much upon that the most do consent that all the creatures are Angels The word it self signifies especially in this plaâ—e an ambassador or a messenger now all the creatures being so messengers or ambassadors from God they must needs all be Angels But if a man should speak now unto the wisest in Israel and tell them that God sent Angels into every womb there to frame and create the Infant would he not wonder But what if I should say that the very forming-power is an Angel This could not be digested yet it is true for every particular influence in every creature is an Angel observe this that never any one Angel was sent on two errands nor never any two Angels on one errand for all the whole creation do joyntly together sing the infinite praise of their most wise Creator there is not the wickedest man alive but sings and sounds forth Gods praise as much as the holiest though it may be against their wills for if they sing not the praise of his mercy yet they sing as much to his praise the glory of his Iustice. God makes even the very worst of his creaturs sing a part of his praise Ask the craggy Mountains what part they sing and they will tell you they sing the praise of the immutableness unchangeableness of God Ask the flowers of the field what part they sing and they will tell you they sing the wisdom and liberality of God who clothes them beyond Solomon in all his glory Ask the Sun Moon and Stars what part they sing they will say the constancy of Gods promises that they shall hold their course and not alter it Ask the poor received sinner what part he sings and he will tell you he sings the infinite free mercy of a most gracious Father And ask the wicked obstinate sinner what part he sings and he will tell you he sings the praise of his patience and Iustice. And truly my beloved not one creature but sings apart and yet all together all that ever were and that are and that ever shall be put all together yet they do not sing no not the thousand thousand part of this infinite eternal God As the Queen of Sheba when she came and heard Solomons wisdom she confessed that what she heard of him in her own Countrey although incredible yet it was not the tenth part of that she saw and heard so though all creatures sing Gods praise yet All and all if they were a thousand times more then they are yet they all do not yield the thousand thousand part of that honour and praise that is due to him for he hath all perfections in him and he also gives and distributes to the several creatures those several parts and portions they have As I have often told you the perfection of any one species cannot be known by any one individual And so Gods Church is a glorious Church taken not as being in any one member but in the compleat body As the perfections of a man cannot be known by any one man for if one man have wisdom another hath sobriety if one hath patience another man hath temperance so that the beauty of the Church cannot be known by any one member be it never so excellent If Abraham hath faith Iob hath patience if Ioseph hath chastness Moses hath meekness c. so that as you must not look for the perfections of a man in one man for if one be as fair as Absalom another is as proper as Saul if one hath proportion another hath sobriety c. so neither must we look to see the admirable perfection of the Spouse of Christ that is all fair and hath no spot by one member neither by all that are now living upon the earth or that were but look upon all that ever were are and shall be and adde to them their Head Christ and then it is a beautiful Church indeed and in her no spot at all So though every creature express God One one attribute another another and they speak his praise wonderfully yet they come infinitely shorr of him and though altogether they say somewhat yet not the tenth part of him not the tenth part of his Iustice not the tenth part of his patience not the tenth part of his Mercy c. One is sent to deliver a message of his love another a message of his justice another a message of his patience another a message of his liberality and bounty all of several errands and whatever message he sends any creature on he is alwayes just they all do but his will Though they sin and transgress and therein think they do their own will that makes it sin but they all do his wil therefore it is said Ps. 103. 20. Bless the Lord all ye hosts ye Angels that do his pleasure and although it be more properly spoken of those Angels that are invisible in the air in the heavens yet it may well be also applied to all creaturâ—â— for he hath made them very little lower then the Angels onely in the Angels below matter prevails above the form but in the Angels above form prevails over the matter for if our forms were not bounded and fastned to the earth by their matter even we should be as the Angels of God so that we should no sooner think or desire to be in any place were it never so far off but we should immediately be there for how soon can my spirit convey it self in thought thousands of miles but my body cannot be there but by times and succession of gradation and by steps The reason is because the form is imprisoned in the matter earth goes to earth and ashes to ashes and dust to dust naturally because it is its center but the spirit goes upward naturally the higher we go from the earth the more pure the elements and the nearer the earth the more gross the more dull the more sad and lumpish it is impossible that a heavy body should