so doth Christ neither will he be deceived therefore deceive not your selves Death is at your doore do you not see him after him the next dispatch will be for eternity and it will bear but upon the resolution of this question whose image and superscrition is upon this soul If you would seek to delude at that day it will not do in the least for conscience then shall manage its office fully without any confront from an unsound heart it shall speak out then and unmask the face of the inward man to the judge of all Deluded souls I dread to think of you you have used a damnable art a great while to mask a naughty heart and a naughty life this trade must down now the sword of the Lords vengeance is come to rip you up you shall be known as you are judged as you are This man is as like the Devil in heart as he can look let children swimme home to their father in bloud I will make no better conveyance for them Let them have marshall law will the Lord of hosts say slay them in their beds slay them at their doors uggly souls I cannot endure any longer to look upon them But as for you that bear the image of Christ lift up your heads sing for joy of heart now though all the land be so sad Christs image is his mark upon you for mercy he will know you by this in the midst of the bloudiest battell in the midst of a fired citie You being like the Sonne of God you shall have one like the Sonne of God to embrace you in fiery flames as the three children had Coloss 1.15 Who is the image of the invisible God THis is said of Christ eminenter he is what none else are in heaven or in earth for likenesse to God They are exclusive words and make a proper rule for our right apprehension of God When we would conceive of God as he is we are to conceive of him as he holds forth himself in Christ and no where else for God hath no representation for divine adoration but Christ God hath no artificiall similitude nor no naturall similitude nothing grows like him nor nothing can be made like him Nature keeps her compasse and attempts nothing this way and yet art is venturous I admire it much for no man hath seen God at any time that is as he is onely he that lay in his bosome thus saw him Sight is the rule of art fancy cannot work upon nothing not our fancy Folly makes her self visible and not God when the man goes to make the likenesse of him he never saw Fancie is but bad at recollection when at a losse yet a little it can do sometimes this way call to mind such a countenance which at such a time it saw but that which it never saw it can do nothing about that but befool it self No man hath seen God at any time Fancie can draw to the life and it can work at second hand fancy can go after nature and fancie can go after art and make good work she can draw from a thing drawn from a thing it self or from the shape of that thing it can shape again to please it self and continue so contemplative but it hath neither wayes relief respecting God neither the naturall form of God nor any artificiall shape can be got Ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape John 5.37 No man hath seen God to draw him to the life nor none hath seen his shape to copie him out ye have neither heard his voice nor seen his shape Christ as man is not the shape of God There was apparition frequently under the old covenant vision was an ordinance and although it were an ordinance yet God did make vision still under the shape of some other thing not of himself under the shape of men or of an eagle or a dove The form of man gives not a shape of the form of God Christ as man was not the image nor the shape of God but called so as he had a divine essence and action as the godhead and the fulnesse of the godhead dwelt in him and wrought by him Though fancy hath no full shape as a copie yet from a little from an eye or from a toe she can form the whole if she hath but the shadow of a shadow any rough draught any ground-work or any glimpse of such a similitude she can with some applause set her self on work but there is not this relief to make the image of God Take good heed for ye saw no manner of similitude when God talked with you in Horeb If there were any times to get some glimpse of God it was in Horeb but yet then there was no manner of similitude The result of all is this There is no image of God but Christ nor can be There is no representation for relief of apprehension in adoration but Christ Use Mens principles are strange which conceive otherwise and yet persons abusing their light make what apprehensions of God they please Look how the heart is engaged so it fancies God and represents him to it self A vain heart makes vain imaginations will guides affection affection guides fancie and fancie guides action when the soul is given up to sinne and death the heart chooseth its way and then fancy other powers set up a god in similitude to this way to go before the man to confirm the man in his way and to seal his destruction and yet thus men generally live and die Some mens principles are strange yet they will venture their souls upon the practise of them the pride of man and the wrath of God is in this what is the idole of any mans heart shall become the idol of his life to his death God will have what is in the heart under the mans hand to condemne him Professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and foure-footed beasts saith the Apostle First they became vain in imagination then in action the idol of the heart begins the idol of the hand and outward man necessarily if you would know any mans conception of God look upon his action if you would know what idol is in any mans heart be but patient a while and he will draw it out himself in his life How Romanists conceive of God they give it you under their hand by the many sensuall helps they use in their devotion their images and multitudes of carnall representations whereas God is a spirit and under the same notion and apprehension alone must be worshipped Carnality speaks corruptibility and that is admirable abominable to relieve apprehension by respecting an incorruptible God and yet this is the abomination of Rome and the persons which we stand to defend our selves against at this day Men which have corrupted their own
Christ is spirituall he is head in the heart The kingdome of God is within you there are his Laws written and there is his throne Aarons rod and the tables of the covenant were in the inner Court and the Manna in the golden pot The command of the purse may serve a man but it doth not Christ he commands the heart My sonne give me thy heart You suit your seats so doth Christ he makes his throne in that which is nearest him to wit the spirit Christs rule is one soul bound up in another Paul bound in the Spirit and that bond bound all to good behaviour Christs rule is perpetuall Some heads may be cut off this head my text speaks of cannot Death hath slain many commanders but Christ hath slain death and him that had the power of death Satan is the executioner of Justice and therefore said to have the power of death as well as in other respects Christ hath destroyed all and hath his life in jeopardy by none he liveth and reigneth for ever he ruleth by his power for ever Psalm 66.7 He shall rule till he hath put down all rule and all power and all authority 1. Cor. 15.24 Untill he and his be one as he and his father are one till the kingdome be resigned up There be now many powers against Christ but he must reign till they be all down yet not any to help him The rule of Christ is Monarchicall there may be many lords over the body but there is but one Lord over the soul The government is upon his shoulders that is upon his alone Christ had none suffered with him and he hath none to reign with him here Christ hath trod the wine-presse alone he slew Goliah alone and is that stone alone that sunk into his brain he maketh his kingdome alone and ruleth it alone He shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne Zacharie 6.13 Vse This point is irksome most hearts can bear no rule contradiction is death though it be the word of life that maketh it Office destroyed the soul destroyeth it self where Christ can be no King he will be no Jesus such as stumble at this chief corner stone are crushed by it that soul that killed Christ is killed by him his bloud is upon every heart that nullifieth him The Lord be mercifull to the souls of men do ye know what ye do when you secretly say this lust shal reign and Christ shal not reign over me You commit Adoniahs treason treason against the crown that you may put by Solomon from the throne your bloud and your life will go for this When Adam committed treason against the crown would become a God God cutteth him off presently though there were no more men in the world Justice hath its heights and depths as mercy hath treason against the King hath exquisite torture such a death as hath many deaths in it so 't is in this case spirituall treason hath double death By dying thou shalt die thou traitour against the crown of Heaven said Christ to Adam and in him to all that do as he did There is death unto death and this the punishment of every traitour against Christ This is too generall a more particular application shall be made Your souls are under command you have a spirituall head You have fathers of your flesh and you obey them you have a father of spirits and why do ye not obey him Most men look least at their hearts all the care is to order the tongue and the outward man Hypocriticall creatures you overlook the kingdome of Christ you look at the outside Christ looketh at the heart who ruleth within all is under command body and soul the soul principally and yet this principally neglected must needs be the death of all thoughts must be brought into subjection to Christ as well as words Loose hearts have their plague upon them their holinesse is painted but their judgement will be reall they have sould their souls to do wickedly and will be paid in hell The behaviour of the heart is all dethrone Christ and he will fight it out with you to the death a disloyall soul shall never have the sword depart from him not a quiet day as long as he liveth Our temporall king which ruleth in this land doth but imagine that you go about to dethrone him or take off some flowers from his crowns and you see and feel that he fights it out with you to the death and seemeth resolved not to give England a quiet day as long as he lives Make spirituall application of this ye Hypocrites ye painted toombs that come here and professe Christ and go out like Judas and betray him you dethrone Christ in your hearts you destroy the flowers of his crown the rule of the soul is the onely flower of his crown and taking away this from him he will fight it out with you to the death the sword shall never depart from your souls you shall not have a quiet day for the hypocrisie which you know Tremble Hypocrites fearfulnesse will surprise you your secret basenesse will generate a secret hell justice shall rule where truth and love cannot the rottennesse of your hearts shall have a corasite to feed upon it for ever let every one lay these things to heart and consider whether Christ be head there yea or no. Two things demonstrate the heart indeed ruled by Christ sin universally hated and truth universally loved Passions are false strength speaketh out their truth and who ruleth in the heart Some spirits are indifferent for truth or errour and hold a virtue to be hot for neither but to stand in all times of contradiction so as to keep the skinne whole Hypocrisie ruleth in this heart and not truth and this temper is the plague of this generation neither hot nor cold Cold sweats are death pangs the soul is near his end that thus liveth If God be God worship him halting between many things is nothing this speaketh the prince of darknesse yet ruling affections which break through obstacles to discharge duty speak Christ head in the heart I will not stand on qualities themselves but at what every quality maketh and this will be more plain to you to demonstrate who ruleth in your hearts Fire encounters all opposites so doth every element from a naturall instinct and so doth grace where it reigneth Sinne is the proper object of hatred and every sinne is made so where Christ indeed is head Dominion speaketh all subdued if any sinne reign Christ doth not Weak hearts must not here wrong themselves the being of sinne and the stirring of sinne which the Apostle calleth the motion of sinne do not necessarily speak the reign of sinne Many precious hearts when they feel sinne strong in them conclude it reigneth in them and censure their souls exceedingly and so make their life a hell they
made peace by the blood of his crosse The blood of the crosse notes the very strength of cruelty malice heightened by art contriving many deaths into one a death for the head a death for the foot a death for the arms a death for the sides an army of tortures divided into parties to go their severall wayes in the body and to meet all at the heart to make as many torments as members and as many hels as drops of blood A forlorn state is here sadly hinted men of parts first rejected Christ and then imploy'd all to cut his throat Apostasie generates tyrannie Doctr. The greatest cruelty is among persons hypocritically professing Christianity The death of the crosse was inflicted upon Christ by them that sate in Moses chaire Christ among his own loseth all friends honours blood betray'd and butcher'd in his own family amongst his own He came to his own but could not get off without the losse of his life Profession is a thing of course light drawes out this where it makes no inward change the heart abiding naught action will be answerable first or last what ever the tongue say Some do worse then they meant a Chieverall heart stretches when reacht further then thought of Morality is too weak to resist sin Divinity is too weak to resist sin if it reach not the soul A man is as the temptation that assaults him that hath not the sword of the Spirit in his spirit if it be to kill to kill cruelly to crucifie Christ if a mans heart be not crucified by his light he will crucifie his Father his Saviour when temptation lies this way Sin is so far from lessening that it heightens it self by notionall light accidentally though not naturally What light takes not hold of the heart the heart can take hold of it to make its own way the stronger by Light is a crutch to help Satans criples to go well Low persons get a stoole and become high light makes men otherwise weaponlesse armed strong and wise to do evill The justice of God also is in this point Conviction makes conversion or hardeneth If Christ come neer a city and cannot get open the gates and get in he throwes in granadoes and sets consciences afire when affection opens not Instructed persons have raging consciences mad men are bloody they will kill any rather then they will be whipt themselves this was the case in reference to the Jews Christ was as John a burning and shining light the light he held forth to hypocrites did burn their consciences and to quench this they cared not what they did to Christ open his own veins and take his own blood to quench his own Spirit Hypocrites will take the blood of Christ out of every member of Christ to quench the Spirit of Christ that burns within them Vse This point is very usefull and very seasonable Count not your externall felicity very secure nor your persons free from barbarism because you live amongst professors of Christianity The Word of God is a draught-net it brings up of all sorts whole Christians half Christians a man almost a Christian will quite condemn you and all out torture you and yet wash his hands as innocent of your blood Truth may do much upon the tongue yea much upon the heart of your neighbour and yet not enough to secure your skin the lives next to him Felix trembled Pilate suffered much in his spirit yet did they make Christ suffer much in his flesh and Spirit The Word is of much power upon conscience when of none at all upon affection affrights sometimes but not reforms an affrighted heart recovers it self and becomes by so much the more resolute and hardened to desperate work You that tremble under our ministry now you will recover many such pangs and be hard-hearted to our death to our crucifixion when times turn another way Let no man promise himself immunity from any misery because he lives where profession is rife The best hearts are oftentimes soonest deceived much goodnesse is ready to trust it self where there is but little and receives a wound A Lark hath but a bad eye to discern a true Sun from a false she sees a Sun in a glasse and comes down to delight in it and is ensnared Sweet spirits know this time you have a double disadvantage now You think all are good because they speak well you will be taken with a Sun in a glasse ensnared with something like a Sun Integrity goes with an open breast Hypocrisie makes advantage of this and stabs to the heart There was never more need of this caution Some out of sweetnesse others out of courage are over credulous Gedeliah lost his life this way England hath almost lost its life through over-much credulousnesse but from whence our credulity hath sprung I know not We have had fair words shews of goodnesse and would not heed reall badnesse and look to our selves 'T was told Gedeliah again and again that such sought his life so ' thath been told us again and again that such and such have been false and base and yet because they have been specious for this and that we have been incredulous and ruiningly venturous Courage degenerates into stupidity when faith builds altogether upon fancy Stupidity speaks destruction decreed all is destroy'd that should prevent destruction Understanding swallows fancies judgement builds its welfare upon these now the heart is asleep amongst Serpents Write Lord have mercy upon this soule he will certainly be stung to death ere he awake I have spoken Englands case ere I was aware Stupidity is a common glague our head is broke our wounds are many and we lay our bleeding state in the bosome of such as have served the times to fetch life in us again Ah Lord may it not make a tender heart shake to see how much we lean upon many that a little while since bended any way Where wealth and advantage abound trust may be venturous with lesse perill because much will bear out a little losse and do well but when all is almost gone then one must be double wary how one trusts in weighty matter This is our case we are at last cast upon the brink of death and ruine making our will in order to all priviledge civill and divine and yet have not that mercy from the Lord to take double heed and care whom we make executors to whom we leave the hope of posterity We look at parts honours more then at truth of grace in those that manage our affaires so there be but profession and specious pretences some court divinity to paint persons over to look fair in the eye of men and something like the Cause we manage we venture all upon them Naked profession is not to be trusted the characters of this I will give you that no man may deceive himself nor others Meer profession is vain-glorious light souls paint words actions their faculty lies this way They do
God to save and so is the word translated 2 Thess 2. Where t is used in order to the wicked having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure in unrighteousnesse c. You may imagine how much the Word doth import being used to set out a sinners love and strongest affection to sinne What a pleasure is a wicked mans sinne to him Can you expresse it why so says God t is to mee now to looke towards poore lost man and to sit downe in his soule The Word is used by the Apostle elsewhere 't is my hearts desire that Israel might be saved c. Just as if the Apostle should have said it would be my Heaven that Jsrael might come to Heaven t is my Heaven to thinke that ever they shall have Heaven and O that they might be called and he speakes there but in the straine and spirit of the Gospell the riches of the glory of this mystery that I am opening the heart of God and the heart of Christ now to man Vse You see now what is the riches of the glory of this mystery t is the proffer of mercy to man with much strength of affection a proffer of Heaven in Heaven i as one in Heaven a proffer of Life in Life or with Life and so are all the dispensations of the Gospell typified Revel 4. A throne was set in Heaven to set out the things of Heaven Let poore sinners know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery and inrich themselves by it Blessed are they that know the joyfull sound which words point at Aarons bells his going into the holiest of all made a joyfull sound to them that could understand it it pointed at Christ offering up his life for us and yet doing it as it were with Musick cheerfully and delightfully You have had this mystery explained all along my discourse do you understand it sinners then inrich your selves with it The Sunne is the riches and glory of all the World such a Sunne is the Gospell of Christ desire that this Sunne may shine into the little World if the Sun did not shine in this great World it could not inrich it nor glorifie it The Apostle speakes of this very thing to wit the Gospell and under this Metaphor of the Sun and he uses such tearmes as signifie in apparition and illustration But after that the kindnesse and gentlenesse of God appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is used to expresse the second comming of Christ and that will be bright and glorious indeed 2 Thess 2.8 i in apparition for otherwise it had beene of no force to those effects which he there mentions a like place 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospell It is plaine by these following words that the apparition here spoken of meanes in apparition death could not be otherwise destroyed nor immortality be brought to light And the learned agree that the word notes a mighty shining light that searches every corner of the heart is the light that you have of such illustration hath it brought life and immortality to light i a holy life that never end There is a great deale of light now in the World but when wee looke how it illustrates it selfe we are sad because it comes to no more ordinarily then the light of a comet that falles and the matter that bore it resolving it selfe into a filthy stinck to the great disgrace of the Gospel to the death of brave persons and Kingdomes What is it that makes such bloudy worke in the Christian World now but this that the riches of the glory of this mystery doth nothing in men this hath made a long night to our brethren the Iewes and is like to doe the like to the Gentiles The Gospell being riches prize Christ and his Ministers let them be glorious in your eye which bring glorious things Know which way the riches of glory comes to you it comes but by one gate Which puts me in mind of a story In the County of Saba which signifies a mystery when Frankinsence was brought into the chiefe City thereof it was ordered by the Priests that it should come in but at one Gate upon paine of death to wit that which they had consecrated for that purpose T is of lively use the riches of glory come in but one way by Christ and by the Ministry of his Word and therefore keepe open this Cate if all the money in your purses will do it if all the bloud in your veines will do it let all goe rather then this and the Gospel when this departeth the glory departeth the riches of glory departeth There is but one thing that is eminently accessary to the destruction of the riches of glory and that is hardnesse of heart The Balme-Trees when they had wounded them to get the vertue of them to drop forth they laid Wooll upon which the drops might fall that so they might be sure to save it so to gaine the riches of the glory of the Gospel to save the drops that fall from Christs mouth you must lay soft hearts tender and fleshy hearts otherwise you will die poore and miserable notwithstanding all the riches of glory that are amongst you COLOS. 1.27 Among the Gentiles or in the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethnick This is the word in the originall by which we are called it may be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words which signify a minde accustomed to some thing a heart evill and onely evill that is stout enough and such neither can nor will be made otherwise it speakes a nature of sinne a body of death one in the flesh and led by the flesh I will discribe a Gentile to you generally and particularly t is one uncircumcised in flesh and spirit that hath not the externall ordinances of Christ nor the internall efficacy this is to speake properly and fully a Gentile though where the latter is wanting under the fruition of the former such are called Gentiles For that he hath brought into my sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my sanctuary to polluate it Ese 44.7 they which are called here strangers were Gentiles and their condition is described they were uncircumcised in heart and flesh and this to speake properly and fully is a Gentile one that is beside all culture that that is without the visible Church and without the invisible grace of such estate There is a Gentile in the flesh and a Gentile in the spirit and a Gentile in both The Apostle makes this destinction and in these termes Wherefore remember that yee being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called the uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh which is made with hands Eph. 2.11 They were Gentiles in the flesh as well as in the
the heart is vitall or mortall to dispatch the creature for his furthest end To make miserable or blessed here is not the furthest end of internall operation though the furthest end of externall operation Externall donations which are the workes of Gods hand their furthest end is to make a sweet condition here as riches and the like they will availe here Money answers all but they will not availe any further then here for the felicitating of man they will not availe in death much lesse in judgement to doe man any service but the furthest end of internall operation is to make cursed or blessed in death and after death in another world when and where nothing else can There be gifts that be meere Spirit which have not a jot of any carnall thing in them these we call internall these are moulded some by justice some by mercy and you shall see what their end is by an instance or two God hath given them a spirit of slumber Rom. 11.8 Here hee speakes of operations all spirit God hath given them a spiris of slumber internall workes and the Prophet tels the end and issue of these t is decisive to dispatch them they have a spirit of slumber that they may goe away in a slumber Shut their eyes lest they should see with them stop their eares lest they should heare with them and convert and be healed Internall operation wee see dispatches the soule one way or other Into whatsoever house ye enter say peace and if that would not take speak death These were but emblems of Christs internall action Into what house or heart Christ goes to worke by his Word and Spirit hee makes through worke the Axe is then to the root it makes excision or circumcision at least All internall operation is to cut off sinne off the soule He is a Jew that is one inwardly Circumcision is that of the heart When he goes to worke inwardly he doth excise or circumcise and thus I have opened the nature of internall operation The worst evill is curable the greatest good attainable this issues naturally from this point that there is such an engine to be found that can worke inwardly Our greatest maladies are those that are within that one plague that was upon Pharaohs heart to wit the hardning of it was more then the ten plagues upon his outward man Evils are not rightly weighed this is one of the greatest evils they which strip us most of externall things they are accounted greatest no they are not that which gnawes upon the soule after outward things are gone is greater There is death and the bitternesse of death as Agag said the one it is a greater evill then the other by farre The death of husband wife child or the death of estate is nothing if it be but a naked departure of these if their ghost doe not walke afterwards in the soule if there be not after their departure a bitter tang in conscience as evilly got or as evilly kept got with too little conscience and kept with too much affection the cup of affliction fill it as full as the world or as satan can if God doe not put one Ingredient in it or other to make it off with a tang and a touch upon the spirit t is nothing when a malady doth fester inwardly and lights of some blood-vessels that carries it more directly to the heart then it is a malady indeed and yet in these cases there is hope if taken in time because there are things inwardly vertuall and operative so we can say spiritually the strongest poyson that the soule hath taken in cannot render the condition desperate because there are things of an internall vertue operations that can reach the soule Christ can purge the inward man and can let the inward man blood with his Word he can pricke the heart any tumor or swelling in it and let out all the watery or fiery matter that is in it he can wound the spirit and then heale it make clouds and then expell them make darknesse upon the face of the deepe upon the soule that deepe part of man and then make a Sunne rise in this horizon in that more then halfe the little world that lies out of fight when more then halfe the little world is drowned when that in part of man is quite overwhelmed yet then is not the case desperate nor should any soule give it up as so Misery sometimes arises to extremity extremity is darknesse without any light a whole Army engaged and routed without fightings within feares the hand can doe no more the head doe no more all faculties have pumpt themselves dead in the place I cannot thinke a thought to refresh me the waters are come in to my soule and come in so deepe that I give up my selfe for lost This poore soule hath more sorrow then is godly Pressure is unkind when it oppresses oppression is not alwaies from another I may be an oppressor to my selfe and this is when I write death upon my person because Christ hath written death upon all my actions Wher thou canst doe no more wilt thou give up thy soule for lost if this should be generally practised there would not a soule be saved Waters are come into thy soule and thy heart is overwhelmed and yet in this deepe internall distresse a Rocke may be found something higher then thee may appeare for reliefe by a supreame hand From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead mee to the Rocke that is higher then I Psalm 61.2 When the water is got in to me and overwhelmes my heart yet then there is one higher and taller then I that can pull mee out of these deepe waters pull body out yea pull soule out and save the heart when it is overwhelmed The worst evill is curable the greatest good attainable I see by this point The greatest good in this world is that which Christ most loves that which he most loves is truth in the inward parts Wee are taken with outward beauty and outward glory Christ is not All the glory of this world was shewed to him by satan at once and yet no temptation to him affection not stird a jot internall glory takes Christ much truth in the heart himselfe seated in the soule is the greatest good in the world to him and to us and this takes him exceedingly If the Divell when hee tooke Christ and set him upon the top of a high place could have taken Christ and set him downe in any mans heart and seated truth in the inward parts of any one though it had been the poorest person in the world this would have taken him indeed but Satan cannot doe this for Christ neither doth Christ need it from him he can doe it himselfe he works inwardly at a greater depth and from a more underived strength then he hee can take Chariot in his Word and ride over all the
him Neutrality is condemned by this point some will be neither for nor against Christ which cannot be all must be for him Conceits are strange where the heart is naught can a man onely be a looker on in matters of God which concern his glory and our eternall welfare Flesh is fearfull and where this predominates all the care is to look to one and that one is self and not Christ which will be the shame of that one unto all forever O how dear is name and state wife and children now But how dear is Christ Men of the world look into your hearts now if ever you would know them throughly would you not fain stand Neuters now in our cause to give your purse some rest Is not the pulling of your purse-strings as the pulling of your heart-strings Alas for me what shall I and mine do all will be gone I shall be quite undone What is Christ beleft is all gone Nothing will be for Christ as it should be when the heart is not I would you would all look to this Give your selves to the Lord and then you will give all that is yours This they did they gave their own selves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God Make your hearts throughly for Christ and you will make all other things with ease Lusts unmortified the heart is unruly the heart unruly will part with things according to its own will and not according to Christs An unruly heart becomes froward frowardnesse knows none but its own will Who is David and who is the sonne of Jesse that I should take up what is mine and give to I know not who Many things go for Christ a while plate horse money men and of a sudden all is checked and nothing shall be for him the plague of this is at the heart this was never for him but yet men do not consider this but plead a thousand things of this side and that speaks all more miserable Two things speak the heart for Christ the rise and the scope of action the heart is not for Christ let the action be what it will when it springs not from love Peter lovest thou me Feed my lambs Naked action though never so good speaks not the heart for Christ but the spring of that action Do ye love Christs Lambs and feed them I will tell you a sad thing many a souldier hath a hand for Christ and a heart against him and what a pittie is this So many a Citizen hath a purse a little open for Christ and a spirit quite shut against him Certainly our motion for Christ is heartlesse motion love oyls her own wheels as long as she hath any work or any power and we are quickly weary of well-doing The spring of action and the scope of action speaks the heart for God not what you do but at what you aim He that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him John 7.18 The generation is spiritually plagued which is worse then all the plagues which are upon us men do little and mean lesse scarce a true heart amongst us The body hath two eyes but the soul should have but one looking onely at Christ but shew me such a man now We are a kingdom of squint-eyed persons states are broken any way will serve to mend them let whose will lose is there any way for me to gain Trialls are quick spirits perverse kingdomes reel nothing to be had you must comply and do as others do and seek your self for you cannot rid it out thus we reason Simplicity is a rock I see but few of these in our seas Surely surely souls are drown'd apace in the deluge that is upon us Men that did look bravely at Christ now look basely at themselves which speaks more wounds to a wounded kingdome the Lord heal such hearts or else when will this land be healed Coloss 1.17 And he is before all things c. Doctr. HEre is a term of connexion in the front of this verse which calls for something to be spoken relatively Circumstances are multiplied to winne respect to Christ Much is said before and here is more and yet all expression too little to winne affection The heart of man naturally is damnable cold One ornament is enough to set a man dear in your breast but all ornaments not enough to set Christ dear Affection naturally is no whit divine Christ is very honourable in gifts and so in years he is the ancient of dayes He is before all things and yet all nothing Let us all bleed under the basenesse of our affection so much should not be said to quicken were we not all very dead There must be some divine principall in the soul ere any divine principall held up to it will take it if heaven were open to you yet would you have no heart to go in unlesse your hearts be opened too Should Christ himself come from the dead and stand in that glory before you in which he stands now at the right hand of God yet unlesse something be done within this sight without will not gain you to him you will tremble and intreat him to depart Sinners know the plague of your heart Christ is not revealed in you and therefore all that here he saith to you is no more stirring You have glory after glory here and yet nothing gains you spit out the sowernesse of your souls in the face of him that is sweet to you I am afraid nothing is yet done within you and is this nothing to you And if so your state is the more grievous to Christ When we do not love Christ we should confesse it to him a plague hid Christ looks not after it but lets it ramble and kill the soul Yet must we Christs servants strive with you still and fight with dead men as long as we are in this dying tabernacle and all that Christ saith of himself we must say to you though you grow worse and worse into every chamber of the king of glory we must lead you though it be of no taking glory to you My text puts me now to speak of the eternity of Christ to you he is before all things which is one of the highest things of concernment in the world to see what this will do We must be sweet to sowre souls though they grow more sowre by it we must put sweets into filthy stomachs though they cruddle in their stomachs and spue them up again in the face of him that prescribed them Coloss 1.17 He is before all things c. LIke to this is that expression of Christ Before Abraham was I am They are expressions onely competent to Christ as God and put us to speak of that which is altogether above us to wit the Eternitie of Christ Eternitie is continuation without termination quae nnllo tempore finitur that is bounded with no time Melchisedeck is made a
crooked and perverse and this makes him mad and this is Gods way of whipping his bedlams those that are out of their wits against truth and holinesse One calls for morter and the other brings stones the proud Babel will not up did not that vex and torture them think you The great God and great-spirited men meet sometimes and they justle and he justles and crouds their limbs against the wall and that maddes them to the heart Frustration of intention and disprosperity of action you cannot find out a worse hell for a proud man and yet thus God dealeth usually with such spirits God opposeth will to will and what men say shall be God saith it shall not be he sets himself to walk contrarie to them which walk contrary to him and this makes weeping and gnashing of teeth indeed amongst wilfull wretches Can you imagine how this scourges wretches on the kings side that God crosses their will in all things David pleased not Saul Jonathan pleased not Saul God pleased not Saul because none pleased his will this was an evil spirit vexing him continually 'T is the portion of all spirits more or lesse which are pinned to their will they are vexed with an evill spirit of discontent perpetually Continuall raging enrageth God and then he reveals his will and then devils descend to hell which is their place all fiery spirits are put in a room together Let wilfull wretches stoop to the will of God which is the use that Solomon makes of this point Stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him Eccles 8.3 He speaks it in regard of the king how much more true is it of the King of kings That we do evil is not simply damnable but that we stand in it There must be but one God one to rule by will when we make more then we pay for it As God makes his will his rule in all things so do you make his will your rule in all things and not your own Mine own heart is deceitfull 't is an ill guide Sathan can get favour in every court here below not a heart upon earth but he finds something in it when he comes to welcome him 't is dangerous to make this generall commander of a mans military life in this world which holds such correspondencie with such a deadly enemy O that men would thus wisely consider their way and do like disciples of Christ that have denied themselves and not like heady persons that have sould themselves to do wickedly Poore creatures think that there is but one step to felicitie and that is to have their will in this thing or that O if I had this or if I had that what a blessed creature should I be whereas our felicity is not in having our own will from God but in Gods having his own will from us our blessednesse is not in our selves but in him not in any thing that we propose but in what he proposeth 'T is our meat and drink to do Gods will 'T is our felicity to rise dayly to the life of Christ who pleaseth not himself For even Christ pleaseth not himself but as it is written the reproches of them that reproched thee fell on me Romans 15.3 A word of consolation and I have done Some favours are long a coming and then we are sad it should not be for they come as soon as God will and sooner would not be well for us Some persons are very bitter in their carriage this makes others concerned therein to weep bitterly it should not be no creature is bitterer to me then God will the cup of gall and vinegar in Christs hand is Gods will Father thy will be done Men are strong devils are strong lusts are strong and I think they shall never down and this throws me down but it should not be for though I cannot throw these down God will he wills the death of sinners when past remedie and he wills the death of sinnes when past our strength and that he wills this is enough I will be thou clean That God shapes out every thing by his will makes ill for sinners for wilful sinners but very well for such as are humble and penitent COLOSSIANS 1.19 It pleaseth the Father c. AS this terme involves the will of God simply and singly considered so I pursued it the last day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it notes something deare or complacentiall to us and so rendred 1 Thes 2.8 the word also comprehends the strength and intention of affection such a complacencie of love as makes one delight and rest to doe such or such a thing It gave rest to Father and holy Ghost it delighted both to lay out liberally in Christ for fallen mans reliefe Fire hath its propertie which is to burne so doth love in Gods breast to us-ward Wee are now led to speake upon the propertie of mercy how strongly the rivers and streames of life run God is restlesse till befallen man have full reliefe provided Doctr. It gave rest to the Father c. What agents doe naturally they doe it intensly the Sun is restlesse till it rise and shine upon us 'T is naturall to God to shew mercy as 't is to the Sun to shine according to this he wrought as soone as ever he began to worke and could not tell how to worke otherwise God could not tell how to make any thing but blessed creatures and blessed places a Heaven and a Paradise blessed spirits and blessed men God cast all that ever he did into a frame full of mercy but man jogd his hand and turned all out of course God is the same stil restless til all be brought into a state of blessednesse againe As the Needle is restlesse till it stand to the North point so was God till he turned againe to fallen man as may appeare by his speedy provision for Adam God eyes the beautie of action motion with delight unto good is glorious Delight is love in strength love in strength is restlesse till it can vend it selfe Since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Jere. 31.20 Earnest affection makes mind worke memory worke head worke heart worke still it makes all restlesse perpetually till the thing pitied and beloved have rest God goes reluctantly about no act of kindnesse 't is inglorious it may be competent to you it cannot be to God 'T is below God to shew kindnesse to us here reluctantly though wee be all here such base creatures God delights to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth Jerem 9.24 One would thinke that it might be delightfull to him to shine in his owne spheare to exercise loving kindnesse in Heaven to cast pearles and raies upon those noble peeres and so 't is and 't is delightfull also to the Sunne to shine upon dunghils upon us base creatures to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth God eyes the necessitie of action unlesse he acts throughly wee are all
lost intense affection makes through action what you coldly act you doe by halves Sin makes more then scars upon us it makes deep wounds you stirre with all your might when you see such distresse if there be any bowels in you God wants not bowels he lays our condition to heart though we doe not our dying condition puts life into him unlesse I stirre this sinner is lost unlesse I stirre uncessantly this world is all lost all are under sin wounded gasping giving up thus God puts home necessitie of vitall action upon himselfe This is our plague we cannot put home the necessitie of things upon our selves we are so carelesse and forlorne could we it would make us restlesse to worke out our owne salvation you may see it in Paul Necessitie is upon me and I cannot be quiet unlesse I preach unlesse my soule stirre uncessantly 't is lost for ever alas for us wee cannot put home necessitie thus though our lives lie on 't and therefore doth the Devill fetch away all under our very Citie-wals What we cannot doe God can and doth God pities man because no eye else doth our desperate condition is still in his eye and O how his heart beats he can neither slumber nor sleepe he watches continually because we are groaning and dying some hope of life and then and not till then he rests It gave rest to the Father c. Vse The propertie of divine motion you see 't is restlesse to good the contrary to this is diabolicall and yet oh Lord how common is this in the world to be restlesse to evill Bowels worke not at all but braines worke that they foame and froth againe The losse of meate nothing the losse of sheepe nothing the losse of Heaven nothing so men may goe in their owne way A man cannot be too slow to sin nor bogle enough at a bad businesse nor doe too little of that which is naught 't were better a man had no legs then run to evill no braines then acute and restlesse to doe evill well What grieves not you grieves God but if this will not doe persons shall have their course and take as comes 'T were better I had nothing no parts then all Satans Restlesse soules to evill you are all Satans you serve him with your might with all your strength you serve him when you are up and when you are abed you give the devill foure and twenty houres to his day God you know had his Holocaust under the Law his whole burnt offerings haire and hide and all burnt so the devill hath his Holocaust his whole burnt offerings Restlesse soules in sin you are Satans whole burnt sacrifices you are all on fire of hell heart tongue hand you offer up all your rich parts wealth you are in the depth of sin in the gall of bitternesse and if you can sucke any sweetnesse out of this doe What is wholly Satans is firmely his give the Devill hold with both hands and heel ' hold fast Restlesse soules to evill you are close prisoners to the Prince of darknesse such as are double bolted and chain'd who ever get loose you will not 'T is sad to see the bent of mens spirit 't is nothing to them to resigne up all to the Devill you are well pleased so is Satan but know that he doth not so easily resigne all back againe he fortifies as he takes and will not lose an out-worke gain'd easily If Satan have got hold but on a mans tongue or eye or some such like out-part this is not taken away from him againe presently but when he hath all he makes impregnable works Satan secures his throne if he get into the soule that soule shall sinke to hell ere he will rise out of his chaire Satan will not let you goe said I You will not let Satan goe which are restlesse to sin Two knit in love who can part them Satan and you burne together in affection and God will not breake the match you shall burne together in hell Till this marriage day you shall not want tokens can you tell how many blacke letters are written to conscience whilst affection burnes to evill When you see sinners sin and smile aske them Doth God and your conscience smile Face mirth is nothing to me mens courses must not gaine credit because they are impudent I beseech you deale truly with your eternall soules how oft doth your consciences smile upon you There is no peace to the wicked What then to him that is nothing but wicked What nothing but warre and wounds and bloud inwardly and yet smiles and flaunts and flouts outwardly against good What a bad condition is this If you will talke of your wayes talke without to others as God talkes to you within and then 't will be worth the hearing if you will write write as God writes within and 't will be worth the reading Active spirits in ill want not imployment conscience takes them up with reading newes from beneath Eye time to come eye time present the condition is dreadfull where affection in strength workes to any evill Let it make soules breake off from this course and become imitators of God who is restlesse to contrive good Gods motion is exemplary you may safely make his spirit your pattern and 't is a blessed soule that can move as he doth Bodies bleed to death soules blead to death all England giving up and we are not restlesse in prayer nor restlesse in preaching nor in wrestling with God and man to save The houre of Christs crucifixion is come and a spirit of slumber is upon us we cannot watch nor pray what ever temptation be at our dore Jacob was renowned he wrestled for himselfe and familie all night he was restlesse till he had gotten the blessing but alas our night is not over and God knowes when 't will and we are tired alreadie purse tired spirit tired men will doe nothing but God will if we wrestle restlesly with him A man may doe much with God a righteous man may one unrighteous man may by importunitie Was not the unrighteous Judge overcome by importunitie Keep on to move as a Christian to God and to men and make no conclusions at home take wing and to Heaven and die not in the nest Mercy still is in travaile for them that are in travaile for it Error of one hand must not make error of tother wee have our mercies by degrees that dutie may be hightened not flatned Let 's better every one by our unwearied goodnesse Wee must serve God for naught let issues be what they will paines must be perpetuall 'T is Gods case as he hath to doe with us he is restlesse in meanes to gaine us all but alas how few doth he gaine If men were restlesse till they had done their part God would be restlesse till he had done his Be restlesse till you are in Gods garden and he will be restlesse to make a hedge about
