there is Christs highest seat of glorie in this world I may make an externall demonstration of this such parts of the creation as in which God most manifests himself for the ordering of all that is by way of eminence called his throne His throne is in the Heavens saith the Psalmist which is not spoken exclusively as if God had his seat no where else but comparatively that is no where so eminently as in that part of the creation that orders all the rest As the most noble part of the great world is Gods prime seat so the most noble part of the little world is his prime throne his throne is in the heart in that totum gubernans Thrones are erected in chief places more of Gods state and glory is to be seen in one soul then in all the creation a spirit speaks what God is and makes at the very esse of God as it were whereas all other things speak but what God doth and so make but at his back parts Where you can find God most according to what he is in himself and according to what similitude he makes to himself by operation there is his seat of glory he seated himself in the hearts of these Colossians and shewed himself as a God making covenant which is more then remembring covenant as the Prophet before speaks and therefore by so much the more fitly may be called the throne of his glory Majestie Kingdomes have majestie a kingdome is the union of many to hold forth greatnesse and dread to its own safety Solomon had Lions about his throne to set forth the Majesty of it to make transaction between that and all other people with awe Christ manageth his way in this world with majesty Heaven and earth tremble at his presence he utters his voice to the great world and the rocks rend thunder is the voyce of God to the great world and with what majesty doth he expresse himself to all creatures below in that voyce As there are thunderings without so there be thunderings within in great majesty doth Christ speak to the soul sometimes ask your consciences else ask Felix the Goaler and Cain else yea ask your father Adam else what a case were all these in when Christ did but reason with them Yea I ask you hypocrites if any here is not the way of Christ full of majesty What means those loads that gather about your hearts and that fearfulnesse which surpriseth you else Thou dost but touch the mountains and they smoke saith the Psalmist God doth but now and then give a touch within and the ruddie merry face pales and sadens presently he doth but whisper within and spirits flie up into the head into the face and about every where and the heart within beats for want of them ready to swoune away Twenty years time not enough to heal the wound of a word of Gods mouth O the majesty of that word Gods word is a sword hath not a sword dread especially when ranted against the breast ask wounded spirits whether Gods words be not full of majesty Look upon the whole creation upon the earth upon the sea upon the heavens do they not all speak the majesty of Christ God is mightier then the noise of many waters yea then the mighty waves of the sea saith the Psalmist tossings rollings and roarings of the sea do they not speak loudly the majesty of Christ But ah sinner the tossings rollings and roarings of a troubled soul speak the majesty of Christs words much more Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men Know ye the terrour of the Lord the majesty of God as manifested by his Word and Spirit Paul did Job did the dread of God fell upon him these Colossians did and were brought out of it into the kingdome of a dear Sonne a Sonne of love Kingdomes have supremacy one in chief Supremacy and over all such as are Monarchically governed and so is the kingdome of Christ Christ moves as by a majesticall so by a superiour power to all and this is basis majestatis Christ is a great King over all as the Psalmist titles him he moves here below by a power above men above the greatest of men above Kings and therefore called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he moves by a power above Angels good and bad his throne is above thrones dominions principalities that is those spirituall principalities which by Angels are expended he rules yea he captivates all which is more Every knee bow to him of things in Heaven of things in earth and of things under earth men and Angels good and bad The Sunne is supream and swayes all virtues of the Heavens and earth Christs dominion is from the sea to the worlds end there is not a power from one end of the world to the other but 't is under Christ The first Adam was over all and so is the second his motion yet but darkly speaks this but 't will every day now more then other the kingdomes of the world will become the kingdomes of Christ what he yet darkly over rules he will take visibly into his hands and the kingdomes shall become one and under one Israel had one Lord the Lord thy God is one Lord. Distance of place destroyes not the Supremacy of Christs Kingdome nor the Monarchicall government of it which will be plain by this demonstration Talk with Christians here and talk with Christians in the furthest part of the world and you shall find consent of divine motion within and without amongst them all which speaks them all under one supremacy all subjects of one kingdome though so farre distant they grone under sinne as you do and extoll Christ as you do face answereth to face and yet these faces never saw one another pulse beat and spirits work alike the state is the same the bloud is the same though it run in various veins and some to the extreme parts of the earthen fabrick As things are in their native power Christ is above them and supream and as things aspire and exalt themselves and pretend to something above their native state as things strut themselves and stand a tiptoe so Christ also is above them Low things will stretch and lift up themselves to over-top and this may do something amongst men but 't will not with God In that wherein they dealt proudly he was above them said Jethro of Pharaoh and his company Order or laws A kingdome hath a scepter Kingdomes are not many together like heaps of stones confused and any one upmost but many together by rule and this holds altogether to the weal of each Bonds knit many together every man loose and to his will and then many kings but no kingdome every man to his will and publick weal makes her will too and dies Bread is the life of particulars and law is the life of generalls bread is the life of persons and law is the life of
above earth and above heaven above visible and above invisible things above thrones and dominions above every being as the being thereof Soveraignty is peculiar state Christ must have glory in the highest that salutation was but due which they gave when Christ came into Jerusalem Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord peace in heaven and glory in the highest Christ set highest in the soul is set no higher then he should be the king is but set in his throne men fancie that they thus set up Christ in their thoughts but they do but fancy it I doubt I will give you some things to demonstrate where this is reall that the soul doth indeed as the Apostle here look upon Christ as supreme and above all Where Christ is indeed looked upon as above all there is fear soveraignty holds forth majesty divine majesty indeed in sight is humbling you may see an instance of this in Job who thought he had as right an apprehension of Gods soveraignty as any man but God reasons with him about this point and Job fails Canst thou do this and canst thou do that saith God and holds out his soveraignty over all before him Then Job answered and said I know that thou canst do every thing and no thought can be held from thee Job 42.12 Job did but fancie this point before that he apprehended God as over all but now he comes indeed to behold it his heart shakes and he draws doctrine upon doctrine from it I know that he which is over all can do what ever he will he made me of the dust with his word and he can turn me to dust with his word I cannot hide a fault from him he that made the eare shall he not heare if I speak sin he that made the eye shall he not see I do sin and he that made the heart shall not he discern if I think sinne The soul is full of strong argument with its self when it doth indeed behold God as the maker of all his soveraignty Where Christ is indeed looked upon as above all there is he esteemed One set above all carries all soveraignty holds forth glory and this makes love If I see Christ indeed a chief corner-stone he is precious if I see him the sonne of the highest I give glory in the highest to him As things are in height so in honour honour carries glory and glory carries the heart the one seen and the other is more seen and swayes glory is a very taking thing The Lord is high above all nations and his glory is above the heavens If I indeed behold the person of God above the earth and above the heaven I see him in glory above all these and if I see him in glory above all these I am taken with him above all Most vaunt of light and yet have nothing in love such apprehension is fancy and not reall apprehension Can I indeed see the sunne and not be taken with it Soveraigntie holds forth remedie soveraignty is soveraigne the soul in the midst of all tossings knows where to rest persons very high oppose me yet there are higher then the highest that is the quieting argument If thou seest the oppression of the poore and violent perverting of judgement in the Province marvell not at it for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they The soveraignty of Christ indeed beheld takes off disquiet though powers opposing be never so great the soul can argue with its fears and find out shoulders for his burthens as long as God is above all He that made all is above all and will maintain his universall soveraignty the highest shall know they have one above them and here the oppressed rest A man that indeed looks upon God as a Creatour rests his soul upon him as a faithfull Creatour that is as one that will regard the beings which he hath made although various and so many Great troubles make great fears and great fears make great shifts and sinnes What a fearfull time and what a sinfull time is this Princes are but men and yet humane soveraignty makes us do any thing Fearfull souls you do but fancie Christs soveraignty that he is King of kings and the Creatour of all you have no apprehension of what you speak you fear God and offer to Baal as the expression is that is you set man above Christ what ever you say Some of you may possibly see your sinne by this point that you are not so noble spirited as you dreamt that you have but low conception of Christ You that are proud in spirit carnall in affection and fearfull of men have a base and low opinion of Christ and Christ will require it As long as God is supream a brave spirit flincheth not a step but others do like themselves which will be their shame and judgement He judgeth those that are high saith brave Job to his friends which carried themselves high Job 21.22 he saw his opposites high yet this daunted him not a jot because he beheld one higher Judge not light of this point in hand you cannot heare one more usefull in this trying time A man fears nothing that sees Christ above all neither what men can say nor do a man fears where no fear is that sees not this Also now behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high my friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out tears unto God Job 16.19 20. Men think of me thus and thus but it troubles me not a jot I look at one that is above all men that made all and knows all and will judge all to him I referre all all cannot daunt one in good that sees God above all Low souls look upon him that is high if you would become high as high as Christ and heaven Coloss 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they he thrones or dominions or principalities or powers c. HEaven and earth and the Authour and end of both are wrapt up in this verse and what we shall say of either for the good of your precious souls depends wholly upon the blessing of Christ Christs house is stately but of few causes efficient and finall first by him and secondly for him were all things created Christs house is great but of few rooms Heaven and Earth For by him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth Christs family is but of few kinds visible and invisible From one cause to another from the efficient to the finall from one kind to another from visible to invisible from one room to another from Earth to Heaven is a Christians journey quite home and lies all along in this text for us to travell Christ is considered under much variety of notion and still sweet under all as a redeemer as the image of God as
in husband and sometime in children in houses and in lands but never in Heaven when it setteth about this 't is tired presently As the body so the soul goeth downward with ease but up hill with much pains-taking you must be full of complaints to Christ to keep your souls in his bosome Finally as idlenesse so wilfulnesse destroyes divine contemplation Pride puffeth up and swelld souls go more to hell then to Heaven like-spirits bosome The heart swelld thoughts are all prest and taken up to make vent for this that there is scarce a thought to be spared to ascend to Christ When the heart is high and haughty Christ and Truth are under foot and thoughts never bosome themselves in that which the heart tramples upon Every thing that crosseth will vex a wilfull man though it be truth and vexation and contemplation are as opposite as Saul and David as Heaven and hell I look upon some men and they are puft up will leads them and not truth I smite my breast and say Ah Lord where do these souls dwell In hell certainly and not in Heaven Errour is the fruit of pride the soul goeth away from God and bosomes it self in a lie as it groweth heady and high minded Citizens look about you I see an ignorant idle proud spirit amongst you Christ may be much in such mens tongues but surely he is but little in their hearts The excellency of Christ you do not indeed dwell upon nor find sweetnesse in nor cannot as long as these evils are in your hearts Let us all know our dutie and do it all Christ is to be considered so did David so did Paul and so must we consider him I will meditate of all thy works and talk of all thy doings Psal 77. what Christ hath done as a Redeemer and what as a Creatour what he hath done with his finger what with his hand what with his spirit and what with his bloud we must meditate on all his works Divine things are still unfruitfull as unthought of when we seek after Christ then he brings us into his chambers the efficacy of all that Christ is cometh in by contemplation Every thing in Christ is usefull the very leaves of the tree of Life are healing consider Christ under any notion in which the Scripture holds him forth as a Redeemer or but as a Creatour as the image of God as the first-born and the like or under any other more remote consideration and they are all powerfull to take off the heart from earth and send it to Heaven Christs action and Christs person yea and Christs garments all he said and all he did and all he wore very virtuall and instructing Know your duty and know your felicity you have now but a few things to think upon this world is bleeding and dying apace he that giveth all being me thinks every one should now much think upon when all creatures cease to be so fast A mans tranquility is permanent when his thoughts dwell upon Christ let friends means towns kingdomes die and yet his Heaven lives because his heart is lodged in one that can die no more that ever lives Misery is double because losse of the creature doth not reduce thoughts to Christ the end of affliction not accomplished you will be afflicted seven times more till your prodigall souls return home to their father and leave feeding on husks Coloss 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers c. I Have given you the respect which this verse bears to those which precede and I am now to give out to you as I am able what it hath in it self If you read this verse you will find it to consider creation in reference to two parts and two causes two parts heaven and earth visible and invisible two causes efficient and finall the first is in the beginning of the verse and the second is mentioned in the latter end the one saith all things were made by him and the other saith that all things were made for him Christs method pleaseth me best I will therefore take terms as they lie and suck as much out of them as I can for my self and you For by him were all things c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him were all things created saith the originall Christs method and Christs expression pleaseth me best God doth create and new-create in Christ. God doth all things respecting the creature in his Son the Father works in the Sonne the Sonne in the Spirit and the Spirit in your spirits The order of divine action is admirable the beauty of God in his out-goings is held out to us Christ is the wisdome of the Father all that God doth he doth in wisdome The Lord by wisdome hath founded the earth and by understanding hath established the heavens Prov. 3.19 a like place to this you have Jeremy 10.12 He hath made the earth by his power he hath established the world by his wisdome and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion Divine action is made with delight you have many prime agents but God hath but one you look more at abilitie to your work then suitablenesse to your spirits in the agents you imploy but God doth not you can beare discontent in the agent so his work be well done but God cannot he so moveth as to have delight in both not onely in the work done but in the agent that doth it and therefore doth all in Christ I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him saith Christ speaking of God when in the creation of all things Prov. 8. Successe The comfort of the godly is in this point all divine action going forth in Christ we may conclude successe successefulnesse to their good Christ is mighty in strength and wisdome our agents are unsuccessefull for want of power and for want of wisdome but the agent in and by whom God acts is mighty in both God is mighty in strength and wisdome he preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poore Job 36.5 Where great humane power is it is Elihu his speech to Job men think to evade the bent and force of divine action and to shun what God intends as they shun what man intends to get out of his reach as out of ours but no such matter for all his action shall acquire his intention and no man shall evade it for he works in him who is mighty in strength and wisdome God intended a world did he misse the accomplishment of it Godly souls you look much in and by whom the king acts such and such skilfull men and mighty men and shake and fear but look in and by whom God acts and comfort your selves Hath the king such an agent as Christ is for strength and wisdome Full successe All divine action going forth in
Toads Snakes 2. Common Serpents and Men are all in one room in earth good men bad men yea and devils all in one room together in earth this room is so common that the devil is not shut out of it he hath a doore out of hell into earth and leave to walk from one end of the earth to the other when he will And the Lord said to Sathan whence comest thou and he said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it The earth is the devils heaven he hath his walk allowed him here Earth is such a common place that you cannot walk alone in it if you would give never so much go never so privately yet if in earth you will have men or devils with you and just in your walk Many together is troublesome especially when of contrary spirits the devill and man never do well together in one walk Community lessens priviledge here 't is a hell to be where all variety and all contrariety dwell together and yet so 't is here scarce two of one spirit throughout the earth and yet these must live together in one room agree together as they will fight or scratch or kill one another all is one there is no remedy in seventy eighty ninety no possibly not in a hundred years Heaven hath some community in it there dwelleth East-country West-country North-country South-country men but then they are all one spirit no walk above in which there is hearing seeing tasting or smelling any contrary thing though there be many millions more above then are here as having been the receptacle of all travellers from hence for this many thousand years besides the natives of the place and yet not two spirits amongst all these innumerable numbers that disagree or will in the space of eternity But here one cannot walk any where but one contradicting and afflicting thing or other meets a man here I see a Toad there I feel a Serpent here I heare a Lion there I smell a Fox and yet all these claim a dwelling just where I do in earth This is the second thing earth speaketh a common room 3. Dark 'T is a dark room In earth we see earth but nothing else we cannot see Heaven in earth no not any mansion there how stately 't is we cannot see Heaven nor any heavenly thing in earth Angels are invisible Christ is invisible Christ cannot be seen now in earth though the Sonne of the bravest world The Father is invisible the Sonne invisible yea the Spirit by which these two work here in earth as the wind which bloweth in your eyes yet you cannot see it invisible We are here a great wide Common full of moles and mole-hills all heaving and heaping up earth but blind and do not see what we do Bring forth the blind that have eyes and the deaf which have eares saith God Earthen creatures look one another in the face as if they had eyes and yet are all blind some sitting in darknesse others walking in darknesse not knowing whither they go The best persons here are as Samson when his hair was gone and taken by the Philistines of some good stirrings and desires but weak and blind not able to find a pillar but as led to find a pillar but as led to it Man is but of yesterday and knoweth nothing because his dayes upon earth are but a shadow saith Job Earth is a great room full of fools which know nothing and set alone by themselves to wrangle and talk non-sence to no bodies disquiet but their own This is a third thing earth speaketh a dark room 'T is a filthy room the earth is corrupt full of snails 4. Filthy that with creeping up and down leave their slime and pollute all One creature polluteth another and man polluteth all the earth he treadeth on Bloud defileth the land saith God Sinne rendereth not onely the person but the very place where that person liveth detestable The earth is curst from Heaven all over which speaketh out the strength of divine detestation 't is a great brave body with face blasted breasts seared bowels torn guts and filth hanging out poysoning and putrifying the inhabitants which first poysoned and putrified it All runneth into this we dwell in a very base place A low common dark filthy room in earth and so indeed is the originall Hebrew word Adamah for earth used Vse How do you like your dwelling Men are carried by corruption against truth and pitch affection upon that which is base O how damnably do many love their dwelling in earth When the body dwelleth in earth and the soul too Ah Lord that is damnable dwelling in earth indeed Though God hath placed your bodies in earth yet he looketh that you should place your souls in Heaven but shew me a man that thus doth God made your bodies earthy but you make your souls earthy your selves and you will answer for it I wonder what you find in earth that you should make your souls dwell here Do you not find it a low common dark unclean room And yet must your souls dwell here because your bodies do then you will perish as beasts worse I might go along this way and do well but I must turn another way and tell you that you have a base dwelling here and therefore expect things answerable Christians have no art to quiet their souls when things go hard you may gather patience from the very place you dwell in you live in a base place and what can you expect but base usage When your dwelling is removed from earth to Heaven things will be better presently as well as you would wish You dwell in earth and in earth dwelleth all sorts and every one will act according to his property and how can it be helpt here Some are back-biters and they will kill your name some are sycophants and they will kisse you and hug you to death like Judas some are hypocrites wolves in sheeps cloathing and they will not onely kill your bodies but your souls too The earth yields variety of deadly vermine and you cannot tread upon all some will tread upon you some will crawl about you and sting you do what you can Distresse should make mortification but not vexation so it did with David it tooke him off from all in earth but one whom have I in earth but thee Distresse should not disturb but subdue the heart and yet 't is hard to keep the spirit quiet when basely used tell it what one will Fallen creatures are full of passion and strong passion can bear nothing and yet must bear it self which is the heaviest burden of all All things in earth do like themselves and therefore turn aside my soul from them whom have I in earth in comparison of thee O Christ There is one good in earth and that 's all I know get acquaintance with him yea that would find comfort in your dwelling here
of the will of God in this as in the other Windes Seas Planners Brutes Men Persons Parts Actions all are carried about with one wheel the will of God Things above man are shaped also Things above man and squared according to the will of God Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven in Earth in the Sea and in all deep places Psalme 35.6 Omnia quae voluit Deus all things which the Lord willed c. God hath no other counsellour but his Will about all businesse businesses here below and businesses above in Heaven God moveth to every thing in Heaven as he pleaseth and maketh conveyance thence of things as he pleaseth God hath many about him and when he hath any businesse to dispatch here below he maketh a messenger to man of whom he will and wrappeth up what good he will and sendeth it along with him The word goeth forth out of Heaven for the souls of men from divine will This wind bloweth where he listeth it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching c. The Spirit goeth forth out of Heaven by the will of God Christ goeth forth from Gods will and all that he bringeth Gods will guideth him to send whom he will and what he will with him from Heaven to Earth It pleased the Father to send Christ out of his bosome and with him all fulnesse from Heaven to Earth All runneth into this that God shapeth every thing to man according to his will Use This maketh a distinction between God and Man Know Gods prerogative and give it him no creature may pursue his own will Man should know his bounds best and he breaketh bounds worst No man may pursue his own will and do whatsoever pleaseth him and yet he thinketh he may Pride is desperate wickednesse the spirit of the Devil is in man he would be as God above God and carry all by his will The enemies said I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lusts shall be satisfied upon thee I will draw my sword mine hand shall destroy them Exodus 15.9 All these expressions shew how man doth invade the prerogative of God to move according to his will If they have persecuted me saith Christ they will persecute you Christ relateth many sad things concerning his people but the saddest of all is this that he mentioned at last all these sad things saith he they will do unto you for my names sake Persecuting bloudy wretches is your will absolute May your will be an infallible rule to you as Gods is Are ye men or are ye Gods or are ye Devils Will you do what you will Is it a small thing to you to destroy divine prerogative to step up into the chair of State to slash and cut Truth and the lovers of it with your tongues and pens and hands as you will Malice broke out hypocrisie striveth to hide it men would not have their insides outward but God giveth up man to his will and then the heart is plainly seen Resolution to evill is the punishment of hypocrisie observe these times and you shall see men speak out themselves and write down in red letters what they are A man fast to his will was first very loose from God He that seeth in secret doth not tell all presently loosenesse generateth pride pride generateth perversenesse and now God leaveth the man to his will A man left to his will maketh this his rule as God doth and is a little god in his own eyes doth what he will Know your condition you that know no rule but your will you are hypocrites discovered a generation left of God left by Mercy that Justice may take you Resolution to evill is a sinner upon the top of the ladder putting a halter about his own neck and bidding the hangman to do his office when he will A man pinn'd to his will hath three grand plagues upon him One is this whatever he doth amisse is aggravated still thou didst it wilfully Christ bleeds truth bleeds conscience bleeds and all these take their bloud and throw it in the face of this sinner with this anguish Ah wretch thou gavest us these wounds with thy will thou hast committed wilfull murther we preached unto thee we prayed unto thee we cried and wept unto thee to save our bloud yet thou wouldest not O how is Jerusalems sinne aggravated from their will I would have gathered thee but thou wouldest not I spake words to thee shed tears to thee to save my bloud to love my person and yet thou wouldest not 'T is made self-murther in the Scripture which is the bloudiest murther of all so highly is self-will aggravated O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self 'T is all one as if God had said thou hast been self-willed A man may fall off and yet have his honour with Christ if will move well no sinne is aggravated but all extenuated alas the flesh is weak But 't is enough to me saith Christ that the spirit is willing Bigge-spirited sinners think of this you sinne nothing but bigge sinnes the letters you make are suitable to the penne with which you write them 't is a text penne you write with and they are all text letters which you make and Christ will shew you them in his book hereafter and they will be very plain to be read by men Angels and conscience they are so bigge Aggravation is a willfull sinners plague he sinnes nothing but bigge sinnes all his brats are clothed in scarlet which speaks very loud to conscience Conviction is a second plague of a wilfull sinner this is all his gratulation from Christ fire thrown in his face When ever Christ meets a wilfull sinner he draws his sword at him slashes conscience and wounds it deeply This sinner comes to Church and there Christ meets him and stabbes him to the heart with every word he speaks which is the sword of the spirit this sinner goes into company more suitable to him and yet there too Christ meets him and throws dirt in his face the filth of his action whilst hot that it may be the more scalding in the midst of laughter nips him by the heart Whilest the Saints are before the wicked and the bloud of their names upon their tongues sporting themselves he makes them tremble as he did Felix Bigge vessels that are high above water are easily shot through and through 't is the usuall practise of God to make Pashurs Magor-missabib to shoot them through and through to smite such within as smite his without and to make them fear round about None in stronger terrour at times then stout-hearted sinners This makes vexation which is our next thing to pursue Devils are tormented 't is their proper plague 't is the proper plague of a man pinned to his will to be still crossed and vexed God doth what he can and another doth what he can to please him yet nothing goeth right his will is so
Christ hath the same life and the same felicities of life he hath the same meate the same habite and the same dwelling one Sunne hath as many raies as tother and riseth as high as tother they move both in one spheare they dwell in the same house they have the same traine and attendance where one goes tother goes My Father and I will come and sup with him Christ and his Father sup together lodge together Esse radiatum esse is communicated Glory is communicated the very glory which God personally weares is communicated to Christ Glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was All Christs is Gods and all Gods is Christs All mine are thine and thine are mine The very glory that God weares himselfe the glory which he weares in heaven that which he wore before all the world was is Christs Whatsoever is under the whole Heaven is Christs Job 41.11 Yea whatsoever is above the whole Heaven whatsoever is in Heaven is Christs glory is his thine is the kingdome power and glory What glory Why that glory which is at the right hand of God The choicest glory in Heaven in the Heaven of Heavens is Christs and at his dispose Vse What is so compleat and yet not gaine the heart speakes that heart very naught and yet this is very common though Christ have all fulnesse yet emptie creatures care nothing for him When cost is liberally laid out and when all laid out will bring nothing in againe that 's sad when all in stocke is out and brings in nothing this goes to the heart of God I planted a goodly vine a noble plant a right seede and yet that trampled under foote said God Fulnesse runs out Mens cisternes are broken so that fulnesse can fill nothing such broken cisternes must be mended or else they will be broken to pieces 'T is wonderfull that Christ is so full and we are so emptie the fault is not in him 't is in us it must be found out and laid to heart it cannot goe well with us else I must speake to three sorts of men some have nothing and some have but a little not one of a thousand full with the fulnesse of Christ all have their fault and must be told on 't Some have no grace nor no good nature farre from righteousnesse as the Prophet speakes full of pride and full of malice Solomon spied it in his time so doe I now The heart of the sonnes of men is full of evill and madnesse Eccles 9.3 Men watch not their hearts and they please themselves in it as loving ease and are undone ere they are aware Evill is a growing thing but when dunged a little by remisnesse the heart will grow full of it presently and then the next step is madnesse as Solomon saith full of evill and madnesse The heart full of evill and the man grows mad to maintaine it and to spread it Alas for thee England thou art in a sad condition full of mad-men men whose hearts are full of evill and mad to maintaine it men emptie their chests of gold yea they emptie their veines of bloud to fill their soules and lives full of wickednesse which they love The heart full of evill cannot hide it selfe the curse of God is upon sin in strength to cut off the sinner that is white to Harvest Things will struggle for life though they die for it full streames have their adventitious occurrences which make overflowings Were you at Oxford you would see spring-tides every day hearts full of evill and over-flowing and running out at their mouth in blasphemies as blacke as hell 'T were well if such a great plague were at such a great distance from us as Oxford but alas for us Oxford is full London is full England is full scarce a heart amongst us but is full of evill and mad to maintaine it What will become of us all Hearts are full of sinne God is full of wrath the Land is full of bloud Ah Lord are we not in hell on earth And yet emptie hearts consider nothing Delusions destroy thousands men full of pride their eyes are swelled out till they feele much they can see nothing amisse in their owne wayes The Land is full of wrath not a man of you almost but full of distresse in one kinde or other and what 's this but Gods broad demonstration that your hearts and lives are full of sin yet can you see this sense is the first step to remedie where this is not notwithstanding all meanes ruine not remedie is neere ah England I feare thy condition but yet still will pray your hearts are full of sin your lives full of miseries are your eyes full of teares O that my heart were full of grace Christ fills the hungry c. Grace in fulness is the felicitie of life bend not after this heighth and you cannot be fully happie Set God his distance and be but never so little and he cannot kisse you unlesse you take him fully into your armes he will be jealous of your love and set you at a distance every day more then other till he hath shaken you off for ever Times square mens course yea mens grace affection and action must rise but so high lest it set all afire names state fortune if love burne so strong as some Ministers would have it 't will burne us out of all The Lord be mercifull to mens basenesse this earth will not beare us long else hell will be full of such soules ere such soules will be full of grace Let times be what they will truth must be pursued to the full this fils the soule with grace neglect this and 't is impossible your hearts should be full of grace how full soever you get your purses of money Great things in the world cut the throats of men they will rather have emptie spirits then emptie purses leane soules then leane cheekes Ah Lord how do the dead bury the dead in earth now Fill one anothers mouths with earth Little of the world must serve if wee would be full of grace This gold lies not in earth but in Heaven not in the world but in truth dig these mines throughly and you will find all treasure and be filled with all the fulnesse of God Consolation springs from this point a word of this and I have done Wee have said much of Christs fulnesse and yet too little Christians comfort your selves 't is all yours Christ hath all and is full so have you in him claime your proprietie and comfort your selves with it in all your distresses in this life as Paul did Phil. 4.18 I have all and am full saith he and yet had nothing in the world The Apostle had Christ which hath all heaven and earth Qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia He that hath Christ hath all formally or eminenter i. whatsoever is wanting in the creature at
ever according to that Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fulnesse of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in Heaven and which are in earth Gathered together in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to renew the state and condition of all Angels and men in and under one head which is here mentioned Jesus Christ That Angels have the same common head with Saints and so consequently the completion of their state in the same head together with us is apparent Col. 2.10 And yee are compleat in him which is the head of all principalitie and power Angels are of the quire above together with the Saints and they all sing one tune and they are of the fellowship below also they are brought in as joynt members of the universall invisible Church You are come to mount Sion to the Citie of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels The condition of the greatest states is here considerable The noblest creatures are beholding to Christ things in heaven as well as things in earth Nothing is absolute but God men are noble Angels are noble but they all lean upon one more noble then themselves or else they would fall and become as ignoble as those cursed spirits below us Man is a little lower then Angels Angels a great deal lower then Christ their being is founded in his greatnesse and is confirmed in his goodnesse That grace which is redemption to the lower world is confirmation to the upper There would be no place for pride if this point were well digested None apter to swell in spirit then man man sets us up externally a little and then the Devill sets us up internally much few but swell and break eternally when gotten high in the world I wonder at it were you as high as heaven as high as Angels yet were ye below Christ The body of Heaven in its brightnesse is under his feet Exod. 24.10 What is under Christs feet he can trample upon at pleasure pride is no small sin and yet it growes up the Lord knows from very small things What hast thou that thou hast not received What have things in heaven which they have not and hold not from Christ The lesse may be said for sin the greater 't is and the worse that heart in which it growes Pride is a grand plague 't is one that hath taken leave of Christ and conscience to humor himself but Ah Lord when will this man content himself A man will sooner breake his heart then content his heart which pursues the proud lusts of it A soule devoted to it self is as cruell a Master to serve as the Devill to pursue the dictates of a proud spirit is endlesse work and hell enough for any creature if there were none else to come Soules in this consumption should consider their disease and their cure The remedy of every vice is in Christ this tree hath leaves to cure all diseases There is no distemper in the spirit but Christ may be considered under such a notion as to rectifie it Consider Christ as the keeper up of Angels and 't is enough to keep down the spirit of any man COLOSS. 1.20 Whether they be things in earth c. AS the expression points at things in heaven 't is usefull you see as it speaks of things in earth 't is more proper to us The latitude of divine love downward is as large as upward it reacheth all things in heaven and all things in earth That he might reconcile all things to himself whether things in heaven or things in earth The grace of reconciliation as it works towards things on earth is very vast as it works towards creatures above 't is unexpressible a man cannot tell how many love smiles upon in heaven and therefore generally exprest all things a universall term to note the vastnesse of that kindnesse So as it works towards things on earth 't is inexpressible 't is called all things to note the vastnesse the unexpressible company which Christ embraceth here below A man cannot tell the number of spirits in earth which Christ doth reconcile to his Father in heaven Grace works unexpressibly vast to us ward Doct. Grace doth abound The Lord is upon many waters Psal 29.3 As providence externall so providence internall doth reach forth it self to many Many bodies are saved from sinking in the sea because the Lord is upon the waters So many soules are saved from sinking into hell because the Lord moves upon these many waters too The world is full of troubles as the sea of waves not one but meets with enough to over-turn all if God did not uphold the whole world would fall into a consumption and die as big a body as 't is if God did not uphold Not one nor two nor three but all creatures share in upholding mercy or else all would sink 't is so in a proportion in spirituall respects Satan is an industrious creature to overthrow mans welfare he goes about seeking whom he may devoure none would escape hell if God were not exceeding rich in mercy Satans desire is to destroy all and his malice is attended with such art that it would certainly bring forth its end did not the speciall providence of Christ prevent which it doth and doth it to many the grace of Christ unto life is powred out upon many souls There are many last which are made first as well as many first are made last Many are eternally saved out of the power of Satan as many are prey'd upon by him Grace did work more compendiously then now it doth before Christs coming in the flesh lost sheep of the house of Israel found all that dropt from heaven and they were but few the Lord knoweth one of a City and two of a Tribe But since a great dore of love is opened and many hundred soules in one City yea many thousands in one Countrey come in to the Lord Jesus Christ The white sheet of mercy that is let down from Heaven now is great saith the Text and it hath all manner of beasts in it and the Apostle makes a Comment upon it as I do My vision saith he speaks the grace of Christ working now very richly God hath shewed me that I should call nothing common or unclean He speaks it in the case of Saul not a man so vile so bloody and malicious but the blood of Christ may reconcile him to God the love of God doth now so richly work Mercy is infinite and it works so God shews mercy to thousands from generation to generation Abrahams seed are as the stars of heaven for multitude God hath but one Son but Christ hath many he brings many sons to glory Infinite mercy generates infinitely what is in Christ derives it self to all the nations of the earth Aarons rod buds Christs blessing buds it multiplies into many blessings and spreads all the world over In thee
