persecuteth him that is born after the Spirit In the First of these verses Jerusalem above is said to be the Mother of us all In the Second these All us are expounded to be the Children of Promise In the Third verse the same persons are described by being born after the Spirit This Phrase of being born after the Spirit is fully explained by that of Jesus Christ from whence it seemeth to be taken John 3. That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit To be born after the Spirit and of the Spirit signifie both the same thing Is it not then evident that the Jerusalem above which is free which is the mother of all the Spiritual Seed is the Eternal Spirit after which a Saint is born that is of this Spirit and in the Image of this Spirit where there is Liberty 2 Corin. 4. Now lay the Third Scripture by these two Heb. 12. 22. We are come to Mount Sion the Heavenly Hierusalem the City of the living God to the Millions of Angels the general Assembly to the Church of the First-born written in Heaven to the Spirits of just men made perfect to God to Jesus Christ. Before we Saw Hierusalem above and the Spirit now we see Mount Sion and the Heavenly Hierusalem to be the same Is it not then an infallible demonstration that Sion and the Holy Spirit are One as the Type and the Truth Can any other be the living City of the living God where all the Holy Angels the First-born of the Father the Spirits of all Saints as well on Earth as in Heaven Jesus Christ in his Mediatory Kingdom the Father upon the Throne of Judicature meet and appear together in the full liberty of Eternal Light Love and Joy besides the Unity of the Spirit which is the Sweet and Sacred band between the two Glorious Persons in the Trinity between all pure Spiritual Divine Beings above and below This is the Spring and Immortal Seat of them all 2. We have in this place another Person set forth by this bright and lovely Character the Perfection of Beauty We may discover our own Beloved and Bridegroom the Lord Jesus under this Title if we bring to it the Lights of two other Scriptures shining like this by his Appearance in them In Heb. 1. 3. He is stiled the Brightness of Glory Is not this the same as to say The Perfection of Beauty 2 Corin. 4. 6. God hath shined in our hearts unto the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face or Person of Jesus Christ Can Face answer Face in a Glass more exactly than these Two Scriptures answer one another In both you have God God shining in one you have God shining from the Perfection of Beauty in the other God shining with a Light of Glory in the Face or Person of Christ. God in all the Creatures whether they be Visible or Invisible casts forth Shadows only of Himself Then he appeareth in the Perfection of Beauty when he appeareth in the Person of Christ as Light in the Body of the Sun 3. But why are these two so joyned as if they were the same Thing from Sion the perfection of Beauty I will not examine whether we may not disjoyn them in reading by putting in between them and or in Particles frequently understood from Sion and or in the Perfection of Beauty God shineth This needeth not There is plainly a difference between the English and the Hebrew The Hebrew runneth word for word thus From Sion from the Perfection of Beauty God hath shined So you have the Three Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity clearly distinguished and united in this shining of the God-Head The Father shineth from the Spirit his holy hill of Sion from the Person of Christ the Perfection of Beauty These Two Persons are placed here as One in Another a Globe of Light in a Globe of Light and the Father shining from them both to awaken in us this great and glorious Truth that the Persons of the Sacred Trinity have their Perfection in each other and are ever undivided when they appear nakedly in their proper Forms The whole Trinity is the Crown of Beauty upon every one of them In particular Jesus Christ never appears as the Perfection of Beauty but when he and the Spirit appear both in One 2 Cor. 3. from the 14th to the end you read of a vail upon the Face of Moses the Person of Christ in the Type then of a vail upon the Hearts of the Jews These are both the same vail For the vail is never upon the Person of Christ properly and simply but upon the Eye of our Spirits as the Cloud is never upon the Body of the Sun but upon our Corporeal Eyes For as that doth in the midst of its world so doth the Person of Christ in the midst of all things ever comprehend and contemplate himself and all things in the simple and pure Light of his own naked Beauties But then in the same place we read that the Vail is taken away in Christ and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty that is freedom from the Vail Christ is seen unvailed in his naked Glories It is added Now the Lord is that Spirit Then mention is made in the last verse of beholding the Glory of the Lord with open Face that is Eye to Eye the naked Eye of our Souls to the naked Eye of his Beauties every Spirit being all Eye The verse is closed thus as by the Spirit of the Lord or more agreeably to the Greek as of the Lord the Spirit I have alledged all this to make it plain to you and to seal it upon your understandings and memories that Jesus Christ is then only seen in his true Person and shape without a vail when he is seen in the Spirit when Christ and the Spirit are seen as two distinct Persons in One. Sion the Type of the Spirit signifieth Vision Hierusalem the Figure of the same Spirit the Heavenly Hierusalem is by interpretation the Heavenly Vision of Heavenly Perfection and Peace The Lord Jesus is the Perfection of Beauty the Heavenly Harmony of all things the Peace of all Hearts and Desires The Person of the Spirit is the Heavenly Vision of this Heavenly Perfection By the way observe that the Holy Ghost speaks in this 50 Psal. of the Day of Judgement the Second and last Coming and Appearance of our Lord and Saviour after which he shall go away and disappear no more See here what manner of Appearance this is in what State in what Form the King of Glory comes to the Marriage of his Bride and to reign upon the Earth He comes in a Spiritual and Divine Form in the Person of the Spirit The Eternal Spirit is an anointing of Beauty upon the whole Person of our Beloved He again is a Sun of Beauty looking forth in the Person of Spirit Nay the
which the Angels drink in rich Discoveries of God the Glories and sweetnesses of the Divine Nature which are there poured forth immediately from their Fountain which are that Wine of Love with which Christ and his Spouse entertain each other O the Dignity O the Delights of a Holy Soul Angels sing to it Angels pry into its Beauties and Joys Angels draw the Waters of their blissful Light and Life from this Well The Sounds Operations Lives Essences of Angels are only a Musick Songs of Love and Joy to the beloved Soul and her Bride-groom in their Union In this sense Christ and a Saint in their Spiritual Glory ride together upon the Cherubims The Angels are made as perfumed gales of Wind on which they Flie Flames of a Divine Fire of Love Joy and Glory which continually spring up shine before them and round about them penetrate thorow all things converting all things into the same Ministerial Brightnesses and Harmonies of an Immortal Life and Love under their Feet But there is another passage worth our observation before we leave the Title to this Psalm To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim Shoshannim was an Instrument of six strings upon which the Tune to this Song was plaid If there be as Divines say Tot Mysteria quot Apices so many Mysteries as points of words letters or Marks in the Holy Scripture we may well believe this six-stringed Instrument to allude to the Creation made up of the several Works of six several Days He that hath Eyes to see what the Spirit doth and Ears to hear the Sound of the Spirit understands this great frame to be a well-tuned Instrument of so many strings as there are Creatures in it the whole Composure of Providence from the beginning of the world to the end of it this Song of Loves plaid upon it by Jesus Christ to his Heavenly Bride whose Spiritual senses see the Harmonious and Delicate Motions of his Hand upon every string and take in with unexpressible delight the ravishing Melody Shoshannim signifies also the six-leaved Lilly Can. 2. 1. It is doubtful whether the Holy Spirit speak in the Person of Christ or the Church when he saith in his Song I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Valleys It is generally understood of Christ. In that Mysterious History of Esther as Esther Mordecai the Jews so the City Shushan the City of the Lilly represent the Church of Christ in general or each holy Soul in particular Interpreters here apply the Lilly to the Bride It is in the plural number Lillies and the clause may be rendred concerning the Lillies So the Subject of this Song of Loves is signified to us Jesus Christ and his beloved Bride two Lillies upon the same Root Flourishing with the same Beauties smiling Reflections each of other Either of them with his six leaves comprehends in itself the perfections of the whole Creation in their Original Purities and Sweetnesses Both alike in that Spiritual Image in which they are united are to the variety of Creatures as the Seventh Day to the other six a Bed of Rest and Delights with a Canopy of Glory their Rest Sanctification and Blessedness But it is time to pass from the Title to the Psalm itself The first verse is a Preparation to the matter contained in the Song It consists of Three Parts 1. The Flame and fulness of the Author My heart enditeth a good matter The word Enditeth is used only this once Some expound it boileth with a good matter and make it an allusion to Meat-offering in the Sanctuary prepared by fire in a Frying-pan So the eternal Spirit which is Love hath the place of the Holy Fire The Heart is the Frying-pan The Excellencies of Jesus Christ in his own Person and his Brides with their mutual Affections and Joyes are the Meat-offering Some interpret this Boiling by the bublings and wellings forth of a Fountain Thus the Chrystalline Waters of the Light Life and Beauties of Christ mingled with the Heavenly Fire of his Love are the Sea The Heart is the Spring into which this Sea by Invisible Tracts and hidden Passages conveyeth its flowing Treasures which from thence pour themselves forth into rich pleasant and plentiful Streams 2. The Excellency of the Subject I speak of the things which I have made touching the King This King is called God and seated upon the Throne of Eternity v. 6. which verse is cited and applied to Jesus Christ as he comes the second time into the World attended by all his holy Angels after his Resurrection and Ascent to the Throne of his Father This is the King this is the Bridegroom and the Beloved of the Soul Jesus cloathed with the Royal garment of his Divine Nature crowned with the Glory of the Father perfumed with all the good ointments of the Holy Ghost 3. The Power by which the Author is inspired in the composing of this Song My Pen is the Tongue of a ready Writer Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2. Pet. 1. 21. As the Son is the Wisdom Power and Glory of the Father So the Holy Ghost is the Love of the Father and Son he is called by the name of Charity or Love 1 Cor. 13. v. 1. 8. He is that Love by which God and a Saint dwell one in another as Love is described to be the Union between the Lover and the beloved Object So he is spoken of 1 John 4 16. God is Love He that dwells in Love dwells in God and God dwells in him It is the Inspiration of this Holy Spirit of Love by which this Song of Loves was penned My Heart is enditing a good matter My heart is full boileth up and floweth forth with a good matter sweet beautiful and profitable This Heart represents every Member of Christ which all have one and the same Spirit These words thus opened afford us this Doctrine 1. Doct. A good Heart is a Treasury of good things Matth. 12. 35. A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good Things A Treasure or Treasury implyeth two things 1st A Place A good Heart is a Treasury like Heaven in three respects 1. It is great and spatious It comprehends all things within itself It hath nothing above it or without it to shut it up and confine it 2. It is of a shâ—â—â—ing and glorious Substance made of Light 3. It is incorruptible immoâ—â— impregnable No Thief can there break in to steal No moth or rust consumes There is no Principle of corruption or decay within No power from without can prevail there 2. Precious things laid up in this Heavenly Heart make it a good Treasury All the precious things of the Sun and Moon of the Heavens above and the deep below are here Here are Eden and Paradise Gen. 2. 10. A River went out of Eden to water the Garden The Jews observe from this place that there are two Paradises a
this Light is a Divine Wonder a Divine Mystery Incomprehensible for the greatness of the Glory to sense and reason but familiar and plain to the Spiritual Eye as bred up with it and continually before it known to it from the Beginning The Spiritual Bride meeteth her beloved here with all his Beauties in this Light and kisseth him as her Brother as born of the same Mother There is no strangeness between them This Light is indeed the Temple the Palace of the God-Head of Eternity The Father and Christ are here upon the Throne of their Kingdom in the Glory of their Divine Nature But a Saint is a Royal Priesthood a King and a Priest So he is taken in called by God into this Sacred Palace and Temple to behold the Beauties to contemplate the vertues of both the Father and the Son that they may declare them by the Divine Power of their words and the Beauty of Holiness which is the Sun-shine of the Divine Nature in their Lives We are now by this Circuit of Scriptures brought back to that First on which we grounded this Second Branch of our Rule and for the explication of which we have taken this compass If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Who are these that have Fellowship one with another St. John had said before These things we write that you may have Fellowship with us And truly our Fellowship is with the Father and the Son v. 3. Philosophers tell us that we must come within all the Beams of the Sun to the Body of the Sun itself if we will see the Sun in his true and proper Glory Some speak of a Blessed world in the Sun the Rarities and Beauties of which are seen only by the Inhabitants of the Sun Gods own Light is a Divine World in which the Father the Son all the Saints dwell together eternally have their proper life of Divine Sweetness and Blessedness appear in their proper Forms of Divine Purity and Beauty If ye will be admitted into this Society to a sight of these you must go beyond you must come within every Light of the Creature all Beams into the Bosom of God himself into the Brightness of the Divine Essence which is the Living-looking-Glass of the Holy Trinity Here you shall see your Jesus as he is You shall see him as you are seen by him For now the Blood of Christ cleanseth you from all Sin This Light of the Divine Nature which is the Light of Life and the Spirit Himself is the Blood of Jesus eminently in the vertue of it as it is Incorruptible This is that which poureth forth itself thorow the Humane Nature into the lowest Forms of Dust Darkness Wrath and Death in the place of Sinners as a Ransom of Infinite value This is that Precious Blood of the true Vine which when Justice and Wrath have drunk of they are satisfied sweeetned and changed into Grace and Glory an over-spreading Loveliness and an overflowing Love This is that Blood in which the Life is which as it is let forth in Death wrappeth up all things in it self washeth them from filth and flesh then riseth up again as high as its own Spring in the Heart of the Father and carrieth up all things with it self into the Newness of the Glory of God Nothing is so directly contrary to the Divine Light as Sin Therefore it is expressed by Darkness and the Night As the Light of the Day cleanseth all Forms of things from the Darkness of the Night which lay upon them that now they have fellowship one with another mingle their Beams and Beauties with mutual Joy so doth this Blood of the Lamb the Light shining in the Person of Christ when it breaketh forth from the Shades of Death in the morning of the Resurrection sanctifie the Heavenly things themselves bring forth from under every cloud stain and dust the Heavenly Persons of a Saint of Jesus Christ of God the Heavenly Truths and Lives of all Things that they may in the Unity of this Light maintain a precious commerce and traffick of all interchangeable Sweetnesses Excellencies with Immortality unto a full Joy Psal. 4. 6. David thus openeth the Hearts of the multitude and his own Heart Many will say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift up thoâ— the Light of thy countenance upon us When all thy faculties and Affections all the Powers of thy Soul cry Who will shew us Iesus Christ in Glory Let thine Heart answer to God and say Lord lift up thou the Light of thy face upon me In the Shinings of thy Face is my Iesus hid and in these Shinings alone will He be seen by me Thus the Spiritual Beauties of Iesus Christ are to be discerned only in the Spiritual Light of His own Person 3. Spiritual Things are to be seen in Spiritual Forms This is the Third Branch of the Rule Joh. 20. 30. When the Lord after his Resurrction had appeared to the Apostles in a Body of Flesh as He had been cruciâ—ied the Holy Ghost addeth And many other Signs did Jesus in the presence of His disciples Observe this expression well His Appearance in a Natural Body the same in which He had formerly lived with them was not the Truth it Self but a Sign of it Luk. 24. 38. Jesus shewing Himself after the same manner to His Apostles raiseth them from their fears that This was the Apparition of some Spirit by these words Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as you see me to have The Lord seemeth to speak to them after this manner You have not yet received the Spirit but are hitherto carnal If I should shew my self to you as I am now in the Glory of my Resurrection in which I am altogether Spiritual and a Spirit you would not know me you would not believe that I were the same Person you would be afraid of me I have therefore wrought this Miracle and given you this Sign in a tenderness towards you and a Condescention to your present weakness By that Almighty Power over Heavenly and Earthly Things which I am now cloathed with by the virtue of that Spiritual Divine Form and Substance into which I am now raised which comprehendeth within it self all Form Substances and Virtues I present my self to you in that same Body composed of the same Flesh and Bones in which I lived with you and dâ—ed upon the Cross before your Eyes with the same Wounds which I then received And because this is a Sign therefore do I accompany it to your Senses and to your Spirits with a Double Evidence and Seal from my Divinity One that this is no Imposture or Apparition with which Evil Spirits have power to deceive your Sight your Hearing your Touch all your natural Faculties but that