all things to be seen of men A meer professor fails and flats in his noblest action if men observe him not his zeal dies if the breath of men blow it not Come see my zeal c. A meer professor is a Chameleon he lives by the aire of mens mouths he christens his children himself and calls all vertue that he doth Come see my zeal c. And it was but vain-glory a vice and no vertue a stinking weed and no flower They are ugly brats that Hypocrites bring forth no body else can endure to lick them to any beauty and therefore they lick them themselves Come see my zeal Rotten lungs use art to breath sweet they are not troubled when they smell it themselves they only blush when others smell it stinck and therefore use skill to make their breath smell sweet Come see my zeal Integrity hatches good and runs away can scarce own her own children though they run after her a good man cannot tell how to lay hands upon any good action as his but Hypocrisie calls evill good and yet openly appropriates it Come see my zeal If an upright man be any thing or do any thing 't is not he but Christ in him he doth not say come see my zeal or my wisdome but come and see the Wisdome and Life of Christ in me Naked profession is time-serving 't is a Christian squaring his religion to please all sides A meere professor would have all men speake well of him though Christ nor his own conscience doe not which is a wofull thing Woe to your when all men speake well of you i when you so order your religion and course of life as to please all sides though God be displeased Religion is lovely sometimes but not for it selfe some take it up to drive designes and can taste sweetnesse in it no longer then it will conduce to some secular advantage Christ is an abiding sweet where the heart is upright Christ is deare upon the Crosse when torne to pieces deare every limbe every drop of his bloud deare so for ever The way of Christ is more then the strewings of it to a reall Christian all the wealth and all the honour in the world are not so pleasant as one despised and persecuted truth of Christ They are joy'd in the way they remember thee in thy wayes Esa 64.5 They respect the way not the strewings of the way no other strewings but what Christ maketh by his going before them They remember thee in thy wayes i. Christ For he maketh his own wayes sweet to them that simply walke in them Times vary oft and all present new temptations yet one thing is constantly made at in all where profession is reall i to injoy Christ let my soule lie still in the bosome of Christ and move steadily in his wayes and then let times and fortunes change as they will Reall profession pursues realitie in every condition it hunts one hare how many soever crosse the way in which it goes Distraction of times naughtinesse of men make not Christ unpleasant but more precious If the world will frowne O that I could see Christ smile more If truth be slighted O that I could so walke as to live some beautie into it Integritie holds on her way as Solomon saith I tremble to thinke of this generation wee are clouds without water carried as the winde sits that 's Judes description of naked profession When the Parliament prevailes then their wayes are honoured when the King prevailes then his wayes are honour'd when mens persons are honour'd and prosper'd then their religion is honour'd meere profession is a bable a humour any thing nothing a double minde unstable a double mouth sweet and bitter from the same fountaine as the cisterne will best receive that is powred into and this may be the motto of the profession of this time All that hath been formerly said to distinguish in this matter is but one thing and may be plainly rendered thus Naked profession is without internall reformation Spirits can transforme themselves they can speake like Angels and yet abide Devils men can doe much this way Put yee on the Lord Jesus Christ c. The tongue can doe this when the heart hath never a rag upon its backe Their inward parts are very wickednesse There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a turning and a turning inwardly The Author to the Hebrewes useth the latter word Wee have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence Heb. 12.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and wee were inwardly turned the spirit recoiling as asham'd An internall turning i when the heart is turned as well as the outward man according to that in Malachi The heart of the children shall be turned to the fathers which is reall profession The Temple was the same in the outside in Christs time that it was in the Prophets time before yet he could not own it because the inside was not the same it had a den of theeves in it My Temple hath a better inside saith he and whips out these theeves and overturnes their Tables it shadowes out this that where there is a reall Temple a true Christian the power of all lusts though never so many is overturned in the soule by the power of Christ which worketh in us I will speake no more by way of discovery but let the discovered lay to heart their condition You which are but seeming professors you will be reall persecutors The punishment of one sin hardens to another The proper plague of hypocrisie is searing burned spirits are fit to burne others so they doe in hell 'T was a generation of seared hypocrites which contrived the bloud of Christ are they not such many of them which contrive Christs bloud and torment at this day in the Christian world The crosse wee beare is the wound of friends the enemies which cut our throats are of our owne house of our owne Land and pretend to be of our owne Religion Would not that bloudy Army abroad be accounted Protestants and for Protestant Religion I send you forth as lambes amongst wolves and yet those wolves wore sheep-skins they would be accounted of the seed of Abraham 't is our case and it makes our triall the greater our burthen is heavie but God is lightning it glory be to his name The axe is to the roote of the tree which bare but leaves and they are cut downe apace If this side would but mend as fast as tother side end wee should be a very blessed people quickly The ripest fall first we shall not hang long after if our profession also be found hypocriticall COLOSSIANS 1.20 Through the bloud of his Crosse AS this expression speakes crueltie we pursued it in the last Exercise as it speakes the causalitie of divine friendship I purpose now to handle it Christ hath by his death accomplished the favour of God Having made peace through
judge your selves unworthy of the Kingdome of God Spirits deeply ingaged to their lusts have desperate reasonings against free grace when they can say nothing to stop the mouth of men and their conscience to keep on in their course they alledge the decree of God and if I be decreed to life I shall do better one day if not all you say or that I shall do will do me no good Ah that so much of hell should flame out of any mans mouth upon earth What hath any soul to do with the Decree of God Gods secret will doth not contradict his revealed What latitude of love doth his revealed will hold forth consider that and know that God is reall Doth he reconcile all things then thou art bound to believe it and to put in for a share in that grace which is so large which no soul ever did and missed COLOSSIANS 1.21 And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mindes by wicked workes yet now hath he reconciled c. A Double condition is here mentioned what these Colossians are and what they once were They were alienated in their mindes naught at heart soules sinfull and this they expressed in life by wicked workes very doingly evill and yet these though thus bad made very good hell-fire in the soule quenched two spirits burning one against another reconciled by an act of love and man and God made one in the bodie of Christs flesh to be presented blamelesse in the exactest eye And you that were sometimes alienated c. yet now hath he reconciled in the bodie of his flesh c. How ever condition change yet it 's a good thing to consider what once wee were And you which were sometimes so and so The heart is naught it forgets its own worst and Gods best acts You were so sinfull you are now otherwise you need be hinted and minded of both as if the Apostle had said Sin slips out of our minds transgression makes lasting impression upon Gods Spirit though little upon ours I remember what once you were though yee have forgotten Doctr. Wee are apt sinfully to forget sin Some glory in their shame that 's a sinfull remembring of sin so some die in their shame this also is a sinfull remembring of sin Evill past thought of with joy or thought of with despaire are both displeasing to Christ My sin is ever before me they are a load too heavie this was not commended by God though loved by a wounded spirit There are two extreames and both naught broken hearts ever thinke of their sins and hard hearts never a stone as oft sighes as they The text and point I am upon points at a third thing though distinct from either of these i sin remembred with godly sorrow this godly hearts are backward to 't is intimated in the text Yee were enemies in your minds by wicked workes doe yee remember it Some acts awaken conscience he speakes the saddest of any facultie a carnall creature willingly neglects sad worke To call to minde what I was at such a place and at such a time is to throw sparkles of fire upon a sleepie dog which will make him start up flie out and barke and bite fiercely Man loves his flesh yea he loves his spirit he doth not love to be bit in either if he can tell how to shift it The best are bad though not starke naught good spirits are apt to play the slugge in those duties that are dolorous and painfull I remembred God and was troubled and complained and my spirit was overwhelmed To remember what God is and how unsutable wee have been to him will trouble yea overwhelme the stoutest spirit we doe not care to meddle with troublesome works When sin revives we die remembring what we were reviveth sin 't is terrible to the flesh to wound and kill it selfe 't is so spiritually we had rather any should wake and sit up then conscience we had rather goe quietly to hell then conscience should torment us before the time Man is a lazie creature examination of ones former state is hard worke flesh and bloud shunnes this quite yea grace neglects this oft till losse be great I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search But 't was long first so long till he stood in feare of being cast off for ever as you may see in the next verse Psalm 77.6 7. A string slackened or broken in play and 't is laborious to be winding up the pin still to keepe tune to the song one sings to take notice how many notes too flat or too loud in play requires a diligent eare the labour of it makes one willing to passe by and forget many false stroakes If the examination of small things be so laborious much more to examine things of weight our spirituall state when all is naught Man doth not love hard worke nor terrible worke Transgression multiplies and young children make one forget old ones Present transgressions harden or wound much the heart hardened becomes uncapable to consider any sin the sin of last yeare or of this yeare or of this houre A stone melts under no consideration a stone thinkes of nothing neither of things past present or to come Multiplication of sin makes stonie hearts Their hearts are as hard as an adamant You cannot beat things into a stone no words nor blowes will make hard hearts thinke of their wayes Though a man eate of the evill of his way weekes moneths yeares yet will not this make him bethinke himselfe what steps he trod in all that while to call his way evill and his person wicked Present sin if it harden not much it wounds much and wounded persons thinke altogether of their present paine Dolour distracts crazie braines are weake at any thing but worst at recollection specially if things of weight When wounds are deep much bleeding inwardly makes much faintnesse Languishing dying soules thinke of nothing but going to hell 'T is with sins as 't is with mercies when a man goes about to number them one can finde no end of them and this makes a bleeding heart leave looking backward and look forward to fix his eyes upon that blacke place whither all sin lookes he leaves multiplying number rises so innumerably and turnes himselfe to consider where all will end the sum of all will come to this saith he the death of my soule for ever because the sinner can make a kinde use of no sin he gives up the consideration of all and lays down his soule at the foot of Justice for lost I am sure all sin centers whither my soule is going saith the sinner and closeth his eyes though I cannot tell their number yet I know their nature All runs into this Wee are all apt sinfully to forget sin Vse God certainly hath espied this and he is rousing up our memory Wrath doth much when love can do but little
doe the will of God this very phrase is used by the Apostle to the Romans There is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exquirere the word notes diligent and painfull searching out of things through search till what is searcht after be found out but thus these did not doe and therefore were blind and as full soules they were idle and overly in the seeking after truth and so sutable was their light and life and therefore cast off How contrary to right judgement and to the welfare of this Land are they that seeke not after God themselves but seeke after lies and hate and persecute them that doe otherwise and labour to possesse authority that such as are desirous to know more of the Lords will and are earnest endeavourers to doe it better and better are the onely overthrowers of the Land and therefore worthy to be throwne out on 't T is against reason and against nature as well as against religion Bees throw out drones out of their hives but doe they throw out them that are diligent most diligent to bring in most and best honey Men that thus speake and act should be thought of as they are and made to taste of the fruit of their bad zeale the Land would soon be a sorry place for thee if such as thou hatest were out on 't What is hungring and thirsting after the world ripping up the bowels of conscience to finde out more mysteries of iniquity more crafty wilds in trading and traffiquing for gaine diggers and searchers in the earth plunderers of Saints sanctity conscience and Christ are men of these spirits the onely safety and the onely blessing of a Land God forbid it should enter into any soule to thinke so Such as would be desirous to know and cannot must remember this one thing the heart must stand right to doe or else the former cannot be desires to know springs from integrity of intention to doe My soule breaketh for the longing it hath to thy Commandements at all times Davids spirit was set for action the influence of this made that strength of affection soule-breaking and soule-longing There be many damps and earth-quakes in an unsound spirit these put out lights flames and blazes A heart unsound hath love bending still some other way then to that truth to which it seemes to pretend water that hath fit and full passage under earth will not spring and bubble up above it Our Saviour speaking of trying times saith that the love of many will wax cold When earthly things are going the heart as it is earthy and hypocriticall will be most greedy after them and die in order to the pursuit of Divine things to save the life of carnall let us all take heed of this I le speake a word to a case of conscience and conclude I am desirous and industrious to know and to get Divine things but I can make nothing of it I am ever learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth To this I answer Honey dewes you know fall in very small drops so small that t is too bigge a word to call them drops if I knew what else to call them distillation as Balme very small In the warres which Alexander mannaged in Jury the holy Land where this Balme grew history saith the whole Army thought it well if they could gather a spoonfull in a Summers day So if we can in the length of our whole life by all our travell and industry searching and seeking get but a little of the Balme of Gilead a little more of the knowledge and love of Christ then we have we should account it well and not dejectedly complaine COLOS. 1.27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery c. ANy mercy any thing that is or imports the least kindnesse to man now may be called riches riches of glory at such a great distance is man now from God But the Gospell is great riches to wit as much as man hath lost and more it sets man as high as ever he was and higher which is riches of glory indeed considering how glorious once man was It must be a great deale to set up a broken man but to set him up higher then ever he was before fallen is glorious riches i. unexpresseable The Gospell in the intention of it is nothing but love A voice of joy a voice of gladnesse a voice of the Bridegroome and a voice of the Bride a voice of them that shall say God is good and his mercy endures for ever Jeremy 33.11 This is the Gospell and you see that there is nothing in it but joy and gladnesse the Gospell is a salutation of love of the sweetest love it holds forth bosoming love i. marriage love a voice of the Bride and the Bridegroome saith the text i. the strongest love glorious love it holds forth love not to last for a little while but to last as marriage love yea to last longer then that can doe mercy enduring forever saith the Text which is rich and glorious that will hold its strength and its warmth it s a breast and bosome worth the being in that will never be cold The Scripture useth three words which will fitly serve to open this expression in the Text what glorious riches the Gospell is The Gospell is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ kind to man or a word holding forth man friendship which no other subject beside doth that 's a rich and a glorious booke which when I open smiles upon me as such a creature and no where else to be read the like Man is a very miserable creature and yet as miserable as he is nothing speakes to him no volume writes about him but onely the Gospell not with any matter of hope any other Volume no sooner opened but man reads his doome in every line The booke of the creatures opened which is a great Volume and yet not a line in it that smiles upon man nay any one may better looke into the booke of creation then man man no sooner lookes into this Volume but all the creatures fall a bleeding presently as having espied their murtherer thou hast murthered me saith one creature and thou hast murthered me saith another and this is the bloody tone to the very teeth of man throughout all the creation The gronings of the whole creation are throwne as it were by each creature in the face of man they all hold up their hands together against man and say this is he that hath destroyed us There is not a sinner upon the face of the earth but is in some degree in Cains case beset with all the creatures every bush ready to fly in his face to scratch and accuse him all the creatures are out with huy and cry after man as their murtherer which was the reason why Cain was so fearfull everywhere he came the whole
doth cast off former delights utterly upon such a present excellency of delight and joy as doth suffice and fill up the soule now the Word of God got into the heart the voice of the Bridegroom heard in the soule or with the soule it makes a full joy such a joy as beside or beyond which the soule knowes none nor desires none John 3.29 This my joy therefore is fulfilled said John therefore is fulfilled Wherefore why that as a friend of the Bridegroome he could stand and heare the voice of the Bride spiritually heare Christ eare and heart his words take in and take downe the drops that fell from his mouth Though they are but drops that fall from Christs mouth here in comparison of what falls from his lips above yet they are so big that they fill the soule every Grape of this Vine ounce grapes There is a grape in forraigne parts which because of the greatnesse of it is call'd an ounce grape Every grape of this Vine to wit Christ is an ounce grape every drop from his mouth an ounce drop of so much juyce and liquor as fills the soule with joy and the soule filled once then it doth indeed bid farewell to all joyes and all delights parts with all parting things utterly If you finde that the Word is of no spirituall force that it doth not go into your soules Christ in this case must be move'd Divine institutions are not necessarily successefull all meanes are so ordered that the soule in the midst of them should looke up to Christ The word and Christ as well as the creatures and Christ are separable here below though not above and joyn'd together by faith and prayer Many brave things may be spoken to us from the word but we can receive in none unlesse we have a higher helpe then the meere Word which we heare There arose a question between Johns Disciples and the Jewes about purifying John answered the question briefly and pithily A man can receive nothing unlesse it be given him from heaven meaning not extraordinary graces and gifts for office nor ordinary as a Christian John 4.27 Receptions and takings in of divine things these are high things indeed gifts from heaven We may bring many brave things and lay them at your doore at your eares but the taking in of these into your heart this must be given you from heaven And blessed him that had the promises Heb. 7.6 't is more for a person to have the promises then to have meerly the Word preacht to him Abraham was one that had the promises and yet he needed a super-benediction to make all promises blessings to him something from heaven to make all the words he heard on earth heaven to him how much more need there a blessing from heaven attending men which have not the promise as Abraham had but onely the Word sounded to them The spring is in God still therefore let no man mistake himselfe when he looks upon the Trunke The Word is but a Pipe and conveyance of the Spirit All my strings are in thee To have springs in our soules to have words turned into works working words we must with the Spouse look up to God Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to beare it Cant. 8.13 'T is the complaint of many poore soules that the Word is of no power in them that it gets within such and such and they are melted and delated and run out in strength of love to Christ Why tell your sad story to Christ as the Spouse doth the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to heare it such and such can eare and heart the Word cause me to doe so too COL 1.28 Teaching every man DIscipline is suted to the state of sinners some are obstinate unruly in thy filthinesse is lewdnesse Ezek. 24.13 to such belongs warning that is Blaming Warne the unruly saith the Apostle Obstinacy is not a first but a last growth of sinne it notes a sinner of so long standing a senior in sin one almost ripe for wrath The Word must be sharpe and keene when hearts are hard to make their owne way because the heart will not yeeld and give way Reprehension is not to goe alone without instruction whom we warne we are to teach Men are obstinate because ignorant as reprehension is proper to men as unruly so is instruction proper to them as ignorant the one doth but lop sinne the other doth grub it up by the rootes Christ aimes in the Discipline he uses at the rooting up of sinne he hath a double property in his breath he doth blast and then blesse blast by reprehension and then blesse by instruction by breathing in right principles The nature of a Christians cleansing I am to stand upon Gospell purification is full Doct. 1 Christ doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expurgare purge out filth filth is not detected and then cloakt and hid againe dust is not swept together and then laid behinde the doore but throwne out The eternall God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say destroy Their enemies in Canaan shadowed the enemies in our heart which Christ did not onely detect but thrust out he saies to his Spirit and to ours thrust out sin purge out therefore the old Leaven kill and carry out the dead and 't is so Christs words are actions what he bids what he commands his Spirit and our spirits to do they doe opposition is strong between Christ and Satan and yet the spirit of Justice guides him in all that he doth to the most unjust and cursed things in the world Christ doth no other to Satan and sinne than they would doe to him they have killed Christ and thrust him out of the world out of the great world and they would doe so also to him in order to the little world they would kill him and thrust him out of the heart This and no lesse is in the nature of sinne and without possibility of any thing else and therefore compared to Thornes and in a type named children of Belial seeking to de-throne David yea to take away the life of David i. Christ and therefore are but justly served so themselves But the sons of Belial shall all of them as thornes be thrust away because they cannot be taken away with hands 2 Sam. 23.6 Belial signifies perversenesse sine jugo non ascendens things that are without yoak or things that will not ascend such things Christ do's make to descend Christ doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repurgare he doth purge out and then repeat this act for perfection sake 'T is in grace as t is in nature there is in nature an expulsive power and this can repeat it selfe till all that offend be throwne out and nature fully quiet and at rest Grace can doe thus it hath an expulsive power to throw
not we but Christ in us that doth it he is all in all as well as all for all He bids this and that be done and 't is so his words wash us Take away the filthy garments from him set a faire Mitre on his head Zach. 3. Christ lays out all and demands nothing which is admirable Behold I have refined thee but not for silver Esay 48.10 I chose thee in the furnace of affliction c. If one referre this Text to Egypt or to Babylon 't is of much life When I did good to you in Egypt and owned you it could not be for gaine and wealth for yee had none 't was a furnace of affliction a state of oppression and bondage for my owne sake I saved you there and so I will in Babylon and so he doth every sinner that Christ doth good to any sinner purifie cleanse and cloath him cannot be for any thing in him because he chuseth us as the Text saith in a Furnace of affliction in a stript condition in a state of captivity Captives have not store of treasure to ransome themselves this well deserves a note of admiration in the front Behold I have refined thee but not for silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction Finally this may be assured thee that Christ will compleat thy purification speedily take speed as the Gospell doth The heart is deep nothing in the world like it things of depth are not emptied nor filled presently as men call presently but allow Christ the liberty of his own Idiome and dialect in speaking and so he is not slack nor long a consummating the acts of mercy no he is not long in consummating the acts of Justice though he be longer ere he accomplish this then that a great deale The Lord is not slack as men call slacknesse saith Peter and yet hee speaks there about wrath consuming wrath and yet he goes a great deale slower about this being as I may say unnaturall to him then about kindnes and mercy being things in which he delights If God be not slack as men count slacknesse in consumamting justice upon wicked men surely he is not slack as you poor sinners count slacknesse in consummating grace and mercy impatient Creatures think a little time a great while unbeleeving Saints do this as well as unbeleeving sinners Doe but allow God so much time in order to all thine enemies internall as Jerome of Prague did in order to all his enemies externall and I will assure thee in such a compasse of time thou shalt triumph over them all cito vos omnes vt respondeatis mihi post centum annos c. thy strongest enemy cannot live above an hundred yeares once in a hundred yeare men devils sins vos omnes as he speaks they shall all answer to you for all the inâ—ury they have done to you you shall judge and burne them which have burnt you so long COLOS. 1.28 Jn all Wisdome VVHat these expressions as conjoyned with the foregoing import and then the termes of it in themselves may both worthily fall under consideration that which they import as conjoyn'd with the former is that the heart of man is very hardly throughly wrought upon all variety of action warning teaching all duration of action warning teaching termes Participly exprest to note the continuation of those acts all art skill and exactnesse of action wisedome all wisdome all these used to reach the heart throughly and to bring a sinner home to Christ The soule of man is with much difficulty throughly brought home to Christ Doct. There be many devises in the heart of man as Solomon speakes which make this that I say I will note some of them Every thing hath its defence the heart hath many and all usefull by which it beares off the power of Divine things from seasing and taking hold of it the heart will carpe and catch at the Ministery of the Word this is one device by which the power of truth is destroyed the dish that holds the meat is not turn'd well and therefore the meate in it overturnd the braine crackt the minde triffles out it selfe 'tas no power to pitch and fix upon things of weight this habit lost toyes and trifles only sute and take up the heart divine ordinance toyed with their heart is pluckt out that which hath no heart cannot go to the heart if a sinner by any art and craft can pull out the heart of an Ordinance he will abide there is no doubt unstir'd in his sinne There is a spirituall frensy and madnesse is not easily cure'd the old man sits at Table and playes with his fingers hee can scarce see what meat is before him and yet every dish is out of order one speakes too quick another too slow one too plaine an nother too darke the stomack is poysoned a worme is under the tongue the eare itches therefore every thing preached is beside the Text no word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene significans the soule doth haerere in cortice choke it selfe with a shell teares Sermons into particular sentences sentences into words words into sylables sylables into Letters strips expression starke naked from matter and then hunts a shadow to hell this expression is used Mark 12.13 they sent to Christ certaine of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch him in his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hunt him his words so the word signifies that soule that hunts Christ and his Ministers in their words is hunted by the divill from the matter a criticall spirit hath as many dores to run away from Christ and the power of truth as there be words in the Greek Lexicon This brings mee to speake of another device of the heart the old man can evade he can catch others very nimbly and get loose himselfe as nimbly The Serpent that dealt with Eve could turne in and out bend to and againe wrigle every way at pleasure that Serpent is in our bosome it was an emblem of our heart which will turne twenty wayes to evade the power of truth that which hath such a property to bend every way is not easily broken things that will bend double will wave double and treble force ere they will breake The art of evasion that the heart hath to put by the sword of the spirit and to save the life of sinne is of great compasse and depth and runs it selfe into many branches which I cannot run after now summarily see a little of this art shadowed by the carriage of Saul 1 Sam. 19.16 Saul had heard that David was at his house and sent him to kill him there and Michal let him downe at a window and laid an image in the bed and told the messengers that came to search that David was sick and thus turned the messengers away and then they were sent againe to fetch David in his bed that Saul might kill him in his bed and by this time David was gone far
enough and nothing but the image could be seised on which would endure wounds enough and then Saul said to Michal why hast thou deceived mee so and sent away mine ememy so when the life of sin is sought for by the word sinners can lay an image in the bed twenty excuses and pretences to conveigh the sinnes which they love out of sight and so save the life of Christs enemy How pleasing soever sinne be to affection 't is ugly to conscience because condemnd by Christ man can baffle one and mock the other We reade of mockers of God and they are such as baffle conscience with an image so double and involve their motion before the pursuit of truth likes a Hare before Hounds deceiving and being deceived deceiving i the force of truth is broken by wile deceived this the author to the Hebrewes explaines the heart is hardened by this practice least any be hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sinne the heart hardned is not easily wrought upon 't is the worst stone that any Artist can meddle with As the old man can delude so hee can collude as one faculty can and oft doth betray another so all faculties joyntly combine to plead an ill cause the old man can bribe every office in the soule understanding will conscience too as stout and as stiffe as this Officer seemes to be above the rest conscience indeed is the longest stander out for God yet at last may be and often is silenced yea seared and then it s not onely passive in sinne but joyntly active with other depraved and corrupted faculties Conscience seard the man is become a devill to convert a devill is difficult indeed Conscience seared darkenesse now is great and the sinner desperate the light that was in the man is beeome darknesse i put out the truth that was taken into judgement into affection and according to some degree approved is now disapproved what was approbated is now reprobated generally so all powers transported into malice and speaking joyntly like that rabble crucify him let the cleane spirit be not onely prisoned and tortured by violent action but quite outed and seven uncleane spirits come in the stead that is a perfection of evill Conscience once feard the sinner is as I may say a perfect sinner As there is a perfection in good perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect and exhorted to in this life which notes a degree of attainablenesse here so there is a perfection in evill a child of the divill perfect as his hellish Father is perfect now wee know he is according to all powers against Christ and truth understanding will conscience a Creature transported transformed into malice one without all remorse or reluctancy in pursuit of the greatest wickednesse All faculties do lie one to another mutually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recriprocally as that expression is and so conscience confirming and making restipulation to all The soule is with much difficulty indeed brought home to Christ t is a great deale of pitty there is facillity enough in the soule otherwise it will take in falshood presently easily in a moment is the soule a convert to sinne to the fowlest sinne Satans births are quick he shewed Christ all the Kingdomes in the World in a moment saith the Text Luk. 4.5 intimating how his children grow very big in a moment the wise man speakes to this likewise that their feet run to evill and make hast to shed bloud Prov. 1.16 evill is terminus inde terminatus its applicable to to any sinne the soule is facile to any thing that is naught blood is a terme that specificates points out the foulest the horridst child of hell Man is easily brought to draw weapons of wickednesse and stab the body yea stab the soule of an other to wash his hands in the heart blood of another and sport himselfe therein Nature is a greater advantage then education in any thing Christ carries it by principles Satan by constitution Engines are needlesse paines needlesse there is a current hellward The soule is of great price but not esteem'd so by it selfe a man will sell his soule for a lie and yet make the bargaine quickly Satan loves a quick change his commodities are deceitfull and off best least considered and therefore you have him shewing Christ all the Kingdomes of the world in a moment saith the Text Luke 4.5 as Satan loves quicke action so doth the deluded soule for hee is whilest deluded upon Satans wings the soule in temptation is lighter then vanity what should poyse to wit judgement is destroy'd by will and impure affections t is in a gawdy chariot of Satans that takes and he may run with it any whither with one horse with ease Vse Sinners we are upon things of great weight consider well to what are you facile to sin or to Christ what you are most inclinable to has your heart if that be sinne you are dead men there are variety of temptations the soule may pick and chuse but what he chuseth is destructive will is in the fact and such crimes cut off without remedy for Christ is deliberately refused in choyce there is debate two objects are in view at once and in competition with affection if the worst carry it by suffrage Christ is cast and given up to be crucifyed which is very bloudy action The rejection of Christ is simul tempore together in time with the election of sinne Sinne is ugly at first like an Harlot but by society and frequenting besots and infatuates and is more facily drawing then the mans owne wife although far more beautifull facility to sinne speakes the wards of conscience broken the lock of the Cabinet spoyled all the Jewells of the soule lying common gifts and abilities the servants of sin at pleasure the heart past feeling a beaten highway to hell The soule is of great price Christ makes this estimate from being we are to make it from property who and how doth the soule love such is the lovelinesse of it The heart of the wicked is nothing worth saith Solomon Prov. 10.20 Aversnesse to Christ is any mans wickednesse if the action be the action of the greatest person in the World 't is his wickednesse persons are not respected with God actions are impartially lookt upon above though not below they are weighed in a ballance as Job speakes nothing scand with more exactnesse then this how much of Christ is in this man and his course if this were but received the soules of some of you which heare me this day would bleed within you Oh what will become of you wanton Londoners which have so much of Christ before you and so little of Christ within you who are quickly any thing but understandingly and sincerely nothing a Harlot is quickly gained there needs not much wooing about her light soules make heavy judgements your spirituall crummes would be feasts abroad you have no minde to that food which thousands as precious with
of love be to thee what I shall further do beside setting mine own weak house and heart in order to go home I know not more then breath out my dying breath in the bosome of Christ for thee that thou and all thy Worthies in thee may do well and worthily from generation to generation till Christ come Nicho. Lockyer To the READER T Was a very Christian expression that once a very Learned and worthy friend of another Nation and of another judgement to mine own wrote unto me Sir though there be two opinions between us yet I desire there may be but one heart to which my desire doth so concur that my requests to Christ are that this Spirit may be powred out amongst all his people in all the world There are many and I think too many opinions amongst the godly already but if there were as many more I hope I should be one in heart with them all which are in Christ and walk in him Variety of faces is not an affliction but matter of much admiration to behold to such as are but humanely ingenious So truly variety of judgements simply considered is not a grief but a glory to me to behold when one Spirit of grace and heavenlinesse is in them all for I account it a glasse of Gods own making wherein to behold his manifold Wisdome and I further think that he is setting many nobler spirits then mine own at work to dig up some pearle and precious truth for me which yet I have not I differ Reader with none but them that differ with Christ As for them that vary in judgement from me whose lives are holy I am jealous that they are better acquainted with Christ then I and so I lay my hand on my mouth and leave them alone to their Master and mine believing that we are as Laban said to Jacob * Chinissather ish meregnehu Because we are hid a man from his friend Gen. 31.49 but hid from one another neither hid from Christ Our light is so dark that a man a Christian man is hid from his Christian friend in matter of judgement but there is a Mitspah one God watching between us both which will bring us to see one another and himself plainly in heaven Let this be my Apologie for my spirit and opinion to thee Christian Reader and to all the people of God that so Satan by no spirit of prejudice hinder the profitable participation of this work which speaks of no controversie between Christian and Christian betweeen King and Parliament or between man and man but of that controversie which is between God and I fear all men in these Dominions under which we are and how this controversie will end give him that loves Christ and thee leave longer yet to study and pray ere he give thee in an answer under his hand As for errata's the Author Scribe and Presse are too full there need the lesse in the Reader or else things will be too bad A childe wrote from Christs mouth and another from mine which truly I had hardly ease or life to overlook and then when to be printed as hasty in this by other hands I cannot say by other ends then mine own for the undertaker I take to be truly godly as slow in the finishing of it three Presses were employed at once two in the City one in the Countrey and he hardly one that should review them so that doubtlesse many things will displease others more then my selfe who expect to suffer much in preaching and printing by them that have little in them and as for others they will be candid noble and do like themselves take in good part parts and fragments of him whom they honour more then I NICHO LOCKYER COLOS. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne FItnesse for heaven is generally acknowledged in the foregoing verse and particularly and fully explain'd in this and that which follows and put into two branches Deliverance from the power of darknesse and translation into the kingdome of Christ Who hath made us meet for the inheritance of saints in light c. What is that meetnesse He hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne Deliverance undergoes a double acceptation it means temporall deliverance sometimes Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutours for they are stronger then I Psal 142.6 Sometimes it means eternall deliverance soul-salvation deliverance from sinne it self and the dominion of it and not barely from such domineering evils as sinne sets up to make this life miserable Deliver me from all my transgressions Psal 39.8 Deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse Psal 51.14 These expressions speak soul-deliverance eternall deliverance and of this nature is that deliverance here mentioned in my Text as the words themselves explain Doctr. Man now is in soul-misery our eternall estate is undone our eternall life slain the bloud of our souls is spilt upon the earth There is death and death with Emphasis Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Soul-death is here meant man is spiritually slain stabbed at heart undone inwardly he needs a deliverance from this death So there is wrath and wrath to come wrath that works hereafter upon spirits when then they have laid aside the bodies of flesh in which they dwelt here Even Jesus who hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1. Thess 1.10 That deliverance and this in my Text mean one thing soul-deliverance which every soul stands in need of but some onely enjoy Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse Naturally Man is in soul-misery naturally we are children of wrath by nature wrath works against us in the very wombe Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated and this ere they had seen the world Corruption is got into the bloud generation is marred man the noblest creature cannot beget a happy creature when he goes about this work he layes the first foundation in sinne In sinne was I conceived c. David was marred from the beginning and made miserable as soon as crudled in the wombe as soon as any matter was laid together for such a form Treason stains the bloud the first man proves a traytour and never since any otherwise but one The first man poisoned his nature and then begat as he made himself and not as God made him and so doth all the posterity to this houre and this makes so many men so many worms and no men so many base miserable things and not one worthy of the name of a blessed creature but the name of an uncreated thing a piece of mere putrifaction a worm so in body and so in soul mere putrifaction in all Judiciarily Man is in soul-misery judiciarily Justice hath traced sinne to its rise and plagued it at the fountain head Man
have that expression in the Scripture we are but trifles and yet Christ cannot put these trifles out of his mind he carries our souls as he carries his own thoughts he minds us up and down the world till we come home Compassion is when things are laid to heart and so carried up and down and they are choicely carried indeed which are so carried Compassion carries Christ and us compassion gathers about his heart and that gathers his children about there too and so they are bound up together in that bundle of life and carried through sinne and miserie to eternall felicitie into his kingdome Christ saves surely a father bears over his children to make sure work that they may not fall in Between nature and grace is a great gulf and a remove from one to the other is not without great danger soul transaction from corruption to grace is with perpetuall fierce conflict the soul cannot put out a step for heaven but Sathan lets fly at it and Christ therefore is a convoy and he transferres from sinne to grace and from hell to heaven As transactions of state removing this and that have their bloudy contests so transaction of that great State for eternity within pulling down and setting up have deadly contest and the soul will be killed in the way to heaven if not born along When Israel went out of Egypt not a dog barked but when a soul goes out of the bondage of sinne into the libertie of Christ many dogs and devils bark and bite Christ therefore as he doth pull out so he doth carry in whom he fastens hold on he lets not go whom he takes into his arms he keeps there and still carries them there in all conflicts to make sure work all Christs children fight in his arms if the devil can kill them there so they all fight upon this advantage every battell passage to heaven is secured the great whale that is master of the deep bellies us and saves us from all storms carries us and conveyes us to our haven the kingdome of his dear sonne Christ saves sweetly 't is pleasant travelling in his arms a man may go a great way with ease upon anothers legges the way though long and dirty goes away one knows not how when bravely carried Christ will have none destroyed nor none tired in the way to heaven Wisdomes waves are pleasant they go all in coaches and chariots to heaven 't is the honour of the way the state of the king in his kingdome below to be born up and down so The king brought me into his chambers saith the Spouse Christs yoke is easie easie indeed because born upon anothers neck you yoke creatures so that their yoke may not pinch you use art to lessen labour and make work no work and pains pleasures Christ is excellent at this art he doth so yoke every one that he draws with ease he makes every ones yoke big enough to put in his own neck together with the man and so he draws himself and the man too and that is an easie yoke indeed and a little burthen as you put something of weight sometimes into a childs hand and you carry the child with that in his hand therefore the child easily bears because he and his burden both are born by another This is substance according to shadow this sweet way of salvation was typified in Noah Noah was transferred by an ark from an old world to a new and that shadowed out salvation in Christ and the very manner of it Christ transferring the soul from a bad state to a good So Israel was brought out of Egypt to Canaan and the Scripture tells you how just as an Eagle carries her young and as a father carries his children Have I conceived all this people that thou shouldst say unto me Carrie them in thy bosome as a nursing father carries the sucking children Numbers 11.12 God was more tender then Moses it was tedious to him to bear so many and so froward in his bosome to Canaan yet so did God and so would he have had Moses done and because he had not patience enough to do it he died ere he came there 't is dangerous not to be compassionate according to expresse command though ones burden be never so great God took up the burden that Moses would not and he tells you how he carried them As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and bears them upon her wings So the Lord alone did bear them and no strange God with him Deuteronomie 32.11 12. God can bear much alone and will for a sinners good and his own glory that is to answer types and fulfill truth Use As Christ does bear souls to heaven so does the devil bear souls to hell evil spirits are very painfull too Who bears your souls Sathan carries by delusion some are carried about by winds of Doctrine the devil is in that wind when errour rules the life Sathan rules the heart this soul is born in the arms of an evil spirit 'T is a light soul that a ly will carry but his fall will be heavy Whom Christ carries truth carries the word of God and the Spirit of God are the two wings upon which Christ carries souls to heaven Upon what wings do ye flee By these you may know who carries you whether Christ or the devil Christ wraps up spirits in the word and so away with them to heaven Sathan carries by violence The Apostle Peter tells us of some that are carried about by a tempest Sathan certainly is in that tempest souls born by that evil spirit are hurried Tempests are beside rule and beside resistance so are souls carried by Sathan the heart hath chosen its own way and reason must not stirre nor divinity lesse every thing is irksome that opposeth nothing that contradicts can the man heare this soul is in the devils chariot tumbling to misery apace if God stop not no man can The Lord seldom stops souls when they run apace till they have fallen and hurt themselves much if not ruin'd themselves quite Christ drives gently he goes truths way and truths pace souls carried by Christ go no faster then truth such make a stop at every turning and look out they go slowly and surely Christ kicks at wilfull spirits but he doth not carry them they are meek souls willing to be carried onely by Christ whom Christ carries The devil bears to destruction to ruine grace and the soul he bears as he did bear Christ to ruine all body and soul Souls carried by Sathan are carried away from God to the glory of the world to a god which is not God Carrying away from God is a graduall thing some are carried away more then others and some are carried away quite which I will stand upon a little I see some carried away extremely which makes my heart tremble to behold Men are carried away captive that is