and then all that are in him Christ as Mediator presents himselfe first and then we are presented by him Here am I and the children which thou hast given me This presentation shall be made very accurately every person and action every act externall to a cup of cold water every act internall every good thought shall be laid open before God every good purpose that we would have built a house for God and that we would have done this and that shall be presented before God as done all good intentions and the person that hath them the persons shall be presented as the person of Christ his intentions as the very actions of Christ as perfect in both as Christ in his person and life so as the Father and Christ are one Christ and we shall be one and so be imbraced for ever We shall be presented to God so one with Christ as a wife is one with her husband as a chaste Spouse without spot throughly one in love with our husband and so fully one in priviledge The properties of this presentation are these 'T is very solemne God all the Saints and glorious Angels of Heaven beholders of it Things are very publikely carried above Jewels are not secretly given and hanged in the breast as Christ doth here every ones instalment is with all the traine and state of Nobles in blisse every ones presentation is matter of a new song and all the quire of heaven have it in their mouths presently not one sits sad and mute as unacquainted with the matter when the rest sing every present is opened all the myrrhe seene and smelt by every one above and so all sing at once as equally revived and reviving the reviver Every presentation brings new acts of God not a soule that is set before God by Christ but peculiar wayes of love and workings of Gods grace found in him and all these laid open before God and all the Saints and Angels in heaven and set to severall songs for all the quire of heaven to sing unto all eternitie There is joy in heaven at the turning home and coming in of a sinner that is in this lower heaven to wit the kingdome of grace all the Saints rejoyce exceedingly as any one comes into God as a shadow of that which is gloriously done above O if a man could but see what a smiling heaven that above is all over when any soule is brought and set downe before God by the Lord Jesus Christ 'T is an eternall act Where the soule is set by Christ when it goes hence there it abides for ever The things which God doth internally are eternall he blesseth and curseth for ever to whom the soule is presented hereafter there it abides for ever soules that are set before Satan there they abide for ever and such as are set before God there they abide for ever to behold the glory of his countenance God when he hath his children brought home he puts them out no more he gives them their inheritance and this lies all before him and there they sit down upon it and feed upon the sweet of it for ever 'T is a large inheritance that every one hath above and yet it doth not occasion any that are brought before God to be placed far off from him Mansions and thrones are all prepared and they lie all before Gods throne and stand as long as his the windows were open towards Jerusalem because there was Gods presence so every ones mansion is so prepared and shaped that the windows all open towards God they can fit in their chambers of rest above and look God full in the face Blessed are they that stand before thee they alwayes behold thy face said that royall person it hints one state above and rather speakes that then this below Blessed yea blessed indeed are they that sit before the Lord for ever which sit in state as Kings even as Solomon himself which sit upon thrones for ever as that greater then Solomon doth which are joynt in concurrence in all acts of state and triumph together for ever that where one goes tother goes and so ever with the Lord ever before the Lord. Your last house your last habit your last condition hath no shadow of change not a thought that any degree of felicitie shall waste and end so much as enters into any soule before the Lord that they shall ever be set one haires breadth out of their place Vse You that are the people of God thinke on your blessed state to sweeten what you meet with in this world You are here made as the off-scouring of all things fit for a present to none but to a dunghill to all the reproaches disgraces and punishments that may be this will last but a little while there are other thoughts of you by great Statists and Peeres above you will be gathered out of the world now quickly as the myrrhe and frankincense of it and be made a present to the King of heaven which he will embrace above all presents and lay in his bosome to smell to and delight himselfe in for ever Precious things are in some Countries but not knowne by the Inhabitants they are so brutish and so not improved but trampled upon 't is so all this world over in a spirituall sense A brutish spirit possesseth this world so that persons know not the jewels and treasures which lie hid in the bowels of it There is such a precious metall amongst the earth and rubbish of this world that shines into heaven that may make a rich and acceptable present to the great State above did the world see it their blindnesse is their plague 't is misery enough one would not wish them more what ever one undergoes by them I am tender of you the Lords people I know you meet with much evill from evill men let nothing sadden nor imbitter you still consider what you are in the eye of God what ever in the eye of man let not the bitternesse of evill men make you lose your own sweetnesse still consider how precious you are and to whom you shall be presented for ever The very influence of heaven is enough for some choice creatures to live upon some sweet dewes that fall the Bees picke out of it a sweet stock and doe well although these dewes fall but now and then so some influences of the highest heaven of that state and condition we shall have choice spirits me thinkes might live well upon and wade strongly through all tryals here though they have these influences but now and then if wee did but pick up the crums from the Table above if we did but consider where we shall be and what we shall be we should rejoyce in tribulation 't was a sweet dish to the prodigall when he was eating huskes to thinke what food was in his fathers house though he could not tell whether he should be admitted thither The world gives us husks
none of these are cloying but very inviting he addes Wine on the lees well refined Esay 25.6 all Divine distribution how fat how rich soever are so refined that they delight much but not satiate nor surfeit a jot that one may sit at Table alwaies and feast alwaies as they doe above they have such an art above to renge their Bread and to refine their Wine and to order every dish that they are alwaies feasting and alwaies taken and ravisht not at any time cloyed with their dainties All the soule dainties which we have here below are cooked and ordered above the Manna of the Israelites was from Heaven ready cookt and drest for any ones eating and so sent down to earth I will raine Bread from Heaven saith the Lord it came down Bread ranged baked all done above ready for any ones nourishment below without any use of mans paines or art so doth all our soule dishes and dainties yea all our soule rayments and ornaments lawrels and priviledges all that belongs to a Christian as a Christian is shaped and ordered in Heaven and this is the reason that all are still taking inviting and making appetite more strong what ever one have or what ever one knowes yet still to desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire to have and to know more It comes to passe also from the pleasure of Christ he loves to lie by streames and springs where waters bubble up and runne continually he loves brookes to runne alwaies by his doores where he lodges as the Poets of old and men of high fancy they delighted much to lie by springs and fountaines therefore Christ cals for praying evermore and rejoycing alwaies he loves to have salt water and fresh teares and triumphs fresh motion of soule still spring out Therefore when he comes to refresh thirsty ground he doth not content himselfe to say that it shall have the former and the latter raine and dewes from Heaven every night though this be much but that the parcht grounds shall become a poole and thirsty lands springs of water Esay 35.7 it shall be thus his pleasure is to live by wells and springs pooles that bubble up continually Vse Consider the blessednesse of a Christian by this point and become in love with it he is alwaies in game hunting after Christ and the mysteries of eternity sporting and solacing upon things infinitely sweet What the Scripture speakes of the naturall man that in an opposite sence may I of the spirituall Man is borne to trouble and vexation as the sparkes to fly upward so is a Christian borne to delight and pleasure he is a sparke alwaies flying upwards and entring himselfe in Heaven Motion keepes warmth warmth keepes health health is the basis of all delight and pleasure An healthy person makes musicke and mirth with any thing Motion alwaies towards Christ and towards the Sunne I am sure keepes warmth and health our woing and annointing of Christ t is workes sweet to ones selfe as well as to Christ all graces are fresh and thriving whilst watered with sighs and teares after more A spirit sound and healthy within it selfe makes all things without how broken sickly consuming soever matter of content joy and praise A Christian whilst laying out whilst filling his box with precious Oyntment powring it out upon Christ he doth make a sweet odour all the house over he refresheth Christ his brethren and himselfe All Divine industry is succesfull successe is the honey and the sweet of labour A man seekes and finds when he seekes after Divine things a man that seekes God findes him finding God is very sweet A man that thus knockes there is opening Life comes in by putting out a little two talents bring in five five bring in ten this makes triumph and praise he that gets the incombe of Heaven he that grows rich in God cannot but be and doe as they above very blessed and triumph much this is the reason of that expression They that seeke afto◠the Lord shall praise him Psalm 22.26 Such as are inquirers and searchers Gen. 45.27 and mourners after the Lord their hearts live that is solaced abundantly cheared t is explained by that speech of Jacob when he saw the Waggons which Joseph had sent to transport him his heart livd againe that is he was abundantly cheared and comforted If this Scripture be not cleare enough read Psalm 84. vers 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca or Mulbery-trees make him a well This is spoken of them which were travelling toward Jerusalem thirsting after Ordinances and spirituall meanes and the raine filled their pooles Such hungry soules which are as empty ponds gaping as it were to Heaven with wide mouth for replenishing the Heavens open and fill these Raine signifies grace and the ministration thereof in the Word Drop downe ye Heavens from above and let the skie poure downe righteousnesse Esay 45.8 that is let Christ poure downe grace upon soules that are as thirsty Land which are as Daniel persons full of desires As desirers to know and gaine are such blessings to themselves so to the Land wherein they live transparent things are not only their owne beauty but the beauty of things that are neere them the sparkling of a Pearle is not onely its owne beauty but the beauty of the ring and the finger on which it is Christians that know and desire still to know that know and follow on to know the riches of the glory of the mystery of the Gospell these are precious stones living stones as Peter cals them sparkling Pearles which are not onely their owne glory their owne prosperity and safety but the glory prosperity and safety of the Land wherein they live Runne through Jerusalem through every street thereof and see now and know see if there be a man that executes judgement and seeketh after the truth and I will pardon Jerusalem Interpret these words which way you will they are strong to our purpose If you thinke they mean morall truth and execution of justice man to man then thus I inferre if seeking and thirsting and diligence to be cleare and perfect this way be a safety to a Land and that faithfull Magistrates and civill Governours be the protection of a State much more faithfull Christians and diligent Saints that search and seeke after the highest truths and the execution of the highest justice the fulfilling of the first Table of Gods will are a grand blessing to a Land but I thinke the words cannot be taken in such a strict sense all their Lawes were Divine rightly understood a totum homogeneum given by God and suited to that brave body and not to be divided no more then Christs will is now to be divided in any thing which he hath expresly prescribed By truth therefore is meant Christ and his will all that belongs to him in order to us and by seeking truth is meant labour and diligence as longing Christians exactly to know and
every thing in Christ we shall stand and see God above face to face that which we cannot doe here and live no nor there out of Christ in his light we shall be able to master that great object in his light we shall be able to see that great light that dazles all the creation to behold and then hath the soule all that ever it is to have all that ever it desires to have With respect to this wide scope I am upon and affirming concerning Christ is Christ cald the heire of all things Heb. 1.2 Earth Heaven grace and glory The Apostle is yet more expressely particular in this thing and saith that we are glorified in him That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ might he glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God 2 Thes 1.12 In him we are heires and in him we are actuall inheritors Perfection is hotly pursued by all to wit a compleate state though what it is and in whom be mistaken almost by all The soule of man is the greatest traveller that you have read off if its travells could be written out or if any volumne would containe them you would say so as full of motion as there be objects in the world and minutes in the day and in the night to finde out one fully to blesse it selfe in and rest but cannot because Christ is overlookt and therefore dies in travell Prudence will speak much of this in many experienced persons yet Christ never the more regarded nor sought after this is sad Every cisterne is broken every vessell full of leakes saith the sinner and yet he is found still stopping up these leakes and going out againe to Sea venturing Life Soule Heaven all that ever is in these broken bottomes I tremble at no state but this Conviction abused conversion is farther off the man then from him that is a simple sinner that tasts no bitter in any dish at the Divils table Folly found out and yet made further triall of the man will not he cannot escape punishment if the foole go on hee will be punished First-folly is pittied and discovered that is simple simplicity simple sinning as one would say when a man doth thus and thus for want of knowledge but when the foole is found out and yet will on he will now die in his folly Conviction is sanctified when experienced emptinesse of the creature makes the soule looke out where indeed fulnesse is when the Canticles follow next after Ecclesiastes when the soule with Solomon having found and confest the vanity of the creature falls a breathing and a panting after Christ Balaam was convinced stopt with a drawne sword from Heaven and yet would on the Asse could not go and yet Balaam would God Iames and slayes things under us that we ride with our affections like mad men and yet we have no mind to alight and come off them things we dote upon God by some stroak or other upon them makes them speake in our conscience like that Asse to Balaam why wilt thou on O my soule any further this way death is before thee the sword of Gods displeasure is drawne and at thy breast because of this wicked motion stop sinner now stop now cast thy eye an other way towards Christ and see what is in him taste how good and gracious he is no I will not I will have the tother bout I will spurr a little farther and see to the utmost if I can curse Jsrael and get that great pay proferd There is a perfection of misery as well as of felicity and this forementioned is it when a sinner will pursue his sinne to the utmost go to the end of long suffering then wrath comes inevitably upon him and to the utmost when the man say's that his sinne shall out-live every object ere it shall cease and rides every horse to death to fetch and find out pleasures to keepe his lust alive then God say's that this lust shall out-live the man too and then it out-lives all indeed when the soule is rid to death As there is a never pardoning of sinne till the soule die so there is a never subduing of sinne for these are necessarily subordinate till the soule die never a taking off the love of sinne from the soule till the soule grow sicke and die in love All perfection being in Christ t is well onward toward all that neede it such as are in distresse for grace or glory should so account and be incouraged Sinne is a very burdensome thing when God opens the eyes the aggravations and multiplications of this by conscience over-beare the soule much When Christ puts not in how shall I withstand so many enemies get off so much pollution what shall I do for this what shall I do for that saith the soule Why think on this all perfection is in Christ and because in him it lies ready for thee Every good and perfect gift as the Apostle James speakes thou needest dispensations which have a perfection of goodnesse in them Christ hath every good and perfect thing in him and because he hath them they are all ready to be bestowed on thee to be bestowed for nothing every perfect good he hath is a perfect gift and comes downe saith the Text when the soule doth not fetch it Thou hast many imperfections and Christ hath many perfections and thou canst do nothing to get these not one of these if thou couldest doe any thing they would not come this way for they are al gifts perfect gifts and come downe upon us and are not puld downe as the next verse doth there interpret of his owne will hee begat us As Christ doth begin so he doth finish all of his owne-will Christ is given which is summum or perfectum cardinale and then every good and perfect thing in him must needs be so too gifts and given freely with him as the Apostle speakes Having given us Christ hee will with him freely give us all things Rom. 6.32 't is not an easy thing to bring the soule to belive every perfect good to be a perfect gift to be as perfectly a gift as 't is perfectly good There is an order in grace but no merit first this thing is done then that but all freely through this medium and through that as a Pipe through Preaching and through Praying and through Hearing but not for any of these And therefore when a soule objects this and objects that he cannot doe this nor he cannot do that I will answer as many objections of this kind as any one can possibly make in one word what ever you need is a perfect gift I cannot believe nor do no thing to make saith yet there is no cause of dejection faith is a perfect gift more perfectly a gift then in the formality of the thing perfect so may it be said of all other things that the soule complaines on grace hath no merit but order which
and the fruits of it Redemption notes satisfaction power holding and loosing it self as having found a ransome Redemption is no free thing simply though so in order to us what is free to us is not to Christ satisfaction is made to justice and so the prisoner set free We are bought with a prise Power commanding proposeth its will will proposeth its justice justice proposeth its violation to the delinquent and demands it recompence according to this violation of truth of the least truth is the death of Gods will and so the death of himself the death of one thing in justice calls for the death of another and without delay will have it In the day thou eatest thou shalt die The death of God is more then the death of all the men in the world and therefore justice demands more for satisfaction then mere man-dying for if man-dying would make God satisfaction then when all men are dead justice would be satisfied and so the drowning of the whole world would have been its ransome and the burning of this world its redemption whereas it is but the breaking forth of justice unsatisfied and laying up the debters which are many in a sure prison the death of God is unvaluable with us and calls in justice for more then the death of mere man and therefore God-man dies to redeem And for this cause he is the mediatour of the new testament that by means of death for the redemptions of the transgressions that were under the first testament c. Hebr. 6.15 Legall redemptions had this law to propose worth to worth and so to make satisfaction as exact as might be E. G. an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and bloud for bloud and the most precious bloud for the most precious bloud the bloud of a man for the bloud of a man and without bloud yea without sanguine tali such bloud their was no redemption no redemption in a humane sence because no satisfaction and that pointed to this in my text which is exactly noted redemption through his bloud Redemption notes discharge actuall and full discharge Death paid bonds are cancelled nothing in will and if their were yet nothing in power to prosecute further justice satisfied nothing is charged nothing in the will nor power of any no not in the will nor power of God to charge man Who shall lay any thing to their charge If ye say God he justifies because satisfied and can do no otherwise 't is the Apostles strength of reasoning Redemption takes off obligation to justice though not obligation to mercy We are not under the law but under grace The law can charge no guilt upon a believer because grace hath satisfied the law can charge no guilt but grace can charge duty that is what soever the royall law and what soever the whole will of God requires that grace which hath died obliges to We are under grace that is under all the commands of it to fulfill all that righteousnesse as farre forth as we can which grace hath fulfilled exactly we are under grace immediately and under the law mediately as love to Christ sets the soul to the fulfilling of the whole will of God quantum in se est Redemption notes release from guilt and from rigour sinne doth not dame nor duty doth not discourage precepts bind graciously to the utmost of what imperfect man is able and not to the utmost of what a perfect rule may require Redemption is from a yoke of bondage and not from all yokes from a yoke of bondage to an easie yoke and a light burthen from legall bondage to Gospel bondage which is perfect libertie which is a law as James calls it but yet a perfect law of liberty Redemption is from all sinne but from no service which the Gospel calls for Gospel release is likewise double in heaven or in earth their is a loosing in heaven and a loosing in earth a discharge in the person of Christ and a discharge in our own person a generall discharge in a generall person and a particular discharge made out by that generall person to every particular There is peace in Jesus Christ and preaching of peace by Jesus Christ deliverance made for captives and deliverance preached to captives a ministeriall discharge Divine discharge hath a double administration one above and another below heaven is made to speak and explain her self out of earth and to tell to whom it belongs and then the redeemed can say that his redeemer lives and this is Gods bearing record in earth Much love breaking forth in earthen ordinances and running out of earthen vessells to the sensible apprehension of the beloved a voice from heaven in earth in a frail corrupt state a distinct artificiall voice Thou art all fair and yet understood by none but the party to whom 't is spoken a white stone with a name fairly ingraven in it and yet none can see it or reade it but he that receives it Our discharge in heaven in what state and glory 't is is peculiar to those agents 'tween whom things first passe and without hint I think to us here Our discharge here in what state and glory 't is carried within in the soul ask not me but ask your own souls for 't is honour peculiar and private to every redeemed soul and carried with more state or lesse according to the pleasure of God The summe of all is this Redemption is a sinner discharged by the death of Christ from the power of sinne and wrath Use Is this condition yours My question is generall are you bond or free Bodily bondage is very discernable but soul-bondage is very indiscernable We are Abrahams children and never were in bondage to any said the Jews and yet were never out of bondage to the devil Senses pleased conscience asleep the man blesses himself in his condition as the freest man in the world he hath what he will he can do what he will and none within cry out of him he can eat what he will and drink what he will and nothing tumbles nor wambles in his stomach in the afternoon troubled with no bitter regurgitations from conscience and what freer condition then this in supposition and yet what condition more desperate slavery then this If these men be free they are free among the dead and therefore if you have any life look about you Soul-powers are dead and therefore is the soul so free to do what it lists without controll Loose souls you are no free-men but dead men and all friends are dead that should look to you understanding is dead affection dead conscience dead and therefore are you so lively in sinne so free to do what you list The soul dead in sinne wrath tolls and rings out but the dead heare nothing The dead are buried out of Gods sight ere they are aware hell is the grave of a dead soul which is farthest out of Gods sight of any
unworthy spirits amongst you tell such from me their doom is coming your bloud is dear your money dear but how dear Dearer to you then Christ then Christ will trample upon both Christ is lavish because we are nigardly he spoils all money goods bloud because men have no heart to offer all to bring him in all to this blind land yet this men will not do this men cannot do till better qualified in heart The heart must have precious principles ere it will part with its bloud like Christ to bring great favours into the world for others How noble spirited was Christ he had principles which if you labour after will make you as he ready and able to part with your bloud to bring more of truth into the world he onely eyed and magnified the truth of God and the glory of God he sought not his own will nor his own glory and therefore so easily parted with all that was his own to bring in God and his love to us let him be your pattern in this and you will do likewise Coloss 1.14 Even the forgivenesse of sinne THe essence of Christianity and the foundation of all felicity providence now puts me plainly to speak of to you This last clause of the verse is an application of the former what is first borrowedly is here properly expressed if you understand not spirituall redemption 't is forgivenesse of sinne In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinne Forgivenesse notes two things and so doth sinne which shall be touched in their order Forgivenesse necessarily notes transgression and therefore are they here both joyned together forgivenesse of sinnes Sinne is transgressio legis man out of his way his action is trespasse he eats forbidden fruit his life is disallowed by truth and his person abhorred by God Man in his best state was an inferiour inferiority is minority and hath alwayes some observation upon it to speak it out to beholders the will of God was mans law and his felicity the observation of this was was the acknowledgement of his distance and yet his fellowship with God and his heaven upon earth The state of inferiority though so blessed yet disliked man would be no inferiour but equall another god Dislike of condition made transgression the soul did sinne as that expression in Ezekiel is as well as the body the eye changed its object and carried the heart with it fruit forbidden was looked upon and then pleasant to the eyes and to be desired to make one wise That heart which had the will of God perfectly written upon it and the glorious presence of God as the daily majesty of it broke out against both to the prosecution of its own private will as such an absolute being venturing its prerogative to raise or ruin his condition which made Adams transgression without similitude as the Apostle speaks who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Our transgression is the transgression of the law written in books his was the transgression of the law written in his heart sinnes of the latter sort the Apostle did mean here forgivenesse of transgression against the externall written word of Christ Sinne notes transgression and it notes guilt sin is an abiding thing the act dies as soon as done but the obliquity of the act lives as long as the soul is Miscarriage of the hand in making a blot that 's over presently but the blot abides as long as the paper is Now you say We see therefore your sinne remains saith Christ These words materially considered died assoon as spoken but the wickednesse of these words lives remains Where upon record in the breast of God which is beyond all record to meet the man when he goes out of this world Sinne hath two things in it obliquity and obligation transgression of truth and obligement to wrath God layes sinne to heart and keeps it there though we do not Trespasse makes debt obligation to Gods displeasure is the debt of sinne this is bloud upon the man that shed it the spots of the bloud sticking fast upon the murtherer to detect him and bring him to the gallows His bloud be upon us said they that is whatsoever it obliges to in this world or in the world to come let that fall on us Sinne in the text notes three things act obliquity obligation and forgivenesse takes off all these and I will now tell you what that is Forgivenesse notes remission which is the term in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remissio remittere quasi retromittere which signifieth the sending of a thing back again from whence 't was taken the unravelling and undoing of a thing misdone the nullifying of a disallowed and unlawfull action As sinne makes void the law and nullifies it so doth forgivenesse nullifie and make void sinne obliquity and obligation not onely nullified but the very act that bare these all nullified by forgetfulnesse and therefore is forgivenesse called forgetfulnesse I will remember their iniquities no more Iniquity notes the crookednesse of the action and the incongruity of it to rule and this is as if it had never been remembred no more And not onely iniquity is blotted out but the very act that bears this obliquity therefore as you read of subduing so of destroying the work of the devil and therefore is pardon elsewhere called blotting out iniquity as a cloud a cloud is by superiour power of the heavens nullified neither form nor matter to be found not any circumstance like it to note that ever such a being was and this is our state in Christ we are remitted we are retromissi sent back again to our first condition as when we were in Paradise no more mentioned nor no more thought os rhen of Adam before his fall What we were in our own person then that we are now in the person of Christ which lived and died for us Forgivenesse notes reconciliation reconciliation notes acceptation to favour and acceptation to favour notes peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost and fruition of glory as many blessings as heaven and earth can hold as many blessings as a God can hold which is greater then heaven and earth Sinne separates God and man are out and God-man interposeth with his life and gives up this wholly to the last drop of bloud in this quarrell and in this is justice satisfied and all truth fulfilled and Christ as a generall person designed so to act in the person of many and so hath reconciled two in one body God and man and hath slain the enmity that was between them And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slain enmity thereby Ephes 2.15 16. that is Jews and Gentiles one unto another and borh unto God by the expiration of such a noble life in such a cursed death as the Crosse The summe of all is this Forgivenesse of sinne is an act of God putting
and gives off its office God hath not one adequate to render him visible to a mortall eye neither matter nor form neither longitude nor latitude neither white nor ruddy without any dimension and without any circumscription of time or place or any accident or shadow of them The summe of all is what I said in the beginning That God is wholly invisible invisible in person and action Vse Each of these are distinctly usefull that God is invisible in action tremble before him Sinners look not after their souls I tremble to see it because there lies the action of God principally a man is killed invisibly Sinne is best pleasing the man will have his way now God with-draws and this action is not seen but yet is the eternall death of a soul thousands are thus slain and no wounds seen felt nor complained of There be a great many bodies visibly slain and this makes you shake but there be a great many souls invisibly slain the sword of the spirit cuts off the spirits of men utterly from God apace therefore is hypocrisie at such a hellish height and so many great men become as devils and making damnation a court-complement There be a great many slain and fallen but weep not for these there be a great many more slain that are not yet fallen invisibly slain utterly cut off from God O weep for these for when these fall they will fall very low Fear not Christian they have their deaths wound that warre against you a deadly wound at heart from heaven which you see not stand still and you will see them fall fearfully hell pangs are upon them do you not hear them grone to be there by their horride imprecations Our warre hath slain more then we see how do men give up the holy Ghost daily and souls breathe out their last good breath What making of graves tolling and ringing out is there in the other world below if a man could see it Sinners tremble at these things for I tremble to think of some of you I see that in some of you which I fear is yet invisible to your souls invisible judiciary action upon your souls beg that your eyes may be opened that you may see Gods actions within you in some measure or you are lost men Gods action is invisible trust in him when Gods action carries not that in it visibly which we look for we think it hath nothing in it at all nor means nothing for our good and so let fall faith and fall a quarrelling with God and one another 't is our great disadvantage at this day and nothing more with which God is displeased which will be more and more disadvantage to us onely Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God When we cannot see God going along with us in every thing we think he hath cast us off the godly despair and the wicked presume when things are thus carried both which are much alike good one looseth his comfort the other looseth his soul When we are in the dark and know not where we are God knows where he is variation of action doth not prove variation of intention one end may be intended in travell though every day the way turn In countreys full of mountains wayes are necessitated to turn and take compasse much there are great mountains in the Churches way these make many turnings and put us oft to a stand to see our way and him that goes before us Christians be not discouraged it is the manner of God to hide himself oft when he intends to shew his face gloriously I cannot let down my faith respecting Gods intentions of love to this bleeding land that that God now hides himself let it make matter of prayer as it did to David in like case and not matter of unbelief and impatience Hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble heare me speedily deliver me out of the mire and let me not sink let me be delivered from them that hate me and out of the deep waters let not the water-flouds overflow me neither let the deep swallow me in let not the pit shut her mouth upon me c. Finally for as much as God according to person is invisible to a mortall eye long to be out of the body that mortality may put on immortality a mortall eye become an immortall eye that you may see him that dwells in that light to which no mortall eye can reach The body makes misery and not felicity to the soul here our mortall eye beholds nothing but mortality and so all our vision in the body makes misery and not felicity to the soul What is this world but a great body filled with the curse of God! and what are all the creatures of this world but each others deadly executioners and the dust of one a grave to turn another into the same and this is our dolefull vision throughout our dying life here our eye affects and afflicts our hearts and yet do not we long to go home to have better vision the vision of Saints and the vision of Angels and the vision of God in which is heaven Know your errour now you carnall wretches all is going away whither are your souls going to see God or the devil Know your errour Christians the glory of this world hath taken your eye and the shame of it will take your persons unlesse the Lord pitty What bloudy objects do I see in the countrey and what bloudy objects may I see in the citie But were I in that holy city above I know whom and what I should see and feel to all eternity Coloss 1.15 First-born of every creature FIrst-born notes two things precedence in affection and precedence in being in reference to all the creation Christ is before all chosen beloved and indued with grace and in this sence is called the first-born Whom he fore-knew he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his sonne that he might be the first-born among many brethren Christ and all the elect are here resembled by a family and Christ the first brought forth in the image of the Father of this family and all the rest conformed to this image Christ the first chosen and indued and then all others chosen and indued in him In this sence namely in regard of precedence in affection is Israel called Gods first-born that is in reference to all other people the first chosen and beloved And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh thus saith the Lord Israel is my sonne even my first-born Let my sonne my first-born go or else I will slay thy first-born Exodus 4.22 First-born notes precedencie in being there is a first coming into the kingdome of God and a first coming into this world First was the word begotten and then all other things begotten by him before any thing had being Christ had The Lord
Blessed be one good neighbour or how solitary should we be in earth Defile not the land which ye shall inhabite wherein I dwell saith Christ Numb 35.34 The earth would be hell did not Christ dwell in it you have much misery kept off by one good neighbour you have and you might have more if you did but get more acquaintance with him You have lived a great while in the earth and so hath Christ do ye know him do ye love him he maketh the earth a blessing as base as 't is to such A mans felicity dependeth altogether upon the favour of God let his dwelling be where ' twill Earth is heaven hell is heaven when God dwelleth with one there Mourning creatures tell me where do ye dwell In a vally of tears In earth doth Christ dwell with you doth he dwell in earth too in your hearts then be cheared for he will wipe all tears from your eyes and if your hearts be a rest for him he will be a rest for them when you have none in earth When the earth trembles and melts you have one that dwelleth in it that will see you shall do well Christians visit your next neighbour often lie in his bosome whilest you live on earth you will live very desolate else were the earth a better place then ' t is I pitty all that live in this world 't is so base and miserable but them that live without God in this world my heart bleedeth over them Some live where they have no good neighbour nor no friend and they truly have a bad life on it some live so in earth that it were as good they were in hell almost whipt in body tortured in soul longing for death and yet it must not be because not yet full ripe for hell Ah Lord here is a dwelling in earth indeed what difference now between earth and hell All you that live in earth and live in your sinnes expect such a life every houre The earth groneth it beareth so many and so naught sinners do not you grone too Do not you grone to Christ to be better The earth will be eased of her burden quickly but not you your place will be changed quickly but not for the better all that are now in earth will be anon in hell that do not leave their sinnes quickly the sword and strange diseases are going about for this purpose and do you not see how they sweep the earth Coloss 1.16 Visible and invisible c. THe works of God afford man a full soul-imployment Some things are subjected to sence and these are called visible but other things are not subjected to sence but ordered for more noble powers of the soul to make at and these are called invisible The soul is manifold in its acts and operations and so is Christ that all the soul may follow him There is a manifold grace of God as the Apostle speaketh a grace visible and a grace invisible and the soul can make at both and so Christ would have it The eye can see the eare can heare the heart can conceive here is working without and within Conception is operation about invisibilia unseen things 't is a spirit at work upon words shaping out to it self what they but mentioned as countries and creatures where the body never was nor never saw but onely shall divine conception 't is a spirit taking shiping as it were in the word and sayling round the world taking in visible and invisible things to leave out none of Christ The soul is noble in its acts and Christ would lose none for want of imployment if visible things be to low to be busied about there be invisible if there be nothing without doore to be found for imployment to wit in earth it may find something within about invisible things by going to Heaven Creation is laid by Christ with gradation higher and higher visible and invisible if one room be too low the soul may go higher as high as it will as high as it hath power the works of Christ lie as high as the tallest spirit can reach The soul is not forc'd but drawn to noble action Creation is temptation the works of God are laid so as to entice the soul higher and higher like Jacobs ladder till it come as high as it should be When the eye of the body is weary of looking upon bruits trees and such like visible things as are here then the eyes of the soul may go one room higher in the ladder towards Heaven to things which are not seen to that invisible place and societie above The soul is remiss'd in his acts in works as well as in words Christ leaveth this without excuse Man was never without full imployment Adam had it and the sonnes of Adam have it There is a double book of words and a double book of works to reade and one higher then the other one visible and the other invisible one for the eyes of the body another for the eyes of the soul and I wonder what idle souls will say for themselves when Christ cometh to reckon with them You have a talent and imployment for it a soul such a noble soul and such noble imployment both neglected will lie heavie upon you Bodily sloth you cannot bear and soul-sloth Christ cannot bear soul-sloth is enraging sinne and observe how angrily Christ chargeth it Thou wicked and slothfull servant shouldst thou not have imployed what I gave thee to my advantage Matth. 25.26 take from him what he hath saith Christ A man hath his soul taken away that imployeth it not an idle soul becometh a besotted soul a besotted soul is no soul a spirit dead and buried in the flesh powers and parts are blasted and withered when neglected Soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth sometimes from too much imployment about humane and such men neither know their hearts nor yet this time worldly now and you will be worldly when the world cometh to be burnt The soul is first let loose from divine things and then when 't is abroad it will not be lured in again by them though held up to them Wicked worldlings you know not what you do when you let your souls loose to the world there 't is curst and becometh wild and will not return though words of God and works of God all that God is and doth be held up to it and therefore is the prodigall said to be lost for this my sonne was lost c. Sometimes soul-idlenesse about divine things springeth from dislike of them Some the God of this world blindeth them and 't is idle to talk to these of visible or invisible things for all that is good is invisible to them they know not how to set their spirits about any thing but to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Ah Lord how blind how base are some souls No word of God no work of God visible to them under a divine
