Ghost In them for all Scripture was given by inspiration 2 Tim. 3. 16. after they were once set apart by God to write the holy Scriptures they all spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost as Dan. 12. 4. God commands Daniel Shut up the words and seal the Book even till the time of the end These holy men being once set apart for this use they prophesie Beyond themselves and out of course and latter and after-times shall make known that which they themselves which wrote them knew not for they spake as inspired by God but Christs words are alwayes absolute and perfect truth he knew and saw very well what he said there is nothing useless in his words there is no Tautologies as we call them no vain repetitions when Christ speaks they are words of weight words of power they carry vertue with them as for instance if ever the winds blow and the storms arise in thy soul Then thou shalt find experimentally and feelingly that One word from Christs mouth will do thee more good then all the words and all the power of men To Still those winds and storms those who have experience here of know it full well as we see when the ship was like to be Overcome by the winds and storms and Christ was asleep you may see there how One word from him Ceased them No more but Peace and be still and t is the same in the soul and Psal. 107. 29. He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still These words we have now read All power is given to me in heaven and earth They signifie that Christ is God equal with the Father but there seems to be a great difficulty in the words in that Christ never said before he was ready to leave the earth All power is given unto me in heâ—ven and earth The question is What power had Christ now committed to him that he had not before what new power received he that when he was to leave the earth and had given his Disciples a Commission and it was to be sealed at the day of Pentecost that he should say now and never before All power is given me in heaven and earth what addition of power had he now which he had not before if he be God equal with his Father and he saith many times The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son and again Before Abraham was I am and many such like words which shews he is God and of Equal power and Authority with his Father and yet he saith in the 14 of Iohn The Father is greater then I Can God receive any new Access of power No certainly but these words are so hard and difficult to reconcile that in the daies of Arius it filled the Church full of Errors and Heresies the Church fell much at Odds for many from hence denied the Divinity of Christ because they could not reconcile these Scriptures And by the way if he be Lord of all power then he leaves none for man to claim to himself But that I may answer this doubt and make it clear I will lay down two grounds First Although God receive no new power in himself yet he doth receive power by being made further known unto man And Secondly By mans being made further known unto him First By his being made further known unto man the revealing and discovering of God unto man making himself more known the manifestation of this is said To Adde power to him but not That any thing can be added to him who is infinite if there could he were not infinite and He were not God But know this whatever attribute God hath ascribed to him it is in regard of his creatures not in regard of himself for there are no such things in God Neither in regard of his incommunicable or communicable Attributes as Eternity Infiniteness Omnipotency Immensness c. Or in regard of his communicable as Wisdome Iustice and Mercy and Patience c. as if these were several things in God for God is One and cannot be more for when he is said to be any of these Iust or Good or Severe or the like these are all One and the same thing in him they are but Attributed to him that we may conceive of him it is but spoken of him according to the several workings of God on the creatures As for instance the Sun makes the Roâ—e to smel sweet and pleasant and it makes the Nettle to sting it makes the fields to grow and cast a Pleasant savour but it makes the Carrion and the Dunghil to stink and all this variety is by one and the self-same Sun the same light and heat doth divers things causes divers effects in the subjects Says the Rose it makes me fragrant and sweet and says the Dung-hill but it makes me stink and be unsavoury says the Wax it makes me soft and pliable but says the clay it makes me hard and obdurate yet the Sun doth not do one thing to one and another thing to another Even so Beloved it is with our God One man He finds God A comfort and a rejoycing to his heart another he finds God A Terror and an Amazement to him One he finds God A sweet guide and direction to him and thereby and therefore he draws nearer to God loveth and embraceth him Another apprehends God an enemy to him and this makes him run away from God Is God therefore thus various no no He is the self-same God to the One and to the Other and the self-same action in him is to the One and to the other He that is a Hammer to the Hard heart he is also mollifying and softning Oyl to the Penitent soul He that is A comfort to the fatherless and widow he is as an Enemy A Revenger and a consuming fire to the obstinate and rebellious And yet for all this Our God is always the same he is not nor cannot be changed in him is no shadow of change And therefore we cannot imagine that he can grow greater or less in regard of himself but as To us he doth that is if he manifest himself more to us more within us in our souls then he is said to be greater and if he lessen the knowledge of himself As to us then he is said to grow less And in this sense also he is said to come nearer to us and go further from us As also he is said so to do when he expresses as to us more or less some act of justice or mercy or any other artribute then I say he is onely said to be so in regard of us To grow greater or less to come nearer or depart further but He in himself is for ever blessed and perfect Unchangeable Immoveable always the same we can no way Touch him or Alter him but it is onely We the Creature is Altered and he is altered to us as to
indure STRONG MEAT and not to be alwayes Fed with PAPPE SERMON VIII Rom. 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together THose which have no part in Christs sufferings they have none in his glory And those are expressed in Phil. 2. 4. in two words 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. 7 8. 1 In Emptying of himself 2 In Humbling himself And these are sufferings indeed Far beyond his scourgings far beyond his nailing to the cross far beyond his crowning with thoâ—ns far beyond his whipping his mockings c. All those sufferings are not worthy to be named the same day with these for though he was God equall with his Father yet he came down from Heaven And dwelt among Us among men in the similitude of sinful flesh and took upon him the form of a servant And made Himself of no reputation and he had not so much as a hole to hide his head in and also he became Obedient unto death Now if these sufferings of Christ be in us If we Empty our selves viz. Of all that gall of sin and bitterness that is in us and also of all our Excellencies and Endowments both of Nature and Grace and lay it all down At the feet of Christ giving him all the power and glory for ever Then be assured whatever we do on this foundation God accepts it be it never so little And though we do never so much without this it is to God no more Then the cutting off a dogs neck and as odious as the offering up of swines blood under the Law On whom saith God Isa. 66. 2. and to whom will I look even to the humble to him that is of an humble and contrite spirit and trembleth at my words This foundation being laid Then come what will come Then neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heights nor depths nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 8. 38. They instead of separating us from Christ shall make us nearer to him and shall make us morâ— conformable to our head To fill up that which is behind of the measure of Christs suffering IN US which is his body And you may remember we compared these sufferings with Christ to those six steps which are the six steps that led up to Solomons Throne to wit 1. Was To abhor in our selves all those sins and defilements that we are guilty of which we called Condemnation The second was To beat our selves to dust to just Nothing which we called Annihilation yea to less then Nothing and vanity The third was Willingness to forsake all to Sell All for Christ which we called Resignation That is To be alwayes in affection and readiness till GOD call us to action The fourth was Indifferency which we are now to come to to stand equally affected to all conditions Faith being the ground as I told you the last day Believing undoubtedly that nothing can be better done then what is done God doing All. We have a pattern set us of this by the Apostle Paul He was come to this Ephes. 4. 11 12. I have learned saith he Implying That he was long about the work before he could attain it but now I am grown to be a good Scholar in it That is in what estate soever I am to be content and now I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me I know Now but not till now Both how to be abased and I know how to abound Every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound and suffer need Phil. 4. 11 12. I have learned and I am instructed saith he which implies that there is a secret in Gods school which cannot be attained at the first entrance and by Beginners but when we are well entred and exercised therein we may know how too look with a smooth face upon all changes for they do as Christ their pattern in that of Iohn 4. 34. which is a copy set St. Paul by Christ My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work they account it not their meat and drink to do their own will As all the world doth but to do whatever He wills And to suffer whatever He Wills this is Their meat and Their drink and as the Apostle sayes I count it not in any case expedient to consult with flesh and blood surely in this case it is not onely not expedient but altogether unlawful for how tart is this to flesh and blood To tell a man when he is to go a journey he must be alike patient and alike thankful and he must neither desire fair weather nor foul To tell a man that is at Sea He must neither desire a wind with him nor against him To tell a man that expects a harvest he must neither desire a good harvest nor a bad Sunshine nor Rain To tell a man that is Naked that clothes and no clothes must be all one to him To tell a poor man That money or no money must be all one To tell a man that is sick that pain and ease health and sickness must be all one to him Labour and pleasure Ease and suffering Liberty and Imprisonment Glory and Infamy All this must be alike to him How can flesh and blood indure this Doctrine if we consult with it And therefore He that Means to practise this must not at all consult with flesh and blood As the Apostle saith I â—onsulted not with flesh and blood And the reason is because Thou mayest not desire any thing that may cross Gods will or his providence for that weather that is for thee may be hurt to another and that wind that is against thee may be for the good of another c. You will say it may be Here is a doctrine indeed What will this Babler bring us to at last Acts. 7. 10. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said What will this Babler say other some He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods beâ—â—use he preached unto them Iesus and the resurrection What new doctrine is this I have been an Auditor and a Professor this 20 30 or 40 years and I never heard such a doctrine as this And I have heard above a 100 Preachers and none like this man I never heard my own wayes so much thwarted He clean contradicts our byas and we have been alwayes taught otherwise and therefore this cannot be true doctrine these are some new tricks and some new crochets and devices some new querks and quillets for novelty This Doctrine is as strange to you as if I were A Setter forth of