there is Christs highest seat of glorie in this world I may make an externall demonstration of this such parts of the creation as in which God most manifests himself for the ordering of all that is by way of eminence called his throne His throne is in the Heavens saith the Psalmist which is not spoken exclusively as if God had his seat no where else but comparatively that is no where so eminently as in that part of the creation that orders all the rest As the most noble part of the great world is Gods prime seat so the most noble part of the little world is his prime throne his throne is in the heart in that totum gubernans Thrones are erected in chief places more of Gods state and glory is to be seen in one soul then in all the creation a spirit speaks what God is and makes at the very esse of God as it were whereas all other things speak but what God doth and so make but at his back parts Where you can find God most according to what he is in himself and according to what similitude he makes to himself by operation there is his seat of glory he seated himself in the hearts of these Colossians and shewed himself as a God making covenant which is more then remembring covenant as the Prophet before speaks and therefore by so much the more fitly may be called the throne of his glory Majestie Kingdomes have majestie a kingdome is the union of many to hold forth greatnesse and dread to its own safety Solomon had Lions about his throne to set forth the Majesty of it to make transaction between that and all other people with awe Christ manageth his way in this world with majesty Heaven and earth tremble at his presence he utters his voice to the great world and the rocks rend thunder is the voyce of God to the great world and with what majesty doth he expresse himself to all creatures below in that voyce As there are thunderings without so there be thunderings within in great majesty doth Christ speak to the soul sometimes ask your consciences else ask Felix the Goaler and Cain else yea ask your father Adam else what a case were all these in when Christ did but reason with them Yea I ask you hypocrites if any here is not the way of Christ full of majesty What means those loads that gather about your hearts and that fearfulnesse which surpriseth you else Thou dost but touch the mountains and they smoke saith the Psalmist God doth but now and then give a touch within and the ruddie merry face pales and sadens presently he doth but whisper within and spirits flie up into the head into the face and about every where and the heart within beats for want of them ready to swoune away Twenty years time not enough to heal the wound of a word of Gods mouth O the majesty of that word Gods word is a sword hath not a sword dread especially when ranted against the breast ask wounded spirits whether Gods words be not full of majesty Look upon the whole creation upon the earth upon the sea upon the heavens do they not all speak the majesty of Christ God is mightier then the noise of many waters yea then the mighty waves of the sea saith the Psalmist tossings rollings and roarings of the sea do they not speak loudly the majesty of Christ But ah sinner the tossings rollings and roarings of a troubled soul speak the majesty of Christs words much more Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men Know ye the terrour of the Lord the majesty of God as manifested by his Word and Spirit Paul did Job did the dread of God fell upon him these Colossians did and were brought out of it into the kingdome of a dear Sonne a Sonne of love Kingdomes have supremacy one in chief Supremacy and over all such as are Monarchically governed and so is the kingdome of Christ Christ moves as by a majesticall so by a superiour power to all and this is basis majestatis Christ is a great King over all as the Psalmist titles him he moves here below by a power above men above the greatest of men above Kings and therefore called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he moves by a power above Angels good and bad his throne is above thrones dominions principalities that is those spirituall principalities which by Angels are expended he rules yea he captivates all which is more Every knee bow to him of things in Heaven of things in earth and of things under earth men and Angels good and bad The Sunne is supream and swayes all virtues of the Heavens and earth Christs dominion is from the sea to the worlds end there is not a power from one end of the world to the other but 't is under Christ The first Adam was over all and so is the second his motion yet but darkly speaks this but 't will every day now more then other the kingdomes of the world will become the kingdomes of Christ what he yet darkly over rules he will take visibly into his hands and the kingdomes shall become one and under one Israel had one Lord the Lord thy God is one Lord. Distance of place destroyes not the Supremacy of Christs Kingdome nor the Monarchicall government of it which will be plain by this demonstration Talk with Christians here and talk with Christians in the furthest part of the world and you shall find consent of divine motion within and without amongst them all which speaks them all under one supremacy all subjects of one kingdome though so farre distant they grone under sinne as you do and extoll Christ as you do face answereth to face and yet these faces never saw one another pulse beat and spirits work alike the state is the same the bloud is the same though it run in various veins and some to the extreme parts of the earthen fabrick As things are in their native power Christ is above them and supream and as things aspire and exalt themselves and pretend to something above their native state as things strut themselves and stand a tiptoe so Christ also is above them Low things will stretch and lift up themselves to over-top and this may do something amongst men but 't will not with God In that wherein they dealt proudly he was above them said Jethro of Pharaoh and his company Order or laws A kingdome hath a scepter Kingdomes are not many together like heaps of stones confused and any one upmost but many together by rule and this holds altogether to the weal of each Bonds knit many together every man loose and to his will and then many kings but no kingdome every man to his will and publick weal makes her will too and dies Bread is the life of particulars and law is the life of generalls bread is the life of persons and law is the life of
whither it will if you fight against it you cannot kill it but you will kill your souls Rebellious strugglings are soul-stabbings carry things by force against all divine resistance and you run head-long to Hell Out of self is the way into the kingdome of Christ pleasure must be nothing parts nothing nothingnesse is the way to all Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome we speak of Lay your spirits naked before Christ and let him further strip them as he will and then cloath them and order them as he will and this is the way to a kingdome it is something painfull to get into Christs kingdome but when you are once into it you would not be out of it again for all the world Coloss 1.13 Dear sonne or sonne of love CHrists honour and thy foundation of it are the two things which take up this latter clause his honour is great to wit a kingdome the rule of all his favour is great and this raisd him so high he is a dear sonne a sonne of love saith the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The father loveth the sonne and gave all things into his hand Joh. 2.35 and Joh. 5.20 The father loveth the sonne and sheweth him all things that himself doth c. Love gives forth preferment to all Gods children not any sonne but riseth this way not any adopted sonne no not the naturall sonne he hath a kingdome because a sonne of love Love is the common doore by which all favours go forth to all children some children are higher then others in dignity but none by their wits or any thing else but all from love Wits make their way too much with men and 't is all the friends which some have to rise by but they procure no preferment with God if not beloved let a man be as crafty as the devil he will never be rais'd by God God flatters none whom he cannot love he tells them so in all he doth every thing works to throw them down not to raise them up as every thing tends to the advancement of them that are beloved We do make distinction of talents some bigger some lesser but love hands them out all to children God gives to all his children with his own hand adopted sonnes and the naturall sonne have a kingdome as dear children as sonnes of love God gives orderly his heart first and then his hand persons are indeared and then have all countrey city the whole kingdome Isaac could not blesse at a distance Come near my sonne c. God doth not cast great blessings he knows not upon whom he takes persons very near him relates them and indears them and then advanceth them The Lord did not set his love upon you and choose you because ye are more in number c. Gods order in advancing is here set forth he first setteth his love upon persons and then chooseth them forth for advancement according to that love The Lord did not set his love upon you and choose you c. Love singles out persons and then singles out preferments suitably she culls out and then crowns so naturall and so adopted sonnes rise to the kingdome There are kings in wrath in a temporall sense but none so in a spirituall all spirituall kings are kings in love and from love set up and kept up Kings of a little spot of earth and the king of all the earth all one in the originall of their preferment all children of love therefore children of honour and greatnesse and carry away all from all the world beside The heart of God is the foot-stool up to the throne for all God gives purely nothing without him ingages him to any no not to the naturall sonne You are given unto and therefore give but God gives so to none Who hath given unto him first did the naturall sonne or do the adopted sonnes All his children have what they have because beloved love onely is the wombe that brought forth sonnes and a kingdome for them Designe makes you stir but God cannot be more happy then he is the advancing of love is all his designe in all he raises he makes persons great to make great his love no sonne should have had a kingdome neither adopted sonne nor naturall sonne had it not been to make great his love Love is the efficient and finall cause of all Gods actions towards all his children the naturall sonne and the adopted sonne are made great of love and for love set up by love that love may be set up by them and for no other designe Gods gives solacingly that is so as to delight himself in what he gives so as to delight the giver as well as those that are given to all given in love makes a heaven to God and to man to the giver and to the receiver The motion of father and children each to other is by the same spirit children move towards their father in love and that 's the heaven of their way the advancement and kingdome which they give God in their hearts is in love Father moves to all his children in love and that 's the heaven of his way the fruit of the spirit is love so the reward of the spirit is love the one speaketh that which we give to God and that is love and the other speaketh that which God gives to us and that is love Gods way within and without to all his is in a rapture he makes a heaven to himself in making one for us All motions between father and children make love-meetings we obey him in love and he crowns us in love adopted sonnes and the naturall sonne all Gods children move in love to their father and their father meets them in love and imbraceth them so did Christ advance his father and so did his father advance him as a dear sonne Vse You see Gods generall way of raising persons he first loves and then advances not a person in the world doth God preferre out of this method Many men have a mind too much to a heaven here and hereafter but no mind to look after the love of God wrath secretly consumes these in their blind strugglings to be happy Is hatred or love fastened upon you so will you rise or fall struggle and strive and do what you can Is despised Christ a sonne of God a sonne of love If he be of that seed he will rise and will flourish into a kingdome notwithstanding all the devils in hell oppose Is Mordecai of the beloved seed then he will rise let Haman struggle his heart out Is Haman an Agagite of the cursed Amalekites then he will fall and all the favour in the world cannot keep him up I am grieved to see what preposterous wayes men take for preferment the love of this man and that man is made out after and not the love of God as the onely medium to rise by I view the wayes of men and sigh in secret
your affections burn and your hearts beat to be redeemed That 's well then there is but one step more believe and you are redeemed out of bondage and this will be wrought it will spring and grow insensibly out of those pantings and breathings which are upon you I have seen the bondage of my people and I have heard their cry saith God When bondage makes crying out O what shall I do and who shall deliver me Enemies are got into a body and are deadly strong a body of death besets my soul and in the midst of this body shall not I loose my soul Now the sinner is turned from iniquity and now the redeemer comes to Sion Let the redeemed admire and adore the redeemer this one thing I will touch and give up the point and I am the rather induced unto it because 't is the use made in my text In whom we have redemption through his bloud Which words are spoken in way of admiration and thanksgiving and are but the continuation of that thanksgiving which is begun in the verse fore-going The redemption of the soul is precious silver would not reach it gold would not reach it onely the precious bloud of Christ would do it precious bloud must stirre and precious spirits leap from this consideration as high as heaven and spurtle up in Gods face Freedome binds man all must be sent to heaven that is saved from hell Let the redeemed say this and say that saith the Psalmist Redemption is obligation who ever hangs by his harp a redeemed person must not because he hath his advantage with him above all others his lesson set and laid before him yea his instrument tuned and put into his hand his lips are opened as the Psalmist speaks 't is but stirre thy tongue and matter cannot be wanting nor affections be able to lie still He that died for us must be perfumed and carried home honourably and buried in his own countrey as Jacob was he that died for you on earth must be perfumed by praises and carried to his own countrey and buried in heaven You must not bury Christ in his works but take him up out of his works and words and carry him to heaven and bury him there Nature abhorres burying things in their own bloud you must not bury Christ in his own bloud but take him up out of his bloud and bath him and perfume him and lay him to sleep in the arms of his father The redemption we speak of here and would have you thankfull for respects your souls and your bodies what mercy comes to either is a blessing from Christ as a Redeemer Not a deliverance in these bloudy times but from the bloud of Christ from that great redeemer that sits in heaven Bodily redemption is but the outside of soul-redemption I hope the blindest sight will be able to see the out-sides of mercy Blind wretches look upon temporall redemptions which now Christ makes and see if you can blesse him for these you had not had the lives of your bodies nor the livelihood of your estates at this houre had not your redeemer pleaded for you had not he pleaded for you w th his bloud you had been all ere this tumbling in your own bloud you had had your bloud trod under foot by those which have long trod under foot the bloud of Christ One redeemer works all redemptions for soul and body one redeemer pleads in soul-cases and in bodily cases See a full plain place Prov. 23.18 Enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse for their redeemer is mightie he shall plead their cause with thee It is but one redeemer that pleads for us in spirituall things and in corporall and therefore in all mercies both spirituall and corporall let Christ be honoured and praised Coloss 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his bloud THe way of grace is here considerable life comes through death God comes in Christ and Christ comes in bloud to save The choisest mercies come through the greatest miseries prime favours come swimming in bloud to us Through a red sea Israel came to Canaan Many a man lost his life and much bloud shed the very land flowing with milk and honey made to flow with bloud ere Israel could inherit the promise seven nations were destroyed ere the land of Canaan was divided to the Israelites Acts 13 19. Israel came to Canaan through bloud and kept in Canaan through bloud Samson was strangled in his own bloud like Christ to keep bloud and life in that blessed people The harlot had her life by a scarlet thread and so had the rest of her faith As the promised land so the promised crown came swimming to David in bloud how many men died and how near was David death many times ere that promise of his honour did live Josephs garment was dipt in bloud and he dead alive for so many years and this was the way to his greatnesse and to the saving of the life of all the holy seed Sinne makes mercie so deadly hard in bringing forth to cristen every precious child every Benjamin Benoni every sonne of Gods right hand a sonne of sorrow and death to her that brings him forth Adam's sweets had no bitter till he transgressed Gods will one mercie did not die to bring forth another till he died One creature was a felicitie for another and none a death to or for another mercy generated mercy and man fed upon the cream and top of all and yet the bottom as sweet as the top mans felicitie was no creatures misery under him they were happy in him and he in them and all in the presence of God to each I will rain bread from heaven saith God to Moses and this was an extraordinary thing then and yet ordinary to Adam before his fall spiritually understood he had all his provision without cost or toil his felicity descended from heaven upon him as dew heaven and earth opened and not any ones sides or veins and so mercy streamed upon him he had his felicity with no more hardship then Angels Man would have his pleasure and God would have his too divine pleasure hath turned the course of love The sea hath runne so many thousand years in such a channell yet God can when he will turn it into another though so broad and big an element The sea is bottomlesse but not boundlesse 't is ordered by the pleasure of God and so is mercy the will of God bounds it orders it keeps it in and lets it forth through what channells it will life through death heaven through hell The first covenant was sealed with life the tree of life was the seal of Adams first grace and favour the second covenant is ratified with death the tree of life must die or else none could live by eating of it 't is not life out of life now as out of the first covenant but life out of death and this necessarily because
make him become bloudy God is love fury is not in him naturally but love he delights not in the death of any God is nothing but life and so is his motion naturally and therefore called a fountain of life nothing runnes from him naturally but life if death runne out of the fountain of life 't is because of poyson cast in by you Generation in bloud one mercy to die to bring forth another is such a generation as was not known in the beginning God never appointed things thus to generate but life to bring forth life and such a happy creature to bring forth such a happy creature all happinesse to live each speak out fully the vastnesse of the fountain and the similitude of the stream to it The sinne of the first Adam cost the bloud of the second and all the bloud that ever since hath been shed to keep any good alive in the world Murmuring souls you are blind justice steres the ship when it sails in bloud with jewels to you you would never open your mouths at all the bloud that is shed in the land no nor at all the bloud that ever hath been shed in the world if your eyes were but open to see this first thing God makes his way most sure to such an end let the means proposed to it be what they will through bloud and death or hell I will surely do thee good saith God to Abraham and yet they must into hardship so much and so long and yet still the end sure and this hart-bleeding condition the onely sure way to it and no other way would have been sure to such an end Certainty of an end with us depends upon the standing or falling of such a thing but the certainty of Gods end which he proposeth doth not stand upon the standing or falling of this or that but upon the resolution of his will I will certainly do thee good One may die another may die and yet whilest the will of God remains resolute to such an end the end will live and the dying of such prime persons is onward to it and without which it could not be Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one tittle of Gods will shall fall to the ground The certainty of Gods intention you see depends upon his will heaven and earth may die which are greater bodies then man and yet Gods intention live because his will lives I must say again that murmuring spirits are blind they can see nothing certain in these uncertain times they think that all that God intends must bleed and die because all that men intend bleed and die and the very men too Blind creatures the certainty of what God intends doth not depend upon any of these when all is in bloud and dead God is alive and on in his way to his end the unspeakable good of many God alwayes makes his way most honourable to such an end let difficulties in the way be what they will though God may cast much hardship upon us yet he casteth no disgrace upon himself nor upon his way His way is honourable and glorious saith the Psalmist all his wayes are so when he goes in bloud for he speaks of the execution of justice there when he goes in the death of one thing to the life of another he goes in in state and glory God is alwayes tender of his name when he seems not tender of any person his sonne his onely sonne scoffed crowned hanged used in all the cruellest and basest manner that men and devils could devise and yet this sonne so used by men was so managed by God and all his hardship that the name of God was made wonderfull honourable in all Noble persons stand not upon losse but upon their honour they value not life they will step every step in bloud rather then prosecute their designes basely An honourable spirit is naturall to God he bringeth nothing about basely he eyes not the bloud of men nor the bloud of his sonne nor the bravest bloud that ever ran in bloud vessels but what he eyes is the accomplishment of his will honourably Murmuring spirits you are blind and you are base so you may but have your own ends the fafety of your lives and states you care not how God brings this about whether honourably or dishonourably Unruly hearts are unfit to order weightie matters such spirits must be guided by better then their own what is done with dishonour to God saves a little bloud and forfeits a great deal God will manage his way with honour though he drown and burn worlds and turn all the creation into bloud Our spirits should move like Gods that his will may be done by me to his honour What is my bloud What is God break my back with standing upon it and squeez out my bloud so that it may but colour his garments scarlet and honourable Finally God makes his way most beneficiall when most bloudy and difficult Who can expresse the benefit that redounds to the Church by the bloud of Christ the like I may say of the bloud of Christians the benefit which redounds to God and to man is not to be expressed The like I may say of the bloud that is now shed in England Truth by fiery trialls is made famous Christ is clothed with scarlet and crowned with glory here a mans life is his glory and this given to Christ in flames is double glory put upon Christ a mans bloud veins are the lowdest trumpets on earth to sound out any thing What a noise hath Christs bloud made all the world over And so the bloud of Martyrs is it dried up yet What virtues and graces smell so sweet and look so glorious as those that are died rose-colour with bloud with the bloud of that earthen breast in which they grow Bloud hath a very crying voice it cries up guilt to heaven and so it cries up grace in heaven and earth it makes Christ terrible holinesse immortall truth eternall what is written in bloud never goes out and all that reade wonder I have but one thing more to say and that is for as much as great things come in a way of hardship to fallen man that you would all prepare for hardship London dost thou not see England dost thou not feel that thy mercies come in bloud that thy redemption is likely if ever to be through much bloud but through much more then yet is shed who can say Men die dayly bloudy clouds go up and down and fall upon this citie and that and shalt thou London escape the storm Londoners Londoners are you prepared to welcome in your mercies in bloud You have had a Thames of water bringing in wealth to you for a great while are you prepared to have a Thames made of your bloud to bring in brave wealth to you for another while God hath stirred up some brave spirits amongst you I would all were such and yet I see many
possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning when there were no depths I was brought forth c. Proverbs 8. He speaks you see in reference to the creature and challenged priority of being in reference to them all and therefore called in the Revelation the beginning of the creation of God and therefore here also called the first-born of every creature Birth-right you see by this hath a double consideration naturall and spirituall and both honourable and to beheld up and maintained and so doth the spirit of God here inferre Doctr. Birth-right is an honourable thing and to be holden up and maintained 'T is taken for granted to be honourable and to be maintained and therefore is so used and prosecuted in reference to Christ what is due to him by birth in a spirituall sence is held forth and maintained to wit that he is the first-born of many brethren and what is due to him by birth in a naturall sence is held forth and maintained also that he is the first-born of every creature all his priviledges are protested Right is the priviledge of being and felicity falls as this falls a being without priviledge is a being without felicity and a being without felicity is hell Birth-right contains much 't is a bundle of priviledges bound up by God and man as many as grace and nature affords to make such a being blessed both here and hereafter Consider a man as born and he hath such naturall priviledge from nature and consider a man as new born and he hath such spirituall priviledge from grace That which carries the felicity of life in it it s own worth necessarily calls for standing for if I must stand to maintain my life against deadly creatures which invade it much more that which is the felicity of my life right and priviledge is the felicity of life the felicity of naturall life and the felicity of spirituall life Right not maintained institution is despised all runnes to ruine necessarily for one devours another Priviledge gives not onely felicity but proper felicity that is every one his happinesse so as not to be the least unhappinesse to another Priviledge makes many heavens a heaven for master and for servant a heaven for father and for child a heaven for prince and for people and ones heaven not anothers hell Birth-right is God and nature giving distinct proprietie This temporall good belongeth to this and not to that this spirituall good belongs to this and not to that Propriety confounded Ahabs and Naboths vineyard become one heaven and hell become one children and dogges would fare alike which is sad confusion and which nature abhorres and grace much more What is peculiar and proper to Christ birth-right gives him he is the first-born of every creature Use I am to speak to two sorts of persons from this point to you which have a naturall birth-right and to you which have both a naturall and a spirituall birth-right You which have but a naturall birth-right onely it were well if you did look for more that you were as high in priviledge as Christ that ye had a naturall and a spirituall birth-right he was the first-born of every creature and the first born among many brethren Naturall priviledge makes naturall felicity and this becomes a snare oft times accommodations of nature make men slight grace which was Esaus sinne and ruine birth-right in the spirituality of it he despised obtaining carnall content The more of the world enjoyed the lesse is Christ cared for this is a common plague and consider how 't is with you Are you beloved of God or do you look after it they are his first-born his prime birth which issue out of the wombe of love There is a child and a pleasant child is he not a pleasant child So there are sonnes and first-born sonnes All men are Gods sonnes in some sence We are his off-spring but some are chosen out of the world and have speciall love set upon them they are called a first off-spring a prime birth because born of love their birth being not onely from the hand of God but from the heart of God born of water and the spirit brought forth to the obedience of the Gospel by a spirituall efficacy in the word if this be not your condition your honour is not full whatever your worldly priviledge be and you will soon know it for though you seem to be sons made much of you will quickly be cast off none but first-born are written in heaven and imbraced for ever To the Church of the first-born written in heaven First-born have a propriety in eternall felicity they are written in heaven and others are written in hell they are joynt heirs with Christ which a state worth the looking after You see how all things go here tyrannie tramples your priviledge under foot you are born to much and it comes to nothing but bloud and miserie you dare not go where your revenue lies to challenge your birth-right the sword is so furbisht and set against you had you a state in grace were you a generation of first-born as Christ there were something sure to take too let times and things work as they will The folly of men is great this world is onely prized and men will not be reclaimed which is a destructive thing Let me ask the children of this world doth the bloudy sword make you question your state whether you are the children of God or no born of the spirit to an inheritance eternall immortall that passeth not away New-born are first-born you are as you were in life and you will be as you never were in death Do ye see children of this world how black and bloudy this world is But what 's that to come where your names are written and unto which you are heirs Look about you children of this world your misery gathers every day more and more and nearer and nearer and it will swallow you up and feed upon you for ever if not prevented your birth-right is barely naturall that is such priviledges in such a kingdome and you had need fight hard for these for you have no more these gone and all gone loose what you are born to of flesh and bloud and you loose all fight hard carnall creatures or you will be quite undone else Birth-right is honourable and to be maintained you that have this honour in a full sence in a naturall and in a divine sence as Christ had hold up your honour and maintain it as Christ doth here by his spirit in my text assert your state as Christ doth here and not desert it tell the children of this world what you are children of such men and children of such a God that you are born to such secular priviledge by man and to such spirituall priviledge by God and will maintain it in his way as long as bloud is in your veins
a first-born and here as a creatour Doctr. A holy soul cannot tire it self in the contemplation of Christ. Their is variety of excellencie in Christ varietie of time he is Alpha and Omega Varietie variety of beautie white and ruddie varietie of qualitie mild and fierce a lion and a lamb a servant and a sonne a Man and God a Redeemer and a Creatour Christ is all varietie of excellency he hath all the powders of the Merchants Canticles 3.6 In things below Christ some have excellency and some none some this excellency and some that but none have all and this checks the soul in his game and withers contemplation at the root Contemplation is soul-recreation recreation is kept up by variety one thing tires quickly unlesse that one be all which so is Christ and none else he is all Colossians 3.11 All belonging to well being and all belonging to being Redeemer and Creatour for by him were all things created There is congruity of excellency in Christ Congruity what things are in Christ are all suitable to a holy soul and suitable things tire not we lie down where we are pleased 'T is with a holy soul as 't is with a holy God unsuitable things tire him presently Your new moons and your appointed feasts that is their hypocritical observations I am weary to beare them saith God Esay 1.14 Holy persons and holy actions things congruous to his will in these he takes up his dwelling his thoughts though vast and noble hire themselves here so farre are such things from wearying of him his thoughts respecting this world the people and practices of it rove and wander and tire as weary of all till he come to Sion and then observe what he saith of her This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Psalme 132.14 Affection makes motion and thoughts go after desires desires suited thoughts sit down and take up their rest and their dwelling and like the place of their habitation 't is thus with God and 't is thus with godly men one holy spirit roves and tires out it self till it meet with another the soul of a christian flies from creature to creature and pitches down upon this and that but rises up again presently as one wearied because it can find nothing suitable and thus it doth in reference to all the creatures till it come to Christ and in him it finds all suitablenesse and then sitteth down suitablenesse to being and well-being Christ is my redeemer and my creatour enough for all that I can wish and therefore here I rest saith the soul Transcendency There is transcendency of excellency in Christ variety and congruity of excellency and all above expression more then can be reached A holy heart is deep and loves to bath it self in deep waters contemplation is a soul making one deep to swallow up another and this is so farre from tiring that 't is the very Heaven of a holy heart Contemplation is a soul widening it self to swallow up infinitenesse what ever God is if it can Not a step of Christ towards man but 't is a great deep Redemption is a great deep and Creation a great deep and 't is delightfull to a divine heart to dive where sweetnesse hath no bottome Carnall contemplation tires because though it find something suitable in the creature yet but very little and that little in a little time turns to nothing and then the soul is not ohely tired but vexed which makes thoughts retreat disorderly Divine contemplation cannot tire for it finds out suitable things and yet there are more besides these still it finds out one Heaven and when the soul is in this and it seeth another beyond this when it beholdeth a Redeemer it seeth a Creatour more plainly Use This point plainly discovers many hearts not to be holy divine contemplation is so burthensome and tiresome to them You have vagabond persons so you have vagabond spirits which had rather be any where then at home Christ and Heaven are the souls home thoughts and spirits are all vagabonds whilest they are from this home and yet few souls care to get here and keep here The soul is sublime of it self but pravitie bowes it down men have their corruptions and these make their thoughts cleave to the dust You do not observe whither your hearts go nor what journeyes they make you do not observe their going out nor their layings out whither they wander nor how prodigall when abroad nor possible will not because 't is pleasing men do contentedly lose their souls in things below Christ Three things destroy divine contemplation blindnesse idlenesse wilfulnesse Some men know nothing of Christ the soul cannot dwell upon nothing Thoughts are soon tired when confounded they clash much where there is no apprehension one fighteth against another and the spirit dieth in this fight because condemned to abide in a dungeon Confusion makes distraction distraction makes madnesse men throw off all when they can understand nothing in divine mysteries and I perswade my self that this hath undone many a soul I have known learned men who though contēplative enough in their way yet when they set to contēplate divine things can make no sweetnes to their souls but knots tricks and fancies to cavill with and 't is impossible but that the soul should tire quickly that can find out nothing in Christ but knots and bones to feed on Learned persons look about you your contemplation is highest and yet lowest the hid things of nature wrap you up and the high things of Christ tire you presently which is nought and speaks the heart bewitcht with curiosity high in fancie but low and carnall in affection such a soul as this makes its nest in the starrs of this world but God will from thence pluck it down every soul that nests not it self in Christ and in those glorious excellencies which shine in him will be judged and perish as carnall As ignorance so idlenesse destroyes divine contemplation thoughts are vain they must be watcht man hath power to observe his spirit which beasts have not The spirit of a man knowes the things of a man You know how carnally your hearts work and what do you do to reduce them You keep no watch sloth-betrayes your souls to lust and lust will betray your souls to the devill How secretly doth many a mans heart steal away Christ and yet not so secretly but 't is seen and the man for want of activity lets it go and so is accessary to the betraying of his own soul Ah Lord what will that man be able to say for himself in judgement that stood still and saw his heart steal away from God to the creature and did nothing to turn it back made no prayer nor shed no tears Men complain of losses now but who complains O God I have lost my soul I can never find it in Christ 't is sometime in wealth
Toads Snakes 2. Common Serpents and Men are all in one room in earth good men bad men yea and devils all in one room together in earth this room is so common that the devil is not shut out of it he hath a doore out of hell into earth and leave to walk from one end of the earth to the other when he will And the Lord said to Sathan whence comest thou and he said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it The earth is the devils heaven he hath his walk allowed him here Earth is such a common place that you cannot walk alone in it if you would give never so much go never so privately yet if in earth you will have men or devils with you and just in your walk Many together is troublesome especially when of contrary spirits the devill and man never do well together in one walk Community lessens priviledge here 't is a hell to be where all variety and all contrariety dwell together and yet so 't is here scarce two of one spirit throughout the earth and yet these must live together in one room agree together as they will fight or scratch or kill one another all is one there is no remedy in seventy eighty ninety no possibly not in a hundred years Heaven hath some community in it there dwelleth East-country West-country North-country South-country men but then they are all one spirit no walk above in which there is hearing seeing tasting or smelling any contrary thing though there be many millions more above then are here as having been the receptacle of all travellers from hence for this many thousand years besides the natives of the place and yet not two spirits amongst all these innumerable numbers that disagree or will in the space of eternity But here one cannot walk any where but one contradicting and afflicting thing or other meets a man here I see a Toad there I feel a Serpent here I heare a Lion there I smell a Fox and yet all these claim a dwelling just where I do in earth This is the second thing earth speaketh a common room 3. Dark 'T is a dark room In earth we see earth but nothing else we cannot see Heaven in earth no not any mansion there how stately 't is we cannot see Heaven nor any heavenly thing in earth Angels are invisible Christ is invisible Christ cannot be seen now in earth though the Sonne of the bravest world The Father is invisible the Sonne invisible yea the Spirit by which these two work here in earth as the wind which bloweth in your eyes yet you cannot see it invisible We are here a great wide Common full of moles and mole-hills all heaving and heaping up earth but blind and do not see what we do Bring forth the blind that have eyes and the deaf which have eares saith God Earthen creatures look one another in the face as if they had eyes and yet are all blind some sitting in darknesse others walking in darknesse not knowing whither they go The best persons here are as Samson when his hair was gone and taken by the Philistines of some good stirrings and desires but weak and blind not able to find a pillar but as led to find a pillar but as led to it Man is but of yesterday and knoweth nothing because his dayes upon earth are but a shadow saith Job Earth is a great room full of fools which know nothing and set alone by themselves to wrangle and talk non-sence to no bodies disquiet but their own This is a third thing earth speaketh a dark room 'T is a filthy room the earth is corrupt full of snails 4. Filthy that with creeping up and down leave their slime and pollute all One creature polluteth another and man polluteth all the earth he treadeth on Bloud defileth the land saith God Sinne rendereth not onely the person but the very place where that person liveth detestable The earth is curst from Heaven all over which speaketh out the strength of divine detestation 't is a great brave body with face blasted breasts seared bowels torn guts and filth hanging out poysoning and putrifying the inhabitants which first poysoned and putrified it All runneth into this we dwell in a very base place A low common dark filthy room in earth and so indeed is the originall Hebrew word Adamah for earth used Vse How do you like your dwelling Men are carried by corruption against truth and pitch affection upon that which is base O how damnably do many love their dwelling in earth When the body dwelleth in earth and the soul too Ah Lord that is damnable dwelling in earth indeed Though God hath placed your bodies in earth yet he looketh that you should place your souls in Heaven but shew me a man that thus doth God made your bodies earthy but you make your souls earthy your selves and you will answer for it I wonder what you find in earth that you should make your souls dwell here Do you not find it a low common dark unclean room And yet must your souls dwell here because your bodies do then you will perish as beasts worse I might go along this way and do well but I must turn another way and tell you that you have a base dwelling here and therefore expect things answerable Christians have no art to quiet their souls when things go hard you may gather patience from the very place you dwell in you live in a base place and what can you expect but base usage When your dwelling is removed from earth to Heaven things will be better presently as well as you would wish You dwell in earth and in earth dwelleth all sorts and every one will act according to his property and how can it be helpt here Some are back-biters and they will kill your name some are sycophants and they will kisse you and hug you to death like Judas some are hypocrites wolves in sheeps cloathing and they will not onely kill your bodies but your souls too The earth yields variety of deadly vermine and you cannot tread upon all some will tread upon you some will crawl about you and sting you do what you can Distresse should make mortification but not vexation so it did with David it tooke him off from all in earth but one whom have I in earth but thee Distresse should not disturb but subdue the heart and yet 't is hard to keep the spirit quiet when basely used tell it what one will Fallen creatures are full of passion and strong passion can bear nothing and yet must bear it self which is the heaviest burden of all All things in earth do like themselves and therefore turn aside my soul from them whom have I in earth in comparison of thee O Christ There is one good in earth and that 's all I know get acquaintance with him yea that would find comfort in your dwelling here
Blessed be one good neighbour or how solitary should we be in earth Defile not the land which ye shall inhabite wherein I dwell saith Christ Numb 35.34 The earth would be hell did not Christ dwell in it you have much misery kept off by one good neighbour you have and you might have more if you did but get more acquaintance with him You have lived a great while in the earth and so hath Christ do ye know him do ye love him he maketh the earth a blessing as base as 't is to such A mans felicity dependeth altogether upon the favour of God let his dwelling be where ' twill Earth is heaven hell is heaven when God dwelleth with one there Mourning creatures tell me where do ye dwell In a vally of tears In earth doth Christ dwell with you doth he dwell in earth too in your hearts then be cheared for he will wipe all tears from your eyes and if your hearts be a rest for him he will be a rest for them when you have none in earth When the earth trembles and melts you have one that dwelleth in it that will see you shall do well Christians visit your next neighbour often lie in his bosome whilest you live on earth you will live very desolate else were the earth a better place then ' t is I pitty all that live in this world 't is so base and miserable but them that live without God in this world my heart bleedeth over them Some live where they have no good neighbour nor no friend and they truly have a bad life on it some live so in earth that it were as good they were in hell almost whipt in body tortured in soul longing for death and yet it must not be because not yet full ripe for hell Ah Lord here is a dwelling in earth indeed what difference now between earth and hell All you that live in earth and live in your sinnes expect such a life every houre The earth groneth it beareth so many and so naught sinners do not you grone too Do not you grone to Christ to be better The earth will be eased of her burden quickly but not you your place will be changed quickly but not for the better all that are now in earth will be anon in hell that do not leave their sinnes quickly the sword and strange diseases are going about for this purpose and do you not see how they sweep the earth Coloss 1.16 Visible and invisible c. THe works of God afford man a full soul-imployment Some things are subjected to sence and these are called visible but other things are not subjected to sence but ordered for more noble powers of the soul to make at and these are called invisible The soul is manifold in its acts and operations and so is Christ that all the soul may follow him There is a manifold grace of God as the Apostle speaketh a grace visible and a grace invisible and the soul can make at both and so Christ would have it The eye can see the eare can heare the heart can conceive here is working without and within Conception is operation about invisibilia unseen things 't is a spirit at work upon words shaping out to it self what they but mentioned as countries and creatures where the body never was nor never saw but onely shall divine conception 't is a spirit taking shiping as it were in the word and sayling round the world taking in visible and invisible things to leave out none of Christ The soul is noble in its acts and Christ would lose none for want of imployment if visible things be to low to be busied about there be invisible if there be nothing without doore to be found for imployment to wit in earth it may find something within about invisible things by going to Heaven Creation is laid by Christ with gradation higher and higher visible and invisible if one room be too low the soul may go higher as high as it will as high as it hath power the works of Christ lie as high as the tallest spirit can reach The soul is not forc'd but drawn to noble action Creation is temptation the works of God are laid so as to entice the soul higher and higher like Jacobs ladder till it come as high as it should be When the eye of the body is weary of looking upon bruits trees and such like visible things as are here then the eyes of the soul may go one room higher in the ladder towards Heaven to things which are not seen to that invisible place and societie above The soul is remiss'd in his acts in works as well as in words Christ leaveth this without excuse Man was never without full imployment Adam had it and the sonnes of Adam have it There is a double book of words and a double book of works to reade and one higher then the other one visible and the other invisible one for the eyes of the body another for the eyes of the soul and I wonder what idle souls will say for themselves when Christ cometh to reckon with them You have a talent and imployment for it a soul such a noble soul and such noble imployment both neglected will lie heavie upon you Bodily sloth you cannot bear and soul-sloth Christ cannot bear soul-sloth is enraging sinne and observe how angrily Christ chargeth it Thou wicked and slothfull servant shouldst thou not have imployed what I gave thee to my advantage Matth. 25.26 take from him what he hath saith Christ A man hath his soul taken away that imployeth it not an idle soul becometh a besotted soul a besotted soul is no soul a spirit dead and buried in the flesh powers and parts are blasted and withered when neglected Soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth sometimes from too much imployment about humane and such men neither know their hearts nor yet this time worldly now and you will be worldly when the world cometh to be burnt The soul is first let loose from divine things and then when 't is abroad it will not be lured in again by them though held up to them Wicked worldlings you know not what you do when you let your souls loose to the world there 't is curst and becometh wild and will not return though words of God and works of God all that God is and doth be held up to it and therefore is the prodigall said to be lost for this my sonne was lost c. Sometimes soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth from dislike of them Some the God of this world blindeth them and 't is idle to talk to these of visible or invisible things for all that is good is invisible to them they know not how to set their spirits about any thing but to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Ah Lord how blind how base are some souls No word of God no work of God visible to them under a divine
he and his were ready to starve Let it be enough to every distressed heart that Christ is alive though trade and husband be dead Christ hath all yet though every one else be robbed in him all things be upheld and in him you shall be upheld Ob. In him I may have soul-subsistence but as for bodily subsistence surely that will fail for the meal in the barrell is almost quite spent and when this is gone surely I shall want my bread Canst thou trust Christ for thy soul and canst thou not trust him for thy body If thou canst but look up to Christ as all things do though not as noble things do yet thou wilt have meat Sol. The eyes of all things looke up to thee and thou givest them meat Cry but as Hagar and thou wilt have drink Seek but as the young Lions they seek their bread of God and thou wilt have bread If thou canst but rore as they do thou wilt be heard and bleat and bellow as the cattell of Ninivie some deliverance will come out Christ is never put to it though you be he will find one thing or other to make provision for all The eyes of all look unto thee and thou feedest them Providence hath meat in her mouth for all Ob. Meat may be given but the time may be long first and my cheeks begin to grow pale already my servants cry my children cry my guts cry for hunger surely I and mine shall starve Sol. No thou shalt not providence works oportunely thou shalt have meat in due season these all wait upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Ob. It cannot be means are gone and friends are gone Sol. That is nothing Christ is not gone providence maketh strangers friends enemies friends ravens to feed others whose property it is to devoure and to feed them seasonably morning and evening Among enemies the children of the captivity found friends and found favour for a tender conscience in Babylon Ob. A little relief may be to me possible onely enough to hold life and soul together but under such sparing providence life will be worse then death when mercy is ministred nothing answerable to my necessity Sol. Let not this terrifie in Christ all subsist and subsist well thou maist not possibly have so much as thou hadst nor so fine as thou hadst but as long as Christ is thou shalt subsist well and thine own heart shall say so Providence doth not alwaies give alike but doth alwayes do enough for the best condition of being and yet let me tell thee further this Providence bringeth in sometimes a great deal more then we expect See a brave instance in Jacob Gen. 48.11 And Israel said unto Joseph I had not thought to see thy face and lo God hath shewed me also thy seed Providence is plentifull and bountifull as well as seasonable and bringeth in twise as much twenty times more then we think of enough in supply necessity yea enough to satisfie desire Jacob had corn for necessity and he had also the sight of Joseph and his posterity and the life of Benjamin and many gallant mercies more which bordered uppon these even to the utmost of desires so literally was that promise fulfilled to him thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing Desire is vaster then necessity in most creatures in man it is I am sure and yet providence is so bountifull that it satisfies this Providence not onely brings about what one needs but what one wishes yea more providence doth prepare things and bestow this and that which the heart cannot wish nor expect it doth prevent us with loving kindnesse Two things must be eyed to mak Christ giue out himself plenteously for your sweet subsistence the first is interest I am thine save me saith David God is very tender about his own a child shall have any thing Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou barest to thy people O visit me with thy salvation Union draws out all the fulnesse of Christ what goes beside the pipes which are laid into the founntain are but drops and by means of these pipes too these droppings are upon the world Christ would not give forth a drop of favour to the world were there not some in it nearely allied to him all wicked mens mercies are but as it were some droppings of the great mercies of Saints this kingdome would not consist were there not some Saints in it all the upholding it hath is long of them that are united to him from whom he cannot break off England use thy Saints well they are thy pipes and veins to heaven through which thy great blessings fall upon thee All art must be used to advance interest in Christ out of the favour of God and you will be outed of all whether it be the case of a person or a whole nation You are not my people and I will not be your God Lo-ammi Lo-eli This man is none of my child let the devil look to him let his own father provide for him this Kingdome is not my people let it bleed to death and 't will will God say England look to this or thou art lost and all the world shall not save thee let thy reformation be such as to render thee Christs Church that he may say England is my people or thy consumption will kill thee Friendship in Heaven is all to the lively-hood of a Nation or of a person here every thing will run crosse whilest the great wheel is out with one lets all set things right with Christ and all will run well let disadvantages be what they will But thou Israel art my servant Jacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend fear not for I am with thee and they that warre against thee shall be as nothing Interest must be made and then maintain'd or else life becometh uncomfortable When souls grow loose they find the evill of their way Christ is tender in providence to tender hearts 'T is harder to bring ones heart so near God as one should and then 't is harder to keep it there but yet how difficult soever the soul shall know it is a bitter thing to depart a spirit of love and union abates and then flowers that smell sweet in the breast close and Christ withdrawes My soul cleaveth after the Lord thy right hand upholdeth me Psalm 93. The spirit of union must not be checked it must work after the Lord freely In this way the soul hath a right hand upholding it and this maketh and keepeth the life contentfull Grace is a pursuit of Christ they live most sweetly that runne most swiftly after him check this pursuit and you die Unbelief maketh fear fear setteth the soul at a stand shall I go forward or shall I stand still Now God is displeased the heart tortured for its basenes Englands fearfulnesse to pursue Christ hath deprived her almost of subsistence and tumbled her
