at that time the heavens opened at what time the earth trembled at that time through his satisfaction he removed thy trembling estate and condition at what time the light of the sunne was obscured at that time the merit of thy Saviour shined the glory of the sunne of righteousnesse and the beauty of the sunne which is collocated in the midst of the planets at one time were darkned in which time Christ stood in thy place and for thy sake hath suffered What might I mention concerning Christ the more the mind conceiveth the more the tongue relateth the more the soule by faith apprehendeth the more the mind is elevated The Moone is below the sunne the sunne below Saturnee Saturne below the Primum Mobile the Vegitive creature is be low the sensitive the Sensitive below the Rationall and the Rationall below him that lives by faith in the Lord Jesus How divine is such a Christian in contemplation how heavenly in Mediation how rare iâ— declaration how sweet in conversation never a speech comes from such a Christian but it is inflamed with the fire of the Holy Ghost hence all his words are in extolling Christs righteousnes advancing Christs goodnesse valuing Christ blood Christ hath drawn his mind to a high pitch of conceivement hath the sunne the power of exalation the splendor of a Diamond in the drawing of the affection is ther not enough in Christ which drawes the Christian to high meditation Though thy mind did rest like the Cocke upon the dunghill of this world though thy affection was as fast inclosed in the creature as a mould in the earth yet from so low a condition a Christian is brought when once Christ by his vertue in the conscience takes possession then not honoures but Christs honour not riches but Christs riches not righteousnesse but Christs righteousnesse alone for a Christians presentation the eie is distant from the sunne the eye neverthelesse by the light thereof is drawn to behold his beauty though Christ is distant from a Christian yet by his efficacy he drawes the eye of faith to behold his glory what only to behold the glory of his victory tryumphant the glory of his mediation delectant and not the glory of his session magnificent applying faith is never below the throne of grace and glory it is never below the seate of Gods eternall mercy where there is not faiths applycation death of spirit hath domination our life by Christs treasures of wisedome by the vertue of his death and rising againe from the dead is through faiths applycation Let a Christian observe the death of spirit in the hearts of Justiciaries and inquire the reason why it is so and he shal find that it is because they apply not whole Christ to their consciences Some thing they will have of their own righteousnesse in Justification some thing of their owne performances in matter of reconciliation let us speake of Christ freely and bouldly and they stand as people agashed and amazed I deny nâ—t that they have a name to live But as sure as the sunne shines in Europe when it is come to the Meridian so sure are they dead yea as a tree twice plucked up by the rootes through the hand of the workeman He that hath the life of faith he applies all the excellencies of Christ unto himselfe what saith such a beleeving christian hath Christ redeemed others and not me reconciled others and not me justified others and not me Surely if any be redeemed if any justified if any reconciled then I am one of that number Through applying faith the soule is sicke of love at the very sight of his riches of his wisedom of his righteousnesse of his graces and consolations it cries out O my beloved my well beloved where rests where remaines where abides my welbeloved is the love of a woman so to her husband of a father to a child of a subject to his Prince comparable to that love of the soule to Christ who hath found in Christ al the kinds of sweetest consolations this applyment of Christ makes the soule desire more of Christ he who hath felt the sweetnesse of the hony combe he desires to tast of the sweetnesse of that againe he who hath seen the light of the sunne desires to see it againe he that once hath tasted of the sweetnesse in Christ through application desires to tast thereof againe Hence are the outcries of such beleevers O that I might feele the vertue of Christs blood in my conscience more efficatiously that doht purge my conscience from dead workes to serve the living God The blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit was offered without blame to God shal purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 O that I might feele more effectually the power of that reconciliation which once upon the crosse he fully perfected and finished that he would give me to understand more fully that I have all my sinns pardoned and remittted Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation by faith in his blood to demonstrate his righteousnesse by the forgivenesse of sinnes which are past through his long suffering Rom. 3.25 O that I might be more assured that Christs righteousnesse is mine then should I injoy the sweetest peace of conscience sith I should be fully assured that God with me should be well pleased and that I should be found worthy to abide in the City of our God for ever there to praise and honour him for ever more They washed and made white their robes in the blood of the lambe therefore they are before the throne of God and worship him day and night Apoc. 7.14.15 O that I might be replenished with the fullnesse of his grace then should my empty pitcher bee filled with joy and my mournfull heart with consolation and yee are now in heavinesse But I will see you againe and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you John 16.22 O that I might have his spirit to dwell in me then should I be able to call and cry Abba Father to make my petitions strongly to my heavenly father to know assuredly that I am one of those who are purchased with the pretious blood of Jesus Christ Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if the spirit of God dwell in you but if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 O that I might feele the mighty power of the death of my saviour and redeemer then should I dye to sinne and live to righteousnesse as the Phenix by the Sunne is consumed and by vertue of the beames thereof is revived so if I feele the power of the death of my Redeemer death shall be abolished and the life of righteousnesse in me by the life of Christ renewed Ye are buried by Baptisme into his death that like as Christ is raised from the dead unto the glory of his
