a wonderful unnatural thing in us But well as Peter saith the long sufferance of God is salvation Shall nothing hinder No gainsayings nor longings but the long-sufferance will stand and knock and wait out all till it be our salvation This will one day be prized There is a chosen Generation amongst you that is certain Now do you hear it Do you believe it When will you open the Door and lay down all weapons and say Well I will never speak against the Lord more But say with Job what I know not teach thou me It is sure you have been the bush in which the Lord hath appeared the fire hath been trying and purging and burning in you and you are not yet consumed but when will you turn aside to see this great wonder When lay it to your heart I must leave and desire the Lord would give you understanding into what hath been said and above all that you may not war nor fight against it in your minds but soberly inquire Is this my lot Is this my Portion to be one of this chosen Generation It will at last cause your souls to admire The Poor WISE MAN And LITTLE CITY Against The GREAT KING And His BULWARKS SERM. X. May 18. 1651. ECCLES 9.14 15. There was a little city and few men within it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the city yet no man remembred the same poor man The Analysis FRom the words was observed I. The Lord ever had a Little City under the Sun A People built together in Unity and Love In three respects compared to a City 1 A City is for habitation so God to dwell in his People 2 It is a place of Free-Trading so God will be free to trade in sorrows sufferings inlargements What he pleaseth with his people 3 It 's a place of safety So God looks to be safe in his People in his Name to be kept from reproach and sufferings II. This is but a Little city and that in three respects 1 It makes but little noise in the world Little notice of it 2 Little in compare of many thousands left But a small remnant 3 Little not easily seen nor found without a diligent search III. There are but few men in it Little or no help in it but a few men left and they tremblers unable to defend it Hence three things considered 1 Few men in it that no flesh might have to glory in saving it 2 All is emptied out of the room that God may dwell in it and be seen that the poor mans wisdome may appear 3 Few in it as no strength to withstand or keep off the lean enemy Every Temptation and snare too hard IV. A great King comes against this little City and builds Bulwarks Great opposition from the devil His Bulwarks are made of Earth any thing that springs thence knowledge parts zeal Hope 's these Bulwarks he can imploy to keep off the Truth V. In it is found a poor wise man and he by his wisdom delivers the City Whence two things considered 1 Where he is to be found In the City not out the kingdom of God within you Christ in you else reprobates 2 How shall this poor man be known How shall you know whether Christ be in you These seven signs were laid down of it 1 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin the man wholly convinc'd that sin is too hard for him He cannot help himself 2 Where Christ is the soul cannot utterly despair it cannot be drowned In the bottom of hell Jonah lookt toward the Temple 3 There is ever a love to that which is of it 's own kinde if God be your Father you would love me saith Christ Truth ever loves Truth 4 Where Christ is ever a light goes along to search and discover all the secret carriages and wiles of the enemy He is a true searcher 5 Where Christ is He will never yield up this City though it cost his life yet with the three children we will not worship the golden image 6 There is a secret looking after God and expecting from him in the lowest day never a whole giving up all for lost 7 Where Truth is It can look through all heaps and swarms of enemies to God that he is still able to deliver and who can tell but he may be gracious ECCLES 9.14 15. There was a little City and few men within it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found it a poor wise man c. IN the verses before Solomon speaks of a strange Case which is very contrary to Reason to believe or see into vers 11. I returned and saw that the race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong nor bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance hapneth to them all None of these will carry through by strength shall no man prevail and the wisdom of this world is foolishness and as for Riches they make themselves wings and fly away But well saith Solomon though all this takes not this Wisdom and strength and riches and skill cannot deliver men but they are taken in an evil net like the fishes and snared like the bird Yet for all this there is a wisdom that will stand there is a condition of deliverance to be attained I saw this wisdom under the sun and it seemed wonderful unto me There was a little city and few men in it and a great King came against it and besieged it and built Bulwarks against it and yet a poor wise man was found in it and he by his wisdom delivered the City This wisdom is indeed wonderful and too high for a fool The words in themselves are a metaphor taken up by the Holy Ghost by which he would express himself in things obvious to mans sense and reason and humane capacity and thereby lead the soul into the invisible minde meaning and intent of Scriptures For there is a hidden invisible meaning runs in all the Scriptures which none can read but those that buy eye-salve of Christ to anoint their eyes those who are taught of God and led into the meaning of them by the same Spirit which once breathed them forth The Scriptures are a deep Well and none but men of understanding can draw it out for all others the Well is too deep and they have nothing to draw with they can by no means reach the invisible minde of Christ From the words these things are observable I. That always the Lord had a little City under the Sun In all times he had his people a City built together where his Name lived and this was the strait of all our Fathers in their
Who are they that have been our Accusers that have secretly informed and raised mischief against us and made an evil of what they have heard and seen amongst us were they not our Brethren such as were in society with us men of our own house and we walked together into the House of God as friends such as have heard and pray'd and joyned with us and yet have gone out because they were not of us These have been our greatest Enemies 4. Children shall rise up against their Parents to put them to death And how hath this proved true in my my own child coming as the main Witness against me He that came out of my bowels he was not ashamed to witness falsly against me and to say to my face He would take a hundread oaths if he might but ensnare me And then Parents against their children This I have proved true also Those that have looked upon themselves as my Fathers in Christ from whom I have first received the Truth such as have travelled and prayed yea and witnessed for me that I belonged to God yet how are these now secretly turned against me and in a treacherous undermining way have wrought and do work what they can to undo me Such a strange unnaturalness is there among men and if the Lord favour us not we know not but they may see their wills accomplished against us and take away our lives We know not what They may be suffered to do against us For This is not our Country our Kingdom is not of this world And it is certain there is malice and envy enough in all these relations against us in Kings Governors Brethren Parents Children therefore beware of men though your Cause be never so just and innocent Secondly What is it to kill the Body How may men do that what ways may they find out to bring this about For though it be not the main thing or that which we should fear if called to lay down our lives yet it may be of Use to be informed in the several ways men may take to destroy our Body if the Lord prevent not 1. This way they may take to destroy the Body by taking away our estates and means that which should maintain and keep up our bodies Our bread may be taken out of our mouths we may be so impoverished by Lawyers and Jaylors and Fines and strange ways that may be found out by our Enemies to waste our estates that we shall not be able to maintain our selves Such dealings some of our Fathers and the Martyrs have met with in their days 2. Men may destroy the Body by raising strange reproaches and scandals and such evil reports against us that all men will be shy of dealing with us all our trading and commerce with men by which our lives are outwardly maintained may be thus taken from us As I heard some say in my own hearing Hang them speaking of Us they are a base reproached people we 'l not buy of them of all others And thus by such scandalous reports as these it may grow to that pass that we may have neither liberty to buy nor sell c. 3. Another way by which men may destroy the Body is by binding our hands that we may not defend our selves who ever set upon us And thus we have been dealt with some of us bound to our good behaviour that we may not so much as strike a Dog to defend our selves and who ever will may come and set upon us and we have no remedy in our hands we may not stir against them for our defence 4. Another way they may take to destroy our Bodies is by lying at the catch to insnare and intrap and make an evil in wresting words contrary to our real intentions and purposes As my own son was not ashamed to say to my face I 'le take a hundred oaths if I could insnare you Now what a miserable case is this if a word should slip either unadvisedly or out of ignorance that this should be catched at and a thing never once thought of nor intended charged upon us even to the hazard of our lives for ought we know 5. They may do it another way as by making an evil in tentering our words beyond their meaning so by tentering out the Law to the utmost exactness and rigour in all points against us so that a man can hardly speak to another or stir any ways in his business but if the Law be reached out and tentered to the utmost he may be found liable to some forfeiture or other You that are strangers this day and come without any ill intent into this House to hear me speak you might be troubled for coming into the House or passing through a Close without leave such strange ways may be to tenter out the Law if the Lord shall suffer men in this to stir against us 6. Men may destroy the Body by raising false Witnesses against us and charge us of that falsly which we are no ways guilty of And thus was Christ dealt with and many of the People of God have been falsly accused falsly witnessed against and so condemned to death And in our late Indictment charged upon us those that have appeared against us what utter falsness hath been in their oaths and witnessing against us and what further they may be suffered to swear against us we cannot tell and at last two false Witnesses came point-blank against Christ and so took away his life 7. Our Life may be taken away by the Law of Man sometimes when we may be no ways guilty by the Law of God So I remember when the Bishops Courts were up some have said to me there You may be Honest and your way may be good and harmless for ought we know but how ever the Law will not bear you out in it We have a Law say they to Pilate and according to that Law He ought to dye And here you see are Ways and Means and Doors enough open if the Lord stand not for us and prevent it by which men may break in upon us and destroy the Body And thus I have spoke to you of two of the general Points from the words 1. Who they be that will kill the Body that Christ bids Beware of Kings Governors Brethren Parents and Children This seems wonderful unnatural that these of all others should do it to be for signs and for wonders in Israel as Christ complains I and the children that God hath given me are for Signs and Wonders in Israel Were it in Turkey or some forreign Land to meet with this usage it would not be so much But Thou my Familiar my Friend we took sweet Counsel together and walked into the House of God as Friends to be Signs and Wonders a scorn and reproach and laughing stock in Israel amongst men of our own house our own Rulers and Brethren and Children this is very unnatural But Beware of men And then I
bonds till we are freed and that is our way if indeed we would know it but how foolish and preposterous are we we would be walking before we are made alive But then 3. A man that is alive as He is capable of Instruction and teaching so he is fit for any employment to speak and walk and act what is set before him He may run the ways of Gods Commandments He may speak well of God The Living He shall praise thee saith Hezekiah The father to the children shall make known thy Truth Then indeed there will be a capableness of that other precious Promise to be partakers of Godliness to walk with God to be of his Councel But now is a dead man fit company for God Can God have fellowship with such as lie stinking in their graves Is there any communion to be had with dry bones Can you have any content and pleasure in a dead mans presence No you must first be partakers of Life before you can partake of Godliness to have his minde and nature and disposition in you God commanded Moses to speak to the people not to break into the Mount to gaze lest they were destroyed We are reaching to come neer and neer and plead for it to be taken in to know the minde and counsels of Truth Alass we are not fit Can we dwell with everlasting burning Can we come neer God and not be consumed Alass we know not what we have desired The old bottles would burst in pieces if this new wine should be put in There must be a new Life given before that new minde can grow Before we â—â—n partake of godliness to have that God-like minde in all things to love Justice and Mercy and walk humbly with our God we must first be Living Men And it is but yet a promise to us though it be exceeding great and precious the Thing is yet to be done and therefore that which concerns us at present is to sit still in our graves in our bonds and darkness and sorrows till He calls us as They told the blind man Be of good cheer for He calleth Thee In the mean time it is in vain and dangerous for us to run and gaze These precious Promises are not made to all I would not have you all thrust in as sharers you may come and gaze for fashion-sake but I know there are among you in whom the love of God is not as Christ said to the Jews I know you have not the love of God abiding in you You come not out of a love to Truth or minde to be instructed but either as to hear a matter of news or to lie at catch to make a