A DISCOVERIE OF Truth Presented to the Sons of TRUTH 1. Thes 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that whih is good Matth. 1.19 Wisdome is justified of her children Psal 36.9 In thy light wee shall see light The truth is one and never truly understood by any till they be one with it Printed in the yeer 1645. To THE READER Curteous Reader IT is the property of souls possessed with truth accordingly as they are refreshed by the discoveries of it so are they carried out to discover the same things to others according to the Apostles words We cannot chuse but deâ—lare the things which we have â—een and heard Acts 4.20 And â—â—kewise in 1 Joh. 1.3 he saith That which we have seen and â—eard we declare to you that so â—ou may have fellowship with us The same things may I speak I being desirous to know something of the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell and so to understand it in one that so I might see them both to be one as handed to us by Christ My desire of you Christian Reader is that you may rather by truth endeavour to see truth in it then catch at any broken expressions you may gather from it For it is rather set forth to declare truth then mans wisedome and so I leavâ— you to the truth desiring that yoâ— by it may be made able to judgâ— of it T. T. The places of Scripture which are answered in the following Treatise JOHN 14.4 LEt not your hearts be troubled ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me JOHN 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life JOHN 14.8 And Philip said Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth REV. 21. latter part of the 9. Come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambes wife ESAY 40. latter part of the 11. And he shall gather the Lambes with his armes and carry them in his bosome and gently lead those that are with young REV. 16. beginning of the 19. And the great City was divided into three parts HOS 10.12 Sowe to your selves in righteousnesse reape in mercie break up your fallow grounds for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and raigne righteousnesse upon you JER 4. latter end of the 3. Break up your fallow grounds and sowe not amongst thornes In the second part of this Treatise these four Questions are answered I. VVHether a Christian is freed from the morall Law yea or no II. Whether a Christian is to strive against sin when tempted yea or no III. Whether Sanctification can evidence Iustification when justification lies dark IV. Vpon what ground a Christian may tender comfort to a soul that sees no goodnesse in it self A DISCOVERIE OF TRVTH PRESENTED To the Sons of Truth DEar friends I salute you in the Lord rejoycing much to to heare the breathing of Christ by you I should rejoyce to have an opportunity to exchange somethig of the language of Christ with you face to face I have received your Letter the sum of which I conceive is this that I or rather Christ by me would give you an answer of certain places of Scripture thus First what I by the spirit of God do apprehend to be the mind of God in them 2. What conclusions naturally may be drawne from them Which Scriptures as you expresse in your Letter seemes to contradict each other some of them breathing forth the Gospell wherein all duties are sweetly laid upon the power of life given in by God the other laying duties upon the creature to get life from God To which I answer according to that light which God hath given in to me so is he apprehended by me and according to that you shall have an answer from me For the Scripture Psal 36.9 which is the word of God none can understand but such as live in God and so receive the knowledge of his minde not from the second but first hand which is the priviliedge of the Saints who know truth from falshood and that by living in truth Now this word of God which indeed is God but as it is looked upon by us and given out to us in those two things is the word considered as Law and Gospell and if you look upon these not in God as God but as the word held out to us then there is a difference and that thus We may describe the law thus Deut. 4. Lev 18.5 A declaration of duties holding forth life not to be given to us but wrought out by us The Gospell we may describe thus It is a tender of a full Christ from a free God to a nothing creature in which tender God is pleased to give down life from himself not onely to be held out to us but also to be revealed in us So that this light in us really becomes life for us Iohn 1.4 Rom. 8.3 4 Ioh. 15.5 to produce in us and act by us what in the Law is required of us in which description you may consider these Corrolies First that the comming of Christ from God the father to the sonnes of men was not the cause but the effect of the love of God Ioh 3.16 Secondly whatsoever is required of us or can be desired by us is to be found alone in Christ as he is held out to us Thirdly Ezek. 16.4 5 6. Rom. 4.5 Rom. 5.8 Iohn 14.6 that the tender of Christ to us is not to any qualification in us or any good wrought by us Fourthly it is Christ alone that Brings down life from God and carries up the soul again to God Fifthly what we gather from the supposition in the description is this that the tender of Christ in a promise which is the summe of the promise Christ first receives us in the going forth of himself through the promise Ro 10 20. before we receive him in going out to the promise and that is cleare from this ground Because we cannot go