head never so many stars appear nor with such lustre as in a frosty night grind the spices and their fragrancy flows out Saints are never more Saints than in the house of bondage or the Land of their pilgrimage our Winter-weather makes us warm at heart As our outward man perishes our inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 Persecution is the time of life We are delivered to death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4.11 Decayed soul comfort thine heart the cross comes now thou shalt live now thou shalt recover This weakness will strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die Now faith and love and patience and courage that have so long hung the wing now lift up the head the day of your redemption draweth nigh this night is your day of hope 2. A more clear revelation of special Love Lovest thou me Lord there 's enough Let me hear thy voice let me see thy face Kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth Thy loving kindness is better than life send forth thy light and thy truth let these tell me thou lovest me Thy love-sick Spouse is sick for love O when wilt thou say Thou knowest that I love thee Why come up with me on the cross that withered tree bears more blossomes of love than all the green trees of the field The whole Gospel is hung upon the cross Where our Lord hung there 's sin nail'd the curse vacated death vanquished pardon peace joy glory shewed forth in open sight There 's love with all its tokens go up and take Fear not to be baptized with thy Lords Baptism nor to drink of his cup this cup also is the communion of the blood of Christ Come with me into the wilderness there will I speak comfortably to thee When thou most wantest it where thou wilt most value it there will I shew thee my loves Our Lord loves not to have love slighted the full soul loathes the honey-comb thou hast yet too many Lovers to bid thy Lord welcome he keeps his best Wine till all thine own be sowred then it will relish and then thou shalt have it His oyl is for thy wounds The Childe never knows so much of the Parents heart and bowels as when 't is sick or in distress then every look is love every word is pity and compassion O the soundings of Christs bowels towards his swooning children when thou knowest hatred then look to know love When thou art persecuted when thou art cast out and trodden under foot of men then will he take thee in and cherish thee 3. A more full manifestation of glory There 's not a prison into which the Saints are cast but hath a window into the palace Calvary becomes a Tabor where they have a sight of their Lord in his glory Golgotha becomes a Pisgah where they may look over Jordan into the land of promise Hast thou known little of heaven thou hast not yet been in the deep Of Stephen the first Gospel-Martyr its said Acts 7.55 He looked up stedfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And Chap. 6.15 All that sate in the Council saw his face as the face of an Angel Such an admirable splendor and serenity in his countenance as spake him rather an Angel then a man O what an heaven was there within that cast out such a divine lustre on his face His joy was too big for his heart his face must have its share yea his very adversaries at second hand beheld the glory of God He looked up and saw heaven opened Looking down he might see hell opened all his tormentors about him the jaws of death ready to devour and swallow him up but looking up he saw heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God O there he is for whose sake is all this My beloved my beloved is yonder Behold the region of light whither this dark tempest is wasting me his hell and his heaven meets but the light swallows up the dark Hell ceases to be hell where heaven appears to bee heaven This is the portion of suffering Saints When you read what 's written of those armies of Martyrs that have gone before of their unspeakable joys their undaunted courage their admirable boldness of their chearing their friends confounding their foes their rejoycing in their stripes singing in their stocks leaping in their chains boasting of their bonds kissing their stakes embracing the flames riding up in triumph in their chariots of fire not repenting of their Faith nor accepting of deliverance what doth this speak but that their eyes as well as their anchor are within the vail whither Christ their fore-runner is gone before them Oh who would not be with them who would fear sufferings Soul what art afraid of whither art thou running from what art thou hiding thy self what is thine ease or thy liberty or thy quiet why so loth to loose from this shore lanch forth into the deep Fear not transportation into thine house of bondage when thou art once there 't is but look up and thou art in Paradise Such are the sufferings of Christ This is the cross of the Covenant 4. In summe as that which comprehends all the rest a more manifest exhibition of Christs special presence Jer. 30.11 I am with thee to save