mischief Therefore beware what you do God will not be mocked by you It is dangerous tampering in Holy things with a deceitful heart we have payd dearly for it amongst us and He will surely divide between thoughts and intentions and separate betwixt the sheep and the goats He hath indeed promised all things belonging to Life Godliness Glory and Vertue but to whom Whereby are given TO VS saith the Apostle exceeding great and precious Promises TO VS and not to all And 1. That Promise of Life I told you what it was to Live to be freed of all snares and bonds and fears of Death which keep down the Soul a close Prisoner that it can stir neither hand nor foot But none will come in here but such as are close hunted and put out of all their holes and shiftings that they can no ways get Life at their own hand For so long as there is any fhift that we can either get up hopes or prayers or desires or resolutions of our own so long we are not dead men as God saith Thou hast abased thy self to Hell yet hast Thou not said There is no hope And till a man be dead there is no need of raising Him to Life and now to live is to be brought out of the grave and recovered by this free word of Promise You all live and walk and act but upon what terms Is it by this Promise of Life given to Abraham Have your lives been given you Have you been raised up by the same power that raised up Jesus Christ saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and I will raise them up at the last day They shall be raised up and when at the last day not presently The best wine is not brought out first but at the last Day When Christ who is your Life shall appear then shall you also appear with him in glory and this is an exceeding precious Promise indeed to as many as God hath given it but not by any's thrusting themselves in that were never bidden The King will come and look over his guests and finde the man without the wedding garment 2. The second great and precious Promise is of Godliness to have a God-like minde to be Just Patient Merciful Single Holy as God is Holy c. to be knowing and in the light as he is in the light to be fashioned into the very minde of the Father This is godliness that hath great gain belonging to it having the promises of this life and that which is to come to submit thus to be God-like in all things to pray indeed Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven We would have our wills reign and be done in Heaven as they are in Earth We would have Gods minde come to ours and Heaven stoop to Earth There is something yet dear to us that we save and keep alive and would not every where and in all cases be like to God But this is the onely happiness and content to attain this life of godliness for a people to joyn together in one heart and Soul strengthening and building up one another in their most holy Faith provoking one another to good works seeking the good of one another as their own and ready to lay down their lives for their Brother How many people have we seen in our day to change and altar their Gods according to their own thoughts and imaginations as the complaint was against Israel According to thy Cities so are thy Gods O Israel such a changing tossing and variable thing is in the heart of man but where the minde of God is planted and spreads it self forth in the Soul and makes it partaker of Godliness that is a standing principle abiding for ever 3. A third great and precious promise is to be partakers of Glory There is a glory that follows and flows from godliness Moses face shone when he came down from God and the Church in her worst day yet says of her self I am black but comely and Christ yet owns and calls Her O thou fairest among women And I am confident however we are found in our selves weak and foolish and sinners yet we sit in the Consciences of our worst Enemies if they would speak their hearts freely That
But then For some of you whom indeed I know and who yet lie dead in your graves fast bound in chains and fetters under darkness and fears and sorrows and are no ways able ever to get out to you this promise of Life is made That God will make the dry bones live and raise you out of your graves It concerns you to look after it For he hath promised and will perform He will surely keep his Word unto Jacob and his Covenant to Israel God will say to all that keep us down in chains and bondage Let my People go that they may serve me Let my Captives go free The time will come when he will turn our mourning into joy and fill our tongues with laughter and our mouths with praises when he shall bring back the Captivity of Israel when the Time of Life is come And now it followeth to go on That you might be made Partakers of the Divine Nature All this I have spoken of is to pass upon the Soul before there can be this partaking of the Divine Nature to be joyned in and married to it There may be somewhat of Life and Godliness and Glory and Vertue springing in the Soul but yet it may be but one alone as a chaste Virgin indeed single and loose from all and fit for a Husband but not yet married the House must be thus swept and provided and made fit but yet the King is to come to lodg in it It is yet a farther thing to become fruitful and have children in the Truth therefore the next thing to enquire into is Secondly What is it to partake of the Divine Nature The Holy Ghost is this Divine Nature spoke of Now Christ saith He will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it only to such as ask it such as are at a strait to cry for it and only living men can cry and ask and to them he will give this Holy Spirit God communicates and gives in to the Soul a Holy Seed of his own Nature and Being as really as in the outward generation of a man A seed must first be given and received before ever a child can be brought forth So is it with the Soul a seed of God must be really planted in and sown there somewhat of his own Being and Substance left behind in the Soul to stay abide and grow and spread or else there can never be fruitfulness expected If God only come and go as a wayfaring man and take not up his abode so long we shall never be setled down to any thing truly unmovable but up and down as His coming or going away is As the Spirit came on Saul and came on Balaam so long they prophesied and spake of God and were as it were new men but the Spirit departs again and then they are as other men the same they were before But now to have God dwell in man to take up his abode This is my Rest here will I dwell for ever this is a mighty thing indeed 2. To be made Partakers of the Divine Nature as it implies an abiding and setled planting in of a seed of God so it is secondly a known and felt-thing in the Soul there is a certain close and meet of the man He receives the seed in the man is brought to hear and feel and know that God is nigh 3. This Divine Nature where it is thus given in by God and received by the man it brings forth of its own kind and Image He gives to every seed it s own body Adam begets a son in his own likeness natural and carnal and earthly and selfish having his centre wholly downwards And so the Lord He begets Children like Himself in Patience Love Singleness Justice Meekness c. Where this Divine Nature is sown it will surely grow up into the likeness of its Father it will own its Father in its countenance it will turn the man into the same mind and will and desires and if not so yet do the man what he can whether he will or not this Truth wil act stir and bring forth like it self and in this it will deal plainly and truly and shew the man where he is it will not be bribed to dawb with untempered morter and yet is merciful too tender-hearted easie to be entreated full of all good fruits c. Now then 1. This may be of Vse to enquire what it is we would come to would we receive this Divine Nature and joyn in and be marryed to it It is certain you can never have children nor be fruitful in the Truth unless you are marryed in here Though you should be Virgins and be brought to stand clear and loose from all intanglements yet you can never have children to keep your name alive in Israel you will live and dye alone without you are brought to joyn into this Spirit of Christ Though we may have Fathers and Instructers to care and provide for us yet that Promise cannot take place In stead of fathers thou shalt have childrē whom thou mayst make Princes in all Lands We can never leave a seed after us that may grow up to be Princes in the Truth to make it spread in the world and run and be glorious but at present we are far from this there is a very ill spirit in us not willing to see another thrive and prosper in the Truth We would neither enter in our selves nor suffer them that would How few of us are yet reached out to this Thing to long for and desire to be Partakers of the Divine Nature We would rather starve and live on any Husks any shifts and sharkings then come near God for a Feast our hearts choose rather a Dogs life hunger and ease Hungry indeed we are many times at a want for somewhat but if we can get but a little ease in our want we can bear it and so the strait gets off and this may discover that great ill will that is in us to the thriving and prospering of the Truth c. 2. This may inform you what the End of all is all the Promises of Life and Godliness and Glory and Vertue they all tend to this end That you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature The Door is yet open the Promise and Call is yet after you It belongs to you as it did to Ruths kinsman to marry Ruth and purchase the Inheritance but if you shall slight it and say as he did I cannot redeem it for it will spoil my own Inheritance if we shall answer so No we cannot come so near to partake of the Divine Nature to dwell with God He will be a consuming fire He will cross and spoyl all our wills and delights and designs If we shall thus judg our selves unworthy of eternal Life then Lo He turns to the Gentiles He will turn to another people for sure He will find out some that will be glad to receive Him whose
according to the Pattern their elder Brother Christ the Humanity and Divinity joyned in together God with man and in man Christ in you the hope of glory For all others in whom something of God is not are but a meer outside and shadow but where ever in any man this Divinity is joyned in and to the Humanity there is the compact Jerusalem of such members is that City made the Jerusalem from above which is the Mother of us all And 3. These are the City built upon a Hill What is that what Hill It is the everlasting Love and good-will of God that unchangeable purpose which is a Hill too high for any thing to reach and come neer to destroy and undo them though the winds blow and storms beat and floods come yet the House stands because 't is built on a Rock unmoveable as Mount Sion And this is the Jerusalem this the City these the People that Christ weeps over II. And when He drew neer the City Whence consider That the great care and business of Christ is to draw neer this City Jerusalem to come nigh his people This is the thing He mindes above all other things Seek ye first the Kingdom of God That was the great work He layd upon his Disciples to seek up this Kingdom to look up the sons of Peace such as are to be saved It is his meat and drink to do the Will of Him that sent Him And that was his Will That He should lose none that were given Him of his Father All this have I said saith Christ that you might be saved And how contrary is this to the way of the Ministers of the World They seek Livings and Honors and respect they seek a multitude to follow them and to be called Rabbi But Christ the true Shepherd He seeks his own sheep where ever they straggle and wander He follows and searches them up among Harlots and Publicans by the high ways and hedges where ever He may finde the sons of peace there lies his way And this minde of Christ hath been in all his people in their day Not seeking yours but you saith Paul This is the thing Christ ayms at in all his seekings and labors and travels in leaving his glory and crown and ease in taking upon Him the form of a servant was not this the cause of all That He might come neerer to his Brethren Because the children were partakers of flesh and blood He also took part of the same That was the thing He came for to visit his Brethren to gather up Iacob to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel III. How is Christ affected when He comes neer and beholds Ierusalem He wept over it Now weeping is a passion or affection of the Soul being moved and stirred either with joy or grief and boâ—h these have a share in Christs weeping over his People 1. He weeps for joy that He had found the City of a blessing the beloved people His own Brethren His Soul is glad at it and breaks in him for joy So Ioseph when he saw his brother Benjamin his bowels were moved he could refrain no longer but weeps over him for joy But what joy can there be to see Ierusalem in this case killing her Prophets stoning them that are sent to her lying at present in a dead and sensless condition How can Truth be affected with joy to finde a people in this case though truly belonging to God Yes Christ weeps for joy in these three Considerations 1. For joy that however the present case stand with them that they are dead in their graves and now ready to stink in all appearance past recovery yet They are such Dead as He knows shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and live such Dead whose Souls shall not be left in Hell nor they suffered to see corruption He hath met with such Dead where a great Miracle is to be wrought and the glory of God shall be manifest and this is Joy to Truth When He came to Lazarus his grave He wept Why what was the cause He breaks out thus I thank thee O Father that thou hast heard me and I know thou hearest me always Why Lazarus was yet in his grave and the thing not wrought of raising him to Life I but Christ weepâ— for joy to see the thing shall be There was a hope and faith in the thing as if already done He joys that He hath met with one where a cure is to be wrought there is a work and service for Him to do to honor his Father by The beggerly the poor the out-casts that no man looketh after but lie in their graves like dead men out of minde That He meets with these where there is work for Him to do to set the Begger with the Princes of his people this Truth joys at to be employed to help its Brethren We have a little Sister saith the Church and she hath no brests what shall we do for our Sister c. 2. He weeps for joy to think that God hath hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes That God hath chose the weak and poor and foolish things of this world to confound the great and wise and honorable This breaks his heart to see the hungry Soul fed and the rich sent empty away They had their good things in this Life their Heaven and solace and content but Lazarus his evil things I but now he is comforted and the other tormented And this pleaseth and contents Truth to see these equal proceedings of God Therefore I thank thee O Father c. That the proud and scornful are not always suffered to reign and lord it and carry all before them but a day comes of doing right to the meek of the Earth this Christ joys at And certainly it is as great a content to Truth to see the rich and wise and proud and scornful that scorn and trample all under their feet to see these cut off as to see the Begger lifted out of the dunghill to see the poor ones saved 3. He weeps for joy that this Ierusalem how ever she be now against her Prophets and her own good yet the day will come when they shall say Blâ—ssed be He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. They shall be willing and embrace and receive Him in the day of his power they shall be a willing people and this He joys at in hope that he shall see Ierusalem recovered that his people shall not always be scorning and despising and kicking against the Truth that they shall not always be covering and hiding themselves and stand out against their own mercies but the year of Jubilee will come the day will be when God will break the yoke from off their neck and set them free And then saith David I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou hast set my feet at liberty Then all his Love will be
