have that expression in the Scripture we are but trifles and yet Christ cannot put these trifles out of his mind he carries our souls as he carries his own thoughts he minds us up and down the world till we come home Compassion is when things are laid to heart and so carried up and down and they are choicely carried indeed which are so carried Compassion carries Christ and us compassion gathers about his heart and that gathers his children about there too and so they are bound up together in that bundle of life and carried through sinne and miserie to eternall felicitie into his kingdome Christ saves surely a father bears over his children to make sure work that they may not fall in Between nature and grace is a great gulf and a remove from one to the other is not without great danger soul transaction from corruption to grace is with perpetuall fierce conflict the soul cannot put out a step for heaven but Sathan lets fly at it and Christ therefore is a convoy and he transferres from sinne to grace and from hell to heaven As transactions of state removing this and that have their bloudy contests so transaction of that great State for eternity within pulling down and setting up have deadly contest and the soul will be killed in the way to heaven if not born along When Israel went out of Egypt not a dog barked but when a soul goes out of the bondage of sinne into the libertie of Christ many dogs and devils bark and bite Christ therefore as he doth pull out so he doth carry in whom he fastens hold on he lets not go whom he takes into his arms he keeps there and still carries them there in all conflicts to make sure work all Christs children fight in his arms if the devil can kill them there so they all fight upon this advantage every battell passage to heaven is secured the great whale that is master of the deep bellies us and saves us from all storms carries us and conveyes us to our haven the kingdome of his dear sonne Christ saves sweetly 't is pleasant travelling in his arms a man may go a great way with ease upon anothers legges the way though long and dirty goes away one knows not how when bravely carried Christ will have none destroyed nor none tired in the way to heaven Wisdomes waves are pleasant they go all in coaches and chariots to heaven 't is the honour of the way the state of the king in his kingdome below to be born up and down so The king brought me into his chambers saith the Spouse Christs yoke is easie easie indeed because born upon anothers neck you yoke creatures so that their yoke may not pinch you use art to lessen labour and make work no work and pains pleasures Christ is excellent at this art he doth so yoke every one that he draws with ease he makes every ones yoke big enough to put in his own neck together with the man and so he draws himself and the man too and that is an easie yoke indeed and a little burthen as you put something of weight sometimes into a childs hand and you carry the child with that in his hand therefore the child easily bears because he and his burden both are born by another This is substance according to shadow this sweet way of salvation was typified in Noah Noah was transferred by an ark from an old world to a new and that shadowed out salvation in Christ and the very manner of it Christ transferring the soul from a bad state to a good So Israel was brought out of Egypt to Canaan and the Scripture tells you how just as an Eagle carries her young and as a father carries his children Have I conceived all this people that thou shouldst say unto me Carrie them in thy bosome as a nursing father carries the sucking children Numbers 11.12 God was more tender then Moses it was tedious to him to bear so many and so froward in his bosome to Canaan yet so did God and so would he have had Moses done and because he had not patience enough to do it he died ere he came there 't is dangerous not to be compassionate according to expresse command though ones burden be never so great God took up the burden that Moses would not and he tells you how he carried them As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and bears them upon her wings So the Lord alone did bear them and no strange God with him Deuteronomie 32.11 12. God can bear much alone and will for a sinners good and his own glory that is to answer types and fulfill truth Use As Christ does bear souls to heaven so does the devil bear souls to hell evil spirits are very painfull too Who bears your souls Sathan carries by delusion some are carried about by winds of Doctrine the devil is in that wind when errour rules the life Sathan rules the heart this soul is born in the arms of an evil spirit 'T is a light soul that a ly will carry but his fall will be heavy Whom Christ carries truth carries the word of God and the Spirit of God are the two wings upon which Christ carries souls to heaven Upon what wings do ye flee By these you may know who carries you whether Christ or the devil Christ wraps up spirits in the word and so away with them to heaven Sathan carries by violence The Apostle Peter tells us of some that are carried about by a tempest Sathan certainly is in that tempest souls born by that evil spirit are hurried Tempests are beside rule and beside resistance so are souls carried by Sathan the heart hath chosen its own way and reason must not stirre nor divinity lesse every thing is irksome that opposeth nothing that contradicts can the man heare this soul is in the devils chariot tumbling to misery apace if God stop not no man can The Lord seldom stops souls when they run apace till they have fallen and hurt themselves much if not ruin'd themselves quite Christ drives gently he goes truths way and truths pace souls carried by Christ go no faster then truth such make a stop at every turning and look out they go slowly and surely Christ kicks at wilfull spirits but he doth not carry them they are meek souls willing to be carried onely by Christ whom Christ carries The devil bears to destruction to ruine grace and the soul he bears as he did bear Christ to ruine all body and soul Souls carried by Sathan are carried away from God to the glory of the world to a god which is not God Carrying away from God is a graduall thing some are carried away more then others and some are carried away quite which I will stand upon a little I see some carried away extremely which makes my heart tremble to behold Men are carried away captive that is
doe the will of God this very phrase is used by the Apostle to the Romans There is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exquirere the word notes diligent and painfull searching out of things through search till what is searcht after be found out but thus these did not doe and therefore were blind and as full soules they were idle and overly in the seeking after truth and so sutable was their light and life and therefore cast off How contrary to right judgement and to the welfare of this Land are they that seeke not after God themselves but seeke after lies and hate and persecute them that doe otherwise and labour to possesse authority that such as are desirous to know more of the Lords will and are earnest endeavourers to doe it better and better are the onely overthrowers of the Land and therefore worthy to be throwne out on 't T is against reason and against nature as well as against religion Bees throw out drones out of their hives but doe they throw out them that are diligent most diligent to bring in most and best honey Men that thus speake and act should be thought of as they are and made to taste of the fruit of their bad zeale the Land would soon be a sorry place for thee if such as thou hatest were out on 't What is hungring and thirsting after the world ripping up the bowels of conscience to finde out more mysteries of iniquity more crafty wilds in trading and traffiquing for gaine diggers and searchers in the earth plunderers of Saints sanctity conscience and Christ are men of these spirits the onely safety and the onely blessing of a Land God forbid it should enter into any soule to thinke so Such as would be desirous to know and cannot must remember this one thing the heart must stand right to doe or else the former cannot be desires to know springs from integrity of intention to doe My soule breaketh for the longing it hath to thy Commandements at all times Davids spirit was set for action the influence of this made that strength of affection soule-breaking and soule-longing There be many damps and earth-quakes in an unsound spirit these put out lights flames and blazes A heart unsound hath love bending still some other way then to that truth to which it seemes to pretend water that hath fit and full passage under earth will not spring and bubble up above it Our Saviour speaking of trying times saith that the love of many will wax cold When earthly things are going the heart as it is earthy and hypocriticall will be most greedy after them and die in order to the pursuit of Divine things to save the life of carnall let us all take heed of this I le speake a word to a case of conscience and conclude I am desirous and industrious to know and to get Divine things but I can make nothing of it I am ever learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth To this I answer Honey dewes you know fall in very small drops so small that t is too bigge a word to call them drops if I knew what else to call them distillation as Balme very small In the warres which Alexander mannaged in Jury the holy Land where this Balme grew history saith the whole Army thought it well if they could gather a spoonfull in a Summers day So if we can in the length of our whole life by all our travell and industry searching and seeking get but a little of the Balme of Gilead a little more of the knowledge and love of Christ then we have we should account it well and not dejectedly complaine COLOS. 1.27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery c. ANy mercy any thing that is or imports the least kindnesse to man now may be called riches riches of glory at such a great distance is man now from God But the Gospell is great riches to wit as much as man hath lost and more it sets man as high as ever he was and higher which is riches of glory indeed considering how glorious once man was It must be a great deale to set up a broken man but to set him up higher then ever he was before fallen is glorious riches i. unexpresseable The Gospell in the intention of it is nothing but love A voice of joy a voice of gladnesse a voice of the Bridegroome and a voice of the Bride a voice of them that shall say God is good and his mercy endures for ever Jeremy 33.11 This is the Gospell and you see that there is nothing in it but joy and gladnesse the Gospell is a salutation of love of the sweetest love it holds forth bosoming love i. marriage love a voice of the Bride and the Bridegroome saith the text i. the strongest love glorious love it holds forth love not to last for a little while but to last as marriage love yea to last longer then that can doe mercy enduring forever saith the Text which is rich and glorious that will hold its strength and its warmth it s a breast and bosome worth the being in that will never be cold The Scripture useth three words which will fitly serve to open this expression in the Text what glorious riches the Gospell is The Gospell is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ kind to man or a word holding forth man friendship which no other subject beside doth that 's a rich and a glorious booke which when I open smiles upon me as such a creature and no where else to be read the like Man is a very miserable creature and yet as miserable as he is nothing speakes to him no volume writes about him but onely the Gospell not with any matter of hope any other Volume no sooner opened but man reads his doome in every line The booke of the creatures opened which is a great Volume and yet not a line in it that smiles upon man nay any one may better looke into the booke of creation then man man no sooner lookes into this Volume but all the creatures fall a bleeding presently as having espied their murtherer thou hast murthered me saith one creature and thou hast murthered me saith another and this is the bloody tone to the very teeth of man throughout all the creation The gronings of the whole creation are throwne as it were by each creature in the face of man they all hold up their hands together against man and say this is he that hath destroyed us There is not a sinner upon the face of the earth but is in some degree in Cains case beset with all the creatures every bush ready to fly in his face to scratch and accuse him all the creatures are out with huy and cry after man as their murtherer which was the reason why Cain was so fearfull everywhere he came the whole