Job 1. 14. The Word was made Flesh. The true and Spiritual Body which is an Immortal Plant in the Heavenly Paradise according to the Almighty Power and Mysterâ—ous Will of the Eternal Word in which it standeth and Flourisheth maketh itself into a Body of Flesh. Again by the same Power in the sweet and glorious Mystery of the same Will it maketh this Flesh a Spirit If you ask now where it is it is Singing and Triumphing throughout all the Divâ—ne Powers throughout all the â—nnumerably various Forms of Eternal Life Beauty and Joy in the Heavenâ—y Body â—or that which was Flesh is now Spirit As the Tabernacle was removed into the Temple when the Temple was built up and set there as a part of the Sacred Mysteries in that Holy Place so the Spiritual Body when it is raised taketh up into itself and comprehendeth in itself the Vailing Form of Flesh as a Beautiful Form in that Divine Mystery which it finisheth in itself Qu. But you will say now perhaps How is this done by what Power and in what manner is the Body of our Lord in the Resurrection made a Quickning Spirit Ans. I answer that it is done by vertue of the Personal Union between the Divine and Humane Nature in Christ. The Person is the Word the Eternal Spirit This Word the Soul the Body of our beloved Jesus are all one Person so all one Eternal Spirit the Fountain of Life As the Soul is said to be all in the whole Body and All in every part of it so is the Person in Christ the Immmâ—rtal Word All in the whole Humane Nature and All in every part of it either Soul or Body The Union between the Divine Nature in our Bridegroom and his glorified Body is equally immediate and entire as between that and his Triumphant Soul The Humane Nature subsisteth and standeth in the Divine as a Tree in its Root But this Union in the days of his Flesh is as that between the Tree and its Root in Winter The Resurrection is our Saviours Spring-time and Summer Every living Root in Spring ceaseth not to send forth its Sap into the Tree until it have brought forth the Tree into that Form and laden it with those Fruits which are proper to the Root In the Resurrection the Divine Nature riseth up with all its Sweetness and Fatness all its Vertues and Powers into the Humane Nature till it have spread and fashioned it entirely into its own Form till it have laden it all over with the precious Fruits of its own excellencies Joys and Glories In every power part and point of Soul and Body though never so mean so small the Fountain of the God-Head openeth itself the Fulness of the God-Head poureth forth itself that as the Waters cover the Sea so every distinct Part or Point appeareth as a distinct Sea of the Divine Life Joys Loves and Glories without bottom or bound This O shadowy Man O faln lost Man is thy Jesus thy Life thy Saviour Look to this Jesus with an Eye of Faith with an Eye of Love live by Him live in Him live to Him Triumph thou because of this Jesus Look to Him as 1. Thy Principle 2. Thy Pattern 3. Thy Price 4. Thy Portion 1. Look to this Jesus who is All-Beautiful with the Beauty of the GodHead itself as thy Principle I am the vine ye are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him bringeth forth much fruit Without me ye can do nothing saith Jesus Christ Job 15. 5. The Tree first comprehendeth the Branch in itself then sendeth it forth supplying it continually with its own Life and Sap. By the vertue of this Life Sap the Branch taketh hold of the Tree sucketh in continually fresh and vital nourishment by which it flourisheth and bringeth forth much fruit What shall I say for thee who yet partakest not of the sweetness and fatness of this Spiritual Tree of Life and love Thou canst bring forth no Fruit thou canst do nothing towards thine own fruitfulness Without this Jesus thou canst do nothing O that thou didst understand thine own Emptiness and the Fulness of Sap in this Vine How truly All things Angels Men All the Creatures can do nothing are nothing without this Jesus that Spirit which is the onely Truth the onely Lfe in and thorow All I will pray over thee with inward bleedings of Divine Love from my heart O that Jesus thy Root who comprehendeth even thee also in the Fulness of His Heavenly sap and vertue would bring thee forth by a new birth as a Heavenly branch in Himself O that He would continually milk forth from His Breast the streams of His Life into thee Thus He abideth in thee Now do thou now wilt thou by Him abiding in thee abide in Him Shoot forth thy self into Him as roots do their Sprigs and Branches into the Earth beneath by the actings of thy Faith upon him Draw his Spirit and Grace into thy self Be green be fair and flourishing in the Eye of Heaven Bring forth much Fruit for thy self thy Saviour thy Heavenly Father all Angels and blessed Spirits to feed upon in Eternity 2. Look to this Jesus as thy Pattern What thou hast seen done in his Soul and Body by the Union between these and the God-Head the same Glory shall be brought forth in thy Soul and Body also by the Union between him and thee if thou in thy Soul and Body adhere and stick to his glorified Soul and Body as they are full of the Eternal Word dwelling in them and resting upon them The Angels reproved the Disciples when Christ was taken up into Glory because they looked to a visible Heaven to see their glorified Lord still with Eyes of Flesh Why stand you here gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven I say to you in another sense stand and look upon your Jesus as he ascends This is your Pattern As you have seen him in his Humane Nature go up out of all Fleshly and Visible Images into an Invisible Glory as you have seen him taken out of the sight of every created Eye in the white Cloud of the most excellent Majesty of the Father which is the Heaven of Heavens so shall the same Jesus in like manner come again in your Souls and Bodies descending into them upon those Spiritual Heavens and changing them by degrees from Glory to Glory till they also put off every thing of Flesh and disappearing to every natural Eye be made perfectiâ—n the same Spirit to be for ever together with him there where he is and like him 3. Look to Jesus as thy Price The Lord taketh notice of the low thoughts and disesteem which the Jews had of him by that which they gave for him thirty pieces of Silver This saith he by the Prophet is the Price at which they valued me
composed and equal motions are the Beauty and Musick of your Spirits 2. The Reason of this Precept followeth The Lord is at hand is near nothing will so quiet the Soul and bring it to rest in every Appearance of things here so as a right sence of the near and immediate presence of the Lord Jesus in Glory with all these things after the same manner in which the Body or Substance is present with its proper Shadow The Body is present with the Shadow four ways as sending it forth immediately from itself and keeping it hanging upon itself by an immediate touch and union every moment as governing all its motions by its own Acts and Operations in itself by its own Appearance there in its Figure and Similitude by its Approach and Readiness to break up the Shadow by its breakings forth thorow it Canst thou think that thy beloved in the sweet shinings of his Beauty in the wonderful actings of the Divine Life in the pleasant motions and mysterious operations of his Love is thus near to every Creature every Providence and not answer this Beauty with the Beautiful smile of a contented mind this Musick with the melody of a well-pleased and harmonious temper of Spirit many that were sick were healed by the shadow of St. Peter overspreading them as he passed by When thou art sick with discontent for any passage of things in this world submit thy self to it as the shadow of thy dearest Lord with which he overspreadeth thee from his own Blessed Person being himself ever at hand there where his shadow is figuring himself with his own Divine Motions and Operations upon it being even now ready to disclose himself thorow it as the Rose breaking out of the Bud. Lie down under every accident as such a Divine Shadow of this Divine Lover with his Love and thou wilt find thy self healed of thy sickness of Mind of every Grief and Melancholy 3. A third Thing in this Scripture alledged is a Prohibition of Care Be careful in nothing Care is a Sin universally in the greatest things as well as the least in the highest things as well as in the lowest Qu. But you will say what Care is that which is Sin Ans. I answer that Care is a Sin which breaketh the moderation of your Spirits which defaceth the Spiritual Beauty which disturbeth the Spiritual Musick of a well-pleased and contentedâ—mind in you which putteth your Spirits out of tune cloudeth the clearness disordereth the Harmony of your Spirits distempering them and making them to jar with discontent Again that care is sinful which is contrary to this Three-fold sense of the presence of the Lord Jesus with every Creature and Occurrence on the Earth as with his own Shadow his Powerful Presence giving it Being and Motion from himself fastning it immediately to himself his Beautifulâ— Presence imprinting the Likeness and Image of himself upon it his Love-Presence calling the Soul to himself by it coming down to meet and embrace the Soul there ready to set himself in the place of his Shadow making that the mark and forerunner of his Person and Loves in their full Light and Heat 4. In the last place the Holy Spirit that skilful Apothecary prescribeth a Cordial to preserve you from this trembling of the Heart from carefulness This Cordial is made up of six precious Ingredients 1. Ingred Prayer With Prayer The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It importeth thus much stand not at a distance tarry not without Come boldly up to the Throne of Grace to God in the purest and most raised heights of his Glory and Love to Love as it is seated upon its highest and most glorious Throne the Heart of God to love as it shineth with its sweetest smiles in the Divine Nature unvailed and naked Enter boldly within the Vail behold God Face to Face so talk familiarly with him as a Friend doth with his Friend Like the beloved Disciple lay thine head in his Bosom so speak to him as a Bride to her Bridegroom 2. Ingred Supplication By Prayer and Supplication v. 6. The word rendred Supplication signifieth in its root three things Want a Band Decency or Harmony Have a Divine sense of thine own Shadowiness and Vanity upon every want which thou feelest Go by a Divine Power and in the Divine Mystery empty thy self into God bind thy self up together with him in that Golden â—Band the unity of his Spirit So move be carried along thorow all things in the Order Decency and Harmâ—ny of the God-Head of the Divine Wisdom and Will As when Sugar is cast into Wine the Wine penetrating into all parts of the Sugar dissolveth and melteth it entirely into itself 〈◊〉 in every state in every streight cast thy self by the Blessed Spirit into that Spirit which is the Wine of the Kingdom of the Father let that Spirit wind and work itself into every part and power into every thought and affection until it have drawn thee quite down out of thy self into one Stream one flood of Desires and Delights of Sweetness Strength and Fulness with itself Moses ascending upon Mount Sinai passed thorow the clouds and fires so he came to the top of the Mount where he saw God face to face The Eternal Spirit is Mount Sion the Mount of Prayer Here are white Clouds of Glory which do much more overshadow the Creature and Love-fires which do much more melt down the Soul and devour it From the Valley of every low Condition betake thy self to this Mount of Prayer Wait for this Holy Mountain the Spirit of Prayer to spring up in every Valley and take thee up and carry thee along upon itself As thou ascendest pass thorow these Clouds lose the light of thine own Beauties and Being before this excelling brightness Pass thorow these Fires Lose thine own Fleshly Substance and Subsistence in the flame of the Spirit Lose thine own Life and Form in the Unity of Divine Love So shalt thou arrive at the top of this Mount where thou shalt see God Face to Face with Life answering Life Love answering Love Beauty answering Beauty being in the full view of his naked Glories transformed into the same Glory by the same Spirit 2 Cor. 3. l. 3. Ingred Thanksgiving with Thanksgiving What a powerful Antidote against Care in every Cross or Difficulty is this to give thanks To see a Divine Glory To tast Divine Love To behold God descending in that Darkness as in a Chariot of Clouds of Angels taking us up to ascend with Him thither into His Palace above where this Cloud shall become a Throne this Chariot a Bed of Love this Angel an Eternal Glory in the Form of God where our Beloved and our Souls shall reign together feast together ly down together in mutual Joys and embraces for ever O Believing Soul art thou in Darkness Open the Eye of Faith see thy Jesus and thy self from the supream Circle of the God-Head running forth with all Lines
the Sons of God The word led is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acted As the Soul acts the Body as the principle of reason the Soul of Man as the nature of the Sun acts the Sun in its shinings in its motions thou also art acted by the Divine Spirit to which the Sun the Soul of Man the principle of reason are empty and weak shadows so far as thou in truth art a Child of Light and a Son of God the Father of Lights Let me here by the way touch a three-fold string in your Souls 1. A mournful string 2. A string of desire 3. The string of praise 1. Is the Spâ—â—it the principle of a Saint how then should we mourn thâ—â— this Spirit of Grace this Comforter is grieved that this Spirit of Light and Life is quenched by unbelief sensuality unkindness and neglect how should we mourn that this Holy Spirit this Spirit of Truth is slighted and spoken evil of as a Spirit of licentiousness or as a fancy and delusion and all this among Saints at least in profession when as this Spirit is the only principle of Saintship St. Jude in his Epistle speaketh of this as the Sin of Devils for which they are cast down to Hell and bound in Chains of Darkness that they did forsake their first state and their own habitation It is in Greek not their first state but their first principle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Saints is not this a Sin greater than that of Devils not only to forsake but to grieve and cast shame upon this first and most blessed Spirit which is your only principle a principle of Divinâ— Life Light and Purity your own habitation a habitation of Divine Rest and Glory 2. O all you who desire to be Saints or to grow in the new and Divine Nature of a Saint let your hearts burn by day and by night with continual longings for the Spirit This alone is that of which a Saint is bred by which he is nourished This alone is the Heavenly Root the Sap the sweet Dew Showers and Influences the warm and cherishing Sun-shine to every Spiritual Plant Cry therefore and wait for this Spirit wait upon it minister to it seek it suck it in by all means thorow all its own manifestations and ordinances of Nature or of Grace When this world was first made a beautiful frame out of a dark Deep the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters When Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin the Holy Ghost overshadowed her and rested upon her In both places the expressions seem to allude to a Bird or a Dove spreading itself over its Nest to hatch its young Ones When the Lord Jesus was Baptized the Holy Ghost descended and rested upon him in the form of a Dove Dost thou indeed desire to have thy dark defiled dead heart made a new Creature to have Jesus Christ to be born or to grow within thee and to be Baptized yet more into Jesus Christ the Sea of all Heavenly Beauties Loves and Joys O then pray to the blessed Spirit to make thy Soul his Nest to move upon the face of thy Spirit to overshadow thee to descend and rest upon thee in his Dove like form 3. O all ye Saints sing the praises of the holy Spirits let the high praises of the holy Spirit be ever in your mouths Say to the Spirit this is the womb of Divine Life and Power which hath born us and brought us forth to be Children and Heirs to God these are the Breasts of Divine Life and sweetness which give us suck this is itself the Heavenly Milk of the Eternal word by which we live and grow Do you see any glympse of Evangelical Light and Truth do you feel any workings of Grace any sweet springings of Love and Joy Give Glory to the Spirit it is this blessed Spirit which now shines in you enlivens you and acts you The Children of Iracel in the Wilderness in a great want of water met with a Well then they sang to it in these words Spring O Well the Princes have digged it with their Sâ—aves When ever thou meetest with any fresh stream any sweet drop of the water of Life rising up within thee in thâ—s parched Land and weary Wilderness sing to thy Well sing to the blessed Spirit and say in thy Song my Well springeth my Jesus hath digged it in my heart with the Golden Scepter of his Gracâ— and Love Thus let every gracious thought gracious moving of thy mind will or affections put into thy mouth a new Song of joyful praises to the Spirit as the dear and inseparable principle of Life of Heaven of Eternity within thee thine ownâ— principle Thus much of the Principle 2. The two effects of this Principle are a Spiritual sense savour both comprehended in that expression to be heavenly minded How often doth my Spirit labour in the Bosom and power of the Eternal Spirit for these two things 1. That all Men were brought forth into this Spiritual Principle 2. That all who have the Spiritual Principle within them were continually acted by it How sweet would life be to them for the sight of their Eyes and rellish of their Spirit They that live in the Spirit see all things by a Spiritual Light It is indeed a pleasant thing to behold this Light Every glympse of it infuseth a heavenly joy into the Heart and scattereth all Clouds of grief or melancholy These see all things in a Spiritual Image that is in a Divine and Immortal Glory They tast the sweetness of a Heavenly and Divine Love in every thing Every thing presenteth itself to them in an Heavenly Appearance and every appearance of things entreth into their Souls with a heavenly taste and rellish far sweeter than Hony to the Palate All our converse with things of every kind of Nature or Grace of Sense or reason proceedeth from a union with those things in one Principle and is a communion with them in that Principle Such as the Principle is such are the Appearances and rellishes of things to us such is our converse with them All Appearances of things to Men or to Angels in every natural Principle to our senses or to our understandings are no more than shadows or dreams The Spirit alone is Truth When melancholy forms and Images of things in this world afflict our Spirits when the pleasant things here lift them up to vain joys and glories if the holy Spirit awaken himself and arise in us all these fly away all other appearances of things break up into an appearance of Eternal Beauty and Blessedness springing forth from this Spirit like the shadows of the night when the Sun is seen and a dream when a Man awaketh We are taught by natural Philosopy that the Images of things are seen thorow a Christalline humor in the Eye as a fine Glass If this Christal be dyed with any colour all things which we see appear
