have their force and make issue according to their majesty and glory in the hearts of you all words of majesty and glory resplendent words which are so shaped above as to make strong reflections of the Sunne upon soules here below will make very saving or very killing influence God speakes gloriously to take affect and save the most obdurate heart let him have his designe this is the last thing that I would presse upon you and this concernes us all God makes his words glorious his workes glorious that the heart may be melted and moulded to a glorious forme by them doe not frustrate divine art Words which goe forth with much of God from Heaven let them leave much of God in your hearts When vision is glorious the soule should be in a transe when the speaker is in Heaven the hearer should be there too The Lord spake in glory in shining light to Saul he cast the beauty which he uses above upon his words and these wrought indeed and made Saul cry out Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Methinks this expression in the Text is as if there were such another Heaven opening and such another shining word to some Saul here to some bloudy malicious sinner Sinner sinner why doest thou shut thine eyes and thine eares against glorious words of Christ Some glorious Meteors they render the Heavens to us as if they did gloriously open Heaven me-thinks opens in this expression glorious power how can any heart keepe out of Heaven when Heaven opens to it How can any heart but be taken with that which is full of nothing but taking lustre what man can passe over such an expression without laying his hand on his heart with such a quaere what is that power which the Holy Ghost admires Surely there is glory indeed in that which he calles glorious O that my soule could see this glory Where Christ sets a hand in the margent pointing to the observation of any thing of his that surely is very remarkeable there the soule should stand still sit down and dwell The very accents and aspirations of truth must have their place in the heart of man the heart is to hold all not a tittle of truth must fall to the ground our hearts must catch it and keepe it from falling and dying Power and Love and Wisdome they are accented and aspirated glorious power infinite wisdome love passing knowledge c. These titles and aspirations this dust of gold must not be throwen away but adde to the impression of truth for 't is God setting all his strength to thrust things into the heart 't is God using his best soule-saving art to get into Sanctum sanctorum As the heart behaves it selfe so Divine truth lives or dies in it as Divine words die or live in the heart so God dies or lives in the World Much of God dies when glorious expressions make not glorious impressions much God-dying makes much man dying that God is so much dead in England makes so many men dead Man is lesse then a tittle of truth yea the World is lesse then a tittle of truth Spretis punctâ—s expiraâ— Anglia tittles of truth kill'd by the Christian World kille the Christian World so generally at this day As truth hath apparel'd it selfe so let it goe in the World and live in our hearts let us not take the least spangle from Her attyre Truth and Wisdome and Love will otherwise lose their dimensions and God will lose the glory of his heights and depths of divine dispensations The goodnesse of the heart is as the words of God make totall impression upon it T is the best heart in which God can best read all that hee hath said to a tittle and finde glorious impressions suitable to the glorious words in which he deliver'd himselfe How you judge of your hearts I know not God judges of them as your breath turnes into his as your spirits admire adore rise and ascend into Heaven with his That heart which can reade and heare glorious words of Christ and not be answerably affected will never be a glorious Christian Christ makes the place of his feet glorious as he treades in the heart so hee makes it glorious as his Word makes impression so is sanctification and no otherwise they that heare and let goe divine words of the the movingst forme and force will certainly die loose Soules Men goe to reading and hearing the word with a carelesse spirit 't is most mens sinne all that such get is judgement they eate and drinke judgement saith the Apostle respecting another Ordinance So these heare and reade judgement to their soules that is heart hardning and not heart raising The handling of such a glorious expression as this though by a weake servant of Christ must needs have set your hearts something more Heaven-ward had yee heard with such preparation as becomes you A man finds God in his Word as hee seekes him in Prayer and no otherwise Wax receives impression as 't is prepar'd Esther must fast and pray and come with her life in her hand to the King to have a glorious Scepter stretched out unto her So must we come into the presence of the King of Kings with much seeking of God and selfe-judging with our lives temporall and eternall in our hands to finde glorious words worke gloriously to have a glorious Scepter stretched out from Heaven to us a glorious power working in us in the hearring of glorious things Hee that minds little about what he is going finds little but the fruit of his sinne he goes away from divine ordinances worse then hee came to them he goes away with a sop with a heart more poysoned in malice more hard dead and cold condemned and executed to wit tortur'd I conclude this point with a note of admiration That God will put glosse upon necessary commodities such as we cannot be without and doe well to make them off is wonderfull Yee doe not use to put varnish upon Bread that 's such a generall necessary dish that its double and maine use to the state of man sets it off well enough without any by-things about the dish Such is the Word of God 't is as bread to our soules of supreme use this one would think should be enough to set it off with us and yet because this is not God paints bread guilds Loves and sets them upon the Table to us * Puts glosse upon the words of eternall life That GOD will put himselfe into a passion to put us put Heaven into his words to put Heaven into our hearts le ts wonder That Christ will let fall his mantle when hee ascends that we may ascend too make his raised spirit breake forth into glorious raised words to raise our spirits too let his love and humility be ever before you 'T is our great worke Christians 't is our great worke to admire God in his words and workes in his
keepe us alive The Revelation of great love made us a little warme for a time and lifted up our hearts a while high and now they fall deadly fast 't is deadly presaging If nothing will keepe up the heart all wil downe all must necessarily downe If Ely cannot keepe up his spirit hee will not keepe up his person if the heart be broke and downe the necke will be broke too ere long and all downe a sinking spirit presages a sinking state Every mans heart ere while was at his mouth leaping now 't is at their heeles running love unto miracle will not keepe us alive nor keepe up our hearts and hands to magnifie God what desolating ingratitude is this Every one lookes heavy speakes heavy sighes heavy scarce one magnifying God What shall I doe sayes one What shall I doe sayes another Why what does God doe eye him doe your duty follow after him with praise or you will murther your selves and many more A second thing that speakes broadly and sadly Englands ingratitude is Concuring and assisting providence checkt A willing God to doe great things for his people sleighted Love workes richly wee worke poorely wee let love die in travell at our doore we are likely then to make a goodly returne of love are we not we are lazily making our selves ready when love calles and puts in her finger at Key holes and crannies gloriously to us which is grosse ingratitude and for which the Church was heavily judged with a departure We take not Christ by the hand when he stretcheth it out to us we doe not welcome Christ as hee comes smiling and with a countenance like Lebanon towards us wee doe not blesse kisse and embrace him when hee shewes his Face as an Angel greater unkindnesse and ingratitude can there be Wee let mercies great mercies melt away in their owne grease and make nothing of them for Gods glory or our owne good as if great favours cost GOD nothing Gods people nothing or were worth nothing Heaven opens and our Eyes are shut Heaven opens againe and our Eyes are still shut God makes his glory passe by us and we let it passe Greene mercies raw mercies halfe mercies bastard blessings will content us when full favours mature favours admirably proffer'd We check a bountifull God a willing Father Is not this base ingratitude we sleight full love when fully proffer'd a plant of renowne when proffer'd in a way of renowne Is this to returne full love fully to kill it in travaile to strangle it in the wombe Because the man-Childe makes Panges and Throwes therefore weary of travaile and any peace so but an end of this War Any reformation so this corporall desolation were but ended O base England A third thing that broadly speakes Englands ingratitude is this gentle corrections unobserved Who observes how tenderly the bloudy swords is manag'd in England How in the middest of Justice God remembers mercy who is taken with this how many hearts doth this raise to follow God with praises What an Earth-quake Justice makes in the joints of the wicked What a brest worke in Bataile mercy makes to save the innocent Few to resist many few to kill many how sparing of good bloud is our good God! how carelesse of bad How hee doth droppe in reliefe like Aquavitae when wee are ready to swoune things goe so ill How many hearts are taken rais'd up kept up blessing God for this Mercy Exalts her selfe against Justice shee leads and guides our bloudy Armies Justice is but as a common man wounds and killes here and there where mercy bids it At most justice brings up but the reare in our Warre shee comes behinde and Treades a little upon our heele and bruises that whiles shee breakes the heads and neckes of the wicked O what Heavenly pillage every battaile in England hath hitherto afforded how much of God how much Divine power how much Divine wisdome Divine love to be gathered up but who hath inricht himselfe with this Noble treasure thy greatest mercies O England are but short liv'd thy tenderest mercies quickly dye I like it not shalt thou live O England God admirably saves us we wickedly kill his kindnesse 't will kill us all if not well look't to God is full of bowells wee are brawny 't will not last so alwayes God killes malice wee kill love what dealings are gentle we groane under as tedious too long and too broad too spoiling too killing who blesses God that Englands miseries are mild that England is dealt with far better then shee doth deserve I have spoken more generally to the Land I will speake more particularly to you Christians You have a great stock of love in your hand what returne doe you make I am commanded by this point in hand to looke after my masters income his great revenue of this lower world rent day is come and I am come to demand it You were Lepers are yee cleansed How many returne and give thankes you were cast out to loathing are yee taken into embracing what acknowledgment doe you make Infinite love is out upon you Christians how does it returne into the bosome from whence it came out Ingratitude makes great guilt and great breach that heart will grow too heavy for the man that cannot be taught to praise God to sing new songes as God renewes his favour Three incomparable things are spoiled by ingratitude Gods glory mans peace and increase of grace hee growes backward as you have such a phrase that is ungratefull it turnes all mans welfare into a consumption t is the thiefe that robs God and man t is base basenesse Gods love and mans knit up in a Sack and the mouth cannot be opened all divine stirrings chok't cripl'd kill'd and deaded which makes merrily and sweetly heaven-ward 'T were endlesse to tell you the evils of ingratitude I will give you a word of remedy and so conclude this point The heart is in thankefulnesse as t is in truth Thankfullnesse is the vitall breathing of integrity A sound heart arrogates nothing but ascribes all to God hypocrisy is the worst giver of all to another that can be truth is best at giving every one their owne 't is her greatest paine that shee can doe it least to him that is best to her Integrity hath no other felicity but to paint out love and carry it to Heaven to see if God will owne any art of hers to make him glorious All the complaint of integrity is that favours are lost upon her that love dies in her bosome and many made-prisoners by her so chain'd and fettered with an evill heart that they cannot returne to God that gave them Integrity is still sighing and panting to get up hill with all Gods blessings on her back Oh that I could carry all sweetely home againe that God lends me Secondly as the soule is in life so t is in thankefulnesse heat is best at making up ward Truth is sometimes much