if a man love his friend let him wrong him if he can but here is matter If ye have but the External Worship As most men content themselves with that and never care for the Internal but if once ye have the Spirit and the True sense of the Letter through the Letter then I say let him throw away the Letter if he can no no he cannot abuse but love that in its place and degree which hath been the Shel and instrument to bring him all that sweetness meat and nourishment I say Beloved once again things being thus and men being generally thus taken with the Letter and go no farther Wonder not To see All the world in A Deluge All drowned in their own ways all seeking themselves and their Own things and not the things of Iesus Christ All being taken with and Idolizing their own Conceits Wonder not To see them All in a mist Groping in darkness and every one feeding himself with his own devices I say Wonder not for Iohn the Baptist He that leapt and sprang for ioy in his Mothers Womb at the salutation of the Virgin Mary For all He as it were lived with him was his acquaintance and conversed with him for 30. years yet knew him not Wonder not to see An Universal Darkness over the whole world and scarce a man knows Him that lives in them dwels in them I am afraid it is with most men as it was with those women the Apostle Paul speaks of Alwayes learning and never came to the knowledge of the truth Yet it is well known ye have alwayes been Throâ—gers of Christ with the Jews but I fear Never yet drew any vertue from him and that ye have not yet Taken the City of the Letter Never yet had The rending of the Vail never yet took Achsah to wife For if ye had you would be so far forth Altogether spiritual and much taken up with these things knowing no man any more after the flesh but altogether in a spiritual manner knowing God to be in you and to dwell with you wherefore to stand in awe of his goodness and greatness majesty and incomprehensibleness c. But Beloved I press these things the more and the oftâ—er because I know these things had need be taught you as the Prophet Esay saith Line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little For these things ye receive but slowly and by degrees like narrow-mouth'd vessels as ye are able to receive otherwise these things run over run at wasâ—e and run besides And are spoiled and ye trample these Pearls under your feet And besides I know you have enough that press the Letter but these things very rarely and therefore I take the more liberty This is such a truth that I would have it founâ—ded and well rooted in you viz. That God is He that Fills All in All I would not have you ignorant of this one thing viz. that God He is All Act a pure Act and nothing acts nor grows or increases or moves but in Him Know that not one creature stirs in any act towards you but by Commission there is no such thing as chance or fortune This is such a foundationâ— Truth that every Branch of Godliness ariseth from this root Iacob He saw this for t is said when he Awaked then he saw God was in this place God there appeared to him On purpose to convince Iacob of this very Truth not but that God was in that place before but Iacob saw him not there before God was in this place before but I knew it not saith he but his eyes being opened then he cryes out Oh! How dreadful is this place this is noâ—e other but the house of God! God dwells with us and in us and we are not aware of it All this while To this very day As suppose two men should come into a large room in which the King should be in one corner behind the hangings privately I suppose I have used the Simile before but the fitness makes me use it the oftner therefore take it and apply it and the One of these two men Espieth the King the Other knowing nothing of him He that knows the King is there he behaves himself with all Reverence and fear as before the King because he knows the King hears and sees all but the other lashes out in idle and frothy talk and behaves himself rudely as among his companions The reaon is because He sees not the King but if once he chance to espye the King or the King discover himself to him Then He humbles himself for all his idle carriage falls down Amazed intrembling and fear and carries himself so much the more Humbly and Awfully and the more submissively His carriage is quite changed he is no such man as he was before so Howsoever a man carry himself before he sees God and before he knew of him that he was so near and he knew it not yet when God once shews and discovers himself to such a man In the midst of all his pride and lofty carriage in the midst of his high and Towring imaginations and self-conceits As he did to Belshazzar when the hand-writing appeared to him on the wall His hair stood upright and his knees smote together and his joynts were loosed Even so is this man astonished at the sight of God in him he falls down and cries out with Iacob Oh! how dreadful is this place this is none other but the house of God and I never knew so much Was my God my Creator the Almighty and maker of Heaven and Earth He that the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Is he here by me and in me all this while heard all my words and observed all my actions and I not know it I not aware of it Oh vile wretch that I am Beloved the case was thus with Iacob He over night being weary Travelling a whole days journy from his fathers house had no Inne to lodg at but in the open field having gotten some stones together for his pillow and the Heavens foâ— his Curtains He lies down in sorrow and thoughtfulness what he should do what would becom of him what course he should take He was a yoâ—ng maâ— and apt to run hiâ— own wayes and follow his own will little he had and knew not how he should be provided foâ— He was fain to run from home leave his fathers house as a banished man and it seems in these thoughts and the like he fell asleep And in a dream God appears and speaks to him and comforts him And in his dream he saw a vision A Ladder reaching up to Heaven and the Angels of God ascending and descending c. and when he awaked he finding God to be so near him anâ— present with him whithersoever he went his spirit was comforted and refreshed Then He was a changed man Then he had New
thoughts and all his former thoughts were banished Even so doth this man behave himself when once God hath spoken to him and discovered himself to be so near He doth as David sayes he did Set the Lord alwayes before his eyes then he minds God and observâ—s his workings his out-goings and incomings he alwayes then puts God forward in him He must do all Before He was the forward man and who but he All Gods acts in him he arrogated to himself and as he thought the actions were His done by His power wisdom and parts so he took home The glory and praise of all to himself But now Upon Gods appearing to him this man is Undonâ— slain crucified Then he can with all his heart let God Be all and Do All Speak in him Move in him Live in him Work all his works in him and for him He now minds God in whatsoever any creature saith or doth to him He no longeâ— lives his own life but the life of God t is true He lives as the Apostle saith Yet not He but Christ in him He now As a New man Hath no words but the words of Christ no thoughts but the thoughts of Christ made One spirit and life with Him and so he becomes throughout A changed Man A New man But the other he that is not aware of God He that is a Reprobate who knows not That Christ is in Him He takes no knowledge of all this but does what he list and as he thinks He speaks his own words and thinks his own thoughts and All their thoughts words and actions All their aims and endeavours tend to the fulfilling the desires of the flesh Either more gross and open or else more subtile and refined and more hid from the eye of the world Their desires and aims are How they shall procure such a benefit to themselves such an estate or how he shall be delivered from the danger of the times and he is full of carking and caring how his flesh shall be provided for and the like And truly beloved it cannot be otherwise for whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh and whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit for it can never act without its own sphere and compass were we born of the Spirit we could not but dye to the flesh and seek the things of the Spirit then all his thoughts for the advantage of the flesh Cease and he is altogether fot Increasing and Perfecting This life of God begun in him let God live more and more and himself less and less As John Baptist saith he must increase but I must decrease This is his life now which before was his death and contrary his death is his life God is now A welcom Guest Yet Not that God is more or less there you being alwayes Gods Temple as well before you see him as when you see him for Christ cannot Alter his lodging in the reality of it This is a certain truth Nothing can make Christ depart in regard of his Essence and Being but to you he may depart and so you are to understand all such expressions for if you think and as some preach that God comes and goes from place to place from earth to heaven oâ— from heaven to earth departs and returns and that you can stay Him and change Him or make him return These are all childish fopperies in this ye do as it were Create another God to your selves and make the true God an Idol but it is spoken in refâ—rence to the Creature in regard of our sight and apprehensions As To you He is departed and dwels above far remote And indeed and really he is as having no being and is as no God to thee However thou mayest flatter and deceive thy self Until thou hast smitten and taken Kiriathsepher and marryed Achsah Calebs daughter Till there be power given To rend the vail But then you shall see Him who is the truth of all things The substance of all things and not before for whatever you can see are but Shaddows and not the Truth As in this my body you cannot see the Internality and the Truth of it for the truth and Substance of it doth not consist either in the coldness or in the hotness for it hath been hotter and it hath been colder neither in the Oldness nor Youngness for it hath been younger and may be older neither in the heaviness nor lightness for it hath been lighter and may be heavier nor in no accidents you can name Then if so none hath ever heard or seen or spoke that which is the Truth of me for my Substance cannot be seen but onely Accidents the truth consists in things internal and t is the like for any other thing you behold besides And so likewise such is the Word of God it consists not in any thing you can hear or see or can perceive or comprehend for Gods Word is as himself Mighty Incomprehensible Omnipotent c. not