much of his worth which spake him a child of perdition there be more of these children in the world You Londoners have heard much and seen much of Christ more I think then any city under heaven and yet to many of you your bags and your wealth I fear are dearer then the Lord Jesus Some things are afflicting others ruining undervaluing of Christ is damnable the spots of this I will shew you Three things speak the undervaluing of Christ truth neglected sinne approv'd Christ unbelieved Light is to walk by men sleight this and sear their consciences truth is neglected when not made a rule of life Able discoursing speaks not prising of truth but practising Truth is made subordinate to self ends the plague is in the heart love is not sincere Christ is not prised above the world Many will not fully follow God because it will fully undo them to follow truth as the world approves is to prize Christ onely as the world doth Fear your own hearts snares are many within and without Christ is indeed prized when his will is obeyed Action speaks out affection If you love me keep my commandments if the heart be drawn the foot will run the crown wheel moving though but slowly the little wheels run apace the hand and the foot are but little wheels in order to the heart if this be drawn and moved though but a little the other run Draw me and I will runne after thee Draw me that is my heart and then feet and all other parts shall come Affection puts on to action O how willing to obey is that soul that sincerely loves He would go he would run he would ride post to please God no precept harsh where the heart is right Christ made chief and so is his will above an Isaac By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac God tried Abraham what was chief in his heart himself or Isaac and Abraham gives open testimony of his affection in his action Sinne approved speaks Christ undervalued Will is strong lusts overcoming and pleasing to the most and alas for such souls Christ is not prised as chief Approbatio mali est reprobatio animi Some sinne from mis-understanding God pities these some sinne from mis-affection more then from mis-apprehension they love darknesse better then light which is reprobation of mind a soul disapproving the truth which he knows What I would I understand not or I know not saith Paul when he wrought evil and he argues from hence that God and the Gospel would pity him What I do I allow not so you reade it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nosco to know I think is from this Greek word I know not Weak hearts you do many things amisse of ignorance and Christ will pity you and therefore wound not your selves But wilfull wretches you put bitter for sweet you call evil good you love vanities and follow after lies the evil courses you follow you love and approve To prise Christ and to prise sinne are inconsistent you cannot love God and Mammon You are positive in your evil way you put darknesse for light you justifie your course which is drawing of Christs bloud out of his sides and then trampling upon it and despising of it when ye haue done which is the highest undervaluing of Christ Christ unbelieved is Christ undervalued it is frowning upon one that smiles boundlesse grace limited The great things of my Law are made small things saith the Lord. Lessening speaks undervaluing it doth so respecting precepts and respecting promises Unbelief makes great precepts no precepts and it maketh great promises no promises It is the highest commendation of any dish at Christs table that you eat heartily of it Christ accounts it so it is the highest valuation of Christ that you rest upon him that you take life at his hands which he proffers Sinners would you prise Christ be invited then unto unto him by what he proffers he will pardon you he will purge you he will justifie sanctifie glorifie you if you believe on him Faith is laying Christ in your bosome and that is proper prising of a thing faith is an heart act a soul going out of every thing to God wearied with every thing as defective and fiting down in Christ as complete Then do I prise Christ indeed when I behold him as all and so appropriate him to my self when I make him my wealth my honour my righteousnesse when I have none in heaven nor none in earth but him when I have none to present to God to conscience nor to the world but him Weak hearts if guilt deterre you from Christ you will die in your sinne as undervaluers of remedy salvation is brought near to you God will not your death repent and believe the Gospel to day do this and to day shall salvation come to your house Ob. Sol. I know that believing speaks reall prising of Christ but I cannot believe To this I answer The obiection lies not merely here that you cannot believe you will not believe Humour is strong in many weak hearts grace in it self and in its means rejected and then they say they cannot believe you cannot because you will not Blame your will and bleed over the perversnesse of a proud heart beg God to bring salvation yet nearer to you nearer to your understanding nearer to your will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith 't is suadere 't is that act of Christ by which he doth perswade a froward will Beg Christ to conquer thy will and then thou wilt have power enough to believe presently he will perswade Japhet I cannot stand to speak of particulars I have but one thing to speak in generall and then I have done and that is to all Gods people You prise Christ as chief and so doth Christ you Christ is your jewel and you are Christs jewels you make him your husband and you are to him as a wife They are blessed indeed which have Christs prime love upon them prime love gives out prime favours you will be fed with the finest of the wheat the fatted calf will be killed for you the best robe will be brought for you Benjamins double dish and double dainties will be set before you Prime love works out into tender mercy and tender mercy is mercy shaped to all your necessities to keep you happy against all unhappinesse Some are but commonly loved yet they live well upon it and are merry you are dearly beloved of Christ and yet you cannot live well upon this No I shall want my bread Shall ravens be fed and not dear children will not a Father a heavenly Father provide Ob. Sol. If the famine do not kill me the sword will Is not Christ a strong tower to the righteous to his dear ones is not the munitions of works your defence your castles and rocky places will hold out but a while Christ is a rock of ages he saves with an everlasting salvation Ob. Sol.
man naught at heart is Gods enemy Neutrality hath the seeds of enmity there is the buddings of hatred where love is but cold to Christ Men that love not hate truth They that are not with me are against me saith Christ and all that are against Christ though never so gently neutrally and indifferently yet are his enemies Judas was an enemy when no hearty lover as well as when an actuall betrayer of Christ Enmity is sown deep it lies long under ground and puts up with a very little blade at first no body takes it for such a deadly weed as 't is it may be not the party in whose heart it lies but the Lord of the vineyard who knowes all grain in its first bud calls men and things as they are this is a Serpent by kinde though it do not sting yet he will do False love is true hatred Cinders will burn out anon when blown Christ is disobeyed when stubbornly opposed Some are fighters against God and will be so these are deadly enemies Deliver me from my deadly enemies saith David Psal 17.9 There is fighting against God within and fighting against God without strong art and industry to kill conscience in a mans self and others this is a bloody enemy Christ knocks at most mens doors though he can have entrance into few Not a soul where the Gospel comes but he strives and wrestles with it to gain it to God pravity cannot bear these conflicts something is taken to destroy conception vineger is used to prevent vomiting to stay and still the wambling stomack that it may hold what it hath acts of violence rushed upon to darken that light that troubles and any medium good that may but stupifie that faculty that stings when the soul chooseth his own way this is called resisting the Holy Ghost this is a fight under deck a murthering Christ in the cradle these are Christs bloody enemies Christ layes the axe to the root of some sinners and some sinners lay the axe to the root of Christ as soon as ever any word of Christ begins to take hold of the heart as soon as ever Christ begins to stir in the conscience or affection as if the soule were on fire on hell all means are used to quench the Spirit hell is sent for to keep out heaven many bad spirits to keep out one good there are sad issues of this men kill themselves sometimes rather then Christ should live in them Opposition hath rejection folded up in it this is distinguished from that as it carries despight against the spirit of grace makes the hand bloudy if need be as well as the heart and tongue with the bloud of Gods dearest ones these are Esaus red all over And the first came out red all over like an hairy garment and I called his name Esau Gen. 25.25 The summe of all is this An enemy is one that with resolution and delight disobeys the will of God Vse What is your state This is my errand from this point to you Are you enemies or friends to God Amongst Christians this may seeme a strange question yet needfull all are not Israel who are of Israel Christ hath enemies in his own house would we knew them would they knew themselves 'T is a time of much opposition party against party this side against that if wee should all be found opposite to Christ we are undone Heate transports so doth self-ends such persons doe they know not what and are they know not what themselves one while this and another while that constant in nothing but enemies to Christ being secretly sway'd by blind and base principles Say we not well that thou art so and so and hast a Devill Hypocrisie knowes every one but her self exactly knowes another to be a Devill an arch enemy to Christ but knowes not her selfe to be so To mistake others proves sometimes afflicting but to mistake our selves is damning O how should we beg to be delivered from this In a trying time wherein many prove rotten let us doe as Christs disciples lay our hand upon our own heart is it I Tell me O Christ is it I that am an enemy to thee A man that looks into his heart and then looks up to God he will know much He that tasketh himselfe but to know one will certainly finde him out but he that tasketh himselfe to know many and to call them by their names as hypocrites or the like will certainly mistake them or himselfe or both Truth and the heart compar'd speake out one another Christ puts us all upon an exact way to know the thing in question Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command A friend loves not onely in word but in deed what you are in action for Christ speakes out what you are in denomination whether friends or enemies Yee are my friends if yee doe c. Good talke is cheape hath a great many friends if this were it But what doe yee doe for Christ Action also must have its latitude or els doing is nothing neither The will of Christ runs forth into many precepts that 's obedience which excepts against none Then are yee my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you Truth is Homogeniall one precept sweet and all precepts are so when the heart is right the heart is naught the man an enemy to Christ that is partiall in his Law Yet this is the plague of most mens hearts Surely Christ hath more enemies a great many then we are aware of We are for dividing the living childe therefore are divisions and rumors amongst us it speakes stony hearts unnaturallnesse to Christ he answerably handles us the truths we scorne are the swords which kill us as Gods enemies as a generation of hypocrites Integrity hath a double universalitie in it all Gods precepts are obeyed alwayes a friend loves at all times it doth not divide Christ to day nor to morrow nor never will his bowels will not beare it all truth is of everlasting sweetnesse in a sound soule Christ is the bright morning Star a Star holds its glory 't is alwayes admirable a man admires it to day and admires to morrow and so as long as he liveth So is Christ in the eye of him which indeed seeth him The Land in which wee live is stony ground Love withers it doth so very frequently men that were friends fall off and become enemies Apostate are the worst enemies Christ hath yet how many doth this time make The Land is full of Apostates therefore it groanes God is avenging himselfe upon these enemies first fire goeth before him and burnes up these enemies round about Psal 97.3 The most notorious are made examplary amongst us 't is so in the proceedings of God All the adversaries of the Lord should tremble when some are executed and learne instruction by his judgements that wrath is kindled which will burne you all such of you as are not burnt here will be burnt
none of these are cloying but very inviting he addes Wine on the lees well refined Esay 25.6 all Divine distribution how fat how rich soever are so refined that they delight much but not satiate nor surfeit a jot that one may sit at Table alwaies and feast alwaies as they doe above they have such an art above to renge their Bread and to refine their Wine and to order every dish that they are alwaies feasting and alwaies taken and ravisht not at any time cloyed with their dainties All the soule dainties which we have here below are cooked and ordered above the Manna of the Israelites was from Heaven ready cookt and drest for any ones eating and so sent down to earth I will raine Bread from Heaven saith the Lord it came down Bread ranged baked all done above ready for any ones nourishment below without any use of mans paines or art so doth all our soule dishes and dainties yea all our soule rayments and ornaments lawrels and priviledges all that belongs to a Christian as a Christian is shaped and ordered in Heaven and this is the reason that all are still taking inviting and making appetite more strong what ever one have or what ever one knowes yet still to desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire to have and to know more It comes to passe also from the pleasure of Christ he loves to lie by streames and springs where waters bubble up and runne continually he loves brookes to runne alwaies by his doores where he lodges as the Poets of old and men of high fancy they delighted much to lie by springs and fountaines therefore Christ cals for praying evermore and rejoycing alwaies he loves to have salt water and fresh teares and triumphs fresh motion of soule still spring out Therefore when he comes to refresh thirsty ground he doth not content himselfe to say that it shall have the former and the latter raine and dewes from Heaven every night though this be much but that the parcht grounds shall become a poole and thirsty lands springs of water Esay 35.7 it shall be thus his pleasure is to live by wells and springs pooles that bubble up continually Vse Consider the blessednesse of a Christian by this point and become in love with it he is alwaies in game hunting after Christ and the mysteries of eternity sporting and solacing upon things infinitely sweet What the Scripture speakes of the naturall man that in an opposite sence may I of the spirituall Man is borne to trouble and vexation as the sparkes to fly upward so is a Christian borne to delight and pleasure he is a sparke alwaies flying upwards and entring himselfe in Heaven Motion keepes warmth warmth keepes health health is the basis of all delight and pleasure An healthy person makes musicke and mirth with any thing Motion alwaies towards Christ and towards the Sunne I am sure keepes warmth and health our woing and annointing of Christ t is workes sweet to ones selfe as well as to Christ all graces are fresh and thriving whilst watered with sighs and teares after more A spirit sound and healthy within it selfe makes all things without how broken sickly consuming soever matter of content joy and praise A Christian whilst laying out whilst filling his box with precious Oyntment powring it out upon Christ he doth make a