon his knees and pour this precious Cordial of his Preventing Loves into your Mouths Then will it go right and sweet down to the bottom of your heart There it will become a Well springing up with pure sweet and plentiful Streams of every Spiritual Truth Grace Comfort or Joy unto Eternal Life This is The First State of Love in the Lord Jesus Preventing Love 2. There is in the Lord Jesus poured forth from the Father a Fulness of all Assisting Love 2. Cor. 14. v. 7. 8. 9. St. Paul had a thorn in his Flesh messengers of Satan sent to buffet him He prayed thrice that he might be delivered from them He had this answer from the Lord My Grace is sufficient for Thee Many tender-hearted Saints who feel their Lusts as Thorns in their Flesh who feel their Passions as the Messengers of Satan the Angels of the Dragon buffeâ—ing them cry out frequently in the Agonies of Fear and Grief O this Lust O this Thorn in my Flesh Sure at last it will wound me so deeply to the heart that it will let out the Life-blood of all faith hope grace and comfort O this Passion O this Messenger of Satan It will one day carry me back again into those Chains of Darkness and that Bottomless Pit out of which I seem to my self sometimes to have escaped But O Believer tossed with the Tempests be comforted Fear none of these things Look up continually to the Blessed Person of your dear Saviour lifted up into Glory in the midst of your Spirits See the Father pouring forth himself into the Fulness the Glorious Fulness of all Assisting Loves in his Bosom Pray continually and hear this Blessed voice from the Mouth of your Saviour continually sounding in your ears My Assisting Loves are sufficient for Thee Obj. But some Soul that wanteth Comfort will say When the Lord Jesus hath once by his Preventing Love planted a New Principle and Habits of Grace in me he now expecteth that I should improve this Principle and act these Graces If I do this and make use of that which I have I may comfortably look for his Assisting Love and that more Grace should be still given me But what New Loves can I promise my self to accompany me and carry me on in my way while I so ill requite the Lord Jesus for his First Loves that I suffer his Gifts to lye unimproved his Graces to lye unactive in me hid in the Earth by my Sloth or Sensuality Answ. I shall proceed in my answer to this Objection by Three Steps 1 Stâ—p This Objection wrappeth up together in it something True something False 1. This is False That the Assisting Love of the Lord Jesus dependeth upon our Emprovement of Grace already received from him This is not True No by no means Assisting Love is as free as full as absolute as much all as much alone in Carrying on the Work of Grace in us as Preventing Love is in Beginning it God hath poured forth in Christ the Fulness of all Assisting Love I am the Truth the way and the Life saith our Saviour Jesus Christ is the Truth and the Life of all Grace in the way as much as in the Beginning or End Without me ye can do Nothing Every Act of Grace every thing in every Act of Grace which distinguisheth it from a meer Non-Entity from an Absolute Nothing Every Degree of Spiritual Being in the whole Life of Grace with all the Exercises of it through the whole way from the Beginning to the End is all alike Immediately from Jesus Christ. That which is True in the Objection is this the Emprovement of Spiritual Principles the Exercise of our Graces are attended with Clearer Illuminations Sweeter Enlargements more Divine heighthnings of all heavenly Truths Graces and Consolations in us On the other siide when Faith is not acted when holiness is neglected Darkness Decay Distress and Death dwell upon us But these things are all entirely Consequences and Effects not Causes or Attractives of Assisting Love The Assisting Love of our Lord Jesus is as the Sun which by its Presence bringeth Light Warmth Fruitfulness Life Beauty Pleasurealong with it When it withdraweth itself leaveth the Cold hardness Storms Desolation of Winter behind it The Bridegroom chargeth the Virgins of Jerusalem by the Roes and Hinds of the Field that they stir not up nor awake his Love until She please Cant. 2. 7. The Angels of heaven which are the Invisible Ministers by whom all things move in the whole Order of Second Causes are here understood according to the sense of some learned Divines By the Virgins of Jerusalem The Roes and hinds of the Field are the Pleasant Loves and Lovelinesses of the Eternal Spirit in the heavenly Person of Christ. The Law of the Eternal Beauties and Loves of the Divine Nature lieth upon all things upon all the Ministers and Armies of God that the Spouse of Christ be never laid to sleep or awakened but according to its own good pleasure as it is One Spirit with the Lord Jesus by a knot of Everlasting Love as a Queen at the Right hand of her King set down in Heavenly Places with him in him upon the same Throne When the Divine Principle which is the Bride and the Spiritual Man in a Saint retireth itself and goeth to its rest in this Night the Wild Beasts Bruitish Lusts Raging Passions come forth to prey upon the Natural Man covering it with filth wounds But when the Day spring ariseth from on high when the season cometh for this Man this Heavenly Seed Bride to awake to stir up her self and come forth again in this New Morning the Beasts return to their Den Lusts and Passions sink down into their own
of that Sacrament pointing out the Truth figured in that Type The Lord Jesus is a Husband to Thee in his own Blood Thou must also be a Spouse to him in thine own Blood St Paul saith Ye are dead to your first Husband by the Dead Body of Christ that ye may be married to another to him who is risen from the Dead Rom. 7. 4. You must come thorow the Death of Christ into his Marriage-Bed You cannot lye down in the Embraces of his Love in Glory except ye be first married to his Crucified Body and united to that in the Embraces of Death Flesh and Blood saith St Paul cannot enter into the Kingdom of God into the Kingdom of Spiritual Love If a Fleshly a Natural Spirit striveth to enter into the Love of God in the Glorified Person of our Lord Jesus it â—alleth short of the Truth the Life it attaineth to a Similitude only The Love and Glory of the Father of Christ of Heaven to the most raised Spirit of this Creation is an Enchantment Delusion a Dream This Gâ—ace of God in the Figure this Divine Love in a Dream is for the most part turned into Wantonness Lust. So men become in the heighth of the Purest Notions of the Sweetest Images no more than Filthy Dreamers The Death of Christ in the New Birth in Purity and Power of the holy Ghost is the Angel with a Flaming Sword turning every way which keepeth the Entrance into the True Paradise the Way to the Tree of Divine Love as well as of Divine Life The Eternal Spirit is the Flaming Sword Death here in its outward form is an Angel ministring to this Spirit He that dieth by this Sword and Flame in the hand of this Angel cutteth off burneth up all Fleshly Forms and Lives is in the same moment new-born into a Divine Immortal Spirit In this Spirit he entereth into the Paradise of Love in the Third Heavens above the Heaven of Sense or all things Visible above the Heaven of Reason Angels all things Invisible Intellectual of the First Creation in the Glorified Person of Christ. Here nothing entereth which hurteth or defilâ—th But be not discouraged when ye hear of a Baptism in Death before the Heavens open and the Dove Divine Love descend to rest upon you to give you rest in itself It is Love itself which is the Baptiser which leadeth you and goeth down with you into Death It is a River of Love which is the Jordan the Death into which you go down and are baptised We are baptised St. Paul saith in the forementioned place into the Similitude of Christ's Death The Death of Christ was Death in Truth a Substantial Real Death The Death of Christ in a Saint is Eternal Love Eternal Life in the Likeness and Form of Death a Similitude onely of Death in a Substance of Immortal Love and Glory in the Person of our Jesus ascended Use. 4. Take heed of mingling the Lusts of the Flesh with Spiritual Loves Jealousy is the Rage of God as well as of Man It burneth to the Foundations of the Earth A Fly bred out of Dung so infested the Eagle that it forced him to lay his Eggs for safety in the Lap of Jupiter the Heathen-God The Fly mounteth up aloft carrieth up some Dung with it letteth it fall into Jupiter's lap He arising and shaking the Dung out of his Lap shaketh ouâ— the Eagle's Eggs with it which fall broken to pieces upon the ground This is a Fable The Moral is good Thou art a Saint Thou layest the Births of the Divine Spirit in Thee thy Graces Hopes Joyes with thy self in the Bosom of Divine Love O take heed that thy Flesh that Dung-Fly mingle nothing of its Filth with these Births of the Spirit in the Pure Bosom of Heavenly Love If it do assure thy self that Love will cast all the Filth all Flesh out of its Chast and Spiritual Embraces As that falleth to the Ground thou also wilt fall with it and have many a broken bone many a broken heart We read in the Revelation of the Dragon and his Angels in Heaven together with Michael and his Angels But they fought there till the Dragon and his Angels were cast out Thou O Believer art a Heaven in which God dwelleth as Love where all the Angels as Angels of Love where all Forms of things are as Heavenly Angels of Pure Love round about him ministring to him Shall there be now seen in this Heaven in thy Person O Believer silthy Lusts furious Passions the Dragon and his Angels together