generations hath revived and brought forth from the Womb of Regeneration a fair Family of Believers and by the Gospel-ordinances gathered them into his Garden of grace by the New and Living Way where the Fountain and Well of Life is opened free for all that will come to smell the Flowers and feast upon the Fruits of eternall and unchangeable Bounty infinitely preferable to all their losses where he conversing with them prepares them for the Pallace-Royall the Place of his Habitation where Mansions are appointed for them that they may be where He is that they may see His Glory and reâ—oice in Him for evermore And that as they have born the image of the earthly so we may â—ear the Image of the Heavenly And here is the prime and most precious Subâ—ect of Christian Contemplation where the Believer may expatiate and ingratiate himself in the â—weetest Recreations and Consolations by attaining unto and entertaining of an unseparable communion with God in Christ by the Holy Ghost â—nseparably One and only adorable MAZE 1. for restriction Job 37.33 34 HEnce carnall minds that apprehend Erroniously The Incomprehensible to comprehend most impiously Lights glorious Center inaccessible who can behold Lifes-life eternall unexpressible who can unfold How then shall men come to conceive Of this rare Blesse some do receive By Gods preordinate appointing who be renew'd And by the Holy Ghosts anointing who be indowed Brightly to see that Majesty Of God-Man that great Mystery Of love unto the Elect-seed Whence admiration doth proceed May come and see and so confesse Professe His Name and praise expresse And you who humbled in the sense of wants And search to know the priviledge of Saints May come in faith with reverence and fear See that without this frame you do forbear MAZE 2. for instruction 1 John 3.2 IN all these Mazes where we move The ground we walk upon is love And where we make approachings near Let 's come in reverence and fear Before His glorious Name who is A Beam supream of boundlesse blesse But so resplendent and transcendent To make appear convincing clear Behold this naturall Sun whose gleams doth apprehend us And whose illuminating beams doth comprehend us And thence infer how far The supream Author of this all excels this Star In this all comprehensive name I AM so condescending Eternall simple still the same all comprehending And in Emanuell sweetly seen In this fair Garden ever green Where daily with celestial showrs Be nourished His rarest flowrs Untill He glorifie His grace In such as here do Him imbrace MAZE 3. For incouragement Isa 55 John 1.27 HEre Soveraignity doth shine In condescensions so divine That ye whose lights are now anointed And for these glorious sights appointed On whom the Holy Ghost alone Hes left impressions upon Look in loves Christ-all mirrour clear Where loves sweet mystery does appear Firmly fixed till acquainted Thou be by faith therein indented This is the Mountain of our rest This sweetest Fountain only best Come drink salvation at this cup And on these consolations sup Where pleasures joy and peace abounds And glory to His Grace redounds Who Wonderfull will not conceal His Excellence but does reveal Himself so clear that we may read Him in His Name and on Him feed This Food who tasts shall thirst no more For fading gain or earthly glore But longing still to be translated Where they may be for ever stated MAZE 4. Loves mysterie 1 Tim. 3 1â— YE all who find your selves secure By lively saving faith and sure Who hes smell'd and who hes tasted Who hes felt and who hes feasted On these Love-dazling Mysteries divine Which on our cleared eyes do shine Of Man in God and God in Man Who sp'ritually destinctly scan Humanity still unconfounded With Deity and conjunctly bounded And do before The Unity in Trinity adore Advance that most admired Grace And feed upon that fairest Face For there alone and no where else That Love is found of love that smels That can be feasted on and felt The heart of Adamant can melt It 's life alone to be resolv'd In this this love to be disolv'd Tract it still and be allur'd So shall ye surely be secur'd O for these breathings of this Love That would the whole affections move MAZE 5. The fountain inexhaustible I AM THAT I AM GOD All Glorious I am that pure immense Ens entium Ens. Am I not wisdome infinite and love That omnipotent omnipresent whence I in my justice and my mercy move Am I not that sublime profound Abysse God Trinity in Unity compleat All truth all light all life eternall blesse Glorious holy Father Son Sp'rit GOD Holy Ghost eternall and infinite All Light all Life all Vertue pure compleat Irradiant being by whom all beings be Most blessfull breathings of the Vnity Sublime all-piercing and all-searching Spirit God Holy Ghost Eternall and Infinite E Expressed Splendor of the Deity M Might Majesty admir'd in Man Divine M Mercy rejoyc'd with Justice to agree A And Justice seen with joy in Mercy shine N Nerve of substantial Truth Illustrious fair V Wisdome and Well of Life where beauty springs E Eternall God of God God to declare L Lights Center where all Saints enlightned sings MAZE 6. Loves Labyrinth Eph. 5.23 THe race of man sprung from th'apostate reins deplorable And bitter root that all the branches stains restorable The mystery of man's defecting ponder The mind of God in mans perfecting wonder Perfected man degenerate by defection Defected man regenerate to perfection Adam by nature damn'd when he defected Damn'd Adam now refram'd by grace perfected O happy they may now we say Are such as sees with sp'ritual eyes aright these mysteries And do with reverence adore This Glorious Majesty before Fixed by faith till they prevail By pregnant prying through the vail The root of man elected leads this round And with the fruit of this great mist'ry's crown'd Come then and see the King as ye would live And by believing herein deeply dyve His power and his promise both believe So shalt thou see delight and love and live And with Heav'ns Quiristers adore and sing High Hallelujahs to this Glorious King MAZE 7. Loves mirrour Isa 45.22 LOve-dazled eyes look up and see Where purest spirits prying be And with seraphick love inflam'd You shall by fixing prove refram'd Gods only Son Gods rebell-wrath indure O love alluring Gods Sonship to Gods rebels to procure O large procuring We lay in darknesse till His glory shin'd And now He hes our souls in His combin'd Ingrav'd upon His Heart and Hands we be Ingrafted in His God-Man-Flesh be we Members more made Mates for Marriage loves To Him for whom the whole Creation moves In heaven and earth and hel whose scepter sweyes And dazles humane eyes with divine Rayes This Love all limits far exceeds Of length and depth and heighth and breadth Past comprehension by perusing A tractat for eternall musing Oh that our whole
compleat a man But thou art carnall that objects And doth discover thy defects A little ponder understand Shall that All-wise All-working hand All-just All-good All-holy King Misse in that most intended thing His Eyes were on when He gave being To all things subject unto seeing Did He this spacious Globe erect And by their sourse the seas collect Becircled by the firmament Illustrious and so excellent With plenteous store to entertain Poor wretched men that lost have been No from eternity He knew All what was past what should ensue And in a Second Adam sweet Made man again with God to meet Who for the Elect Surety stood And them restor'd by His own Blood Their flesh assumed for that end And doth His Sp'rit unto them send Which Holy Sp'rit their sp'rit inspires With sp'rit-renewing sacred fires Quickning purging and perfuming Grace increasing vice consuming Eyes and heart and minds inlarging With His Image supercharging Such searching souls as do imbrace The splendor of his pleasing face Rapt and made apt with open eyes To dyve in these excellencies And in that sourse of sweet delight To feast upon his beauty bright Whereby he doth our souls decore And to his Image us restore On whom by faith firm fixed solely The whole affections are made holy And humble by a self-reflect Upon thy self for self neglect So modesty shines in the face And gravity that Christian grace That generous Spirit that doth â—acer Her self to serve her Saving Maker That Sapience that far far sees To compose content from contraries That chastitie that can contain Affections all in order clean That love that vertue doth allure And all licentious lusts can