included in any place His Word is the Being and life of all things the Letter cannot possibly contain the Eternal Majesty of the Word it is not the Word of God till it be expounded to the heart and made a word of power and quickning in the hearts of his people The Word is Eternal and was before any Letters or Scriptures were and shall be for ever when all those things Cease Gods speaking is His creating Let it be done there can be no resisting sayes David whatever he commanded it was wrought God Hath spoken As many Words as he hath made Creatures But He hath spoken One Great and mighty word and that One WORD includes All those Words and that One Word is Jesus Christ the Onely begotten of his Father and the first born of every creature all the rest of the creatures are but as so many Letters of this GREAT Word for he is called the Word He being in the bosome of his Father He was Unspoken Unuttered Unpronouncedâ— there was not then any one creature in heaven or earth but God was ALL there was then Neither Father Son nor Spirit as divided But He being Once pronounced He is the Word Spoken then immediately there is Father Son and Spirit For these are expressed Several or TRINE onely in relation to the creatures which to me is clear for there is not diversity in God but God is one and in Himself cannot be more and I hope it is clear to you If any should think or say unto me the words of Pilate Oh Sir What thing is truth I must answer thus truth is not possible to be either spoken or heard for God onely is truth and nothing else can be now it is impossible to see or hear God saith our Saviour No man hath seen God at any time for we cannot see him and live we must depart Out of the nature of man and return into God and be one with God Else we can never know
comfort by Iesus Christ we must see his day also The Jews saw the day of Christ in the flesh onely but thou must see Christs day as Abraham did Thou must as really yea more really and more truly See Christs day then the Jews for sayes Christ Abraham saw my day and rejoyced and in the same manner shall all that ever shall taste of heaven See The same day of Christ. Did the Jews see the day of Christ in the flesh did they see him work miracles opening the eyes of the blind yea of those born blind and curing the deaf and the lame and the dumb why as if our Saviour should have said you think you see my day but if you see me but externally doing this action you see not my day Abraham that lived so many hundred years ago he saw my day truly and rejoyced He saw me do all these works in himself he did truly and really see me cast out devils raise the dead open blind eyes heal and cure all the diseases of his soul he saw me to be the Messiah and Saviour to himself and in himself he saw my day better then you and rejoyced to see me do all these mighty works in him and the self-same day must we see if ever we come to be partakers of Iesus and of the Divine nature Abraham saw not his day as some think so much by way of prophesie as it is commonly taken and expounded that he was the Messiah that should come into the world but he besides this saw done in himself that which he did when he came in the flesh And so Abraham saw my day He saw me conceived born brought up yea he saw me apprehended scourged crucified He saw me dead and buried and risen again and all in himself This was a true a real a saving seeing of Christs day To see it by way of prophesie was far below this seeing that was a seeing did Abraham nor will do you little good If it were meant of that kind of seeing the Iews saw Christ better then Abraham for they saw him actually personally but that was a fruitless seeing Therefore if you will see Christ gloriously as the Great and Mighty Saviour we must see him such a Saviour as we may say of him Unto us a Son is born unto us a child is given ye shall call his name Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting father and the Prince of Peace and the Government shall be upon his shoulders And all this I find and feel in my own soul and in me and to me is all this done But Beloved give me leave that you may understand me if it shall please God to open your eyes and to let you see these hidden secrets which are kept close from ages and from generations I will in the plainest manner that I can shew you how Jesus Christ is said to be in you that is when he so begins to arise in you that his fame spreads far and near when he shews his own actions in you for know this Christ is alwayes in youâ— he is at no time absent as soon as ever ye began to have a being he was in you in regard of himself though you saw him not because he is Infinite For That which is infinite is in all places it is excluded out of no place for if any place if any creature were without him he were not infinite And because he is infinite he is equally present in all places at once and in all places alike he cannot be more in one place then another for if he should he could not be infinite and because he is infinite he is all-present in all places at once These things are out of all question and known by every one that understands any thing I think none will deny them He is as well in a dead withered branch as in a green flourishing tree but in the living branch we see him grow and put forth his life And so likewise he is in the deadest rottenest member that is as well as in the fruitfullest Christian But here is the difference in the one we see him not we see not his life and fruit but he is in such a member as dead dead to him and dead in appearance to others yea that member is as it were twice dead and pulled up by the roots as the Apostle saith and fit for nothing but to be condemned to the fire For Jesus Christ although he be in them as much as in the living bought yet to them he is dead and buried and lives not in them and to them And give me leave and I will shew you in some particular actions that Christ did and doth when He begins to live in a man for till He begin to shew the actions of life He is as if he were not there I will onely touch upon some of his actions which may be as a key to open and interpret the meaning of all the rest for it is impossible to speak of all the actions that he did and doth for the whole world were not able to contain that which might be written of him saith St. Iohn that is of those actions and mighty miracles that he goes up and down working daily and doing good internally and spiritually in the souls of men But the first motive that induceth shews and perswades us that Christ is alive in us is his Nativity which you know in the dayes of his flesh was first proclaimed by one Angel and afterwards by a whole quire of Angels When God hath sent this One Angel or Messenger into the soul to shew us and to proclaim the reality and being of Christ in every creature then thousands of Angels sing the same to us then every creature proclaims HIM with a loud voyce to him who hath this light sent into his soul that there is now to us a Son born and to us a child is given glory only be to God in the highest on earth peace good will toward men then all the Angels that is all the creatures they all harmoniously sing the same tune to us When he bringeth the first-begotten into the world He saith Let ALL The Angels of God worship him And then Christ being once born the next thing that appears is his Star his star appears in the East and wisemen come to see him then he increases and grows up in us then he shews himself to men then he manifests himself to be The Christ in that he doth the deeds of Christ in that we shew the vertues of him that hath called us from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God then he waxes taller and taller and grows up in wisdome and stature and in favour with God and man i. e. with all wise men They now act and live the life of Christ denying their own lives they lived before that so men seeing their good works may glorify
their father which is in heaven Til this time Iesus Christ was crucified dead and buried but when once this Lion of the Tribe of Iudah begins to rouse up himself then it shall appear that there is now a King born that will bear rule that shall be such a Messiah spiritually as the Iews expected temporally a Potent and Mighty Prince whose Government shall be upon his shoulders His Name being WONDERFUL Counsellour and Prince of Peace And now all those Accursed Iews which â—rucified him and made him to serve shall now be made to serve him as the Prophet saith You have made me to serve with your iniquites Now all those headstrong lusts those Kings and Rulers of the Earth which cryed Let us break his bonds in sunder and cast away these cords from us He shall now rule them with a rod of iron and crush them in pieces like a potters vessel So that we shall live no longer the life of natural carnal men in the vanity of their mind to fulfil the lusts of men and the will of flesh and of the world but they live the life of spiritual men we shall then shew that we are the Off-spring of Christ Till you become to this whatever you think of your selves there can be nothing well done for before this we altogether think our own thoughts do our own actions go our own ways For all the imaginations of mans heart are onely evil continually But before this great and not able day of the Lord come the Lord will set signs in the heavens and in the earth and there shall be great stirs and wars and rumors of wars and the Inhabitants of the earth shall be troubled amazement and terrour shall seize upon them because of these things And when thou seest these things come to pass I say within thee then look up for know your redemption draweth nigh When you see the red Dragon watch against the woman shall be delivered of her man-child spoken of in the Revelation that he sends forth whole floods of water out of his mouth to drown her then know the child is born But before this time when you see the woman in travel and hath great pain and cryeth out extremely and hath bitter pains I say Bitter pangs then you may know the child is near delivery that is when this beloved old man our own will as the Scripture terms him who was never by us denyed anything himself desired but all was carried smoothly according to his own desire and now to be crost and contradicted Oh â—his is great pain to him Oh he cryes out like a travailing woman Oh he would by no means forsake himself his own will his own pleasure his own profit Take up his cross and follow Christ What forsake all that is dear to him this is death to him Oh! when you hear your flesh cry out Oh! would to God I had never been born then I had never seen this day Oh! let me dye let me dye I am weary of my life when ye hear him like Iob bitterlycurse the day of his birth Oh Beloved this day is a terrible day to flesh and blood it never saw such a day Oh it s a bloody day it comes with a terrible confused noise of the warriors and garments tumbled in blood as the Prophet speaks it was never so haled and puld this way the flesh tother way the spirit it was never so torn in pieces But know Beloved when these pains are upon you that the child is at the birth near to be delivered Beloved these things will be if ever Christ be born in the soul And when it is so that the flesh hales one way and the Spirit another Oh then it behoves you to pray That so your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath nor in the harvest Oh Beloved pray that these things this Seed do not dye without fruit that in the midst of this biting bitter winter you do not fly but bide by it and indure and wait the fruit that in the midst of winter you may enjoy your Sabbaths a day of rest peace lest that when other men enjoy their Sabbaths their harvest you have nothing but winter bitterness trouble and want and no fruit to refresh you Brethren I beseech the Lord that you may prove try and examine your selves by these things see if this day hath overpast ye hath your woman had pains and bitter agonies have you suffered such contradiction between the flesh and the spirit that these wars and terrours and rumours have struck through the very soul of you that you have felt it as bitter as gall as bitter as bitterness it self for saith our Loâ—d Luk 21. 