hang in the air for every thing tends and bend to his center if it be a heavy body it will fall downward the water is purer then the earth the air then the water the light then the air the fire then the light and so more and more spiritual till you come to him who is All Spiritual Spirit it self And for those Angels are out of our sight which are said to be in heaven you know there are degrees of them some are Angels some Archangels some Cherubims and some Seraphims 〈◊〉 therefore if you have observed it if ever ye saw Angels pictured they were drawn with compleat bodies from head to foot but yet to shew they are above a man and more spirit therefore they have alwayes wings which shew that they are above us in their Nature and are carried above our element but Arch-angels they are pictured with half bodies cut off at the middle with wings shewing that they are further off
all Helps All Prophesies tend to him and all actions end in him But in what sense is he here set out In this Vision T is true All actions are from him and all tend to him and end in him but all representations are not fit proper nor useful for all occasions in what sense therefore is this action or representation revealed in this place to Moses I Answer In effect this Vision was the same that Iacobs was the end of it was to encourage Moses in the work in hand Christ Jesus is often in Scripture compared to fire The light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy One for a flame It shall burn and devour his Briers and his Thorns in one day He was and is that Burning fire that burns and consumes every thing but not it self as you know fire doth Though it consumes every thing else yet it cannot consume it self nay indeed I may say Fire it burns every thing and consumes Nothing for fire doth but separate every thing to its own Element Air to Air Fire to Fire Earth to Earth and Water to Water Fire makes a change but there is nothing lost Such a Fire is Christ Jesus in this place who changes and alters things according as he pleaseth He it is that causes creatures to rise out of the Elements and creates them of the Elements and brings them All at his pleasure back again He Creates them and saith when he pleases not only Return again ye sons of Men but to all Creatures Return Return And so thousands of thousands of millions of ceatures have been and are daily Made of the same Elements and having continued their Creators pleasure they must dissolve return whence they came And out of That same matter successively creatures have been and are daily made Trees grow out of the earth and having fulfilled their work and their time they fall to the earth from whence they again arose All things are in a continual change Operation and Distillation Even as you see Water put into a glass put on the fire to still Being close stopt the vapors and the spirits ascend by heat To the very Top and the heat being allayed they fall and descend again Now observe There is a change made but there is nothing lost for being close stopt nothing could go out of the glass Even so Things are Altered Changed by Christ Jesus He makes Creatures of the Elements they Ascend and Descend but he consumes nothing for Whether should they go They cannot go out of the world And nothing They cannot be made but by God himself for All the creatures cannot bring the least Gnat to nothing This is an undeniable Maxime There is required the same power to Annihilate it as there was to Create it All the Kings in the earth cannot bring One creature to nothing if they should burn this body of mine to ashes and scatter the ashes in the air or cast them into the River Yet there is nothing lost of me but onely every Element hath its part to which it Returns Now I say Christ Jesus is this FIRE It is He that burns the Bush but consumes it not It is He as Iob saith that Turns them as wax to the seal You know wax is Altered and changed to any form and change it as often as ye will The Seal the Form you last gave it that stands till you destroy it and give it another So doth Jesus Christ of one and the same Elements doth he make and unmake and remake daily new forms and new impressions and that impression it last had That stands Till he cause it to Return till he unmake it and new make it again And I dare be bold to Affirm That if our great and glorious God should weigh the heavens and the earth now as he did at the making thereof For the Scripture saith He measured the waters in the Hollow of his Hand and comprehended The dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed The Mountains in Scales and The Hills in a Ballance I say it would be found That Nothing were lost For all he hath Created and Raised Made and Unmade Altered and changed All the whole world as he doth continually having raised thereout such infinite millions of thousands of men beasts trees c. and is still in changing and making them New and Unmaking them again yet I say If He Weigh the whole matter of Heaven and Earth of which they are made they would not weigh One Grain less or more then at the first Creation I say It is He that weighs the mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance It is He that measures the waters in the hollow of his hand It is He that Spans the heavens and Measures the earth he it is that alters all things And metes out his workmanship out of the four Elements and yet preserveth the substance thereof so that nothing is lost Behold I make all things new Rev. 21. yet