God Psal 86.10 unlesse such and such men stand by him What Is not God God alone Cannot he nay doth not he use to do great things alone Nemine adjuvante multis obstantibus Is not Heaven brought to us against all the strength of Hell by Christ alone I will make a more strict soule-application of this point Great things come in a very immediate way my inference is our eyes in matters of the soule which are the greatest things should be much fixed upon God Sinners undoe their soules in that little which they doe to save them 'T is enough to some that they put themselves upon Ordinances as if that were all to bring the soule to Heaven Grace and salvation come in a more immediate way 'T is not what men say to the eare but what God himselfe speaks to the heart which makes Heaven there and a capacity of Heaven for ever 'T is the voice behind you that turnes you and saves you Grace drops from Christs on we lips I create the fruit of the lips peace These waters are nothing to him that makes them enough 'T is the Angels stirring does the worke for Heaven Sinners when you come to Ordinances use them as Ordinances * Media ut media secùs slagella and not as Gods charge your soules to hearken what God will say and what God will doe I am going to divine Ordinances it may be a man may say many good wordes to me and God never a one man may lift and lift and be very lively and God give never a lift and then is my soule lost Ah Lord How ominous is that when God will not speake a word to the soule I am fallen upon a point of life death sinners attend or you will utterly lose your soules You have mediate favours cast upon you but what immediate You have men-preaching but what God-preaching do you find you keepe on in a rode-way what foot-way hath Christ within from heaven to your hearts The Law was written with Gods own hand and so dispensed in a very immediate way which was Israells greatest favor Is the Law written on your hearts by the finger of God What friends have you from Heaven visiting you which no eye sees What immediate dispensations from Christ to your soules What workings of the spirit of God upon your spirits doe you finde in Ordinances many a man hath no bigger favours from God then a Horse or a Cow naked corporall things for the support of such a corporall being bread and flesh as a bruite hath hay and grasse This was Caines curse banished from Heaven to earth cursed from the presence of the Lord to bruites mercies onely to what felicity the earth could afford no fellowship betweene God and his soule The World is full of banished soules from the presence of the Lord. Justice for this makes no difference O England betweene thy men and horse no more of one then of t'other because so like in qualification one looking no higher then t'other The noblest blessings the greatest favours Heaven and Heavenly things which God gives with his owne hands to the soule these thy wantons and worldlings O sensuall England have not esteemed A base sunke spirit hath sunk thee England If thou couldest have but the mercies of a bruite fat pasture and peace to grase in it 't would much as thy heart wishes As for those greatest favours which God in state dispences with his owne hand to the heart thou hast many children which will dispence with these and many which will scoffe at them Multitudes amongst you care not for the smile of a God so you may have but the smiling countenance of some great man so you may but sleepe in a whole skinne and enjoy fleshly delights whether God or your soule ever change a good word you heed not Yee base spirited wretches which care not for Heaven so that yee may have but earth know that yee are the plague of poore England The bloud of the Land will be laid at your doore Had not you growne so earthly and base in a fat Land as to sleight Heaven and sleight the greatest favours we had not bled at this day T is the badge of an Esau to prize earth and sleight Heaven to serve sence and to care for no nobler nor nearer fellowship with God then providence bring to the belly God may bring a Heaven to your bodies if this will serve turne and a hell to your soules Let every man know the plague of his heart and repent carnality will kill you all Spirituality onely covets the noblest things A spirituall man cannot feed so low nor so course as others doe hee must have a Dish from GODS owne Table or all dainties at his owne table rellish not The Creature is sweete but there is a Heaven beyond this saith hee Hee cannot sit downe without God nor rise up without him All is wanting when God cannot be found no body at Table when Christ is not there what dropping from Heaven upon my soule from every thing that 's still the Quaere with a spirituall man Immediate favours noblest God alone all to this man Whom have I in Heaven but thee whom have I in Earth in comparison of thee Words of men weighed words of Gods within laid up more choyce then Jewells The opportunity is still lost when Christ and the soule hath had no talke Vanites ensnare I am too fleshly for Christ to take mee by the hand sayes a spirituall man One spirit is still panting after another two spirits would be one in the bosome of another no lesse then the jewels which hang about Christs owne neck will content a noble spirit The Quaere is not how much the body hath of the Creature but how much the soule doth enjoy of God What immediate mercies doe I enjoy What hath God laid in for spending in these hard times with his owne hands What faith What experiments What divine resolutions Spirituality carries the soule sublime every thing is in price as it comes from Heaven and brings Heaven along with it That 's preaching that brings Heaven and the heart together that 's a christian whose breath smels like a garden which the Lord hath blest In whose mouth Heaven opens As things are wrapped up in Christ so they have their price still to a spiritualll man Carnality makes you mind no high things earth is heavy earthy soules cannot flee high no higher then the top of a golden dunghill Let these things hint a bad state and better it The noblest things make the noblest condition both here and here after Live low now and live low for ever as low as hell FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light T Is considerable how Christ makes his will how hee disposes of all where hee gives most where he casts
his best blessings to wit in the bosome of the best persons Heaven is the inheritance of Saints Doct. Divine fruition is still made according to capacity Men many times give place and honor where there is no capacity nor fitnesse but Christ never doth Christ brings not hell to Heaven wickednesse inherits wrath grace onely inherits glory Heaven is hell to a depraved state As guilt shunes Justice so doth sinne holinesse A wicked man would not be where sinne is punished nor where grace is onely practized He is as unwilling to Heaven as to hell yet to one he must Christ casts hell upon many against their will but Heaven upon none but upon such who are both willing and capable Holinesse makes capacity of happinesse purity will bosome purity Christ puts no Toads in his bosom but Saints Inheritance of Saints c. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption Heterogeneals will not incorporate Choyce flowers will not grow by stinking weeds Capacity is absolutely necessary respecting the inheritance above If Sinners would into Heaven they cannot Light and darkenesse are inconsistent Fire and water oppose God and ungodly men cannot live neare Justice will fight it out with sinne to the death Without holinesse man cannot see God without this God cannot endure to see the man There be thousands and ten thousands in Heaven but not one sinner amongst them all the Land will not beare Snakes Toades Serpents no poysonous creatures only Saints Inheritance of Saints Justice makes exact distinction Sheep and Goates though many yet all parted Not a Goate upon Christs right hand Every attribute is exact at it's Office mercy brings her children from the foure winds of the Earth to Heaven and leaves not one short nor brings not one over Justice gathers her brats too from the foure Winds and leaves not one for any higher preferment then hell will afford The Lord knowes who are his that 's the Seale of Heaven A Seale is for exact distinction What a seale is unto us for exact distinction that is Christs knowledge to him hee doth as firmely as lastingly as exactly distinguish by vertue of this all persons in the World as wee doe by our seales and Markes distinguish amongst multitudes of things Though the devill have many thousands here below and Christ but a few and these tumbled up and downe amongst the wicked yet Christ knowes which is which and who are his And onely his shall have all hee hath Saints inherit God moves in relation Children only inherit bond servants have a little and turned off when their time is out If children then heires joynt heires with Christ This Hypothesis is a Thesis onely in a Saint Hee is a child of God out of question the nature of God is only manifest in a Saint A holy man plainly and without controversy speakes out himselfe to be a Sonne of God Jus legale carries the inheritance to him The wicked are of their father the Devill they may not lay claime to Heaven upon paine of hell If they touch the tree of Life they die when they promise Heaven wrath then smokes and hell never so neare as now Bondslaves doe not inherit nor bastards doe not inherit the case is the same of either respecting Heaven No Bastard Christians no Bastard Saints but Saints indeed inherit Vse Let every man looke to his sanctity It doth not merit but it doth entitle to the inheritance If children then heires A man may looke into his bosome and tell what he shall be for eternity Know your hearts and know them throughly you cannot doe well else 'T is death to mee to smell the breath of some of you your inwards are so rotten and yet I feare I feare you take notice of nothing My Quaere to you all is what have you to take to for eternity Heaven How doe you make that good Can you make demonstration of a holy state Yes I live justly I pray to God I heare his Word This is not infallible demonstration of sanctity Civill conscience calls and thrusts to all these as 't is so principled and under such a government A man may be just to men and not just to GOD. Heathens have beene as just as any of you all That yong man which came to Christ when the Law was read hee should not kill nor steale but love his Neighbour c. All this have J done from my youth .. He was exact for Justice and yet but in a sorry state for Heaven if one may belâ—eve his owne words Drawing neare to God in duties is a better demonstration of sanctity and yet this may be done with the lips when the heart is far from God They draw neare and sit before mee as my people saith God But their hearts goe after their covetousnesse A mans devotion may be hot for the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord And yet himselfe the Temple of the devill strict for new moones and solemne feasts and Gods soule loath all both men and their devotion There is blind devotion profane holinesse I will give you two or three principles demonstrative of it for I feare there are some deluded soules amongst you Out-side holynesse how splendid so ever it lookes is profane holinesse The heart denominates action The Pharisee was for Temple praying for lifting up of eyes and hands but no heart A meere image drawne out in such a posture with his eyes and hands inclining upwards and Christ made basenesse of this best piece God is worshipped in spirit If holinesse reach not this 't is grosse profanenesse Holinesse is spirit yielding to spirit bad to good 'T is a pure heart a heart captivated with Christ and spending it selfe upon him Holynesse 't is everlasting doores within doores of the soule that everlasting thing opened to a King of glory T is affection catched with truth one spirit bound by an other a bad spirit by a good and carried whither that list It is a flame and an Angell ascending in it A spirit a fire and ascending upward A man upon his knees and his heart upon his lips taking rise for Heaven from this advantage Profane holynesse is holinesse meerely formall piety suited to policy to things on this side Christ and truth My father did so my grand-father did so the most doe so therefore 't is best to doe so and 't is idle to doe otherwise Many mens sanctity is a meere piece of antiquity A humour to weare such an old fashion No devotion but Schisme that is not in this old habit No holinesse but faction that cannot be clasp't up within the covers of a Common-Prayer Booke Wednesdayes and Frydayes the onely dayes for Prayer The printed liturgy an onely forme for Prayer Ah Lord What is Bishops holinesse onely blessed holinesse Did not their bloudy zeale lie here What a curse is blind devotion The things that dame them are deare True holinesse is regulated by truth and not by persons nor time Sanctifie them with thy truth