thee Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Through fire and water thou must go we went through fire and water into a wealthy place but whither ever thou goest he will go with thee When the bush was on fire the Lord was in the bush when the three children were in the furnace the Son of God was there with them Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted he saved them by the Angel of his presence in his love and his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Though all men forsook me the Lord stood with me and strengthened me 2 Tim. 4.16,17 The Saints shall never have this to charge upon the Lord I was in prison and thou visitedst me not He is ever with them to bear their burthens and ease their shoulders to plead their cause and maintain their innocence to wash their stripes to wipe off their tears to heal their wounds to bind up their broken bones to revive their weary spirits to perfume their prisons to lighten their dungeons to lead them in their wandrings to converse with them in their solitudes to give down from above in divine smiles in illapses of spiritual joys assurances of dearest love tenderest care melting sympathie gracious acceptance to give down from above what-ever is wanting beneath In fine to preserve them
upon his heart and upon his shoulders This is that Jesus who is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS 3. As our Lord and King A King shall reigne in righteousness in him shall the Gentiles trust Zach. 9.9 Shout O daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh Isa 9.6 The Government shall be on his shoulder God hath more care of his Saints than to leave the government of them on their own shoulder Is not her King in her He is a King to gather them a King to govern them a King to defend and save them to save them from their temporal enemies the sons of violence the men of this evil world from their spiritual enemies to save them from their sins Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Matth. 1.21 'T is a mercy to be under government under government and under protection What would become of us were there no King in Israel Where there 's no King all are kings more kings than men Sathan will be king every lust will be a lord as many kings as there are devils and sins Whither would our unruly hearts carry us How easily would our wily and potent enemies ruine us What tyrannie would sin exercise within What cruelty should we suffer from without Whither should we wander where should we fix What peace what order what stability Whence should counsel and protection and salvation come were there no Lord over us 'T is a mercy to be under government but to be under such a government under a king and such a King such a wise and potent King such a meek and merciful King such an holy and a righteous King O what a wonder of mercy Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an asses colt c. Zach. 9.9 He is just having salvation as a Priest he hath purchased as a King he bestows his salvation He comes not to get but to give not to give Lawes only but to give Gifts unto men and he gives like a King Palmes Crowns and Thrones salvation to his people by the remission of their sins Oh how unthankful oh how foolish is this rebellious world Impatient of subjection shake off the yoke groan under duty under discipline We will not have this man to rule over us Who then shall save you hard to be a Christian strict laws severe discipline no liberty Is this thy complaint that is wo is me I am so limited and hedg'd in on all hands that there 's no liberty left me to be miserable if I will be his I must be happy Let fools inherit their own folly but let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King for the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory the Lord of hosts yea the Lord our righteousness he is the King of glory The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Praise ye the Lord. Come all ye Nimrods ye mighty hunters on the earth come all ye sons of Anak ye seed of the Giants come all ye sons of Belial ye seed of the Adulterer and of the whore come all ye Ishmaelites and Ammonites ye Moabites and Hagarenes associate confederate take counsel together smite with the tongue bite with the teeth push with the horn kick with the heel come all ye gates of hell and powers of darkness thou dragon with all thy armies with all thy fiery darts and instruments of death come thou king of terrors with thy fatal dart the Virgin the Daughter of Zion hath despised you all she hath laughed you to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at you her King is in the midst of her the Lord is her King he will save her 4. As our head and husband He that is given to be head over all things to the Church is given to be the head of the Church Eph. 1.22,23 and of every member in particular 1 Cor. 11.3 Believers are all joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 United in Christ as fellow members united unto Christ as their common head From