in three Relations 1. As His Children and so Christ stands as a Mother 1. A Mother brings forth her Children out of her own Bowels 2. She nurses up her Children to perfection So Christ 2. A People are given to Christ as his Sister and hence three Priviledges spring up to them 1. That they are of the same stock and kindred with Christ 2. They have right to the same portion and priviledges 3. Hence they are liable to be Christs Wife He must not marry out of his own kindred 3. A People are given to Christ as his Wife In which two Things called for 1. Serviceableness the woman is to be subject to her Husband 2. Fruitfulness no children without a Husband and no name to live after us if not children in the Truth to keep it alive 2. Another Branch of the Will of the Father is That none of these that are thus given to Christ should be lost Where two Things considered 1. What it is to be lost Opened in these Particulars 1. To be lost is to be left out of that good-will of God 2. Not to be of that stock which the Lord Christ is sent to gather 3. To have the eyes blinded Our Gospel hid to them that are lost 4. To be given up to believe a Lye to feed on ashes 5. To have in evil eye and grudg all done to Truth as Judas 6. To be left without any to gather up or take the care of the Soul 7. To be left without restraint that wickedness may take its full course and grow to cursing and madness against God 2. Why are not all lost since all wander and turn Prodigals It comes from these Grounds 1. From this Will of God it is his Will to give Christ a People 2. They are nigh related to Christ He cannot see them lost 3. They must not be lost because Christ cannot be perfect without his Members He must have a Body c. The Vses were 1. Throughly to understand on what bottom Salvation stands 2. To enquire Do you know your Lot here Are you given to Christ 3. To comfort all drooping hearts that lie under sense of their misery as if quite lost No Christ is to lose none given to Him JOHN 6.38 39. For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own Will but the Will of Him that sent me c. I Am daily and continually minding you that you might understand the sure principles and ground of Things that you might know the Foundation and Cause whence all springs in those that are saved and those that are lost For whilest we are judging according to appearance and effects all is uncertain and doubtful till we come to be unmoveably principled into the Foundation of all how that stands For Things are not as man judgeth for it is not what man would if he would be saved and labours and struggles to press in alas that is not the thing It is not in him that wills nor in him that runs And then it is not what man would not if he stands out and opposes and would never come in yet if the word goes forth Go and compel them it must be done It stands upon the Will of God what He will what He hath ordered and appointed all must stoop to that Christ himself submits here I came not to do my own Will but the Will of Him that sent me c. Where consider I. Who this I spoke of is I came not c. This I is the Son of God the Mind of God the Heart and Will of the Father brought forth and this Mind of his He hath pleased to put into earthen vessels into his People in all days This Son of his it was that spake in his Prophets and opened the Counsel and Purposes of God to them that which was hidden and layd up in his own Bosom from the foundations of the world that is now made manifest by the appearance of Jesus Christ by this Bosom and Heart and Mind of his sent forth into his Prophets that opened and doth yet open what was before the world began and what shall be after that comes to an end This opens the deep things of God None knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son shall reveal him There can be no coming near to God no knowing no being like him unless this Son this Mind and Heart be sent out and opened and grow up in the Soul Alas the Deity in it self is too large and infinite for man to conceive of If ever you come to have apprehensions of the Godhead it will drink and swallow you up No man can see my face and live saith God to Moses therefore He hides him in the cleft of a Rock till his Glory pass before him Man is not able to come nigh that infinite Majesty and therefore He is pleased to send forth of Himself His own Heart and Mind His Son into his People As He was once sent out in the flesh of Christ our elder Brother so is He now to be sent into his People the same Mind of God to grow up by degrees and degrees as we are able to bear II. What is this Son of God this Mind of His sent out to do what comes it for I came not saith Christ to do my own Will but the Will of Him that sent me It is a strange Mystery if you know not somewhat of it in your selves That this Heart and Mind of God that comes forth from God and is God Himself that yet this Son must not do his own Will but the Will of the Father that the Truth and Christ Himself though his desires be just and good and right yet He must not have them unless his Father please His will must suffer and be cross'd and denyed therefore it is said He learn'd obedience by the things he suffered It is strange how God seems to contradict himself that his own Heart and Mind and Truth must yet be denyed and suffer and submit to do this Will of the Father though it be against it self so great and Lord-like and commanding is this Will of the Lord our God He doth saith David what ever pleaseth him both in Heaven and Earth What ever he will do that comes to pass If he bring some far on in the way to Life that they come even to the door yea into the very room yet if he will then turn them out and enquire Friend how camest thou hither without the wedding garment The man is speechless and must be turned out presently if He will not have mercy c. And on the other hand if a man run never so far from him with Jonah into the bottom of Hell that all seems utterly lost yet if he will recover and bring back from thence if He will have mercy nothing shall hinder so absolute uncontroulable and over-ruling is this Will of the great Lord without giving any account of his matters And hence
I would have you consider three Things 1. What is the ground and foundation all the happiness and favour that we or any are ever like to enjoy It must only be from this good-will of God What he hath set and purposed for or against any that shall stand What ever his Soul desires that he doth saith Job therefore he adds When I consider him I am afraid of him Have any of you this favour to have a lot and portion in eternal life It is his will that hath done it his good-will his good pleasure nothing can hinder it If He will have mercy who shall hinder Again are any left to destruction to ruine and undo themselves for ever Alas it is this Will that hath left them out and destruction must then needs follow What if God will harden Pharaoh and make some vessels of wrath If he will not shew mercy who shall turn him 2. As this will is the foundation of all that comes to pass so secondly Consider how resolved it is and all must buckle to it even Things in Heaven and Earth the Son himself must be subject He comes down from Heaven leaves his Crown and Glory and must fulfil this Will by suffering All things must stoop to this great Lord so mighty is he such a Lord Paramount so great a Ruler Alas Things come not to pass according to mens thoughts and propoundings but according to this Will of God 3. Then Consider How this Will of God quite cuts off all our wils Nothing that comes into your thoughts shall be at all saith God And again Many are the devises of mans heart but the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand And He cries out against Jerusalem How long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee All our thoughts are vain if our thoughts are to save our selves or if to condemn and undo our selves they are all but vain The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand and the thing is done already before the foundations of the world were layd When we have tryed all and run out all our runs there is but one door to go to in all our needs the Will and Purpose of God and if we find no relief there alas the case is miserable man can never help himself So that the great matter lies there to know what that Will of God concerning us is how that stands what his thoughts are and to be truly informed here and layd submitted to this Will This is all we have to do for the thing is done already In the Salvation of them that are to be saved how contrary are all things to Reason how do they oppose and stand out more then any Had the mighty works saith Christ been done in Sodom and Gomorrah which were done in thee they would have repented them in sackcloth and ashes There would not have been so much opposition from them but yet if he will save he will save nothing shall hinder And so in those that perish though they seek the blessing with tears as Esau did though there be never so earnest a crying and weeping and pleading Lord open to us we have cast out Devils in thy Name and Thou hast taught in our streets yet all will not do if his will be set once and the doors shut then Depart from me I know you not c. If we were but truly informed and principled in this thing it would be a great setling to our minds We have many strange and vain wandring thoughts and troubles for want of a true principling and setting down here that all must come to pass according to this Will Thou wilt perhaps say But I have the Truth in me and that cries and desires and longs Well but the Son himself must be subject the Truth in thee the right desires of thy Soul must submit to his pleasure whether to be answered or denyed The Son himself says Not my Will but thy Will be done And it is said He learned obedience by the things he suffered And if the Son of God the Truth it self which comes out of his Bosom into the world into the man if that cannot alter nor change his minde but must submit its Will to the Will of its Father then sure the man who is but dust and ashes he can do nothing in it his prayers and cries cannot alter this Will Therefore what ever thy desires are set upon and how right and single soever they may be yet this is to be looked at in all but What is the Will of the Lord what is his pleasure Christ according to his tenderness He would have all men saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth He desired many things by his own Will but He must come in again and lay all those desires at his Fathers foot and say Yet not my Will but Thine Now are any of you at a strait and pinch to know what shall become of you Here the thing stands it depends onely upon this minde of God and nothing I know can or will ever satisfie you till that which the Disciples ask for be granted you Shew us the Father and that will suffice Christ had been long with them tendering exhorting instructing and bearing up their heads yet that was not enough to them they are at a want still till that word comes from Christ And I say not that I will pray for you for the Father Himself loveth you And this stays them indeed Now speakest thou plainly and no Parable This is more content and satisfaction then all He had ever spoke before to them this is the ground of all your Happiness if your Souls were but surely principled and setled in it But then III. What is this Will of the Father that He comes to do This is the Will of Him that sent me saith Christ that of all that the Father hath given me I should lose nothings There are two things in this Will 1. A people are given to Christ to be his by this Will of God 2. It is the Will of the Father that none of these should be lost but that Christ should raise them up in the last day That they should be recovered how desperate soever the case be with them And thus far I have gone to shew you who this He spoke of is the heart the minde of God sent forth tht Son of God And 2. What He was sent out for and that is to do the Will of the Father to submit to that And I told you how all stands in this Will of God That if Christ Himself would save a man yet He cannot do it without this Will of the Father Therefore He submits Not my Will but thine c. Christ would that all should be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth but He must lay it down at his Fathers Will. And had I no more then my own desires and love towards you to carry me forth I should surely have flagged and left you before
