not you that sold me c. ' I sent you into the wilderness to learn you experience that when you are converted you might strengthen your Brethren Thus you may see of what use Rings are and this is wonderful that God should so adorn the hand with his Rings To be 1. Skill'd in the works of Truth 2. To be diligent in the work of Truth And 3. To be garnish'd with this to be busied about things of worth to be exercised in things that abide for ever Let all your things saith Paul be done to edification Let nothing be out of strife or vain glory but all for the building of something that shall stand for ever But yet this son is wanting still as if the Father should say What if we clothe him with the best robe and put Rings on his hands yet if his feet be not shod too how can he go Therefore 3. This is the third thing And put shooes on his feet c. Let him be shod with the Preparation of the Everlasting Gospel of Peace The feet are the Affections which are to be wrought upon 1. To go but how why Let all your things saith Paul be done in Love There 's need your feet be prepared to serve the Lord in Love And that our loves might be prepared there 's need of shooes to put on that the feet might be enabled to go upon the bryars and thorns to endure the frost and the snow need to have the Love made strong to endure hardness Love saith Paul suffereth long and is kinde envyeth not seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the Truth c. 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6. It had need be shod indeed When God said to Moses Thou shalt carry this people in thy bosom as a Mother doth her child c. Alass pleads he how can I carry all this people If thou dealest thus with me I pray thee take me away that I may not see my wretchedness He had not Love enough to carry him through There 's need of great preparations if such a service be in hand And now the Prodigal shall be made to endure to bless when he is cursed because he knows now the heart of a stranger We our selves saith Paul were sometimes strangers and aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel hateful and hating one another He having a knowledg into this was made to endure Though the more abundantly I love saith he the less I be loved That there may not be a shrinking here this is one main thing he has need of of the shooes of that which may be a fence a safeguard to his feet that no fiery darts no discontents c. may stop or overturn him But then 2. The shooes are that the Love might run the swifter without fear Withhold thy Feet from being VNSHOD saith God and thy throat from thirst Jerem. 2.25 Thou makest my Feet like HINDES FEET saith David But when the Love is cold then the heart by and by waxeth feeble and faint Ezra was astonish'd and sat seven days so because he had said The Lord was able to save them therefore said he I was ashamed to go to the King for a band of men His Love began to be feeble at last And Job sat astonish'd seven days his Love was cold he could not have offended had that been alive Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing can offend them How do we stand and pick and choose But when we shall be made able to say as Paul I am not onely ready to be bound for the Name of Christ but to suffer death also When so shod then shall we go boldly without fear when the Love is shod with quickness then I shall run the way of thy Commands When thou hast set my feet at liberty saith David then will the Soul readily love the Lord with all the heart and all the soul and all its strength But when it 's not quick and lively there come in the miscarriages For 1. It 's not shod to endure And 2ly then it has not quickness to speed on the work but through reasoning and disputing the case the Love waxes cold And the Prodigal shall be made to see to his cost when he returns home what his Leaden-heel'd Love was But 3. The third thing that prepares the Love is singleness solidness and faithfulness these are the shooes that garnish his feet these are the Affections to be shod with The double minded man saith James is unstable in all his ways When the Prodigal comes home and sees how double he had been before in all his ways now he is made to say It was good for me that I was afflicted for thereby I learn'd thy Law Now he can say One thing have I desired which now I will seek after That I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever to enquire dayly in his Temple c. Now the Prodigal has learn'd this He knows what it is to put his hand to the plow looking backwards Now his Love is singly fixt upon its object but when it was not single how did he soon wander from it He was bare-foot then but when he comes home then the Father puts on his shooes they were not of his putting on but the Fathers done by his command But all along while I am speaking to you and am seeing what divided hearts you come with and the great loss that is come upon you there 's great need to pray to the Father that he would bring the shooes his Love to set the Affections right to love with rightness readiness and singleness for if He bring them not this evil and hypocritical will will be our undoing But saith God You shall finde me when you shall seek me with all your heart and all your soul He will be sought to of the house of Israel And he has not said to the house of Jacob Seek my face in vain But he that offers to the Lord for a sacrifice that which is