to make him know him that speakes to be God and him that is spoken to but man God speakes so as to make man admire tremble stoop Man is a creature conceited and yet of no reach his conceptions and expressions lessen the dimensions of God his wisdome his power and the like and in this way man growes upon God by sinfull boldnesse and therefore God is faine to put titles and epithites upon his things himselfe to name things according to their nature himselfe which fallen man could have done once but now cannot to call love Love passing knowledge and wisdome infinite his wisdome is infinite saith the Psalmist and power glorious * To call an Angel an Angell and gold gold he is faine to cloath every attribute himselfe with royall apparell with titles suitable that so man may know and keepe his distance heare and feare heare and admire heare and stoop to him that is so glorious and so far above him in every Limb that hath such a glorious Arme glorious power Finally God shapes expression so to man as to hint him of and move him to his highest state He fetches expression from Heaven and from glory to minde man what should take him up and whither hee should drive in all hee sayes and does he goes before man in glory to draw man after him he speakes gloriously to man that man may eccho to him and call divine power as hee does and be taken with divine power as he is that man may looke about and turne away his eye from things that are vaine-glorious to that which is indeed glorious and will indeed make man so being strengthened with it Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power Vse God speakes as one in Heaven how doe you heare He makes his sword two-edged one terrible t'other glorious how does it cut He uses his rod and his scepter sharpe words and glorious words what doe they worke His scepter hee in layes and gilds and makes a glorious Scepter and so holds it forth to your senses to your eyes to your eares what impression doth it make upon your hearts Can yee heare God speake gloriously and yet not be stird'd Can yee heare God speake from Mount Sina and yet not shake Can yee heare him speake from Mount Zion as one in Heaven and yet not admire him adore him and be taken with him To unstir'd soules I must first speake from this point certainly you are dead This is the first principle that springs from this point Unstir'd soules are dead soules he that speakes speakes so gloriously so movingly that all men unlesse they be dead must needs be stirr'd Were your soules alive the words of Christ are so sweete so full of glory and divine force that they must needs stir and take you were you but asleepe the words of Christ are so glorious and so shining in your eyes that they would awake you T is a remarkeable place to this purpose Cant. 7.9 and the roofe of thy mouth like the best Wine that goes down sweetely causing those that are asleepe to speake Christs glorious words are very taking they goe down sweetely if there be any principle of life in the soule t will stir it If the heart be asleepe in the lap of any lower sweete in the lap of any low delights if onely asleepe and not dead in the nest this higher sweete and glory will awaken it and make it speake to the praise of him that so exceeds all in sweetnesse and love Solomon was asleepe for a while in the lap of low delights but when once Christ began to speake in a glorious stile to his sleepy soule hee awoke presently and made songes of that glory that transcendent glory which he saw Surely therefore I conclude that they are dead men whom words of glory words full of Heaven cannot stir How glorious the expression of Christ is here yee heare how gloriously Christ hath spoken upon it out of the mouth of a babe out of the mouth of a Worme and no man yee have likewise heard of what force and power all hath been upon your hearts yee know how much more in love with Heaven and with the Word of Christ and how much lesse in love with the World and with your lusts then you were you know yee that yet are as yee were not a jot better surely yee are dead yee that are yet dead ah Lord when when will yee bee alive Let every heart attend I will ring the Funerall of the dead Hearts dead and unstir'd when Christ speakes lively and gloriously have certainly stopt their eares against the charmer this soule is a prisoner to perverse will there is no damnable prison but this hee is resolved that nothing shall sway that is holy that his heart shall rule truth and not truth his heart which will damne a man if he had a thousand soules This man hath the plague in his heart and hath shut up himselfe that none may come at him no not the King of glory not words of glory write Lord have mercy upon this mans doore upon his forehead for he will die in his sinne all the World cannot save him Whom truth cannot stir nothing can whom glorious words of truth cannot stir nothing shall the man is stretcht out for dead I am now ringing his knell does any dead soule heare me A Scepter of gold a glorious power held out gloriously the God of glory speaking in glory and yet the heart of man not taken nor stir'd ah Lord this heart is taken already this heart is certainly catcht with some fading glory Were there any soule at home when the King of glory and the King in glory knocks certainly 't would open What answer can be made who can open when no body is at home Dinah is gon abroad and ravish't by the Shechemites the heart is gadded abroad taken and lost in a lie in a fading vexing glory that will be the death of it An unstird soule is a dead soule a dead soule is a lost soule a lost soule in sinne will be found in judgement seldome any where else I have not yet done ringing the Funerall of the dead one peale more and I have done Yee dead soules Christ is making your grave doe yee not see it he is comming to take the length of your corps with a sword he will bleed you first and then burie you afterward Yee have bled your soules dead and Christ will bleed your bodies dead and then will yee be twice dead and pluckt up by the rootes When yee are gasping for life will yee be taken and stird with that mortall power which wounds you when yee are descended to your long home will yee be taken and affected with that power that sends you to Hell Surely glorious power gloriously expressed will take your soules or destroy them In what stile God speakes according to it will he make operation in every man upward or downward GODS Words shall
easily mounts Heaven-ward when God lifts it As sorrow is Gods casting downe the soule Why art thou cast downe O my soule c. And then the soule is fit for no duty disadvantage is so strong upon it so joy 't is Gods lifting up the soule upon this advantage it can doe any thing goe up hil with ease mount to heaven facilly Joy 't is Gods giving winges to the soule to fly after him A soule winged by God will mount as high as God as high as the highest Heaven where God is 't will after God from favour to favour from bush to bush as young Birds doe after the old one when they are by the warmth of the old one fledg'd and can flee as soone as the old one hath featherd and winged them by warmth they after him from twig to twig from Tree to Tree and hang about him So doth the soule as soone as warm'd and winged with joy from God make after him to Heaven with praise let disadvantages bee what they will You cannot keepe young ones in the nest when once feather'd and winged no more can you keepe the soule from ascending to Heaven when warm'd by God with Joy As the soule is in divine strength so it ascends Smoaking flax goes up to the lower region flameing flax goes higher and is far more mounting joy 't is flameing flax 't is the soule in a blaze a great blaze ascends very strong and very high as high as Heaven into the very presence Chamber of the King Things mount as they are in spirits joy 't is a soule full of the holy Ghost one spirit in the bosome of another a soule captivated in Christ cannot but goe where 't is carried every heart Christ takes hee carries home to his Father with joy magnifying love revealed with joy giving thankes to the father c. As the soule gets oâ—â—od so it ascenâ—â— to him when it gets most of him it ascends most and best to him Joy 't is Gods comming downe and filling the house as you reade of the Devils comming downe that expression notes his extraordinary working in and by the children of disobedience so notoriously as if he were in person present here and had no other residence but in their hearts no dwelling but here as if he had removed his shop above in the Aire and brought all his tooles and black family downe upon Earth so joy 't is Gods comming downe I cannot borrow a fuller expression 't is God extraordinarily present and working in the hearts of his people as if he did make Heaven it selfe descend and bring down all the glory that is above and set it in the midst of man God thus working in man such workes worke out work up very high Ordinary workes may be vail'd and hid extraordinary cannot they will breake out ascend and publish themselves in the Eares of the Author these are workes so wrought as made alive and with Legs to goe home again and acknowledge their Father so are all graces when divine joy takes them made alive and ascending home to acknowledge their Father with joyfulnesse giving thankes to the Father c. I have said something for the soule I wil say something for graces to hold out the truth of this point to you That joy makes a very ascending frame of heart As graces grow to maturity so they make home Joy 't is grace growen up grace growne tall to mans estate to maturity of knowledge to maturity of expression Joy knowes her father which no child else in the soule doth can owne her father Joy is strong she can she doth necessarily extoll and lift up her Father With joy giving thankes to the Father c. Finally for I will name no more things of this nature As things are in puâ—â—ty so they ascend Nothing so pure as divine joy 't is the meere reflection of Sun beames the resplendency of Gods smiling Face Sun rayes and beames goe forth and then reflect backe againe warme the Earth and then back to Heaven againe so doe the beames of Gods Countenance warme the cold heart of man with joy and then these and the soule too back to God againe with joyfulnesse giving thankes to the Father c. Vse You see the nature of divine joy it makes a very ascending frame of heart it sets the soule upon wing for Heaven it makes Cripples leape and praise God What is the nature of your joy Doth it make you flee up or flee out Does your joy make you wantons or Puritans 'T is a pastime to fooles to doe wickedly many are worst when merry'st Ah Lord what basenesse doe many belch forth when their hearts are upon a merry pin how proudly how uncleanly how loosely doe they speake and doe If there be any joy in Hell 't is this certainly the divel liftes up that heart that thus joyes that in joying lifts up it selfe against God Cursed is that joy that makes God sad Cursed is that joy that leades to weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in a time of joy as you make it I am come to speake of joy 't is a good hand of providence so to order our way I wish I could so handle this point of joy in this time of joy as to make you all to looke wel to your joy Time wil not suffer me to say much It fell-out to be an eclipse that day this Sermon was preached Christmasse eclipsed Sunday 't was very sad to behold to tender hearts I can onely say this watch your hearts a loose time is come 't wil suite wel with loose soules you wil see many damnably merry Carnall creatures wil leape out of their skin out of their soules into Hell when their bellies be ful Belly-gods set a knife to your throates have a care of your soules as you love your soules looke to your joy eate and drinke and rise up to play and not rise up to pray and praise God and your Table wil be your snare your death Your brethren have too little wil you eate too much your brethren fast will yee feast your brethren bleed wil yee wantonly sport they are kill'd with griefe wil yee kil your selves with joy What a strange Kingdome shal we render our selves to be in the sight of God some bleeding and groaning and some surfetting and chambering some reeling and falling with deady bullets in their sides and others reeling and falling with too much drinke in their bellies some wallowing in the field in bloud and others wallowing in the streets in vomit Ah Lord will not this make vengeance smoake against England Christians and sinners I am affraid of these prophane dayes Jobs feare respecting his children when they were going a feasting is strongly seis'd upon me lest you pull your houses about your eares by carnall and unseasonable joy I charge you al by the dreadfull comming of the Lord Jesus whose bloudy sword is drawne in the Land and set at your breasts that
