accommodates Page 93. 1. Freâ—y 2. Fuâ—y 6. Christ is an advantaging Rock He is All 1. Between God and Them 2. Between Them ond God 7. Christ is a secure Rock He secures 1. Under Danger 2. From Danger 8. Christ is a daraâ—â—e Rock Thus 1. As to his Life 2. As to his Love 10. A Portion Page 95. Quest But what manner of Portion is Christ Sol. 1. Christ is a necessary Portion Thus 1. To suffer all for Thee 2. To do all in Thee 2. A Soul Portion Thus He is 1. The Meat of the Soul 2. The Medicine of the Soul 3. A satisfying Portion Thus in respect Page 98. Of the 1. Susableness of the Object Page 98. Of the 2. Sufficiency of the Object 4. A durable Portion Thus Christ is 1. In respect of his Life 2. In respect of his Love 5. A seasonabâ—â— Portion Thus He is Page 100. 1. In reference to the Work 2. To the Wagâ—s 6. An incomparable Portion Thus Christ is 1. As to his Person 2. As to his personal excellency Now here take a Prospect or Taste of his 1. Love 2. Life 3. Kindness 4. Obedience 5. Humility 6. Sympathy 7. Mercifulness 8. Muteness 9. Meekness 10. Mindfulness DIRECT IV. Direct 4. Get thorough Grace Assarance of another Life after Death for there câ—n be no Assurance of this Life against Death Pag. 104. Quest 1. Is Assurance attainable in this Life Quest 2. What is this Assurance which is attainable in this Life Pag. 105. Quest 3. But why is Assurance attainable in this Life Pag. 108. Sol. In respect of 1. Precept 2. President 3. Promise Quest 4. But unto what is Assurance attributed which is attainable in this Life Pag. 109. Quest 5. But what course shall I steer for this Assurance which is attainable in this Life Pag. 110. Sol. 1. Be much in private Prayer 2. Watch at Wisdoms Gates 3. Study a greater Conformity to Christ 4. Make Christ the Object of thy Trust and live upon Grace in him 5. Converse those that are assured 6. Look unto the Spirit for Assarance Quest 6. But what Motives are there to endeavor this Assurance which is attainable in this Life Pag. 111. Sol. 1. Would ye not be staggering at the Promise 2. Would ye face Death under the severest complexion 3. Would ye be eminently spirited for the eminentest service 4. Would ye be ready and rigged for an eternity 5. Would ye find every bitter Cup sweetned 6. Would ye dwell in the Suburos of Heaven DIRECT V. Direct 5. Reflect those things that thorough Christ may sweeten the thoughts of Death Pag. 113. To this end reflect Death and the Promise 1. Death No Terror in it c. because 1. 'T is stingless 2. It cannot break the Covenant 3. Called a Sleep 4. A going to the Fathers 5. A Rest 6. It cannot break Vnion 2. The Promise as to its greatness and preciousness A threefold Promise 1. Civil 2. Religious 3. Divine Pag. 116. Divine Promises are greater than a Believers 1. Expressions 2. Conceptions 3. Wants 4. Weaknesses 5. Fears 6. Faith 7. Corruptions 8. As great as divine Commands 9. Greater than divine Threatnings 10. Like unto God himself What is great in God is laid under Promise Pag. 125. 1. His Power 2. His Presence 3. His Pardon 4. His Providence 5. His Spirit 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Counsel 9. Conduct 10. Himself DIRECT VI. Direct 6. Drink of the Brook by the way and lift up thy head Pag. 132. Cordial 1. Thou shalt be no Loser but a Gainer by Death Death will be 1. An Out-let to Sin 2. An In-let to Glory Cordial 2. Death will scrip thee of thy Rags of Mortality Pag. 136 Cordial 3. Whether living or dying thou art Christs Cordia 4. Death will arrive and aâ—â—hor thee in a desirable and delectable 〈◊〉 and Haven Cordial 5. Death will and that at once gâ—ave aliâ—ny 1. Cares 2. Snares 3. Fears 4. Tears 5. Temptations 6. Tribulations Pag. 141. Cordial 6. Art actually in Christ Then thou art an Heir Pag. 143. Quest 1. But who are those that are Christs Sol. 1. Those who are so by eternal Douation 2. Those who are so by effectual Vocation Quest 2. But are those who are Christs Heirs Quest 3. But of what are these Heirs Sol. 1. They are Heirs of things present Pag. 145. Quest But what are these things present Heirs 1. Of Christ 2. Of the Grace of Christ 3. Of the Spirit of Christ 4. Of the Ministery of Christ As 1. Of Men. Pag. 148. 2. Of Angels Wherein 1. Their Nature 2. Qualities 3. Number 4. Place 5. Degrees 6. Office 5. Of the Righteousness of Christ Pag. 150. 6. Of God 7. Of Gospel-Priviledges As 1. Of Access 2. Audience 3. Assistance 4. Acceptance 8. Of Gospel-Promises Pag. 153 Quest What are the things laid under promise 1. Eternal Life 2. Pardon of Sin 3. Power against Sin 4. Purity of Soul 5. Peace of Conscience 6. Growth in Grace Pag. 155. 7. Perseverance in Grace 8. Supporting Grace 9. Supplying Grace Quest But what are these times of need Pag. 158. Sol. A time of 1. Poverty 2. Plenty 3. Debauchery 4. Tribulation 5. Temptation 6. Declension 7. Death 8. Danger 9. Dissertion 10. Duty Pag. 161. Thus whether ye respect 1. The Duty to be performed Or Pag. 164. 2. I differency of Spirit to perform the Duty Duty not be disputed For 1. Thy Safety is in a way of Duty 2. Thy Mercy is in a way of Duty Supply of Grace is laid under promise 1. For a time of action Pag. 165. 2. For a time of pâ—ssion Sol. 2. They are Heirs of things to come Quest But what are these things to come Sol. These shall be indulged hereafter 1. Perfect Knowledge 2. Perfect Vnity 3. Perfect Grace 4. Perfect Peace 5. Perfect Vision 1. Without Amission 2. Without Intermission 6. Perfect Freedom Thus Pag. 166. 170. 1. From Satanical Suggestion 2. From sinful Commanion 3. From sinful Corruption Cordial 7. Art actually in Christ Thou art on the best side On this side are 1. Holy Saints 2. Holy Angels 3. A holy God 4. A holy Christ. Pag. 173. 1. The strongest side 2. The soundest side 3. A prudent 4. A prevailing A fourfold Conquest hath Christ made 1. Over Sin 2. Satan 3. The Earth 4. Heaven Cordial 8. An interest in the Blood of Christ Pag. 175. Quest What manner of Blood is Christs Sol. 1. Precious 2. Pure 3. Purifying 4. Purchasing 5. Pardoning 6. Pleading 7. Procuring 8. Pacifying 9. Conquering 10. Crucifying 11. Softening 12. Qâ—ickening 13. Justiâ—ying 14. Invaluable His Blood is invaluable for he is the Pearl Quest But what manner of Pearl is Christ Pag. 182. Sol. 1. A necessary earl 2. A rare Pearl 3. A taking Pearl 4. A making Pearl For 1. He pays thy debts 2. He bears thy charges 5. An inestimable Pearl 6. An unlosable Pearl Cordial 9. Art actually in Christ Be joyous then for he is the object of thy
whom will ye liken God or what likeness will ye compare unto him To whom will ye compare Christ He is a Beauty without a spot Cant. 5.10 He is white and red the Armour-bearer among ten thousand White and red as they are the best Temperature of Man so they are the natural and the native Badges of Beauty Isa 49.6 Hos 13.4 I will give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the Earth Christ hath no Competitor in Salvation There is no Saviour besides me Christ is an invincible Saviour Oh say the soul I am weak weak as water But Soul 1 Sam. 15.29 Margent Christ is strong strength it self The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent The strength of Israel the Eternity or Victory of Israel Oh say the Soul I am not a match for those Temptations without nor for these Corruptions within But Soul Christ is a match for both Thou art Peter Mat. 16.18 and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Thou art Peter thou art but a Fisherman Super hanc Petram not super hunc Petrum 1 Cor. 10.4 at best but a Fisher of Men Not upon this Peter but upon this Rock It is not called a Rock of Peter but he is called Peter of a Rock as we call Christians from Christ The Church is not built upon Peter but upon Christ the Rock of Ages They all drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ Upon this Rock will I build my Church 1 Cor. 1.24 and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it All the Power and Policy of Hell shall not prevail against it Christ is not only the Power of God but also the God of Power All Power in Heaven and Earth is devolved upon him But take a Tast of the Power of Christ Christ hath engaged the world and overcome Be of good cheer I have overcome the world Jo. 16.33 Christ hath engaged the Heart and overcome The Lord opened Lydia's heart Acts 16.14 that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul Paul was the Preacher but Christ was the Opener Paul preached to the Ear but Christ opened the Heart Christ hath engaged Hell and overcome I am he that was dead and am alive Rev. 1.18 and behold I live for evermore and have the Keys of Hell and of Death The Keys are an Emblem of Power a metaphor either taken from Stewards who have the Keys of the House to let in or keep out whom they please or from Conquerours who having entred a City have the Keys delivered up to them in token of Conquest Christ hath engaged Heaven and overcome Christ hath cancelled the Bond hath crossed the Book hath discharged the Debt hath given a plenary and perfect Satisfaction to Divine Justice by his active and passive Obedience Christ was Man that he might suffer and God that he might satisfie God being offended with Man He who was God and Man 1 Thes 1.10 satisfied God for Man And to wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come Now did Alexander the Great say when his Army was low for how many do ye reckon Me May not Christ then say when Zion is reduced unto an astonishing Ebb for how many do you reckon Me Christ is so Many that he may well stand for All. No Arithmetick upon Earth will reach Christ he is a match for the Vniverse he is invincible Christ is a full Saviour Christ is a Fountain and that is full 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.9 alwaies full In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead personally really substantially Though the stream should be cut off yet the Fountain is full though the Chanel should be empty yet the Ocean is full There is in Christ for those that are Christs Joh. 1.14 Non Specie sed Gradu a fulness of Grace Christ is full of Grace and Truth Grace is such a pearl that the Vniverse is not able to weigh against and yet Christ is full of Grace Grace differs nothing from Glory but in name and in degree it is the same state in another stature Grace is Glory militant and Glory is Grace triumphant That there is a fulness of Grace in Christ is evident and that this fulness of grace in Christ is for those who are Christs Joh. 1.16 Plenitudo Abundantiae Redundantiae is as evident Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace There is in Christ not only a fulness of Abundance but also of Redundance there is an overflowing fulness in Christ Jesus Grace for Grace A cumulation of grace grace upon grace As the Paper from the Press receiveth Letter for Letter or as the Wax from the Seal receiveth Print for Print or as the Glass from the Image receiveth Face for Face so Christians receive from Christ Grace for Grace There is in Christians in some measure and proportion a grace answerable and agreeable to the same in Christ. Thus generally but now particularly There is in Christ for those who are Christs a fulness of Power All power in Heaven is given unto Christ He is the Object of the Angels adoration He hath the Angels at his Command and can send them forth as an heavenly Host to assist his people Mat. 26.53 Peter saith Christ thinkest thou not that I can now pray to my Father and he shall give me more than twelve Legions of Angels The Roman Army consisted ordinarily of twelve Legions such an Army of Angels could Christ have had and this had been a vast Army A Legion they say is six thousand armed Souldiers but here are more than twelve Legions it may be a definite number put for an indefinite more than twelve Legions of Angels seem to import an infinite number of Angels But as Christ hath power in Heaven so on Earth As he is the Object of the Angels adoration so of the Saints admiration Christ hath power over the Princes and Potentates of the Earth how magnificent and mighty soever they be in their own eyes or in the eyes of others Rev. 17.14 He is therefore stiled King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ also hath power over Hell That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow Phil. 2.10 both things which are in Heaven Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect and on Earth Saints and Sinners and under the Earth infernal spirits As Christ is the Object of the Angels Adoration and of the Saints Admiration so of the Devils Consternation There is in Christ for those that are Christs a fulness of pardon Sin is evil all evil alway evil the pardon therefore of sin must needs be a singular and a signal mercy a precious Luk. 5.20 John