torn or lame and has a male in his flock He abhors that mans offering He will receive none but that which is without blemish and that will make our works accepted as Paul saith Faith that works by Love and doth all in singleness of Soul That will make every thing acceptable in his sight 4. A fourth thing the Soul is to be shod with is Soberness for there may be a real singleness of spirit and yet a great headiness Therefore saith Paul let your Moderation be seen in all things For if we cannot say as Job The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the Name of the Lord there is not a sober love Therefore Put off thy shooes said God to Moses He was yet over-heady and not fit to walk as you may see in his strait concerning Miriam because God had stricken her with Leprosie he prays Lord heal her now But as if God
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
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
made thee He that Rules and Orders all Fear Him but why should we fear him 1. Fear him because we are his Workmanship he is our Maker he is the Potter and we are his clay we had our Being and Frame and mould and all we have from him 2. Fear Him Because he can bring thee down on a sudden He can secretly twist away thy life and all thou hast thou knowst not how How soon was Judas striped and twisted out of all his mercy and presently left to ruine He was but now among the Disciples and lookt upon as one of them for they all questioned themselves as much as him and by and by he hangs himself when he is but left to have his run and therefore saith David Thou holdest our souls in life if he do not hold and maintain and keep up thy life every moment alas thou art soon gone and wilt sink to nothing when thou art in thy jollity and mirth in the midst of thy bouls if a hand writing do but come against thee how soon may thy mirth be quashed the knees tremble and knock together and the face be turned to paleness Alas therefore should'st thou not fear him When I consider Him I am afraid of Him saith Job for He is of one mind and he will bring to pass the thing appointed for me He can turn all upside down in a moment at such an uncertainty stand all our ways and enjoyments when at the best much like a stout resolved Souldier riding up bravely furnished and with a courage to charge in the face of an Enemy but on a suddain a bullet comes and lays him down and all his strength and courage is gone in a moment so soon can this Lord take thee off in any of thy injoyments therefore Fear Him 3. Fear Him because he doth all without let 〈◊〉 controul nothing shall hinder when He begins He will make an end All men and all creatures have a Controuler that can frustrate their enterprises but the great God hath no controuler He gives no account of his matters if he will not favour a man either in Soul or body but lets a blast seize upon him alas the man must fall and all the world cannot help him 4. Fear Him because in thy own Conscience tho◠canst witness Thou hast justly offended Him he hath occasions and advantages enough against thee O Lord how many ways might He justly take thee off might he not stop thy breath when thou sleepest might he not make thy meat to be thy poyson art thou not a sinner in all and liable to Him if He should take advantage therefore Stand in awe and Fear before Him 5. Fear Him because He will certainly bring thee to judgment he wil call thee to an account for all thy ways That which hath been done in secret which no eye saw and no man could ever charge thee with all thy secret thoughts thy covetings and lustings and envyings the secret turnings within He will bring all upon the stage nothing shall pass therefore fear this Judg for Thou knowest not at what hour thy Lord may come And Good Lord if He come in a time unthought of and finde thee froward and fretting and envying and lusting and saving thy life in any creature Alas what then will become of thee if thou beest thus surprized and surprize thee He may For we know not the hour when the Thief will come therefore there is cause to fear 6. Fear Him because there is mercy with Him that He may be feared He will have a reward for them that fear him If thou fear men either they may neglect and not minde to reward thee or else may not be able but the Lord will surely reward them that fear Him and those that wait on Him shall not be ashamed And therefore there is great reason from these several Particulars why He should be feared And now I shall speak of the two other general Points from the words which come in as an enlargement and farther ground of this Exhortation Fear Him that can destroy both Soul and Body in Hell where these two things are yet to be opened What it is to have the Soul destroyed and then what it is to be in Hell Fifthly What is it to have the Soul destroyed what ways doth God take to do that 1. He destroys the Soul by withdrawing the sap which should maintain it when God gives up the Soul to it self and leaves striving and motioning and knocking this is one way by which it is surely destroyed For it will soon dye and sink of it self if it be not followed and hunted and kept up and maintained dayly 2. Another way of destroying the Soul is when God gives it up to beleeve lyes to feed on ashes and that like a canker will soon eat out all the life and power and spirit of Truth The Soul is made uncapable of receiving Truth nothing can