have such a phrase nothing but God is in all his thoughts he is lost in love and can finde no way out but by breaking out to Heaven O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God c. Thankfulnesse doth presuppose admiration a minde over-matcht with matter The soule is big with admiration as it can goe ere it kindly and nuturally brings forth thanksgiving A little makes a thankfull man admire much the least of Gods mercies O how great t is to a thankfull soule A thankfull soule sees nothing but wonders bread a wonder a crum of bread in his mouth a wonder clothes a wonder any rag on his back a wonder any whole peece in his flesh in his spirit in his estate in his name a wonder O how big are all a thankfull mans mercies and how little he how tall and proper every mercie and what a dwarfe he How good is every piece but the midle piece what a worme is man and yet how used by God above a man set little lower then Angels What a nothing what a worse then nothing is man and yet what an all is God to him these two wonders make a third to wit a dead heart alive and leape as high as Heaven Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. You see thankfulnesse hath here a great many wonders in her eye and this stirs her who hath made and made us and made us what why partakers of an inheritance what inheritance why an inheritance of Saints where doth 〈◊〉 lie why wonderfull strangely as high as Heaven in light admiration you see is the naturall mother of thanksgiving giving thanks to the Father who hath done all these and these favours for us Finally for I will name no more things about the opening of this doctrin though it were worthy long dwelling upon thanksgiving 't is the proper worke of a Christian and the naturall worke of an Angel A Christian is organized above all men sweetly to tell God his own he can dive deeper ascend higher run faster and further after God then all the lower World beside 'T is proper onely to a Christian to see love to taste love which are the strings onely which thanksgiving makes musick upon shee can play nothing but love lessons No man is divine but a Christian all others are but sensuall and to be ranked with bruites in point of thanksgiving for they give as good praise to God for any thing they have as any carnall man and better Bruites cannot speake but their bodies really answer their end which is reall thanksgiving for what they have and are 'T is a reall returne of all for all A carnall man can speake God I thanke thee c. But neither tongue nor hand neither soule nor body answer their end and so man makes himself an Hypocrite which a beast cannot do The Waves clap their hands saith the Psalmist many carnall men do not so much in point of thanksgiving the best of them can do no more All inanimata and meere animata they are only Creatures ad extra respecting thanksgiving they can onely clap their hands and clap their wings and all carnall men can do no more their Creatures onely ad extra respecting divine workes what they can do at these is onely with their hands and with their tongues clap their hands clap their breasts and lift up their eyes which some Bruites will be taught to doe in time As thanksgiving is the proper worke of a Christian so 't is the naturall worke of an Angel their breathing is divine praysing they are spirits of honour waiting upon the King of glory their place and their shape is for transcendent melody the advancing of infinite love is all their worke they speake nothing else doe nothing else nor can doe as the workes you doe naturally you doe necessarily you breath and you can doe no otherwise They are just under the line love shines mighty hot upon them with full face with perpendicular rayes that they are in a continuall rapture which necessitates heart lifting and leaping and nothing else and makes Hallelujah's all their language They are taken up with returning what they heare see feele taste and live in and live upon The result of all is this thanksgiving is a divine returning of divine love a rendring to God as wee have received as that expression concerning Hezekiah is 't is said hee rendred not or as it is in the Originall repayed not according to what he received which is a full and a lively definition of thanksgiving Vse Le ts all mourne and take on we are all behind hand with God The Christian world is become bankrupt quite broke makes no returne to God of his love he is issuing out processe to sieze upon body goods life and will be put off no longer bloudy Bayliffs are abroad for bad debters all the Christian world over Christians are broke and make no returne God is breaking of all He cannot have what he would have what he should have hee will take what hee can get for mony he will take goods limbs armes legs hee will have his owne out of your skin out of your bloud out of your bodies and soules he is setting the Christian World as light and as low as they have set his love Ah Lord what a time do we live in Long suffering is at an end mercy will be righted by Justice Justice will have all behinde 't will be paid to the utmost farthing 't will set abroach your bloud but 't will have all behind England looke to thy self how much hast thou received what hast thou return'd there is but one thing will undoe thee O England to wit ingratitude not returning as thou hast received There be three or foure things which broadly speake Englands ingratitude Great favours overlookt So great things scarce in any age as in ours hath God wrought yet what impression is there to be found in any mans heart wroks are great and yet make but little impression as fast as wrought dead 't is deadly ominous Tell mee are your hearts in a flame of love doth Heaven ring with your praises have not doe not the dealings of God challenge this of every one The dealings of God with England carry a sweete Face of love and their inside seemes very killing and judiciary they leave all hearts so flat and so low at such a desperate losse still as if nothing were done the greatest Victories the greatest deliverances keepe up the heart but a day but an houre Our favours are great but worke not answerably There is no one thing more sad in my observation they are great onely to looke upon not great in their efficacy and power upon the soule which may make you all look about you The buddings of great desolation appeare The Lord pity thee England The Lord pity thee England Wee grow cold under the rayes of fervent love dead and nothing will
love According to designed office and this binds to fit and finish for Heaven Hee is the Author and finisher of our Faith and this by office Christ also workes according to a proper principle in himselfe to wit love which cannot be quiet nor leave off working till every person foreknowne be fully fitted to love and for love Love is an untired principle in Christ though not so in us this makes him an everlasting Father a worker as a Father without cessation till children be fit to be taken home to enjoy their inheritance fit for him who tooke such a knowledge of them Christ moves as an everlasting father he layes out and layes out hee 's at cost and paines this yeare next Yeare to give breeding high breeding suitable to fortune and never leaves off till the child be fit for his inheritance Christ is an everlasting Father as well as a Prince of Peace he has love proper love in him as well as proper duty and office devolu'd upon him Office bindes to finish for Heaven love more I thinke 't is proper to say Christ moves more naturally then obligedly to fit lost man for his eternall home Bonds were voluntarily taken up and taken up from love love is the natural motion of Christ this works and never leaves working till the soule upon which it seiseth be fit for Heaven Vse I am led by this point very seasonably to aske you this question Are you fit to die are you fit to live againe are you prepared for Heaven you see how things goe upon Earth The way of God is deadly her 's deadly doings here below How doe your soules stir about eternity Sinners what doe you doe What will you doe God is giving to all what is fit for them Sinners are yet asleepe Ah Lord When will they awake What a harvest will Hell have in these bleeding times What preparation for Heaven do you see men make more then they did Hee that was filthy is so still he that was an Earth-Worme is so although God be treading Wormes to death and crumbling Earth to dust Though person and state lie open to death yet no man mends his pace for life What shall I thinke of such a Generation My bowels rend to looke some of you in the face to behold how like your selves you still looke and what a deadly visage your life still carries What you were you are what men are now for sinne surely they shall be Justice is at worke to perpetuate misery to thousands to harden Pharaohs and then cut them off to fit Vessels for wrath and then fill them up with it as full as they 'l hold to fit men for their place and then send them thither a pace Sinners you heare all this can you beare all this do not your soules yet stir Are they not then white to harvest fit to be cut off by that sword of wrath which is going about An unstirred soule is fit for nothing but Justice 't is death in strength upon the soule 't is the soule in grave and a stone roul'd upon the doore What you are fit for that you shall now have Justice is commanded to go over the Land and single out every wretch and give him his own I think there is scarce a sinner amongst us but Justice ere it hath done with us will make him eat of the fruit of his way Doth not wrath make misery begirt us Doth it not cut down dry Trees every where fuell fit for the fire doth she not set a fire and cast into everlasting burning And yet are not your souls a fire to be fit for Heaven such whose soules stir not now there is just cause to feare that they are left as fit fuell for wrath Obduratio I will give you the properties of a man fitted for wrath The first is obduration A stone is fitted to descend 't 'as its property to beare down-ward Hardnesse maks fitnesse to judgment The way to Hell is from burning to burning from a seared conscience to a damn'd soule Justice blasts the soule in the body ere it burnes it out A fitted soule for wrath 't is one with his Eyes out 't is one that can see no evill making towards him although himself very evill one that cannot see Justice though very visible nor sin though very palpable Justice works within and then without she spends her selfe most fiercely within her last and least breathings and blastings are without she first puts out a mans eyes with the sin he loves and then comes as a snare against the sinner I sit as a Queene and shall see no evill and yet this Quâ—ene a Queane and very evill that 's a Swans song before death now is the soule fit for Justice and wrath and never so fit as now When a sinner sings a requiem soule take thine ease he is fit for yea very neare to wrath this night saith Christ in such a case they shall take away thy soule A man hath sinned himselfe to Hell-doore which hath sinned his soule blind and secure * A man is fitted for wrath indeed when he stands at Hell-door readdy to goe in Setling upon the lees and judiciary visitation they are joyn'd both together as neare Neighbors and as belonging to one thing and this by resolute will I will visit those that are setlâ—d upon their lees Wrath is comming towards you yee blind soules doe yee see it no There is none Why therefore 't will certainly come you are the onely persons fit to be visited I will visit those which are settled upon their lees whom ever I passe by A Horses Eyes out and the next worke he is fit for is grinding Justice sets sinners to grinding their own soules when they cannot see their own sinnes Wrath certainly will not suffer that man to live long which hath kil'd his soule with sinne Alienatio A second property of a man fitted for wrath is this alienation No blessed fellowship speaks separation to wrath A King cals home his Embassadors when he meanes War and Judges a Kingdome fit for nothing but the Sword Casting off fits to cutting off The spirit of God departs when the man is rejected Alienation is great still before desolation Saul shall have no answer no where no whispering from any but from Hell when given up as only fit for that place Light hath no fellowship with darkenesse but when 't will have nothing to do with darkenesse to make it light the state is desperate 't is a signe that the soule is fitted for utter darknesse There are but two steps to death the first is this The sinner say's he will have no fellowship with God the second is God say's he shall have none Now is the sinner judged how fit for Hell then now judge yee execution only is wanting and the Devill is not usually back-ward to discharge his office the man is upon the gallowes he wants but turning off how things may turn
