love According to designed office and this binds to fit and finish for Heaven Hee is the Author and finisher of our Faith and this by office Christ also workes according to a proper principle in himselfe to wit love which cannot be quiet nor leave off working till every person foreknowne be fully fitted to love and for love Love is an untired principle in Christ though not so in us this makes him an everlasting Father a worker as a Father without cessation till children be fit to be taken home to enjoy their inheritance fit for him who tooke such a knowledge of them Christ moves as an everlasting father he layes out and layes out hee 's at cost and paines this yeare next Yeare to give breeding high breeding suitable to fortune and never leaves off till the child be fit for his inheritance Christ is an everlasting Father as well as a Prince of Peace he has love proper love in him as well as proper duty and office devolu'd upon him Office bindes to finish for Heaven love more I thinke 't is proper to say Christ moves more naturally then obligedly to fit lost man for his eternall home Bonds were voluntarily taken up and taken up from love love is the natural motion of Christ this works and never leaves working till the soule upon which it seiseth be fit for Heaven Vse I am led by this point very seasonably to aske you this question Are you fit to die are you fit to live againe are you prepared for Heaven you see how things goe upon Earth The way of God is deadly her 's deadly doings here below How doe your soules stir about eternity Sinners what doe you doe What will you doe God is giving to all what is fit for them Sinners are yet asleepe Ah Lord When will they awake What a harvest will Hell have in these bleeding times What preparation for Heaven do you see men make more then they did Hee that was filthy is so still he that was an Earth-Worme is so although God be treading Wormes to death and crumbling Earth to dust Though person and state lie open to death yet no man mends his pace for life What shall I thinke of such a Generation My bowels rend to looke some of you in the face to behold how like your selves you still looke and what a deadly visage your life still carries What you were you are what men are now for sinne surely they shall be Justice is at worke to perpetuate misery to thousands to harden Pharaohs and then cut them off to fit Vessels for wrath and then fill them up with it as full as they 'l hold to fit men for their place and then send them thither a pace Sinners you heare all this can you beare all this do not your soules yet stir Are they not then white to harvest fit to be cut off by that sword of wrath which is going about An unstirred soule is fit for nothing but Justice 't is death in strength upon the soule 't is the soule in grave and a stone roul'd upon the doore What you are fit for that you shall now have Justice is commanded to go over the Land and single out every wretch and give him his own I think there is scarce a sinner amongst us but Justice ere it hath done with us will make him eat of the fruit of his way Doth not wrath make misery begirt us Doth it not cut down dry Trees every where fuell fit for the fire doth she not set a fire and cast into everlasting burning And yet are not your souls a fire to be fit for Heaven such whose soules stir not now there is just cause to feare that they are left as fit fuell for wrath Obduratio I will give you the properties of a man fitted for wrath The first is obduration A stone is fitted to descend 't 'as its property to beare down-ward Hardnesse maks fitnesse to judgment The way to Hell is from burning to burning from a seared conscience to a damn'd soule Justice blasts the soule in the body ere it burnes it out A fitted soule for wrath 't is one with his Eyes out 't is one that can see no evill making towards him although himself very evill one that cannot see Justice though very visible nor sin though very palpable Justice works within and then without she spends her selfe most fiercely within her last and least breathings and blastings are without she first puts out a mans eyes with the sin he loves and then comes as a snare against the sinner I sit as a Queene and shall see no evill and yet this Quâ—ene a Queane and very evill that 's a Swans song before death now is the soule fit for Justice and wrath and never so fit as now When a sinner sings a requiem soule take thine ease he is fit for yea very neare to wrath this night saith Christ in such a case they shall take away thy soule A man hath sinned himselfe to Hell-doore which hath sinned his soule blind and secure * A man is fitted for wrath indeed when he stands at Hell-door readdy to goe in Setling upon the lees and judiciary visitation they are joyn'd both together as neare Neighbors and as belonging to one thing and this by resolute will I will visit those that are setlâ—d upon their lees Wrath is comming towards you yee blind soules doe yee see it no There is none Why therefore 't will certainly come you are the onely persons fit to be visited I will visit those which are settled upon their lees whom ever I passe by A Horses Eyes out and the next worke he is fit for is grinding Justice sets sinners to grinding their own soules when they cannot see their own sinnes Wrath certainly will not suffer that man to live long which hath kil'd his soule with sinne Alienatio A second property of a man fitted for wrath is this alienation No blessed fellowship speaks separation to wrath A King cals home his Embassadors when he meanes War and Judges a Kingdome fit for nothing but the Sword Casting off fits to cutting off The spirit of God departs when the man is rejected Alienation is great still before desolation Saul shall have no answer no where no whispering from any but from Hell when given up as only fit for that place Light hath no fellowship with darkenesse but when 't will have nothing to do with darkenesse to make it light the state is desperate 't is a signe that the soule is fitted for utter darknesse There are but two steps to death the first is this The sinner say's he will have no fellowship with God the second is God say's he shall have none Now is the sinner judged how fit for Hell then now judge yee execution only is wanting and the Devill is not usually back-ward to discharge his office the man is upon the gallowes he wants but turning off how things may turn
bought heaven and earth too of exact Justice not for yeares or for lives but the fee simple for all eternity We receive as God gives God gives as Christ merits and mediates heaven comes out of Christs wounds to Us Heaven comes out of hell to fallen man Christs descension to hell makes our ascension to heaven we are partakers of glory by his shame and misery By his stripes we are healed c. By his hell we are heaven'd We inherit not hereditarily but made heires and so partake Our participation of glory is a made participation made out of merit merit is vast therefore is our participation so vast as heaven partakers of the inheritance Vse Is' t a time of losse 't is a time of reception equivalent God is more giving then taking away is not heaven more then you have lost upon earth heaven is communicable and yet you complaine what shall you do for house what shall you do for land for enough for you and yours all is gone What is heaven gon then all is gone indeed God shuts one hand that we may looke to the other which is open with greater and better things Mens eyes are not opened by the dealings of God men learne not instruction though God whips to teach that 's your undoing not what you have lost though never so much for heaven would make up that well enough God takes away in earthly things that we may consider and see wherein he is a greater giver do yee make this use of your losse a man loses much when he loseth a state on Earth and loseth with it a heart to looke after a state in Heaven when losses and crosses kil affection Heavenward all is gone indeed gone without hope of recovery Do not the stroaks of God make you looke to him Why then you will be smitten againe Jobs messengers shall come one after another and tell you of the losse of all to see if that will save all Divine rods are order'd to second one another till the soule be as high as it should be or as low as it must be as high as Heaven or as low as hell I would sinners did consider the scope of Gods dealings now and what is before them Heaven and hell is before you now you may be partakers of which you will Heaven is communicable hell is communicable one in one hand of God 'tother is in ' tother Which way any great mans veine lies you observe him Gods veine lies in giving of great things great mercy or great misery he gives no lesse then heaven or hell to every man he makes every man partake of one or ' tother Sinners as you love your soules consider this Wrath workes as love is abused Communicatio plena justice riseth high when high favors are sleighted All is communicable 't will breake the neck of all which make not use of this mans spirit must worke as Gods does when one is open to give 'tother must be to receive Bounty presupposes a ready receiver who is back-ward to take great things and yet who is not back-ward to goe to Heaven Heaven is wholly communicable and yet sinners are wholly carelesse of it Not a peny in Heaven but 't may be yours and yet what heapes of treasure are there Ah Lord what wealthy persons might sinners be and will not Onely their will keepes them poore Paul yours Apollo yours all yours all is communicable Heaven and Earth the Earth and the fulnesse of it so Heaven and the fulnesse of it not a roome not a walke in Heaven but 't is in common for all the inhabitants Not a dish but every ones hand is in it together many hands in a dish is all the feeding above Not a delightfull tune above but every ones heart is set to it not a beame in the Sun above but every ones eye is fixed upon 't not a floure in Christs bosome but all smell to it not a secret but revealed to all All that hath laine hid for this many thousand yeares almost from all here below there 't is knowne to all they above know as they are knowne such great mercy such full mercy rejected what great misery what full misery will it make Justice swells as sinners kick mercy such a heaven sleighted makes such a hell Hell 't is but Justice working suitable to the abuse of so much mercy as may be had in heaven and the soule would not Communicatio libera Heaven is freely communicable and yet sinners have no heart to it Heaven may be had for nothing neither for money nor money worth onely for making fit for it and this too wholly at anothers paines and cost and yet sinners have no heart to it Christ gives much but takes nothing mercy is all mercy mercy is all free as 't is layd out all in an inheritance and lies all round together above 't is all free Love in its utmost dimensions in its heights and depths as it passes knowledge as it makes a heaven yet it keepes its owne essentiall property 't is love and but love heaven is nothing else but a bed of love all delights free There is nothing in heaven bought nor payd for by us of all the costly things that are there There are Jewells about the inhabitants necks such as the World never saw and yet not one bought by the wearer and owner all given freely You have not seene such an inheritance for nothing as Heaven is There be things which cost infinite deare and yet done away for nothing A man may see that which eye never saw and heare that which Eare never heard for nothing God lays out much but looks for no returne his greatest favours goe for acceptation Participation of purchase is pay for purchase an mâ—n will but go to Heaven the place shall cost them nothing though fit for a Prince All Gods motion is free his blessed motion for a time free his blessed motion for eternity free As God makes Heaven he workes for nothing as he makes fit for Heaven he workes for nothing for his greatest layings out hee sets downe nothing at Heaven doore hee sets no bill what rent and fine though there be not such a house of state again in the World God keepes open house below and above too the best dainties and yet no reckoning brought in nothing to be paid no nothing expected There is no thought of heart what this dish might have yielded and what that precious odour might have been sold for Heaven goes freely free gratissimè gratum Heaven given and not a thought against it all the riches of a God layd downe at mans foot and all the heart of God too with it and all the panting above is O that all may not be trod upon Ah sinners what a damnation will this make to set one foote upon heaven and 'tother foot upon Gods heart To trample all his yea and all him too in the dirt heaven and his heart too to
God Psal 86.10 unlesse such and such men stand by him What Is not God God alone Cannot he nay doth not he use to do great things alone Nemine adjuvante multis obstantibus Is not Heaven brought to us against all the strength of Hell by Christ alone I will make a more strict soule-application of this point Great things come in a very immediate way my inference is our eyes in matters of the soule which are the greatest things should be much fixed upon God Sinners undoe their soules in that little which they doe to save them 'T is enough to some that they put themselves upon Ordinances as if that were all to bring the soule to Heaven Grace and salvation come in a more immediate way 'T is not what men say to the eare but what God himselfe speaks to the heart which makes Heaven there and a capacity of Heaven for ever 'T is the voice behind you that turnes you and saves you Grace drops from Christs on we lips I create the fruit of the lips peace These waters are nothing to him that makes them enough 'T is the Angels stirring does the worke for Heaven Sinners when you come to Ordinances use them as Ordinances * Media ut media secùs slagella and not as Gods charge your soules to hearken what God will say and what God will doe I am going to divine Ordinances it may be a man may say many good wordes to me and God never a one man may lift and lift and be very lively and God give never a lift and then is my soule lost Ah Lord How ominous is that when God will not speake a word to the soule I am fallen upon a point of life death sinners attend or you will utterly lose your soules You have mediate favours cast upon you but what immediate You have men-preaching but what God-preaching do you find you keepe on in a rode-way what foot-way hath Christ within from heaven to your hearts The Law was written with Gods own hand and so dispensed in a very immediate way which was Israells greatest favor Is the Law written on your hearts by the finger of God What friends have you from Heaven visiting you which no eye sees What immediate dispensations from Christ to your soules What workings of the spirit of God upon your spirits doe you finde in Ordinances many a man hath no bigger favours from God then a Horse or a Cow naked corporall things for the support of such a corporall being bread and flesh as a bruite hath hay and grasse This was Caines curse banished from Heaven to earth cursed from the presence of the Lord to bruites mercies onely to what felicity the earth could afford no fellowship betweene God and his soule The World is full of banished soules from the presence of the Lord. Justice for this makes no difference O England betweene thy men and horse no more of one then of t'other because so like in qualification one looking no higher then t'other The noblest blessings the greatest favours Heaven and Heavenly things which God gives with his owne hands to the soule these thy wantons and worldlings O sensuall England have not esteemed A base sunke spirit hath sunk thee England If thou couldest have but the mercies of a bruite fat pasture and peace to grase in it 't would much as thy heart wishes As for those greatest favours which God in state dispences with his owne hand to the heart thou hast many children which will dispence with these and many which will scoffe at them Multitudes amongst you care not for the smile of a God so you may have but the smiling countenance of some great man so you may but sleepe in a whole skinne and enjoy fleshly delights whether God or your soule ever change a good word you heed not Yee base spirited wretches which care not for Heaven so that yee may have but earth know that yee are the plague of poore England The bloud of the Land will be laid at your doore Had not you growne so earthly and base in a fat Land as to sleight Heaven and sleight the greatest favours we had not bled at this day T is the badge of an Esau to prize earth and sleight Heaven to serve sence and to care for no nobler nor nearer fellowship with God then providence bring to the belly God may bring a Heaven to your bodies if this will serve turne and a hell to your soules Let every man know the plague of his heart and repent carnality will kill you all Spirituality onely covets the noblest things A spirituall man cannot feed so low nor so course as others doe hee must have a Dish from GODS owne Table or all dainties at his owne table rellish not The Creature is sweete but there is a Heaven beyond this saith hee Hee cannot sit downe without God nor rise up without him All is wanting when God cannot be found no body at Table when Christ is not there what dropping from Heaven upon my soule from every thing that 's still the Quaere with a spirituall man Immediate favours noblest God alone all to this man Whom have I in Heaven but thee whom have I in Earth in comparison of thee Words of men weighed words of Gods within laid up more choyce then Jewells The opportunity is still lost when Christ and the soule hath had no talke Vanites ensnare I am too fleshly for Christ to take mee by the hand sayes a spirituall man One spirit is still panting after another two spirits would be one in the bosome of another no lesse then the jewels which hang about Christs owne neck will content a noble spirit The Quaere is not how much the body hath of the Creature but how much the soule doth enjoy of God What immediate mercies doe I enjoy What hath God laid in for spending in these hard times with his owne hands What faith What experiments What divine resolutions Spirituality carries the soule sublime every thing is in price as it comes from Heaven and brings Heaven along with it That 's preaching that brings Heaven and the heart together that 's a christian whose breath smels like a garden which the Lord hath blest In whose mouth Heaven opens As things are wrapped up in Christ so they have their price still to a spiritualll man Carnality makes you mind no high things earth is heavy earthy soules cannot flee high no higher then the top of a golden dunghill Let these things hint a bad state and better it The noblest things make the noblest condition both here and here after Live low now and live low for ever as low as hell FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light T Is considerable how Christ makes his will how hee disposes of all where hee gives most where he casts
a glorious power This is spoken in the generall I would have every one of you in particular to take notice what power works in and by you and call it as it works Are yee selfe-condemned call that a convincing power Are your hearts prickt and wounded call that a terrible power Are your hearts inflam'd with love to Christ call that a glorious power Divine power condemning executing to wit torturing must be look't to betimes 'T is time to shake off sin when hell is come home come into a mans soule ere the soule be gon out of the body A power working meerly convictive is a sad and black not a glorious power Such a man should know that life and death are neere him he may live or he may die as he stoopes to that power which hath seis'd upon his soule Where power works meerely convictive that man is endited for his life if he can believe he will doe well if not his wounds will bleed to death No power workes so black and sad in the soule but faith alters it and makes it a glorious power The goings of God in the soule are suited to faith still Believe O selfe condemned soule and thou shall see the glory of God a glorious power working in thee Out of faith springs love out of love Heaven Heaven felt and then and not till then a Christian calles the power that workes in him a glorious power all is glorious in Heaven The soule quickly calles power as it feeles it worke and very hardly otherwise Wee call the Sun glorious when we see it and feele it smiling warming â—omforting of us Other celestiall powers which blow blast nip and pinch we call not glorious powers Power is glorious and confessed glorious as it does it's most glorious works in the heart Christians yee are too far from Heaven to call the Sun glorious too few glorious works in you to call power glorious Were ye strengthened with all might ye could not but as the Apostle here doth call power glorious FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 According to his glorious power or according to the force of his glory Doct. DIvine things are so mentioned as to make best impression upon the solue of man The Holy Ghost speaks as one in Heaven to make his auditors so he speakes gloriously to take to raise to ravish dead dull man to worke and force way for Christ into every heart according to the power or force of his glory T is an expression of energy and divine force moulded and shaped with such glittering letters and words with such varnish and beauty from Heaven as to take and carry every heart thither Words of glory and workes of glory all things of glory are of great power and force with fallen man in a glorious stile therefore doth the Holy Ghost here speake according to the power of his glory The Holy Ghost doth speake as like himselfe and to man as like himselfe Hee speakes as one in Heaven as one wrapt up in God and in glory to whom the language of the holy Land is naturall and he speakes to man as on earth in earth wrapt up soule and body in earth cold dull heavy and hard to be lifted up to Heaven unlesse Heaven and glory be brought to his doore to his eye and eare if anything be of power and force upon a dead creature this will according to the force or power of his glory God speakes to man as man yet moves according to the ruines and remainders of his first state Mans first state was glory and he is a creature leaning and strugling that way still to get and make a state of glory he gropes after it in every thing and as any thing carries glory and lustre to any sense eye or eare so hee lookes after it and hearkens to it Things of naturall glory of glory to the sense they are very swaying with a broken glorious creature This the Divell knowes right well and therefore hee bespangles his expression with Heaven and glory and the state of a God when he has to doe with man So he did to the first Adam so he did to the second Adam hee shewed him all the Kingdomes of the World and the glory of them saith the Text he knowes words and works inlaied with glory are very working and winning upon humane nature who ever weare it Therefore doth he at this day gild all his deadly pils and makes them golden and glorious things to looke upon and daily workes in his best apparrell as an Angel of light he puts faire white sleeves upon his arms when he is going to butcher the soule he makes every toole and instrument of death looke as glittering and as glorious as may be hee hath had long experience that golden glorious things are of great force upon a broken glorious Creature As Satan doth speake and worke towards man as man moves according to the remainders of his first state so doth God Hee knowes that fallen man is much leaning and gropeing after glory and therefore shall yee finde the Holy Ghost so leaning to this way of speaking in the word and working in the World namely to cloath expression with words of glory and actions with workes of varnish and glory As when Christ was to come in the flesh and sent his Herauld's to the Shepards The glory of the Lord shined round about them saith the Text. Man is taken with a surrounding glory once he had such a glory in Christ he was to have it againe therefore came the message so visibly and so strongly instructing this way Glory to any sense workes mightily and be but glory to the eare glorious words but glory round to eare to eye to many senses at once this makes Heaven and carries all before it swallowes up the soule So when Christ shall appeare againe you have the Holy Ghost telling man that he shall appeare in glory The Holy Ghost knowes that man is a creature much taken with glory therefore doth he cloath his actions and words with glory according to his glorious power God speakes to man as to a creature of state Persons of state and majesty mind glory as their neerest kins-man and take in things onely as they come in glory and cannot stoop to owne and embrace any else as Kings and persons of state can embrace nothing but what comes in state and presented with glory suitable to their majesty Man is a creature of state of a big spirit of a very big spirit in a very bad sense words must be big when the spirit is big or else they will not beare down all before them One spirit speakes high and loftily to another man will not open the everlasting-doores unlesse the King speake and speake as a King in state in glory and therefore doth he so speake according to his glorious power The Holy Ghost speakes so to man as to make man know his distance he so as
have their force and make issue according to their majesty and glory in the hearts of you all words of majesty and glory resplendent words which are so shaped above as to make strong reflections of the Sunne upon soules here below will make very saving or very killing influence God speakes gloriously to take affect and save the most obdurate heart let him have his designe this is the last thing that I would presse upon you and this concernes us all God makes his words glorious his workes glorious that the heart may be melted and moulded to a glorious forme by them doe not frustrate divine art Words which goe forth with much of God from Heaven let them leave much of God in your hearts When vision is glorious the soule should be in a transe when the speaker is in Heaven the hearer should be there too The Lord spake in glory in shining light to Saul he cast the beauty which he uses above upon his words and these wrought indeed and made Saul cry out Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Methinks this expression in the Text is as if there were such another Heaven opening and such another shining word to some Saul here to some bloudy malicious sinner Sinner sinner why doest thou shut thine eyes and thine eares against glorious words of Christ Some glorious Meteors they render the Heavens to us as if they did gloriously open Heaven me-thinks opens in this expression glorious power how can any heart keepe out of Heaven when Heaven opens to it How can any heart but be taken with that which is full of nothing but taking lustre what man can passe over such an expression without laying his hand on his heart with such a quaere what is that power which the Holy Ghost admires Surely there is glory indeed in that which he calles glorious O that my soule could see this glory Where Christ sets a hand in the margent pointing to the observation of any thing of his that surely is very remarkeable there the soule should stand still sit down and dwell The very accents and aspirations of truth must have their place in the heart of man the heart is to hold all not a tittle of truth must fall to the ground our hearts must catch it and keepe it from falling and dying Power and Love and Wisdome they are accented and aspirated glorious power infinite wisdome love passing knowledge c. These titles and aspirations this dust of gold must not be throwen away but adde to the impression of truth for 't is God setting all his strength to thrust things into the heart 't is God using his best soule-saving art to get into Sanctum sanctorum As the heart behaves it selfe so Divine truth lives or dies in it as Divine words die or live in the heart so God dies or lives in the World Much of God dies when glorious expressions make not glorious impressions much God-dying makes much man dying that God is so much dead in England makes so many men dead Man is lesse then a tittle of truth yea the World is lesse then a tittle of truth Spretis punctâ—s expiraâ— Anglia tittles of truth kill'd by the Christian World kille the Christian World so generally at this day As truth hath apparel'd it selfe so let it goe in the World and live in our hearts let us not take the least spangle from Her attyre Truth and Wisdome and Love will otherwise lose their dimensions and God will lose the glory of his heights and depths of divine dispensations The goodnesse of the heart is as the words of God make totall impression upon it T is the best heart in which God can best read all that hee hath said to a tittle and finde glorious impressions suitable to the glorious words in which he deliver'd himselfe How you judge of your hearts I know not God judges of them as your breath turnes into his as your spirits admire adore rise and ascend into Heaven with his That heart which can reade and heare glorious words of Christ and not be answerably affected will never be a glorious Christian Christ makes the place of his feet glorious as he treades in the heart so hee makes it glorious as his Word makes impression so is sanctification and no otherwise they that heare and let goe divine words of the the movingst forme and force will certainly die loose Soules Men goe to reading and hearing the word with a carelesse spirit 't is most mens sinne all that such get is judgement they eate and drinke judgement saith the Apostle respecting another Ordinance So these heare and reade judgement to their soules that is heart hardning and not heart raising The handling of such a glorious expression as this though by a weake servant of Christ must needs have set your hearts something more Heaven-ward had yee heard with such preparation as becomes you A man finds God in his Word as hee seekes him in Prayer and no otherwise Wax receives impression as 't is prepar'd Esther must fast and pray and come with her life in her hand to the King to have a glorious Scepter stretched out unto her So must we come into the presence of the King of Kings with much seeking of God and selfe-judging with our lives temporall and eternall in our hands to finde glorious words worke gloriously to have a glorious Scepter stretched out from Heaven to us a glorious power working in us in the hearring of glorious things Hee that minds little about what he is going finds little but the fruit of his sinne he goes away from divine ordinances worse then hee came to them he goes away with a sop with a heart more poysoned in malice more hard dead and cold condemned and executed to wit tortur'd I conclude this point with a note of admiration That God will put glosse upon necessary commodities such as we cannot be without and doe well to make them off is wonderfull Yee doe not use to put varnish upon Bread that 's such a generall necessary dish that its double and maine use to the state of man sets it off well enough without any by-things about the dish Such is the Word of God 't is as bread to our soules of supreme use this one would think should be enough to set it off with us and yet because this is not God paints bread guilds Loves and sets them upon the Table to us * Puts glosse upon the words of eternall life That GOD will put himselfe into a passion to put us put Heaven into his words to put Heaven into our hearts le ts wonder That Christ will let fall his mantle when hee ascends that we may ascend too make his raised spirit breake forth into glorious raised words to raise our spirits too let his love and humility be ever before you 'T is our great worke Christians 't is our great worke to admire God in his words and workes in his
speaking and doing how hee does shape all to a gaining and saving end of lost man Glorious power how big-bellied with Heaven are these words what a transcendent shape have they to save In what a little can God wrap up much in what a little all in a word Heaven in a word the Heaven of Heavens in a word he wraps up glory infinite glory According to his glorious power How smilingly doth Heaven look upon us in this expression God breakes out glory in your very faces here can yee see so much of the World to come and in this World and not admire FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 According to his Glorious power c. ALL Starres are glorious but some are very neere the Sun and double in magnitude and glory and as a sun in comparison of other stars All dispensations of grace are glorious but some exceede in glory so full of Christ and glory that they give a great resemblance in the heart of his triumphant state in glory and set the soule as in the borders of Heaven when the body is in the belly of Hell this is here called glorious power as appeares by the expressions following unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse He speaks of such an assisting power as is superior to all opposing power and makes up of it selfe to the soule whatsoever the Creature could and much more According to his glorious power Doct. WE are come now to the sight of the holy-Land there be glimpses of Heaven upon Earth power workes glitteringly and gloriously here Christ hath a glorious Dominion in dying man Strengthened with all might according to his loving glorious power c. Things which give being give beauty and being glory and being Esse tale esse esse et radiatum esse Splendidum esse Nature hath a power to put forth and a power to shape unto beauty and glory the earth gives vertue and glory life and beauty which makes the earth such a glorious foote-stoole under us So doe the Heavens give influence and glory the Sun derives not onely influence but its very glory to the Sars which makes the Heavens such a fruitfull and such a glorious Canope over us So doth the Sun of righteousnesse give glory and vertue We are called to glory and vertue According as his Divine power hath given us all things that pertaine unto life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 Divine power makes vertue glory and vertue that is grate unto a glorious and very Heavenly height grace unto tranquillity and tryumph let disadvantages in the World be what they will Hee spake this to sufferers they might thinke their calling to be to nothing but misery or at least to nothing but naked godlinesse and Gospell-profession which exposes to much hardship no saith he yee are called to more then naked vertue then meere conscience according to such Gospell-prnciples yee are called to glory and vertue to the participation of such vertue as will worke gloriously and never leave working so let what opposition soever be made till it rise above all opposition unto all glory Divine power workes in order to truth The promise to us Gentiles is which stand not in the first and prime relation not in the highest sphere of love rest yea glorious rest dispensations so rich as to rise unto glory joy and tryumph as their rest above is And in that day there shall be a roote of Jesse stand for an ensigne of the people to it shall the Gentiles seeke and his rest shall be glorious glory saith the Originall i a rest so glorious as shall be very neere that glory which is above He shall quiet guilty conscience and crown it sprinckle it and adorne it hee shall give a spirit of Peace and a spirit of tryumph a glorious rest a rest next to that above where there is no restlessenesse nor any thing wanting that may make the soule fully happy The promise is a Lord and a glorious Lord streames yea Rivers broad Rivers But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad Rivers and streames c. The expressions note Divine Power working gloriously Isa 33.21 in the Kingdome of grace raising grace here under the Gospell to a glorious height a power setting the soule in Heaven the body being in Earth the soule in glory though the body in shame These are the words of promise now the worke of power is to make words of promise words of truth to accomplish truth to give full being to all that God hath said that not a tittle fall to the ground Power workes gloriously necessarily as engaged by promise Divine power workes in order to dignity and majesty as well as in order to truth Christ hath a Kingdome and a throne here as well as above and Kingdomes and thrones must not onely have power simplicitèr but power ornatè not onely a power which is absolutely necessary to uphold the being of such a thing but power also to adorne dignify and felicitate such a being upheld Kings and Kingdomes have a power unto glory as well as a power unto life and lively-hood I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place and hee shall be for a glorious throne unto his Fathers house Isa 22.23 Power workes in order to state as well as in order to truth he shall be for a glorious throne We are Kings and therefore must necessarily have power ornatè power gloriously working in us grace and grace unto glory being and triumphing There is being in Christ and triumping in Christ triumphing is glorious power and this necessarily belongs to a crown a Kingdom Power workes in Order to expresse words and to types and shadowes it doth in the new house as it did in the Old and more They had presence filling presence glorious filling presence The glory of the Lord filled that house so doth this power workes thus still presence filling presence and glorious filling presence There is grace riches of grace and exceeding riches an inheritance riches of inheritance and riches of glory and all in the Saints That you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. They had aide and glorious aide under the old Covenant power and glorious power so have wee and much more our Ministration doth exceed in glory saith the Apostle by how much nearer all glory then they Power workes and will worke still more and more glorious within and without as the Christian world drawes nearer and nearer full glory as all things worke stronge stnearest their spring and rise Power workes gloriously now but it will worke far more gloriously every day then other the Moone will become a Sun and the Sun seven fold more glorious then now it is Power workes in order to its own absolute nature Nothing is too