which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Coloss 2.19 they are married to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband From this Union follows 1. A Communication of Influences 2. A Complication of Interests 1. A Communication of Influences Having nourishment ministred Christ our head is our fountain of life Our head is our heart also out of it are the Issues of life from him we live and are nourished and maintained in life He is our Joseph all the treasures of the holy Land are with him In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge Coloss 2.3 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Coloss 1.19 He is the onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth Here note 1. What grace there is in Christ The Schools tell us that in him there is a three-fold grace 1. Gratia Unionis The Grace of Union The humane Nature of Christ hath received the high grace or favour to be personally united to the second person in the God-head by vertue of which Union the fulness of the Godhead is said to dwell in him bodily Bodily that is personally or substantially in opposition to the types and shaddows of the Old Testament in which God in a figure is said to dwell God is said to dwell in the Tabernacle in the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple but in these he dwelt onely as figures and shaddows of the humane nature of Christ In Christ he dwells not in a figure but personally and substantially As Christ Coloss 2.17 is called the Body in opposition to the types of old which were but the shaddow so bodily here notes not a figurative but a personal inhabitation Christ is the body not a shaddow and God dwells in him bodily that is substantially and not in a shaddow 2. Gratia Habitualis Habitual Grace All those moral perfections wherein stands the holiness of his nature The love and fear of God his humility meekness patience in summe his perfect conformity to the Image and whole Will of God Such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 3. Gratia Capitis or that honour which is given to him to be head of the Church 2. How Christ is said to be full of grace there is a twofold fulness of grace 1. Ex parte ipsius gratiae In respect of grace it self thus he is said to be full of grace that hath all grace and
to abide in my house for ever o o Ioh. 8.35,36 Whatever love or care children may look for from their father that may you expect from me p p Mat. 6.31,32 and so much more as I am wiser and greater and better then any earthly parents If earthly fathers will give good things to their children much more will I give to you q q Luke 11.13 If such cannot forget their children much less will I forget you r r Esay 49 15. What would my children have your Fathers heart and your Fathers house Å¿ Å¿ â—ob 7.17 Ioh. 14 2 your Fathers care and your Fathers ear t t 1 Pet. 5.7 Mat. 7,9 your Fathers bread and your Fathers rod u u Luk. 12.30,31,32 Heb. 12.7 these shall be all yours He promiseth his fatherly affection You shall have my fatherly affection my heart I share among you my tenderest loves I bestow upon you w w 1 Iohn 3.1 Ier. 31.3 Esa 54.8 His fatherly compassion My fatherly compassion As a Father pittieth his children so will I pittie you x x Psa 103.13,14 I will consider your frame and not be extream to mark what is done amiss by you but cover all with the mantle of my excusing love y y Psal 78.39 His fatherly instruction My fatherly instruction I will cause you to hear the sweet voice behind you saying This is the way z z Esay 30.21 I will tender your weakness and inculcate mine admonitions line upon line and seed you with milk when you cannot digest stronger meat a a Esay 28,13 1 Cor. 3.2 I will instruct you and guide you with mine eye b b Ps 32.8 His fatherly protection My fatherly protection In my fear is strong confidence and my children shall have a place of refuge c c Prov. 14.26 My Name shall be your strong Tower to which you may at all times flie and be safe d d Prov. 18.10 To your strong hold ye prisoners of hope e e Zec. 9.12 I am an open refuge a near and inviolable refuge for you f f Ps 48.3 Deut. 4.7 Ioh. 10.29 His fatherly provision My fatherly Provision Be not afraid of want in your Fathers house there is bread enough g g Ps 34.9 Luk. 15.17 I will care for your bodies Cark not for what you shal eat drink or put on Let it suffice you that your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all things h h Mat. 6.25 to the end Luke 12.22 to the 34. I wil provide for your souls Meat for them and Mansions for them and Portions for them i i Ioh. 6.32 to 59. Ps 15.12 Lam. 3.24 Behold I have spread the Table of my Gospel for you with priviledges and comforts that no man taketh from you k k Esay 25.6 Mat. 22 4. Prov. 9.2 I have set before you the bread of life and the tree of life and the water of life l l Joh. 6.48 Rev. 2.7 and 22.17 Eat O friends drink abundantly O Beloved But all this is but a taste of what I have prepared You must have but smiles and hints now