cure That liberall mind that lively spreads And frugally preserves the seeds That charity that chearfully Knows when how where to give supply That temperance that can subdue Proud passions as they do renew That courtesie that neatly can Carry the master like a man That clemencie that can declare The colours clear of vertue fair That patience that prudence leads That peace which pious Spirits feeds That fortitude that fairly founded With resolutions firmly grounded On truth with strong stability Expressed with alacrity Courage and circumspection so That never storm can overthrow That single heart sincere and sweet Where comfort and delight do meet That sp'rit of contemplation piercing And heavens holy myst'ries searching Longing thronging thirsting till The fruit of faith the Soul full fill Then God beholding the effects That by his beams on Saincts reflects And looking on that beauty rare Accounts and cals them sweet and fair For grace in vertue so doth shine That vertue doth become divine This is the vertue I avouch'd The vertue that I would have touch'd The vertue true that clarifies And qualifies the qualities That doth illustrate and ingrain And turns in substance shadows vain That giveth smell and taste unto All that we think or speak or do This vertue well accomplish can And compleat the Christian man Gain this vertue and thou shall Inherit Heav'n and Earth and all More solide solace sweet possesse Then heart can think or pen express Limb out her lineaments conceive Such riches where thou can receive Try her parts taste every place Such sweet thou can no where embrace Drink her in with all desire Untill she set thy heart on fire Her beams they will thy breast inflame Her streams will qualifie the same Choise of choises chief content Of all beneath the firmament Search her for she waits to see Who for her love will fervent be And if thou joine thou shalt enjoy That bliss which nothing can annoy For then thou shalt into his Image grow From whom this vertue fair doth freely flow The Portraict and Character oâ— the Old Man Under the name of Vice described COme you who wonders curious are to see Or monsters such as most detested be And you who can indeed discern aright This Brat begot in hell by heav'nly light Vice here behold stript naked to the skin Look on her outside see her well within Her port and gesture here how vile behold Vain proud implacable presumptuous bold Disorderly by satans order placed As basely in the heart they be embraced Each ruling in his sphere rounding the brain And heart with humors perverse and profane Where generositie should bud and flourish Debate deceit there doth she neatly nourish There where the truth sincerely should be stated Faithlesse hypocrisie is firmly seated Malice envy and horrid hatred there Where love should move is in her breast made bare Under the shew of chastity most clean Closs impudent incontinencie is seen Ambition avarice wrath and cruelty Watch as they may most serviceable be Within a cloud of Christian clemency And humane gentlenesse dissimulately She sets her subtil snares for to entyse The weak for she in wickednesse is wise Her sottish slaves who serve her she doth lead Their souls on sensual lusts to live and feed Or otherwise to pry how to surprize Their nearest dearest friends that they may rise To treasure state or store honour or ease As they may their beloved Idol please And for those ends do study to devise By all the means that be below the skies Without controle directly to content That humor in its fixed element Objection Can all that you have heretofore asserted Be held for truth Is poor man so deserted And by that dev'lish villany possest Which here you have so peremptory prest Is man who is the creature rational Below the brute so fallen by his fall You see most men do something civile live Vice misregard and unto vertue cleave It seems that he doth some true light retain Suppose it suffered hath a fearfull stain And if it were as you affirm then he Not only should below the brutish be But might be ranked in degree with devils The Author of these specified evils What find we more in that apostate sp'rit Finall impenitency to compleat Then you of man each man forlorn hath said Is it not for His wrack that he was made Answer Our Glorious King Eternall only Wise Almighty Mover moved by advice Of uncreated wisdome that he can No lesse have done then well in making man Man was made holy righteous and good But he did stumble when he should have stood Before the tryals of the tempter slie And slew himself and all his progeny By misbelieving Him by whom he lived Is left to live to him whom he believed And being left of God he is possest Of all the devilry that is here exprest Man unregenerate is below most sure The vildest bruit on earth and most impure What Lyon Tygre or destroying Boaâ— So fervent fierce or cruell to devour What can with that vild murtherer compare Who for to feast his idol will not spare His nearest friends brothers or native seed And will imbrew his hands in parricide And in his own hot blood for to fulfill His humor give the fatall stroak and kill What Crocodil what scorching Scorpion
any other but this being the prerogative of the regenerate by grace to see themselves by nature lost and saved by the Lord This death is nothing terrible nor troublesome to them but pleasant and comfortable in what colours by what knife at what time or in what place they commit their souls to the Father of spirits and surrender their bodies to the Elements whereof they were and are to be preserved unto the day that all things be restored for they see and know that this dissolution of the body is but the laying off or suffering the old spotted and defiled garments to be rent from us till they be refined and not that we may be uncloathed but cloathed upon with glory and immortality untill we receive again these naturall mortall corruptible bodies immortall incorruptible receptacles habilitate and fitted to imbrace and enjoy without interruption the glory that a glorified soul is admitted unto So that unto the Believer this naturall death is swallowed up of life being no more death unto them then the pinching of the body of the Infant in coming through these straits of ordinary Child-birth should be to the Child if it were capacitate to know the present case and place of its imprisonment and the light and liberty it were to come to But here nature even pure nature doth propose some most sensible and searching tryals for impugning my arguments and resolutions viz. Seeing this World was created for me and I created immortall without separation by death if I had stood in my integrity then should I never have had any further desire but of things present Now presuppone that the offer were made me of the allowance of all created contentments perpetually to my desire with the blessing upon them and the blessed use of them with that peace which should make up a continued feast should not we then rather be content to remain in the body then desirous to seperate from it 1. For answer The case is so far altered that the difference is very vast we not being by creation nor should have been by generation in the estate of innocency capable of any greater blesse then that wherein the first man was created which was to enjoy the allowed use of the creature and to converse with the Creator at such times by such means and in what measure as the divine Majesty should think meet 2. Whereas by regeneration the Believer attains unto and is made capable of a more sublime and supernaturall blesse by being made a member of Christ mysticall to see and enjoy God in Him by grace and to be translated unto glory after death which makes it desirable It is Objected Suppose the offer were made of a healthfull and lively body with the liberty and allowance of all outward contents with the speciall blessing of inward peace in the use of them and freedom from all disturbance which might allay that relish in the fruition of them untill the end of time and the coming of the Lord to the general Judgement Should I not then rather make choise to remain in the body unto that day then to separate from it that it may be consumed in the dust for that time For answer Let the supposition be strengthened with all the Arguments that may warrantably be alledged they cannot weaken the resolution of a Believer nor ballance his disposition of an instant and sincere desire to be dissolved with submission to the good