with the Lord Jesus Divine Love and its holy Angels How hateful how horrid a Wonder What a Prodigy is this If it be so let there be no rest in the Heaven of thy Spirit let there be a continual Fight until the Dragon with his Angels the Fleshly Spirit with its Lusts and Passions be cast out When the Unclean Dog and the fiery Dragon are no more Thy Lamb will feed and lye down to rest thy Turtle will make its Nest and enjoy its Mate its Beloved in quiet Nothing shall disturb or make them afraid in all the Paradise of Divine Love Use. 5. Comfort your selves O Believers You travel thorough the Valley of Baca Baca signifieth a Mulberry Tree and Weeping You travel thorow a Valley of Tears a Mournful Valley where all the Trees that grow are Mulberry Trees Emblems of Grief and Wo. You are frequently overspread with the black Shades of Fear Unbelief Doubt Distrust Despair You often fall into the hands of violent Robbers Evil Spirits in the forms of various Temptations Corruptions Passions These spoil you leave you naked wounded desolate You dig up pits in Duties Ordinances But many times no Rain no Descent of the Spirit from Heaven filleth these Pits Yet be not discouraged all you who believe the Love of God in Jesus Christ. Strengthen the feeble Knees You shall go on from Strength to Strength from Light to Light so you shall come every one of you at last to a Clear Sight to a Compleat Fruition of the God of Gods on Mount Sion of God in his Supreme Glory in the Nakedness Purity Simplicity Unity of the Eternal Spirit Lift up the feeble hands These weak Graces of yours mixt interrupted with so much Corruption These weak Persons Bodies and Spirits wearied wounded stained with so many Sufferings Sins and Sorrows shall be crowned with perfect Glory For why Pure Love Almighty Love That Love which is itself God over all Blessed for ever This Love comes forth casting off all vails pouring forth itself from all its Eternal Springs in all its Infinite Fulnesses in the Glorified Person of Christ This Love hath begun and shall it not make an End As Certainly as it hath laid the Foundation and you have cried to it Grace Grace Pure Love Preventing Love as Certainly as it hath gone on to build you up thus far and still you have cried to it Grace Grace Pure Love
to dye with you This is the true Church-fellowship a Fellowship in our Souls and in our Bodies by a Spiritual Principle and Life with the Church and Assembly of the first-born with all things in their first born State in one Spiritual and Heavenly Body in Christ. 3. How amiable and lovely doth this make death to the Saints This is the chief end I aim at in my discourse and the point to which I bring it With what a beautiful and smiling Face doth Death now look forth even in the Body of a Saint in which he hath been wont generally to appear so grim to the holiest Persons Thy Body O Believer so far as thou standest in a Spiritual Principle is a Fellow-member with thy Soul in the Body of Christ It is a Jewel the work of a faithful and curious workman the most holy Spirit as Solomon in the Canticles speaketh of the Spouse of Christ. But here the mixture of the fleshly and carnal Principle is as Dust and Dirt which covereth and fullyeth this costly Jewel With what a sweet pure lustre of Immortality and of Heavenly Glory doth it sparkle and shine forth ravishing thine own and all spiritual Eyes and Hearts in the moment of Death when the blessed hand of Death clean wipes off the dust and stain of the carnal Principle and brings it forth entirely into its Spiritual Principle that now it stands singly as a Spiritual Member in the Spiritual Body of Christ The Lord Jesus saith if thine Eye be single thine whole Body shall be light as when a Candle enlightens a Room In this life O Saints we have a double Eye and have a double sight The mixture of the Spiritual and Carnal Principle is the double and divided Eye O welcome Death receive it with open embraces Now is your Eye single Now is the carnal Principle cast out for ever Now you look forth with the open and single Eye of the single Principle of the Eternal Spirit Now is your whole Body nay now is the whole body of things filled to you with a Heavenly light of Immortality Glory This single Eye pours forth from the Unity of the Spirit as from the Fountain of blessed Light thorow your whole Souls and Bodies thorow all things round about them a Light of Glory as when a Candle enlightneth a Room A way of cleansing Pearls when they have any spot or cloud upon them is to thrust them down the throat of a Pigeon into its Crop where the heat of the Pigeon takes off the stain and makes them perfectly white This is the mystery of a Saints Death The Heavenly Dove the Holy Spirit in the same moment takes a Saint entirely in Soul and Body out of this Life out of the Carnal Principle into himself into his Bosom of Love by the Divine heat of that Love takes off every spot or cloud of the flesh by consuming it both in the Soul and in the Body and makes them both purely white and shining Pearls in the Heavenly Body of that one great and only Pearl the Lord Jesus 2. The second relation into which the Body of a Believer is taken at the new birth is that of a Temple to the Holy Ghost There are 4 things proper to a Temple 1. The Figure 2. The Glory 3. The Communion 4. The Defence 1. Every thing in the Tabernacle and so in the Temple to the least things and lowest actions were divine Types of Spiritual Truths and Heavenly Excellencies in the Person of the Lord Jesus So it is said that all things were made and ordered according to the pattern in the Mount which pattern in the Mount was Christ in Glory O Saints This Tabernacle and Temple were Types first of Christ then of you whose Souls and Bodies both are the true and living Temples of God The Body of a Saint is a more excellent Temple in as much as Solomons Temple was a shadow only of this It is a Living Divine and Immortal Temple It is therefore in the whole a far more excellent more rich more glorious and delightful Image of the God-Head in its entire form It is in every part and point of it a most lively a most beautiful a most pleasant figure of some particular Mystery and Glory in the God Head All the parts of your Bodies themselves the lowest and least even to a hair of your Heads every thing that befals you in every part of your Body in the meanest and slightest circumstance is formed exactly by the Divine Wisdom and Power according to the Divine Will to answer the Pattern in the Mount to be the holy figure of an eternal Glory in Christ. We read Psal. 29. 9. Every thing in his Temple speaks Glory Every thing in thy Body O Believer so far as thou art a Believer speaks Glory For this is his Temple O live alwaies in the Spirit that thou maist alwaies be in thy Body as in the Temple that there thou maist see understand and enjoy the Glory in every thing 2. The Temple of God is filled with the Glory of God There is a Prophesy in Malachy concerning the times of the Gospel that he shall come into his Temple You O Saints are the Temple which is here Prophefied of Jesus Christ as God in the Glory of the Father in the Third Person the Holy Ghost comes into you into your Bodies also and fills them with his Glory The same word in Hebrew signifieth a Temple and a Pallace The name of a Temple in Greek signifieth an Habitation or dwelling place It is a note of a learned Divine that the Temple had Tables and a Throne and a State in it which was the Golden Mercy Seat called in the Gospel the Throne of Grace to signifie that the Temple of God was his Pallace as he is the great King The Eternal Spirit is present in the Body of a Believer as in his Pallace He keeps his Court there There is his Throne with all the blessed Angels and all the Heavenly Company waiting round about it It is called his resting-place Arise saith David to God thou and the Ark of thy strength into thy resting-place God shineth forth in his Temple filleth it with his Glory within resting upon it and overshadowing it with his Glory without In the 50 Psal. at the beginning the Psalmist speaking of the Temple saith God shineth from Sion the perfection of Beauty What a perfection of Beauty then what a Divine Pallace how full of Glory within how encompassed with a clear shining Glory round about is that Body of a Saint which is the living eternal Temple of the Holy Ghost In what Majesty doth this Eternal Spirit appear here upon its Throne of Love In the midst of what Divine Pleasures and Delights doth it rest for ever here What a Court does it keep here with all its Train of Angels and heavenly Attendants waiting round about its Throne as in another Heaven O Believers honor your Bodies For