and be contented with glimpses and glanses here but you shal be shortly taken up into your Fathers bosom and live for ever in the fullest viewes of his glory m m 1 Thes 4.17 His Fatherly Probation My Fatherly Probation I will chasten you because I love you that you may not be condemned with the world n n 1 Cor. 11.32 Prov. 3.11.12 God the Son to be a husband to us My Son I give unto you in a Marriage-Covenanâ— for ever o o Esay 9.6 and 42.6 2 Cor. 11.2 I make him over to you as Wisdom for your Illumination Righteousness for your Justification Sanctification for the curing of your Corruptions Redemption for your Deliverance from your Enemies p p 1 Cor. 1.30 I bestow him upon you with all his fullness all his merits and all his graces He shal be yours in all his Offices I have anointed him for a Prophet Are you ignorant he shal teach you he shal be eye-salve to you q q Esay 49.6 and 42.16 Rev. 3.18 I have sent him to Preach the Gospel to the poor and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised r r Luk. 4 18. I have established him by Oath as a Priest for ever Å¿ Å¿ Psal 110 4. If any sin he shall be your Advocate He shal expiate your guilt and make the Atonement t t 1 Joh. 2.1,2 Zech. 13.1 Have you any sacrifice any service to offer bring it unto him and you shal receive an Answer of Peace u u 1 Pet. 2.5 Heb. 13.15 Present your Petitions by his hand him will I accept w w Ioh. 14.13.14 Having such an High Priest over the house of God x x Heb. 10.19,20,21,22 you may come and wellcome come with boldness Him have I set up as King upon my holy Hill of Sion He shal rule you he shal defend you y y Esay 9.6,7 Mat. 1.21 He is the King of Righteousness King of Peace and such a King shal he be to you z z Heb. 7.2 Jer. 23.6 Eph. 2.14 I will set up his Standard for you a a Esay 49.22 I will set up his Throne in you b b Psal 110 2. He shal reign in righteousness and rule in Judgment and he shal be a hiding place from the wind a covert from the tempest and the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land c c Esay 32 1â—2 He shal hear your causes judge your Enemies d d Esay 11.3.4,5 and reign till he hath put all under his feet e e Psal 110.1 1 Cor. 15.25 Yea and under your feet for they shal be as ashes under you and you shal tread them saith the Lord of Hosts f f Mal. 4.3 Yea I will undo them that afflict you and all they that despised you shal bow themselves down at the soles of your feet g g Esay 60. â—4 Zeph. 3.19 And you shal go forth and behold the carkasses of the men that have transgressed against me for their Worm shal not die neither shal their fire be quenched and they shal be an abhorring to all flesh h h Esay 66.24 God the Spirit to be Counsellour and Comforter to us My Spirit do I give unto you for your Counsellour and your Comforter i i Ioh. 16.7 Rom. 8.14 He shal be a constant Inmate with you and shal dwel in you and abide with you for ever k k Ezek. 36 27. Iohn 14.16,17 I consecrate you as Temples to his Holiness l l 1 Cor. â— 16,17 and 6.19 He shal be your Guide he shal lead you into all truth m m Gal. 5.18 Ioh. 14 26. He shal
hand crown you t t Rev. 2.10 and set you in Thrones u u Rev. 3.21 Mat. 19.28 and you shal judge men and Angels w w 1 Cor. â— 2,3 and you shal have power over the Nations x x Rev. 2.26,27 and you shall set your feet upon the necks of your enemies y y Psal 49.14 Lo I have set the very day for your enâ—aiment z z Acts 17.31 I have provided your Crowns a a 2 Tim. 4.8 I have prepared the Kingâ—om b b Mat. 25.34 Wherefore do you doubt O you of little faith These are the true sayings of God c c Rev. 19.9 Are you sure that you are now on Earth so surely shal you be shortly with me in Heaven Are you sure that you shal die so surely shal you rise again in glory Lo I have said it and who shal reverse it You shal see me face to face and be with me where I am and behold my glory d d 1 Cor. 13.12 Ioh. 17.24 For I will be glorified in my Saints and admired in all them that believe e e 2 Thess 1.10 and all flesh shal know that I have loved you f f Rev. 3 9. For I will make you the instances of my grace g g Eph. 1.5 6. and 2.7 in whom the whole world shal see how unutterably the Almighty God can advance the poor Worms-meat and dust of the ground And the despisers shal behold and wonder and perish h h Act. 13.41 for they shal be witnesses to the riches of my magnificence and exceeding greatness of my Power * * Luk. 16.23 They shal go away into everlasting punishment but you into life eternal i i Mat. 25.46 Our Triumphant Ascension into heaven For no sooner shal their doom be past but the Bench shal rise k k Mat. 25.41,46 and the Judge shal return with all his glorious Train with sound of trumpet and shouts incredible shal he ascend and shal lead you to your Fathers house l l Psal 45.14,15 Mat. 25.23 Joh. 14.2 with 2 Cor. 5.1 Then shal the triumphal Arches lift up their heads and the everlasting Gates stand open and the heavens shal receive you all and so shal you be ever with the Lord. m m Joh. 