pleasure of Gods will both for the time place and maner of his removall that mortality being swallowed up of life we may put on and be cloathed with immortality life and glory freed of all ground of provoking God or grieving Gods Spirit and admitted unto His Presence in whose Face is the fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are all true compleat and incomprehensible pleasures for evermore the body never being sensible of any losse and the soul being over-joyed in the continued sense of unconceivable advantage Hereby the Believer according to the growth of his faith and affection is looking and longing for that day when he may take possession in that house which is from heaven and is eternall in heaven And these Truths are so convincingly verified unto us by God himself by Jesus Christ our Lord and by the holy Spirit of God and of Christ speaking in his Prophets and Apostles and justified by instances of raising up the dead to life again as being past controversie all objection is removed except it be by the obstinate atheist giving thereby undeniable signs of utter and irrecoverable rejection And how is it then that the Believer can be any thing moved at the approach of that happiest of his dayes unlesse it were unto an excesse of joy from the sense of so joyfull a separation from a dying body lying under darknesse unto a living Head stated in all light and delight Shall the pangs of death restrain our desires or abate our resolutions in making through that strait entry unto such certain and eternall felicities Would the Child in the mothers womb if it were capable of sense and reason make choise to remain everlastingly in that dark Cell rather then to hazard upon what pains there may be in pressing out unto the light Would not the Prisoner fettered in the Gallies and there held under most cruell slavery if he should be called out of that bondage not only unto liberty but also in stead of his rags Princely Robes presented to him and of bands the enjoyments of all desirable delights that the most flourishing Nation under the Sun could render crowned with many dayes and years in the society of Princes and all Princely pleasures would not the change be most joyfully imbraced by any that were not more then brutish Now then how far above comparison is this change that the believing Christian is called unto from so many sorrows and sufferings as our sin hath brought and keeps us under while we are in the body unto a Crown of glory and immortality to be cloathed upon with the Robes of our Redeemer his Righteousnesse and feasted with the joyes that flourish in the Face of our Mediator being the fruits of that Land where there is no lesse then everlasting life light love delight resulting in superexcellent hymns and songs of eternall praise in exalting the King and Saviour of Saints Is it not from the weaknesse of our faith and not keeping our spirituall senses in action but sluggishly suffering our affections to frieze that we are not still attending when we shall be called to come out of the body to enjoy this beatitude And why should we be so anxious of the maner time or place of laying down our old cloaths It becomes us well to intrust all to Him of whom we are and for whom we are without whom nothing can befall us who is goodnesse it self and of whom we had such reall proof that He makes all things work together for our good And shall we
the Church the Spouse of Christ and of every chosen Child of God and Member of the Body mysticall after Regeneration Neverthelesse of all the tryals troubles and temptations they are to meet with in the strait way II. Secondly in particular there is represented the sad condition and sharp affliction of the Child of God under desertion made appear in a threefold consideration 1. First More felt then real Debated from Page 8. to 23. Where it is made evident that the Child of God after Regeneration may be wrapt under fearfull clouds of darknesse and discouragement and impossible to be comforted till there come a reviving from the inward Comforter And this is most properly Love sicknesse being for tryal and prevention Psa 42. Psa 30.7 8 9 10. 2. Secondly Real and felt And this is debated from Page 23. to 49. Wherein there is notice taken of the severall most prevailing tentations upon several ranks of persons viz. The Court-bred the School-bred the Countrie-bred and the Citty-bred the Civilian also and the most savage of conversation Neverthelesse the party deserted not able to discern the speciall cause of the affliction untill the means be sanctified by inward supply And this is for chastisement and correction tending to humiliation Psal 51. 1 Sam. 1.16 3. Thirdly More real then felt Debated from p. 49. to 76. Where it is made appear that the believer may be lying under much guilt unsensible unâ—ill a timous wakning come and when it is come under much perplexity untill a word of peace be pronounced And this is for tryall and wakening Isa 39.12 2 Sam. 24.10 11 12 13. III. Thridly After all this serious debate unto small purpose the smoaking flax being long smoothered and now breathed upon it kindleth swiftly and breaks out sweetly in an excessive flame of spirituall fervour And whereby then and not till then the party being prevailed with there appears a correspondent alteration of affections in the whole strain and uniforme expressions of the whole Society 1. First The perplexed person under absence is now upon renewed sense elevated unto a most sublime soul-ravishing rapture in a SONG p. 76. and the continuation thereof p. 77 78. 2. Secondly The Associates sympathising therewith in extasie SONG 2. p. 79. 3. Thirdly The continuation of the Sympathy in extasie SONG 3. pag. 80 81. 4. Fourthly The Soul-rapture upon renewed sense again renewed SONG 4. pag. 82 83. 5. Fifthly Solide grounds of spirituall security by way of Echo p. 84. 6. Sixthly A timous warning to guard against carnall security with comforts and incouragements unto chearfulnesse against trials and troubles till he end his journy p. 85. to 96. 7. Seventhly The grounds of Gospel-ordinances presented under the name of the Pallace-garden from p. 96. to 107. wherein there are nine severall MAZES making up the Garden viz. First A Border of Restriction p. 98. Secondly A Beam of Instruction 99. Thirdly Cordials for Incouragement 100. Fourthly Loves Mystery 101. Fifthly The Fountain unexhaustible 102. Sixthly Loves Labyrinth 103. Seventhly Loves Mirrour 104. Eighthly Loves Emblem 105. Ninthly Loves Union 106. 8. Eightly The Jewel of Jewels a Vade-mecum for heart impression and preservation p. 110. to 114. 9. Ninthly The Symphonicall desires and delights of the Redeemed in their retirements closing with that Song Rev. 15.3 4. p. 114. to 121. 10. Tenthly A harmonious Consort and a Song of praise p. 121. to 126. 11. Eleventhly Reviving Recollections and Solliloquies closing with the Song of all Saints Rev. 7.12 p. 127 to 1â—4 12. Twelfthly An Objection by the mere natural man answered and the party advised p. 134. to 142 In all which there is represented sure grounds of â—oud comfort under all the trials incident to the Child of Goâ— after regeneration from his birth in his life and death and after death his soul injoyments boâ—es rest and resurrection soul and bodies second conjunction small absolution and endlesse beatitude carrying also through the whole discourse from infallible truth the terrours of the Law against all that be under the Law all â—eâ—ding to 〈◊〉 serious study of keeping a Communion with God in the Spirit with a spiritual and chearfull conversation undeâ— all dispensations crosse or comfortable in that humblenesse and singlenesse of heart the fruits of saving faith which workes by love to the praise of the Author and our own peace And as to the additions of a preparatory Paradox explained in a comparison betwixt the first and second birth going before a subsequent survey of the first and second death resurrection and generall judgement they bâ— hereto annexed for making compleat the intended designe of delineating the pedigree of the new Creature from the right stock of his portraict from his true Parentâ— and Procreation his crosses conflicts comforts and confidences from the right Fountain in life and in death his restauration from death and darknesse unto immortall life and light of glory from the all-glorious and ever blessed Author of his being and this his most blessed well-being TO THE OBSERVANT READER UPON