you and fetch you from the ends of the Earth to judgement and to your place Glorious power can put you into darkenesse into utter darkenesse into blacknesse and darkenesse as Jude speakes into exquisite darkenesse and yet where you shall see exquisitely to wit spirits which here you cannot do damned spirits spirits burnt black with everlasting burning spirits flaming spirits spirits all a fire burned and burning sucking in and breathing forth in one anothers face nothing but fire unquenchable fire Glorious power can put you into darkenesse yea under darkenesse they are reserved under darkenesse saith Jude Glorious power can bundle up you and bundle up darknesse and put one bundle upon another and put you under-most under all the waight of Hell Christ can put all the waight of hell upon one cursed spirit Glorious power can cast you into the bottome of the bottomelesse pit and chaine you there with everlasting chaines reserved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse unto the judgement of of the great day saith Jude These things sinners have I spoken that you may dread glorious power seeing you will not love it and seeke out to be saved by it A fourth principle which springs out of this point and which concerneth us all is That our condition is very advanceable Power workes gloriously you may live very neare Heaven as well as very far of if you will you may see the holy Land you may eat clusters of the fruit of the Country above As you order things you may live in Heaven or Hell here Christians I have a high question to aske you how neare Heaven do you live doe you see it do you feele it did you ever have you any bunches of the fruit of the holy Land The spirit of God is in you but is the spirit of glory and of God in you you have grace but have you grace and peace you may have grace and peace but are these multiplied as the Apostle speaks to a glorious height doth a glorious spirit and power dwell and worke in you my Dove which art in the cleft of the Rockes saith Christ let mee see thy countenance and heare thy voyce c. So say I to you Christians which are in desolate conditions mourning amongst Rocks and hard-ships like doves let me see your countenance let mee heare your voice what is your peace your joy your love your hope all these are the rays and beams of a glorious power I have none says one I never had says another I doubt whether ever I shall says an other this last I like worst for surely hee is furthest off from the blessing of glorious power There be but two things that I know which hinder power from working gloriously glorifyingly in the soule and they are sinne loved and unbeliefe I will insist upon these a little because I would have those that mourne comforted all that belong to Heaven in Heaven From sinne no man can cease but cease love to sinne if yee would have a Heaven upon earth a glorious power and presence of GOD in you Render your spirits free to God let them not be insnar'd with any lust such intanglement spoiles your glory kills a glorious working spirit and power in you Set wide open your hearts those everlasting-doores to the King of Glory and onely to the King of Glory and the King of Glory in much glory wil come in a glorious Throne will hee erect in your soules Pure hearts see the Face of God impure onely the black back-parts of GOD. Blessed are the pure in heart they see GOD. The heart is pure as love is pure love is pure as it goes all to Christ to him that is all pure As love goes all to Christ so it turnes all into Heaven in the heart into glorious presence All our worke should be to be disingaging out hearts still from all here Heaven comes into the heart as earth goes out the heart sees God as it purifyes it selfe Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Purity makes capacity of Heaven a cleane heart is Christs most intimate companion hee spreades open his Glory in this Bosome The holy'st men have alwayes had the most glorious visions as Daniel and Iob. God chuses his place to make Heaven he makes Heaven above in Jerusalem that is above in soules that are above above the vanities of this World in love and desire he makes a Heaven Moses is led up to a mount to see Canaan Christ upon a mount had his glorious transfiguration he had his Heaven upon a mount Love must mount above all these low things ere the soule can see Heaven enjoy glorious presence You cannot lie-along upon earth and see the Heaven of Heavens you may lie along upon earth and see earthly Heavens that must passe away Sinne loved and the soule chuses his Heaven here no man shall have two Heavens two Heavens that differ specie Power will not work gloriously in that heart that works filthily A man may see hell in his sinne but shall never see Heaven It falles out unhapily still with man when hee goes about to make a heaven here when hee sets love at worke to take her fortune to make her glory and felicity here below as shee can this checkes the working of a glorious power in any heart and sets it a working another way to whip the man with vexation of spirit for seeking Heaven in Earth in glorious vanities So far as the heart is unmortifyed 't is not simple with God simplicity is an absolute requisite to make capacity of a glorious working power in the soule God descended like a Dove upon a Dove sweetely and gloriously upon him in whose mouth was no guile A heart and a heart has none of Gods heart God never proclaimes himselfe well-pleased in that heart which makes not him his pleasure Divine Power workes not gloriously where the heart works basely An hypocrite has least of Heaven of any man and most of hell As men draw neere to God so they see him neere to him in quality and neer to him in duty We see heaven best upon our knees As wee glorify God so hee glorifyes us When we open our mouths wide hee gives us great things filling things when we beg for flaggons we are stay'd with them At the throne of grace we finde grace grace in glory heaven at Gods feet when most in his presence most in Heaven A man must goe to heaven to finde heaven a man must live in heaven to have heaven live in him Much going to heaven brings heaven at last downe along with one Things doe worke best in their owne element power works most gloriously in heaven the neerer the heart comes to heaven in simplicity in purity in pure qualities and habits in pure acts and exercise the more glorious doth power woâ—ke in the soule still Unbeliefe is another hinderance of a glorious working power Said I not if yee would believe yee should see
God further then man any man can doe made to pierce the sides and to pierce the heart the Arrowes of the Allmighty are within mee saith Job their poyson drinkes up my spirit the terrors of God doe set themselves in array against mee Job 6. A body so shot a soule so shot to come off so bravely as Iob doth there Let him not spare for I have not concealed the words of the holy one Let man wound God wound God and man doe what they will to soule and body and not spare yet God that wounds will I obey to the death this is all patience that is patience that holds its own in all conditions All Parience 't is patience breathing her selfe forth in the Teeth of a dog and setters on Shimei may barke Standers by hisse to make barking againe and yet all patience divinely turnes off all beholding GOD in a dead Dog a righteous God in an unrighteous man All patience 't is a heart able to suppresse all insurrection from the naked consideration of God and sinne a heart that can quiet it selfe from the very rod gather patience from the very twigs that whip and smart All patience 't is a heart which from the shaper and shaping of affliction can shape it selfe shoulders to beare it well 't is a heart so principled as able to fetch out of every eater meate out of a tearing Lyon Honey out of every bitter sweete something in or about every evill to keepe it selfe good and make it selfe better All patience 't is a spirit growne to an angelicall height able to carry himselfe sweetly to a dog to a Divell to the worst creature offending with no worse passion then this The Lord rebuke thee All Patience notes a totality in reference to time totum temporis All Patience is patience in graine such as will hold its colour yea it 's very glosse as long as the cloth last it notes such a patience as dies not till the man die such a patience as keeps the soule in all stormes and till all stormes be over that keeps the soule quiet till the very weather be quiet or till the soule hath quietly expired it selfe into the bosom of eternall rest above all disquiet All patience 't is holding fast till Christ come 't is a wayting all our dayes for better dayes in another World till our change come for liveing againe where barely to live is Heaven where being and wel-being are not distinguished All patience 't is a house upon a Rock a house so built a spirit so principled so sinewed so nerved and joynted that nothing can pull down but death it notes a soule so much out of it selfe and so much in Christ in his armes and under his dominion that it lies under a kind of impossibilitie to be stirred as mount Zion that not onely is not but cannot be moved the house may moulder and that may downe otherwise all patience is such an inmate such an inward soule-lasting thing that it will never out all patience was never knowne to leave any house till it fell down all patience and the last breath goe away together Father into thy hands J commit my spirit these are the last words of all patience Luke 23.46 The result of all is this All Patience 't is all advantages taken away al provocations incompassing and yet the soule abiding holy in behaviour and cariage in thought word and deede unto death 't is God against man the devill against man wife friends fire winds all creatures below man armed and set against man and yet man patient 't is man buffeted scratch't with thornes nayled spear'd spit on hell inflicted on Earth and yet holy and without sin and so continuing till hell be turned into Heaven the soule out of the body both into eternall rest All patience the Apostle expresseth in few words 't is patience having made her full fortifications her perfect worke as he calls it 't is every faculty in combination to beare what is or can be 't is the Militia setled in the soule by act by consent of the three states understanding will and affection 't is all soule-powers united to beare and endure all that can befall man All patience 't is a strong spirit as the expression is used of John Baptist and of Christ and of none else a spirit fortified with cleerenesse of light strength of faith fulnesse of resolution and made Musket proofe Cannon proofe impregnable against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile All Patience t is patience all in armour 't is a stubborne heart subdued and risen againe to divine resolution and now as divine hardy as before foole hardy 't is a spirit that will know no evill after the flesh no evil as 't is fleshly miserable but as 't is soule sinfull All patience 't is enduring hardship as a Souldier as a good Souldier as a good Souldier of Christ as the Apostle saith not opely suffering for truth but sleighting suffering as you know Souldiers doe they make nothing of hunger nor cold of blowes of wounds no nothing of death 't is a notable expression this of all patience to wit enduring of hardship as a good Souldier All patience 't is a spirit that can indure all hardship with ease perils at Sea perils at Land perils amongst false brethren perils amongst professed enemies any misery any death burning tearing cutting sawing a sunder and scorne base deliverance this is al patience patience al over patience patience throughout patience so liveing so dying Vse I have authority by this point to command you al to weigh your patience and to tell me to a graine how much you have Christians how much patience have you have you little or have you much have you al I speake to you al. The Heavens you see are growing al black over you the Earth al bloudy under you al miseries are marching towards you Famine Plague Sword white Horse black Horse pale Horse neither true white nor black al sorts of Men amongst us on Horse-back and going about deadly worke have you al patience to entertaine them al who ever come and what misery soever they bring Doe yee not expect a very miserable time yes And I expect a very sinnefull time there is so little patience A little suffering I see wil make you sinne much ah Lord what wil great suffering then doe seven yeeres bleeding ten yeeres bleeding twenty yeeres bleeding as Germany hath had you murmure now a little is gone surely you wil blaspheme when al is gon curse King Parliament and GOD too Lord what shal we doe wee shal have a Kingdome advanced to Heaven thrown downe to Hell a Kingdome full of devils full of evil spirits quickly if these Evil Times continue Men can beare nothing and God now calles to bearing much men cannot tell how to abate a little of wanted contents and God is going to strip of al men cannot exercise patience a little and God is calling for
Heaven from yeeres end to yeeres end 't is a Salamander still in fire still in Hell ever in contention and disquiet which is the unfittest frame to divine things that can be Passion degenerates into malice and then the man becomes Meditabundus full of thoughts but more diabolicall then before and further from Heaven his thoughts now travell when hee is on his bed compassing the Earth too and fro like the devil but ascend not to Heaven no not one of them All thoughts are kept in a hudle in a passionate soule one crowding and clambering on the back of another one still jostling against another no leisure for the soule to withdraw to God divine guidance is gone and the soule hath no command of it selfe Heaven-ward the string of the watch is broke and the wheeles run down til they breake too no winding up can be made Passion cannot pray cannot heare cannot read least of all can it meditate which is the life of al. What can a passionate man doe which is appointed by God as a Medium to carry the soule to Heaven Finally a Passionate man is fit for no condition not fit to be rich for this wil make him a Tyrant a devil with hornes Not fit to be poore this wil make him mad a bedlam tyed up A passionate man is neither fit to worke nor play to be sick nor wel to be at home nor be abroad to live nor dye no body pleases him nor he pleases no body 't is an Esau a rough man his hand is against every man and every mans hand is against him t is a Bile that rages when one goes and when one sits lying down and rising up at bed and at boord not fit for Heaven most fit for Hell and yet there is no need of him for there bee devils enough already and fire-brands enough to employ them Let God doe what he wil an impatient man is never contented Let Jonah have no blowes and he is impatient let him be scorcht without and he burnes within An impatient man ever wantes something and yet never can tel wel what will please him hee standes much upon his wil 't is dearer then his soule 't is dearer then GOD and yet it varies as oft as temptation presents and the man knowes not wel what he would have Ah Lord what a plague What a changeling What a soule bewitcht is this All patience will cure al these evils througly and lesse will not throughly doe it judge yee therefore now what neede yee have to labour for patience in height All patience A man climbes up to heights in grace by hanging much about God Rivers of teares will quench wild-fire al fire finders coales flames and make all patient every thought patient Prayer 't is a warmer and 't is a cooler of the heart 't is a warmer of the heart when too coole and a cooler of the heart when too hot Much patience springs out of much Prayer T is said of Simeon that he was devout waiting for the consolation of Israel devoute that is full of Prayers the more praying the more waiting the more in Prayer the more in patience Prayer is fetching breath when the soule begins to be out of breath and to faint 't is a fetching out heate with heate fire with fire bad fire with good Strong cries will keepe the heart patient under strong trialls whilst a praying Jonas a patient Ionas he first fetch 't patience out of the belly of Prayer and then Prayer fetch 't him out of the belly of the Whale Prayer must be ordered for strength and for season for importunity and for opportunity a man must be throwing water betimes that would not have all in an unquenchable blaze Christians feele their hearts begin to burn and make not hast to God they goe not quickly with their censer when this plague is begun and then is the devil too hard and they complaine as overcome Reliefe is relief when brought in season After-prayers take off guilt but doe not prevent guilt which makes but a bleeding condition at best Lazy soules have all burn'd down about their eares ere they stir Passion is wild fire such tempers must observe their weakenesse and take heed how they come neere fire You set powder above in high rooms out of the way 't is so apt to take and fire Set your selves amongst the most heavenly soules in high up-rooms with those which have the highest and sweetest Communion with God With the froward a man learns frowardnesse with the meeke meeknesse if you venture to come where striking of fire is you will be the first that take fire A man excells as he takes advantages All things that may most subdue will and advance love wil heighten patience charity suffereth long Long suffering is our next worke FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Long suffering with joyfulnesse Doct. OF Patience intrinsecally according to ' its formality I have spoken at large of patience now extrinsecally as an habit puts forth it selfe to act as shoulders set themselves to beare and to beare long I am led by my Text to speake long-suffering c. Gospell sufferings are sometimes of great duration Christians are called to suffer and to suffer long long-suffering The Apostle spake of Patience according to its dimensions all patience c. In reference to suffering as considering it according to its dimensions long he spake of grace in proportion to use all patience is but little enough to make long-suffering all patience is but little enough to manage such a profession which all along is lyable to persecution to suffering as long as being in this World Things here below have more then their naked being they have their being and their dimensions so big so broad so long so have afflictions more then their naked esse in a Christian more then barely to denominate him an afflicted man they have their dimensions their bignesse and length to denominate suffering so great so long long-suffering sufferings for truth are sometimes long lived If any man will be my Disciple saith Christ Let him take up his crosse daily Luke 9.23 A daily crosse daily bleeding makes long-suffering Like to this is that expression of David My soule hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace speaking of Doeg A Christian is incident to suffering by Doegs and divels long A Christians condition is envied Jnaiâ—a est vitium vitio permamanens envy is a long lived thing 't will live as long as there is any marrow in the bones t will hunt a David long through Ziffe Engedy many wildernesses though never so long t will find a dart to throw at a David till it hath killed him or stab'd it selfe Envy sights desperately and unweariedly t wil never give over as long as there is breath t will eate no bread till it hath done its worke killed a Paul or starved it selfe Envy is al spirit al evill spirits in one
't is so precious such meere treasure The new man is of the clearest reason of all men he discourses worth at a greater height then any man besides and so makes out He lookes with a very piercing eye upon every thing through Pearles and through gold though the hardest things to be pierced and finds out exactly what they are and calls them exactly as they are corruptible things grace only goes for Jewells with the new man in these onely no losse no lumber in these onely no vanity no vexation in these God so much of these so much of God 〈◊〉 â—hese Jâ—wels in my bosome and aâ—◠〈…〉 â—ll Heaven there Thus the new 〈◊〉 â—â—scourseth worth at a mighty height and makes a very exact judgement goe before and then a very vast desire and endeavour answerably to follow after give all of that which is above all of that which will make me above all in the lowest state give me all might all patience all joy Things have their rule and so must be prosecuted Things earthly have their bounds things heavenly none neither poverty nor riches when one prayes for earthly things no poverty but riches not some but all when one prayes for Christ this is the rule The measure is no measure the stint is all all might all patience c. All paines all prayers must al run out at this height for all grace or they will runne all too low below their rule here in my Text. Vse The World is damnably beside this rule examine your reach what do you graspe after after what do you open your hands and your mouths wide which way lies your ambition your covetousnesse to have all the World or all Christ to have much honour much wealth or much grace to be an all within your selues or to be an all in and unto Christ Fallen man is a greedy creature as Banckrupts usually are hee has lost all and he is grasping for an all againe Know your state 't is wrong 't is wretched observe the greedinesse of your hearts and which way it lies or your soules will be lost in an evill covetousnesse Two things make up an evill covetousnesse when a man desires illicita simpliciter or licita illicitè Things forbidden in themselves or things forbidden so to make nothing all vanity chiefe * Earth Heaven Earth all You seeke great things to your selves do you seeke great things for your soules every man is grasping after much after a little all tell me what is that all 'T is a lost man that observes not which way the strength of his soule works and spends it selfe 'T is horrible wickednesse to let a mans strength passe unnaturally from him to let his precious soule spend its reines in a bed of vanities A mans soule wastes it selfe unnaturally when it workes greedily towards any thing but Christ and grace There is more done to this man then hee will believe 't is a man let loose to the Creature for not taking pleasure in GOD. When a man cannot finde enough in God to make him his all God gives up that man to some lust to make nothing all affection flies out strongly fearefully now behold a man sick of love to a lie a man that will kill himself with love to an Harlot 'T is one that beares his judgement already conscience wounds kils this man dayly for burying love in a dunghil for prostituting his glory to base Earth God vexes this heart as the expression is Ezechiel the 32.9 I will vex the heart of many people c. God is a vexing God to the heart of an earthly man he wakes sleeps eates talks laughs with a sad restlesse soule he sleeps but his conscience wakes hee rises but his heart is downe 't would bee loaded with thick Clay and 't is loaded with a witnesse Ah Lord has not he Earth enough that cannot beare up his earthy heart 't is so heavy This soule is in a deepe Consumption farre gone from GOD if any thing will fetch him back 't will be to consider his folly and how favour stil waites to bee gracious to him All earthen Cisternes are crackt what folly is it to seeke for all in that which will drop out all Things cannot hold much things shall not hold much which you too much bend after All is lost when the World is made all Death is in the Pot when you are taken with the Broth the Birth-right is as good as actually gone when affection is so strong to Pottage Ah Wretch thou hast lost thy soule to gaine the World If this wil not fetch back the Prodigall this added will or nothing Favour yet waites A Soule that hath beene a great Traveller in the World that hath gone through the vanity of the Creature through strength of desire and curiosity may returne to Christ and be welcome 't was the Prodigalls case hee had spent all wasted prime love prime strength and then returned and God accepted 'T was likewise Salomons case Love turned at a low ebb it met with Love Inclinations of heart are deare to Christ Smoaking flax is not troublesome to his eyes hee will stoop and blow it to make it flame Christ is taken with a sinner whensoever hee beginnes to pant after him Bestow love upon Christ when you will hee will meete you or what Love you wil hee wil out-Love you Promise to your selves what you will in Christ you shal finde it and more make a God of Christ you shal finde him so make him al and you shal finde him al more then al the World beside But take this Item along with you A Soule in extremities cannot last long Passion strong to the Creature will provoke much and consume speedily what is done therefore in point of remedy must be done speedily or the Soule is lost a Soule a Fire to the Creature must bee snacht as a Brand out of the Fire 't will suddenly bee consumed else A Soule posting to Hell wil quickly be there Greedinesse surfets surfets make quick dispatch Death is at the doore when the Soule is exorbitant the Creature is now made a God GOD will not now endure nor forbeare longer Let exorbitant Soules thinke of this and thinke what they have to doe and doe it The End of the first Verse USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 12. Long suffering with joyfulnesse Giving thankes to the Father c. Doct. STand at the end of one Verse and looke to the beginning of another and you wil see what is the property of divine joy It sets out the soule for Heaven It makes a very ascending frame of heart it tunes and winds up every string to praise God with joyfulnesse Giving thankes to the Father c. As the Soule has its Divine advantages so it mounts as the body hath its advantages so you know with facility it vaults and leapes Joy is a soule lifted up by God 't is the soule upon Eagles winges the soule
easily mounts Heaven-ward when God lifts it As sorrow is Gods casting downe the soule Why art thou cast downe O my soule c. And then the soule is fit for no duty disadvantage is so strong upon it so joy 't is Gods lifting up the soule upon this advantage it can doe any thing goe up hil with ease mount to heaven facilly Joy 't is Gods giving winges to the soule to fly after him A soule winged by God will mount as high as God as high as the highest Heaven where God is 't will after God from favour to favour from bush to bush as young Birds doe after the old one when they are by the warmth of the old one fledg'd and can flee as soone as the old one hath featherd and winged them by warmth they after him from twig to twig from Tree to Tree and hang about him So doth the soule as soone as warm'd and winged with joy from God make after him to Heaven with praise let disadvantages bee what they will You cannot keepe young ones in the nest when once feather'd and winged no more can you keepe the soule from ascending to Heaven when warm'd by God with Joy As the soule is in divine strength so it ascends Smoaking flax goes up to the lower region flameing flax goes higher and is far more mounting joy 't is flameing flax 't is the soule in a blaze a great blaze ascends very strong and very high as high as Heaven into the very presence Chamber of the King Things mount as they are in spirits joy 't is a soule full of the holy Ghost one spirit in the bosome of another a soule captivated in Christ cannot but goe where 't is carried every heart Christ takes hee carries home to his Father with joy magnifying love revealed with joy giving thankes to the father c. As the soule gets oâ—â—od so it ascenâ—â— to him when it gets most of him it ascends most and best to him Joy 't is Gods comming downe and filling the house as you reade of the Devils comming downe that expression notes his extraordinary working in and by the children of disobedience so notoriously as if he were in person present here and had no other residence but in their hearts no dwelling but here as if he had removed his shop above in the Aire and brought all his tooles and black family downe upon Earth so joy 't is Gods comming downe I cannot borrow a fuller expression 't is God extraordinarily present and working in the hearts of his people as if he did make Heaven it selfe descend and bring down all the glory that is above and set it in the midst of man God thus working in man such workes worke out work up very high Ordinary workes may be vail'd and hid extraordinary cannot they will breake out ascend and publish themselves in the Eares of the Author these are workes so wrought as made alive and with Legs to goe home again and acknowledge their Father so are all graces when divine joy takes them made alive and ascending home to acknowledge their Father with joyfulnesse giving thankes to the Father c. I have said something for the soule I wil say something for graces to hold out the truth of this point to you That joy makes a very ascending frame of heart As graces grow to maturity so they make home Joy 't is grace growen up grace growne tall to mans estate to maturity of knowledge to maturity of expression Joy knowes her father which no child else in the soule doth can owne her father Joy is strong she can she doth necessarily extoll and lift up her Father With joy giving thankes to the Father c. Finally for I will name no more things of this nature As things are in puâ—â—ty so they ascend Nothing so pure as divine joy 't is the meere reflection of Sun beames the resplendency of Gods smiling Face Sun rayes and beames goe forth and then reflect backe againe warme the Earth and then back to Heaven againe so doe the beames of Gods Countenance warme the cold heart of man with joy and then these and the soule too back to God againe with joyfulnesse giving thankes to the Father c. Vse You see the nature of divine joy it makes a very ascending frame of heart it sets the soule upon wing for Heaven it makes Cripples leape and praise God What is the nature of your joy Doth it make you flee up or flee out Does your joy make you wantons or Puritans 'T is a pastime to fooles to doe wickedly many are worst when merry'st Ah Lord what basenesse doe many belch forth when their hearts are upon a merry pin how proudly how uncleanly how loosely doe they speake and doe If there be any joy in Hell 't is this certainly the divel liftes up that heart that thus joyes that in joying lifts up it selfe against God Cursed is that joy that makes God sad Cursed is that joy that leades to weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in a time of joy as you make it I am come to speake of joy 't is a good hand of providence so to order our way I wish I could so handle this point of joy in this time of joy as to make you all to looke wel to your joy Time wil not suffer me to say much It fell-out to be an eclipse that day this Sermon was preached Christmasse eclipsed Sunday 't was very sad to behold to tender hearts I can onely say this watch your hearts a loose time is come 't wil suite wel with loose soules you wil see many damnably merry Carnall creatures wil leape out of their skin out of their soules into Hell when their bellies be ful Belly-gods set a knife to your throates have a care of your soules as you love your soules looke to your joy eate and drinke and rise up to play and not rise up to pray and praise God and your Table wil be your snare your death Your brethren have too little wil you eate too much your brethren fast will yee feast your brethren bleed wil yee wantonly sport they are kill'd with griefe wil yee kil your selves with joy What a strange Kingdome shal we render our selves to be in the sight of God some bleeding and groaning and some surfetting and chambering some reeling and falling with deady bullets in their sides and others reeling and falling with too much drinke in their bellies some wallowing in the field in bloud and others wallowing in the streets in vomit Ah Lord will not this make vengeance smoake against England Christians and sinners I am affraid of these prophane dayes Jobs feare respecting his children when they were going a feasting is strongly seis'd upon me lest you pull your houses about your eares by carnall and unseasonable joy I charge you al by the dreadfull comming of the Lord Jesus whose bloudy sword is drawne in the Land and set at your breasts that
