thereof yet a Saint drinks of a river that makes glad the City of God and glides with its silver streams along the banks of his Soul A Saint a Ps 143.5 remembers the daies of old meditates on all his works and muses on the work of his hands He recounts his sweet songs in the night his pleasant touches on the harp when the spirit of God was pleased to sing in consort I Remember saies the Psalmist the b Ps 77.10 years of the right hand of the most High when his candle shined upon my head and by his light I walkt through darkness The secret of God was upon my Tabernacle when c Job 29 3. c. I washed my steps in butter and the rocks poured me out rivers of oyl He that hath enlarged my Soul d Ps 4.1 in distresse he that hath e 2 Cor. 1.10 delivered doth and will deliver Christ is the root of his faith experience like a heavenly dew makes it spread and flower in appeals to heaven and grow within the firmament Nay all a Saints graces are like the Misseltoe have noe root of their own but in the true vine their sap life is from Christ and experience sucks it out Thou hast been with me and continually with me and therefore I will not fear I was cast upon thee f Ps 22.10 from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth By thee g Ps 71.6 I have been held up from the womb thou art he that tookest me out of my mothers bowells my praise shall be continually of thee Cast me not off in my h V. 9. old age forsake me not when my strength faileth Thou i V. 20 shalt quicken me again and bring me up again from the depths of the earth See how Davids feeling communions did wing his soul up into heaven and keep it there The Lark is a lively embleme of a Saint alwaies singing while mounting to heaven and then silent in a gracious sadness when by any tentation drawn down to the world Behold in David how experience feeds upon God and drinks out of God and then like a Dove lifts up ' its eyes to heaven in appeals of praise under the sense of divine veracity love and mercy O my Soul thou hast Doves eyes eyes like the spirit when thou raisest up thy wings in heavenly praise and thankfulness Appeals are the fruit of gratitude and oh how comely is this for Saints Bernard f Bern. f. 89 b. saies 't is clemency in God to deny ungratefull men their petitions that they may not fall under heavier condemnations for their frequent ingratitudes Let us then sing forth his glory and make every mercy to sound upon the Harp and Viol. My lips saies the Prophet g V. 22. shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee and my Soul which thou hast redeemed My tongue shal talk of thy righteousness all the day long He Hath heard my voice I a Ps 116.1 2. will call upon him as long as I live He hath been with me and he will be with me and David tells this not to the sons of men nor to his own soul only but to God himself When David and his Harp are alone and the singer of Zion is planting his heavenly thoughts into the melodious strings O the Shushannims the Lilly tunes that David playes 't would ravish ones Soul to lay an ear to the key-hole To hear an other Saint flowing forth in appeals It dissolves our Souls into rivers of pleasure but for our own Souls to be swimming in these Sanctuary waters O extasie of joy The Soul by appeals dives into the Ocean of love and appears not till the resurrection The life of such a Saint is hid with God in Christ and at his appearing and kingdome shall break forth in orient and radiant lustre It builds none of Peters Tabernacles in the mount of present Vision it longs for fulness and looks upon Tabor as but a small petty step to glory and under the sweet manifestations of its future communion cries out when dying with that b Mr. Newman of New-England holy Saint of late Angels do your office Was God with a Saint in electing love before a Saint was Is God with a Saint in the breathings sealings of his spirit before a Saint clearly sees himself with God and shall such stand amused at death What 's Death to a Saint It neither separates from God nor Christ nor the Spirit nor Angells nor Saints nor Heaven nor Glory 'T is a friend to a Saint one of the Guard-Chamber to the King of Heaven turns the key and hands us into his presence A Saint like Androdus in Gellius hath pickt the thorn out of the foot of this Lion and behold how tamely he walks by his side till the morning of Triumph Is God with a Saint and can he say so because he feels so The grave which is like the darkness of Egypt to others it may be felt gives the light of Goshen to a Saint since Christ hath left a path light and a luminous glittering print of his footsteps in it when he passed through it A Saint draws its enlightned aire into the lungs of meditation for his nourishment God's with him and a Saint sees him tasts him feels him and therefore c Act. 2.26 his heart rejoyces his tongue is glad