out to him till we injoy a power from him and wee never iujoy power from him till we by the going forth of himselfe are laid hold on by himselfe Deare friend for the use of the Corolies I leave to you or rather the truth in you which is able so to unfold it selfe as to overcome your heart with it and silence al disputes of reason that is against it Now for the Law to those that see it onely by a light that flowes from it and not according to the rules of the Gospell it will not only seem to be contrary to the Gospel but will cause the beholder to convert the Gospell into Law and preach the Gospell as Law and that one Element where Antichrist lives And that is the reason why wee have so many men in these daies that preach and presse men to make bricke without straw But passing over that the Law I must confesse is not looked upon directly from the Gospell by rules of the Gospell which darkens to us both the
hath seen me hath seen the Father therefore I conceive the meaning of the place to be thus Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me That is beleeve in God as he is held out in me the conclusion from thence is this that that faith which is the way of God to remove sinfull troubles from the Spirits of the people of God 2 Cor. 5.19 Ioh. 17.3 2 Cor. 3.18 1. Iohn 5.20 is not a bare beleeving of God but a beleeving in God as he is held out in his Son Christ The Devills beleeve and tremble the truth hath a power and authority in it selfe presented to men to subject their spirits and overturne the reasons of men that they are so carried out to assent to truth that they are made to accknowledge Truth to be Truth So Simon Magus and Iudas c. This faith men may have and go to hell Apo. 18.13 Iam. 19. this faith though it carries men to assent to truth yet it never gives men to live in truth nor gives men power from muth to live answerable to truth but this faith which is beleeved in God held out in his Son Christ is a Gospell faith Such a faith Heb. 11.1 the life of which beleeving in Christ is the very excellency and glory of the Godhead held out by Christ and may bee thus described 1. It is for a soule by the supernaturall comming in of God to enâ—oy a supernaturall light from him by which the soule is made able to see a sufficiencie in him to supplie all its wants carrying with it a consent of will from which description we may draw these corrolies First that the life of beleeving in Christ is not onely of Christ but is really in Christ but is really the excellencie that is in Christ which is the matter or obiect of faith beleeved by all that are possest with Christ but I speak this to shew what a sweet union there is betweene the object and the joy ☞ Second corolarie that power that produceth faith is not the bare discoveries of God in Christ to us But it is by a supernaturall and divine revelation and discoverie of Christ in us I speak this for this cause to shew that truth doth and must take hold of us before it can be truely beleeved by us Thrirdly that soule that truely by faith sees Christ sees such transcendent and matchlesse excellencie in Christ Can. 5.10 to 16. Cant. 2.3 Psa 110.3 that he is so overcome by it that he is by the vertue of it voluntarily carried out to consent and submit to it And this is the cause why soules when once they come to see Christ they see nothing lovely like Christ Secondly that is the cause and reason why soules delight and love to live in those sweet beams of love which sweetly runs forth from God through Christ which is not onely light to them but life in them Iohn 1.4 Gal. 2.20 dear friend for the uses of the conclusions I shall leave to you and so much in answer to this place of Scripture Now the next Scripture being John 14.6 7 8. The words being thus Iesus saith to him I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by mee Philip saith to him Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth ut First of the sixth verse in which words we may consider an answer to a querie Christ speaking in the fourth verse saying whether I go ye know and the way ye know Thomas answereth in the fifth verse we know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way This seems to be a Paradoxe Christ affirming the thing and yet Thomas denying it Doct. Thence we may observe this conclusion it is one thing to know and another to know that we know The second conclusion is that Christ may know that in us and for as that we do not cannot know in nor for our selves I speak this for these ends First to shew it is a greater thing and a higher priviledge to bee known of Christ then to know Christ Secondly it should teach us to live not upon our knowing but upon our being known of Christ Hos 11.3 He that lives upon his knowing and not upon the thing knowne hee lives upon the Streames but not in the Fountain upon the beams but not in the body such a man may have his discoveries of divine things presented to him but he hath little of the marrow of those divine mercies injoyed in him and now I come to the words themselves I am the way the truth and the life No man comes to the Father but by me In which words you may consider a sweet discoverie of that divine Excellencie and sufficience that is in Christ To speak plainely these words hold out First all that can be said concerning the giving downe of the Divine and sweet Excellencies of God through Christ to us And secondly all that can be said of the sweet bringing up of a soul from the comming in of