as out of Heaven and the Bosom of God This rests upon us takes us in cloaths us entirely universally with itself Thus we are never found naked not for any one the least moment All that life all those objects entertainments and joys which we possessed before in the Cloud in the Captivity of a mortal Image yea the very Image of mortality itself besides innumerable new and unconceivable Glories are all the very same things present with us in this Heavenly Building this Heavenly Body but after a new and more excellent manner We have our pleasant things a hundred-fold more pleasant We have our unpleasant things with an unmixed pure and perfect pleasantness as they stand within in the Divine Mystery and Love Thus desirable and delightful is death to a Saint which now indeed is no more Death but the flood the Fountain of pure Light Eternal Life the Divine Love breaking forth in his Soul and Body and swallowing up every thing of Mortality into itself Give me leave here to take occasion to shir you up to the love and pursuit of Spirituality in Religion by a short exhortation 1. Understand your loss How many precious and glorious truths of the Gospel What Heavenly and Divine growths in Grace How many sweet unexpressible consolations and joys in life and in death are we unacquainted with are we uncapable of for want of the Spirit and Spirituality I have many things to speak unto you saith our Lord Jesus to his Disciples before his Death but ye cannot bear them now Why Hitherto they knew Christ after the Flesh only The Spirit was not come which was to lead them into all truths and to be their eminent comforter I could not speak unto you as to Spiritual but as to Carnal saith St. Paul to the Corinthtans who yet were pussed up with a conceit of their knowledge 2. Consider the danger from the want of Spirituality St. Paul saith in one place that what the Law speaketh it speaketh to those that are under the Law The Law in Scripture is called the Letter which is the Figure and Image only The Gospel the Spirit which is the Life and Truth This then is the dreadful curse which the Law pronounceth upon those who live and worship God in the oldness of the Letter not in the newness of the Spirit that their Eyes their Ears their Hearts shall be closed made fat and hardned that seeing they shall not see hearing they shall not understand that they shall be taught line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little that they may fall backward and perish and never rise more because when Christ was presented to them in the Spirit of Life and Glory to be their rest and refreshing for ever they would not obey the heavenly Call O dreadful danger O deadly curse Hear this O Professors O Believers who are Carnal and not Spiritual Tremble and fear to be eternally imprisoned in the dark Image and killing Letter being for ever excluded from the marvellous light of God from the Eternal Life and from the most glorious truth itself of all Heavenly and Divine Things to wander perpetually in a barren Wilderness of Graves and of fiery Serpents never to enter into the rest of God nor the refreshing of the Eternal Spirit O Silly Men and silly Women that are ever learning ever hearing Sermons ever praying ever reading the Scriptures ever sounding forth the name of Christ and God yet at the end of one ten or twenty years still laden with the same diversity of Lusts and Passions still moving forward and backward upon the same Carnal and literal sense of things never coming to the knowledge of the Truth as the Truth is in Jesus as the Spirit is Truth 3. See the advantages of Spirituality as they are laid together 2 Corin. 3. At the latter end 1. Liberty Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty a pure freedom from the servitude of hellish Lusts and passions a pleasant freedom from fears cares consinements from the Law Death and Wrath a Divine Freedom from the vale of the Flesh the Law the Letter of things from every Earthly Created Darkning Dividing Principle Life and Image the liberty of a free access into the purity power rest joys glories immortality infiniteness of the Spirit and of the Divine Nature 2. A clear discovery evidence and seal of the new Birth in you We with open Face behold the Glory of the Lord. The open face there as appears clearly by the context of the words is the Spiritual and Heavenly Man within us unvailed appearing evidently with the Seal of his own Spiritual Beauties and Glories upon it in the openness and freedom of a Spiritual and Divine Light Where are doubts where are fears now concerning our condition they are fled away and vanish as the shadows of the night before the Sun rising and shining forth with open face 3. A clear vision of the Lord Jesus in Glory within thy self We all with open face as in a glass beholding the Glory of the Lord saith St. Paul It is in Greek beholding as in a Looking-glass where the Face that is seen is the Face of him who fees reflected upon itself O blessed State of a Spiritual Saint The Spiritual Man in him is a Divine and living Looking-glass in which while he beholds the face of the Lord Jesus in Glory he sees his own Face and the glorious form of his own Heavenly Person reflected upon itself The Person which sees the Heavenly Person which is seen and the Glass are all one Spirit All these dwell together see possess and enjoy one another in the same Life and Image 4. Spirituality brings a lively and lovely growth in all Grace We are changed saith St. Paul into the likeness of the same Image from Glory to Glory These words import three excellencies in the growth of a Spiritual Person 1. It is continual which is implied in that expression from Glory to Glory One degree of growth immediately follows another The Kingdom of Heaven which is the State of Spirituality and in the Holy Ghost is compared to Corn which grows by day and by night in Winter and in Summer It is growing every moment till it be ripe for the Harvest 2. Spirituality groweth by great increases Here the name of Glory is put upon the growths of Grace in a Spiritual State from Glory to Glory In another place St. Paul expresseth it by the increases of God that is swift great glorious divine increases as by the immediate springings of the Godhead and bearing the likeness of God in Glory 3. Spirituality makes the Glorified Person of Christ the Pattern the Measure the Mark and End of its growth So saith St. Paul Beholding the Glory of the Lord we are changed into the likeness of the same Image A Spiritual Person hath the Lord Jesus cloathed with a Spiritual Glory ever in his eye is continually taking him into
his Heart continually bringing him forth into his whole Person and Life with an increasing clearness and fulness As the Object is to the Faculty and to the Soul so is Jesus Christ to a Spiritual Person his Pattern his Object his Food his Feast which spreads itself quite thorow his Person and Life which all throughout turns into Life Strength Beauty Cheerfulness and Joy to him 5. A spiritual person in a sweet and sealing manner sees the Spirit himself presenting the Lord Jesus to him within himself in a spiritual Glory feels the Spirit himself springing up immediately within him in all sights of Christ in all his changes and growths into Christ. He sees and feels this Spirit to be Jesus Christ himself He sees and feels this Spirit and this Jesus to be in himself and one Spirit with himself So the verse forementioned runs We all with open face beholding as in a Looking-glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the likeness of the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord or according to the Greek by the Lord that Spirit These are the sweet and blessed Advantages of a Spiritual State I will add some few and short Directions to this State 1. Look to the New Birth in You. See that you be born again that you be born from above that you be born of the Spirit that this which is born in you be Spirit Jesus Christ saith That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit This only is the New Birth Newness is only in the Eternal Spring the Spirit 2. Take care of your Union with Christ that it be a Spiritual Union that you be united to Christ as he is risen from the Dead and in Glory as he is a Spirit the King and Bridegroom of Spirits that you be united to Christ in the Spiritual Man that your Union be a Spiritual Marriage that you be one Spirit in the Unity of the Eternal Spirit which is Love 3. Pray for the Spirit for a Spiritual Understanding for the Knowledge of things in the Spirit as they are Spirit and Life and so alone Truth Suck in the Spirit by day and by night from the lips of Christ from the kisses of his mouth 4. Die to every thing of the Flesh that you may live in the Spirit Bear about in your Bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus that the Life also of the Lord Jesus according to the Spirit may be manifested in your mortal Bodies At the young Phoenix is said to spring new and fresh out of the Ashes of the Old One so doth the Spirit in the newness of an Heavenly and Immortal Glory spring out of the Grace of Christ. 5. Live purely live in Love These two Purity and Love are the principal fruits of the Spirit by which the Spirit himself is drawn down and held in our Hearts being fed and delighted with them Every kind and degree of impurity and enmity quencheth the Spirit and maketh him to withdraw himself into Heaven again The Scripture saith The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit to bring forth its own Beauties Delights and Fruits all over the Spirit of Man in the place of the Eternal Spirit The Scripture saith also That the Flesh envyeth against the Spirit The Flesh hath an envy and an envious malice to see the Spirit with its Eternal Glories Joys and Fruits to flourish in the Soul 6. Lastly Take heed of thinking that you know enough He that thinks he knows any thing knows nothing as he ought to know it saith St. Paul He that thinks he knows any thing knows things only after the Letter which is a knowledge of shadows only and a shadow of knowledge This is that knowledge which pusseth up which swels a man with a windy conceit of knowledge But that knowledge which is from the Spirit as its Fountain and in the Spirit as its air and element and of the Spirit as its only object this makes a man at the highest degree of his knowledge on Earth to be sensible that all his knowledge is but as the light of the night a light shining in a dark place not the day-star and the Sun itself risen upon him This man thinks himself at best as a door-keeper only or as the Hebrew word signifieth one standing at the threshold of the House of God who looketh in at a distance and hath only a weak glimmering prospect of the Glories there but is not yet entered into the Light of those Glories to behold them as they are to know them as he ought to know them and is to know them He therefore as a new born Babe from the Womb of the Spirit keeps his Eye ever fixed with wonder and pleasure upon the light of the Spirit and ever thirsts to drink in more and more the sweet milk of this Light The Subject of our discourse hath been the passage of a Saint by Death not only in his Soul but in his Body also into a State of purity pleasure perfection and immortality One of the objections against this was taken from common sense to which Death presents the Bodies of the holiest Persons liveless ghastly dissolving to dust We have answered this objection by a distinction between a twofold sense Carnal and Spiritual But this objection was enforced from the Body of Christ which was a rueful and bloody spectacle in Death which lay three days in the silence darkness and restraint of the Grave It is necessary therefore to say something particularly to the State of Christs Body in Death by the application of this distinction to that also I shall ground this discourse upon that Scripture Luke 12. 