in thy presence condemned by their injudiciall sentence to free them from condemnation I stood in the place of Manasseth that Idolater in the roome of Paul that Blasphemer in the stead of Peter that denier when mine could not beare the heate of thy burning wrath and indignation I stood and beare their iniquities when they could not tread the winepresse of thy fury I trode the winepresse for them thou laydst the sins of mine upon my shoulders thou didst cast thy darts through my sides I was wounded I was chastised I was broken to peeces for them being made sinne for them who being thy sonne knew no sinne that they might bee made the righteousnesse of God in mee Now there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 I have made death temporall a bed of downe a place of rest and a sweete passage to my glory did Israel passe through the red sea and the waters did not overwhelme them did Judah and Rheuben passe through the waters of Jordan those did not offend them and shall not mine passe through the gates of death and shall that destroy them no I have taken away the death of death spiritual I live in mine by hope I have made them to cast Ankor in the throne of my grace and dearest mercy in whom wee have an Ankor of the soule safe and firme entring into that which is within the vaile Heb. 6.19 Which hope we have as an Ankor of the soule both sure and steadfast and which entreth into that within the vaile I live in them by love I have made them live in Me by my love So that there love to me is above treasures riches and honours above Father Mother wife and children above bonds chaines and fetters above temptations anguish or tribulation above the malice of the Divell the terrours of the law the horrours of hell the darts of the world and the warres of the flesh I have made them to leave all thinges terrene and earthly and to pitch on those things which are high and heavenly My love to them in their value and estimation is above Rubies Saphires pretious gemmes carbuncles and pretious Iewels ten thousand mountaines of gold in their sight are undervalued I am the chiefest of ten thousand the loves of men and women are disaccounted sith my love to them is above the loves of Jonathan and David The freenesse of my love hath made them love me intirely and freely and the eternity of my love hath made them love Me eternally hence have I spoken of them John 17.28 And I have made knowne to them thy name and will make it knowne that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them I have made them live the life of faith though their faith overcoms the world and this is the victory that overcommeth the wold even your faith 1 Joh. 5.4 though their faith repulseth the fiery darts of Satan above all taking the shield of faith whereby ye shall bee able to quench the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 6.16 Though their faith is more pretious then gold that is tryed in the fire That the tryall of your faith being much more pretious then of gold that perisheth though it bee tryed with fire might bee found unto praise and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.8 Notwithstanding it is mine I make them to beleeve in my Father and in my selfe whom hee hath sent I made them my beloved injoyers of eternall life glorie and beatitude I made them to abide in me by faith whilst I abode in them by love the truth thereof is witnessed by my Apostle I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me I also have taken away death eternall for I have reconciled mine to the Father by an everlasting reconciliation I have brought with mee the everlasting robes of righteousnesse I have taken away all their sinnes iniquities and transgressions by my blood most pretious I have made them one by union that they might enjoy a being in Me and in my Father Hence the second death shall have no power of them I my selfe have spoken it Apoc. 20.6 Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests to God and of Christs and shall raigne with him a thousand yeares What hath the world to say to my people true it is they have beene drunkards persecuters blasphemes they have beene alienated from my glory estranged from my love and without my presence in the world but I have washed them in the purest fountaine I have made their scarlet die whiter then the snow their bloody crimson whiter then the wooll are they defiled like the Menstruous cloath no are they leprous as was Naaman the Assirian no they are purer then the purest Nazarene What hath the flesh to pleade against mine true it is before I came to live in them their minds were clouded with Egyptian darkenesse there wils resisted my words of reconciliation their affections were involved in things terrene and sublunarie their hearts harder then the rockes or milstone and their consciences were the habitation of the blacke fiends of darkenesse but since I tooke up my rest in them I appeared the glorious light of the Gospel of life and redemption I have removed their darkenesse I have made them conformable to my sacred and holy wil I have set their affections aloft in the heavenly places I have softened their obstinate and obdurate hearts and have clensed their consciences from sin by my blood most pretious Now old things are past away and all things are become new now they are my workmanship created in Me to good workes that they should walke in them Now my peace my joy my love my grace and my liberty dwells in them Am I not King and Lord commander in the soule Am I not prince and Lord defender of the conscience Am I not Master and governour of the affections yea though sinne is in their flesh yet my grace is in their spirits for I am in them both grace and glory therefore there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit What can the world say against those that are my redeemed and reconciled They will take away their good name I suffer the Angels of light to bespot their garments I permit the legalists to defame to blemish their conversations but the servant is not greater then his Master nor the Disciple then his Lord. If they take away their name I have given them a name which is written in the booke of life charectered it upon my breast for