acknowledge their proper Author all the power al the wisdome al the love that is in them to God as their Father Every Creature hath a rude speech to this purpose of its owne that is as Gods owne glory gloriously revealed in them sensibly speakes forth himselfe But man is formed intentionally and very transcendently to this worke to speake not rudely but divinely accurately to make power speake and to speake to the life wisdome speake and speake to the life every mute Creature and action and al the love that lies mute and silent in them to speake out and prostrate it selfe to God as it's Father Giving thanks to the Eather who hath made us c. All things in the World in the Heavens in the Earth in the Sea have Gods marke upon them as his goods as great Merchants set their marke upon all the goods which are theirs God hath not left himselfe without witnesse throughout the Creation Now thankfulnesse 't is a going from Creature to Creature from worke to worke to finde out God his marke his image and superscription to whom doth this belong To whom that if the Echo be to God why give unto God the things that are Gods if this creature or action be so fat so mute that it cannot speake nor call God Father I will for it saith a thankfull soule let God have all his owne let him weare his one glory himselfe and none else Father al love to al things here below temporall love eternal love upon him Give thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. Thankefulnesse is a making every thing that is good to cry Abba Father to God every thing that is good and al the good that is in every thing what is simply and totally good what is subordinately and finally good good in its end as troubles which prepare and fit for Heaven what good is in the staffe what good is in GOD what good is in good and what good is in evil thankfulnesse goes a fishing and gathering for love every where and to every ones doore to hel doore to Heaven doore to present it to its owne Father giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light Thankfulnesse it is Gods faithfull register 'T is Recorder to the great City above ' t' hath an admirable memory nothing dies that love does t is a grace which layes up doings sayings yea whisperings of love in the heart many yeares and ponders them every day every houre and keepes them alive and as fresh and fragrant in the soule as if but now done Shee writes love as he writes beloved upon the Palme of her hand she is never forgotten nor never forgets she remembers dayes of Old dayes of love though never so old are new Thankefulnesse makes mercies live as God lives for ever His name is had in everlasting remembrance c. By whom by a thankefull soule by none else There is no grace makes Chronology so exact for yeares for dayes for houres for all circumstances as thankfulnesse doth How long God hath beene a Father in what condition a Father in what manner and measure a Father to what end a Father to bestow an inheritance what inheritance for kinde for situation whether in darkenesse or in light she exactly records all Giving Thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Thankefulnesse 't is Gods bountifull paymaster 't is a returne of Gods own with advantage his favours and mans heart in over and above for Gods favours A thankfull man cannot nakedly returne fatherly love hee binds up his heart in his acknowledgements hee bundles up blessings and bundles up his soule in them and so carries them al together to Heaven All his benefits and all my soule and all that is within it let them al goe together to Heaven to make an offring of thanksgiving Let the Arke goe home againe but by no meanes let it goe home empty send costly Pictures of Gods dealings home with it golden Emrods golden Mice let Christ and love revealed in my soule be returned by my soule home againe but let them not be returned empty sayes a thankfull man let me picture out and engrave Gods kinde dealings in my heart and so send Divine favours and heart together home to Heaven yea if I had ten thousand soules ten thousand Jewells more precious then that inmost Jewell of all in my breast let that love which hath made it selfe my father and made me out an inheritance as a child and me fit for that inheritance have all Giving thankes to the Father c. Understand this to be a heart speech a soule breathing an intense totall soule breathing heaven-ward Thanksgiving 't is a presenting God with his own with all his own with thine own have wee offered unto thee saith David in his thansgiving wisdom might are thine all that is good comes of thee A thankfull man hath no good thing of his own 't is all Gods that he has his wisdome Gods his strength Gods every good thought of God to doe to will good of God whatsoever hee has whatsoever hee is is grace by his grace I am that I am this is the naturall language of a thankfull soule All good in me al good that comes from me is of him and through him and therefore all shall be for him inheritance fitnesse for this inheritance all felicity all that belongs to felicity have no naturall but a divine father Giving thanks to the Father c. 'T is an expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a breathing out of all for all to him that is al. Gods fathering of man hath al favours in it all favours have two parts an inheritance and fitting for it and both in this Text and both taken up with one hand to wit with thanksgiving and lifted up as high as Heaven Thanksgiving 't is a spirit still upon the wing rising and ascending to Heaven from every thing never at home but at Heaven 't is a very low thing that he cannot rise from as high as Heaven hee eates and lookes up drinkes and lookes up lookes downe and lookes up whatsoever he lookes upon he cannot looke off God whatsoever he sees heares tasts smells he takes wing from and goes bound in spirit for Heaven whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever hee doth he doth all to the glory of God Thankfulnesse is an Eagle-grace whose game lies all in soaring mounting towards the Sun 't is a soule still travelling from Earth to Heaven from the creature to the Creator t is he that brings tidings to Heaven still of the lost groat of the lost sheepe of the lost Son of what of Gods was lost and is found here and there in this person and that in this thing and that which makes that transcendent joy above 't is a man whose minde runs upon God as you
as any piece of the foundation can be found A ruinous state is not affected with it selfe but with utter ruine if it can keepe off there 't is well A ruin'd soule can beare ruins al that is dreaded is desolation Hell surely there is much or Hell in this heart already he doth so onely feare Hell and as long as hee keepes on thus 't wil increase Scratching is nothing wounding nothing bleeding nothing if it can be stay'd ere all be out All bad to day worse to morrow all the reliefe that keepes up is I hope not starke naught I hope so too but surely this is onward a pace to it All will be better though little or nothing done to better what 's amisse this is a second principle demonstrative of a state ruinous A ruinous soule is idle his industry lies in shifts to evade not in care to amend Times will turne and be better though the heart keepe on as it was and the man in his old pace Something is in the view of sense and this strongly cleaved to what tender hearts feare is but feare he believes stil what is neare hand and shapd by the lasie fancy a ruin'd soule is sensuall as long as he can see or feele he is never without hope though lust every houre baffle his light and make a knowing man an evil doer a man of light a walker in darkenesse What a state is this can any condition come worse then this which this man is in He can thinke of no bleeding and yet his soule has scarce a drop of good bloud left of no misery and yet scarce any can be more miserable then hee is already good still in his own eye and yet stil bad and does nothing to amend The punishment of neglect is upon this man when troubles were far of hee did nothing to prepare for them now they are neare he is left to apprehend none Justice is in this that the man may eate the fruit of his way A ruinous soule growes stil more ruinous Justice hides opportunites or denies stirrings to take them for abuse of so many that she may take folly naked with a stinging rod. Things are better with me yet then with such a one A ruinous soule compares himselfe with more ruinous bad with worse which is the way to be starke naught One would thinke it sad reliefe to a Leper to heare him say I am not so al over Leprous yet as such a one when t is natural to the disease to rise to this upon every one One would think it sad reliefe for a man to say to himselfe such a one is going to Hell a little faster then I. A ruinous soule is base he maks base and not noble spirits his patterne that he may keep on his way to serve his lust He goes as neare a down right worlding a downe right time server as hee can there is so much income to accomodate an engaged heart this way over there is in nobility of spirit A ruinous soule is a dunghil kept from stinking in every ones nostrils and that 's all When hee begins to smel strong the shift is smel to such a one he does this and that A ruinous soule lives within the confines of Hell to gaine Earth 't is a piece much below his allowance hee wil be judged with the World in this life hee wil have a Hell here scarce bee saved seeme to come short of eternal rest hee wil be saved by fire A fiery salvatioÌ„ an hellish heaven wil be to this man he wil be dragged by the heeles out of his basenesse Having given these principles of discovery attend to your charge I charge you ruined and ruinous soules with al the ruines of England Ye desolate soules yee have desolated a glorious Land the cry of bloud and desolation is against you what do you do to discharge your selves yee ruined do you stiâ—l lie weltering in your bloud to procure more bloud yee ruinous do yee meane to continue cold luke-warme and base still till God spues us out all the bloud of all be upon you I wash my hands from the bloud of every base soule Know that you have a seasonable word your misery sleeps not which have made so many miserable by your basenesse If you plead you would be better if you could why God can make you better Your wil is your worst piece and you thinke 't is the best You have no minde to be better because to be better wil not so wel serve your turne Had you had a wil to be better could you have rub'd along so base til now that judgement states you in the Face Creating and making power hath but three hinderances 1. Vnbeliefe 2. Frowardnesse 3. Besottednesse it never failes else to make any man meete to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light Creating power workes in order to believing as a man credits Christ so hee puts forth power to cast out Devils Christ wil have the honour of judgement ere he wil make towards a man Judge highly and honorably of Christ and he wil visit you and shew you what an arme hee hath and how possible your state is to him If you judge that he can make you cleane he wil honour your judgement and fulfill your Faith Christ wil be to you in action what you make him in apprehension not a dram of your faith shall faile you If you believe that he can remove mountaines he wil do it that he can create a new heart hee wil do it Your faith puts you into a capacity of a Creation Creation puts you into a capacity of any thing what can be wanting to him that stands under the blessing of a creating power Creating power workes in order to submission Stubbornnesse gets nothing at Christs hands but blowes A man must lay his soule at Christs Feete and let him doe with it what he wil that would be made happy by him Pride is resisted a pitifull condition must be pitifully layd open and then bowels beate Son of David have mercy upon me and then saith Christ what wilt thou Any thing now Finally creating power workes in order to sense A besotted soule abides so he is what he is in conceit hee dies so good opinion keepes him bad leaves him so to death The rich need nothing they have nothing to make them better They have all what needs a Creation making power is put forth upon extreamity sharpe sense men and brethren what shall I do Now Christ bestirres himselfe and does something indeed to make a miserable Creature happy partaker of an inheritance The riches of the Saints is in this point I will touch this and conclude Your mercies do not generate Generation kils it caries away so much of the strength of the reines they are created created power is omnipotent everlasting so it makes Christians mercies Generatio est limitatio fertur ad quoddam tale ad individuum tale Generation speakes
the man made meete and fit to be partaker of an inheritance with the wicked in darkenesse Grace hath its finishing too Christ is a thorough workeman hee doth throughly purge his floore and so takes Wheat into his barne Hee doth not take Wheat of his floore any way carelessely but curiously purgedly purgedly throughly till it be fit to make fine bread for his owne Table above There is washing and washing throughly wash me throughly from mine iniquity saith David Through washing onely makes white and fit for Heaven So there is making and making fit age and full age fit age for the inheritance and then the inheritance Who hath made us fit for the inheritance c. Perfection gives up to perfection no abortives inherit Things have their time their use then the fruition of their end Nature goes out her time to make fit for us grace goes out her time to make us fit for God Our Heaven here beares upon the fitnesse of eâ—ery thing 〈◊〉 us our 〈◊〉 â—…en 〈◊〉 â—…ter 〈◊〉 upon the â—â—tnesse of eâ—â—â—y person 〈◊〉 Apples grow and they grow so long till so big so yellow so rud and then we gather them Grace growes and growes so long to such a height depth breadth and then is a Christian gathered as ripe fruit fit for the Lord. A Christian lives so many dayes and waites the working of so many things and then his change comes from the working of all things here to the bosome of God and there rests Like things bosome one in another the more like the nearer still they draw to one another Homogenea which are quite like as Gold and Gold upon advantage of heat run quite one into another incorporate and become one body The way and worke of Christ is to make full similitude betweene man and God and when this is done sets them in one anothers bosome for ever Truth rises when the Image of God is full drawne then is the piece removed and set in Gods dyning roome Christ sets â—o raw draughts in his up-roome hee 〈◊〉 every piece its complement that every piece may give its place ' its full ornament wherein lies a great part of Heaven We are transformed and by transformation wee passe from glory to glory from the glory of one measure to the glory of a greater from the glory of a greater to the glory of the greatest measure which is all glory the inheritance here spoken of which lies in light in all glory Our fitnesse to Heaven is our similitude to Christ our similitude to Christ is the successe of sureame powers Long and strong working so much is sounded here in these termes of the Text. who hath made us c. i Who by much paines and long labor hath made us like Christ and so fit to live for ever with him Christ workes here below as a very generall knowing agent Hee knowes what will suite and serve here and what will suite and serve above He knowes the language they speake above and their Idiome in that language the habit they weare above and the fashion exactly He was made for us the good spy of that Canaan to come he knowes all He has a true light and hee is true to it hee knowes the Law of the Land above and workes and fits according to it hee suites inhabitants to that holy Land Christs motion in man is according to the Will of God hee workes by rule the Law of the Country is his rule which is this Without holinesse no man shall see God because without this none fit for God Christ is true to this Law and true to his light he will damne any man rather then he shall transgresse this rule and breake into Heaven as unfit Without his qualification no man shall see God that is without such holinesse as renders fit for such a holy place and such a holy God Christ moves as a very curious agent he drawes out Heaven in Earth and then is Earth fit for Heaven He drawes out first in dust small lines of that purity which is above and when face comes to answer to face then are they brought to kisse each other to inherit each other grace Heaven and Heaven grace made not to be distinguished nor separated no more because made so like one another and so fit for one another Things in nature have their resemblance in art What growes naturally above is first made grow against nature here by supreame power and then transplanted Christ is a very curious Artist hee will draw out any thing in any thing hee will draw to the life thinges above in thinges here below the noblest thinges above in the basest things here below in man which is the worst piece here below to draw out any Heavenly thing in hee can reach the exactest patterne and render them the one fit to the other though his materialls to worke upon be very bad to make worke with None worse then Gentiles and yet these here mention'd as made fit for Heaven Christ moves as a very sufficient agent the propriety of the word in my Text carries me to this who hath made us fit or sufficient The exactest condition that the exactest place or person can require Christ can performe it Himselfe is our sufficiency for Heaven and what place so high so noble that he is not sufficient for He moves Modo devolvendi seipsum nobis by way of devolution of himselfe upon us which makes absolute sufficiency and full capacity of all above if there were more blessednesse there then there is Hee is the Lord our Righteousnesse What he is as Christ what hee is as Jesus what he is as Prophet Priest King he is ours he makes it ours actu transferendi and it goes above as ours Who hath made us sufficient i in Himselfe in his own sufficiency which is absolute sufficiency Who hath made us fit there is a double fitnâ—sse to be understood in this terme A fitnesse to Christ and a fitnesse in Christ these may be distinguished but not separated Christ first pleaseth his own eye in us and then pleaseth his Fathers eye concerning us in himselfe hee fulfills his own will in our sanctification and then fulfils his Fathers will in our justification this makes absolute fitnesse and sufficiency for Heaven Our fitnesse to Christ is but disposing Heaven-ward our fitnesse in him is compleating and absoluteing for it One act doth both these faith fits to Christ and leaves the soule fit in Christ for his inheritance and this the worke of God a piece of the Creation here mentioned Who â—ath made us sufficient i absolutly sufficient Christ moves as an unwearied agent let the piece be never so knotty he never leaves working till it be fit sufficiently fit for the stateliest building Christ workes quoad principium externum quoad principium internum according to an externall principle and according to an internall principle which never tires he workes according to office and according to
whether Christ will put in and beg the mans life here lies the case and depends wholly upon Christs Will What fellowship your soules have with God I know not whether God say any thing or nothing whether instruction with strong hand be come to instruction with weake hand by reason of your strong lusts whether your instruction with weake hand be not come to instruction with no hand but bare blows for your basenesse whether all whisperings be not layd aside and whispering turn'd into whipping this would be lookt well into for it speaks very ominously for eternity Love or hatred cannot be guessed at by things without but by Gods dealings within they may shrewedly be guessed at Profanatio 3. Profanenesse is a third property of a man fitted to wrath Profanenesse is the badge of an Esau wickednesse speaks out a cursed soule To what Country a man belongs you may understand by his language whether to Spaine France or the like Hell hath its openings as Heaven hath when Hell opens in a mans mouth what needs any further enquity what Country man Sir To what place do you belong A man moulded and shaped for wrath may be read in his face Death though it cease within yet it shew it selfe in the very superficies without You have such a common speech One may see Death in that mans face A mans life is in reference to his eternall estate as his face is in reference to his temporall 't is Index â—nimi index futuri index aeterni A mans life foretells his end What course any man leads broadly speakes what such a man is what he will be for felicity or misery An a man be in the broad-way he may prophesie where 't will end and to what inheritance he shall come whether to light or darknesse I know not what lives you lead Christ do's and you should Let them be led how they will you may spell Heaven or Hell out of them Life is but an expression of the frame of the spirit 't is but motion according to such wheeles and such a spring within If you will know of what frame or what make your soules are and to what fitted view your lives Your soules breath out themselves in your lives and they breath out themselves in the bosome of God or the devill into whose bosome you breath your soules in life into that bosome you will certainly breath them in death As you find your state now move To fit for Heaven is no trifle your eternall estate depends upon 't To fit for Heaven is not arbitrary you cannot come there without it To fit for Heaven is not easy the making power of God must go to it Sinners why do you put of this worke as a trifle And why do you put it of till death That man would never be holy if he could shift it that will not be holy till he dy He would never have to do with Christ if he could shun him that will not seek aquaintance with him till he must leave leave this Word When death is fitting the soule for Hell then the soule sets about to fit it selfe for Heaven Ah Lord that ever this man had a soule that damnes it himselfe Wrath doth usually crosse and curse this folly men are surprised in body or surpris'd in soule no strength or no heart and so dy in their sinne Fitting grace for Heaven hath its means hath its season hath its course and then hath its blessed end I will touch these a little ' T'ath its meanes Will you be fitted for Heaven yee wicked soules and use no means 'T is common to the worst man to cast their soules upon a miracle for salvation and not upon means God fits by his word they 'l heare none God fits by Prayer they 'l use none God fits by his People and they care for none holy Ordinances sleighted and yet the holy-Land promised Ah Lord Are not these soules mad to conclude the end and exclude the means These men will dy in presumption or else I dare dy for them 'T 'as its season Earthen Vessels have their season for molding and shapeing to such a forme and to such an use All times of the yeare are not seasonable for such a purpose Salvation hath its day the Sun stands not still 't is comming towards a man for so many houres and then goes away from him as fast Fitting seasons for Heaven are transient sleighted and eternally hid from a mans eyes O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. But now they are hid Love passions are strong but no fire cooles so fast as this when abused nor so hard to be kindled again when out God knocks and if no opening away to others that will He comes to a mans house and proclaimes peace if peace be not regarded he departs with a witnesse leaves the dust of his feet behinde him to testify what a base Earthy heart 't was that rejected him Fitting grace for Heaven hath its course Physick has its course to fit the body for health malignities are not carried away presently Bad spirits abounding râ—quire sweating and sweating again The great Physitian hath his course prescription upon prescription line upon line All is not done of an houre to make the soule fit for blessednesse for ever Grace conflicts with corruption long ere it can get â—he victory and render the soule fit for Heaven Some sinners will never be fit for Heaven because they cannot beare a fitting course Sorrow for sin spending the paine of conscience killing bleeding til binding up from Christ comes utterly consuming not to be thought of if these men can fit themselves for Heaven 't is wel they will never be made fit by Christ they are so idle headed and wilfull harted Finally after grace hath had its fitting course then it has the fruition of its end a fit soule expires into Heaven the soule fit for Heaven stayes not long thence The spirit say's come when fit the Bride say's come when fit a fitted soule for Heaven is a panting soule for Heaven and Christ a panting husband for this Spouse Grace hath its distinct property at every height when at full height and fit to be dissolved it desires dissolution and dissolution is granted as a medium to its ultimate forme which makes the perfection of a thing A Chrâ—stian is perfect when fit for Heaven his Grace is perfect when in Heaven Christians I have something to say to you from this Point and then I give it up and get gon 'T is many a good soules panting often O that J were fit For Heaven Why Christ makes so He workes at such a height as at which thy heart bends The bending of thy heart to such a height in Grace is a prevenient disposition to it 't is the worke thou wouldest begun and well on-ward to finishing Such a panting soule will be fit for Heaven and caught up into Heaven ere hee 's aware When the Soule is
pitched upon such a Noble height Christ hath taken it into his Hand to make it so high Strong desires are glimmerings of Sunne-rising I would have no Soule sad that pants after much grace Certainly the Sunne is risen very high in this Soule already 't will be at the Meridian apace Heaven is not farre off that soule which longs to be fit for it When Christ once began to pray Father glorify mee with thine one Selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the World was glory though so great was not farre off When the poore man would believe the spirit of Faith was neare and the next words are Faith and no more words of unbeliefe If thou canst do this if thou canst doe that heard There is no designe to become fit for Heaven like bringing a mans soule into a passion this way Divine passion makes strong compassion Christ does not quench smoaking Flax does hee quench flaming flax Panting to be fit to live in Heaven where so much holinesse is to live in the presence of God who is all holinesse this is flaming Flax. The fire goes as high as Heaven Heaven will open wide to such a Heavenly heart The Soule would have a sute to weare in the Country which will serve at Court a sute on Earth which will become it in Heaven this is flaming Fax Grace is never checked in its groweth by God but embraced most when it ascends highest God meetes a Prodigall and kisses him doth he not meete a deare child which is almost come quite home to his Fathers House and kisse and feast him A Soule that pants to be fit for Heaven is crope up to Heaven doore certainely CHRIST will welcome this Soule and let him into his desire Thou pantest to be made fit for Heaven why thou art fit Who hath made us fit c. These are said to be fit for Heaven by the Apostle and yet pray'd for by him as yet wanting much grace There 's a Fundamentall fitnesse and a complementall fitnesse for Heaven The lowest dram of true grace gives a fundamentall fitnesse for Heaven A weake hand of Faith on Christ will save a man from drowning a sparke of fire will ascend to Heaven as truely as a flame though not so strongly That there is any sparke in the soule to byasse it Heaven-ward wee should blesse God and blow the sparke by Prayer this is the way to have more A complementall fitnesse is when there is a double Testimony that all is ours from Gods spirit and our own when the soule is sealed with this double seale to the day of Redemption When Faith is strong love strong experience much joy much unspeakeable and full of glory then is the soule complementally fit i fully fit for glory This should be striven unto because it makes large entrance but the soule should not torture it selfe that it cannot with any paines yet attaine so high Some have Heaven here such are fit for Heaven in deede as carry Heaven still about with them 't is but out of one Heaven into another with these Others are made fit for Heaven in hell and come as out of hell to heaven and yet this is great mercy too and every poore low grac'd soule should say so Let these things settle weake soules banish bad objections and make your fitnesse for Heaven in that measure which it is your consolation in these miserable times Swords Guns Weapons of Warre may Wound Lame and unfit you for Earth but let this comfort you you are still fit for Heaven Lame Legs cut Armes bleeding bodies and holy soules will goe to Heaven well enough poore blind lame halt are most the guests that come there Christ had bloudy usage from base Wretches as wee have now speares thrust in his sides deepe wounds so deepe as to let out all his bloud and yet not any of his fitnesse for Heaven Should be enough to us all in these bad times that a mansion is prepared for us and we for it where all losse will be turned into gaine where lost Legs and lost Armes and lost estates will meete their right owners againe and glory in over and above FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light TO be partakers of the inheritance c. Thus read 't is interpretation not strict translation yet possibly I may make issue both wayes for your sakes both as you reade it and as 't is to be read in the originall The Text verbatim runs thus fit to a part or portion of a lot of Saints in light 'T is phrased in allusion to Canaan where the people of GOD had their part and portion and this by lot by an immediate providence and by no humane art by the speciall blessing and disposing hand of God and by no merit or means of their own The phrase notes top favors gallant mercies dispensations full of love all love all love to all eternity Doct. The highest mercies are communicable Heaven all that is in Heaven distributive distributive to men like our selves Partakers of the inheritance Love is bountifull shee gives all Participatio sacra est communicatio totius mercy empties her selfe upon her children she empties her pockets she empties closets Cabinets Jewells of price Jewells of glory of eternall glory are given away to her favorites Having given us Christ will hee not with him give us all things Love gives all Christ and all that Christ hath The Apostle argues a maiori ad minus Christ is a greater gift then Heaven and yet he is made communicable and communicable to man to us therefore no marvell that Heaven is Having given us Christ c. Love will make her heart bloud communicable which is more then making heart Jewells communicable Christs giving of himselfe is more then giving any thing without himselfe more then the giving of Heaven and Earth to man Heaven is not noted in Scripture as the height of Christs love but himselfe what himselfe is and what he puts himselfe unto His owne selfe bare our sinnes on his body c. 1 Peter 2.24 And to be with Christ is best of all 'T is not sayd to be in heaven is best of all Abrahams bosome is but alluding to the felicity that is where Christ unbosomes himselfe to Saints The accent of love is fastened upon Christ himselfe and not upon any thing else Christ himselfe is still noted as a greater communication of love then Heaven or Earth or any thing besides him Love opens her purse to her beloved yea she opens her bosome and sets her beloved there Heaven is in Christs bosome Communicatio sacra est ad demōstrandum-Communicantem and Christ opens this to his he makes this communicable Partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred Communication is to make suitable demonstration of infinite love Great love is not