to nothing but bloud Fearfull hearts pursue your Saviour that you may do well or he will pursue you help not on the ruine of a brave kingdome will neglect of the wayes of the Lord keep up you or this tottering kingdomes Coloss 1.18 And he is the head of the body c. CHrist hath many titles and every one speaketh much but this speaketh all head noteth all the offices of Christ As a Priest Christ is head as a Prophet Christ is head as a King Christ is head of the most beautifull body the Church One word of God needeth many words of man to open it Manna lieth of a heap here and if Christ wait to be gracious we shall gather much We must begin with that which is the foundation of office fulnesse Head noteth officium basin officii office and that which maketh sufficience to office Christ is called head quòd omnia in capite sunt ferè dupla as one saith bini oculi binae aures binae nares because all things in the head are as it were double there are two eyes and two eares and two nostrils c. that is a great fulnesse of all exquisite sence and ability for organisation and under this notion I purpose first to handle this tearm Rule is a noble thing Sun-beams weaved into a crown he must be higher by the head then the rest of Israel that is called out to wear this person must be beautifull and parts double and so were Christs he is head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kaphal duplicavit cùm omnia in capite sunt ferè dupla the head hath two eyes two eares two nostrills doubly organised to act it self and all the rest to supply it self and all the rest so is Christ double endowed not onely for himself but for all that shall need him Leviticall unctions were by pouring and not by dropping enough was poured upon the head to run down to the feet so is Christ anointed as head that is double grace is powred into his lips Doctr. There is store in Christ for all spirituall necessity if any want an eare if any want an eye our head hath two one for himself and another for us if any want an eare Christ hath two he is our head If any man want any other abilitie Christ can furnish for he is head and anointed so Giving is made in order to receiving receptivitie is very vast in Christ Christ can receive what ever God can give the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth in him God can do no great things in our spirits they are so little In Christ there is proportionable capacity to infinite greatnesse and there God dwelleth furnisheth and moveth as he is double and treble donation is made without end Infinite capacitie will hold infinite fulnesse Giving is made in order to an ultimate end Christ is not the ultimate end of divine donation Christ is not given unto merely to retain but he is given unto to give There is reciprocation in divine donation every thing is given unto to give back again the sea is filled with water to fill the earth with springs and showers things must have much which are to supply many Christ is anointed to anoint Ye have received an unction from the holy one Christ hath what he hath in order to abide and therefore called head Use Necessitous creatures consider your condition and where your supplies lie 't is sad to see how poore many of you are If there were no soul riches to be had your poverty were no sinne but now your poverty is sinfull misery and sinfull misery is sinking misery your poverty will judge you because there is wealth to be had that you have no oyl will shut you out quite because there is oyl to be gotten were you wise to look after it oyl enough to fill your lamps to keep you burning and shining till you go into that place where you shall shine for ever Men in want lay to heart nothing that maketh want utterly undoing thousands live and die damnable poore do I not unawares speak the condition of some of you do soul wants lie heavie upon you Yes the nature of such a condition should be considered soul-pressures are from severall apprehensions all are not kind if this be not looked to fulnesse in Christ will not be looked after though the heart be ready to die with load there is soul-pressure from conscience enlightned guilt by divine ordination looketh back upon the soul dayly howerly and the soul would look away from it and think of no sinne nor no such thing but cannot visions of wrath so haunt him and here lieth his load if any company if any musick would cheere and charm away this evill spirit that so haunteth the man he would get it what ever it did cost life though bad not at all disliked by the man but horribly disliked of God and conscience that the man cannot do what he would he is so plagued within and here lieth the burden that the man cannot keep his sinne and not that he cannot leave his sinne Let such men know that that that arrow which is shot into the heart shall abide and how able and full soever Christ be to power oyl into wounded souls he will power none into these wounds these shall gangrene and destroy the man for they are diaboli ulcera this is the burden of the damned that they cannot prosecute their will but are tormented Pressures are pittied which spring from love to Christ and hatred of sinne I am sick of love Christ is my life more then my life but I cannot enjoy him therefore I sinne sink grone and die such bleeding is staid such wounds have mercy powred into them Oppressed harts do you prize the fulnesse that is in Christ O nothing dearer then blessed are ye for dispensation to you shall be full you shall have flaggons Previous dispositions speak the mercy coming certainly the heavens glimmer in the east the sunne is certainly rising affections stirre the beloved is not farre off the way is strewed the king is coming there will be crying Hosanna and triumphing anon Panting hearts let the king come his own pace and he will get home to you by night he will sup with you and feast with you and what ever he hath to refresh and revive the soul you shall have it ere any temptation shall destroy you Christ feasting is usually at supper his full communications are ordinarily late but never too late fulnesse of mercy comes in fulnesse of time Let passions burn strong but not turbulent if any thing make your beloved make haste and come skipping to you like a young Roe it will be this Christ comes in a still voice and unto still souls that long earnestly but wait patiently for him Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel and he had his bosome full Deep waters come slowly infinite fulnesse is long a emptying it self That which works exactly must have time
the least superiority that can be discerned Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth As Christ doth otherwise receive so he doth otherwise impart light then any other teacher Christ was taught none like him and he teaches none like him Christ teacheth internally eternally instantly Our teaching is discursive we can do nothing within Christs words are of authority and make their impression upon the heart not a word that Christ speaks but goes to the heart though many words which we speak come not to the heart yet every word that Christ speaks goes to the hearts Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he talked with us Christ sets the soul on fire with his breath blows up internall powers and breaks open everlasting doors The prince of darknesse fortifieth within us and Christ can mount ordnances where the forts are shoot off terribly within and destroy the works of the devil that is sinne or the soul at every shot Christ doth with his cannon within as you do with yours without rend and tear wofully You take off bodies in the very midst so doth Christs cannon take off sinnes and souls in the very midst as Beza renders that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle useth I will destroy the wisdome of the wise 1. Cor. 1.19 tollam è medio I will cut it off in the midst Sinne is in the midst of the soul and Christ can mount such gunnes as to cut it off in the midst As Christs ministery is internall which none of the Prophets was so it is eternall Christs words are words are words of eternall life or eternall death and this simply as his words We speak words and they stick but a moment Christ speaks words and they stick for ever We make wounds and you lick them whole in an alehouse Christ makes wounds that no art can heal Thy arrows stick fast in me saith the Psalmist The arrows which Christ shoot they stick fast none can pull them out but that hand that shot them Christ can instruct and seal it That is make things so impressive as beyond obliteration O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works Psal 71.17 so Psal 119.102 I have not departed from thy judgements for thou hast taught me Christ can teach beyond all other teachers he can open the understanding that is open powers to take in and then close up these powers to keep in for ever Christ can teach internally eternally he can do all this instantly his ministery is an instantaneous ministery We are long hammering and beating to make persons understand and yet all will do nothing but when Christ takes the work in hand he makes the most ignorant creature that is wise to salvation presently Then opened he their understandings c. Luk. 24.45 Then at that instant he made them see throughly what they never saw Use You see what an able teacher Christ is what hath he taught you The wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God I do not ask you how knowing you are in your particular calling as such and such trades-men but how knowing you are in your generall calling as Christians how knowing of Christ and your souls Light is come into the world a great light Do you see the way to heaven Confidence speaks not saving light but desperate blindnesse many ignorant men conceit they know much when they know nothing as they ought The fool is wise in his own conceit and the world is full of these fools yea the Christian world is full of these fools but Christ is emptying it Blindnesse and confidence makes us all bloudy at this day and the Lord grant it make us not bleed to death We have a Laodicean plague upon us and God seems to be spuing us out of his mouth and yet our Laodicean spirit lives in the midst of us We all of us think highly of our selves that we are rich in all spirituall excellencies and they that contradict our conceits are fools We are fools saith the Apostle but you are wise How strong and how generall this spirit is now you that are spirituall may see and what it presages Christ will explain fully if you can but hold fast a little Let every man look without and look within look abroad and look at home the plague of the multitude is it not your plague Are not you wiser in your conceits then your preacher is not spirituall preaching babbling When things touch your consciences then you rage and then the Minister is mad because you are mad Alas for us Lord thou makest us men of contention our life is a fighting with beasts that will not understand us nor thee If you had no other Prophets but us or did reject no other prophet but us some dispute might be made in the day of account but we will not judge you to the Father there is another prophet which you hear in us and yet will not heare and it is he that will judge you to the Father and to your own consciences If this will not beat off men from deluding themselves and from bearing off Christ I will go on Some spirits are wanton as there be light bodies so there be light souls such as go a whoring after lies Fansie sick longs after fresh speculation if this may be had it satisfies let it be in what it will in things as farre from Christ as earth is from heaven yea as hell is from heaven It is otherwise with the soul that is taught of God he hath a little light of Christ and now cares for no other vision all light is darknesse and all wisdome folly that relates not to make Christ more known I purpose to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Paul had many endowments but they were all sleighted Christ teacheth the heart as the heart is taught love burns nothing satisfies love but what stird it if such an object made love nothing but the fruition of that object will satisfie it You may know whether Christ hath opened any thing of himself to you by your love to him the purity of your light will speak out it self in the purity of your love and the purity of your affection in the purity of your action Should you say nothing yet a man that stands by you may tell what your light is and who hath taught your hearts Christ or the devil Some of you will swear and curse and lie some of you your love as fleshly as base as the earth it self Hath Christ taught such things as these No certainly the devil is the tutour of these and they will take their degree in hell I have a word to you all and conclude A loose life broadly speaks out an uninstructed heart what secretly swayes Christ sees and so shall all the world use what art you will to hide it wherein you are intractable to the teaching of Christ God will discover
Persons that cannot reade are set to spell words by works their own works by Gods works God can draw out himself in any attribute to any mans understanding in justice in mercy God can suit action to any person to any condition and so exactly that at first sight every eye shall see himself Divine action is to make conviction Christ worketh so as to convince the world he fitteth his hand to stop any mouth Some are not onely blind but stubborn and dogged and now is man an Asse which was Balaams case and now God opens the mouth of an Asse to rebuke him The Asse rebuked the madnesse of the Prophet An Asse is a dogged wilfull beast and so was Balaam and God suits him in reproof to convince One Asse was upon the back of another and the worst a top and God tooke his advantage as they lay one upon another and useth one Asse to convince the other one is wilfull to go on and the other is wilfull and stops 'T is not easie to convince stubborn souls God must more immediately and more exactly speak then ordinary in this work Divine action suited is an immediate speaking from Heaven and proud hearts fall at the sight of this when nothing else will do it Some must have every thing openly told to their face ere they will be convinced and take shame and God doth use this way with the world to convince them Who shall declare his way to his face and who shall repay him what he hath done saith the Scripture of God in order to wicked men Job 21.31 Justice suited to sinne in word and work speaks sinners sinne to their face that they cannot possibly deny it Sinners look to your selves God will be even with you walk as craftily as you will with the froward he will be froward Some men swell in pride and yet please themselves in their way that they shall carry all before them without controll Lofty hearts you shall find a high and lofty one to deal with you The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and this is the speech of a lofty God Esay 2.12 title is advanced brows bended a souldiers face put on by God when flesh swelleth and groweth proud The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon the proud c. A stern spirit shall see nothing but a stern God Sinne is a lie sinners perish in the heat of their pursuit one fire kindleth another ere firy spirits are aware they are cast into everlasting burning and this is the way of God to fit things one to and for another Tophet is prepared for the King the Kings of Israel made a Tophet for the burning of little ones and God suiteth this wicked action with righteous justice and maketh another Tophet for them you sacrifice your children to the devil and I will sacrifice you as if the Lord had said God maketh burning for burning bloud for bloud tooth for tooth Poore distressed England comfort thy self thy Princes and Nobles make a Tophet for thee they burn thy houses thy goods and sacrifice thy little ones and great ones to devillish men and God will fit them home if they repent not he will make a Tophet for them he will burn their honours their powers and sacrifice all to destruction he will turn them out of all as they turn thee and thine Because thou hast dealt by taking vengeance thou shalt know my vengeance saith God to Edom. In great extremities it is hard to keep poore hearts quiet the spirit woundeth it self when men wound the flesh God is just to me in this and that I was thus and thus Is God just to thee and will he not be just to them that spoyled thee Hath he paid thee home and will he not do it to them that are worse then thee Justice in the exactnesse of it doth but hint her self to the godly it doth but nod upon them as it were but she strikes full blowes at the wicked she prosecuteth her own nature in full strength and maketh a compensation upon these creatures because none made nor to be had any where else Weep not for your selves but weep for them that have spoyled you Heaven and Earth shall reade the justice of God against the bloudy wretches of England and Ireland They that kill with the sword shall be killed with the sword Stand still and be quiet let God alone to suit wicked mens plagues if thou dost not see them paid in their own coyn then do not believe me England justifie Christ he hath fitted one thing to another such a body hath such a head like Priest like people like Prince like people You cry out of your king and I cry out of you Are not Gods wayes equall Say no who dares You will not have a man rule over your bodies according to his will and you let the devil rule your souls as he will Looke into your hearts the best of you all do you not make truth a slave to be at the beck of your reason and at the beck of your lusts you make Christ a slave and he giveth you to be slaves you make your spirituall king a slave and your temporall kings make you slaves Doth not Christ fit you in your kind Our king is so and so misled saith one and siths and whispers take it to thy self so art thou misled by many base lusts every one reapeth as he soweth can a man gather figs of thistles England dost not thou reap as thou hast sowed Hast thou not had the guilt of bloud upon thee a great while hast not thou the guilt of the bloud of many abroad and of many faithfull ministers and Christians at home upon thee which could not swallow thy basenesse Hast thou not made truth bleed this many years and that Christ maketh the bleed a few moneths and a few years is it not fit and right To justifie God is the first step to repentance men that can do nothing but wrangle at divine action forget the main work Do not bite the stone that is thrown at thee but bite thy heart for one is as hard as the other I dare say Pride meriteth much but can bear but little but justice will have its way for all that Men that cannot be silent shall have their mouths stopt misery becometh mortall when impatience groweth strong the burden killeth when the soul will use no shoulders to bear it No life so bitter as that which taketh all ill at Gods hand this is hard and that is hard c. and yet all is no harder then thy heart nor yet so hard God doth not an action without us but to suit it to something within us This point may be usefull respecting time to come and the mercy you look for You look for great things but how are ye fitted for them Christ doth fit one thing to another Great things are already but you prise them
much of his worth which spake him a child of perdition there be more of these children in the world You Londoners have heard much and seen much of Christ more I think then any city under heaven and yet to many of you your bags and your wealth I fear are dearer then the Lord Jesus Some things are afflicting others ruining undervaluing of Christ is damnable the spots of this I will shew you Three things speak the undervaluing of Christ truth neglected sinne approv'd Christ unbelieved Light is to walk by men sleight this and sear their consciences truth is neglected when not made a rule of life Able discoursing speaks not prising of truth but practising Truth is made subordinate to self ends the plague is in the heart love is not sincere Christ is not prised above the world Many will not fully follow God because it will fully undo them to follow truth as the world approves is to prize Christ onely as the world doth Fear your own hearts snares are many within and without Christ is indeed prized when his will is obeyed Action speaks out affection If you love me keep my commandments if the heart be drawn the foot will run the crown wheel moving though but slowly the little wheels run apace the hand and the foot are but little wheels in order to the heart if this be drawn and moved though but a little the other run Draw me and I will runne after thee Draw me that is my heart and then feet and all other parts shall come Affection puts on to action O how willing to obey is that soul that sincerely loves He would go he would run he would ride post to please God no precept harsh where the heart is right Christ made chief and so is his will above an Isaac By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac God tried Abraham what was chief in his heart himself or Isaac and Abraham gives open testimony of his affection in his action Sinne approved speaks Christ undervalued Will is strong lusts overcoming and pleasing to the most and alas for such souls Christ is not prised as chief Approbatio mali est reprobatio animi Some sinne from mis-understanding God pities these some sinne from mis-affection more then from mis-apprehension they love darknesse better then light which is reprobation of mind a soul disapproving the truth which he knows What I would I understand not or I know not saith Paul when he wrought evil and he argues from hence that God and the Gospel would pity him What I do I allow not so you reade it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nosco to know I think is from this Greek word I know not Weak hearts you do many things amisse of ignorance and Christ will pity you and therefore wound not your selves But wilfull wretches you put bitter for sweet you call evil good you love vanities and follow after lies the evil courses you follow you love and approve To prise Christ and to prise sinne are inconsistent you cannot love God and Mammon You are positive in your evil way you put darknesse for light you justifie your course which is drawing of Christs bloud out of his sides and then trampling upon it and despising of it when ye haue done which is the highest undervaluing of Christ Christ unbelieved is Christ undervalued it is frowning upon one that smiles boundlesse grace limited The great things of my Law are made small things saith the Lord. Lessening speaks undervaluing it doth so respecting precepts and respecting promises Unbelief makes great precepts no precepts and it maketh great promises no promises It is the highest commendation of any dish at Christs table that you eat heartily of it Christ accounts it so it is the highest valuation of Christ that you rest upon him that you take life at his hands which he proffers Sinners would you prise Christ be invited then unto unto him by what he proffers he will pardon you he will purge you he will justifie sanctifie glorifie you if you believe on him Faith is laying Christ in your bosome and that is proper prising of a thing faith is an heart act a soul going out of every thing to God wearied with every thing as defective and fiting down in Christ as complete Then do I prise Christ indeed when I behold him as all and so appropriate him to my self when I make him my wealth my honour my righteousnesse when I have none in heaven nor none in earth but him when I have none to present to God to conscience nor to the world but him Weak hearts if guilt deterre you from Christ you will die in your sinne as undervaluers of remedy salvation is brought near to you God will not your death repent and believe the Gospel to day do this and to day shall salvation come to your house Ob. Sol. I know that believing speaks reall prising of Christ but I cannot believe To this I answer The obiection lies not merely here that you cannot believe you will not believe Humour is strong in many weak hearts grace in it self and in its means rejected and then they say they cannot believe you cannot because you will not Blame your will and bleed over the perversnesse of a proud heart beg God to bring salvation yet nearer to you nearer to your understanding nearer to your will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith 't is suadere 't is that act of Christ by which he doth perswade a froward will Beg Christ to conquer thy will and then thou wilt have power enough to believe presently he will perswade Japhet I cannot stand to speak of particulars I have but one thing to speak in generall and then I have done and that is to all Gods people You prise Christ as chief and so doth Christ you Christ is your jewel and you are Christs jewels you make him your husband and you are to him as a wife They are blessed indeed which have Christs prime love upon them prime love gives out prime favours you will be fed with the finest of the wheat the fatted calf will be killed for you the best robe will be brought for you Benjamins double dish and double dainties will be set before you Prime love works out into tender mercy and tender mercy is mercy shaped to all your necessities to keep you happy against all unhappinesse Some are but commonly loved yet they live well upon it and are merry you are dearly beloved of Christ and yet you cannot live well upon this No I shall want my bread Shall ravens be fed and not dear children will not a Father a heavenly Father provide Ob. Sol. If the famine do not kill me the sword will Is not Christ a strong tower to the righteous to his dear ones is not the munitions of works your defence your castles and rocky places will hold out but a while Christ is a rock of ages he saves with an everlasting salvation Ob. Sol.
below your duty so farre below your blessednesse Hearts that can give Christ the preheminence in all things have a very blessed condition Communion sweet dispensations full tranquility secure When the strong man rules all is at peace 't is true of Christ he smiles upon them which he leads when he can rule all and carrie all in the soul there is sweet peace In the world ye shall have tribulation but in me peace saith Christ If the heart can endure tribulation to let Christ reigne if it can let men domineer as they will to give Christ preheminence over it self there is sweet peace in such a state Christ keeps up the heart mightily when name and state and all things without are down and under the feet of the men of this world Christ doth triumph in his throne let what warre will be without and he makes warre within when kept from thence Communion is sweet and dispensations are full when Christ hath an universall dominion As we anoint we are anointed anoint Christ all over not onely head but feet and so he will do you Love Christ much and he will love you much let John lay his head in Christs bosome and Christ will lay his heart and his head too in Johns bosome What parts what a spirit of light and revelation had the Apostle John as if Christ had left his head wholly in Johns breast he fled for it that Christ might have in all things the preheminence and Christ flies after him and gives him preheminence in gifts above thousands Condition is secure standing is firm indeed when Christ hath hold of all when there is no sand in the foundation but all rock then winds may blow and storms beat and yet the building will stand The apostacy of persons now so common springs from hence that they give not up all to Christ and give him a full dominion and a full hold-fast they will let Christ hold but a little and then he in justice le ts go all and then all that seemed good comes to nothing Sinners you cut your own throats in that you give not Christ a universall command you will not suffer him to out the strong man quite and therefore he returns with seven worse spirits and so your latter end is worse then your beginning Know what is your peace and safety in these evil times and observe it Coloss 1.19 For it pleased the Father c. YOu set sweet bryer at your doore the very entrance into some houses is taking 't is so in the verse I am now going upon here is a term in the front as full of honey as Canaan here is an Angel at the doore as glorious as heaven you can no sooner begin to reade but your hearts must needs begin to leap if they be as heavenly as they should be You are smiled upon and saluted at the doore with precious words It pleased the Father c. The word Father is not in the originall onely it pleased which is so rather to be expressed that it may be fitly applyed to Father and holy Ghost for both are contented and delighted in Christ to lay out themselves for man in him Kindnesse comes from a full spring in a full channel to fallen man God the Father pleased and God the holy Ghost pleased that Christ should come stored into the world to restore poore souls How freely God contrives relief for man He eyes extremity and waves all other motive his own goodnesse sets him at work to provide a remedy for a sad condition It pleased the Father Free motion is the purest it speaks all love God can move no otherwise towards things below God is absolute not any thing without him hath any thing above him that is something which he hath not to engage him Your felicity secular is seated in many and you contrive favour for one another because you judge you shall need it of the same parties in another kind God needs none all need him and therefore what he doth for any must needs be at his pleasure Free motion is the noblest bounty is proposed not merit God will work no otherwise but freely that every ones crown of kindnesse may be admired as bounty as grace in height as something wholly from heaven Thou hast triumphed gloriously saith the Scripture that is our mercies are derived to us after an admirable manner and are full of thy self and of nothing else If a crumb be given to a dog 't is bounty but if the whole feast be given to him what bounty is this God doth something that sinne may appear sinne But sinne that it might appear sinne c. So God doth something that grace may appear grace he dispenseth it altogether at his pleasure that this may altogether appear and nothing of the creature Free motion is the surest wheels must be oyled still where motion is by instruments If there be no motive yet action goeth on for mans welfare where motion is free The mercy of God in Christ is called sure mercy sure because free What is purely free is uncapable of cessation from airie impediments What God does with pleasure and out of pleasure he never grows weary of and thus he sheweth mercy to man which makes it sure indeed and lasting from generation to generation God moveth surely towards man we are such creatures in our fallen state that we throw discouragement upon God every moment for ever looking towards us more we are so froward so throwing off of love and therefore God hath proposed to himself such a principle to move from as may hold on his motion whatever he see in us to wit his pleasure Free motion is the sweetest God moves in the takingest way that may be to fallen man You love to see one give smilingly to give much goods and with much goodnesse to give with all the heart so doth God God gives all with all his heart he makes every step to you in bloud and yet in delight it pleases him to part with all to enrich you What God puts upon you he practiseth himself he bids you give liberally and give chearfully because he loves it so doth he give liberally and chearfully to make his motion lovely and taking All fulnesse is put in Christ and it is put there with all pleasure and with all delight which renders Christ very taking to man indeed Large action with straitened affection is a comely body with an ill-favoured face which is not so generally taking Christ is set out to man all fair filled with all excellencie and this by a hand of love which is duplex plenitudo a double fulnesse as it were It was two deliverances to David that he was delivered from a principle of love that he was delivered as one delighted in He delivered me because he delighted in me Thus are we delivered by Christ from a principle of pleasure and delight It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell for us
empty creatures Use Relief is contrived very freely for fallen man Weak hearts should comfort themselves with this point Sinnes lode some souls that they can get no ease Conscience saith too little or else too much sometimes it is asleep and saith nothing sometimes it is awake and crieth perpetually as apprehending no remedy this is a deadly wound and I would I could heale it Misunderstanding makes sorrow unkind we measure mercy by our own comprehension which hath killed many Sinners take heed what thoughts you take up of the kindnesse of God God doth not come to shew great kindnesse as you do with great unwillingnesse and upon hard terms It joyeth God and pleaseth him to meet prodigalls to kisse them and cloth them notwithstanding all unkindnesse undutifulnesse unnaturalnesse Guilt makes horrour and horrour makes distraction distracted persons whip and cut and wound themselves Dolefull conditions would be pitied above but sinners have no pity to themselves to think so What sovereigne balm is in Christs merit if sinners would be pleased to use it It is pleasing to God to do good but 't is not pleasing to us to receive it the devil is too hard for us all Observe Sathans wiles we shall perish by thousands else though God be pleased to provide salvation for sinners and what a pity is that Tempted souls stirre up the grace of God and believe the word of the Gospel you please your selves in the thought of your sins and in the ruine of your souls through unbelief but God is nor pleased with it God is pleased to contrive your salvation and it would adde to his pleasure to see his contrivement please you and save you Action hath circumstance yours hath Gods hath and yet scarce a soul considers this and yet these are the twigs in our rod that whip us or the rayes in our sunne that chear us Deniall of free grace hath foure aggravations 'T is ingratitude Bounty is sleighted Manna is light bread the smiling face of God hath no lustre God puts out his hand and the sinner lifts up his heel which is grosse ingratitude Love should gain love when God smiles we should smile upon him when the King of glory comes we should open the everlasting doores our thankfulnesse respecting divine favours is the reception of them our ingratitude is the rejection of them Israel would none of me Free grace is the sweetest dish in wisdomes house presented to make two merry together 't is wine upon the lees 't is the fat of the kidneys of wheat 't is the fatted calf and the best garment 't is the heart of God held out 't is the glory of heaven visible to gain hearts what heart hath that man that is not taken with these Unkindnesse sinks deep into sweet spirits God is such a spirit Unkindnesse grieves God this unkindnesse most of all that the fairest of ten thousand should make love to a black-moore that a king should make love to a begger and yet be rejected Your unkindnesse is your ingratitude 'T is rebellion to deny free grace Now we are upon a step higher to beat unkind souls then we were before The harlot Rahab by faith received the spies and perished not with the rebels with them that believed not say you Not to receive what God freely proffers is rebellion it is mans will fighting against Gods the King of kings warred against within his own dominions the King kept out from his own chair of state to wit the soul Shall not God dwell in his own Will you keep him out of his purchase that which he hath paid such a dear rate for The workings of our heart we observe not we are undone by this carelesnesse who strives within and who is thrust out Is it Christ or who is it 'T were worth the inquiry to know who 't is that is resisted by the soul now and then Man through carelesnesse continues a rebell against Christ and knows it not gain-sayings of free grace speaks you all rebels and so you are called by the Psalmist as well as in the place forecited Men and women study your own hearts and tell me how they move It is pleasing to God to embrace you is it pleasing to you to accept him Why not now then your rebellion will be written in heaven if you turn off Christ from time to time Rebellion hath its degrees It is rebellion to abide in unbelief one houre The land in which we live is divided it is deadly to behold The Kings side say we are rebells the Parliaments side say that they are rebells by such an account we are all rebells and truly that 's my fear that we are all rebells to Christ and that this is the reason he makes no better use of us but one to destroy another It were well if spirituall rebellion were looked after betimes 't will end us all else Eternall peace and eternall truth are worth nothing men tread underfoot the bloud of the Sonne of God the grace by which they should be saved and take pleasure in unrighteousnesse and no pleasure in the good pleasure of God which is ready to save them 3. 'T is groundlesse wickednesse to deny the free-grace of God Some action hath reason and then the creature can stand upon his defence But sinners what reason have you for rejecting free-grace You refuse many things for cost you cannot refuse free-grace upon this ground you may have it for nothing God doth cloath lillies and souls alike though they do not spin to make their own apparell yet have most royall habit Every one of Gods children are rich but rise to it out of nothing they have clothing of the best lodging of the best feeding of the best and all for nothing None go so richly none lodge so delightfully none fare so daintily as those that embrace the good pleasure of God Some things yield but a little of what you seek and expect and therefore you decline them but you cannot reject free-grace upon this ground Free love is full love nothing is so full it hath all fullnesse in it It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell What thing of all the things which you are in love with hath all fulnesse in it Things with which you are taken have commonly but one excellency and but a little of that You love some for their wisdome and yet they have not all wisdome and all knowledge You love others for their strength and fortitude and yet they have not all power nor all might yet so hath free grace it hath all kinds of graces in it and the complement of all these The Sonne that smiles upon us is all light and in him is no darknesse Ungracious hearts think of this it will be put home upon you why you have no grace why you have no wedding garment when the great marriage day comes you will presently be espied by one that will then view all here 's a man hath
of the will of God in this as in the other Windes Seas Planners Brutes Men Persons Parts Actions all are carried about with one wheel the will of God Things above man are shaped also Things above man and squared according to the will of God Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven in Earth in the Sea and in all deep places Psalme 35.6 Omnia quae voluit Deus all things which the Lord willed c. God hath no other counsellour but his Will about all businesse businesses here below and businesses above in Heaven God moveth to every thing in Heaven as he pleaseth and maketh conveyance thence of things as he pleaseth God hath many about him and when he hath any businesse to dispatch here below he maketh a messenger to man of whom he will and wrappeth up what good he will and sendeth it along with him The word goeth forth out of Heaven for the souls of men from divine will This wind bloweth where he listeth it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching c. The Spirit goeth forth out of Heaven by the will of God Christ goeth forth from Gods will and all that he bringeth Gods will guideth him to send whom he will and what he will with him from Heaven to Earth It pleased the Father to send Christ out of his bosome and with him all fulnesse from Heaven to Earth All runneth into this that God shapeth every thing to man according to his will Use This maketh a distinction between God and Man Know Gods prerogative and give it him no creature may pursue his own will Man should know his bounds best and he breaketh bounds worst No man may pursue his own will and do whatsoever pleaseth him and yet he thinketh he may Pride is desperate wickednesse the spirit of the Devil is in man he would be as God above God and carry all by his will The enemies said I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lusts shall be satisfied upon thee I will draw my sword mine hand shall destroy them Exodus 15.9 All these expressions shew how man doth invade the prerogative of God to move according to his will If they have persecuted me saith Christ they will persecute you Christ relateth many sad things concerning his people but the saddest of all is this that he mentioned at last all these sad things saith he they will do unto you for my names sake Persecuting bloudy wretches is your will absolute May your will be an infallible rule to you as Gods is Are ye men or are ye Gods or are ye Devils Will you do what you will Is it a small thing to you to destroy divine prerogative to step up into the chair of State to slash and cut Truth and the lovers of it with your tongues and pens and hands as you will Malice broke out hypocrisie striveth to hide it men would not have their insides outward but God giveth up man to his will and then the heart is plainly seen Resolution to evill is the punishment of hypocrisie observe these times and you shall see men speak out themselves and write down in red letters what they are A man fast to his will was first very loose from God He that seeth in secret doth not tell all presently loosenesse generateth pride pride generateth perversenesse and now God leaveth the man to his will A man left to his will maketh this his rule as God doth and is a little god in his own eyes doth what he will Know your condition you that know no rule but your will you are hypocrites discovered a generation left of God left by Mercy that Justice may take you Resolution to evill is a sinner upon the top of the ladder putting a halter about his own neck and bidding the hangman to do his office when he will A man pinn'd to his will hath three grand plagues upon him One is this whatever he doth amisse is aggravated still thou didst it wilfully Christ bleeds truth bleeds conscience bleeds and all these take their bloud and throw it in the face of this sinner with this anguish Ah wretch thou gavest us these wounds with thy will thou hast committed wilfull murther we preached unto thee we prayed unto thee we cried and wept unto thee to save our bloud yet thou wouldest not O how is Jerusalems sinne aggravated from their will I would have gathered thee but thou wouldest not I spake words to thee shed tears to thee to save my bloud to love my person and yet thou wouldest not 'T is made self-murther in the Scripture which is the bloudiest murther of all so highly is self-will aggravated O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self 'T is all one as if God had said thou hast been self-willed A man may fall off and yet have his honour with Christ if will move well no sinne is aggravated but all extenuated alas the flesh is weak But 't is enough to me saith Christ that the spirit is willing Bigge-spirited sinners think of this you sinne nothing but bigge sinnes the letters you make are suitable to the penne with which you write them 't is a text penne you write with and they are all text letters which you make and Christ will shew you them in his book hereafter and they will be very plain to be read by men Angels and conscience they are so bigge Aggravation is a willfull sinners plague he sinnes nothing but bigge sinnes all his brats are clothed in scarlet which speaks very loud to conscience Conviction is a second plague of a wilfull sinner this is all his gratulation from Christ fire thrown in his face When ever Christ meets a wilfull sinner he draws his sword at him slashes conscience and wounds it deeply This sinner comes to Church and there Christ meets him and stabbes him to the heart with every word he speaks which is the sword of the spirit this sinner goes into company more suitable to him and yet there too Christ meets him and throws dirt in his face the filth of his action whilst hot that it may be the more scalding in the midst of laughter nips him by the heart Whilest the Saints are before the wicked and the bloud of their names upon their tongues sporting themselves he makes them tremble as he did Felix Bigge vessels that are high above water are easily shot through and through 't is the usuall practise of God to make Pashurs Magor-missabib to shoot them through and through to smite such within as smite his without and to make them fear round about None in stronger terrour at times then stout-hearted sinners This makes vexation which is our next thing to pursue Devils are tormented 't is their proper plague 't is the proper plague of a man pinned to his will to be still crossed and vexed God doth what he can and another doth what he can to please him yet nothing goeth right his will is so
Christ hath the same life and the same felicities of life he hath the same meate the same habite and the same dwelling one Sunne hath as many raies as tother and riseth as high as tother they move both in one spheare they dwell in the same house they have the same traine and attendance where one goes tother goes My Father and I will come and sup with him Christ and his Father sup together lodge together Esse radiatum esse is communicated Glory is communicated the very glory which God personally weares is communicated to Christ Glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was All Christs is Gods and all Gods is Christs All mine are thine and thine are mine The very glory that God weares himselfe the glory which he weares in heaven that which he wore before all the world was is Christs Whatsoever is under the whole Heaven is Christs Job 41.11 Yea whatsoever is above the whole Heaven whatsoever is in Heaven is Christs glory is his thine is the kingdome power and glory What glory Why that glory which is at the right hand of God The choicest glory in Heaven in the Heaven of Heavens is Christs and at his dispose Vse What is so compleat and yet not gaine the heart speakes that heart very naught and yet this is very common though Christ have all fulnesse yet emptie creatures care nothing for him When cost is liberally laid out and when all laid out will bring nothing in againe that 's sad when all in stocke is out and brings in nothing this goes to the heart of God I planted a goodly vine a noble plant a right seede and yet that trampled under foote said God Fulnesse runs out Mens cisternes are broken so that fulnesse can fill nothing such broken cisternes must be mended or else they will be broken to pieces 'T is wonderfull that Christ is so full and we are so emptie the fault is not in him 't is in us it must be found out and laid to heart it cannot goe well with us else I must speake to three sorts of men some have nothing and some have but a little not one of a thousand full with the fulnesse of Christ all have their fault and must be told on 't Some have no grace nor no good nature farre from righteousnesse as the Prophet speakes full of pride and full of malice Solomon spied it in his time so doe I now The heart of the sonnes of men is full of evill and madnesse Eccles 9.3 Men watch not their hearts and they please themselves in it as loving ease and are undone ere they are aware Evill is a growing thing but when dunged a little by remisnesse the heart will grow full of it presently and then the next step is madnesse as Solomon saith full of evill and madnesse The heart full of evill and the man grows mad to maintaine it and to spread it Alas for thee England thou art in a sad condition full of mad-men men whose hearts are full of evill and mad to maintaine it men emptie their chests of gold yea they emptie their veines of bloud to fill their soules and lives full of wickednesse which they love The heart full of evill cannot hide it selfe the curse of God is upon sin in strength to cut off the sinner that is white to Harvest Things will struggle for life though they die for it full streames have their adventitious occurrences which make overflowings Were you at Oxford you would see spring-tides every day hearts full of evill and over-flowing and running out at their mouth in blasphemies as blacke as hell 'T were well if such a great plague were at such a great distance from us as Oxford but alas for us Oxford is full London is full England is full scarce a heart amongst us but is full of evill and mad to maintaine it What will become of us all Hearts are full of sinne God is full of wrath the Land is full of bloud Ah Lord are we not in hell on earth And yet emptie hearts consider nothing Delusions destroy thousands men full of pride their eyes are swelled out till they feele much they can see nothing amisse in their owne wayes The Land is full of wrath not a man of you almost but full of distresse in one kinde or other and what 's this but Gods broad demonstration that your hearts and lives are full of sin yet can you see this sense is the first step to remedie where this is not notwithstanding all meanes ruine not remedie is neere ah England I feare thy condition but yet still will pray your hearts are full of sin your lives full of miseries are your eyes full of teares O that my heart were full of grace Christ fills the hungry c. Grace in fulness is the felicitie of life bend not after this heighth and you cannot be fully happie Set God his distance and be but never so little and he cannot kisse you unlesse you take him fully into your armes he will be jealous of your love and set you at a distance every day more then other till he hath shaken you off for ever Times square mens course yea mens grace affection and action must rise but so high lest it set all afire names state fortune if love burne so strong as some Ministers would have it 't will burne us out of all The Lord be mercifull to mens basenesse this earth will not beare us long else hell will be full of such soules ere such soules will be full of grace Let times be what they will truth must be pursued to the full this fils the soule with grace neglect this and 't is impossible your hearts should be full of grace how full soever you get your purses of money Great things in the world cut the throats of men they will rather have emptie spirits then emptie purses leane soules then leane cheekes Ah Lord how do the dead bury the dead in earth now Fill one anothers mouths with earth Little of the world must serve if wee would be full of grace This gold lies not in earth but in Heaven not in the world but in truth dig these mines throughly and you will find all treasure and be filled with all the fulnesse of God Consolation springs from this point a word of this and I have done Wee have said much of Christs fulnesse and yet too little Christians comfort your selves 't is all yours Christ hath all and is full so have you in him claime your proprietie and comfort your selves with it in all your distresses in this life as Paul did Phil. 4.18 I have all and am full saith he and yet had nothing in the world The Apostle had Christ which hath all heaven and earth Qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia He that hath Christ hath all formally or eminenter i. whatsoever is wanting in the creature at