of man and dreadfulâ— man in an humane Sense as Death are Divine have a Divine Beauty 〈◊〉 sweetness in them to a Divine Sense and Savour 3. The Humane sense the Humane Image and rellish of things springs from the Devil as he is Saâ—tan that is the Hater the Enemy to all things Divine to Love to Lighâ— to Truth to Immortality and Blessedness 3. The Companion of a Carnal Sense and Savour is Death To be Caâ—â—nally minded is Death 'T is Death in all the black Properties and Powers 〈◊〉 Death 1. That Divine Image of things which alone is the Truth is Spirit and Life both the Paradises the Heavenly and the Earthly as it is new born and united unto the Heavenly lie captivated in a Carnal Mind or Sense as in a Prison or Grave 2. A Carnal Sense is that outermost Darkness which is without the new and Heavenly Jerusalem 3. In a Carnal Sense are disorder confusion and desolation the dissolutions of all the banâ—s of Peace Beauty and Life For these all consist in that order alone which hath for its band the Unity of the Spirit 4. A Carnal Sense hath ever the sting of Death in it Fears Cares Grief Pains Anguishes Torments never cease here They are the Worm which never dyes the Fire which never goes out in this region of the shadow of Death a Carnal Mind or Fleshly Sense Naturalists tell us that some Candles may be so made that all the Persons seen by those lights shall appear as Ghosts one to another or the whole place seem full of Snakes and dreadful Serpents Such are those lights of a Carnal Sense by which all things are seen of thee who art in a Carnal Fleshly State Every thing of Truth as it appears to thee is an apparition from below bearing Paleness Terrour Death and Hell in the face of it Thou canst no where walk sit lie down in peace All places all States to thee are full of Serpents hissing shooting out their forked stings casting their poyson at thee Wo to you O ye Inhabitants of the Earth ye who dwell in a fleshly sense of things The Devil is ever in the midst of you with great rage here he is known by his name Satan the Enemy the Hater But ye O ye Inhabitants of Heaven who live in a Spiritual Principle why are you ever found abroad Why are not all your walks within in the Spirit the heavenly Paradise which God hath planted and set you in to dress it and to keep it and to eat of the fruits of it without any exception within your own Spirits Behold not a single Cherubim but the whole Army of glorious Angels with the Presence and Power of the Eternal Spirit as a flaming Sword turning every way keeps the entrance into this Paradise not to keep you out but to defend you in it by suffering no evil thing none of the Powers of Darkness of Death of Wrath to enter here While you are without in a Carnal Mind and Worldly Spirit you are among the holes of the Foxes the Dens of the Lyons and the Mountains of Leopards All things with which you converse ascend from below from the Earth from the natural Soul and from the Devil as St James teacheth us All these three the Earth the Natural Soul and the Devil are Links in the same chain of Darkness immediately fastned one to another The light and breath of your life in the Spirit of this world is the smoak from the Bottomless Pit Your Beauties your Joys your pleasant things are those Locusts sent forth from thence mentioned in the Revelation with Faces and Hair like Women with Crowns upon their Heads false Shows of Sweetness Softness Greatness and Glory but stings invenomed stings the stings of Death are in their tails O! Retire into your own enclosed Gardens there within your own enclosed Grounds your own Souls sit under your own Fig-Tree your own Vine which are your own Spiritual Principle out of which the universal Image of things both Heavenly and Earthly springeth up into the perfection of all pure Beauties and Joys with immortality Delight your selves under their shadows where you are safe from all Evil and at rest for ever I again testify unto you as I have often and alwaies testified in all my Sermons and Discourses that there is no Salvation to the flesh or in the flesh O then ye who are yet found walking after the flesh give no rest to your selves here Cry night and day without ceasing to the Holy Spirit to take you up upon his Wings and to translate you suddenly in a moment out of this Wilderness of fiery Serpents into the promised and good Land flowing with Rivers of Milk and Hony the Milk of the Eternal Word and the Hony of the Divine Wisdom which both are Jesus Christ the Fulness Sweetness and Glory of the God-Head O that these words as now you read or hear them in this very moment thorow the power of the blessed Spirit might be as the hands of Angels laid upon Lot to hasten you out of this Sodom of the flesh while you linger here into a place of safety the City of the living God in the secret of the Spirit before the Lord rain down fire from the Lord upon all Flesh. The profit the pleasure the seasonableness of this discourse hath carryed me farther stayed me longer upon it than my method seemed to require Let us now return to apply this distinction of a twofold sense Carnal and Spiritual to our present purpose which is to set forth the Beautiful and Blessed Staâ—â— of a Saints Soul and Body in Death We have heard that a Spiritual sense is Life and Peace absolutely universally eternally without mixture confinement or change that all things here are in the purity and perfection of Divine Life Beauty and Joy We have also heard that the Carnal Sense is Death as it reigns entirely here so it it is confined hither shut up in this Pit and without this fleshly Principle hath no where any place I shall bring this Distinction home to my purpose of making Death all over in every part lovely and pleasant to a Saint by two Propositions 1. Propos. This is the first A Saint by dying is taken entirely in his whole Person Soul and Body out of the Carnal or Fleshly Principle out of the Fleshly Sense and so out of Death 2. Propos. A Saint by dying is in his whole Person Soul and Body gathered up entirely into a Spiritual Principle and so into the Immortality of a Divine Life Peace and Delight 1. Propos. A Saint by dying is taken entirely in his whole Person Soul and Body out of the Carnal or Fleshly Sense and so out of Death I shall open and confirm this Proposition to you by two Scriptures 1. The first Scripture is the 1 Epistle of St. Peter 4. 1. Wherefore seeing Christ hath suffered in the Flesh let us also arm our selves with the same mind For
Principle he stood under the curse receiving and feeling all the stings and bitterness of the curse to the utmost extremity 4. Propos. This our Jesus as he at the same time with his Divine Nature in his Humanity stood in a Supernatural and Eternal Principle he in his Humanity comprehended his Humanity itself in its natural Principle together with the natural Principle itself the Curse all the stings and bitterness of the Curse in a light of Divine Glory in a life of Divine Love as so many varieties of pure Love Joy and Glory with Immortality 5. Propos. The Curse with the stings and sense of it upon the Natural and Temporary Principle as also the conflict between the Natural and Temporary the Supernatural and Eternal Principle in the Lord Jesus through his whole Person as it lived in a Humane Soul and Body were highest at his Death These are the five Propositions which set forth the trouble of Christ at his Death In the other two followeth his Triumph 6. Propos. This Eternal Person our Jesus with his God-Head in his whole Humanity both Soul and Body in the moment of Death by dying went entirely forth from the Natural or Temporary Principle and so from under the Curse 7. Propos. This same Jesus in his whole Person with his whole Soul and Body in the moment of Death by dying went forth entirely into the simplicity and singleness of his Supernatural the Eternal Principle and so into a State of pure Eternity unmixt Joy and Glory I shall briefly open these Propositions in their order 1. Propos. It was the most glorious and eternal Person of God himself in two Natures Divine and Humane which was our Jesus John 1. 14. The Word was made Flesh. The second Person in the Trinity from which the other two Persons the Father and the Spirit are inseparable the eternal and essential Son of God which hath the fulness of the God-Head in himself in its most express Image and greatest Glory he in his own Person in this Eternal Person and Sonship was made Flesh. This Eternal Person this Essential Son of God was that Flesh. This Flesh was that Person that Son which had the Father and the Spirit inseparably with himself and was essentially one with them O Christians study this union of the two Natures Divine and Humane in one only Divine Unchangeable and Eternal Person which is the most glorious and Ever-blessed God This is the deep and rich ground of the Christian Religion out of which as the true ground of the Heavenly Paradise the God-Head itself makes to spring all the precious mysteries of the Gospel all Evangelical Truths Graces and Joys in their most Spiritual Beauty Sweetness and Life Understand this Pray for the understanding of this for a sight sense and feeling of it within your own Spirits that it is God God himself in his own only Divine unchangeable undivided Person in your own Form in your own Nature in your own Persons and Spirits which is your Jesus your Saviour Redeemer Husband and King your Ransom Atonement and Righteousness your Beauty your Life your Joy your Root Branch Flower and Fruit. This union between the Divine and Humane Nature in one Person in our Lord Jesus is the Original and Reason of the union between you and this Jesus which is God in Person to which Person thorow this union you also are immediately eternally united in one Spirit in one mystical Person which is Christ as St. Paul speaketh as there is one Body and many Members so is Christ. A Spiritual knowledge of this union of two Natures in one Person and that God himself is this Person will sweeten all sufferings of life to you and perfume the Grave Open the Eyes of your Spirits and behold with joy and wonder the going of your God and King in the Sanctuary of this Earthly Body It was the ever-glorious and immutable Person of God in the most high and holy Trinity which made itself Flesh in the Womb of the Virgin which was that Flesh which in that Flesh eat drank slept talked and walked upon the Face of this Earth which passed under all the clouds thorow all the storms of life here which hung upon the Cross dyed and lay down in the Grave O with what a Divine and delightful Glory hath this Divine presence and Person silled and cloathed this Flesh this Earth all the natural actions and passions of this Flesh on this Earth Clouds Storms the Cross Death and the Grave to the Spiritual Eyes of Believers What living Plants of Paradise how beautiful how laden with most pleasant and Immortal Fruits are all these springing up out of this Root this Divine and Eternal Person What Jewels are they of incomprehensible virtue sweetness and lustre hanging upon this Person See your selves O all ye Saints even the lowest and the least conformed to this Image It is the immortal Seed and Son of God in you it is your Jesus the most glorious Person of God himself in this Seed in you which is made partaker of Flesh and Blood which walks on Earth and acts all the parts of the natural Life here which passeth thorow all the Clouds and Storms of life which suffers dies and lies in the Grave The Spoase saith of Christ he is a bundle of Myrrh he shall lye all night between my Breasts Thus the Humane Nature of Christ saith to the Divine Nature Thus the Earthly Nature saith to the Heavenly Nature to the Divine Seed to the Lord Jesus to the Divine Nature in the Lord Jesus thou art my bundle of Myrrh thou liest all the night of this life and death between my naked Breasts What corruption can I see in the Grave itself What Divine Sweetness breaths forth itself in all States What Divine Treasures of Life and Immortality fill and overflow all while we thus lye most intimately united entirely wrapt up in each other in the most sweet and glorious Unity of one Divine and Eternal Spirit one Mystical Divine and Eternal Person 2. Propos. God in his own Person as the Divine Nature lived in our Nature here on Earth stood at once in a twofold Principle the one Natural and Temporary the other Spiritual and Eternal The Lord Jesus was truly and really a man in every point like unto us sin only excepted as the Scripture speaketh in the Epistle to the Hebrews Thus he did bear in himself the Earthly and Natural Image he stood in an earthly and natural Principle He came forth from the Father into the World So was he made a Servant and made under the Law But the Lord Jesus was in Person the Eternal Son of God In this Person alone did the Humane Nature of Christ with its Natural Principle and Fleshly Form in this world subsist The second Person in the Trinity was the Glorious and Invisible Root which through the Divine Nature sent forth sustained lived and appeared in the spotless Flesh of the Lord Jesus Thus
of them all when you come most covered with Dust and Blood when you come immediately out of the greatest sufferings when you come so much the lovelier by how much the liker you are to Christ when Christ and the Father have been so much the more glorified in you when they in their Glories have so much the more clearly eminently shined forth in your Persons and rested upon them by how much the more extream your sufferings have been When the Father hath thus accomplished his will in you what a Feast of Eternal Pleasures what a Crown of Eternal Glories will he make this will of his to you how will he accomplish your will in himself to the utmost height of all delights blessedness 3. See here a threefold comfort against sufferings and Death 1. He who hath conquered them is your Captain the Lord Jesus We read Heb. 2. That the Captain of our Salvation being to bring many Sons to Glory was made perfect through Sufferings There are four things in that word Perfect 1. There was a perfection of sufferings in all kinds and degrees Nothing of any evil of sufferings in the evil of it was absent or could be added 2. Jesus Christ perfectly endured these sufferings in the sense of them in the continuance under them in pressures and oppressions by them 3. He was a perfect Conqueror over them 4. To be made perfect signifieth an initiation in Sufferings as in Sacred and Divine Mysteries So Christ was at once in his Sufferings the Priest the Altar the Fire the Sacrifice the Temple the God This Jesus thus a perfect and a Divine Conqueror over all Sufferings who holdeth all evil of Sin and Sorrow as Captives in Chains of Eternal Goodness pure Love Light and Joy He leads you upon Sufferings he goes before you into them he turns them all into Holy and Heavenly Mysteries of Divine Life and Love and makes you in the midst of them as Priests like Aaron in his Priestly Robes and Ornaments and Anointings in the Temple of the Eternal Spirit 2. You O Saints have nothing to do in your greatest Sufferings that you may be Conquerors over them but to abide in the Lord Jesus He himself in his dying discourses thus comforts his Disciples in the Gospel of St. John In the World you shall have trouble but in me you shall have peace be of good chear I have overcome the World Stand still be stedfast and unmoved in the Lord Jesus so shall you never have any other sight of your Enemies or Troubles but such as the Children of Israel had on this side of the Red Sea when they came forth with their Timbrels and Dances You shall see them drown'd in the Sea of your Saviours Blood in a Sea of Glory in his Victory never to appear more in any melancholy shape When thine Enemies encompass thee on every side like mighty Floods with greatest force and fury lie down upon thy glorified Saviours Bosom as the Bed of Love have his high praises in thy mouth sing aloud of his Love his Loveliness his Victory in his Death his Resurrection and return in the Spirit So shalt thou see all the powers of Darkness Death and Hell under thy Feet bound in Golden Chains of Love Immortality and Glory 3. Look forth now with a Spiritual Eye and see that Sufferings and Death are a name only and empty shadows without any substance The things themselves are for ever destroyed by the Death of Christ and buryed in his Grave never to rise more A good Woman a Martyr being reproved for going with joy to the Fire when Christ was sad at the approach of Death answered My Saviour was sad that I might be joyful Sufferings and Death are now to Saints like Snakes out of whom the Lord Jesus hath taken the Sting that we may take them into our Bosoms and make them our soft and shining Play-fellows They are become now in the Blood and Spirit of Christ like Vipers in Wine which have lost their Poyson and are high Cordials like Bees they have shot their stings into the Lord Jesus and lost them there They have Hony now without any sting for thee to suck forth and feed upon 6. Propos. This Eternal Person our Jesus with his God-Head in his whole Humanity both Soul and Body in the moment of Death by dying went entirely forth from the Natural or Temporary Principle and so from under the Curse I shall open this by four Scriptures 1. Scrip. Heb. 10. 19 20. The Lord Jesus is said to have conâ—â—erated a new and living way for us to enter into the holiest through the Vail that is his Flesh Math. 27. 50 51. You shall see that as Jesus Christ yielded up the Ghost immediately the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom The Temple was a Figure of the Person of Christ as the Vail was of this Flesh. How particularly and emphatically is it expressed that the Vail was rent from the top to the bottom to its utmost extent in the Person of Christ The Flesh was as a Vail lying upon the Divine Beauties upon the Eternal Person and the Heavenly Image in the Soul Body of Christ. The Flesh of Christ was a dividing Vail separating between the Lord Jesus the naked Beauties the naked Bosom of his Father keeping his Soul and Body his blessed Person and Divine Nature as they subsisted in his Soul and Body out of the holiest out of the pure and open Glories of the God-Head As the Lord Jesus dies in that same moment this Vail is rent from the top to the bottom from the the highest part of his Soul and Spirit to the lowest part and appearance in the Body Now the Holiest the Heavenly Image the pure and naked Glories of the Eternal Person of the God-Head were opened and discovered thorow his whole Soul and Body His Soul and Body both entered into the Holiest into this Heavenly Image into these pure Glories in the unity of the Eternal Spirit 2. Scrip. John 19. 30. When the Lord Jesus was now breathing his last he formed his last breath into these words it is finished As he spake those words he bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost What was that which was finished with the life of Christ Not the work of our redemption Many great and principal parts of that remained still behind the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus his Ascension his Intercession his return in the Spirit at the pouring forth of that his last Appearance his Judgment and Kingdom What then was that which was finished with the finishing of the life of Christ The days of his abode in the Flesh without the Vail his Humiliation his Sufferings the State of Nature the Curse the Wrath of the Father were now finished the Spirit and Image of this world the hour and power of Darkness the bloody Fight with the Prince of Darkness the Prince of this World were now