suitabley expressed by small things * Magna parvis minima exprimuntur Springs make Chanells Streames Rivers suitable to their strength they make their rent without suitable to their bubling within under ground Heaven is but a suitable expression of the love of a God 't is but a streame suitable to such a fountaine but beames suitable to such a Sun Heaven is but legible writing out of infinite love Were not heaven made communicable infinite love would be but halfe expressed 't would have no sutable demonstration 't would be far more in it selfe then knowne to us 'T is with Christ here in this World as 't is with a Christian a Christians fortune here doth not suite his titles called a King and has nothing Now are we the Suns of God but does not appeare what wee shall be Why we shall be but the Sons of God his meaning is that now title and revenew do not agree nothing in possession that speaks out the Son of a God the Son of a King state and title do not fitly and fully expresse one another so 't is with Christ now his love and his expression of it are short one of another many expressions of love are made here but they all expresse it but brokenly heaven will speake out an infinite love 't will demonstrate it to the life to all the senses at once which is such a demonstration of a thing as here man cannot make of any thing There a man shall have the advantage of all senses together to fathome infinite love he shall heare it see it taste it c. He shall see the fountaine where and how it riseth the Ocean how vast it spreads and how broad it beares Christ demonstrates infinite love fully fitly therfore is heaven made communicable to poore Earthen creatures partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred participation is to make soule satisfaction Communicatio est ad implendum subjectum cui communicatur Every thing lesse then heaven is too title to satisfy the soule All is vanity c. Put all things on this side heaven together and all is empty i in reference to the vast partaking spirit of man it swallows and swallows the whole Creation and makes nothing of all participation of Earth of all the Earth will not satisfy heaven must come in too or else the soule like the Dove remaines utterly restles and crys like the grave gâ—ve gâ—ve There is excesse in the Creature but not proper filling Bee not drunken with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit 't is one spirit that filleth another Abundance of Earthly things may make excesse and turne the soule into sinne but participation of fulnesse in God is that which gives the soule its felicity in it selfe and this is in Heaven Absolute fulnesse is in heaven and this maketh absolute content therefore is our participation here still reaching after more then can be had here All that is dispensed in way of inferior ordinance makes but tasting and longing does but put on appetite to a full meale Heaven is Gods supreme ordinance to give the soule satisfaction * Participando Other ordinances bring in the soule but drops and therefore it still thirsts this supreame ordinance brings in the Ocean the soule in this ordinance is swallowed up * T is Gods letting forth of al to things without him it can breath nothing but blessing as seeing feeling hearing tasting nothing else Sacred participation is made according to Christ s will Communicatio est ad placitum communicantis The pleasure of the King is that we should sit at his Table that we should dip our morsels in the same dish with him eat as he does drinke as he does weare and fare to all eternity as he doth Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where J am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me Iohn 17.24 Christ would not be in heaven alone to eate his morsels alone his pleasure is in choice company though not in any J will that those which thou hast given be with mee The pleasure of Christ is the spring of favors as high as this rises a Christian rises necessarily The naturall Son may have what he will for the adopted Sons the Will of Christ is the rule of Communication all is his to make gifts to his favorites as great as he will These have continued with me in my temptation these shall sit on Thrones the pleasure of Christ Thrones us heaven's us Heaven riseth out of Christs breast It comes out of the belly of divine will Participation is to suite will will is infinite vast therefore is Heaven communicable Great persons do great things to satisfy their will Participation is proportion'd to promise no lesse then the Land flowing with milke and honey is promised Communication is according to obligation Heaven is but little enough to fulfill truth to pay debts Christ hath beene so free of his promise that all he has will but make it good and render him just He hath engaged his own honor his own inheritance all below yea all that he has above upon poore terms but upon our service which is more disservice more sinne then service at best If any man serve me let him follow mee and where I am there shall my servant be Iohn 12.26 We are by promise to have as much wages as Christ to receive as great pay though not in so great command and though but common Souldiers and he a Captaine yet all that serve under him are to have as he has a house full of silver and gold yea a house not made with hands a very vast house a house full a heaven full of Jewells Communication is according unto obligation debts must be payd although never so great Mercy never dies in debt to justice every man shall partake of as much as fit for and promised to him although Christ himself hath no more Communication is according to instigation sometimes Participation is proportioned sometimes according to merit Gods giving is according to Christs deserving not according to ours the best of us should partake of hell and not of heaven if we had our deserts Heaven is great and yet lesse then Christs merit and therefore God himselfe is proposed as a Saints portion and Christs purchase The Lord is my portion he doth not say heaven The Lord which made heaven and can make more heavens yea is more then all heavens upon a glote of whose eye upon a cast of whose countenance stands heaven and hell he is my portion He is so in whom why in Christ by his merit Participation is proportioned to merit merit is vast it challenges heaven more God himselfe Christs merit makes God ours the holy Ghost ours what God is in himselfe ours which is the heaven of heavens that which makes heaven heaven Christs bloud is of more worth then heaven it
hold your sin Communicatio universalis Heaven is universally communicable from East West North South many come and sit downe in the Kingdome of Heaven Strangers may dwell in the holy Land Gentiles aswell as Jewes Of all Nations kindreds tongues may live together above and be spoken unto in their owne language yea understand one another plainly Variety of language excludes not heaven confounds not heaven All above are intuitively understanding men are as the Angels of God in the Resurrection Oh every one that thrists come in that 's the bill that is set upon Heaven doore did yee never stand still and reade it sinners Heaven gate is open to all that knock but fooles foolish Virgins foolish soules which have nothing in them nor will have nothing in them to render them fit for heaven There is Rahab the Harlot There is Manasseh that murtherer there is the Thiefe there is Mary that had so many Devills A man that hath many Devills may come where there is not one The most devillish hellish creature may be made partaker of Heaven Lame and Blind and Halt may come in there and yet still there is roome 'T is don as thou hast commanded said the servant that was sent out to invite all sorts and yet there is roome Luke 14.22 There is great variety of guests above and yet one Table large enough for all no crowding and yet thousands thousands of thousands sitting together Heaven is a vast continent much of the holy Land not yet planted many mansions above without any Inhabitant Heaven is universally communicable and universally fit and compleate so to be All may sit round and looke the Sun full in the face and he them That which is so proposed to all and so fit for all how will it doubly damne all that come short of it You will be jugded as lovers of hell more then lovers of Heaven which come short of it As lovers of darknesse more then light As lovers of sinne more then the eternall felicity of your soules upon this very ground that grace and Heaven are so generally communicable Light is come into the World saith Christ And the world regardeth it not This is the condemnotion of the World A World of men might be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and will not this will make hell hell indeed condemnation the condemnation because men will not go thither though no exception 'T is desperate to make exceptions where God makes none to exclude a mans selfe when God doth not Finally communicantio durabils Heaven is durably communicable I cannot say it is perpetually communicable The everlasting doores stand not open everlastingly But yet a great while The Thiefe found them open at the last houre of his life A sinner may come in at the ninth and last houre and have his pay A sinner of a hundred yeares old may get into Heaven I doubt there be but few gray-headed sinners turne in there yet it is not long of the place Heaven doores are open till old Age onely old folkes are wilfull which is excluding God is long suffering all that while Heaven doores are open The long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah saith the Apostle Peter A hundred and twenty yeares Heaven stood open to that people God makes the greatest mercies waite upon the greatest sinners a greate while which is one of the greatest wonders in the World If you have a mind give great things you have no mind to wait to doe it yet so doth God He waites to be gracious The Sun is made to stand still many houres many dayes many yeares Salvation brought to mens houses Parishes yea to mens eares and there sounding and knocking seven yeares ten yeares twenty yeares And all the intreaty is Will yee goe to Heaven sinners Will yee goe to Heaven Will you be made partakers of the inheritance of Saints God is not a bare giver of Heaven but a woer for Heaven he does reconcile and beseech to reconciliation he doth knock and stand at the doore and knock till his lockes be wet with the dew of the night He stretches out his hand with Heaven in it and doth so all the day long To Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out mine hand to a disobedient and gainesaying People Rom. 10.21 Heaven made to waite upon earth base earth wicked earth what will this come to if not looked to If heaven not participated of at last What a hell will he have which hath had heaven at his doore many yeares together and had no heart to enter into it But you will say no body is so carelesse Every one surely is willing to goe to Heaven One would thinke so But yet 't is not so 'T is easy to demonstrate that multitudes have no heart to goe to Heaven They will part with nothing for it Sinne is worse then nothing and yet Sinners will not part with this for Heaven Have they any heart to Heaven then Christ makes an underprizing of a thing a demonstration of no love nor heart to that thing so prized If you thinke good give me my price if not forbeare So they weighed for my price thirty pieces Cast it to the Potter saith God A goodly price Underprizing and undervaluing a thing speakes out properly and plainly no will to that thing Will swayes that way which 't is willing Love bids according to worth Shee comes to Christs price for Christ and glad shee can have him so too If you thinke good give mee my price c. A mans owne price is no price base bidding for Heaven argues no heart to it such a wretch is cast to the Potter cast to hell to be torne to pieces as a vessell in which there is no pleasure If underprice argues no heart what does no price 'T is many a sinners damnable case hee 'le part with no sin for Christ nor Heaven could Christ and heaven be much more worth then they are Part with no sin doe no duty waite no time 'T will be a hell to this man to goe to Heaven A man that will not part with his sinnes to be partaker of Heaven is more willing to goe to hell then to Heaven sinne hath got his heart he should lose his Heaven to goe to Heaven A sinners owne heaven is dearer to him then Christ he will venture the losse of one rather then lose the other They will performe no duty for Heaven Action speakes out affection To what a man hath a heart he hath a hand a head a foote heart commands all The will is Major Generall orders all to move as she will Where there is no foote towards Heaven no hand towards Heaven nor bending that way Is the heart towards Heaven From your lives you will be condemned yee speake out your hearts and yet you plead for them you have set your way you will goe and yet upon pretend you are bound in
spirit for Heaven Perversenesse is in your pathes and yet you plead for your will Sinners observe that speech of Christ If any man will be my Disciple let him denie himselfe and follow me Christ makes deed to demonstrate will if a man be willing to be Christs companion and scholler he will follow Christ yea hee will take up his Crosse i goe through any difficulty to enjoy his fellowship What will is indeed to the end it is to the meanes 'T is idle talke fancy and dreames not will to a thing that will use no meanes Yee tell me yee are willing to be made partakers of the inheritance above what doe you doe to be made partakers Doe you walke in the way which leads to Heaven Are you not in life according to your lusts In your course according to your company Unto divine duty according to your humour Does not will rule truth and not truth your will Let persons convinced be instructed Ye cannot be partakers of the Cup of the Lord and of Devills saith the Apostle so say I ye cannot be made partakers of Heaven and keepe on in the way to hell you must first be made partakers of the Heavenly calling as the Apostle calls it ere yee can be made partakers of Heaven it selfe Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling c. Heb. 3.1 That is a calling to Heavenlinesse Heaven must begin here Christ must rule all and be made all here as he is above A Heavenly calling speakes three things A heavenly rule a heavenly subject and then a heavenly end I am the way That 's a heavenly rule Not I live But Christ lives in me That 's a Heavenly Subject I have fought a good fight henceforth is laid up for mee a Crowne of Righteousnesse that 's a heavenly end The two former are subordinate to this latter Christ must be without a man and within a man or that man will never come to Heaven He must be all without and all within he onely must be the way I am the way And he only must live in the heart to guide this way yet not I but Christ lives in me The Word of God and the Spirit of God must meete in the life of man or that life will end in death in hell not in Heaven A heavenly rule and a heavenly heart lead to Heaven Few Christians lives are cleerely Christian Christ is our sanctification as he is our justification he is our life here aswell as our life hereafter hee must be made so by every soule and then all will goe well at last Heaven is a Crowne of Righteousnesse not of our Righteousnesse but of Christs His spirit must rule all his merit must be leaned upon for all this soule will certainly be made partaker of all Christians should be comforted from this point All the wealth of Christ is communicable Heaven communicable communicable to you to Saints The complaints of Gods people are many this point answers all My losses are great sayes one so sayes an other Will not Heaven make them up Thou hast neither money nor goods Thieves and Plunderers have stole all Hast thou not treasure laid up in Heaven where no spoile can be made In cases of persecution Christ teaches us to comfort our selves with Heaven how all is doubly made up there When men persecute and revile you rejoyce and be exceeding glad c. Upon what ground Why Upon this great is your reward in Heaven Losse hath its quantity 'T is great that makes it so heavy reward hath its quantity too Great is your reward in Heaven If a man had lost a Kingdome on earth Is not the Kingdome of Heaven responsible If a man had lost all this World Is not the World to come as good as this Is not Heaven as big as Earth As good as Earth Asmuch good As lastingly good Will not your Heaven above be as sweet as your hell here is bitter â—uppose there be nothing above but Christ to make up al thy losse here below is not he enough Canst thou not comfort thy selfe in Christ alone What a soule hast thou 'T was high time thou diddest lose thy treasure here 't was thy God Thou wouldest otherwise have lost thy soule Obj. And 't were but for my selfe I could be contented whatsoever I underwent But I have wife and children and no Bread to put in their hâ—nds nor no clothes to put on their backs this makes my heart sinkes within and I doe not know how to keep it up Sol. Are thy children fit to be partakers of Heaven If so let that comfort thee that they are in a capable condition though temporally miserable to be eternally happy Say to thy sinking soule there is a house above big enough to hold me and all mine and the owner is kind to strangers There is bread enough clothing enough for me and all mine Thou art but stript before quite dead death would have stript thee of all if Cavaliers had not Naked thou camest into this World and naked thou shalt returne Thou maist goe to Heaven stark naked without money without clothes All things are naked and bare before Christ that 's the manner of all going hence thou art put in a posture to goe to Heaven they goe stript of all here below to that felicity above Thou hast nothing now thou art fit for all nothing of earth now Heaven would be welcome Thou hast no home here now thy long-home above O! How sweete would it be Why It may be it will not be long ere thou be there Be still 't is God things wil end wel if Heaven wil make it so Ob. Yea but mine are not such yet as concerning whom I can thus relieve my selfe that they will be partakers of eternall felicity when this miserable life ends Sol. Doe thy duty to bring them to be such thou hast now time and leisure now all is gone What else shouldest thou doe now but give all diligence to make up a felicity for thee and thine where it may be seeing all is gone here Time was thou diddest pretend multitude of businesses and great imployment in thy calling that thou couldest not discharge this and that duty in thy family for the eternall good of servants and children as thou wouldest why Now thou hast nothing to doe God hath removed that let let 's see now how heavenly thou wilt be in the discharge of the divine duty 'T will lie heavy upon thee indeed to see thy children lie in bodily misery and yet still goe on to doe nothing to deliver them out of soule-misery If God stir up thy heart by this to doe thy duty throughly for the soule-good of thine thy misery may prove blessed misery to thee and thine This will be thy comfort at giving up that thou hast discharged thy duty to make a miserable condition blessed But if successe suite thy industry thy miserable children are made indeed This may cheer thee under sad
thoughts I can leave my children no earth but I can leave my children Heaven I cannot leave my children this hilly Country nor that neither the blessing of hils nor vallies here but I can leave them the blessing of the everlasting Hills as the expression is of Josephs blessing Heaven was eyed in that expression I conclude all thus we are under age here hardship is fit for us and ours Such heires must comfort themselves with what they shal have You which are partakers of the divine nature shall be partakers of more felicity then the tongue of men and Angels can expresse and yours for your sakes will be blessed below when you are so blessed above FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Giving thankes unto the Father which hath made us fit to the part of the Lot of Saints in light THE greatest favours come most immediate to us Eternall mercies fall as a Lot in our lap no art no medium no merit Gods own finger points them to persons to such and not to such Who hath made us fit to the Lot of Saints Doct. Providence hath a mediate and an immediate course to give out favours to man This that expression of the wise man gives us House and riches are the inheritance of fathers but a prudent wife saith he is of a higher descent is from the Lord. The mercy is higher and therefore disposed by a more immediate and speciall providence As things rise in the Nobility of their owne nature so they rise in the manner of their birth and bringing forth to us Grace and glory are simply and absolutly the noblest natur'd things and these in the noblest way descend upon us by a very immediate disposing hand of God like a Lot Things are of a double descent There is mans off-spring and Gods off-spring wee are his off-spring saith the Apostle The noblest things are onely Gods off-spring the great things of eternity come onely out of the wombe of a God Heaven comes forth from betweene his 〈◊〉 Some things come down along in such a line to us through so many wombes through so many hands into our hands Heaven comes out but of one wombe but that wombe as blessed as God from Gods immediate hand by providence not to be explained just as a Lot the Lot of Saints c. Some things have succession others have none Melchisedeck neither father nor mother The great'st favours come all so into the World neither father nor mother but God Out of nothing came al from nothing comes al stil to the Saints heaven which is a Saints al from nothing but from Heaven From what house doth that great house descend upon us to be ours From what progenitors but Christ Is it not disposed to such and such secretly wonderfully by a hand and power unknowne to all the World Upon Christs vesture they did cast Lots and as that fell so the vesture went by a supreme hand onely Heaven is Christs vesture the Sons best garment his robe of state and glory and this goes by Lot too t is put upon the back of none by any art of their owne but by a power supreme by that hand which disposeth Lots which none sees so all the Saints get their greatnesse The lot of the Saints c. As power did create so providence doth dispose A very unknowne creation had the Heaven of Heavens * Above speculation therefore not subjected to it wisdome would nor dazell weake eyes The Angels and all the state and glory of that brave World to come Doe you finde any piece of that stately building above so much as once expressely mentioned in the dayes of Creation T is disposed as 't was created in a very close way as a Lot by such a power and providence as no Ceature can explaine or peep into This World was made by an immediate hand but that above after a more close more entire and more supreme way i utterly without all hint to be guessed at So this World is disposed of by a providence of God but by a providence working very externally and very humanely i al-along in such and such humane and secular wayes as usually knowne unto us But that glorious World above is disposed by such a providence as workes very internally very hiddenly in utter unlikely meanes and in these moves utterly out of our sight and reach just as that hand and those fingers doe which dispose into your bosome such a Lot of great treasure Some motion is peculiar for state Kings give low things by Offices and take no notice of them themselves what they are nor to whom they goe But other things of a more noble nature they give with their own mouth and with their own hand such and such noble things to such and such noble persons Heaven is nobility confer'd with Gods own hand 'T is the best robe put upon the Prodidall by the hand of his Father and none else 'T is lame Mephibosheth advanced by word of mouth from David himselfe as a piece of the state of his greatnesse to which God had raised him and as a high point of love The more immeditate things come out of one friends hand into another the more they speake out love and render parties honorable I did it for him with my own hand you have such a common expression when you would worke your respect with such and such to a great height The King gives a Jewell and he gives it with his owne hand his love and honor doublely sparkle in such a Jewel every time 't is look 't upon Heaven is a Jewell hanged about our neck by Gods owne hand God makes a rich portion and as it were rolles it up in a Lot and with his owne hand without any art of man casts it into our lap the lot of Saints Some motion is peculiar for complement 'T is a filling up of Love to give and to give with a mans owne hand to give an onely son and the father to do it with his hand onely this is Love to admiration love filled up to the brim God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Sonne Some persons give as if they would give themselves too if they knew how that makes the gift mighty big yee shall have gift and hand and al words and armes and all A gift fully circumstanced with love is a double gift Heaven given and cast into our lap with Gods owne hand is a double Heaven A Lot in a good ground and to fall there Heaven and to fal as out of Heaven that 's two Heavens Gods love motions are fully circumstanced with love the Sun wants not a beame to give forth its glory Heaven comes from God to the soule as the soule it selfe came from God the soule and the felicity of the soule both breathed from Gods own mouth Some motion is pecular for Echo * A trumpet is soūded so and
at such a place for echo Some things are done so and so to suite and joynt to others The holy Land was divided by Lot immediate providence caryed it there Friendship made no revenue in Canaan Gods own hand cast every man his fortune so big and so good in such a place in the Mountaines or in the vallies with springs or without Divine dispensations are harmonious Heaven comes in no new way to us God gives as he did give Hee did give Canaan with his owne hand so hee gives Heaven Power wrought very immediate to plant our fathers in the holy Land Ioshuah did cast lots and so divided the Land power did worke very immediate to plant persons there so it doth to plant Persons above I goe before to provide a place Iosh 18.10 c. Our Ioshuah assignes our mansion situation building conveyance all done with Christs own hand I goe c. Though power worke without hand yet not without rule not a word spoke nor a worke done by Christ but with scope and look to some rule though sometimes that rule be a great way off as far as Heaven Truth fulfils Types dispensations under each covenant one eccho to another Canaan went by Lot so does Heaven the lot of Saints Dispensations of grace and glory suite Gory is suited to grace in dispensation as grace is suited to glory in fruition as really the same Heaven and Christ come both one way to a Christian by immedate providence grace and glory are wrought both with Gods own hand 'T is the finger of God that turnes the heart towards Heaven and that turnes the heart into Heaven Grace is an inspiration glory is so too there is no remoter agent of either then Gods own spirit A soule and such a soule so happy and so glorious was breathed altogether into Adams nostrils The breath of Gods own mouth makes alive stil and the breath of his owne mouth cast varnish and glory upon that being to maturation 'T is Christ al in al here 't is no otherwise above Christ al in al no lesse makes grace and no more is glory Grace is such an immediation according to such a location glory is such an immediatioÌ„ according to such a translocation Christ is next to and onely with the soule in both Vse If this point were rightly applied to the heart hope would not fall respecting great favours depending providence hath more wayes then one to bring great things to us it can worke with hands and without hands divine power can bring a Heaven to you on its owne shoulders cast a Heaven upon you as a Lot into your lap in a very immediate way beyond all provision or expectation God does most and best for man alone when hee has no toole or no toole considerable in his hand Wee have a Heaven depending but yet a hell betweene us and it and no man can see but one way to it if that way do not hit which we propose we are all undone this is almost every ones vote This point should relieve us in this desperate case respecting our great feares our great hops which are so opposed There are great mountaines before Zerubbabell great hindrances in the way of our great mercies so that we see no likelyhood in an ordinary way how or when our great Heaven desired should arriue with us Let the point in hand support the greatest favours come in the most immediate way of providence heavenly favors come to us as if they did drop out of Heaven The more heavenly and divine the mercies are which wee expect in the more divine and immediate way they 'l descend The stone shall be cut out without hands that shall smite the image of various mixtures and breake it to pieces new Ierusalem comes downe out of Heaven Power will worke in a very immediate way to bring in that new Heaven into the Christian World which now the Christian World is labouring for Yet once more I shake not the earth only Heb. 12.26 but also Heaven God himselfe will after a speciall manner set his own shoulders to shake that rotten heaven of mens inventions and those which set their shoulders to keepe it up and make battery with such Cannon as we are not aware of Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord respecting the building of that house which typifyed this Not by might nor power i not by humane strength so much as by his owne power shall the old Heaven be destroyed and the new erected We expect our Heaven too low from men but 't will come from God when it comes As 't is a great favour so ' â—will come in state in the way of sublime favors very sublimely Magicians great heads and divellish wits shall be non-plust by God owne finger and art not by mens wisdome and art Egiptians shall be drownned on a sudden by a stratageme made in Heaven and managed from heaven Iericho shall fall by Faith by making no more or the power of men of Swords and Guns then of Rammes-hornes but magnifying the power of Christ and trusting in that Surely wee are yet too many and too strong to be delivered Christians I would yee were skilled in the way of GOD. GOD keeps his Old way in bestowing great things and yet yee wonder and murmur your folly is your owne affliction and many's more Things of great worth Christ will trust no Messenger with them but bring them himselfe Christ will trust none to bring your Heaven to you neither your Heaven here nor hereafter Men are false they would marre your heaven and bring you an old one in stead of a new one or an old one new patcht up Blessed be he that will bring a new heaven to us all new divine favours in their maturity though every man be trampled under foote and none seene in the worke but God though he trample all men in the dirt and he onely be left alive with the cause in his hand If men would allow God his way they would never be at a losse of Faith so fearefully as they are Yee open one doore and there comes in nothing but your shame yee set open another doore of your owne for Christ to come in at and there also comes in nothing but your folly and shame Ah Lord When will yee looke up and expect Christ from Heaven Do not great things come in a very immediate way to man Hath God tyed himselfe to do every great worke with such and such great meanes as your eye is fixed upon to cast out a Legion of bad spirits with a Legion of good Is not one enough to do it Christ brings an eternall weight of glory upon his owne Shoulders to your doores can he not bring a temporall weight of of glory which is far easier alone Thou art great and dost great things thou art God alone sayth the Psalmist We thinke God is not God nor able to do like a
his best blessings to wit in the bosome of the best persons Heaven is the inheritance of Saints Doct. Divine fruition is still made according to capacity Men many times give place and honor where there is no capacity nor fitnesse but Christ never doth Christ brings not hell to Heaven wickednesse inherits wrath grace onely inherits glory Heaven is hell to a depraved state As guilt shunes Justice so doth sinne holinesse A wicked man would not be where sinne is punished nor where grace is onely practized He is as unwilling to Heaven as to hell yet to one he must Christ casts hell upon many against their will but Heaven upon none but upon such who are both willing and capable Holinesse makes capacity of happinesse purity will bosome purity Christ puts no Toads in his bosom but Saints Inheritance of Saints c. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption Heterogeneals will not incorporate Choyce flowers will not grow by stinking weeds Capacity is absolutely necessary respecting the inheritance above If Sinners would into Heaven they cannot Light and darkenesse are inconsistent Fire and water oppose God and ungodly men cannot live neare Justice will fight it out with sinne to the death Without holinesse man cannot see God without this God cannot endure to see the man There be thousands and ten thousands in Heaven but not one sinner amongst them all the Land will not beare Snakes Toades Serpents no poysonous creatures only Saints Inheritance of Saints Justice makes exact distinction Sheep and Goates though many yet all parted Not a Goate upon Christs right hand Every attribute is exact at it's Office mercy brings her children from the foure winds of the Earth to Heaven and leaves not one short nor brings not one over Justice gathers her brats too from the foure Winds and leaves not one for any higher preferment then hell will afford The Lord knowes who are his that 's the Seale of Heaven A Seale is for exact distinction What a seale is unto us for exact distinction that is Christs knowledge to him hee doth as firmely as lastingly as exactly distinguish by vertue of this all persons in the World as wee doe by our seales and Markes distinguish amongst multitudes of things Though the devill have many thousands here below and Christ but a few and these tumbled up and downe amongst the wicked yet Christ knowes which is which and who are his And onely his shall have all hee hath Saints inherit God moves in relation Children only inherit bond servants have a little and turned off when their time is out If children then heires joynt heires with Christ This Hypothesis is a Thesis onely in a Saint Hee is a child of God out of question the nature of God is only manifest in a Saint A holy man plainly and without controversy speakes out himselfe to be a Sonne of God Jus legale carries the inheritance to him The wicked are of their father the Devill they may not lay claime to Heaven upon paine of hell If they touch the tree of Life they die when they promise Heaven wrath then smokes and hell never so neare as now Bondslaves doe not inherit nor bastards doe not inherit the case is the same of either respecting Heaven No Bastard Christians no Bastard Saints but Saints indeed inherit Vse Let every man looke to his sanctity It doth not merit but it doth entitle to the inheritance If children then heires A man may looke into his bosome and tell what he shall be for eternity Know your hearts and know them throughly you cannot doe well else 'T is death to mee to smell the breath of some of you your inwards are so rotten and yet I feare I feare you take notice of nothing My Quaere to you all is what have you to take to for eternity Heaven How doe you make that good Can you make demonstration of a holy state Yes I live justly I pray to God I heare his Word This is not infallible demonstration of sanctity Civill conscience calls and thrusts to all these as 't is so principled and under such a government A man may be just to men and not just to GOD. Heathens have beene as just as any of you all That yong man which came to Christ when the Law was read hee should not kill nor steale but love his Neighbour c. All this have J done from my youth .. He was exact for Justice and yet but in a sorry state for Heaven if one may belâ—eve his owne words Drawing neare to God in duties is a better demonstration of sanctity and yet this may be done with the lips when the heart is far from God They draw neare and sit before mee as my people saith God But their hearts goe after their covetousnesse A mans devotion may be hot for the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord And yet himselfe the Temple of the devill strict for new moones and solemne feasts and Gods soule loath all both men and their devotion There is blind devotion profane holinesse I will give you two or three principles demonstrative of it for I feare there are some deluded soules amongst you Out-side holynesse how splendid so ever it lookes is profane holinesse The heart denominates action The Pharisee was for Temple praying for lifting up of eyes and hands but no heart A meere image drawne out in such a posture with his eyes and hands inclining upwards and Christ made basenesse of this best piece God is worshipped in spirit If holinesse reach not this 't is grosse profanenesse Holinesse is spirit yielding to spirit bad to good 'T is a pure heart a heart captivated with Christ and spending it selfe upon him Holynesse 't is everlasting doores within doores of the soule that everlasting thing opened to a King of glory T is affection catched with truth one spirit bound by an other a bad spirit by a good and carried whither that list It is a flame and an Angell ascending in it A spirit a fire and ascending upward A man upon his knees and his heart upon his lips taking rise for Heaven from this advantage Profane holynesse is holinesse meerely formall piety suited to policy to things on this side Christ and truth My father did so my grand-father did so the most doe so therefore 't is best to doe so and 't is idle to doe otherwise Many mens sanctity is a meere piece of antiquity A humour to weare such an old fashion No devotion but Schisme that is not in this old habit No holinesse but faction that cannot be clasp't up within the covers of a Common-Prayer Booke Wednesdayes and Frydayes the onely dayes for Prayer The printed liturgy an onely forme for Prayer Ah Lord What is Bishops holinesse onely blessed holinesse Did not their bloudy zeale lie here What a curse is blind devotion The things that dame them are deare True holinesse is regulated by truth and not by persons nor time Sanctifie them with thy truth
