the blackest and most Trecherous Hearts A Sweetnesse that kindly Melts the hardest and most untam'd Hearts A Sweetnesse that gently Molds into a Spouse-like frame the roughest Hearts A Sweetnesse that ravisheth the most despairing Hearts into an Extasie of Supreame immortall joyes Vnhappy he that sees not the comming of Christ into the soules of men What is it which He sees not He sees not the Tabernacle of God among men the Distance lessening betweene Heaven and Earth the Glory of the Godhead growing to a Fuller Tide and winning upon the World as the Sea eating in upon the Land He cannot discerne the Times and their Changes How or Why they are the Fatality of Persons and Kingdomes their Periods For these Flourish and Fall as they Fall in with Fall off from or Fall foule upon the Comming of Christ He is the Corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Mat. 21.24 Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind him to powder Is it Day-break yet in our soules Doe we see how it growes Lighter and Lighter in the Souls of Men If we doe not perceive those Streakes and Flakes of Light which multiply upon the spirits of men pointing out the neere Approach of our long-lookt-for Sunne Let us clothe our selves with shame and confesse We are Physitians of no value We have not seen that Beame which is in our owne Eye not suffering us to discerne Day-light But as we are Blind so let us be Beggers too And as that Blind Begger in the Gospel let us sit by the way in which Christ comes and as we heare the noyse of his passing by let us cry aloud Thou Son of David King of Spirits have mercy on us Lord Iesus that we also may receive our sight that our Fleece may not be dry while it raines on the rest of the earth that our Soules may not be in the Dark while Glory flowes in upon other Spirits Doe you see your Saviour as He comes in the Visible Part of Things Mat. 24.8 The Lord Jesus discoursing of His Comming having before spoken of Warres Famines Pestilences Earth-quakes tels us in this Verse All these are the Beginning of Sorrowes 'T is in Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Beginning of Pangs The Commotions and Strife in This visible Frame are the Pangs and Throes by which It labours to bring forth Christ in the Spirit Psal. 97.4 5. You may reade the Manner and Discovery of this Approaching Glory His Lightnings enlightned the World The Earth Saw and Trembled The Hils melted like Wax at the Presence of the Lord at the Presence of the Lord of the Whole Earth Nations Kingdomes Nature the Elements feele the Approach of Jesus Christ and receive the Impression of His Presence increasing upon them How unnaturall then are we if we be insensible of it how Worthy to be cast forth from the Nature of Things into the Outermost Darknesse Seas of Common-wealths and Counsailes rowle and roare Mountaines of Worldly Greatnesse melt away Rocks of Humane Strength after the firmest Combinations and Consolidations cleave asunder Doe we not yet perceive the Lord Jesus The Earth Hearts quake Pestilences are kindled A Smoke of Obscurity Vncertainty and Confusion flyes over the Face of Things A Fire Burnes Doe we not yet feele our Saviour His Enlightnings Enlighten the whole Earth Extraordinary Passages of Providence little lesse than Miracles to confirme the Presence of Christ in the midst of us High and Heavenly Truths publishing themselves even as the Brightnesse of His Comming These frequent Flashings forth of His Glory are the Enlightnings with which He Enlightens the Earth Doe we not yet See Jesus Christ Heb. 1.2 The Holy Ghost begins to speak of the 2d Comming of Christ v. 6. He goes on discoursing of the Same Thing to the 12. Verse There He saith to Him As a Vesture thou shalt folde them up meaning Heaven and Earth and They shall be Changed Suppose a Man by Miracle Borne and Grown up in One Midnight Day now begins to come on This Man to whom All Things were almost alike before now perceives Barren Shores Hanging Cliffes Devouring Seas on one Hand on another Pleasant Fields Faire Buildings a Peacefull Country As the Light increaseth the Face of these Things still Changeth Presenting Fresh Horrours and fuller Beauties Would not this Man Amazedly Wonder whence these Formes of Things should grow round about Him with such Sodainnesse and Change till He look't upward and Saw the Light of Heaven as It goes on in it's Course visiting the Earth and thus Changing it as a Garment Who is not Amazed to See the Changes that are made in the Garment of This Earth One Day we see it as a Field Flourishing with faire Hopes another Day that Field vanish't and in its Place as a City on Fire or a Sea of Blood He that now discerns not the Light of Heaven the Brightnesse of the Godhead which is Christ Comming upon us and thus Changing us what manner of Night is He in Sure a Night as Black as the Shadow of Death The Night is a Season for Heavinesse You that See not the Lord Jesus how He comes up upon the Earth and Invades it with His Troops as the Prophet speaks Habak. 