what all this means by another a plainer Parable John 12. 24. If the Corn dye not it abides alone But if it dye it brings forth much fruit The â—lâ—shly Appearances of Christ are the Talents un-multiplyed the Corn abiding alone While they so continue they are solitary melancholy bearing little fruit of Glory to God or Joy to the Soul But then the Soul casts these Talents into the Bank then she sows this Corn when she resigns them to God when she crucifies them and dies to them by the power of the Death of the Lord Jesus in her Now the Soul hath them within her rising again in the Spirit after a Spiritual manner Now she receives them again with an increase of Holiness Peace and Joy Now the Lord Jesus saith to the Soul Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a few things in poor low and dark manifâ—sâ—ations Thou hast submitted them to my will and yielded them up to the power of my Death I therefore will make thee ruler over many Thou shalt no more be subject to low and single Appearances Thou shalt reign in the power plenty and variety of more Glorious Manifestaâ—ions Enter thou into these high and Spiritual Discoveries of God in which thy Lord and Saviour now enjoys Himself So the Kingdom and Ioy of the Lord shall be thy Kingdom and Ioy. Application Use. 1. Examination There is nothing of more concernment to us than to distinguish and discern aright our Joys Sensual and carnal Joys are apt to make us sensual and fleshly ignorant and brutish as the Beasts Delusive Joys make our Souls as Devils in the form of Angels of Light Spiritual Joys when they are truly such make us most like to God The Delights of Nature and sense are indifferent things lawful if they be lawfully used They are therefore to be taken with much moderation and caution as the Wine that St. Paul speaks of to Timothy Drink not alwaies Water but drink a little Wine for thy healths sake Delusions and false Raptures of Spirit are a sweet Poyson which are taken in greedily and kill so much the more speedily The Soul is naked open free simple in her joys she mingles herself inwardly and deeply with the Spirit of her joys As Herod offered to the half of his Kingdom to Herâ—dias when she pleased him with dancing before him It is then a thing of great moment to understand the nature of our Joys that we may know when to admit and to reject them How and to what height to cherish or check them I will propound Four Tryals of our Joy 1. Tryal The First Tryal is this Spiritual Joys ever spring from a Spiritual sense of the Love of God towards us Rom. 5. St. Paul speaks of his Joy v. 5. Rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God He goes on discoursing of the growth strength effects of this Joy Then v. 5. He shews you the Ground of his Joy The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that he hath given us Spiritual Joys can give an account and a reason of themselves There are Three things which go to make up the Reason of Spiritual Joy when it is Right 1. The Love of God not any Loveliness of our own or the Sweetness of any Creature 2. The Discovery of this Love in an open manifest way with a Fulness and Clearness like a Liquor that is poured forth and spread abroad 3. The Holy Ghost making this Discovery and evidencing it by his own presence and power in the Soul This is the Reason which Spiritual Rejoycings and Gloryings give of themselves The Love of God shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which he hath given us Are your Joys ignorant sudden and violent such as spring from no appearing cause and can give no account of themselves Whence do your Joys arise from a Sense of the Love of God or from a Reflection upon your Selves upon any thing of or in the Creature Whence have you your Sense of the Love of God Is it wrought upon you by Fancy by the strength and frequency of Imagination or by the Persuasions of your own Souls or by the Reasonings of your own Hearts consulting with themselves and with the Letter of the Scriptures without the Holy Ghost by any of the Words or ways of mans Wisdom or Power without you or within you If your Joys be such as these you have reason to suspect and fear them least they be from the Father of Lies and not from the Father of Lights from the Fountain of bitterness and enmity not of sweetnes and Love 2. Tryal The Second Tryal of your Joy is the Effect of it Spiritual Joys increase Spiritual Strength in the Soul as they increase themselves Nehem. 8. 10. Go your ways saith Nehemiah to the People Eat the Fat and Drink the Sweet and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared For this day is holy to the Lord. Be ye not sorry for the Ioy of the Lord is your Strength Thus the Lord Iesus speaks to the Soul in the Ministry of the Gospel Go your ways Feed upon the Fat of my Glory Drink the Sweet of my Love Sond forth Portious and Manifestations of this Glory and Love to them who have nothing of it yet prepared and set forth in their own Spirits This day is holy to me in it you are to live altogether to me and in the Light of my Appearances Then let not your Hearts be heavy nor your countenances sad For my Ioy shall not weaken or betray you My Ioy shall be a Presâ—rvative against Corruptions a Strength against Temptation the Power of a new life carrying you up on high into further Communion with God and Conformity to him There is a Threefold Joy that takes to itself often the name of being Spiritual 1. A Joy flowing from our natural temper and Complexion from sparklings of Blood or Flashings of melancholy is many times mistaken for a Spiritual Joy But this Joy dissolves it makes the Soul airy light and loose it exposeth the Soul to Vanity and Sin 2. A Iâ—y brought forth by an Evil Spirit of Delusion carries the Appearance of a Spiritual Joy This swells the Soul makes it vain-glorious confident secure in itself In this State the Soul easily falis into Temptation â—asily falls in the Temptation 3. Spiritual Joy truly so called This Knits the Union between Christ and the Soul more close and strong It gathers up the Soul more fully into the Spirit of the Lord Jesus St. John saith He that dwells in Love dwells in God It is as true He that dwells in Spiritual Joys dwells of a Truth in the Lord Jesus Vanity Lust Passion Pride come to the Soul in other Joys and find her fittest for them But when they come to the Soul in her Spiritual Joy so far as she is in that Joy they find nothing in her nothing to comply with
in then this Beautiful Image Man becomes a Monster and brings forth Monsters Now Gyants are born Man comes forth in a greatness and force resembling the Image of God in Man but is in the true Form and Principle of a Beast The Divine Image is fallen imprisoned dead in the midst of all this Greatness Thus of a truth Sin is the highest Incest the most unnatural confusion the true Engendring of Monsters 3. A Sinner makes himself a Devil A man by Sin withdraws the Creature from the Image of God sets it up in its own Principle and Image so maintains it in the place of and against the Image of God Rom. 1. 25. St. Paul sets forth the Nature of Sin after this manner who changed the Truth of God into a Lie serving the Creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever See here the nature of the Devil discovered in a Sinner When thou fatherest any Sin thou by that Act makest thy self the Father of Idolatry Lies and Murther 1. Thou makest thy self by Sin the Father of Idolatries Thou settest up the Creature above the Creator and servest that more than thou dost him Sacrificing thy Heart thy Love and thy Life to it 2. Thou makest thy self by Sin the Father of Lies thou settest up the Creature as if it were something of and in itself when as it is meerly nothing save as it is in the Image of God 3. Thou makest thy self by Sin the Father of Murthers Thou killest and destroyest the Image of God which is the First Murther and the Fountain of all Murthers Thou changest the Truth of God into a Lie Thou makest away that Image of God which is the Truth and Life of all the Creatures by setting up instead of it those things which as they are in themselves without that Image are not only Vanity but a Lie too He knows very little of the Nature of Man of the Creature of God who knows not Sin to be the most ridiculous Apishness that he may despise it the most horrid Monstrousness that he may hate it the highest Devilishness that he may tremble at it and fly from it So much for the Second Instruction which shews us what a Sinner is 3. Instr. What a Saint is Then a Man begins to be a Saint when the Natural Image of God begins to be restored in him with advantage with the advantage of the Super-natural Image bringing it forth again from itself and itself in it together with it The Kingdom of God brings forth itself and the Kingdom of Nature a Second time in itself Behold I make all things new Saith Jesus Christ when he appears in the Soul The Second Adam revives and restores the First Adam in us but as in its own Spirit and Bosom that so the Earthly Man may become Heavenly and Immortal I will conclude this use with Consolation to Two Sorts of Mourners Gods Mourners 1. Consolation You who have lost the Innocency of your Natures in Sin and Guilt be you comforted in the knowledge of this The Righteousness of God the Eternal Image of Glory shall break forth in your Souls and bring forth the First Image of Beauty your Natural Innocency again upon you with an Increase of Glory It is the Lord that justifies who shall condemn Saith St. Paul Rom. 8. 34. Who or what Guilt shall condemn thee or be able to sink for ever the Innocency and Beauty of thy Nature though it now have lain long buried under thy Lusts The Lord the Lord himself shall come and this Beauty of thine shall come with him and thou shall see it again with Joy 2. Consolation You who have lost the Chearfulness of your Spirits and the sweet Pleasantness of your Natural tempers in Melancholy and Terrours comfort your selves in the knowledge of this The Spring of Joys the Eternal Spirit the Spirit of our Lord Jesus shall open itself within you and shall send forth from itself the ancient streams of your first Peace and joys of your natural chearfulness Your natural Spirits shall once more dancâ— and sing together in this Spirit All your Springs are in this Heavenly Image the Springs of your first Innocency Beauty Peace Pleasantness All shall open themselves again upon you from the Bosom of this Image at the Appearance of it never to be shut more And this Heavenly Image shall certainly appear in you Only do you wait with Hope and Patience for the appointed Season Do notmourn at the Death of any natural Beauty or Content as without Hope ever to see it again the Hour comes apace and perhaps now is in which thy dead Innocency and Joys shall hear the Voice of the Son of Man Jesus Christ in thee and live again by him Do not doubt but believe The Earth shall hear the Heaven The Earthly Image of Life Paradise and Heaven in thee shall be awakened again in thy Spirit by the manifestation of thy Saviour in thee Thine Eyes shall see thy Redeemer and he shall stand the last upon the Earth Thine Eyes shall certainly see Jesus Christ when he shall redeem the Earthly Man in thee with all its Excellency and Sweetness from these Powers of Sin Fear Death and Hell which have carried it captive And thou shalt see this Jesus the Heaven of God the Heavenly Image last of all standing and appearing in thy Earth thy Earthly Man thy first Image Be of good chear faint not Death shall not prevent this Blessedness Thou shalt live when God shall do all this thine Eyes shall behold it and thou shalt taste of it and feed upon it For God hath undertaken it and he will bring it to pass Behold I make all things new saith He who is the first and the last Believe and wait for these words are True and Holy Revel 21. 5 6. And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I will make all things new And he said Write write upon your Hearts this Sentence behold I the Lord make all things new For these words are True and Holy And he said unto me It is done This is the Finishing of all things the ending of the Mystery I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End I will give unto him that is a thirst of the Fountain of the Water of Life Freely that is without any thing of Suitableness to it or Satisfaction for it without any Condition or Confinement 3. Part The Activity of the Soul in God This is the Third and last Part of Divine Ioy. The Psalmist expresseth Joy by Shouting and Singing Psal 65. 13. The Pastures are clothed with Flocks the Appearances of God are Green and Flourishing they bring forth maintain and put forth themselves into numerous Flocks of Saints the Valleys also are covered with Corn The lowest State of things in the Flesh and the Natural Man are cloathed with Jesus Christ and grow up into him who is the Bread and Beauty of Eternal life they Shout for Joy they also
Superiour and Inferiour One above Another below In that above is the Fountain of Pleasure from thence the stream descends which makes that below ever-green and flourishing with delights Eden signifies Pleasure or Delight which name in another word is given to Christ as he was eternally in the bosom of the Father Prov. 8. 30. I was by him one brought up with him Delights from day to day Jesus Christ in his Heavenly Image in the Substance and Essence of the eternal Light is Eden the Paradise above In his earthly Image the sweet Shade where all his Beauties seem at once to sleep and spring he is the Paradise below There is he the Eden and the Fountain in the midst of Eden Here the Garden watered by the River going forth from Eden A good Heart hath in itself both these Paradises the Fountain and the Stream Eden and the Garden Cant. 4. 15. The Lord Jesus calls his Spouse A Fountain of Gardens a Well of living Waters flowing from Libanon The holy Heart is both the Fountain which makes all things Gardens Paradises which way soever it flows and those Gardens too It is both Libanon with the Fountain in it and the Gardens below in the vallies in the midst of which the Living Waters from this Fountain run along Reasâ—n The Heart is that Spirit which is the first Spring and Principle of Life in man Prov. 4. 23. Keep thine heart with all Diligence For out of it are the Issues of Life All the treasures of this World its Light Forms Vertues operations are first in the Sun From thence they flow forth in various Streams all round about him while yet they are still comprehended in him as being not only their inmost Center but also their outmost Circle of Light and Life So is the Heart or Spirit of Man an Invisible Sun in the midst of him far more great or glorious than this which we see in which all forms and acts of Life like Beams rise up first and fullest from whence they are dispensed and dispersed The Hebrew word to keep imports a double sense 1st Diligently observe thine Heart what Spirit or Principle it is by which thou art acted Such as this is such is thy whole Life If thy Heart be a Substantial true pure Spirit thy whole way and work all thy Joyes are Substance Truth Light Immortality as the Visions of God If the Heart which is in thee be shadowy thy Life is vain and empty the dream of a shadow Is thy heart corrupt and polluted then are all thy Streams poisoned death lurks and sports itself in them with an innumerable company of Devils 2. Keep that is preserve thine own thy true Heart with all diligence Abide in Christ and his Love as the only root of Life from whence alone spring the sap greennesses flowers fruits of true Sweetnesses Beauty and Blessedness Watch day and night that no other Spirit put forth itself in thee for every other Principle besides Christ and his Love will certainly prove a Counterfeit and instead of a Heart out of which the Issues of Life ought to be a root of bitterness There is a Twofold Heart 1. Natural 2. Spiritual 1. There is a Natural Heart This is the supream part of the natural Soul the Angelical Spirit in Man 1 Thes. 5. 23. St. Paul prayes The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we have the natural Man divided into three parts which are equally capable of being sanctified or by defilement made subject to blame 1. Spirit 2. Soul 3. Body The Spirit is as the Fountain the Soul the Stream of Life The Body the Channel in which this Stream runs along The whole Man is one Beam sprung immediately from the Divine Glory The upper end of the Beam where it is fullest and brightest immediately united to and rooted in the supream Light makes the Spirit The lowest point least and darkest almost vanishing into the Shade with which it mingles its light where it toucheth the Earth is the Body The Soul is the middle of that Beam partaking of both these dividing and uniting them like the Firmament between the Waters above and the Waters below the Angels being the Waters above the Firmament and Corporeal Lives those below The Spirit is the Angel in Man or Man in the Similitude and Society of Angels the invisible Image the first Treasury of all his Natural Beings Beauties and Life which afterward descends and distinguisheth itself into the varieties of Inferiour Acts and Appearances St. Paul therefore in the forementioned place calls it their whole Spirit The Body is the Outward and Visible Image the Shadow below of this above The Soul is the Life by which the Spirit descends into the Body maintains communion with it and gathers it up again into itself According to these Distinctions and Descriptions Solomon discourseth Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it The name of God there signifies Gods or Angels for whom it is frequently and expresly used in the Holy Scripture The Jews say it properly imports the Divine Nature as it is cloathed with the Angelical God in the midst of all his Holy Angels coming forth into the Creation descending to be the Head of it It is an English Proverb If men could live without the company of Women men they should converse with Angels This is true when the Spirit which is the Head and the Man in us withdraws itself from its Shadowy Image the Body which is as the Woman it finds itself in the Form of an Angel and in the Society of Angels From the Angelical State and Company it descends into the Body Thither it returns again when it leaves the Body This is the Natural Heart the Angelical Spirit in Man made in the Similitude of God as he cloaths himself with the Angelical Image as with a Garment of Light and so vailing his naked unaccessible Glories comes forth to be the Head of Angels This Spirit is the Immediate Seat of the Divine Presence the Glory the Angelical Throne Here the precious things of the Sun and the Moon of the Invisible and Visible Image of the Divine Nature here the Riches of the whole Creation appear together in their fullest Lustre and most beautiful Order The Letters of the Latine Name for Heart Cor make the first Letters of those word Camera Omnipotentis Regis which being interpreted are the Chamber of the Almighty King It is a common observation that the Heart of Man is Triangular which therefore cannot be filled with the round World but only with the Trinity This Heart of which we speak is properly Triangular consisting like the Angels of these Three Essence Understanding and Will the proper and Immediate Type of the Trinity which as it can be