THE ENSUING POEM YOu who desire to know the plain tho strait Path-way to new Jerusalems high gate Whose pav'ment bright emboss'd with Gems be far More rich and fine then the most glistring Star In glore excells the boundlesse saphire bounds Of lights vast Curtain these pure Christall-â—ounds Whose azure Canopy and pleasant fields Great ground of soul-amazing wonder yeelds If any in designs so high aspires As to resolve through waters and through fires Of tort'ring trouble to climb the steep yee-rocks 'Twixt Heaven and earth in spight of Satan's strocks And will rest satisfi'd with nothing lesse Then Heav'n yea God Himself eternall blesse Resolving to endure all grief all pain All losse this great prize All in all to gain Lo here 's a Pilgrim who being guided by Truths sacred threed and Gods directing eye Is now come near his journies end not stayed By fained fraud or vain hopes not dismayed By force frowns hate or groundlesse fears expecting Gods call to enter Jordan and neglecting Fond vanities he 's looking from the top Of Pisgah by the eye of faith and hope Toward the Promis'd Land which to enjoy Through 's time he mainly did himself imploy But while God spares soul-wasting idlenesse He loaths and therefore on the Wildernesse Through which he 's come and all that did befall Him in his way there-through and in his call Thereto reflecting all he well observes And unto others carefully preserves Lo therefore here held forth thou 'lt clearly see Of Christian cases the diversity Sometimes rapt to the third heav'ns by loves wings They see their strange soul-ravishing sights and things Vnutterably glorious whence doth spring Amazing joy true peace which makes them sing Here neither reason faith nor hope but love And sense cause the soul-chariot-wheels to move Sometimes these soul-transporting objects be Vail'd whence flow darknesse great perplexity Afflicting trouble tort'ring grief of mind By which they are
they be of a spirituall nature yet know not neither can they put any thing in practice but naturally Yet herein further consists the unhappinesse of man that he cannot conceive nor will he be taught to understand that there is any more excellent happinesse attainable than that whereunto they have attained or may naturally come by Whereas the Believer after many calls wakenings warnings purposes promises shifts and debates being in the peremptory time of Gods appointment the time of love effectually wrought upon by the Spirit and word of grace and truth unto a gracious wakning quickened and illuminate to see themselves under darknesse and spiritually dead without God in the world and posting on in the way of destruction and so deservedly wondring that he is not long ago swallowed up in the gulf of irrecoverable wrath Seeing also the Vail rent and the entry made by the New and Living Way for a gracious relief and hereby beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord is translated from that naturall darknesse to his marvelous light And lanching forth into this Ocean of eternall unconceivable love where the deluge of unsearchable and self-destroying misery meets with the incomprehensible deeps of infinite mercy where plunged as in the extreams of contrary Tides swelling to such heights being heaved as it were to the Region of the Air and hurled as if they should be instantly sunk in these death-destroying surges of despair And yet so strengthened that they see the wonders of the Lord who before they be aware commands peace to appear maketh all quiet and by the breathing of a sweet and soft gale brings safe to the shoar And now reflecting upon the by-past and naturall lost condition first in the guilt of the most base and irrationall revolt of Originall defection and then in the stain and stintlesse superfluities of naughtinesse daily sprouting out in actuall provocations grieving Gods Spirit and now vexing the New Man Observing also and recenting the long-suffering patience rich mercy free grace eternall and unchangeable love that hes followed them in that miserable condition melted and made them up in a new mould so as the old things are past and all things are become new to them They are set upon a two-fold task 1. Of selfdetestation as self-destroyers and 2. Of Saviour-admiration in their deliverance hating denying and forsaking themselves loving imbracing and relying upon him in a continued fast of abstinence from all that hes been offensive to His good Spirit and studious to know and delighting to do whatsoever may be well-pleasing unto Him who hes been doing all things well for us when we were disdaining his divine bounty and this being the vast difference betwixt the man in his naturall estate and in the state of grace and that no man hes ground of boasting of any thing in themselves more then another and that there is no warrant to any man to despair but for confidence in following the means appointed sincerely And the matter being of greatest consequence I have been taking the more particular notice by way of comparison betwixt the first and second BIRTH and growth in a most familiar way how any under the least degree of grace may most easily discern what progresse they have made And have annexed hereto the portraict both of the new and old man the better to inflame the affections to the love of the one and loathing of the other Not that it is possible by any comparison imaginable whether real or supposed to decipher the unsearchable mysterious way of the spirit in the soul of the elect in the Ordinances of conversion or that either Ordinances or instruments can make effectuall the work of God begetting and bringing forth the new creature unto life without the enliving power of the spirit of the new life in the Ordinances Nevertheless seeing the Lord hes appointed and blessed means wherein he will shine and whereby he dispenseth His grace very reason is convinc'd that the means are to be followed And this comparison is no further to be streached then in a rationall way to incite the reasonable party to a reverent attending with attentivenesse to the Ordinances and a confident dependance upon the truth and tendernesse of the Author obedience to whose authority is ever well taken and never any forsaken that have been sincere seekers of Him according to the perfect rule of scripture-Scripture-truth THE COMPARISON AS the mater of the body of man by the supreme Ordinance of God in the ordinary â—ct of generation is conceived brought into form and capacitate to receive the spirit of life and the â—oul being created and infused in the body doth operate unto the perfecting of the body and so by the Lord 's singular and gracious preordination they do become one compound creature for the discharging of the offices of an intelligible spirit joyned with the Organs of a bodily substance whereby to conceive and by words and actions to expresse according as they shall be by means ordinar or extraordinar naturall or supernaturall taught as the first Mover shall see meet Even so the word of the Gospel containing the seeds of the New Man by the Ordinance of Preaching and the ordinar act of hearing impressions are left upon the understanding and will for conceiving and bringing it into form quality and capacity to receive the spirit of spiritual life which creats and infuseth grace in the soul whereby every Elect Child of God according to God's gracâ—ous preordination in this new creature by tâ— efficacious operation of the Holy Ghost is ingrafted in the Head Jesus Christ and by thâ— Union inabled unto the performance of all Christian duties incumbent to the New Man anâ— that by degrees according to our growth and increase in knowledge and experience either unto doing or suffering according as they be moved oâ— called thereunto But as in the naturall generation after the Infant hes received form life senses and faculties but not come out unto the light and so withouâ— the object and exercise of them but lying undeâ— darknesse in this weak condition the brittle embrio is in hourly hazard of imminent destruction from causes seen and unseen innumerable and often proves abortive by an over-slow or over sudden birth Even so the life of grace by the Spirit and Word of the Gospel being conceived yet is the New Man overclouded with much naturall darknesse the Devil taking advantage of the time sets to work all his machinations musters up all his legions lies in ambush with swarms of temptations assaulting from all airts uncessantly from corruption from carnall reason from suggestions naturall and unnaturall wearying the poor youngling with fearfull wrestlings â—ut faithfully guarded against this malice by the â—uthor of his reviving Only the yoke of â—ondage from the undeniable endictment and â—itnesse in his own guilty conscience dragging â—im back to the justice seat of a sin revenging â—od to receive the righteous doom of his own â—righteousnesse