more be its own now at its own hand and disposing The Wife must not please her self but her Husband If ever you come to be Christs Wife you must do something for him Do you look always to live as children to be nursed and tendred and fed and never to do some service for the Truth c. And then 2. If you come to be a Wife to Christ it will be expected you should be fruitful to bring forth children to keep the name of Truth alive after you Will you onely leave a stone behinde you like Absalom to keep up your names Shall it be said of you Here a stony heart lies that dyed without any service done for the Truth He hath left no children behind to speak for him Would you be content to dye in this condition and thus dye you must if you never come to be marryed to Christ you can have no true children without a Husband if you be not given by God into his bosom as his Wife And thus I have opened to you one branch of this Will of the Father in giving a people to his Son Christ and that in a threefold relation 1. In the relation of Children 2. In the relation of a Sister 3. In the relation of a Wife Which are but several steps and degrees according as the growing up of the Truth is c. 2. Another branch of this Will of God is That Christ should lose none of those that are thus given Him And this is the happy thing to be given of God to Christ in any relation If but His in the lowest station if but as children or if higher given him as a Sister though not yet a Spouse yet this is the Happiness That this is the Will of the Father that of all that He hath given me saith Christ I should lose nothing If but His in the lowest degree the case is happy And therefore this is the great and weighty matter to be known as the ground of all Would you know what shall become of you would you know whether you shall be lost or not Why are you given to Christ into his charge and care do you know that Are you his children in the lowest degree His Else if you are not children then you can be no heirs you have no right nor portion with Him and if you be children it will appear the Truth will be stirring towards you nursing and serving and ministring to the Soul dealing gently and tenderly as a Nurse or a Mother that you may not be lost c. About this two things were considered 1. What it is to be lost 2. How comes it that All are not lost since all are Prodigals and wander like the lost sheep why not all lost 1. What is it to be lost It hath these several things in it 1. To be lost is not to be of that stock and kindred which the Lord Christ is sent to gather The great and main thing which is the cause of perishing is the being left to a mans self That is enough to undo a man Thy destruction is of thy self O Israel Men are already sure enough in Hell and destruction if there be not a recovery were but the sense of the thing upon them The carnal minde is enmity to God and is not subject neither can be to his Will And now to be but left here not to be sav'd out ans pluck'd out of the fire this is to be lost not to be of that number not to be that lost sheep which Christ seeks up as he says Ye are not of my sheep And when some plead Oh open we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets yet He answers I know you not you are none of my sheep the Father gave me no charge over you to seek and gather you and therefore Depart from me This is to be lost 2. To be lost is to have the Gospel hid If our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded their eyes c. That is a token of a lost condition when the Soul is blinded that there is neither a knowing of the Mercy nor a knowing of the Judgment I will sing of mercy and of judgment saith David Many they get up Gospel-words and speak of Mercy but they know it not They can live loosely and vainly and carnally and as they lift But the Gospel is for Judgment as well as Mercy That sends a sword The Word of the Lord is quick and lively more piercing then a two-edged sword It cuts and divides and squares and orders And if either of these be hid either the Mercy or the Judgment if this Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 3. To be lost is to be given up to beleeve a lye to be setled down to deceit that nothing of Truth can seize or enter Charm the Charmer never so wisely yet the Ear is stopt I 'l hold my hold says the heart there is such a secret resolvedness in the Soul when it is given up to beleeve a lye And this is to be lost to be left here to feed on ashes on any thing that is short of a sure condition That which will not endure the fire nor stand in the day of Tryal though it may carry never so fair a shew before man If man may judg by his own wisdom of himself He is the bravest thing in the World so long as he may beleeve his own thoughts and feed on a lye But if Truth comes indeed to search and judg him then he will be found the basest thing in the World the most vile and wretched 4. To be lost is to be given up to an evil Eye to think much at the prospering of the Truth and grudg all that is done to and for it A Judas-like spirit that grudged the ointment should be spent upon Christ and thought it too good This evil Eye to grudg at anothers enjoyment this is a certain canker that will destroy us if we are not delivered It is a dangerous thing to take offence and dispute and reason against the Truth to speak evil of the things we know not And to be left to this evil Eye to grudg and think evil and turn Traytor to Truth is to be lost and undone 5. A fifth thing that makes to a lost condition is to be left out of the care and heart of the people of God to have none to look after the Soul nor minde it as the Curse is in the Psalms against Judas his children Let there be none to take care of his fatherless children let them be vagabonds and beg their bread And if there be not some to stand in the gap for you you are in a miserable case to be left without the prayers of the Lord Jesus in his people for you to be left out of the care and cries of that
the womb as 't is said of Rebecca there 's the natural son and the spiritual son there 's the Jew and the Gentile the Jew is a natural branch the Gentile contrary to nature the Son of God and the son of man Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God saith Christ A man viz. the will the understanding the Soul for this house the body that we carry about with us that is not the man where the Son of God dwells as Paul saith He that hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Now where that Spirit is the Father brings that man to be his son to a new birth not to a new birth in the full sence for there 's a two-fold birth first there 's a birth to see the Kingdom and then a birth to enter into the Kingdom of God To the first the Prodigal was brought And this we can truly witness We are born in the house have eaten and drunk in his presence and heard him teach in our streets we have lived at his Table we have had bread enough and to spare having the world at will saith David c. But now we girded our selves in this day with Peter we could walk upon the Sea to Christ and thought our selves safe c. till at last getting up our portion we wandred from our fathers house And this Interpretation I intend to follow For though the other two are true yet if we come not to particulars what 's this to me to hear of a Jew and a Gentile without me or to hear of a Prodigal wandring from his fathers house c. if all this while I be not this man I this Prodigal spoke of I shall now go on to the several Observations rising from the carriage of this Prodigal son 1. The son said to his father c. Hence is considerable the distinct knowing that God of his mercy hath brought him to to know the Truth It 's not said that one said or that a certain man said thus but the son said to his father And herein have we exceedingly made an evil of the goodness of the Lord And it makes my heart tremble to think what want will come upon this Prodigal for it But 2. The second thing considerable in this Prodigal is this And the son said to his father Give me the portion of goods that belongs to me You shal see if you mind it another manner of carriage in him when he returns from his Prodigality Now he is upon his claiming Give me my portion but when he returns home he does not say though greatly pined with hunger kill the fatted Calf but he comes thus I am not worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants In the days of our Ignorance how do we claim our portions looking for a reward as due to us But no greater token that want is coming then this and this is a certain thing that all our losses have come from this and will come whilest you command God and his servants saying Why do'nt he regard me more And so there is a claiming of our portions and taking them out of the hands of Truth and so we thrust our selves out of the house as the Prodigal and say He will be such a hard Master to me I had better have it in my own hand Thus hath there been an evil intreating of the Son of God Now is that presuming and desperate venturing that we are able to go alone But I would you might read all along as you go that those of you who are not fallen if possible might be warned and if you are fallen that you might learn Instruction how to return How did destruction come upon Korah for his evil reaching What are not all the Lords People holy Will you put out the eyes of these men But by and by you shall know saith Moses And indeed how did they know to their woe How did the fire of the Lord consume some and the Earth swallow up others c. Oh that you might take warning But 3ly The father gives him his deresi a sad case And he divided to them his substance When Israel murmured against God complaining of the light Manna and craving for Quails God heard their cries He gave them their hearts lust but sent them leanness of Soul When I consider the cries of our hearts those evil reachings for the Truth it makes my heart tremble lest God may take advantage in giving us our desires We think because we reach after the things of God we do well But when I think what Lot got by desiring to go to Zoar though God gave him his choyce to go yet how did his heart reproach his mouth When he had it he could not abide there but feared to dwell in Zoar Zoar now will not maintain him the time comes when neither wisdom nor knowledg nor discerning will serve the turn Though I had the gift of Prophecy saith Paul and could understand all mysteries If I had all knowledg and faith that I could remove mountains it would profit me nothing if I had not Love 1 Cor. 13.2 3. When I enjoyed the world at will when my bough was green when the dew lay upon my branch all night then I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved thou Lord of thy goodness hadst made my mountain so strong saith David I know thy works saith the Angel to the Church of Ephesus thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear with them that are evil and hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars c. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love As if God should say I know thy gifts have not sprung from the garden of Nature but I have given them they were my Wool and my Flax but you have deck'd your Idols with them therefore they are taken away But he gives a portion to his eldest son that never shall be taken away He saith to him Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine But to the younger son he gives that which may be spent the common Faith as Paul writes to Titus Titus my dear son saith he according to the Common Faith But yet what a loss came to the Prodigal though truly a son Such a loss may the Soul come to to be as naked as a child that is newly born So foolish and ignorant was I saith David as a beast before thee Behold saith God I make the Earth utterly empty without an Inhabitant And then as Christ said you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and shall not see them As a dead man out of mind saith David If we were aware of this it would make us afraid of what we reach after I know many of you have an aspiring mind to be high and accounted eminent
of Truth But the time will come when we shall feel it but why is he now in want There is a two-fold want and I would have you distinguish them There is a certain need when a mans head is plotting yet there 's a fainting of the heart the dart strikes him how do we often famble in speaking of our conditions There 's a want within we want God but we would carry it out fairly still shuffle it off and say as Elisha's servant did Thy servant went no whither When we have been rioting in an Harlots house our heads are plotting though we in want Never would the Prodigal return if possible but that none would receive him when all is spent How did Jacob change his wages ten times because he loved Labans service Before we will cry out and own what we have done how we have taken his Wool and his Flax and called them our portions and spent them upon Harlots it must be a want indeed But now is the Prodigal left to his last shift and being once gone from his father the heart is like a run-away child though he can be received no where yet he had rather lie in a ditch or a stable any out-house then come and buckle to his father Though he was in a Land of pits and deserts of emptiness where no good grows a Land of thorns therefore he came home ragged and torn yet for all this his head is plotting still to carry it out Though Saul had forsaken the Lord yet he comes to Samuel to ask counsel in his want when the Philistins were upon him c. Though Israel walk'd not stedfastly with God but contemned the counsel of the most High c. yet in their afflictions saith God they will seek me The Prodigal joyn'd himself to a Citizen of that Country not to a stranger for then had it been possible they might have gone out of this evil Country together but he is joyned to a Citizen to the King of darkness the Spirit of Antichrist a dweller in that Land and now to have him to be his Counsellor that cursed Sense and Reason to rule all to become one with that King of darkness to be molded into that soil O what misery is it Your League with Hell shall be broken and your Covenant with Death shall be disanulled But as yet it is not broken in us there has not been a translation out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light We can truly say we have been born again and have seen the Kingdom but Except a man be born of Water and the Spirit saith Christ he cannot enter that birth has not been Therefore what fellowship and society has the Prodigal why such as is suitable to him for now the heart is afraid of the righteous the clean and just ones now it invents saying How shall I spend my days c. And now he is joyned to the Citizen he must do his service and what 's that he must now be a server of swine Alas alas what a case is he in Now Princes go on foot indeed and servants ride on horses What for a Prince to feed swine The Church saith O thou whom my Soul loveth tell me where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why am I turned aside by the flocks of thy companions Alas to be with swine there 's no harmony yet he would fain have eaten husks with the swine but no man gave him upon any thing would the heart feed rather then repent then come to the Land of the living it had rather feed swine in the Land of Death But here was his mercy