sweet odour all the house over he refresheth Christ his brethren and himselfe All Divine industry is succesfull successe is the honey and the sweet of labour A man seekes and finds when he seekes after Divine things a man that seekes God findes him finding God is very sweet A man that thus knockes there is opening Life comes in by putting out a little two talents bring in five five bring in ten this makes triumph and praise he that gets the incombe of Heaven he that grows rich in God cannot but be and doe as they above very blessed and triumph much this is the reason of that expression They that seeke afto◠the Lord shall praise him Psalm 22.26 Such as are inquirers and searchers Gen. 45.27 and mourners after the Lord their hearts live that is solaced abundantly cheared t is explained by that speech of Jacob when he saw the Waggons which Joseph had sent to transport him his heart livd againe that is he was abundantly cheared and comforted If this Scripture be not cleare enough read Psalm 84. vers 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca or Mulbery-trees make him a well This is spoken of them which were travelling toward Jerusalem thirsting after Ordinances and spirituall meanes and the raine filled their pooles Such hungry soules which are as empty ponds gaping as it were to Heaven with wide mouth for replenishing the Heavens open and fill these Raine signifies grace and the ministration thereof in the Word Drop downe ye Heavens from above and let the skie poure downe righteousnesse Esay 45.8 that is let Christ poure downe grace upon soules that are as thirsty Land which are as Daniel persons full of desires As desirers to know and gaine are such blessings to themselves so to the Land wherein they live transparent things are not only their owne beauty but the beauty of things that are neere them the sparkling of a Pearle is not onely its owne beauty but the beauty of the ring and the finger on which it is Christians that know and desire still to know that know and follow on to know the riches of the glory of the mystery of the Gospell these are precious stones living stones as Peter cals them sparkling Pearles which are not onely their owne glory their owne prosperity and safety but the glory prosperity and safety of the Land wherein they live Runne through Jerusalem through every street thereof and see now and know see if there be a man that executes judgement and seeketh after the truth and I will pardon Jerusalem Interpret these words which way you will they are strong to our purpose If you thinke they mean morall truth and execution of justice man to man then thus I inferre if seeking and thirsting and diligence to be cleare and perfect this way be a safety to a Land and that faithfull Magistrates and civill Governours be the protection of a State much more faithfull Christians and diligent Saints that search and seeke after the highest truths and the execution of the highest justice the fulfilling of the first Table of Gods will are a grand blessing to a Land but I thinke the words cannot be taken in such a strict sense all their Lawes were Divine rightly understood a totum homogeneum given by God and suited to that brave body and not to be divided no more then Christs will is now to be divided in any thing which he hath expresly prescribed By truth therefore is meant Christ and his will all that belongs to him in order to us and by seeking truth is meant labour and diligence as longing Christians exactly to know and
much for their sinne though they die in the place Parts being considerable such habits are made use of iniquity establisheth it selfe by a law in such a soule what one can make 't out to be de jure t is a case to be pleaded and the soule will plead in these cases with man and the man will plead with any man that his soule may hold its owne and sin keepe warme where t is parts and parties are therefore now drawn out and strong reasons brought forth produce your strong reasons saith the Prophet Esay 41.21 Productions of this kinde made abortives by truth truth in strength drawn out against that which is false enervating and silencing sinfull disputes and practices is good contention Thus did Nehemiah contend Then contended I with the Rulers and sayd why is the house of God forsaken what evill thing is this that ye doe did not our fathers thus and brought all this evill upon them Nehem. 13. Man must not move as a beast which knowes not the ground he goes upon action must have authority and the production of this authority is sometimes necessary if this or that be not valid by rule 't is to be condemnd by the rule and this is every ones priviledge that hath ability and opportunity by vertue of a generall or a particular call by vertue of a generall call as a Christian to resist sinne and errour which is a publique enemy and traytor to the State which any one may lay hands on and therefore t is that Jude exhorted the Christians to put hand to this worke as well as himselfe when hee wrote to them of a common salvation he wrote unto them also about a common enemy and told them that they ought to contribute strength against such as well as he t was needfull for me to write unto you and to exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith You may thinke as if he had said that it is my worke onely to contend for the faith and against that which opposeth it but it is so mine that it is also yours by a generall calling persons by the advantage of a particular calling draw a greater force into the field against the common enemy but others are bound to contribute what they have to this worke as well as they Wee are as men designed and advantaged peculiarly as Generals to lead in this sad worke to which the Prophet speakes Jeremy 15.10 Woe is me my mother that thou hast borne me a man of strife Jeremiah had a particular call from the wombe to live as a Solamander in the fire all his daies these as gifted and wealthy persons raise more force and bring a greater strength into the the field then others can but the worke beares upon all The Apostle intimates it in that hee speakes as putting into this worke onely as one whereunto I also labour and striving according to his working in me My purpose is to be precise in this point and to pursue onely the divine nature of contention which lies in two things a holy rise and a holy scope Many bad things boyle in an evill nature these now and then boyle over and scald standers by in something that is worthy bitter language may come from a sweet spirit but then the person is in a temptation and his contest against sinne sinfull and successesse in order to what might be simply meant at first setting out opposition externall which springs from any such bad principle internall staines the nature of the act quite through there is a warre from ones lust as the Apostle James saith the spirit within dissents some person without and therefore spits in his face when it speakes to him that every one may know him and have as low an esteeme of him as he hath Affection prejudiced in order to the person I deale with and so opposition the fruit of an ill disposition this is impure contention Fire of this nature is heavenly when it springs from love to the man and hatred to his sinne sinne is such an ugly thing that it becomes no body no not a friend t is a blacke spot but not a beauty spot in any ones face set it where you will cut it how you will when love moulds words to discover so much to the face of him that thinkes otherwise I would not have any one that I love live or die in any thing that Christ hates This is Divine contention precious balme Divine contention hath a divine rise a divine scope which is to convince and to convert truth is lovely in the eye as well as in the practice yet hath many gainsayers in both these must be replied to till they have nothing to say to any purpose objections of waight are a considerable spirituall army and ought to be encountered though fooles must not be answered in their folly There is gainsaying with tongue or conscience dispute must be so steeld with truth till one or both be silenced the Scriptures are sufficient this way they are given by inspiration and profitable for doctrine for reproofe for conviction 2 Tim. 3.16 Weapons drawne out of the word and so skilfully and reverently used till pride be stabd and conscience speechlesse and breathing out its last for the evill course it walkt in this is handling the Word of God and the soule of man not deceitfully but really and is holy strife deckes set a fire not to burne the ship but to blow up them at top that would take the whole vessell Contention is not onely to stop but to turne a sinner t is a travell and pangs cease not till satan be ruind and Christ formd Conviction and conversion are two things a man may feele the evill of his owne way and yet taste no sweet in Christs vomiting is painfull the stomacke takes great dislike and offence at what it opened its mouth greedily to take in one would thinke in this case t were impossible that what is so violently thrown out should ever be savoured and taken in againe yet not in this case therefore in no case with some creatures is there an abhorring for ever Dogs will returne to their vomit and sinners but shadowed in that metaphor spirituall strife is to make certaine the state of a Christian yea to give the ultimate or utmost of this state to make former vomitings old sinnes yea old graces i. graces in such and such a degree to be forgotten to put forward and to present every one perfect in parts perfect in degrees which is the emphasis and connexion of the frontice terme of the Text That wee may present every man perfect in Christ whereunto I labour and strive Holy strife tends to bring persons to perfection it is fighting a good fight the issue of which is the soule able to lay hold of eternall life able to let go hold of sin of any sin and to take hold of any grace of all grace of eternall life Running of this kind
kingdomes these are they that render one to another as Joseph to his brethren nourishers I will nourish you saith he to his brethren fear not c. Christ hath a scepter he rules not by tyranny but by law which law of his kingdome you have written as the Jews had the laws of their kingdome and not an action of God about the creature but is in reference to the written law all motion of Christ is according to truth Christ doth not his own private will but a joynt will consented to by each person and published which is the meaning of that expression I came not to do mine own will but the will of my Father He came to fulfill one volume another volume is written and he will come and fulfill that too and then 't will be well with us Christ moves so exactly by the word that this and not he shall judge men at the last day Rule makes actions justice or not justice where there is no law there is no transgression The shining justice of all Christs actions shall silence every guilty soul at the last day Christs course was nothing else but a fulfilling what was written his sayings seemed hard and yet he spake but the written word Justice is in the worst word or work you wrangle at his scepter is a right scepter a scepter of righteousnesse his carriage is but the written word organiz'd and made to speak to you still as you are the word made flesh and wrapt up in a mouth of flesh like your own and made to talk to you and to tell you your own which is the scepter of Christs kingdome The summe of all is this Christ doth manage a publick state here a kingdome that is he puts forth a power to the subduing and ordering of many to their felicity and his own glory and to the destruction of all that oppose these two Vse A kingdome speaks subjection of multitudes the ordering of many to the felicitie of all and to the glory of one as head of all What power Christ manages in the world that look after in your selves Untaimed creatures what do you think of your selves truth is of little power to subdue sinne and order the heart and yet men think they are brought into the kingdome of Christ You can talk but the kingdome of God is not in word but in power that is subjection to truth speaks dominion What hath conquered your souls Christs kingdome is obtained by conquest did sinne and your souls ever fight 't is a time of warre how many battells have Sathan and your souls fought you glory to be quiet men and Sathan likes it well he is as unwilling to be troubled as you Many sinners scarce ever gave their sinfull hearts a check and yet cannot but judge well of their condition they so sinfully dote upon themselves nor can they judge well of any else that think not of them as they do Sathan and I have fought many a time saith one we have had many a hot bout together and who is overcome Sathan or thy soul Sathan is expert at his weapons able well to defend himself he is not conquered presently he hath strong holds and a strong art to hold them Know ye his wiles ignorant souls you think you fight with the devil when you set Sathan to cast out Sathan one lust to crosse another Some men can distinguish between humour and reason and can set reason to fight against humour and both to fight against Christ Doth truth carry you against humour and reason both against all that opposeth This speaks the dominion of Christ I consulted not with flesh and bloud saith the Apostle he doth not say I consulted not with Sathan and sinne flesh and bloud speaks reason and yet when this opposeth Christ a soul under his dominion waves it Discretion Some are not farre from the kingdome of God as Christ speaks and yet never come there 'T is an observable expression that of Christ to the scribe When Jesus saw that he answered discreetly saith the text he said unto him thou art not farre from the kingdome of God Mark 12.34 Reason seasonably and forcibly acted is discretion discretion is a course divinity and it consists in squaring action to externall applause and men that can reach this height usually stick there which is deadly and so I fear did that scribe 't was enough that he had so spoken as to winne applause for I heare no more of him in that story Londoners most of you have knowledge enough and many of you can manage it to great applause you are not farre from the kingdome of God and yet rest here and you will never come there I love discretion dearly and yet I have observed many discreet men the most bitter enemies to the power of godlinesse they can honour nothing above their own sphere holy zeal is wild-fire with them their own pace after Christ fast enough and this oft times looseth Christ soul and all Discretion is good at measuring virtue but bad at measuring grace 't will give much to Christ but not all it lacks still one thing as Christ said to the young man and commonly that one thing is something which carries the heart with it which is all the dominion of Christ is not in that soul Men merely discreet are not yet brought into the kingdome of Christ Some go beyond discretion and make flanting profession Profession and yet prove not well There be children of the kingdome and yet not in the kingdome children of the kingdome shut out children of one kingdome shut out from another Christs kingdome hath some externalitie many called and no more few chosen such as stand within the externall call of the Gospel and make as if they did heare boast of the Temple and the name of the Lord and depart not from iniquitie these are children of the kingdome and yet children of that wicked one Londoners look to your selves you are children of the kingdome Christ calls to you all is glorious and you all seem gloriously to hearken to it but I observe some of your wayes and there I see you wipe off all your paint and your life speaks your souls dead and many friends about you mourn for the dead I see their tears in bibles every Lords day Sir pray for my father pray for my master they talk and make a shew but have nothing in them they have a name that they live but are dead O Sir pray that they may not be twise dead and plucked up by the roots Persons about you they see the unsoundnesse of your profession and you see nothing Hypocrisie is a secret but a very mortall evil it lives and thrives under all contrary forms Children of the kingdome look about you and I have done If you receive not the kingdome of God as a little child you cannot enter into it Little infants parents may carry them where they will Truth must carry you