any time Christ makes it up so that the soul is still full full of content full of joy and that 's a blessed life that cannot be made miserable Thou hast no righteousnesse but Christ hath enough which is all thine if thou couldest see it Thou canst not pray but Christ hath the art on 't for he is full of the Spirit and he makes thy requests thou hast no spirituals no corporals but Chist hath all and thou mayst from hence as the Apostle doth conclude that he will supply all thy wants Phil. 4.19 Christ will do for you according to his riches and that will amount to very much to the supply of all your wants let them be what they will But now my God will supply all your wants according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ According to that all fulnesse which now Christ hath in glory will he dispence Lord how full how rich how blessed will all Saints be I leave them to admire this till I can speak of it more COLOS. 1.19 That in him should all fulnesse dwell c. Opportunity and assistance hath continued to pursue our work both beyond our expectation God must have all the glory We spake last day of Christs wealth and we founde his revenue very great we are now to tell you where it lies Much may be nothing so it may be situated situation is the glory of our inheritance Christs inheritance lies very commodiously very blessedly it lies all in him It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell You dwell in your inheritance but Christs inheritance dwels in him You have a hint here how to raise estimation Doctr. We are to prize persons and things according to the wealth and worth that they have in them Christ hath all worth in him Felicity makes estimation as we contrive things to contribute to this so we put price upon them Mans felicity lies inward as his soul and not as his body is in wealth so is he blessed Sin is a gangrene the bowels are gnawed the plague of man is at his heart health is best wealth that 's wealth indeed that makes the soul well Faculties fight the Devill sets them on the heart cannot still its own stirs if God in this case do nothing within the man is a poor creature for all his riches a million of money cannot give a moments ease the man wil be distracted in the midst of abundance and curse his gold as an Idol god and wish his bags his winding sheet things ill within and nothing can be well without but the spirit full of God though the purse be not full of money the condition is blessed and to be admired as possessing all 'T was Christs case and is here admired by the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell without him he had nothing Internall wealth is great outward things are but seemingly big like watry vapours internall wealth is the Sun himself and no seeming big rayes of the Sun Know ye not that Christ is in you c. So much grace in the heart so much of Christ himself soul-fulnesse is nothing else but one spirit filling up another Magnitude makes admiration a â—rum of grace is great 't is God the great God in you Judgement amongst us is false things should be weighed in an even ballance to make right estimation of persons and things We value the casket only and not what is in it if vastness of estate makes difference in price that 's greatest which lies within The weaknesse of God is stronger then men So may I say the least of God in the heart is more then all the world A thing may take up little compasse and yet be vastly big in price What a great estate lies round together in some little stones can you value one vertue The price of Wisdom is above Rubies and yet the seat of this is within the inner man hath many Jewels about his neck of inestimable price the Bride hath a chain of Pearls given her when married to Christ so had Christ of his Father when married to the flesh which is that according to which he is admired here as so wealthy the Jewels which he had within him in that casket of flesh Internall wealth is delightfullest riches are of two sorts earthly and heavenly base and glorious grace is riches of glory as delightfull as heaven Read how grace is called Colos 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit according to the inward man The riches of the inward man are riches of glory Stars twinckle and make the heavens all glorious so Grace sparkles and makes all glorious within Christ is transient in the world but he dwels in the hearts and where he dwels is his chair of State that 's glorious The Kingdome of Christ is glorious that 's within you the killing of sin is sweet the soul drinks the blood of the slain and growes fat 't is heaven to any soul to be conquered by Christ his smitings are precious balm what are his embraces then Not any thing in grace but most contentfull to the soul the bitterest things about grace are sweet the very bark and rind of grace sweet Persons have not heaven as they have much without but as they have much within Heaven is all the person that hath this in him is admirable though never so contemptible in the world It pleased the Father that in him should be all the sweetest delights that are in the bosome of God and therefore admired here by the Apostle Internall wealth is the lastingest Much for yeers begets it self little every hour to think of its end riches yea life is a death under this notion that they will end Life is dated all things here are dated Such a yeer such a moneth such an hour and all mine yea I my self shall die this lies cold about the heart to consider and lessens much Internall wealth is lasting grace is a tree of life Mercy that runs only into the purse runs out again but Mercy that runs into the soule abides there for ever You value estates not as things hazardous but according to what is sure What wealth is in the heart is sure riches leave the bodie but God never leaves the soule Riches and honours are with me yea durable riches and substance Things have a naturall advantage to wit the advantage of their kinde long lived by kinde spirituall life is begotten by him that lives for ever and so long lived by kinde That which is borne of the spirit is spirit so I may say that which is borne of one that is eternall is eternall All wealth within us is borne of the everlastingest Spirit and is everlasting it selfe Things have also an accidentall advantage or an adventitious advantage the advantage of their station In Heaven wealth is sure saith Christ there be no theeves
breake in so is wealth in the soule graces are fixed starres in a region where nothing can come to pull downe or darken All ends in this Persons are to be prized according to the wealth and worth they have in them Vse If this rule were pursued the world would be rightly ranked and every one would have his place Confusion covers the earth for want of right judgement beggers are on horseback and Princes are on foot The world is turned upside downe all is naught this is every ones complaint why you doe it you look not at what persons have in them but at what you may have by them so you prefer them Hypocrisie overspreads the Land great ones love flattery alas for us what windie emptie gracelesse wretches do we lay in our bosom Wo unto the Land where the Prince is a child saith the Prophet double woe surely then to that Land where Prince and people are children Infatuation is a heavie stroake there are more deadly blowes upon us then wee are aware of truth is trampled upon and this lightly esteemed what judgement can be in men to make judgement of persons or wayes O yee simple understand wisdome saith Solomon divine discretion is peculiar wisdome 't is a thing by it selfe to discerne what true worth persons and things have in them and yet he that cannot doe this will lay vipers in his bosom and whet knives to cut his own throat so hast thou done poore England for a long time which makes thee bleed now so long and so deadly Wee must plead with our Maker and plead with our selves O my soule which side of things takes thee inside or outside Painting is a common art and the worst are best at it women use it men use it Statesmen tradesmen you paint your words your actions you put glosse upon every thing in your shops a man shall lose his estate yea a man shall lose his soule that can look no further then out-sides 'T is the unhappiest time that ever came to take any thing upon trust by the sound or by the outside persons preachers prayers Sermons a man may have his soule slaine in the Sanctuary his spirit turn'd out of the way and bitterly beaten by watch-men I said in my haste I may say it soberly all men are liers the Land with much bleeding is turned into a rotten Bog one thinkes he goes safe here and safe there and sinkes over head and eares ere he is aware The bosome of a neighbour is your grave his white candid words your winding sheet Ah thrice unhappie man that livest now in England and canst look no farther then outsides Godlinesse is a mystery the kernell of Scriptures of every word you heare lies inward Christs words are spirit and life As the spirit and life of things is held out so prize and imbrace them and no otherwise Many Sermons nothing in them Many books nothing in them Many persons have fine clothes but nothing in them Let them goe for nothing which have nothing in them fine cloathes are like fine covers and titles of books both to be valued alike if nothing folded up in them Ob. Sol. But I cannot discerne what is in them By what comes from them you may 't is proper to Christ in some sense to know what is in man but 't is proper enough to us to know what is in man by what comes from him Doth the breath of man stinke then his intrailes are rotten The heart and the tongue trade together the tongue hath all from within Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speakes My heart was at my mouth you have such a Proverb 't is true When the mouth frothes the heart workes if men drivel upon their beards if mens words fall as drivel upon their chin 't is a light soule within braines are cracked or spirit curst which is worse and therefore say where you see such sights as he to David Away with this fellow what should I doe with mad-men If you cannot finde what is in persons or things suspend putting price upon them till you can Lay hands upon nothing suddenly lay hearts upon nothing suddenly let election of persons and things be deliberate If you cannot finde out what is in others yet you may finde out what is in your selves The spirit of man knowes the things that are in man Some persons swell with pride and I wonder at them doe you indeed know what is in you In me there dwells no good saith the Apostle 't is every mans case 'T is mischievous not to know what is in others but 't is damnable not to know what is in our own heart in some measure You that swell in pride know not your own hearts if God be not mercifull to you you will set such a high price upon your selves that Christ will give nothing for you nor Christians care nothing for you Some creatures rot in their own dung 't is a heavie judgement and yet 't is your condition that thinke highly of your selves Were this rule I am upon pursu'd things prized according to what worth is in them there could not be a proud person amongst us Alas what good is in me what is in me is Christs he is all all in all If upon search you finde nothing in you it should not discourage for Christ can become all in you Christ is for inward diseases as well as for outward wants if you be poore in purse he can inrich you yea if you be poore in spirit he can inrich you Esa 29.24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne doctrine Christ is excellent in working Esa 28.29 not a wheele in the Watch within that goes untrue but he can finde it and mend it COLOSSIANS 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his crosse THe connection of this Verse with the former yeelded us some things very useful of which you heard the last day We are now to consider the Verse in it self divine favour according to its formality causality and extent are here particularly set down According to its formality and so 't is expressed in Synonymicall terms Peace and reconciliation according to its causality and this expressed and amplified Christs blood the blood of his crosse By that blood which took away Christs life love between God and the creature was made The latitude of this love how far it reaches in the last words of the verse is expressed to wit to things in earth and to things in Heaven The love that breathes forth by Christ casteth rayes and beams over all The opening of things thus divided shall be one after another as we come to them The grand thing that belongs to our welfare I am now to enter upon Our blessednesse lies in union with the chiefest good Man is ruined because out with God God at variance communicates no blessings and man is in hell every where if he have not
ever according to that Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulnesse of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in Heaven and which are in earth Gathered together in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to renew the state and condition of all Angels and men in and under one head which is here mentioned Jesus Christ That Angels have the same common head with Saints and so consequently the completion of their state in the same head together with us is apparent Col. 2.10 And yee are compleat in him which is the head of all principalitie and power Angels are of the quire above together with the Saints and they all sing one tune and they are of the fellowship below also they are brought in as joynt members of the universall invisible Church You are come to mount Sion to the Citie of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels The condition of the greatest states is here considerable The noblest creatures are beholding to Christ things in heaven as well as things in earth Nothing is absolute but God men are noble Angels are noble but they all lean upon one more noble then themselves or else they would fall and become as ignoble as those cursed spirits below us Man is a little lower then Angels Angels a great deal lower then Christ their being is founded in his greatnesse and is confirmed in his goodnesse That grace which is redemption to the lower world is confirmation to the upper There would be no place for pride if this point were well digested None apter to swell in spirit then man man sets us up externally a little and then the Devill sets us up internally much few but swell and break eternally when gotten high in the world I wonder at it were you as high as heaven as high as Angels yet were ye below Christ The body of Heaven in its brightnesse is under his feet Exod. 24.10 What is under Christs feet he can trample upon at pleasure pride is no small sin and yet it growes up the Lord knows from very small things What hast thou that thou hast not received What have things in heaven which they have not and hold not from Christ The lesse may be said for sin the greater 't is and the worse that heart in which it growes Pride is a grand plague 't is one that hath taken leave of Christ and conscience to humor himself but Ah Lord when will this man content himself A man will sooner breake his heart then content his heart which pursues the proud lusts of it A soule devoted to it self is as cruell a Master to serve as the Devill to pursue the dictates of a proud spirit is endlesse work and hell enough for any creature if there were none else to come Soules in this consumption should consider their disease and their cure The remedy of every vice is in Christ this tree hath leaves to cure all diseases There is no distemper in the spirit but Christ may be considered under such a notion as to rectifie it Consider Christ as the keeper up of Angels and 't is enough to keep down the spirit of any man COLOSS. 1.20 Whether they be things in earth c. AS the expression points at things in heaven 't is usefull you see as it speaks of things in earth 't is more proper to us The latitude of divine love downward is as large as upward it reacheth all things in heaven and all things in earth That he might reconcile all things to himself whether things in heaven or things in earth The grace of reconciliation as it works towards things on earth is very vast as it works towards creatures above 't is unexpressible a man cannot tell how many love smiles upon in heaven and therefore generally exprest all things a universall term to note the vastnesse of that kindnesse So as it works towards things on earth 't is inexpressible 't is called all things to note the vastnesse the unexpressible company which Christ embraceth here below A man cannot tell the number of spirits in earth which Christ doth reconcile to his Father in heaven Grace works unexpressibly vast to us ward Doct. Grace doth abound The Lord is upon many waters Psal 29.3 As providence externall so providence internall doth reach forth it self to many Many bodies are saved from sinking in the sea because the Lord is upon the waters So many soules are saved from sinking into hell because the Lord moves upon these many waters too The world is full of troubles as the sea of waves not one but meets with enough to over-turn all if God did not uphold the whole world would fall into a consumption and die as big a body as 't is if God did not uphold Not one nor two nor three but all creatures share in upholding mercy or else all would sink 't is so in a proportion in spirituall respects Satan is an industrious creature to overthrow mans welfare he goes about seeking whom he may devoure none would escape hell if God were not exceeding rich in mercy Satans desire is to destroy all and his malice is attended with such art that it would certainly bring forth its end did not the speciall providence of Christ prevent which it doth and doth it to many the grace of Christ unto life is powred out upon many souls There are many last which are made first as well as many first are made last Many are eternally saved out of the power of Satan as many are prey'd upon by him Grace did work more compendiously then now it doth before Christs coming in the flesh lost sheep of the house of Israel found all that dropt from heaven and they were but few the Lord knoweth one of a City and two of a Tribe But since a great dore of love is opened and many hundred soules in one City yea many thousands in one Countrey come in to the Lord Jesus Christ The white sheet of mercy that is let down from Heaven now is great saith the Text and it hath all manner of beasts in it and the Apostle makes a Comment upon it as I do My vision saith he speaks the grace of Christ working now very richly God hath shewed me that I should call nothing common or unclean He speaks it in the case of Saul not a man so vile so bloody and malicious but the blood of Christ may reconcile him to God the love of God doth now so richly work Mercy is infinite and it works so God shews mercy to thousands from generation to generation Abrahams seed are as the stars of heaven for multitude God hath but one Son but Christ hath many he brings many sons to glory Infinite mercy generates infinitely what is in Christ derives it self to all the nations of the earth Aarons rod buds Christs blessing buds it multiplies into many blessings and spreads all the world over In thee
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed The Sun that shines upon us shines upon thousands more it casteth over the world and shines upon a world so doth the Son of righteousnesse God was in Christ reconciling a world to himself the expression notes quantity in some sense as well as quality a world of worldly men Vse Bounty should be admired 't is so respecting men why should it not be so much more respecting God He whose hand is open to all all mens mouths are open to speak of his goodnesse Christ is a generall good lame blind halt have favour he keeps a table of kindnesse for all commers he reconciles all things Love is destroyed when the heart is not taken with great goodnesse love destroyed there can be no marrying between Christ and the soul 'T was a great judgement when their maids were not given to marry There is no inclination to embrace Christ when his beauty is no whit admired Vanities destroy affection some souls are sots talk of any thing that is spirituall and their hearts grow not amorous by it but die within them like Nabals the curse of God is in strength here these have made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of darknesse Christ hath no engine to raise love like this to wit his bounty and sweetnesse that he will give every one to drink that is dry that Moses a fair man will marry a Blackmoore that Abraham will lodge a Lazarus in his bosome If goodnesse will not make good if love will not draw love let the soul marry whom he will Christ will have none of him Christ is noble he will gain the heart fully or he will marry no person in the world Persons shall be sick of love or they shall be unmarried to Christ You care not whether persons love you so you can but get their wealth Christ is righteous he seeks us not ours persons not dowry I seek not yours but you He was a friend to the Bride which spake that and spake his heart I know not what hearts you have nor how to wooe for my Masters Son I can say nothing but this he is all love he reconcileth all high low rich poore heavenly things earthly things he takes dust into his bosome and delights in it for ever The contemplation of Christs sweetnesse makes the marriage knot and the solace of the marriage when made When is the soul in heaven but when taken with that love which hath loved him when considering love in its latitude He hath loved me and given himself for me he reconciles all things indeed that would not leave out me Milk and honey is Canaan As the soul feeds upon the riches of love 't is in heaven Man is doubly miserable he is at a losse of satisfying solace and of the right way to acquire it he is taken with creatures and when he comes to lie down in their bosome to solace they vanish and vex a man lies down smiling riseth up howling because that 's nothing which he made so much and this may be the Motto of all earthly beauties That creature is nothing which man makes all Taken with the love of Christ and the longer so the stronger so the more blessed the soul cannot want depth here and tumble it self ashore as it doth when it tumbles in other waters sweetnesse in this way is found bottomlesse O the depth of the riches of the goodnesse of God! c. 'T is a brave thing to dive the depths of kindnesse if there be heaven any where 't is in the bottome of divine love Things have their full solace in their proper element this in reference to the soul of man is the love of God in the extent thereof What did take up Adams soul into Paradise whilest he moved well but the beauty of God the extent of his kindnesse that it reached all that Adam could look upon and all that while had he Paradise in his spirit but when he began to admire the beauty of forbidden things the beauty of Diabolicall fancies then he dyed in his nest presently What takes up those blessed spirits above but the contemplation of the love of God Here lies their full and perpetuall blessednesse that they cannot nor will not look beside love 'T is a very desolate time in which we live many have little left in the world to think upon and yet set not themselves to think of that which might make all to them Such are without solace indeed which have none without nor within how such poor creatures bear up I know not how to keep them up if they sink I know not there is no cordiall in any distresse but the contemplation of the love of Christ and under this notion how large it is This bleeding time makes my heart bleed to think what refreshments to give forth to mourning persons in every corner State is gone friends gone all left me gone this the complaint of thousands Yet he that is all is ready to receive you all and to impart all to you God hath set you free of this world to think of another which is better Make use of the rich proffers of grace and all will do well yet What doth Christ reconcile all things in earth to himself and leave out me Blesse me even me also O my Father so pray Some are froward and will not stir after grace though never so plentifull though Christ will be friends with them yet they will not with him How oft would I have gathered thee and thou wouldst not Take heed of stubbornnesse in sin though Christ shew mercy to thousands yet he will be the death of such a soul I am affraid of some of you lest Satan should harden your hearts against the Lord Jesus Christ Know the disposition of grace Christ treads upon none that stoop Know the season of grace doth Christ knock O then is the time when he would reconcile thee to himself Never let that word of Christ which takes thee be forgotten that 's a kisse of Christs lips to gain thee kisse the Son again Blesse God that he would make any word of his a sword to wound thy hard heart Blesse Christ that hee would come so neer where thou dwellest that he would not once knock but put in his finger by the hole of the dore to make thy bowels yearn after him when he knocks again intreat him to knock all down that hinders his coming in Longing souls after Christ are the blessedst souls in the world who ever die unreconciled to God they will not This point will leave all men without excuse I will touch this and conclude God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and Christ acts according to this latitude he reconciles all things to himself he desires not the death of one sinner Sinners if you die in your sins blame your selves not God you will die as those that exclude your selves as those that
will know what a man hath been out of his own mouth ere he make him better Christ will know what a man hath been what a man is and what he would be and then goes to work hard indeed to make a miserable creature blessed Take this Item we can do nothing of our selves the least good is above us to look back upon a bad life 't is of grace as well as to reform a bad life Creepies must take hold of something when they would go In our weaknesse to duty we must lean upon the Word of God If you want a word to lean upon I will give you one And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives because I am broken with their whorish heart and they shall loath themselves for the evills they have committed in all their abominations Ezek. 6.9 'T is hard to finde a looking glasse to see ones life from one end to tother yet Christ can help us to one and he hath promised this and more to make us look upon all our abominations and to loath them and our selves for them a soul got thus far will grow in grace apace no motive to the soul to grow kind to Christ as to think well how unkind it hath been What a hater and then what a lover of Christ was Paul To look back upon badnesse 't will raise goodnesse when the heart is turned O how oft have I kickt against Christ How oft now should I kisse him How basely did I tread him under foot and how tenderly now should I lay him in my bosome Paul laboured more abundantly then they all If you would be eminent for the strength of love and for the truth of love look back COLOS. 1.21 You that were sometimes alienated c. THe Garden of God is pleasant ' thath variety yet in all congruity to make perpetuall delight We are come to consider a sad state yet surely this will be sweet to souls that desire to know their condition God and all creatures were in a league all good in common infinite felicity every ones mercy God in the bosome of every soul throughout the creation Sin hath broke this league the fat and fertill cloud that covered Adams Tabernacle and the Oracle upon his Mercy-seat that was so universally audible is drawn up and God that was neer every one is now far from all naturally And you which were sometimes alienated Alienation speaks all misery man quite gone from God and God quite gone from man body and soul under the perpetuall influence of infinite wrath God is all or nothing to the creature all favour or nothing but displeasure Displeasure orders every thing about a sinfull State as love orders all about a good condition poison is in every dish at a sinners Table not a bit he eats not a rag he wears not a thing he does but 't is cursed from heaven This is the proper expression of alienation The fruit of thy land and all thy labours shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway Deut. 28.33 These expressions suit a stranger he is one that is blasted in all things the divine hand of God doth only oppresse him i. only punish him only crush and curse him always Some men live so far from the Sun that they have nothing but hard weather only Winter and storms Alienation is a state shut out from all divine privilege Divine priviledges are of severall sorts some signifie more favour then other a man alienated from God is cut off from all he is none of the Commonwealth of Israel if he be called an Israelite if he be called a Christian he is mis-called The proper title of an alienated person is a Heathen a Publican a Dog A title is a small thing a shadow yet God allows not this to some an alienated person hath not the shadow of love he may not call himself by the name of Israel he shall answer for this that he bears the name of a Christian that he carries the name of the living and is dead that he calls himself homo and is cadaver a man and is a carkasse There be many things in the Commonwealth of Israel common and speciall yet nothing so common as an alienated person can challenge any interest in There were Candlesticks Basons Tongs Snuffers and there were Pins and Ashes about the Tabernacle an alienated person is not a pin not a dust of the Tabernacle he cannot write himself by the title of one Cinder of the Sanctuary not the least scruple of the Church of Christ militant he is not the dust of the ballance of the Sanctuary and yet 't is strange to consider the spirit of strangers they think they are wronged when they are denied the greatest priviledges of Church state and they are wronged when they have the least Alienated persons are strangers from the Commonwealth of Israel Yea they are stranges from the Covenant of Promise If from the lesse from the greater much more such steps as these the Apostle makes when expressing this thing Aliaens are alienated from the name of God and from the life of God that 's one expression to the life which the Apostle useth Ephes 4.18 Having their understandings darkened being alienated from the life of God because of the blindnesse of their hearts Alienation speaks God gone respecting externals but the weight of the expression lies in this God gone from the soul the heart without the life of God through darknesse The life of God is heart-panting to follow Christ Life makes pulsation Did you see my Beloved Which way is he gone that I may go after him Blind hearts beat out themselves after other things no pulsation of spirit after Christ this speaks the soul dead alienated from the life of God through darknesse As mens principles are so they stirre to or from God after or away from Christ strangers to God their principles are strange divinity is no rule reason is no rule That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men That 's wickednesse indeed which destroyes divinity and reason and yet 't is spoken of aliens whose lust is their law their belly their god not one lust but many lusts they serve divers lusts 'T is a strange life that strangers to God lead they obey that which God and nature forbids they serve lusts against religion and reason Reason is low divinity teaching things necessary and comly to the body it runs forth into many principles and makes conscience to keep them till temptation be strong and then an alien becomes unreasonable unnaturall a brute beast Every man is brutish by his knowledge the founder is confounded by his graven Image Jerem. 51.17 Pastors brutish people brutish temptations came and instructed persons waved all divinity reason and moved as nonsensically as wilde brutes and this is the Proprium of an alienated state in strength one
to bring God and the soule together yet Christ undertakes it for them that groane after it I create the fruit of the lips peace to them that are far off Sin wounds and then Satan makes it mortall this must be looked to 't is the worke of Christ to seeke out poore soules which are stray'd away from God and to carry them home to him in his arme We that enjoy the presence of God should joy and blesse him so I conclude this point Alienation is a sad condition it hints lively what the contrary is to wit a fruition of all priviledge a soule in the bosome of God one ever with the Lord which is Heaven In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy 't is so here God present in an Ordinance God present in a Saint God present in a dungeon and there is fulnesse of joy to the soul what ever be to the body Much company spoiles some so doth much solitude others a man is too much alone when without God Society is never too few nor too many when God is one Delight not too little nor too much when God is present If I had never so many enemies I would care but for the company of one to encounter them 'T is enemies we fear now it should not be Fear not I am with thee So 't was spoken to Gideon The Lord is with thee God takes it for granted that he hath spoken enough to setle any heart against any feare when he hath said we shall have his presence Read Isaiah 64.1 2. O that thou wouldest rend the heavens that thou wouldest come down that the mountains might flow down at thy presence as when the melting fire burneth The fire causeth the waters to boil to make thy name known to thine adversaries that the nations may tremble at thy presence Let 's prise much that condition which cannot be undone having Christ with us we have him whose presence can make mountains melt turn any thing to nothing that nihilates our felicity COLOS. 1.21 Being enemies in your mind c. SUch a tree such fruit what a sad state alienation from God is appears by the effects which are here to the life expressed it makes a man all over naught inside outside heart hand it casts all into a resolute posture of defiance against God Enemies in your mind by wicked works or enemies with your mind in wicked works not nillingly but willingly wicked not so in affection only but in action not in one action only but in many actions enemies in their mind in wicked works The words of God are of weight every one hath much in it 't will appear so being distinctly considered which hath been and shall be our method and manner of following of him who is so far above us and will not let one tittle of his will fall to the ground Alienation is here anatomised we must reade lectures distinctly upon distinct parts They are enemies c. We must open this They are enemies with their mindes or in their mindes c. We must reade upon this also They are thus not only in affection but in action in their works We must consider this too and by that time you will see much of a bad condition and it may be something of your own The Land is overrun with enemies against Christ therefore it bleeds and dies 't will be very seasonable therefore to lay open to you what an enemy to Christ is which is our first work here in the Text to follow the words as they lie And ye which were sometimes alienated enemies c. Sin was Gods first enemy a steady pursuit of this renders men and Angels the next The worst man alive as a creature simply as a creature is not accounted Gods enemy but as these noble creatures above all others prostituted themselves to something besides Gods will God had no enemies till sin came into the world as long as all obeyed Gods will there was love and friendship all the world over Sin hath a legall and a Gospel consideration considered according to the former the least transgression of rule the eating of any fruit forbidden enough to render man an enemy and to be pursued so with all the plagues written in Gods Book Sin hath a Gospel consideration and so the naked acting of sin doth not presently denote an enemy but the going on in it as a constant intended and approved course God shall smite the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their trespasses saith the Psalmist Sin is an unwearied course to some what ever rubs they meet with from the hand of God by blows or otherwise yet they step over them all and go on still That 's an enemy the spirit of an enemy is in him Enemies fear no colours blows blood death will not divert their design against one another The expression in the originall speaks not only resolution but delight in sin and there are not two fuller properties more infallibly to expresse an enemy ambulandis dilictis such as walk in sins a mans walk is his pleasure 't is made and contrived of purpose with much art to suit fancy and to give a complacency As the outward man so the inward man has his walks something that with much industry he makes shapes to suit and delight it self and this is preferr'd before all other wayes now if this be any thing dissonant to Gods will this speaks the man an enemy Some words of Christ set out an enemy more generally others more particularly I shall touch both Christ is set as King over the sons of men his Lawes are written and divulged and such as obey him not according to these he calls his enemies Bring those mine enemies which would not that I should raign over them i. such as will not obey my will Some disobey one part of Gods will and some another Christ hath many sorts of enemies but all so called from one ground to wit disobeying of his Lawes The Lawes of Christ are said to be disobeyed when carelesly neglected ignorantly opposed or maliciously rejected Truth is truth with some men and that 's all as one would say it bears little or no price in affection how plain and convincing soever to judgement they see and do not see i. see and do not regard O that thou hadst known in this thy day c. Did not Israel know the will of God yes there was light but no love to it which was as no light in the account of Christ and this went to his heart Such as stab Christ to the heart are surely his enemies 'T is as if Christ had said O that thou hadst regarded and so it notes an ignorance of opportunity a defect in affection and not simply an ignorance of the thing it self Love naught and the heart is so too hatred in the seeds of it lie in such a soul which will spring up with a little more rain A
man naught at heart is Gods enemy Neutrality hath the seeds of enmity there is the buddings of hatred where love is but cold to Christ Men that love not hate truth They that are not with me are against me saith Christ and all that are against Christ though never so gently neutrally and indifferently yet are his enemies Judas was an enemy when no hearty lover as well as when an actuall betrayer of Christ Enmity is sown deep it lies long under ground and puts up with a very little blade at first no body takes it for such a deadly weed as 't is it may be not the party in whose heart it lies but the Lord of the vineyard who knowes all grain in its first bud calls men and things as they are this is a Serpent by kinde though it do not sting yet he will do False love is true hatred Cinders will burn out anon when blown Christ is disobeyed when stubbornly opposed Some are fighters against God and will be so these are deadly enemies Deliver me from my deadly enemies saith David Psal 17.9 There is fighting against God within and fighting against God without strong art and industry to kill conscience in a mans self and others this is a bloody enemy Christ knocks at most mens doors though he can have entrance into few Not a soul where the Gospel comes but he strives and wrestles with it to gain it to God pravity cannot bear these conflicts something is taken to destroy conception vineger is used to prevent vomiting to stay and still the wambling stomack that it may hold what it hath acts of violence rushed upon to darken that light that troubles and any medium good that may but stupifie that faculty that stings when the soul chooseth his own way this is called resisting the Holy Ghost this is a fight under deck a murthering Christ in the cradle these are Christs bloody enemies Christ layes the axe to the root of some sinners and some sinners lay the axe to the root of Christ as soon as ever any word of Christ begins to take hold of the heart as soon as ever Christ begins to stir in the conscience or affection as if the soule were on fire on hell all means are used to quench the Spirit hell is sent for to keep out heaven many bad spirits to keep out one good there are sad issues of this men kill themselves sometimes rather then Christ should live in them Opposition hath rejection folded up in it this is distinguished from that as it carries despight against the spirit of grace makes the hand bloudy if need be as well as the heart and tongue with the bloud of Gods dearest ones these are Esaus red all over And the first came out red all over like an hairy garment and I called his name Esau Gen. 25.25 The summe of all is this An enemy is one that with resolution and delight disobeys the will of God Vse What is your state This is my errand from this point to you Are you enemies or friends to God Amongst Christians this may seeme a strange question yet needfull all are not Israel who are of Israel Christ hath enemies in his own house would we knew them would they knew themselves 'T is a time of much opposition party against party this side against that if wee should all be found opposite to Christ we are undone Heate transports so doth self-ends such persons doe they know not what and are they know not what themselves one while this and another while that constant in nothing but enemies to Christ being secretly sway'd by blind and base principles Say we not well that thou art so and so and hast a Devill Hypocrisie knowes every one but her self exactly knowes another to be a Devill an arch enemy to Christ but knowes not her selfe to be so To mistake others proves sometimes afflicting but to mistake our selves is damning O how should we beg to be delivered from this In a trying time wherein many prove rotten let us doe as Christs disciples lay our hand upon our own heart is it I Tell me O Christ is it I that am an enemy to thee A man that looks into his heart and then looks up to God he will know much He that tasketh himselfe but to know one will certainly finde him out but he that tasketh himselfe to know many and to call them by their names as hypocrites or the like will certainly mistake them or himselfe or both Truth and the heart compar'd speake out one another Christ puts us all upon an exact way to know the thing in question Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command A friend loves not onely in word but in deed what you are in action for Christ speakes out what you are in denomination whether friends or enemies Yee are my friends if yee doe c. Good talke is cheape hath a great many friends if this were it But what doe yee doe for Christ Action also must have its latitude or els doing is nothing neither The will of Christ runs forth into many precepts that 's obedience which excepts against none Then are yee my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you Truth is Homogeniall one precept sweet and all precepts are so when the heart is right the heart is naught the man an enemy to Christ that is partiall in his Law Yet this is the plague of most mens hearts Surely Christ hath more enemies a great many then we are aware of We are for dividing the living childe therefore are divisions and rumors amongst us it speakes stony hearts unnaturallnesse to Christ he answerably handles us the truths we scorne are the swords which kill us as Gods enemies as a generation of hypocrites Integrity hath a double universalitie in it all Gods precepts are obeyed alwayes a friend loves at all times it doth not divide Christ to day nor to morrow nor never will his bowels will not beare it all truth is of everlasting sweetnesse in a sound soule Christ is the bright morning Star a Star holds its glory 't is alwayes admirable a man admires it to day and admires to morrow and so as long as he liveth So is Christ in the eye of him which indeed seeth him The Land in which wee live is stony ground Love withers it doth so very frequently men that were friends fall off and become enemies Apostate are the worst enemies Christ hath yet how many doth this time make The Land is full of Apostates therefore it groanes God is avenging himselfe upon these enemies first fire goeth before him and burnes up these enemies round about Psal 97.3 The most notorious are made examplary amongst us 't is so in the proceedings of God All the adversaries of the Lord should tremble when some are executed and learne instruction by his judgements that wrath is kindled which will burne you all such of you as are not burnt here will be burnt
shall minister in the Name of the Lord his God Deut. 18.6 There is preaching but of constraint not with a ready minde not toto desiderio animae i. not with intention nor approbation So there is living and walking in wayes that are divine but not toto desiderio with a whole desire but with constraint As about good things so about bad some sin from a coercive power not with a whole desire of the minde There is reluctatio debilis reluctatio fortis a weak reluctancy and a strong reluctancy in acts of evill with the minde there may be weak reluctation because conscience stings wrath and justice hems about the sinner sometimes so that he goes affrightedly along in his course yet this is consistent with full consent Pharaoh and Judas had this kinde of reluctation in their course and yet were enemies with their minde and fully consenting to what was done against Christ The expression speaks extention all powers fully consenting and all powers to the utmost acting to perform what is chosen and consented to Things naturally grown to bring forth venture one life to bring forth another and all pangs and throws nothing so the birth may be though but a monster when born What is with all the heart is with all the might they are joyned together in expression as they are in order of nature in working Enemies with your minde and enemies with your might with full purpose and with full endeavour if with the heart then with both hands as the Prophet speaks yea with every finger with every toe An enemie with the minde 't is one that fills his hand to the Devill as the expression is in another kinde 1 Chro. 29.5 'T was Davids speech when they were offering of jewels and wealth to the House of the Lord. Who then it willing to consecrate his service this day to the Lord Lemmalloth jado haijom c. to fill his hand this day to the Lord saith the originall An enemy with the heart is one that fills his hand to the Devill that offers like a Prince to the prince of darknesse that fills his hand with his heart in every action that sends forth every spirit the soul and all that is within him into every part without him to stand against Christ 't is one that doth draw out all to accomplish all that a corrupt heart thirsts after he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do the wills of the flesh as the Apostle speaks i. not one thing that the flesh lusts after but every thing it lusts after You say of a servant that he is a willing servant when he gives his minde to serve you i. when he doth every thing you bid him not when he does one thing and neglects another thing which you bid him but when he doth your wills when he applies himself to serve you in all your command then you say hee serves you with his minde Vse 'T is a bad state this yet too common as you finde your condition laid open so own it Lust will run its course and then make its own construction of all Every mans last shift is when evill becomes open and ugly he did it against his will 'T were well if a sinners sentence of himself would stand when Christ comes to sentence all things over again 'T is sad when a mans servant shall lie out night after night and told of it and yet continue it and stand in it that all was against his will so doth your souls lie out of Christs bosome day after day and night after night and you have been told of it and whipt for it and yet so you have continued and is all against your will If will be so innocent why are you so unmoved in evill Full of action and yet without any passion you can do any thing to accomplish carnall ends and lay nothing to heart to break your sleep a wink With a light companion and a pipe of Tobacco you can whiffe away any thing that gathers about your heart and yet none must believe that you are not hearty in your way Art will put off bad wares but 't will not a bad heart Let 's hear no more pleading for self there needs no other demonstration of a willing transgressor Own your condition and what is due to it You are enemies with your mindes against God and so he will be against you you shall be punished with plague after plague and God will never repent You sin and sin and never repent so will God judge you When God lays any sad thing upon his people he doth not afflict willingly his people do not sin willingly they repent in like proportion doth God carry himself towards them You do evill with both hands so shall justice fight against you and wo to that soul that God strikes with all his heart and with all his might God will laugh at your destruction hearty sinners God will be very hearty in all those acts which fit you for your home Two in full carreer one against another one will be spoiled and surely 't will be that man that doth run with his mind against the Lord. Remedy must be speedy two enemies that set to it with their minde will dispatch one another quickly if they be not parted Wilfull sinners you cannot strike so desperately against God as he doth against you every blow is upon your heart he is turning that into a stone which work done you will sink presently like Pharaoh Properties are not suspended when you are once sinking ah Lord what will you catch hold on what can you catch hold on to keep you out of hell Doth a stone use any struggling to keep up when 't is falling downe Wilfull sinners this is your judgement written in your foreheads you will goe laughing like Bedlams to everlasting chaines you will have no booke nor aske for none Will as it runs its course swels bigger and bigger and it swels so big at last that it will breake eternally rather then stoop to God or man If this be the case of any sinner here let him tie a handkerchiefe about his eyes the halter is about his neck he will be turned off suddenly ere he is aware Wilfull sinners need remedie speedily but of all sorts are most untractable to it much must be done from heaven to stop a Balaam ere he would give back will was so perverse You that are Balaams must consider how God hath now drawne his sword against you from Heaven and give backe or you cannot long escape Consider how many wilfull sinners God hath slaine in these few moneths Bathe and soak your stubborne hearts in their bloud What a wonder is it that I am not yet cut off My will hath killed many but hath not killed me yet it may be God hath mercy in store for mee it may be he will make me a pattern of long-suffering as he did Saul I have but one thing to say to you all O that