50. They are the words of Christ I have a Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I streightned till it be over This Baptism is generally and as I humbly conceive rightly interpreted to be the sufferings of Christ at his Death The Baptism of Christ and the accomplishment of that Baptism were both at the time of his Death The sense of this Baptism before it came was an unexpressible streightning or affliction and oppression to the Soul of Christ. He cries out how am I streightned The words thus opened afford this observation The Lord Jesus had his greatest trouble and his greatest Triumph at the time of his Death Then was this bloody Baptism and then was the blessed accomplishment of this Baptism I shall open this in seven Propositions whereof 5 set forth the trouble the other two the Triumph of Christ at his Death 1. Propos. It was the most glorious and eternal Person of God himself in two Natures Divine and Humane which was our Jesus 2. Propos. God in his own Person as the Divine Nature lived in our Nature here on Earth stood at once in a twofold Principle one Natural and Temporary the other Supernatural and Eternal 3. Propos. As this Eternal Person our Jesus with his God-Head in the Humane Nature stood in a Natural and Temporary
thy mind let me briefly offer to thy larger thoughts upon them these few Considerations 1. It is possible for us then to have wrong Notions and Opinions of Spiritual Truth when we think we have the rightest How easily do we mistake an Object and the true colour of it when we see it through a dyed and colour'd Medium The Staff that is streight in the Air seems crooked when it is seen under Water through the grossness and inconstancy of that Element Such are all our views our reports of Divine Truths whilst we take in and give forth the Copies of them through the thick colour'd and spotted Glass of our Natural Vnderstanding Thou confessest thy self to bee a poor fallible creature thou bemoanest daily thy Ignorance before the Lord and beggest of him that thou mayest understand thy own Errours Be not then too hasty in charging thy Brother with false Notions whilst thou thy self art not exempted from mistakes Do not think thy self an Infallible Iudge of his Errours whilst thou art but a Fallible Discerner of Truth for thy self 2. It is impossible for us to have clear Notions and Opinions of Spiritual Truth whilst we are in this dark and distant World We now see but through a Glass darkly We are in a confused state We can better make a shift to puzzle and perplex the Notions of another than we know how to disintangle and extricate our own The Sun appears not to us in his true brightness and glory but as a red bunning fire when we see him in the mornings and evenings through those earthly vapours and mists which interpose Such Fogs are still gathering between the God of Truth and our Vnderstandings whilest they dwell below We are as yet but like the blind man in the Gospel who upon the first touching of his Eyes saw Men like Trees How fond and obstinate should we think that man who going forth in the twilight when it is impossible clearly to discover and distinguish any thing is however very confident he sees and reports all things aright All our Notions of Spiritual Truths here below are at best but as a Twilight in which Light and Darkness meet How unreasonable is it whilst thy own Light is shaded with so much Darkness to think there is no mixture of Light in thy Brother's Darkness 3. It is impossible for us to have full and comprehensive Notions and Opinions of Spiritual Truth whilst we are in this separated and divided state Our knowledge here below is not only dark as was said before but partial St. Paul with excellent reason puts these two together 1 Cor. 13. 12. We now see through a Glass darkly we know but in part or in division It is indeed the partiality of our knowledge which causes and encreases the darkness and difficulty of it and turns it into a Riddle That will be plain easie and pleasant to us when we come at once to see the whole body of Divine Truth when we shall in one view behold the entire frame and universal harmony of it the connexion proportion consent and sympathy of one Truth with another and of each Truth with every Truth which being now seen alone puzzles perplexes intangles and labyrinths us Spiritual Truths are now Aenigma's to us because we know but in part in division All our Notions and Opinions here can be but broken things but little pieces of Truth We are all running away with scattered bits and scraps of Spiritual Truth every one fondly calling his own share the entire Purchase But we know not how to put things together Some are zealous for one others for another part of Divine Truth whilst we contend for one we are apt to let go another whilst we are seeking after one we lose another We continually mistake one another and the Truth in each other through our partial discovery of things We have so much light so much knowledge as through the darkness and ignorance mingled with it and prevailing over it serves us to wrangle dispute and quarrel with our Brethren but not enough to receive and comprehend them We have indeed a Notion of the Indivisibility of Truth and are sure of it in the Theory but we know not how to make it out in our practice It is true that is not Truth which cannot dwell with any with every Truth but all Truth is not yet thus reconciled in the head of any Good man on Earth although it be so in every Good man's heart he is in love with all Truth but has not yet found out all its Alliances the whole compass and circle of it Truth is one in it self but it is broken into I know not how many pieces as it is in us and those pieces through the darkness mixt with them in our spirits fighting one against another The next state will give us a clear and comprehensive view of things all the divisions of Truths and of Spirits will then be at an end Those Truths those Spirits shall then be reconciled and run into the Embraces of one another that seem now to stand at the greatest distance and defiance Then the Darkness shall no more predominate over the Light nor employ it thus unnaturally to contend against it self but the Light running together from all parts and every where mingling with it self shall swallow up all the Darkness But we have now only a glimmering prospect of this happiness It is impossible to attain here to a full view of the whole face of Truth which is great and glorious as God All our present Notions and Opinions are too narrow too contracted to take in those innumerable Raies and Beams of Divine Truth which are every where scattered and dispersed among all the Children of Light Thou hast but one little part of it in all thy Notions and Opinions thy Brother has another part in his Instead of undervaluing his share it becomes us much better to acknowledge the shortness of our own and to say of God with Job upon another occasion not much different Job 26. 14 Lo these are parts of his waies but how little a portion is heard of him 4. The same Spiritual Truth may communicate it self to us in various different and contrary Notions and Opinions The whole state of things all along throughout the Christian World is a sufficient proof of this matter It is somewhere well observ'd by our Author to this purpose as they say in Philosophy The Essences and kinds of things are unmoveable and ever the same However there be an infiniteness of uncertainty and change in the Individuals by the variety and change of outward accidents So if you compare one good man with all other good men in all ages you will every where find the same New Nature the same inward savour and rellish the same Divine Principle and God-like life in them all Whilst the inward forms of truth and goodness upon their understandings and the outward expressions of them in their conversations and