3. Sit downe in Heavinesse Sensible of that Night which Surrounds You. But as you Sit Watch as the Watch-men for the Morning This second Comming of Christ is as the dayes of Noah The Lord Jesus in the Spirit shall be both Ark and Flood An Ark to those which are taken into Christ 〈◊〉 them high above all miseries towards Heaven 〈…〉 carrying away insensible Persons and Scorners 〈…〉 Woe This is the First Ground of Humiliation Insensiblenesse Unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Course of Christ's Comming The Comming of Christ calls for Two Things 1st A Respect to Christ in all our Counsailes 2. A Resignation to Christ for the Conduct of Those Counsailes 1. A Respect to Christ in Counsaile Ezekiel saw The Glory of God Ezek. 1. This Glory was the Spirituall Frame of our Saviours Divine Comming upon His Chariot composed of Living Creatures and Wheels Angels Spiritualized Bodies Angelized In this vision He saw the State of Jerusalem and accordingly forewarn'd the Jewes As the shadow went back upon the Dyal of Ahaz so Hezekiah's life was set back from Death The Person of our Lord Jesus is the Diall of Time as the Godhead is in the Course of it's Glory advances or withdraws upon this Diall So it points out the Rise or Ruine of Persons and Things We read Revel. 1. That God gave to Christ the Revelation of Things by a Light of Glory in His own Person to this end that He might shew to His Servants what will quickly Be Our Lord Jesus is that Word of God which is to be the Man of our Counsailes On Him we are to look in Him to see what should be by seeing God in His
of the whole World And so He answers their Question teaching them that as all Creatures are the Print of his Feet so their whole Conduct is the Motion of His Feet Their Commotions His Commings on upon them As the Whale moveth himselfe under the Waters the Billows rise and rowl the Deep boyles like a Pot. Before our Saviour's time Lucifer was the Leviathan that made the Sea to seeth about him like a Pot of Ointment Now our Lord Jesus sports Himselfe in these Waters He makes his way under them and as he moves The Deepes of Mens Spirits Counsailes Common-wealths boyle the whole Frame of Things reel and rowl themselves into violent Concussions like Waves of the Sea This is the third sort of Clouds Rowling Ones 4. Cloudes of Angels My Text saith Christ comes with Cloudes Saint Paul saith 2 Thes. 1.7 The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels Our Lord Jesus tels us Mat. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting at the Right Hand of Power and comming in the Clouds of Heaven He speakes of the same thing Mark 8.50 In this Phrase When He commeth in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels These Parallel places make those expressions seem Parallel Angels Cloudes The Prophet discourseth of all sorts of Meteors Psa. 104.3 4. The upper Waters Clouds Winds Spirits or Blasts Flames of Fire This is interpreted expresly of Angels Heb. 1.7 And of Angels He saith He hath made His Angels Spirits His Ministers a Flame of Fire These are the Waters in which the Chambers of God are the Clouds which are His Chariot the Winged Windes on which He rides the Flames in which He Comes Saint Paul joynes these Two Angels and Flames at the Comming of Christ 2 Thes. 1.7 8. The Lord shall be revealed from Heaven with His Mighty Angels And with Flaming Fire The Flame of Fire is Heat working it selfe into Light This is the Immediate Image and Instrument of Angels in this visible World thorow this they appeare and work All the Appearances of God under the Law were by Angels All the Appearances of Angels were by Flames or Light The Angel went up from Manoah in a Flame Iud. 30.20 He appeared to Moses in a Flame Exod. 3.2 The Angels came downe upon the sacrifices in a Flame The Lord Jesus shall come in a Flame of Angels The Glory of God in Christ as he comes the second time breaks forth upon the Angels In these He Flames out upon the Bodily Part of Things as Fire dissolving them in their own shapes and resolving and raising them into Angelicall Formes These are the Heavenly Flames of Glory in which Saints are Blessed the Fire of Hell in which Evill men are tormented Angelicall Forms In this sense Jesus Christ tels us Luke 17.22 that Lazarus being dead was carryed by Angels into Abraham's Bosome That Glory of God which is cal'd Abraham's Bosome a Type of the Fathers Bosome was revealed in the Angels in them it over-shadowed Lazarus withdrawing Him out of this Present State and gathering Him up unto these Spirits which are the Fathers of the Earthly Man Accordingly we read Mark 13.27 He shall send forth His Angels and gather His Elect from the Four Windes This shall be the Resurrectin of the Body when this visible Image and life which was as wind breath'd