up Here the soule swallowes up every good and lookes for more but is swallowed up of none the soule is vaster then the things you put into it so that nothing filles it much lesse swallowes it up But our felicitie above swallowes up the vastest soule there is every Vessell filled and swallowed up every sense satisfyed and swallowed up This is not consistent here but 't is above There is much within reach as much within reach as capacity to reach and there is much beyond reach for the soule to admire to all eternity and this not as a lessening but as a filling up of its owne and others felicity Infinite swallowes up finite God is beyond the soules capacity when vastest therefore all are in an extasis above Not a soule in Heaven but in a rapture Light is pure The Sunne is without spot so are all his beames so is all the light of those beames light is the purest thing that man beholds 'tas no defilement nor takes none though nothing more generall in its course 't is over all an uncleane World and yet without all uncleannesse Can yee dirt the light Yee may defile your selves in the light but yee cannot defile the light 'T is simple corrupts not within it selfe nor can any thing without it corrupt it Our felicity above is pure Heaven is a House without Spider or Spiders-web there is no dirt nor dust within doore nor without the very gates and streetes are Gold and Pearles * In allusion to our City above may those expressions be Râ—vel 21.21 As the Kingdome of grace in the highest glory therof is expressed by termes and things of the noblest nature and highest glory pure Gold c. If the City of Christ here below will be so what will that City above bee Holy holy holy is our felicity above purity absolute this is the Sunne that shines upon all there and all there shine like this Sunne with absolute purity There is no sinne aboue not the least appearance of sinne Every spirit there moves steadily without the least jogging or shaking Christ and the soule goe exactly in one path The nature of the place and the nature of every one in it fully suite all Divine Christ and the soule all one Here Christ and the soule are one in purity my undefiled is one c. i In simplicity and purity But above they are all one Here is simplicity in the Spouse 't is not a heart and a heart in the Kingdome of grace but one heart my undefiled is one c. But in the Kingdome of glory there is absolute simplicity truth and the soule all one Not a soule-stirring no not a Soule inclination impure nor under the least possibilitie to bee made so Light is pleasant Truely light is sweete and a pleasant thing 't is for the Eye to behold the Sunne saith the wise man Eccles 11.7 Light is glorious and casts glory upon every thing It suites a most noble and generall Organ which makes a very noble and generall content Light sets out all the Creation in glory to mans view and so makes a very royall and full employment for such a royall and vast Creature Light is medium universale it brings in for all senses parts faculties to solace themselves withall Our felicitie above is pleasant Heaven is a stately House to behold 't is glorious and makes all so which come in to it Glory filles that House and all in it The very doore-keeper of that House is a King of Glory All great Princes and peeres persons of great glory to looke upon above and the glory of GOD as the glorious Canope over all The Glory of GOD is the light of our City above There is a great heape of Pearles above and there is a glorious Sunne that shines upon them which makes so many * Quot conchi tot Phoebi Jewells so many Sunnes such abounding of sparkling rayes and glory that I am amazed with the thought of it There is another expression which by way of allusion to the glory of the City above is used The Lambe is the light thereof c. 'T is a made glory which light discovers to you here yea and 't is a made light which brings in this glory to you But what God is himselfe and what discovery hee makes of himselfe by himselfe without any medium is the glory of our felicity above God according to his Workes is the glory here God according to Himselfe is the glory there his owne Face is the daily Sunne the glorious Sunne that shines in Heaven The Lambe is the light of it The Sunne that made the Sunne shines above the sweet that made all sweet is tasted on Feasted on altogether in Heaven This Sunne which you behold is but as a spot or broad blemish in the Face of the Creation in comparison of the Sunne which shines in the brave World to come This Sunne though very glorious in it selfe yet very inglorious a piece of stained paint for feeble senses to gaze at in comparison of that above Something to declare his pleasure rather then to make pleasure are all the Workes of Gods Hands here what hee is in Himselfe is properly to make pleasure for the soule of man All that the Lambe is in himselfe all that glory and lustre hee hath of Himselfe is opened by himselfe in Heaven Surely the glory of this World is but a Dunghill to that to come Sunne beames but a pyramid bundle of strawes Light is homogeneall Every twinkling of light is light as every drop of Honey is Honey and has the nature and definition of the whole 't is throughout like to it selfe Our felicity above is homogeneall Heaven is all Heaven Every corner of Heaven is a Heaven every thing that is tasted a Heaven every thing that is smelt a Heaven ever thing that is look't upon or medled with a Heaven a full felicity to the soule Our felicity here is not homogeneall wee have some things delightfull more things grievous some things pleasant more things displeasant Above all is pleasant GOD pleasant Angells pleasant Saints pleasant all that all these say and doe pleasant * On earth God is afflicting as well as felicitating but in Heaven never seemingly displeased Christs face is continually as Lebanon bright and glorious as the looking forth of the morning No deformity above Every thing in Heaven a Heaven GOD is light and in him is no darkenesse 't is a mighty expression As 't is spoken of sinne here so it may be spoken of affliction respecting our Country above God is felicity above and in him nor from him is no infelicity not so much as the least affliction God is not an afflicting God not a chastening Father in Heaven So it may be said of Saints and Angels there is felicity in them and in them nor from them no affliction but all happinesse Every glote of the Eye of every one above pleasant and glorious the
stirring of every Finger of every Toe of every Haire of every one in Heaven a Heaven to behold There is no distinction of habit and act time and place meanes and end in point of felicity as here is as you know there is misery all along in the meanes with us and felicity onely in the end and that uncertaine too and so a little good habitually scarce any at all actually and the like In Heaven there is none of these miserable distinctions but Heaven in all in every quality Heaven in every action Heaven in every time Heaven in every place Heaven in every meane to such an end equally as in the end it selfe Heaven Simili dissimile In things which are but like there is some dislike Light is not universally permanent Our Sunne sets and rises rises and sets so 't is with most parts of the World very few parts have all day and no night all light and no darknesse 'T is not so above our felicity there is universally permanent there is all day and no night to all that upper World the Sunne goes round that glorious Globe without any interposition to any There is no drooping Soule in Heaven no wounded spirit in all the Land above nor never will Our life above is everlasting Shall of the spirit reape life everlasting c. Saith our Apostle There is such inspiration as shall never admit the least expiration in any comforts never faint nor flat no soule growes weary of place company habit dyet imployment every ones Heaven is an eternall Heaven every ones rest an eternall rest Some have beene in Heaven many thousands of yeares and yet not a thought of dislike of any thing there nor the least desire stirring to be any where else but the strong desire of all that all Gods deare ones were there The spirit and the Bride say come Christ and all those members hee has above pant for the rest that all were as they are one as they are one Joy is made as vast as the soule as lasting as the soule and the soule as lasting as Christ There are no broken Cisternes above not one Vessell drops out one droppe of its felicity in the space of eternitie though hee stand brim full No consumption no Disease above every thing lives yea and thrives for ever There is eternall Revelation in Heaven Infinite excellency taking suitable time to lay open it selfe to all others there 's Johns rapture to all eternitie All these particulars gathered up render the meaning of the Metaphor to be this That our felicity above is a full and absolute felicity a transcendent blessednesse suiting such a transcendent being as the soule of man is Vse Now my question to you all is what labouring for absolute felicity for blessednesse to suite your soules for ever 'T is the judgement that lies heavy upon the soules of most men they seeke not after full mercies a perfect blessednesse Feele your Pulse tell mee how your hearts beate how nimble doe they worke out after Earth How slow after Heaven I looke upon some men's Lives and my heart trembles to thinke what will become of their soules al the care is for the body how does Trading goe on How does money come in When is the Question How will 't goe with my soule for ever What blessednesse is provided for my soule to inherite Are your bodies everlasting Is this World everlasting Can any thing but Heaven make an absolute felicitie for you Are not your soules everlasting Can any thing lesse then Heaven make a suitable felcity for them Pravity is misleading but when the Soule is judged for this there is noe turning the man this consideration makes mee shake indeede when I consider how Earthy some men are and how wilfull in their way Speake to them of minding their Soules and beating off their thoughts from this VVorld you are as Vinegar to their Teeth and smoake to their Eyes When corruption thrives in the soule 't is dangerous but when it has got a head Ah Lord The state of that man is desperate Who shal save that man from Hell and bring him to Heaven which is earthy and wil be so still The Creature is seducing much is promised but it s still a lie to the soule the fulnesse of the World makes up no fulnesse to that noble part within If there bee any absolutenesse in things here below 't is in point of vanity they are Vanitie of vantie and vexation of spirit i Perfect vanitie just nothing as our English phrase is Consider all the Word in reference to the spirit and t is a heape of perplexitie A Bush of Briers and Thornes shall all your industry lie to Crowne your soules with Thornes With our Saviours Crosse and Curse Are you not scratcht enough with the World yet Will not your spirits be vext enough hereafter but will you be vexing of them here too Will you begin your Hell in Earth and inure your spirits to tearing and torment before the time Know your soules and what is the felicitie of them and what you doe do in good earnest to attaine it you move as you love Christ concluded that when the Jewish Church sleighted him If you love darkenesse better then light you will never seeke out for light nor for that Inheritance which hâ—s there If Heaven were more absolute felicitie or more transcendent blessednesses then 't is a heart pre-engaged i set upon an other Heaven will sleight Heaven indeede your life lies upon this poynt to looke how and where your love is picht where a mans Treasure is there will his Heart bee if you make money onely your Treasure you will onely bend in good earnest after it If you make not Heaven your chiefe Treasure you will not seeke after it heartilie Heaven has beene shadowed out to you according to the Metaphor in the Text is it now of any price in your Eye Has it gained your love 'T is a transcendent blessednesse are your hearts taken with it as such a blessednesse Till this I shall not looke to prevaile with any soule to seeke out after Heaven to any purpose 'T was the Art that Christ used when hee spake of eternall things first to set out the excellency of them to make that sparkle gloriously in the Eye to stirre love and then answerablie come on to doe good J am the Bread which came downe from Heaven c. J am the Bread of Life c. And hee that shall drinke of the Water that I shall give him shall never thiâ—st c. Many such expressions to take love you shall finde in the Scripture What have wee gained upon your love by all our discourse of Heaven An love bee as it was the man will be as hee was if Heaven be at his doore hee will step beside it into Hell Divine Love is that flame that carries the soule upward where this is not Heaven though all is nothing There is darkenesse And
sitting in darkenesse looke to that as you love your soules 't is excluding from the Inheritance in light sit in darkenesse love your lusts and you will never part with them for Heaven The condition of your Inheritance in light is that you must cast away the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse The Soule lives and dies in that it loves you will rather cast away your soules then doe this if your affection bee impure If your love to sinne live you will have your pleasure in it though you die for it If love to sinne live there is but one way with your soules they will die in that sinne Love of sinne and Heaven opened to the soule 't is rejection of Christ with his greatest blessing in his Hand Christ casts off every Soule that thus desperately casts off him A Man must set his Knife to the Throate of an Isaack Judge his Soule in that which is dearest if sinnefull GOD will not else looke towards a Man with great things Hee looketh upon Men if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited mee not hee will deliver his Soule from goeing downe into the Pitte and his Life shall see the light Consolation must conclude this poynt Christians I am to give you a glad word in this sad Time Your Inheritance here is spoyled you have one that lies above spoyle in light Can Men or Devils pull the Sunne out of Heaven Then may your highest fortune bee spoyled You have one Sunne turned into blood but you have another which cannot Your felicitie here is broken and growes every Day more broken and bloudy you have a felicitie compleate full absolute as full of Blessednesse as the Sunne of light a felicitie as full of Beames as the Eyes of the Soule can receive Draw up your soules to Heaven quicklie Earth is posting away Let good bloud stirre every drop will bee lost else You will be killed in all on Earth to make you more Heavenly ere GOD hath done with you Thinke how absolute you shall bee above and feedeâ—â— that Let not tyranny trample downe your soules though it doth your bodies a perfect felicitie waites for you Let Englands bloudy misery make you cry Come Lord Iesus come quickly set mee as high and as happy as mine Inheritance Jn Light Inference THat which by way of Inference may be taken from this Metaphor I shall but name and conclude all Time and Text. GOD doth lively shadow out to Man here his condition hereafter what hee shall be and where he shall be for eternity There is death and the shadow of it before it come So there is life and the shadow of it light is here made the shadow and semblance of Heaven of a glorious estate to come As there be Tasts of the World to come so there be sights Light gives glimpses below of the glory that is above There is a beholding the Land that is far off the Face of Christ in a Glasse the glory above by the glory here one Heaven in another Heaven in Light Man hath many Sermons preached to him to make him Heavenly as many Heavenly Sermons as there be rayes in the Sunne by every glimpse of Light you should set before you Heaven As long as the Sunne shines you should not want a Sermon to send your soules to Heaven God deales with flesh as flesh Man is a Creature taken with shadowes Things drawne out to the life take The Soule now fetches in all from sense God stoops to helpe in things this way at such doores as they will goe in at GOD wraps up the higher Heaven in the lower glory in Light and so brings it downe to carnall sense and enobles it there to enoble it within catches the senses to catch the Heart and save the Soule If Light be so glorious what is Heaven This is the secret Soule-taking argument that is wrapt up in this Metaphor Though your bodies have yet no Heaven your soules if you walke as you should neede never be without one As long as your Eyes bee open to see the Sunne you may sweetely send your Soules to Heaven Some sweare by the Light this is to send their soules to Hell not to Heaven by the Light God moves in meanes powerfully Pictures are powerfull upon flesh and bloud Make things glitter and Man will gaze make Earth glitter although so base and fallen Man will be taken with it worke it up from its basenesses but so little as to looke golden and glorious and man will dote upon it How taking is golden Earth to al the World Heaven is wrapt up in Sun-beams and made to glitter to catch a foole Christ is expressed by the Sunne Heaven by Light that if sense have any power upon the soule no soule may goe to Hell whilest the Sunne gives Light There were transient Visions now there are standing Truth and the Creature are Gods standing Vision Things below are all made at Divine pleasure to speake out things above The Word of God uses the Workes of GOD to shadow out what cannot bee plainely seene here invisible things are brought to understanding by visible Heaven by light Hell by darkenesse Hell beneath by Hell here The gnawing Worme is used to shadow out gnawing conscience gnawing conscience to shadow out Hell Man hath his vision what shall bee in things round about him The Word of God the Workes of God Light darkenesse Serpents Dragons Worms Lambes Doves all Creatures are used to give apt vision to man of things to come All runs into this CHRIST makes lively apparition of things to come Looke about you sinners your Sun is turned into bloud this is speaking to you pro futuro Strange Lights and sights have beene in Heaven looke about you all this is God using the Creature to shadow out to dull sensuall man something to come a Heaven or a Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed is every English heart that can discerne the signes of the Times FINIS
BAULME FOR BLEEDING ENGLAND AND IRELAND OR SEASONABLE Instructions for persecuted Christians Delivered in severall Sermons By NICHOLAS LOCKYER Master of Arts. ISA. 8.17 J will waite upon the Lord which hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him LONDON Printed by E.G. For John Rothwell and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Sun in Paule Church-Yard 1643. IT is ordered this fifteenth day of April Anno Dom. 1643. By the Committee of the house of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing that this Booke intituled Vsefull instructions for these evill times be printed by Iohn Rothwell John White The true Effigies of the truly Religious Learned and Iuditious Divine de Nichola Lockyer Mr of Arts Note well the Substance of this shade so bright Lo t is a Burning and a shining Light Neat Elegant Sententious High and Rare Lo all his Sermons and Expressions are R D To the Persecuted Christians In England and Ireland BLeeding hearts you are honour'd to be Baptized with Christs Baptisme to pledge your deare Saviour in his owne Cup. Count not call not honour misery The Wine in your Cup is red indeed but without dregs to you Christs drinking first hath sweetned it well to Saints Wrath makes sufferings misery let the World Houle in their wounds but doe not you complaine let them curse as bearing Caines marke but doe you blesse God and glory as bearing the markes of the Lord Jesus Love in the bottom of a bloudy Cup and the deeper a man drinkes the sweeter Christ powers out love upon the Soule when the body powers out bloud upon the truth A Spirit of glory is a bleeding Christians glory There is inward advancement when outward debasement The soule is in Heaven when the body is in Hell for Christ Was that a Dungeon or a Heaven in which they sang so sweetly at midnight Gods dealings are righteous when Mans dealings are wicked a man might beare suffering upon this ground that hee hath sinned but how sweetly may they be borne when sugar'd with love and all sinne forgiven Yee prisoners of hope what is your hope What say you of Englands night Will it ever have day Would my Soule could enter into your secrets Would I could participate with you in some of your Prison-enlargements If you finde a Heaven in Hell what will your Heaven be Now in the I le of Patmos * A patrimoniis jam ejecti What say's GOD to your soules concerning these bleeding Jlands Many Christians for whom you have bled are now a flying from you to save their Bloud write after them yee bleeding hearts preach your Prison-experiments the faith and hope of your Bonds and conclude like Paul Remember our Bonds and Wounds for Christ and you Surely if there be any Bowels this will bring them backe to die with truth and you I believe the Resurrection of thy dead O bleeding England Your Graves shall open yee Prisoners of hope and your buried glory and honor shall return to you Truth shall out-live tyranny Righteousnesse shall wash her Feete in the Bloud of the wicked Pride shall be dethroned and shame shal be her pavilion Your integrity yee Parliament-worthies Christ will vindicate your great paines and labour of love Christ will returne to you and yours Steele good resolution and Christ will carry you through all opposition You are great sufferers I would this little Booke might give some refreshment to you together with the rest of Gods suffering ones Bleeding Ireland God also is with thee and will be Thy Land is full of murderers but not too many for God to overcome God is as just as Man is cruell cruelty will cut its owne Throat when thou canst doe nothing to evade it Venomous Creatures die in thy land by a providence from Heaven which reason cannot reach God and the whole Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight against barbarous bloud-shed Thy naked Women and Children which mourned starv'd and died in winters past will fight against the monsters which stript them in â—ummers to come when thou want'st men money and meanes to doe it The Vipers which have gnawed out thy guts are got into our Bowels too that we might afford thee no reliefe Moriendo Christiaâ—o vivit Christus but God will relieve both thee and us 'T was a cursed crue which brought Gall and Vinegar when Christ cryed Eloi Eloi England had helpt thee Ireland had â—â—t not beene for this cursed Generation but the bloud of both Kingdomes will be upon them Christ was not overcome when killed Many may die but Christs cause in these poore enviâ—d ilands will live Mannage your bloudy businesse bravely yee Souldiers of Christ in England and Ireland the Lord of Hosts â—s with you Your sufferings are many your pay will bee great Two Heavens are before you one for you and posterity here another peculiarly adorned for sufferers unto bloud Câ—â—ant an pâ—nn slagellum above flinch from Christ and his cause and lose both Vale. Yours in continuall Prayers Nicho. Lockyer To the Reader REader there are some Errata's here and there throughout this Booke notwithstanding all our diligence to prevent them but yet such as with thine own observation of what preceds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and followes with a spirit of love may easily be set right to thy understaÌ„ding Be not a mouth murderer kill two at once my Name and thy Soule What is candidly presented to thee candidly receive and blesse Christ and the next Authour who is at Prayer for a blessing upon this Worke and thee Nicho. Lockyer The Table THE Power of God relieves weak man Page 2. Isa 8.17 The propertie of Divine power p. 3. 4. c. Strengthening power peculiar to Christians p. 6. Divine power workes in man to an eternall end p. 3. Power working relievingly walke humbly p. 9. Cheerfully p. 11 12 Faith should kill feares p. 13. What looseth divine strengthening p. 16. The evill which followes upon it p. 18. Power relieving is lost sometimes only according to our apprehension p. 20 The wicked will never beate the righteous out of heart p. 25. What al might in a ChristiaÌ„ is p. 28. 29. c. How differing from that power which Christ had and used here p. 32. 33. The Divell allmighty in some p. 36. How all might comes into the heart p. 38. 39 The happinesse of an Almighty Christian p. 41. 42. c. Divine power Workes gradually in a Christian p. 45. When power workes lowest in a Christian it workes above the ruining power of sinne p. 49. Power working according to higher or lower degrees we should observe how it workes in us p. 51. All paines spring from one that we have so little of God p. 52. How to know whether divine power workes strong enough to save p. 54. 55. Divine power should be acknowledged as it workes with thankfulnesse p. 57. 58. Apprehension should make due impression
upon affection p. 61. Apprehension is plac'd sentinell p. 62. The daÌ„ger of soule-powers mis-working p. 63 How apprehension comes to worke Divinely upon affection p. 67. 68. c. We are to call divine power as it works p. 73 Sinners will not doe so when power workes against them p. 76. How divine power hath wrought in the hearts and hands of Christians in England to be admired p. 80. 81. Divine things so mentioned as to make best impression upon the soule p 84. God speaks as one in Heaven to make us heare so p. 90. Soules not stirr'd by the word dead p. 91. The funerall of the dead rung p. 93. 94. Accents Aspirations of truth must have their place in the heart p. 97. The goodnesse of the heart is as the word makes full impression p. 98. Christ hath a glorious dominion in dying man p. 103. Things which give being give beauty and being ibid. Power workes in order to majesty p. 106. In order to its own absolute nature p. 108. Much communicable many have nothing this pitifull p. 109. Glorious power how miserable t will make a sinner when set against him p. 113. 114. What hinders power from working gloriously in the soule p. 117. Love admired that makes two Heavens p. 122. 123. Patience defined p. 126. What patience does presuppose p. 132. 133. How much patience is now needed in England p. 136 137. Principles of Patience suited to Englands state p. 139 140. c. What all Patience is p. 150. 151 c. Persons exhorted to examine their patience to know how eminent in it p. 158. Many grow very wicked for want of much Patience p. 161. The evills of impatience p. 162. 163. c. How all impatience is overcome p. 168. 169. Gospel-sufferings sometimes of great duration p. 171. What men should expect in the way to heaven p. 178. Three sorts of hearts which cannot suffer long p. 179. 180. c. Severall things shewing Englands sufferferings likely to be long p. 183. 184. c. Suffering though long should be mannaged with a spirit of joy p. 196. Such spoken to who can make no joy out of suffering in a good cause the causes of it laid open p. 203. 204. c. God would have a Christian never without joy p. 209. Encouragements to suffer long in the cause of Christ now in England p. 211. 212. c. A Christian covets all Christ p. 21 T is a lost man which observes not which way the strength of his soule workes p. 220. 221. A soule in extremity cannot last long p. 223. Joy makes an ascending frame of heart p. 225. Christmas joy jostl'd against by Christ p. 231. 232. c. The property of bad joy p. 234. 235. c. Thankesgiving defined p. 2â—8 What thankesgiving doth presuppose p. 245. Whose worke t is properly whose naturally p. 247. 248. Three things broadly speake Englands ingratitude p. 250. 251. c. The remedy of ingratitude p. 257. 258. c. Grace a Creation p. 263. Sinners utter undoing-time come p. 273. Principles demonstrative of soule ruined p. 274. And ruinous p. 277. The hinderances of creating and making power p. 281. Love singles out her objects p. 285. Man cannot argue Gods love to him from outward things p. 294. The properties of an electing love p. 295. 296 What persons Christ chuses to worke upon he makes through worke in p. 304. The properties of a man fitted for wrath p. 314. 415. Fitting grace for Heaven hath its meanes season p. 320. A double fitnesse for Heaven p. 325. The highest mercies are Communicable p. 329. How mans highest felicity is communicable p. 339. 340. Multitudes demonstrated to have no heart to goe to Heaven p. 347. 348. c. Jnterest in Heaven should comfort against all losses p. 351. The greatest favours come most immediate p. 356. Hope should not fall respecting great things when externall meanes fall p. 364. Heaven the inheritance of Saints p. 375. Demonstrations of profane holinesse p. 379. 380. c. The birth of Sanctity p. 386. 387. Heaven resembled by light p. 392. 393. God doth lively shadow out to man here what will be his condition hereafter p. 414. FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse PRayer in this Verse is still continued and still suited to present and imminent distresse The state of these Christians was a suffering state and like to be more as our state now is and therfore Prayer is made for answerable reliefe for divine strengthening forbearing and suffering grace for shoulders suitable to every burden Strenthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse The termes of this Text are very weighty I shall therefore deale with them one after another their difficulty lies Et in materia in voce both in matter and word yet one hand on which we leane will carry us thorough both to Gods glory and mans edification I begin with the first word Strengthened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kóbur animi innuit c. It points principally at the spirit of man which is the bearer up of all a man is what he is from the fortitude of his inward man according to this scope and sense the Apostle explains himselfe using the same word to the Ephesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And applying it to the inner man That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man Doct. God exerciseth a relieving power in a Christian As he doth exercise a creating power whereby he doth make a Christian so he doth a strengthening and relieving power whereby he doth maintaine a Christian who are kept by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power of God 1 Pet. 1.5 'T is the same word with this in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strengthned with all might c. Divine power makes and then it upholds it makes Esse and then it makes porrò esse it brings forth and breed's up it travells in birth once and againe My little children of whom I travell in birth againe This travaling in birth againe Gal. 4.19 is strengthening and relieving power to maintaine and finish the first birth the same that is here spoken of in my Text. Strengthened c. Divine power as it works towards a Christian hath its peculiar properties Proprietates potentiae Divinae as it workes towards a Christian it works tenderly such a power working about the soule works and works againe it makes lambes and then it makes armes to carry lambes to preserve them to be sheepe for the fold of Christ He shall gather the Lambes with his Armes and carry them in his Bosome and gently leading those that are with young Isa 40.11 As there is a carring and a leading power exercised about