her upon itself as upon a Bed of Rest. By this time we see what the Holy Ghost means by the Heart and the Bed Let us now return to that place of that Psalmist for the opening of which we have brought in all these Scriptures Psal. 4. 4. Commune with your own Heart upon your Bed and be still that is discourse not with your Spirit as it lives in this Body upon these Outward Appearances For so it is one with the Strange Woman it is a Strange Heart it is a Fountain that makes itself common and defiles itself it is not your own Fountain alone your own Heart but a wandring false lying Heart Retire your self into your Chamber in which the Candle of the Lord shines that is into your Spirit as it hath the Spirit of God for the Spring of Natural Light and Life in it Here wait quietly and silently for the openings of the Spirit of God in the secret Voice of Nature within you But stay not here Silence this Spirit too draw your self yet more inward into the Spirit of the Lord Jesus as He is the Inward Man within the more inward than the secretest Retirements of the Natural Spirit Here cast thy self upon thy Bed in thy Heart and commune with thy Heart upon thy Bed This is thy Bed and thy Heart both in one Here lay thy self at Rest upon this Spirit which is the Comforter advise with this Spirit which is the only Counsellor the Spirit of Truth So be thou still let thine own Spirit the Spirit of this World and Nature in thee be silent He that thus hearkens in Silence what the Lord will say shall certainly hear him speak Peace to his Saints The Spirit of God in thy Natural Man may speak of Wrath to thee and God will confirm that voice of Wrath in the Spirit of thy Natural Man And so here thou canst find no Bed to comfort thee But go a little beyond thy Natural Man and thou shalt meet with the Spirit of God as it is in its own Freedom and Fulness in the Lord Jesus Here is a Bed ready prepared for thee Now silence thine own Spirit for ever and hear no more what the Spirit in thine own Spirit speaks but what this Spirit speaks as it is here in Jesus Christ and this Spirit will certainly make thee to hear the voice of Joy and Gladness Thus the Lord giveth his Beloved Rest not in themselves but in Himself I have now finished the First Part of Spiritual Peace which is Silence the Silencing of a Three-fold Spirit the Spirit of Wrath from God the Spirit of the Devil the Spirit of Man 2. Part Satisfaction The Second Part of Spiritual Peace is Satisfaction This consists in Two Things 1. A Sweet League with all things 2. A Satisfactory Rest in this League 1. A Sweet League with all things There can be no Satisfaction where there is any thing wanting and not made up or any thing Crooked and not made straight as Solomon speaks Eccl. 1. 15. There is no Satisfaction where there is Division or Contention Jobs Friends promiseth this Satisfaction to Job Job 5. 23. Thou shalt be in League with the Stones of the Field and the Beasts of the Field shall be at Peace with thee v. 24. And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in Peace Behold a League wiâ—h all things below thee Beasts and Stones Principles and Appearances of Life descending are the Beasts The Stones are the Principles and Appearances of Darkness descended to the lowest the Dead Images of things Behold a League here with all things above thee thy Tabernacle shall be in Peace The Powers above thee are thy Tabernacle The Angels are thy Tabernacle God is thy Tabernacle Thou shalt dwell peaceably in these These shall be in Peace not in stormy or fiery Appearances upon thee Behold a League with all Times with Eternity Thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in Peace Thou shalt not fear what is to come because all Times to come shall be in Covenant with thee Whatever Times come to others still thy Tabernacle thy Angel thy God shall be peace upon thee and this thou shalt know before hand This is that League with all things which Jobs Friend promiseth to him without which there can be no Satisfaction or Peace Quest. But you will perhaps ask me how this League is made Ans. I answer that it is made by living in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This Spirit in you is this League or Covenant For the Spirit is the Unity and hath the Band of Peace in itself Ephes. 4. 3. The Lord who is the Spirit is call'd the God of the Spirits of all Flesh Num. 16. 12. and 27. 16. This place agrees with that Luk. 20. 38. God is the God of the Living not of the Dead for all things live to Him As our Saviour said that Little Children had their Angels which beheld the Face of God in Heaven So it is most true that each Fleshly Appearance hath its Spirit in which it lives with and to God Every Beast or Stone hath its Angel in which it is comprehended after a living manner and by which it is governed Every Angel hath its Spirit in Jesus Christ in which itself is again comprehended after a Divine manner and by which it is entirely managed Thus the Spirits of all things are in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of every Creature which is the Scepter that sways it the Lawâ—giver to it is in the haâ—d of the Spirit of Christ and goes forth from between his Feet If then thou wouldst be in League with all things and at Peace with them be thou One Spirit with Jesus Christ so all Things and Times shall be One Spirit with thee and this Unity of Spirit is the Bond of Peace To be Spiritually-minded is Life and Peace Rom. 8. 6. If thou wouldst live comfortably take hâ—â—d of dwâ—lling in the Fleshly Tabernacle in the Fleshly Savour and rellish of things Let thy understanding and Soul abide in the Spirit of God So thou shalt converse always every where with lively and lovely Objects All things round about thee within thee without thee shall have Life and a Harmony a Tuneableness with themselves and with thy Spirit a Peace-fulness in their Life All things shall have an Angelical Life and Sweetness to thee as they have to the Elect Angels All things shall have a Divine Life and Sweetness to thee as they have to God This is the First thing in which Satisfaction consists a Sweet League with all things 2. A Satisfactory Rest in this League This is the Second Thing in which the Satisfaction of Spiritual Peace confists Es. 14. 3. And it shall come to pass in that day the Lord shall give thee Rest from thy Sorrow and from thy Fear and from thy hard Bondage wherein thou wast made to serve Poor Soul while thou livest in the Darkness of Fleshly things
Sing This is Spiritual Musick the working of Spiritual Joy to Shout and to Sing We read of a Two-fold Song which Spiritual Persons sing Revel 15. 3. They Sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb. The Song of Moses is the Law the Song of the Lamb the Gospel When the Children of Israel had passed thorow the Red Sea and saw their Enemies lie dead on the Shore then they Sung the Song of Moses who drew them out of those Waters according to the Signification of his Name When the Soul hath escaped out of the Sea of Blood mingled with Fire which is the Dissolution of her Natural Principles in Troubles and Terrours by the Baptism of the Spirit when shee sees her Spiritual Enemies slain on the Dry Land of Christ Spiritual Appearance then she Sings the Song of the Lamb who was dead but is alive and lives for ever the Song of Peace Singing naturally with the outward voice is the highest and fullest Activity of the Natural Spirits So Singing Spiritually and with the Inward Man is the highest Activity of the Spirit in our Spiritual Part. This Spiritual Musick or Singing which is the working of the Wine of Spiritual Joy in the Soul consists of Three Things 1. The Heightning of the Soul towards God 2. The Tuning of the Soul to God 3. The Exercise or Entertainment of the Soul upon God and with God 1. The Heightning of the Soul towards God This is one Piece of that Activity of Spiritual Ioy which is the true Musick of the Soul In that place cited before Psal. 65. 13. Singing and Shouting are put together 1 Thessal 4. 16. The Lord Jesus is said to descend from Heaven with a Shout This Shout is the Awakening and the Elevation of the Soul or Body towards the highest State of things by the Powerful breakings forth of the Glory of God upon them Psalm Psal. 57. 7. David had said I will Sing and give Praise Then he calls upon himself v. 8. Awake up my Glory awake my Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake right early Some say Davids Glory was his Tongue but then sure it was such a Tongue of Fire as sat upon the Heads of the Apostles a Tongue of Spiritual Manifestations and Heavenly Glory like a Flame enlightning and heating both at once Man is the Glory of God saith St. Paul 1 Corin. 11. 7. The Spiritual Man is the true and Spiritual Glory of God The Natural Man is but a Shadowy Glory David calls upon his Glory to awake as distinct from himself and then he saith I shall awake like that of St. Paul Galat. 2. 20. I live not but Christ in me there is the Glory awakening itself and the Life that I live is by the Faith of the Son of God there is himself awakened in that Glory Then the Soul sings when the Life of Jesus Christ which is her Glory awakens itself in her and awakens her together with itself into the Light of God to a Contemplation of and fixing upon his Beauties Now the Soul is above her ordinary Pitch as Waking is above Sleeping Now she sits above herself upon the top of her Spiritual Principles as a Bird upon the Top-branch of a Tree Singing in the Sun-shine the highest Light of Divine Discoveries This is the First thing in this Activity or Spiritual Musick 2. The Timing of the Soul to God In that fore-mentioned Psal. 57. 7. David speaks of awakening three distinct Lives His Glory His Psaltery and Harp Himself The Glory is Jesus Christ in the Soul Self is the Soul The Psaltery and Harp those Heavenly Principles and Powers which as Ministring Spirits go forth from Jesus Christ into the Soul suiting fitting and tuning the Soul to her Saviour Revel 15. 