Psal. 73. vers 25 26. The heathens were not altogether ignorant of God his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.19 20. but our redemption by his Son our communion with him by his Spirit and consequently our salvation and blessedness by our union with him was wholly hid from them The necessity of this knowledg appears 1. By the miserie of ignorance without it the wisest are fools very Sots of no understanding Ier. 4.22 All sin and disobedience flows from want of this knowledg Ier. 9.3 Hos. 4.1 2 c. 2. By the happiness that follows it All grace attends it Faith Psal. 9.10 the whole new man Col. 3.10 2 Pet. 1.2 3. and all blessedness Ioh. 17.3 Certainly if the studie of men be above other natural studies oh what is the studie of God how pleasant how profitable Prov. 2.10 when sin affrights us how sweet the knowledg of his pardoning mercie Psal. 86.4 5. 103.11 when men are oppressed by tyrants how sweet the knowledg of his Justice Rev. 15.3 16.5 nay even in our humiliations for sin how doth the knowledg of his Justice and faithfulness refresh us 1 Ioh. 1.9 upon all occasions how comâ—ortable the knowledg of his power In temporal distresses Dan. 3.17 in spiritual as pardon Num. 14.17 subduing iniquities Mic. 7.18 19. in protecting from all evil and keeping us to eternitie Ioh. 10.29 1 Pet. 1.5 2. Secondly we must know him in our Judgments to prize him as he is even all things less than nothing in comparison of him Isa. 40.17 For him Abraham despises his Country Moses the treasures and pleasures of Egypt David regards nothing in Heaven or earth with him Psal. 73.25 26. Paul esteems all things dung and loss for the excellent knowledg of Christ Phil. 3.8 Hence all the Saints deny themselves and all for him and exalt him by their own abasement Kings will be vile to honour him 2 Sam. 6.22 Iohn Baptist contented to wane that he may appear in fulness Ioh. 3.13 Paul will be a servant to every man for his sake who is Lord of all 2 Cor. 4.5 They make their honour wait upon his Prov. 4.8 For they know He is their praise Deut. 10.21 They will cheerfully buy him with loss of all buy him at any price sell him at none Matth. 13.44 Prov. 23.23 If he calls for their pleasures profits credit life they part with all If he will have body and soul they will give him all and when they have done all and given all look upon this all as a very nothing The will also must know him to chuse take embrace him as he offers himself to us He proffers himself to be our Lord Exo. 6.6 to redeem us from all Usurpers to his service Luk. 1.74 75. to be our King Hos. 13.10 to govern us under his holy and wholesome laws He offers himself to be all to us our portion inheritance shield our exceeding great reward Ier. 10.16 Gen. 15.1 More particularly he offers himself in his persons to be to us 1. A Father Deut. 32.6 2 Cor. 6.17 18. 2. An Husband 2 Cor. 11.2 Hos. 2.19 20. the Saviour of his Spouse Eph. 5.23 3. To be our Quickner and Comforter Joh. 16.13 1 Cor. 15.45 Thus he offers himself to us and thus must we receive him as a child the Father to obey him as a wife her Husband to be subject unto him as a Body the Soul to be informed by him and in all things conformed to him Chuse him therefore as your support without him you can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 without him we are nothing at our best sheer vanitie Psal. 39.5 The very plants will teach us The weak Ivie and wood-bine c. conscious of their infirmitie clasp about the strong which may bear them up even dint the trees with their close embraces He is a Lord that in our service looks not to his own but his servants profit He needs not us but we him But why then doth he call and draw us to his service To make us blessed He taketh pleasure in the prosperitie of his servants Psal. 35.27 he delights to do us good Ier. 32.40 and to give us the Kingdom Luk. 12.32 Men grosly ignorant fouly misconceive of his service they look on it as cords and bonds but indeed there is nothing so blessed as it no blessedness but it Psal. 84.4 Oh the incomprehensible love in which he hath chosen us what was there in us worthy of his choice were we wise no we were foolish Tit. 3.3 were we strong no we were of no strength Rom. 5.6 were we noble no we were servants to lust to corruption to filthiness and most filthy in that â—ervice Tit. 3.3 2 Petr. 2.19 Psal. 14.3 were we any thing no we were very nothing â—nd to him less than nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 â—sa 40.17 yet hath God chosen the foolish â—hings of the world to confound the wise God â—ath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the base things of the world and things despised hath God chosen yea and things that are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 1.27 28. But in him what is there which is not infinitely excellent infinitely desireable delectable sâ—all he then chuse such dung to be his children heirs his peculiar inheritance and should not we when he offers himself chuse him the glory of all glory to be our Father our Lord our Portion 4. The Affections also are said to know that which they love in which they delight and for which they longue we therefore must know God to love fear him delight in him and longue after him Frequently in every page of scripture me meet not only with Gods precepts in these duties but the Saints practice To provoke our hearts to love we must consider him 1. In himself He is good Psal. 100.5 only good Matth. 