of spirits is from relieving mercy if this be suspended we faint As we are humble so are our relieving receptions as those are so we faint not as we have received so we faint not our strenth is by daily bread by daily divine concurrence this suspended your life and lively-hood are gon Eying too much what you have will soone make this sad suspension Forget all trust not in parts no trust not in graces your best state is vanishing your gold rustes your grace needs grace your state as a Christian needs strengthening power to carry it along this House upon the Rock will else fall too when stormes and winds beate Esse et porrò esse sunt ex gratia Mercy and compassion began your blessed state this must finish it walke as those that have all your fortune at the feet of mercy A Christian is strongest indeed when he is weakest in his own sense When I am weak then am I strong Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmity that the power of Christ may rest upon me 2 Cor. 12. 'T is great matter of gladnesse and lightsomenesse * To a good heart to be devested of proud cumbersome selfe as a Christian can looke over all that is in him and be nothing so is he in capacity of the strenthening power of God to rest upon him Walke cheerefully Troubles bee many like to be more Christians hearts begin to shake and faint I like it not I wish I could speake from this point to the comfort of such what shall I say what can I say more then this point bids me infinite power is your servant 't is subjected to work strengthningly in you 't is not for a man to plead his own weaknesse that hath such an attendant every one is to hardship as the divine power that relieves him out of weakenesse were made strong c. Relieving power how ever it find a Christian below his work Heb. 11.34 yet it leaves him above it out of weaknesse were made strong What can you say weake soules more then this that you are weake very weake why 't is meete that you should say of your selves as you are and 't is as meete that you should say of divine power as it is You are far below your worke your worke is farther below that divine power which waits upon you Come what can can come worse then what did to these worthies or finde men worse They were weake yea weaknesse and yet out of weaknesse made strong Debiles in abstracto and carried through all bravely scorning base deliverance Our Seas rage likely to rage more let them rage never so much so much that yee be cast into them out of your vessels as Ionas was yet a relieving power shall bosome belly you and cast ye up Ionas'es Christians yea better Christians then yee were There be two things in relieving power which if considered methinks should comfort any discouraged Christian it works to relieve when you need it and as you need it When thou passest thorough fire and when thou passest thorough water thē divine power wil be with thee when thou art weake then thou shall be strong when thou art in the Furnace then will Christ be there relieving power shall worke opportunely that 's double reliefe thou shalt have an arme stretch't out to rescue assoone as set upon a breast worke raised assoone as shot at Likewise divine power shall worke as you need it it shall yield as much strength as your burden requires to beare it as many spirits as your heat and sweating shall wast it shall be shaped every way to serve your turne it shall be made to endure fire and water to go whither soever you goe and to save it selfe you too whē you passe thoroguh the water yee shall have a power that can swim and carry it selfe and you too thorough all strengthening power shall worke still suitable and proportionable to your distresse that what is wanting in you shall alwaies be made up by one that stands by let Lions gape never so wide you shall stop their mouthes let fire be made never so violent you shall quench the violence of it The seasonable and al-sufficient working of Divine power me thinks should take off all feare and objections in Christians Christians chide your feares kill them with Faith in this point they will kill you else and doe you more hurt then the things you feare can possibly doe There is a relieving power subjected to waite upon you and you are subjected to waite upon it and your enouragement is certaine reliefe they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength c. You have a spring of power running towards you nothing can dam it up but unbeliefe this will cut the throat of a Samson and make him as weake as other men Sampsons haire off and he is deadly weak faith in Gods power out and Gods people are as fainting and fearing as other men which have no such advantage attending them God exerciseth strengthening power and hee doth it but upon condition of faith which is as reasonable and as cheap a condition as can be but the more reasonable the worse if not observed a mans soule shall sinke with a witnesse that leans not upon his allowed reliefe 'T is Davids expression often my soule had fainted had I not put forth Faith The soule never sinkes let troubles be never so weighty but when it le ts goe God Manage faith in that power which is subjected to serve you and you can never be made miserable You which finde this strengthening power of Christ working in you acknowledge your mercy You are to be file-leaders to help guid them that are behind you Christ beares lambes in his bosome so must you Those that cannot relieve themselves you should The strong should support the weake Wee should comfort others with our comforts Christians should share in one anothers sweetest mercies sweete meates should be given about What you have from Heaven some may have from you Divine power workes strengtheningly sometimes more immediatly sometimes more mediatly the wind blowes where it lists and as it lists t is alwayes welcome to a distressed soule Sometimes a lame Christian hath a staffe of support and comfort more immediatly out of Gods owne Hand thy rod and thy staffe comfort at another time more mediatly he hath a staffe legs and eyes lent him by a friend as Iob speakes Soule-strength the better used the longer kept take heede you lose not the great blessing of assisting and strengthening power 1. Want of compassion will endanger the losse of it 2. Sinning against it will certainly lose it I am affraid of this above all I see Christians fall into consumptions apace by fellowship with sin as weake as water as if there were no power of God at all in them which is a most dolefull condition How weake is thine heart saith the Lord to
Such language in humility is good but where 't is so indeed there 't is sad Why how have you used your precious time you have had many yeeres to fit for this one many dayes of peace to fit for this day of War many unbloudy dayes to fit for this bloudy day You have had a growing time a time of full growth for full service for any service this will be pleaded against you by Christ and conscience better then I can doe how will yee bee able to beare it The time is come that many will rue their losse of time that sloth will fall to slaying the very womb that hath long travel'd with her hard worke deadly hard worke will every day now fall to him that never dream't on 't and many I feare will eternally die in manging a good cause Ah Lord this is sad indeed when a man shall lose his life and his soule too in a good cause when a man shall make the greatest losse in the greatest and bravest worke of gaine that can come into a mans hand I like courage well but dislike a desperate man as much such is every one that goes about deadly worke and yet altogether unfit to die under the command of the Devill when he puts himselfe under the command of man for God The Divell is Almghty in some men I would speake a word to this That which doth rule all in you is your Almighty by this you may know what power workes in you What power is supreme in you the power of light and truth or the power of darkenesse and sin There is a strong man and there is a stronger man the stronger man is the Almighty Three things will cleare what power 't is that is Almighty in you What are you in 1. choise What in 2 pursuite What in 3. rest What a man chooses what a man prosecutes what a man rests in that has all is all that 's Almighty You that choose sin prosecute sin rest in sin sinne Satan is your almighty your God you are strengthned with all might from Hell The God of this World rules mightily in the children of disobedience saith the Apostle When sinners are to sin as children to a Father doing what they doe very naturally freely constantly contentedly ah lay this to heart sin is almighty Enlarge these things as you will in your selves I can say onely this you are lost men if any thing be Almighty in you but Christ As you love your soules consider what power works in you and by what strength you are rul'd You that have nothing but the strength of sinne and Satan in you what will yee doe when deliberately put to it for Christ you will deny him and blaspheme him to his face a man is and necessarily must be as the power that workes and rules in him you may think this and promise that the weakest Creatures are aptest this way but what ovâ—r-beares you now wil quite undoe you in the day of tryall These things Christians I have spoken our of feare of some but I hope well of the most of you that an Almighty arme of God is under you and an almighty spirit and power of God working in you I would it were so with all All of you may bee what any of you are Covet things that excell and CHRIST will give you excellent things an excelling strength All might The most of Christ is best the most of his power the most of his truth the most of his love and the like few hearts strongly hang after this therfore are miserable in their little of him that is all al-might and all joy and joyes so to be to that soule that pants after it All might comes in as all sinne goes out the Holy Ghost is our power and hee dwells and workes as hee can get roome Let Christ have all your affection and you shall have all his power to make you able to doe all that he shall call you to A man is made to duty as he strongly loves strong desires take and make Christ and then Christ takes and makes the man strong as strong as his worke to which hee hath such a desire God dispenseth himselfe according to his owne will and yet according to ours too 'T is the plague of most men that they desire but little of God they are heart-enemies to all power that opposes their corrupt affections The strength of God to mortify what man loves and God hates will man seeke or will God give without it All might to overcome all that overcomes the soule what men desire or thirst after this is talkt of therefore they very deservedly die under the power of their sin and in the weakenesse of their soules Grace in its measure though not according to its being is dispens'd according to desire in its measure for 't is but a prevenient capacity made by God to hold so much or so much of himselfe Christians enlarge your desires as Heaven as the wicked are said to enlarge their desires as Hell If you would have great things you must have great desires According to your affections will bee your fruitions if you desire flagons of power and love to stay you you shall be so supported if you pant after power all power to beare you up you shall be so borne up Almightinesse to action springs out of almightinesse in affection According to affection and according to faith doth the power of God worke in man Therefore is Steven said to be a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost and else-where full of faith and power Acts 6.8 According to our faith is our incorporation with that strength power which is indeed almighty and according to a Christians incorporation with this is his derived almightinesse By faith the walles of Jerico fell t was faith that made those worthies such almighty ones As the soule rests upon the almighty so is it almighty I would yee would study nothing else but faith all you have is in it Every age calls to peculiar service this age calls for almighty Christians yee see the way to it blessed are yee if yee finde it This blessednesse I will speake of in a word or two and close up this point An Almighty Christian 't is a Mordecai one set upon the Kings Horse cloathed with royall apparell and a Haman holding his bridle 'T is a man over all in God 'T is one cloathed with the Sun having the Moone under his feete 'T is a Christian with one foot on the Earth and another on the Sea trampling under foote corrupt doctrines corrupt advantages all that is unworthy of Christ and will not goe along with the soule to his everlasting home An Almighty Christian 't is one that moves in the highest Sphere in caelo chrystallino in the christall Heavens as neare the Heaven of Heavens as may be 'T is one that waites for Christ from Heaven more then for Heaven from Christ 'T is an Eagle
the King of Birds for sight and strength hee can looke to the end of what God sayes and does and stand it out expecting that end he can looke to a Canaan under a frown behold life in death An Almighty Christian can venture all upon an invisible God bind up all in one visible word hee can give an Isaac to the dead expect an Isaac from the dead believe that truth shall never die who ever die or live An Almighty Christian can live and die with an Almighty Saviour Christ alone is enough Christ alone is all Christ in poverty is riches Christ in death is life hee is in spirit still according to him that he loves and not according to what befalls him that he loves Hee is in affection according to the person of Christ the imployment of Christ and not according to accidentalia that attend him My beloved is thus and thus and therefore beloved What Christ is in himselfe takes what may fall out nothing This Christian is Christs liveli'st Emblem Looke on mee saith Gideon and doe likewise So doth hee looke on Christ and what Christ sayes hee sayes what Christ does hee does let all the World say and doe what they will He can be baptized with the baptisme wherewith Christ was baptized though a bloudy baptisme And Almighty soule on Earth what will this soule bee in Heaven One strengthened with All might is one prepared for all glory Who can number the dust of Jacob or tell the fourth part of Israel Who can number the Jewells of this Christians Crowne Or tell the fourth part of them Thine is the Kingdome Power and Glory c. Power and Glory goe in a chaine with mutuall respect as the one is so the other Looke how much of Christ here so much of glory with him hereafter As CHRIST is in any soule so hee will bee glorious in that soule So farre as hee reveales himselfe in any soule so farre hee abides and will for ever abide and challenge honour fit for such a vast being when hee comes home Hee now lives obscurely but hee will live in state according to his revenue and Seate Here is All power here must bee all Glory here are wide spacious roomes they must have hangings suitable I am all in this all I must have state answerable CHRIST glorifyes himselfe in us as hee reveales himselfe in us 'T is often hinted when much is enjoyed what it will end in at the appearing of Christ 't will best speake it selfe then I can speake no more of it now FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse Doct. ALL Might Divine power workes gradually in a Christian Some have little some much some All might There was it may bee but little strength in these Christians it may be much but Surely not All might What ever there was the Apostle saw roome enough within for more occasion enough without in the World for more for much more for all that might be had and therefore so prayed Strengthened with All might c. There be heavenly places in Christ some lower some higher some highest of all and yet all heavenly and holy And hath raised us together and hath made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.6 The expression notes a graduall working of Divine power according to which wee are raised and wrought to a similitude with Christ in holinesse lesse or more The highest extension of power from Christ makes the highest Heavenly place in him that is the greatest similitude to him in purity and felicitie Our Heaven here is a growing Heaven our Kingdome a growing Kingdome we goe from glory to glory from strength to strength from a little graine to a great Tree from babes to strong men from smoking to flaming and so ascend up in that flame to a fixed glory an abiding mansion to a glory that shall admit of no ebbing nor flowing of no intension or remission of no graduality respecting the same subject Divine power workes according to order Christ comes in state into the little World line upon line precept upon precept power upon power untill all be over-power'd and the little World wholly his The Sun comes in state into the great World it is not up at the Meridian assoone as it appeares in our Horrizon it rises and rises higher and higher and so filles the great World with glory by degrees So does the Sunne of righteousnesse the little World to wit man hee is not at a Meridian height in any mans heart presently but gradually by greater and greater Revelations of power and strength hee rises to the Revelation of all power that the soule is capable of He dwells and then walkes I will dwell in you and walke in you saith the Lord. Hee takes up a dwelling and then makes long and stately walkes He makes knowne power and then great power and raises it revelando till it rises to exceeding great power that yee might know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us ward who beleeve Ephes 1.19 Divine power workes in grace as it works in nature 't is Christs own comparison Divine power works in nature gradually by steps and degrees to perfect naturall things The Earth brings forth fruits of her selfe saith Christ first the blade then the eare after that the full Corne in the eare and then immediatly the Sickle is put in because the Harvest is ripe Mar. 4.28 So does Divine power worke in grace for this is the scope of the similitude by degrees not all at once and answerably a Christian rises to bud to blade to eare and to full Corne. When all might is reveal'd the Corne is full the state of a Christian is come to his maturity he will not be long now ere he be gather'd and hous'd in Heaven Divine power workes in man according to what God intends by man As men are design'd to Gods Service so God designes his power to their service to worke in and about them Divine power is Gods immediate agent man a mediate power is in the hand of God man in the hand of power and held up by it lower or higher as his worke is Whereunto I also labour saith the Apostle speaking of his ministeriall worke striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily Coloss 1.29 God had a mighty deale of worke to doe for the Apostle and his power wrought in him mightily He wrought without as God wrought within hee stir'd as stir'd striving according to his working c. Power is necesitated to worke gradually office and condition doth so change and vary in this World With an eye to this the Apostle prayed hee apprehended these Christians set out for great hardship and service and so hee sets upon God to raise power and force answerably for their aid Strengthened with all might c. One or two
to make him know him that speakes to be God and him that is spoken to but man God speakes so as to make man admire tremble stoop Man is a creature conceited and yet of no reach his conceptions and expressions lessen the dimensions of God his wisdome his power and the like and in this way man growes upon God by sinfull boldnesse and therefore God is faine to put titles and epithites upon his things himselfe to name things according to their nature himselfe which fallen man could have done once but now cannot to call love Love passing knowledge and wisdome infinite his wisdome is infinite saith the Psalmist and power glorious * To call an Angel an Angell and gold gold he is faine to cloath every attribute himselfe with royall apparell with titles suitable that so man may know and keepe his distance heare and feare heare and admire heare and stoop to him that is so glorious and so far above him in every Limb that hath such a glorious Arme glorious power Finally God shapes expression so to man as to hint him of and move him to his highest state He fetches expression from Heaven and from glory to minde man what should take him up and whither hee should drive in all hee sayes and does he goes before man in glory to draw man after him he speakes gloriously to man that man may eccho to him and call divine power as hee does and be taken with divine power as he is that man may looke about and turne away his eye from things that are vaine-glorious to that which is indeed glorious and will indeed make man so being strengthened with it Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power Vse God speakes as one in Heaven how doe you heare He makes his sword two-edged one terrible t'other glorious how does it cut He uses his rod and his scepter sharpe words and glorious words what doe they worke His scepter hee in layes and gilds and makes a glorious Scepter and so holds it forth to your senses to your eyes to your eares what impression doth it make upon your hearts Can yee heare God speake gloriously and yet not be stird'd Can yee heare God speake from Mount Sina and yet not shake Can yee heare him speake from Mount Zion as one in Heaven and yet not admire him adore him and be taken with him To unstir'd soules I must first speake from this point certainly you are dead This is the first principle that springs from this point Unstir'd soules are dead soules he that speakes speakes so gloriously so movingly that all men unlesse they be dead must needs be stirr'd Were your soules alive the words of Christ are so sweete so full of glory and divine force that they must needs stir and take you were you but asleepe the words of Christ are so glorious and so shining in your eyes that they would awake you T is a remarkeable place to this purpose Cant. 7.9 and the roofe of thy mouth like the best Wine that goes down sweetely causing those that are asleepe to speake Christs glorious words are very taking they goe down sweetely if there be any principle of life in the soule t will stir it If the heart be asleepe in the lap of any lower sweete in the lap of any low delights if onely asleepe and not dead in the nest this higher sweete and glory will awaken it and make it speake to the praise of him that so exceeds all in sweetnesse and love Solomon was asleepe for a while in the lap of low delights but when once Christ began to speake in a glorious stile to his sleepy soule hee awoke presently and made songes of that glory that transcendent glory which he saw Surely therefore I conclude that they are dead men whom words of glory words full of Heaven cannot stir How glorious the expression of Christ is here yee heare how gloriously Christ hath spoken upon it out of the mouth of a babe out of the mouth of a Worme and no man yee have likewise heard of what force and power all hath been upon your hearts yee know how much more in love with Heaven and with the Word of Christ and how much lesse in love with the World and with your lusts then you were you know yee that yet are as yee were not a jot better surely yee are dead yee that are yet dead ah Lord when when will yee bee alive Let every heart attend I will ring the Funerall of the dead Hearts dead and unstir'd when Christ speakes lively and gloriously have certainly stopt their eares against the charmer this soule is a prisoner to perverse will there is no damnable prison but this hee is resolved that nothing shall sway that is holy that his heart shall rule truth and not truth his heart which will damne a man if he had a thousand soules This man hath the plague in his heart and hath shut up himselfe that none may come at him no not the King of glory not words of glory write Lord have mercy upon this mans doore upon his forehead for he will die in his sinne all the World cannot save him Whom truth cannot stir nothing can whom glorious words of truth cannot stir nothing shall the man is stretcht out for dead I am now ringing his knell does any dead soule heare me A Scepter of gold a glorious power held out gloriously the God of glory speaking in glory and yet the heart of man not taken nor stir'd ah Lord this heart is taken already this heart is certainly catcht with some fading glory Were there any soule at home when the King of glory and the King in glory knocks certainly 't would open What answer can be made who can open when no body is at home Dinah is gon abroad and ravish't by the Shechemites the heart is gadded abroad taken and lost in a lie in a fading vexing glory that will be the death of it An unstird soule is a dead soule a dead soule is a lost soule a lost soule in sinne will be found in judgement seldome any where else I have not yet done ringing the Funerall of the dead one peale more and I have done Yee dead soules Christ is making your grave doe yee not see it he is comming to take the length of your corps with a sword he will bleed you first and then burie you afterward Yee have bled your soules dead and Christ will bleed your bodies dead and then will yee be twice dead and pluckt up by the rootes When yee are gasping for life will yee be taken and stird with that mortall power which wounds you when yee are descended to your long home will yee be taken and affected with that power that sends you to Hell Surely glorious power gloriously expressed will take your soules or destroy them In what stile God speakes according to it will he make operation in every man upward or downward GODS Words shall
hard for Divine power it will worke like it selfe in any thing in any subject in any place under any disadvantage 't will make barren joyfull banished joyfull 't will make Heaven in a furnace Heaven in hell Steven found it so 't will worke gloriously in Heaven 't will worke gloriously in earth in dust 't will worke gloriously in man in beast in any creature 't will make man allmighty women children any as it lists It s absolute and workes so it can doe any thing and doth so it can worke gloriously in a dunghill and workes as it can puts forth according to its supream and glorious nature 'T is sayd of Christ that he manifested forth his glory when he did that first miracle of turning the water into Wine there he wrought John 2.11 and put forth as hee was glorious power then began to worke according to its own absolute and glorious nature As every thing doth and will necessarily worke according to its own nature what glory any flowe hath closed up in its nature and within its one bud it will put forth The result of all is this power works gloriously necessarily naturally in a way of grace and engaged providence and not gloriously in way of miracle now under the Gospell So much to be had and so litle enjoyed makes mee wonder and grieve grace communicable and grace unto glory and yet men have no grace Heaven communicable and yet men in hell glory communicable and yet many in sinne in shame how comes this England is rich and yet many beggars and tatter'd Creatures neither foode nor clothing is all well order'd doth every one worke hard were every one diligent might they not live well in England is there not plenty of bread plenty of clothing fine bread glorious apparell Heaven drops and it drops fatnesse why are your soules so leane in your fathers house is bread enough feasting banqueting junketing glorious dishes in wisdomes house how is it that you have nothing not enough to hold life and soule together power workes gloriously you feele none under the power of sinne as if there were no power of God at all working in the World Sinners the first thing that I have to tell you from this point is that you are wholly without excuse There is power enough working to subdue the strongest lust what then can you plead will not glorious power lead captivity captive kill killing sinnes men sinne and lay it upon their weaknesse and so rest and rub on ah Lord what a life is this GOD will judge you and lay it upon your wickednesse is not glorious power able to relieve in any state weakenesse becomes wickednesse as it is rested in and pleaded for a soule given to shifting hath no mind to leave his sinne there is no damning temper but this This is one principle that springs from this point there must be no pleading for sin no not for any sinne though never so great and strong the remedy is so ready so gloriously all sufficient A second principle that springs from this point is this That sinne hath its notorious aggravation how great is that sinne which is committed under the neglect of glorious power within the reach of a glorious arme GOD doth number sinne and measure sinne he gives it a name and a proper name sinne and such a sinne he calls it by its kinde and by its colour skarlet and crimson As there is a glorious power so there bee glorious sinnes Splendida peccata skarlet crimson sinnes and these are such as are committed against glorious meanes glorious light grace and aid Sinne is aggravated but from one stander by but he is more then all more then a thousand witnesses Who did heare who did see who did accuse who did grieve who would have relieved what power had his to relieve so will GOD plead with poore sinners so will hee circumstance and take the dimension of your sinnes these little dashes and strokes by the first line will draw it forth to a great breadth and make it looke very broad blacke and bloudy the ground-worke and first draught thus filld up will make the face of sinne looke very ugly Sinners you sinne under observation yea that 's not all you sinne under aggravation this will bring condemnation the condemnation This is the condemnation that light is come into the World c. Power glorious power workes in the World and yet men lie in their sinnes Vse At what height you sinne sinners at that height you will perish Power that workes gloriously to save will worke to condemne if neglected if it cannot get the first end it will get the second GOD never loseth all by any man All he never loseth any thing at what rate he workes hee will bee paid or pay himselfe Power keepes at it's height if it be mighty and glorious to save and yet cannot because rejected 't will be mighty and glorious to condemne and not to be evaded Power can right it selfe and keepe up its glory at a pinch though sinners cannot Le ts here a little admire the misery of men that lie in their sinnes from the point in hand What worke will glorious power make when set against a man against a worme and no man against a sinner a Creature worse then a Worme one that hath not so much as the simplicity of its being to shelter it as a Worm hath glorious power it will worke wonders to make you miserable 't will turne it selfe into a hand a deadly hand writing sinne in the wall still wheresoever yee become 't will make sinne ever before you My sinne is ever before me sayth David If it can do so in reference to a child of God much more will it in reference to a wicked man power 't will give sinne a shape a stareing ghastly shape that shall stare you in the face where ever yee are or goe as some pictures very artificially drawne will looke upon one which way soever one goes Power 't will make sinne never to looke off you nor you never be able to looke off it glorious power 't will turne sinne into a Ghost and make it haunt you up and downe the World from Eden to the Land of Nod from East to West and weary you of your lives Glorious power will bring judgement to your doores Hell home 't will set your Coffin your black bearers ready at your heeles and make your conscience tell you as hee did Ananias they are at the doore which are ready to carry you to your long home 't will make your sin finde you out 't will turne your sinne into a Bloud-hound and make it finde you out wheresoever you be and pull you by the Throat Your sinnes shall finde you out saith he to the Reubenites glorious power will pull you downe if your nest were in the starres 't will fetch you up if you were in the bottome of the deepe Glorious power can make a Pursivant to finde
the glory of God saith Christ By faith Enoch was translated Soule translations soule liftings up soule raptures are in faith in the strong exercise of faith As wee kisse we are kissed As we embrace wee are embraced I am my wel-beloveds and my well-beloved is mine An act of faith and then an act of recompence an act of joy An act of trust and then an act of returne I am my welbeloveds and my welbeloved is mine This is power working and then glorifying its owne worke in the heart T is the soules going out to Christ like Zacheus and then bringing Christ home with him and after this follow feasting and joy and giving away any thing whilst hee is enjoy'd that is all Things worke as they are in sight 't is so in the body 't is so in the soule Faith sets glorifyed Christ in sight glorify'd Christ in sight makes glorious worke in the heart In whom though now yee see him not yet believing yee rejoyce with joy unspeakeable and full of glory In whom though now yee see him not that is bodily but believing that is seeing him soulely As our soule vision is so in our soule state for joy or griefe shame or glory If the soule can see light in the countenance of Christ t'ath joy glory heaven as full as it can hold if nothing but darkenesse t'ath nothing but griefe As yee believe so is your Heaven or hell With a note of admiration I will conclude this point Christians admire love that makes two heavens for such as are worthy of none Is it not enough that power workes gloriously above but must it worke so here too I am not worthy that thou should'st come under my roofe said he and yet Christ was not then in state that Christ in state in glory shoud come under such a roofe such a rotten roofe as ours here is That light should arise in darkenesse tooke the Psalmist much that glorious light should arise in a poore darke soule glorious power in a poore over-borne sinfull soule should wonderfully affect us and set us into holy admiration If a man die shall he live againe said Iob. Thus much tooke him How much more then should this If a man live shall he live againe If a man have a heaven here shall he have another hereafter If a man have glory here shall he have glory againe shall he have glory upon glory be cloathed upon Out of Heaven into Heaven shall he passe from glory to glory by the spirit and power of God Christians what a King of glory doe wee waite upon Beb-chamber dining-roome glorious yea hall and out-roomes which border upon hell glorious power works gloriously in a house not made with hands yea and in a house made with hands with earthen hands and earthen feete Power works gloriously in Earth formes an earthen Vessell unto glory formes glory unto it in it puts glory in the earthen Vessell and then puts the earthen Vessell into glory The Queenes Daughter is all glorious indeed glorious within without glorious hereafter yea glorious here It lies upon you Christians admiringly to speake and talke of these things They shall speake of the glory of thy Kingdome and talke of thy power c. Psal 145.11 Yea not onely admire it but draw comfort from it according to all your feares and distresses What can yee want which glorious power cannot helpe you to What is it that Heaven cannot make up Suck this Honey-combe your selves I onely can put it into your hand Time calles mee away FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Vnto all patience YOu have a hint here what is the state of a Christian in this World a state that needs a bearing a very bearing frame of heart patience all patience if there be any thing more then this and beyond this in long-suffering it needs this too Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse I take these two latter expressions to be Synonimicall or very neere it the one explaining the other All patience is long-suffering with joy long-suffering with joy is all patience What difference they have I thinke is Secundum intra extra and so I shall prosecute them All patience notes the habite long-suffering with joy notes the exercise The one notes the grace of patience in its formality the other in its use in its highest use as the other notes it in its full'st esse and strong'st habit for long suffering with joy is patience in its highest furthest use Varying and redoubling of expression is to reach things thoroughly and to hold them out most effectually 't will be our best way therefore I judge to goe after the Holy Ghost step by step word for word in this way wee shall tread surest and be likely to finde most touching the nature of this needfull grace of patience First therefore of patience then of all patience some thing shall be said as God shall give assistance Definitio Patience is a holy behaviour in affliction T is virtus versata circa adversa A grace that keepes man gracious in all conditions good in a bad condition holy against all disadvantages of holinesses within or without Man is a creature since his fall full of wants and as full of disquiet and this turnes all wants into sinnes and miseries he is a creature beside the rule and his punishment for this keeps him beside the rule through disquiet and so renders man totally miserable miserable without any felicity or hope of felicity this is the gall of bitternesse which patience takes away Patience takes away the sinne of misery the misery of misery the afflicting strength of misery the sting and teeth of every affliction the malignity of every cup of trembling the unhappinesse of every sad condition and makes a felicity in misery 'T is rectitudo animi sub statu infelici A rectitude of mind under a crosse and crooked condition A heart moving by the word of God when whipt by the hand of God 'T is Jonah praying in the Whales belly 't is heaven made by divine art in the belly of hell this is patience Patience is a soule enjoying it selfe in every condition when nothing else Anima in omni semetipsa fruens There is more truth in the understanding then power of truth in the heart therefore is man though very knowing yet very unruly when all suits not to his will hence 't is that the soule can hardly enjoy it selfe when it cannot enjoy all it would Dispossession of the creature makes dispossession of the soule man in want distracted not compos facultatis because not compos facultatum not master of wit because not master of wealth the man is no man because not such a man the man hath nothing because not such a thing because no children no life as one dead would be dead let me have this or that or let me die let me