whether Christ will put in and beg the mans life here lies the case and depends wholly upon Christs Will What fellowship your soules have with God I know not whether God say any thing or nothing whether instruction with strong hand be come to instruction with weake hand by reason of your strong lusts whether your instruction with weake hand be not come to instruction with no hand but bare blows for your basenesse whether all whisperings be not layd aside and whispering turn'd into whipping this would be lookt well into for it speaks very ominously for eternity Love or hatred cannot be guessed at by things without but by Gods dealings within they may shrewedly be guessed at Profanatio 3. Profanenesse is a third property of a man fitted to wrath Profanenesse is the badge of an Esau wickednesse speaks out a cursed soule To what Country a man belongs you may understand by his language whether to Spaine France or the like Hell hath its openings as Heaven hath when Hell opens in a mans mouth what needs any further enquity what Country man Sir To what place do you belong A man moulded and shaped for wrath may be read in his face Death though it cease within yet it shew it selfe in the very superficies without You have such a common speech One may see Death in that mans face A mans life is in reference to his eternall estate as his face is in reference to his temporall 't is Index â—nimi index futuri index aeterni A mans life foretells his end What course any man leads broadly speakes what such a man is what he will be for felicity or misery An a man be in the broad-way he may prophesie where 't will end and to what inheritance he shall come whether to light or darknesse I know not what lives you lead Christ do's and you should Let them be led how they will you may spell Heaven or Hell out of them Life is but an expression of the frame of the spirit 't is but motion according to such wheeles and such a spring within If you will know of what frame or what make your soules are and to what fitted view your lives Your soules breath out themselves in your lives and they breath out themselves in the bosome of God or the devill into whose bosome you breath your soules in life into that bosome you will certainly breath them in death As you find your state now move To fit for Heaven is no trifle your eternall estate depends upon 't To fit for Heaven is not arbitrary you cannot come there without it To fit for Heaven is not easy the making power of God must go to it Sinners why do you put of this worke as a trifle And why do you put it of till death That man would never be holy if he could shift it that will not be holy till he dy He would never have to do with Christ if he could shun him that will not seek aquaintance with him till he must leave leave this Word When death is fitting the soule for Hell then the soule sets about to fit it selfe for Heaven Ah Lord that ever this man had a soule that damnes it himselfe Wrath doth usually crosse and curse this folly men are surprised in body or surpris'd in soule no strength or no heart and so dy in their sinne Fitting grace for Heaven hath its means hath its season hath its course and then hath its blessed end I will touch these a little ' T'ath its meanes Will you be fitted for Heaven yee wicked soules and use no means 'T is common to the worst man to cast their soules upon a miracle for salvation and not upon means God fits by his word they 'l heare none God fits by Prayer they 'l use none God fits by his People and they care for none holy Ordinances sleighted and yet the holy-Land promised Ah Lord Are not these soules mad to conclude the end and exclude the means These men will dy in presumption or else I dare dy for them 'T 'as its season Earthen Vessels have their season for molding and shapeing to such a forme and to such an use All times of the yeare are not seasonable for such a purpose Salvation hath its day the Sun stands not still 't is comming towards a man for so many houres and then goes away from him as fast Fitting seasons for Heaven are transient sleighted and eternally hid from a mans eyes O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. But now they are hid Love passions are strong but no fire cooles so fast as this when abused nor so hard to be kindled again when out God knocks and if no opening away to others that will He comes to a mans house and proclaimes peace if peace be not regarded he departs with a witnesse leaves the dust of his feet behinde him to testify what a base Earthy heart 't was that rejected him Fitting grace for Heaven hath its course Physick has its course to fit the body for health malignities are not carried away presently Bad spirits abounding râ—quire sweating and sweating again The great Physitian hath his course prescription upon prescription line upon line All is not done of an houre to make the soule fit for blessednesse for ever Grace conflicts with corruption long ere it can get â—he victory and render the soule fit for Heaven Some sinners will never be fit for Heaven because they cannot beare a fitting course Sorrow for sin spending the paine of conscience killing bleeding til binding up from Christ comes utterly consuming not to be thought of if these men can fit themselves for Heaven 't is wel they will never be made fit by Christ they are so idle headed and wilfull harted Finally after grace hath had its fitting course then it has the fruition of its end a fit soule expires into Heaven the soule fit for Heaven stayes not long thence The spirit say's come when fit the Bride say's come when fit a fitted soule for Heaven is a panting soule for Heaven and Christ a panting husband for this Spouse Grace hath its distinct property at every height when at full height and fit to be dissolved it desires dissolution and dissolution is granted as a medium to its ultimate forme which makes the perfection of a thing A Chrâ—stian is perfect when fit for Heaven his Grace is perfect when in Heaven Christians I have something to say to you from this Point and then I give it up and get gon 'T is many a good soules panting often O that J were fit For Heaven Why Christ makes so He workes at such a height as at which thy heart bends The bending of thy heart to such a height in Grace is a prevenient disposition to it 't is the worke thou wouldest begun and well on-ward to finishing Such a panting soule will be fit for Heaven and caught up into Heaven ere hee 's aware When the Soule is
suitabley expressed by small things * Magna parvis minima exprimuntur Springs make Chanells Streames Rivers suitable to their strength they make their rent without suitable to their bubling within under ground Heaven is but a suitable expression of the love of a God 't is but a streame suitable to such a fountaine but beames suitable to such a Sun Heaven is but legible writing out of infinite love Were not heaven made communicable infinite love would be but halfe expressed 't would have no sutable demonstration 't would be far more in it selfe then knowne to us 'T is with Christ here in this World as 't is with a Christian a Christians fortune here doth not suite his titles called a King and has nothing Now are we the Suns of God but does not appeare what wee shall be Why we shall be but the Sons of God his meaning is that now title and revenew do not agree nothing in possession that speaks out the Son of a God the Son of a King state and title do not fitly and fully expresse one another so 't is with Christ now his love and his expression of it are short one of another many expressions of love are made here but they all expresse it but brokenly heaven will speake out an infinite love 't will demonstrate it to the life to all the senses at once which is such a demonstration of a thing as here man cannot make of any thing There a man shall have the advantage of all senses together to fathome infinite love he shall heare it see it taste it c. He shall see the fountaine where and how it riseth the Ocean how vast it spreads and how broad it beares Christ demonstrates infinite love fully fitly therfore is heaven made communicable to poore Earthen creatures partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred participation is to make soule satisfaction Communicatio est ad implendum subjectum cui communicatur Every thing lesse then heaven is too title to satisfy the soule All is vanity c. Put all things on this side heaven together and all is empty i in reference to the vast partaking spirit of man it swallows and swallows the whole Creation and makes nothing of all participation of Earth of all the Earth will not satisfy heaven must come in too or else the soule like the Dove remaines utterly restles and crys like the grave gâ—ve gâ—ve There is excesse in the Creature but not proper filling Bee not drunken with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit 't is one spirit that filleth another Abundance of Earthly things may make excesse and turne the soule into sinne but participation of fulnesse in God is that which gives the soule its felicity in it selfe and this is in Heaven Absolute fulnesse is in heaven and this maketh absolute content therefore is our participation here still reaching after more then can be had here All that is dispensed in way of inferior ordinance makes but tasting and longing does but put on appetite to a full meale Heaven is Gods supreme ordinance to give the soule satisfaction * Participando Other ordinances bring in the soule but drops and therefore it still thirsts this supreame ordinance brings in the Ocean the soule in this ordinance is swallowed up * T is Gods letting forth of al to things without him it can breath nothing but blessing as seeing feeling hearing tasting nothing else Sacred participation is made according to Christ s will Communicatio est ad placitum communicantis The pleasure of the King is that we should sit at his Table that we should dip our morsels in the same dish with him eat as he does drinke as he does weare and fare to all eternity as he doth Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where J am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me Iohn 17.24 Christ would not be in heaven alone to eate his morsels alone his pleasure is in choice company though not in any J will that those which thou hast given be with mee The pleasure of Christ is the spring of favors as high as this rises a Christian rises necessarily The naturall Son may have what he will for the adopted Sons the Will of Christ is the rule of Communication all is his to make gifts to his favorites as great as he will These have continued with me in my temptation these shall sit on Thrones the pleasure of Christ Thrones us heaven's us Heaven riseth out of Christs breast It comes out of the belly of divine will Participation is to suite will will is infinite vast therefore is Heaven communicable Great persons do great things to satisfy their will Participation is proportion'd to promise no lesse then the Land flowing with milke and honey is promised Communication is according to obligation Heaven is but little enough to fulfill truth to pay debts Christ hath beene so free of his promise that all he has will but make it good and render him just He hath engaged his own honor his own inheritance all below yea all that he has above upon poore terms but upon our service which is more disservice more sinne then service at best If any man serve me let him follow mee and where I am there shall my servant be Iohn 12.26 We are by promise to have as much wages as Christ to receive as great pay though not in so great command and though but common Souldiers and he a Captaine yet all that serve under him are to have as he has a house full of silver and gold yea a house not made with hands a very vast house a house full a heaven full of Jewells Communication is according unto obligation debts must be payd although never so great Mercy never dies in debt to justice every man shall partake of as much as fit for and promised to him although Christ himself hath no more Communication is according to instigation sometimes Participation is proportioned sometimes according to merit Gods giving is according to Christs deserving not according to ours the best of us should partake of hell and not of heaven if we had our deserts Heaven is great and yet lesse then Christs merit and therefore God himselfe is proposed as a Saints portion and Christs purchase The Lord is my portion he doth not say heaven The Lord which made heaven and can make more heavens yea is more then all heavens upon a glote of whose eye upon a cast of whose countenance stands heaven and hell he is my portion He is so in whom why in Christ by his merit Participation is proportioned to merit merit is vast it challenges heaven more God himselfe Christs merit makes God ours the holy Ghost ours what God is in himselfe ours which is the heaven of heavens that which makes heaven heaven Christs bloud is of more worth then heaven it