Christ then 't is maturated and shall meet us as so many royall Diadems to adorn us for ever You see now the way to work well thus work and your work will be work and wages 'T is a very sweet life to do all in Christ Things are very lively and contentfull in their own element Set a Lark to flie in the open aire 't is his element 't is his heaven he will flie upward upward which is very hard work and yet he will do this and sing too The breast of Christ is the proper element of a Christian and when here a man works nimbly he works and sings too goes upward towards that place above which is very hard work and yet sings as he goes because he has such silver wings from Christ If ye abide in me saith Christ ye will do bravely you will bring forth good works as a Garden as a Vine doth fruits smilingly Let 's work as Christ did and we shall finde our work as he did 't was meat and drink to him to do his Fathers will his works were all works wrought in God as the Apostle speaks Let a Christian set himself in Christ when he goes about any action and he shall finde his work will be very sweet work and wages his meat and drink No motion so free and delightfull as Christian motion where 't is purely Christian We set upon work out of Christ and then the Chariot wheels move heavily and we look sadly and are tired presently Christs sayings are so hard to be done by this a stumbling block is cast before men of the world the works and wayes of God evill spoken of To work divine works is the joyfullest the sweetest life in the world if a man take the advantage of his work that is Christ with him in every thing a Christian and Christ will do any thing with ease remove mountains sins harder to be removed then mountains and stand and smile to behold the plagues of death O death I will be thy plagues to be the plagues of the king of plagues is brave action indeed A man might speak more consolatory from this point Every workman in Christs Vineyard hath a peny here and Christs peny is more then any ones pound but I cannot stand to sum up this now COLOS. 1.21 Yet now hath he reconciled THe love of God is wholly dispensed as love 't is in giving out as in taking in all along free birth bears it not to this rather then to that Not many noble c. friends work it not there is but one Mediator but one favourite in all the world that appears in the presence of God about any such thing and he is no respecter of persons The vilest as soon as those that are more beholding to nature obtain grace And ye that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled Reconciliation in the formality of it I have already handled this therefore I shall not meddle with again neither is it that which the Holy Ghost doth principally point at here but as you see by reading the whole verse one inviting property of reconciliation is most aim'd at to wit that the favour of God goes forth to all sorts that there is nothing in one sort of persons more then another to invite or discourage God to dispence his eternall grace all sorts and all at one price may obtain the favour of God i. Doctr. The Grace of God unto life is in all respects free and this is that sweet property of reconciliation which according to the scope of this place and the necessity of many poor souls at this time I would demonstrate to you The love of God is compared to a Feast in feasting men are free if men be not God is and you will say so if some circumstances in his feasting be observed Vniversally God doth invite universally You make feasts but yet every one may not come God sets no such bound nor makes no such distinction of persons Ho every one as many as you shall find bid to the marriage Matth. 22.9 The heavens are generall in their influence not one grasse on the ground but dewed The Ark had of all sorts brought into it from the East West North and South come and sit downe in the Kingdome of God As persons are in estate so they invite and so they feast Christ is a great King over all the earth and so he invites over all the earth he hath one house that will hold all he hath one table that will hold all yea he hath one dish that will serve all and answerably he invites Ho every one that thirsts If there be any thing looked at in those which Christ invites 't is something within not any thing without If the man be lame blinde halt if he be bodily soare yet it s nothing if he would sit at Gods table and if he would have crums or flagons this is all that is looked at God doth universally invite and he doth affectionatly invite Affectionatly which loudly speaks his love free The world is deaf 't would discourage any one to make a feast for a company of deaf folks stocks and blocks that one must strain ones lungs to make them heare and yet it doth not discourage God certainly his love is very affectionate God doth lay his mouth to the eare of the deaf and cries aloud Ho every one that thirsts John was a crier in the Wildernesse he did Christs work so are we at this day and the injunction is to cry aloud like a trumpet spirits lungs nothing to be spared in expression of Gods affection to mans eternall good Souls are precious to God distresse is laid to heart as 't is bowels sound lungs sound Ho every one c. vocations interjections c. speaks very affectionate motion towards the distressed Why will you die O Jerusalem Matters of weight move not us we make expression from no impression God smites his heart again and again and then speaks and proffers love O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah how shall I give thee up God calls and knocks and waites he calls and beseeches calls and weeps what he utters is from his heart that it may go to our heart Things are so molded and shaped as to make their own way Every word of God hath so much Majesty and sweetnesse conviction and consolation which plainly speaks him very free and willing to be reconciled to man Who puts on such apparell when he wooes a Spouse as Christ does Who speaks such effectuall words or presents such precious jewels when he wooes as Christ doth I will give you something else to demonstrate this thing to you God pursues prerogative altogether in his gracious dispensations Grace must needs be in all respects free because no obligement is upon God to give to this rather then to that I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy The
tittle of his will shall live though bad and good shoot at it Satan hath as large an army in the field now as ever was known bad men good men Satan is got into Judas yea and he is got into Peter Master drive gently drive warily save your skin and avoid the bloody cup and yet Christ will be too hard for both Christ wants wit and wants learning and many things else in the eyes of standers by and yet though so weak conquers God hath chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God should be honoured in his way the Psalmist breaks forth sweetly into blessing God from this ground that God out of the mouth of babes should ordain strength And so Deborah notes it in her song specially and sweetly how Jael a woman did a mans work and used a mans instrument She put her hand to the nail and her righ hand to the work-mans hammer Women are usuall very aucherd at mans work left-handed but Jael is right-handed at it she put her right hand c. and that which was a work-mans hammer is now a work-womans hammer and she blesses God and extols him that â—â—us trode down strength by weaknesse and turn'd a woman into a man and a man into a beast and butchered him on the ground So should we now that children are turned into men little prentise boyes made valiant to cut off the mighty and do the great works of the kingdome and little towns and villages to waste great forces Certainly we of this Land are very much behinde hand with God in honouring and praising of him according to this admirable way of working Things that are precious you will lose none of them you save the very dust of gold The manifestations of God are the most precious things in all the world the very dust of Gods feet in every path of his we should carefully keep we should talk of all his doings how much more therefore of his wonderfull doings when he doth much with nothing and much for nothing for worse then nothing to wit sinfull man How God goes in the Sanctuary and how he goes out of the Sanctuary in the family in the city in the countrey in the army upon what weak legs and with what little toes should be all written down in the heart first and then carried up to heaven for God to reade Our father loves to have his children brought home to him often to see them and their Nurse how well they prosper together You cannot present God with a more taking sight in all the world then with one of his own actions with its speciall circumstances They were under the Law to lay their hand of the head of some offerings that was to point out Christ on whom they trusted Bring an offering to God any action of God with its speciall circumstances and you lay your hand on the head of the offering you point out Christ to all the world as he whom you trusted on in your way and as he whom you would have all else to do the like and on none else and this is very sweet to God he loves to lie high in the breast of all God hath done things in England so me thinks as to be crowned for ever in every English heart by a very noise amongst the Mulberry trees he makes the mighty run and fall Not by might nor by power but my Spirit saith God 'T is by how much God gains in your hearts that you are to measure his love to you in his works With little God doth much for you if with much you do little for him in speaking of him and living to him all will end sadly at last If nothing will set an instrument in tune you break it and burn it this makes me feare our state in the midst of hope God is very good to thee England but thou continuest very bad dead inwardly dead spiritually which according to reason one would think should make death corporally Finally this way of God should be trusted in or this God which can thus work should be firmly rested on When extremities are great and little means appearing then our hearts sink now misery is mortall but of our own making for 't is all one with God to save with few as with many Nothing kills the man so long as faith keeps alive and faith can never die if the soul well consider the point in hand that any thing is enough for God to work salvation by I am much in debt but a little oile in the cruce left God can blesse a little to rise to a subsistance and to discharge off all ingagements A little of God is enough to make one very rich very strong very wise very blessed in all conditions let misery be as much as ' twill Some are disheartened from duty because opposites before them are many visible advantages very few these soules lie insnared in their own devices and dye at a distance from God which they have set themselves to keepe their body safe with a little light and an honest heart God can enable to doe much to fight with the Prince of darknesse very learned heads and very malicious hearts Did not God inable many poore women and illiterate men to befoole the bloudy Clergie of the former ages of the world and to hold faith and a good conscience in despight of all Were not them we read of in the Hebrewes out of weaknesse made strong and the point in hand tells us that this is the way of God Resolution should carry on to dutie and then let God alone to carry on in it how weake soever you are or how strong soever your enemies are A great dore was opened to Paul and there were many enemies at it he but one and weake and yet along he would and venter upon Christ to make way through them which makes one weake one stronger then a thousand COLOSSIANS 1.22 In the body of his flesh through death IN severall verses foregoing the extremitie of Christs sufferings is mentioned and yet here againe In whom we have redemption through his bloud vers 14. This is repeated and amplified ver 20. where 't is call'd the bloud of his crosse Here is the same thing repeated but with variation of termes what before was called bloud and bloud of the crosse is here called death Christ did bleed to death for sinners Christ underwent much but it workes but little upon us Often repetition of the same thing is for energies sake that what is not laid to heart at once speaking may be at second often repetition of Christs sufferings speaks lowdly this That 't is a hard thing to be kindly and throughly affected with what others undergoe for us Doctr. Jacob underwent much for Laban so did David for Nabal heat and cold but both coldly remembred such cold carnall wretches they were both Earth hath no sense this is the state of our soules naturally Can a stone
killing your estates trades friends but your own lust did all this spoile could the Word or any lesser rod have killed your affection to the world the good things thereof would have been all alive and in your hand at this day Poore Christians should cheare themselves from this point Thou hast nothing in this world no wealth no honours no friends thy gay clothing is thy skin thy lands thy hands thy wealth thy health 't will be the case of all all is dying to them that have it naked came every one out of the wombe and naked shall they thither return every thing shall die from him that hath most thou wilt have as much in the grave as he that hath most out The rich and the poor shake hands in the dust There is danger in rich mens joy and poor mens sorrow about worldly things The Doctrine in hand would cure both if studied well that all dies me thinks should make one not love much what one had nor grieve much for what one has not but in both to look out after another state All things are dying here but all things are ever living and everlasting above O that I were there Were I in heaven I should heare no more knels nor passing-bels no noise of warre In the bosome of Christ all is quiet there be a great many there and yet they do not fight nor kill one another nor never wil. They are rivers of pleasure which they drink of above many going to drink at a river fall not out because there is water enough and space enough but many thirsty creatures going to a bottle to drink fight and pull it out of one anothers hand I cannot drink saith one 't will be all drunk up saith another such a one drinks so much none of all these complaints when persons drink at a river though thousands there they drinke all together quietly because a river is a large cup and hath springs at bottome so is the breast of Christ 't is a river of pleasure yea 't is rivers of pleasure thousands and thousand of thousands drink there all together and no falling out for want of convenience to drinke or for feare of want of water because there be springs at bottome 'T were better to enjoy these things then talke of them one can but speake so brokenly of them COLOSSIANS 1.22 To present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight TErmes here are multiplied one thing meant but not to be expressed to us to wit our state with God in another world The end and scope of all Christs industry is exegetically exprest in this clause i one word explaining and opening another To present you holy i without spot and without reproofe so as not to be disliked nor reproved in the least kinde by perfect justice it selfe but honoured and advanced as a compleat being for ever in the presence of God To present you holy and unblamable c. This translation and the originall run along together throughout almost onely they part in the last word You read in his sight the text is before him and unreprovable before him Actions and persons come before God and the purity of both is exactly lookt after but neither to be found in us but both in and from Christ from Christ not simply as the Son of God the second person in the Trinitie but from Christ as Mediator as the Father hath deputed the Son to take our nature dye rise and stand before him with us in his hand presenting himselfe before the face of Justice first and then us in his nature in the body of his flesh c. To present you holy c. Divine presentation must be our subject now to stand upon which I will prosecute according to this method First more remotely and then proximately The object of divine presentation is God All presents under the Law they were brought before the Lord but the goat which was the scape goat was presented alive before the Lord Levit. 16.10 Presents of this nature are our homage wherein we lively testifie who is the Lord of all which is none but God their offerings under the Law they were a certain tenth of severall kinds and these of the best and these brought to the Tabernacle or tent of Gods presence for divine acknowledgement so 't is at this day All is ours onely a certain tenth of the best to wit the heart must be brought to the Tabernacle of presence i to God and to Heaven and presented to him My sonne give me thy heart Wisdome so orders the course of things as to preserve proprietie that every thing should returne to him who is the Lord of all a certain tenth of it to wit the spirit of every thing the spirit in eating the spirit in drinking the spirit in preaching in praying in living in dying the spirit returnes to him that gave it Wisdome hath so ordered that all things in the spirit and vigour of them should be presented to God Man is a possessor of much but not an absolute possessor so as to acknowledge no superior title he hath possession with injunction fruition upon condition he must extract the spirit of all the things he uses and bundle them up in his owne spirit and bring them to the Father of spirits and to him onely for a present of thankesgiving Offer to God the sacrifice of prayse Wisedome so orders the course of things as to preserve state the Sea so gives out as to returne all againe into it selfe to preserve its own supreame greatnesse that how ever proprieties are scattered yet the grand propriety to rest still where it first did Wee have many things given unto us to play the spirituall artist with them to make jewels and bracelets odors and crownes and to put them all upon God and upon him onely to advance his state as the choicest things that could be got in all the holy Land or any where else farre or neare were for the Prince of Judah and for him onely to raise his state and glory which was a type of Christ who is the glory of all the earth who is a King higher then the Kings of Judah higher then the Kings of the Gentiles higher then Agag Divine presentation is adoration adoration is proper to God and proper to Christ onely as God as he sits upon the throne managing the greatnesse of the God-head in the world so crownes are brought and laid at his feete The object of divine presentation may be considered as more distant or lesse distant lesse visibly or more visibly present as 't is held out in the text to be considered 't is to be considered under the most immediate notion as presents are made to him above Persons and actions are oft presented to God in way of dutie here with the concurrence of Christ hereafter both shall be brought before God in way of office onely by Christ we being wholly passive Christ shall appeare first
simply considered never ceases they in heaven do Gods will and are proposed as our pattern on earth they are so exact in the observation of it but the painfull observation of Gods will which is by reason of corruption within us and wicked spirits without us this ceases as soon as we step out of this vile body but not before They move to Christ above as Christ doth to them with the same spirit of freedome joy triumph and glory That they may be one as we are There is no sighing and groaning mourning dying to accomplish Gods will above all move there as the Angels with delight every one milks out love from the breasts of Christ and sings over the Pail to behold how full 't is and how free it comes and yet though it cost all these to obey any truth of God here we are not to cease our course Every childe is brought forth with pain but some with more then others it costs life to bring forth some yet it 's horrible wickednesse for any to strangle the birth to prevent the pain Benjamin must be born though it cost Rachel her life She was a shadow of the Church which must bring forth Christ in all his will though we die in travell if you abide throughly of the faith Vse You see how heaven bears break truth and break your back and what groaning will that make no groaning so sad to do as that which is by not doing Gods will Heaven and Gods will are linked together break the link if it be but one link and the jewel falls and is lost Heaven is a Jewel hanged in a golden chain break one link of the golden chain and you lose the Jewel 'T is nothing to desperate souls to make void Gods Law I wonder at them Is it nothing to lose heaven to untwist the golden chain upon which your eternall treasure hangs Transgression stupifies this is the killing quality of sin Sinners mind not what they do when they throw off the will of Christ any part of the will of Christ you throw away your life Heaven lies wrapt up in truth in that truth which you will not submit to Would something would work upon wicked hearts upon the desperate wicked hearts of this age that sin might abate amongst us or else the sword of Gods wrath is like to eat us out Alas for us all I know not what hand of God is upon us wrath findes a great deale of matter among us to work upon and we can finde none When we presse love to Christ and observation of his will every man washeth his hands I do it saith one and I do it saith another Will you lie before the face of the Judge of all the world now he sitteth upon the bench upon the life and death of the kingdome Men are worst which think themselves best if there be any plague that kill thee England 't will be thy Laodicean temper that thou thinkest thou art clean and art not washed from thy filthinesse that thou needest nothing and yet observest nothing Euangelically that looks like a lovely State Our point sets us too high a great deal to speak to this generation it calls for exact observation and we are by the hand of God upon us cast into the quite contrary a generation that had a little conscience but now have none Loosnesse and lewdnesse overspread the multitude brawniness and benummedness the more ingenious good men become bad bad stark naught and stink above ground 'T is worse then blood and death to heare and see in every place where one comes what mire and dirt our troubled waters cast up as if war were a ticket under Gods own hand to dispence with all wickednesse O the oaths the execrations whoredoms oppressions outrages of all sorts that the very highwayes and villages are filled with where ever one comes The stink of your camps enough to kill a good heart at a great distance 'T is sad that the blood and bodies of the dead should taint and poison the living that we should die swearing and blaspheming If there be any tender hearts among you carry these things home and mourn for I am fearfull what they presage The work of this point is not only to winde you off from prophanenesse but wind you up to exactnesse to through walking with Christ We halt the fruit of it is upon us the hand of God will not yet cure it what it may Christ only knowes The heart must have its latitude 't is every ones saying this To hit the white is not needfull one may shoot well that doth not this But can one shoot well that aimes not at this I presse towards the mark I forget what is behinde if by any means I may obtain the resurrection Here is the property of grace in life it owns nothing but perfection makes at nothing else 't is in aim and industry all Christs Men are charmed with their own unsoundnesse the heart secretly sinfully ingaged aim and industry are really correspondent hereunto what ever verball flourish be made to better spirits and persons that stand by here is a man strangling himself in his bed which is a condition that makes little noise every thing is so artificially managed to destruction yet alas it is the common profession of this time How far will these times beare with a profession of Gods will How far will Christs honour and mine consist Here the soul wasts its strength If there be any intense through action now on foot it lies here so to shape the course and posture to the right and left that the man may take in all worldly advantages of both sides along as he â—â—es There is much art in this but 't is all cursed 't were well if the man had lesse policy and more integrity There is much advange in this but it comes to nothing the plague of an hypocrite is upon this condition which will eat a man out if he had all the world There is more of heaven in a plain heart in a moment then this man sees in all his dayes The advantage of through action is this A man gets much of Christ much grace much glory Some mens religion is a principle of jugling with conscience and the world 't is a temptation upon thousands at this day these lose what they seem to have Christ and all grace quite Christ kicks off every Judas quite that kisseth him and kisseth enemies to him too for his own advantage but a soul that cleaves throughly to Christ hath much of him the dispensations of Angels Stephen shined like an Angel owning Christ in the face of deadly and bloody opposers Externall dispensations cannot be stood upon how Christ appears to honour the persons of men that will go to the grave with him is more uncertain they have the face the tongue and the food of Angels when it may do them good and torture devils that vex them Externall concurrence is sure
and commendation for vertue to some of all sorts in the world to every creature under heaven Which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature under heaven A man advantaged with his own experience and with the experience of all others may notwithstanding run against all Finally things have their stedfastnesse of motion not simply as they are advantaged but as advantages are compleat A Watch that hath some wheels true work and others not will go so long and then stand still run so long and then break if every wheel be not compleat work you have a fault in the motion Persons that have most advantage have none compleat wheels are something mended in Saints and set agoing but not finished The old man is outed but not quite the new man Christ is introduced but not fully What our Saviour said of societies that may I of persons ye are clean but not all Satan when he comes findes much in us and of this takes hold and drawes aside A Christian is neer heaven but not quite in it past danger when quite in heaven and not before Some work about a Christian is compleat some again not The work of justification is now compleat but the work of sanctification is not yet compleat the guilt of sin is done away but the filth of it is not and this rusteth the wheels and makes man in his best state vanity a light and an uncertain creature as in his being so in his motion The point in hand is necessarily true i. so that the thing which I say cannot be otherwise that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course Vse If men advantaged are uncertain towards good what will men be that are altogether disadvantaged men in a state of blindnesse perversnesse unsoundnesse Some hold not on others wil never begin good this is the plague of a blind soul God unknown is bid to depart Christ unknown is bid to leave the coasts to give place to Swine the sweetest wayes of Christ unknown men will never set foot in them The Levites Concubine lay forced to death and her hands saith the Text lay upon the threshold of the door Judg. 19.27 so do many souls Satan forces them to death at the door of good their hands as it were upon the threshold of Gods House so neer entring in and yet there Satan with one wile or other forces them to death Ignorance generates prejudice and now you shall see a blind man fencing to keep off Christ and salvation from coming to his house 'T would make a mans soul bleed to heare with what weak things many ignorant hearts are kept off from making so much as profession of some courses that are good they are fools or knaves all that go in such wayes meaning such persons as strive to come neerest the rule of the Gospel Persons are studied not the way that they go in the men are giddie and of no account therefore away with what they professe this is the proprium of a weak brain If Christ himself were present this man would stumble at him and lose his soul rather then he would take acquaintance of such a silly outside Christ hath his glory within so have Saints and the way they walk in The entrance into it as the Wise-man saith gives understanding to the simple Taste how good Christ is in his wayes begin the life of Christ and the Gospel No I will not Ignorance begets wilfulnesse and now Christ knocks no more Ignorance is a great deal of disadvange to a holy course but wilfulnesse a greater This is the strong hold of Satan the Devill crowned and all powers internall and externall united and fighting to keep the crown upon his head Many things torment but one thing gains a Sinner that is the beauty and sweetnesse of the Lord Jesus High spirits shut their eyes and shut their mouths they will stand in no capacity of remedy they will not come neer such a person nor such a place not they Why Christ is there Let who will be there I will not This is rebellion in open act and the Psalmist explains the nature of it 'T is a man setting his heart awry and such a soul surely can never move well a Watch set wrong cannot be stedfast in following the course of the Sun and time of the day And might not be as their fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Psal 78.8 A heart set awry is a desperate disadvantage to an even course where such a temper is men should think of the patience of Christ his love overcomes a stubborn soul O that goodnesse and mercy should wait to embrace a froward heart that will not continue no not begin good Ignorance is a great disadvantage to a steady course wilfulness a greater but Hypocrisie the greatest of all A double minded man is unstable in all his wayes and yet he hath many more then any sinner besides An hypocrites soul is like some wild Downs that have many cross ways upon them some this way some that but none to Christ and therefore the soul loses it self but cannot fix An Hypocrite is one that observes the winds not sweet gales within but gainfull gales without from the world his principles put him upon uncertainties he is ever about to sow but never sows the wind still turns so crosse when or where he will have a harvest I know not Things must be equally poised to make steady and certain motion and in this an Hypocrite is more disadvantaged then any man for he hath a great sail and a little bottome a great head and a little heart great broad wings and a little light body like a Butterfly and as steady in his flight Have you not observed the flight of a Butterfly how in and out he is The reason may be because body and wings carry no proportion 'thas wings big enough and broad enough for a body of some bulk which wanting it cannot master and steer its course steady in the aire Sinners have their proper punishment here as all sins have one common punishment hereafter to wit hell so they have their proper punishment here I may say of all sins but Hypocrisie that they are simply a not coming to Christ but I may say of an Hypocrite that he is one come and gone seemingly come and really gone and Cains curse is gone after him he ranges in forlorn places and things having seven more forlorn spirits in him then he had Truth and integrity is the soul of the soul this is quite dead in an Hypocrite A lie will choose a lie the heart a lie will choose any lying principles and ah what a many lies be there now in the world I am affraid of mens integrity lies are so generally taking and mis-leading now the spirit is as the things it strongly cleaves to Hitherto we have spoken to persons
matter of joy And yet there are no other prospects here below take what house what place what advantage you will to look abroad upon things here below you cannot look besides ruine and desolation that this shall be repaired and all these broken cisternes mended and filled and all made to run eternally into my soule this may doe something upon the soule when it can rise and reach so high and this is hope My flesh shall rest in hope Hope is a soule at rest concerning all things within and without concerning spirit and flesh that they shall be all perfectly well The soule of man naturally sits up much now distracted creatures can take little rest this is not well that 's not well all will be worse the world will sinke and I shall be undermost you may guesse by despaire what hope is Despaire is a soule wracking it selfe with what is Job 13.14 and with what will be 'T is one taking his flesh in his teeth torturing and tearing all under his own apprehension of things God is gone he will never returne if he doe 't will but be to send me to my place Hope is the correction of these distempers God is hid he is not gone I shall see him though not now every bone that is broken shall rejoyce every filthy issue in my soule shall be dryed up I will waite upon the Lord that hideth himselfe from the house of Jacob and I will look for him this is hope hope has the command of her selfe but will not have the command of God Shee has every thing that would rebell at her foote but Christ in the highest esteeme of any of his daughters Can he give bread Will he give a crum to me No I shall eate this morsell and die groane this groane and my heart-strings will breake You never heard hope speake such a word shee is a childe that speakes just like her father Our God is not come indeed yet but he will come and he will not tarry though he puls down quickly yet he takes time to build up and this time hastens Despaire looks upon mercy at a stand hope sees it coming and coming a great pace My beloved comes skipping upon the mountaines i Certainly coming and swiftly coming Hope hath but bad externall feeling but all other senses most acute Shee can see a great way heare a great way and the like In a dark day when fogs are never so thick shee can look through them and behold the land that is far off When shee is in the belly of hell shee can look towards Gods Temple When burthens presse that sense hath nothing but torture nothing but devils to shake hands with yet then shee can see a God amongst a thicket of Devils though shee cannot come at him as shee would though I cannot come to him he will come to me where ever I am though thousands incompasse me yet I will not feare that is I will not despaire of one to come to relieve me Hope will carry more burthens then any grace without sinking In perils by sea in perils by land c. In povertie in nakednesse distressed in all kinds with a witnesse but not cast downe Hope is never cast downe shee will cast downe any thing men devils but is never cast down her selfe Hope is a hardie long-lived grace 't will live in famine when ' thath not a bit of bread 't will live in sicknesse in warre in death The righteous hath hope in his death Hope was never knowne to have her heart-strings breake 't is semper vivens Death is the King of feares and yet it pales not the countenance of hope hope walks in the valley of the shadow of death and feares none ill i expects no hurt Hope can fee no ill no hurt in any thing not in death not in the grave that house is something darke indeed but I shall not alwayes lie there saith hope Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave though thou kill me I will hope in thee though thou burie me I will hope in thee I shall rise as Christ did this vile body shall be changed and made like Christs glorious bodie and then set for ever where his is The flesh doth rest in hope Hope is conversant about no ill but about all good and most about that which is noblest 't is appetitus excellentis boni cum fiducia obtinendi therefore is hope so often put for heaven it doth so often goe to heaven and is so much taken up there Looking for that blessed hope and for the glorious appearing of that great God and our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 and so by the Author to the Hebrewes urged To lay hold on the hope that is set before us You see hope is put for heaven and the reason is because so much conversant there Hope feeds delicately shee hath a table below and this is nothing but the word of Christ My soule hopeth in thy Word Shee hath a table above and this is nothing but Christ himselfe and the state he weares above this shee looks upon oft and smiles to her selfe when no soule alive is aware Rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God The two termes of hope are hell and heaven shee goes from the one to the other and in this way turnes the one into the other and this is all her worke shee goes into every house of mourning where Christ is and takes exact notice of every distresse corporall and spirituall and then bids the mourner be chearfull all teares shall be wiped from thine eyes there is a house eternall in the Heavens though this cracke and moulder and there thou shalt sigh no more Hope is that good Angel that carries Lazarus and lays him in Abrahams bosome 't is that grace which makes heavie afflictions light long afflictions short by shewing the soule what they worke about a far more exceeding and an eternall weight of glory Hope can speake nothing but Heaven and glory to a distressed heart I conclude as I began Hope is a glad expectation of good i of all good but especially the highest and the noblest good Drooping hearts thinke of this point how usefull is this grace for you you have taken a house by the borders of hell continually affrighted with evill spirits that walke up and downe in your soules and yet you love to dwell here Terrors take hold sometimes 't is a heavie stroake then the soule refuseth comfort Sense of fin is good but it s a wound of it selfe that must be carefully drest oft with the leaves of the tree of life 't will rankle and kill else Sinner dost thou know thy state Yes Dost thou know it exactly Yes Why whither shalt thou goe when thou diest To Hell Hast thou no hope of any other thing No. Why wouldest thou stand still all this while and let thy soule bleed to death Was there no Balme in Gilead No word in all the booke of God
that might speake matter of hope to thee Despaire in strength is very peremptory in conclusions but never deliberate in examinations of grounds 'T is a soule so tossed and tumbled between Satan and conscience day and night that it hath no power to ponder any thing Pressus ab exemplo discat sperare secunda Thou shalt goe to hell O my soule when thou diest Why I have sinned So did all the Saints that are in Heaven when they were in earth as now thou art did not David sin much in life and yet what a brave hope had he in death Sin enough in life to make him a type of Satan for bloud and unmercifulnesse and yet hope enough in death to make him a type of Christ Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave Yea but some persons sins have a very sad consideration over others have This is a truth but no sin or misery must have any such consideration as to sinke the soule Hold this position all that God doth is to bring us nearer to him If he whip us and strike never so hard or never so strangely 't is to bring us nearer him not to drive us further from him If he strike the body or the soule if he let loose Satan to tempt and let loose the heart to fall 't is to bring the soule nearer to God God doth nothing to drive away thy soule from him nor would he have any thing else doe it and wilt thou doe it thy selfe by every thing thou seest hearest feelest c Despaire makes use of externall senses all together more then of the Bible and construes all things amisse it harpes much upon the intention of God God intends my death he holds me for his enemie fury guides him in all that he doth about me one may run and read his frownes in all his actions Thou frownest alwayes O tempted soule and thou thinkest God doth so Thy soule is precious to Christ he doth not desire its death 't is more precious to Christ then to thy selfe Christ would save it and thou wouldest destroy it he meanes nothing else in the blackest saddest things that are upon thee but love and mercy therefore be not prejudized concerning his intention the saddest things that are upon thee if thou couldest but turne them upside downe thou shouldest see in them the smiling face of God Hold one position more that Gods intentions toward us are accompanied with the readiest means to accomplish them in us Good is long a coming this principle swallowed is destructive to Hope the next step will be this 't will never come Christ long a coming the next crosse makes the soule conclude he will never come Wee may not construe Christ tedious in his motion and yet 't is hard to doe otherwise when much put to it when tryals are sharpest mercy and deliverance is nearest The Heathen rage The Lord of hosts is with us saith the next verse Hold fast I come quickly When 't is as much as ever one can hold tryall being so strong then Christ makes hast and salvation is neare This principle well laid into the soule would make one hope to the end hope to the last man in a battell to the last breath in a sicknesse Jacob comes hindermost of the company Christ comes after all means are done Isaac which signifies laughter is a childe of old age Christ comes out of a withered womb the man-childe that makes us laughter comes out of means given up as barren When Christ throwes a man downe and throwes him very low then is he about to raise him When Christ kills then is he readie to make alive If this were received who could despaire Who would not hope of life when every one gives him over Yea of eternall life Finally hold one position more that Satan and thine own unbelieving heart conspire against thy tranquilitie hope is the joy of a mans life Satan hath none and it addes to his sorrow when he seeth any else have joy it greatens his hell when he sees any else have but a little of Heaven Finall despaire shuts up that cursed spirit and all those that are with him the worme that gnawes me will never die the fire that burnes me is unquenchable the chaines that hold me are everlasting chaines the pit I am in is bottomelesse no possible passage from hence not a drop of mercy falls in here to cole any scorched creature in the space of eternitie this is the tone of Tophet these are the dismall complaints which those restlesse soules below throw out as they role to and fro in that fiery furnace Despairing sinner Satan is fallen in with thy conscience to conjure thy soule into this condition Thou art in hell upon earth as that other phrase is of her that is dead while shee lives Tell me How dost thou sleepe How dost thou eate How dost thou walke How dost thou talke How dost thou looke Is not thy moisture turned into the drought of summer Thy body turned into skin and bones Alas for thee poore soule God never made such a way as this to Heaven 't is Satan and thy owne despairing heart one evill spirit tormenting another just as they doe below and the designe is to seale the soule up for wrath despaire is the black seale of the bottomlesse pit Lay all this together now and doe but thinke how unkindly you deale with Christ for all his love and paines which hath done so much for the tranquilitie of your life to make you hope here and possesse hereafter Christ hath taken upon him your debts there is not a sin that ever you committed not a trespasse against any rule but he will be accountable for it and in your stead and all to make you hope Some friends will undertake for part of ones debt to make one chearfull and this is much love too much to be slighted but then there remaines something behind and that sads and sinkes the heart How shall I pay that Bleeding soule Christ leaves thee no debt to pay no sin to answer for 'T is lively set out in that Parable Luk. 18.32 O wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desirest it shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-servant What should make feare when all is discharged If I did know it were so Dost thou not desire it should be so Wouldest thou not have all right and sweet between God and thy soule rather then any thing Yes Why this may be a demonstration to thee that all is right and even between God and thee Did I not forgive thee all thy debt because thou desirest me God forgives debts to Christ upon exact satisfaction but Christ forgives debts to us upon complaining of them and groaning under them and desiring their discharge upon a heart panting to be clean the voice goes forth from Christ I will be thou cleane Panting languishing soule for mercy thou hast obtained mercy thou desirest to
very exactly A true glasse is of worth All light flatters but the Gospel That 's an oyntment indeed which takes off all scales and makes perfect sight in any one and this is the propertie of the Gospel to whom soever it comes though an ideot as the originall is he is convinced of all 't is spoken as the naturall property of this light man cannot hide any thing from it It makes an exact discovery of man and an exact discovery of God so far forth as such powers as we have here are comprehensible it shines into our hearts and gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God it discovers mans glory to wit his soule and the glory of God to wit his heart and his soule towards man two such properties as are not to be found in any light The glory of God is his face all other light discovers but his back parts or if it speake any thing about the face of God 't is as vailed To see the King is a great favour but to see him in state that 's a great friendship indeed There be many things have glory which if any one could give one eyes to behold wee should account it a great priviledge if any one could set me as Satan would have set Christ to behold the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them as is there exprest I should be ready to thinke it a great priviledge and yet all this glory not comparable to the glory of God all these things that glitter here below are but the dust of that gold above but some old cast garments which the King lays at his feete and gives to some poore servants and slaves they are but as cast-rags given to diseased creatures The glory of God is not to be exprest the Gospel helpes us to Pauls vision to behold unutterable things The face of God is his glory the face of a man is his glory Distinguishing propriety whether such a one be a brother a sister a father I can tell you when I see his face which is glorious to me when I behold The Gospel gives a distinct knowledge of God by this and by this alone I am enabled to look as it were in his face and to discerne in what relation I stand to him and he to me whether I be his childe and he my father or otherwise Mercy considered in such a latitude as eternally to save is cald the glory of God condiscension to the creature offending taking him up in his armes 'T is cald the glory of a man to passe by a fault to abide sweet when others are bitter to smile and embrace when there is no invitement but all discouragement this is cald the glory of a man and this is cald the glory of God The Gospel and no light else holds forth transcendent condescension in God by all other light wee conceive of him as one that is austere as one that will not yeeld a whit as one that will have the utmost farthing his own with advantage or inflict death The Gospel holds forth all sweet condescension in God it sets him forth as one inviting come blinde halt as one waiting to be gracious thirty forty fifty threescore yeares to the last houre and yet giving a penny to him that came in last as well as to him that came in first it sets him out as one that goes about to folkes-dores and knockes sinners doe you need any mercy doe you need any thing for your soules or bodies to make you blessed for ever you may have it for nothing Milke and honey wine and oyle tryed gold and royall apparrell The Gospel sets out God as one that expostulates with man about the matter of his good Why doe you lay out your money for that which is not bread And why will you die The Gospel sets out God as one beseeching man to be reconcild as one that delights to exercise loving-kindnesse to make it his work his daily businesse to forgive sins and to bring souls to heaven at his own cost this is transcendent condiscension and this is the glory of God in the eye of a poor sinner this makes him shine more glorious then any thing in the world and all this the light of the Gospel discovers discovers in us hath shined into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God Vse The Gospel is a grand favour but I am affraid we do not count it so Manna is loathed we love darknesse more then light That light which discovers us and makes our nakednesse appear is a plague and no blessing to thousands What is more inraging and more deadly to some persons then the powerfull words of the Lord Jesus What is more inraging at this day then the shining light of the Gospel Our misery is great the cause apparent we shut our eyes against the light The Prince of darknesse shall rule this is the vote of thousands Where Satan raigns do you expect any other but a hel rending and tearing howling and yelling Brave England is turn'd into a hel oppressing racking rending weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth and why Certainly the Prince of darknesse raigns amongst us have you a glimpse of that feind in all this our hel and misery If there were indeed a true love of the Gospel amongst us could there be such fighting abroad and at home amongst us as there is As light is precious it conquers as light conquers pride falls pride fallen the Lion is a Lamb Lambs rend not nor tear one another We rend and tear one another name state all that is dear and would be to one another as the very devils are Ah Lord Is this a Christian Land a Land honouring the Gospel Doth it conquer us Is the Spirit of the Gospel in us whose hearts burn like hel in pride and malice against one another The hand of the Lord is upon an hypocriticall people get it off who can You say you love the Gospel and yet think the Land too good for them that faithfully professe it He that hates his brother in his heart is a murtherer a bloody spirit is in you a bloody hand of justice is upon you if this right not the innocent and publish the hyporcisie of this generation to all the world then say that Christ hath not spoken by me Would the sword were sheathed saith many would it had done its work say I. We needed through launcing mens basenesse comes out freely 't is a mercy to know who loves the Gospel and how How long will England bleed ere good blood appear Will that good bloud be so little as not enough to hold life in the State O that will be sad Sinners look about you you that dissemble with your light are the plagues of the Land doe you call whom you will troublers this will be found the truth which I have said you are the troublers and the destroyers of the Land and the
is beastly yet very common The Land is full of mercies and full of nothing but brutes that tread upon them Brutishnesse in a man is sensualitie a sensuall person is one killed with kindnesse one that eats mercies but doth not taste them weares mercies but doth not feele them seeth mercies but doth not understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord nor never will he is cursed to the dust as the seed of the Serpent to goe upon his belly upon his appetite and upon no higher principle through this world to feed onely upon dust and upon no nobler thing for making a God of this world You wonder at the plague and at the sword but this is the greatest judgement in the Land that no man sees the mercie that shines upon him All the judgements that are in the Land are but to cast shadowes upon mercies that you may see them well and carry them and your soules to Heaven together There should not be a judgement more among us did you see mercy as you should there should not a man more die did loving kindnesse live in our hearts The heart of this Land is eaten out with long tillage God now dungs it that things may grow well 'T is so with our soules Our hearts are eaten out with vanities nothing will come up that is divine not spring up as high as Heaven God pluckes up all to pluck up your hearts to Heaven 't will be well if this be effected although it be not till all be dead When all is dead if then a mans soule grow alive to God blessed am I though there be but this one thing alive of all I have England is dead God is burying it Our hearts are quarred with fulnesse and become stones no musick can be playd upon a stone God makes musick to himselfe with justice seeing wee can make none to him with mercie he sets us to throw stones one at another hard heart against hard heart to dash out one anothers braines to kill a companie of men Canini appetitus of a dog appetite whose belly is as the grave and as hell which cry give give but never returne Know the state of the generall and bleed inwardly Doe you see a love returning spirit in any ranke from the highest to the lowest I England am made a mirror of mercie a thousand thousand wounds and yet not dead What pen shall I take and what book Where shall I write this love that it may be ever in Gods eye and mine owne Doe you see such a spirit stirring for the glory of Christ Wee fall in person we fall in purse and we fall and flat in spirit too nothing rises in any man that I see but that which throwes all downe Pride and selfe Ego magnus not ego Paulus I great not I little and low this may be every mans motto Big spirits are the worst in the world to stoop and to take up every thing of Gods and give it to him Big proud spirits admire themselves such as are taken up with admiration of themselves can never be good at this dutie of admiring God Look over all the Kingdome and people in the world and tell me a people more pinned to and doating upon its selfe then we are What a Clergie What Magistracy What an Armie have we So big so acute so perfect as not to be exprest This puts by the other quite what a Christ have we how strong how wise how gracious Do ye heare mens mouths filled with this with admiration of Christ What ornaments doe I weare in my soule or upon my outward man but Christ hath put them on all Know the state of the generall and know your own state in particular Doe you as Paul here admire the goodnesse of Christ in all the goodnesse that is upon you That you are stopped and ceased from wickednesse That you are turned to Christ Yea not nakedly so but turned into noble services for Christ Intrusted with many Talents above your brethren for the good not onely of your selves but many more I would willingly admire this if it were so but alas for me Ob. I am not yet stopped nor turned from my wicked course I am a swearer still a drunkard still a gracelesse uselesse wretch still Why then admire that thou art not in hell Sol. there is no man alive no man of this side hell but hath some mercie yea much mercie to admire say that I a swearer am not yet in hell in the proper place for blasphemers O what a mercie is this That sin and judgement are not closed unseparably all this while in so many yeares O what a wonder is this There is not a greater aptnesse for fire and stubble to close then for sin and judgement in a wicked soule that the cover of the tinder-box should be open and striking of fire a great many yeares and a great many sparkles falling of both sides and some in and yet not take that thou a naked gracelesse soule open to the wrath of God and living in a Land where wrath is powring out by plague sword and other judgements and yet that thou shouldest escape here is a big wonder indeed blind soule canst thou see it No I have no more then others have nor yet so much this cuts the throat of holy admiration How wofully is this creature plagued Others mercies are his judgements he cannot see what he has because others have more Canst thou not see what thou hast thy selfe No hold thy mercies neere thine eyes Canst thou not see them now No. Why then I feare that thou art beside borne-blind mad-blind as those wilfull Pharisees and Scribes this is a sad condition There is no recovery of sight when the eyes are struck out If this be not thy plague there is the more hope for God will take the businesse in hand to make thee see in a more strong way then now 't is done by me if all meanes have not been used alreadie as what a potent course is taken up in this case Hosea 11.3 I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by the armes but they knew not that I healed them I drew them with the cords of a man and with the bands of love and I laid meat unto them God will one time or other take hold upon thy conscience and lead thee about from mercie to mercie and point thee to them particularly one after another O ungratefull soule I did this for thee and I did that I saved thee from breaking thy leg such a time from breaking thy necke such a time from such a desperate sicknesse such a time c. Thus doth God to persons that are asleepe in ingratitude to awaken them and thus he doth to them that are dead Goe and tell David I took thee from the sheepfold c. After that soule miscarriage God set one to talke with him with a witnesse to tell him who raised him and to what and what use was expected of