enter nor seize Though there be never such a power and strength and clearness in the Word yet nothing can take place and this is the wonder that God speaks I will work a wonder in your days that a man shall not beleeve though it be told him I will destroy the wisdom of the wise And again In hearing they shall hear and not perceive and in seeing they shall not see because a deceived heart hath turned them aside given up to beleeve lyes c. 3. Another way of destroying the Soul is by leaving it alone out of the Nursery out of the heart and care of the People of God that there is none to take it in none to look over it nor enquire after it none to turn aside to ask how it doth Alass this will soon destroy the Soul to be thus cast off and left alone without the care and counsel and pity and encouragement of the Truth to have none to plant nor water nor till it that ground can bring forth nothing but bryars and thorns and so is nigh unto cursing c. 4. Another way God takes when the Decrees are gone forth to undo a Soul is this He shuts out all prayers and intreaties and means that are used to turn his heart to the creature that nothing shall prevail with Him though there should be any to stand up to pray and plead yet He will not hear Though Samuel and Moses and Daniel should stand up yet could not my heart be turned towards this people Put them out of my sight saith God And so to Samuel God answers Why prayest thou any more for Saul I have cast him off And this is a sure way of undoing the Soul indeed If God be against it who can stand for it who can deliver out of his hand 5. Another way the Soul is destroyed by is when God takes away all its gates and fences and lays it open to sin and Satan to have their full course and run without stop or let All the floods of ungodliness and
owned and received and prized He shall be welcom to them then even the feet of such as bring glad tydings of peace Then will the Soul say with Abigail Let me wash the feet of the servants of my Lord the King He shall be welcom indeed in that day And this glads and rejoyces and keeps up his spirit to think on this time I had verily fainted saith David unless I had beleeved to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living That bare up his heart There is hope in the latter end saith God to Rachel that thy Children shall come again to their own borders How ever they are now in captivity and lie scattered broken as if utterly forsaken yet they shall return And for these causes Christ weeps over Ierusalem over his people out of joy where ever and in what case soever he finds them yet this joy lives in the bottom I would you might never forget these Particulars But 2. And when He beheld the City He wept Another Reason why He weeps is out of sorrow because He findes them in their blood He grieves to see Ierusalems wickedness to see her hands embrued in blood to see her killing the Prophets and opposing and fighting against her own good There is no other way for Her ever to be saved but by hearing the voyce of her Prophets and obeying them And now to thrust these away saying We will not have this man rule over us for Truth to finde the sons of peace the saved ones in this strange condition hating and striking against their own chief good and best friends This causes a weeping It is a gladness indeed to finde the sons of peace to see a Nathanael an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile one in whom the Spirit of Life the Seed of God is planted Truth joys at this and if this be not in the bottom there is no ground for Truth to work upon No Physician goes about to take a dead man to cure If there be not a Seed of Life there is nothing for Truth to care for and pray and weep over But now where that seed is yet to finde such a Soul or such a people stoning their Prophets to finde his own Children rebelling and standing against Him this causes Truth to weep And when He beheld the City He wept c. Now this Sin hath three Aggravations in it which cause Truth to weep 1. It is an unnatural sin for them to kill their Prophets which came to instruct and inform them in the way of Life Alass in killing your Prophets you kill your selves you murther your own Souls And what murther is so cruel and unnatural as that Who shall save you if you kill your Saviour Him whom God hath sent to be a Saviour and Deliverer If you thrust away this Moses who shal bring you out of Egypt and lead through the Wilderness Nothing so unnatural as for a man to cut his own Throat such a thing is it for any to slight and contemn that Truth which comes to save them 2. It is an ungrateful Sin It is not right nor allowable to render evil for evil to hate our Enemies But to reward evil for good to return hatred for love and mercy and bowels shewed us Am I therefore your Enemy saith Paul because I tell you the truth This is wonderful ungrateful I will send my Son sure they will reverence Him but now after all to take this Son too and kill Him that was sent out of love and exceeding tenderness this is the ungratefullest sin in the World To refuse Him that speaks from Heaven that can open to you the minde and heart and love and good-will of God this Christ weeps at to finde them in so ungrateful a sin 3. It is a venturous and desperate sin That moves Christ to weep to see the hard venture what to sleep upon the top of a Mast To venture to kill their Prophets and the present offer