22. Then be the dayes of VENGEANCE that all things which are written may be fulfilled insomuch as you may say of your selves Call me not now Naomi pleasant but call me Marah bitterness for the Almighty hath dealt bitterly with me This work being gone through you may be sure the child is born to you and to you a Son is given else not Tell me of what you will of education and good nature and the still work of Gods Spirit except this work be done in you so that you can speak of the work thereof experimentally you do but befool and delude your own souls And this work being gone through and the child born then as I said before he grows and increases in age and perfection every day He is not grown to a man in a moment but by steps by degrees He that hath this work brought about in his soul he need fear nothing he is in a free and safe condition all the men upon earth nay the powers of darkness cannot hurt him although the Dragon the Devil Sin Lusts the old man Self Lucifer Adam the Serpent c. these with all their fiery darts for when I name one I name all as I opened them to you upon another occasion for I opened near 20 of his names severally for these names and many such the Scripture gives him to set out that evil one within us which the most part of men are little acquainted with although they hug them in their bosomes eat drink sleep work play with them all these I say although they send forth whole floods of water after the woman yet they cannot drown her 〈◊〉 this work delivers and frees men from the powers of darkness this work brings down the strong holds disarms the strong man and sets the soul free Saves it delivers it carries it above all waves The next remarkable action Christ did he was circumcised That is He submitted himself to all outward Ordinances because he knew that all powers were ordained of God and so far forth as they tend to God and tend to love and peace we ought to submit So then we are then circumcised with Christ and Christ is
many the Dragons tail doth daily Sweep down yea such Stars as we thought veâ—ily had been fixed stars and yet are proved but Comets and what numbers of these glittering Comets even in these days are come to nothing As you know the Dragons Taile drew down the third part of the stars of Heaven even Those which shined and Glistered like stars in a forward Profession of Christ. There are some miss this way because they never intend it and for them it is no marvel because they never once set their faces toward Sion But there are some for my intent is to speak of those that intend the voyage for heaven who miscarry at their first setting out they miss their way at the very first entrance into Christianity and some after they are entred in and gone a little way they will not venture too far if they can catch fish near the shore well and good but they are resolved they will not venture much they will not Sell All part with all they will not lose their hold ye cannot perswade them to weigh anchor and Hoise up sails to laâ—ch out into the deep But onely content themselves with what they can catch on the shore and what lies near hand for they will not adventure themselves And these men are so much taken up about the shell of Religion and about outsides they are so taken up about the letter of the word that they can catch nothing though they fish all night take great pains about it and toil themselves exceedingly and yet all in vain No wonder then that St. Paul talks of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling and no wonder our Saviour bids us Strive to enter in at the strait gate Luke 13. 24. for saith he many shall seek to enter iu and shall not be able Some again miss their way after they are lanched out into the deep they have lost their sea-mark and their Compass and then wander they know not whither they mind not perfection and Religion for it self but Religion for some self-ends and so by seeking themselves have quite lost themselves Yet Beloved I would not be He that should discourage or discomfort any manin the way to Heaven by no means and yet also I would have you set sure footing so that ye may not labour in vain and lose the things you have wrought The truth is I aim not as you may think and as some have affirmed of me to bring your Hell into your consciences no otherwise then to save you from Hell and as the Apoâ—le saith 1 Cor. 6. 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is enlarged and though I made you sorrowful with a letter I do not repent 1 Cor. 7. 8. So if the Lord by me did so kindle Hell-fire in you here for a time to keep you from the Everlasting Hell this were a great mercy to you and a fruit of true love But I am sure you are all of Davids mind concerning Ahimaaz 2 Sam. 18. 27. O he is a good man and he brings good tidings And you are good at saying as in Isa. 52. 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation Oh! â—hose are the good men that will preach of nothing but peace and prophesie good to you theâ—e are the onely men with you but I for dealing plainly with you and for searching your wounds to the bottom to make a sound cure shall even gain that opinion from you that Micaiah the Prophet had from Ahab 2 Kings 22. 8. That when king Ahab and King Iehoshaphat were met together to joyn battel against Ramoth-Gileadâ— and they had enquired of 400 false Prophets and they all cryed Peace peace Is there not one more said Iehoshaphat of whem we may enquire Yea saith Ahab there is one Micaiah but I cannot abide him I hate him for he never prophesieth good to me but evil And those that were sent for him tell him by the way That all the Prophets prophesied good unto the King with one mouth therefore they counsel him so let thy words be also And as the prophet answers there Verse 14. so do I As the Lord liveth whatsoever the Lord saith unto me that will I speak I shall not I cannot nor dare not though you intreat me never so ever speak well of that the Lord speaks evil of though men may cry you up and admire parts and duties and forms as if they were the substance yet if they come but from the power of self and tend to advance self though others may make such as Kings and Princes and Leaders in Religion yet these without the substance I must tell you plainly My God my Master abhors Israel is an empty vine and bringeth forth fruit to himself therefore I for my part cannot prophesie peace to you in your highest and gloriousest duties on that ground Truly Brethren I dare not in this place speak the visions of mine own heart but the faithful Embassie of my Lord and Master That Scripture named before Seek saith our Saviour strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek and shall not be able And say I if many shall seek to enter and shall not be able what shall become of them that never seek And know it is such a striving which made the Apostle compare it to a Race So run saith he that ye may obtain Likewise he compares it to a fight Put on the whole armour of God and stand fast Eph. 6. 13. he compares it likewise to A wrestling How intent are men in these cases of striving they mind that thing onely We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Verse 12. Now you know Wrestlers are very intent and mind the things onely they are about they are very watchful lest they should be foiled Therefore examine youâ— hearts Do you Thus strive do you Thus wrestle for heaven with all your might or is it not the least thing that troubles you Do you not rather mind All other things of less consequence or do you not mind it and other things too with it do you not seem to offer violence to the Kingdom of heaven and yet your eye and desires are another way after other things money and health and superiority favour at Court and with great ones preservation of youth handsomness decking the body opinion of goodness from others and the like These you account real things and worth your labour and pains but as for the Heaven I speak of the way whereto consisting so much in self-denyal you have some faint wishes toward it but the other way runs your strong desires And if you thus wrestle no marvel you get the foil for let you have but riches and honours health and prosperity let
willing but the flesh is weak Mat. 26. 41. the fault is not in us but in this weak and frail flesh that thou hast given us but God answers this Old Adam peremptorily thou belyest me I gave thee not Thy flesh to destroy thee Thy destruction is of thyself O Israel I am free I gave thee flesh to a good end but Thou hast abused it Therefore Accuse thy self for all evil is from thy self Blame not me in saying The flesh that I gave thee and that I have not done well in giving thee such a frail and weak flesh which thou art not able to bridle and govern Saith God all I created behold it was very good But lay the blame on your selves All that is given you is given for your good if you abuse it not and turn it to evil to your selves This was a good argument as David used it but not as we and as this Old Adam useth it for David often complains of the weakness of his Flesh and that he could do nothing and he had no strength and that his bones were broken and he was all to peices David did it by way of Argument that God would have pity upon him and strengthen him but we do it that we may be excused for all we do without desire of amendment therefore away with these shifts And give glory to God Confess confess that it is thy sin and thy transgression and confess Thou art The man A Third name he is called The SERPENT and in Isa. 1. 27. he is called Leviathan that crooked Serpent Now he is called The Serpent from that curse Gen. 3. 