he consumes nothing They all shall wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed And who is it That doth all this but onely Jesus Christ the Son of the Father who works all things according to the minde of his father who is always Changing always Renewing There is not one Creature be it never so glorious be it never so solid but it is still In changing no creature is One and the same not one minute onely God is One God is the Same there is no house no wall no stone no man no Angel no Arch-angel no Cherubim no Seraphim but is still in motion it is still changing Onely Thou O Lord God Blessed for ever Thou alterest not nor changest not Thy years are the same They shall perish but thou sâ—alt indure They all shall wax old and change as a garment and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Though some be so durable that they move not nor change not in our apprehension yet they do As you know the Dial is in continual motion though you perceive it not so Though to your weakness they are insensibly moved yet there cannot be Any thing at Rest and Unchangable but onely God Almighty Now then Moses unto whom God spake in this Sacramental Vision he saw what was the Meaning the Substance thereof t is as if the Lord should say Moses as thou seest me Externally Burn This Bush and consume it not the same am I in thee and in All things else And if I be So Present In every thing and with every thing what needest thou to fear what needest thou to fear thine own inability what needest thou to fear Pharaohs hard-heartedness what needest thou to fear the Peoples believing and obeying thee If I be with thee and with them what needest thou doubt of any thing though thou seest things cross
the shell of the Letter except we go further and Iesus Christ opens the seals and shews us the life the marrow That which except it be given to us we cannot understand And therefore the Apostle flatly denies all other knowledge 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 16. for saith he the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them Wherefore saith he in the 16. verse henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we had known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more What may be the meaning of this blessed Apostle thus seemingly to sleight the very body of Jesus Christ In all probability he never saw the body of Jesus Christ upon earth in that 33 years he lived here except he had a vision of him as he marched to Damascus when he was smitten from his horse His meaning therefore must needs be If we know Christ after the Letter never so exactly the whole history of him what avails it Our knowledge of Jesus Christ must be internal spiritual experimental to live unto him that dyed for them if a man be not as the Apostle saith in the succeeding verses made a new creature altered and changed according to Christ in the inward man so that he lives no longer to himself but to him that dyed for him so that all old things are past away and all things are become new so that there is by the mighty power of Jesus Christ a new man begotten in us as the Apostle saith My beloved of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in yoâ— This is indeed that Christ that died for us else Christ dyed not for us his cross is of no effect he dyed in vain to us T is not all the knowledge and believing that ever thou canst attain to of an external Christ will do thee any good without a Christ begotten within thee a Christ in experience Hath any man gotten or attained though by much pains and industry any taste any knowledge of Christ otherwise it is but old things old knowledge old learning attained by the power of the old man fot self-ends And all old things must pass away saith the Apostle That knowledge that was conveyed to us by our parents or by our School-masters let it be what it will or by whom it will by all the Catechisms and Books that can be made and that we are able to apply them to our lives according to the Letter t is all but old things old knowledge as the young man in the Gospel he knew the law and had kept all those things from his youth but he failed in point of self-denial he obeyed from old powers and to old ends And although we had all knowledge and all power and all conformity in this regard before Christ be created in the heart it must all pass away This is that knowledge that we cannot depend on This is that knowledge that the Apostle regards not he esteems it Nothing let it be never so glorious and splendent and though all the world hath received it and in their words own it though in practise they renounce it he counts it all dross and dung Why St. Paul what manner of knowledge then is it that thou wilt know nothing besides it And that is the second thing he answers it himself in this chapter Lo if ye are able to understand saith he so that the god of this world hath not blinded your eyes we do speak wisdom even the hidden wisdom of God yet in a mystery not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world which comes to nought indeed this wisdom it tends not to outward pomp not to riches nor honour nor the setting up of men and parts but we speak wisdom to those that are perfect to those whom Jesus Christ hath pulled off the scales from their eyes What mystery is it to know Jesus Christ his death and resurrection outwardly and all the circumstances Will this faith save you No but to those that know no more we are very fools and they can see