grace that goeth forth in height goes forth very exact Of his fulnesse we receive and grace for grace Fulnesse works exactly to make the recipient fully like it self grace for grace The best wine is kept till last Full dispensations are best the best wine these are kept till last and they are kept by Christ thou hast kept the best wine till last Grace goeth forth free but not without order no soul hath fulnesse presently though Christ be fulnesse alwayes Vessels of mercy are narrow mouthed weak hearts I speak to you to keep you quiet O ye of little faith You have but little faith and yet complain that ye have not great mercy fulnesse comes in by opening the mouth wide that dead soul that can spread himself upon the living neeses seven times perfect life comes in by spreading our souls upon him that is perfect Every thing in Christ is mine when faith saith this in the heart then every thing indeed actually becomes mine The eye of Christ becomes mine to see the hand of Christ becomes mine to work and the feet of Christ becomes mine to walk Our right lies as concealed till faith acts there is much in the fathers house but the soul starves till it remember it self and own its father I will return unto my father and then I know I shall have bread enough what he hath I shall have strong acting of faith makes Christs fulnesse yours Fulnesse would fill your vessells but your hands jogge and that runnes besides which should runne in There is never a time you come to these waters but here is powring out enough to fill you all but every ones hand jogges almost so that much precious water is spilt and every one returns empty Jacob is ready to draw water to water all to fill the bellies of all the cattle but Rachel will do it her self she is shie and modest and will not take help Christ is willing to draw out his fulnesse and to fill every heart but we are shie and modest and will be doing all our selves and not trouble Christ we will be drawing out of this thing and out of that duty to fill our souls and not out of Christ Let my beloved come into his garden and do his work himself for I can do no more Blow O north-wind Blow O south and make my spices flow out for I beat and blow and nothing will come out but sinne and shame this brings in fulnesse fulnesse comes out of nothing I am nothing preaching nothing hearing nothing but Christ all and this makes him all unto the soul the clearer in self deniall the fuller in the fruition of Christ You rest in your works and stagger at the promise through unbelief and how is it possible that fulnesse should fill you You are full of self and you cannot be full of Christ the promises are pipes from the fountain which are laid of purpose to fill you and you stagger at them I would every bleeding heart did know what wounds him and who is his greatest enemy he thinks 't is Christ and alas t is not thou hast not a dearer friend in the world then Christ is nor one that pities thee more thou art the greatest enemy to thy self and thine own unbelief keeps thee low this is the secret leak in the vessell which thou hast not yet found out thou hadst been full else long ere this Christ is full and art not thou full Search thy soul certainly there is some leak unbelief is long ere it be seen but when it is no monster like it 't is more uggly then Sathan then that cage of unclean birds below as that without which Sathan nor sinne could do any hurt A stubborn child that had blasphemed was to be brought forth and those that heard him to blaspheme were to lay their hands on his head and he was to be stoned Unbelief is the frowardnesse of the heart which makes you to blaspheme God and his gracious word bring forth this froward child and lay your hands upon the head of it and cast stones at it at the throne of grace say Lord this is that child that hath blasphemed thee that hath dishonoured thee more then any evil stone it to death from heaven this suit you must pursue and follow which would be filled with the spirit Finally fulnesse speaks such dispensations as make and settle peace in the soul and Christ is King of peace he is King of Salem he hath the command of peace he can still the raging sea with a word of his mouth so he can a raging conscience and he must be looked upon and acknowledged according to such a transcendent abilitie and then he gives out as he hath in him fulnesse to supply the necessity of the soul Lord I know that thou canst do whatever thou wilt Now Christ works richly Christ will have his prerogative acknowledged grace is his own to dispose as he will all his wealth is his own he can advance a soul at his pleasure if there be no word which the soul ever yet heard that hath spoken peace Christ can create words and make them so drop from his lips as to make peace Devils are at the command of Christ and Angels are at the command of Christ yea the holy Ghost is at the command of Christ he can breath and blow with this wind where he lists Christ is met half way as it were when the soul can thus look toward him when Prerogative is fully acknowledged Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body HEad speaks fulnesse and that which bears upon this to wit Office of the one we have spoken of the other we are now to speak Divine ordination fills vp one vessell and then makes channell out of that for others Office is a conveyance of gifts for a publick good something to draw out one to the use of many Christ doth bear Office to the creature which is more humilitie then can be exprest he is head The word speaks rule Christ hath government upon his shoulders the government of the choisest body which God hath in the the world He is the head of the Church Every corporation hath priviledge but none more then the Church Jerusalem is free yet not lawlesse she hath a head Universall bodies are great the invisible catholick Church takes up heaven and earth and yet not masterlesse all under rule and Christ is the head of this great body Christs rule is universall God ruleth in Jacob to the ends of the earth saith the Psalmist Yea to the ends of heaven There is a throne in the Church militant and Christ sits upon that there is a throne in the Church triumphant and Christ sits upon that We have such an high priest who is let down on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens Hebr. 8.1 There is majesty below and above and Christ sits as head upon them all every knee bows to him The rule of
Mediatour this is talked of as possible but if it were done indeed it would soon set thy soul in a better condition 'T is hard to convince men that they trust in their works though the thing speaks it self in most mens consciences Two things will discover this ruining cheat First consider what doth move you to duty some persons would never pray nor never do any holy duty were it not for mere fear they open their mouths heaven-ward now and then to stop the mouth of hell that is justice in their own conscience This man makes his holinesse his high priest his own action his intercessour to bring him to heaven which if it do then I will answer for him at the great day Observe are spring of action and nothing will more plainly speak whether you make a Jesus of action I am afraid there are souls very ignorant amongst you blind wretches so they be but doing something that is called holinesse 't is enough to them here they rest and look their souls when affrighted by a sremon by the word or the rod of God then they down upon their knees and howl and cry like the mariners in the ship that Jonah sailed in A tossed condition is the onely mother of most mens devotion tossed without or tossed within and therefore so good and yet alas all is stark naught Christ is no priest to this man no chief priest no prince-priest his own action is his prime priest because 't is trusted in Blind wretches consider what kindles your zeal your conscience will be burnt else in your offering your fire is an ignis fatuus a strong foolish fire You that get no satisfaction in this consider the next namely what upholds in duty and this will speak out whether you trust in it Sence is some souls onely relief if duty oyl not its own wheels the soul stands still they can find no sweet in prayer therefore pray no more duty will not conjure their consciences quiet and therefore they will to the alehouse and see whether carnall devils will drive out uncarnall whether one hell will swallow up another the pleasures of the flesh must take off the terrours of the spirit Ah Lord what a black priest is here used This soul is desparate the devil hath ordination to priesthood and the alehouse or whore-house must be his tabernacle to officiate in hands are laid on him suddenly and this made the last remedie to ease and quiet the soul Here is a sad condition O that I could cease preaching and weep now in the face of such a forlorn wretch Will that which dames you save you Will sinne blot out sinne Will adding to transgression plead for mercy in heaven to quiet your consciences and save your souls The devil is Abaddon a destroyer no saviour so is sinne When your souls are wounded will you give them to sinne and the devil to heal the spirit of God will finally leave you for this so it did Saul for the like practise Rebellion makes wounds and when wounds heighten rebellion God will have no more to do with that man Let the soul bleed and bleed and ordain what priest it will Christ will not bleed for him Hardned hearts think on these things the bloud of a mediatour will be charged upon you for trampling it under foot Tender hearts let me turn to you the sweet of this point is your portion Double consolation springs from the priesthood of Christ first in regard of infirmitie You would be pitied concerning your weaknesses and compassion is naturall to Christ he is a mercifull high priest and can be no other to you God hath ordained him to officiate in such a tabernacle as wherein you dwell he is in all things like to you you are in want and so was Christ he had no house you are persecuted so was Christ sinne loads you and so it did Christ A Christians condition needs compassion and Christ knows how much and 't is his work continually to lay it open above There are infirmities distinct from a wounded spirit you know the Scripture makes such a distinction Common distresses have their weight and 't is more then the best soul can bear these if it maintain not an eye to the compassion of Christ men are wolves dogs they have no bowels and the soul beats it self to death with this till it remember the bowels of Christ When good hearts have no compassion on earth they are ready to conclude they have none in heaven but you cannot injure Christ and your souls more then by such conclusions Christ lets men be mercilesse that you may look up and behold how mercifull he is and that he needs not this channell or that to convey compassion in to you Weeping eyes sight fails them oft but compassion never fails 't is mercy that a man can weep to God and do no worse when he can get no mercy from man Doth not relief strangely come in now and then Why write upon the forehead of such favours I have a mercifull and compassionate mediatour in heaven my intercessour above sent me this and he will send me more Christ hath sounding of bowels Where are the sounding of thy bowels you may heare them from heaven to earth in the most distressed condition if you listen and observe diligently in all passages about you Consolation springs from the priestly office of Christ as in regard of conditions which are distinct from a wounded spirit so in regard of a wounded spirit it self Christ is able to save to the uttermost the dolefull cry of the wounded is my sinnes will never be forgiven Silence unbelief be not tyrannicall to thy self for Christ will not sinne shall do thee no hurt nor Sathan no nor God for Christ can work him to any thing if hel but open his wounds in heaven he will so work his father that thy wounds on earth will close presently Christ is a perfect mediatour and being made perfect he became the Authour of eternall salvation unto all them that obey Hebr. 5.9 Either the wound of a Christian lies in the greatnesse of the evill which he hath done or in the fear of what he shall do against God and God against him to all which I say onely this that Christ is a perfect mediatour and being a perfect mediatour no condition can be desperate Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body c. FRom Christ as head we have gathered many things and I trust sweet to your heart and yet there are more As King Christ is head as Priest Christ is head and of these we hove spoken as Prophet Christ is head Christ ruleth none like him Christ sacrificeth none like him Christ teacheth none like him He spake as never man spake Learned men were astonished at his doctrine Whence hath this man these things and what wisdome is this given unto him Mark 2.6 Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prophet a Prophet indeed aboundantly
the least superiority that can be discerned Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth As Christ doth otherwise receive so he doth otherwise impart light then any other teacher Christ was taught none like him and he teaches none like him Christ teacheth internally eternally instantly Our teaching is discursive we can do nothing within Christs words are of authority and make their impression upon the heart not a word that Christ speaks but goes to the heart though many words which we speak come not to the heart yet every word that Christ speaks goes to the hearts Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he talked with us Christ sets the soul on fire with his breath blows up internall powers and breaks open everlasting doors The prince of darknesse fortifieth within us and Christ can mount ordnances where the forts are shoot off terribly within and destroy the works of the devil that is sinne or the soul at every shot Christ doth with his cannon within as you do with yours without rend and tear wofully You take off bodies in the very midst so doth Christs cannon take off sinnes and souls in the very midst as Beza renders that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle useth I will destroy the wisdome of the wise 1. Cor. 1.19 tollam è medio I will cut it off in the midst Sinne is in the midst of the soul and Christ can mount such gunnes as to cut it off in the midst As Christs ministery is internall which none of the Prophets was so it is eternall Christs words are words are words of eternall life or eternall death and this simply as his words We speak words and they stick but a moment Christ speaks words and they stick for ever We make wounds and you lick them whole in an alehouse Christ makes wounds that no art can heal Thy arrows stick fast in me saith the Psalmist The arrows which Christ shoot they stick fast none can pull them out but that hand that shot them Christ can instruct and seal it That is make things so impressive as beyond obliteration O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works Psal 71.17 so Psal 119.102 I have not departed from thy judgements for thou hast taught me Christ can teach beyond all other teachers he can open the understanding that is open powers to take in and then close up these powers to keep in for ever Christ can teach internally eternally he can do all this instantly his ministery is an instantaneous ministery We are long hammering and beating to make persons understand and yet all will do nothing but when Christ takes the work in hand he makes the most ignorant creature that is wise to salvation presently Then opened he their understandings c. Luk. 24.45 Then at that instant he made them see throughly what they never saw Use You see what an able teacher Christ is what hath he taught you The wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God I do not ask you how knowing you are in your particular calling as such and such trades-men but how knowing you are in your generall calling as Christians how knowing of Christ and your souls Light is come into the world a great light Do you see the way to heaven Confidence speaks not saving light but desperate blindnesse many ignorant men conceit they know much when they know nothing as they ought The fool is wise in his own conceit and the world is full of these fools yea the Christian world is full of these fools but Christ is emptying it Blindnesse and confidence makes us all bloudy at this day and the Lord grant it make us not bleed to death We have a Laodicean plague upon us and God seems to be spuing us out of his mouth and yet our Laodicean spirit lives in the midst of us We all of us think highly of our selves that we are rich in all spirituall excellencies and they that contradict our conceits are fools We are fools saith the Apostle but you are wise How strong and how generall this spirit is now you that are spirituall may see and what it presages Christ will explain fully if you can but hold fast a little Let every man look without and look within look abroad and look at home the plague of the multitude is it not your plague Are not you wiser in your conceits then your preacher is not spirituall preaching babbling When things touch your consciences then you rage and then the Minister is mad because you are mad Alas for us Lord thou makest us men of contention our life is a fighting with beasts that will not understand us nor thee If you had no other Prophets but us or did reject no other prophet but us some dispute might be made in the day of account but we will not judge you to the Father there is another prophet which you hear in us and yet will not heare and it is he that will judge you to the Father and to your own consciences If this will not beat off men from deluding themselves and from bearing off Christ I will go on Some spirits are wanton as there be light bodies so there be light souls such as go a whoring after lies Fansie sick longs after fresh speculation if this may be had it satisfies let it be in what it will in things as farre from Christ as earth is from heaven yea as hell is from heaven It is otherwise with the soul that is taught of God he hath a little light of Christ and now cares for no other vision all light is darknesse and all wisdome folly that relates not to make Christ more known I purpose to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Paul had many endowments but they were all sleighted Christ teacheth the heart as the heart is taught love burns nothing satisfies love but what stird it if such an object made love nothing but the fruition of that object will satisfie it You may know whether Christ hath opened any thing of himself to you by your love to him the purity of your light will speak out it self in the purity of your love and the purity of your affection in the purity of your action Should you say nothing yet a man that stands by you may tell what your light is and who hath taught your hearts Christ or the devil Some of you will swear and curse and lie some of you your love as fleshly as base as the earth it self Hath Christ taught such things as these No certainly the devil is the tutour of these and they will take their degree in hell I have a word to you all and conclude A loose life broadly speaks out an uninstructed heart what secretly swayes Christ sees and so shall all the world use what art you will to hide it wherein you are intractable to the teaching of Christ God will discover
breake in so is wealth in the soule graces are fixed starres in a region where nothing can come to pull downe or darken All ends in this Persons are to be prized according to the wealth and worth they have in them Vse If this rule were pursued the world would be rightly ranked and every one would have his place Confusion covers the earth for want of right judgement beggers are on horseback and Princes are on foot The world is turned upside downe all is naught this is every ones complaint why you doe it you look not at what persons have in them but at what you may have by them so you prefer them Hypocrisie overspreads the Land great ones love flattery alas for us what windie emptie gracelesse wretches do we lay in our bosom Wo unto the Land where the Prince is a child saith the Prophet double woe surely then to that Land where Prince and people are children Infatuation is a heavie stroake there are more deadly blowes upon us then wee are aware of truth is trampled upon and this lightly esteemed what judgement can be in men to make judgement of persons or wayes O yee simple understand wisdome saith Solomon divine discretion is peculiar wisdome 't is a thing by it selfe to discerne what true worth persons and things have in them and yet he that cannot doe this will lay vipers in his bosom and whet knives to cut his own throat so hast thou done poore England for a long time which makes thee bleed now so long and so deadly Wee must plead with our Maker and plead with our selves O my soule which side of things takes thee inside or outside Painting is a common art and the worst are best at it women use it men use it Statesmen tradesmen you paint your words your actions you put glosse upon every thing in your shops a man shall lose his estate yea a man shall lose his soule that can look no further then out-sides 'T is the unhappiest time that ever came to take any thing upon trust by the sound or by the outside persons preachers prayers Sermons a man may have his soule slaine in the Sanctuary his spirit turn'd out of the way and bitterly beaten by watch-men I said in my haste I may say it soberly all men are liers the Land with much bleeding is turned into a rotten Bog one thinkes he goes safe here and safe there and sinkes over head and eares ere he is aware The bosome of a neighbour is your grave his white candid words your winding sheet Ah thrice unhappie man that livest now in England and canst look no farther then outsides Godlinesse is a mystery the kernell of Scriptures of every word you heare lies inward Christs words are spirit and life As the spirit and life of things is held out so prize and imbrace them and no otherwise Many Sermons nothing in them Many books nothing in them Many persons have fine clothes but nothing in them Let them goe for nothing which have nothing in them fine cloathes are like fine covers and titles of books both to be valued alike if nothing folded up in them Ob. Sol. But I cannot discerne what is in them By what comes from them you may 't is proper to Christ in some sense to know what is in man but 't is proper enough to us to know what is in man by what comes from him Doth the breath of man stinke then his intrailes are rotten The heart and the tongue trade together the tongue hath all from within Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speakes My heart was at my mouth you have such a Proverb 't is true When the mouth frothes the heart workes if men drivel upon their beards if mens words fall as drivel upon their chin 't is a light soule within braines are cracked or spirit curst which is worse and therefore say where you see such sights as he to David Away with this fellow what should I doe with mad-men If you cannot finde what is in persons or things suspend putting price upon them till you can Lay hands upon nothing suddenly lay hearts upon nothing suddenly let election of persons and things be deliberate If you cannot finde out what is in others yet you may finde out what is in your selves The spirit of man knowes the things that are in man Some persons swell with pride and I wonder at them doe you indeed know what is in you In me there dwells no good saith the Apostle 't is every mans case 'T is mischievous not to know what is in others but 't is damnable not to know what is in our own heart in some measure You that swell in pride know not your own hearts if God be not mercifull to you you will set such a high price upon your selves that Christ will give nothing for you nor Christians care nothing for you Some creatures rot in their own dung 't is a heavie judgement and yet 't is your condition that thinke highly of your selves Were this rule I am upon pursu'd things prized according to what worth is in them there could not be a proud person amongst us Alas what good is in me what is in me is Christs he is all all in all If upon search you finde nothing in you it should not discourage for Christ can become all in you Christ is for inward diseases as well as for outward wants if you be poore in purse he can inrich you yea if you be poore in spirit he can inrich you Esa 29.24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne doctrine Christ is excellent in working Esa 28.29 not a wheele in the Watch within that goes untrue but he can finde it and mend it COLOSSIANS 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his crosse THe connection of this Verse with the former yeelded us some things very useful of which you heard the last day We are now to consider the Verse in it self divine favour according to its formality causality and extent are here particularly set down According to its formality and so 't is expressed in Synonymicall terms Peace and reconciliation according to its causality and this expressed and amplified Christs blood the blood of his crosse By that blood which took away Christs life love between God and the creature was made The latitude of this love how far it reaches in the last words of the verse is expressed to wit to things in earth and to things in Heaven The love that breathes forth by Christ casteth rayes and beams over all The opening of things thus divided shall be one after another as we come to them The grand thing that belongs to our welfare I am now to enter upon Our blessednesse lies in union with the chiefest good Man is ruined because out with God God at variance communicates no blessings and man is in hell every where if he have not
of the point What condition but is full of mutation Brave estates brave Kingdomes bleeding to death and brought almost to nothing our sin is ripe wrath is gone forth England that was as the Queen of Nations for all fulnesse is wasting to nothing Natives that for a while have left us and now return'd to visite us scarce know their mother-Land her face which looked so pleasantly is now so besmeared with bloud Here was the seat of my ancestors but 't is burned there had I brave and sweet kindred but now they are slaine and those that live wish for death because nothing left to live upon Wee had treasure as the flints of the brooke estate to accomplish any thing but now we faint in every undertaking for want of silver-sinewes Wee had many callings as so many severall ornaments and pillars of state now all is turned into one all grave-makers one for another every one with his spade by his side to dig into the heart of his brother to dig out a subsistence Light was little but love was much truth could not be found but if it could O how sweet said wee should it be to us dearer then all Truth now shines in our consciences and we care not for it Ah Lord this is the saddest change of all The living are dead the soul-living are slaine with an evill time Gods vowes were upon us but now throwne off and because the times will not beare them Outward changes are bad but inward changes are farre worse England where are those flames of love which blazed so gloriously a few yeares agoe Brethren in New-England were precious O that we had Ilium in Italium New-England in old Brethren in Holland were precious O that wee had them againe and the mercies which there they injoy and now they are with us they are trampled upon as the dirt and all their paines to hold forth Christ and truth to us Are not these sad changes Englands outside inside all changed from vertue to sin from love to malice from wrath to bloud and thus lies weltring and no eye pities her neither Gods eye nor her own Is this Naomi 'T was Naomies friends speech to her her condition was so altered that they knew her not Is this pleasant O no saith shee call mee not pleasant call me Mara bitternesse for the Lord hath dealt very bitterly with me So may I say now Is this England Pleasant England O no call it Mara bitternesse for affection is turned into gall and wormewood shee deales very bitterly with God and his people and the Lord deales very bitterly with her Contemplate truth sadly fulfill'd and then set your selves to draw instruction from it Mutation preaches submission Doth God give and take blesse him 't is wis way he doth so with Christ God filled Christs veins with brave blood and then drew it out all he prepared him a body and then destroy'd it he gave him a being on earth and then turn'd him into hell Christs tranquillity was turned into the strongest extremity outside and inside changed he that heard that sweet voyce This is my beloved Son c. cryes My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Condition varies rich are made poor whole are wounded men cannot beare this therefore the land is full of discontent Sin multiplies and hightens it self as misery doth if God be not very mercifull 't will make misery last till there be not a man of us left We feel the rod but do not beare it sense stirs up passion we rage and this foments divine displeasure the heart listens not after Gods meaning in his dealing to accomplish that and when is it likely that our calamities will cease God makes changes without to make changes within he makes broken estates to make broken hearts he brings much to nothing that he may make you contented with any thing with mean things There are many turnings in your heart do you consider them No God writes them out in your life that you may God takes a copy from within for all that he does to us without Mariners are cheerfull when tossed if their Ship be good because they know the nature of the seas The Ark is very good which a Christian sails in 't is Christ the things we meet with here are common to men much more common to holy men tossings tempests All men are partakers of these saith the Apostle Christians therefore should be cheerfull Finally the point in hand should commend the life to come to us and make us long much for it Job from a tossed state here falls a commending the state of the dead They that are in the grave are at rest c. The earth is the grave of the body heaven or hell will be the grave of the soul they that are in heaven are at rest I pity the state of men that live in their sins they are tost and tumbled here and will be worse tost and tumbled hereafter Wicked men you will never have rest there is no peace to you none here nor none hereafter Godly hearts be cheerfull you shall have a condition without all distraction you shall be tossed and tumbled no more Labour and sorrow the Scripture makes the proprium of this life incident to it as the sparks flie upward but there is no labour above much lesse sorrow least of all greatest sorrow which falls out by great changes Every ones labour follows him and they sit still above and eat the fruit thereof they solace themselves in the travell of their souls as Christ doth as for changes they above know none there are no misty foggy dayes above no clouds no clapping in and out of the Sun they are above those regions which make such mutations of weather Were one above those impure regions of aire we breath in and close by the Sun one should have the strong influence and glory of it alway every day alike Here we sojourn and God sojourns God is as a wayfaring man that stays here but a night but above we shall all dwell together and no sojourning to make alteration of condition If there be any felicity here 't is to know that our misery shall end Lord let me know my end and the number of my dayes how long I have to live c. COLOS. 1.20 Made peace through the blood of his crosse DIvine favour according to its formality we have handled to wit Reconciliation according to its causality we are now to pursue it which is here mentioned Synecdochically the blood of the crosse as including all other passions and actions prevening and conducing to make this last act effectuall to so great an end as mans deliverance from the wrath of God Some persons in a businesse bear the name of the whole so some actions in work carry the denomination of the whole The blood of the crosse was the finishing act of our redemption and therefore here and elsewhere mentioned in stead of all other acts Having
death in sin to which the death of Christ is without profit this is when the soule will goe his own way Many walke by no rule all is fish that comes to net all is contentfull that sutes to a carnall affection conscience jogges these soules sometimes and then they talke of Christ that he hath dyed for their sinnes but poore soules they doe but talke If the faith of such persons forementioned were faith indeed and no fancie the soule would be crucified with crucified Christ I am crucified with Christ They which indeed appropriate the death of Christ die with him in affection first and then in action by little and little according as the death of Christ is more and more beheld The death of Christ is of double vertue it makes a death of guilt and a death of the very being of sin The bodie of sin as well as the soule of sin is dead The bodie is dead saith the Apostle speaking of corruption Corruption keepes in a bodie all that while 't is alive all powers combine to beate out their owne way as will best carry the world afore it and winke at if not scoffe at the way of Christ this soule crucifies Christ but is not crucified with him The sin of this age is bloudy wickednesse therefore doe we bleed Surely we bleed not so much for small sin our sin is crimson and scarlet coloured wee crucifie Christ his truth his people therefore doth he crucifie us Light rises so doth malice 't is nothing to the men of this generation to speak bitterly to murther bloudily their own convictions Christ shall die at the dore rather then they will open love to him to destroy the advantage of this time A man crucified to Christ is crucified to the world you that kill not the lusts of the world you kill Christ but not believe on him and his bloud shall be upon you not to take off guilt but to bind on guilt till you die till bloud goe for bloud 'T is a very bloudy time in which we live trials murther love to Christ to one another heartie affection to Christ can hardly be found men are so taken up with their own ends Povertie is marching towards us like an armed man all is falling flesh shakes at this and treads upon Christ and treads out his bowels to keepe up such wretches as these know not their wretched condition they have not tasted of the bloud of Christ nor know what Christ is now doing Christ is now avenging the bloud of his Covenant upon all that tread upon it men that doe not so take hold of his bloud and death as to bleed and die with him in name in state in person shall bleed and die by him this time is a discovery of unbeliefe and a recompence Unsensible persons are below discipline these therefore I must let goe Where conscience bleedes the bloud of the crosse may be of use and to these in the last place I will addresse my selfe Soules are loaded and troubled about many things but where the distresse is about eternall life whether shall I live or die Whether shall I live where Christ is or not 'T will be reliefe to such a burthened heart to thinke what Christ can doe for him in this case Thou hast a tender friend in Heaven and thy soule is precious to Christ he hath shed his bloud that thou mightest not die nor more despaire Things are very well between God and Christ he hath stood in the person of many and discharged well his undertaking the favour of God is at his dispose whom he intercedes for with his bloud escape the wrath of God 'T is sad to me to see how some soules sinke they thinke peace an impossible thing for them ever to attaine What is not peace Christs Is not Heaven Christs Is not kingdome power and glory Christs That all is Christs methinkes should quiet the cryings of conscience That God is at peace with Christ should generate faith in the most complaingest soule 'T is a facile thing for Christ to procure the favour of God but how should one get Christs favour And Christ is solicitous how to get thy favour Christs favour comes farre easier to us then Gods favour did to him he doth not expect your bloud to get his favour to accept him is to gaine him his favour is free all that he expects is that poore soules would but trust him and imploy him with their estates that they would imploy him and none else to procure the love of God and eternall blessednesse Could I trust Christ with my estate I know all would be well but I cannot believe Why know this that Christs bloud hath ingaged God to give faith and every grace else unto thee what thou wouldest doe and canst not let not that deject put out that grace you have When a man cannot goe into the poole 't is hopefull to lie neere it for one or other may take him up and carry him in thither whither he cannot goe himselfe Pained soules speake of nothing but the bloud of Christ prize nothing in comparison of this hence must come thy ease if ever out of these pantings spring faith unto joy Christ takes up these creeples of a sudden and carries them into the poole of his bloud You that have the Kings evill stand in the way of the King and though you cannot cure your selves yet you will lie as faire for cure as you can In a spirituall sense be thus prudent in the middest of all your soule-paines say If ever any thing give me ease it must be the bloud of Christ if ever any thing quiet my conscience it must be Christs bloud sprinkled upon it out of these honourable thoughts of proper remedie proceedes remedie to the soule Matter of faith and matter of love should spring from this point if one had time to goe this way The bloud of the crosse speakes love in strength love as strong as death what speakes it in Christ should make it in us No such Sermon of love in the Bible nor in the Creation as the bloud of the Crosse Enlarge this your selves in deeds COLOSSIANS 1.20 Whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven DIvine friendship according to its formalitie and causalitie I have handled according to its extent I am now to pursue it to wit how farre it reaches which is noted in these last words To things in earth and to things in Heaven This Scripture is difficult yet other Scriptures compared with it will helpe us to see something into it By things in earth is meant the Elect called and uncalled By things in Heaven is meant Saints and Angels By reconciling of all these to himselfe is meant the gathering of them all into one spirituall bodie under one head the Lord Jesus Christ by vertue of which the state of fallen man is restored the state of blessed Angels confirmed all to concenter in one common blessednesse for
in hell Wrath is a flame that never goes out it runs all along upon the earth as 't is said of the fire which burnt every greene thing in Pharaohs time so this burnes every flourishing wicked person first or last here or hereafter Adversaries of the Lord cease your course could one say nothing of the abilitie which Christ hath to right himselfe upon his enemies yet 't is pitie he should have any enemies he is so good he keeps up the earth you goe upon the heavens you breath in they would come together else and crush you in the midst Heaven and earth are full of Gods goodnesse though you be bad you live in the fruition of these and thousands more as bad as you and yet he doth not grudge your enjoyment Christ beds you and boards you where ever you make a meale you sit at his Table and live upon his expence every day he gives you your daily bread all comes out of his Treasure who ever be the purse-bearer and he payes the Reckoning who ever carries it to the hoast And now will you nay can you be enemies to such a friend and cut his throat like Judas at his own Table Christ is the spirit of your bloud the red bloud of your cheeks the white sinewes of your joynts the marrow of your bones the breath of your nostrills and can you be enemies to such a friend Christ numbers your haires writes downe your members presses all the creatures in the world to serve and defend you and will ye not love him Can you be enemies to him or any of his Christ is naturally good and he is morally good he is patient long-suffering abundant in this goodnesse You have been transgressors from the wombe from the Cradle you have fought against Christ making your members your weapons you would have killed him long ago if you could yet he hath not killed you You have multiplied your transgressions so that you have made the heavens weepe now for many dayes together and the earth to bleed now for many moneths together you have pressed the Lord and all the Creation with your sins and yet you are at ease though all these be in paine You have been prodigalls following excesse of riot chambering and wantonnesse and yet Justice hath not eate the nose off your faces the flesh off your bones nor rotted you limbe by limbe alive to defraud the grave of her due and yet can you be enemies to this God Finally Christ is not onely naturally good and morally good but divinely good he is not onely patient but mercifull not onely slow to wrath but ready to forgive though you have been bloudy enemies yet he is ready to cleanse your scarlet sinnes during all the times you have continued enemies plotted against him he hath not plotted against but for you When wee were enemies God gave his Son Let my Son goe out of my bosome saith the Father and let him goe to a wretched world amongst millions of enemies and let him preach to them pray for them bleed over them die for them that they may not die Can you now doe any other but love this God and love this Christ I can say no more would I could weep out the rest for all the enemies of the Lord which these words will not work upon COLOSSIANS 1.21 Enemies in your minde c. TRees which grow high and spread much root deep so doth sin nothing growes higher nor spreads broader then sin it spreads over the world The world lies in wickednesse The height of sin is answerable if one should speake of it under such a metaphor it reaches up to heaven The cry of your sin is come to heaven saith God of the sin of the people of old And sinners are set out as climbers up to heaven Amos 9.2 Sin is a Tree that rooteth deep as well as shooteth high The heart is deep saith the Scripture and sin roots there If you see a man an enemy in his tongue or in his hand by wicked works the roote of this is in his minde Enemies in your minde by wicked works The prime seat of sin may be our subject a while to insist on which is in the soule Seeds are sowne where they may grow best so doth the evill man sow Tares where they may take and live and that 's in the minde The soule is fit mould to give nourishment to sin 't will assimulate 't will transforme and become one with that which gets into it No substance that can or will so mould or consubstantiate it selfe with Satan as the soule of man Every substance will not inocculate because there is not a fitnesse between all substances to assimulate and consubstantiate sap and vigour will not digest themselves together The soule is a Crabstock fit to graffe any forbidden fruit upon it will naturally give out all its sap The advantage of property is all to make such a life and in such abundance The soule is I cannot say blessed but cursed to fruitfulnesse in evill as the ground is to Bryars and Thornes the minde is dunged ground by divine wrath for every root of bitternesse in it are passions to keepe sin warme faculties to make legs armes eyes any member for it to work provide and defend it selfe as can be imagined sufficient for any thing to subsist withall The soule is a fountaine of life and that which lives in this must needs live and thrive well As the soule when it is seated in Gods breast who is the fountaine of life then its full of such a noble life and so by such an advantage of neernesse to him that is all so in a proportion 't is with lower things that which bosomes its selfe in the soule is planted by the rivers sides t is in the fountaine of naturall life it must needs live therefore and thrive much because of that advantage it hath of neernesse to and ones with a substance so vigorous and congruous to it Sin is seated where it may best reigne that 's in the minde what conquers the heart carries all and gives lawes to all the minde is the sterne of the vessell a supreame power within a finger of God out of fight which turnes the whole vessell that which gets and orders this necessarily gets and orders all The Philistians strucke at that in Sompson by which they might be sure to rule him and lead him whither they listed though a strong man they put out his eyes These Philistians were a type of the Devill in that act man was a strong creature and that which Satan strucke at was his eyes darkened his minde saith the Apostle then leads him whither he listed Where Satan struck at first there he strikes still where he seated himselfe then he abides now When he would make a Hamon a proud man where doth he begin to accomplish this Within he puffs up the minde first and then blowes up all Vainly puft up with