others Beauties Jesus Christ in the Canticles often calls the Holy Soul his Sister-Spouse He calls her Can. 1. 9. My Love The word in Hebrew according to its Root is the same with that which signifies a Friend who is described to be Alter Idem the same in another Person It properly imports One made into Two by a Division as Adam and Eve the other half on Ones self 3. By a Union of Substances Bodies can never meet in One No one Body can ever be in two places at once nor two bodies ever in one place They unite only by Touches by their outsides by Accidents and Shadows A Holy Heart and Heavenly Things unite as Spirits as the purest Spirits where the Unity is most perfect These intimately totally essentially formally penetrate possess fill and actuate each other You have a shadow of it in the mixture of Lights or in two clear and bright Eyes when they look full and stedfastly one upon another So Christ prays John 17. 21. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they may be one in us Again v. 23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One. The Radical and Original Unity is that of the Blessed Persons in the Trinity the most immediate Branches and liveliest Copies of it are those Two of the Divine and Humane Nature in Christ's Person of the Head and Members in his Mystical Body But this shall suffice for our present Doctrine that a good Heart is a Treasury of good things PSAL. XLV VER II. Thou art fairer than the Children of Men Grace is poured into thy lips therefore God hath blessed thee for ever THis Psalm is a Song of Loves It containeth the whole mystery of the Gospel and of the life of a Saint with his Saviour both in the Figure and Substance which is all an Heavenly Song of Spiritual and eternal Loves An Holy Soul in love with Jesus Christ is altogether taken up with this Threefold exercise 1. The Description and Contemplation of the Person of her Beloved 2. The Desire and continual longings by day and by night to be possess'd of to enjoy this Person 3. The care and labour to be like him to partake of his Beauties and Graces to derive them by the channels and streamings of the Spirit into itself to transform itself into his Likeness St. Paul spends the first part of his discourses in drawing aside the Curtain and setting the Person of Christ in its entire form naked glories and native sweetnesses in the Eyes of Believers Then he leadeth and presseth them to the enjoyment first next to the Imitation of this Jesus upon the ground of his own Loveliness Love and Life The first part of this Psalm is spent in like manner upon the Person and Praises of the Lord Jesus This Verse hath Three Parts 1. The Beauty of Christ Thou art fairer than the Children of Men 2. The Love and Sweetness of Christ Grace is poured into thy lips 3. The Seal of the God-Head of the Father of his Blessedness and Eternity upon the Person of Christ therefore God hath blessed thee for ever 1. The first part in the Text is the Beauty of Christ Thou art fairer than the Children of Men. Jesus Christ is the fairest of all men He is fairer than the whole generation of Mankind He is fairer than any person born of Man The Lord Jesus excells all Mankind in Beauty in Three respects 1. The Humane Nature of Christ taken by itself was born of a Virgin-Mother and God immediately supplying the place of a Father So it was as a Morning-beam begotten between a pure Sun and a clear sweet Air. Then it was born without Sin the proper and only deformity of Spirits Thus his Soul and Body were like a Silver stream flowing quietly in a clean channel where the Image of the Skie and all the Heavenly Bodies figures itself constantly and clearly So did the Mind Will and Workings of the God-Head figure themselves and shine in the Manhood of Christ. Lastly it is the common sense of Divines that the Complexion of Christ was very delicate and pure arising from the most accurate proportion of the Elements the most exact Harmony and purity of the Humours and Spirits in his Body We never read that he was at all Sick As this made all his Sufferings the greater thorough the quickness of his sence so it made him in his outward Form extreamly sweet and lovely above the rest of men But besides all this the Holy Ghost seems to fix its eye upon the Humane Nature of Christ in two other States different from that of his Incarnation by the Virgin Mary as he is the First-born of the whole Creation or of every Creature and as he is the First-born of those that rise from the Dead Coloss. 1. 15 18. The Jews say that the Messias was the first Creature that all the rest were made by Him in Him and for Him as Pictures to the Life and Copies to the Original A German Divine teacheth that he who receives the Body of Christ receives at once all that is good or fair in the whole world from the Beginning to the End of it But the Humanity of the Lord Jesus as he is the First-born of those that are risen from the Dead excels Adam in all his Innocency and primitive Perfections yea and Himself also as he was the First-born of every Creature the Natural Head of Angels as much as Heaven exceeds the Earth or a Paradise in the third Heavens an Earthly One 1 Corin. 15. 49. The former was an Earthly Beauty fading designed for a Sacrifice to be exposed to all sorts of shame and Sufferings to be made a Prey to the devouring jaws of Death This latter Beauty is Heavenly Incorruptible seated upon a throne which indureth for ever and ever 2. The Second Respect in which Christ is fairer than the Children of men is the Union between the Divine and Humane Nature All the Beauties of our Saviours Manhood are heightned by this Union to that Lustre and Loveliness which cannot be express'd in any meer Creature as a fine Cloud a Garden of Flowers a Statue of Gold are quite other things when the naked Sun sheds his Beams immediately upon them than when they are seen in a common or reflected Light By vertue of this Union the Humane Nature of Christ is One Person with the Divine As precious stones are a common water congealed but inclosing particles of the Heavenly Aetherial Light and Spirit So the Manhood of the Lord Jesus in its lowest state of Flesh in its Blood in the Grave excel'd in vertue outshined in Lustre Rubies Diamonds all the precious things of the Creature in Heaven and Earth by vertue of this Union For in all these States God was the Person there all subsisted in him as Branches in the Tree of Eternity As Thomas did to the Wounds of Christ
Person of the Lord Jesus without and filled with the same Person within Every Creature rightly seen is as a Garment of Light cloathing the Body of the Sun the Person of Christ and wrought in every part of it with the Figure of this Spiritual Sun The Type of it was the Vail before the most Holy Place Within were the Cheruâ—ims of Massy Gold Upon the Vail was wrought the Similitude of the same Cherubims in all manner of rich Colours Thus the Earth is turned to Christ as a Clay to the Seal and every thing in it standeth as a Garment upon him Perhaps he who peruseth this place in Job will find reason to believe that the Holy Spirit pointeth at Three States 1. The Creation as the Figure 2. The Person of Christ incarnate as the First-fruits 3. The Reformation as the Life in the full Harvest Neither will it seem unlikely to those who compare the Scriptures that Zacharias alludeth to Job and Job here to the first of Genesis In three things all agree 1. a Darkness 2. A Light rising in this Darkness and triumphing over it 3. A New Form given to all things by this Light But to return Heb. 1. 3. Our Lord is said to be The express Image of his Fathers Substance The word is Character which signifieth an Ingraving as upon a Seal Great Persons first engrave their Arms upon some precious matter as Gold or a rich stone This is their Seal With this they stamp the same Image upon several pieces of Wax as they have occasion So God the Father setteth deeply and richly the compleat Form of his Divine Person and Substance upon the Person of his Son Then he setteth him as a Gold-Seal upon the Creation as Virgin Wax and so imprinteth all his Beauties upon it But the Lord Jesus stampeth one part of the Creation with the Impressions of his Person thorow another so that the Figure is more clear and perfect in the invisible part of things upon Angels and Spirits more obscure and imperfect upon the Visible part the Things of Sense Before I leave this we are to take notice that the matter of the Creation which Job calleth Clay is expressed by Water in the beginning of Genesis Iâ— you set a seal upon water it receiveth the Impression without resistance but keepeth it only by the continuance of the Seal itself upon it Thus the Preservation of the Creature to the end is the same thing with the Creation of it at first it is the Impression and Figure of our Saviours Beautiful and Blessed Person which is the Essence and Form of each Created Being It is this Glorious Person itself the Fountain of all Forms fixed in the Impression which alone every moment preserveth each Essence and all Beings by renewing them If the Seal be taken off immediately the Figure vanisheth and is no more Use. 1. Let all this that hath been spoken of the Person of Christ perswade us to study this Person in which such unsearchable riches are laid up and to seek the knowledge of him Beautiful things alone are worthy of knowledge This Jesus then is worthy of our knowledge For he is fair He is fairer than all things and so most worthy to be known all Beauties are comprehended in and derived from him His Person then should be the Center where all the lines of our knowledge meet and from whence they are drawn I shall press upon you the Study of your Beloved in the simplicity and nakedness of his Heavenly Person by Two Arguments 1. The Easiness 2. The Excellency 1. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is Easy Heb. 5. 11. The Holy Spirit had made mention of Melchisedech in the verse before In this he addeth Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered by reason of the dulness of your hearing Melchisedech signifieth the King of Righteousness This is Jesus Christ in that Spiritual Form of Divine Glory which is the Throne of Righteousness In this he was eternally with the Father in his heart and Eye In this he was with the Saints from the beginning of the World the Immortal Seed in their Hearts the Joyful and Glorious Object in the Eye of their Faith In this he appeared frequently to them thorow outward Figures The Holy Ghost telleth the Hebrews that He hath many things to say to them of this Person He hath many innumerable Beauties in Him to unvail and shew to them He hath many things to say many words and expressions to declare the riches of each single Beauty When David saw this Person of Christ as a City compact in it self where all Spiritual Beauties and Beautiful Spirits dwelt together in a most Beautiful Order in the unity of this First and Great Spirit in the Eternal Palace of His Spiritual Form he cryed out Glorious things are spâ—ken of thee O thou City of God! Psal. 87. 3. So saith the Spirit here of whom I have many things to Say Then He addeth and hard to be uttered This seemeth a strange Testimony to bring to prove the Knowledge of Christ to be easy which saith plainly the things of Christ are hard to be uttered But you will presently see these words to have in them a full and manifold proof of this which we intend The Beauties of Christ are hard to be uttered Whence ariseth this Difficulty From the Nature of the Things St. Paul teacheth us that Every thing which maketh manifest is Light Eph. 5. 13. If that which maketh every thing manifest be Light then is the Light itself most manifest of all things then the higher and greater the Light the clearer the fuller is it in the Manifestation of Itself and of all other things The Person of Christ is the most pure most perfect and most universal Light Nothing shineth so openly so clearly in every creature in every place in every Spirit Nothing so easy to be seen as the Person of this Lovely One Whence then is the difficulty of uttering His Glories The Spirit answereth the Question It is from the Dulness of our Hearing How evident an Argument is this of the Presence of our Beloved with us that He is before our Eyes in every Appearance of Things that He is in the midst of us How plain a Testimony is it of the openness and clearness of His Beauties of their nearness and suitableness to our senses that it is a Dulness in us not to see this Person these Beauties We never account it to be a Dulness of Sense not to discern things Distant or Difficult Solomon saith Prov. 14. 6. Knowledge is easy to him that understandeth The Knowledge which this Divine King had his eye upon thorow his whole Book was that Wisdom which is the Brightness of the Glory of God shining forth in the Soul The Holy Ghost seemeth thorow this book of the Proverbs to express by understanding a Divine Light and Sense which is the Spirit of Christ in us by Wisdom that Divine
every change lieth in the Person of our Beloved as a Mansion cut out of the Rock of Eternity in the flourishing Garden of Eden in the Paradise of the Divine Nature 3. Ground The Person of Christ hath passed thorow all Changes after an Unchangeable manner St Paul teacheth us that the Lord Jesus hath descended to the Nethermost parts of the Earth and ascended above all Heavens to this end that He might fill All Eph. c. 4. v. O that I had the tongue of the Learned the Learned with the Learning of the Holy that I could speak to you with Words taught by the Holy Ghost O that you had hearts to take in and understand more than I can express Jesus Christ our forerunner is gone into every Form of things from the Height of the God-Head above to the lowest Deeps of the Creature to this end that He might fill every Form of Things with the Unchangeable Fulness of His own Person in which All Fulness dwelleth together in a Spiritual and Divine Body He hath by this means filled every point of time with Eternity every spot of Earth with Heaven every Change on Earth in Time with the Unchangeableness of Heaven and Eternity St. Paul said to his Friends This I know that Bonds await me in every place But my life is not dear to me for the Testimony of Jesus A Believer in a contrary sense may say This I know that my Jesus in the fulness of Unchangeable Loves Beauties and Joys waiteth for me in every Change as a Spiritual Bridegroom in a Spiritual Bed of Loves which is ever green which hath a Perpetual Calm upon it and a Perpetual Spring Nothing therefore is dreadful or melancholy to me for the unchanged Pleasantness of my Jesus In the Eastern countreys they imbalmed the Dead Bodies within anoynted them without with costly Spices that they might be preserved from putrefaction and might have a sweet smell When the Woman in the Gospel poured forth a Box of pretious Spikenard upon the feet of Christ He said to some who were offended with the wast Trouble her not She hath done this against my burial The Lord intimated that this was a Sacrament dispensed by a Divine Hand representing for His Consolation this high and holy Mystery that Death and the Dead Body in the Person of Christ are so embalmed anoynted with the pretious Spikenard of the Eternal Spirit that the Dead Body is Incorruptible Immortal and Pleasant Death itself is a Flourishing Life a fragrant sweet-smelling Joy as it lyeth in and is filled with this Unchangeable Person O! with what a sweet Indifferency may we now walk thorow all the Changes of Life and Death when our Heavenly Spouse hath thus embalmed anoynted â—â—lled all with the Delights and Glories of His Unchangeable Person and Presence Use. 3. The Knowledge of the Lord Jesus in His Beauties sanctifieth and sweetneth our Life in this World our Death and Departure out of the World This Use hath Two Parts 1. Part The Opening of the Person of Christ upon us in His Spiritual Glories sanctifieth and sweetneth this Life There are three Principles of the Knowledge of Christ in His true and unchangeable State which will bring home His Heavenly Beauties warm and shining to your Hearts on this Earth by natural Deductions from each Principle 1 Principle This World in its pure Naturals is the Shadow which falleth from the Heavenly Body of Divine Glories in the Person of our Fair One. This hath been proved at large above Learn then from this Truth 4. Lessons 1. Lesson Live unconcerned in this World This Divine Lesson is taught us from Heaven by the Holy Ghost upon this Ground 1. Cor. 7. 29 30 31. But this I say Brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none And they that wept as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they bought not they that use this world as not abusing it For the fashion of this world passeth away The Apostle here divideth all this World into 4. Heads 1. Relations 2. Passions 3. Possessions 4. Employments and Entertainments Solomon saith in one place Why shouldst thou set thine heart upon that which is not There is no real Difference between having a Husband Wife or Children and having none between being in Grief or Joy and being without Grief or Joy between having an Estate and having none between being in the height of all Employments or Entertainments and being out of all This world hath nothing real It is all a Shadow Seeing then the various States of things on Earth have no real Difference pass thou thorow all estates with a perfect indifference of Spirit in a constant calm Eccles. 1. This is an Expression of the Vanity of all things here One Generation goeth another cometh but the Earth standeth for ever The Scripture in several places makes this one of the Names of God The Earth the Ground out of which all Generations of Things arise and into which they return again Divines interpret that Land of the Living mentioned to be the Divine Nature In this let our Spirits be a Divine Earth standing for ever unmoved upon its own Center of Eternity while one change after another cometh and passeth away again The Holy Ghost presseth it upon us by three Arguments 1. This World is a Fashion a Figure only a Shadow The fashion of this world In having this world thou hast a Shadow The Substance is above Let the world in having thee have thy shadow only Let thine heart be in Heaven with Jesus Christ. 2. This world vanisheth as a shadow The fashion of this world passeth away The Colours in a Rain-bow are Appearances of Colours and no more made by the reflection of the Sun upon a dark and watery Cloud So they suddenly break up and are seen no more The Colours of a Flower upon its stalk in the Garden are real livâ—â—g and lasting Such is the difference between Things on Earth and Things in Heaven Nothing here hath either Substance or Root 3. This world is a flying shadow suddenly gone The time is short As the shadow upon a Dyal in a short Winter-day moveth swiftly passeth away presently the Sun being low and immediately going in or going down so is every condition every comfort in Flesh. This is the first Lesson 2. Lesson Live without care and with content Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and supplication with Thansgiving let your requests be made known unto God Phil. 4. 5 6. You have in these words 1. A Precept for moderation Moderation is that measure of Things by which they are proportioned and tuned each to other so as to fall in and agree in one This is that which maketh Beauty in Sights and Musick in Sounds A contented frame