a way of mercy and thus it had in a way of Judgment Thus it had in a way of Mercy Elijah prayed and the Fire of the Lord fell 1 King 18.37 38. and consumed the burnt-sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench Thus also it had 〈◊〉 way of Judgment Elijah also prayed and fire came down from Heaven 2 King 1.10 11 12. consuming the two first Captains of fifties with their fifties Over the Earth Moses prayed and the earth opened swallowing up Korath Dathan and Abiram Num. 16.31 32. with all that appertained unto them Over the Water Moses also prayed and the Sea divided The Sea was made dry land Exod. 14.16 21. and the waters were divided Thus to the Elements Prayer through Christ had an Influence and Command over the Prision Acts 12.4 5.7.10 When Peter was immured within Prison walls prayer without ceasing was made by the Church unto God for him so that his chains fell off and the Iron Gate opened of its own accord Prayer through Christ had an Influence and Command over the great Luminaries the Sun Josh 10.12 13. and the Moon Joshua prayed Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon and they did so Prayer had an Influence upon Christ The Centurions prayer engaged Christ to heal his Servant Mat. 8.6 7 8 13. I will come and heal him But the Centurions faith occasioned Christs staying to heal his Servant without going Speak the word only and my Servant shall be healed Thou art God and needest not to go do but send yea do but speak speak the word only A word from a God will reach him and raise him Jesus said unto the Centurion go thy way and as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee and his Servant was healed in the self same hour Gen. 32.28 What an Influence upon Christ had the prayer of Jacob Thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel why for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed Jacob had power with God for he had power with Christ who is the Angel here and who is God manifested in the flesh He had also power with men for he had power with his Uncle Laban and his Brother Esau Prayer through Christ hath an Influence upon God himself the God of Gods Pure prayer will as it were fetch a God out of Heaven Act. 7.34 I have Jeen I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I have heard thâ—â—â— groaning and am come down to deliver them I have seen I have seen i. e. I have surely seen But what had God to see nothing but their Affliction Gospel-prayer hath as it were a shadow of Omnipotency instamped upon it Ask me of things to come concerning my Sons Isa 45.11 and concerning the work of my hands command ye me Though men cannot command the least thing of God yet upon the Entreaty of his people he is as ready to do as if he were at their command Command ye me If ye come unto me under this Notion that ye are my Sons and the work of my hands there is a Law upon me I cannot deny you Command ye me Oh what infinite Condescension is here As if God had said No Servant shall be so ready to serve his Master or Son to serve his Father as I will be ready to serve you it is but asking and having Command ye me Would ye prepare for Death Then through Christ imbitter sin Sin is a bitter thing and it will be bitterness in the End Ier. 2.19 Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord they God and that his fear is not in thee Evil and bitter evil in it self and bitter in its Issue Though sin should seem sweet in the palate stollen waters are sweet yet it is bitter in its Issue yea bitterness in the End May not I write concerning Sin 2 Sam. 2.26 as Abner spake to Joab concerning the Sword Shall the Sword devour for ever Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end Iniquity is grown from a Mist to a Mystery from Ignorance to Arrogance from Nescience to Negligence as if too much light had made men blind Sin is a Cup of poison drink not of this Cup. Look upon Sin as a Monster as a Mountebank look upon it as Deformity it self as Defilement it self I believe that Monk was very much out Isidore who vaunted that he had felt in himself no motion to sin forty years together If this be true then Sin and his Heart were great Strangers But I rather think that he was a great Seranger to his own Heart If ye would prepare for Death ye must through Christ imbitter Sin Pro. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Then God remembers Sin against a Person or against a People when he leaves that Person or that People without the remembrance of Sin Ah! what is yea what is not that Sin which had not a Being from God which cannot have a Being with God which also striketh at the Being of God But candidly suffer a distinct discussion of these things Sin had not a Being from God Sin is a mans own his own Birth his own Babe his own Brat Psa 94.23 He shall bring upon them their own iniquity and shall cut them off in their own wickedness Though Satan be the Father of Temptation yet the Heart is the Mother of Corruption Jam. 1.14 Posse peccare posse nòn peccare non posse non peccare Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and entised As there is Original Sin so there is the Original of Sin which may be a Possibility of Sinning a Potentiality to Sin There was a Possibility of Sinning and this was in a Paradisical state The woman gave unto me and I did eat There is a Possibilty of not Sinning and this is in a Spiritual state In all this Job sinned not Gen. 3.12 Job 1.22 There is an Impossibility of sinning and this is in a Coelestial state Those arrived at Heaven are arrived at perfection The Sprits of just men made perfect Every Man Heb. 12.23 and Woman may say to his or her Sin thou art mine and shall not this be imbittered Sin cannot have a Being with God There is no Sinner in Heaven no Sinning in Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 no Sin in Heaven The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God The unrighteous as unrighteous the ünrighttous in a state of unrighteousness shall not inher it the Kingdom of God Heaven is sinless and all there are sinless As is the Place so are the People as is the City so are the Citizens sinless Sin also striketh
Beaven without him I had rather saith another be in Hell with a Christ than to be in Heaven without him Heaven is the presence of all Good and the absence of all Evil. Redde mihi vitam aeternam quam debes That Monk died like himself who said Lord pay me Heaven which thou owest me Heaven is a Flower of Salvation blown out the Saint here is in the Suburbs of Heaven Heaven is the Inheritance of those unto whom Christ is Life and unto whom Death shall be gain If Heaven be the Inheritance of these Quest what manner of Inheritance then is Heaven Heaven is a free Inheritance Sol. 1. Would it not puzzle all the Saints on Earth and Angels in Heaven to bring in the worth of Heaven and yet this is a Donatâ—â—e Many Inheritances here below are bought but this Inheritance is given Here men buy Inheritances and pay to the worth of them Luk. 2.32 but Heaven though it cannot be valued to its worth yet it is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear not little-little Flook there are two diminitives in the Greek for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom The word translated Flock signifies a little Flock but Christ to shew the exceeding littleness of it adds another word little Fear not little-little Flock Heaven is a full Inheritance Ahasuerus had a large Territory he reigned from India unto Ethiopia over 127 Provinces A man would have thought that 127 Provinces had been enough for 127 persons and yet this large Territory was a poor pittance Many have large Inheritances here below and cannot live upon them but Heaven is an Inheritance thou mayest live upon if possessed of this Inheritance thou shalt never want more Heaven is a perfection of Felicity without intermission and amission If once possessed of this Inheritance then thou wilt say with Jacob It is enought Thou wilt as one reads it make known the way of life satiety of joys before thy face Ainsworth Psa 16.11 pleasures at thy right hand to perpetuity Heaven is a living Inheritance Heaven is not only a living Inheritance but also an Inheritance of Life Death is legible in the face of the Earth but Life is legible in the face of Heaven I am come that ye might have life Life here life hereafter Mutability and Mortality Rev. 2.10 are written upon all things here below but Heaven is called a Crown of Life Be thou faithful unto death there is the precept and I will give thee a Crown of life there 's the promise Heaven is a lasting Inheritance The Inheritance will last so long as the Heir last Into what a time of Debauchery are we fallen and how short-lifed are earthly Inheritances How long soever the Fathers were in getting them the Children are not long in spending them An earthly Inheritance may be spent but this heavenly Inheritance cannot be spent Though those who are actually Christs may lose all at Sea and all 〈◊〉 Land all in the Ship and all in the Shop all within doors and all without doors yet they cannot lose Heaven this is a lasting Inheritance yea this is an everlasting Inheritance The Apostle having imposed a making of the calling and election sure subjoyns this For so an entrance will be ministred unto you abundantly 2 Pet. 1.10 11. into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This Kingdom is the Kingdom of Glory because stiled an everlasting Kingdom It is called the Kingdom of Christ because given to him as a reward of his passions It is an everlasting Kingdom because the Vnion between Christ and a Christian is everlasting As Christ on earth is the Christians Medium of Reconciliation and Communion so Christ in Heaven is the Christians Medium of Vision and Fruition There are among other things these six things which those who are actually Christs can never lose The Soul cannot be lost The Soul is a Blossom of Eternity hath a stamp of Immortality now Death it self though the Mistress of Mortals and Empress of the Vniverse despairs how to kill this Fear not them which kill the body Luk. 12.4 and after that have no more that they can do Men. may kill the Body but they cannot kill the Soul Those who assert without blushing the Mortality of the Soul seem at least to stand upon the Brink of Atheism Though the Body return unto the Dust yet the Soul to Hell or Heaven Luk. 23.43 1 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peccare not Perire Though the Veins of the penitent Thief were breathed and his Vitals let out yet his Soul goes to Heaven To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise To day is not this emphatical and doth not Christ promise more than the Thief