and bones to feed on we may fetch a dish from heaven to mend the matter well enough if wee be so wise and so heavenly as wee should be We are the ruine of our own life 't is hard to get thoughts high enough Present things are the things onely to be minded we must minde this and we must minde it thus so we necessitate our minds and marre all What must I onely thinke of Shimei that curses Must I onely thinke of povertie and onely thinke of sicknesse that is upon me What necessitie of this There is no necessitie of this but yet I cannot doe otherwise Wouldst thou doe otherwise No I would not do otherwise How canst thou be remedied then Some are married to a Blackmore and will not be divorced to black melancholy spirits and humors c. which they love and will not heare to part with Rachel will not be comforted There is nothing to be said to these spirits till their burdens have more broken and humbled them Others are more ripened and mellowed by the rod to whom my question is Would you have your thoughts taken off from thinking so much of your calamitie Would you have your soules thinke much what you shall be and where you shall be O yes rather then any thing in the world The mercy is neare yea very neare which you thirst after Open your mouth wide and I will fill it Hungring longing and praying this is opening the mouth wide believe it the Lord Jesus is at hand he hath sent his Prodromoi his forerunners to lay in some provision he will sup with you anon and feast with you anon and then all will be well the soule strong and as high and as noble as its work Our strength to high duty is from full presence and full communion The choicest advantages to get this you should carefully use which would doe much in tother world which would be much above and before him where you shall ever be Some workes have a great deale of heaven in them reade them some persons have a great deale of heaven in them look out and read them some ordinances have a great deale of heaven observe them There is a great deale of advantage in ones standing to look a great way When David stood in Gods house he could see into heaven plainly and behold all the glory above and where his place should be for ever and what train should follow yea he was as if actually possessed of all Honour the Institution of Christ how ever despised by men or you cannot be so heavenly and so blessed as you would and should be COLOSS. 1.23 If you continue in the faith c. AS God turnes all to the good of his so Satan labours to turne all to their hurt The best people have one too many still at their table though they are not aware of him and he drops something still into every dish to curdle and sower it in their soules how sweet and precious soever in its own nature When the words of Christ wound Satan then drops in gall and vineger to turne convictions into despaire when they comfort he sophisticates and makes the doctrine of felicitie a medium to forget piety this in some words of this text is hinted in others prevented Heaven lengthens out a holy life to all eternitie it doth so in its proper nature 't is a laying of our soules in his bosome who hath us but by the hand here 't is not in it self nor under any consideration to end grace here or hereafter but to consummate it If you continue c. Two things of weight take up this text the doctrine of perseverance and apostasie cleaving to Christ and casting him off both these circumstanced and so drawne out that their aspect speakes them to the life To abide sweet a while and then to putrifie with the heat of times and smell carrionly this is not perseverance 't is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permanere continuing in the faith or through abiding of the faith what 's that This is answered in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 founded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fixed One terme alludes to a house founded upon a rock that is unmovable The other term alluding to starres which continue holding forth their glory and vertue let what stirres will be in these lower regions they never fall from their orbe nor faile in it of any influence or lustre for any filthy vapours or fogges that come from the earth they are above them all and are faithfull and firm as the Heavens this is the propertie also of starres of the terrestriall globe Apostasie is also here drawn out to the life every fall doth not kill but falling away falling away from truth received glorious truth truth raising sweet hope glad Gospel expectation and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel c. That truth which hath had its demonstration before all sorts of men Through abiding of or in the faith is the first thing that we are to stand upon By faith is meant the Gospel as is explained in the next clause Christ as revealed in his Word Truth hath a latitude within and without it self the observation of both is a through pursuit Truth hath a latitude within it self that is in the matter of it 'thas many precepts and all these their proper extent Thy commandements are exceeding broad The Gospel hath many rules directory many consolatory when the soul sets before it self all as a rule of life then doth it throughly abide in the faith then are you my Disciples if you do whatsoever I command you The whole bosome of Christ is the seat of the soul hereafter and the whole will of Christ is the seat of the soul here when the soul doth not make it so it is wanton and wilfull and doth not throughly abide in the faith Christ had a materiall garment when materially present and it had many threads but all weaved into one web and robe without seam or signe of one so Christ now spiritually present hath likewise a spirituall garment of like form The Gospel hath many rules when all these are weaved together by a Christian in his life and made a spirituall robe of state for the glory of Christ and not one thread left out when the soul doth put on all Christ and clothes himself with him from head to feet then doth he throughly abide in the faith Truth hath a latitude without it self 't is to live as long as we We are to be faithfull to the death so in every truth no truth is short lived to last a season only as 't is said of them they rejoyced in his light for a season if we make any truth short lived for any temptation whatsoever we abide not throughly in it 'T is in our spirituall marriage as in our naturall we are not freed from the carefull and painfull obligation of it till death The observation of Gods will
be cleane why thou art clean Shall Christ doe all this for so little and wilt not thou hope and chearfully expect the sweet of that which he so freely gives Finally Doe but thinke what a double miserable life thou wilt have in these times if this grace of hope lie ruinous in thee through any wile of Satan Thou wilt be as a Ship without an anchor tossed terribly and no possibilitie of staying thee Which hope we have us an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast If a man cannot stay upon God in distresse he can stay no where a soule that can stay no where will hardly stay in his wits when stormes grow very great What is by ordination a center and rest for such and such a bodie a light body or a heavie bodie that and no other thing will give rest to it Christ is by divine ordination the center of soules were there a thousand rockes to cast anchor upon yet no rocke like this the soule will not rest upon any else Their rocke is not as ours themselves being judges All men finde this by experience that what ever they pitch upon besides God to stay and relieve themselves it doth not doe it O that the war were ended that the war were ended Fearfull soule if this war were ended thou hast a war within thee which will never end till thy despaire end fighting without and fighting within others killing my bodie and my selfe killing my soule what a wofull life is this Hope alive this is the sweet course of the soule to wit when all is black deadly and dismall without then the soule drawes the curtaine and withdrawes from all these lower roomes and walkes in upper chambers where no noise is views the Citie and Country above and the inhabitants and priviledges thereof Hope enters within the vaile Heb. 6.19 Yet I know a Country where no war is an inheritance where no plundering is neighbours and Citizens that doe not kill one another but love one another dearely that have not their swords in one anothers breasts but each other Christ there I shall be quickly and the sooner that these miseries below are so heavy on mee COLOSS. 1.23 From the hope of the Gospel WEE have considered the grace of hope in it selfe and have found it a sweet flower as any grows in the garden of God wee are now to consider the stocke out of which it springs the mold that likes it The English word Gospel notes Good speech spel formerly signified speech Gospel quasi God spel God speech and that is glad speech indeed and out of which it growes is the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies a glad word or message When God smiles upon the soule then the soule smiles in its course our death or life sits upon the lips of Christ as Christ speaks the soule opens or closes lifts up or hangs downe the head Thou hast made my mouth like a sharp sword a polished shaft saith Christ of the Father Esa 49.2 What a wombe the Gospel is it brings forth twinnes two and the greatest that can be thought on death and life 't is a polished shaft not simply a shaft to kill but a polished shaft to make death in order to life The Gospel is a wombe that brings forth twinnes indeed earth and heaven heaven here 't is like the Hebrew women quicke of delivery They were Gospel-words which God spake to Adam after his fall when he spake about the seed of the Woman and these words re-instated him in earth and in heaven he had lost both else His soule sunke within him which made him hide and run away and these words fetcht life againe to the soule and the man againe to his place Doct. The Gospel is a grand blessing a glad word a God-speech Our Sun was set at noone and yet no more to have risen in this Horizon God after our sin had shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure and all this world was to lie under all the wrath of God to all eternitie without one good word without one good look man the glory of the world was proclaim'd a Traytor Absaloms doome was upon him Let him see my face no more in this case no Mediator durst appeare not one of all the Angels in Heaven would know man after his fall for any favour the King had withdrawne himselfe and all his traine he had bounded himselfe in universally like Abasuerus that none might come to speake to him for favour in mans behalfe upon paine of death no not concerning any matter of mercy towards man he that should come about any such thing came upon perill of eternall death yet in this desperate strait Christ like Esther puts forth and takes his life in his hand pleads with wrath it selfe for a few that they might be kindly entertain'd againe kindly thought of and kindly spoke to if thou must have bloud take my bloud onely write downe with it a few names in the booke of life a small company to be kinde unto for ever to looke pleasantly upon them and to speake sweetly to them here and for ever hereafter That which cost Christ so deare surely is no small favour he gave his bloud for a good word from God to man a good word therefore from God is certainly a great favour for Christ lays not out his bloud for trifles as sometimes we doe It s price its property speakes it a grand blessing The Gospel is light prime light it makes exact discretion it shines into the heart that 's the expression of it which the Apostle gives 2 Cor. 4.6 But God which commanded the light out of darknesse hath shined into our hearts You may discerne a moate a haire the smallest thing that is by a shining light the Gospel discovers beames moats yea these perfectly Then shalt thou see perfectly the moat that is in thy brothers eye Take in but Gospel-light and lay aside thine own conceited light and thou shalt see every thing exactly in thy spirituall state The light of the Gospel discovers thoughts and intentions of the heart it divideth between the marrow and the bones it shews how the soule is joynted marrowed how every sinew and string lyes and what oyle is in the vessels to supple them and make them last whether any or none The heart is call'd the hidden man and 't is hid indeed from all creatures in the world from the man himself that 's a notable light that gets into a dungeon a vault deep under ground that is full of damps and makes discovery there of all the mud and dirt of all the frogs and toads that lie there and yet such is the light of the Gospel where ever it comes though into never so dark a soule it lays open all very exactly that is to conviction He that is unlearned cometh in and he is convinced of all and fals downe saith the text it tels a man all that ever he did and
been driving this way and the Majesty and the justice of the Lord hath appeared and preyed upon them that would have preyed upon us fulfilling his word He shall breake in pieces the oppressor Psalm 72.4 As God remembers his word so we should remember him and write down his Noble acts upon our doore-posts bed-posts heart-posts to all which these beasts would have come for their prey These great acts of God prove mercies to men as laid to heart evill will returne and they which have beene so often driven back will be irresistible at length if he be forgotten which hath done all this for us COLOS. 1.24 For his bodies sake which is the Church ALL Christians in and under Heaven are related knit in one body by one soule to wit the same which breathes in God his holy Spirit Sacred society is glorious the Peers of all the world in a body robed and the great King of all the world in the midst of them such a fight as mortall eye never beheld His traine reaches from Earth to Heaven the foremost are in Heaven when the hindmost are here I helped you to a Scaffold to view the forepart the last day I would doe the like now to helpe you to view the latter that part of the traine which is going in at the everlasting doores but not yet quite in You may see a great deale of State at the doore of Heaven in the very hindmost soule of that company which are going in there That part which is gone in with the Bridegroome is mighty great so is that which is going in An innumerable company of believers conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies longing and waiting for the full redemption and liberty of the Sons of God The haires of our mysticall head grow not thin no not in this climate which is the most unhealthy they are thicke and bushy Can you number the haires of your head then may you number that company which Christ hath upon earth Can you number the Starres of Heaven Looke up to the Heavens saith God to Abraham and see if thou canst number the Starres so shall thy seed be which is fulfilled as appeares by the authour to the Hebrewes Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the Starres of the Skie in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea shore innumerable Heb. 11.12 The haires of our mysticall head are many yet all of one colour blacke as a Raven that is beautifull and flourishing Gray haires are not here and there upon this head the Militant Church is for quantity great a Nation for quality holy the foundation of this Nation Christ the cement faith something above the revelation of reason something above the revelation of the best parts something above flesh and blood Peter there are strange carnall apprehensions of me in the world as if Christ had said how doest thou apprehend me My apprehension is vitall Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God Observe the reply of Christ Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona Bar is a Chalde word and the same with ben an Hebrew word which signifies a sonne and Jona signifies gracious and as some translate a Dove so that t is as if Christ had said in our language Blessed art thou Simon sonne of grace sonne of that same Dove which descended on mee flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke will I build my Church Matth. 16.18 Ben which is the Hebrew word for a sonne is as much as the word building with us because the sonne is the building of the family our Saviour interprets so much himselfe in his allusive words upon this Rocke will I build my Church and Jona signifying gracious the metaphor is the same in sense with the former that Christs building here below is a gracious building foundation gracious to wit himselfe every stone gracious Bar-Jona's an innumerable company of believers I John saw a great company which no man could number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all sealed the cement of this building holy to wit faith a holy faith a most holy faith as the Apostle cals it Jud. 20. Conflicting with an innumerable company of enemies The Sea is a big body yet tossed perpetually so is the Church of Christ upon earth t is a body very big and very good and yet t is not so big nor so good but it hath as big and as bad a body to encounter it We are here troubled with Frogs and devouring vermin and the pit out of which they come is bottomlesse The gates of Hell are wide open against the Church of Christ here though they cannot prevaile against it they that take away mens soules come forth freely in what numbers they will and goe what compasse they will here all this world over of an instant and get at which hand they will of the best people when about the best worke they will take the wall of the Noblest soules and when about the Noblest worke get at their right hand The Sonnes of God were assembled and Satan stood at their right hand The locusts below goe forth by Troopes they are so populous in that land of death My name is legion for we are many Though but one speake when a poore soule is tempted yet the traine that attends upon this one is many I believe this roome is full of infernall Spirits and that not a soule of you now present but have a legion of them at your right hand jogging of you though these gates of Hell are not suffered to prevaile If there were no intermixing of Satans family and Christs in this world if those evill spirits which he hath at home by him did never come abroad so farre as into this world yet those that are here resident and weare the same skinne and clothes which Christs family doe are very many They that persecute my soule are many saith the Psalmist And he speakes of incarnate devils devils resident in our flesh and in our earth A doore is open to me a great doore saith the Apostle and there be many enemies how many that he could not tell nor no body else but him that set them on worke One doore open and many devils at it to shut it againe many devils at one doore so at every doore of hope that a Christian hath open to him surely Satans strength is great here that he can begirt every holy person and every holy action upon earth and yet this is the condition of the Church militant Elishaes condition shadowes the state of the Church militant mentioned 2 Kings 6.15 An Host compassed the City with horses and chariots in so much that the servant of Elisha cried out Alasse Master how shall we doe we are begirt with innumerable companies of mortall enemies many thousand deaths waite for us at every doore and this is the state
of the best men upon earth This makes longing and panting for full redemption which is the property of the Church of God upon earth 't would be in Heaven There is a voice in Rama and t is all over Rama mourning and lamentation Rachel weeping bitterly if you aske her why She will tell you I have many sonnes and daughters sweet children all and yet not one but very hardly handled sore shot at by deadly archers many are slaine and are not and the rest abused and vilified as the off-scouring of all things torne with Lyons and little wormes gnawing and eating up the carcasse pulled downe by great ones and when down trod to death by base ones Rachel hath not a child but sits like the Shunamites in her armes sighing groaning and mourning because of one wound or other within or without and I cannot remedy any of this saith she and this cuts me to the heart my children are slaine in mine armes slaine with the breast at their mouthes yea ripped out of my wombe Would my children were all in my husbands armes saith Rachel then they would all be safe would he would send and fetch me and all mine out of this plundered countrey into his owne city then all would be well soule well yea and body well The world heares little of this noise t is so inward but t is the panting and beating of every good mans pulse and bowels in a degree We which have the first fruits of the Spirit where these fruits lie is the noise we groane within our selves waiting for the adoption For the adoption This they had already The meaning therefore is for the full fruition of what they were adopted to which is explained in the following words to wit the redemption of our body The soule goes first to the society above the body last all is perfect when this comes therefore is this onely mentioned which notes that the militant Church groanes and pants after a perfect state every one sighing and bleeding inwardly inwardly earnestly willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord 2 Corinth 5.8 This was shadowed by Davids ascent to Mount Oliver And David went up by the ascent of Mount Oliver and wept as he went up and be had his head covered and he went bare-foot and all the people that was with him covered every man his head and they went up weeping as they went up 2 Sam. 15.30 Christ which David typified and all his followers here below are going up sighing and panting and mourning to that mount above Vse We are come to speake of a Militant church in a Militant time surely our course is steered by a supreame hand for speciall good to some of you Christians lay to heart the state of that body whereof yet you are can you Jerusalem which is above above the world and above Satan is the mother of us all that body which Christ hath upon earth groaned travelled with you and brought you forth this wombe which bare you those pappes which gave you sucke are now wounded with a thousand wounds doe you see them The haire of your mother is torne her bowels ript up her blood runnes in every high way O all ye that passe by have ye observed it Dogs licke the blood of Jezabel yea the blood of Rachel the Sword of the wicked sheds the blood of many a gallant man England a great Parke full of deare soules the pales now plucked up the game of Christ shot at by every base person many a brave Hart falne onely a few Fawnes left women and children crying and ringing their hands for their husbands and fathers doe you heare them Mother where is my Father when will he come home Sir where is my husband when will he come home And a lasse for them he is at home already at his long home Heathens rage on one hand mothers children angry on t'other hand the Boare is abroad the Fox at home one puls off the tender Grapes t'other squeeses and suckes their blood the worke is one the tailes of all the wilde beasts in the Land are together though their faces seem to looke severall waies one shoots at the body t'other at the soule both poison their Bullets the venome whereof feeds that Divine justice which now fights against us all as if it were resolved to consume us all for ought any one amongst us all can yet see Is not the Church of Christ in England militant Men Devils yea a God fights against it for the pollution in it Christians you are witnesses of all this what doe you in secret doe you mourne for the tearings and rendings of Joseph can you doe it doe you move according to your condition Military fight with prayers and teares doe you finde any aptnesse this way I aske this because displeasure sinkes deepe sometimes and drinkes up all Divine moisture in the soule the wombe of prayers and teares closes withers and dries up God secretly saith pray not for this people and then good hearts pumpe and pompe and nothing will come Abraham had some such secret checke surely when hee broke off struggling so strangely for Sodome when God seemed to be upon such an yeelding veine secret providence certainely was in it that he might not yeeld so farre as to null peremptory resolution which was to make an end of a generation whose iniquity was full God felt Abraham holding him and cries let me alone but Abraham did not feels God holding him nor cried let me alone Lord let me plucke a brand out of the fire let me quench Hell fire once with my teares Christians I beseech you observe your spirits the welfare of all is in this point I am now upon and not in your great Armies abroad which you so much looke upon if you feele God tying up and straitning your soules in regard of a Sodome which you struggle for a Land that looks as if it were ripe in all wickednesse and farre worse in some circumstances then ever Sodome was cry Lord let me alone let me draw buckets let me make my Study my closet a Bokim a place of teares let me quench a fire that hath almost burnt a brave Kingdome to ashes let me save a Nation a populous Nation thousands and ten thousands thousands of thousands from swimming to hell in their owne blood If I shall not pray out yet let me chatter so in thine eares that fifteene yeeres may be added to the life of three Kingdomes to set themselves in order to goe hence to be pilgrims and wanderers to any other part where thou wilt Thus doe your duty and then submit We should be affected with our condition but not cast down A state of hardship generates discontent and now Satan hath set Heaven and Earth on fire A man may have a Heaven in his soule when a Hell in his body if submissive still to the will of God but when fightings without make fightings within repinings
against providence because it doth not jut and jumpe with my will now all is slaine and not till now Heaven and Earth on fire body and soule killed with a canon from Hell and all the powers of darknesse crying victory Doe Serpents sting murmure not remember where Christs church is of which thou art yet a member t is in the Wildernesse yet and but going to Canaan and such places are full of hurtfull beasts Be not overcome of evill then misery dissolves it selfe into sinne then God is stung and thou wilt have secret blowes for this indeed where men cannot pinch thee thou wilt have salt throwne where the spring of unsoundnesse lies and then thy Spirit will burne within thee for something We should not onely be submissive to but joyfull under the crosse of our Lord Jesus You cannot tell how much mercy t is to be any of that body of which Christ is the soule if it be but a foot a bare foot and still in the dirt still upon prickes briers and thornes to be any of that company that is travelling to Heaven though the meanest the hindmost the most misused c. But you will know when you come there The crosse keepes off some from being of the Church militant they cannot militare they had rather die then fight and kill what they love more then Christ Sinne effeminates the soule love any lust more then Christ and you will die ten thousand deaths rather then strike a stroke in good earnest against it or discharge one Piece with a Bullet against that fort where your heart lies Satan deales by stratagem sinners looke to your soules he can kill none that take up Armes against him and stand to it he either betrayes affection with trifles and makes the soule yeeld and so stab conscience and sweare a damnable peace or else he terrifies the soule with corporall dangers and makes men flee and all that flee in spirituall warfare die every one are cut off eternally by the pursuer When there are fightings without there are feares within When I came into Macedonia my flesh had no rest troubles on every side fightings without and feares within Men now love their flesh Paul in this had no rest no neither in his spirit he had stood to it upon pure principles Hee wants fellowes in this age of the world wonderfully The Church of the Lord Jesus travels groanes dies for want of them This generation will have more then the advantage of truth to encourage them to set forth to wit the advantage of time quiet time Deluded soules when will this be you so dote upon your skin that you have quite forgotten the state of Christs church upon earth t is militant You will live in Egypt that you may see no warre that you may save your skin your pompe your wealth this your wisdome is your folly Egypt shall not save you the Sword shall follow you into Egypt into your Egyptian huts and coverings Read Jeremy 42.13 14 15. But if ye say We will not dwell in this Land c. No but we will goe into the Land of Egypt where we shall see no warre nor heare the sound of the Trumpet nor have hunger of bread and there will we dwell c. Then it shall come to passe that the Sword which ye feared shall overtake you there in the Land of Egypt and the famine whereof ye were afraid shall follow close after you in Egypt and there ye shall die COLOS. 1.24 For his bodies sake which is the Church THe word notes a company called out of this world and the scope according to which it is used here carries it in its full bredth to comprize all the blessed company both which are in Heaven and in earth this generall society was shadowed by the generall Assembly at Ierusalem and is called by that name by the Apostle Heb. 12.23 Ye are come to the generall Assembly the Church of the first-borne This Catholique company is great and farre divided some in Heaven some in Earth some in this part of the Earth some in that and yet all have but one spirit and therefore essentially the same and what is done for the good of one part necessarily redounds to the good and glory of all He is of a publique spirit that layes out for the good of a City of a Kingdome and the like thousands will blesse him generations yet not borne will blesse God for such instruments but he is of a publique spirit indeed that layes out his state or blood for the good of the Church of Christ many thousands in this Kingdome in other Kingdomes all the Earth over all Heaven over will blesse him This generall assembly comes all out of one loine and divide themselves into two bands one turnes to the everlasting Hills 'tother to the Plaines and Valleys of this world There is a Lilly of the Valleys and a Lilly of the Hils there is a Church on Earth and a Church in Heaven The great King whom we subject to hath a Chappell of ease a Church in his house the condition of this is farre different from that here below the Lilly of the Hils is another gets Lilly then that of the Valleys the pursuit of each shall be distinct which will demonstrate the condition how it differs The Church which Christ hath in his house is a society of perfect spirits in perfect rest triumphing with Christ over all enemies The Congregation above is very big thousands and thousands of thousands from all parts quarters and countries yet all perfect not one dwarfe in grace in Heaven not one Zacheus a person of a little stature there are no spirits of little stature in grace above though it be all our case here every one is as tall as Christ to any ones beholding I cannot tell else how to interpret that expression of the Apostles Eph. 4 Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ They that are come to that unity and society above are all compleat their measure is the fulnesse of Christ their demensions his stature so tall so big limmed so faire and so accomplished to looke upon What a perfect man now is Christ in Heaven of what a brave stature in grace and in glory an Absolon without spot from the crowne of the head to the soule of the foot so are all that Noble society which are with him without spot or wrinkle and therefore called a glorious Church That he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing c. Ephes 5.27 the word here translated spot is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such spots as are in garments by dashing and dirting outside spots they have no spots within nor without above not in their skin not in their clothes nor any such thing that is
not any thing like it the same measures of grace within the same without the same Robes of State that Christ weares they doe the mantle of Elijah is put upon Elisha Our perfection now is per proximum by a proxey as another weares such a compleat habit within and without for us And thy renowne went out among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comelinesse which I have put upon thee Ezek. 16.14 Whereas beauty and perfection is here imputative t is there inhesive every one in his owne person and in his owne state inside outside renowned and perfect for beauty in their owne comlinesse they are joynt with Christ we are joynt heires with Christ here we are joynt partakers with Christ there we have joynt crownes joynt thrones joynt perfections Christ doth not weare a crowne above for this Saint and for that Saint he doth not personate any Saints condition in glory but every Starre there hath its owne glory every Saint weares his owne Crowne himselfe no ones condition there for blessednesse and happinesse is onely personated in Christ as all our conditions are here in order to that State above but all joynt partakers with him and every seed it s owne body which is a glorious State indeed and makes a glorious Church as the Apostle speakes Ephes 5.27 T is a perfect society and in in perfect rest That glorious Church above keepes a perpetuall Sabbath you know the Law of the Sabbath both in precept and president enjoyned a totall complacentiall and perfect rest i. a cessation from all labour and application with all delight to sublime and supreame things Whilst this law was in president onely and yet unwritten it held out this compleat rest God did not nakedly cease from his worke but refreshed himselfe in the things which he had wrought On the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Exod. 31.17 Now what this refreshing was see Exod. 20.11 The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it This was his refreshing after his worke he had a totall and complacentiall rest According to this president did the precept afterwards strictly runne as you may read Exodus the 20. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord in it thou shalt not doe any worke How farre this extended you know they were not to doe any ordinary worke of their calling no not necessary workes for life they were not to gather Manna on the Lords day though Manna was all the food they then had and had it but from day to day The godly which lived under this Law and knew the strictnesse of it would not performe funerall rites for our Lord Jesus on this day as you may see Luke 23. last They viewed the body of Jesus upon the day of preparation and prepared Spices and Ointment but rested upon the Sabbath day according to the Commandement This totall and strict cessation from all labour was upon paine of death Ye shall keepe the Sabbath for t is holy to you every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death whosoever doth any worke therein shall surely be cut off from amongst his people Evod. 31.14 This was for aversion and turning away from things forbidden on the other hand application to Divine things and to holy imployment was as strict every thought was to be consecrated to God and this with divine intention with delight the strings were to be set very high and to hold it and to make delightfull Musicke If thou turne thy foot from thine owne pleasure and call the Sabbath a delight Esay 58.13 All these things doe but shadow the condition of that glorious Church above they rest from their labours and this rest is a perfect rest they doe not any worke as the expression before is they doe not so much as dresse their owne meat no nor gather in any thing for meat all is drest to their hand and set before them Manna is potted up and stands alwaies before every one not any sinew not any thought painfully stirres about livelihood all are intensly but very delightfully applied to the vision of God to the contemplation of the Lord of this Sabbath the grace of redemption that brought them from hence thither to so transcendent a state Their rest above t is as totall as complacentiall as Gods was looke how he rested from his worke so doth these from theirs For if Jesus had given them rest i. Joshua then would he not have spoken of another day there remaines therefore a rest to the people of God for he that is entered into his rest he also hath ceased frrom his owne worke as God did from his Hebrews 4.8 9 10. Now God totally rested and then was totally filled and refreshed with the contemplation and sanctification of what he had done he rested and was refreshed so doe they above they doe rest and are refreshed cease from all labours from all that speakes the least paine and then they refresh themselves with the contemplation of God and what they finde laid up in him for them and so are these times called by the Scripture times of resting they do rest from their own workes and are refreshed with with Gods i with the vision and contemplation of him therefore is it added there when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord i from the beholding and contemplating him and his person in whose presence they stand who is the Lord of that great rest Triumphing together with Christ That glorious society above of which we now speake is a Church triumphant all displaying their banners all Heaven over as they that have fully conquered all enemies Sinne is quite dead death and him that hath the power of death dead O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory this is the triumphant language in every ones mouth above Here we are in continuall combate in perpetuall war detesting legue truce but not able to conquer but there all are conquerers and weare their Crown Lawrells and make a shew of their conquest openly as Christ David hath slaine his thousand c. Many such triumphant expressions are above for every little one there is as David and sing his songs There is a petty transient triumph here in the Church militant but 't is only as it now and then reaches their state above in any degree of conquering enemies And I saw as it were a Sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten victory over the Beast and over his Image stand on the Sea of Glasse and having the Harpes of God and they sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lambe saying Great and mighty are thy workes Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Revel 15.3 this hints to us the manner of their triumph above for Saints do the will of God on earth as they do in Heaven The Lambe sings too they
sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lambe The head triumphs and then all the members Christ triumphs in himselfe and all that glorious company triumph in him Coloss 2.15 And having spoiled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in himselfe so is the originall and so 't is translated in your margents Christ viewes all the slaine death and him that had the power of death the old Serpent with all his seed and triumphs in himselfe all the rest of that royall company triumph in him as the jaw-bone stone and sling with and by which they have slaine Goliah and all the Philistians heapes upon heapes Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne and unto the Lambe and all that stood about the throne Angells and Elders c. said Amen blessing and glory and wisdome thanksgiving honour and power and might bee to our God for ever T is a heavenly practice this and spoken of the Church Militant as imitating the Church triumphant and as guided by one and the same Spirit indeavouring to do the Will of God on earth as the tother part of the same company doe in Heaven You know the state of the new Church is shadowed out in the booke of the Revelation by Heaven and all the lineaments of it it comes so neere to it The very first draught and modell Revelation 4. J was in the spirit and a throne was set in Heaven c. As Moses was made to come up to the top of the Mount neere Heaven and God saith the Text talked with him from Heaven to shew him the pattern of the first house so Iohn was taken up into Heaven and God talked with him in Heaven and shaped his patterne of this last house and the affaires of it by Heaven as that which should come neerer to it then any yet had done But this by the way Vse I have opened to you now a brave state but all will not nay all cannot come to it I wish they could Corruption cannot inherit incorruption if it be true corporally it is true spiritually if the uncleane bodies of the Saints cannot come to Heaven surely the uncleane soules of the wicked cannot Satan hath a synagogue too a great one here and a greater below and a great many will go thither few will believe this and this is the seale of death The Congregation above is holy very holy but this is not heeded here but it must or no man shall see God nor that glorious society which is with him Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God and yet the Lord be mercifull unto the soules of men this is the generall rule by which men walke Above flesh for our bloud we cannot move 't will sink Persons Kingdomes 't will make the society below wonderful big What a Congregation hath the Devill in his house but not one at rest all at worke hard tearing rending and rosting one another and yet have no meate nor drink but the flames and fire in which they worke Have any of you a mind to be of this Congregation No why then doe you pursue your flesh your will sense selfe sinne this sinne that sinne any sinne that will serve your turne in these bad times The temptation of this time is terrible not a soule almost but undone by it Heaven and earth shake Church and State crack the Grave and Hell gape the glory above forgotten the dread of these crush parts brave parts yea that which hath gone for brave grace to nothing to worse then nothing many Christians like Cackarells change colour white all the winter like those fish and spotted at spring what with the bloud and filth of bodies and the bloud and filth of soules ah Lord what a stinke is there in all societies all this Land over and yet no body holds his Nose all is sweet as long as any course may be stumbled on to rise and be but to flea the skinnes of the dead to go fine will this bravery be admitted above Where do you finde a soule that longs and pants because of all these things O that I were of that glorious Church above That I did know to what Officer of that society to speake to helpe me in there If any so inquire I will tell thee go to Christ he is the doore by which all enter hee will serve thee as he was served himselfe he was Baptized and the Heavens opened Christ will Baptize thee with the holy Ghost and with fire and then the Heavens which containe him till the restitution of all things shall open and receive thee Thou must be contented to be Baptized with Christs Baptisme his second Baptisme after both there was a Heaven opening At his first Baptisme the Heavens opened but did not take him up and take him in at his second Baptisme they opened againe and then they received him and containe him Thou must be contented to be Baptized with Christs last Baptisme if neede be to leave all as hee did a very Heaven if thou hast it as Christ did riches honours pleasures blood life to follow after Christ After such a Baptisme the Heavens will open also and take in thee into that glorious society above Christ surely is prized but little therefore his Congregation is so small below and above The sinne of the Jewes is become the sinne of the Gentiles my heart trembles to thinke what will become of us What ever wee talke of Christ and boast of his Temple above and below we bid basely for all Though Christ will take nothing for any thing he hath yet you must come to him with all that ever you have in your hand and lay it at his feete thinke nothing too good for him so you may but have him here is now state wife children yea here is body soule selfe doe with all what thou wilt drowne all burne all if thou wilt onely rake the ashes when thou hast done and finde my soule that Jewell of Jewels which cannot be burnt any where but in thy displeasure and put it in thy bosome for ever This is a Gospell frame of heart and miscaries not all the Jewels which Christ weares in his bosome above are raked out of ashes here below out of meere nothings His beloved is one but one a Phenix and it comes out of ashes learne to lay all in the dust if you would have Christ take up all and lay it in his bosome All that he takes up in his bosome here he sets downe in glory above to triumph with that glorious company there COLOS. 1.25 Whereof I am made a Minister DIaconos a deacon the word is a title given to all sorts of Officers almost in Gods new-house as signifyng that which is behoofull to them all especially them that dispence soule vitall things diligence promptnesse speedinesse Soule dangers are all desperate what 's done for reliefe in this
the last the noblest so doth spirituall nourishment Hope is the last concoction of the soule the last digestion of words and workes by which pure bloud spirits substance and strength is delated and defused all over the state The Scripture makes three concoctions as Nature doth corporall and Hope is the last Tribulation worketh Patience Patience Experience Experience Hope and now the spirit hath spirit hath it self strength setlednesse therefore it followes and hope confounds not Providence toumbles the soule and the soul toumbles providence and the first result of this is patience the second result experience what God is at present and in the breast of this sits hope what God will be and smiles till things worke to this last issue the soule is confounded as the Apostle speaks Hope sucks the sweet of the words and works of God to the bottome that which lyes in the bottome of all God saith and doth to a Christian is heaven what ever lyes utmost the end is eternall life still to a Saint what ever things are a this side Things looke variously sometimes to a neare sight and explicite repugnancy betwixt words and works between such an end and such meanes ordained to it and yet all in an ultimate interpretation carry an exact subordination to the soules highest good Hope is a great Peere privy to the depth of wisdome to the intentions and resolutions of God and to the harmony of all changes and turnings how when and where they will meet in such a blessed end and lies and bathes and sports her selfe in the consistances of all varieties with and towards her prime good 't is a grace to which felicity is alwayes in view a halcyon that findes out a quiet place upon the most moving and boysterous body to wit the sea Hope t is a soul free from a Consumption fat and merry eates not out it s owne spirits nor its owne marrow Some kinde of Spiders eate out the Dam which sits upon them as soone as hatcht so do the thoughts and apprehensions of some souls kill the minde and spirit that brings them forth they are such poysonous and eating things they are so venemous so fiery so dark so gnawing so voyd of heaven of any glimpse of it and so full of hell I reckon upon my afflictions from morning to night saith Hezekiah and I have cut off mine own life his soule hatched such thoughts in time of distresse as did gnaw out the bowells and. life of it selfe that affliction became as death and death as hell which is the property of despaire and unbeliefe to render persons as destroyed and damn'd already as that expression is As there be soules damn'd already and in hell already so there be souls saved already and in heaven already in heaven whilst looking for it apprehension of it in Christ so strong so clear what ever accidentals turmoile the outward man the while Accounting that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation 2 Pet. 3.15 t is a soule that hath so clear an apprehension of the issue of all sufferings for Chirst that the issue of them is in him already what he expects is to him already in a degree in judgement and account judging that the long-suffering of God is salvation yea not onely in judgement not onely in strong evidence and conviction but in sweet contemplation delectation and fruition for 't is a grace that speaks the love of God shed abroad in the soule and experience hope and hope makes not ashamed why because the soule now hath a good part what it hopes for Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5.5 Vse Our felicity lies in noble principles 't were well if we had an impregnable estate in these times Every thing is unsetled and almost hopelesse how is your spirituall condition Every thing without hath made its will and bequeathed it selfe to Death Devills Ruine have your soules made their will and bequeathed themselves to Death and Devills too Ah my soule what a sad state is this Sinne reignes though every thing runne to ruine this doth not The Sword of the Spirit can kill no sinnes therefore it doth soules O how consciences bleed how ghastly are many soules now more to seek for eternall safety then temporall I know not what these wretches will doe God and man are upon you and against you whither will you flee what will you doe for relief Nothing destroyes hope like an evill conscience Now sinners tell me what is sinne now to you Where is that sweet that did ere while so extraordinarily take you what is that in your sinne that did hold you so fast and so long from Christ Shew me now the kirnell of your course You have been cracking shells a great while and what now is the in-side of all nothing but Death and Hell and in stead of your wonted joy an afrighted soule and a fearefull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation Now that which you chose should stand you in most stead doth it thus cheat you then write upon thy sinne Vanity upon thy heart Thou hast deluded me I know not what will be the issue of these evill times death is gathering to the heart apace to the heart of Kingdomes Estates and the like if it be there already in order to your soules truly Justice is quicke with you and you had neede looke about you In swoning fits cordials be necessary something to be taken inwardly that is Christ he fetches life and hope Christ in you the hope of glory Sinfull fearefull wretches there is nothing in you but nature and the old man therefore are you so weake and wicked in your course so dreadfull in apprehension about the end Men would do much sometimes in their owne strength when a lively word takes hold on them but this cannot be never considering how desolate all within is Your eyes are not in your head as the wise man speaks that is they are not in your heart you see nothing within as you should When conscience is fired by the word you thinke to do this and that presently and then all will be well and then fayle in the action and so increase the flame Conscience when a fire must have something dropt in to it things done without are nothing to wit the bloud of Christ Not a sparkle of hell is alayed without bloud without the bloud of Christ or the bloud of the soule Application of remedy must be as the distresse lies your hell is within you and Christ must descend into hell to do a sinner good to set his soule in rest and hope he must goe into the World to save it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.5 Christ must come into this World and then into the heart of man that is in it into the great World and then into the little World which he is willing to doe and so expresseth himselfe Heb. 10.5 When