12.26 1 Th. 4.17 And now will I rejoyce over you with singing and rest in my love n n Zeph. 3.17 and Heaven shal ring with joyes and acclamations because I have received you safe and sound o o Luk. 15.10,23,25,27 And in that day you shal know that I am a Rewarder of them that diligently seek me p p Heb. 11.6 and that I did record your words q q Mal. 3.16 and bottle your tears and tell your wandrings r r Psal 56.8 and keep an account even to a cup of cold water of whatever you said or did for my Name Å¿ Å¿ Mat. 10.42 Blessed Eternity You shal surely finde that nothing shal be lost t t 1 Cor. 15.58 but you shal have full measure pressed down and running over thousands of years in Paradise for the least good thought and thousand thousands for the least good word and then the reckoning shal begin again till all Arithmatick be non-plust For you shal be swallowed up in a blessed Eternity and the doors of Heaven shal be shut upon you and there shall be no more going out u u Dan. 12.2,3 Rev. 3.12 Luk. 16.26 Glorious company The glorious Quire of mine holy Angels the goodly fellowship of my blessed Prophets the happy society of Triumphant Apostles the royal Hosts of victorious Martyrs these shal be your Companions for ever w w Mat. 8.11,12 Heb. 12.22,23 And you shal come in white Robes with Palmes in your hands every one having the Harps of God and golden Vials full of Odours and shal cast your Crowns before me and strike in with the multitude of the heavenly Hosts glorifying God and saying Hallelujah the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth x x Rev. 7.9,10,11,12 and 19 5.6 Blessing honour glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever y y Rev. 5.13 In short I will make you equal to the Angels z z Luk. 20.36 of God and you shal be the everlasting Trumpets of my praise a a Rev. 7.10,11,12,15 You shal be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of my House and I will make you drink of the Rivers of my pleasures b b Psal 36.8 You shal be an eternal Excellency c c Esay 60.15 and if God can die and Eternity run out then and not else shal your joyes expire Beatifical Vision For you shal see me as I am d d 1 Joh. 3.2 and know me as you are known e e 1 Cor. 13 12. and shal behold my face in righteousness and be satisfied with my likeness f f Psal 17.25 And you shal be the vessels of my Glory whose blessed use shall be to receive the overflowings of my Goodness and to have mine infinite Love and Glory poured out into you brimfull and running over for evermore g g Rom. 9 23. 2 Tim. 2,20 Rev. 22.1 And blessed is he that hath believed for there shall be a performance of the things that have been told him h h Lu. 1.45 The Lord hath spoken it you shall see my Face and my Name shall be written in your foreheads and you shall no more need the Sun nor the Moon for the Lord God shall give you light and you shall reign for ever and ever i i Rev. 22.3,4,5 He taketh us for his people And as I give my self to you for your God and all things with my self so I take you for my Covenant-people k k Heb 8.10 Esay 43 1. and you shall be mine in the Day when I make up my jewels saith the Lord of hosts and I will spare you as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him l l Mal 3.17 The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people Surely they are my children m m Psa 87 6 Esay 63.8 I do not onely require you to be mine if you would have me to be for you but I do promise to make you mine Lev. 20.26 Ezek. 36. 28. and to work in you the conditions which I require of you I will circumcise your hearts to love me o o Deu. 30.6 I will take out the heart of stone p p Ezek. 36.26 My Laws will I write within you q q Jâ—… 31.33 Yet you must know that I will be sought unto for these things r r Eze. 36,37 and as ever you expect to partake of the mercies I charge you to lie at the Pool and wait for my Spirit and be diligent in the use of the meanss
not thou have a little patience he for the fruits of the Earth but thou for the joyes of Heaven He upon meer probabilities but thou upon infallible certainties He for a Crop of Corn but thou for a Crown of Glory Were he but sure that every Corn would bear a Crow how plentifully would he sowe how joyfully would he wait Why such is thy harvest As sure as the Summer delights do follow the Winters severities as sure as the wisht-for Harvest doth follow the toilsome and costly Seeds-time so sure shall thy Lord return and bring thy reward with him Revel 22.12 Therefore my soul love and long for the approaching Jubile and wait all the daies of my appointed time until my change shall come O blessed state that my Lord hath translated me into O happy change that he hath made I was a stranger and he took me in and made me an heir and preferred me from the Dunghill to the Throne and from a Hewer of wood and Drawer of water to attend his Court and know his Counsels and do his pleasure Happy am I that ever I was born to partake of this endless dignity Hebr. 12.22,23,24 O my Lord it is