as Simeon and Levi brethren in evill and God makes chaines to couple both together in misery and pinches that part most that is worst puts double bolts upon the leader to sin that 's the soule What God joynes he would not have us to part what we joyne he will not part we joyne body and soule in sin and he doth not part them in suffering not in the best Christ can distinguish between these two in the matter of affliction and so lightly touches the flesh that it shall never trouble the spirit but then man usually despiseth the chastening of the Lord yea the best are apt to doe so My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord. God puts such twigs in all his cords for his children that he makes no wantons of them when they joy in sufferings under one notion they shall sorrow in them under another When they joy in sufferings it shall be against sense and against reason not as if they did feele a little but as feeling much onely apprehending the issue how glorious and how precious that will be Bonds and chaines are so heavie as to make our joy a pure joy the misery of Saints is so ponderous as to presse their joy pure to make it a joy of faith not of sense in the least body and soule being both in paine You squeese out the spirit and puritie of things so doth Christ Christ doth so affect the body and soule in his dealings that if any grace act forth it shall be pure grace such as is fed with no low principle If joy worke it shall be from faith not from feeling if faith worke it shall be from the word without not from any thing that it feeles else or sees without or within Our heights are necessitated with one medium or other When our soules are highest they are wound and screwed up to it with much paine and then when raised to this height 't would not be downe againe for all the world but kisses the rod chaines prisons any bitters that worke about so sweet so heavenly a life as to joy purely in Christ The nature of divine trials is the thing that I would stand upon how the arrowes of the Almightie are shaped now sharpe these are which he shoots at his people they pierce thorow all body and soule Wherefore is life given to him that is in misery and light to him that is in bitternesse of soule Job 3.20 These expressions aptly suite the point I am upon and doe open the nature of those trials that befall the godly they have misery that is not all they have misery wrapt up into such bitter pils as work upon the soule That 's strong physick indeed that sets all a trembling casting body and soule yet such God gives those he loves dearly in bitternesse of soule the expression is very emphaticall like that to Elymas in the gall of bitternesse it speakes a state steeped and soaked long in misery till soaked quite thorow every sinew stretched every bone put out of joynt no whole part within nor without not a thought lying still nor knowing where to find a pillow in any roome of the soule to lie downe on God makes no distinction of persons here I meane in the point that I am pursuing All things come alike to all alike sweet alike bitter alike for qualitie alike for quantitie a vessell of honour filled as full of sorrow here as a vessell of wrath waters coming into the soule I am feeble and sore broken I have roared for the disquietnesse of my heart Psal 38.81 None but evill spirits are broken and tortur'd below they are all cursed creatures that roare there but here good as well as bad are broken all to pieces all roare here wicked men Saints brave Spirits I am sore broken I roare What a dreadfull din and noise is all this world over One would thinke one were in hell whilest here in every Countie in every Citie in every house no dore sprinkled for a passeover in this point of sorrow sorrow at the heart The arrowes of the Lord are within me No house so walled nor so high here but God shoots into it when he will he moves in order to all trials with the godly as he doth in order to all judgements with the wicked according to an absolute will When he will he takes up whom he will amongst the wicked and trusseth him up so or so quarters him and hangs up his quarters makes him lesse or more notorious as he pleases so when he will he takes up whom he will of the godly prisons chaines them till the Iron enter into their soule sets them up as a mark and shoots them cleane thorow Why hast thou set me up as a mark to shoot at Job 7.20 And this a meere exercise of prerogative will which Job could not understand at present but did afterward Though God hath made over much to man yet hath reserved this priviledge to himselfe to have his Range in this great Forest here below to shoot at what he will at what goat he will or at what Deer he will and at what part of this Deer he will at the heart so he doth not make an incurable wound And this Christ can doe and this may be the reason of his priviledge He wounds as he pleases because he can heale as he pleases shoots the body and shoots the soule of his people because he can take out the bullet where ever it lies and heale that part as perfect yea perfecter then ever ' t was Poisons that gangrene and eate upward and inward towards the heart Christ can stop their secret motion and draw out the poison at the pores of the soule at the eyes at the mouth in spirituall breathings and kind soule-sweatings pantings mournings and turne this poison that drops out of these pores into a precious spirited liquid and bottle it up as a cordiall for himselfe to drinke of and to delight his palate withall for ever The rarest spirits are extracted out of the strongest poisons and Christ wants no skill to doe it he is an admirable Chymist and therefore takes whom and what he will to try his skill upon There are no such poisonous things in the world as sin and punishment especially when they meet together in the soule and yet then Christ can extract such a spirit out of both as all this world shall hardly match Christ can bring a body downe to the grave and raise him up againe and make his bones like Behemoth like barres of Iron David found it oft Thou hast renewed my strength like an Eagle So Christ can bring a soule down to Hell and raise it up againe to Heaven yea bring him up so full of Heaven that not one of a thousand not one of fortie thousand comparable and what Christ can doe in this point he doth when and as he pleaseth Mibbor sâ—â—on He brought me up also out of a horrible
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a house and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to distribute Which makes the sense run thus according to that family distribution which God hath made to me The holy Ghost distinguisheth gifts into good and perfect both come downe from above but under a diverse notion the one as common to all the World the other as proper to his Family they are good gifts in themselves which bade men have their health their wealth their learning all good gifts but not perfect gifts they want one thing as our Saviour spake to the young man in this case and this one thing the maine of all to wit the speciall love of God fatherly mercy rapt up in them Family distribution is fatherly goodnesse speciall mercy a perfect gift Choyce indowment is mans blessednesse Doct. This God gives All the posterity of Jacob were blessed but Joseph was a Nazarite amongst his Brethren saith the Text i culled out by speciall providence from all the rest and choicely indowed and imploid the very creame of Love dished out to him The pretious fruits brought forth by the Sun and the pretious things which put forth by the Moone and the chiefe things of the ancient Mountaines c. And observe here the prime blessing is brought up in the Reare that which makes all other gifts perfect and the favourable acceptance of him that dwelt in the bramble the favour and love of God wrapt up in every thing wee have is that which makes them full mercies and this had Ioseph Deut. 83.16 he had top favours blessings came upon his head upon the top of him that was a Nazarite from his brethren This kind of providence died not with those persons and times but lives still in an Evangelicall sense Christ goes through this World and picks out here and there one from among his brethren and makes him a Nazarite indowes him with choyce mercies Family dispensations bespangles him with such Jewells as they weare above in his own Court riches of the body and riches of the minde and inlayes them all with the good will of him that dwelt in the Bramble This was prophecied then when the Patriarchs had their speciall indowments and touched in their kindnesse the Scepter shall not depart from Judah c. and unto him shall the gathering of the people be Gnammim peoples Gnammim binding his foale unto the Vine and his Asses colt unto the choyce Vine Gen. 49.11 Christ doth gather and select still even among the Gentiles As far as us Gentiles doe these words looke To him shall the gathering of the peoples bee Not one people to wit the Iewes but peoples Jewes and Gentiles A choyce Vine Christ findes out amongst us Trees of speciall vertue and noble blood and spirits above all Trees and ties his foale to these unites himselfe to this body by the same spirit by which he so indowed and ennobled that ancient people of the Iewes Choyce indowments being mans blessednesse and this sesable that which God gives now I would fasten this naile in the temple with a word of use Vse Content not your selves with common blessings covet the best gifts seeke family favours childrens mercies or you cannot be happy We place blessednesse here t is not here t was here but is not now t is risen t is above there must your industry lie Seeke those things which are above where Christ is at the right hand of God The mercies of Gods owne family make us and none else Such dispensations as have the speciall love of God wrapt up in them Let no man thinke this an unpossible thing to attaine the things that are above will come down to the conservation of the whole the naturall Heavens will descend the supernaturall will too Christ though at the right hand of God will come down and sit at your right hand and guide you and impart the things that are above to you clothe you in the habit and fashion of that countrey if sought to and desired But the plague is our hearts are carnall and lust onely after low things we place blessednesse in our belly and worship Dagon Dagan frumenti Deus a belly-god The Apostle alludes to this where he saith Whose God is their belly Red pottage lusted after the birth-right is nothing How affection workes is not heeded by you yet your life is in it and it goes to the heart of God to see how you lavish and lay it out for that which is not of any nobility or worth in order to such creatures as you are Wherefore doe you spend money for that which is not bread not white bread not living bread not that bread which came down from Heaven not such as the family above feede on You that feed on such mercies owe much to God I will touch this and conclude You that are like Joseph Nazarites among your brethren separated from thousands of your owne flesh and bone and made great endowed with Noble gifts and imployed in Noble workes to attend upon the great King of all the world as his onely favourites your should doe as Joseph Goe saith he haste ye to my father and tell him thus saith thy sonne Joseph God hath made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me tarry not Genes 45.9 divine mystery is in all this and it hints your duty goe haste you to Heaven and tell your father what honour is by the Lord Jesus bestowed on you that he hath made you Lords over all Egypt over all your lusts which did keepe you in bondage that he hath put his owne ring upon your hand and his owne Gold-chaine about your necke and made you secundi the next to him in all the world and onely in the Throne is greater then you t is a sweet thing to be going often to Heaven and telling there how much we feele of it upon earth Choice endowments call for choice duty as we are winged we should mount There were choice vowes under the old covenant Deut. 12.11 Some choice offerings that upon some choice mercies received they performed to God You have received choice mercies make choice vowes understand me Gospelly make sweet Gospell raptures of all Noble favours received Your Roman dames had some Jewels worth millions which they called uniones because they were incomparable and had none like them singulars such as had no fellowes and these they bequeathed when they died as an inheritance to posterity they were of so great worth God hath given unto you such precious Jewels uniones singular gifts such as cannot be fellowed in many of your brethren weare these Jewels every day though it was the fashion of the Roman dames to weare their uniones upon great daies hold forth all your choice gifts choicely to the great glory of Christ My Dove my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her the daughters
saw her and blessed her yea the Queen and the core thines and they praised her The Church of Christ is here set forth as a choice one for all endowments and glory and as holding forth all this to the admiration of Christ and all beholders The daughters saw her and blessed her the Queens and Concubines praised her COLOS. 1.25 Which is given to me for you c. THere are two occult things in providence which when well apprehended make a serene sweet life to understand still wherefore God takes and wherefore he gives what bitter and sweet meane blindnesse in either loseth God God lost in his dealings the soule loseth it selfe a man knowes not in this case where he is nor what he is whether a Saint or an hypocrite a man or a beast In both these this servant of Christ was acute the perishing of the outward man the flourishing of the inward he could explaine both All things are for your sakes 2 Corinth 4.15 16. there he speakes of what misery he did beare here in the text I stand upon he speaks of what honour he did beare and he understood well the end of both both for the Church of Christ for you i. for the prosperity of Christ in the hearts of all believers Family distribution is with this designe that all the family may be the better for what any one hath An elder child that can tell how to hold a dish hath a great full messe that all the rest may sit round and eate out of his dish Wisdome folds up many things in one many vertues and influences in one Sunne for all the world such a Sunne is Christ set for the fall and rise of many We are in Christs stead and so the savour of life and death to many We are Ambassadours in Christs stead and present Jewels allowed us from our Master to any especially to his Spouse for you i. you that are married to the Lord Jesus Thus I thinke the expression imports As if the Apostle had said Great endowments and gifts are for the Church primarily for others secondarily and subordinately in order to the use and welfare of the Church some way or other Which way the heart of God bends is observable Christ doth peculiarly and principally apply himself to Saints the centre of divine donation is the heart of a Christian all that goes from God to any does but hover till it come here the marrow and juyce of every creature of every gift is squeesed out into this vessell If you see Angels sent forth those glorious gifted creatures you may stand still and prophesie where they will turne in to Abraham to Lot they may goe along by others but they turne in and host here The choice communcations which descend from Heaven they bed themselves in the brests of Gods people they may hang and hover in the braines of others but they enter into the hearts of none but these The life of Christ is the spring of all parts the gifts which you see shine in any they are but springs from this fountaine branches of this Vine and observe which way this Vine creepes about whose house sides it goes with its branches into whose bowles he squeeses their blood T is for you saith he this is the blood of the new Testament which was shed for you My beloved is gone down into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies Cant. 6.2 After Christ are we directed to goe to carry all excellencies we have where he doth and lay them down all where he is in you and therefore observe that clause Luke 10.6 And if the Sonne of peace be there then stay otherwise away and carry all away with you When things lie in suite and in petition before they come forth thus into actuall exhibitions you shall see the truth of the point in hand demonstrated which way the heart of God bends in all cases of this nature Christ doth especially and peculiarly apply himselfe to Saints Thou wilt make their heart to prepare and thine eare to intend Psal 10.17 speaking of the meeke and humble Observe how peculiarly Christ applies himselfe to some Thou wilt make their heart to prepare if their heart stand not fit to receive noble favours thou wilt make them stand fit if it be not humble enouh hungry enough depending enough thou wilt make it doe all these thou wilt overcome all unaptnesse in these soules yea all unaptnesse in thy selfe If sinne and basenesse in these creatures present themselves in thine eyes and make some impresse and influence upon thee against having to doe with them yet thou wilt make thy selfe to looke towards these yea to heed them intensly saith the originall Thou wilt make thy selfe to intend Mercy pleades with justice when God hath to doe with his and makes him come off yea come down and condescend to stoope and take a lame creature by the hand and lay his eare close to his head and speake incouraging words to put the soule in heart to speak and speed Hester what is thy request and what is thy desire come into my presence I have nothing but is for thee he lends her legs to stand upon countenance to looke upon him spirits and mouth and tongue to speake makes her to prepare and then makes himselfe to forget the confinement of himselfe to other things and to intend her Which is a brave demonstration of this thing I am upon that Christ doth peculiarly and transcendently apply himselfe to Saints You have a like place Psal 18.6 My prayers came into his face into his eares Other folkes prayers come but to Gods eares and there they vanish but the prayers of Gods people come into his eares The expression notes how the eare and heart of Christ are specially and peculiarly applied unto his people Vse Towards whom Christ doth thus apply himselfe t will be bad bending against them for any This generation is very unhappy men observe not which way Christ bends and bend after him but which way the times bend and so bend after these and so what parts and endowments God hath given them are imployed against the people of Christ and not for them One thing should by as us to wit the will of Christ but when this will not any thing will pride covetousnesse malice when a man hath lost his aime he kils a child a friend as soone as an enrmy The scope of divine distribution this should be every gifted mans aime from hence should we take our levell but we doe not Which way doth God looke To what point hath he set the compasse To what part hath he bound me and fraighted me for the Holy-land for Saints must all I have and all I can doe runne into their breasts and put in at their Haven Then thither I must steer and to no other port though greater gaine might be had if this I doe not I make shipwracke of faith and a
good conscience This is the plague of this generation faith and conscience shipwracked which is the fruit of an ill scope at first and the proper medium of a wicked procession what will not that man doe against truth and Saints which hath split his peace and fidelity with God Parts and principles miscoped render the person worse then they that have none more heady and high minded and now the man sets himselfe in a way that is not good and this goes to the heart of God he often complaines of this The more God is inraged by any course the more severely he smites the pursuer Hypocrisie is punished with pride envy and security and now is a next neighbour and a familiar worse then an open enemy more bloody I was a reproach among mine enemies but especially among my neighbours Psa 31.11 vicinis valde to my neighbours very much or most of all T is of desperate issue every way to soule and body not to soder in scope with Christ Christians should sucke this honey-combe well a fathomelesse depth of sweetnesse is in it the bent of Christ in all his dispensations is toward you his heart hangs after you affliction prosperity warre peace Magistrates Ministers Paul Apollo Cephas life death all is yours for you Things now thwart much man against man nothing against you We looke too low to sucke the sweet of this point and to be at rest in troublous times Inferiour agents looke one one way another another way and answerably oppose in their motion and kill in conflict and yet the first intention lives and obtaines The scope of the first agent in all should be eyed and rest What is Christ about To destroy his people to destroy his glory Against whom or for whom is he Is he for Babylon and Babylonish wretches which now warre against us Is he so in his intention and in his purpose possibly this or that particular action as we scan it may looke like as if it were for them but is the prime scope of God for them in all he does does his heart hang toward any Babylonish brats now afoot abroad or at home If you thinke so read Jeremy 50.31 32. Behold I am against thee O thou most proud saith the Lord God of Hosts for thy day is come and the time that I will visit theel and the most proud shall stumble and fall and none shall raise him up and I will kindle a fire in his Cities and it shall devoure all round about him How ever actions and proceedings seem to smile upon evill men yet let this beare us up the scope of all is against them I am against thee i. in my intention and plot And contrariwise however sad and blacke things may looke in mans view in order to Christians yet their scope and their intention is for them Christ is for his Churches and for his Saints in all his designes This was that which Joshua desired to know when he was in some feares which way Christ heart did bend when his Sword was drawn whether for them or for their adversaries let me but know this saith Joshua and I shall rest let things worke how they will Joshua 5.13 14. And it came to passe when Joshua was by Jericho that he lift up his eyes and looked and behold there stood a man over against him with his Sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went unto him and said unto him Art thou for us or for our adversaries and be said Nay but as a Captaine of the Host of the Lord am I now come c. Or for our adversaries coarctatoribus for them that straiten us which word speakes full to our condition there be a great many bloody wretches abroad which straiten us exceedingly in all our mercies which pen us into so few Counties and into so little trading yet it should be enough for us to know against whom the point of Gods drawne Sword is set whether against their hearts or ours whether to make an end of them or of his people which party Christ takes if you thinke he takes their side no Loâ—ki t is vehemently denied which is expressed by two words nay but or nay because as a Captaine of the Lord of Hosts am I come there is negation with its reason added which is strong negation You may sucke this point not onely to establish you against feares and dangers now apparent but to furnish you with all excellencies that Christ hath Sampsons heart was set towards Delilah and she knew it and made use of it to get out all to strip him of all not a secret about his Nazariteship but she gets it Now we know the bent of Divine affection that it is specially toward us we should make use of it to get out all the secrets of wisdome and holinesse that are in Christ So you know Christ when he had fished out this to the botome that Peters heart did indeed bend and incline specially towards him he makes use of it to draw him out to speciall and Noble service for him Doest thou love me saith Delilah then shew me this and that so said Christ to Peter Doest thou love me and is all thou hast for me then let me see it Feed my Lambs and feed my Sheepe so doe thou say to Christ Dost thou love me O Christ and doth thy heart bend principally towards mee And is all thou hast and dost for me Then let me see it feede my poore soule with knowledge t is very ignorant feede my poore soule with love with joy t is very low and sad If what thou hast given this Minister and that Minister be for me why do I profit no more by them my Teachers drop pretious things but I like a broken ciâ—â—erne hold nothing And if my messe be in their dish why cannot I put in my spoone and take it out If thy bosome O Christ be a lodging intended for me hung stately and perfumed sweetly for me why cannot I lie there alwayes Clouds and mists are scattered by the force and motion of celestiall bodies you that are celestiall creatures it must stir up the grace of God in you and move and act the forcible acts of faith at the Throne of grace if you would dispell the clouds that hide God and great good from you Vaine beliefe destroyes us not one Christian of a thousand setled in this that the Heart of God is toward him and therefore hath no heart to goe to him to make use of him no nor cannot rest upon him for any thing It cannot be that the heart of God is towards mee all things go against me Sinne prevailes conscience stings breaches within breaches without lively-hoode dies feathers fall off apace I am almost quite bare in the nest I know not where to get cloathes to put on my back when these be done no not where to get bread to put in my head when this in my hand is eaten My wife mournes my
feated so it will abide if sinne be feated in the heart it will abide there till all the bloud of the man be spilt on the ground yea till all that which is ten thousand times more noble then this to wit the soule be lost I will tell you the property of the Word of God in order to such a foule as still keepes his sin t is though sweet in it selfe bitter to such searching piercing tormenting The word of God is quick and powerfull sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing of soule and spirit and this hee spake in order to them which abode in the stubbornesse of their heart and flighted the promise of perfect rest in that Canaan above The heart strongly ingaged to evill truth is very piercing he that so loves sinne that he slightes the rest above he shall have no rest here You cannot imagine the sad boutes and fearfull expectations that unsound soules have and yet this must continue because the breath of the Lord like a River of Brimstone keeps in this Hell as it doth that below The breath of Christ which you spurne against by your spurning lights a fire and shall serve to burne you though it will not to lead you Christ puts to the sword all they which yeeld not burnes and blowes up all that he cannot take Did not our hearts burne within us whilst he talked with us The breath of Christ is hot it burnes within men according to that degree of unbeliefe and resistance it findes in every one without respect of persons Did not our Hearts burne Sinners consider these things and repent sucke in the dying breath of Christ charge folly upon your selves Who is it that speakes to mee what would he have who is it within me that answers and what answers doth it make There are fleshly reasonings and carnall motions take heede of them Everybody will plead for it selfe the body of death will do so which is the death of the soule but methinks the Word of God should silence all If the voyee that speakes to us were considered as such a voyce surely it would In what posture your soules sit in an ordinance is all in all If you thinke I speake these things as a man as Paul saith that it is onely a mans word you will hush your soules asleepe againe as soone as gone from the presence of a man and yet ingenuity would honour mans voyce The beast that spake to Balaam that beast was honoured to speake with mans voyce and that was throwne in Balaams face that mans voyce from a beast would not calme his madnesse The dumb Asse spake with mans voyce But when man is honored to speak with Gods voyce and to forbid your sin and your madnesse therein will you on for all this how much more will this be throwne in your face Consider with what voyce we speak and for how little while this Oracle speakes in this earthen Tabernacle and see how it will worke To day if you will heare his voyce this Tabernacle in which his voyce is and speakes lasts but a day to day if you will heare his voyce sinners doe to morrow the tent will be removed the vaile will be drawne the Oracle will besilent his voyce and our own too will be gone out of our Mouthes and hid from your Eares COLOS. 1.26 Even the Mystery THe carryage of Christ since the fall is here hinted hee doth worke and speake above our reach when he goeth he maketh a path like a Ship in the Sea that no man can finde any thing after him not a step when hee speakes his words are a great deepe a Sea bottomlesse i of such vastnesse in all noble property that no man can mouth them nor utter them after him but stand dumb and silent they are as the title saith here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occludere shut up the Tongue and Lips of man that hee can say nothing Divine prerogative we are to stand upon There is a power opening and shuting things of eternall consequence in order to man in this life This power is purely spirituall action is used to close the Eyes of the dead but it is invissible mans doome is written in the wall and no hand seene nor caracter legible in order to the man concerned though all big and plaine and hee spelled and personated in them because Organs within enervated in which case man hath Eyes and sees not Eares and heares not They that see are made blind but do they know how action is used in this sad worke but can any one explaine it to sence for the time when it was done or for the thing it selfe that is done when went the spirit from me to thee The poore creatures eyes are out but when was it done did the man feele it can he tell the agent or the instrument that did it or what wheele in the Clock is crackt that the motion goes so false The nature of this spirituall occlusive act is this two spirits run their course at last one is finally left and so in the darke and able to see nothing according to the spirituall nature of it so as to stir any noble operation in the soule Faith a Ridle Selfe-deniall a Ridle Regeneration a Ridle a going into ones Mothers belly againe the death of the body of death the Resurrection and the Life all these great things of the Gospell strange things and like the talke of a son to a barren wombe laughed at The sâ—uting up or the opening of the Kingdome of God in order to any is a transaction onely by the spirit cannot enter into the heart of man to conceive but God hath revealed them to us by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things the deepe things of God There is an internall caelestiall vertue coacting with the soule the giving or the suspension of which is mans onely advantage or disadvantage to understand Gods Will the suspension of internall influence keepes the soule spiritually darke what ever other advantages it hath and shuts it out from the Kingdome of Heaven This spirituall occlusive power is feated in Christ For Judgement am I come into this World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Concerning spirituall judicature it is proper to me there is none good at this worke but I saith Christ to cast amist before the Eyes of the minde and to darken the light that is in men this onely I can doe to cast a mist before the Eyes of mens bodies this divells may doe and such men as give themselves to them but to cast a mist before the Eyes of mens soules and to darken the light that is in them and to make the things of eternall Life mysteries and meere ridles this is only Christs work Christ can put out the
sizes some bigger some lesser two talents five talents ten talents concerning the glory above t is disputed whether it be graduall but concerning the glory of a Christian here it is a resolved thing that it is graduall there is migration in our glory here going from glory to glory from strength to strength Milke and strong meate babes and full age crums and Flagons love and abounding in love Our Kingdome comes our Kingdome here is a comming Kingdome Mercies are all shaped by Love it is the property of Divine Love to higthen dispensation still till shee hath lifted the soule beloved fully into her bosome Grace t is in the beginning little a graiâ—â— of Mustardseed in progresse great in the end all to wit Heaven which is all now doth Love fully possesse her beloved and now she rests and not till now beyond Heaven there is no gradation no step higher Love hath got her full end which is the full possession of what shee makes out to and now rests Love shapes Mercy so as fully to bring about her end and that is to bring the soule shee loves into her bosome to the full fruition of her selfe of whatsoever shee is you may see this demonstrated in Christ the Father loves him and he gives him mercies greater and greater and never leaves till hee hath lifted him fully into his bosome to his right hand i the fruition of all John 5.20 The Father loveth the Sonne and showeth him all things that himselfe doth and hee will show him greater workes then these that yee may marveile My Father hath given me great things already but hee will give me greater for he loves mee and this will drop and drop till it hath dropped out all it will never rest till it hath brought mee into his bosome The love of God carries the same property and proportion to a Christian and this makes the grouth of a Christian necessarily as the grouth of a Crocadile of which it is written that hee groweth alwayes so doth a Christian till hee bee transplanted into Heaven Vse T is trying this point what truth is in you Your graces are not so great but you may have greater if this be not regarded as you taste not grace what tang it has so you understand not grace what order t 'as Spirituall fulnesse speakes a deluded heart hee that hath goods enough enough for many yeares enough to make his felicity for ever and therefore rests is a foole hee knowes not his state what hee has nor what he wants Blinde men 't is observed do not dreame so much as men that see because fancy in the day hath not so much nor so lively impressive imployment to set it at worke in the night but blinde soules dreame more a great deale then they that see This is one of their dreames among many I have enough grace to bring me to Heaven I hope and I care for no more I love not to be pragmaticall Some make a great deale of stir and run mad t is extreame naught this I like it not Answ this is one extreame but there are two extreames and vertue in the midst of them dost thou eye t'other extreame Some die with heate others die with cold Thou seest others too hot may'st not thou be too cold grace in the true knowledge of it is inviting 't is like some Liquids drinking makes thirstinesse and longing for more drinke every degree of grace possessed makes discovery of greater degrees not possessed One Chamber of Christ hath a window looking into another far bigger and more glorious Thou art entered into one thou sayest dost thou looke into another more glorious and long to enter into it if thou be a stranger to these things thou art a foolish Virgin that possibly hast knocked at the doore of Christs house a little but art yet indeed entered into no roome when Christ had opened the nature of spirituall bread unto his followers that they did indeed understand it they fell a longing presently for more what they had discovered much more behind which they wanted and therefore cryed Lord evermore give us of this Bread Vse This point is upbraiding the light which shines upon us is more glorious then that which shined upon our Fathers that which hath beene hid from Ages and from Generations we have made manifest to us wee have mercies according to externall communication of the biggest what have you according to internall communication this will be looked after This is a day of great things a time wherein Christ brings about great things to our doores our fathers day was a day of small things yet if they were judged for despising their day of small things how much more shall you be judged that despise the day of great things t is the Apostles argument to the Hebrewes and must be mine to you Despite is a spiritull act deliberate disaffection to the loveliest things The posture of our spirits wee least looke at and this Christs Eye is most of all fixed upon Externall carriages are all measured and titled from the heart God rules in the inside of his enemies hee unbowells this Generation and Christens it in blood according to its spirit We offer despite to the spirit of grace we tread under foot the bloud of the Lord Jesus can wee tell whether this iniquity will be blotted out till this Generation die The heart fired against truth abides so t is part of that unquenchable fire below God allowes Satan to bee fueler in such a soule till they both come to burne together in hell Love lost Christ cares not for the person let him be what he will if hee be the greatest man in the World he will burne to death in that fire which burnes in his breast against Christ Our love now to be least when greatest love is tendered can you imagine that this iniquity will be quickly forgotten great heare makes great thunders t is so now the Sun of love shines mighty hot and now wickednesse thunders and so will Justice and righteousnesse too believe it COLOS. 1.26 But now is made manifest c. THe word notes two things appareo et splendeo vision and shining vision that is according to Gospel speech still in the letter and in the spirit the understanding of words which one reads by workes which one feeles a voyce behind one interpreting that before one circumcision outward in the flesh and this explained by circumcision inward in the spirit There is a narrative and an operative light that which makes one talke well and that which makes one walke well that which enables one to produce bookes for his authority in discourse and that which enables one to produce his soule and his life for authority here is my soule and my life reade if it be not so as I say let men and Angells all the World reade if they will The Manifestation which our Apostle speakes of here is the latter for he speakes of such
creation was up in an outcry against him Man is the prime creature miserable and yet the prime creature cryd out upon to be more miserable man is not miserable enough yet let me overwhelme and drown all saith the Sea let me not leave a man alive saith the deepe Let me open my mouth and eate up all the men in the world saith the earth Let me breake forth and burne all saith the Heavens There is a strong propensity in all the creation to make an utter end of man without the least compassion towards him in any breast There is a joynt conspiracy in the creation just as there was in Noahs latter time to swallow up all and the creation shall obtaine its will upon all the wicked world at last and when that time comes you shall see what Gospell is in the creation not a dram of mercy shall any wicked soule finde so will Heaven and earth and the deepe conspire And as for the Law that is a Volume which heigthens all this cry and avers the justice of the creation in its cry and cries out for blood stronger then it Not a dram of any compassion to be found in the breast of any thing towards man no not scarce in man to man Acts 21.1 2. The Apostle after he had escaped shipwracke wondred to finde man-friendship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being cast upon the Island of Melita the inhabitants there saith he made a fire for us because of the raine and because of the cold and they shewed us no little man-friendship he wondred having escaped the Sea that the people of the Island had not eaten him up and therefore the words that follow are observable When we came to land then we knew the name of the Island Melita quasi Melifluae insula i. an Island flowing with honey because he had found flowing mercie double kindnesse by Sea and Land The Gospell holds out this man friendship t is a Volume full of compassion to man so doth the Apostle expresse it Titus 3.4 But after that the kindnesse of man-friendship of God our Saviour appeared expressing the Gospell The Gospell is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a volume that holds forth Christ not onely as compassionate but as very facile this way and that is riches of glory indeed Love and kindnesse in order to any but Christ are wrought things there is a great deale of art to make some persons smile and it is so generally in point of kindnesse and mercy there must be a great deale of art used to any but Christ to bring them to it men must be heated and warmed againe and againe to make them beath and bend strait to my purpose but Christ is facile this way Titus 3. But after the gentlenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or facilenesse of God our Saviour appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is gentle and facile towards man ready to be brought on to doe him good in the saddest state the word is so translated Galat. 5. The fruit of the Spirit is gentlenesse Christ gives and forgives very much and he doth it without much 〈◊〉 easily chearfully t is his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will yea and t is his meat and drinke to doe our will so farre forth as it doth conduce to righteousnesse and unto holinesse t is his meat and drinke to give us meat and drinke although it be his body and blood Love comes from Christ just as showers from Heaven and not as water out of a pump I will come as the formes and the latter Raine saith the Prophet and every word of this Gospell and not such another word in any other Book to be found As the formes and the latter Raine i very naturally Love comes from Christ just as leafes out of a Tree those leafes you reade of in the Revelation which are good to heale bud out naturaly and that but an illustration how love comes from Christ it growes and buds out of it selfe where no body can by any art fetch it out and then when buded out smiles and lookes greene upon men truly this is riches of glory indeed and yet thus doe the greatest acts of mercy come from Christ to man The Apostle to the Hebrewes mentions a great act of mercy and he mentions this very circumstance with it to wit how facile it comes But God willing more abundantly to shew his love to man and immutability of his counsell did make an Oath To this great act of mercy solemne swearing to seale and establish man God comes off very willingly or with much strength of affection and so the word is reade sometimes hee was strongly carried this way to sweare to establish and make weake hearts strong God was in such a temper in this very act as he was when he gave up his life J have a sacrifice and O how I am prest together within my selfe till it be sacrificed which expression shewes the great willingnesse of Christ to drinke off that deadly Cup. You have the same word used where the Apostle sayes love constraines mee This is the riches of the glory of the Gospell it holds forth compassion with much strength i bowels sounding very loud The Apostle fastens upon this circumstance to no to the kindnesse that comes from God to be exceeding riches because it goes forth so facile Eph. 2.7 That in Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his grace in his gentlenesse or facilenesse towards us This doth note exceeding riches indeed that Christ should bee facile in kindnesse towards man that arch Rebell The Gospel is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an expression used by the Father of his Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set forth that infinite rest he had in him for person and action as our Mediator t is a terme that notes such large affection as is competent onely to God such as is a Heaven to him The Gospel holds forth Christ in this very frame of love towards man even as one in Heaven when he thinks of bringing man thither which spirit is called a thing of highest glory Luke 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory in the highest things what are those highest things Peace in Earth And what next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest and solace in men which is a high thing indeed and may well be called one of the highest things of glory that God should finde rest in man As God speakes of Christ so doth hee of those that are in him this is my beloved Sonne in whom J 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solace my selfe have had my Heaven from all eternity And such a thing is it now for God to looke in Christ towards sinners it is a Heaven to him t is his rest to lie in the bosome of a sinner to lie in the place where his Sonne lies though in a Manger which is riches of glory indeed riches which make glory T is the pleasure and the grace of
of convictions make a man fall at the feet of Christ or flee in his face Hast thou found me O mine enemy Wounds that goe to the heart if they let not out corruption and pride they make men desperate and bleed them to death desperately a proud man stab'd to the heart by the word if it be not sanctified to let out his pride he will spet the blood of his soule in the face of him that wounded it Are you Gentiles in heart then be so in name doe not miscall yourselves T is a thousand pities that many are called Christians You doe onely but flatter them that flatter themselves enough and too much you helpe hug soules to death The name of a Christian given to such a one that hath not the nature of a Christian is satans chariot in which he hath carried thousands to hell asleepe Let persons and things be called as they are let us name things according to their nature let Divinity have its name Morality its name Barbarity its name You give men their severall distances as they stand ranked by a common providence one to another but we doe not give men their distance as they stand all rankt by speciall providence in order to God and the highest greatnesse Let us follow Christ in this say some are neere some are far off some are in the Kingdome of God The Kingdome of God is in you saith he to some t is neere you saith he to others t is far off from you saith he to others Let us give all persons and things their due distances in order to God as they discover themselves Doe not waste breath vainely to make a gale a pleasant gale to blow soules faster to hell Iitten gnatsabeth Prov. 10.10 which are sailing thither but too fast of themselves He that winks with his eye causeth sorrow saith Solomon dabit dolorem he will give sorrow he that puts out his owne eyes and others to he will give a great deale of sorrow to others and yet keep a great deale more for himselfe and yet this is common blind lead one another neither knowes whether Make not a bad condition hopelesse t is not so in it selfe here A Gentile simply as a Gentile was without hope because out of roade of God Enter not by the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not Matth. 10.5 6. but goe rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel said Christ when he sent forth the word The preaching of the word is the meanes of life to whom this is denied death is concluded the people necessarily perish where this vision must not come This was our condition but t is not now the channell of love is turned toward us not from us life is come amongst us as the expression here is the riches of this mystery among the Gentiles or in them saith the originall The expression notes effectuall mercy is now revealed an efficacious proffer a light of life shines amongst us such as makes sight and makes blessednesse to us as much as to the Jewes so is this expression explained Matth. 4.16 t is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great light and that which they did see they which sat in darknesse saw great light Matth. 4.16 All this was shadowed in giving the promise to Abraham before Circumcision and before the Law to note that the Uncircumcision to wit the Gentiles should be partakers of the promise as well as the Circumcision And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham that is before the Law saying in thee and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blest Gentiles you that see your selves such Dogs Wolves Lyons effectuall mercy is tendred to you You that lie in the high way and villages blinde lame halt you are invited the others had their excuses some had bought Oxen others Farmes others had married wives the meaning is covetousnesse and voluptuousnesse carnality did cut off the carnall Jew and nothing but this will cut off you too Undervalue every thing in order to Christ which now invites you to him the creature hath our hearts which is a strange act a man stretching out himselfe for the grave The lust of the Gentiles spoyles them t was shadowed by the Prodigall if any of you be come to your selves like him to returne and looke after Christ you may finde grace and mercy as he did If you finde your hearts averse Christ will by his Word if you attend it perswade them And he reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath saith the Scriptures of Paul and perswaded the Jewes and the Greekes Acts 18.4 the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of perswasion now to the Greekes that is to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes Perswasion notes the power of the Word the Word carried to the heart and this Christ hath engaged himselfe to doe Hosea 2.14 Gnal libbah Therefore behold I will allure thee and bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably to her the word is to the heart I will allure her and speake to her heart God in them ingaged himselfe to us and stands obliged now to every poore soule that complains of his aversnesse to Christ to allure these soules and to speake to their heart COLOS. 1.27 Which is Christ in you AS there is an externall society body with body so there is an internall society spirit with spirit God is a spirit and sutes his society he moves about corporeals but holds communion and fellowship onely with spirits drawes out himselfe here his face and his heart that is communion where one drawes out his heart If any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy Phil. 2.1 the latter explaines the former what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the communion of the Spirit meanes to wit such an internall operation as whereby the spirit of man is made like the Spirit of God for bowels and mercies and so for all other Divine dispositions a drawing out his owne heart and his nature in ours partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a communion of the Spirit and a communion of the Divine nature I thinke the termes are expository and note the Spirit so effectually operating in the soule of man as imparting its owne nature to it such an operation or communication of Christ as this is called Christ in us because he leaves his Image and similitude in us as you say sometimes of children his fathers spirit is in him and this is spoken similitudinaliter not formaliter because of that similitude and onenesse of disposition that is between father and child God was in Christ that expression poynts not at the Divine essence nor cannot be proper speech so applied but at Divine existence noting how the persons in the Trinity doe act one in and by another