such heigths and depths of grace we account it a great mercy to finde our soules in such a frame here and yet this would be misery above there is no panting nor thirsting after any thing because no distance of any thing that is blessed there is no darkenesse no twilight no cloud of a hand breadth all that Heaven over to hide any thing from any soule to sad him all there have all plaine and open to them abundance of Revelations a Hyperbole of Revelations it is the expression of him that was there a little while 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Least J should he exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations 2 Cor. 12.7 t is abundance of Revelations indeed for t is a personall beholding of God and that is a Hyperbole of Revelations you will all grant and yet t is very true and me thinkes very plainly set out Exod. 33.17 18 19 20. at the eighteene verse this is Moses request J beseech thee shew me thy glory observe how God answers to this at the 20 vers thou canst not see my face by which is interpreted what is meant by Gods glory to wit his face what Moses before called Gods glory that God himselfe when he comes to English it to us calls his face but what then is meant by Gods face why this also in the next words God himselfe interprets There shall no man see mee and live expressing his person so that the glory of God according to Gods owne interpretation is a personall beholding of God and this is a hyperbole of revelations indeed and that which makes a hyperbole of joyes indeed thou shalt make mee full of joy with thy countenance Acts 2.28 which is a place paralell with the former and poynts at the personall vision of God which and which only makes full joy to the soule of man COLOS. 1.28 Whom wee preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdome that wee may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus 29. Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in mee mightily THe call of God by whom to whom and to what are the generalls exprest and amplified in these two verses The call of God now is by men whom wee preach and whereunto J also labour Sinne is punished weakenesse condescended to immediate commerce was our life it is now our death we cannot see God nor heare God and live take both in a parallel speach but wee shall doe both 'T was shadowed by the mediation of Moses who talked with God upon the Mount and in the Tabernacle which shadowed Heaven as our spirituall Tabernacles now do Face to face as a man talkes with his friend Exod. 33.11 there was very immediate vision and commerce though not personall yet as neare it as it was possible for our frayle condition to beare to be strongly preaching and confirming what Christ our Mediator will one day bring us to againe in that holy of holies that glorious Tabernacle where now he himselfe officiates The call of God is by men to men by some selected to all in generall whom wee preach warning every man and teaching every man Earth to earth Potsherds strive with Potsherds of the Earth wee must beseech and intreat every one and with every degree of patience wee must be beggers at every ones dore for Christ for earth to go to Heaven and if it will not be earth must shake off earth against earth we must shake off the dust of our feete against Adams sons Earth is used to save or to destroy earth Goliah is kil'd with a stone a little heape strikes downe a great Goliah some thinke may signify a great heape which if so name and person did agree and David who was but a little man and with a little stone strikes downe this great person Earth kils earth and earth buries earth earth rings the Funerall of earth by us though poore earthen Vessels Christ sounds and sets forth who are dead eternally You know the call of God by whom it is and to whom it is to what it is is the next generall particularly to bee spoken to Wee are cal'd to a perfect person and in him to a perfect condition That wee may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Divine vocation is in opposition to diabolicall avocation we were called from God by Satan and God cal'd us to him againe simply and circumstantially i not onely to him but as fully to him as ever to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toti dilecti wholly beloved Having thus divided the verses wee will begin with the first clause thereof whom we preaeh The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom we exactly shew or fully declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this composition notes a superlative and is to intend the expression like as it doth Luke 12.58 where our Saviour sayes of conscience that it should not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is throughly draw or perfectly draw The word thus opened that which I would stand on is this That Gospell administration makes exact illumination the Gospell hath a peculiar Idiom nothing speakes so plaine and so full of every thing concerning man as this doth 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 14.9 a word very significative i very plaine and very full every administration humane conducing to illumination speakes darkely and by halves no language yeelds vox bene significans therefore are they which leane upon these helps children of darknesse notwithstanding all their light their hearts and lives full of lyes a lie is in their right hand i. In that wherein they are confident they are intelligent they understand nothing Gospel adminstration makes that which the old Testament calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Col. 3.24 Noting certaine knowledge and the new Jadang * Isa 6.9 Perception a looking through things i. it makes every thing transparent manifest quite through out-side and inside Yee see indeed but perceive not 't is as if the Prophet had said yee doe not Gospelly apprehend your reception makes not perception not vision quite through as doth the Gospell therefore is the light of the Church of Christ compared to a stone most precious as Jasper Chrystall He carried me away in the spirit saith John and shewed me the great City holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven having the glory of God and her light was like to a stone most precious even like to a Jasper stone Revel 21.11 Like to this is Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning faire as the Moon cleare as the Sun By all which Metaphors is made manifest that what light the gospell gives is very cleare Vse Gospel-Administration makes exact Illumination what hath it done in you what is your light under all the meanes of light you enjoy paines is considered t is so with you t is so with God you observe
is this when Christ would perfect a soule in himselfe he turnes a man off and out of himselfe out of creatures of Gods making and out of creatures of the mans owne making out of his prayers and all his duties and this he doth sometime by letting the man fall into sin when proud of any parts or workes and sometimes in a more mild sweet way where nature is more meek and sweet and then when the soule is turn'd off and turnd out of all he that is indeed all presents himselfe to him and woes and wins the soule I will be a husband to thee saith Christ friends riches honours whatsoever can be desired to make one blessed the great world is han'gd upon nothing so is the little world to wit a Christian brought first to be nothing in understanding but a brute nothing in action but worse then a brute a devill very poore very poore in spirit and then blest with a Kingdom and now the soule that was nothing nor could do nothing for Christ or against sin can do all having regnum he hath proprium regni having a Kingdome he hath the proprium of that Kingdome which is dominion over all hee that is made a King and hath a Kingdom doth not rule in this Town only or that Town but over all parts in the Kingdom and this order Christ will move in towards you that desire it for this Kingdom and all belonging to it is a perfect gift COLOS. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour TO take soules from off themselves and to set them downe in Christ beares much by divine Ordinance upon our calling and makes our worke very hard which is noted in this terme labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies such actions and industrie as faints wastes and weares out all such a labour as Solomon speaks of Eccles 10.15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to goe to the City This Emphasis of the word is held forth to the Thessalonians to worke them to a reverend esteem of their teachers We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which spend and waste themselves amongst you to take you off from sinne and selfe and to set you downe in Christ in whom onely soules are fully and perfectly blessed We are as Jonathans armour-bearer whither so ever our Master goes we are to goe after him though we creep upon all foure Your life is our death your fatning is our leaning your Raven-black haires are our milke white We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.2 Such as wax white with painfulnesse and watchfulnesse reading praing sighing mourning and groaning for your good Coaction with Christ is no idle imployment he doth not attempt small things neither is he of small strength to keep pace with such weak agents as we are 't is hard work to draw in yoke with one that is double and treble in strength above me We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers together with Christ he attempts the greatest things that are and the most desperate the taking of holds strong holds Canaanites Hittites c. which dwell in Towns which are walled up to heaven and founded downe to hell he attempts the bloud and death of all the conquest of this whole world the generall making such desperate attempts and taking onely Rams-hornes a sling and a stone such a fraile party as we are you may easily think our work to be desperate full of paine and perill Had man been set to fight with man one man with one man that had been painfull worke but man is drawn out to fight with beasts the fiercest beasts with Lions Beares Wolves Serpents Scorpions yea with devills there was never such a fight in the grand Circue at Rome We wrestle with such creatures as have no hold-fast to be taken of them which have no armes no legs no flesh nor bones we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places Ephes 6.12 We are drawne out to fight upon all the disadvantage in the world against creatures that are upon higher ground that have pitched field in high places that have no flesh to be wounded nor bloud to lose that can make ambushments at pleasure being the rulers of the darknesse of this world this is the Rhetorick of the Apostle We are Stewards of mysteries sentence is past upon us to dye according to the Law which we have broken onely we have the benefit of our book but this book is written as books of such nature usually are very mysteriously with an old strange Character our worke is to stand by and prompt soules concerning their neck verse which is very painfull and trembling worke the book in which sinners are to read for their life is written with bloud which is very inward and ominous inke The Characters and Syllables sutable when put together into words these words are spirit The words I speake saith Christ are spirit What is a more inward and hidden thing then this and yet this are we to interpret our worke is to be an interpreter betweene two of very remote parts that live as farre asunder as heaven and earth as heaven and hell I might say between Spirits the spirit of God and the spirit of man one whereof 't is more proper to say is in hell whilst out of heaven then in any middle place between Transactions between God and the soule are the deepest the weightiest the intricat'st things in the world A sinner is convicted sentenced carried to the place of execution his winding sheet wrapt about his shoulders his handkerchiffe tyed before his eyes his halter about his neck his sentence written upon his forehead in this shalt thou hang till thou bee dead and yet possibly no internall intention concurring or meaning the bloud of the soule Divining in this case at the foot of the Ladder what will become of him that is on the top on 't sitting trembling whether he will be turned off or fetcht downe with a pardon is extraordinary hard work to determine and yet beares not upon any extraordinary office no Angel is dispatcht from heaven to be an oracle in this difficult case but it lyes upon our shoulders by ordinance The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge If there be any divining in this extraordinary worke t is not by extraordinary but ordinary office there is not one from the dead to tell who shall dye next no one sent from hell to tell who is to come next thither Things belonging both to the death and life of the soule are made manifest by our ministration by our labour wee are the Heralds of Heaven the Trumpet of God in which he sounds Retreat and March fight and victory funerall and triumph we are to sound sad and dolefull sweet
great world over all the little world into every roome of the soule into joynts and marrow and set downe himselfe where he will in conscience in affection in what inward part he sees good in some one part or in all parts that is the greatest good in the world when truth is in the inward parts i. not in one faculty but in all not onely in the understanding but in the conscience in the affection in every faculty this Christ loves mightily and what hee loves hee can accomplish there is no torture upon him affection larger then power as t is usually with us All power is given to him to worke without to worke within in Earth in Heaven that is in the more internall and heavenly part Hee giveth wisdome to the heart I will give my Lawes into your mind By Lawes is meant all grace and yet all this made a gift and given into the soule that desires it Christ gives things into the hand yea into the heart all precious things and derives them into all parts and when all this is done in us and the like laboured for to be done by us in all others then is internall operation in power or then Christ workes in us mightily which terme pointing onely at a gradation in the same operation hath raveld out it selfe according to what is difficult in unfolding the former A concluding Speech WHich worketh in me mightily The concurrence of this power wee have had in our measure all along our labour which I would should be much acknowledged to Christ by vertue of which wee are now come to our period of this Verse and of the whole Chapter Our pace in this long journey hath been slow that you might all goe along with mee in the well understanding and imbracing of weighty things and yet how many notwithstanding our double industry are left behind in the blindnesse and mis-beliefe of their soules I know not If our Gospell be hid after all pains fully to lay it open such soules have great reason to feare themselves Child-bearing is no easie worke to any but doubly hard to some so that life out of death may that which comes forth betweene the legges be called This birth though but a hard-favoured child hath beene hard travell to us 'tas made many a sigh and groane many a heart pang and crying out to God What you will doe with the child now borne whither you will be a Pharaoh or a Pharoahs Daughter to it murther it or keepe it alive in your hearts I know not This I know that no man can spill all the blood of any child of God some will stick upon you doe what you can to tell the murtherer at the great day Sighes and groanes are the teares of the heart the heart venting it selfe at the mouth when it cannot at the eyes and other lesser pores every drop that hath fallen from our heart and head from our Eye-lids or Eye-brows shall be all gathered up and put as marginall notes along by all our labours and all put in one Volumne together and this volumne put in your hand at the great day and opened Leafe after Leafe and read distinctly and exactly to you and your soules made to attend regard and remember better then here many of you have done and when all is thus read over this booke shall be closed and this question solemnly put to you all now O soules what have you profitted by all Words Prayers Teares Sighes Groanes As Conscience can answer to this for nothing else may then speake so shall your sentence be and I shall be called out to give witnesse to the justice of it and say Amen Lord Jesus righteous is all that thou hast pronounced upon these soules Our labours lost if this were simply all truly 't were nothing but our labours lost and your soules are lost and yet what is losse to you shall be gaine to us for wee are a sweete savour to God both in them that are saved and in them that perish As wee dresse and as wee water Trees in the Lords Vinyard so shall wee have our wages and not as these Trees beare if Trees be dressed and watered well though they never beare well wee shall have a good Vintage You Londoners are Trees watered choisely indeede 'T is storied of the Plane Tree that at its first transplanting into Italie 't was watered with Wine to make it take and prosper in those parts of the World you are Trees watered with Wine I cannot say that you have beene so watered by mee I dare not but this I can humbly and truly say that if our choisest strength and spirits may bee nam'd in steade of Water Wine or if the blessing which hath gone along with these Waters at any time have turned them into Wine in vigour upon your soules then hath God by mee watered your Rootes with Wine and yet if after such costly watering you grow not nor beare not certainly such Trees are neere unto cursing which sad effect that my Ministey should be an instrument to hasten to this place or to any soule will make mee to continue mourning still in secret for you all and so spend and end my dayes * ⎠* FINIS TABLE MAn is in soule misery page 1 So naturally judicially universally p. 2 3 Whether sensible of soule misery moved and what demonstrates insensibility p. 3 4 5 Christ snatcheth soules out of Hell P. 7 Christ moves swiftly throughly preventingly ravishingly to save p. 7 8 9 Whom Christ hath snatcht out of Satans power p. 10 11 12 That power which workes irresistibly to save the soule with much ease can save our body p. 13 Ignorance makes prophanenesse p. 14 Ignorance pollutes will the practicke understanding the conscience and is the Divels element p. 15 16 The darke Church of England spoken to p. 16 17 Christ carries soules to Heaven p. 18 Christ saves laboriously fatherly surely p. 19 20 Satan carries soules to Hell and how p. 22 23 Demonstrations of Christs Kingdome in this world p. 25 26 Some not far from the Kingdome of God and yet never come there p. 30 31 Love gives forth preferment to all Gods children p. 32 God gives orderly purely solacingly p. 32 33 The folly of men that looke after humane favour to rise p. 34 35 The blessednesse of them which are beloved of God p. 36 37 What redemption meanes p. 38 39 40 41 Bodily bondage lookt after but not soule bondage p. 42 43 What a spirit of bondage and a state of bondage are p. 43 44 What men in bondage and those which are out of bondage should doe p. 45 46 The choicest mercies come through the greatest miseries p. 47 48 Grounds to give God the glory of his way let it be how t will p. 50 51 52 53 Great things comming to us in way of hardship exhorted to prepare for hardship p. 54 What sin meanes p. 55 56 What reconciliation notes p. 56 57 What
of bloud upon thee is not thy nakednesse covered with scarlet of such price as puts a God in debt The redeemed adore the redeemer this is in the text Giving thanks to the Father who hath delivered us from the power of death c. a redeemed soul feeds two with every mercy himself and God he admires love this is feeding himself and then he praiseth God and this is feeding of God too Paul could not speak about soul-deliverance but he must make a breaking off and a breaking out Who shall deliver me I thank God Christ The soul is naturally active but as 't is freed by Christ 't is much more active and ascending it sends to God all that is done upon it The soul blesses necessarily as 't is blessed Soul-blessings make their qualitie in us suitable to themselves and to their own nature so much of God as they bring with them so much of God they leave in the soul and the soul necessarily carries as much of God to Heaven as it hath of God from Heaven in any mercy In the Devils arms there is singing drunkkards sing and worldlings sing In Christs armes there is singing too there is singing of halelujahs here the redeemed lift up the Redeemer every soul in Christs arms sings to him all Christs children can sing sweetly there are songs of Sion songs of deliverance Divine love makes gladnesse of heart a heart gladded gets into that bosome that made it so to dilate it self and that makes more gladnesse A redeemed soul is every day more admiring more praising him that redeemed him then other So many souls snatched out of hell so many sweet instruments of melody hath Christ in this world Christ glorifies to be glorified not a soul that Christ pulls out of the devils mouth but he is like Jonah when he came out of the belly of hell a humble relater of wonderfull things to God and man All that Christ takes out of the devils bosome and sets in his own stroke him and kisse him 3. The redeemed obey their redeemer Not a lambe taken out of the power of the wolf but follows the shepheard Your obedience is come abroad unto all saith the Apostle Whom Christ takes they become followers of him in the sight of all Redemption from the power of Sathan and the power of sinne are the same redeemed souls are out of both and obey neither they onely observe him that hath taken them I will run the waies of thy commandments when thou hast set my heart at liberty saith the Psalmist He speaks as a captive set at libertie that was glad of his legs and observe what wayes he takes to runne in I will runne the wayes of thy commandments The soul still is in behaviour as the power under which it is if under the power of sinne it walks sinnefully if under the power of Christ it walks holily in his commandments The soul is still according to the hand in which it is would you know in whose hand and power you are observe well then of what behaviour your souls are Sinners you wallow in your lusts and live according to the power of your corruption and yet many of you plead and glory in your redemption by Christ Your heart gives your tongue the lie and your life speaks you slaves to the devil and your lusts Is it a small thing to you to belie Christ and belie your souls to distract and make void divine redemption Are your souls redeemed and yet are they in slavery to sinne Acknowledge truth that discovers you and confesse your sad state this would better become you A bad state is remedilesse whilest 't is plead for as good the wicked may justifie themselves but God justifies none it will be double death to justifie that which God and conscience condemn Sinners you cut off your souls from grace by wicked confidence God does nothing for the man that thinks all is well but prepare double miserie for calling evill good As corruption is in strength let every soul complain O wretched man that I am c. Corruption makes wretchednesse according to its strength in every soul for as lust lives it misleads sinne will beare sway where 't is not thrust out the old man is not as some old men that sit still and do nothing but is very stirring corruption as it lives is imperious all must be her servants gifts parts yea the very heart Lust as it lives will bewitch your affection adulterate your judgement creep into your bosome and become your full delight then are you wretched souls indeed then are you galley-slaves Sinners consider this point corruption as it is in strength keeps its propertie in all the best of you all will find the devils heaven a hell Ah Lord what will his hell be then You will be weary of your lives as lust lives in you 't is such a bondage make what sweet out of it you can the more artificiall you become in acting and managing corruption the more power it hath in you and the sooner will it kill all your felicitie dead you will suddenly in the flame of lust cry out as that Martyr in a flame of fire in an other case Hell is come is come Sathan is come is come as he cried out Christ is come is come We may releive our selves from this point too respecting this land If power work irrisistablie to save the soul the salvation of the body is much more easie to it One devil is more strong then all the wicked men in England and yet the power which opposeth him about the soul which he most looks at and contends for is too hard for him Fearfull souls be strong you will see irresistable power snatch poore England as a brand out of the fire Power it self as irresistable should releive and as it hath such a propertie and so works snatching creatures when almost ready to be destroyed this should much more releive and raise the heart Were we much lower then we are yet irresistable power can put forth of a sudden and snatch us out of the mouth of lions and 't is its propertie so to do You are left now to fetch in your relief from God onely strike in to do it as you behold any propertie of any divine attribute to put forth it self Now you heare that this is the propertie of divine power to work irresistably Redemptio à nihilo que dam creatio est Means are still enough to that power which is absolute and to work so of a sudden to snatch out of miserie when all is ready to be swallowed up feed your weak souls with this and move at the throne of grace upon it and surely you will heare of God and England will be raised from the dust and have beauty for ashes Before your pots can feel the thorns he shall take them away as with a whirlwind both living and in his wrath And the righteous shall see this and joy
c. Psalme 58.9.10 Both living and in his wrath as living as his wrath is the originall like that expression used of Chora and his company who went down quick into the pit as living as the wrath of God that took them off There is snatching of wicked into hell as well as snatching of believers into Heaven 1. Coloss 13. Power of darknesse I Do approve this translation and possibly might joyn issue with it and do well but give me leave rather a little to touch a more strict translation according to the originall The word which is here translated power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies licentia a generall leave such a kind of libertie wherein one is freed to do what he will of one hand or the other So the Apostle uses the word to the Corinthians If a man eat or not eat he offends not onely saith he use not your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 licence in this case to offence As this may be a genuine signification of the word so I believe it may give here a genuine sense Who hath delivered us à licentia tenebrarum from the libertinisme of darknesse and blindnesse the lawlesnesse of Gentilisme for darknesse here notes the rude estate of the Gentiles their rudenesse in sacred letters made them a loose lawlesse generation Ignorance pollutes the will That I may have the favour to be candidly received in this reading of the text I would note this to you to stand on That darknesse makes loosnesse ignorance of the word of God makes a lawlesse soul a Gentile Nature is powerfull as truth is wanting for corruption puts no yoke upon her self but doth what seemeth good in her own eyes when nothing to contradict Nature yields up all to will soul body gifts parts and that 's the God she sacrifices to of her self and to none else when she hath no light As you have yielded your members servants unto uncleannesse and to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6.19 Nature yields up to will will yields up to iniquity one iniquitie yields up to another iniquity a lesse to a greater and this is the progresse of fallen man till all be yielded up to the devil and himself to hell Nature acknowledgeth no supreme but Iust lust is a king of her own crowning to this though never so base though never so unclean all shall serve and to none else As you have yielded up your members servants to uncleannesse c. Nature is as licentious as hell darknesse is her supreme and the prince and power which onely leads her The flesh hath reasonings if the spirit cannot answer them The practice understanding the soul is overcome by the power of darknesse that is darknesse is put for light bitter for sweet and this in a way of argument for nature is loose and yet a justifier of her self in her way by some blind mediums or other which is the damning power of darknesse If we say we have no sinne saith the Apostle intimating that nature can argue for it self the old man hath a tongue in his head though scarce any brains or eyes and he will speak for himself the grave can open her mouth and speak as rotten as 't is this is a voice from the dead sinne saith 'tis no sinne and who can stand up and say 't is when the soul hath no light when there is no sunne in the heavens but all powers of the soul in darknesse Darknesse calls not it self so the crow is beautifull to himself the blackmoore fair in his own eye sinne saith 'tis no sinne this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loosnesse and lawlesnesse with a witnesse licentiousnesse protested Darknesse pollutes conscience conscience erroneous The conscience the soul is loose indeed the man will then kill Saints and call them devils the man will kill and slay whom he should not and think he doth God good service Conscience polluted judgement is reprobate judgement reprobate the life is so judgement misjudging and Samsons both eyes be out and all in thick darknesse and how strong soever other limbs and parts be yet you may lead the man whither you will and set him to grind or to what slaverie else you will till the man hath killed himself this is licentia insana mad libertie bloudy loosnesse Corruption is infecting and one facultie defiles another corruption works unto desperate lewdnesse when conscience carries the man to do wickedly this person will kill men and kill Christ in men Why dost thou persecute me How long will you resist the holy Ghost Ignorance Satans proper advantage Finally darknesse is the devils element and things are powerfull in their own element Sathan can lead a world of blind souls at once whither he will Sathan and corruption are the councel of State in dark souls both consulting and consenting and they discern neither and when these two carry all the soul is under a full power of darknesse and a generall liberty Sathan hath a kingdome and t is a kingdome of darknesse the devil is in his kingdome in a dark soul and a king in his kingdome rules all Kings give laws in their kingdome What Satan and the flesh say is a law to a blind soul how loose then must the life needs be There is a law in the members and the execution of this law is not accounted rebellion where the eyes be out and the man in the dark Dark souls are as obeying as the devil is commanding he that follows the Lambe whereever he goes is very holy and so he that follows the wolf the devil whithersoever he leads you may conclude is very unholy very licentious and under the power of darknesse Vse To the dark Church of England I will speak a word from this point Thy darknesse hath made loosnesse and lawlesnesse bloudy desperate gentilisme and heathenisme thy children are risen up against thee to kill thee for keeping them without light O English earth drink not up the bloud of thy slain take the bloud of thy body and the bloud of thy soul and throw it in the face of Bishops Deans Prebends Parsons Vicars Curats and all of that kind which have and do keep thee in blindnesse and taught thy children to kill Christ and one another For some years together loosnesse in tenets loose doctrines and pamphlets filled the kingdome directed against the Sabbath and other main parts of Christs will Prelates brains hatched nothing but toads they crept out of their mouths all the land over and then I did sadly foresee what all was drawing too apace loose tenets make a loose life When I saw mens gifts and parts under the power of darknesse I did believe that their persons and fortunes would not be long behind toads and serpents when they are generated must live who ever be stung and poisoned to death Unhappy Prelates must England bleed and die rather then your pompe all her bloud yet cries against this generation Was not this
the desire of that company of men I would not have them now imitated by any other to throw down light every where and keep the kingdome in darknesse and so in loosnesse that every one might rise up one against another to accomplish their will even children against father to cut the throat of purity and Puritans through the land To you more particularly let me speak from this point See here the spring of your neutrality you are dark you can do any thing because you know nothing Truth hath the power of God in it your hearts bend any way because you cannot set up God before them Sinners how have ye heard and what have you learn'd Your course speaks you loose to Christ and to many Christians what does it to your own consciences Have ye light what and live loosely Then you withhold the truth of God in unrighteousnesse and you will suffer doubly namely for the abuse of light and conscience A Libertine against light fights desperately against conscience or else hath kill'd it quite God is very angry with a man that is a sinner in the day O that thou hadst known in this thy day sinners in the day provoke God much and will be beaten with many stripes The prophet Esay speaks of darkning light in the heavens thereof Esay 5 30. Libertines against light darken the sunne in the heavens thereof they can snuff out the sunne that shines in their souls as one snuffs out a candle they pull the sunne out of heaven to make pleasure to themselves in the dark and make as if they knew nothing what they do Your hypocrisie is reigning and if not lookt to t will be ruining quickly these do not perish for want of knowledge but for want of conscience Coloss 1.13 And hath translated us into the kingdome c. WE have been at the border of hell and now we are come to the borders of heaven nature is as near hell as grace is heaven From nature to grace and from grace to glory is lost mans journey home again this journey is long and mans legges weak and not able to go it and therefore doth God bear him from one to another and transferre him along Transferring notes motion from one place to another but upon some bodies shoulders or in some bodies arms by bearing Observe the road to heaven and you shall see none going that way but in Christs arms you will see the way narrow and full of cripples carried along from tithing to tithing from sinne to grace from one grace to another till they come home to glory which is their kingdome Doctr. Grace is Gods carrying the soul to Heaven Christ carries souls in his arms unto eternall blessednesse Fallen man can neither stand nor go his fall hath killed him and the dead stirre not but as they are carried When the Angel stirres the water I have no body to put me in said the cripple if some bodie would take me in their arms or take me upon their backs and carrie me in I might come to health and happinesse The emblem speaks our state we are born from a miserable condition to a blessed from sinfulnesse which is soul cripplednesse to holinesse which is soul soundnesse and blessednesse Some can prevail with their wounds and weare them out but man is not so slightly wounded nature is deeply wounded and lies by it The Samaritan put the wounded man upon his own beast and brought him to an Inne and took care of him saith the Evangelist Luke 10.42 We are born from wounds to health from nature to grace from the kingdome of Sathan to the kingdome of Christ by Christs own power we are transferred into the kingdome Things have their nature and the result of this is their will man moves not heaven-ward nor will not things that will not go to such a place must be carried thither or they will never come there Christ puts himself to no more pains then needs must They will not come to me saith he of some which is true of all I must go to them and fetch them or they will never come to me else Christ speaks all our conditions in these words There is not bare indisposition but opposition resolute and in cases of this nature all must be carried by superiour power or nothing is done 'T is a hell to man to come out of hell and they are as devils tormenting before the time that meddle about this matter you chain and carry distracted creatures to means of remedie corruption hath its destructive haunt They are a perverse and a crooked generation Deuteronomie 32.5 they will not go Gods way and that they may not they wreath up their legges like a Tortoise contorti so saith the originall when a Tortoise wreaths in his legges under it you must carrie him if you will have him Christ saves laboriously he makes a sea of his bloud so deep as to bear the soul he makes arms and shoulders chariot wheels carriages to bear a sinner heaven-ward which is wonderfull heavy A sinner is a heavier burthen then all the creation he sinks all but Christ he makes the creation grone and crack under him he presses a world to nothing with his weight and yet Christ shoulders him The bearing up of the world is not so much burthen as the bearing up the soul of man he does the one with his word but to the doing of the other goeth word person bodie soul arms shoulders heart bloud all and yet Christ submits all these and becomes a porter a servant a slave and bears till his back and and heart break Labour if honourable helps to bear it self the labour it self lends one shoulders and gives one legges but base labour loads it self the servility and basenesse of it is more burthen then the burthen and pulls away all shoulders from it who will put himself to drudgings base service that is of any qualitie And yet Christ did this Drowning waters are up in this low world and Christ strips himself and wades and carries over poore souls upon his back and weaklings in his arms some one way and some another as may be best ease to them though most pain to him Christ saves fatherly Parents know no pains nor cost for children knees arms bosome soul all open to bear them Jacob wrapt up Joseph in his soul and carried him up and down in his bosome Christ is a father and moves just so to his children for every one of his children is a Joseph to him he takes up a child when complaining like the Shunamite and sets him in his lappe and keeps him their till he die all Christs children die in his arms like the Shunamites sonne If a child of God live an hundred years his father never sets him down out of his arms but carries him unto death beyond death as the Psalmist speaks Christ wraps us up in his soul and carries us there alwayes he is ever mindfull of us You
have that expression in the Scripture we are but trifles and yet Christ cannot put these trifles out of his mind he carries our souls as he carries his own thoughts he minds us up and down the world till we come home Compassion is when things are laid to heart and so carried up and down and they are choicely carried indeed which are so carried Compassion carries Christ and us compassion gathers about his heart and that gathers his children about there too and so they are bound up together in that bundle of life and carried through sinne and miserie to eternall felicitie into his kingdome Christ saves surely a father bears over his children to make sure work that they may not fall in Between nature and grace is a great gulf and a remove from one to the other is not without great danger soul transaction from corruption to grace is with perpetuall fierce conflict the soul cannot put out a step for heaven but Sathan lets fly at it and Christ therefore is a convoy and he transferres from sinne to grace and from hell to heaven As transactions of state removing this and that have their bloudy contests so transaction of that great State for eternity within pulling down and setting up have deadly contest and the soul will be killed in the way to heaven if not born along When Israel went out of Egypt not a dog barked but when a soul goes out of the bondage of sinne into the libertie of Christ many dogs and devils bark and bite Christ therefore as he doth pull out so he doth carry in whom he fastens hold on he lets not go whom he takes into his arms he keeps there and still carries them there in all conflicts to make sure work all Christs children fight in his arms if the devil can kill them there so they all fight upon this advantage every battell passage to heaven is secured the great whale that is master of the deep bellies us and saves us from all storms carries us and conveyes us to our haven the kingdome of his dear sonne Christ saves sweetly 't is pleasant travelling in his arms a man may go a great way with ease upon anothers legges the way though long and dirty goes away one knows not how when bravely carried Christ will have none destroyed nor none tired in the way to heaven Wisdomes waves are pleasant they go all in coaches and chariots to heaven 't is the honour of the way the state of the king in his kingdome below to be born up and down so The king brought me into his chambers saith the Spouse Christs yoke is easie easie indeed because born upon anothers neck you yoke creatures so that their yoke may not pinch you use art to lessen labour and make work no work and pains pleasures Christ is excellent at this art he doth so yoke every one that he draws with ease he makes every ones yoke big enough to put in his own neck together with the man and so he draws himself and the man too and that is an easie yoke indeed and a little burthen as you put something of weight sometimes into a childs hand and you carry the child with that in his hand therefore the child easily bears because he and his burden both are born by another This is substance according to shadow this sweet way of salvation was typified in Noah Noah was transferred by an ark from an old world to a new and that shadowed out salvation in Christ and the very manner of it Christ transferring the soul from a bad state to a good So Israel was brought out of Egypt to Canaan and the Scripture tells you how just as an Eagle carries her young and as a father carries his children Have I conceived all this people that thou shouldst say unto me Carrie them in thy bosome as a nursing father carries the sucking children Numbers 11.12 God was more tender then Moses it was tedious to him to bear so many and so froward in his bosome to Canaan yet so did God and so would he have had Moses done and because he had not patience enough to do it he died ere he came there 't is dangerous not to be compassionate according to expresse command though ones burden be never so great God took up the burden that Moses would not and he tells you how he carried them As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and bears them upon her wings So the Lord alone did bear them and no strange God with him Deuteronomie 32.11 12. God can bear much alone and will for a sinners good and his own glory that is to answer types and fulfill truth Use As Christ does bear souls to heaven so does the devil bear souls to hell evil spirits are very painfull too Who bears your souls Sathan carries by delusion some are carried about by winds of Doctrine the devil is in that wind when errour rules the life Sathan rules the heart this soul is born in the arms of an evil spirit 'T is a light soul that a ly will carry but his fall will be heavy Whom Christ carries truth carries the word of God and the Spirit of God are the two wings upon which Christ carries souls to heaven Upon what wings do ye flee By these you may know who carries you whether Christ or the devil Christ wraps up spirits in the word and so away with them to heaven Sathan carries by violence The Apostle Peter tells us of some that are carried about by a tempest Sathan certainly is in that tempest souls born by that evil spirit are hurried Tempests are beside rule and beside resistance so are souls carried by Sathan the heart hath chosen its own way and reason must not stirre nor divinity lesse every thing is irksome that opposeth nothing that contradicts can the man heare this soul is in the devils chariot tumbling to misery apace if God stop not no man can The Lord seldom stops souls when they run apace till they have fallen and hurt themselves much if not ruin'd themselves quite Christ drives gently he goes truths way and truths pace souls carried by Christ go no faster then truth such make a stop at every turning and look out they go slowly and surely Christ kicks at wilfull spirits but he doth not carry them they are meek souls willing to be carried onely by Christ whom Christ carries The devil bears to destruction to ruine grace and the soul he bears as he did bear Christ to ruine all body and soul Souls carried by Sathan are carried away from God to the glory of the world to a god which is not God Carrying away from God is a graduall thing some are carried away more then others and some are carried away quite which I will stand upon a little I see some carried away extremely which makes my heart tremble to behold Men are carried away captive that is