he is under dreadfull confusiâ—ns and hesitations in hazard of miscarriage and â—ady to give over untill it please the Lord to reâ—eal Himself more clearly and thereby making â—o the work of faith with power brings out the â—risoner of hope unto the open air of the Goâ—el to lay hold upon the Prince of life and by â—eholding Him the Captain of our Salvation 〈◊〉 giving His Life to the death for penitent and â—elieving sinners hes destroyed death spoiled 〈◊〉 of the sting and the law of its strength quieâ—ng the conscience in satisfying justice and so â—eeing the fearfull soul from the rigorous exactiâ—s of a fierce and fiery law unto a further growth â—f grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But being by much weaknesse almost â—vercome in these wrestlings and like an unwise â—n having stayed long in the breaking forth of â—ildren by gracious assistance having gained â—me better ground of confidence I break out in â—is contest with my self Ho! hellish heath dost thou not tire to toile Thy self alongst this stinking Stigian Lake What canst thou like in this forsaken Soile Where all that drove of damned devils quake Ah dost thou look for Limbos Patrum here For Purgatory or poor Infants pain No the eternall wrath of God severe Doth ever burn none doth return again Ho! lo these swelling sulph'rous floods that roar Gaze no more on these griefly ghosts forlorn Wambling in wofull endlesse torments sore Blaspheming God that ever they were born Return withdraw now do ye danger dread Despair attends and can ye overturn Thou hadst dropt down if not upheld indeed Where all these ever-dying damned mourn He that upholds thee bids thee turn in haste To taste and feast upon this fervent Love Return my soul therefore unto thy rest Prepare thy heart His mercies force to prove How canst thou be so base as misbelieve Him who hes shed His blood to set thee free Wilt thou by incredulity deprive Thy self of peace so purchased for thee Thy guilty Conscience and the Law exact He silenc'd hes that ye can say no more And now thou may this day come see and take His truth His grace Himself thee to restore Is it not now so naturall to thee Him to believe since thou art born again As once it was His truth to vilifie When thou in nat'rall darknesse did remain Thy bands thy bondage all thy tort'ring terrors From infidelity unpurg'd do spring May not this ransom now remove thy errours When death and hell hereby hes lost the sting The Law like the Law-maker doth remain Righteous and holy sp'rituall and just So doth thy Conscience here bear witnesse plain Of what thou dost amisse for that it must But none of these can hinder thee to hold The grip that thou hast got of God by grace No they do let thee see that thou art sold By sin a slave to satan and do chase Thee now with speed timous supplie to take And wonder that thou art prevented so Before the Law thy conscience did awake For then remedilesse had been thy woe Thy reason cannot thy relief receive Thy guilt will ever keep thee under grief Then shalt thou so thine own poor soul deceive And it bereave of offered relief Arise therefore and mourn the more for sin That now thou seest it hes procur'd Gods ire Again to see slain Christ for thee begin Whose blood doth quench that fear'd infernall fire Doubtlesse I would be fred of this wanrest Wherein I wrestle as a wretch forlorn Under the weight of guilt and wrath supprest And with the torment of these terrours torn But now I see I must for life believe On Him who freely loves and freely gives Not that for my believing I may live That I may live He gives me to believe And firmly now to fix upon His Love His Mercy Truth and power infinite And by the motions of His Grace to move As He shall give assistance by His Sp'rit And yet as the naturall man before he comâ— to the years of discretion by education and experience is exposed unto many dangerous trialâ— and troubles wherein he is often in danger oâ— ruine being like an untamed Colt or a wildâ— Asse in the Wildernesse snuffing up the wind brutishly exposing himself unto the perill of perishing every day in his riot and insolency Right so the new Man albeit come out of the womb of Regeneration wrestled through the straits and travels of new Birth escaped the poweâ— of the Law bondage and darknesse where undeâ— he was kept and that for the time corruptioâ— hes been kept far under that it could not get up the head having tasted how good the Lord is and doth grow up by sucking in the sincere Milâ— of the Word Yet the old and bold Serpent that vigilant subtill and restlesse enemie of our Salvatioâ— sleepes not but lyes at all advantage by all means to make use of every time under all cases for undoing all that God hes done in us so far as lyes in his power Who seeing us so satisfied with what we have received lets us swell a little and then like an Angell of Light lifts us up and leads us ouâ— of the humble and holy way of self denyal and sincere dependence for daily and immediate support unto self-confidence and carnall contentment abusing the rich mercy and turning the free grace received unto wantonnesse so that before I was aware was left in the dark pestered with meny piercing temptations and much foiled under some fearfull devices Which perceivingâ— and after some serious pause turning to my strong hold and putting on the armour of proof entered the fight of faith under his Banner who overcame for me Confident that He would also overcome in me to the praise of the glory of His Grace I break out in this passion Thou damned Devil go to the hells and die That never dying death thy portion just Infernall Feind fall down and scoarchingly For ever Why It is thy doom thou must Down downly die and there thy power restrain The Lord reprove thy pride and malice vain This passion thou puts me to perforce â—ecause thou dost perplex and vex me still Who by thy wiles would me from God divorce â—nd dragg me after thy pernicious will In plots profound thy wits thou dost imploy By treacherous trains poor souls for to destroy Thou like a Syren canst thy song enchant Untill the carnall part thereto incline When in resemblance thou dost seem a Saint This cruell craft is found in thee and thine The world worldlings at thy wish thou hast And mine own flesh to keep me in unrest My facile mind thou also much dost mar With many foolish fantasies confuse And to my judgment erâ—ors also dare Present maintain with lies and bid me chuse The rules of reason and of carnall sense So to destroy my faith on this pretence Thou lets my sins forsaken me before And shews my sorrow is below my sin And that to
exceeding good It shines in glory on ingratitude That mercy may in God admired be He makes an object of our misery Justice ador'd shines bright in Jesus bleeding By merits mercy for our persons pleading Eternall love shines clear in timous grace Gaining the elect of the rebell-race Counsell and comfort for the heart contrite Long suff'ring to convince the haughty sp'rit That life and light by which we see and live That sp'rit of truth whereby we do believe By whom alone these glorious rayes transcendent Become so bountifully condescendent And from the grounds of these ingredients green Sov'raign preservatives to save are seen For feeding breeding feasting framing right The Babe of Grace translated unto light A sp'rituall sympathy of inclination 'Twixt Head and Members by a new creation As naturall grafts well grafted in the root Come timely to their known and kindly fruit By shedding out and sucking substance sweetly Incorp'rate and corroborate compleatly This practicall Divinity could make Which of the Divine Nature doth partake For through the vail admitted by believing We instantly receive above conceiving To see our selves blind-born sin-born and more Death-born wrath-born forlorn for eveâ—more And in that minut then immediatly Light life relief and true tranquillity By looking up and in this JEWEL dyving Presented for perpetuall reviving As on the heart it doth impression take And kindly motions to the Mover make So