and his flesh rests in hope It was said of Lazarus d Joh. 11.3 Behold he whom thou lovest is sick and it may be said of every departing Saint Behold he whom thou lovest is dead No! saies Christ this damsell-soul e Mar. 5 39 is not dead but sleepeth and my bosome shall warm it till it wake and minister to mee The vigor of Christ shall cherish the body of a Saint as Elisha did the Shunamites child and raise it to a glorious life when the Sun of assurance shines glitteringly at the evening of his life in the face of an appealing Saint his Soul may presage joyfully that such a ruddy a Mat. 16.2 evening is the certain token of a radiant and illustrious day to follow the bright morning of his resurrection A day wherein the Captain of our Salvation our victorious and triumphant Joshua will lead the Armies of Israel into the land of Canaan and command the Sun of glory to stand still for ever in the noon of Eternity and that permanent happiness never to know an evening O then haste my beloved and come away a Song 8.14 be like a young Roe or a Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Thou b Rev. 22.16 Root thou Off-spring of David thou bright and Morning Star that shinest in that ruddy dawning haste thine appearance The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus FINIS The Errata PAge 9 line 34 shrink read screik p. 1 l. 21 Noahs second r. the second Noahs p. 12. l. 30. attaching r. from attaching p. 32 l. 8 sharpness r. sharpens p. 42 l. 5 sticks r. strikes p. 69. l. 1 pangs r. pains p. 85. l. 7. whereas r. where 's p. 88. l. 34 bode r. bope p. 94 l. 24 again r. against p. 94 l. 29 spi r. spirit p. 97 l. 22. oyl r. toyl p. 108 l. 21 through r. though p. 123 put in this note in the margin at the words a Opticks teach us a Vittellon optic l. 2. Theorem 17. p. 67. edit Basil fol. 1572.
sting of death its venome and poyson be pull'd out by the death of Christ yet our mortality is not abolished Although our Lord hath brought f 2 Tim. 1.10 life and immortality to light through the Gospel in its revelation and consignation to every believer yet not as to its compleat fruition till the day of Christ Then shall this mortall put on immortality and death shall be swallowed up in victory and then shall we render eternall thanks to the Father for giving us this victory g 1 Cor. 15.57 through our Lord Jesus Christ For reign he must till this last enemy also be put under his feet To conquer over death by rising brings more honour to God then to keep our foot from the grave or else Divine Wisdome would not run that course One's th' effect of powerfull manutenency But the other of creating omnipotency Hence as Christ the Naturall so shall Saints be declared the Adopted sons of God a Rom. 1.4 with power by the resurrection from the dead by reason of which union God will also raise them up like their glorious and mysticall head b Act. 2.24 by loosing the pains of death it being impossible for them likewise to be held by it For Christ being risen from the dead is become c 1 Cor. 15.20 the first fruits of them that sleep Our blessed Lord rose at the Passe-over and they shall rise at the day of Pentecost He rose as the head they as members all in their own order shall rise to glory Obj. But some may say Did not Enoch and Elias leap over this Valley of death into heaven Ans True but their translation moved upon the wheels of transmutation equivalent to death as they also who are found alive at the coming of Christ Though they passe not through the strainer of the grave yet they undergo the percolation of a change As the heavens shall d Ps 102.26 perish when they be changed and passe e 2 Pet. 3.10 away with a great noise and the Elements melt with fervent heat neverthelesse we look for new heavens and a new earth not in substance but in quality Even so Elijah though riding to heaven in a chariot of fire and the living f 2 Cor. 15.51 1 Thes 4.17 Saints at our Lords coming in a chariot of aire yet are all by a marvellous change 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.5 translated to the vision of God CHAP. VI. Of the Formidable evills in the Valley of Death AS in a Land-skip let us take a quick prospect of those fatall and tremendous evills which cock their Helmets and make bare their Gorgon faces at the entrance in the passage and the utmost end of this direfull Valley 1. At the Entrance when these brazen gates flee open The soul bewitching comforts to which we must bid a longum vale an eternal farewell and those wracking pains which must be felt not on a Palate of Ivory but a Bed of Iron in which this Gyant Procrustes tortures all he catches must needs shoot barbed arrows into the Livers of all impenitent sinners The Phylosopher teaches h Aristot Rhet. l. 7. c. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that change is the sweetest of all things It must be in things to the better or equall at least in goodness to precedent injoyments else 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bitterest of all To have been fair strong healthfull rich and happy sharpness the edge of present misery cuts the deeper Is not this a dead fly in the box of oyntment a gourd in the pot a snake in the grasse that poysons the joy of all thy comforts Must the amorous smiles of all thy sinfull pleasures corrupt into doleful howlings Here 's the parting style when the sweet embraces of the dearest conjugall relations must surrender up to mortall gripings Here livid and fainty kisses must take leave of pretty children his own bowels pignora chara nepotes those choice pledges of a mans survivall unto himself The friend that 's nearer than a brother must now shake hands and look back to little purpose at this dolesome and dark good-night His fine houses and fair possessions his fruitfull orchards of his own planting and his pleasant gardens with all its rills and fishponds his flowry meadows and beautifull prospects his gamefull parks and woody forrests his dutifull and toiling tenants must all come to his bedside and shake their heads and with dry eyes bid good-even to their old foolish rent-wracking covetous Landlord Then all these flashy thorny joyes that made so great a crackling under his pot having shot some splinters in his eyes and more in 's heart will leave him in thick darkness Then all his false parasites and trencher-guests for a sorry ring else hardly will march with him to the pits side and forsake his memory when closed in a cold stone Besides 't will gawl him to the heart in that hour to think what a feather cap fool a Eccles. 2.19 he leaves for his heir that will turn upon his left heel and twit the miser when he sees his chests all lined with gold and sorrow for nothing but that he shall never more have so true a drudge Then out goes the young Ruffian with the fork upon his shoulder to France and Venice to learn carriage among Whores Banditos and riotous persons till penury forces his belly to fellow common with a Luk. 15.30 16. Swine and quatrell with hogs for their husks and at length can hardly crawl home to the Surgeons Shop Are not these sweet Flowers for his memory to smell to And a soveraign Cordiall against the assaults of Death But were this all 'T were no match for a Roman Spirit No no! proud worldlings before departure often conflict with fearfull torments Agags b 1 Sam. 15 32. bitternesse of death arrests their souls and make their Spirits stagger The c Ps 18.4 116.3 pains of Death and of Hell get hold upon them These deadly sorrows switch them with such smart lashes Ut se sentiant mori as to leave lingring pains with strong and biding Convulsions Like Tiherius that cruell Tyrant when tormenting of Asinius Gallus told him he was not yet reconciled and therefore would not permit him to dye d Dion .. Cass in Tiber p. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he might count life a punishment and death a great benefaction Like the stroke of these c Rev. 9.6 Scorpions when men shall seek death but not find it and shall desire to dye but Death shall flee from them So sharp and pungent are these invenomed shafts f Job 7.15 that the soul chooses Strangling and death rather then life They are called g Act. 2.24 12. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pains of death the acute pains of a woman in travell when God shall h Job 33.19 chasten men with pains upon their Beds and the multitude of
sends f Isa 30 2◠his holy spirit to whisper to us where he is Art thou like Christ Dost thou delight in g Song 2.14 hearing the voice and seeing the face and changing breaths in conversing with Saints Does the blood of David run in thy Veins Does thy goodness thy kindess extend to Saints on earth to those h Ps 16.2 3 excellent ones more excellent i Prov. 12.26 then their neighbour Is thy delight in these Princes of the daughters of Zion these k Ps 45.16 Princes in all the Earth God calls Zion his Hephzi-bah my delight is in her Dost thou call the Suns of Zion thy Hephzibam My delights in them So David did l Ps 16.3 Col-Hephzibam All my delights in them All his delight All his time and all his parts all his estate and all his affections are spent with God and Saints With his good will he could spend all his dayes in the Courts of Gods house and society of Israelites that come up to worship Art thou one of these then all these are thine because thou art Christs thy heart 's in them and one day in their company is a little heaven For what makes heaven Ps 84.7 but a purer and a longer communion with God and Saints Why did David so long and pant to dwell in Gods house that he calls it his n Ps 27.