I see one man make a god of another to get up and he that is indeed God and the onely giver of honour and worth neglected Men move according to their principles sense undoes all greatnesse is neither from East nor West advancement is by a very invisible hand and you onely catch hold of hands which you see to lift you up to a kingdome to such a great felicitie which you aim at How low do most men move to be high The soul is enslaved which makes humane industry all his endeavour to be blessed The countenance of God sets up or throws down man if all the world did love you could they make you blessed could they raise your eternall estate Deluded sycophants men may give you fields and vineyards but can they give you a kingdome an everlasting kingdome and yet so doth God to his favourites to adopted sonnes and to the naturall sonne Know your errour 't is ruining you that look onely after the love of men to rise which make so much of the love of man and so little of the love of God Both may be pursued but subordinately and candidly otherwise a man makes flesh his arm and himself liable to the curse of such a condition A great many men love me but what will this do me good when I die if this be all the favour I have Can mens shoulders carry me to the kingdome of heaven Will the vapours of many mens mouthes make silver wings to carry my soul to heaven What will conscience cry out for think you when that pale messenger comes to call you hence Ah my soul thou art now to leave every body indeed thy very own body in which thou hast lived so long Doth God love thee conscience will ask this question again and again O soul soul thou art to be gone out of the body presently doth God love thee dear soul art thou dear to God One spirit is going to another two spirits must reason together about all things done in the flesh and standers by may not plead a jot onely what is in the breast of God to plead for thee or against thee Sinners what is in the breast of a God towards you love or hatred So will be your great happinesse or your great misery in this world and that to come Love speaks it self and so hatred speaks it self by Gods dealing with you you may know whether he loves or hates you God is dear to them which are dear to him relations are indearing on both sides God loves all his children dearly and they love him dearly Christ was dear to his father and his father dear to him he would rather die then disobey his will The spirit of the naturall sonne is in all the adopted if God be your father where is his honour Death is easier then disobedience to a child of God Relations have their proper nature they that are begotten love him that begat God hath no unnaturall child Some of you stand upon your sonne-ship and yet transgresse the will of your father with ease is he indeed your father which you call so and use so Are relations the highest relations without bowels can you use your father at your pleasure Do you love God and fight against him against his spirit within and against his truth and people without Our war in England certainly discovers a great many dear children of the devil as well as a great many dear children of God 'T is a time of great thoughts of heart a time of great-stirring and 't is a brave time to know your hearts and who is in them whether God or the devil when humours stirre much 't is the onely time to know the state of the man and what is his distemper God lives in every heart he loves and stirres as he lives how divine are the strings of your hearts now how generally divine how strongly divine There are not two better things to demonstrate any ones estate not any love speaks the love of a father Christ looked upon the young man and loved him but 't was not with any indearing love so not any love speaks the love of a child but that love which takes up the heart and indears God there How precious are thy commandments my soul loves them saith the Psalmist and so elsewhere My soul thirsteth after thee Psal 143.3 Weak souls should warm and comfort themselves in that flame they feel in their souls towards Christ and his wayes I am to be generall in consolation to all Gods people from this point think how you are to God very dear and refresh your souls with it in all sad conditions Misery sinks us because we think every humane distresse speaks divine displeasure or at least an abatement of love Afflicted Christians adde not to your load God is never out with them he loves all misery speaks not divine displeasure Misery speaks divine displeasure onely when it makes the soul wicked more adherent to sinne and lesse to Christ and Christians Some mens bitters from God make them bitter and sowre to good I like not that state God would make a bastard a sonne and he will not be corrected Miseries which make you groan under sinne and groan after Christ speak you very dear children to God how heavie soever they be and you should account such bitters sweets Let such mourners chear themselves God is very mindfull of your condition As things are dear to us so we think of them Is Ephraim my dear sonne is he a pleasant child Since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Thy folly may be spoken against and yet thy person very dear and thy distresses compassionately carried in mind when thou thinkest all are slighted Christ strikes with one hand and strokes with the other 't is his usuall carriage to children Speak against them before men and speaks for them at the same time before God his Father Since I spake against him I remember him still I do earnestly remember him as yet recordando recordabor ejus adhuc as they read the text which is very lively When misery is upon a child of God he thinks then he is forgotten and then he is most remembred then 't is not recordabor ejus I will remember him but 't is recordando recordabor I will certainly remember him or I will earnestly remember him now in that very time that I have spoken against Ephraim a dear sonne notwithstanding all that I have laid upon him I do as yet earnestly mind him as divine love is towards us so it works if it be strong towards a person it is very earnestly intent about him for good Dear hearts in affliction believe that God remembers you and that he remembers you earnestly your deliverance is shaping day and night and thoughts shall never lie still till it be finished and you confesse what a deal of love is set upon you Dear children your blessednesse is above all mens here let times
your affections burn and your hearts beat to be redeemed That 's well then there is but one step more believe and you are redeemed out of bondage and this will be wrought it will spring and grow insensibly out of those pantings and breathings which are upon you I have seen the bondage of my people and I have heard their cry saith God When bondage makes crying out O what shall I do and who shall deliver me Enemies are got into a body and are deadly strong a body of death besets my soul and in the midst of this body shall not I loose my soul Now the sinner is turned from iniquity and now the redeemer comes to Sion Let the redeemed admire and adore the redeemer this one thing I will touch and give up the point and I am the rather induced unto it because 't is the use made in my text In whom we have redemption through his bloud Which words are spoken in way of admiration and thanksgiving and are but the continuation of that thanksgiving which is begun in the verse fore-going The redemption of the soul is precious silver would not reach it gold would not reach it onely the precious bloud of Christ would do it precious bloud must stirre and precious spirits leap from this consideration as high as heaven and spurtle up in Gods face Freedome binds man all must be sent to heaven that is saved from hell Let the redeemed say this and say that saith the Psalmist Redemption is obligation who ever hangs by his harp a redeemed person must not because he hath his advantage with him above all others his lesson set and laid before him yea his instrument tuned and put into his hand his lips are opened as the Psalmist speaks 't is but stirre thy tongue and matter cannot be wanting nor affections be able to lie still He that died for us must be perfumed and carried home honourably and buried in his own countrey as Jacob was he that died for you on earth must be perfumed by praises and carried to his own countrey and buried in heaven You must not bury Christ in his works but take him up out of his works and words and carry him to heaven and bury him there Nature abhorres burying things in their own bloud you must not bury Christ in his own bloud but take him up out of his bloud and bath him and perfume him and lay him to sleep in the arms of his father The redemption we speak of here and would have you thankfull for respects your souls and your bodies what mercy comes to either is a blessing from Christ as a Redeemer Not a deliverance in these bloudy times but from the bloud of Christ from that great redeemer that sits in heaven Bodily redemption is but the outside of soul-redemption I hope the blindest sight will be able to see the out-sides of mercy Blind wretches look upon temporall redemptions which now Christ makes and see if you can blesse him for these you had not had the lives of your bodies nor the livelihood of your estates at this houre had not your redeemer pleaded for you had not he pleaded for you w th his bloud you had been all ere this tumbling in your own bloud you had had your bloud trod under foot by those which have long trod under foot the bloud of Christ One redeemer works all redemptions for soul and body one redeemer pleads in soul-cases and in bodily cases See a full plain place Prov. 23.18 Enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse for their redeemer is mightie he shall plead their cause with thee It is but one redeemer that pleads for us in spirituall things and in corporall and therefore in all mercies both spirituall and corporall let Christ be honoured and praised Coloss 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his bloud THe way of grace is here considerable life comes through death God comes in Christ and Christ comes in bloud to save The choisest mercies come through the greatest miseries prime favours come swimming in bloud to us Through a red sea Israel came to Canaan Many a man lost his life and much bloud shed the very land flowing with milk and honey made to flow with bloud ere Israel could inherit the promise seven nations were destroyed ere the land of Canaan was divided to the Israelites Acts 13 19. Israel came to Canaan through bloud and kept in Canaan through bloud Samson was strangled in his own bloud like Christ to keep bloud and life in that blessed people The harlot had her life by a scarlet thread and so had the rest of her faith As the promised land so the promised crown came swimming to David in bloud how many men died and how near was David death many times ere that promise of his honour did live Josephs garment was dipt in bloud and he dead alive for so many years and this was the way to his greatnesse and to the saving of the life of all the holy seed Sinne makes mercie so deadly hard in bringing forth to cristen every precious child every Benjamin Benoni every sonne of Gods right hand a sonne of sorrow and death to her that brings him forth Adam's sweets had no bitter till he transgressed Gods will one mercie did not die to bring forth another till he died One creature was a felicitie for another and none a death to or for another mercy generated mercy and man fed upon the cream and top of all and yet the bottom as sweet as the top mans felicitie was no creatures misery under him they were happy in him and he in them and all in the presence of God to each I will rain bread from heaven saith God to Moses and this was an extraordinary thing then and yet ordinary to Adam before his fall spiritually understood he had all his provision without cost or toil his felicity descended from heaven upon him as dew heaven and earth opened and not any ones sides or veins and so mercy streamed upon him he had his felicity with no more hardship then Angels Man would have his pleasure and God would have his too divine pleasure hath turned the course of love The sea hath runne so many thousand years in such a channell yet God can when he will turn it into another though so broad and big an element The sea is bottomlesse but not boundlesse 't is ordered by the pleasure of God and so is mercy the will of God bounds it orders it keeps it in and lets it forth through what channells it will life through death heaven through hell The first covenant was sealed with life the tree of life was the seal of Adams first grace and favour the second covenant is ratified with death the tree of life must die or else none could live by eating of it 't is not life out of life now as out of the first covenant but life out of death and this necessarily because
according to the will of God Verily unlesse a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alive but if it die it bringeth forth fruit John 12.24 God hath taken counsell of his will and turned the sea of love into a new channell the first covenant gave out all favours without bloud but the second through bloud through Christs bloud and our own Christs cup is called Gods will and our cup is called Christs will the will of God orders both these and therefore is Christs cup when full of bloud said to be Gods will not my will but thine c. And our bloudy cup also called Gods will if any suffer according to his will c. Great favours to come through great hardships is the will of God Means carry proportion to their end death to make death the death of Christ to make the death of the serpent bruising to bruise it was so proportioned by God It shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel Nature hides her choise things closest and bids art use pains sutable to prise to obtain them and so doth grace she hides life in death our life is hid saith the Apostle where In bleeding dying Christ Wisdome orders great things to be obtained with great pains grace and glory in bloud in Christs bloud and our own Christ gets heaven by suffering and all that will live godly with him shall suffer too Means are generally proportioned to their end so by God to Christ and so by Christ to us This world is thrown upon men which is providence disposing sutable to things disposed this world is worth nothing and comes for nothing but the world to come is invaluable and the way to it proportionable the bloud of Jesus Christ and the bloud of his people the one per modum meriti the other per modum congrui Things are prised rather as they come then as they are farre fetched and dear bought makes all the prise and gives all the worth with us weak creatures upon this ground the Scripture when it speaks of our great fortune tells the great prise it cost as eying our weaknesse who look more at what things cost then at what things are and as knowing if any thing will work and take with us this will To him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud Rev. 1.5 Man is a legall creature and looks much at what is given for a thing and prises this more then that which comes for little he values things more under a notion of prise then under a notion of freenesse What did this cost why it cost Christs own bloud Fancie works foolishly in weak brains colour is more then the cloth and scarlet colour a generall taking colour and therefore is Christs garment dipt in bloud and he admired in this habit Who is this that comes from Edom with garments died red from Bozra Use Let no man be offended if mercy come any way to sinners though through never so much bloud and misery Sinne had totally and finally closed up every wombe of grace and it could not enter into the imagination of any creature that ever any dramme of mercy should find any way to them that the earth opens after much sweating and labouring and that heaven opens after much sweating and bleeding to send forth favours to sinners is beyond the expectation of men and Angels Mercy lay buried under impossibility of resurrection impossibilities reduced to difficulties and grace become fesable though with much cost is admirable Deadly sentence was with redoubled strength passed and not with a syllable of revocation for any lost creature to make the least guesse at any restauration By dying thou shalt die c. Here is the grave of a whole world of felicity and a stone rolled upon it daring all powers in heaven and in earth to open it if they can and that grace notwithstanding so buried should rise and become atainable is admirable I wonder that all the world is not bleeding and howling in hell and every one catching his bloud as it falls and writing out his fall in capitall letters to the glory of justice to all eternitie 't is wonderfull to me that it is not the whole imployment of all the creatures in this world to drown one another in bloud to stab tear and rend one another in pieces without any ceasing as that world below doth that there are not two hells a higher and a lower an upmost and a nethermost and that this is not as bad as that that all of this side heaven is not hell out-right Murmuring spirits be patient you think much to see so much spoil and bloudshed in the land 't is the way of God to bring great things to man through the bloud of prime brave persons are brave things brought forth Is there a braver person then Christ in the land or in any land and yet through his sides and through his bloud must great and gallant favours come You eye your pain and not Gods pleasure his way is in the deep the Leviathan tumbles there in the sea in the red sea in bloud and death to life and glory do ye think to justle God out of his wayes as ye justle a man Murmuring is spirit justling against spirit a bad against a good and the worst will have the worst for God treads such to death as will not give him his way You know that God fell out with his own people deadly when they disliked the way of hardship which he had cast them into to humble them and to do them good under heathen princes Let a wise man propose such an end and such a way to it let it be what it will red or white fair or foul you honour him in all and with joy look for good in this way give God this honour Wisdomes way to great things is in bloud in the bloud of some prime persons to the life and welfare of many One or two things may make us give God the honour of his way to such an end let his way be never so sad in our eye God alwayes makes his way most just to what end soever he bends mercy comes clothed but like your sinne when it comes clothed in scarlet your sinnes are crimson scarlet sinnes you die mercies red and bloudy 't is not God Justice treads upon sinne properly upon man accidentally as he lies under it if no body did ly under sinne justice would tread no body to death to bring life into the world nor shed a drop of any ones bloud to bring the greatest blessings to us God goes after man because man will not go after God justice follows sinners because sinners will not follow righteousnesse God doth not step a step in a way of punishment but as you lead him and to trace you in your wayes of sinne all wayes of bloud and death you chalk out to him you lead love out of his way and
make him become bloudy God is love fury is not in him naturally but love he delights not in the death of any God is nothing but life and so is his motion naturally and therefore called a fountain of life nothing runnes from him naturally but life if death runne out of the fountain of life 't is because of poyson cast in by you Generation in bloud one mercy to die to bring forth another is such a generation as was not known in the beginning God never appointed things thus to generate but life to bring forth life and such a happy creature to bring forth such a happy creature all happinesse to live each speak out fully the vastnesse of the fountain and the similitude of the stream to it The sinne of the first Adam cost the bloud of the second and all the bloud that ever since hath been shed to keep any good alive in the world Murmuring souls you are blind justice steres the ship when it sails in bloud with jewels to you you would never open your mouths at all the bloud that is shed in the land no nor at all the bloud that ever hath been shed in the world if your eyes were but open to see this first thing God makes his way most sure to such an end let the means proposed to it be what they will through bloud and death or hell I will surely do thee good saith God to Abraham and yet they must into hardship so much and so long and yet still the end sure and this hart-bleeding condition the onely sure way to it and no other way would have been sure to such an end Certainty of an end with us depends upon the standing or falling of such a thing but the certainty of Gods end which he proposeth doth not stand upon the standing or falling of this or that but upon the resolution of his will I will certainly do thee good One may die another may die and yet whilest the will of God remains resolute to such an end the end will live and the dying of such prime persons is onward to it and without which it could not be Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one tittle of Gods will shall fall to the ground The certainty of Gods intention you see depends upon his will heaven and earth may die which are greater bodies then man and yet Gods intention live because his will lives I must say again that murmuring spirits are blind they can see nothing certain in these uncertain times they think that all that God intends must bleed and die because all that men intend bleed and die and the very men too Blind creatures the certainty of what God intends doth not depend upon any of these when all is in bloud and dead God is alive and on in his way to his end the unspeakable good of many God alwayes makes his way most honourable to such an end let difficulties in the way be what they will though God may cast much hardship upon us yet he casteth no disgrace upon himself nor upon his way His way is honourable and glorious saith the Psalmist all his wayes are so when he goes in bloud for he speaks of the execution of justice there when he goes in the death of one thing to the life of another he goes in in state and glory God is alwayes tender of his name when he seems not tender of any person his sonne his onely sonne scoffed crowned hanged used in all the cruellest and basest manner that men and devils could devise and yet this sonne so used by men was so managed by God and all his hardship that the name of God was made wonderfull honourable in all Noble persons stand not upon losse but upon their honour they value not life they will step every step in bloud rather then prosecute their designes basely An honourable spirit is naturall to God he bringeth nothing about basely he eyes not the bloud of men nor the bloud of his sonne nor the bravest bloud that ever ran in bloud vessels but what he eyes is the accomplishment of his will honourably Murmuring spirits you are blind and you are base so you may but have your own ends the fafety of your lives and states you care not how God brings this about whether honourably or dishonourably Unruly hearts are unfit to order weightie matters such spirits must be guided by better then their own what is done with dishonour to God saves a little bloud and forfeits a great deal God will manage his way with honour though he drown and burn worlds and turn all the creation into bloud Our spirits should move like Gods that his will may be done by me to his honour What is my bloud What is God break my back with standing upon it and squeez out my bloud so that it may but colour his garments scarlet and honourable Finally God makes his way most beneficiall when most bloudy and difficult Who can expresse the benefit that redounds to the Church by the bloud of Christ the like I may say of the bloud of Christians the benefit which redounds to God and to man is not to be expressed The like I may say of the bloud that is now shed in England Truth by fiery trialls is made famous Christ is clothed with scarlet and crowned with glory here a mans life is his glory and this given to Christ in flames is double glory put upon Christ a mans bloud veins are the lowdest trumpets on earth to sound out any thing What a noise hath Christs bloud made all the world over And so the bloud of Martyrs is it dried up yet What virtues and graces smell so sweet and look so glorious as those that are died rose-colour with bloud with the bloud of that earthen breast in which they grow Bloud hath a very crying voice it cries up guilt to heaven and so it cries up grace in heaven and earth it makes Christ terrible holinesse immortall truth eternall what is written in bloud never goes out and all that reade wonder I have but one thing more to say and that is for as much as great things come in a way of hardship to fallen man that you would all prepare for hardship London dost thou not see England dost thou not feel that thy mercies come in bloud that thy redemption is likely if ever to be through much bloud but through much more then yet is shed who can say Men die dayly bloudy clouds go up and down and fall upon this citie and that and shalt thou London escape the storm Londoners Londoners are you prepared to welcome in your mercies in bloud You have had a Thames of water bringing in wealth to you for a great while are you prepared to have a Thames made of your bloud to bring in brave wealth to you for another while God hath stirred up some brave spirits amongst you I would all were such and yet I see many
a generall beautie and this particularly expressed first his image then his birth and therefore are according to his own order of expression to be prosecuted Who is the image c. The image of God signifies severall things sometime similitude in place and sometime similitude in qualification Christ is the image of God in majestie in purity in simplicity and Identity of being I intend to touch all these and then give you the use Christ holds forth the majesty of God to man divine majesty notes two things infinite power and wisdome and Christ carries both these through the world in open view which none else do neither man nor Angel What they falsly said of Simon the sorcerer that I may truly say of Christ He is the great power of God he hath power over all flesh over all spirits men devils winds seas are all subject to him Christ makes every knee bow to him of things in heaven and things in earth and under earth he is the head of all principallitie and power Coloss 2.10 Christ moves in an upper sphere and moves all other after him as he pleaseth he sits in heaven and doth what soever he will he puts forth an infinite power here which I wonder this world can bear and manages all things according to the counsell of his will which is one beam of God divine power working fully as it is according to its infinite nature infinitely and so it works in none nor by none but in and by Christ Infinite power puts forth in infinite wisdome that 's the complete majesty of God and both these in Christ and no where else Christ is the power of God and the wisdome of God and both joyned together by the Apostle as alwayes going forth together to man But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God Christ hath an almighty arm and an almighty brain he over-reaches all the deceived and the deceiver no action of his proves an abortive or looses one whit of its scope or intention for want of due time or due place or any other oportune and seasonable circumstance In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge There is not any excellency accidentall in Christ so you are not to understand the term hid but all excellency of power and wisdome wrapt up in flesh naturally in him there is the fulnesse of the God-head bodily 'T is an allusion to treasure where it lies naturally hid in the earth in a proper body and there lies aboundance of treasures after an unexpressable measure so in Christ lies wrapt up wisdome and knowledge in their full dimensions and according to their incomprehensible nature as in a proper body and answerably work to the managing of power and therefore is it said that he did all things well and that he spake and did as never man did The power of God fully as 't is and the wisdome of God according to its naturality and immensity of being and working which makes up the majesty of God and so one part of the image of God in Christ Christ is the image of God as in majesty so in purity justice and mercy are the purity of God as power and wisdome are the majesty of God Christ as he is the power of God and the wisdome of God so he is the justice and the mercy of God he is grace and truth and the fulnesse of these in view And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Providence is full of variety of action and all very profound one cannot feel bottom here yet this we can pitch upon that grace and truth are the scope of them all the works of Gods hands are veritie and judgement all his Laws are sure and stand fast for ever and they are done in truth and uprightnesse Christs action is oft beyond our apprehension and contrary to our expectation but never beyond nor contrary to grace and truth Grace goes forth in truth mercy is managed by justice love is tendred and if abused wrath cuts off that person or that people and this is the carriage of Christ through the world Grace and truth are the nature of God and these in fulnesse are in the person and action of Christ which plainly speaks out what Christ is to all the world Under this notion is Christ called the image of God Holinesse and righteousnesse was called Gods image in Adam because this was in his person and action createdly exact but this is uncreatedly exact in the second Adam which gives him this high title in the text the image of the invisible God Finally Christ is the image of God as in majesty and purity so in simplicity of being according to his divinity he is essentially the same with the invisible God and therefore called by the Authour to the Hebrews the engraven character of his person or the figure of his substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the character of his substance and under this notion Christ hath the attributes of God given him and called as he is a king eternall immortall invisible Before Abraham was Christ was before any creature was Christ was in the beginning was the word Christ was that word which began all and will be that word which shall end all he is Alpha and Omega but without beginning or end of dayes himself by him all things are made and by him all things shall be destroyed but he himself abideth for ever as God doth Immortall 'T is eternity in a metaphor about is the nearest way home in expression of high things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graven image of his substance Vse Immortall Christ was never quite dead he was so fully in the image of God malice killed man but could not kill God-man nor never will Spirits have no flesh and bloud no deadly matter because no mixture Christs divine nature is spirituall and the spirituality of his being not infinite as Angels but infinite as God and in this sence above the reach of sence and much more above the injury of finite force and therefore called both immortall and invisible And so the expresse image of Gods person and the brightnesse of his glory The summe of all is this that Christ is that person in the trinity which doth most immediately and fully hold forth God to mans observation and use for temporall and eternall good As Christ is the image of God in purity so we are to conform to him Whom he did fore-know he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his sonne that is in purity in righteousnesse and holinesse according to that of the Apostle Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Sinners look well upon your souls who are they like Christ or Sathan Sathan knows who are like him and
glory strive to corrupt infinite glory let this set an edge upon every mans sword I go forth against a company of carnall worshippers which destroy God which change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man I know not what fire this puts in your spirits I know what fire it kindles in Gods spirit namely jealousie which is a kind of unquenchable fire which burns to the third and fourth generation and which nothing quencheth but the bloud of them that kindle it shed this when called to it or else God will and yours too Read the sad condition of this generation Revel 14.9 If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the holy Lambe False representation makes false adoration and our kingdome is full of this and we have done little spiritually to give better instruction and therefore 't is no wonder that we fall corporally with them that fall 't is the manner of God to whip his with those with whom they sinne and commit fornication The beast and the image of the beast idolatry and superstition hath swayed above three parts of us for a long time and it will be no wonder to see scarce one part of four out-live our present misery if there be any place to sanctifie your selves and to save this generation it will be well if God give you hearts to take it know your own blindnesse and it will teach you how to use your out-going against others Immedicabile vulnus ense c. if means to reclaim take place before cutting off I wish that may be used every where Coloss 1.15 Who is the image of the invisible God GOd is invisible in action and in person in the one partly and in the other wholly in the one for a time and in the other till time shall be no more God is invisible in creation this world is a glorious fabrick but built without hands and without tools onely with the word of his mouth and can you see the words a man speaks God was rather audible then visible in the making of all things Consider all things as made and the glory of these is invisible Can you see thrones and dominions principalities and powers spirits which serve you or spirits which maligne you of which the aire you breath in is full as the sunne of beams The heavens and all the hosts of them do you see You have many mighty friends which you see not and many mighty enemies and all these in such a large room the breadth of which above nor below you see not look above you and look under you have you seen how your countrey-house is roofed and floored Can you see the breadth of that canopy that is over you or of that green foot-cloth that is under you Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth declare if thou knowest it all saith God to Job chap. 38.18 so I may say to the greatest astronomer Hast thou perceived the breadth of the heavens declare if thou knowest it all If we see not the roof nor the floore surely we see not the foundation of this world at all whereupon are the foundations of the world framed or who laid the corner-stone thereof The profundity and invisibility of God in creation doth he himself go on thus speaking of to Job Solomon in a like style speaks to this purpose He hath set the world in its perfection so that no man can find out the work which God makes from the beginning to the end Eccles 3. God in providence is invisible Can you see those pillars upon which the world stands upon which England now stands Can you behold those wheels that turn round the world and behold how in their motion still they fulfill eternall counsells Can you apprehend as you are apprehended Can you comprehend as you are comprehended Can you master divine actions with your eye as it masters you with its hand Can you see him that speaks to the little world and to the great world and to the proud seas and waves which rage in both Come thus far and no farther He that speaks to the clouds Water this citie and not that and to the sword Go and destroy in this kingdome and not in that Can you see that hand which leads you that hand which feeds you that hand which protects you those everlasting arms which are underneath you That bosome in which lambs are carried and those leggs on which the weak run and are not weary Can you tell me how many servants wait upon you and can you see of what stature they are and what livery they wear Is their cognizance your cognizance When I propose such queries as these to my sad shallow soul I am fain to break out and break off with Job He doth great things past finding out and wonders without number Lo he goeth by me and I see him not and he passeth on also but I perceive him not Job 9.10 A man a Christian cannot see God many times and yet God fast by A man thinks God is going backward with such a businesse when he is going on with it He passeth on and yet I cannot perceive him Job spake this as if this had been his case alone but alas 't is not 't is every mans case God goes out of sight to him the wisest man the most seeing man is in the dark frequently in this point of providence Eccles. 8.17 You see now that God is invisible in action in that wherein he is most seeable and therefore I thinke you will easily believe he is so in person the materiality of his being the immensity of his being and the glory of being which results from both the former necessarily render him invisible to us God is not onely invisible in regard of his essence or god-head but also in regard of the fulnesse and glory thereof which is called light indeed in the Scripture but yet such as to which no mortall eye can approch The beams of the sunne above though light yet so glorious as too big for any organ we have to take in Things have density to terminate colour to congregate being and glory of being finite yea both not onely finite but both brought down to a suitable proportion to such a tender organ or else our eye languishes and closes it self as able to make no vision God is not simply invisible but invisible in reference to us Angels see him and Saints above see him they behold his face which is the most invisible God is invisible to a mortall eye as the Apostle speaks a mortall eye must have its adaequatae objecta or else 't is discouraged and closes
who made the waster and his wasting tackling then his dread falls Creatures are bounded they move as ordered some things they can do and some things they cannot do nor shall not do No weapon formed against me shall prosper If there be any power beyond devils the Apostle Paul raiseth himself beyond fear of it from this consideration that they are but creatures Neither height nor depth nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God Let things be feared as they are and let things be loved as they are you love husbands wives children set bounds to your love these bounds in the text love them as creatures The creature is subjected to vanity Creatures are vanishing things We pick and choose creatures and make as it were a nose-gay of them and set them in our bosome and no sooner there but they die wife dies children die friends fortunes states kingdomes die thus do all the sweetest creatures we look upon and this is common to every ones experience but not to every ones instruction yet for all this do men love the creature more then the Creatour When shall we have mortification in England and when in London When all is dead 'T is sad to behold how still we love the creature although the Creatour hath set creature to kill creature as if he would not leave a creature alive Finally trust in things as they are Let the rod of God and the word of God instruct you you are now sending forth armies look upon them as creatures salvation is of the Lord for the Lords sake make not a God of creatures least you betray your strength and lives It is naturall to creatures to look onely upon creatures sheep will look back to behold how many fellows they have when an enemy is before them and so will other brutes but God expects from man better carriage Let your hearts be sound your faith pure your reeds in which you trust will run into your hands else 'T is very clear now that you did nor trust in God but in man when your great armies went forth because you have no faith now men are gone Papists upbraid us with the terms of solifideans but these forementioned may I upbraid with a tearm near it solofideans trusters in earth or carnifideans trusters in flesh Coloss 1.16 For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth c. THe Soveraignty of Christ is argued and demonstrated in this as in the following expressions He hath created all things in heaven and in earth and therefore to be conceived of over and above all things higher then all and greater then all Doctr. High expressions are multiplied concerning Christ to raise high conception of him Men are apt to conceive too low and too mean of Christ He that cometh down from heaven is above all saith Christ He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth but he that cometh down from heaven is above all and what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth and yet no man receives his testimony John 3. Twice is the soveraignty of Christ affirmed and yet not once received he lifteth and lifteth again to lift up thoughts and affections concerning Christ as one above all and yet all would not do He that comes down from heaven is above all above all on earth and above all in heaven He multiplies high expression to raise high conception and yet poore low creatures would conceive of him no otherwise then of other men nor yet hardly so well Thus are high expressions multiplied here for the same end which argues that man is a creature very apt to conceive very low of Christ We are carnall and judge so we frame conception from sense objects are no otherwise then we see Christs out-side spake as little as anothers and lesse low in condition and low in estimation this is naturall to man and hard to do otherwise Thoughts must have a foot-stool from the world to lift up themselves respecting persons we lift up things no otherwise then they lift up themselves by externall advantage Christs glory is not in this world he comes in form of a man and therefore judged no more in form of a mean man and therefore meanly judged of What Christ is visibly is looked after and this is little nothing visible speaks him the authour of invisible things the maker of thrones and dominions from nothing visible flesh and bloud can argue nothing reall to raise apprehension respecting any thing no not respecting God himself We set up things as we see them and we set up things as we love them Man will not conceive highly of that which he hateth man is carnall and malicious he makes judgement subject to sense yea he debaseth it lower he makes judgement subject to malice None so blind as those that will not see yes those that scorn to see Conviction is strong and may do something upon the will if it do but merely nill but is not strong enough to over-bear malice The Scribes and Pharisies saw more of Christ then a mere man and yet will take in no thought of him but what they pleased they esteemed of him as a devil such was their malice when convinced he was a God the maker of all and above all Angels and men Divine rules crosse carnall a carnall spirit crossed is a devil a devil calls Christ Belzebub the chief of devils and not the chief of blessed beings as here the Apostle doth We set up things as we will and yet as God will too Men stumble at Christ from what they please and ruine their souls and this is according to Gods judiciary will for he hath said it shall be so yea that it shall be so to many Christ is for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel and many of them shall stumble and fall and be broke that is many shall have low thoughts of Christ and so reject him which is death without remedy Christ is not carnally plausible and it is so ordered of purpose for a snare to carnall wretches which will set up nothing but what the world doth and to accomplish judiciary will Man eyes his will and so doth God man orders all his actions according to this and so doth God sinners fulfill their own wills and Gods when they set Christ low and their souls lower when they stumble at Christ and ruine themselves You vex not God when ye debase Christ and destroy your souls you onely accomplish his righteous will and your own wicked will Consider the point in hand and how it reacheth you Christ is a mere fancy to forlorn souls Men oppose creature to creature this is higher then that and this is better then that but who opposeth Christ to all the creatures and sets him in his thoughts above all