14. because he Goes upon his belly and eates The dust of the eaâ—th Object But what Are we serpents then and do we eat of the dust of the earth Answ. Yes This Serpent is the flesh which first came to the woman and tempted her for Eve I take to be meant of the sensitive and fleshly and inferiour part and Adam to be meant the rational and the higher part of man viz. The Reasonable Soul Now this Serpent the flesh or this carnal part doth not first and immediately set upon Adam for Adam might have reasoned it out with him but he first sets upon weak Eve He Arrests first The sensitive part because that it is next unto the Flesh and very little differing from the flesh And then at last by degrees he comes to Adam and that By Eve And so by that means the Sensitive prevailed over the Rational Eve over Adam and the Woman over the Man Object I but Sir by your Favour we do not lick the dust as Serpents Answ. But we do and that according to the Letter All that ever we see smell touch taste â—ear all is but the dust of the earth for this Serpent Licks Dust and Lives by Dust and all our Senses are Fed with Dust for if we see Beauty 〈◊〉 see but beautiful dust if we touch gold it is but thick clay thick dust if we smell any thing they are but vapors from the earth if we taste any thing it comes from the earth and to the earth it returns If we hear any thing that pleases the ears It s but Aire contracted into a Sound All that we account of and esteem All that we Relish and delight in All is but the dust of the Earth Beloved methinks these things should make a man abhor himself we see how naturally men abhor Serpents because they are made of so contrary a nature and disposition to men And if This ONE Serpent be so loathsom and terrible And Unarmed what is He when he is Armed And his Armor is His Subtilty that is his Wisdom and that you will think strange Our Saviour saith Be wise as Serpents But wherein consists His Wisdom It consists in this That whensoever this Serpent Sees himself Assaulted and like to be Overcome That he will do all he can to defend his Head to keep that safe For life is in the Head T is certain ye may wound him in the Tail and he will recover that well enough For let a man come into a garden overrun with weeds And to destroy these shall go and cut off all the tops of them we know that This hath not killed the weeds for the roots are there still and will spring again So for a man to cut off This particular sin And That particular sin and not to pull up sin by the roots it is never the near after a while they grow the ranker and the stronger if we would destroy it we must strike at the Root of sin at the life at the Head for that is it that was promised in the 3 of Genesis Thou shalt bruise his Heel but he shall break thine Head If at any time we Ministers go about to reprove you of your sins you can endure us well enough so long as we cut off but the laps of your garments And you can be well contented to hear us I and to reform and obey our Doctrine but if once we come to meddle with the root with the life of sin Then you will strive then you will wrestle and fight to save that and you will never fight in earnest till then and then you will Fight Oh save The HEAD Save the LIFE of your Sins and lusts A fourth name is Lucifer you know the place Isa. 14. 12. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Son of the morning how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the Nations for thou hast said in thine heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will be like the most High yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit c. Now it may be you will say unto me Nay sir you have made us bad enough already do not make us Lucifers the Prince of Devils who are they or where are they that will offer such high presumption To Aime at Gods Seat or to Exalt themselves above the Stars of God or to be like unto God I Answer This Lucifer Is spiritual pride when the heart pridâ—s it self in its own excellencies viz. Such thoughts as these See see what an excellent creature man is made But little lower then the Angels O what a Regard God hath unto man He hath crowned him with glory and honour he hath given him dominion over all the works of his hands and hath put all things under his feet Hath not he made the Earth to bear me and the Sun to shine upon me The moon and stars to do homage and service to me and all creatures to feed and clothe me Oh! what Excellent graces have I How have I excelled other men I have made a fair and long progress in Religion Oh Brethren Brethren what shall I say I never wonder that Cain was seduced by hatred and envy and Lamech
these two sent Ioshuâ— the Author of this Book and Caleb here mentioned in the Text These two and the other Ten went dispersing themselves by two they pass through the Land from Zion to Rehob and took special notice of what they could get knowledge of as conducing to their ends searching and piercing into the very bowels of the Land what they could discover of its Richness and Fertility Of its commodiousness and pleasantness of the strength and weakness of the people and of all things which might conduce to the victory and for the encouragement of those who sent them For they had heard various reports some to incourage some to discourage therefore they resolve to send these 12 pickt men One out of every Tribe as spies to bring them a True report And in their journey Two of them to shew the richness of the land they meeting with grapes very fruitfull large and wonderfull at the Brook Escol There they cut down a cluster to bring their brethren an Example of what they had seen to convince them by sight as well as report and it was so big and weighty that they were fain to carry it between two of them And All these twelve coming back to their brethren They all give reports of the Land All the twelve agree in one for the Excellency and goodness of the land but ten of the Spies All except these two Ioshua and Caleb They bring up in ill report To discourage the people saying it was very true that it was a land â—lowing with milk and honey and abundance of all things and therefore To be desired But There was no way to get to it for their walls were strong and high reaching to heaven and the men were mighty men the sons of Anack The land was full of Giants And say they we were in our own eyes but as Grashoppers to them And therefore whatever others may talk of this and that the plain truth is That it had been far better That we had dyed in Egypt or the wilderness for let the Lord promise what he would and Moses and that Faction believe what they would there was No hope of ever prevailing But this Rumour running and increasing among the people insomuch that the people Cryed out and wept sore Ioshua and Caleb hearing thereof at last they stood forth to stop this slander and to encourage the people and exhorted them not to give any heed to those reports For The people were so discouraged at these reports And the Mutiny grew so high That they resolved to forsake their Governours and make themselves Captains and return into Egypt But Caleb and Ioshua laboured mightily to perswade their brethren for the Lord was wroth and would have destroyed them But These perswade them to forbear their murmuring and not rebell against the Lord for If the Lord delight in them he could and would give them the Land and bring them into it And If they could but Believe They need not fear the people of the Land For Their defence was departed from them and the Lord would be with Israel And he would make their enemies to be bread to them and they should be as Grashoppers before them and the Lord would make them As Giants and Conquerors over them and they should not be able to resist And for all they were so great and mighty The power of God should make them serve for food And all those oppositions and discouragements should so turn to their advantage that they should Serve them and be all as helps to them in the victory and conquest Yet for all this the people were so mad and inraged through unbelief that all the congregation bad Stone them with stones They thus persevering These two To clear the slander And the other to murmur and discourage the people that hereupon began such a mutiny Some few taking Calebs and Ioshuahs side and some yea most of them the murmurers side Insomuch That they fell at variance whether they should attempt the land or dye as they were so that Moses was fain to stand up and intercede for them or else the Lord would have destroyed them utterly as One man at one instant but yet He would for all this in the very heat of all his anger and wrath Preserve those that believed And made of Moses A great people yet Moses Stands up for them and prayes and urges the Lord That he is long-suffering and great in mercy and therefore that he would as he had often done bear with them and pardon their unbelief And the Lord answered his prayer and said I have pardoned according to thy word but as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord Onely This generation who have seen All my Miracles and my wonders from Egypt to this day and have tempted me now Ten times they shall not see this good land I promised them save onely my servants Ioshua and Caleb they shall live and Enter and Possess and also the posterity of those that believe in me But before I go any further I would not let all this go without this One observation from hence by the way That of all the souls that murmured though they were at the edge of the land yet being 600000 in number not One of them All Entred the land of Canaan but onely these two Beloved Friends you have heard here a large description of what was then done Of an Exceeding good land and desirable and how they murmured and how full they were of Unbelief and how few entred Shall we onely look upon All this as an history and never reflect into our own souls What is This good Land to us what are we the better for all these good things A land so fruitful so good so replenished with milk and hony so fruitful every way so delightful so commodious so desirable If there be not the same land for us as well as for them Can all these things do us any good unless we may enjoy them you know the pâ—overb when ye hear of such and such Rare things every one will say what 's all this to me We had rather have it then hear of it for it is a trouble to hear of it and yet want All these things So I say Beloved Because in all you read or hear in the Scriptures I would have you still look into your selves That the Scriptures may Be your Own That you may as David sayes make the Word your Portion and your Inheritance That that which was to others sweet as it was to him so it may to you be as sweet as hony to your taste yea sweeter then the hony comb and more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold I say what is all this long History to us But that in this history and so in all other Promises we may see They are made to us
God t is onely his well-beloved in us and who also is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared and revealed him Whatever it be that a man sees or comprehends that cannot be God that cannot be truth It can be at most but the Emblem the shadow of truth as in a man we cannot see his life but we may see him live even so truth cannot be seen but you may see the Effects and Fruits of truth But he that marries Achsah To him will I give The Rending of the Vail that is He shall see as much As a creature Can See and live as God said to Moses Achsah She will give you A glimpse A sight through the cleft of the rock as was to Moses The Back-parts of IEHOVAH But Truth cannot be seen In the True glory and splendor thereof onely the back parts of her She will admit you into the Sanctum Sanctorum she will beg of her Father to give you a blessing that seeing he hath given you the south-land as it is here in this Chapter that he will give you Springs of water That you shal not onely have the Nether Springs The Letter of the Word External Ordinances and outward Duties Bodily Worships and the like but you shall have The Upper Springs The life of the Letter the power the quickning Spirit to see not onely Christs body and touch it but you shall have the vertue of The breaking of His Body and the benefit of the sheding of his blood And When the Vail is Rent take but a short view of those priviledges and precious things you shall then have Though I have hinted at them in general as I went along yet let us view a little the particular things contained within the Holie of Holies as time at present will give leave When ye came to the Tabernacle there was first as I told you A worldly sanctuary as the Apostle sets them down Heb. 9. 