forth by God from the Bosome of those Angelicall Flames shall by their opening themselves upon it be again taken in to God in these Spiritual Chambers In the same sence Angels are called the Chariots of God Psa. 68.17 The Chariots of the Lord are Twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels The second Comming of Christ is not on Foot as a Servant The Image of the First Adam in a visible shape 'T is as of a Prince in his chariot The Image of God in the Angelical Being Cant. 3.8 Solomons Chariot had Pillars of silver Covering of Purple Bottome Gold in the mid'st Love for the Daughters of Hierusalem Divine Glory the Foundation Divine Love the Center in that Foundation Pillars of Silver Angelicall Beauties and strengths the Covering of Purple the Glorious Humanity of Christ in Royall State Comprehending all This is the Chariot which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for His Spouse This is the Forme in which He rides forth at his second Comming thorow the Whole Creation taking up to Him the Daughters of Hierusalem both in Soul and Body at their severall Seasons As Angels are the Chariots of Fire in which the Lord rides forth the second Time So are they the Horses of Fire on which He rides Revel. 6. As the Seales are opened A Man comes forth on Horse-back The Man is the Image of God the Lord Jesus who comes forth in every various forme as in a severall Dresse for several Designes The Horse is the Particular Forme of Invisible Glory the Angel on which He is Mounted I will make an end of this Discourse with that Place Mark 8.1 Where Christ speaking of his Comming joynes these Two the Glory of the Father and the Holy Angels As the Man on the Horse He shall come in the Glory of His Father and the Holy Angels In our Saviour's Person as He comes in the Spirit the Glory of the God-head shal be as a Sea the Angelicall Glories as Ships on this Sea All Formes of Things in this visible State shall be taken off the Earth of their own Grosse and Dul Principles into these Mysterious Ships in which they shall be carried on still further and further into the Ocean of the God-head I have now describ'd those Clouds in which Christ comes which was the second Head 3. Head The clearnesse of Christs Appearance Every Eye shall see Him There is a Two-fold Eyes 1st The Inward 2. The Outward Eye 1st The Inward Eye shall see Christ Saint Paul speaks of this Ephes. 1.18 The Eye of your understanding being Enlightened The Eye of the understanding is the Inward Eye This also is Two-fold 1st A Naturall 2. A Divine Eye The Naturall Eye is that of Reason which is alwayes open in all Men so farre as they are Men The Divine Eye is for many yeares many ages quite shut up in the Soul ever since the Creation untill the Regeneration This Eye is a Divine Principle or Faculty of seeing Things the Supreame Power of Knowing as God Knows and is Known Saint Iohn speaks of this Eye 1 Iohn 3.2 When He appeares we shall be like Him For we shall see Him as He is The Proper Light and Object of This Eye is Jesus Christ in the Spirit as He is the Brightnesse and Image of the God-head As a Sun-beame beating with a strong Light upon the Naturall Eye So shall the Lord Jesus awaken this Eye in Man by setting Himselfe in it And now how cleer how sweet how satisfactory must this sight be 'T is a Fit Union of an Object Suitable to a Proportion'd Power or Faculty that gives
may keep Him safe though you lay Him in a Grave hewne out of a Rock in a Garden a Frame contriv'd with greatest strength and Beauty though you set the Seal of Authority upon it and a guard about it yet Christ will rise with an Earth-quake and appeare to His Disciples 2. Reason Christ Comes in the Darke The Lord darkens His own Appearances who then shall Determine the way of Christ's Comming to us when He makes it His Designe to obscure it Why do we Condemne the Discoveries of Christ for being above our Reach beyond our Measure and Light when 't is His Plot and will to Come in Clouds If the Light of the world please as He breaks forth to hold the eyes of the wisest Men and Holyest Disciples that they shall not discern Him though He walk in the mid'st of them Let Us bear our Blindnesse and not lay the fault on Heaven calling Day Night or censuring the Light for being Dark Jesus Christ tels Peter What I do thou knowest not but thou shalt know hereafter Ioh. 13.6 Our Saviour puts forth Himself to Men in Many Appearances of which they are uncapable to lie as seeds in their Spirits and perhaps after many years grow into distinct Fruits in their understanding and ripe Fruits in their Affections Then they know that a Prophet hath been among them That the Highest Appearances of God have been plain before their Eyes when they have least imagin'd it The Wise-man that spake in Parables and Proverbs tels Prov. 25.2 'T is the Glory of God to conceale a Thing the Word in Hebrew and of Kings to search out