GOD through Christ to us And this is clearly held forth in these words where he saith I am the way the truth and the life I am the way that God gives down himself to you and reveals all that is in himself for you and I am the way through which you are given up to God and through whch you have sweet records and Communion with God and in which you are made able sweetly to see as in an open glasse the divine unfoldings of Gods bosome secrets I meane the mysterie of his minde so that a soule is minded sweetly with the minde of God from which words thus paraphrased on we may observe these brief conclusions Doct. First Coll. 2.9 2 Cor. 3.18 Col. 2.9 that God doth no way give down himself to us as he is in himself but through Christ whom was for that end ordained by himself he is a sutable light to present such an object If this be so what shall we think of those that have found out other ways to bring down God to the creature under the same consideration before spoken of Not to speak of the dead way of nature nor much of the dark way of the Law but also of some guilded path and wayes of the Gospell which men do by using some expressions of the Gospell do endeavour to make a conjunction of Law and Gospell as one way to bring down God Nay men have an art in these times to turne the very effects produced by God they go about to make them causes to cause an alteration in God My meaning is this that even prayer and fasting which in Gods way I much prise Which if true is alone produced by a power from God the end is to fit and alter us and not God Men now a dayes make these meanes as a way to tye and constraine GOD to alter and to change GOD O monstrous I desire to love the work but abhor the
way Objest Surely this fasting you speak of is not so as you say but must needs be true fasting and praying and that for this cause because We have so many answers after one fasting and praying of our desires in them Answ To which I answer if it be so blesse God and I desire to do the same But if you judge of the truth of fasting and prayer by an answer after it and not by a right performing of it then what difference is there I pray you betwixt the Fast of David and the Fast of Ahab But I say no more of this thing Doct. The second conclusion from this first thing is this Ioh. 6 44. that no soul does or can give himself up to God till he enjoys power from the sweet giving downe of GOD to him through his Sonne Christ There may as well be reflections of the beames of a Sunne without a Sunne as returnes to God without the enjoyment of God then things act really to its proper end when they act not only from but in their own Element But what it is to love from the strength of love and to act living acts to a living end from the distilling of a living power I leave you to judge whom I hope lives in those sweet streams Whose spirit is fild by living under the drops of that divine fountain Doct. The third conclusion that we see nothing truly in God nor have no reall communion with God but that which we see and injoy in Christ as the way And so much of this first thing I am the way He saith also I am the Truth Christ may be said to be truth these waves First in that he is the cause declaring truth Secondly he is the object or matter declared by truth for all the Prophets writ of him for all the Prophesies and promises pointed at him Thirdly he is not only so truth but he is truth essentially For God was the Word and the Word was God He faith he is also life that hereby he may appear to be as he is all in all There is but three things essentiall in a mans way First a way to walk in Secondly a light of truth to discover the way Thirdly a power to carry us on in the way or else you must lye still So by this you may see that Christ is all in all to a Christian soul For we are by Christ in Christ carried out to Christ he being the way to God and the truth that discovers God and also the life that carries you on according to the truth discovered to God in that way Doct. And therefore the conclusions from all this 1 Cro 1.30 1 Cro. 3.22 is this That Christ is all in all to a christian soul he is all in them all to them all for them The use of this should teach us First to see all in him Secondly to look for all from him Thirdly to teach us to give all to him Now for the next words wherein Christ saith No man commeth to the Father but but by me This is but an explication of the former words and the same conclusion does naturally arise from it which was this That we see nothing truly in God nor have no reall communion with God but that which we see and enjoy in Christ as the way and I shall say no more of this conclusion nor of this verse Now I shall speak a word or two of the eight verse where Philip said Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us In which words in generall is discovered these two things First a manifestation of a great desire in these words Shew us the Father Secondly the reasons or grounds of this desire First he is a Father Secondly the knowledge of him is a satisfying good in these words and it sufficeth us In the desire consider first the party desiring with the speciall occasion producing that desire which was the sweet manifestations of God by Christ how he was to be understood as held out in Christ The person desiring was a soul possessed with God from whence observe this conclusion That the discoveries of God by Christ Doctr. Cant 5.4 5,16 do abundantly inlarge and take up the heart