as with longings we enlarg'd may be This glory to enjoy triumphantly From this One-all One-uncreated Blesse Who glorious in the whole Creation is Till face to face we Called come to see And chang'd from glory unto glory be The Symphonicall Desires and delights of all Saints in their Retirements SONG I. DArknesse depart do not our eyes deprive Of this bright Star of day that doth appear To usher in the Sun that can revive Our fainting hearts and clouded spirits clear The Rose of Sharon all our banks and bowers Perfumes with odours of all ointment sweet Our fields be sending forth the fairest flowres The singing birds our slownesse do invite The Turtle mourning for her Mate doth moan Because his comming he so long delayes And we affected with her griefs do groan And tune our Lutes unto her mourning layes Most glorious Sun of righteousnesse consent To hear to see to cause thy face to shine The clouds dispell make clear the firmament And for thy coming move us to incline Oh that we could Thee know believe and love Then could we not but for thy coming long Wonder importunate we do not prove Untill our sighs be turned to a song Most glorious King out through the continent The glorious Gospel gloriously convey Make all the Nations come with one consent To kisse the Son and on his statutes stay The Devil that by delusion doth deceive The world lost roaring in fiery rage Of whom the Beast and Prophet false receive Babel and Balaam's ruine for their wage Endite condemn discover give them doom With these the Whoor flagitious detect The Serpent and the Man of Sin consume From all their drifts redeem thy dear Elect. Triumphant Monarch for thy Truth appear And with thy brazen legs these tyrants turn Out of the way with eyes of flaming fire These fiends pursue and in thy fury burn When shall thy garments stain'd with blood be seen Of these proud foes that do thy grace disdain The glory of these wonders doth pertain To thee this might and malice to restrain How this wild Lion through the earth doth reel And prey upon poor blind-born Adams race Whirling the worldly minded like a wheel Up by his gins thy Image to deface Thou sees O Thou who pow'r hes to prevent This vile invet'rate and invective spleen And for destroying Satans works was sent Our evil deserts let not thy help detain Dread King who question dare thy just decrees Mysterious holy righteous and profound For out of all apparent contraries Glory and might right doth to thee redound Let all the hosts in heav'n and earth be still And with submission simple thee adore The Projects of thy wise eternall will To see fulfill'd rejoice for evermore All revolutions strange our King aright Doth by a change of providence direct By death and darkness making life and light Brightly appear for all his dear Elect. Heav'ns King our sp'rits more sp'ritually dispose And shine upon the seed of saving grace That faithfully and fruitfully repose We may and all the swey of flesh displace The time that thou art glorious to appear Hasten impediments out of the way Remove that seeing eyes clear'd to admire The magnified in thy members may The wicked world that doth in lies delight The voice of truth and wisdom doth disdain And will not see till everlasting night Close up their fight in soul-tormenting pain Longing we be when we himself may see Shining in glory on his glorious Throne Where feasting in his glorious face we 'll be When immortality we have put on Welcome great King let now the glorious Day Begin to dawn of thy eternall reign In righteousnesse thy Royall Scepter swey Of mercy and of judgement we may sing Time mend thy pace unto thy period post Stir up thy strength do not retard nor slide All shall be done anone be gone thou must Eternity to sink thee down doth glyde Let us our sp'rits a little time compose And fix upon the starry Firmament And all the Stars that are let us suppose Full as the Sun did shine so excellent And that this glob of earth transparent were And ev'ry star out from his glorious Sphere Darting his rayes and influence so far As all dimensions of the world appear â—oor worms we never could a blink endure Of this created glory we conceive â—ut in the beauty of this brightnesse sure Be raz'd because we could it not receive â—gain by faith in contemplation ponder What places for the Elect are prepared â—o far surpassing all the Stars in number â—nd to the glory of the Sun compared 〈◊〉 immortality when we 're arrayed â—nd for these places pure spiritualized â—ransparent in this splendor there displayed â—nd yet humane remain so subtillized Yet our great King those changes we perceive From naturall darknesse to this light of grace Exceeds more fully then we can conceive Till we receive that fulnesse in His face Where that all-glorious increated light Remains whence we our light and life derive And shall enjoy joyes in His joyfull sight Unseen unheard till there we do arrive Who see these marvels but they must admire Who see admire but doubtlesse they do long Who see admire and long but do aspire Seated to be these miracles among But rather how is it we do not weigh The wisdome of our King and condescend Simply unto His dispensations high Who our desires unruly doth suspend Untill by tryals strong through truth sustained Our lost condition and His love we see And by His grace be from the world weaned And fitted for this Life of Glory be
Our glorious King eternall only wise Incomprehensible all things contains Who never doth the heart contrite despise But by His Sp'rit the broken sp'rit maintains By worlds of men thy will fulfilled be Through all the earth and let thy glory shine Jehovah high in Heav'n eternally And all the Elect to thy praise incline SONG II. A Song of triumph Rev. 15.3 4. Great And Marvelous Are Thy Works Lord God Almighty Just And True Are Thy Wayes Thou King Of Saints Who Shall Not Fear Thee O Lord And Glorify Thy Name For Thou Only Art Holy For All Nations Shall Come And Worship Before Thee For Thy judgements Are Made manifest GReat greatness doth unto our God belong And Majesty to be ador'd alone Marvelous and admir'd thy Saints among Are thy decrees eternall every one Thy works within thy Sanctuary are seen Works full of wonder thou to light hast broght Lord Lord thy purposes are pure and clean God only God that thou in us hast wrought Almighty might all finite light transcending Just justice uncontroll'd in wisdome right And righteousnesse in all thy acts extending True God of truth conjoin'd with glorious might Are not the Hosts of heav'n our heav'nly King Thy Mercy Justice Statutes truth desiring Wayes Wisdome works to see and seeing sing Thou King of Saints thy Majesty admiring King King of Kings before whose glorious face Of glory Kings created Crowns cast down Saints seperate and sanctified by grace Who thee imbrace thy praises shall resound Shall not the Nations thy great Name regard Not thee by whom their beings only be Fear thee who for thy people hast prepar'd The consolations of eternity O thou who doth so far our faith exceed Lord lead us to thy truth thereto to cleave And firmly fix our eyes on thee to feed Glorify thy Name in us us Lord revive Thy name is like to oyntments only sweet Name O ye Nations His dread Name with fear For He in all perfections is compleat Thou seest Him past comparison appear Only thy self Self-soveraignity Art thou incomprehensible alone Holy immense adored Majesty For thou art glorious Heavens and earth upon All only All in all thy Name is seen Nations in thy Salvation shall rejoyce Shall not the captives that deliver'd been Come and upon thy grace and peace repose And who will not unto thy greatnesse still Worship and homage do with heart sincere Before the Throne in ardency of will The Saints among when there they shall appear For now the wisdom of thy wise decrees Thy judgments deep and so divine so cleared Are to the sense of every eye that sees Made manifest and ever are admired A Harmonious Consort in a Song of Praise SONG III. Part. 3. THrones and dominions now adore This deep profound abysse before Of Wisdome and of knowledge high Shining in just mercy free Flowing from that fountain love That both the head and members move And made the dying head to live And all the members dead revive The mights and slights did him defy Below His feet down thrown do ly They bruis'd His heel but from His hand Now must they feel an iron brand Which breaks the necks of all His foes And makes the Hosts of Heaven rejoice For now our