Fountain in the Person of the Father For there Love is in its Glory There is a Three-fold Crown the Marriage-Crown the Crown of a King the Crown of a Conqueror There is accordingly a Three-fold Glory 1. There is the Glory of Beauty This is that of the Sun which sendeth forth his Beams thorow all things and outshineth all things among the Earthly and Heavenly Bodies 2. There is the Glory of Soveraignty which ruleth over all 3. There is the Glory of Victory which subdueth all things to itself and maketh every thing an Ornament to its Triumph This Three-fold Crown doth Love wear this Three-fold Glory is it cloathed with in the Person of the Father It is the Eternal Sun which enlightneth enliveneth sweetneth cheareth all things by its Beams sent forth thorow all from the heights of the Heavens above to the depths of the Sea and the center of the Earth below It also infinitely surmounteth all things in Beauty and Sweetness as it shineth Eternally It is the great King that swayeth and ruleth all every where by its Golden Scepter It is the Glorious Conqueror which pierceth deep into the hearts of all which subdueth all to itself by its flaming Sword of Paradise turning every way By this Sword it cutteth off and consumeth all Flesh and Earth to keep that out of Paradise and from the Tree of Life By this Sword it refineth and converteth all into a pure and Heavenly Flame into Spirit So it bringeth them into Paradise to the Tree of Life in the midst of it Every thing every where doth Victorious Love make the Subject of its Conquests and the Ornament of its Triumphs This is Divine Love in its Glory in its Fountain This is the Divine Nature in the Person of the Father This is the Glory of Free-Grace 2. Inlet into the Fountain of Divine Love All the Riches of Love are seated in the Person of the Father The Apostle applyeth the Riches of Grace to the Father Ephes. 1. 7. According to the Riches of his Grace Three things meet in Riches Preciousness Plenty Power Every thing is purest and so most precious every thing is most united and so most plentiful and so most powerful every thing thus is richest in its Fountain The first Person is the Fountain of Divine Love For in him are the riches of Grace Love is Richest in the Father The heart of the Father is the Treasury of Love No where is Love so pure so unalâ—ayed so precious as in the heart of the Father Traffick O Man for the Treasure of this Love with all thy faculties with all that thou hast and art This Merchandise is beyond that of Gold and Rubies Traffick to this Coast of Spices to this Land of rich and precious Cordials the Land of the purest Love the heart of the Father No where is Love so plentiful in such abundance as in the heart of the Father The heart of the Father is infinitely larger than the Sea yet doth Love cover it as waters do the Sea where it is deepest when it is fullest Cast thy world of Sins O guilty Soul with all thy Mountains of guilt into this Sea of Love Love shall cover them that they shall never appear more If thou seek for them thou shalt not find them Come drink thy fill of Loves O dry and thirsty Soul from this rich and full Spring in the heart of the Father Come thou most insatiate Soul cast thy self into this full Sea of Loves in the Bosom of the Father hath thy self roul thy self in the midst of its rich Billows which rise as high as Heaven No where is Love so powerful so irresistible so full of vertue as in the heart of the Father Wash thy heart in this Fountain and it shall be healed of the Leprosy of every Lust. Lay thy heart down in this Spring in the Bosom of the Father and all its hardnesses shall be dissolved Drink in these waters of Love fresh from the heart of the Father and it shall be a powerful Cordial in thine heart It shall restore thy Life thy Strength the complexion of thy Soul thy Beauty thy Spirits thy Joys as at first as in Paradise as in Heaven as in thine Eternal Original 3. Inlet The Father in the Trinity is the Fountain of all Relations and so the Fountain of Love Father is the sweetest of all Names the Name of the highest tenderest purest and most perfect sweetness A Father is the first Relation and the Fountain of all Relations Adam was first a Father then a Husband So the Humane Nature from him streamed forth into Husband and Wives Sons and Daughters Brethren and Sisters into all Degrees of Kindred Allyances and Friendships Ephes. 3. 15. St. Paul saith that from the Father the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named Some render that word Family the Fatherhood or Paternity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Fathers in that Relation all the Fatherhoods and Paternities of every Father in Heaven and Earth lyeth first in that first Father the first Person in the Trinity as in their Fountain What comfort is this to every tender careful grieved Father of every sick sinful or lost Child The true Father to thy Child which acteth the part of the Father behind the vail of the shadowy Father in thee is the Father in the Trinity He is the strength sweetness and truth of the Relation every where The Paternity the Fatherhood every where is named from him But if we take the word according to our Translation it affordeth us the same sweet sense more fully The whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named from him from the Father of our Lord Jesus A Family is a chain of Relations which are as so many Links in the chain fastned one to another Father Mother Husband Wife Brother Sister Children Friends All these are named from the Eternal Father All these sweet dear names of Union of Love agree first most properly most truly to him who is the Supream Unity the Original and Fountain of all Unions of all Love All these are named from him He is the true Parent in the Parents the true Child Husband Wife Brother Sister Friend in thy Child thy Husband thy Wife thy Brother thy Sister thy Friends He is descended into all these shadoweth himself under them subsisteth as the truth and substance in them It is this descent of his in them this Presence and Appearance of his which giveth these names to them Love is either the Relation itself or the Blood which runneth along in the vein of every Relation Every Relation is a Union Every Union is Love in its proper kind and degree The Original the Fountain of all Unions of all Loves of all Relations is the Supream Unity which is the Father the first Person in the Trinity All Relations in Heaven and Earth all Unions are broken pieces of the great Diamond of Divine Love The Father is this great Diamond of Divine Love
saying in his Songs of Love This is my Beloved Birth my Beloved Bride in whom my Soul is well pleased What is this Jewel of the Saints It is the Righteousness of thy Justification What is the Righteousness of a Saints Justification It is this Jesus the fairest Birth of Divine Love the fairest Image of all Loveliness in the Eternal Fountain of Love the Bosom of the Father uniting himself to thee and making himself thy Loveliness making thee one fair Image of Divine Love one Divine and Supreme Beauty with himself By vertue of this union thorow Faith where-ever he is seen thy Person is seen together with that fairest Image of Divine Love in the Fountain of Love Wherever thou art seen rightly there together with thee and in thy Person is seen this fairest Image of Divine Love in the open Fountain of Love the Fathers Bosom Thou art the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ Thou art the Birth and Image of Divine Love in the fairest Birth and Image of Divine Love in the midst of the Fountain of Love This is thy Beauty thy Beloved thy Jesus O Believer Trust thy self to the perfection and covering Glory of his Loveliness Lie down in the Bosom of his Beauties Seek all Births and Images of Love which ever have been are or can be dear to thy Soul in his Face the immortal Seat and Eternal Spring-season of thy self and them 4. Character The Lord Jesus is the freshest Birth and Image of Divine Love that is of the Divine Nature The Father the Love-Spring in Eternity speaketh to the Son his Love-Birth thus To day have I begotten thee Psal. 2. The principal and terminating sense of these words is the Eternal Generation of the Son in the Trinity Eternity is one continued day ever present never past never to come above all Succession So is the Generation of this Love-Birth ever perfect ever present never past This is true from one end of Eternity to the other if we may so speak of that which hath neither Beginning nor End to day hath the Father begotten the Son Eternity is Indivisible All Acts all Joys all Things of Eternity are together at once in one There are three Rules which our Divines lay down concerning this Act of the Generation of the Son by the Father in the Trinity 1. Rule This Birth of Divine Love is perfect from Eternity perfectly sprung up perfectly brought forth from the Fountain of Love the Bosom of the Father The reason of this is the Unity of the Divine Essence The Divine Nature the Essence of Love the God-head is one equally Eternal in the Father and the Son 2. Rule The Lord Jesus the lovely Image of Dâ—vine Love is ever in the Birth ever newly rising up out of the Fountain of Love to Eternity For the Act of Divine Generation of the Divine Birth in the Mystery and Trinity of Divine Love is Eternal one continued Act from Eternity to Eternity 3. Rule This Birth and Image of Divine Love the Son ever lyeth in its Fountain the Bosom of the Father This ariseth from the Unity of the Essence and the Union of the Persons in this glorious secret of Eternal Love These Love-Persons in the same Love-Substance are ever distinct never divided Hose 6. 3. The coming forth of Christ as the anointed and anointing of Divine Love is said to be as the Morning The Love-Birth of our Jesus is in this sense as the Morning It is ever new ever fresh ever pleasant as the lovely Summer-Morning in its first Sweetnesses and Light in its Virgin-Purities and Pleasures It was a Divine Sentence of a Holy and learned Bishop in the primitive times All that God doth from Eternity to Eternity is the bringing forth of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is at once a lovely morning for new and fresh Sweetnesses ever a glorious noon for the height of his Beauties and the brightness of his light He is a lovely Rose ever in the Bud ever full-blown Use. 1. Chuse Christ Refuse the Creature Take into your Bosom this Love-Birth of the Father Cast out of your Bosom your own Love-Births in the Creature All these are Flowers which wither and dye away either upon their stalk or in your hand Every thing of the Creature declineth so soon as it cometh to its height The Lord Jesus is ever the same ever full ever fresh a fruitful Autumn and a floury Spring both in one continually This is your Inheritance Incorruptible Undefiled that passeth not away 1 Pet. 1. Use. 2. Ever believe as freshly as freely as at the first moment of your Conversion as in the first Act of Believing The Lord Jesus the ground and object of your Faith is ever fresh ever new All thy Sins against the Spiritual Marriage-Bed of thine Heavenly Bridegroom in thine heart can make no impression upon him He is New-born to thee from the unsearchable depths of Divine sweetness in the heart of the Father every moment He springeth up a new Love-Birth in the Fountain of Love every moment with all his lovelinesses fresh fair and full like a Rose new-blown as if now alone they had first appeared 5. Character Jesus Christ in the sacred Trinity is the fullest Birth and Image of Divine Love from the Father the Fountain of Love Our Saviour is called The Power of God 1 Corin. 1. Whatever the Father hath brought forth from the Eternal spring of Love of the God-Head whatever he doth whâ—â—ever he shall or can bring forth to Eternity all is comprehended in this Love-Birth in this Glorious and full Image of Love of God Jesus Christ. The Father the Fountain of Love the Supream Unity bringeth forth itself into all variety in this full Image of himself his Son that he may rest in his Son that his Joy may be full in him As the Father is the first Unity so the Son is the first distinction or variety The first is the highest distinction and variety the fullest distinction and variety the Fountain of all distinctions and varieties As the Father is the Unity of Love the Love-spring so the Son is the variety of Love the entire Image of all Loves and Lovelinesses All things in Heaven in Earth and under the Earth lie together here in this Image in the perfect Harmony of the Supreme Love and Beauty according to their proper distinctions as Branches of the first the fairest and the fullest variety Use. 1. With all thy stock of Life and abilities Traffick for this great and rich Pearl the Lord Jesus His price is beyond that of Rubies All thy desires cannot equal him All Prices are comprehended in his Price All precious things are in this Pearl O that we understood with Spiritual Hearts that we saw with Spiritual Eyes that we rellished with a Spiritual tast this Love-Birth this Image of Love this variety of Love the first the full distinction and variety the Fountain of all distinctions and varieties in the Person of Christ
Power in the Beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy Birth The words lie thus in Hebrew Thy willing People in the Day of thy Power oâ— thy Armies in the Beautiâ—s or Excellencies or Majesties of holiness or in thy holy Pure Beauties from the Womb of the Morning to thee the Dew of thy Youth You have here the Lord Jesus in Glory in his Kingdom in the Day of his Power with his Armies of Angels round about him in the Beauties of holiness in his Frâ—shest Beauties in the heighth of Excellency and Majesty in the Glory of his God-Head filling shining thorow overspreading his humane Nature You have him here in the Brightness Sweetness and Newness of his Eternal Sonship as he cometh â—orth Immediately from the Womb of the Morning the Bosom of the Father who is the Morning the Day-Spring of the God-Head Thus is Jesus Christ with the Dew of his Youth upon him as Fair as Fresh as unfading as a New-blown Rose in the Morning while the Pearly Dew lieth yet upon it Jesus Christ is now as a Bridegroom upon his Coronation Day or as a King upon his Marriage-Day Now his People are a Princely People all Fellow-Kings together with him Now the holy Soul is That Princess and Daughter which is his Queen all in Beaten Gold at his right hand The Willing People are Princes heavenly Spirits in Glory This is the Answer to the Second Question 3. Qu. What are the Chariots of the Princely People Answ. 1. The Chariots are the holy Angels Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of the Lord are Thousands Ten Thousands of Angels God is in the midst of them as on Sinai in the holy Place You may observe in your Bibles that word Place not to be printed with the same letter as holy to signifie that it is not in the Hebrew but added by the Translatours The Holy may be here any of these or rather all of these in their Subordinations the Sanctuary or Temple the Holy Placâ— the Figure the Lord Iesus the Substance Life to this Figure the holy One the Saints the holy Ones the members of Christ Christ Mystical the Spiritual Temples Heaven the Everlasting Glory of the God-Head in which Christ resideth Sinai was a Type to all these These in their several degrees are Sinai heightned to Sion to the Perfection of the Divine Presence in the Beauty of Holiness and Love You may see too that As before Sinai is added The Hebrew lieth thus Sinai in the holy The Thousands and Ten thousands of holy Angels make all One Chariot in which God rideth Each Angel is also a Distinct Chariot The Chariots of the Lord are according to the number of the Angels But Each Angel comprehendeth in himself the whole Millions of Angels They are distinguished in their Essential Forms but undivided As the same Colours and Lines varied make all Beauties So all Angelical Forms in distinct Relations make up the Essence and Glory of Every Particular Angel God with the Thousands of his Chariots rested on Mount Sinai Sinai or Sion rather is in the Lord Jesus in the Assemblies of the Saints in the Person and Spirit of every Saint in Heaven in the Spirit thorow all the Heavens and the Earth in the Lord Jesus and every Saint The Chariot of Solomon is the Chariot of his Queen also The Bridegroom and the Bride ride together in the same Chariot Jesus Christ and his Spouse Jesus Christ and his Brethren his Fellow Kings Behold then the Chariots of the Princely People of the Immortal Kings of Saints in Glory in the Glory of Christ and of the Spirit whether in the Body or out of the Body They are the Chariots of God The Thousands andâ— Ten Thousands of the holy Angels These are in a double sense the Chariots of these Divine Princes 1. These Princes ride in them 2. God rideth upon them in these Princes as on Sinai as on Sion as in Heaven Answ. 2. The Chariot is the Divine Presence in the Light and Evidence of its own Appearance with all its Train of Glories and Angels as in Heaven with the Universal Form of things comprehended in it enlivened and enlightned by it as in the Glorious Person of Christ at the last day This Divine Presence descending and ascending resting upon and shining forth in the Prophets and Holy men of old in their Visions is described Mystically Ezek. c. 1. and called by the Jews The Chariot There are Wheels Living High Dreadful Glorious Shining as a Pretious Stone full of Eyes that is of Angels of heavenly Spirits I humbly offer it to be considered whether these Wheels be not the Elements these Globes of the Visible Earth and Heavens made New made Spiritual filled with Angelical Lives cloathed with Angelical Forms and Glories in the Kingdom of the Spirit and Mystical Person of Christ. Then the Horses which draw these Wheels are the Living Creatures full of Eyes If the Wheels may be understood to be the visible Part these Living Creatures may present the Invisible Part of the Creation in its Renovation by a Spiritual Glory flowing forth from the Fountain of The God-Head in the Glorified Person of the Lord Jesus These Wheels and Horses together may perhaps not improbably be thought to be the New Earth Above the Wheels and the Living Creatures is the Chariot itself a Firmament If I may pursue my former Apprehension with Submission to the Spirit of Truth in every Spirit I shall call this the New Heaven The heavenly Image the God-Head unvailing itself appearing in a New Glory This is the Firmament the Heaven born up and carried along by the Innumerable Company of Angels while Jesus Christ sitteth in it as in his Chariot Above this Firmament is the Similitude of a Man as Fire from his Loins upward and as Fire from his Loins downward This is our Blessed Saviour in the Union of his Divine and Humane Nature The Glory of the Divinity of the Eternal Spirit cloatheth both with the same Similitude of Fire which shineth with the Sweetest Light burneth with the greatest force of Love transformeth all things with an Almighty Power into One Pure Immortal Divine Flame with itself The Lord Jesus himself speaketh of his own Coming and Appearance in his Kingdom after this manner The Son of Man shall come in his own Glory in the Glory of his Father and in the Glory of all His holy Angels Our Saviour seemeth to have had the same Vision in the Eye of his Spirit which Ezekiel had The Jews distinguish the Angels into Angels of the Throne nearer to the Divine Majesty Angels of Service at a greater Distance The Glory of the holy Angels make the New Earth the Horses and the Wheels in the Chariot of the great King The Wheels the Visible Part of the Creation the Wheels are made of Angelical Glory But they are the Angels of Service in a New Spiritual Glory The Invisible Things of