a generall beautie and this particularly expressed first his image then his birth and therefore are according to his own order of expression to be prosecuted Who is the image c. The image of God signifies severall things sometime similitude in place and sometime similitude in qualification Christ is the image of God in majestie in purity in simplicity and Identity of being I intend to touch all these and then give you the use Christ holds forth the majesty of God to man divine majesty notes two things infinite power and wisdome and Christ carries both these through the world in open view which none else do neither man nor Angel What they falsly said of Simon the sorcerer that I may truly say of Christ He is the great power of God he hath power over all flesh over all spirits men devils winds seas are all subject to him Christ makes every knee bow to him of things in heaven and things in earth and under earth he is the head of all principallitie and power Coloss 2.10 Christ moves in an upper sphere and moves all other after him as he pleaseth he sits in heaven and doth what soever he will he puts forth an infinite power here which I wonder this world can bear and manages all things according to the counsell of his will which is one beam of God divine power working fully as it is according to its infinite nature infinitely and so it works in none nor by none but in and by Christ Infinite power puts forth in infinite wisdome that 's the complete majesty of God and both these in Christ and no where else Christ is the power of God and the wisdome of God and both joyned together by the Apostle as alwayes going forth together to man But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God Christ hath an almighty arm and an almighty brain he over-reaches all the deceived and the deceiver no action of his proves an abortive or looses one whit of its scope or intention for want of due time or due place or any other oportune and seasonable circumstance In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge There is not any excellency accidentall in Christ so you are not to understand the term hid but all excellency of power and wisdome wrapt up in flesh naturally in him there is the fulnesse of the God-head bodily 'T is an allusion to treasure where it lies naturally hid in the earth in a proper body and there lies aboundance of treasures after an unexpressable measure so in Christ lies wrapt up wisdome and knowledge in their full dimensions and according to their incomprehensible nature as in a proper body and answerably work to the managing of power and therefore is it said that he did all things well and that he spake and did as never man did The power of God fully as 't is and the wisdome of God according to its naturality and immensity of being and working which makes up the majesty of God and so one part of the image of God in Christ Christ is the image of God as in majesty so in purity justice and mercy are the purity of God as power and wisdome are the majesty of God Christ as he is the power of God and the wisdome of God so he is the justice and the mercy of God he is grace and truth and the fulnesse of these in view And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Providence is full of variety of action and all very profound one cannot feel bottom here yet this we can pitch upon that grace and truth are the scope of them all the works of Gods hands are veritie and judgement all his Laws are sure and stand fast for ever and they are done in truth and uprightnesse Christs action is oft beyond our apprehension and contrary to our expectation but never beyond nor contrary to grace and truth Grace goes forth in truth mercy is managed by justice love is tendred and if abused wrath cuts off that person or that people and this is the carriage of Christ through the world Grace and truth are the nature of God and these in fulnesse are in the person and action of Christ which plainly speaks out what Christ is to all the world Under this notion is Christ called the image of God Holinesse and righteousnesse was called Gods image in Adam because this was in his person and action createdly exact but this is uncreatedly exact in the second Adam which gives him this high title in the text the image of the invisible God Finally Christ is the image of God as in majesty and purity so in simplicity of being according to his divinity he is essentially the same with the invisible God and therefore called by the Authour to the Hebrews the engraven character of his person or the figure of his substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the character of his substance and under this notion Christ hath the attributes of God given him and called as he is a king eternall immortall invisible Before Abraham was Christ was before any creature was Christ was in the beginning was the word Christ was that word which began all and will be that word which shall end all he is Alpha and Omega but without beginning or end of dayes himself by him all things are made and by him all things shall be destroyed but he himself abideth for ever as God doth Immortall 'T is eternity in a metaphor about is the nearest way home in expression of high things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graven image of his substance Vse Immortall Christ was never quite dead he was so fully in the image of God malice killed man but could not kill God-man nor never will Spirits have no flesh and bloud no deadly matter because no mixture Christs divine nature is spirituall and the spirituality of his being not infinite as Angels but infinite as God and in this sence above the reach of sence and much more above the injury of finite force and therefore called both immortall and invisible And so the expresse image of Gods person and the brightnesse of his glory The summe of all is this that Christ is that person in the trinity which doth most immediately and fully hold forth God to mans observation and use for temporall and eternall good As Christ is the image of God in purity so we are to conform to him Whom he did fore-know he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his sonne that is in purity in righteousnesse and holinesse according to that of the Apostle Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Sinners look well upon your souls who are they like Christ or Sathan Sathan knows who are like him and
the least superiority that can be discerned Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth As Christ doth otherwise receive so he doth otherwise impart light then any other teacher Christ was taught none like him and he teaches none like him Christ teacheth internally eternally instantly Our teaching is discursive we can do nothing within Christs words are of authority and make their impression upon the heart not a word that Christ speaks but goes to the heart though many words which we speak come not to the heart yet every word that Christ speaks goes to the hearts Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he talked with us Christ sets the soul on fire with his breath blows up internall powers and breaks open everlasting doors The prince of darknesse fortifieth within us and Christ can mount ordnances where the forts are shoot off terribly within and destroy the works of the devil that is sinne or the soul at every shot Christ doth with his cannon within as you do with yours without rend and tear wofully You take off bodies in the very midst so doth Christs cannon take off sinnes and souls in the very midst as Beza renders that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle useth I will destroy the wisdome of the wise 1. Cor. 1.19 tollam è medio I will cut it off in the midst Sinne is in the midst of the soul and Christ can mount such gunnes as to cut it off in the midst As Christs ministery is internall which none of the Prophets was so it is eternall Christs words are words are words of eternall life or eternall death and this simply as his words We speak words and they stick but a moment Christ speaks words and they stick for ever We make wounds and you lick them whole in an alehouse Christ makes wounds that no art can heal Thy arrows stick fast in me saith the Psalmist The arrows which Christ shoot they stick fast none can pull them out but that hand that shot them Christ can instruct and seal it That is make things so impressive as beyond obliteration O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works Psal 71.17 so Psal 119.102 I have not departed from thy judgements for thou hast taught me Christ can teach beyond all other teachers he can open the understanding that is open powers to take in and then close up these powers to keep in for ever Christ can teach internally eternally he can do all this instantly his ministery is an instantaneous ministery We are long hammering and beating to make persons understand and yet all will do nothing but when Christ takes the work in hand he makes the most ignorant creature that is wise to salvation presently Then opened he their understandings c. Luk. 24.45 Then at that instant he made them see throughly what they never saw Use You see what an able teacher Christ is what hath he taught you The wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God I do not ask you how knowing you are in your particular calling as such and such trades-men but how knowing you are in your generall calling as Christians how knowing of Christ and your souls Light is come into the world a great light Do you see the way to heaven Confidence speaks not saving light but desperate blindnesse many ignorant men conceit they know much when they know nothing as they ought The fool is wise in his own conceit and the world is full of these fools yea the Christian world is full of these fools but Christ is emptying it Blindnesse and confidence makes us all bloudy at this day and the Lord grant it make us not bleed to death We have a Laodicean plague upon us and God seems to be spuing us out of his mouth and yet our Laodicean spirit lives in the midst of us We all of us think highly of our selves that we are rich in all spirituall excellencies and they that contradict our conceits are fools We are fools saith the Apostle but you are wise How strong and how generall this spirit is now you that are spirituall may see and what it presages Christ will explain fully if you can but hold fast a little Let every man look without and look within look abroad and look at home the plague of the multitude is it not your plague Are not you wiser in your conceits then your preacher is not spirituall preaching babbling When things touch your consciences then you rage and then the Minister is mad because you are mad Alas for us Lord thou makest us men of contention our life is a fighting with beasts that will not understand us nor thee If you had no other Prophets but us or did reject no other prophet but us some dispute might be made in the day of account but we will not judge you to the Father there is another prophet which you hear in us and yet will not heare and it is he that will judge you to the Father and to your own consciences If this will not beat off men from deluding themselves and from bearing off Christ I will go on Some spirits are wanton as there be light bodies so there be light souls such as go a whoring after lies Fansie sick longs after fresh speculation if this may be had it satisfies let it be in what it will in things as farre from Christ as earth is from heaven yea as hell is from heaven It is otherwise with the soul that is taught of God he hath a little light of Christ and now cares for no other vision all light is darknesse and all wisdome folly that relates not to make Christ more known I purpose to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Paul had many endowments but they were all sleighted Christ teacheth the heart as the heart is taught love burns nothing satisfies love but what stird it if such an object made love nothing but the fruition of that object will satisfie it You may know whether Christ hath opened any thing of himself to you by your love to him the purity of your light will speak out it self in the purity of your love and the purity of your affection in the purity of your action Should you say nothing yet a man that stands by you may tell what your light is and who hath taught your hearts Christ or the devil Some of you will swear and curse and lie some of you your love as fleshly as base as the earth it self Hath Christ taught such things as these No certainly the devil is the tutour of these and they will take their degree in hell I have a word to you all and conclude A loose life broadly speaks out an uninstructed heart what secretly swayes Christ sees and so shall all the world use what art you will to hide it wherein you are intractable to the teaching of Christ God will discover