gnola an whole ascension holocautomata a whole burnt offering all ascending in a flame to Christ that did so for us to God Divine Light carries Energy with it all tooles and instruments whereby all faculties and organs are made answerable to the eyes it opens it makes not a blinde man open his eyes and lie still but opens eyes in order to legs and armes and all other joynts when God opens eyes he opens cares opens all David is a demonstration of this and Christ Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not Charitha but mine eares hast thou opened digged open Eyes were digged open and eares together when David knew what God would have his Light warmed and opened his heart and made that obedient unto it and so Christ if you apply the words to him when he opened his Commission at his journeys end when come into the flesh and into this world and unto offering age to Priestly maturty for that Office and saw what kinde of offering God expected not such offering as under the Law the bodies of beasts but his own body his Light inflamed his heart and he proclames his Commission what body he might offer a body hast thou prepared me and he longed to give it to its intended use when he knew the intention of God concerning it there is a proportion to this in all the revelations of the same light in our hearts Christ puts his honour here upon us as he doth above as we shall have what he has in heaven so we have in a degree what he had on earth his spirit and his peace his light and his life our life is said to be hid in him t is bravely typified I think Numbers 27.20 Put some of thy honour upon him saith God to Moses concerning Joshua their Unctions were communicative under the Law to shadow that so should Christs Unction under the Gospell be communicative unto us you will be a whole ascension which have a whole light and hee that ascends wholly to Heaven must needs have a sweet and blessed life on 't COLOS. 1.28 Warning every man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word here used may be pursued strictly according to what it signifies as so compounded or it may be considered largely according to what it signifies as so in severall Scriptures used The composition of the word notes a putting of a thing into the mind from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the mind and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to put Divine words reach the heart they put themselves into the minde and into the soule This resolution of the Text makes resolution to that question Job 38.36 Who hath put wisdome into the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart The words of Christ doe this and nothing else these doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put things into the soule wisdome and understanding into the inward parts The words of God have the advantage of their matter they are pure Justice is of Majesty what shines with the beames of this is strongly impressive O how forcible are right words saith Job that is words made up of rightousnesse and thus are all Gods words necessarily his breath is as himselfe pure Breath is a very internall thing this stinking speakes something filthy in the inward parts God is light and in him is no darknesse Satan comes and finds nothing in me No impurity no unrighteousnesse in God he must needs therefore breath purely Purity is of great Majesty when Adam bore the Image of God his words were as thunder to all the creation his words yea his lookes went through and through Purity and Majesty be joynd together Cant. 6.10 Cleare as the Sunne terrible as an Army with Banners what is pure is of great power and Majesty The words of Christ have the advantage of their forme God opens his mouth in righteousnesse and in wisdom Some have good breath but not good braines and gutterals to shape it and utter it Children come to the birth cannot be delivered or else delivered too soon untimely births are not taking to looke upon none lodge such in their bosomes Indiscretion turnes the point and edge of things that otherwise are very penetrating The words of the wise are like goades and nailes they goe into the heart wisdome takes the utmost of all advantage which is very forcible she sits her down in the center of a businesse and takes into her bosome all the small lines that doe circumstance it and so makes her motion in every thing effectuall heart-reaching and heart-working The heart is put for wisdome in the old Testament and I thinke for this reason because wisdome is that which brings in all to the heart words workes that which makes every thing like goads and nayles piercing or like honey dewes so king melting Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he is mighty in strength and wisdome Choach leb Iob 36.5 t is strength and heart or strength of heart Wisdome is that which brings in things in strength to the heart and so makes it strong upon the heart Strength and wisdome are joynd together here things that we say or doe are of strength as this conjunction is kept which is never separated in order to God No word of God no worke of God but uttered and wrought in wisdome which makes all his words like goads and nayles in entering The words of God have the advantage of their end They are spirit and life that is they are intended above all words to be spiritually forcible they are appointed to be the Sword of the Spirit that by which one spirit should reach another the Spirit of God the Spirit of man e contra And take unto you the Helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God The Sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith a critick that which fetcheth blood with delight that which joyes to goe into the veines and into the heart the seat of life Things move delightfully to their end to that scope and center to which they are appointed The center of the word is the soule of man the words of God sinke downe into the eares Let these words sinke downe into your eares saith Christ they are directed from one spirit to another they may knocke without but they will be restlesse till they get in into affection or else into conscience into the marrow and joynts which are the inmost things of man an in-roome they will have Spirit will to spirit the Spirit will use the Word which is to be a Sword according to Divine appointment being put into his hand as a sharpe weapon he will joyfully sheath it in the soule in one part or other of it how painfull soever it be to man hee will wound the spirit pricke the heart let it be never so deepe The words I speake saith Christ they are spirit and life that is they are so
instituted to be of spirituall interpretation and spirituall impression to pricke the heart yea to runne it through The weapon in the hand of the Spirit is suted and fitted to its end to its appointed worke t is very sharpe and very long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 romphaea so t is cald Revel 2.12 jaculum oblongum a very long dart to make through worke save or slay and therefore is this rod of Christs mouth cald a slaying weapon Esay 11.4 Vse T is not safe I see by this poynt to have to doe with sinne any way not to meddle with it in any part neither with hand nor heart there is no hiding place any where for sinne no not within you the word of God will get into you t will ransacke every corner of your soules and discover deepe things out of darknesse t wil strike fire with your bones and kindle a fire in the midst of you bigge enough to discover and lay open all the very secrets of your heart but I purpose not to drive this way That which I would stand on is this this point in hand mee thinks hath not yet demonstration enough I would have you lend me one demonstration more Doe you finde this by experience that the Word of God reacheth your hearts and puts it selfe into your minds and soules our condition is very dolorous t is darke night and yet no man can tell how our night goes away we cannot tell whether it be mid night yet or what I am afraid t is not neere day yet because every ones doores are shut and fast asleepe many ghosts walking which is very affrighting yea the holy Ghost walking and knocking much at mens hearts heads estates ready to knocke downe all and yet cannot get in where he would be England when wilt thou throughly let in the Word of God thy veines are very empty of blood now is there no place yet for truth Some consumptions make the stomacke nauceate as others make it voraminous though all parts be empty yet no desire to take any thing in to any purpose but onely sip a little which notwithstanding the consumption continues and the body decayes and sinkes apace t is so with a body politicke as it takes in Christ and his Word so is it in a languishing or a flourishing condition The civill State and the Divine doe as the soule and body sympathize as the one prospers so doth the other t was noted a great while agoe worthily by good Mr. Fox upon the burning of some Christians in Norwich the same yeere there followed such a fearfull fire as almost burnt downe the City where note saith he that according to the state of the Church so is the Common-wealth in adversity or prosperity burne Saints and Christ will burne Cities Countries Kingdomes t is considerable therefore to observe how we take in or cast out the Word of God The Word is nigh thee England t is very nigh thee t is in thee as that expression is Deut. 30.14 t is so nigh thee England that I may goe on to say to thee as he there doth to Israel The Word is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe up for us to Heaven and bring it downe to us that we may heare it and doe it neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say who shall goe over the Sea and bring it to us that we may heare and doe it but the Word is very nigh thee so nigh thee that in a sence it may be said to be in thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst doe it that is formally t is in thee but not really ministerially but not magisterially according to naked aspect not according to energeticall inspect I will open this latter to you The Word of God gotten into the heart magisterially is the heart strong in love with the Word in love with the Word because the voyce of Christ the voyce of a husband The friend of a Bridegroome which standeth and heareth him rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegroomes voice John 3.19 You may see under what notion Christ and his voice is taken as he is a Husband a Bridegroome and his Word as t is the voice of this Bridegroome The Word got within the heart marries the soule to Christ that is makes love to Christ above all and now ' tould heare more words from his mouth his first words are so sweet could ever heare his voyce and never be tired the friend of a Bridegroome standeth and heareth him No posture is painfull no continuance of time tiresome that is not of the Spirit though possibly it may be of the flesh t would heare him to day to morrow for ever rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegroomes voyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gaudio gaudet by joying or in joying he joyeth he is in good earnest his joy is a reall joy a joy that takes the whole heart The Greeke word also signifies to bid farewell the Word of Christ got into the heart the Bridgroomes voyce heard in the soule makes such a joy and such a delight that the soule bids farewell to all sinfull mirth and cals it madnesse yea it bids farewell to all other delights comparatively and cals them vanities empty things if not sinfull things vexing things and so polluting at second hand if not downe rightly naught and polluting at first hand as soone as ever toucht He that toucheth pitch is defiled with it some things are so naught as to touch them defiles to thinke of them or speake of them other things may be toucht and handled provided we goe no further but if hearted if they come into the soule they vex or bewitch and so will not out againe without becomming sinne The Word of Christ got into the heart bids farewell to all joyes fading to all joyes that will bid the soule farewell that doth not bid them farewell first it makes a joy transcending other joyes and so no need of them and not onely so but a joy sufficing such a vast being as the soule of man is for the soule doth not cast off old delights upon the meere excellency of some new found out that some of later invention doth something more content not upon this ground nakedly and simply doth the soule cast off old sinnes for there are returnes to the same filth unto mens old sinnes and yet going foreward to new too these two are consistent in a bad state the heart doth worsten it selfe still as it goes forth to any thing more carnally contenting and being made worse t will at last take up its vomit eate againe an old sinne by the strength and punishment of a new and so hold what he hath and goe backe and sinne over former sinnes againe with more senslesnesse and with more presumption than at first he did commit them and the reason is because in old and new delights he misses still something that he aimed at but the soule
is in its scope as others to obtaine i. the glory of God and salvation of the soule our fight of this kind is not onely to kill but to make alive to make an eternall death and an eternall life to make an eternall death to sin and an eternall life to Christ Vse Strife is common now all the world is on fire but t is so voyd of divine property that I know not what will become of us all t is hell fire that burnes onely to torment persons and augment sinnes such is our lung and tongue contests at this day as for other fights the Lord be gracious to us they are very bloody but what their nature is otherwise I am unskild to speake heart fight makes hand fight love was slaine before our wars began or we had never gone together by the eares with any weapon neither with tongue nor hand Justice hath found us out and turnd our inside outwards what will be in the end God knowes if the Spirit of Christ be wanting in contention t is the saddest worke in the world and of the most desperate issue and yet nothing puts upon greater temptation this way When a house is a fire a little winde will make the blaze very big big enough to consume all when David had his Sword by his side how quickly was he over-heated by a foole t is so in spirituall contests when friends meet to argue they are as souldiers with their weapons by their sides one foole now in the company a little folly throwne out over-heats and fires all of a sudden and sets all together by the eares if Christ be not very gracious Selfe must be first slaine in me before I goe to destroy any part of selfe in another otherwise I shall wound mine owne soule when I goe to cure anothers vain-glory is conceited such a man is a reformer of all but one this exactnesse because it cannot accomplish it selfe turnes into frowardnesse and now he that cannot mend all will marre all the froward soule sowes strife saith Solomon Prov. 16.28 These are the most dangerous persons of all there is a strife of words and a strife of matter reason not passion must onely fight against folly this makes conquest and honour strength and vigour of matter not violence and virulency of words and lust in this latter strife wee can doe nothing that is honourable to our selves or benificiall to others and therefore it s a strife utterly forbidden by the Apostle Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but iâ— lownesse of mind let each esteeme other better then themselves Yet let not what is honourable be condemnd with that which is dishonourable I am to strive with any to plucke a brand out of the fire men come not out of the armes of a harlot with ease t is not divine strife but diabolicall that is our plague at this day and this in no mans heart more then in theirs that cry-out most of the divisions of the Land sects schismes and factions I have not a word to say for any one that walkes besides rule That strife in sacred things which strikes at mens honours liberties and the like is fire not from above but from below and will keepe persons and Kingdoms low the sword will never be turnd into a plowsheare nor want worke in the world while this spirit lives Our weapons in divine things are spirituall if we make them carnall we shall abuse institution and attempt to kill the King of the Jewes in the Cradle to keepe our selves King truth shall no sooner bud but have its braines knockt out with a club which hath been the effectuall argument of Antichrist these many hundred yeeres and the argument of Episcopacy now on foot in the field which hath cost a great deale of blood to answer and yet we are necessitated to answer as we are opposed which should make us and posterity for ever after us to abhor such kind of strivings to advance the things that we thinke Christs COLOS. 1.29 According to his working DIvine action according to its first cause is here mentioned First Christ workes and then a Christian Christ is the Prince of life ye have denied the holy one and killed the Prince of life Acts 3.15 That is the prime and first maker and breather of life as Christ is the Prince of life so he is the Prince of all the acts of life that is the preparations of the heart in man as well as the answer of the tongue are from the Lord. Ere divine actions are attempted there are great thoughts of heart in a good man How shall I move in this action congruous to the will of Christ a Christian travels still to bring forth now these travellings of the soule as well as the birth it self are all from Christ the training and exercizing of armes as well as the fight and conquest He workes the will and the deed of his good pleasure There is a first mover in order to the whole and a first mover in order to the parts the will is the first mover in order to the parts not an organ or faculty stirres not a thought workes or sits up a moment with any content about any thing till first the will will it this first mover is not independent not the originall of its owne influence upon other faculties the first mover in order to the whole moves the will which is Christ he gives the very desires and inclinations of the heart to things that are heavenly according to his working wee stir and work the expression meanes this that what we are as Christians intentionally or actually in thought word or deed we are wholly of Christ Three words will comprise all that belongs to a Christian though three thousand words will not expresse it efficiency sufficiency al-sufficiency and all these are of Christ The first term comprises the very being of a Christian esse Christianum A Christian precisely so considered that is as divine life and soule is together as one would say and he is as Melchisedeske without father and mother without any propagator in all the world but Christ there is much variety of things in the world and yet all of very knowne and very low birth some are borne of bloud that is of very corruption of very filth and excrement which we call a praeternaturall Generation others are borne of the will of the flesh that is of a naturall Generation others of the will of man that is an artificiall Generation as all your structures of art and ingenuity which are the birth of mens braines but a Christian is none of these births he came none of these wayes into this World hee is of God which were borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God 1 John which is explained in the verses foregoing and applied to God-man to wit Christ to as many as received him meaning believers to
Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of minde there was not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Willing but all readinesse to will all strength and life of affection to Christ and the Gospell which is the Nobility of a Christian These are the Noble operations that I would have you long and looke after COLOS. 1.29 Which worketh in me mightily Or in power IN-operation simply and in-operation extraordinary are both to be stood upon a little to open this expression unto you the one will open the first part of this expression which worketh in me the other will open the latter part of the expression which worketh in me mightily or in power In-operation simply considered is a supreme act making an eternall impresse upon the soule for life or death Things have their advantage by position so they may be put that every one cannot reach them nor finde them out the heart hath this advantage t is a hidden man an inward creature What you looke upon or touch when you have to doe with a creature of your owne making is flesh and bones but the manhood of this substance or that which makes this substance a man is hidden within so hid that none can reach but by supreme power of its owne or borrowed Among these Nations shalt thou have no ease but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and sorrow of mind Deut. 28.56 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart a stone may be stirred and toumbled sometimes when it is not broken Consider the heart under this metaphor as the Scripture doth for some refractory properties of it and this stone that lies at the center of the little world cannot be stirred nor the foundation of this little world shaken in the least but by a supreme power The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart Those internall operations which make a wicked mans heart shake and tremble sometimes they are from the Lord and when the Lord takes off his hand the stone lies still againe lift and pull whoso will as long and as much as hee will the sinner stirres not which is authority enough that internall operation is a supream act If this be not Job gives further authority and makes a higher instance Consider the stone that lies at the center of the earth the foundation stone of the little world I meane the heart as shaken or as broken and God doth it God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me Job 23.16 When a Christians heart melts and is dissolved take it in a refreshing sense or take it in an afflicting sense supreame power doth it man cannot doe this himselfe a sinner a Saint cannot move the stone in his bosome one jot t is an Almighty act that reacheth the heart of any man the Almighty stirs me within Internall operation is as I have said a supreame act This act makes eternall impresse Internall operation is from a high hand and of high concernment t is of everlasting force the Spirit is called an eternall Spirit not so much in order to being as in order to operation the things that this Spirit worketh in us and for us are life eternall the workman the workhouse the worke wrought in this house are all eternall the Spirit eternall the soule eternall the workes wrought here the carvings or cuttings are eternall unalterable if Christ make but the least dint upon the heart I may challenge all powers in heaven and in earth to even it Operations externall are not eternall not a worke you looke upon without though never so great or glorious but fades and shall be turnd into its fitst nothing but operations internall are eternall what God doth in the soule is to last as the soule if he drop mercy into us this drop shall last for ever though all the mercies without us may be gone in a moment if he drop justice and wrath into us this drop abideth for ever God is called immutable not so much in order to being as in order to action and not in order to all action neither but in order to internall actions such as are done about the soule I am God immutable and change not Change not in what in esse that is granted of all and needs no affirmation no this is not the thing but in operari and about this many doubt I have droped mercy into the hearts of the sonnes of Jacob and it shall never out I have begun a good worke a good internall worke and it shall last to the day of Christ it shall last unto Heaven that is for ever therefore is the Spirit according to his presence and internall operation called the earnest of Heaven and the scale to the day of redemption it makes impresse upon the soule so deepe that abides for ever the worke the Spirit doth in us outstands the gates of hell the Temple that Christ now builds in us not a stone not the least pin of it moulders to all eternity t is so wrought t is so on the other hand what he doth internally in poynt of justice he doth it to purpose All the world on fire without you may sooner quench it then one sparkle of the fire of Gods wrath which he casts into a man this is an everlasting fire an alway punishment as the Scripture speaks Bow downe their backe alwaies pointing at Doeg and Judas and such like wretches that were internally punisht A man internally smitten by the justice of God his backe is broke for ever take Job but as hee personates a wicked mans case forbeare the application of it to himselfe as he doth being then in a temptation let his person alone but take the thing as his apprehension is opened fully in this poynt to his triall for a time and you shall have him speake notably of the property of internall operation in order to evill men God is in one mind when he is at worke in wicked soules one cannot turne him what his soule desireth that he doth Job 23.13 If after great provocation workings and strivings without by words and blowes hee goe to worke within to fit the vessell for wrath if this be now the will of God there is no turning of him nor no turning of the point nor edge of the tooles hee workes with no terminating the effect short of the Authors intention the Trinity in their action internall to expresse this property of it are called agents hitherto The Father worketh hitherto and I worke observe about what works Christ was when he spake thus he was about internall action to wit the curing of the cripple which had laine so long at the poole which was a cripled soule as well as a cripled body Internall operation is of eternall force this is generall and indetermined therefore it followes in the definition t is of eternall force to such an expresse end to life and death that which Christ doth within about
great world over all the little world into every roome of the soule into joynts and marrow and set downe himselfe where he will in conscience in affection in what inward part he sees good in some one part or in all parts that is the greatest good in the world when truth is in the inward parts i. not in one faculty but in all not onely in the understanding but in the conscience in the affection in every faculty this Christ loves mightily and what hee loves hee can accomplish there is no torture upon him affection larger then power as t is usually with us All power is given to him to worke without to worke within in Earth in Heaven that is in the more internall and heavenly part Hee giveth wisdome to the heart I will give my Lawes into your mind By Lawes is meant all grace and yet all this made a gift and given into the soule that desires it Christ gives things into the hand yea into the heart all precious things and derives them into all parts and when all this is done in us and the like laboured for to be done by us in all others then is internall operation in power or then Christ workes in us mightily which terme pointing onely at a gradation in the same operation hath raveld out it selfe according to what is difficult in unfolding the former A concluding Speech WHich worketh in me mightily The concurrence of this power wee have had in our measure all along our labour which I would should be much acknowledged to Christ by vertue of which wee are now come to our period of this Verse and of the whole Chapter Our pace in this long journey hath been slow that you might all goe along with mee in the well understanding and imbracing of weighty things and yet how many notwithstanding our double industry are left behind in the blindnesse and mis-beliefe of their soules I know not If our Gospell be hid after all pains fully to lay it open such soules have great reason to feare themselves Child-bearing is no easie worke to any but doubly hard to some so that life out of death may that which comes forth betweene the legges be called This birth though but a hard-favoured child hath beene hard travell to us 'tas made many a sigh and groane many a heart pang and crying out to God What you will doe with the child now borne whither you will be a Pharaoh or a Pharoahs Daughter to it murther it or keepe it alive in your hearts I know not This I know that no man can spill all the blood of any child of God some will stick upon you doe what you can to tell the murtherer at the great day Sighes and groanes are the teares of the heart the heart venting it selfe at the mouth when it cannot at the eyes and other lesser pores every drop that hath fallen from our heart and head from our Eye-lids or Eye-brows shall be all gathered up and put as marginall notes along by all our labours and all put in one Volumne together and this volumne put in your hand at the great day and opened Leafe after Leafe and read distinctly and exactly to you and your soules made to attend regard and remember better then here many of you have done and when all is thus read over this booke shall be closed and this question solemnly put to you all now O soules what have you profitted by all Words Prayers Teares Sighes Groanes As Conscience can answer to this for nothing else may then speake so shall your sentence be and I shall be called out to give witnesse to the justice of it and say Amen Lord Jesus righteous is all that thou hast pronounced upon these soules Our labours lost if this were simply all truly 't were nothing but our labours lost and your soules are lost and yet what is losse to you shall be gaine to us for wee are a sweete savour to God both in them that are saved and in them that perish As wee dresse and as wee water Trees in the Lords Vinyard so shall wee have our wages and not as these Trees beare if Trees be dressed and watered well though they never beare well wee shall have a good Vintage You Londoners are Trees watered choisely indeede 'T is storied of the Plane Tree that at its first transplanting into Italie 't was watered with Wine to make it take and prosper in those parts of the World you are Trees watered with Wine I cannot say that you have beene so watered by mee I dare not but this I can humbly and truly say that if our choisest strength and spirits may bee nam'd in steade of Water Wine or if the blessing which hath gone along with these Waters at any time have turned them into Wine in vigour upon your soules then hath God by mee watered your Rootes with Wine and yet if after such costly watering you grow not nor beare not certainly such Trees are neere unto cursing which sad effect that my Ministey should be an instrument to hasten to this place or to any soule will make mee to continue mourning still in secret for you all and so spend and end my dayes * ⎠* FINIS TABLE MAn is in soule misery page 1 So naturally judicially universally p. 2 3 Whether sensible of soule misery moved and what demonstrates insensibility p. 3 4 5 Christ snatcheth soules out of Hell P. 7 Christ moves swiftly throughly preventingly ravishingly to save p. 7 8 9 Whom Christ hath snatcht out of Satans power p. 10 11 12 That power which workes irresistibly to save the soule with much ease can save our body p. 13 Ignorance makes prophanenesse p. 14 Ignorance pollutes will the practicke understanding the conscience and is the Divels element p. 15 16 The darke Church of England spoken to p. 16 17 Christ carries soules to Heaven p. 18 Christ saves laboriously fatherly surely p. 19 20 Satan carries soules to Hell and how p. 22 23 Demonstrations of Christs Kingdome in this world p. 25 26 Some not far from the Kingdome of God and yet never come there p. 30 31 Love gives forth preferment to all Gods children p. 32 God gives orderly purely solacingly p. 32 33 The folly of men that looke after humane favour to rise p. 34 35 The blessednesse of them which are beloved of God p. 36 37 What redemption meanes p. 38 39 40 41 Bodily bondage lookt after but not soule bondage p. 42 43 What a spirit of bondage and a state of bondage are p. 43 44 What men in bondage and those which are out of bondage should doe p. 45 46 The choicest mercies come through the greatest miseries p. 47 48 Grounds to give God the glory of his way let it be how t will p. 50 51 52 53 Great things comming to us in way of hardship exhorted to prepare for hardship p. 54 What sin meanes p. 55 56 What reconciliation notes p. 56 57 What
place and that is the Golgotha for souls the place of spirituall skulls where the skulls of the inward man lie Prepare mourning you that have dead in your houses and hearts for the dead will be buried quickly and strangely hell opens of a sudden and takes in her dead which is a strange grave and buriall Bodily bondage is exactly looked after but soul-bondage not parts are imployed much without but little within and this fault is very common and very crying I am afraid there is many amongst you that do not know what spirituall bondage is and yet it speaks out it self There is a spirit of bondage and a state of bondage the one is terrible the other is damnable I will touch them each a little that you may truly know your state and remedy A spirit of bondage is a frequent application of the displeasure of God without just ground Wrath is many mens due but they which should apply it to themselves do not and they which should not do and the devil is in both to destroy all if it were possible Men which love their sinnes and are loth to leave them make application of nothing but mercy and these choak themselves with sweet meats and surfet of childrens bread men which are weary of their sinnes and would gladly leave them make application of nothing bur justice and this is deadly too if God did not pitty it and cure it Application of God is mans prerogative alone to restore his happinesse but it is rarely used rightly to this end it makes bondage still and not redemption from it when not grounded truly upon the word False application is still from false principles with a diabolicall power concurring A man not well enlightened thinks his life must be perfect ere his soul must apply Christ but the one cannot be and the want of the other keeps the soul in bondage in hell here Sinne felt and loathed Christ prized and yet unapplyed is a spirit of bondage fear eats out this poore soul and if there were no dreadfull doings in the land yet this soul would still be at his wits end because like Rachel a refuser of his own mercy This is a house of bondage for a time We have told you of a spirit of bondage and now we are to tell you of a state of bondage and this the Apostle very exactly sets forth 2 Pet. 2.19 Whilest they promised them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage Mans will proposed as a rule and all voluntarily and violently serving this is a state of bondage Corruption is an ill inmate and a worse landlord and yet rules all in the most and shall do so that is a state of bondage The old man hath his commands his commands are alwayes congruous to flesh not to truth and obedience to these in love speaks a servant of corruption Men little eie their hearts yet from thence must be drawn the denomination of your state and not from this good action or that nor not from this bad action or that Of what a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage That which is set up within for a rule of motion that hath overcome the man they had taken in false light and set up this in their souls through love to to guide their course Ah saith the Apostle you are overcome now and brought in bondage but then there 's himself as well as he could 't is but a proverb saith he fulfilled The dog is returned to his vomit you were never but dogs what you left for a while you did not dislike it it onely disliked you and this made a vomiting like a dog and therefore are you so apt to return to it again and to embrace such doctrines as tend to destroy Christ and grace What principles are preferred in the soul for ordering life you best know look to these I can but demonstrate to you from truth that of these you are overcome and in bondage if bad If our discourse discover any in a state of bondage let God be honoured and the condition taken to heart the soul is lost else His you are to whom you serve and Sathan will claim his propriety when you come to die though he say little to you now Gods servants have a jubilee at death the trumpet sounds and the soul which long lived in bondage in the body is made to go out free to a state of freedome and felicity to all eternity But ah what a black jubilee is death to Sathans servants The trumpet sounds and bondmen with their chains gingling come forth to the Judge of all the world and the Goalour stands up These are my prisoners saith Sathan that shall be tried saith Christ Judgement is given upon triall now they are more mine for ever mine saith the devil and God will not wrong the devil of his own Now is bondage sealed make free who can What is done at the last judgment is done as the acts of the Medes and Persians that is not to be recalled Soul-bondage is a gendring thing as the Gospel useth the expression one degree of bondage genders another till at last you be so fast bound that there will be no loosing Hagarins lay to heart your condition betime and enquire after a Redeeemer grone under your bondage and the redeemer will come to you this is that turning from transgression which the prophet speaks of and to which state a redeemer is promised Esa 59.20 And the redeemer shall come to Sion and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob. There is the proper and peculiar law of the redeemer which if ye observe not ye cannot be redeemed As every creature hath its proper action so also it hath its proper law and without the observation of which it will not so act It is the proper action of the spirit to comfort and this spirit hath its law you must be led by the spirit for if you grieve him he will not comfort you So the proper action of the Sonne is to redeem and he hath his proper law about this work without the observation of which he will not foul his fingers with filthy souls and therefore you have him proposing the law of redemption first to that man which had lien thirty and eight years at the pool Wilt thou be made whole Whole why one would think it a strange question to one that had lien in that extremity so long Wonder not at it for your case is shadowed out in it you have lien long under infirmities and yet have no will to be made whole that is no ardent affection to be redeemed out of them but content your selves to rub-along in them as many lumpish persons do in some bodily diseases you will never get deliverance in this way Sinners will you be made whole will you be delivered out of the bondage of sinne Do
pit out of the mirie clay and set my feet upon a rocke and established my goings Psal 40.2 Horrible pit a vault of hideous noises saith the Originall Christ can bring a man downe to such a condition as if his soule were in a vault where are all manner of hideous and dolefull noises and yet then raise the spirit as into Heaven where all manner of melodious and reviving noises are Vse Afflicted Christians should sucke the sweetnesse of this point Doth the paine in thy flesh rage inward to thy spirit Is the cup thou drinkest of bitter to thy soule yet it is a cup of love 't is no other then of what Christ hath drunke and left the sweet of his lips upon for the next to drinke 't is no other then what he gives to the best of his Misapprehension makes burthens intolerable which is heavier then ever Christ intended to any Saint When any twig in the rod stings the soule when any thing stickes and presses hard upon the spirit the conclusion is wrath made this rod and 't will kill me if I had a thousand lives These are our conclusions meerly ours and Satans Christ hath no hand at all in them Fatherly displeasure is love a God setting himselfe against your sin not against your persons he hath imbraced these with an everlasting love Satan visits much when the soule is in paine 't were well if good hearts did know when he comes his counsels his prescriptions are all desperate when the heart is heavie then he shewes such the nailes of that hand that is upon them how long they be and how hard they pinch and what deepe dints and blacke and blew markes they make i he makes an exact collection of circumstances about every stroake of God with his own comment in the margent As to instance Love doth strike her beloved ones indeed but doth shee strike so strong so long so deep Doth shee strike and not stroake a jot Not with her own hand nor no body else Doth shee wither every other womb of love when shee leaves bringing forth her selfe 'T is a frowne of God 't is a pang of death upon the soule certainly thou canst not recover it saith that cursed spirit One would construe the Devill under a notion of simplicitie in this there may be charitie to the Devill he is so under justice himselfe that he can see nothing else and this is the strength of the torment that is upon him but yet then he is to be judged no fit leader in such a case as this when he hath to doe with spirits in a better station then himselfe The workes of God are wonderfull especially such as reach the soule and need to be read over often ere a man venture to make a positive conclusion upon them that this and no other is the meaning Afflicted Christians you are too rash too venturous paine puts you into passion that 's a very mis-judging condition You judge things before the time this in small matters is no small fault nor of no small evill event but what is it when a man doth thus about the greatest acts that relate to him in all the world The tranquillity of the soul is embarked in a right judgement of things let Satan your own passion any wile whatsoever overturne this and you shipwracke and sinke your consolation irrecoverably therefore studie long pray long waite long ere you draw up a judgement upon that hand-writing that is in the wall against you Doe as that Heathen judge others better able to interpret the hand-writing against you then your selves And if you would have the exact meaning of this strange stroake or that doe as he did send for the most experienced spirituall man in all the world Some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let him rather then thy selfe make a judgement upon that hand that writes bitter things against thee Open thy breast and say Sir doe you see any plague-spot in my breast one cannot look very well in his own breast 't is so high open it fully to another Pray Sir deale faithfully with me Do you see any plague spots in my breast There be spots there are they the spots of Gods people or not How black be they How broad be they How many be they If thou wilt make many curious questions about thy state and drive things to an exact disquisition be sure that thou take one by thee better able then thy selfe to guide thee or thou wilt condemne the innocent and execute thy selfe Judgement setled and something may be spoken to the man to doe him good There are two considerations which may much relieve when trials pinch the soule 't is for some through and noble good to the partie and for some through and noble use for Christ The throne of iniquitie is struck at the head of the Serpent is trod upon powers within are Satans strongholds things which paine and shake these come to Satans bed-side and holds a knife to his throat where he lies tumbles and sleepes The Granadoes which are cast into the soule burne the devill in his bed they burne the branch yea they burne the root of sin 't is an axe to the roote Sin considered as it lies lodged in the heart is the root of it therefore saith the Apostle Covetousnesse is the root of evill it being as it were the heart to all other sinnes Exorbitant affections which lie all within these are the roots of all the sin you act that which is so ordered and steeped as to affect these dis-affected passions strikes at the root of sin Seest thou a man prickt in soule Stand still thou wilt see pride come downe branch and root Seven Devils turned out a floare throughly cleansed drosse purely purged away a man made cleane every whit outside inside all faire in the eye yea in the vote of Christ yea in the vote of Christ to the soule it selfe And now and not till now is a Christian fit for noble service thus throughly dead and thus throughly raised Pride slaine all her children that is loose affections murthered in their bed the meek and pure spirit crowned with a vision of God you may send this dove forth any where he will come home with an olive branch in his mouth Set this soule about what worke you will that belongs to a Christian and he will doe it truly and if it be to cloth the naked to relieve the oppressed hee l powre out his soule or state to the needie and he will doe it with tender bowels because he hath needed them himselfe and hath tasted how sweet they are When the soule goes forth in action then is action done nobly indeed The Lord is with them that uphold my soule says David and we thinke he points at Jonathan when he had scarce any else to cleave to him When every ones heart was as Iron Jonathan loved David as his own soule Jonathan had been put to it he knew what
't was to be in strait for his life so unfatherly was his father and therefore he proves a brave spirit for this noble service to save the life of David to raise him and Christ in him to his throne he was all heart and soule in it and God was with him God is doubly present with a man which he hath much exercised which is an incomparable advantage to all divine usefulnesse No man can speake so feelingly so healingly as he that hath much of God speaking in and with him this is the man of a thousand that can speake words in season like apples of gold in pictures of silver that can lend legges to the lame eyes to the blind that can comfort those which are cast downe with the same comforts wherewith he hath been comforted from the Lord. COLOS. 1.24 And fill up that which is behind c. THe afflictions of Christ are twofold in his person in those which hee personates the former are accomplished the latter are yet accomplishing Christs will and himselfe are one such as strike his will any part of this or any lover of this would strike Christ himselfe if hee were now present Christ is plaine hee cals actions as intended not as pretended The second Adam names things as the first when he stood according to their nature what is against truth is in the nature of it against Christ who ever be the professor of it and therefore so accounted yea and so openly called And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ And fill up the word in the originall is compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and full of emphasis it signifies re-action or re-passion the doing or suffering of a thing againe to doe over that which some others have done already readimplere as one translates The measure of suffering that tendeth to satisfie for offence and ransome man from the wrath of God Christ hath fild up to the brim the cup was big but Christ poured out blood enough to fill it one would have hoped that all suffering worke belonging to a Christian had been done then No 't is not saith the Apostle I doe iterum implere rursus implere fill up againe the sufferings of Christ Malice lives still Christ is crucified afresh in his members Christ doth bleed in my veines afresh saith the Apostle if there were any drop of blood left behind when he bled upon the crosse now t is fetcht out through my sides How implacable is the fury of man the fury of God was stopped when Christ had bled to death and 't was not his will that ever Christ should die any more or that any one should die more for Christs sake but yet the fury of man lives and that would have Christ die over and over iterum iterumque againe and againe 't would have every house pulled downe and burned that Christ gets into 't would crucifie his image his picture 't would make him bleed as long as this world lasts yea to all eternity therefore doe wicked spirits in hell blaspheme and teare his name a worke which they will never leave though it continually adde to their plague and yet these doe but shew the nature of all malicious men on earth which are everlasting blood-hounds which spend perpetually upon the sent of Christians upon the sent of Christ in any earth Malice should be looked upon as t is an implacable thing and men in whose breast it is should be looked upon as they are fire-shovels fetched from hell to carry everlasting fire from house to house from place to place where ever Christ is to burne him out of this world quite to burne him againe and againe till there be none of him left not a finger not a toe not a haire We are much given to wondring we know the reason of things so little to see a man drinke blood and never be weary of drinking such a fulsome drinke t is strange to us yet t is the property of that fire that burnes in the breast of the man to make an unquenchable thirst after this red Wine t is a damnable disease that the man cannot helpe nor no man upon earth for him every good body must keepe out of his way as well as they can I know no other remedy the man will set abroach any ones blood Pauls Christs any one that lookes like either Christians have a blessed keeper or else how rare would they be in the world Blesse God that there is a good man left in the land at this day in the middest of so many blood-thirsty O how much are good hearts put to it every where by this generation Mourne over both persecutors and persecuted they are both in hell fire Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word may signifie to suffer for another pro-implere to fill up in anothers stead according to his appointment Christ is gone out of this world and he hath left Christians in his stead and all his prime trust and businesse with them to doe it for him to accomplish his will to walke in his steps and to take in good part what befals them in this way Christs businesse left to Christians is comprised in that expression of bearing his crosse he did beare his crosse himselfe when he was on earth now he hath left it to his people to beare it for him to tread in his paths and take such lodging and fare at night as fals out When Christ died he left but one child to keepe for him but that one a precious child to wit Truth and this so to keepe as never to let it die what ever die I can doe nothing against the truth but for it I can doe any thing suffer any thing that truth may live I can die I can drinke off a cup deadly full deadly big which will hold all my blood to fill it This is our president in the Text. I fill into the same cup that Christ did saith Paul and the same liquor red Wine the blood of a brave Grape the blood of an upright heart and this for his sake At what heighth we are to be for Christ is considerable at the same heighth that Christ was at for us we are to rise to the losse of estate honour life Neither count I my life deare Life is the prime Jewell of nature t is the union of two great estates body and soule t is of more worth than rayment i. then all outward things and yet this of no worth and of no price in order to truth I account not my life deare I am about the worke which Christ was filling a cup that is deadly big that will hold my life-blood to fill it and yet it is nothing to me no griefe if it be any matter to me it is matter of joy Now I joy to fill up that which is behind c. Thinke how brave you should be and how neere you are