1. And therein was Ordinances and Divine service for so the Apostle calls it in the first verse And therein was the Candlesticks and the table and the Shew-bread and thither came the Priests and did their office there was sacrifices and offerings for themselves and all the people And All they could learn there was but worldly and external Ordinances bodily worships which concerned not the heart and the inward man But if they offered such and such External things as was required this was all But into the second Vail within the Holie of Holies thither the High Priest must come but once a year for we shall onely at present touch at those particulars mentioned there by the Apostle And first There was the golden Censer which typified Christs offering the prayers of the Saints as it is exprest Rev. 8. there is an Angel which had the Golden Censer and there was given him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of the Saints upon the golden Altar which Angel is Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant shewing unto us thus much that he is the Mediator between God and man for whose sake all our services are accepted nothing is accepted from us with the Father But what his Son doth in us Be they never such glorious actions and done with never so specious religious pretences yet if they be Our actions they stink they are abominable In him onely he is well pleased They are his actions onely that can be savourâ— meat to him Although as they be our actions they may seem beautiful and glorious to us yet to him they stink A dead man hath the shape of a man but he stinketh So thy duties though they have the shape of Right and Holy duties to us yet they are to him but dead works Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God who through the eternal spirit offered himself When your services are not from an Internal prinâ—iple from the work of the Eternal Spirit but are like the Motion of Clocks and Watches which is from Art and External weights not from nature all such services are dead works Within the Vail we come really to see All our works nothing they are abominable yet we think highly of them While we remain in the worldly Sanctuary and are gotten no farther But here within the Vail God speaks to us as he did to Iob and we are convinced of our Vileness Behold saith Iob then I am vile I will lay my hand upon my mouth I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee I abhor my self in dust and ashes Iob had oft made confession of sin before in words and in the notion And practised dayly External worship but yet we may see all along for all thaâ— what an high Opinion Iob had of himself of his strictness and righteousness Iob sacrificed often and constantly and observed the letter very strictly and thereby Iob maintained a high opinion of himself But now the vail must be rent and God must appear himself to darken and confound all Iobs righteousness before Iob could say I am vile Iob was strict in Externals but Iob could not Really loath and Abhor himself though in words he might as many can easily and frequently do that dayly but to be really VILE in themselves this work is from above from Heaven from God And so we come to see what it is and for what we or our actions are accepted it must be his sons work in us else he loaths all even the best of your Sacrifices if it be not Jesus Christ in us that doth All viz. that loves God and Fears God and obeyes God and believes in God c. his Father regards it not that may seem a Paradox but yet it is a truth for indeed and in truth there is nothing fears God but God nor Nothing obeys Godâ— but God nor Nothing loves God but God He aâ—cepts his own work in us and nothing else God cannot accept any thing any creature doth out of himself but what himself doth what his Son doth that pleases him that he cannoâ— but accept This is that Achsah that so pleases her Father that he can deny her nothing This is the first thing we shall have after the Vail is rent and none can attain this Really and in good earnest But He to whom the vail is Rent The next thing there Exprest is The Ark overlaid with Gold the Ark of the Covenant overlaid with gold overlaid round about with pure gold Having married Achsah we shall also have power to break open this Mystery Christ is He in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen they are all fulfilled in him As all our actions must be derived from him as from the fountain that is if they be not quickned and animated with the power purity holiness excellency of Jesus Christ that they are of himself and of his own
sheweth his handy Work dâ—y unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge In these God rides more openly here ye may behold him with open face as it is Ier. 23. 24. Caâ— any hide themselves in secret places from him do not I fill Heaven and Earth sayes God So the Earth is a close Chariot wherein he rides God rides and abides in the close silent Earth though less glorious as to us as well as in the open and more glorious Heaven Psal. 18. 10 11. He made darkness his secret place and his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds he bowed the Heavens and came down and darkness was under his feet T is true he fills Heaven and Earth but in the Earth we cannot see him so open and manifest Sometimes he hides himself in darkness and sometimes he shews himself in light As he is light so he clothes himself with light Psal. 104. 2. like as he was to the Israelites he went before them in a pillar of a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night Exod. 14. 19 20. He in himself is always invisible but in his expressions workings he is more secret more manifest Isa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour For God was both the cloud and the fire that went before and behind the children of Israel and he it was that filled the Tabernacle he was in both though he exprest himself so diversly And when we have put off this Tabernacle of clay that hangs about us then we whom he hath appointed shall see him as he is Yet let me tell you no man can see God as he is not in his Essence no not the Angels in heaven they themselves are not capable of that nor ever shall be but then the scales of Ignorance and blindness shall fall from our eyes and then we shall see his Influence into all Creatures and how this infinite God Flowes into them all as the river of Thames or the Sea by its streams it flows into all the adjoyning Creeks Arms but into every one according to their capacity not according to their own greatness but according to the greatness or littleness of those Creeks So doth our infinite God Flow into all his Creatures yet these expressions are infinitely below him too narrow to set out God to you but something in a way of resemblance I say after this manner doth the Almighty Flow into all his Creatures into Angels Arch-Angels Cherubims Seraphims Into men into beasts birds fish into all creatures yet not according to his own infinite greatness but according as every one can receive him and according to their capacity For if God should fill his creatures or communicate himself to them beyond their capacities he should destroy his creatures As to Moses God shewed him as much as a creature could see and live for if God had shewed him more he had been blinded undone by it for things may be as well invisible by too much light as by too little by excess of light as by want of light As the Sun if it should shine unto us in that excess of light that is in it self and that it were not intercepted interrupted by vapours and by thick and dull aire or if we were nearer to it then we are we should see nothing at all But whatever we see not of God now while we are in the world it is not for want of light in God but for want of light in us because the thick scales and the thick Darkness are still before our eyes and the dark vail is upon our hearts For God is alike apparent in every creature in regard of himself yet the accidents and matter that clothes God in the creature hides him from our sight For if we ask the Sea or the Winds or Beasts or Men of God these all speak dully and darkly of him for thou art now a hidden God from our eyes though thou art in every creature thou art the action motion and being of every creature yet God himself is a hidden a close God As Iacob when he fell asleep and dreamed and when he awaked he cryes out Oh how fearful is this place this is none other but the house of God God was there before but Iacobs eyes were not opened for God is in every place alike and cannot be more in one place then another but till our eyes be opened we can never acknowledge it but as soon as they are open then we can cry nay then we shall cry out for we cannot contain ourselves with Iacob with a holy fear and reverence we seeing the fulness of his presence every where Oh how dreadful is this place this is none other but the house of God and the gate of Heaven doubtless the Lord was in this place and I was not aware Object T is true you may say I see indeed all the creatures are Gods House and his Temple but why doth he call it The Gate of Heaven Ans. Because every creature when our eyes and ears are open it plainly represents speaks out God with a loud voice it leads us to see God himself who is not onely the substance and being thereof but he is the action life and motion thereof it leads us to behold and enjoy the infinite God who is heaven it self Then we shall come to see and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory And then shall we cry out one to another as the Seraphims Isa. 6. 3. And one cryed unto another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Then we shall see him so fill all places and all creatures even as he filled the tabernacle with his presence and glory Insomuch that we shall be overcome by his presence and the excellency of his divine glory Take home this truth with you and the Lord fix it in your hearts meditate and often think on it till you come to see it and believe it That God fills every thing though you see him not And although he be hidden not onely from men but even from the Angels themselves in regard of his Essence yet whatever creature it be how little so ever it be it is the house of God and the gate of heaven for this is Heaven upon earth thus to enjoy God and therefore well may Iacob call it The gate of heaven He fils even the lowest hell and is as wel in the damnedst Lucifer in hell as in the gloriousest Saint in heaven in regard of his Essence because he is in that regard in all places alike But here is the difference the one seeth him not so nor yields unto him the praise and glory of his infiniteness and of his filling all things as the