no wisdom in our words The carnal man knoweth not the Profound the Deep things of God neither indeed can he because they are spiritually discerned But he that can divide these waters shall have dry and firm ground to walk on and over Iordan safely He that can crack the shell those can rellish and digest these precious mysteries And to those they are the preciousest dainties in heaven and earth they are the sweetest excellencies wherein their souls can live and die these are the souls which delight themselves in Fatness undervaluing the world and all things therein as seeing them lean and empty things But to the carnal man and he that will go no farther then the Letter these truths we now speak of are the unrelishablest the tasteless est the sapless est meat you can give them we pour but water in their shoes ye cannot please them worse then when you talk of these things or preach of these things because ye are out of their element t is as unwelcome and as Nauseous as a câ—p of cold water they are sick of such doctrine To tell them that they must be killed and slain their own knowledge their own lives must be crucified they must no longer have their own desires their own wils their own affections but must be content to cross themselves in every thing and to take up their cross dayly and follow Christ else they cannot be his Disciples oh here is vinegar and gall ye are the unwelcomest men to them in the world they cry with the Jews Our soul is weary of this light meat give us somewhat that we can feel give us some ponderous thing some comfortable thing somewhat that our senses may see and feel good Alas this is not the Heaven we look for Can we think it a happiness to be destroyed to be killed and crucified Give us such a Christ and such a Heaven as is good to our outward man who will let us have credit and honour and riches such a Christ that we may believe in who died so many years ago that will save us outwardly such a Christ that will be good to my eyes to my hands and to my feet to my back and to my belly such a Christ as will save us if we do but externally and litterally believe in him and will let us have our own wils and speak our own words and please our affections and save our souls at last I marry Sir Here is a Christ indeed this is such a Christ as all the world would have But give me leave to tell you This is a Christ of thine own making this Christ which thou speakest of
see light Psal. 36. 9. all other light is but darkness till we come to see things by this light we see them all by a False light every thing is of quite contrary colour in the light that we thought it to be in the dark The light discovers every thing as it is but till this light be come into the soul we believe not that we are in Darkness we think we have as true a light as can be will you make us believe we are blind Saith the Pharisee to Christ but say they quite contrary In my light we shall see light however some may be in darkness we are in the light neither can they be perswaded there is any better light then their own light As for example there be several things that live in the two Elements as those on the earth and those in the water those that be in the water cannot see things on land as they are t is true they have a light but it is a false light things are not represented to them as they are because there is water between the sight and the thing but those that live on the land they see things as they are there is no obstacle between them and the things they look on neither can those on the land see things in the water on the same reason So it is in our spiritual estate there be those that live in two Elements in the light of Nature and in the light of Grace those that live in the first they think there is no better light nor there can be no better for think they Are not we the onely men do not we live obedient to the Laws and seek to do justice and equity towards all and pay every man his own do not we live uprightly do not we govern justly and uprightly and according to Gods Laws do not we bridle sin and sinners that they run not into that excess of riot that some do do not we also submit our selves to authority over us and walk honestly in our places and live peaceably with all men These men these are the men I say they live in the water they have but a duskish glimmering light though they thus boast themselves nothing appears truly to them they think themselves in a very good case there is no better light then theirs and those that think there is they are deceived They know that they are in the good way those that will seek for any better light they think their forwardness will quite put out their light And those that are below them they think those are in as bad case They know not what will become of Swearers and Cheaters and Drunkards and Whoreâ—ongers c. If it were possible it should go ill with us what should become of the multitude say they O Beloved all this is False light For If once you go about to measure your selves by others let them be who they will be you will be found too scanty When God shall come to weigh you in the ballance of the sanctuary you will be found too light God will not weigh us by the holiest men but by his own weights he will not judge thee by thy light but by his own light And if once this bright light be lighted up in the soul The light of the candle shall never need to shine in that soul more there needs neither the light of the Sun nor the Moon for the glory of God shines in it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 22. 