the exercise of al I dread to thinke what this presages Wee shal see poverty and heare cursing see bleeding and heare blaspheming and both in one house yea both in one person Wee shal see bodies wounded and soules breathing themselves through these wounds in the face of God and man because in a helpelesse state This grieves me no man layes to heart what God already suffers in these evil dayes from impatient spirits I have heard some as I have gon along the streets breake forth most bitterly against the most religious of the Kingdome as the cause of al our misery laying bloud at innocent mens doores great ones doe thus against conscience poore ones doe thus out of ignorance as rich mens echo being their creatures made through feare or hope or both all sides I am sure breath not forth al but little very little patience Ah! yee of little patience what doe yee meane to make a miserable condition remedilesse a state miserable damnable will you sin in poverty that wealth may never returne will you sin in War that you may never have peace wil you sin in bloud and death that Hell may follow Because men have killed your Trades your States your Bodies shall the devil have your Soules Is there any evil in the City or Country which God hath not done God takes away much to save the maine and you make the losse of much the losse of all the losse of your soules through impatience A rod should humble you and your skin swells with stripes Gods Hand on your back should make your hand on your mouth and you curse you curse and God curses surely you wil be cursed you sweare and stare because you have lost your peace your temporall respect and God sweares you shall neither have temporall nor eternall rest Ah Lord what hath this soule done murmured and sworne himselfe out of al for ever Yee men of no patience have you no light no conscience no soule doe yee sinne against no light no soule no God are yee heathens are yee worse I will tell you the evils of impatience that you may dread it and every degree of it and make them as I name them motives to endeavor after all Patience i a heart freed from all impatience The first evil is this so farre as the soule is impatient so farre 't is set at a distance from God Impatience grieves God grieved withdrawes So farre as Saul rages so farre is the Spirit of God gon So farre as the soule is shut out from God 't is shut out from al. A bedlam is put alone and there chained and whipt he is fit for no company but forlorne spirits like himselfe a Legion of these possesse every impatient soule No soule hath lesse fellowship with God then passionate God cannot dwell in fire nor worke in fire any otherwise then to torment the tormented Froward children are frowned upon and kept at a great distance 'till their hearts come downe A soule that hath little of God hath much of the devil if you would see the devil face to face looke a passionate man in the face you shall see the devils eyes his browes his tongue his mouth al as blacke as horrid as firey as Hell A second evill of impatience is this Impatience maimes parts gifts graces and makes a man otherwise able feeble and uselesse The counsells of the froward are carried head long saith the holy Ghost if their counsels how much more then those things they doe without counsell and thus most an end doe passionate men doe all they doe Passion puts out a man's eyes cuts-off a man's armes it thrusts a man in hast still to the wrong doore to the wrong end of his busines Passion cannot observe modus nor media agendi 't wil up to the top of the house presently before there be any staires made 't wil run and leave tools behind yea 't will run and leave God behind and so buries her honour still in an untimely birth A passionate man hath Reubens judgement written in his forehead never to excell Thirdly impatience is the mother of al evil 't is a sin-teeming temper it brings forth children to old Age and then most of al passion in old Age brings forth by troopes Impatience 't is a spirit set on fire of Hell prepared and ready to every hellish worke to sweare to curse to kill to speak evil to doe evil t is a short possession a man mad for so many houres that will not stick at any thing that the devil and deprav'd nature bid him doe he wil flee in the face of servants children wife magistrate God any one 't is a Snake whose tongue is his sting his teeth poyson he takes in and casts up venome by mouthfuls his heart brings forth sinnes by troopes he speaks as many sinnes as words he burnes al black with too much heat he over-heats words workes the wheeles light a fire still in carriage especially when loaded with any heft and burne cart and carriage both Passion 't is the devils glasse-house black fire workemen are at it in this soule day and night t is the devils sinne-moul'd to make many sins quickly many great sins on a sudden Impatience puts a price onely upon praesentia * Appetitui apta carnal present things a measse of potage at present better then birth-right although Christ and Heaven be wrapt up in it Tell an impatient man of things to come Heaven and Glory Praesentibus futura majora and the like he cannot stay so long Heaven a great way off is no Heaven to him he must have a Bird in the hand a Heaven here or else Heaven and earth shall ring of him he must have what he wil and when he wil or he wil make the house too hot for al that are in it This renders an impatient person utterly uncapable of the great'st blessings because these are longest a comming and he cannot waite Le ts have a golden Calfe as for this Moses we know not what 's become of him nor when he will come a golden glittering Calfe at present better then to stay for Moses though hee brought the beames of God the glory of Heaven shining in his face Le ts eate and drinke for to morow we die Magna â—â—â—antiâ nulla Impatience must have a Heaven at present a belly-belly-heaven as for a soule heaven a heaven in promise t is a dead thing This renders an impatient man utterly below motive our greatest Gospel motives are fetcht from great things to come in another World and the greatest things are nothing at such a distance to this man hee cannot waite so long for a Heaven though hee lose his soule There is no divine contemplation in an impatient heart which is that that makes Heaven here So that an impatient man loses his Heaven here-after and here too Impatience 't is a soule still in a hurry never at home never at leisure to goe to
you need him most so that you shall get more of a suddain by Prayer then you could in all your life before A suffering Christian has his peculiar advantge let him but open his mouth heaven-ward and 't is fild presently let his heart be at his mouth and the holy Ghost wil be at his heart all upon wing and wrapt up in the third Heaven when the body in Hell Long suffering and joy are very neere as neere as night and morning if misery makes the night joy makes the morning and if the night cannot aske for the morning yet the morning will come of it selfe joy comes in the morning If a long sufferer be â—o worne so depressed with his burden that he be not able to pray not able to aske for joy and for comfort yet his joy will be ful 't will come of it selfe as things that are joyn'd together will call in one another long suffering with joyfulnesse Duties are immergent one springs and bubbles out of the belly of another all patience brings forth long suffering long suffering bringes forth joyfulnesse this is Divine Genealogy they are plac'd here by the holy Ghost according to their line as persons so vertues are noted according to their Genealogy Every grace beares patience brings forth long suffering long suffering joy joy brings forth Heaven now the Sun is up in the soule and begets Cardinall vertues glorious graces it makes the very emblem of Heaven in the heart The holy line must not be broken as things have their order in their owne nature so they must have their course in the soule long suffering for truth must bring forth joy and not griefe a Jacob must hold an Esau by the heele joy must embrace rough usage out of the sowerest stock ar't should make sweet fruit come out of long-suffering for Christ joy Duties are innocent graces are so ordained to move as best to speake out mans simplicity and Gods glory long suffering is not to leaven and sowre the soule to make it regurgitate bitterly in the afternone when things have lai'n long in the stomack but it is to give advantage to a Christian fully to speake forth his owne integrity and Gods glory Long suffering with joy is a full expression of mans simplicity and Gods Glory Long suffering in any cause hath its integrity as the heart is free from repining under it which it is when 't is meate and drinke to suffer for Christ joy to beare and to beare long Grace should move in grace that 's long suffering with joy grace should move to a Christians grace and to GODS glory that 's long suffering with joyfulnesse Vse Christians you see your lesson t is set very high can you play it What artists are you in your calling Can you make good Musick upon a bad instrument Can you make an instrument goe well that hath hung long by Can you play wel when the strings be broke When the back when the belly of the instrument is broke Can you sing the songs of Zion in a strange Land Can yee make melody in your spirits when never a whole piece in your flesh some of you it may be have never a peny in your purse scarce any rag to weare no house to put your head in but live upon the meere mercy of friends for giving testimony to Christs cause can yee joy now Christ hath mingled your drinke with weeping can yee drinke off this Cup with joy Suffering is suffering indeed when it goes quite through the man body and spirit body without all joy and soule too A man is plundred indeed when he is plundred in his estate within and without plundred of mony and goods and plunderd of peace and joy too no comfort without nor none within neither Ah Lord here 's a man quite undone indeed her 's a man all over miserable soule and body bleeding can there be any gathering to relieve this man I have heard many complaine that they are quite undone the expression hath cut me to the heart to heare it their faces all over blacknesse not one line drawne similingly You have lost all joyes without why but there are joyes within which the World cannot give nor take have you lost these too did the Cavaleers take away all together mony and plate and Christ too Ah! poore man thou art quite undone indeed certainly the divel was in those Cavaleers I would speake to such from this point which are quite undone which have lost all money and joy too which have many sufferings upon them for Christ but can make no joy out of them Surely I can guesse your paine you are blind you know not who hath strip't you nor when he will returne it againe 'T is impossible for a man to joy under long suffering unlesse a man can looke to the end of it This makes heavy afflictions light long afflictions short to look where they end Our light afflictions which endure but for a moment worke about a farre more exceeding and an eternall weight of glory Long suffering is but a moment when compared with eternity of glory The great Heaven at a distance makes a little Heaven at present a Heaven in hell to that soule which hath it in its eye as these lower Heavens give a great lustre and vigour at a distance to beholders and raise much so doth the Heaven of Heavens 'T is a Heaven to behold Heaven a farre off where ever the body be 't was Canaan to Moses Ab extremis miseriae quies to see Canaan a far off The sight of the end shortens the way suffering is deadly long when a man can see no end when a man is in darknesse and can see no light 't is hard to bring the soule to joy in such darkenesse A man must looke upon affliction from one end to to'ther that would fetch in joy to his soule from suffering At one end of long suffering for truth is a father at the other end a reward which if seen well will make the longest suffering very short and very sweet Can you make no joy out of your long sufferings for truth I can guesse your paine there is something heavier then your temporall losse that lies upon you Surely you have lost your state and found sinne death has a sting death of a mans body yea and death of a mans estate has a sting A little guilt is heavier then a great deale of misery then all the afflictions of this World When bare misery goes over a mans head though never so much hee may well stand under this but when misery clothes it selfe with guilt and goes over a mans head as Iniquity this makes the burthen too heavy to be borne when the apprehension of sinne startes out of misery and stares upon the soule this killes all joy dead and the man is not able to beare up if hee had all the World to comfort him The cause may be good and the man bad 't is hard
to keepe up a bad heart though the suffering be good there be so many by-things besides the cause breake in guilt doth so speake stare and teare in such a soule when any bodily misery growes great and long Long suffering turnes a guilty soule into hell a hell in the flesh may be borne with joy but not a hel in the spirit Plundered persons complaine they art quite undone sinne hath done this fall out with that not with Cavaleers they could not have stript you of all not of your joy by taking away your goods no not by taking away your limbes no not by taking away your life had not you wounded your soules with sinne neither men nor divels could have strip't you of your joy the wounds which you have made in your spirits not those which they have made in your flesh have quite undone you these are the wounds that have bled to death your joy Thou hast beene the cruellest Cavaleer to thy selfe O sinner Can'st thou make no joy out of thy sufferings for truth I can guesse the cause thy sufferings worke no grace in thee Wee glory in tribulation knowing that it workes this and that grace saith the Apostle that is takes off the soule from the Creature sets it upon God and eternall things Thy sufferings are meere sufferings they worke no grace if they did thou must needs joy in this to see how a fiery Charet carries thy soule to Heaven No affliction is joyous or can be but as it brings home the soule to God the Prodigall home to his Father When afflictions doe barely afflict and onely afflict this must needes leave the soule in a very ill frame to joy There is no joy in eating of huskes Barren cloudes doe not make the Earth smell and smile barren afflictions afflictions which make no grace can make no glory joy is an afflicted soules Glory As the vessell comes into forme by beating so comes in delight as gold appeares by fire as Christ is seene in the furnace so is joy there Suffering long and the heart hold it's owne in sinne Ah Lord her 's a soule in hell indeed is it possible for such a soule to make joy in such suffering suffering long and the heart hold it's owne in sinne this sets the soule at a greater distance from joy then ever as one that is wicked and will be so there is no peace nor joy to the wicked when will there when can there to him that is wicked and ever will be so that short suffering long suffering no furnace can melt nor purifie This soules suffering is and will be of the same nature with theirs below there is long suffering and no Joy without possibility of Joy so will it be with every wicked man Sinners tell mee what doe yee see what doe yee feele sorrow but no joy why that 's right write Lord have mercy upon mee my hell is begun my body is desolate my soule is desolate so 't 'as been long so 't will be for ever because my misery has not better'd me What no enquiry no panting for Christ yet will yee rub along through one hell till you come to another O God! when shall Christ be in request bodies bleed soules bleed and yet is not a bleeding Saviour sought after that a bleeding condition may bee made blessed and Joyous Sinners you are insnared in an evill time Did you dreame of long suffering what dayes are come upon you what rack't soules are within you when will this end So 't is so it must be till one deepe swallow up another till the lowest Hell swallow up this nether-most Hell Reade my Text once more God is to be admir'd so is this point and I thinke this Text to be concluded How tender is God of the felicity of man hee does much to destroy his sinne but nothing to destroy his joy when hee makes him suffer long he would have sinne die all sinne but no joy no not a dram but rise to an exceeding height Rejoyce and bee exceeding glad saith Christ All that God does the worst that God does to a Christian is to make him a Heaven and to encrease it it should make ones heart leape to thinke of it If he cast downe 't is to raise up if he humble 't is to exalt if he empty 't is to fill if he kill 't is to make alive if he make misery long without 't is to make joy strong within still he ha's a tender care of mans joy This is the Benjamin about which Gods bowells beate let my child suffer any thing but nothing in his joy O deare father who can conceive thy bowells to thy children Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and so tender of his joy He that is in Heaven can speake nothing but Heaven he that is never without joy would never have us without joy although we be never without sin no not then when wee doe and suffer most and longest for him when hee speakes of long suffering he ends it with joy nay he meanes it all a long with joy Christians admire love God does nothing to make you miserable all that is done this way you doe it your selves Hee has beene a Father of children of many children this many thousand yeares yet never was knowen to doe any thing to take away the joy of any God is very tender of your joy be you so he does nothing to kill your joy doe not you make any thing he does doe it When hee makes you suffer much and suffer long doe not you make it kill your joy this is to turne long suffering into long sinning yet flesh and bloud is apt to this I 'le therefore speak a word to this point Our sufferings looke as if they would be long they have a long visage in my eye as I told you last day how long soever they stretch out themselves yet I would have you manage them as the holy Ghost here speakes with a spirit of joy I will give you three or foure things to helpe raise your hearts to suffer and to suffer long and all along with joy You shall be the death of insolent wickednesse Should be the joy of a child of God to suffer long to kill the least sinne 't is so killing to his father how much more to kill a Goliah that is up in defiance against him You shall kill wickednesse in Armour wickednesse with a brazen face wickednesse with a head-peece back-peece belly-peece wickednesse wrapt up in Iron in armour from head to foote wickednesse growen so wicked that thinks she hath made her selfe musket-proofe Cannon-poofe against the Almighty Should it not joy a man to suffer long to kill such wickednesse to kill wickednesse that thinks to out-live all goodnesse wickednesse that dares GOD teares God sweares curses blaspheames at every word wickednesse set all on fire of Hell should it not joy a man to quench such fire with his bloud should it
you looke to your joy in this sensuall season and make it divine Let your laughter be turned into weeping as the Apostle speakes if ever that were seasonable 't is now Some can smile and weepe 't is a comly countenance now if you can so joy now doe Remember God when your hearts are cheer'd remember the afflictions of Joseph in your bowles what a wonder is it that this cup of beere is not a cup of bloud thus lay your hand on your breast In your chiefe joy forget not your selves forget not your brethren Forget not God lest God write up your wickednesse on the walles in your consciences as hee did belluine Beltshazzars and make your soules ring of your unseasonable joy to the day of your death Germani'es wicked feasting 't is deadly cured their great drinking is turned into great bleeding their great feasting into famine Be instructed England be instructed so else wil be the deadly cure of thy excesse You observe dayes and good times as you call them I am affraid of you observe your soules observe your joy how holy it keepes these holy dayes These holy dayes are betraying dayes they are the divels snare to thousands how many thousands have more wrong'd their soules in these few dayes then in al the dayes of the yeare besides and yet this soule-undoing time must be call'd a blessed time Our wickednesse upon this blessed time hath brought many a curse our evil joy much griefe if we shal yet continue it when shall our griefe end The devil hath many snares for the poore soule of man but they are worst which are wrapt up in joy least discerned but catch most and kil deadliest Slips in mirth and in joy are pleaded for the divel hath enough now the man does the divels worke the divel may keepe Christmas holy-day too now if he wil his work is done for him I am led to brand a bad joy I am commanded by this point in hand to stigmatize al joy that is not divine that makes not an ascending frame of heart I will doe this in three or foure things briefly Bad joy hath this grand evil in it It strips God of all No evil carries the heart so totally from God as evil joy it carries away the heart and every heart string The soule and all that is within as that ful expression of Davids is the soule and all within the body and al without every sinew and nerve are set intensely awry when joy is awry A man is very heartily wicked very totally wicked every faculty every sinew stretch themselves to sinne when sinfull in joy There be many sacrificers to the divel but none sacrifices so bountifully to the divel as joy doth when corrupt she sacrifices totum universale totum particulare al in generall al in particular al the man al the joints nerves and sinews of the man to the utmost All the bloud all the spirits in the bloud al the spirits generaly throughout the whole state doth bad joy set a dancing after the devill so that God hath nothing left him in this man A merry divel jostles Christ out of all Bad joy hath this ground evill in it 't is stiffnecked hardest of any to returne to be reclaimed A mans joy commands all and is all and wil be all to the heart A man is most hardely brought to part with his joy What is so deare to a man as his joy let it be what it wil 't is his Heaven the soule and Heaven are inseparable they are so identified so one in another above al other things Joy and the soule are more identified more one in another then the soule and any other passion or thing whatsoever 'T is almost impossible to separate things which are so neere onely the power of a God which can doe any thing can doe it Hence 't is that t' is so hard to bring a man to leave sinne when his soule hath found out joy in it when the sinner can make musicke to himselfe in his sinnes when the sinner by art hath made an instrument of his sinne a Lute to play upon and delight his senses withall Joy 't is a fragrancy made from many flowers with much picking choosing and composing of flowers t is honey gather'd with much art from much variety the soule is not easily brought to put that by which it hath so spent it selfe for and so laid out its utmost art and skil after Bad joy 't is the soule in the armes of the divell hee holds fast 't is the soule in the bosom of the devil two evil spirits deare each to other making their felicity in and of each other evil spirits endear'd are harder to part then evil bodies Bad joy 't 'as this grand evil in it 'T is the completion of evill 't is wickednesse ful sinne growne old out liv'd al vertue yea out liv'd all conscience for till conscience was quite dead bad joy could not live Bad joy is an evil that hath conquer'd vertue truth conscience God and triumphs in this victory all the tone now is hang sorrow and yet hell now gapes for the man and never so wide as now Sinne may be growne old when the man is young 't is many a young mans case the Lord knowes nothing mature in them but sinne as you may see by their joy and triumph in it fit for hel ere they come to age to be fit for their patrimony Bad joy hath this grand evil in it It sets the Soule very neere wrath at the gates of hel knocking to goe in Evil joy 't is a Malefactor upon the gallowes there is but a step betweene him and turning off The triumphing of the wicked is short Job 20.5 when once a sinner beginnes to triumph he has but a little time to live Seest thou a sinner laughing stay a little the next change of countenance will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth You say of some notorious persons that the gallowes groanes for them when you see a man notoriously wicked joying and triumphing in sinne Ah Lord hel groanes for this man hel opens for this man in a moment he will goe down to the pit We leave him there and conclude FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father c. Defin. THanksgiving according to the sense of this and other Texts is a divine returne of divine love 'T is a Sea going forth into al the veines of the Earth and returned againe to its selfe by Rivers and Streames God is infinitly out here below and yet all upon finite man man is to make a returne of al and in Gods own coyne love for love to make Gods owne doings and dealings acknowledge him and own him al love to the Creature respecting body and soule in prosperity and adversity to cal him Father giving thankes to the Father Man is the mouth of the Creation to make all the workes of God speake and
have such a phrase nothing but God is in all his thoughts he is lost in love and can finde no way out but by breaking out to Heaven O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God c. Thankfulnesse doth presuppose admiration a minde over-matcht with matter The soule is big with admiration as it can goe ere it kindly and nuturally brings forth thanksgiving A little makes a thankfull man admire much the least of Gods mercies O how great t is to a thankfull soule A thankfull soule sees nothing but wonders bread a wonder a crum of bread in his mouth a wonder clothes a wonder any rag on his back a wonder any whole peece in his flesh in his spirit in his estate in his name a wonder O how big are all a thankfull mans mercies and how little he how tall and proper every mercie and what a dwarfe he How good is every piece but the midle piece what a worme is man and yet how used by God above a man set little lower then Angels What a nothing what a worse then nothing is man and yet what an all is God to him these two wonders make a third to wit a dead heart alive and leape as high as Heaven Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. You see thankfulnesse hath here a great many wonders in her eye and this stirs her who hath made and made us and made us what why partakers of an inheritance what inheritance why an inheritance of Saints where doth 〈◊〉 lie why wonderfull strangely as high as Heaven in light admiration you see is the naturall mother of thanksgiving giving thanks to the Father who hath done all these and these favours for us Finally for I will name no more things about the opening of this doctrin though it were worthy long dwelling upon thanksgiving 't is the proper worke of a Christian and the naturall worke of an Angel A Christian is organized above all men sweetly to tell God his own he can dive deeper ascend higher run faster and further after God then all the lower World beside 'T is proper onely to a Christian to see love to taste love which are the strings onely which thanksgiving makes musick upon shee can play nothing but love lessons No man is divine but a Christian all others are but sensuall and to be ranked with bruites in point of thanksgiving for they give as good praise to God for any thing they have as any carnall man and better Bruites cannot speake but their bodies really answer their end which is reall thanksgiving for what they have and are 'T is a reall returne of all for all A carnall man can speake God I thanke thee c. But neither tongue nor hand neither soule nor body answer their end and so man makes himself an Hypocrite which a beast cannot do The Waves clap their hands saith the Psalmist many carnall men do not so much in point of thanksgiving the best of them can do no more All inanimata and meere animata they are only Creatures ad extra respecting thanksgiving they can onely clap their hands and clap their wings and all carnall men can do no more their Creatures onely ad extra respecting divine workes what they can do at these is onely with their hands and with their tongues clap their hands clap their breasts and lift up their eyes which some Bruites will be taught to doe in time As thanksgiving is the proper worke of a Christian so 't is the naturall worke of an Angel their breathing is divine praysing they are spirits of honour waiting upon the King of glory their place and their shape is for transcendent melody the advancing of infinite love is all their worke they speake nothing else doe nothing else nor can doe as the workes you doe naturally you doe necessarily you breath and you can doe no otherwise They are just under the line love shines mighty hot upon them with full face with perpendicular rayes that they are in a continuall rapture which necessitates heart lifting and leaping and nothing else and makes Hallelujah's all their language They are taken up with returning what they heare see feele taste and live in and live upon The result of all is this thanksgiving is a divine returning of divine love a rendring to God as wee have received as that expression concerning Hezekiah is 't is said hee rendred not or as it is in the Originall repayed not according to what he received which is a full and a lively definition of thanksgiving Vse Le ts all mourne and take on we are all behind hand with God The Christian world is become bankrupt quite broke makes no returne to God of his love he is issuing out processe to sieze upon body goods life and will be put off no longer bloudy Bayliffs are abroad for bad debters all the Christian world over Christians are broke and make no returne God is breaking of all He cannot have what he would have what he should have hee will take what hee can get for mony he will take goods limbs armes legs hee will have his owne out of your skin out of your bloud out of your bodies and soules he is setting the Christian World as light and as low as they have set his love Ah Lord what a time do we live in Long suffering is at an end mercy will be righted by Justice Justice will have all behinde 't will be paid to the utmost farthing 't will set abroach your bloud but 't will have all behind England looke to thy self how much hast thou received what hast thou return'd there is but one thing will undoe thee O England to wit ingratitude not returning as thou hast received There be three or foure things which broadly speake Englands ingratitude Great favours overlookt So great things scarce in any age as in ours hath God wrought yet what impression is there to be found in any mans heart wroks are great and yet make but little impression as fast as wrought dead 't is deadly ominous Tell mee are your hearts in a flame of love doth Heaven ring with your praises have not doe not the dealings of God challenge this of every one The dealings of God with England carry a sweete Face of love and their inside seemes very killing and judiciary they leave all hearts so flat and so low at such a desperate losse still as if nothing were done the greatest Victories the greatest deliverances keepe up the heart but a day but an houre Our favours are great but worke not answerably There is no one thing more sad in my observation they are great onely to looke upon not great in their efficacy and power upon the soule which may make you all look about you The buddings of great desolation appeare The Lord pity thee England The Lord pity thee England Wee grow cold under the rayes of fervent love dead and nothing will