2. St. Iohn saw the Saints that had gotten the victory over the Beast stand upon a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and the Harps of God in their hands Then in the next verse they Sing The Sea is this Creation especially the Invisible the Angelical Part of it In this State it is a dark troubled foaming Sea But in the Kingdom of Christ it shall be a Sea of Glass a Chrystalline Sea clear calm fresh taking in and holding forth the Lord Jesus the Image and Face of God as a Glass as a pleasant Stream The Fire with which it shall be mingled shall be the Spirit of God and of Glory resting upon the Creature The Saints standing upon this Sea shall have the Harps of God in their hands Angels are the Trumpets of God This State of the Saints which is here described is their Angelical State when they shall be like the Angels These Harps of God then are Angelical Tempers and Principles which Jesus Christ brings forth and puts into the Soul as Harps into their Hands by which they are tuned and fitted made ready for Him to sing to Him Thus the Soul is tuned to God being put into a Spiritual and Heavenly Temper like an Angel beholding the Face of God and in a readiness to Sing forth to Sing aloud his Glory Coloss. 3. 16. St. Paul speaks of Spiritual Songs which they were to Sing with Grace in their Hearts This is that which David calls his Harp This is the Harp of God in the hands of the Saints the Grace of God in their Hearts This is the Tuning of the Soul to Christ the Receiving of Grace for Grace from Christ the winding up of Grace in the Heart to a pitch of Conformity and Communion with Jesus Christ like the Tuning of two voices or Instruments one to another that so Christ and the Soul may make Musick each to other and have their Joy fulfilled in one another So much for the Second Thing 3. The Exercise and Entertainment of the Soul upon God and with God This is the Third thing in the Souls Singing for Ioy. David saith in one place I will Sing of thy Righteousness and in another I will Sing of thy Power The Spiritual Joy and Musick of a Saint is to fly abroad among the Excellencies of the Divine Nature to enlarge and act his Spirit to the Height upon the Beauties and Brightnesses in the Face of God the Uprightness Truth Perfection in the Heart of God the Freedom Fulness Fruitfulness Infiniteness in the Spirit and Life of God David hath often expressions to this purpose I will Sing to thee I will Sing to the Lord. So St. Paul speaks Making melody to God The Holy Soul Sings of God to God Spiritual Joy is the Free letting forth of the Spirit with God concerning God It is often the Work and Delight of a Holy Soul to open her mouth wide to take in to the utmost the contemplation of God the communications of his Greatness Fulness Sweetness Glory and then when she is fullest to pour forth herself again into the Ear and Bosom of her God You may see this in the Psalmist Psalm 45. 1. My Heart is enditing a good matter I
Lord Jesus before Death and after it is much more large than that which is between a single grain of Wheat cast into the Earth and the standing Corn upon the ground full-ripe with many perfect grains of Wheat in the Ear than that between the single Seed of a Rose and a Rose-Tree full of fresh and flourishing Roses or the Seed of an Apple and a well-grown Apple-Tree laden with ripe Apples What Image could any man frame to himself or what conjecture would he make of a Rose-bush or a Rose by the single Seed if he had never seen the things themselves No more is it possible for us to take any measure of the Body of Christ in Heaven or at all to guess what manner of things it should be by his Body on Earth 1. John 2. 3. we read from the mouth of the Beloved Disciple who lay in the Bosom of Christ knew most of His Divine Secrets and was best acquainted with His Person in Glory that now we are the Sons of God but it doth not appear what we shall be but when he appeareth we shall be like him for we shall see him as He is Now we have the Seed of God in us now we have in us the Seed of a Divine and Glorious Soul of a Divine and Glorious Body But what this Seed which is sown in our Earth will be when it is a Tree in the Heavenly Paradise what this Glorious Soul and body will be when they are come forth grown up and perfected we do not at all know Only this aim we have We are sure that we shall be capable of an immediate Sight and Enjoyment of God without any Vail or Garment without any Representation or Distance as He is in His naked and simple Essence in His own proper and immutable Form This is an infallible Argument that then we shall be in the Form of God For otherwise it would be impossible for us to see it and take it in St. Paul illustrateth this difference between the Body of a Saint in its Life on Earth and in the Resurrection by two Comparisons the Varieties of Flesh and of Bodies All Flesh is not the same Flesh. There is one Flesh of Men another of beasts another of fishes another of birds v. 39. There are Terrestrial Bodies and Caelestial the Glory of the Terrestrial is One the Glory of the Caelestial is another There is one Glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars one Star differeth from another in Glory so also is the resurrection of the Dead v. 40. 41. 42. It is a very great mistake to think that the Apostle intendeth here to set forth the different Glories of Saints in Heaven He hath a far higher and nobler design This is his sence and the force of his arguing You must not think because we have Bodies on Earth and Bodies in Heaven that upon this Ground these Bodies must be of the same Nature and Kind or at all like one another How vast a variety of Bodies do we behold with our Eyes on this Earth and in this Heaven As great as the number of the Stars in the visible Heaven so great and incomprehensible is the Variety and Several Sorts of Bodies For every one of these differeth from the other Such yea far greater is the Difference between a Body when it is sown in Death and a Body when it is raised up A Body raised though be it still a Body doth more vastly differ from it self here than any two Bodies differ in the frame of Nature or within the Compass of the whole Creation The properties of a Body in Heaven by which it is distinguished from a Body on Earth are four as the Apostle reckoneth them up Power Glory Incorruptibility Spirituality v. 42. 43. The ground of these differences he layeth in that Primary and Radical One It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body v. 44. The Sun doth not so much differ in matter and make from a Clod of Earth as a glorified Body doth from itself on Earth For both those are Natural here one is Natural the other is Spiritual Nay an Angel doth not so much differ from a Worm in its Essence and Image For an Angel is still a piece of Nature a part of the first Creation all which the Holy Ghost comprehendeth under the term of Natural But a Body risen from the dead is Spiritual of a new Creation for Matter and Form vastly different from vastly above every thing within the compass of this whole world in the visible or invisible part of it To conclude this Proposition observe how St. Paul begins this discourse with a quick touch Thou Fool Thick skales of folly do lie indeed upon the Eyes of our mind if we perceive not all things in this Flesh to be in a disguise of Sin Death Wrath the Devil by his Sorceries That which we call Death is the casting off the disguise In the Spirit we see and are seen with open Face Prop. 2. The Second Proposition which is the Second Story in my building raised upon this Scripture is this we may not compare the Body of Christ in Heaven with the Body of Adam in Paradise This Proposition riseth up plainly out of St. Pauls words v. 46. And so it is written the first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit Three things lie plain in these words compared with the Context 1. The Apostle-speaketh of Adam and Christ with a peculiar and principal respect to the Bodies of either The Subject which he now professedly handleth is the Resurrection of the Body He bringeth this up to its Principle and Pattern the Glorified Body of Christ. In the verse before he established this Assertion as a Pillar on which the whole Frame and Fabrick of Divine Truths here delivered doth lean There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body He strengtheneth that distinction by this Root and main reason of it in the verse immediately following And so it is written the first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit You seo clearly that this relateth to the Natural and the Spiritual Body 2. Adam is here spoken of in respect to his Paradisical Body Jesus Christ to his Heavenly Body The place from which this is cited is the History of Adams Creation as he was brought into Paradise Gen. 2. 7. As his Body was taken new and pure out of the Virgin-Earth before the fall and the curse The first man was of the Earth Earthy v. 47. such as the first Earth of which he was composed which was then say some far siner than Christal Gold or Pearl yea than the Sun is now Angelical Earth Jesus Christ in that Body which here is meant is The Lord from Heavâ—n 3. As much as a living Soul differeth from the quickning Spirit that is as much as a small Stream of