Glorious Head doth render To God the Kingdome and doth tender Himself unto His Spouse redeemed And members so by Him esteemed That so His long desires that day For evermore enjoy He may And they refyned and inflamed With sacred fires and so reframed Which the most glorious Head inspires And Members glorified admires The Universall Heavens filled With all this influence instilled By our victorious King alone Christ mysticall God-Man in One Whose generations account Who can which doth so far surmount All rationall mens conceiving Believing all poor sp'rits perceiving But O! admired doth invite Finite unite with infinite And in their stations sp'ritualized And gradation authorized Cordially with all consents Above the Orbs and Elements The Region of the fire and air Adoring be Echo Beware Now spare Till there you do approach and then Let Angels and immortall Men Like Stars resplendent shining sing Praise to their Author Spouse and King Do not I pray thee so inhibite For we cannot be prohibite To conceal that grace that glory That in this very middle story We do enjoy by faith and hope Which giveth latitude and scope With much alacrity to sing And when we be eclips'd to bring Unto the Altar timous tears And bemoan our faithlesse fears For He is firm who us affects And cannot fail who us protects And there shall in the darkest night Arise for us a glorious light And in the deepest deadly hell The Balme of Paradise shall smell Which shall increase of grace procure And shall our souls in peace secure Then do us not discharge to sing Praise to our Royall Spouse and King Sing on but in sobriety Beware of soaring too too high Flight'ring above the lofty line Where Love resides and doth refine Affections to incline aright To live by faith untill we come to sight The second Part of the third SONG THen by this liberty to sing Of our most Royall Spouse and King whose Love doth us allure His Deity in glory we Tri-unity adoring be our comforts to secure There unapproachable He is In all eternity of blesse above our feelings far For at the word of His command All things appeared where they stand from nothing as they are We do these wonders all believe And that He hes come to relieve us who did so disdain To do His wil and hear His voice But wilfully made wofull choise to sin which hes us slain Here is the Text here is the Theam Here is the Fountain here the Stream whence all our comforts spring Here all the Angels ever dive Hence all the Saints their life derive here doth our glory sing His power experimentally By working in us mightily we know do and believe For we in ignorance were born And in the bands of death forlorn till He did us receive Who can His wisdome but adore And providence so much the more as we are ever seeing From wonderfull varieties And seeming contrarieties harmonious agreeing Him in His truth we worship must He being only worthy trust as we do daily try Far far above our weak believing In every strait He is relieving as we His word apply His knowledge whose all-seeing eye All things that are were or shal be are ever straight before All persons places cases right Divinely ordered in His sight which Angels do adore And O! how righteously our King Doth to the rule of justice bring and equally compose Above our weak capacity Unmov'd by partiality alike to friends and foes His pittying mercy we admire Whereby He doth our miseries clear and leads us to be cur'd Who in our blood were lying blind That we our light and life may find by Him for us procur'd In these excellencies our King Does shine we Him injoy and sing but O!
strange combustion does it make As if in shivers it should shake And when that revolution's spent The second to essay is bent But when the time prefixt is run Must be renew'd before begun Right so our hourly changes are Which seem to us irregular They be by divine art compos'd And wisely done as well propos'd So that this last of time shall crown All that is past with high renown Believe believe this shalt thou see With these thine eyes most certainly Were there not thousands in thy case When I was sent thee to imbrace Into the womb and can God misse Now in accomplishing thy blesse Me to direct again aright To fetch thee up unto his sight And I so long who was conversant With thee and with thy case acquaint Shall I not know thee love thee move thee And thou delighted be to prove me So now confirmed in the faith to meet This be a kisse of separation sweet FLESH Dear soul I dow not let thee go Nor dare I sweet soul say thee no Shall I refuse thee thee my life Shall I consent O fearfull strife I must agree my life to give Or grieve him dying by whom I live I am convinc'd I ought to yield Creation only wields the shield But death by sin doth beat it down Now new Creation is my crown It moves me likewise dearest Lover Who art alone my nearest Mover To see thee thus so long detain'd With me where we be daily stain'd The Galley-slave in fetters ty'd With sad affliction daily try'd Can have no more desire to be Deliver'd hence then thou of me And reason more for he 's but fred Of grief but thou with glorie clad I from this life have thee deferr'd Too long now let me be interr'd Suppose with losse of life I be Divorc'd from thy society So as thou may more blesse enjoy Then can compare with my annoy Sprent out spring up at thy desirings Possesse the prise of thy aspyrings For here I do consent and say Angels conduct thee in the way And I am moved to believe That thou wilt come me to relieve In that day of refreshing clear Which we confide shall soon appear Spirit Enough enough it 's all I crave Sincere submission to have For that I entered this debate Lest out account should come too late Now shall I further let thee see Thou shalt me fail or I fail thee And would thou have me with thee hence When thou denuded art of sense Thee to enjoy was my delight Albeit it was my drowsie night As thou a time must be absented Yet are we so by faith indented And sure ingrafted in our Head Living we be when seeming dead Let us while we do live believe And so we shall by dying live Hence carnall thoughts hence natures night Welcome now sweet celestiall light Light light light light light light so bright What we have seen sets out of sight And makes us to conceive of seeing Above the bounds of this our being Hence incredulity vile ghuest That faithlesse fears does still suggest O happy choise by closely cleaving Unto our Life by firm believing Thy glory by degrees begun Now fred of suff'ring and of sin And I shall still attending be Again to be possest of thee The fathers of the former ages The greatest and the gravest sages The clearest Saints that e're were seen Our meeting there shall not preveen Where We our Husband Head and King Enjoying shall his praises sing In glory unconceivable where we Shall God for evermore adoring be The FIRST and SECOND RESURRECTION AND THE GENERAL JUDGMENT Closing with a SONG of DEGREES Ascending from what we were to what we are and from thence to what we shall be after time AS AN INTRODUCTION TO That New SONG of endless PRAISE ot be taught in and entered unto when there shall be no more time Matth. 25.31 to the end When the Son of Man shall come in His glory c. 1 Cor. 15.12 to the end Now if Christ be preached c. THe Resurrection of the body and the Generall Judgement is universally acknowledged where Christianity is known except amongst the brutishly ignorant or the profest Atheist But if it were so known and believed as it is condescended unto it would put Believers to a more serious study to try their condition then they be at as yet for who could indure to know believingly that living and dying in their naturall estate without the interposition of a Mediator and Saviour for their restauration they being raised up to join with their soul again should then be cast down in utter darknesse finally and rejected of God totally deprived of all further expectation of grace the gnawing worm of conscience wakened the wrath of a sin-revenging God upon the guilty person where in these everlasting burnings amongst innumerable legions of devils and numberless multitudes of condemned men they be to indure eternal torment Can it be imagined say I that any person so believing and that there were a possibility of recovery could be in rest untill they had unto their utmost endeavour used all imaginable means not thinking any pains too great if it were in compassing the Continent and the coasts of the sea for timous relief