drop upon your hearts four brief exhortations 1. O that all Men would love the King of Saints the Lord Jesus It is he alone who subdues the King of Terror that is Death and is more than a conqueror over him making him the King of delights He changeth the Region and Kingdom of Death which is the Principality of the Devil into the Kingdom of God which is Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost 2. Set a value upon the union with the Lord Jesus by faith Ask seek dig for this by day and by night in Prayer in the Word in the Society of the Saints in every ordinance in every creature that you may believe in the Lord Jesus and that you may be united to him by believing Let nothing discourage you in this pursuit and expectation The Lord Jesus hath given himself for you even unto Death that you may be his in the sweetest and most intimate union He giveth himself to you in his life of Glory that he may be yours by an immediate and entire union He giveth his Spirit to you to be the Maker and the band of this union to work faith in you and make you Believers He is now with you now in you in the fulness of his merits righteousness glory love and Spirit Now this moment open the Eyes of your minds and behold him in the midst of you open your hearts and take him in cast your selves into his open arms and heart cleave to him by believing So even this moment shall your Souls and Bodies both which are naturally the Members of this Harlot the Flesh and the World which are naturally Dens of Thieves and Devils become the Members of the Lord Jesus and the Temples of the Holy Ghost The Lord Jesus shall be in your Body itself as in a Member of himself a Fountain of living waters even in Death and in the Grave making it there a Paradise a Garden for God and for all blessed Spirits The Holy Ghost shall be not only in your Souls but in your Bodies also as in his Holy Temple even in the darkness of Death itself filling it with his Glory and moving over it with his Doves Wings the Wings of Eternal Love 3. Make it your chief work and end to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus What care and pains do we take to grow in riches yet riches profit not in the day of Wrath. To know him is eternal life With what diligence do we pursue the wisdom of this world Yet saith Solomon as dyeth the Fool so dyeth the wise Man If thou gain and grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus this is a wisdom which will make thy Soul and Body both shine with a Light of Glory and Immortality even in Death itself Solomon saith that when understanding enters into our Souls wisdom will be sweeter than hony to our tast O what new tast and rellishes of new and unexpressible sweetnesses doth the Soul still meet with which is still growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus What a sweet tast and rellish of Death beyond all the delights of Life doth the knowledge of Jesus Christ give unto us representing it as a Feast of pleasant things to our Bodies also as well as to our Souls When thou understandest the fellowship and vertue of Christs Death in thy Death thou shalt see Death in thy Soul and in thy Body as the Carkass of a dead Lyon torn in pieces by that true Samson the Lord Jesus whither the Father himself and Christ and the Holy Spirit with all the blessed Angels resort as Bees to their Hive laying there their Hony and their Hony-comb for thee to eat 4. O you that are Christs love Death Death is now become but a shadow of Death True life with all the joys of life vails itself beneath that shadow If you knew the love of the Father the Glory of the Lord Jesus the joys of the Holy Ghost in Death if you knew what the Death of a Saint were how precious you would ask it continually of God that he would hasten it in the time thereof You would cry out continually as Sisera's Mother did why doth his Chariot stay Death is not now a shadow of Death but a living delightful and divine shadow cast from the glorious face of our Lord Jesus under which our Souls and Bodies lie together as in a sweet and divine sleep in his Bosom in which sleep all the joys and glories of Heaven and Eternity are present with us as a divine Dream out of which we wake at the Resurrection finding all to be true eternally true and the sweet shadow and dream themselves swallowed up into a bright clear and full enjoyment Thus according to St. Pauls Language doth the very Body of a Saint when he dies sleep in the Lord. Thus is death to the Soul and Body of a Saint as the Curtains of Purple round about Solomons Bed where the Saint lies now in the embraces of the true Solomon himself the King of Righteousness and King of Peace or round about the Chariot of Solomon which had within it a Throne of Gold and was paved with Love As the Sun by its influence forms a precious Mine of Gold in the bowels of the Earth which afterward being taken out and separated from its dross becomes pure and incorruptible and is made a Crown for the Head of a great King so the Lord Jesus by his Spirit frames a new a heavenly Soul and Body in a Saint which are both his precious Members his Temples of Gold But while this life lasts they are in this Body of Sin and Death as Gold in the Oar. In the moment of Death the Lord Jesus takes them both out separates them entirely from the dross of all earthliness and carnality makes them pure and shining Diadems in the hand of God 2. Propos. The whole Person of a Saint in Soul and Body at the moment of Death is gathered up entirely into a Spiritual Principle and so into a Spiritual Sense and so into a Divine Life and Peace This followeth of necessity upon the former Proposition which I have already proved by the Scripture For if a Saint in Death be gathered up entirely out of a Carnal Principle he is gathered up entirely into a Spiritual Principle There is now no middle between these two We read in Scripture of the divided state of a Saint between freedom and bondage liberty and captivity the War between the Spirit and the Flesh while he lives on Earth Accordingly we meet with exhortations to abide in Christ to walk in the Spirit if we live in the Spirit But when a Saint dies we read of him and that with a peculiar relation to his Body that he sleeps in the Lord that he sleeps in Christ. O sweet and full expression O beautiful and blessed State Now is a Saint with his Body as well as his Soul alone in Christ entirely in Christ for
to dye with you This is the true Church-fellowship a Fellowship in our Souls and in our Bodies by a Spiritual Principle and Life with the Church and Assembly of the first-born with all things in their first born State in one Spiritual and Heavenly Body in Christ. 3. How amiable and lovely doth this make death to the Saints This is the chief end I aim at in my discourse and the point to which I bring it With what a beautiful and smiling Face doth Death now look forth even in the Body of a Saint in which he hath been wont generally to appear so grim to the holiest Persons Thy Body O Believer so far as thou standest in a Spiritual Principle is a Fellow-member with thy Soul in the Body of Christ It is a Jewel the work of a faithful and curious workman the most holy Spirit as Solomon in the Canticles speaketh of the Spouse of Christ. But here the mixture of the fleshly and carnal Principle is as Dust and Dirt which covereth and fullyeth this costly Jewel With what a sweet pure lustre of Immortality and of Heavenly Glory doth it sparkle and shine forth ravishing thine own and all spiritual Eyes and Hearts in the moment of Death when the blessed hand of Death clean wipes off the dust and stain of the carnal Principle and brings it forth entirely into its Spiritual Principle that now it stands singly as a Spiritual Member in the Spiritual Body of Christ The Lord Jesus saith if thine Eye be single thine whole Body shall be light as when a Candle enlightens a Room In this life O Saints we have a double Eye and have a double sight The mixture of the Spiritual and Carnal Principle is the double and divided Eye O welcome Death receive it with open embraces Now is your Eye single Now is the carnal Principle cast out for ever Now you look forth with the open and single Eye of the single Principle of the Eternal Spirit Now is your whole Body nay now is the whole body of things filled to you with a Heavenly light of Immortality Glory This single Eye pours forth from the Unity of the Spirit as from the Fountain of blessed Light thorow your whole Souls and Bodies thorow all things round about them a Light of Glory as when a Candle enlightneth a Room A way of cleansing Pearls when they have any spot or cloud upon them is to thrust them down the throat of a Pigeon into its Crop where the heat of the Pigeon takes off the stain and makes them perfectly white This is the mystery of a Saints Death The Heavenly Dove the Holy Spirit in the same moment takes a Saint entirely in Soul and Body out of this Life out of the Carnal Principle into himself into his Bosom of Love by the Divine heat of that Love takes off every spot or cloud of the flesh by consuming it both in the Soul and in the Body and makes them both purely white and shining Pearls in the Heavenly Body of that one great and only Pearl the Lord Jesus 2. The second relation into which the Body of a Believer is taken at the new birth is that of a Temple to the Holy Ghost There are 4 things proper to a Temple 1. The Figure 2. The Glory 3. The Communion 4. The Defence 1. Every thing in the Tabernacle and so in the Temple to the least things and lowest actions were divine Types of Spiritual Truths and Heavenly Excellencies in the Person of the Lord Jesus So it is said that all things were made and ordered according to the pattern in the Mount which pattern in the Mount was Christ in Glory O Saints This Tabernacle and Temple were Types first of Christ then of you whose Souls and Bodies both are the true and living Temples of God The Body of a Saint is a more excellent Temple in as much as Solomons Temple was a shadow only of this It is a Living Divine and Immortal Temple It is therefore in the whole a far more excellent more rich more glorious and delightful Image of the God-Head in its entire form It is in every part and point of it a most lively a most beautiful a most pleasant figure of some particular Mystery and Glory in the God Head All the parts of your Bodies themselves the lowest and least even to a hair of your Heads every thing that befals you in every part of your Body in the meanest and slightest circumstance is formed exactly by the Divine Wisdom and Power according to the Divine Will to answer the Pattern in the Mount to be the holy figure of an eternal Glory in Christ. We read Psal. 29. 9. Every thing in his Temple speaks Glory Every thing in thy Body O Believer so far as thou art a Believer speaks Glory For this is his Temple O live alwaies in the Spirit that thou maist alwaies be in thy Body as in the Temple that there thou maist see understand and enjoy the Glory in every thing 2. The Temple of God is filled with the Glory of God There is a Prophesy in Malachy concerning the times of the Gospel that he shall come into his Temple You O Saints are the Temple which is here Prophefied of Jesus Christ as God in the Glory of the Father in the Third Person the Holy Ghost comes into you into your Bodies also and fills them with his Glory The same word in Hebrew signifieth a Temple and a Pallace The name of a Temple in Greek signifieth an Habitation or dwelling place It is a note of a learned Divine that the Temple had Tables and a Throne and a State in it which was the Golden Mercy Seat called in the Gospel the Throne of Grace to signifie that the Temple of God was his Pallace as he is the great King The Eternal Spirit is present in the Body of a Believer as in his Pallace He keeps his Court there There is his Throne with all the blessed Angels and all the Heavenly Company waiting round about it It is called his resting-place Arise saith David to God thou and the Ark of thy strength into thy resting-place God shineth forth in his Temple filleth it with his Glory within resting upon it and overshadowing it with his Glory without In the 50 Psal. at the beginning the Psalmist speaking of the Temple saith God shineth from Sion the perfection of Beauty What a perfection of Beauty then what a Divine Pallace how full of Glory within how encompassed with a clear shining Glory round about is that Body of a Saint which is the living eternal Temple of the Holy Ghost In what Majesty doth this Eternal Spirit appear here upon its Throne of Love In the midst of what Divine Pleasures and Delights doth it rest for ever here What a Court does it keep here with all its Train of Angels and heavenly Attendants waiting round about its Throne as in another Heaven O Believers honor your Bodies For
with the King himself which the Lord Jesus by dying in himself in thee hath everlastingly destroyed in his own Person in his own Death and in thine by the vertue of his own As an Inchantment so is this whole Frame and Form of things dissolved so doth it vanish at the going forth of thy last breath If thou seek now for the region of Shadows and the Land of Darkness thou findest it no more for ever as he that would seek for the Night the Nightly Shades and Forms of things when the Sun is once risen Let thy Soul and Body both then rejoice together and rest in this assurance that in their departure out of this Life in the passage of Death they shall meet with nothing of loss nothing uncouth nothing unpleasant nothing of Darkness of Division of Death of the Devil but the most beautiful and blessed Face the most dear and delightful Embraces of the Lord Jesus as a Glorious Lover as a Heavenly Bridegroom immediately presenting himself immediately receiving them In the same moment do all things here disappear and all things appear again as they are reconciled into a most ravishing Harmony of Divine Beauty and Love As they are gathered up into their Head into their first Glory their Eternal Unity in the Glorified Person of Christ. 7. Propos. This same Jesus in his whole Person with his whole Soul and Body in the moment of Death by dying went forth entirely into the simplicity and singleness of his Supernatural and Eternal Principle and so into a State of pure Eternity unmixt Joy and Glory I shall endeavour to explain and confirm this Proposition by the fuller opening of a Scripture which I have often touched Psalm 16. 9 10. 11. Thus we read Therefore my heart is glad my Glory rejoiceth my Flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption Thou wilt show me the path of Life in thy presence is the fulness of Joy at thy Right Hand are Pleasures for evermore This is a Prophesy of Christ in his Death David as a Prophet speaketh concerning Christ and in the Person of Christ. So St. Peter interpreteth and applieth this Scripture Acts 2. 25. This then is the Triumph of Christ in Death over Death which Triumph consisteth of four Parts 1. The Subject 2. The Triumph 3. The Ground 4. The manner of the Triumph 1. The Subject of Christs Triumph This is threefold 1. The Soul 2. The Glory 3. The Flesh of the Lord Jesus 1. The Soul This seemeth to be that unseen and principal part of the Natural Man which in our common language is opposed to the Body as the Visible and inferiour part 2. The Glory hath a twofold acception Davids Harp and his Tongue were his Glory upon two accounts both as he was a sweet Singer a most skilful Musitian and also as he was the sweet Singer of Israel as his Harp and Tongue recorded the Praises of God and made all things round about him to resound the perfections and loves of the Lord Jesus Thus the Tongue of Christ was his Glory as he is the sweet Preacher in Jerusasalem the Heavenly Interpreter one of a thousand who sheweth to Man his Righteousness and his rest But again this Glory in David was the Spiritual Man the birth of the Spirit the Seed of God the Life of Christ Christ in David This Glory in Christ was the Spiritual Man the Heavenly Image the Divine Nature the God-Head For so Heb. 1. 1. Jesus Christ is said to be the brightness of the Glory of God as he is the express Image of his Person and Substance 3. The Flesh of Christ is his Body as it is distinguished from the Soul and is covered with a Vail of Flesh under which Vail it contains within itself those other two the Soul and the Glory This is the threefold Subject of the Triumph the Natural Body the Natural Soul the Eternal Spirit as it inhabiteth in these 2. The Triumph itself is exprest in those four words Gladness Joy Rest and Hope Gladness is the same with Joy The State of Blessedness in Heaven and Eternity is expressed by Joy The Lord Jesus saith to the Good and Faithful Servant Enter thou into thy Masters Joy St. Peter calls the Blessedness which we have here in believing and loving the Lord Jesus which is Heaven upon Earth a Joy Glorious and unspeakable As our Lord Jesus dyed the Humane Soul of Christ before imprisoned in a Fleshly Body went forth to be comprehended and swallowed up in that Joy which it could not take in nor comprehend because it was boundless and infinite His Divine Nature which in this Humane Soul together with it had been vailed by an Earthly Body now breaks forth and shines out into the freedom and full liberty of its own unconfined delights and unvailed Glories My Soul saith Christ is glad and my Glory rejoiceth The Triumph of Christ in his Body and his Flesh is set forth by Rest and Hope which two words import Life Sense a Sweetness and fulness of Life and Sense with Immortality The Sabbath in the beginning of the Creation as it figureth the perfection of a Sanctified and blessed State in Christ and in Heaven is expressed by Rest the name Sabbath signifieth Rest. The Land of Canaan as it was a Land of Rivers and Springs and floods of Water as it was a Land flowing with Milk and Hony and so a Type of that good Land that flourishing Land of the Spirit and of Eternity where the Fountains and full floods are of all Divine Goodness and Truth is expressed by Rest. Joshua who gave the Land of Canaan to the Jews is said to give them Rest. That perfect Cessation from all trouble that perfect Consummation of our Happiness in the quieting of all our desires by the full accomplishment of them that terminating of all our motions to good in their most wished for end the chief good which the Lord Jesus which the Gospel which Faith bringeth us to in an immediate entire eternal Union with God all this the Holy Ghost expresseth by Rest. Come to me and I will give you Rest saith the Lord Jesus He that believeth entereth into Rest saith the Epistle to the Hebrews Thus the Body and Flesh of Christ rest in Death These are the words as he dies in his Song of Death My Flesh also doth rest in hope The Hebrew word for Hope signifieth two things Confidence and Hope Confidence implies a double certainty 1. A certainty in the object which is the good in prospect or in possession hoped for or already enjoyed 2. The certainty of the Subject which is a sweet a deep a clear Sense and Seal upon the Soul of the certainty of the object of the certainty of that Good which it hath in fruition or expectation This twofold Certainty maketh that confidence or assurance which compleateth or crowneth the Souls