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one thing his one his only his darling his choice petition chiefly to a Ps 27 4. behold the amenities the pleasantnesses the beauties of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple to tast the b 36.8 fatness of his house the fat sacrifices of the peace-offerrings with God God had his part and the Priest his and the Saint his In c Lev. 7.14.15 c. the old Sacrifices all the fat d C. 3.16 was the Lords but in the spiritual sacrifices all the e Isa 25.6 Ps 63.5 fat is a Saints at the Gospell mountain when the cloth is spread for the feast of fat things of fat things full of marrow when the wine 's mingled and f Pro. 9.2 the rable's furnisht and Wisdome cries g Song 5.1 Eat O friends and drink abundantly O beloved But this is not all yet more then all besides though David love God above all seeks him before all and loves Zion for finding God there yet the Saints he loves too and therefore delights to go to Zion to meet the multitude that kept holy feasts in h Ps 42.4 the courts of God Hamon i Turba tripudians chogag To rejoyce with the multitude of dancers and hear the joyfull k Ps 89.15 sound where they are still l Ps 84.4 praising him and m Ps 145.11 12. talking of his power They sing of his righteousness his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his Kingdome Whereas the man that pleads his name in Zion Court-roll he that 's n Ps 87.5 7 born there delights to be there among the Singers and Players on Instruments he loves the Songs of Zion For all his Springs are in Zion and stream from the God of Zion Would you sind a Saint or would you find your self to be so look in the Courts of Zion in pure Ordinances with a pure God do all true Saints converse Do'st thou enquire for the o Song 1.7 8. foot-steps of the flocks of his companions Perhaps the Fathers flock the little chosen flock of Christ is with his son Moses some faithfull Shepheard in the p Exod. 3.1 2. back-side of a Desert coming to the mountain of God and there see Visions of the flaming Bush and the Angell of the Covenant in it Do'st thou delight where Christ does feed though in secret and retired corners and holdest communion with Saints there 'T is not glittering pomp of outward services that takes the heart of a Saint that 's the mark of a Roman strumpet Joh. 420 2 King 16.11 Altare amascenum To worship in spirit and truth not in gaudy Gerizims or stately Samaritan Temples not to burn incense on Altars like those of Damascus but in naked and plain simplicity of the Gospel lies the beauty and glory and ornament of the true Church Divine institutions not a tittle beyond them of mens invention please a holy heart A true Convert alwaies inquires after purity of worship like the woman a Joh 4.20 of Samaria when Christ was working upon her heart is very inquisitive and busie about the truth of worship and Christ as ready and clear in answers Art thou a walker with God thou walkst then and conversest with him and with holy Saints in holy worship But is thy delight in vain Companions that 's an ill token Dost thou fancy and rellish b Mat. 15.9 vain worship and settest in the assemblies of superstitious Zealots It s a bad omen of a carnall heart and an ignorant head A mans company shews his moralls and a Saints his graces Where our treasure is there our heart and love and communion lies A vain habit and a vain gesture and vain discourse with vain and trifling spirits are the Sign-Posts that hang out from an empty and a vain heart Do'st thou bowl away thy time shoot away thy seasons and bett away thy precious hours among the wasters of the day of grace I fear thy profession is rotten at core David argues his integrity before God in not having sat c Ps 26.4 with vain persons nor having gone in with dissemblers or d 35.16 with hypocritall mockers in Feasts But that he was a Companion a Ps 119.63 of all such as feared the Lord and kept his Precepts Sheep do not use to company with hogs and lye down in the mire together you never saw Doves feeding upon Carrion with Crows and Ravens Such whom thou perceivest by a spirituall instinct and expectest to sing with thee in heaven do thou company with pray hear conferre and converse with here upon earth I need not bid thee If gracious the magnetisme the Loadstone of holiness will draw and allure thee The perfume of that precious ointment its fragrant aromaticall smell will attract thy society by a spirituall naturality Those that are c 1 Joh 4.7 born of God love the Brethren To issue this If thou findest inward solace and pleasure 1. In a holy conversation 2. In pure Ordinances And 3. In gracious Saints It s evident thou walkest hand in hand with God And by experience thou shalt feel both warmth conduct and sustentation from that holy hand He infuses lively spirits for motion directs thee in a straight way to the Land of uprightness and upholds thee from dashing thy foot against any stone of stumbling For thou lovest his Law a Psal 119 165. and nothing which God does to thee shall offend thee These tokens plainly manifest that God is with thee but dost thou feel it Can'st thou say it from an