and desires of that soule that is really possessed with God as he gives forth himselfe through Christ Every-thing loves to live in its owne light God is the light of a soul possessed with himself Secondly every thing loves and in love is most inlarged to its owne center but the foul which is possessed with God is by him really centred in him Thirdly nothing stirs up a thing or inlarges the desire of a thing so much as that which is the onely sutable good to the thing but that soul that is possessed with God and the life of the joy in the soul really flowes from God nothing is so sutable good to that joy as the unfolding of God himself Fourthly men are carried out most sweetly and swiftly to that they apprehend most lovely But that soul that understands the unfolding of God from being really possessed with God sees nothing so lovely as God himself as he is held out in his sonne Christ I say no more of this conclusion Secondly in the desire you may observe the matter desired shewes the thing desired was to see God hence observe this conclusion Doct. That the manifestations of God in the way of the Gospell Iohn 4.10 Iohn 4.41 is a very desirable thing and they that know it will desire after it From the termes of the conclusion you may observe this That the sight of God is an object worth viewing Secondly the Gospell is the onely way to see God in the objects of love Thirdly that no soul can truly desire God in the way of the Gospell till he by him has a knowledge of him Fourthly that soul that ever had a reall knowledge of God can be satisfied by seeing nothing but God And so much of that conclusion Thirdly we are to consider not onely the thing desired but the extent of the desire Shew us Philip did not onely desire it for himselfe but for others as well as himselfe Thence observe this conclusion Doct. That those desires that run forth to God and really flow from God are not desires limited within a mans own breast but extends it self for the good of others as for it self That life which is given out to us and produces desires in us doth really produce a self-dividing power in us That is the cause why Christians are so free in their desires for others and in their discoveries to others what is discovered in them Streams that flow from the fountain as their center need not have secondarie causes to carry them to their center again for they naturally run into it being really one with it So it is with Christians they stand hot in need to have something put in their mouthes in a secondary way Mich. 3.5 Like those Priests in Micah
whom unlesse you put something in their mouthes will bite Or like some whom when they hear that there is an opportunity to preach Christ to creatures they presently demand what they shall have from the creature And if they can have more from the one then from the other their desires is taken off from the least to the most though there is most need where there is lest it is to be feared that it is not the need of the man but the love of the meanes and mony that carries him It is not so with soules possessed with Christ whose desires run out for others as well as for it self in a self-denying way they cannot chuse but breathe forth to others what Christ breaths forth in them So much of that conclusion Fourthly consider the object of their dsires or the person of whom they desire which was Jesus Christ in these words Lord shew us The conclusion from thence is this Doct. That it is the sole work of Jesus Christ Mat. 12.27 to reveale God the Father to the sons of men Hee alone was designed of God the Father for that end Secondly none can truly and fully discover God but those who truly and fully know God but no man truly and fully knowes God in the first sence but the Lord Christ Ergo none can make known God the Father to the sonns of men but Christ Besides if you consider what the true knowledge of God the Father is through the teaching of the Sonne the very nature of that description will confirme this doctrine First we will show you what this knowledge is not First not a naturall light of seeing God wherein reason in apprehending doth so comprehend that reason is the proper judge of what is apprehended Nor secondly do we intend a legall knowledge which light flowes from the Law wherein the soul is made able to see God as a God over him but hot as a God for him unlesse they be for him Nor thirdly we do not intend a gospel knowledge in a notionary way by that I mean mens running out to fetch in notions of the truth and are not fetcht in by the power of the truth and so they rather carry notions of truth then the power of truth carries them And that is the cause why some walke loosely in the profession of the gospell which is a matter of great grief But men do exceeding ill in laying these scandals upon the truth and not distinguish professors from possessors of truth But to give you a description of the true knowledge of God through Christ we may describe it thus It is a supernaturall light set up in the soule by God the life of which light hath his residence in God the actings of which light is all together for God From whence you may observe these corolies The first is this that all means Mat 11.27 nay the perfection of all things below God cannot bring a naturall man spiritually to understand God for it is produced by a supernaturall light set up in the soul from that word set up in the soul you may observe this corolie That that soul that really understands truth