If we seeing one of our neighbours in the extremity of a Gout a Gravel-stone or Gangren And that we were certainly perswaded that within such a short space we should be in the very like condition unlesse we did apply our selves to such a Person who could assuredly prevent this so fearfull terrible and horrible torment would there be any delay made or difficulty impede us in our journey for finding out the Physitian Much more if he were at hand making offer of our relief and the removall of all our fears could we make the refusall Again Is it not evident that the most part of men do intangle themselves in most dangerous travels and troubles for gaining of a little uncertain treasure pleasure or preferment whereunto few attain And where attained is past before it be well possest Is it possible then that if the Resurrection of the body and the General Judgment were believed and the blessed condition of those that have accepted of the offer of grace in time and the utter ruine and eternall perdition of all such as have contemned this Great-salvation to sieze upon them in that day when they shall call to the mountains to fall upon them and cover them from that fierce wrath which undoubtedly they must underly for evermore No certainly it is neither probable nor possible but if these Truths were believed there would be little rest amongst the Believers untill they attained to that assurance of relief that might give them solide rest And yet every man is so convinced that none that is worthy to have the name of a man dar be so shamlesse as to deny such unquestionable truths seeing that thereby they should be found to deny the Scriptures of God dyted by His own
Spirit and the power of God seen in the creation and conservation of all things the Son of God and the Saviour of the World who in our own flesh hath died and risen again who hath testified all these truths and recorded them in His Testament to us according as He had Himself experimentally tryed the unutterable joyes of the one and the unsuperable dolors of the other to have been wrestled with sustained and fred of but by Himself alone who was God to sustain as He was man to suffer And yet for all this conviction and formall profession what is the greatest part of all ranks doing but deceiving themselves satisfied with a brain-light without any heart-change a lip-religion without any life-reformation So reasonlesse is the rationall creature become as to deny Him reasonable service who is the Author of their reason in believing Him and acquainting themselves with Him for their good But to proceed According to the difference betwixt the Believer and the unbeliever in life and death so is it after death when the Righteous Judge of all men shall give the finall sentence Then shall the carnall man who refused that great Salvation which is now obtained by believing in the only Son of God for the remission of sin being laid down in the grave bathed in the abominations of His apostasie and impenitencie be raised up again at the Latter-day soul and body joyning to receive the irrecoverable sentence of eternall condemnation and rejection from the gracious presence of God unto the place appointed for them And for the further manifestation hereof the Lord hath been pleased to suffer some being spiritually dead and refusing to come to the Physitian of souls for life and being thereby self-condemned to ly under desperation and torment of conscience even in this life So that both word and example may joyn to the conviction of such as will not be converted Whereas the true Believer who in their life had been dying unto sin and attained unto the first Resurrection in living unto righteousnesse laid down the body under hope shal at the second Resurrection both soul and body being joyned again in that spiritual and incorruptible constitution agreeable unto immortality lift up the head with joy in coming before the Judge knowing that all judgment is committed to the Son of God who is their Kins-man Mediator and Redeemer who knows well for whose transgressions He hes made Himself an offering for satisfying the justice of God that He may see His seed the travell of His Soul and be satisfied That the pleasure of the Lord in justifying many does prosper in His Hand and in congregating and uniting to Himself who is the glorious Head and making up all the Members in one Body to become the fulnesse of Him who fills all in all that the Marriage-day may be solemnized and the marriage fully accomplished before God and all the Hierarchy of Angels Arch-Angels Throns Dominions Powers Seraphims and Cherubins with Hosannas and Hallelujahs shouting for joy and sympathising in all cordiall harmony the praises of their King the Author and Finisher of their Salvation with songs sutable and acceptable to that all-glorious Auditory and the glorified associats and assistants in that unlimited circumference whereof the All-blessed and infinite Essence of God is the incomprehensible Center and that from minutly renewed and revealed matter without intermission for evermore And for the further establishment of which truth some of Gods Children even in this life have attained the fore-tastes of the first Fruits of these eternall Consolations that they are to feast upon after this life everlastingly And seeing it is so and known to be so by the Believer where should the furthest extent of his deepest apprehensions and greatest fervencie of his affections be fixed but upon Him alone by whom he shall injoy all this blesse salvation and consolation And to this end that as they know they may commend and as they prove they may love and praise Him according as they can attain to see and conceive Him by the mirror wherein He shines making Himself and His excellencies the matter of our songs in the house of our pilgrimage untill we come up to see Him as He is and enjoy Him in the fulnesse of that blesse by the earnest whereof we are sustained under Hope And for this end let our study be to take Him up more particularly 1. First what He is in Himself 2. And secondly what He is to us 1. He is in Himself 1. The mighty God the everlasting Father wonderfull Counseller the Prince of Peace Isaiah 9.6 2. He is the second Person of the all-adored Trinity 3. His delight hes been from all eternity to be conversant with the sons of men And for that end and that the fulnesse of the God-head might dwell in him bodily hes by the operation of the Holy Ghost assumed unto Himself the nature of man from the seed of the woman in the womb of the Virgin whereby He becometh the kins-man flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone subject to all our infirmities sin except that He might be a mercifull and a compassionate high Priest and a propitiatory sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God in giving full satisfaction unto justice for the sins of the Elect in cancelling the hand-writing that spoke against them and nailing it unto the tree of the crosse when after the agony of His Soul He gave His Body to be crucified and His Blood to be shed for the Redemption of His beloved inheritance whom He hes thereby justified and will sanctifie and espouse to Himself delighted to see the increase of His grace in the Believer as the fruit and off-spring of the travel of His Soul and to whom He hes made Himself known to be the only Messias 1. First As Christ anointed Priest Altar and Sacrifice to satisfie and intercede for and reconceal us to God Prophet to instruct us in aâ—l truth and reveal the Fathers will to us and King to renew and defend His ransomed flock 2. Jesus a Saviour able to save to the utmost and cleanse them from all their sins 3. The Word incarnat from whom all our spirituall life comes 4. The Fountain opened from whence flowes all our consolation 5. The true Vine and prime branch whence influence ascends to all the members 6. The morning Star and Sun of righteousnesse by whom we are illuminate and revived 7. The Rock invincible and Corner-stone whereon our Salvation is built 8. The Mediator to procure acceptance to our persons and grants to our petitions 9. The Captain who is only able to conduct us through the wildernesse with safety 10. The bountifull Provisor for us in the midst of all our malicious enemies 11. The faithfull Witnesse who for all our failings and faithlesnesse will not deny Himself who changes not 12. This is our Emanuel our strong and mighty God who being with us what is it to us who be against us