thee to feed upon that i medicinall fruit Rev. 22.2 to live for ever Has thy Soul relisht the sweetness of the water of the chrystalline River of Life Does it flow so fast upon thy Palate with its unspeakable varieties and admirable changes of all manner of delicious tastes that thy spirituall sancy is uncapable to keep pace with much less to unfold and express its pleasure Here are sweet waters stoln from heaven that the world knows not and hidden Manna that even many disciples a Joh. 4.32 taste not The waters come down from the b Rev. 22.1 throne of God and of the Lamb They spring from the Fountain of the Fathers divine election and his eternall Covenant with the Lamb and run between the Banks of the Incarnation and Passion in chrystall streams Hast thou tasted c 1 Pet. 2. â— that the Lord is gracious Tell me O Soul is he not sweet And so sweet that thy tongue can't hold but passionately invite others to come d Psal 34.8 taste and see Is not the Manna the c Joh. 6.35 Bread of Life which Christ gives suited to every desire and longing appetition of a Saints Palate Is not his f Song 2.3 fruit sweet to thy taste Do not the Apples comfort thee when thou eat'st them under his shadow with great delight To them that believe he is g 1 Pet 2.7 h. 3. precious sayes Peter If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious A gracious Lord is a precious Lord and a tasted Lord is a sweet Lord Speak true O Soul didst ever taste so choice a sweetness or lay thy lips to such i Song 6.11 Pomegranats as grew in this garden The k Song 7.12 2.13 flower of the Vine by its smell allures by its taste captivates the senses and even overcomes the spirits of a Saint It s said of the spicy mountains of Arobia the happy that the gatherers are often bereav'd of their spirits by the strong emanation of those fragrant shrubs Truly Saints when walking in the mountains of Canaan the heavenly I mean of assurance need the spice of support against the powerfull efflux of the spice of joy The Soul before it finds Christ is sick of love and when hee 's found is sick of joy I mean while here below till we are purified by vision it can scarce well bear the flowings in of assurance We must have our visions of the Angell of the Covenant like Jacob a Gen. 32.26 only by dawnlight glittering noon enjoyments are for heaven These old Bottles are readyto burst with the new wine of the Kingdom We could not bear the strength of this wine If the King should often bring us into these Cellars therefore he keeps the Key opens shuts it at his pleasure and possibly therefore God is pleased to nourish Saints but with drops of these high Tinctures of glory full draughts might swell us with pride and inflame us with feavers of censure again meek walkers Jacohs Peniels must halt upon shrunk sinews b Gen. 32.32 And Pauls Revelations must be humbled by Satans buffets 'T is not only the surges of grief but rivers of joy that may overwhelm the spi As Gerson speaks of a devout woman that breathed out her Soul in the strength of these enjoyments Vol. 3. p. 64. b. Therefore 't is that here we must live by tastes and tastes only the full banquet 's kept to last the first fruits first then the harvest first the bunch of Eschol and then the Vintage of Canaan first the watersh wine of Cana and then the miraculous wine of Christs glorious Kingdome Admirable grace it is that God drops down tastes and lets fall crumbs from the Table of the Spirits of the Just made perfect And is a taste so pleasant so delectable then what 's the fulness Hast thou a mouth that tastes and savours the things of God Though it stay the stomnck yet it whets the appetite for glory The ear trieth words and the mouth tasteth meat saies a Job 34.3 Elihu but 't is the heart that ponders judgment Heavens dainties call for a pondering spirit to dwell upon the relish and a circumspect frame that we be not wanton I have heard of thee saies Job b Job 42.5 by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee and may we say my soul tasteth thee Therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Abhorrency of self and complacency in God are tokens of divine tastings feelings seeings enjoyings The neerer we draw to those holy embraces the more lovely doth God appear and more vile our selves Nothing else pleases that Soul which hath had a ravishing relish of God Now nothing lesse then God now nothing longer nothing like him Not our selves our sins humble us our graces are imperfect Not Angels Mary weeps for all she c Job 20.12 13. talks with shining Angels 't is not them she cries for nor can their white garments dry up her