5. But the Armour of this False light is Reason whatever seems good to reason that is good and if you cannot shew them a reason it cannot be good for say they as Nabal said to David who was so wicked a man could not speak to him saith the Text is it reason that I should take my victuals that I have prepared for my Sheep-shearers and give unto strangers 1 Sam. 25. 11. Is it not reason I should take notice of my gifts and graces that God hath bestowed upon me of my wisdom of my understanding of my memory which God hath given me of my labours and attainments above another take heed take heed I pray thee this may cost thee thy life 〈…〉 to cost Nabal his had not wise Abigail come and met David if Gods wisdom doth not come and prevent thy reason and thy wisdom they will destroy thee Object Why is that any hurt to make a difference where God hath made a difference I see I have these gifts above another and I praise God for them what shall I deny the good things that God hath given me no no by no means Answ. But glorying herein will undo thee and besides is this giving honour one to another as the Apostle commands Rom. 12. 10. In honour preferring one another and accounting thy self the least Read that Rev. 18. 23. Thy Merchants were the great men of the earth for by thy Sorceries were all Nations deceived The Apostle commands Not to mind High things but to condescend to men of low estate Nor be not wise in your own conceits The twelfth name is Darkness Why are we in darkness we have the light and have had it these seventy years and 〈◊〉 if any Nation in the world are free from this name we are we have the light as well as you You may indeed go teach this to the Indians and the Salvages and to those that know not God to those that live in the Antipodes that go feet to feet with us they may perhaps believe this Doctrine and oonfess themselves guilty but you shall never make us believe it concerns us Beloved whatever you think That you have the light know it you are in darkness as in Ephes. 4. 18. Having their understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart And as our Saviour saith if the light that is in you be darkness how great is that darkness That is when men boast of light and yet are in darkness when they are proud of darkness how great is that darkness they call good evil and evil good they call sweet sowre and sowre sweet That which men and flesh calls good that they call good what nature and reason sayes is good that is good and onely good but God calls that evil which they call good and contrary that good which they call evil Therefore saith the Apostle Fashion not your selves according to the world call not that good which the world calls good which this corrupt flesh sayes is good saith it wealth is good and health is good and fair weather is good and pleasure is good do not men say the same do not Heathens say the same therefore this is darkness yea Egyptian darkness that may be FELT If you were not overcome with Darkness And the Armour of this Darkness is love of darkness and
you have as really found done in you as if you had been with Sampson himself and seen him do what is related of him for t is all done in you There be two names more but the time is past and I can but name them The nineteenth name is Sathan for he opposeth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped And his armour is Infidelity The twentieth is the Evil one and his armour is pleasure to do evil So much for this time SERMON V. ROM 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together IF we would know what these sufferings are we are to endure if we would be glorified with Christ said I to endure nay that we should be glad to entertain yea and rejoyce in it is not meant of scorn or scandal or poverty or imprisonment or whipping or death it self for then what shall become of them that never suffer any of these things and yet do suffer with Christ therefore I told you wherein every one must suffer with Christ if they will be glorified with him and that is in two things 1 In Emptying of himself 2 In humbling himself If we imitate him in these though we are not called to the former it is no matter so we be ready in affection and are in preparation to suffer them if we be called to them for those two are the Original of Christs sufferings the foundation the root The Fountain all His other outward and external sufferings are but the effects the leaves and the fruit From these two do all the rest stream and flow as from the Spring their Fountain and Well-Head Well then This Ground-work and Corner-stone being laid Let me tell you it will bear All it will bear any building God shall rear upon it and wanting this foundation though we suffer all poverty all disgrace all tortures that can be named yet we suffer not with Christ and therefore they will not nor cannot bring you to glory with him And Again let me tell you The least mite of sufferings though it be never so smal yea as small as the two mites being but half a farthing the poor widow offered coming from this foundation and fountain it is great and precious in Gods sight for it is from God and of God when as all tortures name what you can are not regarded by him without they come from this foundation and Principle And as I told you there be six degrees in these sufferings or six steps Typified by the six steps that led unto Solomons Throne These six steps we must