bought heaven and earth too of exact Justice not for yeares or for lives but the fee simple for all eternity We receive as God gives God gives as Christ merits and mediates heaven comes out of Christs wounds to Us Heaven comes out of hell to fallen man Christs descension to hell makes our ascension to heaven we are partakers of glory by his shame and misery By his stripes we are healed c. By his hell we are heaven'd We inherit not hereditarily but made heires and so partake Our participation of glory is a made participation made out of merit merit is vast therefore is our participation so vast as heaven partakers of the inheritance Vse Is' t a time of losse 't is a time of reception equivalent God is more giving then taking away is not heaven more then you have lost upon earth heaven is communicable and yet you complaine what shall you do for house what shall you do for land for enough for you and yours all is gone What is heaven gon then all is gone indeed God shuts one hand that we may looke to the other which is open with greater and better things Mens eyes are not opened by the dealings of God men learne not instruction though God whips to teach that 's your undoing not what you have lost though never so much for heaven would make up that well enough God takes away in earthly things that we may consider and see wherein he is a greater giver do yee make this use of your losse a man loses much when he loseth a state on Earth and loseth with it a heart to looke after a state in Heaven when losses and crosses kil affection Heavenward all is gone indeed gone without hope of recovery Do not the stroaks of God make you looke to him Why then you will be smitten againe Jobs messengers shall come one after another and tell you of the losse of all to see if that will save all Divine rods are order'd to second one another till the soule be as high as it should be or as low as it must be as high as Heaven or as low as hell I would sinners did consider the scope of Gods dealings now and what is before them Heaven and hell is before you now you may be partakers of which you will Heaven is communicable hell is communicable one in one hand of God 'tother is in ' tother Which way any great mans veine lies you observe him Gods veine lies in giving of great things great mercy or great misery he gives no lesse then heaven or hell to every man he makes every man partake of one or ' tother Sinners as you love your soules consider this Wrath workes as love is abused Communicatio plena justice riseth high when high favors are sleighted All is communicable 't will breake the neck of all which make not use of this mans spirit must worke as Gods does when one is open to give 'tother must be to receive Bounty presupposes a ready receiver who is back-ward to take great things and yet who is not back-ward to goe to Heaven Heaven is wholly communicable and yet sinners are wholly carelesse of it Not a peny in Heaven but 't may be yours and yet what heapes of treasure are there Ah Lord what wealthy persons might sinners be and will not Onely their will keepes them poore Paul yours Apollo yours all yours all is communicable Heaven and Earth the Earth and the fulnesse of it so Heaven and the fulnesse of it not a roome not a walke in Heaven but 't is in common for all the inhabitants Not a dish but every ones hand is in it together many hands in a dish is all the feeding above Not a delightfull tune above but every ones heart is set to it not a beame in the Sun above but every ones eye is fixed upon 't not a floure in Christs bosome but all smell to it not a secret but revealed to all All that hath laine hid for this many thousand yeares almost from all here below there 't is knowne to all they above know as they are knowne such great mercy such full mercy rejected what great misery what full misery will it make Justice swells as sinners kick mercy such a heaven sleighted makes such a hell Hell 't is but Justice working suitable to the abuse of so much mercy as may be had in heaven and the soule would not Communicatio libera Heaven is freely communicable and yet sinners have no heart to it Heaven may be had for nothing neither for money nor money worth onely for making fit for it and this too wholly at anothers paines and cost and yet sinners have no heart to it Christ gives much but takes nothing mercy is all mercy mercy is all free as 't is layd out all in an inheritance and lies all round together above 't is all free Love in its utmost dimensions in its heights and depths as it passes knowledge as it makes a heaven yet it keepes its owne essentiall property 't is love and but love heaven is nothing else but a bed of love all delights free There is nothing in heaven bought nor payd for by us of all the costly things that are there There are Jewells about the inhabitants necks such as the World never saw and yet not one bought by the wearer and owner all given freely You have not seene such an inheritance for nothing as Heaven is There be things which cost infinite deare and yet done away for nothing A man may see that which eye never saw and heare that which Eare never heard for nothing God lays out much but looks for no returne his greatest favours goe for acceptation Participation of purchase is pay for purchase an mâ—n will but go to Heaven the place shall cost them nothing though fit for a Prince All Gods motion is free his blessed motion for a time free his blessed motion for eternity free As God makes Heaven he workes for nothing as he makes fit for Heaven he workes for nothing for his greatest layings out hee sets downe nothing at Heaven doore hee sets no bill what rent and fine though there be not such a house of state again in the World God keepes open house below and above too the best dainties and yet no reckoning brought in nothing to be paid no nothing expected There is no thought of heart what this dish might have yielded and what that precious odour might have been sold for Heaven goes freely free gratissimè gratum Heaven given and not a thought against it all the riches of a God layd downe at mans foot and all the heart of God too with it and all the panting above is O that all may not be trod upon Ah sinners what a damnation will this make to set one foote upon heaven and 'tother foot upon Gods heart To trample all his yea and all him too in the dirt heaven and his heart too to
hold your sin Communicatio universalis Heaven is universally communicable from East West North South many come and sit downe in the Kingdome of Heaven Strangers may dwell in the holy Land Gentiles aswell as Jewes Of all Nations kindreds tongues may live together above and be spoken unto in their owne language yea understand one another plainly Variety of language excludes not heaven confounds not heaven All above are intuitively understanding men are as the Angels of God in the Resurrection Oh every one that thrists come in that 's the bill that is set upon Heaven doore did yee never stand still and reade it sinners Heaven gate is open to all that knock but fooles foolish Virgins foolish soules which have nothing in them nor will have nothing in them to render them fit for heaven There is Rahab the Harlot There is Manasseh that murtherer there is the Thiefe there is Mary that had so many Devills A man that hath many Devills may come where there is not one The most devillish hellish creature may be made partaker of Heaven Lame and Blind and Halt may come in there and yet still there is roome 'T is don as thou hast commanded said the servant that was sent out to invite all sorts and yet there is roome Luke 14.22 There is great variety of guests above and yet one Table large enough for all no crowding and yet thousands thousands of thousands sitting together Heaven is a vast continent much of the holy Land not yet planted many mansions above without any Inhabitant Heaven is universally communicable and universally fit and compleate so to be All may sit round and looke the Sun full in the face and he them That which is so proposed to all and so fit for all how will it doubly damne all that come short of it You will be jugded as lovers of hell more then lovers of Heaven which come short of it As lovers of darknesse more then light As lovers of sinne more then the eternall felicity of your soules upon this very ground that grace and Heaven are so generally communicable Light is come into the World saith Christ And the world regardeth it not This is the condemnotion of the World A World of men might be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and will not this will make hell hell indeed condemnation the condemnation because men will not go thither though no exception 'T is desperate to make exceptions where God makes none to exclude a mans selfe when God doth not Finally communicantio durabils Heaven is durably communicable I cannot say it is perpetually communicable The everlasting doores stand not open everlastingly But yet a great while The Thiefe found them open at the last houre of his life A sinner may come in at the ninth and last houre and have his pay A sinner of a hundred yeares old may get into Heaven I doubt there be but few gray-headed sinners turne in there yet it is not long of the place Heaven doores are open till old Age onely old folkes are wilfull which is excluding God is long suffering all that while Heaven doores are open The long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah saith the Apostle Peter A hundred and twenty yeares Heaven stood open to that people God makes the greatest mercies waite upon the greatest sinners a greate while which is one of the greatest wonders in the World If you have a mind give great things you have no mind to wait to doe it yet so doth God He waites to be gracious The Sun is made to stand still many houres many dayes many yeares Salvation brought to mens houses Parishes yea to mens eares and there sounding and knocking seven yeares ten yeares twenty yeares And all the intreaty is Will yee goe to Heaven sinners Will yee goe to Heaven Will you be made partakers of the inheritance of Saints God is not a bare giver of Heaven but a woer for Heaven he does reconcile and beseech to reconciliation he doth knock and stand at the doore and knock till his lockes be wet with the dew of the night He stretches out his hand with Heaven in it and doth so all the day long To Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out mine hand to a disobedient and gainesaying People Rom. 10.21 Heaven made to waite upon earth base earth wicked earth what will this come to if not looked to If heaven not participated of at last What a hell will he have which hath had heaven at his doore many yeares together and had no heart to enter into it But you will say no body is so carelesse Every one surely is willing to goe to Heaven One would thinke so But yet 't is not so 'T is easy to demonstrate that multitudes have no heart to goe to Heaven They will part with nothing for it Sinne is worse then nothing and yet Sinners will not part with this for Heaven Have they any heart to Heaven then Christ makes an underprizing of a thing a demonstration of no love nor heart to that thing so prized If you thinke good give me my price if not forbeare So they weighed for my price thirty pieces Cast it to the Potter saith God A goodly price Underprizing and undervaluing a thing speakes out properly and plainly no will to that thing Will swayes that way which 't is willing Love bids according to worth Shee comes to Christs price for Christ and glad shee can have him so too If you thinke good give mee my price c. A mans owne price is no price base bidding for Heaven argues no heart to it such a wretch is cast to the Potter cast to hell to be torne to pieces as a vessell in which there is no pleasure If underprice argues no heart what does no price 'T is many a sinners damnable case hee 'le part with no sin for Christ nor Heaven could Christ and heaven be much more worth then they are Part with no sin doe no duty waite no time 'T will be a hell to this man to goe to Heaven A man that will not part with his sinnes to be partaker of Heaven is more willing to goe to hell then to Heaven sinne hath got his heart he should lose his Heaven to goe to Heaven A sinners owne heaven is dearer to him then Christ he will venture the losse of one rather then lose the other They will performe no duty for Heaven Action speakes out affection To what a man hath a heart he hath a hand a head a foote heart commands all The will is Major Generall orders all to move as she will Where there is no foote towards Heaven no hand towards Heaven nor bending that way Is the heart towards Heaven From your lives you will be condemned yee speake out your hearts and yet you plead for them you have set your way you will goe and yet upon pretend you are bound in