tears or their radiant shining faces raise the least umbrage of a smile while her Lord is absent The burden is they have taken away my Lord and whereis he But a word from Christ clear her eyes and chears her spirit She knows his voice when Christ will have it so before she sees him She saw a seeming gardiner and asks for Christ but now she sees the true Vine and tastes his love she hears his voice and sees his face and nothing now will serve but d V. 17. touching The more we hear and see of Christ the neerer fuller sweeter are our approaches to him The Soul 's never satiated on this side heaven This feast presents heavenly Viands genuine apposite to a gracious palate They are not of a cloying clogging temper and there ever comes in flowing upon the heart fresh new and sweet issuings from Christ Such rare pieces of prospect entertain the Soul in this transfiguring mountain that it peeps and pryes and piers in at the key-hole of the Chamber of Heaven and can do nothing but lye at the posts of wisdome and cry with the ancient plus de te Domine Mo e of thee Lord But on the other side where are the hearts of besotted worldings The eyes of a a Prov. 17.24 fool saies Solomon are in the ends of the Earth rowling and rambling about upon vain objects But wisdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the very face of him that â—ath understanding he sees such beauty in the face of wisdome that he shuts his eyes to the world and opens them only to heaven A wandring eye is the sign of an unsatisfied fool that wont learn wisdome from a Solomon Though God gave him more riches If Villalpandus countaright then ever any of the Roman Emperors had and all manner of enjoyments and an exquisite heart to dive to the bottome of the visible Creation Every one that girds himself to
behold the upright for the b Ps 37.37 end of that man is peace He 'l give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold If there be any choicer thing than grace and glory and truly that 's God himself he 'l keep back nothing From whom from such as walk c Ps 84.11 uprightly He 'l shew d Ps 16.11 Ps 23 3 the path of Life but 't is to such as first have been lead by him in the paths of righteousnesse Happy man that can unfeignedly and skilfully tune Hezekiahs Song Remember e Isay 38.3 now now at the point of death O Lord how I have walkt before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Integrity of hearr and the goodness of his doings are his double appeal at the appearance of death Though the good we have done be very little yet if that little fruit grow from a sanctified root God graciously accepts it because 't is of his own planting As David spake of his royall preparations for the Temple So must we of all our graces duties services f 1 Chron. 29 14. All things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Do any fragrant spices perfume the air of a Saints discourse Or any pleasant fruits garnish the garden of a Saints life We must invite as the Spouse doth Let g Song 4.16 my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits The trees of righteousnesse are h Isai 61.3 of his planting that he may be glorified like the Trees of Lign-Aloes like the Cedars of Lebanon which the Lord hath planted and not man Numb 24.6 and Psal 104.16 i Phil. 2.13 To will and to doe to think and to act the hearts integrity and the lifes sanctity are all from his good pleasure Whoso can enter his appeal at the throne of grace with the testimony of his conscience that k 2 Cor. 1.12 in simplicity and godly sincerity he hath had his conversation in this world may rejoyce at the remembrance of the day of the Lord Jesus and long for its approach Section 3. A third Appeal concerns our love to God Opticks teach us that lines and raies of light come from all parts of a luminous body and traverse and cut one another at innumerable angles but some are centrall from the midst All the affections are but emanations beamings from the heart and will but love is the cardinall centrall ray What we love that sets all the wheels of the Soul in motion Love 's the commandresse of all our forces It a Ps 86.11 unites all the powers under its banner and leads all the squadrons of the soul into the fortress of Gods name The Soul before acquaintance with God was like a bird wandring from its nest but now she hath found where to lay her a Ps 84.3 young even all its unfledg'd desires upon thine altars O Lord of Hosts my King and my God The Soul that 's in love with God loves him only thirsts pants cries after him Whom b Ps 73.25 have I in heaven but thee and none upon earth do I desire beside thee Are there no Saints there no Angels there Yes but they move in the stated inferior Orbs both of their own essence and his affection he mounts higher and the glory of the Sun of Gods countenance eclipses all these Stars