Christ hath the same life and the same felicities of life he hath the same meate the same habite and the same dwelling one Sunne hath as many raies as tother and riseth as high as tother they move both in one spheare they dwell in the same house they have the same traine and attendance where one goes tother goes My Father and I will come and sup with him Christ and his Father sup together lodge together Esse radiatum esse is communicated Glory is communicated the very glory which God personally weares is communicated to Christ Glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was All Christs is Gods and all Gods is Christs All mine are thine and thine are mine The very glory that God weares himselfe the glory which he weares in heaven that which he wore before all the world was is Christs Whatsoever is under the whole Heaven is Christs Job 41.11 Yea whatsoever is above the whole Heaven whatsoever is in Heaven is Christs glory is his thine is the kingdome power and glory What glory Why that glory which is at the right hand of God The choicest glory in Heaven in the Heaven of Heavens is Christs and at his dispose Vse What is so compleat and yet not gaine the heart speakes that heart very naught and yet this is very common though Christ have all fulnesse yet emptie creatures care nothing for him When cost is liberally laid out and when all laid out will bring nothing in againe that 's sad when all in stocke is out and brings in nothing this goes to the heart of God I planted a goodly vine a noble plant a right seede and yet that trampled under foote said God Fulnesse runs out Mens cisternes are broken so that fulnesse can fill nothing such broken cisternes must be mended or else they will be broken to pieces 'T is wonderfull that Christ is so full and we are so emptie the fault is not in him 't is in us it must be found out and laid to heart it cannot goe well with us else I must speake to three sorts of men some have nothing and some have but a little not one of a thousand full with the fulnesse of Christ all have their fault and must be told on 't Some have no grace nor no good nature farre from righteousnesse as the Prophet speakes full of pride and full of malice Solomon spied it in his time so doe I now The heart of the sonnes of men is full of evill and madnesse Eccles 9.3 Men watch not their hearts and they please themselves in it as loving ease and are undone ere they are aware Evill is a growing thing but when dunged a little by remisnesse the heart will grow full of it presently and then the next step is madnesse as Solomon saith full of evill and madnesse The heart full of evill and the man grows mad to maintaine it and to spread it Alas for thee England thou art in a sad condition full of mad-men men whose hearts are full of evill and mad to maintaine it men emptie their chests of gold yea they emptie their veines of bloud to fill their soules and lives full of wickednesse which they love The heart full of evill cannot hide it selfe the curse of God is upon sin in strength to cut off the sinner that is white to Harvest Things will struggle for life though they die for it full streames have their adventitious occurrences which make overflowings Were you at Oxford you would see spring-tides every day hearts full of evill and over-flowing and running out at their mouth in blasphemies as blacke as hell 'T were well if such a great plague were at such a great distance from us as Oxford but alas for us Oxford is full London is full England is full scarce a heart amongst us but is full of evill and mad to maintaine it What will become of us all Hearts are full of sinne God is full of wrath the Land is full of bloud Ah Lord are we not in hell on earth And yet emptie hearts consider nothing Delusions destroy thousands men full of pride their eyes are swelled out till they feele much they can see nothing amisse in their owne wayes The Land is full of wrath not a man of you almost but full of distresse in one kinde or other and what 's this but Gods broad demonstration that your hearts and lives are full of sin yet can you see this sense is the first step to remedie where this is not notwithstanding all meanes ruine not remedie is neere ah England I feare thy condition but yet still will pray your hearts are full of sin your lives full of miseries are your eyes full of teares O that my heart were full of grace Christ fills the hungry c. Grace in fulness is the felicitie of life bend not after this heighth and you cannot be fully happie Set God his distance and be but never so little and he cannot kisse you unlesse you take him fully into your armes he will be jealous of your love and set you at a distance every day more then other till he hath shaken you off for ever Times square mens course yea mens grace affection and action must rise but so high lest it set all afire names state fortune if love burne so strong as some Ministers would have it 't will burne us out of all The Lord be mercifull to mens basenesse this earth will not beare us long else hell will be full of such soules ere such soules will be full of grace Let times be what they will truth must be pursued to the full this fils the soule with grace neglect this and 't is impossible your hearts should be full of grace how full soever you get your purses of money Great things in the world cut the throats of men they will rather have emptie spirits then emptie purses leane soules then leane cheekes Ah Lord how do the dead bury the dead in earth now Fill one anothers mouths with earth Little of the world must serve if wee would be full of grace This gold lies not in earth but in Heaven not in the world but in truth dig these mines throughly and you will find all treasure and be filled with all the fulnesse of God Consolation springs from this point a word of this and I have done Wee have said much of Christs fulnesse and yet too little Christians comfort your selves 't is all yours Christ hath all and is full so have you in him claime your proprietie and comfort your selves with it in all your distresses in this life as Paul did Phil. 4.18 I have all and am full saith he and yet had nothing in the world The Apostle had Christ which hath all heaven and earth Qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia He that hath Christ hath all formally or eminenter i. whatsoever is wanting in the creature at
made peace by the blood of his crosse The blood of the crosse notes the very strength of cruelty malice heightened by art contriving many deaths into one a death for the head a death for the foot a death for the arms a death for the sides an army of tortures divided into parties to go their severall wayes in the body and to meet all at the heart to make as many torments as members and as many hels as drops of blood A forlorn state is here sadly hinted men of parts first rejected Christ and then imploy'd all to cut his throat Apostasie generates tyrannie Doctr. The greatest cruelty is among persons hypocritically professing Christianity The death of the crosse was inflicted upon Christ by them that sate in Moses chaire Christ among his own loseth all friends honours blood betray'd and butcher'd in his own family amongst his own He came to his own but could not get off without the losse of his life Profession is a thing of course light drawes out this where it makes no inward change the heart abiding naught action will be answerable first or last what ever the tongue say Some do worse then they meant a Chieverall heart stretches when reacht further then thought of Morality is too weak to resist sin Divinity is too weak to resist sin if it reach not the soul A man is as the temptation that assaults him that hath not the sword of the Spirit in his spirit if it be to kill to kill cruelly to crucifie Christ if a mans heart be not crucified by his light he will crucifie his Father his Saviour when temptation lies this way Sin is so far from lessening that it heightens it self by notionall light accidentally though not naturally What light takes not hold of the heart the heart can take hold of it to make its own way the stronger by Light is a crutch to help Satans criples to go well Low persons get a stoole and become high light makes men otherwise weaponlesse armed strong and wise to do evill The justice of God also is in this point Conviction makes conversion or hardeneth If Christ come neer a city and cannot get open the gates and get in he throwes in granadoes and sets consciences afire when affection opens not Instructed persons have raging consciences mad men are bloody they will kill any rather then they will be whipt themselves this was the case in reference to the Jews Christ was as John a burning and shining light the light he held forth to hypocrites did burn their consciences and to quench this they cared not what they did to Christ open his own veins and take his own blood to quench his own Spirit Hypocrites will take the blood of Christ out of every member of Christ to quench the Spirit of Christ that burns within them Vse This point is very usefull and very seasonable Count not your externall felicity very secure nor your persons free from barbarism because you live amongst professors of Christianity The Word of God is a draught-net it brings up of all sorts whole Christians half Christians a man almost a Christian will quite condemn you and all out torture you and yet wash his hands as innocent of your blood Truth may do much upon the tongue yea much upon the heart of your neighbour and yet not enough to secure your skin the lives next to him Felix trembled Pilate suffered much in his spirit yet did they make Christ suffer much in his flesh and Spirit The Word is of much power upon conscience when of none at all upon affection affrights sometimes but not reforms an affrighted heart recovers it self and becomes by so much the more resolute and hardened to desperate work You that tremble under our ministry now you will recover many such pangs and be hard-hearted to our death to our crucifixion when times turn another way Let no man promise himself immunity from any misery because he lives where profession is rife The best hearts are oftentimes soonest deceived much goodnesse is ready to trust it self where there is but little and receives a wound A Lark hath but a bad eye to discern a true Sun from a false she sees a Sun in a glasse and comes down to delight in it and is ensnared Sweet spirits know this time you have a double disadvantage now You think all are good because they speak well you will be taken with a Sun in a glasse ensnared with something like a Sun Integrity goes with an open breast Hypocrisie makes advantage of this and stabs to the heart There was never more need of this caution Some out of sweetnesse others out of courage are over credulous Gedeliah lost his life this way England hath almost lost its life through over-much credulousnesse but from whence our credulity hath sprung I know not We have had fair words shews of goodnesse and would not heed reall badnesse and look to our selves 'T was told Gedeliah again and again that such sought his life so ' thath been told us again and again that such and such have been false and base and yet because they have been specious for this and that we have been incredulous and ruiningly venturous Courage degenerates into stupidity when faith builds altogether upon fancy Stupidity speaks destruction decreed all is destroy'd that should prevent destruction Understanding swallows fancies judgement builds its welfare upon these now the heart is asleep amongst Serpents Write Lord have mercy upon this soule he will certainly be stung to death ere he awake I have spoken Englands case ere I was aware Stupidity is a common glague our head is broke our wounds are many and we lay our bleeding state in the bosome of such as have served the times to fetch life in us again Ah Lord may it not make a tender heart shake to see how much we lean upon many that a little while since bended any way Where wealth and advantage abound trust may be venturous with lesse perill because much will bear out a little losse and do well but when all is almost gone then one must be double wary how one trusts in weighty matter This is our case we are at last cast upon the brink of death and ruine making our will in order to all priviledge civill and divine and yet have not that mercy from the Lord to take double heed and care whom we make executors to whom we leave the hope of posterity We look at parts honours more then at truth of grace in those that manage our affaires so there be but profession and specious pretences some court divinity to paint persons over to look fair in the eye of men and something like the Cause we manage we venture all upon them Naked profession is not to be trusted the characters of this I will give you that no man may deceive himself nor others Meer profession is vain-glorious light souls paint words actions their faculty lies this way They do