Life from the Ocean which hath its Fountain in itself which is therefore unconfined and infinite as much as a little Shadow from the Eternal Incomprehensible Truth and Substance such is the dissimilitude and disproportion between the beautiful Body of Adam in Paradise and the Blessed Body of our dear Lord in Heaven As the Earth in Essence and Appearance in Greatness and Glory in vertue and Comprehension differeth from Heaven not only this Heaven which we see not the Heaven of Angels above our sight but that Heaven out of which our Jesus cometh as Lord of all an Heaven higher than all created Heavens such is the difference between the New-created Body of Adam our first Father which shone about his spotless Soul as the Light about the Sun and the glorified Body of Jesus our first and last Lord and Love O all ye that hear and believe admire with me the insiniteness of the wisdom and love of our God who hath made the loss of Paradise by Sin so great a gain to us instead of that giving us our Jesus But we shall come yet more clearly to the mark at which we aim if we examine these words more exactly To that end I shall propound three Questions 1. Question What the general Nature of a Body is Answ. A Body is the compleat Image Instrument and Fulness of that Soul or Spirit to which it doth belong Col. 2. 17. A Body and a Shadow are set opposite one to another Which are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ or is Christs is the Body of Christ. A Body and a Shadow agree in being an Image But the Shadow is a confused useless emply Image the Body express Instrumental Substantial and full In the same Chapter a little before v. 9. we read of the Lord Iesus in him dwelleth all the Fulness of the GodHead bodily God is the Person in Christ the glorified Body of our blessed Saviour is the express Image of the God-Head God is seen there as a Man is at home in his house nakedly clearly familiarly constantly entirely in all Forms and Postures This glorious Body is the Universal and Immediate Instrument of the God-Head the Sphear of its Activity God judgeth all acteth all exerciseth all the operations of the Divine Nature and life here as the Sun runeth his race from the beginning to the end of it in his proper Orb and Heaven God dwelleth with all his fulness in this Body He delighteth to pour out into the Body of our Beloved and his Beloved all the precious Treasures of his God-Head Here he delighteth to possess and enjoy them in a Bodily Form in the Form of a Spiritual Heavenly and Divine Body As at the Incarnation the word was made Flesh. A Body of Flesh Iohn 1. 14. by emptying itself to nothing so now is the Eternal Word again in the Resurrection made a Spiritual Body by returning and rising up into all its Fulnesses in the same Body in which he had emptied himself The Lord Jesus speaketh of himself in Glory when he saith In my Fathers house are many Mansions John 14. 2. The Body of our Bridegroom is a Spiritual Palace in which all the excellencies and Off-springs all the operations and works of the Divine Nature have their several distinct Mansions and apartments We read of a Tree in the branches of which all the Birds of Heaven have their Nests The Spiritual Body of Christ is the Tree of Life and of Love which hath Branches enough and large enough for all the Birds of the highest Heaven the seven Spirits of God with all their Train all the variety of the God-Head to make their several Nests in them I may add also for all the Beasts of the Field all inferiour Forms of Things to lodge under its Shadow You who love the Lord Jesus and his Appearances doth not this move you doth not this make your hearts to spring and dance in your breasts to hear that your Saviour is cloathed with this Heavenly Body so full of Glory and of God Can we forbear now from saying to our own hearts and one to another these five short words 1. If we have formerly known any thing besides our Jesus let us now know it no more If we have hitherto known Christ after the Flesh let us know him so no more This is the only object worth all our knowledge and study Jesus in his Spiritual Body purer and brighter than the Body of Heaven in Paradise far beyond that in the height variety and compass of its Glories 2. How black doth every Sin appear in this Light of our Lords glorified Body When a Soldier was about to kill Cresus his dumb Son cryed out thou killest the King So cry to every Lust in thine heart thou crucifiest my Jesus in his Spiritual Body the Body of all Divine Beauties shining like a Divine Sun upon thee comprehending thee as the highest â—eaven In every Creature in which thou seest not the blessed Light of this Body in which thou doest not kiss it with the pure mouth of the Spirit in thee thou doest crucisy it 3. Is not this Bosom this Heavenly Body of our Beloved a Field of Lillies indeed the Field of all Spiritual Beauties and Divine Graces Shall we not like pleasant Roes be ever feeding here As Booz said to Ruth let us never go into any other Field to gather or to feed Is not this the Paradise itself in the third Heavens where all the Fulnesses of the God-Head are in a Body a Divine Body 4. How pure and Spiritual are we to be in Body and Spirit if we are to be Brides to this Lamb of God whose Body outshineth all the Angels and is raised to a degree of Spirituality far above them 5. Is this that Body of which the poorest believing Soul may say by the Law of its Spiritual Marriage my Jesus hath not power over his own Body but I have power over it to command its presence with me to delight my self in it as my Garden of Eden of pleasure to bring forth Fruit by it Is this that glorious Body of Christ to which these vile Bodies yours and mine are to be made like by that Power by which he is able to subdue all things to himself to the similitude of this Body of Divine Glories Is this the Body into which we are taken up and which we are at home with when in death we are withdrawn from these Bodies of our Pilgrimage here Qu. 2. What the force of this phrase is A Living Soul The first Adam was made a Living Soul Was he not made a Body as well as a Soul The Body seemeth to be so far from being concerned here that it is excluded Ans. This Word Soul hath Three Acceptions in the New Testament and so that which answereth it in the Old 1. It is taken for the Person composed of Soul and Body So Gen. 46. 26. All the Souls which came with
Unity which is the Divine Nâ—â—ure and which is Divine Love by three Principles of our common Orthodâ—â— Divinity rightly founded upon the Scriptures 1. Prin. God beholdeth All things in himself He goeth not forth out of himself to converse with any Thing He receiveth not any Impression from thing without himself Rom. 11. v. 35. 36. Who hath been his Counsellour or who haâ—â— given to the Lord first that he should repay him God is Simple ever Perfect uncompounded He seeth all things in the Glass of his own Essence He Himself All to himself his own Center and Circumference 2. Princ. Every thing which God seeth in himself he seeth at himself All Forms of things as they appear in God appear cloathed with the Form of God James 1. 5. every good and perfect Gift cometh from above from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of Turning All appearances of things in the Fahter of Lights the Sun of Eternity are Lights good and Perfect Lights not Beams but so many entire Suns Springs and Seas of Light the Light of Life and Love in the Bosom of that Sun the Father of them All. For there is no Variableness in God although there be Variety God is the Same in every season and Appearance without any Shadow of Turning 3. Princ. God as he seeth all things in himself in one Divine Form with himself comprehendeth them unchangeably in the closest and sweetest Embraces converseth with them Eternally in the highest degree of all mutual Suitableness Sweetness Satisfaction and Delight Pythagoras said Friendship the best Kind of Love on Earth was One Soul in several Bodies as in so many Images and Reflections of itself Such is God such is Love One Incomprehensible Spirit multiplying itself into Innumerable Representations and Reflections of itself that it may contemplate itself possess itself delight it Self Infinitely for the Divine Form compleat in every One endlessly for the Variety ever New This is the sacred Unsearchable Unity of the Divine Majesty Thus this Unity is the most Sacred and Supreme Love Quest. Now you may perhaps say within your selves some one of you This Love of which you speak is the Love of God within himself the Love of God to himself What is all this Love to me Answ. My answers to this Question shall be so many Applications of this Truth Use. 1. All this Love is nothing to thee who separatest thy self from the Divine Unity by sin Your Sins separate between me and you saith the Lord by the mouth of his holy Prophet You have accounted your selves unworthy of Spiritual Loves in that you have divided your selves from the Unity the Heavenly Body and Spirit of the Lord Jesus You stand in the strength of your own Spirits and walk after your own Imaginations Principles and â—mages which you have found out and chosen to your selves to stand in the Power and walk in the Light of them Matth. 23. 