a first-born and here as a creatour Doctr. A holy soul cannot tire it self in the contemplation of Christ. Their is variety of excellencie in Christ varietie of time he is Alpha and Omega Varietie variety of beautie white and ruddie varietie of qualitie mild and fierce a lion and a lamb a servant and a sonne a Man and God a Redeemer and a Creatour Christ is all varietie of excellency he hath all the powders of the Merchants Canticles 3.6 In things below Christ some have excellency and some none some this excellency and some that but none have all and this checks the soul in his game and withers contemplation at the root Contemplation is soul-recreation recreation is kept up by variety one thing tires quickly unlesse that one be all which so is Christ and none else he is all Colossians 3.11 All belonging to well being and all belonging to being Redeemer and Creatour for by him were all things created There is congruity of excellency in Christ Congruity what things are in Christ are all suitable to a holy soul and suitable things tire not we lie down where we are pleased 'T is with a holy soul as 't is with a holy God unsuitable things tire him presently Your new moons and your appointed feasts that is their hypocritical observations I am weary to beare them saith God Esay 1.14 Holy persons and holy actions things congruous to his will in these he takes up his dwelling his thoughts though vast and noble hire themselves here so farre are such things from wearying of him his thoughts respecting this world the people and practices of it rove and wander and tire as weary of all till he come to Sion and then observe what he saith of her This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Psalme 132.14 Affection makes motion and thoughts go after desires desires suited thoughts sit down and take up their rest and their dwelling and like the place of their habitation 't is thus with God and 't is thus with godly men one holy spirit roves and tires out it self till it meet with another the soul of a christian flies from creature to creature and pitches down upon this and that but rises up again presently as one wearied because it can find nothing suitable and thus it doth in reference to all the creatures till it come to Christ and in him it finds all suitablenesse and then sitteth down suitablenesse to being and well-being Christ is my redeemer and my creatour enough for all that I can wish and therefore here I rest saith the soul Transcendency There is transcendency of excellency in Christ variety and congruity of excellency and all above expression more then can be reached A holy heart is deep and loves to bath it self in deep waters contemplation is a soul making one deep to swallow up another and this is so farre from tiring that 't is the very Heaven of a holy heart Contemplation is a soul widening it self to swallow up infinitenesse what ever God is if it can Not a step of Christ towards man but 't is a great deep Redemption is a great deep and Creation a great deep and 't is delightfull to a divine heart to dive where sweetnesse hath no bottome Carnall contemplation tires because though it find something suitable in the creature yet but very little and that little in a little time turns to nothing and then the soul is not ohely tired but vexed which makes thoughts retreat disorderly Divine contemplation cannot tire for it finds out suitable things and yet there are more besides these still it finds out one Heaven and when the soul is in this and it seeth another beyond this when it beholdeth a Redeemer it seeth a Creatour more plainly Use This point plainly discovers many hearts not to be holy divine contemplation is so burthensome and tiresome to them You have vagabond persons so you have vagabond spirits which had rather be any where then at home Christ and Heaven are the souls home thoughts and spirits are all vagabonds whilest they are from this home and yet few souls care to get here and keep here The soul is sublime of it self but pravitie bowes it down men have their corruptions and these make their thoughts cleave to the dust You do not observe whither your hearts go nor what journeyes they make you do not observe their going out nor their layings out whither they wander nor how prodigall when abroad nor possible will not because 't is pleasing men do contentedly lose their souls in things below Christ Three things destroy divine contemplation blindnesse idlenesse wilfulnesse Some men know nothing of Christ the soul cannot dwell upon nothing Thoughts are soon tired when confounded they clash much where there is no apprehension one fighteth against another and the spirit dieth in this fight because condemned to abide in a dungeon Confusion makes distraction distraction makes madnesse men throw off all when they can understand nothing in divine mysteries and I perswade my self that this hath undone many a soul I have known learned men who though contēplative enough in their way yet when they set to contēplate divine things can make no sweetnes to their souls but knots tricks and fancies to cavill with and 't is impossible but that the soul should tire quickly that can find out nothing in Christ but knots and bones to feed on Learned persons look about you your contemplation is highest and yet lowest the hid things of nature wrap you up and the high things of Christ tire you presently which is nought and speaks the heart bewitcht with curiosity high in fancie but low and carnall in affection such a soul as this makes its nest in the starrs of this world but God will from thence pluck it down every soul that nests not it self in Christ and in those glorious excellencies which shine in him will be judged and perish as carnall As ignorance so idlenesse destroyes divine contemplation thoughts are vain they must be watcht man hath power to observe his spirit which beasts have not The spirit of a man knowes the things of a man You know how carnally your hearts work and what do you do to reduce them You keep no watch sloth-betrayes your souls to lust and lust will betray your souls to the devill How secretly doth many a mans heart steal away Christ and yet not so secretly but 't is seen and the man for want of activity lets it go and so is accessary to the betraying of his own soul Ah Lord what will that man be able to say for himself in judgement that stood still and saw his heart steal away from God to the creature and did nothing to turn it back made no prayer nor shed no tears Men complain of losses now but who complains O God I have lost my soul I can never find it in Christ 't is sometime in wealth
Christ we may conclude full successe that is in the thing and in the circumstance of time Christ doth so much as God intends and in such a time in so many dayes he was to make the world and he did it to a punctum of time and rested with his Father and in so many years he is to make a new world First and second resurrection are timed in word so shall be in work the two beloved cities wil be built one after another in their predicted time and he will do it exact to a punctum of time and then give it up all to his Father and rest with him and his Church for ever Time is in Christs hand as well as the work of time the Father hath put all into his hand my times are in thy hand The great world may say to Christ My times was in thy hand in so many dayes didst thou bring me forth and so many years wilt thou uphold me And the new world may say My time is in thy hand in so many years thou wilt bring me forth You murmure that things go no faster on the time of the new world is in Christs hand and it should be rest enough to a saint in all troubles to look up and consider in whose hands worlds are transacted God moveth in one that answers his will exact that observeth his work and his time Lo I come as it is written in the volume of thy book Search how it is written concerning Christs creating this new world and you shall see that he will come and do it exactly Lo I come as it is written saith Christ but not as impatient spirits expect instruments must be blamed when they take not their time I mean instruments which we imploy for our good in this time of distresse but the heart must be quieted in this that Gods agent exactly keeps his time This is not all your consolation you may argue for the choisest mercies upon this ground that God is your Creatour in Christ Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may live Psal 119.73 from such power you may argue to such love from great power you may argue for great love Thou didst create me in Christ according to such a noble being do thou new create me in Christ for the restauration of this being as if the Psalmist had so said this I think may be his meaning and the strength of his argument Many of you are weary of your being you do so sinne but you might have more comfort in your being if you did look up and consider who gave it and what obligement lies upon him by it he gave your being in Christ and he will restore this being in Christ if you plead it to him as David Thine hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may live Thus do thou say to God A child of God may argue love and compassion from any thing that Gods hand doth to him upon this very ground because he doth all that he doth to him in Christ To ungodly persons Sinners the Scripture pressetn obedience to Christ upon you from this point upon pain of death that all things are made in and by him how able is he to take away being from all which gave it to all Reade Proverbs 8.31.32 After that Christ is there mentioned in state as the Creatour of all this he inferreth upon it viz. Now therefore hearken unto me O ye children that is children by creation for blessed are they that keep my wayes Heare instruction and be wise and refuse it not He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul So he concludeth as Christ is complete to attract love the same will be his sufficiency and advantage to aggravate our sliding off him for thus Christ will say to sinners at the great day I am a first-born I am the Image of the Father I am a Redeemer I am a Creatour and yet though all these thou regardest me not all excellencies sleighted shall be turned into so many rods to lash your dead souls The sins you love will destroy your being and your being being destroyed you will fall into your Creatours hand again and what being do you think he will give you then God dealeth with you as you are you are naturall and he fetcheth argument against you from nature as what is more naturall to you then your being the lower God stoupes to stirre you and you yet unmoved the more obstinate you are you are no new creatures therefore God argueth with you simply as creatures and then you shew your selves blocks you use no art about a block but to burn it and so doth God when sinners become sots and blocks and understand not so much as the principall of their naturall being though opened and urged upon them by a God blockish souls think on this you will have a very hot sermon to warm you when you come to your place Coloss 1.16 And that are in earth BEing and disposition of being are from Christ he createth all and disposeth all You make creatures and then you place your creatures and preferre them as you think good and so doth Christ and he telleth you where some in Heaven and some in earth he suiteth place to person pure persons are placed in Heaven and impure in earth where we are placed is that which I am now come to tell you in earth for by him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are in earth c. What kind of room we live in here these words command me to set out unto you and then to ask you how you like it 1. Low 'T is a low room we are in here the earth is the lowest element lower then the aire lower then the water and yet as earth comprehendeth both these 't is but Gods footstool Swear not by the earth for 't is his footstool a footstool speaketh the lowest service such is the earth and all things in it of the lowest use to God 't is a kitchin below stairs to scour vessels in and 't is a conveyance for the filth that cometh off there is a gutter out of earth into hell to carry away all things that offend hell is the sink which belongeth to the earth God hath more noble service done in one moment in Heaven then in all the earth in all the age of it though it be now many thousand years old In this lower room wherein we are here is nothing done but kitchin work washing and scouring killing stripping and fleaing that which is fat Earth is the slaughter house that belongeth to hell hearts that are made fat are killed on earth and rosted in hell We dwell in Gods kitchin and the devils slaughter-house in earth this is low and this is the first thing earth speaketh a lower room 'T is common Lions and Bears Wolves and Men are all in one room in earth Frogs and
notion Idlenesse maketh profanenesse profanenesse putteth all powers under the black rod to wit the devill A soul under the power of Satan and the world cannot imploy it self well Poore bond-slaves seek your freedome by Christ or you will be condemned You whose soul-powers are under no power but Christs from you is this expected that you make full imployment to your selves about the various works of God that you travell this world over and the next above it as farre as you can into visible and invisible things and if you loose your souls this way you will find them in Heaven the soul getteth his perfection by much travell Bees fill not their hives from one flower nor in one journey they are fain to go farre and near from garden to garden from field to field from flower to flower so must we from visible to invisible things to fill our souls with the sweetnesse of Christ 1. Coloss 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers c. INvisible things are here named by visible for our sakes thrones dominions principalities and powers are all terms used amongst us and we know what they mean some chief in place and office superiority and rule over others and so have Angels over this lower world at the appointment and pleasure of Christ therefore called chief Princes in Daniel The Prince of the kingdome of Persia withstood me one and twenty dayes but loe Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me Daniel 10.13 Greek tearms here sound the same with the Hebrew word Shinan a Shanach to second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 next to the first as these which have the prime office and command under a King are said to be next to him Hester 10.3 Mordecay was next to king Ahasuerus so Angels they are next to Christ in ruling the visible world and therefore called Shinan in the Hebrew and principalities and powers in the Greek that is chief governours next to Christ in reference to all the creation beside Tearms are here multiplied synonymically which when they are so 't is for our weaknesse there being no tearm comprehensive enough below to expresse things above Angels being so transcendent in all eminences both of nature and office Multiplication like to this you shall find in the first to the Ephesians 21. Farre above all principalities powers might dominion c. There is variety of offices amongst the Angels as appeareth by that place forecited in Daniel but this is not pointed at here in my text as I think by the variety of tearms which are used because they are all of the same signification according to the letters and point joyntly at one main thing which Christ would have all his know That the worlds are subordinate that the visible world is under the dominion of the invisible world that Christ hath an unexpressable power and strength by him at command to over-rule this world and all things in it thrones dominions c. that is transcendent powers which all the powers in this world call them what you will will not fully expresse I will demonstrate this truth unto you by some angelicall properties Angels are unexpresseable for number the visible world is populous but the invisible world much more populous they live not one upon another as we do which makes great consumption here and yet live near together much nearer then we can do who are corporeall beings The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands or many thousands of Angels His meaning is that God hath more for number then any generall can muster up here if he should muster up all the creatures in the world You begin to number here from tennes and twenties they do not begin to number above so low thousands and twentie thousands are Gods units there he doth but begin to number If men will go to numbring God will out-number them for his number is innumerable Ye are come to an innumerable company of Angels Hebr. 12.22 Our Saviours expression doth plainly demonstrate it that the invisible world is very populous and that God hath a mighty vast command thereof souldiery to still tumults here with ease or to do what else service he will When one of Christs company pull'd out his sword to fight for him Put it up said Christ think'st not that I can now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more then twelve Legions of Angels and every Legion according to the Romanes was six thousand twelve six thousands and more His meaning is innumerable numbers and all these raised presently at a word sighed out Certainly they are very populous above You are here along while of raising an army of tenne thousand and when you have done it 't is longer ere you can raise such another and when you have done it you cannot spare so many to wait up one person about this poore creature and that poore creature and yet this is an ordinary thing with God When Jacob went from Laban Angels met him innumerable and he admires it This is Gods host saith he and calls it Mahanaim that is two hosts or two camps Gods host one is as bigge as two of ours ten of ours and yet these imployed every where about this and that Saint of God Certainly the invisible world is unspeakable populous Angels are unexpresseable for number Angels are unexpresseable for majesty the sight of their face is death to us A man of God came to me and his countenance was like the countenance of an Angel of God very terrible said Manoahs wife to him Judg. 13.6 it was so terrible that it would have killed her and her husband too if God had not mightily upheld they are so fearfully made to flesh and bloud He hath made his Angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire What is more terrible then a flame of fire it conjures naturall spirits and makes them all croud in upon the heart ready to croud the heart to death 'T was the presence of an Angel that rendred the bush as a flame of fire to Moses it was a multitude of Angels which rendred mount Sinai a burning mount which was a terrible sight so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Hebr. 12. Fire is a supreme element for dread it s an element that sits nearer God then all others do and goes forth with more of his majesty when it descends Angels have the advantage of a perfect image this advantage when it was upon man rendred him very terrible to all the creation They have not defiled their scarlet robes as God did put them on at first so they wear them still which render them full of majesty Man hath but a little of God in him and with him now and yet this holds him up and holds him out as a creature of much state but Angels
Christs army is invisible The devil is true enough to his cause they need not have such hard thoughts of him he is not false to his own kingdome as they are Christs hosts certainly fight against them but when will they see and confesse this their blindnesse and stubbornnesse will break all their backs which is sad but what must to the sword let it to the sword Let us admire justice upon our adversaries and mercy upon ourselves let us all shout and say Christs army is a brave army Christs army is very great Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slain thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm Psalm 89.10 by Rahab is meant Egypt the generation which now are slain and the holy Ghost goeth on and telleth us how we should attribute victory to the glory of the invisible power and not to any fleshly arm Thou hast broken Rahab c. A like Scripture you have Hosea 1.7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God and will not save them by bow nor by sword nor by battell nor by horses nor by horsemen Therefore let us lift up our hearts and tongues now and say to Christ that we are saved by the Lord our God and by his invisible host and not by men Coloss 1.16 All things were created by him and for him c GOd upholdeth our way we have travelled through many things and we are now come to the end of all the end of this verse and the end of the whole creation to wit the glory of Christ for all things that were created by him were created for him Some things are for Christs use and some things for his delight but all for his glory Any motion maketh action but onely such motion maketh divine action as bringeth all to Christs end Christs work is here mentioned and so is mans What is made by Christ must be by us made for him The Law of Gods action we are to stand upon All things must be for Christ Doctr. Things may be distinguished in their kind but not in their last ends There is one kind of flesh of men another of fish another of beasts saith the Apostle and things may be distinguished in their place as some high and some low and things may be distinguished by their parts as some learned and some unlearned but none must be distinguished in their end all creatures all places all parts must be for Christ The Law is universall nothing is absolutely given but all the creation is put out to use for him ten talents five talents one talent not one thing in the world for mans use but must be for Christs not one thing in the world made for man but must be by man made for Christ Christ in a few dayes made man work for all his dayes things are not to be for Christ to day and against him to morrow but for him for ever His praise endureth for ever In good times in bad times all things must be for him as long as they are Christs glory must be everlasting as ours shall be when he cometh to order all the creation for us Scripture expressions must have their extent Men misunderstand this phrase in the Text that think Christ must have all things for him when all advantages serve All things must be for Christ in all times till times shall be no more and then all things are to be for us Man hath a great deal of work upon him and considereth it not he is to take every thing by the hand and lead it home every thing on earth that he medleth with and lead it home to Heaven husband wife children goods meat drink by him and through him and to him are all things Some things are further from God then others and yet all I meddle with I must up with in one notion or other and away with it to him There is but one carrier to Heaven in all the earth and that is man and he is loaded with a witnesse he must carry all that is by God and through him to him and this he must do though he sigh and grone till his back break and he die and then he will have a porters pay You have some carriers for letters and then you have creatures of a lower rank to carry other things but Christ hath but one carrier for all man must carry his words his works his letters and all else here below to him Divinity is high in its scope the glory of Christ is the highest thing and nothing maketh at it but man but he must make at nothing else Man is not to ask what things are made of but what things are made for the former belongeth to Christ and the latter to us 'T is an earthen world this but mans work is to make it heavenly 't is an earthen boul but wants a by as to run right and man is to put in one to make it incline Heaven-ward and to run true to God that made it Low things have a high scope and yet as high as 't is man must make at it upon pain of death we may use any thing but take the glory of nothing if an Herod a King feed on this dish he dieth for it Benjamin must have a dish of dainties alone what fit may be given to instruments but divine glory this is Christs dish he alone must feed on these dainties if any taste of this hony though but with the tip of his staff he dieth for it and worms the meanest creatures shall be strong enough to do it Some points will bear dispute but this will bear none whether I am to give glory to Christ yea or no in all God hath set a King in Sion and 't is sinne to say may I crown him I must crown him with glory though I take off mine own crown to do it The foure and twenty elders fell down before him that sat on the throne and worshipt him that liveth for ever ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying thou art worthie O Lord to receive glory honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4.10 11. There is no place for the dispute of meum and tuum in this point with Christ for all is his all mine are thine as he said to his Father so we are to say to him all ours are his the very crowns we wear the things we have that render us most glorious in the eye of men must be for Christ all our crowns must go to his crown Many will die by this law for every man seeks his own I and mine must live and so must Christ and his Skinne is dear all must go for this but nothing for Christ which is the life of a beast and not of a Christian This time discovers thousands nothing must be for Christ because times call for all for
Christ is spirituall he is head in the heart The kingdome of God is within you there are his Laws written and there is his throne Aarons rod and the tables of the covenant were in the inner Court and the Manna in the golden pot The command of the purse may serve a man but it doth not Christ he commands the heart My sonne give me thy heart You suit your seats so doth Christ he makes his throne in that which is nearest him to wit the spirit Christs rule is one soul bound up in another Paul bound in the Spirit and that bond bound all to good behaviour Christs rule is perpetuall Some heads may be cut off this head my text speaks of cannot Death hath slain many commanders but Christ hath slain death and him that had the power of death Satan is the executioner of Justice and therefore said to have the power of death as well as in other respects Christ hath destroyed all and hath his life in jeopardy by none he liveth and reigneth for ever he ruleth by his power for ever Psalm 66.7 He shall rule till he hath put down all rule and all power and all authority 1. Cor. 15.24 Untill he and his be one as he and his father are one till the kingdome be resigned up There be now many powers against Christ but he must reign till they be all down yet not any to help him The rule of Christ is Monarchicall there may be many lords over the body but there is but one Lord over the soul The government is upon his shoulders that is upon his alone Christ had none suffered with him and he hath none to reign with him here Christ hath trod the wine-presse alone he slew Goliah alone and is that stone alone that sunk into his brain he maketh his kingdome alone and ruleth it alone He shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne Zacharie 6.13 Vse This point is irksome most hearts can bear no rule contradiction is death though it be the word of life that maketh it Office destroyed the soul destroyeth it self where Christ can be no King he will be no Jesus such as stumble at this chief corner stone are crushed by it that soul that killed Christ is killed by him his bloud is upon every heart that nullifieth him The Lord be mercifull to the souls of men do ye know what ye do when you secretly say this lust shal reign and Christ shal not reign over me You commit Adoniahs treason treason against the crown that you may put by Solomon from the throne your bloud and your life will go for this When Adam committed treason against the crown would become a God God cutteth him off presently though there were no more men in the world Justice hath its heights and depths as mercy hath treason against the King hath exquisite torture such a death as hath many deaths in it so 't is in this case spirituall treason hath double death By dying thou shalt die thou traitour against the crown of Heaven said Christ to Adam and in him to all that do as he did There is death unto death and this the punishment of every traitour against Christ This is too generall a more particular application shall be made Your souls are under command you have a spirituall head You have fathers of your flesh and you obey them you have a father of spirits and why do ye not obey him Most men look least at their hearts all the care is to order the tongue and the outward man Hypocriticall creatures you overlook the kingdome of Christ you look at the outside Christ looketh at the heart who ruleth within all is under command body and soul the soul principally and yet this principally neglected must needs be the death of all thoughts must be brought into subjection to Christ as well as words Loose hearts have their plague upon them their holinesse is painted but their judgement will be reall they have sould their souls to do wickedly and will be paid in hell The behaviour of the heart is all dethrone Christ and he will fight it out with you to the death a disloyall soul shall never have the sword depart from him not a quiet day as long as he liveth Our temporall king which ruleth in this land doth but imagine that you go about to dethrone him or take off some flowers from his crowns and you see and feel that he fights it out with you to the death and seemeth resolved not to give England a quiet day as long as he lives Make spirituall application of this ye Hypocrites ye painted toombs that come here and professe Christ and go out like Judas and betray him you dethrone Christ in your hearts you destroy the flowers of his crown the rule of the soul is the onely flower of his crown and taking away this from him he will fight it out with you to the death the sword shall never depart from your souls you shall not have a quiet day for the hypocrisie which you know Tremble Hypocrites fearfulnesse will surprise you your secret basenesse will generate a secret hell justice shall rule where truth and love cannot the rottennesse of your hearts shall have a corasite to feed upon it for ever let every one lay these things to heart and consider whether Christ be head there yea or no. Two things demonstrate the heart indeed ruled by Christ sin universally hated and truth universally loved Passions are false strength speaketh out their truth and who ruleth in the heart Some spirits are indifferent for truth or errour and hold a virtue to be hot for neither but to stand in all times of contradiction so as to keep the skinne whole Hypocrisie ruleth in this heart and not truth and this temper is the plague of this generation neither hot nor cold Cold sweats are death pangs the soul is near his end that thus liveth If God be God worship him halting between many things is nothing this speaketh the prince of darknesse yet ruling affections which break through obstacles to discharge duty speak Christ head in the heart I will not stand on qualities themselves but at what every quality maketh and this will be more plain to you to demonstrate who ruleth in your hearts Fire encounters all opposites so doth every element from a naturall instinct and so doth grace where it reigneth Sinne is the proper object of hatred and every sinne is made so where Christ indeed is head Dominion speaketh all subdued if any sinne reign Christ doth not Weak hearts must not here wrong themselves the being of sinne and the stirring of sinne which the Apostle calleth the motion of sinne do not necessarily speak the reign of sinne Many precious hearts when they feel sinne strong in them conclude it reigneth in them and censure their souls exceedingly and so make their life a hell they
please themselves in this but Christ is not pleased Sinne maketh motions that is nothing how is it harkned to This denominateth dominion or not doth every stirring make thee grone wretched man c. Dost thou carry sinne to Christ when it is about to carry thee to the Devil Lord this is the plague of my heart heal it this universally practiced speaketh the reign of Christ some of you are by pangs plaintifes against corruption and then another while defendants and plaintifes against one corruption upon some more then ordinary evil that falleth out upon it and then defendants in reference to another that taketh better to your designes this mans eyes are out and Satan hath him by the hand and the Lord knoweth whither he will lead him You that cannot so well understand this may consider the next Sinne universally hated Truth universally loved speaketh Christs dominion indeed in the soul Truth is homogeneall and is all sweet to a sweet soul the heart conquered by Christ all his Lawes are holy just and good Christs yoke is easie and burdensome things light Truth is no pressure not simply as a truth I think where the soul is sincere the pressure is if any that it cannot love enough nor obey enough things of such a noble nature One of the first things Christ taketh is love here he fortifieth till he hath taken all other parts here he mounteth cannons against all that is naught and issueth out from hence and taketh in all that is truth Love is Christs fort-Royall in the soul mighty vast and holdeth play on all sides for all truth and against all sinne A soul under the command of Christ loveth much though he can do but little loveth all truths though he can scarce practice one Christ is a King of glory into whatsoever everlasting doores he cometh every line in Christs book is glorious every hair upon Christs head glorious where he is a head Christs head is bushy and black as a Raven lines of truth are black hairs of that head that ruleth and they are all beautifull in that heart that is married to Christ The summe of all is this as Christ ruleth in the heart so is the life you may look without and see who ruleth within a through conversation speaketh a through dominion of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having spoke to discover a few things more I would deliver to draw your hearts to come under the rule of Christ Whom Christ ruleth he defendeth power attendeth truth Christ upholdeth goings in his paths men may justle against us but Christ will uphold Christ will make his own way and lead bravely if men would but follow him this is all that Christ calls for that men will but follow him Follow me saith he often and I will make you this and make you that Christ will make his way rhrough the blond of thousands through the bloud of Towns Cities Kingdomes but he will have his own Kingdome stand Malice strikes craftily and desperately yet this head will ward as well no evil shall accomplish its end as long as Christ reigneth Why do the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The wrath of God maketh the wrath of man vain in its hottest pursuit He is dead that seeketh thy life saith the holy Ghost Kings and great men rage against us but they will burn to death with the flame that is in their breasts a bad spirit beats out it self to death The cannons which malice mounts are double loaded and recoyl and kill the cannoneeâ—s and that is Christs way of destroying those that would destroy his Christ delighteth those which he ruleth through obedience takes Christ Christ taken expresseth it This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Christ did throughly obey and he fed upon the sweet of it here he had meat to eat in this world which none knew of There is no straight when a man doth his duty Christ maketh enlargement in bonds joy in sorrow life in death Christ doth counterwork the world there desire is to rob us of peace and rob us of joy but it shall not be saith Christ In me you shall have peace what ever you meet with in the world Wisdomes wayes are pleasant when bloudy when men are froward Christ is kind the churlishnesse of Laban made God speak often and very sweetly to Jacob Christ smileth upon tender consciences when the world frowneth his bosome is open to give rest when the sighing spirit breatheth out it self to him What is thy request Hester will pride trample thee under foot It shall not As no time is unseasonable to shew duty to Christ so no time unseasonable for an obedient soul to find favour with him Finally whom Christ ruleth he crowneth obedience maketh losse and Christ thinketh of this and worketh it to gain in another world Duty maketh laying out and yet laying up laying out of name state strength life on earth and laying up of other guise things then these in Heaven Hence forth is laid up for me a crown c. What you lose in earth Christ layes it up in Heaven and when you come home you shall have it again with advantage your name again your estate again your life again all that you loose in obedience to your heavenly head and soveraign Christ doth nothing in order to merit but much in order to bounty If you suffer with him you shall reign with him Spiritually fight and maintain Christ a King and he will crown you Kings Troubles affright much but alas what is man Call upon flesh and bloud upon your weak hearts to think of eternity you and all that quarrell with you shall move before the King whom you obey 1. Coloss 18. and he is the head c. MAnna lies in a heap in this word as I have formerly told you Head speaks every office of Christ as King Christ is Head as Priest he is Head he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 head-priest Prince-Priest as the Greek word notes both and as the authour to the Hebrews useth the word Christ bears office to the creature but no inferiour office he doth officiate to rule the body but 't is as the chief Commander he doth officiate to save the body but 't is as chief-priest as head-priest as prince-priest as king of Salem There was a principalitie in the priest-hood under the Law there was a holy crown put upon the mitre Exod. 29.6 I will demonstrate the principality of Christs Priesthood or Priests office The designation of Christ to his Priestly office is noble we are sacrificers according to the law of a carnall commandment our ordination is from men but his from God the Counsel of State above sets out this embassadour of peace called of God an high priest Heb. 5.10 Christ had princely ordination ordination as noble as his person the Father ordain'd the Sonne He testifieth thou art a Priest c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestatur so
the learned render that Greek word as noting a joynt act two speaking together with one mouth to wit the Father and the holy Ghost which is a most acute translation Christ had not onely his ordination by joynt protestation but by oath What a man is invested with by word from the kings own mouth is very noble the word of a king hath a great state in it but the oath of a king added makes double and treble majesty yet so is Christ invested with his Priestly office The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever As Christs Priestly ordination was princely so his tabernacle in which he officiates princely it is as stately as heaven Christ doth officiate his princely office in heaven which was shadowed out by Aarons officiating in the inward court in the most holy place yearly We have such an high priest which is set on the throne in the majestie in the heavens Hebr. 8.1 A minister of the Sanctuary and of the true tabernacle Christ hath upon his mitre a crown in heaven and he sits upon a throne of state at the right hand of God as a princely Priest sacrificing in a princely tabernacle sprinkling the mercy-seat where offended justice himself fits to make all communication to man Aarons tabernacle the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 umbra a shadow as rather the shadow of a tabernacle then indeed a tabernacle then a true tabernacle a house of boughs a leafie house Christ is minister of the true tabernacle There was gold and state in the first tabernacle but it was all but painting as it were in the tabernacle where Christ sacrifices there is true state the gold that is in heaven is true gold the golden censer that is there is true gold the golden altar that is there is true gold Truth is the principality of things such is Christs tabernacle 't is as true as heaven Christ hath his tabernacle as he hath ordination after a very immediate and a very stately way Aarons tabernacle was pitched by man bur Christs by God himself He is a minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord hath pitch'd and not man Aarons tabernacle was pitch'd with hands and made with hands but Christ is a high Priest in a more perfect tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of this creation of another creation and of another fixation Christs sacrifice is noble and princely as well as the tabernacle he offers like a Prince royall bloud not the bloud of bulls and goats which is bruitish bloud but his own bloud Neither by the bloud of goats and calves but by his own bloud he entred in once into the holy place c. Life is a noble thing you have not such another jewell about you but a spotlesse life is doubly noble such bloud did Christ offer Life is a jewell in which all is wrapt up a man offers all when he offers this and that 's a noble offering indeed The widow threw in all which was a noble offering so hath Christ 'T is noble action for a great Peere to take his life in his hand and say This shall go for my kingdome Christ is the greatest Peere that ever the world saw and yet he took his life in his hand and said This shall go for my kingdome and my people I lay down my life for my sheep If Christ had laid down the life of all creatures for man it had been a noble sacrifice but he saith I lay down my life and then tell me what nobility is in this offering Judas valued this bloud basely but God that values things as they are takes it of more price then all your souls and yet every one of which is of more price then the world Christ doth officiate a very noble covenant he offers faultlesse bloud and he officiates a faultlesse covenant The covenant which Aaron did officiate was faulty not faulty in it self but weak through the flesh it was a covenant in the externall dispensation of it so fleshly that frail flesh could see little of Christ to better it self Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministery the way into the holiest of all is now via propalata spread open ministration is clear and things ministred full the laws are opened unto our eyes and given into our hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every thing about Christs priesthood is noble so is his prosecution The priests under the Law had their ignorances their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 errata's and therefore were to sacrifice for themselves as well as for others but Christ had none he did all things well he did live well and die well when he offered up that great sacrifice he did it perfectly Christ spake truth when he looked over all his works and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is perfected all sides give testimony of the noble discharge of Christs office God smileth to look upon him and our conscience smileth assoon as it can look upon him he maketh the worshipper perfect as pertaining to the conscience Christ scarlet garment takes heaven and earth God and his people Who is this that comes from Edom with garments died red from Bozra c. That expression may be applied either to the Father admiring the Son or the Churches admiring of him Use You see what a complete Priest what a Prince-priest you have and what use do you make of him You cannot come to the Father without Christ his Priestly office is absolutely necessary to life Your duties fall short of heaven and so will your souls if you think that these shall bring them thither my heart bleeds to see how some ignorant persons labour much to bring all to nothing make hard at heaven and yet live in hell They have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justices of worship as the Apostle speaks of those legall Christians and justices of the flesh as he elsewhere speaks they fast and pray and are very just and exact in houres and times and all externall observance and yet like the young man at their wits end every foot about their eternall condition they run to one preacher and to another Good Sir What shall I do to be saved I am a damned man They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he calls them there which comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to tremble trembling worshippers to do all exact and yet their conscience shakes as if hell were at the doore to receive them assoon as they have done their duties Their justices of worship and justices of the flesh their exactnesse according to the letter make them not perfect as concerning their conscience they pray no more they give no more and yet full of fear and none more they run to this minister and that Sir I fear all is naught And so do I too for thou makest no use of the Priestly office of Christ thou dost not put thy self and all thou doest into the hand of a