no little thing thou hast given me in hand I am already come to mount Zion and the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born and to God the Judge of all and unto the Spirits of Just men made perfect and unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and unto the blood of sprinkling Gal. 4.6 Luke 5.20 My heart reviveth as Jacobs when I behold the tokens which thou hast sent me the spirit of Adoption the pardon of my sins my patent for Heaven the chain of thy Graces the Son of thy Bosome and the New Testament in his blood 1 Cor. 11.25 Luk. 12.32 Cant. 1.10 Joh. 3.16 Joh. 14.21,23 and the Letters of his love My Lord hath said that he will love me and manifest himself unto me and that the Father will love me and both will come unto me and make their abode in me But is it true indeed Will the Lord dwel on Earth Or if he will shal so foul a Stable so unclean a Stye as my heart hath been shal this be the place that the Lord of life will take up his lodging and keep his Court in Will he indeed come with all his Train of Graces and live and walk in me How can these things be But he hath said it and I do and I will believe it Psal 31.19 Yet all this is but the earnest of what is to come Oh how great is thy goodness laid up for them that fear thee Yet a little while and my warfare shal be accomplished and the Heavens must receive me till the time of the restitution of all things 2 Pet. 1.14 It is but for a short term that I shal dwel in this dirty flesh in an earthen Tabernacle Joh. 12.26 My Lord hath shewed me that where he is there shal his servant be Now the living is tyed to the dead and my Soul is a Stage of strife and a Field of war 1 Cor. 13.10 But t is but a little moment and that which is perfect shal come perfect Holiness and perfect Peace eternal Serenity and a Serene Eternity O my sins Rev. 21.27 I am going where you cannot come where no unclean thing shal enter nor any thing that defileth Methinks I see all my Afflictions and Temptations all mine infirmities and corruptions falling off me as Elijah's Mantle at his translation O my Soul dost thou not see the Chariots of fire and the Horses of fire come to take thee up Luk. 16.22 Be thou as poor as Lazarus yet God will not disdain to send a Party of Angels to conduct thee home How canst thou doubt of ready reception who hast such a friend in Court who will lead thee with boldness into his Fathers presence Gen. 45.16 If there were Joy in Pharaoh's Court when it was said Joseph's Brethren are come surely it will be welcom newes in Heaven when it s told Jesus his Brethren are come My Soul fear not to enter though the Lord be clothed with Terrour and Majesty For thy Redeemer will procure thee favour and plead thy right Joh. 16.27 I am sure of welcom for the Father himself loveth me I have tasted and tryed his love Luke 15. and when I had played the wicked Prodigal yet he despised not my Raggs but fell on my neck and kissed me and Heaven it self made merry over me Much more will he receive me gladly and let out his loves upon me when presented to him by his Son in his perfect likeness as a fit Object for his everlasting delight Fear not O my Soul as if thou wert going to a strange place Why Heaven is thy Countrey and thy home wilt thou doubt of leave or fear of welcome when it is thine own home Why my Soul thou wast born from above and here is thy Kindred and thy Fathers House and therefore thou shalt surely be admitted And then shall I see the glorious preparations of Eternal Love and the blissful Mansions of the Heavenly Inhabitants Doubtless it shal be thus These are not sick-mens Dreams or childrens hopes The living God cannot deceive me and may not I certainly promise my self what the Lord hath promised me I will sooner think that all my senses are deluded and what I see and feel and taste is but a fancy then think that the living God will deceive me or that his unchangeable Covenant will fail 1 Joh. 3.2 Now I am a son of God but it doth not yet appear what I shal be but this I know I shal be like him and see him as he is I know it shal be thus Why what security should I ask of God He hath given me all the assurance in the world And though the word of God be enough yet he willing to shew more abundantly to the Heits of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6.17 that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye I might have strong consolation O unreasonable Unbelief What shal not the Oath of a God put an end to thy strife O my God I am satisfied it is enough Now I may be bold without presumption and boast without Pride And will no more call my Duty Arrogance nor my Faith a Fancy O my Soul There is but a short life betwixt thee and Glory where holy Angels and glorified Saints shal be mine onely Associates and Love and Praise mine onely employment Job 38.7 Methinks I hear already how the Morning-stars sing together and all the sons of God shout for joy O that I could come in for one But it was said unto me I should rest yet for a little