ascend before we can sit down in the Throne of rest peace and perfection having overcome all our enemies and having brought all into subjection and that all things are put under Christs feet and that he rules in the midst of his enemies And made his Enemies his Footstool The first Blessed step is 1. Condemnation of our selves as worthy to be destroyed 2. Annihilation of our selves reducing ourselves to just nothing That whereas sin hath made us something in our own esteem and it hath built up a tower in us to reach up to heaven Grace may scatter it And confound our language and bring it again to nothing 3. Abdication or for saking all resigning up all to God all that ever we are or have 4. Indifferency to be equally disposed to every thing to want and riches to cold weather and hot to peace and war c. knowing that nothing can be better ordered then it is All being done according to his will 5. Conformity to Christ in all things that what ever Christ would do were he on earth in my case in my calling and condition the same do we 6. Deiformity that is That though you see us move wish affect will rejoyce c. yet it is not we but it is God doeth all it is God that moves it is God that wishes it is God that wills it is God that rejoyces And we are now come after much striving to set out foot upon the first step namely Condemnation of our selves confessing our own vileness and wreâ—chedness for so far as we justifie and approve oâ—r selves so far are we from ascending this first step of condemning our selves Friends I would not have you think my labour lost in opening those several names That kept us from ascending â—hese steps for if ever you ascend these yoâ— muâ—â— see those things all in your selves and they 〈◊〉 be removed before ever you can look towards these steps with so much as a purpose to ascend them If you have not lookt all this while within your selves and lookt to find there The Devil Sin the red Dragon the Serpent Lucifer the roaring Lion Antichrist c. my labour is lost I have but be at the air and spilt water on the ground And it is but a folly to proceed to open these steps for as ye understand not the One so neither can you the Other they are both to you As a fountain walled about and a spring shut up and as a book Sealed And he that after all this is not able apparently to see and confess that all these are in himself he is blind and sees nothing The subject of our Coudemnation Being The strong Man The Old man This Goliahâ— of Gath c. as you may remember we have arraigned and indicted him by several Names because he may not escape and shift off the indictment so that he may be accused arraigned and condemned in every heart here present that if you find him not by one name yet you may by some other either by the name of Adam or the old Man or the Serpent or Lucifer or the red Dragon or the Roaring Lion or the Devil or Antichrist or Sin or by the name of Rebellion or False Light or Darkness or the Flesh or Selfness or Propriety or Self-Love or our Own will or lastly by the name of Errour For we shewed you that in Scripture he had all these names with many more if he be not known by any One of these yet by them all you may know him But lest you should think you have no Commission to ride this Circuit and sit as Judge and say Quis me constituit judicem Luk. 12. 14. Who made me a judge I answer We have not onely a Commission but a Promise annexed to it to encourage us to this judging 1 Cor. 11. where the Apostle commands Iudge your selves and you shall escape the judgement of God and Christ himself gives out this Commission annexed with a Promise Iudge your selves and ye shall not be judged But know this also though this work be done in thee it is not thou that doest it but God is judge himself yet God himself judgeth no man but all judgement is committed to the Son Ioh. 5. 22. and not onely the sentence but power and authority to execute that Office belongs to
ascribed to him He gave them favour and he hardened the heart of Pharaoh and He bid Shimei curâ—e David and the like Be assured whatever clashing and dashing thou observest in the world So as to thy thinking all will come to Nought and Miscarry yet be assured He it is that keeps all Guides all from dashing one against another but so far as his wisdom will have it so and it must be so for the accomplishment of his most holy ends O therefore let Vain man and his ignorance Nay his wisdom and his will stoop yea stoop to the very dust before him and leave all to him and be afraid To Censure His doings or to say concerning the Almighty Such an action was not well done Such a man O it were well if he were Removed Oh! he doth a great deal of hurt Oh! let him be cut off Oh! Beloved know God Almighty is a God of Infinite wisdom and art thou wiser then he must it needs be as thou conceivest no no you are deceived submit your judgements to him Expand and give up your selves and all you are and have to his Wisdom and Soveraignity and do not once dare to oppose that Infinite Infinite Wisdom of God in comparison of whose wisdom all the wisdom of all men and Angels put together is but folly before him He chargeth his Angels with folly and the Heavens are unclean in his sight what art thou then Poor Crawling worm to lift up thy self in his presence But thus to see God Doing all This is that Moses saw by the eye of faith in this Burning Bush It is He that Overturns the world It is He that burns every Creature New-forms and New-shapes The whole