that he had no mercy shewed him and this was a token God would bring him out because the hearts of them he would have had favour from were closed to him If indeed God has a favour to a man that is intangled in the world and will bring him out he will let him find no favour When God had a purpose to bring Israel out of Egypt he turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate them But might the Prodigal have said Why don't you favor me I am joyned to you I have as swinish an heart as any of you But though there would be a cleaving yet because God has a minde to bring him out he will make a separation and all things shall work to make a disagreement and here you see the end of his race I shall speak next of his Return and then of his Entertainment by his father By and by he comes to himself and now he says How many hired servants in my fathers house have bread enough and to spare and I pine with hunger But where had he been Why all this while he was out of his wits he was not himself he was enchanted But when he came to consider what he once enjoyed and the present misery he was in Alass as if he should say what a case am I in I that am a son who have a father c. He remembers the time that he was brought forth by the Truth and truly born to be a Child He is not now as one that knows not who he belongs to and is not able to go to a father but he knows him And if this be not in your returning you will never return Two Considerations there are must move you to it 1. To consider that you are children for if you know not this you will never return He that comes to God must first beleeve that He is before he can set one step to come to him Turn to your strong holds you prisoners of hope But while you stand disputing Am I a son or not c. here you have forgotten that you were once cleansed that God is your Father but when once you shall come to your selves you will then consider and say Thou art our Father we are thy Children The way to come to the blessing of the Birth-right is to set an high price upon it not to dis-esteem it and count it light as Esau for therefore he lost it Now though you have spent your portion and lost it and squandred it away you know not how yet there 's hope but if you had despised it and trod it under foot as a light thing then had there been no hope but as Paul saith Brethren I know that through ignorance you have done it You have gone out with this Saying That sure you are well it will maintain you c. But No it was not given for that end I beseech you consider that you be not of them that draw back to perdition I know you have not so properly been there in despising but here you have been You have left your first Love If there had been a contemning your Birth-right and saying as the man that had but one Talent What 's this c. if a despising then had there been no return but you have been cheated of your portion the subtle Enemy has
got beyond you all that you have cared for has been that you might have meat for your lusts as Eve she did not sell her birth-right but the serpent beguiled her and she did eat If indeed there is to be a return in you I beseech you consider for it 's in vain to think of returning if no fathers house if thou wert never born to see the Kingdom there can never be an entering in 2. This encourages him in his Return when he considers with himself thus How many hired servants in my fathers house have bread enough and to spare Who have no portion they have been followed and dandled upon the knee but I being a son have been cheated of my portion How are you made to cry out sometimes Woe is me for the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously with me You have been enchanted your iniquities have hindred good things from you but when he considers these two things then he says I will arise and go to my father And this is beyond all that went before for while he was under the judgment under the plague pinched with want yet this makes him not arise but now he saith I will arise and go when he considers he is a son and that he is worse then any hired servant in his fathers house that hath no portion Oh that the Lord would be pleased to call you according to purpose that you might have no rest till you return When Jacob saw the charets that were sent from Joseph he could not beleeve for all the former reports but his heart fainted still yet now the spirit of old Jacob revived Genes 45 27 28. He resolves I will arise and go what ever it cost me In this arising of the Prodigal these things are considerable 1. He is made sensible of the want he is in that there 's neither bread nor clothing nothing that 's good where he is therefore he saith Well I will arise and go to my father for there the servants have bread enough c. much more I that am a son might Now he bethinks himself where he is how beset on every side And here consider what a stubbornness there is in man an evil malignity against God for we may say Why cannot he return without this stir Why because of that evil-disposedness in the heart that would not love the Lord Why What evil have I done saith God to you that you would none of me Have I been a wilderness or a land of darkness to Israel No all arises from an evil will that lieth in the bottom and is at enmity with God But when the Soul is brought to such a pinch that there 's no remedy for God will never leave hunting and hunting as a blood-hound till he findes out its iniquity then the Soul is made at last to say as David Whither shall I fly from thy presence If I take the wings of the morning and fly up to Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell there will thy hand find me out c. At last when pinched out of all and no other shift I will arise saith he and go to my father 2ly I will arise c. As though he should say Well against all my fears and gainsayings c. I will arise what ever I shall meet with I will forget all my shame all my ill dealing c. nothing shall stand in my way to hinder now there 's a going as Benhadads servants with ropes about their necks and as Esther though it was death for any to go in before the King yet in such a case of necessity she is resolved to venture and goes thus If I perish I perish O all you Prodigals that have gone astray from your fathers house c. when will you venture into the hands of Justice as the Prodigal here and say I will arise We are like a man that stands betwixt hope and fear that would â—ain venture to leap over a ditch but dares not a great while but when his minde is strong enough then at last he is made to venture When you shall consider and say Why should I not hope Is he not my father If we sit here said the Lepers we perish and if we arise and go upon our Enemies we can but dye Need forces them at last So here saith the Prodigal I will arise see prove him if he will not open the windows of Heaven to you and receive you But 3ly Does he take off his filthy garments when he arises No but though he be naked and desolate yet I will arise saith he and go to my father and say Father I have sinned c. He does not lay his grievings of his Father aside how ill he has delt with him but that he carries on his back When ever your Souls shall arise think not to leave your iniquity behinde you and come clear but come as you are owning and confessing the thing as it is saying I once lived nigh thee in the house in the counsel but I thought it not good to keep there but have chosen rather to wander from thee I have sinned against Heaven thy people and before thee c. For now being once born again and turning out we defile not only our selves by our sin but one another either by our evil counsel or not standing or not helping others to stand yet thus he arises and goes to his father he bears his sin and sight of it he goes as he is And when his father saw him a great way off he ran and met him and fell upon his neck and kissed him And the son said Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son Make me as one of thy hired servants Here appears the pride of our hearts we would not begin with a morsel of bread But when the father saw him a great way off saw his mind coming he ran and met him He waits to be gracious And If any man say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it did not profit me then he will deliver his Soul from death c. Job 33.27 28. But now consider If you should lie owning and confessing all your life-time and should not stir in your ownings there would be no meeting of you there 's a certain savoring of a returning minde but while he was feeding swine and pined with hunger he might have said Sure my father will look for me he will not leave me No no there 's no looking after him so long as he is loving to feed swine No saith God Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Therefore all you Prodigals think upon this Truth does not regard you while you love darkness rather then light but as soon as the Prodigal does but return then saith the father Come bring the best robe and put it on him c. But did he think to finde such entertainment as this He proposed
fire and live in the water That which nothing can shake But so far as the Salvation hath wrought a work indeed the Soul can say with David Though the Earth be moved and the Mountains cast into the midst of the Sea yet in this will I be confident c. So far as I am saved I am saved Death where 's thy sting Hell where 's thy victory This condemns and judges the World That this Ark takes in no water That there should be no staggering in the Soul but like Mount Zion which cannot be moved Wilt thou still hold thine integrity said that cursed Wife I says Job till I dye I will not give up my integrity But the man be he who he will be he never so wise bold and resolute to carry it out who hath not this Assurance by a sure and tryed work in his Soul I dare lay down my life for it there are times of staggerings and doubtings within calling his condition in question do what he can Let him nail his god never so fast yet Dagon must fall before the Ark some searching word of Truth will get in between the joynts of the closest armor and pierce their confidence do what they can 6. Noah condemns the World in this That though he be safe in the Ark and hath attained a sure refuge from the Flood yet this satisfies him not he is not at rest yet but sends forth the Dove to enquire about the abatement of the waters There is a condition beyond a sure and safe condition when Christ himself the Saviour is to deliver up the Kingdom to the Father when He promises to pray the Father to send them ANOTHER COMFORTER the Spirit of Truth to abide with them for ever And this is that Dove which the Soul can now send forth to carry out its requests to God and bring tydings from him And this is that which condemns the World That they have no such intercourse with God they have no such Spirit given to make their requests known by Though they may cut themselves and cry aloud O Baal save us yet no Answer comes there is not this Dove which Noah sends forth that can bring an Olive branch of Peace in its mouth and give a sure intelligence that the waters are abated that the wrath is ceased 7. He condemns the World by the real work of saving his house He prepared an Ark to that purpose to save his house and it did the thing intended He did save them And this judges all the World who though they build much yet they save none The wall and the dawber fall together They flee from their sheep when the Wolf comes and leave their eggs in the dust like the Ostrich But Noah did the thing he did save his house He left them not in the mid way till he brings them into the Ark He travels and is pained in Soul till Christ be formed in them This is that Interpreter one of a thousand that can shew to man his righteousness and never leaves till that be done and this condemns the World That sensual and devilish part will never endure thus to stick to the work to cleave to a people through all gainsayings opposings and ill requitals Many can preach so long as they may have honor and gain and be well thought of but now take away their Money or cross their Wills let them be despised and dishonored and they can presently be gone and leave their people and rid their hands of trouble so that they will stick to none farther then they can serve themselves and their own ends and thus nothing comes of their preaching They bring their people to nothing in the conclusion I have known some Ministers my self that have been preaching these thirty years and not a man converted by them What a miserable case is this But alass they were never taught themselves and how can they teach others But the Noahs they have a charge given them over their people they cannot get from them so easily You shall not see my face unless your youngest Brother be with you said Joseph They must not leave a hoof behinde that belongs to Israel Such a charge as this is layd upon me concerning some of your Souls That if you fall short I shall bear the blame for ever The blood will be required at my hand if I deal not faithfully and bring you home if you are not saved to the utmost But the encouragement to me is That some have gone through this work Noah did save his house his labor was not in vain and the Promise to Christ is He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied Noah is rewarded for his many years labor He saves his house And if the Lord would please after all my twenty years Travel and Preaching but to give me a People that might indeed build this Ark and attain to a sure knowledge of their Eternal Condition That they shall LIVE FOR EVER It would requite me for all if some of you might come forth thus to be Judges of the World and build such an Ark of Truth as that all the Dagons and Idol-worships of the World must fall before it III. The third Effect that follows this building of the Ark is this He became an Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith And about this three things may be considered 1. What is this Inheritance It is a very large Inheritance it is to enjoy the Lord to be joyned and made one Spirit with him The Lord is my portion saith David The Lord is my lot my refuge the lifter up of my head This is a wonderful large Inheritance Great is the Portion of his People Thus shall it be done to the man whom he delights to honor He shall have an Inheritance in Light an Inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away no altering of it When I awake I am still with thee saith David His Inheritance abides sure to him Many have a great Portion to look on they have a great stock of Peace and Knowledg and Hopes and Confidence I but a worm eats through the Gourd in a night Riches make them wings and flee away Thus is the hope of the Hypocrite His house falls when he comes to lean on it His great bulk of confidence is but a heap of chaff which the wind soon blows away But David could say The Lord is my Portion I have enough The Lord lives and blessed be the Rock of my Salvation 2. What is it to be an Heir To be an Heir is to be born with a right and title to an Inheritance to have an Estate fall to one by right so that it cannot be cut off it can neither be sold nor given away from the Heir Now this is wonderful To be born with such a right and title to Eternal Life such a neer Interest in the Lord that nothing can separate from him neither tribulation nor sufferings nor life