spirit for Heaven Perversenesse is in your pathes and yet you plead for your will Sinners observe that speech of Christ If any man will be my Disciple let him denie himselfe and follow me Christ makes deed to demonstrate will if a man be willing to be Christs companion and scholler he will follow Christ yea hee will take up his Crosse i goe through any difficulty to enjoy his fellowship What will is indeed to the end it is to the meanes 'T is idle talke fancy and dreames not will to a thing that will use no meanes Yee tell me yee are willing to be made partakers of the inheritance above what doe you doe to be made partakers Doe you walke in the way which leads to Heaven Are you not in life according to your lusts In your course according to your company Unto divine duty according to your humour Does not will rule truth and not truth your will Let persons convinced be instructed Ye cannot be partakers of the Cup of the Lord and of Devills saith the Apostle so say I ye cannot be made partakers of Heaven and keepe on in the way to hell you must first be made partakers of the Heavenly calling as the Apostle calls it ere yee can be made partakers of Heaven it selfe Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling c. Heb. 3.1 That is a calling to Heavenlinesse Heaven must begin here Christ must rule all and be made all here as he is above A Heavenly calling speakes three things A heavenly rule a heavenly subject and then a heavenly end I am the way That 's a heavenly rule Not I live But Christ lives in me That 's a Heavenly Subject I have fought a good fight henceforth is laid up for mee a Crowne of Righteousnesse that 's a heavenly end The two former are subordinate to this latter Christ must be without a man and within a man or that man will never come to Heaven He must be all without and all within he onely must be the way I am the way And he only must live in the heart to guide this way yet not I but Christ lives in me The Word of God and the Spirit of God must meete in the life of man or that life will end in death in hell not in Heaven A heavenly rule and a heavenly heart lead to Heaven Few Christians lives are cleerely Christian Christ is our sanctification as he is our justification he is our life here aswell as our life hereafter hee must be made so by every soule and then all will goe well at last Heaven is a Crowne of Righteousnesse not of our Righteousnesse but of Christs His spirit must rule all his merit must be leaned upon for all this soule will certainly be made partaker of all Christians should be comforted from this point All the wealth of Christ is communicable Heaven communicable communicable to you to Saints The complaints of Gods people are many this point answers all My losses are great sayes one so sayes an other Will not Heaven make them up Thou hast neither money nor goods Thieves and Plunderers have stole all Hast thou not treasure laid up in Heaven where no spoile can be made In cases of persecution Christ teaches us to comfort our selves with Heaven how all is doubly made up there When men persecute and revile you rejoyce and be exceeding glad c. Upon what ground Why Upon this great is your reward in Heaven Losse hath its quantity 'T is great that makes it so heavy reward hath its quantity too Great is your reward in Heaven If a man had lost a Kingdome on earth Is not the Kingdome of Heaven responsible If a man had lost all this World Is not the World to come as good as this Is not Heaven as big as Earth As good as Earth Asmuch good As lastingly good Will not your Heaven above be as sweet as your hell here is bitter â—uppose there be nothing above but Christ to make up al thy losse here below is not he enough Canst thou not comfort thy selfe in Christ alone What a soule hast thou 'T was high time thou diddest lose thy treasure here 't was thy God Thou wouldest otherwise have lost thy soule Obj. And 't were but for my selfe I could be contented whatsoever I underwent But I have wife and children and no Bread to put in their hâ—nds nor no clothes to put on their backs this makes my heart sinkes within and I doe not know how to keep it up Sol. Are thy children fit to be partakers of Heaven If so let that comfort thee that they are in a capable condition though temporally miserable to be eternally happy Say to thy sinking soule there is a house above big enough to hold me and all mine and the owner is kind to strangers There is bread enough clothing enough for me and all mine Thou art but stript before quite dead death would have stript thee of all if Cavaliers had not Naked thou camest into this World and naked thou shalt returne Thou maist goe to Heaven stark naked without money without clothes All things are naked and bare before Christ that 's the manner of all going hence thou art put in a posture to goe to Heaven they goe stript of all here below to that felicity above Thou hast nothing now thou art fit for all nothing of earth now Heaven would be welcome Thou hast no home here now thy long-home above O! How sweete would it be Why It may be it will not be long ere thou be there Be still 't is God things wil end wel if Heaven wil make it so Ob. Yea but mine are not such yet as concerning whom I can thus relieve my selfe that they will be partakers of eternall felicity when this miserable life ends Sol. Doe thy duty to bring them to be such thou hast now time and leisure now all is gone What else shouldest thou doe now but give all diligence to make up a felicity for thee and thine where it may be seeing all is gone here Time was thou diddest pretend multitude of businesses and great imployment in thy calling that thou couldest not discharge this and that duty in thy family for the eternall good of servants and children as thou wouldest why Now thou hast nothing to doe God hath removed that let let 's see now how heavenly thou wilt be in the discharge of the divine duty 'T will lie heavy upon thee indeed to see thy children lie in bodily misery and yet still goe on to doe nothing to deliver them out of soule-misery If God stir up thy heart by this to doe thy duty throughly for the soule-good of thine thy misery may prove blessed misery to thee and thine This will be thy comfort at giving up that thou hast discharged thy duty to make a miserable condition blessed But if successe suite thy industry thy miserable children are made indeed This may cheer thee under sad
at such a place for echo Some things are done so and so to suite and joynt to others The holy Land was divided by Lot immediate providence caryed it there Friendship made no revenue in Canaan Gods own hand cast every man his fortune so big and so good in such a place in the Mountaines or in the vallies with springs or without Divine dispensations are harmonious Heaven comes in no new way to us God gives as he did give Hee did give Canaan with his owne hand so hee gives Heaven Power wrought very immediate to plant our fathers in the holy Land Ioshuah did cast lots and so divided the Land power did worke very immediate to plant persons there so it doth to plant Persons above I goe before to provide a place Iosh 18.10 c. Our Ioshuah assignes our mansion situation building conveyance all done with Christs own hand I goe c. Though power worke without hand yet not without rule not a word spoke nor a worke done by Christ but with scope and look to some rule though sometimes that rule be a great way off as far as Heaven Truth fulfils Types dispensations under each covenant one eccho to another Canaan went by Lot so does Heaven the lot of Saints Dispensations of grace and glory suite Gory is suited to grace in dispensation as grace is suited to glory in fruition as really the same Heaven and Christ come both one way to a Christian by immedate providence grace and glory are wrought both with Gods own hand 'T is the finger of God that turnes the heart towards Heaven and that turnes the heart into Heaven Grace is an inspiration glory is so too there is no remoter agent of either then Gods own spirit A soule and such a soule so happy and so glorious was breathed altogether into Adams nostrils The breath of Gods own mouth makes alive stil and the breath of his owne mouth cast varnish and glory upon that being to maturation 'T is Christ al in al here 't is no otherwise above Christ al in al no lesse makes grace and no more is glory Grace is such an immediation according to such a location glory is such an immediatioÌ„ according to such a translocation Christ is next to and onely with the soule in both Vse If this point were rightly applied to the heart hope would not fall respecting great favours depending providence hath more wayes then one to bring great things to us it can worke with hands and without hands divine power can bring a Heaven to you on its owne shoulders cast a Heaven upon you as a Lot into your lap in a very immediate way beyond all provision or expectation God does most and best for man alone when hee has no toole or no toole considerable in his hand Wee have a Heaven depending but yet a hell betweene us and it and no man can see but one way to it if that way do not hit which we propose we are all undone this is almost every ones vote This point should relieve us in this desperate case respecting our great feares our great hops which are so opposed There are great mountaines before Zerubbabell great hindrances in the way of our great mercies so that we see no likelyhood in an ordinary way how or when our great Heaven desired should arriue with us Let the point in hand support the greatest favours come in the most immediate way of providence heavenly favors come to us as if they did drop out of Heaven The more heavenly and divine the mercies are which wee expect in the more divine and immediate way they 'l descend The stone shall be cut out without hands that shall smite the image of various mixtures and breake it to pieces new Ierusalem comes downe out of Heaven Power will worke in a very immediate way to bring in that new Heaven into the Christian World which now the Christian World is labouring for Yet once more I shake not the earth only Heb. 12.26 but also Heaven God himselfe will after a speciall manner set his own shoulders to shake that rotten heaven of mens inventions and those which set their shoulders to keepe it up and make battery with such Cannon as we are not aware of Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord respecting the building of that house which typifyed this Not by might nor power i not by humane strength so much as by his owne power shall the old Heaven be destroyed and the new erected We expect our Heaven too low from men but 't will come from God when it comes As 't is a great favour so ' â—will come in state in the way of sublime favors very sublimely Magicians great heads and divellish wits shall be non-plust by God owne finger and art not by mens wisdome and art Egiptians shall be drownned on a sudden by a stratageme made in Heaven and managed from heaven Iericho shall fall by Faith by making no more or the power of men of Swords and Guns then of Rammes-hornes but magnifying the power of Christ and trusting in that Surely wee are yet too many and too strong to be delivered Christians I would yee were skilled in the way of GOD. GOD keeps his Old way in bestowing great things and yet yee wonder and murmur your folly is your owne affliction and many's more Things of great worth Christ will trust no Messenger with them but bring them himselfe Christ will trust none to bring your Heaven to you neither your Heaven here nor hereafter Men are false they would marre your heaven and bring you an old one in stead of a new one or an old one new patcht up Blessed be he that will bring a new heaven to us all new divine favours in their maturity though every man be trampled under foote and none seene in the worke but God though he trample all men in the dirt and he onely be left alive with the cause in his hand If men would allow God his way they would never be at a losse of Faith so fearefully as they are Yee open one doore and there comes in nothing but your shame yee set open another doore of your owne for Christ to come in at and there also comes in nothing but your folly and shame Ah Lord When will yee looke up and expect Christ from Heaven Do not great things come in a very immediate way to man Hath God tyed himselfe to do every great worke with such and such great meanes as your eye is fixed upon to cast out a Legion of bad spirits with a Legion of good Is not one enough to do it Christ brings an eternall weight of glory upon his owne Shoulders to your doores can he not bring a temporall weight of of glory which is far easier alone Thou art great and dost great things thou art God alone sayth the Psalmist We thinke God is not God nor able to do like a