Universe He is that Great Potter that makes destroys and Re-makes at his pleasure what vessels he pleaseth He maketh vessels of honour and dishonour He alters and changes every Creature New-moulds and New-makes all and yet he destroys nothing And know this and set to thy seal that whatever He doth He cannot but do all things well superlatively well so well as it cannot be better And hereby the Lord will also set His seal to this soul so that He and It are so joyned together and made One that they will never part But he that looks upon the bare vision in the bare letter he cannot see these things What is it to him that Moses saw the vision That is gone and past But dost thou see what Moses saw Dost thou see all acted altered and changed by him Dost thou see Him alone doing all That it is He that Vn-makes and New-makes That it is He that makes men yong and makes men Old That it is He that bringeth to the grave and turneth man to destruction and saith at his pleasure return again ye sons of men That it is He that maketh and formeth man and all Creatures and bringeth them back again to their first principles and thereof Creates Raiseth and re-makes new Creatures Dost thou Thus see That the whole Universe is but a Body acted and guided by one soul by one spirit And that it is nothing else but a Carcase moved and led up and down by one spirit And that He is the substance of all and of every Creature the meanest the smallest the vilest as well as of the most glorious Dost thou see HIM in the midst of all this changing and tumbling up and down That it is He that destroys and preserves all things Unmakes Re-makes as the Potter doth and yet the clay is the same but that it is he which is still producing new forms Dost thou see that it is He that doth all these things that it is He that preserves all and weighs all so that nothing is lost For did not he Preserve all entire in themselves every element in its Property and Nature and keep them within their own bounds which is His Excelling glory they would presently devour and Overcome one another Fire if it did predominate were not bounded it would turn all things into Fire it would make all things like it self And so of Water it would turn all to Water and so of the rest But he hath set them their bounds which they cannot pass hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed So that he keeps all things Entire in their own Element and every thing in its Proper place And in all this change or alteration and tumbling of the elements together Herein is His power seen That there is nothing lost nor diminished Dost thou see all this and that it is He that ruleth the Nations and that it is He alone that reigneth and that HE commandeth and ordereth the affairs of Princes all Nations and that all the Kings of the earth are in his hands My times are onely in thine hand saith David And know though thou thinkest That Kings and Rulers and others walk according to their Own wills and contrary to thine and thou art therefore offended yet know They all walk according to my will and pleasure saith God and though thou and they think otherwise and though they have no such purpose to obey my will but to please themselves and fulfil their own wills and not mine yet I have them so in my hand that they shall all in the end serve to my praise glory yea even in that they think they serve themselves and their own ends Poor Ignorant souls Alas when as they glory and pride themselves in their great pomp attendance and command and think that it is They that Rule when as they see not Psal. 66. 7. that it is He that ruleth by his power for ever and ever And Dan. 4. 17. The most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of men He it is alone that doth whatsoever He will and not they wil He sendeth the sword giveth it a Commission The Sword never awakes Till he say awake O sword And t is said of our Saviour That he came to bring peace unto men Luk. 2. 14. Peace on earth and good will towards men And yet our Saviour saith again Matth. 10. 34. I come not to send peace but a sword and vers 35. I am come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in Law against her mother in Law c. what strange contradictions are here What flesh and blood can reconcile these Scriptures yet both very true Again dost thou see That it is he that shall change these our vile bodies and make them like the glorious body of Iesus Christ Phil. 3. 21. Jesus Christ will purifie thoâ—â— that cleave to him and purifie them like unto himself Fire I told you never rests working and purifying till it hath brought All things to be as pure as it self So That Divine Fire Jesus Christ will never leave purifying and cleansing His people till he