his account and computation are their deaths precious in his sight and are not their lives precious in his presence Is the vine tender ever its branches the King loving to his Subjects the spouse acceptable to the bridegroome and are not his flocke precious deare to the great shepheard of Israel neither the Foxes by their cunning the Wolves by their ravening the Lions by their roaring the Tigers by their devouring shall be able to plucke them out of his hand John 10.28.29 And I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand my father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to plucke them out of my fathers hand As they have beene acquired by an eternall power purchased by an infinite value so they are conserved by an eternall power and omnipotencie to the Kingdome of blisse and felicitie 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Ephes 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us ward who beleeve according to the working of his mighty power O my soule be certainly assured that nothing shall befall thee but that which shall be good for thee If death the sting of that is removed if life thy life is written in the book of life If perill conservation by the hope in Christ If famine thou hast the bread of life if want of water thou hast the fountaine of living water if sicknes thou hast healing to the wings of Christ if temptation thy faith shall be to thee more precious then gold that is tried in the fire if want of freedome thou hast libertie through redemption if losse of the love of the nearest in thy bosome thy Lord shepheard is nere and deare to thee and if want of defence thy Mediatour will be thy sunne and sheild Psalme 84.11 For the Lord God is a sunne and sheild the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with hold from them that walke uprightly Rom. 8.28 And we know that all things worke together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose Oh! my soule if thou gloriest thou shalt glory in such a shepheard is he not the great shepheard able to make thee perfect in every good worke Heb. 13.20.21 Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepheard of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing to you through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever amen Hath he not fountaines above all fountains springs surpassing all springs and pastures more pleasant then all pastures Ezek. 34.23 And I will set up one shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David He shall feed them and he shall be their shepheard 14.15 verse I will feed them in a good pasture and upon the high Mountains of Israel Shall their fold be there shall they lie in a good fold and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the Mountaines of Israel I will feed my flocke and I will cause them to ly down saith the Lord God His voice will I heare his word will I obey to his call I will subject I know the difference between his voice and the voice of strangers they set up mans inventions makeing linsey woolsy garments and set up mans posts by Christs posts they advance mans rightteousnesse set up legall doings and popish performances they throw the Lord Jesus Christ out of his thron and plucke him out of his chaire and set up the creature worse then nothing But the voice of Christ is to speake of the praise of his owne righteousnesse of the pretiousnesse of his own blood of the triumph of his owne death of his love to his beloved Church of the nearnesse of that union the saints have with his father and of the pitie he hath to the broken spirits Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest And of the gift of eternall life to his adopted John 17.2 And thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him Of the praise of the glory of the honour of the dominion of the power and of the love of his Father John 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may bee made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Of the revelation teaching direction convincement and comfort of the spirit John 15.26 But when the comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the father even the spirit of truth which proceedeth from the father he shall testifie of me Therefore as thou givest praise because hee is thy mediatour thy King thy Bridegroome thy vine and thy beloved so thou shalt give praise sith hee is become thy eternall carefull deare and loving shepheard rejoycing in the law and covenant of life in Christ that is blessed yea a thousand times blessed for evermore Rehearsing the words concerning the Law of life in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made thee free from the law of sinne and death Secondly In respect of Eternity The Celestiall body is more excellent then other bodies in foure respects First Because it is a Cause Universall Secondly Because it is carried about with a circuler motion Thirdly Because of heavenly light and fourthly because it is incorruptible So the Covenant or law of free grace is not onely excellent because the light of the fathers countenance shines in that Covenant because it is conferred upon the sonnes of miserie and calamity because it is the cause of all divine graces and mercies given to the Saints but also sith it is everlasting and eternall My Covenant is not as the small dew upon the tender hearbs not as the fading leafe and withering hearb not as the fraile life of the sublunarie creatures I made the first Covenant with Adam and it was momentanie I have made the second in Christ and it is to perpetuity when I espoused mine to me to the praise of my glory I espoused them to me for ever through my mercy Isa 54.7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee in a little wrath I hide my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnes will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Whence once I become their God I am their God to eternity when once I become their Father I am their Father to perpetuitie as there is no end of the blood of the covenant of