up Here the soule swallowes up every good and lookes for more but is swallowed up of none the soule is vaster then the things you put into it so that nothing filles it much lesse swallowes it up But our felicitie above swallowes up the vastest soule there is every Vessell filled and swallowed up every sense satisfyed and swallowed up This is not consistent here but 't is above There is much within reach as much within reach as capacity to reach and there is much beyond reach for the soule to admire to all eternity and this not as a lessening but as a filling up of its owne and others felicity Infinite swallowes up finite God is beyond the soules capacity when vastest therefore all are in an extasis above Not a soule in Heaven but in a rapture Light is pure The Sunne is without spot so are all his beames so is all the light of those beames light is the purest thing that man beholds 'tas no defilement nor takes none though nothing more generall in its course 't is over all an uncleane World and yet without all uncleannesse Can yee dirt the light Yee may defile your selves in the light but yee cannot defile the light 'T is simple corrupts not within it selfe nor can any thing without it corrupt it Our felicity above is pure Heaven is a House without Spider or Spiders-web there is no dirt nor dust within doore nor without the very gates and streetes are Gold and Pearles * In allusion to our City above may those expressions be Râ—vel 21.21 As the Kingdome of grace in the highest glory therof is expressed by termes and things of the noblest nature and highest glory pure Gold c. If the City of Christ here below will be so what will that City above bee Holy holy holy is our felicity above purity absolute this is the Sunne that shines upon all there and all there shine like this Sunne with absolute purity There is no sinne aboue not the least appearance of sinne Every spirit there moves steadily without the least jogging or shaking Christ and the soule goe exactly in one path The nature of the place and the nature of every one in it fully suite all Divine Christ and the soule all one Here Christ and the soule are one in purity my undefiled is one c. i In simplicity and purity But above they are all one Here is simplicity in the Spouse 't is not a heart and a heart in the Kingdome of grace but one heart my undefiled is one c. But in the Kingdome of glory there is absolute simplicity truth and the soule all one Not a soule-stirring no not a Soule inclination impure nor under the least possibilitie to bee made so Light is pleasant Truely light is sweete and a pleasant thing 't is for the Eye to behold the Sunne saith the wise man Eccles 11.7 Light is glorious and casts glory upon every thing It suites a most noble and generall Organ which makes a very noble and generall content Light sets out all the Creation in glory to mans view and so makes a very royall and full employment for such a royall and vast Creature Light is medium universale it brings in for all senses parts faculties to solace themselves withall Our felicitie above is pleasant Heaven is a stately House to behold 't is glorious and makes all so which come in to it Glory filles that House and all in it The very doore-keeper of that House is a King of Glory All great Princes and peeres persons of great glory to looke upon above and the glory of GOD as the glorious Canope over all The Glory of GOD is the light of our City above There is a great heape of Pearles above and there is a glorious Sunne that shines upon them which makes so many * Quot conchi tot Phoebi Jewells so many Sunnes such abounding of sparkling rayes and glory that I am amazed with the thought of it There is another expression which by way of allusion to the glory of the City above is used The Lambe is the light thereof c. 'T is a made glory which light discovers to you here yea and 't is a made light which brings in this glory to you But what God is himselfe and what discovery hee makes of himselfe by himselfe without any medium is the glory of our felicity above God according to his Workes is the glory here God according to Himselfe is the glory there his owne Face is the daily Sunne the glorious Sunne that shines in Heaven The Lambe is the light of it The Sunne that made the Sunne shines above the sweet that made all sweet is tasted on Feasted on altogether in Heaven This Sunne which you behold is but as a spot or broad blemish in the Face of the Creation in comparison of the Sunne which shines in the brave World to come This Sunne though very glorious in it selfe yet very inglorious a piece of stained paint for feeble senses to gaze at in comparison of that above Something to declare his pleasure rather then to make pleasure are all the Workes of Gods Hands here what hee is in Himselfe is properly to make pleasure for the soule of man All that the Lambe is in himselfe all that glory and lustre hee hath of Himselfe is opened by himselfe in Heaven Surely the glory of this World is but a Dunghill to that to come Sunne beames but a pyramid bundle of strawes Light is homogeneall Every twinkling of light is light as every drop of Honey is Honey and has the nature and definition of the whole 't is throughout like to it selfe Our felicity above is homogeneall Heaven is all Heaven Every corner of Heaven is a Heaven every thing that is tasted a Heaven every thing that is smelt a Heaven ever thing that is look't upon or medled with a Heaven a full felicity to the soule Our felicity here is not homogeneall wee have some things delightfull more things grievous some things pleasant more things displeasant Above all is pleasant GOD pleasant Angells pleasant Saints pleasant all that all these say and doe pleasant * On earth God is afflicting as well as felicitating but in Heaven never seemingly displeased Christs face is continually as Lebanon bright and glorious as the looking forth of the morning No deformity above Every thing in Heaven a Heaven GOD is light and in him is no darkenesse 't is a mighty expression As 't is spoken of sinne here so it may be spoken of affliction respecting our Country above God is felicity above and in him nor from him is no infelicity not so much as the least affliction God is not an afflicting God not a chastening Father in Heaven So it may be said of Saints and Angels there is felicity in them and in them nor from them no affliction but all happinesse Every glote of the Eye of every one above pleasant and glorious the
stirring of every Finger of every Toe of every Haire of every one in Heaven a Heaven to behold There is no distinction of habit and act time and place meanes and end in point of felicity as here is as you know there is misery all along in the meanes with us and felicity onely in the end and that uncertaine too and so a little good habitually scarce any at all actually and the like In Heaven there is none of these miserable distinctions but Heaven in all in every quality Heaven in every action Heaven in every time Heaven in every place Heaven in every meane to such an end equally as in the end it selfe Heaven Simili dissimile In things which are but like there is some dislike Light is not universally permanent Our Sunne sets and rises rises and sets so 't is with most parts of the World very few parts have all day and no night all light and no darknesse 'T is not so above our felicity there is universally permanent there is all day and no night to all that upper World the Sunne goes round that glorious Globe without any interposition to any There is no drooping Soule in Heaven no wounded spirit in all the Land above nor never will Our life above is everlasting Shall of the spirit reape life everlasting c. Saith our Apostle There is such inspiration as shall never admit the least expiration in any comforts never faint nor flat no soule growes weary of place company habit dyet imployment every ones Heaven is an eternall Heaven every ones rest an eternall rest Some have beene in Heaven many thousands of yeares and yet not a thought of dislike of any thing there nor the least desire stirring to be any where else but the strong desire of all that all Gods deare ones were there The spirit and the Bride say come Christ and all those members hee has above pant for the rest that all were as they are one as they are one Joy is made as vast as the soule as lasting as the soule and the soule as lasting as Christ There are no broken Cisternes above not one Vessell drops out one droppe of its felicity in the space of eternitie though hee stand brim full No consumption no Disease above every thing lives yea and thrives for ever There is eternall Revelation in Heaven Infinite excellency taking suitable time to lay open it selfe to all others there 's Johns rapture to all eternitie All these particulars gathered up render the meaning of the Metaphor to be this That our felicity above is a full and absolute felicity a transcendent blessednesse suiting such a transcendent being as the soule of man is Vse Now my question to you all is what labouring for absolute felicity for blessednesse to suite your soules for ever 'T is the judgement that lies heavy upon the soules of most men they seeke not after full mercies a perfect blessednesse Feele your Pulse tell mee how your hearts beate how nimble doe they worke out after Earth How slow after Heaven I looke upon some men's Lives and my heart trembles to thinke what will become of their soules al the care is for the body how does Trading goe on How does money come in When is the Question How will 't goe with my soule for ever What blessednesse is provided for my soule to inherite Are your bodies everlasting Is this World everlasting Can any thing but Heaven make an absolute felicitie for you Are not your soules everlasting Can any thing lesse then Heaven make a suitable felcity for them Pravity is misleading but when the Soule is judged for this there is noe turning the man this consideration makes mee shake indeede when I consider how Earthy some men are and how wilfull in their way Speake to them of minding their Soules and beating off their thoughts from this VVorld you are as Vinegar to their Teeth and smoake to their Eyes When corruption thrives in the soule 't is dangerous but when it has got a head Ah Lord The state of that man is desperate Who shal save that man from Hell and bring him to Heaven which is earthy and wil be so still The Creature is seducing much is promised but it s still a lie to the soule the fulnesse of the World makes up no fulnesse to that noble part within If there bee any absolutenesse in things here below 't is in point of vanity they are Vanitie of vantie and vexation of spirit i Perfect vanitie just nothing as our English phrase is Consider all the Word in reference to the spirit and t is a heape of perplexitie A Bush of Briers and Thornes shall all your industry lie to Crowne your soules with Thornes With our Saviours Crosse and Curse Are you not scratcht enough with the World yet Will not your spirits be vext enough hereafter but will you be vexing of them here too Will you begin your Hell in Earth and inure your spirits to tearing and torment before the time Know your soules and what is the felicitie of them and what you doe do in good earnest to attaine it you move as you love Christ concluded that when the Jewish Church sleighted him If you love darkenesse better then light you will never seeke out for light nor for that Inheritance which hâ—s there If Heaven were more absolute felicitie or more transcendent blessednesses then 't is a heart pre-engaged i set upon an other Heaven will sleight Heaven indeede your life lies upon this poynt to looke how and where your love is picht where a mans Treasure is there will his Heart bee if you make money onely your Treasure you will onely bend in good earnest after it If you make not Heaven your chiefe Treasure you will not seeke after it heartilie Heaven has beene shadowed out to you according to the Metaphor in the Text is it now of any price in your Eye Has it gained your love 'T is a transcendent blessednesse are your hearts taken with it as such a blessednesse Till this I shall not looke to prevaile with any soule to seeke out after Heaven to any purpose 'T was the Art that Christ used when hee spake of eternall things first to set out the excellency of them to make that sparkle gloriously in the Eye to stirre love and then answerablie come on to doe good J am the Bread which came downe from Heaven c. J am the Bread of Life c. And hee that shall drinke of the Water that I shall give him shall never thiâ—st c. Many such expressions to take love you shall finde in the Scripture What have wee gained upon your love by all our discourse of Heaven An love bee as it was the man will be as hee was if Heaven be at his doore hee will step beside it into Hell Divine Love is that flame that carries the soule upward where this is not Heaven though all is nothing There is darkenesse And