at an utter distance from the life of God Even amongst them that are far off from God some are neerer then others Thou art not far from the Kingdome of God and yet so far that Christ had no kingdome in the man not simple subjection to his will which is that alienation from the life of God which the Apostle speaks of Finally Alienation speakes a condition without hope At that time you were strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope Divine priviledge is graduall every step to Heaven a heaven a stranger to God cannot de jure set hiS foot upon one round of Jacobs ladder he cannot without presumption promise himselfe any good and yet nothing more common with persons unacquainted with Christ then to hope for good when bad is upon them I hope all will be better one day but when will that day be They doe not this upon warrantable grounds for alienation is a condition without hope a man in this state may fancy what he will and set his soule at a greater distance from mercie then 't is but he can warrantably expect no felicitie for time to come what ever his present misery be Misery I know is graduall some are neerer hell upon earth then others yet the most is just it merits no pitie neither can the largest head alive argue any pitie from extremitie but from the qualitie of the partie in it if he be a stranger to God 't will be stranger with him yet then 't is and yet neither now nor then must he or may he hope to have things better whilst he abides naught an alien from God The qualitie of persons is all persons neere God let distresse be what it will and seeme to set them never so far from God yet they may and should hope persons farre from God must let his favour lie at the same distance from them which they let himselfe God will have none meddle with his favours in the least kind which let alone himselfe not so much as fancy them as theirs or that ever they shall be theirs if any thing rises in their soule this way God blasts it The hope of Aliens perisheth they have no hope of good if they create any God blasts it 't is a condition without hope All runs into this Alienation is a condition wholly shut out from all divine priviledge Vse Whose condition this is should be laid to heart speedily men far off from God are not far from hell The farther from God the lesse considered that 's the plague of this State Alienation is a graduall thing some God visits very seldome they live so farre from him scarce a lively stirring of heart in many weekes in many moneths together The soule goes one way and God goes another strangers take their leave ah Lord who knows when or where they will meet aliens and strangers what is it to you that God comes so little at you Little or much Nothing more sad to a sensible soule then the losse of divine presence God gone a good heart is broke Woe is me now all is gone now I am undone and never till now Why hidest thou thy face farre away This was the wound that went to the heart and yet this is nothing if other things be present to one that is a stranger Wee little lament the departure of such as we know not wee let strangers come and goe and take no notice Sinners what doe yee injoy of God much or little When was he with you Not a great while When will he againe I know not I doubt whether ever any more Ah Lord how didst thou use Christ then didst thou as the Gaderens thrust him out of dore Alienation is sometime eterniz'd ah tremble at that every heart dogged usage of Christ makes this See my face no more saith Pharaoh to Moses Thou hast well said I will see thy face no more saith Moses and Christ in him What a sad parture was here Such a parture had Saul and Samuel but they lived not long neither of them after this Some say to the Almightie depart ah wretches is not God farre enough from you alreadie Will you have him quite gone This is the sin of this generation our hearts swell against truth wee bid the Almightie depart Sinfull England God is gone very farre from thee dost thou not feele it Thou wilt Wilt thou have God quite gone Woe unto sinners if God judge them in the perversnesse of their hearts If God take a person or a Kingdome at their word he returnes no more till they die he comes no more but to the funerall Mercy is everlasting so is justice and it acts so upon us upon desperate discoveries God doth not alwayes strike Whom God loves he loves to the end and whom he hates he hates to the end when all meanes to gaine love are throwne off Know the state of your soules pervernesse in any sin speakes your soules farre from Gods law Psal 119.150 one far from Gods law is far from God know the danger of your soules God may be so farre gone from you that he will not returne Yee shall die in your sinnes saith Christ or in this your sin you shall die Perverse sinners must have their portion but humble hearts must not wrong themselves Persons never so far off that would be neere verily God is very inclinable conflicts are strong in some hearts sin now and then is too hard and then the soule concludes that condition is desperate God will not take me by the hand and therefore I fall and fall and shall doe so till I fall as low as hell God hath taken something unkindly and is gone far away God hideth his face in wrath sometimes and then he and the soule never meet till the great day that 's my case methinkes I heare some poore sinner say Conscience is out with me that condemnes me God is quite out with me he will not looke towards me but he forbeares condemning till that day in which he will doe it once for all This soule must be told this The naked acting of sin speaks not the condition desperate God finally gone but abiding perversly in it Secondly the medium of returning God to man is Christ throw not off Christ because thou think'st God hath throwne off thee The least degree of faith will turne God about towards a poore sinner and all good that hath forsaken him Wee are made neere by the bloud of Christ i. by believing in it When mercy is thus held out conflicting soules question the latitude of it Christ doth make many afar off neere but he will not doe this for me such must read the latitude of the promise none are excluded I create peace to them that are neere and to them that are farre off persons discourage not Christs undertaking let them be who they will the worke discourages not Christs undertaking though the greatest in the world though it be as the creating of another world
and bones to feed on we may fetch a dish from heaven to mend the matter well enough if wee be so wise and so heavenly as wee should be We are the ruine of our own life 't is hard to get thoughts high enough Present things are the things onely to be minded we must minde this and we must minde it thus so we necessitate our minds and marre all What must I onely thinke of Shimei that curses Must I onely thinke of povertie and onely thinke of sicknesse that is upon me What necessitie of this There is no necessitie of this but yet I cannot doe otherwise Wouldst thou doe otherwise No I would not do otherwise How canst thou be remedied then Some are married to a Blackmore and will not be divorced to black melancholy spirits and humors c. which they love and will not heare to part with Rachel will not be comforted There is nothing to be said to these spirits till their burdens have more broken and humbled them Others are more ripened and mellowed by the rod to whom my question is Would you have your thoughts taken off from thinking so much of your calamitie Would you have your soules thinke much what you shall be and where you shall be O yes rather then any thing in the world The mercy is neare yea very neare which you thirst after Open your mouth wide and I will fill it Hungring longing and praying this is opening the mouth wide believe it the Lord Jesus is at hand he hath sent his Prodromoi his forerunners to lay in some provision he will sup with you anon and feast with you anon and then all will be well the soule strong and as high and as noble as its work Our strength to high duty is from full presence and full communion The choicest advantages to get this you should carefully use which would doe much in tother world which would be much above and before him where you shall ever be Some workes have a great deale of heaven in them reade them some persons have a great deale of heaven in them look out and read them some ordinances have a great deale of heaven observe them There is a great deale of advantage in ones standing to look a great way When David stood in Gods house he could see into heaven plainly and behold all the glory above and where his place should be for ever and what train should follow yea he was as if actually possessed of all Honour the Institution of Christ how ever despised by men or you cannot be so heavenly and so blessed as you would and should be COLOSS. 1.23 If you continue in the faith c. AS God turnes all to the good of his so Satan labours to turne all to their hurt The best people have one too many still at their table though they are not aware of him and he drops something still into every dish to curdle and sower it in their soules how sweet and precious soever in its own nature When the words of Christ wound Satan then drops in gall and vineger to turne convictions into despaire when they comfort he sophisticates and makes the doctrine of felicitie a medium to forget piety this in some words of this text is hinted in others prevented Heaven lengthens out a holy life to all eternitie it doth so in its proper nature 't is a laying of our soules in his bosome who hath us but by the hand here 't is not in it self nor under any consideration to end grace here or hereafter but to consummate it If you continue c. Two things of weight take up this text the doctrine of perseverance and apostasie cleaving to Christ and casting him off both these circumstanced and so drawne out that their aspect speakes them to the life To abide sweet a while and then to putrifie with the heat of times and smell carrionly this is not perseverance 't is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permanere continuing in the faith or through abiding of the faith what 's that This is answered in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 founded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fixed One terme alludes to a house founded upon a rock that is unmovable The other term alluding to starres which continue holding forth their glory and vertue let what stirres will be in these lower regions they never fall from their orbe nor faile in it of any influence or lustre for any filthy vapours or fogges that come from the earth they are above them all and are faithfull and firm as the Heavens this is the propertie also of starres of the terrestriall globe Apostasie is also here drawn out to the life every fall doth not kill but falling away falling away from truth received glorious truth truth raising sweet hope glad Gospel expectation and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel c. That truth which hath had its demonstration before all sorts of men Through abiding of or in the faith is the first thing that we are to stand upon By faith is meant the Gospel as is explained in the next clause Christ as revealed in his Word Truth hath a latitude within and without it self the observation of both is a through pursuit Truth hath a latitude within it self that is in the matter of it 'thas many precepts and all these their proper extent Thy commandements are exceeding broad The Gospel hath many rules directory many consolatory when the soul sets before it self all as a rule of life then doth it throughly abide in the faith then are you my Disciples if you do whatsoever I command you The whole bosome of Christ is the seat of the soul hereafter and the whole will of Christ is the seat of the soul here when the soul doth not make it so it is wanton and wilfull and doth not throughly abide in the faith Christ had a materiall garment when materially present and it had many threads but all weaved into one web and robe without seam or signe of one so Christ now spiritually present hath likewise a spirituall garment of like form The Gospel hath many rules when all these are weaved together by a Christian in his life and made a spirituall robe of state for the glory of Christ and not one thread left out when the soul doth put on all Christ and clothes himself with him from head to feet then doth he throughly abide in the faith Truth hath a latitude without it self 't is to live as long as we We are to be faithfull to the death so in every truth no truth is short lived to last a season only as 't is said of them they rejoyced in his light for a season if we make any truth short lived for any temptation whatsoever we abide not throughly in it 'T is in our spirituall marriage as in our naturall we are not freed from the carefull and painfull obligation of it till death The observation of Gods will
for the thing though uncertain for the manner Christ doth number our haires at all times but what doth he do then when the head is going to be cut off He doth make all our darknesse light that which is upon nature state person Christ is with us alwayes according to an externall goodnesse one way or other They have Rosemary and Bays or some sweet thing or other in their hand in the view of all that go to the grave with Christ But internally they have much of him indeed that cleave closely to him What a box of ravishing odors did Christ open to Maries soul which did perfume his body and go along with him to his grave Can any one explain the depth of divine love wherewith her soul was filled That was heaven in hell What 's heaven but the love of Christ without measure powred into the heart To hearten on Abraham to follow the commands of God throughly to forsake Chaldea Babel and all the confusion of a blind proud generation and to go to the land of divine ordinance observe how God heartens him Thou shalt have exceeding much of me without and within I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And this promise repeated to him and his â—â—sterity in all straits and dangers Can you measure that love which exceeds all bounds Through action makes through reception through action is a soul giving up all to Christ against all opposition from men When we give all to Christ hee gives all to us and what a deal is Christs all I have all saith the Apostle when he wanted for Christs sake All What all A divine all When you speak of your all i. of all you have it rises sometime to a great deal to many thousands but what Arithmetick will expresse Christs all Shall I call his estate thousands millions millions of millions I shall mis-call it 't was never told never guessed nor never will by all those exquisite beholders and enjoyers above 't is infinite Can any finite creature guesse what infinitnesse is Can you tell the starres all their numbers all their influences Then may you tell all the smiles kisses and embracements which Christ gives to such as follow him to death This is Christs all he sits at the right hand of God embraced with that glory he had with his father before the world was and embracing all with the same glory which are with him COLOS. 