from being possessed with truth Iohn 3.29.30 phil 4.8 nothing in that soul is exalted above truth Then from this word Psa 21.13 set up in soul by God from whence you may observe this corolie It is alone the power of God that exalts truth And from this expression the life of which light hath his residence in God observe this corolie That soul that truly knowes God from the commings in of God that light is really maintained by a life that is in God Col 3.3 Cant. 4.16 Then from this word the actings of which light is altogether for God thence observe this corolie That all true light that flowes from God doth sweely carry out a soul Ioh. 1.2 4 5. Gal. 1.16 in every act to live to God the light of knowing is the life of conforming and so much of that conclusion The next thing is the matter desired Shew us thy Father Whence observe this conclusion Doct. To see God as a father Esa 63.16 is that which is very desirable that is the way that God presents himselfe through Christ to the sonnes of men to draw forth love in them to himselfe It is the very tenor of the gospel thus to present God and thus to see GOD. It is a relation that upohlds and indeers more then any it remove feares and confirmes faith we are not to present this relation in the gospell to be begotten by obedience but to beget obedience but no more of this conclusion The last thing is the reason and it sufficeth us Where you may not onely see the reason it sufficeth but the extent of it it sufficeth us Thence observe these two conclusions Doct. First it is a satisfying good to a soul possessed with GOD Psal 4.6 7. Ps 17.15 to see GOD such a soule as he lives and so sees so also he lives by seeing and so far as he sees GOD so far he re-really enioyes what he sees and in the inioyment can see nothing like it And as Iacobs sheep who was made to conceive by a sight of the speckled rods in the Troffes where they drank so Beleevers who are 〈…〉 forth to drink of these still waters which are to refresh the City of God and in them see the beautie and sweetnesse of God and immedeiatly conceive and bring forth fruit sutable to God It is reported that the Dove is made fruitfull by kissing but I am sure that Beleevers who are called Doves By Christ by the lest kisse of the mouth of Christ are made presently to returne reflections of love to Christ My beloved is mine and I am his No more of this conclusion And from these words not onely satisfie but saisfie us you may see As before the desire of Philip that others as well as himselfe might see God so in this place you may see his faith and knowledge in this word It will satisfie us Thence obserue this conclusion Doct. That those that are acquainted with the effects of the truth in themselves can also judge what satisfaction other enjoy from truth as well as themselves that live in the same truth with themselves But I shall speak no more of this conclusion nor of this verse The next Scripture is in the 21 of the Revelation and the latter end of the ninth verse Come hither and I will shew thee the bride the Lambes wife The Revelation holds forth two things First a discoverie of Christ Secondly a discoverie of Antichrist First of Christ and that in these things in the sweet excellencie of himselfe Secondly the neer onenesse the Saints have with himselfe Thirdly Reve. 1.13 14 15 16. 5.12 9.7 12.9 13.1 2. 13 4 5 6 7 8 and 18.2 the great victorie and priviledges the Saints have by Christ Secondly the discoverie
of Antichrist is held out in three things First in his Rise Secondly in his Reigne Thirdly in his Ruine The discoverie of Christ in the last thing which is the priviledge the victory and the deliverance the Saints have by Christ is sweetly held forth in tâ—ese words Come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambes wife In which words you may consider two things First an exhortation in these words Come hither Secondly the reasons or incouragements to back on the exhortation in these words And I will shew thee the Bride the Lambes wife 1. Of the exhortation wherein you may consider these things First the partie exhorting an Angel Secondly the partie exhorted JOHN a soul possessed with Christ from thence observe this conclusion Doct. That God hath not onely men but Angels if need require Revel 1.1 Luk. 2.10 to preach the priviledge that comes by Christ to christians Nay rather then they shall be untaught God will teach them himselfe so much for that conclusion Secondly consider the exhortation it selfe in these words Come hither in the bowel of which exhortation is included a sweet admiration from thence observe this conclusion Doctrine That the understanding of the union between CHRIST and CHHRISTIANS Ephes 5.23 is ful of high divine misteriall wonders and this will appear if you consider the nature of it the priviledges the Saints have in it or the glorious effects that flow from it nay if you consider no more but this the nearnesse betwixt the seeing and the object seen and the sweet and swift acting of the spirit when it sees in running out to the thing seen so that it really injoyes and lives in the thing seen but no more of that Now from this word come hither his meaning is not to come from one place to another nor from one person to another for places and persons of themselves and from themselves cannot farther discover truth So this word Come hither doth imply a drawing up of the spirit of JOHN to a higher degree of the injoyment of the light of God that from thence he may