19.17 abundant in goodness Exo. 34.6 he is Love 1 Joh. 4.16 altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 2. In relation to us He is our Father Husband Life c. as before 3. in his dealing with us He hath manifested his love to us above all the works of his hands In our creation advanced us above all crowned us with glory Psal. 8.5 6. In our redemption preferred us above the Angels assuming ours and refusing their nature Heb. 2.16 Now then take great heed that your love be true Relative affection is not right if the measure be not right An Husband loved as another man is not loved as an Husband Admit no rival or partner in his love no creature not our selves must be preferred before him or equal'd to him we must love him more than life for his love is better than life Psal. 63.3 He our quickning Spirit we his body he our head we his members why should not the hand prefer the head or the body the soul before it self As we may love him for his gifts so much more for himself Stir up your unthankful nature to this
disobedient and obstinate against an heavenly and most gracious Father Isa. 48.4 Tit. 3.3 She youthful beautiful we full of the old man corrupt in lusts Eph. 4.22 Filthy even to stinking Psal. 14.3 and loathsome Prov. 13.5 She vertuous and holy we out of measure sinful and vicious And he our Spouse the true Boaz that is strength the mighty the Almighty How uneven a yoke yet our Will in all these defects received willingness in his unutterable grace and unconceivable mercy being accounted and accepted as our portion and beauty and we in the day of our espousals endowed with all his goods adorned with his beauty and crowned with his glory But is it possible that when the Husband is so rich great excellent nothing should be demanded but heart and will To make the match nothing else but after it is made all Conjugal duties required And what are they 1. Love to cleave to him in all dear affection 2. Constancy to hold us to him in all estates better worse 3. Chastity to keep our selves only to him 4. Subjection to obey and serve him But this seems a very hard and heavy burthen It is only so in seeming and to some only As in the night many things seem very terrible which in the day are very delightful to the eye As to a sick palate that meat seems very iâ—ksome which in health is sweet and pleasing so men that sit in darkness and look on these things with dimm eyes imagine rather than see many Buggs to fright and scare them when their hearts are surfeted with sinful lusts this most sweet yoke is very distastful and bitter but where there is a new Creature and the sense uncorrupted no soul is able to comprehend either the full excellency of it or to utter in any measure that little it doth comprehend Let us thereâ—ore draw nigher and take a better view of â—hese things And 1. Love is as the object very sweet â—or very bitter sometimes excessively grieâ—ous sometimes exceedingly pleasant If â—he object be loathsome love is burthenâ—ome Seven years for beauteous Rachel â—eemed but a few dayes but a few dayes for â—lear-eyed Leah would have been many years 2. Be the object very lovely but not at all loving such love is full of vexation and anguish Thus Amnons fair Sister Tamar afflicted him to sickness and leanness 2 Sam. 13.2 3. 3. If the object be worthy and reflecting our love yet if it prove unfruitful it brings often more grief than comfort Sarah's and Rebecca's beauty yielded their husbands less content than their barrenness trouble The extraordinary kindness of Hannah's husband could not in barreness so sweeten the bitterness of her soul but that all meat was distastful and no drink relished but tears 1 Sam. 1. But when all these meet when our hearts are pitched upon an object 1. Lovely and amiable 2. Kind and loving 3. Fruitful and beneficial our affection will rather need a bridle than a spur not a switch but a snaffle If then we look upon our Heavenly Spouse we shall see 1. That he is fairer than the Children of men Psal. 45.2 altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 his beauty the longing of Saints Psal. 27.4 the ravishment of Angels Isa. 6.3 from whose beams the whole world borrows its spark of beauty 2. His Love is first preventing ours 1 Ioh. 4.19 passing all not only love but expressions nay knowledge of all Creatures Eph. 3.19 3. The fruit of this mutual love