that a Saint sees none in heaven to love like God All these he loves in the order of his ascension to the bosome of God A Saint passes by the Angells ascending and descending on Jacobs Ladder till he comes to the embraces of the c Gen. 28.12 13. Lord above at the top of all Non aliud tanquam illum as d Bernard f. 94. b. Bernard heavenly non aliud praeter illum non aliud post illum A Saint loves none like him none besides him none after he hath tasted of his loveliness And again Nec pro illo aliud nec cum illo aliud neâ— ab illo ad aliud convertamur The Soul embraces none in stead of him none in competition with him neither turns about from him to any besides him Bern. p. 77. b. Bonum est magis in camino habere te mecum quam esse sine te vel in coelo It 's better to be with thee in a Furnace then in Heaven without thee A Saint loves heaven for God not God for heaven Heaven is heaven because God is there and where ever God is that place is a Saints heaven As a faithfull Spouse is not taken with the Jewells Bracelets and Ear-rings but the lovely person that gives them 'T is not the place but the person not the Palace but the Prince not the glorious Throne but the Father of Mercies upon it God lov'd first and kindled these holy flames and whither doe they towre but upward into the element of love within his bosome O let my prayer saies David a Ps 141.2 Dirigatur instar coâ—umâ—â— be directed as incense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of my heart like a pillar of incense No incense was fragrant to God but what smoaked in the fire that first came down from heaven no love but that which first flasht from God O let our love stream straight upright into heaven in perfumy and spicy pillars not waved by chill blasts of the worlds tentations The Torch of our affections was first kindled from b Ezec. 10.6 between the wheels of the chariot of Cherubims and it lights our winged feet into the Chamber of Presence We have none in heaven to love and none in earth to desire but God Here upon earth there 's nothing desireable but God In heaven there are things desireable but nothing so lovely as God He is the only prime and ultimate object of the Souls satiety Hearken to this c Ps 45.10 O daughter consider his lovely and beautifull glory incline thine ear and forget thy fathers house The memorable relish of the song of divine love inchants the Soul with a holy forgerfulness of old terrene relations So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty O Queen of Zion forget thy black Egyptian Father and all his tawny-moor Princes of the adust race of Cham. Run to the arms of thy Solomon desire him upon earth and love none besides him in heaven and he will greâ—tly desire thy beauty Thy beauty a Alas 't is his beauty that shines upon thee First thy beloved is thine and then thou art his he plants his Lillies and then feeds among them But let 's descend a little and try the pretended love of mortalls by these higher than Lydian touchstones Dost thou love any thing in the world more then God above God beyond God without God and not in order to him How then can d 1 Joh. 3 17. the love of the Father dwell in you Dost thou love him
more then these and yet spendest so little time in communion Communion manifests where a mans heart is and the measure of Communion is the Standard of our love We would fain have a sense of his love and yet watch not for the presence of his person When Christ knocks doe our Souls melt within us When he cries a Song 5.2 Open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled doe the everlasting dores fly abroad at the voice of the King of Glory Love and Kingdomes abhorre Rivalls Do I not hate them that hate thee saies David b Ps 139.21 yea with perfection of hatred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thine enemies are enemies to me Can'st thou love carnall friends and vain persons their frothy jests and squandring of precious hours with vain newes the sinfull pleasures the Soul-choaking and strangling profits of the cheat and grand Imposture of the c Ezek. 28.18 Tyrian traffick of the world And yet darest say that thou lovest God Thou art a lyar and the truth d 1 Joh. 2 15. is not in thee Vain distinctions will taste like wormwood and gall and wine e Mark 15 23. of myrrhe when thou appealest at Death He that spends his time his strength and brains f Joh. 6.27 for meat that perisheth g 1 Cor. 6 13. the belly that hides it must perish with it But living bread and living water that comes down from heaven nourishes our love to the doner and nurses up fair countenances to stand before the King of Glory There 's many an empty headed talker that wears in his Cap the aiery plume of profession and yet locks up his pennies in chests of flint The hammer of judgments the fire of divine wrath will scarce melt down a few