of Grace and know not whether ever another Prophet shall be sent them or no O what a venture is it God hath truly sent me to you to warn you to come out of Sodom and to tell you God hath purposed to destroy the City and will you venture to linger in it still Had Lot stayd but one hour longer he had been destroyed with them but the Angel layd hands on him and pulled him out the Lord being merciful to him This is the next to that unpardonable sin which David prays against O keep me from presumptuous sins that I may be innocent from the great Transgression The Lord warn and prevent you and lay it to your heart to consider how guilty we are in all these Particulars how unnatural we have been and cruel to our own Souls to murther the Truth sent to gather us and then of all transgressions 't is the most ungrateful What people in all the world have been so kindly dealt with so followed and waited on and born with Line upon Line Instruction and Counsel and Love have followed us and to murther this Truth after all how ungrateful is it And then how desperate have we been and venturous in a Passion like the profane Esau to sell all for one morsel of bread to venture all at a blow and what ever comes on it desperately resolve We will not have this man rule over us Well may God say to us Because I would have purged you and you would not be purged therefore you shall not be purged till you dye Do you hear what is spoke It concerns all you are all guilty the Lord lay it not to your charge I know not a People in the World so venturing all at a cast as we have been Come Life or Death yet there hath been a punctual standing out and slighting the Call of Truth to have our wills Thirdly Another Cause Christ weeps over Jerusalem is to find her in that miserable condition of ignorance that she knew not the Things which belonged to her Peace O that Thou hadst known even Thou in this thy day c. But They knew not the day of their Visitation they knew not their time this Christ grieves at Work whilest it is day whilest you have the Light with you for the night cometh wherein no man can work But they had played in Summer they slighted their seasons and opportunities and knew them not knew not the Things belonging to their Peace Man naturally looks after the things that concern his ease but is not so minding what belongs to his peace But it is this Peace only that must stick by us in a strait in a time of need when ease and enlargements and all fail then will this Peace abide and this Christ weeps for to see their ignorance though it is well in one respect that they were ignorant I obtained mercy saith Paul because I did it ignorantly And had we done what we have done fully knowing we had sinned
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
and garnish him over with never so many fair pretences yet he cannot be so whited do what we can but his black 〈◊〉 appear to them that have eyes and can discern Paul was brought to own and discover these goods of the devil he cries out In me dwells no manner of good thing all is corrupt And God saith of Jerusalem As a fountain casts out its water so Jerusalem casts forth her sin Now a fountain casts out water naturally it flows without pumping and continually it never slacks night nor day and 3ly a fountain casts out abundantly no measure of it and 4ly irresistibly who can stop it So the heart casts out sin such a stock and endless store of the devils goods are laid up in the heart Do you believe this 6. Another great Wo is this He is not onely a strong enemy and most maliciously bent and power put in his hand and in possession and hath stuffed the house with his goods but 6ly he is armed too he hath armour to defend and maintain himself and keep off all assaults that are made against him Now his Armour may be expressed under these three Notions 1. He hath a coat of male upon him which covers him quite over that no word of Truth can come to touch and enter into him and finde him guilty though you try again and again and shoot and shoot bullet after bullet yet nothing shall enter his scales are so close to one another that not the least air can come between until the Lord shall direct an arrow thorow the joynts of his armour and come to the heart but it 's out of the reach of any creature to do it his coat of male keeps off all And though you may crush his coat a little sometimes and hurt him a little yet he presently gets up again and shakes himself and he is well the wound is healed for it never came to his heart his coat of male hath a thousand twistings and windings to keep off all guilt from coming so nigh him 2. He is armed with a helmet of brass upon his head his wisdom fences him that he is mighty able to plead the cause and reason and dispute for himself you shall never out-speak nor out-reason him he has so many subtil windings and ways to put off the guilt The fool is wiser in his own eyes then a man that can give a reason He hath a brazen brow that be the case never so clear yet he will not blush nor ever yeeld he is guilty but some way or trick or shift is ever at hand to put it off and save himself from being a sinner some plaister or other he will finde to heal the wound and keep the guilt from sinking to his heart though the case be never so plain against him and though seven a compleat number witness and accuse him yet his helmet of brass keeps off all he will not be guilty 3. He is