asks Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Who are kept the Greek word is a military word taken from Souldiers they are safely kept kept as a Garrison in time of War against the Enemy Though a Soul actually in Christ may sin 1 Joh. 3.9 and do sin yet not unto Death not unto the second Death He that is born of God sinneth not not to condemnation The Saviour cannot be lost Once and Ever is Christs Motto Though yesterday some were not Semèl Simùl Heb. 13.8 to day some are but to morrow these may not be yet yesterday to day and for ever Christ is the same Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever The same yesterday before his coming in the flesh The same to day while in the flesh The same for ever Heb. 9.24 after his Ascension unto and Admission into the Kingdom of Heaven now to appear in the presence of God for us Art actually Christs then though thou mayest lose thy Lands lose thy Limbs lose thy Liberty lose thy Life yet thou canst not lose thy Love lose thy Christ The Grace of Christ cannot be lost Grace may decay but it cannot die it may be abated but it cannot be abolished it may be shaken in the Soul but it cannot be shaken out of the Soul Grace 1 Pet. 1.13 is incorruptible seed Which were born not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Grace is the Seed the Heart is the Soil Gold may be lost Goods may be lost Grandeur may be lost but Grace cannot be lost this must go into Glory when Time goeth into Eternity The Spirit of Christ cannot be lost What the Body is without the Soul Lifeless and Loveless that the Soul is without the Spirit and yet this Spirit cannot be lost What Wheels are to the Chariot and Oil to those Wheels that the Spirit is to the Soul and yet this Spirit cannot be lost What Sails are to the Ship and Wind to those Sails that yea infinitely more than that is the Spirit to the Soul Joh. 16.14 and yet this Spirit cannot be lost I will pray the Father and he shall
than unfallen Spirits This Rock Christ is higher then fallen Souls He is not only higher than Absolom and Agag Judas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Demas but also higher than the Church for he is Head of the Church yea the Head of the Church not onely by way of Emphasis but also by way of Exclusion Col. 1.18 And himself is the Head of the Body the Church So the Greek This Rock Christ is higher than unfallen Spirits Christ is not only higher than the Kings of the Earth but also higher than the Angels of Heaven He that is higher than the highest regardeth Eccl. 5.8 and there be higher than they Angels are higher than the highest of Men but Christ is higher than the highest of Angels for he is Head of the Angles yea the Head of the Angels not only emphatically but also exclusively Col. 2.10 And ye are compleat in him who is the Head of all principality and powwer Christ is highest Christ is a strong Rock Material Rocks they are strong very strong Job 39.28 It is said of the Eagle the Princess of Birds that she abideth upon the Rock the crag of the Rock and the strong place The Crag of the Rock is the Tooth or Edge of the Rock which is most inaccessible This mystical Rock Christ is strong very strong stronger than Men stronger than Angels Oh says the Soul I am weak and not only weak but also weakness it self and not able to weather another storm But Soul Christ is strong strength it self 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent What is a Goliah in the hands of this David Christ is not only the Power of God but also the God of Power who strengthens against sin and who strengthens unto service Christ the Rock of His strengthens against sin Christ is strong stronger than the strong man armed and can cast him out when he please and where he please 1 Joh. 4.4 Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world Oh says the Soul these Achans within these Goliahs within these Sauls within But what are these to Christ the Rock of His Christ the Rock of His strengthens unto service He strengthens His unto Action and unto Passion unto doing and unto dying but to these distinctly Christ the Rock of His strengthens his unto Action A Little is too much for Vs A◠is but Little to Christ Phil. 4.13 I can do all things is not this a lofty strain but how through Christ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Christ the Rock of His strengthens his unto Passion Suffering work is noble work bleeding and burning work the noblest work that ever the Sons of Adam were engaged in Saints indeed are inferiour to Angels as to Action but superiour to Angels as to Passion for they are spirits and so impassible Now Christ the Rock of His strengthens His unto Passion as well as Action and unto dying Phil. 1.29 as well as doing It is given unto you in the behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Such a Rock Christ is Christ is a firm Rock Material Rocks are firm Rocks flinty Rocks are firm Rocks God speaking of Jacob Deut. 32.13 that is the Sons of Jacob saith He made him suck Honey out of the Rock and Oil out of the flinty Rock Christ the Rock of His is a firm Rock He stood until his hour was come all the combined Furies and Forces of Hell and Earth They sought to take him Joh. 7.30 but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come Christ the Rock of His was firm in Action and in Passion Christ was firm in Action and did well I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17.4 Christ was firm in Passion and died well He was obedient to death Phil. 2.8 even the death of the Cross Christ is an ancient Rock Material Rocks may plead Antiquity Exod. 15.5 6. Jehovah said unto Moses I will stand before thee there upon the Rock in Horeb. Rocks were befere Men Dan. 7.22 but Christ was before Rocks He is stiled The Ancient of Days Christ may plead Antiquity in a two-fold respect Generation and Regeneration Christ may plead Antiquity in respect of Generation Christ had a Hand in making the first man Gen. 1.26 Come let us make man Christ may plead Antiquity in respect of Regeration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2.10 As nothing was done in the first Creation without Christ so nothing was done in the second Creation without Christ We are his workmanship his work so the Greek created in Chrift Jesus unto good works Christ is an accommodating Rock Material Rocks accommodate with Water Deut. 8.15 He brought them forth water out of the Rock of flint Christ the Rock of His accommodates His out of him goeth water living water If thou knewest the gift of God Joh. 4.10 and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Christ accommodates freely and fully Christ the Rock of His accommodates freely If any one thirst let him come unto me and drink Joh. 7.37 Christ the Rock of His accommodates fully As Ch ist is a free so a full Rock here thou mayest fill thy pitcher up to the very brim If thou comest to Christ thou comest to a Fountain and in a Fountain water for Quantity and Quality is ever the same Rev. 21.6 I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Here is giving that 's freely and of the Fountain that 's fully Christ is an advantaging Rock Material Rocks they are commodious Job saith Job 28.1 There is a Vein for the Silver and a place for the Gold Gold hath its place hath its Rock Col. 3.11 Christ the Rock of His is very advantagious unto His for he is All and in All. Christ the Rock of His is All between God and Them He hath crossed the Book cancelled the Bond discharged the Debt Heb. 10.14 for ever perfected them that are saustified His Garment is large enough to cover His. Christ the Rock of His is All between Them and God He is concerned with the performance as well as the person and with the Service as well as the Soul Christ is not only All between God and Them in a way of Satisfaction but also All between Them and God in a way of Service He is a merciful Heb. 2.17 and a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of his people Christ is a secure Rock Material Rocks are secure places Prov. 30.26 Joh. 17.12 Solomon speaks of a feeble Folk yet make they their houses in the Rock Christ the mystical Rock is
there be daies in the Year of the Sun was translated from Earth to Heaven next after Adams death seven Patriarchs remaining Witnesses of his Translation Elijah Elijah a strong Lord as the word signifies called also Elias who in prayer Jam. 5.17 18. 2 King 2.11 12. prayed so the Greek that it might not rain and it did not rain that it might rain and it did rain This Elijah had his Rapture and his Rapture was a Type of Christ's Ascension He went up by a whirlwind into Heaven Elisha seeing it cryed my Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof All that do live shall die or be changed Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all sleep That is 1 Cor. 15.51 52. we shall not all die Now that by sleep he means Death the whole Discourse of that Chapter makes evident What shall become of us then This is answered in the words following but we shall be changed There shall be a corporeal and numerical Resurrection if Job may be credited Though worms destroy his body Job 19.26 27. yet in the flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Every man shall have a Resurection out of his own Dust The dead in Christ 1 Thes 4.16 1 Câ—â—â—5 53 54. shall rise first These shall be raised into a state of Incorruption This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality Now those then living having Christ for their Life shall not die but be changed into the same state of Incorruption Col. 3.4 and Immortality of those that shall have a numerical Resurrection given them by the power of God and the God of power SECT IV. Why Natural or Corporal Death is the Circumference of the Vniverse THat Man is Mortal and not a match for Death hath appeared why Man is mortal and not a match for Death will appear by these following Reasons Reasons Man hath sinned therefore man is mortal and must die Sin is that wretched womb wherein Death lay Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death All sorts and kinds of Death whether violent natural spiritual or eternal they are the stipend of sin Sin is the most mischievous thing in the world for it begins in turning the Heart from God and ends in turning God from the Heart Psal 9.17 now is not this man like to be turned into Hell Sin is that unhappy womb that have been productive of all the penal Judgments that have been in the world the first and the second Death Fire and Famine Poverty and Prison Plague and Pestilence the Rack and the Stake binding and banishing bleeding and burning they are the products of sin Oh my soul Nil nisi peccata timeo Chrysostom So Anselm all thy cares and crosses all thy fears and frowns all thy sorrows and sufferings all thy tears and troubles all thy tryals and travels they are the monstrous and prodigious Births and Effects of sin Wonder not that one said I fear nothing but sin Sin is the Mother Death is the Daughter Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned Sin is like Pandora's box which being opened was full of all evils filling the Earth with Diseases and all other Calamities What is said of War Bellum est malum complexum may be said of Sin it is a complex and complicated Evil. Sin is Evil only Evil all Evil alway Evil altogether Evil. We cannot speak worse of Sin than it is nor of Man being a Sinner than he is As God is that Good in whom is all Good Bonum in quo omnia sunt bona and no Evil so Sin is that Evil wherein is all Evil and no Good Death is the product of Sin Let the great Doctor of the Gentiles speak who had a great command of Oratory 1 Cor. 15.21 Vorstius By Man Adam the first came death That is by the Sin of Man came the Death of