therein who can stand before his indignation and who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him and darkness shall pursue his enemies Think upon this all you that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. ult But saith he Psal. 61. 3. The Lord is good and is a strong Hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Oh Beloved Let us all then give glory from our souls to this our great God to this infinite and everlasting Being who fills all things let us all poure out oâ—r souls before him like Water and be melted to nothing in his presence And to that end First Let us subscribe to the infiniteness of our â—od in all his Attributes in all his ways in all his Creatures Let us alwayes believe it and have him continually before us that we may tremble to offend him even the wickedest man And that godly men may both fear and love him and that they may with strong confidence be rooted resting and depending on him who is the rock of Ages And Secondly Let us cry out with Moses in continual acclamations in that powerful Orarion when ever we think of him or behold him There is none like the God of Iesurun who rideth upon the Heavens for thy help and in his excellency upon the skie For the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the Everlasting Arm. Thou canst be in no trouble but he is by thee with thee in the fire or in the water where ever thou art Ps. 34. 7 8. The Angels of the Lord encamp round about them that fear him O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O fear the Lord ye his Saint for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions may lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any thing Iacob when he went from his fathers house was afraid he should have wanted Gen. 28. but God appeared to him in a dream and he beheld a Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven The longest Ladder that ever was read of or ever heard of and the greatest builder hath made it and onely for his own use And Iacob by it saw that the providence of God was every where and Angels were continually passing up and down upon it being sent of the Almighties Errands not onely for protection but to be ministring spirits sent forth not onely for the good of those who shall be heirs of Salvation but for the good of all his Creatures So that we may say of the providence of God as David saith of his presence for they are both one Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy presence if I ascend into Heaven thou art there there is the top of the Ladder if I descend into the deep thou art there there is the bottome of the Ladder The builders of Babel aimed to make such a Ladder but that which they could never do the builder of Heaven and Earth hath done but were they not very fools to think to build a Tower of ten thousand times 1000000 miles high But let us labour to see the eternal God at the top of this Ladder and everlasting arms at the foot of it then how can we doubt He that hears the Ravens when they cry unto him who have neither faith nor understanding shall he not hear thee O thou of little faith It is against both the promise against the practice of your Father that any of you should want any good thing Yet how full of complaints are all the sons of men one wants children another friends others honour others riches others health others preferment some all these but certainly you are deceived you do not want any of them for if they were good for you you had them not then indeed you wanted them but being not good for you you want them not for they in such a case will do you more hurt then good Therefore I say let the servant of God that thinks he wants any of these things pray for what he will he shall have it if he do really want them for not onely all inanimal or unreasonable Creatures which are Gods Angels when he pleaseth do owe their Suit and Service unto those that fear the Lord but even all the Angels of God in heaven they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. 14. Nay let me tell thee if thou wilt command the Sun to stand still and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon as Ioshuah did it shall be done or the Sun to go backward upon the Dial as Hezekiah did or the Rocks to gush out water and the Heavens rain down Manna or the waters to be divided and the Sea to stand up as a wall as Moses did all shall be done and they shall obey rather then any of Gods people shall want any good thing Or if he will command Iron to swim as Elisha did Nay let him command the Covenant of night and day to be broken and time to be no more and it shall be done for Gods word can never fail nay heaven earth shall pass away but not one jot of his word shall fail But for all this I know and methinks I hear your murmuring thoughts still for all this you are not yet satisfied And you say with Iob Doth the wild Asse bray when he hath grass or loweth the Oxe over his fodder can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt or is there any taste in the white of an egg We are sure we do want these things or else we would not complain we are sure we have them not and is there any sweetness in nothing had we fodder we would not lowe nor complain I answer Indeed that may be that you are without them 1. It may be you are not of the family of your heavenly father then what right or interest have you to expect them but you are servants to sin and to his enemies and yet would have him let you want nothing 2. There is a great difference between not having and wanting It may well be that you have not riches and honour and preferment c. but if you be the true servants of God it cannot be that you should want them David saith it was good for him that he wanted and that he was in trouble There is oftentimes more mercy from God and more comfort to us in Gods Rods then in these outward things which are onely esteemed Blessings for they are often no other but rods or else meat to fat us for slaughter for our happiness and comfort lies not in that which the tender
know what a many woes Christ pronounced against the Pharisees for making Religion a colour for their Hyprocrisie and covetousness under pretence of long prayers devouring poor widows and their houses Matt. 23. 14 15 16. where he instances in many other particulars insomuch that by their evil example which was then much looked upon they shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men for they neither go in themselves nor suffer them that are entring to go in This was the case of the Shechemites Gen. 34. you see how desperately the two sons of Iacob Simeon and Levi played the hypocrites pretending Religion to the Shechemites that if they would be circumcised they would marry with them and give their daughters in marriage to them again This was the Cloak but what was their End and Ayme you shall see Verse 23. say they when they are circumcised and not able to stir shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours And so in the 28. Verse They fell upon them and took their sheep their oxen their asses and that which was in the field and all their wealth c. Thus the Devil is transformed into an Angel of light he will be religious to serve his own turn and to accomplish his own ends when men instead of making Godliness great gain which is pretended 2 Tim. 6. 5. they make Gain godliness And that is intended 4. COMMANDMENT Fourthly For the Sabbath Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six dayes shalt thou labour but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work c. The covetous man commonly is of Pharoahs Religion Exod. 5. 17. Ye are idle ye are idle therefore ye say Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord They count that day a lost day One day in seven is above seven weeks in a year say they and what loss of time is this And those covetous persons in Amos who were weary of one day in seven Amos 8. 5. When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat Many keep their Sabbaths in their Saddles riding up and down for profit and gain about their worldly occasions Nehemiah when he saw how they prophaned the Sabbath how zealous was he the course he took you may see Neh. 13 15 16. If he were alive now and should see what is now done to see how thrust the Lawyers chambers are on this day what would he say But you see all this is the fruit of Covetousness 5. COMMANDMENT The fifth Commandment is Honour Parents by which is meant not onely in brief that we owe them first Reverence Secondly Obedience But thirdly Maintenance also but Covetousness will keep back all these As Levi in a good sense said of his Father and Mother I have not seen him Deut. 32. 9. so it is through Covetousness more often practised in a bad sense as Prov. 28. 24. He that robbeth his father and mother and saith it is no transgression the same is a companion of a destroyer This will Covetousness do and wipe its mouth and say I have done no evil This was the practise of the Pharisees Matth. 15. 4. saith Christ God commandâ— To honour father and mother and he that curseth father or mother shall dye but ye say whosoever shall say to his Father or Mother Corban It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me and honour not his father or his mother he shall be free They would give a small gift to the Temple to be excused from a greater duty and further charge Still COVETOUSNES is in all this 6. COMMANDMENT I but you will say though Covetousness be a breach of all the Commandments hitherto yet the covetous man doth not kill and break the sixth Commandment yea Covetousness also is a Blood-sucker and the covetuous man-slayers those that are gold-thirsty are blood-thirsty also especially now in these hard times in hard times those that pinch the poor grinde their faces do as it were such their very lives and blood see Prov. 1. 11. My Son if sinners intice thee consent thou not if they say Come with us let us lay wait for blood let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause let us swallow him up alive and whole as the grave Why do all this We shall finde all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil and verse 19. saith he So are the wayes of every one that is greedy of gain for it taketh away the life of the owners thereof Therefore Covetousness and Blood are joyned together Ezek. 22. 13. I have smitten my handâ— at thy dishonest gain and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee I need not instance the case of Ahab and Naboth Ahab taking away his life to get his vineyard nor of Iudas who for gain betrayed Jesus Christ his Lord to death for thirty pieces of silver And if the hands of many covetous persons are not defiled Actually with shedding of blood It is the Law and not Conscience keepeth them clean they have bloody hearts thoâ—gh not bloody hands and to God they are in that regard guilty of blood as if they had shed blood and though mans Law cannot finde them culpable yet Gods Law doth for that forbids the Murther of the wish and of the heart 7. COMMANDMENT But sure he is not guilty of Adultery yea for you know Covetousness was the cause that Tamar suffered Iudah to lie with her Gen. 38. 16. What wilt thou give me to lie with me saith Tamar to Iudah What is the cause of the permission of so many Stews and Brothel-houses in the Popes Territories at Rome and Venice and Dance and other places but Covetousness for Gain they will a give dispensation for any sin And on the other hand how common is it even among us That many refuse Marriage meerly out of Covetousness to avoid the charge of marriage 8. COMMANDEMENT 8. I but He doth not steal yea surely for the world having stollen the heart of a Covetous man from God he himself will make no bones to steal from men and Thieves and Covetous are immediately joyned together in that I Cor. 6. 10. Iudas was a Thief why Iohn 12. 6. This he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a Thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein You see he was called a Thief because he was covetous Defrauding oppressing over-reaching cozening cheating gaming extortion vsury all of them Worms bred in the dunghill of a covetous heart Nor is it any excuse to say there is as much evil or more in spending it prodigally that excuses not thee at all as the end of evil asking may be to spend it upon their lusts Jam. 4. 3.