exceeding much and glorious It lifts up from a despised condition Cant. 8.1 makes us honourable Isa. 43.4 It prefers uâ— from the basest drudgery in the world from the Skullery of Satan to the bed of Heaven to the union and glory of the Lord of Heaven and earth Ioh. 17.21 22. In a word it gives us perfection elevates our abased nature above the Heavens and exalts it to the uttermost extent of which a Creature is capable and therefore justly termed the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 To love therefore him who is above measure lovely above apprehension loving whose love â—ully perfects the beloved Lover can be a burthen to none but those who hate their rest and love their burthens yet were it a burthen justly might he expect and exact of us cheerfully to bear itâ— For will not all bonds of gratitude and equity tye us to it were it a burthen for us to love him our glory life heaven it were far greater for him to love us his death hell abasement He loved us when dead and no way but by his death to be revived he loved us when sunk into hell children of wrath and Satan and never but by his descent into hell even suffering that wrath to be rescuâ—d He loved us when we were utterly fallen thrown down from the highest honour to the bottomless pit when filthy loathsome stinking and never but by his abasement from the form of God to the form of man and of a servant to be restored never to be washed but by his blood never to be reformed but by his deformity If then not for love yet for shame how should we deny to be pressed for his who was oppressed for our sake to bear his cross who hath borâ— our curse to carry the heavenly burthen if any were of his life who hath undergone the hellish load of our death and misery 2. Secondly We are enjoyned to hold us close to him in all estates better and worse This condition affrights many and makes them shrink But only flesh and blood is startled at it Christ even to a carnal eye is beautiful in his crown of glory but in his crown of thorns they think he looks not like himself they have no pleasure in him lovely on his Throne loathsome on his Cross. Alas poor souls Is it another Sun which shines in his brightness and is shadowed in a cloud The Moon interposing may ecclipse the beams of the Sun to usâ— but can it stain or diminish his glory and excellence A mask may hide but empairs not beauty Is Christ less lovely where he shews most love Look better upon himâ— eye him at the whipping post on the Cross. How do those dying looks set out to life that incomprehensible love Our wordsâ— our thoughts fall infinitely short of itâ— Here only it stands out pencild to life in full expression and offers it self to our view in just proportion How do those fires â—â— love burn in his quenched eyes what seâ—â— of love flow in every drop of that precious blood How many fountains of love and life streaming from his hands feet side open the very Cataracks of Heaven anâ— surround the World with floods of love wâ— have no eyes if we stand not dazeld witâ— this Sun of righteousness more brightlâ— shining forth in the beams of his love froâ— the Axel-tree of his Cross than from the sphere of his glory Some perhaps will confess that Christ never more manifested his love than on hiâ— Cross but yet to
seen they hate Ioh. 15.24 and all that he loves or love him all his members Mar. 13.13 though they be their own flesh and that even to death Lukâ— 21.16 17. Excellently is this condition expressed in that metaphor wherein carnal men are called spots and blemishes 2 Pet. 2.13 A wicked Father or Childe a wicked Husband or wife a wicked Master or Servant is a spot in a familie a wicked Governour or Subject a spot in the Common wealth a wicked Minister or Professour a spot and blemish in the Church And as a spot or blemish is nothing but filthiness or a filthy nothing so is every man in his corrupted nature 2. Man in the first Adam is a child of the Divel Ioh. 8.44 and a very Divel in flesh Ioh. 6.70 Satan a filthy spirit but he filthy in flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 he a captive of the Divel 2 Tim. 2.26 a servant to sin which is the very dung of Satan Rom. 6.17 fetter'd in the very bond of it Act. 8.23 servant to corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 and to divers lusts Tit. 3.3 the hand serves one the eye another the ear a third the heart a thousand He is even cut out and mangled into a base and cursed slaverie Now the servant is more base than the Master Take good notice therefore of this estate of man Lust is the servant of Satan man the servant of lust the Divels servants servant Sin the corruption and dung of Satan man the servant of sin and corruption In a word a carnal man is the prey of Satan devoured by that roaring Lion who hath digested him into filthiness of flesh and spirit and hell the draught into which he is purged Thus then think in your hearts I. Ayeâ— oâ— her