man by the Sin of man came the first and the second death upon man By man came death Not only Mortality as one saith but also eternal Death When the Jews are under a severe stroke they say This is part of the Golden-Calf That is this suffering is for our sin The Mother of Nero concerning him and from our sin Is it not pity that any man should say of his sin as she did of her Son Let me die so He may live Dost thou say let my sin live though I die and be damned then I say thou seemest to me to be within a step of Death within a step of Damnation Dost thou say to thy sin as God did to Joshua I will not fail Thee Josh 1.5 nor forsake thee Then I say thou art in danger of Hell fire and it is mercy to a wonder yea mercy above wonder that thou art out of Hell All men that live must die and all that die are bound for the grave that is the next stage When sin came into the world and that came in by cating Death came in with it Well may we cry Ah Sin Sin Sin thou hast digged all the graves and made all the funerals that have been in the world It was once said of the goodly Buildings of Rome that the sins of the Germans meaning the money got by the Popes Factors for sin-pardons granted the Germans have built these Thus when we see those goodly Buildings the bodies of men cast unto the ground yea cast into the ground we may truly say the sins of men have unbuilt have pulled down their Bodies Man Reas 2. is formed out of the dust therefore man is mortal and must die As our Bodies dwell in houses of clay Job 4.19 the foundations whereof are laid in the dust so our Bodies are but Clay-builts and they cannot stand long We were reared at first our of the dust and we are making to our Center every moment Bodies are but Clay-builts though some be painted and decked and beautified more than others yet all are dust and that makes to its Center Soul as thy Original was so shall thy Conclusion be as thy beginning was so shall thy endiâ— be Though Man now seem to be somewhaâ— better than dust yet to dust shall he return Bodie alive are but living dust Man is dust while he lives returns to the Dust when he dies and 〈◊〉 turned into dust after Death It was said to Adam and in him to all Mankind not only as a curse but also as a command Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread until thou returnest to the ground that is until thou diest for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return Phil. 3.21 As thy Alpha was so shall thy Omega
4.29 see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ He who is Omnipotent must be God but Christ is Omnipotent Matth. 28.18 therefore Christ is God All power in Heaven and in Earth is devolved upon Christ Christ is the power of God yea the God of power The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Rev. 19.6 This power can over-power all power He who is Omnipresent must be God Psa 139.7 Hic ubiquè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.10 but thus Christ is therefore Christ is God Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence Christ as God is Here and every where He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all Heavens To what end That he might fill or fulfil all things for the Greek word signifieth both He is ascended far above all visible Heavens into that Heaven which is invisible to us on Earth But to what end In order to the filling of Heaven and Earth with his presence in order also to a fulfilling of all the Prophecies concerning Himself He who is All in All must be God but Christ is All in All therefore Christ is God Col. 3.11 Where there is neither Jew nor Greek Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but all things and in all things Christ. Thus Christ is the way from the Father and the way to the Father Christ is the way from God to the Soul I will give thee for a Light to the Gentiles Isa 49.6 that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth Christ is the way for the Soul to God I am the way the truth and the life Joh. 14.6 no man cometh unto the Father but by me If Christ be thus then he is God He that shall come from Heaven waited by Angels 2 Thes 1.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whose Voice shall raise the dead must be God but thus Christ shall come and do at his comming He shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels The Angels of his power Greek And that his Voice shall raise the dead is as evident Marvel not at this Why Joh. 5.28 29. for the hour is comming and new is when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good to the Resurrection of life and they that dave done evil to the Resurrection of damnation He who is all Eye must be God but Christ is all Eye therefore Christ is God Christ is all Eye Bernardus non vidit emnia Joh. 1.48 Act. 9.11 and seeth all things as if he had but one thing to see When thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee Man seeth not all things but Christ doth He is light of life and life of light As he saw Nathaniel under the Fig-tree so he saw Paul in the Closet Go for behold he prayeth Bernard had a film upon his Eye but Christ hath none he seeth all things at once He who is all Ear must be God but Christ is all Ear therefore Christ is God This poor man cryed Psal 34.6 and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles Though Christ be in Heaven he can hear thee in a wood hear thee in a wilderness hear thee in the Church or in the Closet hear thee in the City or in the Country hear thee upon a Common or in a Cottage Psal 34.15 The eyes of Jehovah are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry Christ is all Ear and heareth all things as if he had but one thing to hear He that can forgive sin must be God but Christ can forgive sin Mark 2.5 therefore Christ is God Who can forgive sins but God only Pardon of sin is a singular mercy of the plural number Aug. Psa 103.3 to a convinced and converted soul to a desponding and despairing soul to a distressed and deserted soul Lord saith one here beat me or buffet me here break me or banish me here bleed me or burn me so thou wilt hereafter save me Who forgiveth all thine iniquities He that shall judge the world must be God but Christ shall judge the world therefore Christ is God The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son Joh. 5.22 Ah! how amazing and amusing how confounding and consternating will that Day be when He who is anothers Saviour shall be thy Judge He hath given him authority to execute Judgment also Joh. 5.27 because he is the Son of Man Christ is such a Judge as that the power of the powerfullest cannot daunt the wealth of the wealthiest cannot bribe the wit of the wittiest cannot delude Christ is such a Judge as that there is no appealing from his Sentence nor repealing of his Sentence I charge thee therefore before God 2 Tim. 4.1 and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Now He who is Judge is God but Christ is Judge therefore Christ is God Fear not Death for Christ is thine and he is a Guide Christ is a person of the greatest Conduct and those actually his are under his conduct from Earth to Heaven from Grace to Glory That Christ is the Leader of his Joh. 10.3 is evident He calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out That Christ is the Leader of his from Earth to Heaven from grace to glory Rev. 7.17 is as evident The Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them to living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes In Heaven there are Triumphs without Tears and Tunes of Joy without Tones of Sorrow Psa 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory But what manner of Guide is Christ Quest Sol. 1. Christ is an incomparable Guide Some have been excellent for conduct for conduct at Sea for conduct at Land but Christ exceeds and excels all No wonder now ye have that negative precept Trust ye not in a friend Mich. 7.5 put ye not confidence in a Guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom Christ is a careful Guide There was never any one so careful of Souls as Christ was Oh how careful was he of the Jews Why will ye die oh house of Israel Is it not enough that I die but will ye die also Let me die that ye may live let me be crucified that ye may be crowned let me be made a curse that ye may have a crown Why will ye die oh house of Israel Oh how careful was Christ of the man that fell among Theeves Luke 10.33 34 35. He bound up his wounds poured in Oil and Wine set him upon his own Beast brought him to an Inn paid his Reckoning took
indeed As it is true this is a Paradox it is as true Sol. that it is an Orthodox-Paradox Though Christ be not alwaies a wall of Fire about the Bodies and Baskets of His yet he alwaies is about the Hearts and Souls of His. Blessed Bainam that Maryan-Martyr in the midst of the Flames called Oh ye Papists ye look for Miracles here is one though half my Legs and half my Arms are burned yet in this Fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a Bed of Down and it is unto me as a Bed of Roses Now though those actually Christs may be banished yet not damned though burned yet not damned Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Fear not Death for Christ is Thine and he is a Good The Lord is good his Mercy is everlasting Psa 100.5 and his Truth endureth from generation to generation Now Christ is Lord. The Lord said unto my Lord. Luk. 17.5 The Father said unto the Son The Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our Faith Praise ye the Lord for the Lord is good Or according to the Hebrew Praise ye Jah for Jehovah is good or Goodness Now Christ Halelu-jah ki tob Jehovah Psa 135.3 Jer. 23.6 hath this name of Jehovah also In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness Christ is good very good a great good the greatest good But what manner of Good is this good Christ Quest Sol. 1. Christ is a substantial Good He who is a Soul Good must needs be a substantial Good but Christ is a Soul Good and the Soul of every Good He who is All from the Father to the Father and with the Father must Himself be a Soul Good but thus Christ is Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I acquiesce Creatures are good as they come from God are enjoyed with God are improved for God but these lesser and lower things these dirty and drossy things are not a Soul good abstracted from Christ. Christ is not a shadowy but a substantial good The Psalmist speaking of some that had a full Table and a full Cup that had an Affluence and Confluence of these poor and perishing things call them happy Psal 144.12 13 14 1â— Happy is the people that is in such a case This is a kind of happiness and this goes for happiness with those that cannot see through this world and graciously take a prospect of that within the Vail but then there is another and a better happiness opposed and interposed Yea happy or blessed is that people whose God is Jehovah The other is the shadow of Happiness the shell of Happiness the shew of Happiness this is a real and substantial Happiness our Felicity is bound up in our propriety in God and Christ in God through Christ Christ is an essential Good Christ is good as God Bonum complexum Psa 136.2 Mat. 19.19 for He is God Christ is a complex Good a complicated Good Christ is God yea the God of Gods O give thanks unto the God of Gods for his mercy endureth for ever Now God is so good that he only is said to be good Why calâ—est thou me good there is none good but one that is God If thou dost not acknowledge me to be God why callest thou me good for God is essentially good originally good the Original of good Christ is an impartial good Christ is no respecter of persons Acts 10.34 