the matter the Word God makes it His Designe in this World to bring forth the Eternall word the Brightest Image of Himself so as that we Seeing Him shall not See Him But then it pertaines to the Kingdome of Christ as the proper Glory of that to comprehend this Dark World and make it understood by it's Light Take heed then how you judge the Comming of Christ by the Day-light of this world seeing 't is His Glory to come in the Night The Devil too labours to Darken the Comming of Christ Sweetest and Clearest Spirits in which the Bride-groome comes forth most Beautifully are by Him clog'd and clouded with the Disguise of Faction Sedition Licentiousnesse and Atheisme as in Paul and Christ Himself The most Heavenly Truths which are as the lookings forth of this King of Glory are by him presented to the World in the most deformed Appearances of Hellish Blasphemies As the Devill hath his Arrowes which flie in the Dark so hath Christ His Comming in the Spirit is an Arrow that flies in the Dark at Noon-day Woe be to him that stands in its way it will pierce his Liver Our Saviour speaks it of Himself If the Good man knew at what hour the Thief would come he would watch and not suffer his house to be broke open If you know the Time and way in which Christ will certainly come you might define that and confine Him But now fear to be mistaken because of that place of Scripture The stone which the Builders refused is become the Head of the Corner Psal. 118.22 The stone which the Builders refused is become the Head of the Corner O ye Builders Take heed what stone ye refuse O ye Men Take heed of stumbling at that Stone which the Builders refuse lest your Buildings and Selves be broken upon it but That grow up into a Building of Glory which can never be broken or shaken Thus much for the First Caution Take heed how you furiously oppose any thing that pretends to an Appearance of Christ Habakkuk speaks of Christ in the Spirit C. 3. v. 4. His Brightnesse was as the Light Hornes were in His Hand and there was the Hiding of Power All the Spirituall Discoverys of Christ are as Hands of Light by which He puts forth Himself and takes hold of the world The Invisible Spirit the Presence of the Godhead in it 's Two-fold Piercing Principle of Love and Wrath These are the Hornes in the Hands Take heed how you resist these Hands when they are stretch'd forth lest you rush upon the Hornes If you launch forth with fury upon any stream of Spirits or Opinions and strike upon the Power of the God-head lying hid like a Rock in those waters how great will the wrack and Ruine of your Souls be I will close this use with the Story of Balaam He went forth upon his Asse to curse the Children of Israel having first obtain'd full leave from God for it as he thought His Asse gives back crusheth his foot against the wall He is enrag'd Yet if his Asse had gone on he had bin slain For an Angel stood with a Drawn Sword in his way I intend no particular Application but onely a generall Allusion Balaam is fleshly Man that hath the visions of God in the Fleshly Image The Asse the Externall Power of Nature and the Creature on which he rides When you go forth against any that call themselves Israel and think your selves most clearly sent from the mouth or face of God yet if then your Asse retreat fall back Rush upon the walls of Difficulties take heed of putting him on too fiercely Let it fairly warn you to fear Perhaps the Power of Nature and the Creature sees the Lord Jesus Comming forth with the Sword of His Spirit Brandish'd in his Hand If it should go on it might carry you into an Absolute Ruine Take heed then of being furious against any thing that pretends to be an Appearance of Christ For Consolation When first you pleas'd to call me to this I thought thus with my self What can I say more then hath been said To what end shall I speak or Have we any more Hopes yet in our Breasts We have bled and wept wept and bled again for many years Still we weep and some feare lest we bleed again with greater danger As Iacob complain'd of Laban so is it with us Our wages our Hopes have been chang'd now these ten times Our Hopes and our Saviours have devoured each other as Pharaoh's Lean Kine did the Fat yet as They are still Lean. What do we cry to a sleeping God or a God at a great Distance from us as in a journey or Are our Services in the Church our Sacrifices in the Field no more to the living God than the Gashes which Baal's Priests make upon their own Flesh While I was thus discouraged in mine own Spirit I was refresh't with a Two-fold Comfort with which I shall now indeavour to comfort you 1. The Way of Christ is in the Dark 2. The way of Christ is among the Angels 1. The Way of Christ is in the Dark Then may our King be come a good way on in His Travels of Love and Glory towards us though we yet discern him not We know not how Near he may be to us how full of Life and Sweetnesse before