armed with a great spear in his left hand like a weavers beam and with this he dare challenge all Come neer him who can By this spear he 'll seem to be for Truth and fight the Lords battels with Saul and slay the Philistims And who dare charge him now He is on our side he cries A friend a friend He hath the Watch-word and the Colours he 'll come and build the wall with you and who shall set upon him here He 'll be zealous and forward in the Truth he 'll plead and answer and prove and condemn others for being thus and thus as the Pharisees did Christ And this spear reaches out so far that there is no way to come nigh to reach or once question him Will you speak wickedly for God saith Job to his friends There is a wicked speaking for Truth many times a preaching of Christ out of envie to snare another or finde another guilty and keep up our selves some base selfish end or other lies in it that spoils all Therefore God says He will be Judge himself he will judge between ends and ends between thoughts and intentions The Word of the Lord is quick powerful that pierceth between marrow and joynts that can get between and meet with this enemy when the time is come But the work is wonderful He is so sorely armed all over 1. with a coat of male 2. with an helmet of brass 3. this long spear like a Weavers beam that alas what man shall come near to deal with him 7. The last great Wo is that this enemy is desperately ventrous dares venture upon any strange designes He 'll set on Christ and hurry him about to a high mountain to a pinacle of the Temple into the wilderness This Leviathan is made without fear being thus armed and fenced he cares for nothing Whilst his armour is so close about him he can venture on the mouth of a Canon and is safe enough He can vent out all his malice and poison and rage and do all his mischiefs and none shall touch nor controul him nor come nigh to search his heart He 'll be a friend to God and Truth and his People come not nigh to judge him And this is the armour of the whole world they are thus cheated by the devil and think all is well and right with them and under this covert he can work all his pranks and bring about all his mischiefs and murtherous plots against the Truth And this is a great misery the desperate ventrous spirit of this enemy that rushes on all mischief without fear and dread Now minde whilst this strong man armed keeps his Palace his goods are in peace all is at rest and quiet there 's no trouble nor perplexity no fears the whole earth is at quiet and if it were possible he would never be disturbed nor pitch battel with Christ but keep his goods in peace I but a time comes when a stronger then he comes upon him and then the war begins and the battel stirs and the clashings appear but this is the great happiness that there is one that is stronger then this strong man that can deal with him one that hath all the keys of hell and can open and unlock all the doors one that can take away all his armour in which he trusted and utterly overcome and rout him Then saith Job the poor hath hope and all iniquity stops her mouth And the way by which Christ accomplisheth this is twofold First He doth it as I told you by taking away all his armour in which he trusted He trusted in his armour that that should save him and keep off all blowes He trusted no arrow should ever pierce that and come into his heart and finde him guilty He trusted in his wisdom that he could reason and plead the case and maintain his Way to be right and just He trusted his speaking good words for God and pretending for Truth and his love zeal and forwardness should never have been questioned
and ransacked I but Christ when he comes he takes away his armour all that in which he trusted and hoped and said Now I am safe I shall sit as a Queen for ever I shall never see sorrow I but all his armour and fence is taken from him and this is a downfal indeed when he is thus found out and nothing can hide nor cover him any longer his coat of Male is taken from him and then Truth can easily enter then nothing appears but the mans nakedness and guilt and shame then the man cries out with Paul I am the chief of sinners then the Word takes place and enters and every arrow sticks Thine arrows stick fast in me saith David Then the man falls under as a poor naked helpless hopeless thing then he is counselled by Christ to buy eye-salve of him and gold tried in the fire and fine linen for he is found wholly naked and blinde and miserable We had thought Christ had ruled in us and we had been for God and the Truth we had thought our zeal and forwardness and speaking for God should have passed currant but take away this armour of the devil and then we are found out to be a wretched deceitful people a lye and deceit appears to be running in all and that there is nothing single for God and Truth without base selfish ends of our own And this is the first work Christ is to do in your souls to spoil this strong man of his armour else no Word of truth can ever come nigh and seize 2. After Christ hath taken away his armour he then seizes on his goods and DIVIDES THE SPOYL the spoyl Why what use can Christ make of his spoyl what can he do with all the devils goods You may see the thing illustrated Jer. 15. where God speaks thus Let that which is for death go to death that which is for the sword to the sword that which is for the famine to the famine and