35. but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him Christ hath not any distinguishing kindness but for those for whom he died and within whom he liveth Christ hath as great kindness for him that sitteth upon the Threshold as for him that sitteth upon the Throne The Peasant hath as much kindness from Christ as the Prince Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiff-necked why for Jehovah your God is the God of Gods Deut. 10.16 17. and Lord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible that regardeth not persons nor taketh reward Christ is an universal Good Christ is unlike some men good to some but not to All they will smile some but frown others they will do good to some but do evil to others but Christ is good to All He causeth the Sun to shine upon the good and bad and the rain to fall upon the jâ—st and unjust As Christ is an universal Good in Himself He was made sin for us 1 Cor. 5.21 Psa 145.9 who knew no sin by Himself that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him So he is universally good to others The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Christ is an unchangeable Good What changes soever are made by Christ there are no changes made in Christ I am Jehovah and I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed Christ is alwaies of one and the same mind and that is a mind to do good by all that he does or suffers to be done to his believing ones to his beloved ones Times may be changed men may be changed but Christ changeth notâ— Jesus Christ yesterday to day Heb. 13.8 and for ever the same Christ is a sutable Good Christ is an adequate good to the Soul and nothing below a Christ will suit and serve the Soul The Soul must have that which will quadrare with it and be an adequate good to it The Soul is an excellent piece is an excelling piece it is the Breath of God the Beauty of Man the Wonder of Angels the Envy of Devils Now all below a Christ is below this Soul All short of a God in Covenant of a God in Christ will not suit and serve this Soul if throughly awakened The Soul is such a Jewel that no thing can be given in exchange for it Mark 8.37 What can be given in exchange for the soul The Soul is so noble that it is below a gracious Soul to live upon any thing below a Christ This Soul may look upon the Stream but it lives upon the Fountain may look upon the Water but it lives upon the Angel may look upon the Cabinet but it lives upon the Jewel may look upon the Field but it lives upon the Pearl Christ is the object of the Saints Desire and Delight Whom have I in Heaven but Thee Psa 73.25 Bonum in quo omnia sunt bona and there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee Christ is that Good in whom is all Good and nothing but Good He that can answer the desires of the heart must needs Himself be a sutable good but this Christ can do Psa 37.4 Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall
another but I and no other That Paradise is under promise for Converts Thou shalt be in Paradise Glory is entailed upon Grace Happiness is entailed upon Holiness and the Crown is appointed for the Converts Head Thou That this person was convinced appears in the Context Luke 23.40 41 42 Doest not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss And he said unto Jesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom That this person also was converted appears in the Text or Christ would not have laid Paradise under promise 1 Cor. 6.9 for Paradise is for none but Converts of his own making Thou shalt be in Paradise The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God The unrighteous as unrighteous and in a state of unrighteousness Mat. 18.3 shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not not so the Greek enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Persons must be converted as well as convinced and changed as well as called or they cannot be passed thorough the Gates into the City Ye shall not not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Not not two Negatives strengthen an Affirmative That which makes Paradise a Paradise indeed is to be with Christ there With me Thou shalt be with me in Paradise What would a Paradise be without Christ What would Heaven be though Angels be there and the Spirits of just men made perfect be there if Christ were not there Whom have I in Heaven but thee As if the Psalmist had said Heaven would not be a Heaven to me were it not for thee Christ's being with the Soul here makes a Heaven here and the Souls being with Christ hereafter makes a Heaven hereafter Would not Heaven be a Baca a valley of tears A Bochim a house of mourning if the Soul were not to find Christ there John 14.1 2 3. Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me in my Fathers house are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also That the Soul of a Convert is a Blossom of Eternity and hath a Stamp of Immortality As the Mortality of the Body so the Immortality of the Soul is legible in this Text and Truth Thou shalt be with me and that in Paradise Though thy Body dye yet thy Soul shall live yea live with me Fear not them which kill the Body Mat. 10.28 but are not able to kill the Soul Though the Body dyes the Soul lives That when Time goes into Eternity then the Converts Soul shall go into Glory To day Thou art upon earth to day and thou shalt be in Heaven to day Thy Body is upon a piece of timber this morning but thy Soul shall be in a place of Triumph before night To day To be in Paradise is much but to day to be there is more The time accents the mercy For Christ to speak in the Future Tense to a graceless Soul is not so amazing and amusing as for Christ to speak in the Present Tense For Christ to say He that believeth not shall be damned is sad but to say Thou Fool this night shall thy Soul be required of thee this is sadder For Christ to say He that believeth shall have everlasting life is much but for Christ to say To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise is much more Though thou hast been sinning to this day yet after this day thou shalt never more sin All persons are bound for Hell or for Heaven for there is no Purgatory but what is in the foolish fancy of the blind and bloody of the barbarous and butchering Papists This cruel Crew cast all men into three Ranks Some are Apostles and Martyrs persons eminently godly these they say go immediately to Heaven Some are Apostates and Persecuters of the Faith these they say go immediately to Hell There is a middle sort of ordinary sinners that immediately after death go neither to Heaven nor to Hell but to Purgatory where they say they must bear the punishment of their sins until they be prayed out Luk. 16.22 23. But all Souls are bound for Heaven or Hell The poor man dying arrived at Heaven the rich man dying arrived at Hell The Soul of this Convert was to be where the Soul of Christ was to be and did not his Soul go into Glory Ought not Christ to have suffered these things Luk. 24.26 and to enter into his Glory Was not the Soul of this Convert in Heaven before his Body was in the Grave Stephen dyed in this Faith that the Soul of a Convert goes into Glory when his Time goes into Eternity or he would not have prayed Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit They stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Art actually in Christ Cordial V. Triumph also for Death will grave and that at once all thy Cares and Snares all thy Fears and Tears all thy Temptations and Tribulations Art actually in Christ Death then will grave all thy Cares Martha was careful and troubled about many things As it is said Luk. 10.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 10.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She was cumbred about much serving cumbred The Greek word to cumber or be cumbred signifies to be drawn or wried round and round about so it is said Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things Martha Martha she is named twice and the name signifieth Bitter as if Christ had said Bitter Bitter 1. Bitter to her self in making her self a Drudge and neglecting the Word 2. To her Sister in chiding and accusing her Thou art careful The word signifies excessive and sinful Care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Solicitude And troubled The word seems to signifie anxiously to be wreathed with the difficulty of a thing to be accomplished Martha was excessively and forbiddenly careful and thoughtful yea anxiously wreathed she had too much Care and Trouble when she was upon earth but she hath no care upon her now she is in Heaven Is not this the cry here Bread for the day Bread by the way Is not this the Cry here Bread for me and Bread for mine A little meal in my Barrel Eccl. 9.10 and a little Oil in my Cruse Oh says the Widow I am going to bake this Cake for me and my Son and then to dye But now Soul Death will grave all thy Cares for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest This life is a day of working but death is a night of resting This life is
Minister of Christ's making is a Woer of Souls for Christ Animarum procus and his grand design is to raise up a Seed to his eldest Brother now those actually Christs are Heirs of a Gospel-Ministery It is said of Bede that three things were very familiar to him in his whole life to pray Hac sunt in Fossa Bedae venerabilis Ossa preach and write that upon his Tomo was this found Here lies intombed in these Stones Of venerable Bede his Bones Were a Mans Head Gold his Granary fuller than Pharaohs his Treasury richer than Hezekiahs and every Room in his house better furnished than Solomons there might come a time he might stand in need of a Gospel-Minister and yet those actually Christs are Heirs of a Gospel-Ministery As great a Potentate as Pharaoh was Exod. 8.8 and as despicable a person as Moses was yet the Potentate sent for the Prophet It is said of One who was Rector of the Vniversity of Geneva that with sighs and tears Spanhemius the People parted with him as if in losing him they had lost a principal Member of their Body Gospel-Ministers are called Ambassadors called Fathers called Shepherds called Stewards called Watchmen called Workmen c. and yet those actually Christs are Heirs of a Gespel-Ministery Those actually Christs are Heirs of the Ministery of Augels As they are Heirs of the Ministery of Men so of Angels Angels are Gods Heralds Gods Ambassadors to carry comfort from his Throne to his Footstool from Heaven to Earth and yet those who are actually Christs are Heirs of the Ministery of Angels Angels are Gods Servants Gods Stewards Gods Ministers Gods Messengers and yet those actually Christs are Heirs of the Ministery of Angels Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation The best part of Man even his Soul is lower than Angels an Angel is a perfect Soul and a Soul but an imperfect Angel Angels were created in the beginning and setled in an upright state in whom may be considered these things Their Nature Angels are spiritual and incorporeal Essences Heb. 1.7 Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son He taketh not hold of Angels but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold Heb. 2.16 Greek Their Qualities 1. They are wise The woman of Tekoah told David As an Angel of God 2 Sam. 14.17 2 Thess 1.7 so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad 2. Angels are of great might And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels 3. They are of great Agility Gabriel is said to slie swiftly This Dan. 9.21 is the reason why the Cherubims in the Tabernacle were painted with wings Their Number They are many very many I know not how many Heb. 12.22 To an innumer able company of