be made able to understand a further discoverie of God from thence you may observe this conclusion Doct. That no soul can nor doth any further see the manifestations of truth Reve. 1.10 Psa 26.9 then they by it gathered up in it the reason of this is because that the truth is as well the life of the eye as the glory of the object unlesse the eye be inlarged as well as the glory of the object we cannot see what is dicovered and the being taken up in the truth is the inlargement of the eye to see the truth and there is a sutablenesse betwixt the eye and the object that is the reason Bats and Owles do not love to flie but at evening tide and that is the cause the Eagle loves to look upon the sun because the Eagles eye the Sun hath a sutablenesse on them and so people legallised by the Law do not delight to look upon the glorious discoveries of the Gospell and those that are Gospellised love to see nothing else but the glory of the Gospel but I shall say no more of this conclusion And so much of the exhortation now for the incouragement I will shew thee the Bride the Lambes wife First I will shew thee thence observe this conclvsion Doct. That the manifestation of Christ prov 8.31.31 is incouragement enough to Christians to hearken to Christ that soule that ever was acquainted with it needs no more incouragement to draw sorth its Spirit to Christ then to heare it shall have a manifestation of Christ they see such excellencies in it and receive such sweet content by it that by the discoveries of the misterie of the Gospel ye may even as with a twined thread leade a soul Gospellised round about the world So much of that conclusision Come hither and I will shew thee the Bride in these words is the matter showne which is the marrow of the incouragement set out in these two words The Bride the Lambes wife 1. The Bride which metaphor sets out the onenesse betwix Christ and his church therefore the spirit declares her to be a Bride and to make this title appear gloriout he saith the Lambes wife that so it may appear that this title given to her by Christ is so far glorious as it flowes from union with Christ But first I will begin with the word Bride from whence observe this conclusion Doct. That there is a sweet Matrimoniall contract betwixt Christ and his Church Hos 2.19 Isa 26.5 Iohn 3.29 for proof of which conclusion I shall do these three things First I shal prove it by Scripture Secondly I shall shew you how it agrees with a Matrimoniall contract too and therefore fitly set out under that title Thirdly I shall show you wherein it transcends all other matrimoniall contracts in the world for this title is but a metaphor and metaphors are not to compare but to declare Christ and therefore there is a transcendent excellency in the union betwixt Christ and his church that is not to be found in the limits of this metaphor But first for the proofe of the thing Hos 2.19 I will betroth thee to me for ever Esa 62. the latter end of fifth verse As a Bridegroome rejoyceth over this Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee Joh. 3.29 He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom And for the second thing wherein it doth agree wish the matrimoniall contract therefore fitly so called as appeareth in these things First because there is a perticuler woing before there is an actuall possessing or uniting as you may see 2 Cor. 5.20 Now we are Embassador for Christ as though God did beseech you to be reconciled Gods woing is nothing else but the sweet expostulations of love with the soul by which he brings home a soul to himself and makes a soul one with himself Secondly a mutuall consent of will is the essence as in other so in this marriage 1 John 12. To as many as received him but the word should be read as many as consented to him unto them he gave the priviledge of the sons of God Thirdly as in other Marriages so in this there is a speciall living with each other Christ lives with the soule and the soul lives with Christ not onely as domesticks but as bosome friends in which familiarity there is sweet imbracemehts and spirituall salutings and making kriowne the miseries of each others minde to each other through which they are sweetly wrapped up in each other these soul-ravishing refreshments that the Saints enjoy in this fellowship with Christ none knows but they that injoy it for Christ lives so with a soule and a soule so with Christ that under that consideration a soul is but a Nowne adjective and cannot stand nor sit by it selfe without Christ Fourthly as in other Matrimoniall unions so in this
gven to us by Christ are so far glorious as they flow from union with Christ Nay we may adde one word in the conclusion and draw it thus Doct. That all titles given to us by Christ nay our very actings towards Christ is so farre glorious as it flowes from union with Christ for if we beleeve Ioh. 15.4 or love or rejoyce or conform this is no farther glorious then it is a fruit of Christ flowing from union with Christ But no more of this doctrine nor of this verse The next Scripture is the 40 of Isaiah and the 11. verse the words being these He shall feed his flocke like a Shepheard he shall gather the Lambes with his arme and carry them in his boseme and shall gently lead those that are with young Which Scripture is so ful of divine sweetnes that I do not know how briefly to give an answer to it all things that are essentiall to the bringing home of a soule to Christ and all divine