that which is for captivity to captivity 1. That which is for death to death some of these goods are presently to go to death to be utterly destroyed The enemies which you have seen to day saith Moses you shall never see them more The malignant disposition that was so wickedly bent against all prospering of Truth that evil eye that which lay in the way that one step Godward could not be taken that must be utterly destroyed and cut off for ever that abomination must live no more that ill favour that gave a taint and poison to all our ways and thoughts and words that man to Death Christ will say to that unclean spirit Come out of the man and enter into him again no more That enmity of spirit and hatred and ill will to all good the end of that is to be destroyed for ever That Cain-like love that hates its brother and would not suffer the least breathing nor prospering nor looking up of the Truth for according to that evil disposition in you if you minde it the heart rises against all good where-ever it appear though in a childe in a brother in a husband or wife yet the enmity works and hates to see your offering accepted and mine laid by as nothing But before Christ can ever come to reign this must certainly die and a whole turn of soul be wrought and we made naturally to love and chuse the prosperity of the Truth 2. Something must go to the sword That which is for the sword to the sword The Word of God that sword of the Spirit that shall still go on after that great enmity is slain to search and judge and quicken and stir up the man and cut off what hinders that the soul may grow up into the minde of God and as it hath born the image of the earthly so to bear the image of the heavenly as we have given our members servants to sin so to give them up to be servants of righteousness to be as free and voluntary and earnest in the service of the Lord as ever we have been to serve our selves to spend and be spent for the truth this the sword must do cut out a way thorow all rubbish for this minde to arise It must cut away all that sloth and carelesness that sluggish and carnal minde that sits still at home and would not come out to help the Lord against the mighty When Christ shall come to deal with us indeed and use his sword this must all be cut away and the soul pruned 3. Something must go to the famine That ill taint and setled indisposition that has been gathered and contracted by long custom in evil that hankering and lingering after the wickeds dainties all this must to the famine and be worn out by degrees and pined by little and little till it come to die Where-ever the heart is taken and hangs on the creatures on eating or wearing or trading or whatever enjoyments by degrees and degrees a secret moth shall eat and consume all a wasting and consuming famine must cure this evil disease 4. Something must go to Captivity and that is the last enemy to be destroyed the Devil he will yet keep some hold and footing and not be utterly routed so long as there is any dust to be the serpents food so long as the man hath any life beside the life of God I but now Christ shall designe him to captivity he shall be under a hewer of wood and drawer of water a servant to Christ he shall lord it no more He shall be bound for a thousand yeers and that will be the souls greatest happiness to keep him but in his prison that he may not break forth do his mischievous pranks but lie in his dungeon and be an underling to Truth though he still live for some Canaanites will ever live in the land to be the souls trial c. And thus I have opened to you this Day the great block that lieth in our way the bonds and shackles that hold us so fast It is Satans day 't is his hour and the power of darkness the mans Day of reigning is declining and laid aside in most if not all of you the man is not suffered so to bear sway and go at liberty and soar aloft in his minde but there are secret checkings and mindings of a shortness and the black feet appearing make the feathers fall And in some of you it is an empty and desolate Day you are left without much stirring either from God or from the enemy The land is void of both her kings But the greatest and sorest Day which lies sore upon some of us is The reign of the enemy and then wo to the inhabitants of the world Wo to that Land indeed where the Wicked are in Authority I opened to you the several Woes in it And now to make some Use 1. Examine How is it with you Every soul look home do you feel this strong enemy Do you
one that eat of his bread and was his familiar friend as 't is expressed in the Psalmist We took sweet counsel together and walked in the House of God as friends And this is a wonderful misery to take up Had it been an enemy I could have born it but thou my friend my familiar c. This cuts to the heart This very case befalls the Soul in which Truth is There is something that sticks near to it a friend that lies in its bosom and is nursed and favoured by it something that walks in the House of God with it and pretends to be for God and Truth and pleads hard as if all were intended for the Souls good and this will be a sad day when this very thing shall be found to be the Betrayer and yet this Christ submits to when he consents Thy Will be done 2. Fâ—rther He submits to be betrayed into the hand of Sinners And here are seven great Aggravations of misery 1. They are a multitude into whose hands he is