1.23 If you continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel TErmes in themselves have been considered their intimation also may be usefully taken up which is that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course The state of man is a hid thing what he is what he will be a man looks well and yet that poison lurks in his body which some yeers hence gathers about his vitals and pales him that friends scarce know the man he is such a changling Nothing lurks so secretly as sin not a man that knowes his heart to the botome 't is deceitfull above all things who knowes it A man smiles upon a holy course this yeere and frownes and breaks out against it next So much is hinted here if you continue in the faith and be not moved away Man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course Light is a brave advantage to a steady course Demonst 1. We set our compasse by lucid bodies by the Sun and by the Stars and know whither and to what part of the world we are going which setles our minde and makes our journey sweet and our labour and travell lasting Dubitation tires every step is irksome when a man knows noâ— whether he be out or in his way and yet where no dubitation is the soul tires When light unto information when light unto perswasion is made concerning the way and the end the soul is still in danger to turn off If ye continue in the faith i. the truth â—e have understood and believed Pravity at some height will beâ—â—…wn conviction spurn against an Angel in the way turn for Tarshâ—sh when it knowes it should go another way Conviction is a noble advantage to a steady course consolation is a nobler to be convinced of the way and comforted in the way the man hath a coach from heaven to prevent tiring Fruit that is specious to look upon is inviting to appetite but when we bite it and finde it to have no sweetnesse to our taste we throw it away but that which hath colour and taste too we retain firmly we incorporate such substances with our selves we eat them and so keep their vertue so long as we are The Gospel hath these two properties 't is cleer light and glad light They were glad when they saw his starre there was vision and consolation a light of life one would think now none could kill this and yet pravity at some height will put this to death a consolatory light They rejoyced in his light for a season here is light and joy light and life add yet this dies this brisk sparkling wine vapors away all its own spirits and dies This truth lies in the Text too be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel i. that word which makes hope and sets the soul at heaven door and can one be there and not joy Hope sets the soul like Moses within sight of the Holy Land Can a man see heaven and not joy A man may not see heaven and yet joy In whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce c. But can a man see heaven and not joy Can a man enter within the vaile and yet not joy And yet when at the border of Canaan when at heaven doore there is danger of turning back yea when something of heaven is given out at the door some tastes of the powers of the world to come may come to de distasted A vertuous property is inducing and the more generall this property is the more inducing That property is pleasant to one palate which is unpleasant to another that is fair in ones eye which is ugly in anothers but that which is glorious to every eye that sees it sweet to every palate that tastes it this we are doubly taken with and cleave to Such a thing is the Sun of a generall vertue and glory so in every ones eye no man ever saw the Sun but confest it a very glorious body and a very reviving body Such is the Sun of righteousnesse never soul saw or tasted him but confessed him surpassing all the fairest the sweetest of ten thouâ—â—nd Now 't is a strange stomack that disagrees and nauseates 〈◊〉 â—hrowes up that which is pleasant to every palate that hath tasted it as well as to its own when it did eat it And yet such strange changes there are naturally and the like spiritually a throwing up and a throwing off of that which hath had its demonstration
brave spirits in his bloud and trades them out all for Christ and Heaven in long voyages to come home rich he hath no hand but to good but to this he hath hand and heart and nothing can fetch off either Then answered I thus and said The God of Heaven will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no portion nor right nor memoriall in Jerusalem Nehem. 2.20 A Christian indeed magnanimous hath truth in one hand and life in the other and this is his Motto Take one take both This is his Motto every where in libertie in bonds and this he speakes and smiles now I joy Vse Wee are put by providence to speake upon a seasonable subject times call us to move bravely every one in our place Furie is abroad and furie is at home nothing but a brave spirit can now kisse Christ and smile in the face of both Greatnesse will over-bear and jostle a weak spirit though otherwise good as a childe from his father and make him cry and take on dolefully for want of that countenance which did smile upon him Power generates pride unlesse it sit in a very sweet breast the effects of this are bloudie and not a man can withstand to any purpose but he that is steele to the backe 'T is said of Vzziah that when he was strong that is externally strong that he was lifted up to his destruction This Prince after his great victories fell upon the worship of God and carried it by his owne greatnesse as he pleased which is a plague proper to pride to be spiritually and desperately wanton to creepe into the Temple and to confront God as highly as may be And the Text tells us of Azariah and fourscore brave Priests of the Lord that withstood him saying It pertaines not to thee O King to burne incense but to the Priests of the Lord which are consecrated goe out of the Sanctuarie thou hast trespassed and it shall not be for thine honour There were fourscore of these magnanimous spirits then would there were fourscore thousand of these now in the Christian world they are much needed to withstand violence against the worship of God against the priviledge of Ministers and people Blindnesse hardens men fooles will as soone strike with a club as with a twig as soone stab with a knife as with a straw every one that bowes not downe to the Idol of their fancie this is stoutnesse to destruction as the forecited Scripture speakes and 't is pitie it should destroy any but such as are guiltie of it and yet it will if not withstood What a dolefull condition would all have come to if those few brave spirits had given way to all that the King in the blindnesse of his heart would have done A Christian indeed magnanimous is he that stands in the gap in a time of wrath and none else this man is a Phinebat an Azariah one that stayes the plague the sword the wrath of God that eates upon us and would eate us out all unlesse some such brave spirits appeared abroad and at home in the field and in the Citie You can doe no service to quench the fire of jealousie that now burnes unlesse you get more fire in your hearts Life and death is in the ballance and the scales stand which scale will weigh downe we cannot tell onely this I can say this grace of Magnanimitie put in that scale where the life of the Kingdome lies would turne the beame presently and life should weigh downe death peace and prosperitie ruine and desolation 'T is pitie that brave spirits are no more smil'd upon some such buddings of hope are now and then but they are blasted againe men are alive a while and then dead Persons which are in such a condition that are pretie well one while and at deaths-dore againe another while men have still feare lest some vitals wast in such a state which is not yet discerned England if death should cure all thy diseases at last for want of a little life what a dolefull giving up the ghost will this be Whither wouldest thou carry thy cold off-spring that they might grow more warme To such and such plantations beyond the Seas Between thee and them is a great gulph and it may be they that would goe to them shall not they that thou wouldest should come to thee will not they that stay in the Citie famine may devoure they that goe to flie out a sword may cut off A Serpent a Lion or a Beare sword famine or plague may divide all between them within dore and without Surely England thy giving up if ever that sad day come which the Lord grant it may not will be with such ghastly groanes with such hideous shreechings with such tabering of breasts and tearing of haire with such weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as scarce ever any eye saw or eare heard since wrath and desolation began among the Gentiles Wherefore call upon thy selfe O England and call upon thy Physicians for Christian magnanimitie tell them what death thou fearest and what grudgings of it thou feelest alreadie in severall parts Where there be palsies and such diseases which are by cold which be numbe and dead the parts there rubbing is good to fetch heat and agilitie Rub one another frequently exhort one another daily strike fire in one anothers breasts admonish reprove but doe all in love Passion generates passion wild-fire is not magnanimitie this burnes all it doth not save all Magnanimitie springs out of love 't is a stout spirit candid with the sweetnesse of Christ and made a Lamb and a Lion as Christ was a Lamb when among sheep to be led by them but a Lion when among Beares and Wolves to awe and lead them Magnanimitie is the perfectest temper of Christ in all this world 't is a Lion lying downe with a Lamb and doing it no hurt and a Lamb playing upon the hole of an Aspe and receiving no hurt it is one that can doe no hurt but can and will doe much good 't is one that fels himselfe like Christ at a very low rate to doe good to all COLOSSIANS 1.24 Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SUfferings both externall and internall the word imports such stripes upon the flesh as did affect and afflict the spirit that did make passiones animi soule-passions There is such an affinite between the body and the soule that it is hard to separate them in suffering yet a divine hand of God who is father of spirit and flesh makes burthens pinch more upon the one then upon the other as pleaseth him Pauls cup was eminently proportion'd to Christs 't was to fill up that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ and Christs cup had those ingredients which made his soule heavie to death they did deeply affect not onely his flesh but his spirit Body and soule were
't was to be in strait for his life so unfatherly was his father and therefore he proves a brave spirit for this noble service to save the life of David to raise him and Christ in him to his throne he was all heart and soule in it and God was with him God is doubly present with a man which he hath much exercised which is an incomparable advantage to all divine usefulnesse No man can speake so feelingly so healingly as he that hath much of God speaking in and with him this is the man of a thousand that can speake words in season like apples of gold in pictures of silver that can lend legges to the lame eyes to the blind that can comfort those which are cast downe with the same comforts wherewith he hath been comforted from the Lord. COLOS. 1.24 And fill up that which is behind c. THe afflictions of Christ are twofold in his person in those which hee personates the former are accomplished the latter are yet accomplishing Christs will and himselfe are one such as strike his will any part of this or any lover of this would strike Christ himselfe if hee were now present Christ is plaine hee cals actions as intended not as pretended The second Adam names things as the first when he stood according to their nature what is against truth is in the nature of it against Christ who ever be the professor of it and therefore so accounted yea and so openly called And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ And fill up the word in the originall is compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and full of emphasis it signifies re-action or re-passion the doing or suffering of a thing againe to doe over that which some others have done already readimplere as one translates The measure of suffering that tendeth to satisfie for offence and ransome man from the wrath of God Christ hath fild up to the brim the cup was big but Christ poured out blood enough to fill it one would have hoped that all suffering worke belonging to a Christian had been done then No 't is not saith the Apostle I doe iterum implere rursus implere fill up againe the sufferings of Christ Malice lives still Christ is crucified afresh in his members Christ doth bleed in my veines afresh saith the Apostle if there were any drop of blood left behind when he bled upon the crosse now t is fetcht out through my sides How implacable is the fury of man the fury of God was stopped when Christ had bled to death and 't was not his will that ever Christ should die any more or that any one should die more for Christs sake but yet the fury of man lives and that would have Christ die over and over iterum iterumque againe and againe 't would have every house pulled downe and burned that Christ gets into 't would crucifie his image his picture 't would make him bleed as long as this world lasts yea to all eternity therefore doe wicked spirits in hell blaspheme and teare his name a worke which they will never leave though it continually adde to their plague and yet these doe but shew the nature of all malicious men on earth which are everlasting blood-hounds which spend perpetually upon the sent of Christians upon the sent of Christ in any earth Malice should be looked upon as t is an implacable thing and men in whose breast it is should be looked upon as they are fire-shovels fetched from hell to carry everlasting fire from house to house from place to place where ever Christ is to burne him out of this world quite to burne him againe and againe till there be none of him left not a finger not a toe not a haire We are much given to wondring we know the reason of things so little to see a man drinke blood and never be weary of drinking such a fulsome drinke t is strange to us yet t is the property of that fire that burnes in the breast of the man to make an unquenchable thirst after this red Wine t is a damnable disease that the man cannot helpe nor no man upon earth for him every good body must keepe out of his way as well as they can I know no other remedy the man will set abroach any ones blood Pauls Christs any one that lookes like either Christians have a blessed keeper or else how rare would they be in the world Blesse God that there is a good man left in the land at this day in the middest of so many blood-thirsty O how much are good hearts put to it every where by this generation Mourne over both persecutors and persecuted they are both in hell fire Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word may signifie to suffer for another pro-implere to fill up in anothers stead according to his appointment Christ is gone out of this world and he hath left Christians in his stead and all his prime trust and businesse with them to doe it for him to accomplish his will to walke in his steps and to take in good part what befals them in this way Christs businesse left to Christians is comprised in that expression of bearing his crosse he did beare his crosse himselfe when he was on earth now he hath left it to his people to beare it for him to tread in his paths and take such lodging and fare at night as fals out When Christ died he left but one child to keepe for him but that one a precious child to wit Truth and this so to keepe as never to let it die what ever die I can doe nothing against the truth but for it I can doe any thing suffer any thing that truth may live I can die I can drinke off a cup deadly full deadly big which will hold all my blood to fill it This is our president in the Text. I fill into the same cup that Christ did saith Paul and the same liquor red Wine the blood of a brave Grape the blood of an upright heart and this for his sake At what heighth we are to be for Christ is considerable at the same heighth that Christ was at for us we are to rise to the losse of estate honour life Neither count I my life deare Life is the prime Jewell of nature t is the union of two great estates body and soule t is of more worth than rayment i. then all outward things and yet this of no worth and of no price in order to truth I account not my life deare I am about the worke which Christ was filling a cup that is deadly big that will hold my life-blood to fill it and yet it is nothing to me no griefe if it be any matter to me it is matter of joy Now I joy to fill up that which is behind c. Thinke how brave you should be and how neere you are