Angels Their Place The highest Heaven where they ever wait upon God Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven there Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven Their Degrees For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout 1 Thess 4.16 with the voice of the Archangel Their Office Partly to Magnifie God and partly to perform his Commandments Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength Psal 103.20 that do his Commandments Angels have not the least spot or tincture of sin in their nature yet the nature of Angels was potentially sinful Evil Angels which fell at first were holy and they who now stand might have fallen notwithstanding their created holiness if God had not superadded confirming Grace which estaâ—â—sheth them for ever If the nature of man Qu. be nothing but sin and Angels have not any sin at all in their nature how then is there Folly in the Angelical Nature Job 4.18 His Angels he charged with Folly There was not any Folly concreated with them Sol. 1. Their nature is purely pure They have not contracted any Folly into their nature The Folly of the good Angels is but like the Folly of man in a Paradisicaâ— state when he had onely a power to sin They have onely a potentiallty a possibility in their nature to sin And Christ hath changed their possibility to sin into an impâ—ssiâ—â—â—ty of sinning Caryl in loc Redemption hath not onely bettered the condition of man but also the condition of Angels and yet those actually Christs are Heirs of the Ministery of Angels Those actually Christs are Heirs of the Righteousuess of Christ The imputing of Christs righteousness unto his is their sustisication the imparting of his righteousness to his is their sanctification Christ is sanctisication to his as well as righteousness There is a twofold righteousness in Christ imputed and imparted the first in order to justification the second in order to sanctisication a righteousness imparted justifies before God a righteousness impacted justifies before man Noah become heir of the righteousness which is by faith Heb. 11.7 It is called a righteousness of faith because faith is conversant about it as its object and yet those actually Christs are Heirs of his righteousness Those actually Christs are Heirs of God God is the inheritance of all that are actually Christ and who is able to say yea able to see what an inheritance God is Naboth looked upon the inheritance of his Father as a great thing God forbid it that I should give away the inheritance of my fathers unto thee But for a God the God of Gods the chiefest Good the Good in whom is all good and nothing but good to be the inheritiance of those who are actually Christs who is able to express or conceive what this is Here Expression is puzled yea here Conception is posed If children then heirs Rom. 8.17 heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. If children there 's the Supposition then Heirs there 's the Position heirs of God there 's the Exposition Here are three passages of Dignity rising gradually 1. Not onely children but also heirs 2. Not heirs of a mortal man but of an immortal God 3. Not basely assaciated in this inheritance co-heirs with Christ Children inherit by the Law of God by the Law of Nature by the Law of Nations and yet those actually Christs are heirs of God Those actually Christs are heirs of Gospel-Priviledges These have a Gospel-propriety in a four-fold Gospel-Priviledge Access Audience Assistance Acceptance To these distinctly Those actually Christs have a Gospel-Propriety in Access to God at the Throne of Grace Is Access to a sinful and mortal man nothing but what is Access then to a sinless and immortal God Oh Soul when thou cryest free among the dead when thou hast been days and nights in the deep thou may'st go
Absalom to live in Jerusalem if he might not see the face of the King It is not enough to a Christian of Christs making to live in a Church if he does not see the face of a Christ Divine withdrawings are Soul-troubles now Soul-troubles are the saddest and the sorest Troubles Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled What loss next the loss of the Soul to the loss of the Face of God and Christ Hath God forgotten to be gracious will he be favourable no more A Christian thorough Grace knows in some measure how to bear other losses but he knows not how to bear this loss a loss of the Face of God Is not that a strange strain Wherefore hidest thou thy face Job 13.24 and holdest me for thine enemy Is not now a time of Desertion a time of Need and do not those who are Christs stand now in need of fresh and full supplies from the God of Grace of the Grace of God A time of Duty is a time of Need. The chiefest and choicest Saints have no exemption from Duty Mercy exempts not from Duty Mercy is so far from giving a dispensation unto Duty as that it layeth under the greatest obligation for Duty Two things here fall under discussion the Duty to be performed and the indifferency of spirit to perform this Duty The Duty to be performed There are varieties of Duties incumbent upon those who are Christs there is meditating and mourning preaching and praying hearing and reading but I shall single out one Acts 9.11 and that is Prayer Go for behold he prayeth Prayer is natural worship and incumbent it is upon every creature to look unto the Creator Consider the indifferency of spirit to perform the duty Indifferency of spirit is a malignant disease a disease full of malignity where is the man or the woman that is not more or less at some time or other tainted with it The Church was not without this Plague-sore I have put off my coat Cant. 5.3 how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Had she not then too great indifferency of spirit whether she should open to Christ or no whether she should maintain a converse with Christ or no whether she should be found in a way of Duty or no Ye have said it is vain to serve God Mal. 3.14 and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we walked in black before Jehovah of Hosts If persons be indifferent whether they meditate and pray or no whether they hear and read or no whether we keep up Family and Closet Duty or no it is very dangerous for if a person take leave of Duty he is like to take leave of Christ too The safety and mercy of a Soul are in a way of Duty Thy Safety is in a way of Duty He that hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely Prov. 1.33 and shall be quiet from fear of evil He shall not onely be quiet from the evil of fear but also quiet from the fear of evil Jonah was safe while he kept with God Thy Mercy is in a way of Duty Oh that thou hadst hearkned to my Commandments what then Isa 48.18 what not then Then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea Then there had been more Peace and more Grace too There is a twofold Obedience Active and Passive now Grace for both is laid under promise There is a twofold Obedience Active and Passive now Grace for both is laid under promise Grace for Action is laid under promise Oh that I could do more for a Christ is the Cry of every Soul in Christ Oh I tremble to think least my day should be at an end before my work be done Oh saith the Soul my Glass is almost out and little of my work is done But Soul Grace to do is laid under promise Verily Verily John 14.12 I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father Grace for Passion is also laid under promise As there must be doing so suffering according to the will of God Oh saith the Soul there may be a Storm at hand a Shower of Blood at hand and I know not how to weather it Oh saith the Soul for ought I see there may be a Rack for me a Stake for me and I know not how to weather these But Soul Grace to dye as well as do is laid under promise It is given unto you in the behalf of Christ Phi. 1.29 not onely to believe but also to suffer for his sake Are not now these times times of need and do not now those who are Christs stand in need of fresh and full supplies from the God of Grace of the Grace of God Thus of things present Those actually Christs are Heirs of things to come As Heirs of things present so there are things to come of which they shall be Heirs But Qu. what are those things to come of which those who are actually Christs shall be Heirs Those actually Christs Sol. 1. shall be indulged hereafter a perfect knowledge Knowledge is imperfect here it will be perfect hereafter Ignorance is so far from being a Virtue Multi multa sciunt se autem nome as that it is a Vice and so far from being the Mother of Devotion as that it is the Mother of Destruction whatever the blind and the bloody Papists say It was the usual Speech of Henry IV. That many know many things but no man himself It is deservedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledge to understand the Law of the Land and the Customs of a mans Countrey how much more to know the Statutes of Heaven and the Laws of Eternity It was the saying of One To know thy self is very difficult for as the Eye can see all things but it self Basil so some can discern all faults but their own We should be thankful for the little that we know and humble that we know so little We should use our knowledge as much as we can Nosce teipsum but know it as little as we can unless in the using of it To know for our Good is onely good knowledge To know God and our selves is the sum of all knowledge God doth not know him that knows not himself It is said of a holy and learned man that in the midst of his Learning Bishop Vsher he would still cry out of his ignorance of Christ. Empty Vessels sound most and shallow streams make the greatest noise in passage It was said by the Ancients That it is impossible to know God without God We must learn all that from God Ex puris negativis nihil concluditur which we know of God unless God be our Tutor we shall never be
Eternity then Grace shall go into Glory There is a twofold Perfection a Perfection of the Truth of Grace and a Perfection of the Growth of Grace but suffer a distinct discussion of these There is a Perfection of the Truth of Grace The wise Virgins Mat. 25.4 took oil in their vessels with their lamps Oil onely in the Lamp is onely aâ— blaze of Profession Oil in the Vessel is Truth oâ— Grace in the Heart This is a Perfection of parts Since the day ye heard it and knew the Grace of God in truth Col. 1.6 Thus a Child is a perfect Child having all the parts of a man The Soul which hath the Truth of Grace hath something of every Grace There is a Perfection of the Growth of Grace Till we all come into the unity of the faith Eph. 4.13 and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. This is a Perfection of degrees when Grace is swailowed up in Glory Heb. 12.23 To the spirits of just men made perfect Those actually Christs shall be indulged hereafter perfect Peace Pax Bello potior Nomen Pacis desiderabile Esto bellando pacisicus Aug. Greg. Nyssen Peace is better than War yea the very name of Peace is desirable Peace is a confluence of all good things the Jews therefore when they wish a man well salute him thus Peace be unto thee The effect of War is waste It is said of the Turkish-War that where the Grand Seigniors Horse sets his foot no more Grass will grow he makes havock of all Every Seat of War becomes a Seat of Wrath an Ire-land In War saith One seek Peace Another saith Both the name and nature of Peace is sweet Outward Peace is the chiefest of outward Blessings inward Peace is the chiefest of inward Blessings Peace upon Earth is imperfect but Peace in Heaven shall be perfect Heaven is called the Joy of the Lord Mat. 25.21 23. because there is Joy and nothing but Joy is there Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. Those actually Christs shall be indulged hereafter perfect Vision Potter 's Compendious View p. 54. Vision on Earth is imperfect but Vision in Heaven is perfect In the most Northern part of Tartaria they have Day for six months together and Night also for the other six months together It is thus with some Souls if they have Day the shines of God for a considerable time they also have Night the Frowns 〈◊〉 God for a considerable time A Christian is â—â—ke the Marigold that opens with the shining and â—â—uts with the setting of the Sun God often leaves â—â—e brightest men in an Eclipse to shew That they â—rrow their light from his Reflection It is said Clark's Mirror p. 190. â—hat over the top of the mountain of Potosi there â—ways hangs a Cloud even in the clearest day Unâ—er the greatest Calm thou may'st be near a Storm â—nder the greatest Vision be near Desertion Aug. It was â—â—e desire of One to see three things 1. Rome in â—s Flower 2. Paul in the Pulpit 3. Christ in â—he Flesh Did Alexander lay up Homers Iliads in 〈◊〉 Cabinet embroidered with Gold and Pearls Certainly then a deserted Soul will lay up reciâ—us Promises in the Cabinet of his heart as choice Treasure The Saints on Earth cry out of Deâ—artures Eclipses c. but in Heaven there shall â—e Vision without Amission and Intermission In Heaven there shall be Vision without Amission There will be no loss of Vision in Heaven Here â—he Cry is Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth Can. 3.3 Do you â—ee him for my part I have lost sight of him but â—o such Cry in Heaven as the loss of Vision In Heaven there shall be Vision without Intermission As it is the felicity of a Person upon Earth that God always beholds him so it is the felicity of this Person in Heaven that he always beholds God Upon Earth the Sun goes down upon thee and it is often Night to thy Soni but in Heaven it shall never go down upon thee but shall be always Day to thy Soul If once arrived at Heaven thou shalt never more lose sight of the Tree of Life when once there no Cloud will at any time interpose beeween thy Soul and thy Saviour Blessed Mat. 5.8 are the pure in heart for they shall see God The pure in heart here see God and then lose sight of him but the pure in heart hereafter shall so see God as never more to lose sight of him Those actually Christs shall be indulged hereafter perfect Freedom A threefold Freedom shall these have Those actually Christs shall be indulged here after a perfect Freedom from Satanical Suggestion Now Satan rages ranges roars for his time is short Who is able to enumerate now the temptations of those who are Christs Satan always goes about like a Lyon to devour or like a Serpent to deceive and delude Are not the best tempted most But Satan being once cast out of Heaven shall never come there more he is confined to the Aireal part Eph. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is the Prince of the Power of the Air. He tempted in the terrestial but he cannot tempt in the celestial Paradise yea under the Personality of Christs Reign upon Earth the thousand years Rev. 20.3 according to the Greek Satan shall be chained up Those actually Christs shall be indulged hereafter a perfect Freedom from sinful Communion The Cry of a Christian here is Wo to me that I live in Mesech Ps 120.5 with a barbarous People and dwell in the tents of Kedar with the Sons of Ishmael The Cry of Christians in this world may be like the complaint of the Prophet The Princes of the Nations are like the Princes of Sodom and the People of the Nations like the People of Gomorrah but there are no Nero's and Nebuchadnezzars in Heaven no Pharachs and Pilates in Heaven no Cains and Caligula's in Heaven no person living 1 Cor. 6.9 Heb. 12.22 23 24. and dying in his sin shall inherit the kingdom of God There is in Heaven a holy God and a holy Christ there are in Heaven holy Angels and holy Saints but not an unholy Soul there Those actually Christs shall be indulged hereafter a perfect Freedom from sinful Corruption I know none save those that are perfect strangers to their own hearts but complain of Sin some of one Sin some of another Oh how fain would the Soul which is actually Christs lay down this body of Sin and Death Oh says the Soul when shall I go home when shall I go to my Fathers house where I shall never sin more He that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 5.12 Death came in by Sin and Sin goeth out by Death the Death of the Body freeth us from the Body of Death Art actually in Christ Cordial VII
Christ can But with the precious Blood of Christ. There is the positive part What Silver and Gold cannot do the Blood of Christ can do for that is precious Christs Blood is pure Blood Though to be sinless cannot be asserted of man yet it may be asserted of God-man Heb. 4.15 In all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Though Christ was tempted to sin yet not into sin 1 Pet. 1.19 Christ is called a Lamb and so he is for harmlesness for meekness for silence for sacrifice He is a Lamb without blemish and without spot Aquinas Free saith one from all sin original and actual He is without blemish sound within and without spot right without The Apostle here alludes to the Paschal Lamb and to the Lamb for the daily sacrifice both which were to be without blemish and without spot The Paschal Lamb. Your Lamb shall be without blemish Ex. 12.5 Joh. 1.29 a male of the first year Now this Lamb was a Type of Christ Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world The Lamb for the daily Sacrifice This is the offering made by fire Num. 28.3 which ye shall offer unto the Lord two Lambs of the first year without spot day by day for a continual burnt-offering This Lamb also was a Type of Christ Purge out therefore the old leaven 1 Cor. 5.7 that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us Was it thus with the Type then it was thus with the Antitype Christs Blood is purifying Blood It is the Blood of Jesus Heb. 9.14 that purgeth the conscience from dead works It is Christs Blood that purgeth from dead works in a state of death and from liveless works in a state of life Joh. 13.8 Rev. 1.5 It is Christ must wash If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Yea it is Christ must wash from sin in his own blood As the merit of Christs Blood Balnaeum coeleste doth pacifie God so the virtue of Christs Blood doth purifie man Christs Blood is the Bath of the King of Heaven Christs Blood is a Laver to wash in it washeth a crimson-sinner milk-white The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin The word of Christ is a Looking-Glass to shew us our sins the blood of Christ is a Fountain to wash them away Christ's blood is purchasing blood Christ hath bought his out of the hands of Justice of Sin of Satan Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.19 20. be ye not the servants of men Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price There was little paid for the Saviour there was much paid for the Sinner Christ was sold did not Covetousness set him to sale But for what was he sold for 30 pieces of silver the price that a Slave was valued at The Prophet stands as it were amazed and amused at this price A goodly price Zech. 11.13 that I was prized at of them And I took the 30 pieces of silver and cast them to the Potter in the house of the Lord. There was little paid for the Saviour but there was much paid for the Sinner The Saviour was bought with silver but the Sinner is bought with blood yea with the blood of Christ. Feed the Church of God Acts 20.28 which he hath purchased with his own blood Christ's blood is pardoning blood It is by the blood of Christ that we have a lasting yea an everlasting pardon of all our sins If Christ had never dyed Sin had never been pardoned Heb. 9.22 for without shedding of blood there is no remission Art a believing Soul then thou art a pardoned Soul Christ doth not onely give Pardon to him that believeth but also giveth Faith to believe that Pardon Art a repenting Soul then thou art a pardoned Soul Christ doth not onely give remission of sin to those that repent but also repentance for remission of sin and gives them repentance of the sins remitted Art in the Church and in Christ too thou art then a pardoned Soul though the tears of Repentance stand in thine eyes that thou canst not read thy Pardon Luther Lord saith One now do what thou wilt with me for thou hast pardoned me The pardon of sin is such a mercy that a man cannot be happy hereafter nor yet happy here without it Though a Soul may have Grace yet he cannot have Peace that is without a sight and sense of Pardon Now Pardon of sin is an effect of Christs blood Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption thorough his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace Pardon of sin is a complicated mercy Christ's blood is pleading blood Satan the Law and Conscience plead against us cry to God against us and as it were say this man and woman have commiteed multiplied forbidden Iniquities and omitted multiplied imposed Duties these Persons have so many vain Thoughts so many dead Prayers have neglected so many precious Ordinances sinned after so many signal deliverances c. But no sooner can these Indictments be put in against those who are Christs but they are cast out of the Court of Heaven by Christ for his blood is pleading blood The Cry of Sin is a loud Cry grievous Sins make great Cryes Jehovah said because the cry of Sodom Gen. 18.20 21. and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know There is a loud voice in the Cry of Sin but there is a louder voice in the Cry of Blood And to the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel It is called the blood of sprinkling in allusion to the Passeover where the bloods saith One of the Paschal Lamb was sprinkled on the posts of the door M. Hildersam to save the house from the stroke of the revenging Angel The blood of Abel did plead against the Offender but the blood of Christ doth plead for the Believer Abel's blood cryed for vengeance Christ's blood cryeth for mercy Christ's blood is procuring blood The holy place the holy of holiest and the holiest of all are one and the same Into the holy place was the High-Priest only to go and that not without blood Aaron Lev. 16.3 was to come into the holy place with a young Bullock for a sin-offering and with a Ram for a burnt-offering Into the second Tabernacle went the High Priest alone once a year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the People Now the holy place and the holy of holiest were a Type of Heaven and the blood the High-Priest went with was a Type of Christs blood Christs blood was Christs way to