37. Jesus Christ mournâ—th over Jerusalem in these words O Jerusalem Jerusalem who stonest the Proâ—hets and killest those that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered â—hee as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her Wings But ye would not Thereâ—ore now shall thy house be left unto thee desolate I say unto you Ye shall see me no more until ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Wretched Soul who art still in thy Sins hear thy Saviour after this manâ—er mourning over thee with tears of blood falling from those Wounds which Love in him Sin and Unbelief in thee have made with Words of Pity and tender Compassions falling from his Lips O wretched wretched Soul which by sin woundest that Unity of Divine Love which first sent thee forth from its Blessed Womb which by Unbelief continually killest in thy Self that Unity of the Eternal Spirit which springeth up in thee which sendeth forth sweet glances maketh strong Impressions of itself upon thee to draw thee into its Blessed Bosom O sinful O Unbelieving soul how often within thee without thee in thoughts of thine Heart in touches upon thy affections in the ministery of my Word in the works of my Providence have I spread over thee the Shadowing wings of the Divine Unity the wings of Divine Love of the Heavenly dove my Spirit How often would I have gathered thee under these wings to have lien safe from every Bird of Prey every Evil and Unclean Spirit to have lien warm under that Divine Heart which would have cherished the Divine Life in thee with all the Graces and Joys of it But thou wouldest not Therefore is thy Spirit and Person left to thee desolate without Spiritual Life Spiritual Comfort Spiritual Company which all as Plants of Immortality grow and flourish together in the Unity of the Eternal Spirit as in their Root But poor forlorn Soul when thou shalt see thy Saviour come again in his Spirit into thy Spirit then shalt thou fall down at his feet fly into his Arms and say Blessed is my Jesus coming in the Heavenly Evidence of the Divine Unity which is the Supream Love that subdueth all things to itself Now I believe This Unity this Love is the Ground and Root of Faith Use. 2. All this Love is nothing to thee who livest in the enmity of the Serpent Thou hast no lot nor portion in that Divine Unity which is the Fountain of Love who livest in Wrath Malice and a bitter Zeal The Spouse of Christ the Soul on which he hath set his Love is a Dove hath Hony and Milk under her Tongue Divine Love Heavenly Peace and Joy are a Fountain of Milk and Hony in her Heart Gentle Language Words of Meekness Healing Peace-making works are streams of Milk and Hony under her Tongue flowing from the Fountain of Divine Love in her heart We read in the Book of Job that the Wicked Man shall never see the Land of Brooks of Fountains and of Rivers of Waters but the Serpent shall bite him These expressions seem to allude to the Land of Canaan and the fiery Serpents in the Wilderness which things themselves were Types of the Paradise of Love in the Divine Unity and the Enmity of the old Serpent in the Wilderness of Sin As thou likest not to retain Love in thine Heart language and life but art a fiery biting Serpent by deadly hate bitter Speeches works of wrath and malice formed in Hell so thou shalt never see the pleasant Land flowing with Brooks with Fountains and Rivers of Love The crooked Serpent shall wrap thee up in his cursed folds to draw thee into his hideous Den there bite and devour thee Use. 3. Believe So shall all this Love be thine in thee and to thee I shall make good this to thee by 3 Arguments which are so many Motives to perswade thee to believe to stand fast in the Faith to grow in Faith 1. Argum. Believe and by believing thou shalt be transplanted
Individual and Substantial Body of mine as it was in Flesh the Other the awakening of Spiritual Senses in you the Shining forth of my Glorified Body and my Divinity by their own Light upon these thorow this Sign of my Natural Body reassumed for this Service But now beware that you make not this Sign a Stumbling-block to you to make you think me now like your selves and such a one as formerly I was to have a body of an Earthly Substance or Figure consisting of Flâ—sh and Bones No the Days of my Flesh are past I was put to Death in my Flesh and to the Flesh I am now quickened by the Spirit to live for ever in the Spirit A Spirit hath not Flesh nor Bones as you see me now to have This seemeth to be something of our Saviours sence in this place St. Paul Rom. 8. 6. saith To be carnally-minded is Death but to be spiritually-minded is Life and Peace The Greek word comprehendeth an Act of both the Faculties of our Souls our Understanding and our Will To look upon things in their Fleshly Forms to savour and rellish a Fleshly Sweetness in things is Death To see things in their Spiritual Appearances to savour and rellish them in a Spiritual Sweetness This is Life and Peace which is the Harmony the Musick the Crown of Life When the Disciples looked down into the Grave for Jesus Christ the Angels reproved them saying Why seek ye the Living among the Dead He is not here He is risen He is gone before you into Galilee as Himself spake unto you The Flesh was our Saviour's Grave and is still the Grave of the Spirit All Forms and Beauties of the Flesh are Grave-cloaths bound about Him Let us no more seek the Living and Immortal Person of our Beloved nor His Living and Immortal Beauties which are all Spirit and Life among the Dead things of the Flesh. He is not here in Flesh any more He is risen and gone before us into the Spirit Let us follow Him thither I have done with the First Rule to direct us in the Knowledge of the Person of Christ Spiritual Things are to be discerned Spiritually Rule 2. Spiritual Things are to be compared with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2. 13. The Holy Ghost teachâ—th comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual This Rule bringeth me to the Mark and White which I aim at That I may hit it the more exactly I must â—ix a while upon that Scripture 1 Cor. 15. 35. and so forward I lay this Groundwork for the Building which I intend to raise upon this Scripture The set Design of the Apostle here is to discourse of the Resurrection of the Body He therefore frameth this Question to himself which containeth the Great Subject of his whole Discourse in this place How are the dead raised up and with What Body do they come v. 35. In answer to this question he treateth of the Bodies of the Saints in general of the Body of Christ in particular as the Root and Rule of the Resurrection to all the rest Upon this ground I shall raise three Propositions as three Stories in my Building which will take in the greatest part of St. Pauls words upon this Subject in this Scripture Prop. 1. The Body of Christ risen from the Dead is not to be compared with the Body of Christ living upon the Earth or Dying St. Paul likeneth by a large similitude the living Body to a Seed the Body raised to a perfect Plant sprung up out of that Seed v. 36. 37 38. St. Paul maketh expresly three Differences 1. The Life of the one is a Death compared to the life of the other and so the world in which it is a Grave to that Image of things in the Resurrection v. 36. That which thou sowest is not quickned except it die 2. They differ as two several Bodies for Substance and Shape Thou sowest not that Body that shall be v. 37. 3. One is as bare Grain naked dark deformed little slight the other hath a Body a Substantial Beautiful Distinct fulness It hath a Form of Light and Beauty proportions of greatness and magnitude a fulness of Substance It hath a Divine Body a Body drawn forth from the Treasury of the God-Head God giveth it a Body v. 38. It is a Body a Form and Fulness sprung forth from the Divine Wisdom and Will bearing the Glorious stamp of these in which themsâ—lves rest with a full Complacency God giveth it a Body 〈◊〉 himself pleaseth v. 38. It is also to the Seed it s own Body and to every Seed it s own Body v. 38. As John the Baptist saith of Jesus Christ he is perfer'd before me because he was before me as in the purity and Paradise of the Creation the perfect Plants were first in the Fulness of their Beauty and Fruit bearing their Seed in them so in the Paradise of Eternity before the World which is Christ the Word the Wisdom of God the Immortal the Glorious the Divine Bodies and Forms of things were first as the Flourishing Tree comprehending in themselves the Bodies and Forms of Flesh as Shadows or naked Seeds hid in the Light or Bosom of the beautiful Substance and Fruit. Then came forth the Earthly Forms of things into the State of this Creation These are Shadows under which the Divine Substances are vailed These are Seeds in which the Tree itself lieth hid as a Divine Mystery By the breaking up of these Shadows and the dying of these Seeds the Immortal Bodies and Glorious Substances themselves spring forth thorow them So every Seed hath its own Body in the Resurrection 1. It is that Body of Glory in which it lay and to which it relateth as its Divine Original or first Idea in the mind and will of God 2. It is that which lay hid virtually in it 3. It is that which springeth up out of it and changeth it into itself Thus the Body of our Lord risen is the same Body in relation to the same Idea or Pattern in God to the same Soul to which it is joyned as its proper Form in the Person of Christ to the same first Matter out of which it is taken God giveth it a Body as it hath pleased him and to every Seed it s own Body v. 38. My Brethren what joy is it to think that the Body of our loving and beloved Jesus that our own Bodies that the Bodies of our dearest Relations and delights lose nothing of themselves in Death yea are much more themselves by Death in the Resurrection as a man awake is much more himself than in a Dream a King upon his Throne than in the Grave and Tomb We shall lose nothing of our selves nor of our distinction But I fear I go to far for common understandings to follow me I will therefore conclude this Proposition with a plain representation of the Truth to you As the thing figured exceedeth the figure so the difference between the Body of our