separated from life zeale from integrity an honest heart but something cold and heavy does not run well I confesse in Christian propriety of speaking but we will suppose this case and speake on let there be what integrity and honesty in the heart there will be if there be not fervent love and life warmth and heat thankesgiving will bee poore Thankfulnesse comes the deadliest off of any duty in a dead heart Some birds have longer wings then others they usually flee highest which have longest he had neede have a large strong wing'd soule that is good at thanksgiving the duty is so meerly and so highly heavenly A cold heart can doe but little at prayer but just nothing at thanksgiving you were as good goe to string a stone and play upon it as to make divine melody upon a stony cold heart Defect in natural heat maks benūmednes to action if you be benumm'd to duty certainly there is a defect in spirituall heat you are not warme enough at heart a man is in thankfulnesse as he is in strength of love strong love will fall a limming out of Christ from head to foote acutely his eyes are like his haire like that c. Thirdly as the soule is in Prayer so t is in thanksgiving as a man is in conscience to the meanes so he is in assistance to the end as a man is at one duty so he is in likelyhood and capacity to be at another Dutys they are introductive one leades into another we goe from strength to strength from the strength of one duty wee are made strong to another the blessing of one duty leaves supply behind it to bring on another higher God steps in on a sudden and lifts up the soule when the man is upon his knees A man does beyond expectation when hee humbly casts himselfe upon the means when a Christian cannot doe a divine duty let him come as neere it as he can and God steps in and makes it out When a Christian cannot give thankes let him pray and God will turne a spirit of Prayer into a spirit of praise Some are discourag'd from Prayer they can give thankes no better I come still as a Raven meerely craving why doe so still t is not impossible to God to teach a Raven to sing Finally a man is at thanksgiving according to an inward secret assistance and concurrence which no man can expresse as the spirit helps in Prayer with sighes and groans which cannot be expressed so in thanksgivings with heart-liftings and heart-raysing and ravishing which cannot be expressed Saylers to Heaven finde some times a current as Saylers here below doe in some voyages when the soule lights of this it sayles a pace whether it will or no with no paine there are secret whispers from above bunches of the holy Land tastes of the powers of the World to come these are above all to raise the soule and to set all a praysing God as the soule is brought nearer Heaven this duty becomes naturall I see some very thankefull and yet very poore scarce any thing without to make Musick on surely they have a mighty advantage within there is one winds up blowes and breakes within the instrument could never goe without any thing else so as it seemes to doe FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light OUr way is mountainous every word is wonderfull high we need wonderfull aide to doe well I againe beg your Prayers I prize them above all parts to facilitate and felicitate my way make me and your selves happy in them make wings for me to ascend to Heaven my Text and worke lies all there Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Who hath made us meete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath made us fit or sufficient Idoneum facere Who hath made c. Vox creationis terminus creandi * Creating and making idem sonant see Gen. 5.1 Doct. est 'T is a terme of Creation Grace is another Creation t is much out of nothing much made from nothing by nothing but by him that is all Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. The Image of God in Adam was a piece of the Creation a peculiar prime piece t is noted so In the Image of God made hee him c. Gen 5.1 The image of God was the result the ultimate the glosse the glory of the whole piece the furthest reach the designe proposed the top of creating art lay in this * Creating and making idem sonant see Gen. 5.1 Doct. in the likenesse of God made hee man c. This prime piece was lost deeply lost generation will not reach it regeneration onely can the result of generation is but mans image nakedly and no more Gods image is a piece that beares still upon Creation Who hath made us meete One miserable Creature brings forth another no Creature makes another good Men of gifts have not this gift men of grace cannot make gracious The skilfullest man cannot set another in Christ he must be created in We are created in Christ Jesus unto good workes c. Saith the Apostle Men whose art and trading lies onely this way to make gracious yet these cannot we are but instruments by whom men believe but pipes thorough which grace is conveyed the fountaine open is Christ He is the fountaine of life life and the fountaine thereof spirits bubble and spring out of his bosome and blood Fountaine 't is a terme that notes no reception because none knowen is used by the holy Ghost as Melchisedeck to set forth a transcendent thing a worke immediatly and onely from God as Creation was so would the Apostle have this word sound in our eare which is used in my Text who hath made us meet who alone i hath done this as he did things at first Cunctis patientibus every thing laying meerely passiue as the Chaos before him The naturall spirit is still created you give Semen sanguinis semen carnis but not Semen spiritus the seed of flesh and bloud but not the seed of your soules you bring nothing to this glorious worke not a stone not a dust to our inmost roome God breathes the soule still if the naturall spirit much more the divine the holy spirit Gives the holy spirit to them that aske it Grace is another inbreathing another in spiration upon expiration solemne request as dead an immediate Act from Gods owne Mouth as the first breathing of the soule was not leaning to or admitting of any subordination or co-ordination No Father hath grace but God Giving thankes to the Father who hath made mee c. The way of grace is via creationis the way of Creation The spirit moves freely absolutely first as it did when it
limitation it speaks restraint to such a species to such kind of things and no other Creatio est illimitatio fertur ad omnia Creation speakes illimitation boundlesse processe you may have what you wil that stand under the blessing of this power You stand in a capacity of al what would you be that creating power cannot raise you to I am made all things to all men sayes the Apostle making power makes a generall Christian make me to heare joy and gladnesse sayes the Psalmist No blessing too big for making power t wil make joy and gladnesse in the most bleeding soule Heaven in Hell FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Doct. OF power creating and making we have already spoken the persons to whom this is refer'd is our next thing to consider who are noted in this terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us Who hath made us meete c. Love singles out her objects shee chooses her breast and bosome to lie downe in shee does not wantonly and promiscously kisse as shee meets but picks and chooses and so embraces who hath made us meet c. Love workes freely Christ makes many nothing makes him The holy Ghost cannot be bought with money he is in the gall of bitternesse that thinkes so Nobility no more then peasantry wisdome no more then folly to take Christ hee embraces as many of one as t'other more more poore then rich more foolish then wise His will is his pleasure therefore is will cal'd often in Scripture the pleasure of God Whom hee will pleases if 't be a theife an harlot a Publican Christ is a good fortune but never catch't full of beauty but eyes none full of wealth but lookes at none of great inheritance but lookes not at dowry hee marries where hee will whom he will whom he does he makes who hath made us meete Love workes righteously mercy leaves roome for Justice shee can hold al in her Armes but she chooses but few and leaves the rest to bee embrac'd with more rough hands The sunne shines as it can get roome in a little place it cannot bring in all its rayes onely one or two some few but in the open World all Christ hath his course now in an open World All are under sinne hee may put forth all his beames and glories and be righteous here a beame of Justice and there a beame of mercy he may shine upon one part as upon Sodom bloudily upon another part as upon Goshen blessedly Christ is not necessitated to goe about and kisse all in this lower roome as he doth above he may kisse or he may kick kick many and kisse a few and come off righteously he may goe killing and saveing making and marring through this congregation so as to leave the Apostles liberty for mee in speaking of you who hath made us meete c. Love workes very purely purity is choise a Virgin is not for many Pure love lookes upon many but chastely cleaves onely to one Christ singles out a Spouse and cleaves onely to her The Church singles out Christ she is onely for him Christ singles out a Church he is onely for these My beloved is one this is the Language of the Church and this is the Language of Christ both electing in their love and a few serves turne on both sides The Churches love gathers into one breast so doth Christs Him and no other sayes the Church these and no other saith Christ The property of love is to be entire to use many but to choose but few who hath made us meete c. Love workes strongly she contracts her beames that 's her strength The more contracted the sun beams are the stronger in heat Love is love indeed that loves but few one of a Tribe two of a City us of all Colosse three or foure poore persons of such a great famous City and all the rest left and lying under wrath Running in many channels breakes the strength and greatnesse of a streame That love which runnes common is no thing Love and upon the matter no love 't is consistent with all misery both here and hereafter Speciall love workes strongly she travailes to bring forth a Heaven a Heaven fit for man and men fit for it those wombes which bring forth great ones bring forth but few Multitude is made up in magnitude a few kinges are considerable to many thousands of inferiour men one Kindome is considerable to many mannors a few Saints considerable to many wicked Love travailes and works stongly shee brings forth Kinges Kingdomes great things and therefore but few Who hath made us meete c. Love worketh nobly the channels are al earthly and base in which shee runnes here below and therefore shee runnes but in few Nobles will be intimate and frequent with Nobles but with few others with few that are low and base onely with here and there one that they have a minde to preferre 'T is so with Christ he moves nobly hee is intimate with all the nobility above frequent with all those royall spirits but he lookes but upon few here below here and there one which hee hath a minde to advance Christ doth not throw downe himselfe when he sets up man hee ennobles himselfe in every thing that goes forth from himselfe hee so makes great as to make himselfe great he advanceth men and advanceth himself in such advancement Christ doth so speake love and worke love as to make all echo to his owne honour Much amonst few will hold its muchnesse and they will confesse the donor noble and their inheritance great thus doe these here in the Text they admire love Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light Love workes hintingly Christ doth so kisse and embrace in this lower roome where he comes that it may be plainly discerned that he is not a like pleased with all The very going forth of mercie speakes Justice to the wicked she kisses one over anothers shoulder is not that deadly hinting and damnably nodding to him that stands betweene Love comes very neere a man and yet steps over him and kisses the next Two grinding at a Mill one taken and another left two lying in one bed one taken and the other left doth not this manner of loves working speake wrath to standers by hath not mercy in its dispensation a tongue a voice doth shee not give a deadly cast and glote with her eye that shee is not pleased with all that some shall die under a sleight that she never meanes Heaven to this man nor that man what ever they promise to themselves love smiles and goes close by one soule and kisses another why this very transcient smile is a deadly frowne 't is a smile and yet 't is a deadly frowne too the soule
past by should account so and spell his death out of it Abels offering accepted and Cains nor this was to hint to Cain how things went in Gods breast and it did so but wrought desperately Christ in the same breath in the same expression can speake consolation and condemnation life and death life plainly death noddingly so hee doth here in this forme of expressing himselfe Who hath made us meete c. Vse This point dischargeth a broad side against an errour of the World Every one thinkes himselfe in the favour of God That wherein God is most curious the World thinkes he is most carelesse his love workes very choisely and they thinke it workes very commonly What man alive but promises himselfe the love of God when hee dies What mans state so bad but he thinkes â—will end in Heaven Ignorant soules make Heaven and the Bosome of God â—he center of soules that to which all soules necessarily goe and can goe no whither else I am pain'd at the heart to heare prophane mens opinions and their principles respecting the love of Christ and their eternall estate I will give you two or three of their principles and speak to them They thrive in the World therefore â—ove hath given them her favour and chosen out them to be the onely happy men who ever be miserable Did not the sunne shine upon Sodom was not Dives a wealthy man and yet where is he Where is hee was not â—ophet prepared for the King The things of this life are consistent with death with wrath A man may lie in the bosome of the Creature and in the bosome of the divel too nothing more common A full Table speakes snares and death as well as love That man will certainly choke his soule that will not rise from his Table to fetch an argument of Gods favour towards him I am beloved of all men in this some blesse themselves as beloved of God Truth seldome gets so much favour 't is a strange carriage that will carry it with all All men may speake well and God speake ill of a man All men love thee Doe Gods people love thee there is a love of pity David loved Saul a 〈◊〉 yet Saul was not beloved of God There is a love of relation David loved Absolom yet Absolom not beloved of God Gods people may fasten love where God will not Gods people are weake 't is usuall with them to fasten love where God cannot And as for the Worlâ— they love their owne they hug one another to death what then can'st thou argue from hence touching Gods favour to thee I am not more jealous of any man then of him that aleadges a generall approbation for his goodnesse The World gives no certificate to Saints nor Saints give no certificate to the World he that gets a certificate from both Lord what is he a Saint or a worldling good or bad or made up between both Common vote for goodnesse speakes common goodnesse commonly seldom is this height a height to argue speciall love from Some men can goe in and fetch thee out an evidence of their eternall state My conscience is as cleare and as good as any Mans my heart is at rest J thanke GOD. The soule is corrupt 't will lie downe with a lie There is settling upon lees this speakes not love but deadly hatred When the strong man keepes the house all is at peace Some are quiet because there is no grace to oppose corruption The old man is quiet enough if he may have what he will The divell is as quiet as another Creature if hee be let alone to rule all as hee list's There is peace peace and yet no peace have you never heard of that They shall cry peace peace and yet no peace no favour with God but wrath burning and judgement at the doore Peace may be in a sinners mouth and wrath in Gods peace may be in a sinners heart and wrath in Gods heart yea when wrath is in Gods Hand and ready to cut him off There is a peace of mans speaking and a peace of Gods speaking When they shall cry peace peace meerely they and not God this peace peace this double peace speakes double wrath Delusions are many sinners looke to your soules This is certain love elects she goes forth with choyce not promiscuously she makes some not all blessed Who hath made us c. Are ye amongst this number Can yee say thus who hath made mee meete and mee meete for Heaven Every one thinkes speciall love embraceth him I 'le therefore give you the proprieties of an electing love 'T is in living Sun rayes generate Vita sun rayes regenerate Love is warming heate makes life The Love of God revealed begets love in man Wee love him because hee loved us first God gives all great favours so as to returne to him naturally Divine love shed abroad in the heart carries the heart to God The spirit returnes to God that gave it the naturall spirit doth so at death the holy spirit doth so before death all along even unto death Gods Countenance where 't is similing 't is winning where 't is winning 't is drawing where divine love is drawing the soule is running to Heaven A favourite is much at Court ever at the Kings elbow Gods favourites are much with him still bending Heaven-ward Love is alwayes in her journey towards her beloved No bosome so sweete as that from whence shee came forth Divine love makes divine it comes from Heaven it carries to Heaven Chosen are called electing love hath a still sweet calling voyce This is the way saith love and there is no way to this saith the beloved Grace echo's to God the giver Wisdoms wayes have the name for pleasantnesse with a chosen soule Love inflames the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Vâ—atal's Infinite love makes a kinde of infinite it generates simile Love is as strong as death 't is spoken of the love of the Spouse The Husbands love is unexpressible strong so is the Wives Love sets the soule for Heaven with full saile All the heart and all the might Electing love carries al captive to Christ 't is not to be exprest how strong love is when made divine That love that is set upon God is the strongest of all 't 'as such a transcendent object and such secret transcendent influence No sinner loves sinne as a Christian loves Christ Love is made from the object no object so lovely so soule-drawing out as Christ is No such rapture did Salomons soule ever make in the Creature as in Christ nothing is so drawing out of love as Christ the very vastnesse of the soule is suited in him how vastely doth the soule love when fully suited When every power of the soule hath enough to take full hold on Thou hast put joy in my heart more then they when corne and wine and oyle increased Gods Countenance drawes more
out more love more joy then Corne and Wine then any thing can doe 't is so fully soule answering Electing love is a transcendent love stronger then that which is borne to all the Creation besides so it makes a transcendent love a love stronger to Christ then to any thing My love is white and ruddy faire yea fairest of ten thousand A man whom Christ loves cannot see such another as Christ is as the Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the Sonnes Electing love is separating I have chosen you out of the World The body in the World but the soule out of it off of it i in esteeme all earthly things dung stinking Earth that which is taking to a carnall man is stinking to a Christian Earth is base to a heavenly soule thick clay a loade yea the very flesh upon the back a load to a divine spirit life this life but a death The best house here but a groaning house in this house wee groane panting after another better built A house from Heaven Christ finds men lost in the Creature but leaves them lost in himselfe I esteeme all losse but Christ A choyce person hath a choyce affection he can put no prize upon any thing but Christ A Christian is the worst bidder for the World in the World A Judas bidds basely for Christ A Paul bids basely for all besides Christ he bids nothing hee esteemes all dung he prizes it at no rate onely worthy of strong contempt The glory of this World takes not a glorious soule I am crucified to the World and the World to me Paul had nothing of the World nor cared for nothing there was as little of the World in his heart as in his hand as little in his spirit as in his purse Divine love is very estranging from worldly things knowes nothing no no person after the flesh A brother is nothing a sister a mother nothing divine things All 't was so with Christ 't is so with a Christian All Christs children take after him Whether chosen of God whether singl'd out by love now speake Whom love hath not singled out wrath now will Justice hath no other Butt to shoot at but a rejected soule Mercy sets her children under her wing Justice killes her children with death yee rejected soules what will yee doe The great Shepheard is separating between sheepe and swine tares shall no longer stand amongst the Wheat plucking up by the rootes is come Bleed under your condition sinners the quarrell at this day in the Land is betweene Christ and rejected persons there should not a stroke be struck more in the Land were it not to cut off that which is cast off Every Souldier is Gods bloud-hound you will see wrath single out the stoutest Goat in the heard and pull him by the throate Justice drinke the bloud of every Judas and make Filii perditionis filii perditi the greatest men in misery as deepe as their merit persons cast off by GOD cut off by Man Justice is going once againe to give every Cain his marke Not a rejected person through the Land but shall feele the power of Gods Wrath. Yee forlorne Soules what will yee doe Shall your sinne finde you out Will you goe on in your sinne till God make your rejection visible and write your doome in your bloud for posterity to reade and tremble Is it a small thing that you have lost your name and honour with men Will you desperately lose your honour eternally with God Yee Malignants yee seede of the Serpent you say you have but a life to lose I say you have Soules to lose You say you will honour the King so doe but honor God too or else the King of Kings will crush you all I conclude this point Duty with a word to Gods chosen ones your Duty your safety lies in this point Love singles out her beloved Who hath made us meete c. You are of this little Number admire love this is the use made in the Text. Give thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. What knotty pieces hath God hewed and made fit for himselfe That Gods Love should center any where but in himselfe aâ—l the Creation should admire that God will foule his hands to mould and make up Earth for Heaven for ever admire mans love is all from motive Gods love from none God layes out cost on a dunghill and makes it a stately Throne Things which so move that wee can see no spring their very forme set's us into admiration Divine Love moves thus altogether singles out kisses embraces and no spring nor principle but it selfe loves because it loves can you reach this reason No why then admire and adore that love that has your Soules in her Armes to carry them to Heaven Safety Your safety is in this point Whom Love hath singled out wrath shall never wrong The favour of God is a sufficient defence against the frownes of the greatest man Love is as tender to keepe as choyce to take into protection shee commandes men shee commands Angels shee commands the whole Creation to serve her Beloved A man ha's the Munition of Rockes that is in the Armes of Christ A Christian cannot object his sinne to turne of this consolation from him Divine love beganne freely it goes on so it chose out the man freely it chooses out mercies for the man freely A man is Universally made that is chosen out by God to bee happy hereafter happy here happy in every condition here happy Christ leaves none to the hazard of sinnes or times hee secures his choyce as his owne eternall felicity Hee bindes them up as His Jewels sets the Righteous apart As for Himselfe All. Your safety your All is in this point 'T is your Spring of supplies 't is a Fountaine open Free-Love is a Canaan of blessings Milke and Honey Flowing Free-Love 't is infinite mercy set to make you her Heire to bestow all shee hath upon you and yours Would yee have your selves blessed the Kingdome blessed Free-Love hath in it to doe all Free-Love hath a long Arme and a full Hand mercie for thousands and from Generation to Generation FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Doct. LOve workes freely Christ chuses what persons he pleases to advance Who hath made us c. Love works fully What persons Christ chuses to worke upon hee makes thorough worke in he renders them meete fit sufficient the Originall word will beare all these to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Sinne hath it's fitting and finishing and then it brings forth its end Sinne finished brings forth death c. The Divell is a thorough worke-man where hee layes a foundation he raises up the building till all be fit for himselfe and
thy word is truth saith Christ Sanctity is made by truth Gods truth Gods truth is his word his words are truth Thy word is truth not Bishops words nor any mans word to square holynesse by Holinesse is motion from Christ to Christ A soule taking rise from truth and so going to God making Gods Word Gods way to himselfe Profane holinesse is faithlesse meere action rested on The person takes his goodnesse from his workes when hee hath to doe with me yea when he hath to doe with God for life God I thanke thee I am not as other men Why I doe this and that His owne menstruous ragges his robes in which he glories When the talke is about Heaven the eye is upon workes have I not done this and that c Doing must make saving or else no doing What shall I doe to be saved And because 't would not doe that way hee gets gone Justice of action makes not Justice of person did so but does not now few men are practically cleere in this point which makes great measures of holinesse sinking and damning wickednesse Motion by rule does not reach rule men come short in Justice of action and yet this must be their holinesse Much holinesse in mans eye is none in Gods You call saints which God calles divells A man in his own righteousnesse is as black as hell in Gods Eye Christ is our sanctification Sanctity is Christ advanced to rule and save soule and all given up to him to be ordered and blessed life ordered to his approbation here person and life left wholly to him for commendation above Holinesse t is love become divine and making with all her might to please Christ that in him shee may be well pleasing to the father Holinesse goes through two hands but the last gives it its formality denomination In us t is duty in Christ t is sanctity properly wee give every good thought word and worke a rough shape Christ a full form We mar things Christ makes both them and us If these things have made any discovery let every one call himselfe as he is There are but two sorts of men with God holy and prophane Saints and wicked 'T is hard to bring men to rank themselves right The worst will not owne their condition nor their place no Officer of Christ can make them keep rankes with evill doers and expect their inheritance wherefore these are the two things that I would a little presse upon sinners Sinners honour truth and confesse your state Lay hands on a bad heart and bring it forth to the great searcher of secrets and charge it with its owne My heart is wicked my person abominable my state damnable Sinners can yee thus judge your selves No. Why Then you will be judged of the Lord. What a man will not lay hands on and bring forth to God God will judge it where it lies the sinne you keepe close shall burne in your bones David found it so shall not a wicked man much more Hee that hideth his sinne hardens his soule and hardens GOD to cut it off hee can never prosper Hypocrisie discovered by truth and the man not owne it Ah Lord Grace is frustrated Justice onely must goe to worke upon this soule T is dreadfull to mee to thinke what shuffling some make to beare up before the light that condemnes them you make a halter for your owne neckes in this to be dispatch't quickly You fight with light because yee love darkenesse what doe yee thinke will be the end of this You make fuell for consuming fire to flame forth against you Owne your state call evill evill Expect your inheritance As a man is so hee has Dignity goes according to quality still with God The wicked inherit wrath An hypocrites fortune lies all in a lake and that Lake hath no fish in it but Serpents no water in it but fire no fire for use but fire to choke fire and brimstone In the lap of Delilah fancy workes goldenly men devoted to please themselves fancy befooles them they expect nothing but brave things but believe the holy ghost an hypocrites hope will perish Yee unholy soules What doe yee looke for now Doe yee not frame your expectation sui table to your fortune Doe yee looke for any thing now but a sword for your bodies and a hell for your soules This is very considerable There is not any reliefe allowed an ungodly man Expectation is to be torture to the wicked as well as present dealing Hee may not comfort himselfe in hope when in present distresse Tell him his hope saith the holy Ghost shall be as the giving up of the Ghost as his state is so let his thoughts worke let not one thought bring in reliefe to him no not those which goe furthest off and take in longest time to doe it let not any thoughts no let not one thought goe forth in hope to relieve this man Expectation is the proper reliefe of Saints therefore are they called so often to hope in God Other mens hearts must breake when their Estate breakes their thoughts for the future must be more burdensome then their state for the present is miserable to thinke what is behinde yet t is bad 't will be worse I am in hell I shall be in another bigger Conscience burnes already 't will burne worse I shall goe from burning to burning Can yee thus make expectation suitable to fortune Sinners can yee expect hell Can yee please your selves with the expectation of such an inheritance None else may yee lawfully looke for If yee like not this mend your manners Look after a sanctifyed condition Sanctity is a supreme birth Now are yee cleane through the Word which J have spoken unto you John 15.3 Cleansing words fall onely from CHRISTS Mouth His breath is emollient opening and loosening of filth about the breast and heart Onely supreme Majesty can over-master a loose soule Man cannot make you holy Ordinances cannot Christ onely cleanseth Lepers I will bee thou cleane The Plague of the heart hath but one Physitian hee unused and 't is irrecoverably mortall Of what price is Christ with you yee prophane soules Doe yee hang about him as an onely Physitian As he alone that hath soule cleansing niterâ— Or doe yee lie in your filth and study one sinne to drive out the sense of another and say you are cleane when more filthy Ah Lord Will dirt fetch out dirt Will addition make no number Will adding to sinne make no sinne This filthy wretch is sentenced he has his secret doome Let him be filthy still Sanctity 't is a free birth The Sunne filles the world with riches smilingly 'T is meate and drinke to Christ to make bad soules good the worst best to forgive much that they may love much Grace falles from Heaven as freely as dew thou hast the dew of thy youth The laver of Regeneration cost Christ deare and yet hee washes sinfull soules with it for
nothing Hee bathes soules in his bloud for nothing Vertue goes from him for nothing to cure issues Vertue is gone from mee c. Healing vertue makes to it selfe leggs and goes of it selfe to relieve distressed it boiles runs over and runs out it selfe and quenches strong fire which would burn the soule 'T is a facile birth The wind blowes where it lists Christ can doe what hee list within as you can set your mouth and blow and breath this way or that way as you list 'T is nothing to Christ to wash a black-Moore white to make scarlet sinne white to fetch out filth in graine Christ quickens whom he will hee can will you cleane When the strong man comes hee takes him and binds him c. Saith the Scripture 'T is nothing to Christ to take the strong'st man and binde him to throw downe and throw out the strongest lust The strong man is no man to Christ Christ can with his finger cast out Divells If I by the finger of God cast out Divels 'T is a full birth One grace cannot be had without another no grace without all Christ All Christ is our sanctiâ—y Yee cannot have the streame unlesse yee have the fountaine Yee cannot have a beame of the Sun unlesse the Sun be yours T is in vaine to talke of holinesse till Christ be owned by faith Christ made ours makes us Faith fetches him that brings down and brings in all to the soule Christ is a troop of vertues Behold a troope comes when he comes Behold he comes if yee believe Sinners can yee believe in the Son of God Can yee resigne up all to him which is all holy if so he will make you all holy without this he will not Christ is holynesse all-over so is the soule that iâ— filled with him Sinners make it your designe to get Christ to be holy get the Sun to be glorious Saints make it your designe to get more of Christ to be more holy Of his fulnesse yee receive and grace for grace Christ in fulnesse in the soule makes grace for grace T was Simeons ambition to have Christ in his armes to have his bosome full of him then had he his spirit at the fullest height for Heaven Our soules rise in holinesse and heavenlinesse as Christ comes in all Christ come in to the soule and all presently makes away post to perfect glory if the King of glory were come in ad suam plenitudinem the soule would arrive instantly apud suam beatitudinem at his full blessednesse FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meete to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light LIght is used in Scripture â—o resemble the noblest things as darkenesse is used to resemble the dreadfull'st civill felicity is set forth by light Thou shalt not goe forth with us any more to Battell that thou quench not the light of Israel They spake this in a civill sense as David was the prime member of such a body a Sun by whose rayes all Israel had their flourishing lively-hood Divine felicity likewise is set forth by light every step of it to the last step which is Heaven Christ is called light I come a light into the World c. Hee is called a Sun that great Seminary of light which makes glory and felicity to a World at once The rayes of this Sun to wit graces and their exercise are set forth by light If wee walke in the light as hee is in the light c. Our blessednesse here and our blessednesse above grace and glory All that ever the Saints shal have for eternity are shadowed out by light The inheritance of the Saints in light The holy ghost alwayes makes apt similitudes apt similitudes alwayes illustrate what illustration of our highest felicity light gives I am to give you by charge from this Scripture which I will discharge as well as I can Light is a very immediate thing 't is a medium to bring all other things to view but 'tas no medium but it selfe to discover it selfe light onely discovers light The first thing the eye takes in is light ere it can doe its office for the body as such a prime Organ Our felicity above is of a very immediate nature it selfe best discovers it selfe no discovery here can be made to any purpose t is felicity so immediate from Christ T is Christ and the soule face to face the Bride and Bridegroome hand in hand T is the soule where Christ now personally is and with these eyes i not through ordinances but as it shines in it self beholding Christs personall glory 'T is the soule brought into the presence Chamber above and beholding the great King of all the Earth at dinner yea sitting downe next to him and feasting with him Our felicity above 't is the solace of the marriage bed so you know the Scripture compares it where there is the most neere and most immediate enjoyement that any Ordinance affords to man T is a feast the King in person present 't is a feast and every bit given with the Kings owne hand and blessed with his owne mouth Heaven t is glory falling immediatly from Gods face upon ours by standing neere him and beholding of him you may take its glimpse and resemblance from that glory which fell upon Moses face immedatly from Gods by discourse with him Our felicity above is full union members joyned to their head according to their full and mature conjunction and so receiving all fully and onely from the head hearing no other words but what Christ himselfe speakes feeding upon no other sweet meates but what Christ with his owne hand gives about Our felicity above t is communicatio sine mediis est receptio sine mediis drinking at wel-head more immediate 't is springs bubling up in the soule to an eternall life i felicity so you know doth Christ similize it Another property of light is this T is immense Can you make a girdle for the Sun Can you span the light Or tell the house where it dwel's As God speakes to Iob. His expressions are very high and noble Where is the way where light dwelleth Job 38.19.20 c. That thou shouldst take it to the bound thereof c. Our felicity above is immense that holy-Land has no bounds there is more milke and hony then ever will be eaten 'T is not flagons of love above but Sea's which cannot be fathomed all the worke there is admiration because none can finde botom not Angels those tallest spirits can feele the botom of that love in which they have so long stood and so deepely weighed Our felicity above is as vast as GOD 't is onely God A Father with all his Children in his armes Christ manifesting forth his owne glory to make some as blessed as himselfe T is mortality swallowed up of life not onely filled with felicity but swallowed