priviledges belonging to a soul thus brought home and all objection that can be made by a soule against these are swetly held forth and answered in this verse If a soule doth object and say I am dead and have no power How shall I come to Christ Christ answers I will gather them with my armes the arme of Christ is his the streength of Christ and the strength of Christ is the power of love held forth in Christ and further whereas they may object and say If I am brought home to Christ I shall have many oppositions troubles and trials how or where shall I be preserved Christ answers That in this word I will carry them in my bosome an expression full of divine refreshment and whereas they may further object and say I am but weake and newly begotten by Christ and am not able to answer the commands of Christ Christ sweetly answers I will drive them gently that are with youg We will begin with the first expression First Ioh. 10.16 Iohn 14.6 I will gather my Lambes with my armes Gathering implies bringing home thence observe this conclusion Doct. That the bringing home of a soul to Christ is the sole worke of Christ And this is cleere from many places of Scripture and so if you consider these things First what conversion is Secondly if you consider the metaphors the Holy Ghost takes up to declare conversion by First what conversion is it is not a turning from a rude course of life by the power of education nor it is not a legall conformitie to the Law produced by the power of conviction that meerly arise from the terrours of the Law neither is it a bare profession of the Gospell without being possessed with it but it is for a soul by the supernaturall commings in of God so to be taken up in God and overcome by God by the vertue of which he is carried after God against all oppositions whatsoever from the termes of which description for your better information observe this corolie First that it is above the reach of nature to bring home a naturall man to God Pro 161. but it is singly and solely the power of God Secondly that every soul brought home to God by a power of God is sweetly taken up in God himselfe Christians are not onely under love but they really in love they doe not onely rest on but they sweetly rest in the bosome of God himselfe Thirdly That the excellencie shewed in God by soules brought home to God is an overcomming excellence Truely friend a man cannot speak of this from a real injoyment of it but he is really sweetly and swiftly overcome by it O what divine wonders what refreshing sweetnesse what objects of love nay what all love doth that soul see in God that really lives in the bosome of God It is not posible for a soul to see it but he must he shall be overcome by it Fourthly the running forth of the Excellencie of God seen in God is the vertue and power that carries on soules after God Fifthly that no oppsition against Christians in the following after Christ can any way take off the love and desire to Christ Esa 43.2 Ier. 33.3 The reason is because the more they are opposed for professing of him the greater incomes they have from him The second reason is because they see a macthlesse excellencie in him once see Christ and none like him water will quench fire in any place onely in lime and there it will make it burne the more Oppositions may hinder mens going on in professing of Christ if not possessed with Christ but they that are not only professors but possessed with Christ it will make them run forth after Christ much the more the kingdome of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force And so much of this first thing what conversion is Secondly for the metaphors that the holiest takes up to declare conversion doth declare it is done alone by the power of christ and nothing else sometimes he saith it is a begetting well he may so say for a childe can do as much toward his own begetting 1 Pet 1.3 as a man toward his own conversion Secondly he compares it to a resurrection he may well so say for a man may as well rise out of the grave and live of himself Col 3.1 as a man can rise out of the grave of sin and live to God without a power of God Thirdly it is compared to a creation which is to make something of nothing Ephes 5.10 which is proper to an infinite power What shall wee thinke of those then who preach for preparations for christ and stir up men in the worke of conversion too to work with Christ and think they do well in so doing We may say of these men as those the Apostle said would take upon them to preach the law put knew not what they said nor whereof they affirmed But I say no more of them but this the Lord lead them and us so forth by the truth that in all our expressions of such things we may lay down all things and exalt the truth so much of this first conclusion And from the second thing I will carry them in my bosome First I will carry then I will carry them in my bosome From the first I will carry them observe this conclusion Doct. That all soules brought home to God through Christ shall undoubtedly bee carried on by Christ That appeareth from these grounds First because the power of carrying on to God is the same power that brought a soul home at the first to God which is alone the power of God therefore we may draw the sillogisme thus That which depends upon the power of God that should stand 1 Pet 1.5 But as well the carrying on a soul as the bringing home a soul depends upon the power of God Ergo Ier. 32 40. it must needs stand Secondly