selâ— is dark and hath no light But what Heaven lends her and when angry skies Call in their debt she sinks in dungeon night Nay while she borrowes light oâ—t foggâ— arise Or storms and filch by stealth or rob by might Her lone her day in youth or childhood dies But while the present Suns with conquering ray Dispel the shades and their strong beams display She sparkles all with light and broider'd gold-array II. Such now is Man inform void empty dark A Chaos dungeon grave a starless night Rake all his ashes up ther 's not a spark To tine quencht life or kindle buried light And what he steals from others empty shark Hell with his mists depraves so robbs him quite But when his Life and Light shines in his eyes In him he lives as he and never dies Glittring in light divine he heaven stars Sun out-vies III. For as in earthly sight the bodies eye To the object bent is like the object â—orm'd So when the soul turn'd to the Deitiâ— Receives hiâ— likâ—ness it is soon tranâ—form'd To what it sees death hell and darkness â—â—y And all the spirit to Light and Liâ—â— conform'd Soul of my soul draw my souls eyes to thee Set them upon thy face make me to be By seeing Life and Light the Light and Liâ—e I see You have seen what you are in the first Adam look now on the other side of this picture and see what you may be in the second CAP. XXI Man in Christ is above other men and all creatures next the Creatour IN our selves we are 1. Dead a meer privative a nothing 2. Dead in sin meer corruption corruption of Hell what we are or may be in Christ now consider We are quickned together with Christ. Christ is that overflowing Fountain by whose fulness of grace our empty chanels are not only 1. Scoured from that choking mire which stops all passages but 2. Stored with the water of life with the fulness of God see Hab. 2.14 Eph. 3.19 But how are we quicken'd with Christ raised and sit together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.6 Not only virtually as the fruit lies in the seed or root but in some kind actually As in the first fruits the whole field and in the Cake of the first dough the whole lump was sanctified and an actual blessing conveyed in it so Christ being raâ—sed is the first frâ—its of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 the first Cake of the new lump 1 Cor. 5.7 and in him even actually in a kind are they quickened who are yet unborn As a wife or child takes possession of that land in the husband or Father which he hath purchased in their name Hence we evidently see first that the only life of man by which he is a Câ—ristian a blessed creature nay indeed by which he is a right man is not that natural and fading but this spiritual and eternal life which we have in Christ hence called the life of God Eph. 4.18 begotten by God Jam. 1.18 the life of Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 he our life Col. 3.4 and liveth in us Gal. 2.20 and the life of the Spirit he gives it 2 Cor. 3.6 And as the vegetative life of plants the sensitive life of beasts the rational life of man is nothing elss but the Act of such a soul giving the creature such a being and enabling it unto such actions so the divine and spiritual life is nothing else but that Aâ—â— of Gods Spirit dwelling in man and giving him a spiritual being a divine nature and enabling to spiritual and Godly actions or to use the Scripture phrase to live and walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 whereby we live in God and to God see Rom. 8.9 10. Gal. 2.20 1 Joh. 5.11 12. For without question the true life of man differs from all other life in inferiour or contrary creatures but in this natural life the faculties and actions of it man differs not from plants in growth from beasts in sense from wicked spirits in reason That form then which gave man his difference doubtless was that Image of God in which he was created perfect by the loss of which he lost the perâ—ection and truth of humane nature He therefore that hath no other but this natural life is but an half-man hath little or nothing of a man but is partly a beast in respect of sense partly a Divel in regard of his perverted and distorâ—ed reason 2. Secondly here we may easily observe that howsoever a carnal man glisters in carnal eyes honoured admired yet is he a very Abject and the skumm of the creatures so a spiritual man contrary though he seem a base thing in the eye of the world and more base in his own a reproch of men and scorn of the people Psal. 22.6 yet is he indeed the most noble and excellent creature in the world and next the great Creatour Hence the Saints in terms are called the Excellent Psal. 16.3 preferred in their excellencie before others whatsoever are their earthly advancements The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Prov. 12.26 28.6 This is Heavens this is Gods Heraldry Now are they Sons of God and Heirs apparent 1 Joh. 3.1 But because their