6. Did he heal the sick and diseased give light to the blind open the ears of the deaf untie the tongues of the dumb feed the hungry preach teach to pray sigh and groan and weep reprove with Authority Was he hungry and thirsty and went up and down doing good Was He Arraigned and condemned under Pontius Pilate did he dye rise again ascend into Heaven and sit at the right hand of his Father All these are true So let us in all these mind that these mighty works be done in our souls that they be cured from the putrified sores of sin and lusts Isa. 1. 6. and from our spiritual leprosie and cry Open thou O Lord mine eyes that I sleep not the sleep of death Psal. 13. 3. We should labour and pray that our understandings may be enlightned that we may have The seeing eye and Hearing ear to confess and praise him with our tongues that they may speak the language of Canaan and say Open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise And that we should hunger after righteousness and be watchful in prayer sigh and groan and weep for sins committed against God Mine eyes gush out with tears Psa. 119. O that my head was a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night c. Jer. 9. 1. Reprove and rebuke and loath our selves as Iob I do abhor my self Job 42. 6. Do good especially to those of the houshold of faith Condemn and accuse and judge our selves I called mine own ways to account saith David I dye daily saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. Christ rose again Arise and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 4. And so we should rise again to newness of life If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above Col. 3. 1. He ascended and so do we when our conversation is in Heaven He sits at the right hand of his Father All power is given unto me Mat. 28. 18. Now I live saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ in me And Jesus Christ cast out Devils too and so must we cast out spirtiual wickedness in high places All these are the works of Christ in us and happy are we if we can truly say This day are these Scriptures fulfilled in us But must our Saviour cast out Devils in us what in me If an Angel should tell me so I cannot believe it and I would ask with the Virgin Mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How can this thing be Luk. 1. 34. If our Saviour himself should tell me 't is and must be so and except I cast the Devils out of thee thou canst not be saved I should ask him as Nicodemus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How can it be Ioh. 3. 4 For where is there any Devils in me to be cast out Just so Peter said to our Saviour Ioh. 13. 8. Thou shalt never waâ—h my feet but certainly as our Saviour then told Peter Except I waâ—h thee thou hast no part in me So in this case except he cast out the Devils they are in us still for Beelzebub will not cast out Beelzebub But it may be Here you wil say to me as the Jews said to Christ Iohn 7. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainly thou hâ—st a Devil To tell us such strange things To make us believe that we are Possest For this purpose it will be necessary to see what the Devil is for that which is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An unclean spirit in Luk. 4. 33. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Spirit of an unclean Devil Devils for substance are Angels for quality Evil ones or Angels of darkness A man is in substance a man though Evil and his Evilness of quality doth not make him lame or blind or deformed There are secondly many good Angels as our Saviour testifies More then twelve Legions of Angels Mat. 26. 33. And there are many bad Angels My Name is Legion for we are many Mark 5. 9. Whereas 't is said of both of them that they are spirits 't is true it taken comparatively not positively or simply for this word spirit hath divers Acceptions in Scriptuâ—e As 1. Spirit is taken for the Air Ve-ruach The Spirit of the Lord rested upon the waters Gen 1. 2. 2. 'T is taken for the Wind Ve-ruach The East wind brought in the Locusts Exod. 10. 13. 3. 'T is taken for the spirit of life All flesh died in which was Ruach the spirit of life Gen. 6. 17. 4. For the immortal part of man Ve-ruach The spirit of man returns to God that gave it Eccl. 12. 7. 5. For the purpose and mind of man Kol-rucho A fool opens and speaks all his mind or spirit Prov. 25. 11. 6. For the influences of the spirit As I will take of the spirit that is in thee and put it on them Num. 11. 17. 1. So then Devils are Angels yet different from good Angels Yet not in substance power strength agility or the like but in that one accident of Evil Therefore they are called Evil Angels Psal. 78. 49. And Angels that sinned 2 Pet. 2. 4. And The Devils Angels Mat. 25. 41. and Angels of Darkness Good and evil Angels differ not then in substance but in quality 2. The Devils are spirits who maketh his Angels spirits Heb. 1. 7. And so in the words of my Text The Unclean Spirit But yet they are spirits comparatively or respectively not simply or positively for so onely God is a Spirit it is his peculiar Title Iohn 4. 24. And as God is a Spirit so he is called the Father of spirits Heb. 12. 9. 3. They are Bodies But not Natural or Terrestrial but Spiritual and Celestial 1 Cor. 15. 40 44. Non ut nos yet have not bodies as we have So speaks the Nycene Synod Corpora multo tenuiora quam natura But much more subtile bodies have they then we not so gross and heavy as ours are but more Aerial and sublime so speak the Greek and Latine Father for God is Onely Incorporeal Yet know this That their Corporiety or Materiality hinders not the being of many in one place As a whole Legion in one person Mark 5. 9. and seven Devils were cast out of Mary Magdalen for the Penetration of bodies spiritual is not As of bodies Terrestrial For As the light of many Candles through One hole they are to our senses confounded yet in themselves distinct like the lightning from East to West Luk. 17. 24. And as all the Sun-beams make but one JUBAR till received by several subjects so is it with spiritual bodies 5. That every Devil is As the Star of His ORB as concentring of light to our sight is of things near or far off Ibi est ubi operatur There