betrayed This flattering and smooth-mouth'd Betrayer this Judas that comes with a kiss and salutes Hail Master a great multitude is at his heels he brings in a whole Troop after him Oh that you could read the thing in your selves in the work upon your own Souls For there is all this to be fulfilled if you go in the same way with Christ and tread in his steps if you drink of the same Cup as all the saved ones must for there is no other way to life but to be planted into the likeness of his death the likeness in all cases though not the very same particular Tryals that he had And now this you shall find true that when ever this Judas that betrays the Soul gets in when by his counsel or wisdom or flatterings and fair promises that cursed Betrayer gets in his foot and deceives the Soul with a kiss then he lets in a multitude of enemies against us then come in the swarmings of wickedness They compassed me about like Bees saith David Then come in all the floods of ungodliness and make the Soul afraid Then all the fountains of the great deep are broke up and come with violence ready to sweep away all before them Then the Sea brings forth abundantly all manner of creeping things Then a night presently overtakes the Soul and all the beasts of the Forrest creep forth Strange monsters and things we never saw before mire and dirt and strange wickednesses appear that we never thought had been in us This Betrayer brings out all against us We had thought we had been knowing and well seen into the ways of God but now ignorance and mists and confusion beset that the Soul cannot see nor know one distinct Truth We had thought we had been good-natured and tender-hearted and friendly however but now rage and madness and desperateness get up We had thought sure we had a will and desire towards God and were willing to be ruled and ordered by him but now the punctual fightings and opposings and resistings shew themselves that the Soul is made clearly to see it chooseth Death rather then Life All monstrous wickedness gets up when this son of perdition is to be revealed in the Soul and hath once betrayed it I would you might read these things as we go for all this a written for our learning and if this was done to the green tree then what shall be done to the dry This is no other condition then what hath befallen our fathers in their day When God hath brought them to Judgment and this work of bringing them through death to life was in hand they ever had a Betrayer that lay close and did them all the mischief and brought these Troops of Enemies against them and it cannot be prevented This son of perdition will thus act he will betray and bring the Soul to death and he lies close he is in all the saved ones and there is no other way to life but by having him cast out But he will first surely spit his poyson and play all his pranks if it were possible to undo the very Elect Such an Host such a multitude he brings with him that sometimes it agasters and amazes the man to see how he is beset what swarms of iniquities strange unthought of lusts appear And we shall all surely find this true in our selves when God shall have that work in hand of bringing us down to death the house appointed for all the living which all the saved ones must pass 2. This multitude come armed and provided against him with swords and staves and herein lies a great mystery if you were able to read it Thy rod and thy staff sustain me saith David The Enemy also he hath swords and staves to destroy and mind there are staves as well as swords Now staves are dull weapons and though they may bruise and batter yet they kill not and this is a great aggravation of the misery that the sword may not come alone suddenly to cut off and make an end but there are staves too that bruise and batter the Soul and yet touch not its life but it must hang in death And this Job cries out against O that I could find the grave then should I be at rest I but in those dayes it is said men shall seek death and it shall fly from them They cannot dye and this wonderfully adds to the misery that the Soul is wounded and cut and pierced and yet cannot reach to dye the staves keep off the sharpness of the Sword that it doth not quite kill The Sword of the spirit is the Word of God the true Light that the enemy makes use of that searches and cuts and judges and finds guilty every where and leaves no thought unjudged and this Sword would soon cut off where it let loose Thou writest bitter things against me saith Job and this though it be cruell yet it would seem easier to the Soul in that day and under that anguish if it might but go on to make an end then should I yet have comfort c. saith Job Iob 69 10. But there are staves too that keep off the blow from coming to the heart There are secret hopes from the Devil steal in and get up do the Soul what it can that so it cannot dye but lies thus miserably hattered to and fro and can get no wayes as David cries out Thou hast beset me behind and before that the Soul can neither get to God nor from God nor to death nor from death O Lord who can read the Riddle 3. This multitude lay hold on Christ and lead him away they are too potent and strong and he hath no might nor strength to withstand them This is your hour and the Power of darkness but it is the day of his weakness his wings are cut that he cannot get away He cries out I am a worm and no man a scorn and reproach