drops to comfort a brothers bowells then 't is tinctur'd with the bitter fears of the ruin of his family or at least that he shall not raise it to the dignity of his ancestors The Axe of the sorest affliction can hardly hew off a few scattering chips to warm a poor brothers Cottage They keep h Deut. 26.13 Jos 6.19.24 hallowed things in their house without fear of Achans curse They hide in their Tents things that should be devoted to the Sanctuary This sinks many a fair estate 't is a worm at the root because they consecrate not of their gain to the Lord of the whole earth O ye of no faith Mic. 4.13 is this your false love If faith work by love love be a fruit of faith and love to a Brother be the token of love to God Where 's your faith or love to God or Brother But here 's not all I am asham'd of the converses of Christians Dost thou love God and talkst all day of the world Baineson the Ephes p. 201. Holy Baines gives it as a notable character of a carnall heart whose conference is cold and carelesse and for the most parr about unnecessary and curious Arguments As whether we shall know one another in heaven or not Whether Hell be in the Ayr in the Earth or where it is or like some of the hollow hearted and Sickbrained Schoolmen 1 Tim. 6.4 of what mettall the Trumpet of the Archangell is made whether Gold or Silver Such have hot heads but cold hearts they are branded by the Apostle Paul as proud knowing nothing but doting about questions strife of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evill surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth you shall hear them lavish out many impertinent words about idle controversies tending to jangling and meer vanity Differences about some Historicall matters and doubts about reconciling seeming varieties in the Scriptures these things shall awaken their drowsie minds tip their tongues with some discourse that they may seem pious and cheat conscience smoothly Alas at the hour of death conscience will shew it self to be no fool but will call all these things to mind with deadly horror What we love we love to talk off You may fetch out the hearts of Lovers by talking of what they love though otherwise prudent persons Love gilds the tongue with eloquence It makes the dumb to speak as Codrus his mute Son when the Fathers life lay at stake Love is a native an overflowing Oratour When it gluts the tongue with its fulness that it cannot utter then it proclaims the heart by blushes and casts forth it self at the windows of the eyes by quick and nimble glances It s a Song 8.5 as strong as death many waters can't quench it nor floods drown it It contemns Gold and all the Substance of thy House Is thy love sincerely inflamed to God A Kingdome a World a Heaven can't buy or bribe off thy heart from God Methinks when I stand and muse upon Soul-sick mortalls as they run up and down the streets of London and strike fire upon the stones and kick up the dirt and justle and quarrell for hast To see them reel about the lanes and alleys like drunkards intoxicated with the venemous cup of profit while their b Job 3◠5 foot hasteth to deceit oh what a dirty heaven have these bemired wretches what a pittyfull molehill doe these giddy pismires huddle about and scarce deserve at last to taste of the Parthian banquet with Crassus to have molten Gold but Kennell filth powr'd down their Throats with this Epitaph Satia te stercore quod sitisti be fil'd with the mire for which thou hast thirsted Oh how greatly should we pitty and mourn over the faln estate of man when we behold such wofull spectacles of decayed reason so far from rationall actors that they rather sustein the distracted person at Athens For though they say not yet by their deportments seem to wish that all the Ships in the Thames were theirs that all the Wharfs Cranes Ware-houses and their Stowage were all theirs As if the Lord had set a Job 34.13 the world in their hearts not to contemplate his wisdome in its beautifull structure but to adore it as a God They spend their spirits in heaping of clay and compass themselves with thick clods of the earth Most mens lives are exhausted in playing for glistering Counters he is counted wisest that lurcheth most Though Solomon the wisest of all mortalls determineth by the guide of Gods spirit that bread is not to b Eccl. 9.11 the wise nor riches to men of understanding nor favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all But yet in all ages among the depraved and frothy spirits of the herd of this vain world Riches and not wisdome advances to honour and the raw unsavoury undigested blatterings of rich misers are lickt up by fools like themselves as if they were Delphian Oracles But oh lamentable state of the faln children of Adam to grind out their dayes with sorrow and to pour out the strength of their nerves