They are not pressing on to the utmost mark where the bullets are thickest and the battel hottest as this chosen generation do according to that right minde that is planted in them They long with Moses if possible that they may go over this Jordan they are ever crying out of their shortness Jacob though Pharaoh reckon him an old man yet he complains his days were few and evil and that he had not reached the age of his fathers in their generations I but he would have reached the greatest attainment That which is of this stock presseth to the utmost mark prizeth that Truth that friend that deals most plainly nakedly and exactly with it it chooses the wounds of a friend and goes where the sword cuts sharpest This cannot the Hypocrite ever endure 5. This Chosen Generation have often still and secret hintings speaking within them That they indeed are of this stock that they do belong to God how ever they are stopping the ear and putting it off Now the children of Hell they hunt and seek for such a voyce that they may be cozened and deluded and the Devil he speaks peace to them and they are given up to beleeve a lye but the Children of God are followed and followed with such a secret whispering in their Souls that rises up without their pumping nay when they run from it it speaks Surely they are my people they are my chosen I will be their God Now either we are not sober and so listen not to hear this voyce or else we wilfully stop the ear and run from it for such a base temper is in man against his own good or else through ignorance the Soul runs wrong when it doth hear it goes to Eli as Samuel did it runs to this and the other thing to know the meaning of it because as yet it is said Samuel knew not the Lord but the time comes the Lord will go on and call Samuel Samuel so long till all the chosen of God that are called according to purpose shall be made to hear and own it distinctly and say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 6. This chosen Generation in their greatest transgressions and iniquities when most guilty and left to themselves yet never find such a witness speaking in them that they shall be cut off utterly for it Now to all the Cains he will peak destruction for that very cause a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be because thou hast killed thy brother and his blood cryes to me therefore thou art cursed c. but to his own he speaks no such thing he shews them not their sin to destroy them nor drive them from him he hath a care of that in all his rebukes So when Nathan was sent to shew David his great sin of Adultery and murther before he had well finished his charge lest such a thought should seise on him as if God would utterly cut him off He addes 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not dye He never says that word to the Soul of any of his own Iniquity shall be your ruine that sin shall utterly separate no saith Paul nothing shall be able to separate nothing not Principalities nor Powers of Hell not the heights or depths of Sin nothing shall seperate from that love of God to whom that portion belongs Now mind and consider and attend whither all along your Journy you find not such Leadings in your spirits as these I speak off 7. You shall know this Generation by this whenever there is a heart in them to return there is a heart in God to receive He stands open and ready at all times there are such breathings in the souls of his people that witness this for him and can set to their Seals that God is true in this particular that he is alwayes open hearted and waits to be gracious Mind whether it be not thus with you when ever your souls are in a sober frame and you can speak truly and not as Job saith the words of a man that is desperate which are as wind when ever you are your selves I say and sober see if there be not ever such hints speaking in you that God is ready continually he waits to receive whenever you will come At what time soever a sinner repenteth c. And if thou wilt return O Israel return to me as if he should say Go to no other if thou wilt return here is a heart open I am ready for thee Return to me O Israel Now let none get up the words and shadow of this that have not the substance that idol will â—ot stand though never so often raised and held up by force yet it will down but you who are indeed the chosen of God and loved of him if I shall ever live to see you brought out and delivered you will know what I have said and be my witnesses how these leadings have been all along your days with you However at the present it be the weak time with you and hour and power of darkness when fears and jealousies confusions and doubtings have their time to rule I but what saith the Spirit still What speaks that seed of life Are not these stirring within Is there not an invisible and strange close in thy soul when God and the Truth in thee meet When Joseph and Benjamin meet what a kiss is there and turning of Bowels Then again dost thou not finde that all creatures are too short all is weary to thee no rest or content to be had there but there is a pressing on through all to the utmost point to God himself thy life and Portion Is it not thus And so for all the other Characters are not these things so Now if you have heard and believed this You can surely witness to it He that believs sets to his seal that God is true and till you shall set to your seals and believe this That you are this chosen Generation and your souls stand setled in it till then you can never enter into the Priests office to go to God with boldness to go in all straights no we cannot go with that weak Prayer Lord I believe help my unbelief till somewhat of this Faith be risen up and stuck to by us Why do we put it off any longer Why are not we now battered Why not this night What hinders If ever we begin we must begin with this little grain though there be but a dim seeing but a half eye open Yet the star must be followed if ever we will come to Christ and the promise is The eyes of them that see shall not be dim Now it is a dim seeing indeed now we see but darkly but however if we did but stick to this dark seeing then we might go and pray for a farther light that it may grow cleerer and cleerer to the perfect day But why are we so loth to believe that this good is intended us It is
against it c. This Great King is the same spoken of cap. 4. Better is a poor and wise child then an OLD AND FOOLISH KING that will no more be admonished c. In all Ages this old King the old serpent the Devil hath played these pranks against this little City he will never leave spitting his Venome and Poyson against the Truth to destroy it utterly That the name of Israel may be no more This Haman can have no rest so long as Mordecai lives Poor Mordecai is an eye-soar and troubles and disquiets this Great King and Gallows must be provided to hang Mordecai and D crees sent out to destroy the whole Nation of the Jews for his sake nothing lesse will serve then an utter ruine He will never be admonished this Old King will never take warning though his plots have been again and again disappointed and he hath been taken in his own snare yet he wiâ—l go on to besiege this little City to disturb and perplex and torment and if possible destroy this little Remnant Now I have heard many say that they never were thus troubled with the Devil they thank God He harms not them they never were under his temptations and torture and cruell batterings were they never troubled with him I but this is an Argument they are a friend to him they live in his Kingdom and there all is in peace so long as he keeps the house but if you are ever brought out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Christ if you shall ever be gathered out of the great City Babylon to this little Sion this small remnant if ever plucked out of the world then you shall feel him stirring For this old Serpent hath ever from the beginning of the World been casting out his floods after the Truth if possible to drown and destroy that and the neerer any of you shall be brought to God be sure he will be the more busie you shall have the harder encounters and assaults from the Dâ—vil you shâ—ll then see he will raise his great Bulwarks But what makes he these Bulwarks of out of what matter doth he work them Why whatsoever is of the Earth be it what it will yet if it be but an earthly material he can raise Bulwarks out of it well enough not onely out of gross earth out of dirt and mire not onely out of lusts sensual delights and pleasures but out of the finest earth out of a golden myne he can do it out of wisdom and parts and righteousness and zeal and hope and faith and what not that he cannot raise a Bulwark out of against the Truth Paul had these strong Bulwarks fram'd in him against the Truth in Stephen when he was stoned to death He was of the strictest way of the Pharisees He walked according to his Conscience He was as concerning the Law blameless and yet all these were made Bulwarks for the Dâ—vils service And therefore all your zeal and forwardness and love which seems to be for God see whether the Devils bulwarks be not in all to keep thee off from the Truth for he works himself strangely under ground he hath strange wiles to cheat and cozen by by knowledg of the Scriptures by zeal by forwardness to venture lives and estates for the Truth as we then think by these doth he sâ—â—ly winde in and raise his great Bulwarks and if the Lord help you not and deliver the City he will soonest of all destroy you where you think you are safest and so keep off all Truth from coming neer to touch â—ou and therefore great need you should well minde and consider the sleights for he hath bulwarks of all sorts shapes and sizes Bulwarks of dirt and clay and mire they are strong enough to destroy some Bulwarks of Gold and Silver and Pearls if need be any thing that is but this Worlds material and that takes in a great compass he can make a Bulwark to save himself and undo the Soul by Good Lord what strange devices hath hâ— He 'l put a man upon zeal and forwardness put him to give his goods to the poor and body to be burned and whatever you will if so be under all this he may but make a Bulwark and lurk behinde it to keep himself alive and do a mischief to the Truth Therefore there is need to consider what we lean on for if we are trusting and hoping and lightly promising our selves that God will sure help at last and we shall be delivered when he pleases and so rest in hearing and coming together when nothing is done I say all these hopes and conclusions which we get up to keep off the strait from our Souls and get ease by All these are but the Enemies Bulwarks and certainly intended by him to destroy us and if we be left to shrink away so and neglect the Truth in our day we may never be met with again when the time is once gone Sure the Lord is righteous and will not let the guilty go free though as I told you the last night he is all Love and sweetness in himself if we could but get in to him to his heart now if we could go and meet him thus as a Father and fall down and own our shame how well were it Were it not better then yet to stand out and war for the Enemy against our Brother then to joyn with the Devil in his Bulwarks against the Truth for one of these hands we must needs fall into But this is a hard case saith the Soul Am I so liable to the Devils Bulwarks and lie open dayly to all destruction and misery and is there no remedy Yes there is remedy There is Balm in Gilead V. In this City was found a Poor Wise man and he by his wisdom delivered the City A POOR WISE MAN a Jacob a plain man no such cunning tricks and deceits as the Esaus have and yet by his plain wisdom he can over-reach and supplant and go beyond all the deep plots and cunning of this great King How soon was Paul stopt in the midst of his run when he drove furiously for the Devil Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Not any great weapons are used but a wise word whispered into his Soul and that turns all and strikes the great Champion down to the Earth So Abigail comes to David but with a wise word a soft answer and how doth it prevail and prevent the great destruction intended against Nabals house It is but a word and the stream is turned I come against thee said David to the great Goliah in the Name of the Lord No more but so That Name is enough against the great Gyant and all his armor but a word Why persecutest thou me and that is enough to strike down the stoutest heart in the World if it be but set home What dost thou fight against God Art thou able to stand in his hands Alass what dost