private but all is because it is of good Report and now in fashion and credit but this is not done for the love of God nor of grace but for to get the praise of men and for love of themselves for fear of punishment or hope of Heaven or Rewards In these and such like cases Satan gives a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a check to himself silences himself in one case when he sees it is not for his security that there is a distast against some sin or a convincement in the soul And so changes that practise that he may be heard and received in another and all is to get more and stronger possession Nay which is more he will Command himself out in one shape that he may be admitted the easier in another as when one leaves Drunkenness because his brain will not bear it any longer but then turns covetous and it may be a Usurer So also when as a man follows not lust nor Wantonness because he is old or sickly or weak yet betakes himself to Idleness or Pride or Ambition so also when as any one leaves pride because it s too costly yet gives himself over to Glunttony and Rioting so he can but get it on other mens cost and thus t is in divers other vices and not onely in civil or external things but in Religion Now you may know and discern Satan his subtile workings and plottings in these wayes by this in such cases as this He never Rents nor Tears them whom he so leaveth bur deals fawningly and placidly and smoothly with them he deals easily and insensibly with them In these kinds Of Satans casting out himself in men and shifting shapes yet t is still Himself for he never Tears nor Rents them He departs not though he seems to depart but so much the more keeps in and strengthens himself in his possession As the natural changes do in our bodies which are not to be discerned but infancy goes away and youth steps in and youth departs and manhood comes on so manhood decays and old age creeps upon us as it were insensibly Thus Satan departs in lesser and weaker sins that he may Reenter in greater and stronger nay he may break off in some Great Sins too but then he aims still to bring in greater yea the greatest impieties that he may reign solely and absolutely without any control or rebuke at all And thus he deals with men for many Reasons As 1. That he may have the easier Re-admission he departs gently makes no combustion or commotion for he leaves all in quiet the sooner to insâ—nuate again as a cunning Enemy who will quit some out-works that he may the sooner get into the heart of the City like a wayfaring man who leaves his lodging quietly and discharges all and departs in peace but 't is that he may be Entertained with the greater respect at his return 2. Satan departs from men so quietly that they may be the securer and the more careless that they may have no suspicion of his wiles and subtilties As when a man departs with smooth carriage sweet language and civil deportments he will be the sooner invited thither again nay the parties will be glad to enjoy his company As those prophane Jews that cryed out for the return of those dayes wherein they baked Cakes to the Queen of Heaven they were so besotted with the deluding spirit of Idolatry and spiritual whoredom that they wished for and cryed out for the dayes of the Queen of Heaven to return Was it not better then with us say they then now 3. Satan doth thus in policy and deep subtilty for he doubts if he should dwell too long or alwayes in one and the same habit and practise he would be discovered and therefore he transforms himself the oftner that he may not be discerned and known to be Satan 4. And further Satan is a Thief and steals something at his going out and therefore departs in the night nay while the good man of the house was asleep Security is the bane of the soul when men are careless and aâ—e in the night of ignorance Now Thieves when they go away they steal out without any noyse or tumult softly and without any Candle because they hate the light And as Thieves do not reside alwayes in one place but shift fro none place to another departing from one road-way to another from one corner to another to avoid discovery so the Devil he goeth about saith the Apostle Peter or rather Iob and compass eth the earth and goeth to and fro in it and it is for the most part without any noise or Renting at all And hereupon it is that men are the easier perswaded to yield him admission because he departs fairly and smoothly there is no Tearing or Renting at all when Satan casts out himself but when Christ casts Him out then he Tears and Rends for then he comes forth against his will But else he suffers them to sleep as we say in a whole skin He doth not then disturb or rack the conscience nor wound the soul at all And therefore 't is with men in this case as t was with the Israelites in Gideons time when they pleaded for Baal How long saith Ioash will you plead Baals cause and contend for him Judg. 6. 31 The Devil did so mask and cover himself that most people cryed him up as a true God his sleights were so subtillty woven that they took him for the onely God and his service for the pure service of God So that not discerning him truly what he was they pleaded for him and contended for him and in Eliahs time they Rent themselves and Cut their flesh for his Cause And so Covetousness is said to wear a cloak that is because it will never appear in its own shape and so neither will Satan that he may the better deceive Our Saviour bids us to beware of false Prophets in Sheeps clothing but inwardly they are ravenous Wolves Mat. 7. 15. Such an one is Satan for all his quietness and stillness within you Now if Satan shall stir up any false Prophet or lying spirit as he did to Ahab saying Whatever this odd fellow saith Go in peace Go on and prosper and will nto let you believe these things you may then if you will Go on And go up with confidence But ye shall surely fall And t is very like some may call you aside as Peter did our Saviour Mat. 16. 22. And he began to rebuke him saying Master favour thy self none of thosethings shall happen to thee Thou mayest go on in a fine smooth way of Religion and never feel this Tearing or Renting He speaks of But my counsel is to make them that answer our Saviour doth Peter Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me And labour to see this Renting in thy self for if Satan do in reality depart
thou art dead to every creature thou canst never make this boast Beloved if you would have power to remove mountains and to offer violence to the Kingdom of heaven then you are to be thus qualified that thou hast experimentally seen and felt in thy own soul how that thy sins have ploughed and made long furrows upon his back as David saith and how you by your sins have quenched the light that is in you and how in thee he is crucified dead and buried and how thou hast drawn grave-stones of custome over him and how you have buried his light resisted and grieved his spirit in you and that you have found him arise in your own souls that you have really seen and felt all these things actually done within you his birth his life his death his resurrection that as his enemits have overcome and crucified him within you so himâ—rise â—rise gloriously and triumphantly within you and that he hath put down all his enemies under his feet In thee insomuch that thou hast heard him and seen him and felt him crying within thy soul Isa. 1. 24. Ha ha I will now arise I will avenge me on my adversaries Now I that was crucified am now risen again so that you see his glory and the love of him triumphing in you so that now thou canst truly say with David Psal. 27. 4. Now I am so far gotten from and forsaken the world and my self that now I desire but one thing and that will I seek after even that thou wouldest give me thy self unite me and make me One with thine own life that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and visit his Temple You being once come to this pass Really in experience then you also may say All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth for then you are as I may say within an inch of being swallowed up into God and then are you ready to leave the earth and all things therein for this man he is become one spirit with the Lord And if we be one spirit as Chriâ—ts prayer hath purchafed Ioh. 17. 21. That they may be one as thou and I are one that thou mayest be in me and I in them and they in me that the world may believe that thou hast sent me if it be so then Christ himself lives in us and all our words are the words of Christ we have no thoughts but the thoughts of Christ we have no life but Christ lives in us as the Apostle saith I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And then also as the Apostle again saith and so may you say All is yours and not before Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods You being come to this as you may claim a right to all things so you may claim a Power over all things for you are already set down in Heavenly places with Christ himself in the very glory of God the Father who is blessed for ever But yet many there be that wil claim this right and appropriate to themselves this power and life when alas they are farre from it they will assume and presume that this is their condition when indeed and in truth Christ and his life is as yet buried in them He is not risen in them he hath not conquered nor gotten victory over his enemies but he is still crucified and made to serve their sins and their lusts Self-will and pride and arrogancy and vain boasting is still alive in them he hath not as yet Avenged himself on his enemies But pride and covetousnes and love of the world and praise of men these things live in them still and Christ is dead and so much the more dead and crucified in as much as they glory of that which is not conceiving Christ is theirs when as all their wayes are contrary to him and yet they conceive themselves made One with him when as it were far better they had a true sight of their opposition and contrariety to him And therefore thou must know thou art but an usurper to claim this power and right to all things in which thou hast no part For when a man is come to that life we formerly spake of then he is made Lord of the earth and hath then Real dominion over all the Creatures And made little lower then the Angels as it is exprest in Psal. 8. Then thou belongest to and art one with him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords though you see it not A supposition of two drops reasoning together As suppose two Drops apart from the Sea should Reason together and the one should say to the other Whence are we canst thou conceive whence we are either whence we come or to whom we belong or whither we shall go something we are but what will in a short time become of us canst thou tell And the other Drop should ansâ—wer Alas poor fellow-drop be assured we are Nothing for the Sun may arise and draw us up and scatter us and so bring us to nothing Says the other again Suppose it do for all that yet we are we have a Being we are Something Why what are we saith the other Why Brother Drop dost thou not know we even we as smal contemptible as we are in our selves yet we are members of the sea Poor Drops though we be yet let us not be discouraged we belong to the vast Ocean How saith the other we belong to the sea to the Ocean how can that be We have heard of the mighty greatness of the Ocean we have heard that there is the huge Leviathan that sports himself there who is so great and terrible he feareth none whose heart is as firm as a stone and as hard as a piece of the â—ether milstone the mighty are afraid before him who feareth not the spear nor the dart nor the Habergeon who esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood the arrow cannot make him flee-darts are as stubble and he laugheth at the shaking of the spear who maketh the deeps to boyl like a pot and maketh the sea like a pot of ointment so that he maketh a hoary path to shine after him and upon earth there is not his like What that we are of the Sea how can it be We have heard the Sea is great and wide Wherein also are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts there is that Leviathan who is made to play and sport therein and they that go down into the sea in ships and do their business in great waters they see the wonders of the Lord in the deeps there are the huge roaring waves that mount them up to heaven and suddenly they fall down into the depths and their souls melt because of trouble and those great