Glorious Person by the Heavenly and Personal Union in and with the Eternal Word Soul and Body were separated in respect to their Natural Union and Composition All the Relations and Delights of both all the precious Treasures all the clear Images and Lights of Life with the sweet life itself vanished and fled away so far as they were founded upon the Natural Union the band being broken which tyed them all together in one at the dissolution of this Union But all these still dwelt together undivided still possessed and enjoyed one another after the most intimate manner without allay or interruption in the Unexpressible and Glorious Unity of the Eternal Word the Second Person in the Trinity This Unity was a Divine Band an undivided Center a living Spring an unfathomable depth of Loves and Glories where they lay perpetually enfolded in the warm embraces each of other covered with all the sweetest Lights and Beauties even upon the bitter Cross and in the cold Grave never to be divorced from each other Separation itself was here only a various and delightful form of embracing in the Unity of this Eternal Person 4. In the fourth and last place follows the manner of the Triumph This hath three parts 1. The Triumph over Corruption exprest in these words Thou shalt not suffer thy holy One to see Corruption 2. The Triumph of Life Thou wilt shew me the path of Life 3. A Triumph in the Pleasures of Life In thy Presence is fulness of Joy at thy Right Hand Pleasures for evermore 1. The first part in the manner of the Triumph is the Triumph over Corruption Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption The Triumphant Person here is the holy one of God the holy Son of God the pure Seed Birth and Image of God Jesus Christ in his Divine and Humane Nature as he is in both the Holy One of God the Holy Birth and Son of God Jesus Christ in himself Jesus Christ in David David in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ in the Holy Soul and Holy Body of every Member of Christ as they are the Spiritual Births and Spiritual Temples of the Holy Spirit This is the Person which Triumphs in Death That which he Triumphs over is Corruption There is a complication of four Evils in Corruption 1. Division or Dissolution which is the chief and the Root of the other Evils 2. Darkness increasing 3. Deformity overspreading 4. Decay which is a tendency to a destruction of Being or to a contrariety in Being to all the good of Being Over all these Evils of Corruption Jesus Christ Triumpheth as he dyeth 1. Jesus Christ Triumpheth over Division or Dissolution in Death The Eternal Unity of his Divine Person was at once as a Root and a Band to both his Natures to both parts of his Humane Nature to all the Powers and parts of his Soul and Body to the several Elements in his Body to all Perfections of Glory Grace and Nature in all Powers and Parts of the Humane Soul and Body All were as an Immortal Nosegay or a Mysterious Knot of Divine Flowers ever inseparably united in this Band ever unfadingly flourishing in this Root of the Hypostatical Union or the Divine Unity of the Eternal Person which was indissoluble in Death itself Yea those Separations which are Natural and necessary in Death were themselves Flowers of the Heavenly and Earthly Paradise bound up with this Heavenly Band in this ever-fair ever-fragrant Nosegay 2. Jesus Christ dying Triumpheth over the gloomy horrours of the increasing darkness which ariseth from the hateful Womb of Darkness in the dreaded vaults of Death The Divine Nature which is inseparable from the Humane Nature the Personal Unity which is really and substantially one with the Divine Nature which gives a subsistence in itself to the Humane Nature and makes it in its Personal subsistence one with the Divine this is a brightness of Glory shining in the Grave this is a Golden Candlestick in which all the seven Lamps of God burn continually by day and by night before the Throne of God and make the vaults of Death themselves a Temple of Gold and Christal filled with the sweet Beams of the Heavenly Eternal Sun All things even Death and the darkness of Death are as precious Stones set together in the rich Jewel of this Person or Hypostatical Union where no one Stone contracts the least degree of dimness but all in the midnight of Death itself ever sparkle with the sweetest and clearest water of Eternal Life 3. The deformity of Death as it springs up out of the Corruption in Death is the subject of our dying and dead Saviours Triumph The Heavenly Image of the God-Head which is the supream Beauty the Arche-type and first Pattern of all Beauties upon the Mount of Eternity is the Person of Christ in which the Divine and Humane Nature with all its changes of Life and Death stand and subsist together Can any thing be deformed in Beauty itself Can any thing be Unlovely where the highest and purest Loveliness shines thorow all and over all What must the Harmony what must the amiableness and agreeableness be how exact and ravishing as in Heaven itself there where the Supream Unity the most Sacred Unity of one of the most blessed Persons in the All-glorious Trinity diffuseth itself thorow all the variety of things Divine and Humane of Soul and of Body binding up all by itself immediately into the most perfect and Divine Order and gathering up all into one most perfect and Divine Person in itself How High and Glorious is the Triumph of Divine Beauty over the deformity of Death when thus the Eternal Beauty itself dies dressing itself up in the Forms of Death and giving to Death it s own most lovely Face which enflames the highest Angels and God himself with Eternal and Infinite Loves In the place of Deformity what potent what attractive charms of Loveliness hath this Death to ravish Souls into the bosom of it which are thus to die by a Fellowship with the Lord Jesus as he dies 4 The last Evil in the Corruption of Death is the decay which is a Tendency to a Nothingness a Privation the destruction of the being of things or to a contrariety to all good in Being This is that dark Cave that bottomless Pit out of which like the smoak of Hell like gastly black and flaming apparitions from Hell the deepest and darkest Melancholy the most dismal Horrours and the most horrid Imaginations from the sense and fear of Death issue forth and cover the face of the Soul as pitchy and stormy Clouds cover the Face of Heaven How does the dying Soul dread to be cast forth into the uttermost Darkness to be dispossest of itself together with all thigns To be endlessly sinking in an abyss or bottomless deep of a vast emptiness and a cheerless formless shade to be no more or to be in the midst of all the wounds and torments that
Being is capable of to be consuming so as ever to wish it as the only medicine of ones evil and ever to fear it as the greatest of all Evils as the most incomprehensible Evil to be no more How sweet and delightful was the Triumph of our Lord Jesus over this Monster which stands with so grim and frightful a look in the Gate of Death O Corruption O Decay O Destructions where is your Victory Jesus Christ comes into the empty and obscure shades of Death with the fulness of the Godhead with all the Lights of the Divine Nature of Angelical and created Glories of Heaven and Eternity with their full splendours shining together all at once in the Unity of his Divine Person This Person which is the Fulness that filleth all in all which is the Brightness that shineth eternally in the Divine Essence now filleth the whole space oâ— Death now enlighteneth it thorough-out now becometh the stage and Scene of Death supporting it on his delicious Bosom bounding it with his bright and blissful Beams Where is the emptiness where is the shade where is the bottomless Pit of Dread decay in Death They are all swallowed up into shining full substantial Glorys in this Triumph of our Saviour over Death These are the Evils of Corruption in Death over which Christ triumphs See row the height of this Triumph Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption Jesus Christ passeth so triumphantly through the Regions of Death that Corruption loseth not onely its force but its appearance 〈◊〉 his presence Jesus Christ seeks for the place of Corruption and finds it no more Thou O God wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption The God-head itself the Divine Person of Christ the Divine Nature inseparable from that Person goes before the Lord Jesus as a Guide when he passeth through this waste Wilderness It cometh behind him as a Rearward of Glory It encompasseth him on every side with its highest Brightnesses and Blessednesses It suffereth him to see nothing but Itself on every side of him The living shining Glorys of his God-head are Light and Eyes to his dead Body in the Grave With these and with these alone his Divine Person now looketh forth thorough his Body in the Grave thorough the Grave to the utmost bounds of the Regions of Death In this Light to these Eyes all things near at hand and afar off throughout are a shining Prospect of Living Beauties to Eternity This Divine Light and these Divine Eyes are a Divine Flame which in a moment in the twinkling of an Eye break up all Shades of obscurity fill all space with their own Brightnesses transform all Shapes even Corruption and Death into the same Divine Forms with themselves to the utmost bound of things Thus God suffereth not his Holy One to see Corruption 2. The second part is the manner of the Triumph the Triumph of Life is expressed in those words Thou shalt shâ—w me the Path of Life There are here two remarkable Triumphs over Death 1 Life in Death 2. The sight and Triumphant sense of this Life 1. Life in Death is declared by the Path of Life which is made for the Lord Jesus thorough Death Noah with his dear Relations and all kinds of Creatures kept dry and safe in the Ark while the fountains of the great Deep were broken up from below and the windows of heaven were opened from above to cover all things with a Flood of Waters the Children of Israel in the Land of Goshen whâ—â—re there was Light and Rivers of Water while darkness was upon the whole Land of Egypt and the Rivers in it were turned into Blood the Children of Israel passing in a dry path thorough the Red Sea which overwhelmed the Eâ—yptian King with his whole Army the Three Children with the similitude of the son of God walking in the midst of the fiery furnace which burnt their bands only and devoured their enemies which cast them in all these were Figures of Jesus Christ passing in a Path of life thorow Death The Lord Jesus himself in his Heavenly divine form as he is the Essential Image of his Father is his own Way and Life thorough Death This is the Fountain of Life and Eternity itself This hath all Lives bound up in one like those innumerable Beams which pour forth themselves through all things in Heaven and on Earth united in the sun Here Life riseth up in its greatest Fulness in its freshest purest and sweetest Streams where all the strengths Beauties and Joys of Life are at their greatest heighth Thus the Godhead in its Essential Image stands in every part and point of the Humane Nature of Christ dying or dead Thus it stands in every step and point of its Way through Death Thus it makes it all as a Fountain and Fâ—ood of Life As the Milky way in Heaven where innumerable Stars mingle their Beams into one Path of Light Such is the Way of Christ in Death which is all a mixture or contexture of the innumerable Beauties and sweetnesses of Life rising up fresh from the innumerable springs of Life in the Bosom of this Heavenly Image which is Eternity and the Divine Essence it self in its own substantial Form 2. The Triumphant sight and sense of Life accompanys the Lord Jesus in this Path of Life thorow Death as is signified by those words Thou 〈◊〉 shew me or make me to know the Path of Life As a Princely Bridegroom leading his Royal Bride in his hand thorough delightful walks when the spring is in its prime makes her to observe all the delights in the Walks saying to her see how pleasantly all things look how sweetly Heaven and Earth smile one upon another how lovely the leaves and blossoms are upon the Trees the grass and the Flowers upon the ground how pleasantly the birds sing in every bush how pure and sweet the air is how 〈◊〉 the year is now Thus God the Father leads Jesus Christ thus the Divine Nature in the brightness of its Glory leads the Humane Nature thorough the Paâ—h of Life in Death as a heavenly Bridegroom its dearest Bride He loâ—k forth upon him with a flaming eye of Love he saith to him behold a new and large prospect of Divine Lights and all the Beauties of Life in Death with what spicy sweetness and immortal perfumes the Spirit of Life and Love as the Air of Paradise and Heaven itself breaths upon all things here 〈◊〉 do Heaven and Earth the uncreated and the created Image of things reflect the same Beauties and sweetnesses one upon another like the Living Face and the Face in a Chrystal Mirrouâ— How do all glories in their lovelyest Forms richest Varieties looking down from above sprouting forth and blossoming from beneath meet and kiss each other How do Angels how do Immortal and shining Spirits spring and sing every where How doth the Shade of Death itself mingling itself with all
and despair that by him these beautiful and blessed Lives may rise again 2. The Death out of which this Life is raised is that of Sin and of the Curse for Sin Eph. 2. 1. v. St. Paul saith we were dead in Sin Hear and read this O man with sighs and tears with trembling and terrour Thy Life it self is now a Death and a cursed Death such a Death as makes the difference between an Angel in Glory and a Devil in Hell The corruption of the best things is worst The fall of the highest and greatest things makes the greatest and most dreadful Ruine The Divine Life is dead the Divine Image is fallen in thee Thou art dead in Sin Sin lived and I died saith St. Paul in the forementioned place A Life of Darkness shame Disorder deformity enmity the Life and Image of Hell and Devils are sprung up in thee and are become a Grave of hate and horrour which hath swallowed up the Life the Image of Love Beauty and Joy of Heaven of Angels of God into a cursed Victory in thee All the stings and terrours of the first death in the separation of the Soul and Body are all the secret burnings of this Hellish fire of the Death in Sin now quite consuming the broken Relicks of the Divine Light and sweetness in the Flesh and enlarging itself into the second Death as into an eternal Flame of Wrath and torment Look up oh man see this whole World of these Heavens and this Earth as a Charnel-house or a dark Vault for the Dead See thy self in this Body as a melancholy Coffin in the midst of this Vault where thine own Divine Life and Image with ten thousand blessed Lives the Life of Christ of Paradise of Heaven lie dead and buried See this place in which now thou art the smoaky porch and gloomy entrance into Hell like a cloudy Evening to that dismal Night See thy self walking here as a wretched Ghost and Shade in the midst of the Dead in the midst of cursed Apparitions from below and thy self together with all these ready every moment to vanish into everlasting Darkness and Flames This is the Death out of which the Divine Life is raised in the first Resurrection or the Regeneration 3. The Resurrection of this Life out of this Death is to be declared in its first step which is the Regeneration or New-birth The Divine Nature which lies hid at the bottom and in the center of the Soul lives there to itself with its Heavenly and Earthly Image as in the Secret of its own twofold Paradise whereof one was never yet revealed in any Creature until Christ the other with drew itself hither from the sight of the Soul at the Fall This Divine Nature as to the Soul itself whose Root it is of whose Being it is the only Life and Truth lies slain by the Life of Sin and buried in its own Ruines beneath the Darkness and Confusion of the Corrupt the Fleshly and the Hellish Image This Divine Nature in the moment of Regeneration or Conversion is new-born in the Soul or which is the same the Soul is new-born into the Divine Nature and comes forth with a new and Divine Being into a new and Divine World This change is called a Birth because the Divine Nature as the Seed of God sown in the Soul diffuseth itself thorough the Soul changeth the Soul into one Nature and Life with itself so bringeth forth itself in the soul and the Soul together with itself in its own Divine Life and Likeness The Eternal Spirit is the Father of this Birth which sendeth forth this holy Seed This Spirit is also the Mother For in the naked Bosom of the Eternal Spirit at once the Seed of God is sown in the soul and the Soul is sown as a new Seed sent forth immediately from God wrapt up in the Seed of God The Spirit also itself is this Seed For so the Lord Jesus saith John 3. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit This New birth is said to be from above because it is immediately from God the Birth of God as he is in the Simplicity of his Godhead uncloathed of every Vail infinitely transcending all created powers and perfections This Birth is expressed by being born again as a second Birth For man was first born unto a Divine Light and Image in Pâ—radise where he aâ—so dyed to this Life and Image unto which he is now born a second time That was a Shadow onely This the Shadow and the Substance both in Union This Birth is also called a Resurrection and is truely so upon this account That same Divine Person in his own proper and individual Existency which died in Paradise which ever since hath lien slain and buried in the corrupt sinful Person sprung up in its place as in a Grave now riseth again As it riseth it casteth off this cursed and Hellish person as a Body rising to Glory casteth off the form of a dead Carcass of Rottenness and dust recovering it s own proper place and right But there is a threefold difference between this Divine Nature in its first Life in Paradise and its first Resurrection in its Regeneration or New-birth 1. In Paradise the Divine Nature sprung up and appeared in a Earthy Image and in an Earthy Person only as in a lovely shadow of itself The Heavenly Person the Heavenly Image although it were the Root the Truth the Life the Fulness of this Shadow yet it lay concealed beneath it as a Vail or as the Fruit lies hid in the Blossom By Sin the Blossom falls to make way for this Fruit. In the new birth out of the Ruins of the Earthy Person and the Earthy Image as the rending of the Vail the Divine Nature springs up and shines forth in its own Heavenly Person and Image Thus that which was sown by the Fall a Heavenly and Divine Shadow riseth again by the new birth a Heavenly and Divine Substance which is the Shadow in its Life and Truth The Holy Scriptures declare this Glorious Mystery 1 Epist. John 5. c. where we read That there are three which bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit A little after we read That he who believeth hath the record in himself If a Believer hath the Record within himself he hath also within himself those who bear the Record For a Record or Testimony hath all its authority and force from the Persons of the Witnesses as it is given by them and cometh forth out of their mouths Behold then here in the moment of believing God himself in the three Persons in their Heavenly Image which is the Heaven of Heavens bringing forth the Divine Nature as their own proper Birth and Child in an Heavenly Person and in their own Heavenly Image in which they themselves dwell together with him giving their Testimony to him in which he believes 2. That which was the Beauty and the beautiful