madness of the heart shews it self when there must be no water given but what comes out of a rock a flint such a strange unthought of way and impossible to reason and that they must have no bread but what is given them new every morning that they can turn them no wayes from their miseries nor to their mercies that they cannot reach out a hand to help themselves but though they dye and starve and perish yet there is no remedy but they must lie at the foot of God and take what he gives and no more this is a day that will prove the heart indeed and what is in it 2. As it is a day of Triall so God would have us know it is not our rest our home there is a great journy to be gone up Elijah why sittest thou here Alass you are far from home you are not come to the good Land yet which brings forth of it self milk and hony and this greatly displeased the Lord that they should here in this wilderness sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play Is this a place Is this a time to sit down in and feast Alass as if God should say you know not how long you shall enjoy any thing what I give you to day I can take away and deny to morrow and then what becomes of you you know not yet my Heart and Mind and Good-will and Eternal Thoughts how they stand towards you and can you sit down here to take content and pleasure in any thing This God would have them and us know in what a dangerous place we are still in the Wilderness 2. Hear all The second thing the Lord would have them hear is what way they are to go And all along they are to pass through their enemies Lands they must go by Amaleck and by the children of Ammon and Moab all along stand enemies in their way to oppose and hinder All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution they must take up their Cross and follow him He could have led them another way a nearer cut to Canaan if he had pleased but he chooses this way to go through the Lands of theâ—r enemies and they must follow him if ever they will come to their journies end they must through the Cross through hunger and thirst and Serpents through sore temptations and sorrows and sins Now this you are to hear if you will hear all hear what your way is and submit to it if he will lead through hunger and drought if he will deny and shut up if he will destroy our next companions if Korah Dathan and Abiram must be swallowed up yet murmur not be not affrighted nor skared but go on still and know the way is through strairs and sorrows Expect no bettter 3. God would have them know their latter end whither they are going he hath given an expected end And here three things are to be known 1. That there is surely a Rest for the people of God that they shall not alwayes be as a rowling stone not always vagabonds and wanderers following the Prince of the Air with those restless tossing Spirits this God would have his people know that there is a Rest there is an expected end a day of freedom when all bonds and chains shall be broken Sin shall not alwayes reign the enemy shall not afflict and torment for ever I would not live alwayes saith Job by any means I am weary of it This God would you should hear but now whilst we are in that horrible pit the pit of noise we can hear nothing but destruction upon destruction one storm and wave comes upon the neck of another there is no respite given no time to swallow the spittle as Job complains so that the soul is as it were distracted to see no way of escape that it is like alwayes to be thus with it But is there not an appointed time for man upon earth Yes God would have you hear and be surely set down in that that there is an end 2. He would have you know when this end is to be It is said when Christ shall have put down all rule and all authority all power then to comes the end a time is to be when Christ shall reign in the world in his glory and his Saints reign with him and all Scepters and Kingdoms shall be made to bow and stoop under him but there is a time of his reigning in the particular souls of his People when all that opposes and offends shall be taken out of the way no end will come till then we shall find no rest in our Souls till the word of Life shall come and put down all other rule and government to bring every thought into subjection every Lust and Hunt of heart all Pride and Envy and self-love all those lords that have ruled over us must down before this end shall be and till this be done there will be nothing but wars and rumours of wars Nation against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome and famine and pestilence and earthquakes nothing but troubles and perplexities and trialls till this end come now to be kept through all these is the Salvation He that endures to the end the same shall be saved 3. What is this end What is the Rest of the People of God Hear and know that and that rest is the sole raigning and rule of God in the soul when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all Now the Heir is under Tutours and Governours now up and now down under fears and faintings and Terrors because the Kingdome of God is not yet come that Kingdom of Peace and Truth God is not yet all in all we are yet stragling after our wills and lustings and covetings to our selves and so can have no peace in all our wayes till we shall be brought under that peaceable Government to submit to that one Lord in every thing to give the Crown out of our hand unto him whose due it is that God may be all in all Now hear all that the Lord shall say not by halves and piecemeals but hear all every word of God is good how many of you content your selves when you have but a little Light to see where you are how your condition stands but alas that is misery if you hear only your shortness that you are in a Wilderness if you hear not of a rest too of an end if you perish and fall short in the mid way what shall then come of all but oh how impossible is it to make any thing seise upon a flint to make a word enter upon an iron heart I wonder sometimes the word should sink no more being it is told you over and over again and yet all passes away as an idle tale but that I know it is impossible to be otherwise till there be a new heart given and an ear bored by God to
time when he reigns after he hath bound the strong man and put down all rule and authority 4. A time of Gods reigning when the Kingdom shall be delivered up to the Father and God be all in all II. About the Devils time of reigning which was chiefly aymed at from the words these several woes observed 1. He is a strong man David and our Fathers complain of their strong Enemy who was too strong for them 2. He is throughout malignant maliciously bent against the root and branch of Truth that the name of Israel may be no more 3. Woe in that he hath a time and power given him to afflict God allows it This is your hour and power of darkness c. 4. He is in possession he keeps the house he is got into the heart out of the heart adulteries murthers c. This is a great woe 5. He hath goods in us finds of his own kinde Pride Envy Deceit Lustings that he can challenge his own goods by right 6. Besides all this he is armed he hath armor His Armor exprest under these three notions 1. A coat of mail to cover him over that nothing can touch or finde him guilty his scales so thick nothing can enter 2. A helmet of brass He can dispute and reason and plead for himself and will never yeeld nor give over 3. A spear like a weavers beam He 'l seem to be for God and Truth and by this spear keeps off all from coming nigh 7. The last woe He is desperate will venture on any desperate designes being thus armed he is safe made without fear III. A time when a stronger then he comes and overcomes him And Christ doth it by these means 1. He takes away all his armor That is first done else no entrance 2. He divides the spoyl sends all to their place as Jer. 15. 1. That which for death to death something utterly destroyed That malignant disposition which is ever bent against the Truth that must dye 2. That which for the sword to sword The sword of the Spirit the Word of God must cut through sloth and lingerings c. 3. Something to famine the ill tempers are starved by degrees 4. Something to captivity the Devil is bound and in prison though not quite destroyed but some Canaanites live c. All brought home in these four Uses 1. To examine how 't is with us whether we feel this reign of the Devil this strong malicious Enemy what goods and possession he hath 2. If we feel it then to inform what a vain thing it is for us to stir to help our selves alass man hath no might 3. To shew our way is to lie down and let all go over till Christ come 4. To encourage that a stronger then he will come Hope against Hope LUK. 11.21 When a strong man armed keeps his Palace his goods are in peace but when a stronger then he comes and overcomes him he takes away from him all the Armour in which he trusted and divideth the spoile I Have sâ—oke to you this last week from those words in Deut 5. where God cries out Oh that there were such a heart in then c. I told you what Heart it was that God requires and longs for to have grown up in them a Heart that will hear and do all that the Lord shall speak A heart always to feare before him and only such a heart I told you would be first suitable to God and the heavenly life secondly profitable and usefull to our brethren and thirdly peaceable to our selves and therefore ouâ— great happiness lyes in this in being brought up to such a heart But now to day if God wilâ— I shall open to you what hinders that such a heart is not risen nor can rise in us though there be longings in God and longings in the soul yet that which doth let will let till it be taken out of the way For this I would have you note that where-ever there is a longing and breathing in God after any of his People to cry Oh that there were such a heart in then there is a certain eccho lyes in the bottome of such a soule that answers this call and longs and pants also Oh that my heart were so direct to keep thy Commandments the longings and cryes are on both hands and why do they not prevaile why is not such a heart presently given no there is a block lyes in the way which will ever hinder till it be removed the strong man armed keeps the Palace and till a stronger then he come till Christ shall rise in the soul and cast him out this heart cannot get up nor arise in us the strong man rules I would in generall observe to you a fourfold time of raigning which succeed and follow one the other 2. A time of the mans raigning 2. A time of the Devils raign 3. A time of Christs raign 4. A time of Gods raign when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and so God become all â—n all I. There is a time of Mans reign when the man hath a great liberty and swinge to turn himself about hither and thither as he please and meets with no let nor cross nor trouble in his way When Peter is young he girds himself and walks whither he lists but when he grows old the case is altered another girds and leads him whither he would not but the man hath his day of liberty when the grass is in its prime and the flower in its full beauty the man can turn him to his ease and parts and inlargments and injoyments of truth and injoyments of creatures and suck sweet every where Thus was Iob in his day when his steps were washed in Butter and the rocke poured out rivers of oil his beauty was fresh in him and he sate as a king in the army under the flourishings and inlargments of truth he could walk and speak and act and choose and refuse exhort and incourage others and all takes and prospers and finds acceptance and here he thinks he is sure Then I said I shall dye in my nest c. And this time of greenness in the truth is yet upon some of you affords the man sweetness and liberty and how long did many of us walk in this posture coming forth delicately with Agag and saying Surely the bitternesse of death is past So have we secretly promised our selves I have forsaken the world and am come off from all the false wayes of worship and have left friends and preferments and am set down to the truth and sure now the worst is over now I am safe and in a good way and here the man sits down on a high seat above all creatures and bonds and snares takes ease and content and reigns with truth as Paul writes to the Corinthians Ye are free and reign as Kings they thought all was sure and the liberty of man would last alwayes I
but saith Paul I would to God you did reign viz. that it were such a reigne as would last and hold Now who spake he to not to the rude world nor to the ignorant but such as he had in his heart to live and dye with such as he had espoused to Christ the match was made but not the thing done they were not wrought off from all things nor wrought up to that one husband into the minde of Christ though out of a light instruction and choice the thing was owned and approved And here the man gets peace and ease and liberty is free from guilt and torments and perplexities the man can goe on either hand if a mind to God and Truth thither he can turn if a mind to the Creatures he can turn thither the door is open and he can suck sweet from every thing his wayes are all washt in butter smooth soft and easie And here saith David my mountain was so strong I said I shall never be moved here the man sits as a King this is his day of reigning But II. There is another dispensation follows a time of the Devils reign this is a sad and wofull change Another king arises which knows not Joseph the man when he was King he knew God and owned truth and joyned it with him in his Kingdom though yet in the throne Pharaoh will sit above the man was uppermost in all But now another king rises that will not know Joseph and he deals cruelly with Israel then the hard Task-masters and cruel burdens come he will know nothing but his own will and lust and cruelty And Wo to the inhabitants of the world when the devil comes down to reign amongst them when Jeroboam reigns that makes Israel sin And how often have our fathers been at sore pinches and cried out in bitterness of soul when this time of the devils reign was upon them It is a woful kingdom indeed a cruel reign And these seven Woes lie up in it 1. One Wo is that he is a strong man How have our fathers owned his might and cried out under it Thou hast delivered me saith David from my STRONG enemy for he was too strong for me And again My enemies live and they are MIGHTY And Hezekiah cries out Lord I am opprest undertake for me And again We have no might against this GREAT HOST Alas when the man compares but himself to him what a Nothing is he to this great Goliah but as a fly a worm a gnat a stripling and he a man of war from his youth And here the heart sinks and dies at the very thoughts of dealing with him Was he but an ordinary enemy that might be matched any ways and the thing but feasible to fight with him then Man would have some hope but alas he carries all before him Shall not one be cast down at the very sight of him as 't is said of the Leviathan who was a type of the devil Iron is counted as rotten wood to him he laughs at the shaking of a spear Who is able to deal with this monstrous Leviathan If ever you but begin to reason and tamper the matter with him you are certainly foiled and worsted he will surely get beyond you 't is in vain to contend with him But let him vaunt and boast and rail on the Kings commandment is not to answer a word that 's the way Truth points us to to be still and lie under and say with Christ This is your hour and the power of darkness Until we can go out against him as David did in the Name of the Lord let us never stir though he come and vaunt himself and reproach Israel fourty days yet there is no other way but with Hezekiah to spread the Letter before the Lord and cry under the misery 2. He is not onely strong but a thorowout malignant enemy maliciously set and bent to destroy all truth exalts himself above all that is called God root and branch he strikes at all he deals as Herod who killed all the children from two yeers old and upward that he might be sure to meet with the childe Jesus and not let him escape So this malicious enemy kills every budding