children cry friends frowne lively-hood did I say nay Life it selfe because of all these is almost gone t is as much as my heart-strings will hold I sigh so oft and so deep and can the heart of God be towards me can all be for me and all against me The Heart of God how it inclines cannot be gathered from the hand no not from the Tongue of God When a man would make demonstration of his state by the hand of God towards him hee had neede weigh things well the wheeles that go over have so many eyes and looke so many wayes one shall be deceived also God can speake against a man and do against him as you call against and yet all that while yearne in heart over him and working about great things for him he can speake against Ephraim a deare child and yet at the same time remember him yea remember him earnestly Since I spake against him I remember him still Affection is subordinate to fancy memory and more noble powers persons and things kept in memory and fancy these powers will work and keepe bowels beating still but when persons and things are throwne out here out of the memory of God then a mans condition is forlorne indeed and never till then thus Saints are never Christ speaking of sharpe troubles killing and bloudy trials saith Feare not him that can kill the body and then comes on thus to shew the tender providence and bowels still work in such times when we thinke not Are not five Sparrowes sould for two farthings and yet not one of them is forgotten before God but even the haires of your head are all numbred feare not therefore you are of more value c. Pretious persons sometimes according to externall condition are of no worth spoild bought sold for naught five of them for two farthings and yet not these not one person no not one haire of these persons forgotten i not without the compasse of tender bowells their haires numbered when upon their head and when they fall off their head T is not safe to calculate kindnesse by the meere motion of outward things or of ones own heart Straites and trialls put weake creatures to it Christ is not extreme to observe in this case Divine compassion dies not so soone as we thinke t is an everlasting thing t is a child of mercy which indures for ever God in all cases of transgression lookes upon Christ strictly then his fury is ceased this ceased whatsoever God does is consistent with bowels tender bowels The bitterest things that befall us should be so construed by looking still to Christ as God doth The Lord speakes of the piercing Serpent and Leviathan the crooked Serpent and the Sea Dragon Esaia 27.1 2 3. and all these in his Vineyard and suffered them all to make terrible worke and yet when hee comes to redresse this saith that fury was not in him all this while they did quite mistake him that did judge these sad afflictions the fruites of a heart turned against them Make use of these things to keepe your hearts setled in the truth of this point that the heart of God specially bends toward you and then milke out the sweet of it to all occasions so all conditions will bee sweete to you death it selfe Life COLOS. 1.25 To fulfill the Word of God THe finall cause of Divine distribution is here doubly set down substantially and circumstantially What is given is to be imparted to whom To Saints to you how much is to be given to them All that is given unto us this last circumstance is prest in this last clause as the other is in the former we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill the Word of God i preach fully the word of God The same word is used Romans 15.19 and so translated From Ierusalem round about to Illyricum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fully preached the Gospell of Christ The matter and the manner of divine ministration fall both here under consideration Sacred constitutions are not stuffed with hay straw stubble things that hold forth onely to sense some humane fading thing they are all of supreame authority and hold forth something of God and nothing else some pure beame of the Sun shines in every sacred Ordinance There were many sorts of instruments about the Tabernacle and yet not a pin but pointed at some great thing some pointed at the wisdome of Christ some at the power some at the mercy of Christ some noted the back-parts some the face some the body some the bloud some the Life some the death some the dying-breath of Christ to wit the word Know the nature and the authority of this Ordinance now managed we breath the dying breath of Christ to fulfill the Word of God 1 Cor. 23.27 i to accomplish his mind who thus made his will By the last words of David were the Levites appointed at such certaine yeares to their worke so by the last words of Christ was this worke put upon our shoulders Whereof J am made a Minister to fulfill the word of God i his last word of institution The dying breath of Section Christ we breath in your faces the nature of this I will open to you what it is naturally what accidentally Naturally t is pure perfectly pure There are three regions of Aire and although one purer then another yet none perfectly pure 'T is a division that pleaseth Schollers Pure but the substance is one So we may distinguish in this matter in hand There be three Regions in that Aire that blowes and breathes upon our soules the brest of the Father the brest of the Sun the brest of the holy Ghost all pure perfectly pure these are personally distinguished but one in essence As things are so they breath Lungs and inwards rotten and breath is answerably corrupt cleane things come not out of the mouth of uncleane wickednesse proceeds out of the mouth of the wicked persons when they are dying their breath is most of all impure all parts within are so over-run and ruined with filth Christ was dying all that time hee lived among us and yet sound in all parts holy and so breathed to the last he gave up his last breath in Hell and yet holy and heavenly and therefore very apt and punctuall is that expression of Solomon Every word of God is pure Prov. 30.5 Christ never had any filth in his mouth the fountaine that gave spring to that out-let was so pure hee never spake a sinfull word if every word of Christ was pure then his dying words were pure his words in Hell Eloi Eloi c. And yet this is not all the emphasis of that Text every word of God is Tserupha purgatus purified Surmo purgatus 'T was a Hell that Christ did speake in all his time here below if this Hell did do any thing it did purge and not pollute his words hee learn'd obedience not disobedience by all he
not we but Christ in us that doth it he is all in all as well as all for all He bids this and that be done and 't is so his words wash us Take away the filthy garments from him set a faire Mitre on his head Zach. 3. Christ lays out all and demands nothing which is admirable Behold I have refined thee but not for silver Esay 48.10 I chose thee in the furnace of affliction c. If one referre this Text to Egypt or to Babylon 't is of much life When I did good to you in Egypt and owned you it could not be for gaine and wealth for yee had none 't was a furnace of affliction a state of oppression and bondage for my owne sake I saved you there and so I will in Babylon and so he doth every sinner that Christ doth good to any sinner purifie cleanse and cloath him cannot be for any thing in him because he chuseth us as the Text saith in a Furnace of affliction in a stript condition in a state of captivity Captives have not store of treasure to ransome themselves this well deserves a note of admiration in the front Behold I have refined thee but not for silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction Finally this may be assured thee that Christ will compleat thy purification speedily take speed as the Gospell doth The heart is deep nothing in the world like it things of depth are not emptied nor filled presently as men call presently but allow Christ the liberty of his own Idiome and dialect in speaking and so he is not slack nor long a consummating the acts of mercy no he is not long in consummating the acts of Justice though he be longer ere he accomplish this then that a great deale The Lord is not slack as men call slacknesse saith Peter and yet hee speaks there about wrath consuming wrath and yet he goes a great deale slower about this being as I may say unnaturall to him then about kindnes and mercy being things in which he delights If God be not slack as men count slacknesse in consumamting justice upon wicked men surely he is not slack as you poor sinners count slacknesse in consummating grace and mercy impatient Creatures think a little time a great while unbeleeving Saints do this as well as unbeleeving sinners Doe but allow God so much time in order to all thine enemies internall as Jerome of Prague did in order to all his enemies externall and I will assure thee in such a compasse of time thou shalt triumph over them all cito vos omnes vt respondeatis mihi post centum annos c. thy strongest enemy cannot live above an hundred yeares once in a hundred yeare men devils sins vos omnes as he speaks they shall all answer to you for all the inâ—ury they have done to you you shall judge and burne them which have burnt you so long COLOS. 1.28 Jn all Wisdome VVHat these expressions as conjoyned with the foregoing import and then the termes of it in themselves may both worthily fall under consideration that which they import as conjoyn'd with the former is that the heart of man is very hardly throughly wrought upon all variety of action warning teaching all duration of action warning teaching termes Participly exprest to note the continuation of those acts all art skill and exactnesse of action wisedome all wisdome all these used to reach the heart throughly and to bring a sinner home to Christ The soule of man is with much difficulty throughly brought home to Christ Doct. There be many devises in the heart of man as Solomon speakes which make this that I say I will note some of them Every thing hath its defence the heart hath many and all usefull by which it beares off the power of Divine things from seasing and taking hold of it the heart will carpe and catch at the Ministery of the Word this is one device by which the power of truth is destroyed the dish that holds the meat is not turn'd well and therefore the meate in it overturnd the braine crackt the minde triffles out it selfe 'tas no power to pitch and fix upon things of weight this habit lost toyes and trifles only sute and take up the heart divine ordinance toyed with their heart is pluckt out that which hath no heart cannot go to the heart if a sinner by any art and craft can pull out the heart of an Ordinance he will abide there is no doubt unstir'd in his sinne There is a spirituall frensy and madnesse is not easily cure'd the old man sits at Table and playes with his fingers hee can scarce see what meat is before him and yet every dish is out of order one speakes too quick another too slow one too plaine an nother too darke the stomack is poysoned a worme is under the tongue the eare itches therefore every thing preached is beside the Text no word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene significans the soule doth haerere in cortice choke it selfe with a shell teares Sermons into particular sentences sentences into words words into sylables sylables into Letters strips expression starke naked from matter and then hunts a shadow to hell this expression is used Mark 12.13 they sent to Christ certaine of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch him in his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hunt him his words so the word signifies that soule that hunts Christ and his Ministers in their words is hunted by the divill from the matter a criticall spirit hath as many dores to run away from Christ and the power of truth as there be words in the Greek Lexicon This brings mee to speake of another device of the heart the old man can evade he can catch others very nimbly and get loose himselfe as nimbly The Serpent that dealt with Eve could turne in and out bend to and againe wrigle every way at pleasure that Serpent is in our bosome it was an emblem of our heart which will turne twenty wayes to evade the power of truth that which hath such a property to bend every way is not easily broken things that will bend double will wave double and treble force ere they will breake The art of evasion that the heart hath to put by the sword of the spirit and to save the life of sinne is of great compasse and depth and runs it selfe into many branches which I cannot run after now summarily see a little of this art shadowed by the carriage of Saul 1 Sam. 19.16 Saul had heard that David was at his house and sent him to kill him there and Michal let him downe at a window and laid an image in the bed and told the messengers that came to search that David was sick and thus turned the messengers away and then they were sent againe to fetch David in his bed that Saul might kill him in his bed and by this time David was gone far