the Gospel and the voice from Mount Sion came along with Christ Joh. 1.17 The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Christ is the Churches merit Death is a Stipend Life is a Donative a free Gift Martyrology p. 126 Lord Gray Duke of Suffolk Person p. 99. Bernard not a due Debt The mercy of Christ is the merit of the Christian One at the place of Execution said I trust to be saved by the merits of Christ alone and by no other Trumpery A Maryan-Martyr at the Stake said In the merits of Christ alone I trust this day to enter into his joy My merit saith one is the mercy of my God so long as God is not poor in mercy I cannot be poor of merit if he be great in mercy I also am great in merit Luther himself confesseth Luth. in Gal. p. 90. That when he prayed or said Mass he used to add this in the end oh Lord Jesus I come unto thee and I pray thee that these Burdens together with the straitness of my Rule and Religion may be a full recompence for all my sins But this he also saith Before I would admit of the blasphemy of the merit of Congruence before Grace to obtain Grace and works in the merit of worthiness after Grace I would not onely that the holiness of all the Papists and Merit-mongers but also of all the Saints and Angels should be thrown into the bottom of Hell and condemned with the Devil Christ is the Churches merit for the Church is Christ's purchase Feed the Church of God Acts 20.28 which he hath purchased with his own blood Man was sold sold under sin a Slave to Sin a Slave to Satan but Christ hath bought him 1 Cor. 6.20 and paid dear for him Ye are bought with a price Here was a valuable price for it was invaluable blood the blood of a sinless Jesus Christ is the Churches Mine The people of Brazile in America Clark 's Mirror Part II. p. 170. call Gold the God of the Christians Gold hath devotions paid it as to a Goddess In some places of America if the Historian do not hyperbolize there is such abundance of Gold that in some Mines there is more Gold than Earth p. 77. So Potter in his compendious view saith That in some of the American-Mines they can hardly find so much Earth Basil Marq. of Vico. Clark's 2d Part. Ecclesiast History p. 104. Joh. 1.14 16. as Gold When one was tempted with Gold he answered Give me Gold that will last for ever Luther would not be put off with Gold without Grace and Glory Galeacius being proffered a vast Sum of money to return said Let his money perish with him that accounts all the Gold in the world worth one days communion with Jesus Christ and his holy Spirit There are Mines of Gold but Christ is a Mine of Grace He is full of Grace and Truth He is an Ore indeed that is able to enrich a Beggar yea a Bankrupt Of his fulness have all we received Col. 2.3 and Grace for Grace All the treasures of Grace are hid in this Christ for this Church Christ is the Churches Mirror As he is the Churches Mercy and Merit and Mine so Mirror In this Glasâ— ye may take a Pisgah-Prospect of the Holy Land The King would not be seen without his youngest Son The Father will not be seen without his eldest Son No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 the onely begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him The bosom is the seat of amity and secresiâ— who is so intirely loved as she that lieth in the bosom Men admit those into their bosoms to whom they impart all their secresies Calvin The breast saith One is the place of counsels Now Christ is the Mirror he being in the bosom of the Father discovers and declares the Father unmasks and unveils the Father The firmamental Sun is not seen out of his own light The Father and the Son are so great lights that they are not seen out of their own light In thy light Joh. 14.9 we shall see light The Father is seen in the Son He that hath seen me hath seen the Father Oh my Soul in this Christ thou mayst see God see Glory see Heaven and thy name written there Moses must stand upon a Mount to receive from God the Tables of Stone and the Law As Moses must have a Mount to converse with God so thou must have a Mirror to see God to see the reconciled face of God If ever thou seest God to be thy God to be thine in Covenant thine in Christ then Christ must be thy mirror wherein thou takest a prospect of him If Christ be thus how then should he be endeared and cryed up as a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire Now the desires that will have the ear of Christ and an answer from Christ they are the desires of the heart all other desires are but as Ships without Sails Clouds without Water Trees without Fruit Bodies without Souls But what manner of desires are cordial desires Quest Cordial desires are good desires Sol. 1. If the desire be from the heart then good is the object of that desire I am writing of a person that makes Christ the object of his soul-delight now the object of his desire which is from his heart must be good The desire of the righteous is onely good Prov. 11.23 but the expectation of the wicked is wrath It is a Maxim in Philosophy that all things desire good The desires of the righteous as righteous are onely good alwayes good for as they desire Christ above all so they desire Christ in all and after all in whom is all good and nothing but good Cant. 5.8 I charge you oh daughters of Jerusalem if ye see my beloved that ye tell him I am sick of love Oh! if ye see him be sure to tell him whatever ye forget to tell him do not forget to tell him this that I am sick of love for him Oh tell him that I know not how to live another day without him another duty without him Oh tell him that my head akes that my Heart akes that my very heart-strings are ready to break for a Sight of him for a Smile from him for inward and intimate Converse and Communion with him Cordial desires are lawful desires They must be things lawful that are desired or our desires are unlawful We must not desire as the Mother of Zebedees children did Matth. 20.20 21 22. concerning which Christ said Ye know not what ye ask What wilt thou saith Christ She said Grant that these my two Sons James and John who themselves are said to put up this Petition to the Lord Mark 10.35 for they said Doe for us whatsoever we
Remedies for all Diseases found But Death He dyes and dying did assure No Drug or Dose of Death could make a Cure Let Nature now most fortifie that can Health's highest sphere a Crisis proves to Man One way to come into the World had all But to go out a thousand and to fall A Nail kills Sisera but by a Stone Goliah falls for he would stand alone This Giant now meets with a mortal Blow Right goes an Arrow out of Heavens Bow One wound Goliah kills but twenty three Great Caesar had and then departed he Strong Samson enters now of whom 't is said He Rubbish made and under Rubbish laid Thus Men and Means disputing Con and Pro Do act their Parts and off the Stage do go III. Of Honour and Policy CAN Honour No the tallest Pines are shaken By smallest winds and may not this awaken Sure footing Soul hath not Magnificence This may be in the Preterperfect Tense This Bucket-like now up now down is She But down the mot'on swiftest seems to me Could I prefer such have Preferment should Not that would Places but that Places would All worldly Grandeur in the Dust is laid As Caesar took so Caesar Tribute paid Thus ROMAN Honour passeth as a Blast Though Pompey slew slain Pompey was at last High Haman staged is making uproar Next to the King does now this Abject soar As to Design in Jewish blood he wallows As to Desert ascendeth He the Gallows CAN Policy No MAZIRINI may Strike Sail to Death and go this common way Ah where 's Pythagoras with prudent Cato Where 's Seneca with Socrates and Plato Where 's Cicero with Athen's Legislators And where 's Apollo with the Commentators But where is that admired Aristotle Yet Euripus would not into his Bottle So often ebb and flow this Deep that He Unsatisfied would the Bottom see But where 's Achitophel accursed may Such Policy be to the latter Day An ORACLE was He within his Age But hangs himself and falleth off the Stage Where 's Solomon more wise than any other That côuld detect the true from feigned Mother Ah turbid Death He was a mortal Sage And being mortal goeth off the STAGE IV. Of Wealth CAN Riches No or Truth is made a Lye But Wealth 's a gilded lying VANITY The World saith One to Man is God's Epistle But often proves to Man a vexing Thistle The World 's a Labyrinth my Soul beware And Michal-like is given as a Snare Ah bitter-sweet and that but for an hour Sweet is the Promise but the Payment sowre The World 's a Cheat the things thereof decay And Laban-like for Rachel Leah pay A Syrens Song and unto Whoredom pander Which causeth many Dinah-like to wander Ah England mourn and grow into a Passion The Spanish Mode is now an English Fashion Most vainly Mortals worldly things aspire These are not Food but Fewel to Desire Shall Hearts be set on that where onely Feet Should standing be hence bearing but a Sheet Job staged is and not for Wealth the least But greater than the greatest of the East His Substance winged is the Blow was such But Jah Jehovah gives him twice as much No Object for the Eye is Wealth and can This Object be unto the Heart of Man But worldly Men make for themselves a Rod Below a Soul is all below a GOD. Where 's Crassus Croesus Crates Aristippus Or Cyrus Xerzes Dives and Philippus Left by the World are they where living find them And dying they do leave the World behind them Where 's He that had so vast a Territory Who Ruler was according to the Story Of Provinces an Hundred twenty seven The Man is dead and gone to Hell or Heaven V. Of Fortitude CAn Fortitude This Mortals rarely deck A rare but rich Gem 't is about the neck Of Potentates refute it if ye can Son unto Caesar Valor makes a Man Great Alexander would immortal be Unwounded wounded mortal proved he Where 's little David yet hath little Fear Who killed both the Lyon and the Bear Philistine-foreskins hanged up may be As signal Trophies for a Saul to see Yea Gath-Goliah dreadful in his motion Had native Blood prescribed for a Potion Ah but he dyes as Scripture hath averred And in the Royal City was interred Stout Hannibal Rome's Terror where is He Or those stout Scipio's that would not flee Where 's Saladine that Oriental Victor Or where should I dig for puissant Hector Huniades doth next ascend the STAGE Who all his Race did war with Turcists wage In Battels many stoutly he engage And thorough Valor Turky did enrage To this vast Empire dreadful was his name Their crying Babes were stilled with the same Jobs iron Pen take to engrave his Fame My Narrative defective is and lame That to Posterity transmitted may His Valor and his Conquest be I say Where 's Scanderbeg who was so valorous And with his Valor so victoricus In more than twenty Battels he engage Proud Saracens whose right Arm did presage His Valor and his Conquest in his Age This matchless Valor goeth off the Stage VI. Of Learning CAn Learning This to Tully doth allye Knots-Gordian this thorough Art untye Which one no way but by his Sword espie But did not Tully and his Nephew dye Keep Learning in her native Orb and thus Shall due Respect be for Philologus Wher 's Homer Horace Zeno and Prochorus Or Xenophon Tertullus Theodorus Wher 's Plato Plautus Plutarch Theophrastus Or Memucan Alvarez and Erastus Wher 's Austin with his Tract of Recantation Or Ambrose modest in his Meditation Though Ignorance to Learning giveth check Yet surely this the Sons of Adam deck Thus Learning in a Lord as was of old Assimilates a DIAMOND in Gold Wher 's Origen so full of Allegories Or Moderators in the Consistories Wher 's Jewel who the Truth defended well Or Bolton on Death Judgment Heaven Hell Wher 's Chrysippus his Study might have bled him For ought I see had not Melissa fed him Wher 's Hilary for Stile so greatly eyed Or Gregory that was so mortified Wher 's Basil Beda too so preaching then If one speaks Truth the stones did cry Amen Where are those prying Ones of Issachar And wher 's Erasmus learnings morning Star Wher 's CYPRIAN so worthy Martyrdom With very many more but here 's no room Wher 's Moses mighty both in Words and Deeds Death unto Death the man in Moab bleeds Wher 's Cranmer Ridley Lambert and the rest Ah dead are these and dying are the best II. Of Terror ART out of Christ On Ebal stand I must And Lectures now not onely read of Dust But also Wrath that 's blown into a flame Almighty Breath is kindler of the same To Souls in Christ Death is most amiable Most terrible of all things formidable To Christless Ones yea this appears to me Of HELL the very Suburbs for to be Ah mortal Man If I may speak my Sense Infernal Dregs are in the future Tense 'T is pity