and springing of God in the soul he kills all the light kills the single love kills all the good desires that not so much as a right word or desire or groan may live and in all this his aim is utterly to destroy the Truth the principle of God sown in the soul Alas he cares not else if he can but kill the little spark of the Spirit of life he cares not what else passes by and lives Let us hear and meet together and eat and trade and take ease and content this is not the thing he is set against so but to smite the king of Israel onely that is his plot that was the wicked counsel of Ahithophel to kill David onely and bring all the people back to Absalom Neither small nor great doth he strike at but the King onely he cares not what lives so the Lord Christ the Truth the Seed of life the Heart and Minde of God may die in us Such a height of wickedness is in him that nothing else will content him but the death of all that would be a Lord over him a controuler a King this Herod cannot bear That which sits in the kings gate and will not bow to him that resolved Truth that will not fall down and worship the Idol nothing will content Haman but the death of this though he get Decrees against all the Jews though invited to the Queens banquet and sit next the King yet nothing will content him whilst this Mordecai lives that Seed of God that root of the matter that which will not stoop and buckle to him that he aims at and his fingers itch to cut off this name of Israel for ever And Oh what a Wo is this to be under such a cruel malicious enemy that would not give a moments respite not so much as a little breathing-time for the Truth not a little hope not a little desire not the least stirring of an inclination but he 's upon it presently if it were possible to stop every chink that the smoaking flax might not have the least vent but be utterly extinct and quenched 3. A third great Wo lies in this that he hath a time and power given him of God to afflict and try God allows it and gives him leave to strike Job This is YOVR HOVR saith Christ an hour was given them And God saith I will cause them to pass under the rod. And 't is said in the Psalms He TVRNED the hearts of their enemies to hate them He gives him his time and commission to rend and tear waste spoil and imprison and none can call him to account for it his Commission will bear him out Alas what a day is this In the time when the Man reigned he promised himself
thou do Dost thou war against I AM Thou and all Creatures all thy strength and hope and plots all the forces in which thou trustest ARE NOT and wilt thou fight against I AM He that Is strength and Power and with a word can crush thee to nothing Such a word from this poor wise man is able to overturn and shake down all the great Bulwarks of this great King But the rumor and noise of a barly loaf is heard and this wise man can so order the matter it shall skare and undo a whole Army Now for you that are indeed besieged by this great King against whom he hath raised his strong Bulwarks and fills your ears alwayes with desperate rumors and hot alarums of ruine and destruction and possesses your Souls with strange fears and perplexities and sinkings Alas what a sad case are you in if you now are to seek and know not whether this poor man be in you or no who alone by his wisdom can deliver the City These things will surely bring you to a strait when seised upon your hearts to consider 1. That for certain God hath a City a people in whom he dwells 2. this is but a little one and hard to find 3. There are but few men in it Little help to wage war and defend it 4. A great King comes against it and besieges and builds great Bulwarks against it all in appearance makes to destroy it he raises all his forces Gebal and Ammon the Philistines with them of Tyre the Ishmaelites and Hargarens all the Legions of Hell will be sure to have a throw at this City and now here will be the strait whether this poor wise man be in thee or no if he be not there it is impossible thou shouldst ever deal with this great King and his Powers they will surely undo thee but if thou canst find the wise poor man in the City if thou lightest on him happily he may help thee by his wisdom he may find out some wyle or other to draw this great King out of his Bulwarks and if he can but cast him out the unclean Spirit shall then enter no more if he can but draw him forth out of the City out of his Bulwarks then he will soon spoil the strong man of his Armor and deliver the City Buâ— truly wonderfull it is that ever man or woman should be saved since the fall of man such is the maâ—â—gnâ—â—y and strength of this enemy and such the mans weakness and utter incapableness to help himself All are against Truth be what they will they all agree against the Lord and his Christ a great Councel is held and great resolutions neither to eat nor drink till they have slain Paul till this City be destroyed but well there is yet hope in Israel in it was found a poor wise man c. Whence I would consider these two things 1. Where this poor wise man is to be found And that is in it in the city in the man in thy soul now shift it not off and say who shall go to heaven to fetch him thence or go down to Hell to bring him thence but the word is nigh thee It is within if it be at all The Kingdom of heaven is within you the poor wise man is in this City else it can never be saved by him And this might shew the great vanity of peoples thoughts who look for the Kingdom of God to come by observation they think to pull it to them by their huntings and seekings and endeavorings and strivings no but if ever it be to be had it is within thee truth is to spring out of the Earth the seed is there already that seed of God onely the spirit goes forth to unlock and open the ground that it may get out when it pleased the Father saith Paul To reveal his Son in me c. He was there before only now is revealed and made manifest but 2. How then shall you know whether this poor wise man be in you or not whether Christ be there or no It is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall enter many have good words and can learn the language of truth as a Schollar learns Lattin by road but it is not their own it is not their mother Tongue in which they were born they have not a root in themselves and so the seed soon withers How then shall we know it whether Christ be in us or not 1. If Christ be in thee the body is dead because of Sin the Humanity is certainly convinced that he cannot help himself nor ever deal with this Enemy the man is cut off from ever getting life at his own hands but he cryes out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. that is the first work of Christ where ever he is in any Soul to be ever stopping and curbing and snibbing the man in the vain runs and promises of his heart he sets a flaming Sword that man may not put forth a hand to reach to the Tree of Life and as Job says He seals up the hand of every man He shuts up and there is no opening Now many are wearied and wearied by their own labours because they see nothing come out of all and so their hearts dye and are weak to go on in their old way but yet truth hath not cut them off Thou hast wearied thy self in the greatness of thy way saith God yet hast thou not said there is no hope hope lived still in all this I but Christ when he works cuts off all hope from man ever to deliver himself The Body is dead because of Sin c. 2. Where Christ is though the man would dye and sink and give up all and again and again run to despairing yet he cannot it is impossible to drown this truth cast it where you will it will swim and get above this seed of Life cannot quite dye Thou holdest our souls in Life saith David and again thou holdest me fast behind and before he can get out no wayes he can neither promise himself deliverance nor yet conclude destruction such a strange bond holds the Soul and I would now seriously enquire of some of you in whose souls the truth is whether ever you could say soberly in all your lives you were utterly cut off and there was no hope in God for you for as it is impossible to bring up others to this close cleaving and hanging upon truth though they seem never so high and confident and nail their God never so sure yet he will fall so impossible is it to kill this Spark of Life where-ever it is but it will hope and cleave and look towards God though it be in the bottom of Hell c. 3. as Christ saith to the Jews If God were your Father you would love me for I came from God so I say if Christ be in thee thou canst not but love Christ that of
thine own kind wherever thou findest it as Paul says we cannot do any thing against the truth but for it though the heart would be spurning and shrinking away saying he is a hard Master yet where this Spirit of Christ is it will joyn to his own the heart will be taken with him and cannot get off quite to leave him 4. Where Christ is He is a searcher he discovers al the inward and secret workings all the plots and stratagems of the Devil that all are but to destroy the soul is made to take notice of the secret carriages of things within it sees all the Train of his wyles and tricks and inventions how they are laid and how they work and whither they tend the world is blinded in all they see no danger they know not whither they go but Christ he is a divider in the souls of his People he will not believe every good word and fair promise that the enemy may make Master save thy self and cause these stones to be bread no but he will weigh and try what runs in all he will not take all for gold that glisters though you speak never so good words and fair promises and all seems right yet the Spirit of Christ where it is will try and examine whence it comes from what root all spings whether from heaven or hell c. 5. Where Christ is he will never yield up his City though it cost him his life he wil stand to his charge what ever comes on it as the three children answer though our God should not deliver us yet this their souls are resolved in we will not fall down and worship the golden Image what ever it cost yet they cannot turn to a Lie to worship an Idol Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet cannot we lift up our hands to a strange God c. though the Soul may be taken and carryed Captive by force yet where Christ is it still breaths with Paul but with my mind I serve the Law of God I chuse not this Service though halled to it it is the burthen it cryes under that is certain it cannot go backward though it cannot get forward neither though made to yield and say well this is your hour and the power of darkness yet the soul consents not it will not fall down and worship an Idol God Jacob will not go back again to Labans service what ever comes on it though Laban pursues behind and Esau meets him be-before and God seems to leave and discouraged him yet he will wrastle it out with God and never give over without the blessing 6. Where ever Christ is though the Soul be never so low in the bottom of hell yet there is a strange looking towards God out of the belly of hell saith Jonah I looked toward thy holy Temple where truth is sown in the Soul it cannot but look thither ward towards God bind it and fetter it and keep it down and shâ—ke it as you will yet it will never leave turning and turning and looking thither ward as the Needle ever bends towards the Northpole I remember in my lowest day and it was low indeed when all appeared as if I were quite lost and should sit down in Hell for ever among the damned yet I said in my Soul sure I shall love God th re I shâ—ll â—p ak something well of him amongst all that cursed and hatefull crew such a strange turning God ward is there in the worst of times 7. Where Christ is though all enemies beset it though all the Legions oâ— H ll and darkness of fears and doubttings come about it as a swarm yet the Soul is able to look beyond and through all to a Deliverance that it is yet possiâ—le it says still well yâ—t if he will deliver he is able thâ—re is a strange long Prospective Glass by which the Soul looks beyond all Seas and Mountains and impossibilities and fears and sees the Land that is very far off the good Land of rest and Peace and says well if the Lord delight in us he will bring us thither he is able still who can tell but he may be gracious Sure if the Lord Christ that Poor Wise Man be in you you cannot but savour and understand these words you will know the Language and though not able to express them plainly yet you cannot but know and feel these Leadings in your Souls It would now follow to speak of the Deliverance what way he takes how he delivers this City from the great King and that is not by force nor might nor multitudes but by his wisdom by a sleight that great Goliahs head is presently taken off by a wyle an unexpected way If thine Enemy hunger give him meat who would think this was the way to destroy him Yet this is the way he takes he gives the Enemy his Will lets him take his own course and run out his run thus he feeds him till he be insnared in his own net and so taken This can the Poor man do by his Wisdom but I would wish none of you to take it in hand 't is too hard for you to put your hand in the fire and not be burnt Mans Backwardness TO THE Lords House OR The Little Good-will to Truth SERM. XI May 25. 1651. HAGG. 1.2 3 4 c. Thus speaketh the Lord saying This people say The Time is not come the Time that the Lords House should be built Is it time for you O ye to dwell in your sieled houses and this house lie waste c. The Analysis THese general things were observed from the words I. What this house of God was and what it typed out It was a house built and separated to the Worship of God typing out the uniting of a people into one heart and soul where God may dwell II. Why will God have this House built For three Reasons 1. To be a Pattern of the Life to come where all live in Love and Peace 2. To be a standing place of Worship whither the Tribes go up 3. For a Witness to condemn the World in all their false ways III. What are the Materials of this House 1. Not of all but onely living stones such as will abide in whom the spirit of life is sown A living Dog is better then a dead Lion 2. In this House are to be vessels of all sorts and all for their proper use none in vain none unfruitful IV. Why do they plead It is not time to build this House For these three Reasons 1. From their ignorance They knew not that all their blastings and mildews and curses came for want of this This is our case 2. From love to their ease easier to sit still at home then go up to the mountain for wood to build The heart loves to be at ease 3. Fear hinders because yet they were under Tribute to the King of