more then a Prophet John was a teacher farre beyond all the Prophets before him and therefore said to be aboundantly more then a Prophet but Christ was a teacher farre beyond John farther beyond John then John was beyond any of the Prophets before him and therefore he may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aboundantly more then a Prophet Matth. 11.9 Concerning his Kingly office he is said to be greater then Solomon so I may say concerning his Propheticall office he is greater then John or any Prophet I will demonstrate the superiority of Christs propheticall office Christ doth otherwise receive and otherwise imparts then ever any Prophets or Teachers did Visions were transient to the Prophets the word of the Lord came to them and then went away again Balaam in a trance could see much and then of a sudden saw nothing no more then another man so it was with the greatest Prophets seers and then in the dark again the spirit of the Lord was transient and came and went from one to another That bad man intimateth this truth that I tell you which struck the Prophet and said Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to thee Vision is an abiding thing in Christ light abideth in the Sunne it doth so to day it doth so to morrow and it doth so for ever Christ seeth much to day as much to morrow and as much to all eternity his eye is not darkned the spirit of the Lord is not accidentally but naturally in him the Sonne lieth in the bosome of the Father No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten which is in the bosome of the Father he hath revealed him I think these terms of Father and Sonne and bosome they point at the naturalnesse of Christs ability to explicate infinite excellency There is no new thing to Christ under the Sunne no nor above the Sun no new thing to Christ in earth nor in Heaven nor in the bosome of God Christ is never at a losse respecting the knowledge of things above or below present or to come he never needeth instruction from any in this thing or that Who hath instructed him The lamp in the Tabernacles went out and Vision did fail or at least it is conceived so by some of the learned which undertake to interpret these things but the lamp in the true Tabernacle never goeth out nor vision never fails Light dwelleth with him Daniel 2.22 As the spirit dwelleth in the body as the eye dwelleth in the head which confirmeth me more in that which I said before concerning the naturalnesse of Christs abilities Vision to the Prophets was of this or that particular thing The greatest seers were not cunctis oculati seers in all things in some things they knew much and in other things nothing David a great Prophet and a very knowing man yet in some points a beast The greatest Doctours knew but in part skild in this knowledge or that each had their particular eminency But Christ hath all wisdome and all knowledge He is not onely skild in all the wisdome of the Egyptians to use that allusion but he is skild in all the wisdome and learning that is in this world or in any other world In Christ is all wisdome and all knowledge yea all the treasures of these the spring of whatsoever is admired for light and skil amongst the Sonnes of men In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coloss 2. His eyes runne through the earth so they do Heaven and he masters all he looks upon his understanding is infinite and this without study primo intuitu at the first look There are but few things that lie naked before you you are fain to make a stand at every thing to make understanding but Christ makes a stand at nothing for all things are naked before him that is he looketh upon all and understandeth all presently his beholding of a thing and understanding of it are the same He is quick of understanding saith the Prophet The Lamb opens sealed books and though all dark sayings to every one else yet he readeth and understandeth presently when there was none found to open the book the Lamb could and therefore called Palmoni by Daniel the revealer of secrets Dark things and plain things day and night are all one to him He revealeth deep and secret things he knoweth what is in the darknesse Dan. 2.22 the revelations delivered by John are called the revelations of Christ The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him c. Revel 1.1 Vision to the Prophets was by a borrowed power their light was not connaturall but supernaturall to them Light is connaturall to the Sonne it is not onely naturall but connaturall my meaning is equally naturall to the Sonne as to the Father The Father and the Sonne are one their power one their wisdome one they are one in hand one in tongue one in vision and sight Christ sees of himself with his own eyes he sees all things and as exquisitely as the Father as exquisitely as he from whom he receives What Christ hath as an officer he hath it not in way of talent interest and inferiority as you have things but he hath it as his own and as his own joyntly and equally with the Father Moses was faithfull as a servant but he as a Sonne in his own house The Church militant here and the Church triumphant above that is to say grace and glory they are all Christs own even as they are his Fathers and if there be any thing beyond these it is Christs own too even as it is Gods own which I think that expression points at where he saith Glorifie me with thine own self with the glory that I had with thee before the world was Grace is as properly Christs own and as fully Christs own as sinne is said to be the devils own when the devil tells a lie he tells it of his own that is he doth that which is naturall to him and that wherein there can be no superiour to him to lie more facilly nor more exquisitely then he So what truth Christ speaks he speaks it of his own that is that wherein he is naturall and not supernaturall and as it were above himself and that wherein he is equally full and paralell to any speaker of it connaturall with any that speaks this language The paralell state of Christ with the Father in point of imparting spirituall things is hinted methinks in that form of speech which the Apostle James useth chap. 1. 18. Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures Propagation here which speaks all spirituall excellencies is made coaction or conaction in order to the persons of the Trinity that wherein they are joynt and equall and do with one another as two eyes which are convisive seeing together and seeing equally together without
it and require it Reade these words over and over I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words into his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him And it shall come to passe that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Deut. 18.18 19. Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body the Church SOmethings have a generall glory look upon a pearl when you will where you will and it shines and sparkles upon you so doth Christ Christ is looked upon before in reference to the world here in reference to such as are taken out of the world in the former he is looked upon with respect to the creation and here with respect to the Church and in both admired as great and glorious Christ wears a garment without seme a generall glory his working-day suit is all full of pearls Consider Christ under any notion in reference to this world and you consider him in his working suit in his countrey cloaths in his travelling apparell and yet in this shining earth heaven the Church is filled with his glory he is head in the one and in other Christ makes a similitude between the worlds between this and that above there he is all fair and so he is here condition suits as the sunne goes in the same height we and they above can see nothing but a perfection in the sunne that shines upon us and no lesse moves desire amongst us Man hath an exact eye though not an exact heart he will see much ere he will love a little Things must be very clean which you swallow persons must be very complete and without exception which we set over us whatever we be our selves which are to move under them The sunne shines in order to draw and gain Nature is full of art to cavill unlesse things have all glory they have no glory if there be any hole in the coat love goes out and gets gone there but there is none in Christs Criticks must be convinced and then they will stand still and consider perfection makes conviction in the most criticall spirit and till the soul can tell no longer how to take exception at others it will not begin to take exception at it self Use Sinners we proffer you gold that is tried gold that hath no drosse gold that is all gold Look upon Christ under any notion and make exception against him if you can look upon him in reference to his words and he shines in them all look upon Christ in reference to the old creation in reference to the new creation or in reference to heaven and what can you except against him nothing Why do you not love Christ then It must be because you will not or because you cannot Some persons are convinced of the worth of Christ yet maintain motion towards other things as dearer and will do this your will shall hang you the thing which you love better then Christ shall be the gallows Stubborn hearts find no compassion Christ will plead for no man that will not love him although he know him and have other encouragements to draw him on to him My people would none of me and I will none of them Persons which are overmastered with a bad heart and cannot do what they would find mercy from the Lord but others are let alone to live as they will and die in their shame complaining hearts Christ is perfect in glory would you love him Christ shines in the world and he shines in the Church in the Church militant and in the Church triumphant he is great every where would you love him Yes This is accepted Christ accepts according to that you have and out of this smoke shall come a flame Holy desires is Christ conceived in the wombe of the soul do but stay a little time and thou wilt feel the babe leap in the wombe doth it not now O how strongly doth that soul come to love Christ which would love him but cannot Coloss 1.18 He is the head of the body HOw God doth suit things is here considerable such a body and such a head Christ is the head os the body God doth nothing at randome divine dispensations are exactly proportioned one thing is fitted to another and this is the thing I would a little stand on The wayes of the Lord are equall mercy runnes into vessels of mercy I have set my king upon my holy hill of Sion Such a body such a head a holy people have a holy king my people have mine anointed over them I have set my king upon my holy hill The world is full of variety of condition so is divine action shaped every one hath as he is Iron hearts have an iron scepter to order them and hearts of a more noble mettall have a scepter of gold every one hath a suitable offendant Gods way in this world is nothing else but a tracing of man you eat but the fruit of your own way when 't is most bitter A people of wrath have a king in wrath there was dispensation exactly suited This is the carriage of God through out the world he doth not work at randome he squares action to the thing he works about and fits one thing to another I am sent to lost sheep saith the Saviour God directs a Saviour to lost man and a Physitian to sick man and to blind and hardned men which think they see Christ is sent to move in justice to them justice naturally suits all her actions to the subject about which she works as mercy doth I am come for judgemen into the world saith Christ to shape action to person to suit dispensation to condition The Deitie speaks out it self in apt action Some men cannot and others will not understand God in his word such must be dealt with another way men that will not reade words have apt works annexed to explain them Divine action suited to humane renders God as it were visible to men born blind let him that did cut off other limbs have his own cut off and be served just as he hath served others and he will see a righteous God presently which could not see it before and you will have him speak good divinity presently by virtue of such apt action annexed to the word which could not understand a word of divinity before As I have dealt with others so God hath requited me said Adonibezek it is a rare artist that can draw out himself and yet this is naturall to God by words and works together he will draw out himself so plain that any one shall runne and reade him God can cut and hew a block so by line so exact by the line of the word and the manners of men that you or any one else the very block it self shall tell who and what hand did it So God hath requited me
yet no mourning for the dead This generation affrighteth me what are become of spirituall bowels are they ript up too are bad men dead and good men dead and is there no life left Ignorant men dead men of light dead death passeth over all passion swayeth high and low 't is a pang of death and presageth the death of all if the Lord heal it not Prepare coffins and graves for the dead dead sinners dead Christians buy your winding-sheets make your wills if there be any life in me your condition is dangerous The axe is laid to the root now I beleeve every dead tree will down ere Christ lay down his axe Danger onely stirreth some men sinners stand up from the dead do you see nothing coming towards you God is against you is not he all enemies and all engines the sword of man may be sheathed yet will you be cut off not a wilfull sinner will be spared for the anger of the Lord is against you justice visites but seldome but when she doth she sweeps every room Every one that is proud and every one that is lofty Esay 2.12 Proud flesh is dead flesh every one that swelleth against Christ shall be lanced every one that stoopeth not shall be broken Without Christ will sweep clean within he will do the same even amongst his own he will throughly purge his floore If you have any life in you think of these things Londoners Londoners now trading is dead think of your dead hearts these two yeares and upward trading hath been very dead why this tenne yeare this twenty yeare thy heart hath been dead a dead name a dead state a dead body suit a dead soul If you have any love to your bodies or any love to your souls looke out after spirituall life or all will die for ever Two things tend to spirituall life Christ strongly applied his ordinances throughly pursued Christ is the first risen from the dead and whom he taketh by the hand arise next after him Death and him that had the power of death Christ hath destroyed and all that would do the like must come to him Perversnesse will kill sinners quite the dead want life because they will not come to Christ You will not come to me that you may have life Dead hearts look to it your sinnes loved and Christ rejected you cannot live you must let Christ kill any thing so he will but make alive your souls cut off any thing a right hand so he will but unite what remaineth to himself Our merit must not be thought of for alas what can the dead do but Christs merit and order both must Christ killeth and then maketh alive he slayeth pride and bringeth souls to fall at his feet willing to be done any thing with and then he doth all for them Waters of life are given to swouning persons they that grone and are heavie loden with sinne and come to Christ they find ease a spirit of life and joy Coming to Christ is application of Christ He hath loved me and given himself for me He satisfieth for me he intercedeth for me he appeareth in the face of perfect righteousnesse for me All these are vitall acts the soul that indeed this moveth is joyned to all the living and is a lively soul indeed Christs merit and Christs spirit is this mans he hath eternall life abiding in him and is passed from death You must drink of the waters that Christ profereth you and then you will find a well of waters springing up in you to everlasting life He that shall drink of the waters which I shall give him c. If the stomach be weak to this lively ordinances must be looked out dead ordinances make dead souls Ordinances that are as the tree of life of the Lords own planting speak Christ to the life and make dead souls alive Coloss 1.18 That in all things he might have the preheminence THe latitude of Christs dominion is here exprest 't is without limits and without parallel Some are great in such a compasse every ones Sun hath a circle every ones glory hath circumference every ones Sceptre hath bounds they can command onely within such a countrie none are over all not the greatest Princes that are but Christ hath an universall command in all things he hath the preheminence Evill hearts swell bigge and sometimes rise high pride nesteth it self among the Stars and yet then it is below Christ No man is so bigge in conceit as Christ is in deed nor so high in thought as Christ is really Vice when at highest is below Christ Virtue when at highest 't is below Christ all is under his feet Evill men cannot over match Christ by their sinne good men cannot over match him in their virtue he is sweeter then the sweetest soul alive He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleyes he is above opposition and above comparison things averse to him can take nothing from him and things congruous to him can adde nothing to him Our righteousnesse extendeth not to him Our righteousnesse no nor Angels righteousnesse among all things in earth and in Heaven he hath the preheminence The command of Christ is proclaim'd in this expression how large his commission is to controll all Universall dominion is large too long and too broad for any creature to travell it speaketh many things we shall touch some We will travell as farre in Christs dominion as we can in an houre The word speaketh power destructive power instructive power inspective Christ hath a destructive power over all he hath many enemies yet not one above him many have fought with him but he hath slain them all In the field Christ hath preheminence I will instance but in one battell that Christ fought Exod. 14.28 He destroyed Pharaoh and all his Host that there remained not so much as one of them saith the Text. Which is admired again Psal 106.11 The waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left He had amongst all the preheminence indeed Enemies are many and they are upon Christs back and there for a long while and make long furrows but he fetcheth them off his back and layeth them under his feet all of them He must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet 1. Cor. 15.25 If you have many upon your back 't is very disadvantageous in fight you cannot so easily fetch them off all but it is all one to Christ to have many behind him as before him those that are upon his back he can fetch them off and lay them under his feet with ease he is the best at the use of his arms he hath the preheminence in warre a destructive power over all Christ hath an instructive power over all he can teach all nations his commission is so large English Dutch French he can make knowledge cover the face of the earth as the waters do the sea Christ can as the sunne till all
no grace What 's the reason Could he have none or would he have none To one I answer saith God he might have had grace and life and it would have pleased me to have enriched him with these To the other I will answer saith conscience This wretched soul would have no grace he loved iniquity and hated righteousnesse therefore is he here unrighteous he thought himself rich and vvell cloathed and therefore stands here novv poor and naked 'T is remedilesse wickednesse to deny free grace The miseries of man are many and yet there is but one remedy Free grace hath balm for every wound which rejected every wound is mortall The least sinne is death The wages of sinne that is of every sinne is death For bodily distresses there be many remedies if men will not pitty me when I hunger ravens may If Christians will not pitty when I am sore dogges may but in soul distresses there is but one remedy to wit what God will please to do if God will please to do nothing for me none else will or can No eye pittied thee to do any of these for thee Gods eye pitilesse and there is no eye pittifull nor can be to the soul 'T is storied of the balm that it groweth in the Holy-land and no where else which is the reason of that speech Is there no balm in Gilead Mercy for your souls is in the pleasure of God and no where else Sinners make no more of the favour of God then of the favour of man I live not upon one the heart layeth this conclusion and swelleth and lifteth up the heel Ah wretches you cannot say so of God you live upon one yea upon one thing in God upon the smiles of his countenance upon this that he is free in mercy that it pleaseth him to save souls This point hath been applyed to convince and humble and it may also be applyed in the next place to chear and revive There are burdened hearts I beleeve among you but let no distresse discourage you How great soever the wants of any be let them come to God it pleaseth him to lay out for you Are your wants more then Christ hath where withall to supply What ever Christ hath or can do and what is it that he cannot do it pleaseth God to the heart that he should imploy it for you Men under guilt fancy hard thoughts of God my sinnes are great and God will not pardon yes he will he is ready to forgive it pleaseth him to forgive he hath furnished Christ of purpose and laid out all upon this very designe which is reall demonstration of his pleasure this way If distresse lie any otherwise yet it should not distract because free grace speaketh supply to any distresse that you can mention t is a fountain a fountain open every one may draw and yet none draw drie Your straits are many and you cannot tell which way to get out remember the point in hand that it pleaseth God to contrive relief To undo knots is a troublesome thing especially such knots as unbelief knitteth in the soul and yet God is pleased with this work he is a God of peace made up of peace his whole pleasure as well as his whole imployment lieth this way The God of peace establish and strengthen you saith the Apostle The Apostles words are of great emphasis the Godhead bendeth strongly and delightfully this way to settle poore weak souls which can do nothing themselves Doubts cavills and complaints are many and God quieteth all because his pleasure and delight is in the peace and tranquillity of poore souls He is a God of peace his pleasure is to make peace and a Heaven where he cometh 'T is the pleasure of things to do things naturall to them 't is the pleasure of wicked spirits to torment and vexe and to make hell where ever they come and in this sense the devil may be called the God of warre so 't is the pleasure of God to do things naturall to him to comfort and cheere poore souls to strengthen and establish them to make a Heaven where ever he cometh as a God of and a God at this work Coloss 1.19 For it pleased the Father c. THe reason of what Christ is to man is rendered by the Spirit of God in this Text the cause of his greatnesse and fulnesse to maintain it is the will of God it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell 'T is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word speak will and delight such a pursuit and such action as wherein there is transcendent souls rest Behold my servant which I have chosen my beloved which my soul hath willed Esay 42.1 In whom my soul is at rest saith the Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same word here in my Text which noteth that the will and the delight of God are in the furnishing of Christ for us Scriptures compared the word you see soundeth double the will and the pleasure of God are wrapt up in it which we shall unfold one after another Doctr. God shapeth every thing to man according to his own will The will of God is absolute he moveth by a perfect rule his motion is without errour and yet guided in all by that which is no guide in us his own will We have many things from earth from Heaven and all shaped out to us according to the will of God Things below man Things below man are many and various and yet God turneth and windeth them all according to his will Can you tell how many good bodies come out of the earth to wait upon one bad Not one of them would do this but that God giveth them such bodies and shapeth them by his will to such qualities and properties and to such ends and purposes as to give their life to keep up dying man That which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but God giveth it a body as he willeth 1. Cor. 15.38 Things equall to man 'T is the like respecting things equall to us No creatures would serve one another man would not serve man member would not serve member the eye would not serve the hand nor the hand any other part were they not all shaped to this by the will of God God hath set the members in the body every one of them as he willeth 1. Corinthians 12.18 A foot with so many toes a hand with so many fingers a head with so many hairs bodies with such variety of members soules with such variety of gifts have all their shape according to divine will But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will 1. Corinthians 12.11 One hath much wisedome another much knowledge another but a little of either onely enough for a toe to be carried and guided by a bigger and nobler member and yet as much
crooked and perverse and this makes him mad and this is Gods way of whipping his bedlams those that are out of their wits against truth and holinesse One calls for morter and the other brings stones the proud Babel will not up did not that vex and torture them think you The great God and great-spirited men meet sometimes and they justle and he justles and crouds their limbs against the wall and that maddes them to the heart Frustration of intention and disprosperity of action you cannot find out a worse hell for a proud man and yet thus God dealeth usually with such spirits God opposeth will to will and what men say shall be God saith it shall not be he sets himself to walk contrarie to them which walk contrary to him and this makes weeping and gnashing of teeth indeed amongst wilfull wretches Can you imagine how this scourges wretches on the kings side that God crosses their will in all things David pleased not Saul Jonathan pleased not Saul God pleased not Saul because none pleased his will this was an evil spirit vexing him continually 'T is the portion of all spirits more or lesse which are pinned to their will they are vexed with an evill spirit of discontent perpetually Continuall raging enrageth God and then he reveals his will and then devils descend to hell which is their place all fiery spirits are put in a room together Let wilfull wretches stoop to the will of God which is the use that Solomon makes of this point Stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him Eccles 8.3 He speaks it in regard of the king how much more true is it of the King of kings That we do evil is not simply damnable but that we stand in it There must be but one God one to rule by will when we make more then we pay for it As God makes his will his rule in all things so do you make his will your rule in all things and not your own Mine own heart is deceitfull 't is an ill guide Sathan can get favour in every court here below not a heart upon earth but he finds something in it when he comes to welcome him 't is dangerous to make this generall commander of a mans military life in this world which holds such correspondencie with such a deadly enemy O that men would thus wisely consider their way and do like disciples of Christ that have denied themselves and not like heady persons that have sould themselves to do wickedly Poore creatures think that there is but one step to felicitie and that is to have their will in this thing or that O if I had this or if I had that what a blessed creature should I be whereas our felicity is not in having our own will from God but in Gods having his own will from us our blessednesse is not in our selves but in him not in any thing that we propose but in what he proposeth 'T is our meat and drink to do Gods will 'T is our felicity to rise dayly to the life of Christ who pleaseth not himself For even Christ pleaseth not himself but as it is written the reproches of them that reproched thee fell on me Romans 15.3 A word of consolation and I have done Some favours are long a coming and then we are sad it should not be for they come as soon as God will and sooner would not be well for us Some persons are very bitter in their carriage this makes others concerned therein to weep bitterly it should not be no creature is bitterer to me then God will the cup of gall and vinegar in Christs hand is Gods will Father thy will be done Men are strong devils are strong lusts are strong and I think they shall never down and this throws me down but it should not be for though I cannot throw these down God will he wills the death of sinners when past remedie and he wills the death of sinnes when past our strength and that he wills this is enough I will be thou clean That God shapes out every thing by his will makes ill for sinners for wilful sinners but very well for such as are humble and penitent COLOSSIANS 1.19 It pleaseth the Father c. AS this terme involves the will of God simply and singly considered so I pursued it the last day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it notes something deare or complacentiall to us and so rendred 1 Thes 2.8 the word also comprehends the strength and intention of affection such a complacencie of love as makes one delight and rest to doe such or such a thing It gave rest to Father and holy Ghost it delighted both to lay out liberally in Christ for fallen mans reliefe Fire hath its propertie which is to burne so doth love in Gods breast to us-ward Wee are now led to speake upon the propertie of mercy how strongly the rivers and streames of life run God is restlesse till befallen man have full reliefe provided Doctr. It gave rest to the Father c. What agents doe naturally they doe it intensly the Sun is restlesse till it rise and shine upon us 'T is naturall to God to shew mercy as 't is to the Sun to shine according to this he wrought as soone as ever he began to worke and could not tell how to worke otherwise God could not tell how to make any thing but blessed creatures and blessed places a Heaven and a Paradise blessed spirits and blessed men God cast all that ever he did into a frame full of mercy but man jogd his hand and turned all out of course God is the same stil restless til all be brought into a state of blessednesse againe As the Needle is restlesse till it stand to the North point so was God till he turned againe to fallen man as may appeare by his speedy provision for Adam God eyes the beautie of action motion with delight unto good is glorious Delight is love in strength love in strength is restlesse till it can vend it selfe Since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Jere. 31.20 Earnest affection makes mind worke memory worke head worke heart worke still it makes all restlesse perpetually till the thing pitied and beloved have rest God goes reluctantly about no act of kindnesse 't is inglorious it may be competent to you it cannot be to God 'T is below God to shew kindnesse to us here reluctantly though wee be all here such base creatures God delights to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth Jerem 9.24 One would thinke that it might be delightfull to him to shine in his owne spheare to exercise loving kindnesse in Heaven to cast pearles and raies upon those noble peeres and so 't is and 't is delightfull also to the Sunne to shine upon dunghils upon us base creatures to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth God eyes the necessitie of action unlesse he acts throughly wee are all
you give your hearts to God God will give the hearts of men to you be restlesse about your owne worke be not restlesse about Gods The carriage of God should be imitated and the love of God should be received and admired these are the last things that I will urge upon you Every heart should be taken when divine love breakes forth especially when it breaks forth strongly and restlesly Our climate is more glorious then all the world the Sunne in brightnesse shines continually upon us wisdome cries in every street and cries restlesly cries and dies The Crowner will sit the debt of love will be laid to our charge If you love your soules be as restlesse to receive and admire as God is to proffer Mercie is our Manna our bread from heaven we should feed upon it every good thing comes downe from heaven and should lead our soules thither and then 't is good to us You have not a crum of kindnesse but comes from heaven but love in strength is heaven it selfe descending Who can but admire and receive this who can but enter into heaven when it comes to his dore What will heaven be turned into if turned off at our dore Let sinners tremble such as trample upon restlesse love and gag the mouth of continuall crying mercy but let weake hearts cheare themselves 't is a delightfull thing to God to receive you he is restlesse and will be restlesse till you have rest Broken hearts can make nothing hold together to doe them good with cords of love they hang themselves When mercy in latitude is mentioned 't is turned off God hath no heart to me why I mis-pend and misuse all Why yet thou art invited to eate that which is good and to let thy soule delight it selfe in fatnesse And God is restlesse in this invitation he eyes not what you have neglected no nor what you have abused he eyes your necessitie and his owne grace and it would delight him much if you would now eate that which is good and let your soules delight themselves in fatnesse Esa 45.2 God is not pleased that I sinne but he is pleased that I believe let my sin be what it will dying hearts fetch life from this Text that it pleaseth God to give Christ for you COLOSSIANS 1.19 That in him should all fulnesse dwell O Lord how great are thy workes and thy thoughts are very deep saith the Psalmist Psal 92.5 Wee are vaster in thoughts then wee can be in words or workes 't is not so with God he is as profound in expression as in conception and in action as in either admirable great and deep in both How great are thy workes and thy thoughts very deep The depth of divine expression in action we are now to fathome fulnesse all fulnesse The worke is above us but God will be mercifull to weaknesse if wee lose our selves in him If we can but admire thoughts words and workes of bottomlesse depth as David did and as the Apostle here doth wee shall doe something on-ward of our dutie and follow the footsteps of the flocke For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell c. Man is a creature rather induced then forced as things are indowed so they draw What hath much moves a little what hath very much moves a little more what hath all fetches oft some from all to imbrace this this propertie onely hath Christ he hath all fulnesse The expression speakes admirable perfection reception and fruition unto the highest blessednesse which that Christ hath I will demonstrate to you that I may pursue the scope of the holy Ghost and gaine you all if it may be to love him Communication in relation to Christ is immediate water at the Well-head is purest plentifullest sweetest At the Well-head water is for qualitie and quantitie full one cannot so easily be deceived there in either one cannot drinke a spring dry Christ lies in the bosome of the Father he is in God the Leviathan tumbles in the deepe the heart of God is deepe what is in this Christ onely knowes what he determins and meanes within himselfe Christ imparts and none else What Christ seeth the Father doe that doth he Joh. 5.19 Christ is in word and action the revelation of what was hid in God from the beginning of the world The Apostle to the Ephesians when he would tell you what is the riches of Christ saith that it is immediate riches something that he hath which all the world beside hath not something that lies hid where none can come at but himselfe something that is hid in God Ephes 3.8 9. You have many instructers but Christ hath none Who hath instructed him He dwels in light Nothing is hid from Christ not the things which are in Gods breast for he lies there Christ hath immediate communication which is full as full as God Christ hath vast braines for God is his head and none else I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is man and the head of Christ is God 1 Cor. 11.3 that 's a brave head-piece indeed The like place is that 1 Cor. 3.23 And yee are Christs and Christ is Gods Christ hath immediate reference to none but God Communication in order to Christ is immediate and it is universall All fulnesse empties all into him God is in Christ reconciling the world c. Some things will hold much but are not filled nothing will hold all but Christ and he hath actuall communication according to his utmost capacitie God is in Christ doing what he doth in this world There is communicatio essentiae according to which Christ and his Father are one There be many things have God in them but none as Christ hath none have all God in them none have so much of God as that they can speake and doe as God and so as that without blasphemy they may be called God yet so may Christ 't is no blasphemy to call Christ equall to God to call him God Christ is God and moves as God Whatsoever things the Father doth these also doth the Sonne There is a universalitie of communication you see to Christ Whatsoever things the Father doth c. Life is quid essentiale quid universale it comprehends all As the Father hath this in himselfe so hath he given to the Sonne As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he given unto the Sonne to have life in himselfe Joh. 5.26 There is a universalitie that lies scattered in many things as well as comprised in one and if you heed this this also is communicated to Christ All the ' promises are in Christ yea and in him amen i. they are fulfilled in him first and then by him to all others Finally Communication is exact Christ is essentially and ornamentally the same with his Father He is the expresse image of his person and the brightnesse of his glory
any time Christ makes it up so that the soul is still full full of content full of joy and that 's a blessed life that cannot be made miserable Thou hast no righteousnesse but Christ hath enough which is all thine if thou couldest see it Thou canst not pray but Christ hath the art on 't for he is full of the Spirit and he makes thy requests thou hast no spirituals no corporals but Chist hath all and thou mayst from hence as the Apostle doth conclude that he will supply all thy wants Phil. 4.19 Christ will do for you according to his riches and that will amount to very much to the supply of all your wants let them be what they will But now my God will supply all your wants according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ According to that all fulnesse which now Christ hath in glory will he dispence Lord how full how rich how blessed will all Saints be I leave them to admire this till I can speak of it more COLOS. 1.19 That in him should all fulnesse dwell c. Opportunity and assistance hath continued to pursue our work both beyond our expectation God must have all the glory We spake last day of Christs wealth and we founde his revenue very great we are now to tell you where it lies Much may be nothing so it may be situated situation is the glory of our inheritance Christs inheritance lies very commodiously very blessedly it lies all in him It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell You dwell in your inheritance but Christs inheritance dwels in him You have a hint here how to raise estimation Doctr. We are to prize persons and things according to the wealth and worth that they have in them Christ hath all worth in him Felicity makes estimation as we contrive things to contribute to this so we put price upon them Mans felicity lies inward as his soul and not as his body is in wealth so is he blessed Sin is a gangrene the bowels are gnawed the plague of man is at his heart health is best wealth that 's wealth indeed that makes the soul well Faculties fight the Devill sets them on the heart cannot still its own stirs if God in this case do nothing within the man is a poor creature for all his riches a million of money cannot give a moments ease the man wil be distracted in the midst of abundance and curse his gold as an Idol god and wish his bags his winding sheet things ill within and nothing can be well without but the spirit full of God though the purse be not full of money the condition is blessed and to be admired as possessing all 'T was Christs case and is here admired by the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell without him he had nothing Internall wealth is great outward things are but seemingly big like watry vapours internall wealth is the Sun himself and no seeming big rayes of the Sun Know ye not that Christ is in you c. So much grace in the heart so much of Christ himself soul-fulnesse is nothing else but one spirit filling up another Magnitude makes admiration a â—rum of grace is great 't is God the great God in you Judgement amongst us is false things should be weighed in an even ballance to make right estimation of persons and things We value the casket only and not what is in it if vastness of estate makes difference in price that 's greatest which lies within The weaknesse of God is stronger then men So may I say the least of God in the heart is more then all the world A thing may take up little compasse and yet be vastly big in price What a great estate lies round together in some little stones can you value one vertue The price of Wisdom is above Rubies and yet the seat of this is within the inner man hath many Jewels about his neck of inestimable price the Bride hath a chain of Pearls given her when married to Christ so had Christ of his Father when married to the flesh which is that according to which he is admired here as so wealthy the Jewels which he had within him in that casket of flesh Internall wealth is delightfullest riches are of two sorts earthly and heavenly base and glorious grace is riches of glory as delightfull as heaven Read how grace is called Colos 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit according to the inward man The riches of the inward man are riches of glory Stars twinckle and make the heavens all glorious so Grace sparkles and makes all glorious within Christ is transient in the world but he dwels in the hearts and where he dwels is his chair of State that 's glorious The Kingdome of Christ is glorious that 's within you the killing of sin is sweet the soul drinks the blood of the slain and growes fat 't is heaven to any soul to be conquered by Christ his smitings are precious balm what are his embraces then Not any thing in grace but most contentfull to the soul the bitterest things about grace are sweet the very bark and rind of grace sweet Persons have not heaven as they have much without but as they have much within Heaven is all the person that hath this in him is admirable though never so contemptible in the world It pleased the Father that in him should be all the sweetest delights that are in the bosome of God and therefore admired here by the Apostle Internall wealth is the lastingest Much for yeers begets it self little every hour to think of its end riches yea life is a death under this notion that they will end Life is dated all things here are dated Such a yeer such a moneth such an hour and all mine yea I my self shall die this lies cold about the heart to consider and lessens much Internall wealth is lasting grace is a tree of life Mercy that runs only into the purse runs out again but Mercy that runs into the soule abides there for ever You value estates not as things hazardous but according to what is sure What wealth is in the heart is sure riches leave the bodie but God never leaves the soule Riches and honours are with me yea durable riches and substance Things have a naturall advantage to wit the advantage of their kinde long lived by kinde spirituall life is begotten by him that lives for ever and so long lived by kinde That which is borne of the spirit is spirit so I may say that which is borne of one that is eternall is eternall All wealth within us is borne of the everlastingest Spirit and is everlasting it selfe Things have also an accidentall advantage or an adventitious advantage the advantage of their station In Heaven wealth is sure saith Christ there be no theeves
blessings A man out with God may have many things but no blessings Riches are no blessing honours no blessing knowledge no blessing to a man on whom God frownes The smiles of the Son comprehend all the vertues which do felicitate nature In the love of God is wrapt up our temporall and eternall felicity Peace and reconciliation speak the speciall love of God Definit Reconciliation 't is intire full and firm friendship between God and fallen mam by vertue of which his condition in all things is blessed Reconciliation speaks friendship God and man are enemies which falling out is sad but God can wash his hands because it began wholly on mans side he disliked Gods will and so threw it off and God disliked mans practice in this and so threw him off they are now far off one from another You that are far off c. Not far off according to presence but far off according to affection Man is a hater of the Lord and the Lord a hater of man Affection opposite and actions are opposite God and man fight they seek the life of one another fleshly lusts fight against the soule i. against God in the soul God considers mans venimous nature and pursues him that which riseth up against me shall die The soul that sins shall die Rebellion is death by divine Statute no man shall have his book in this case saith Justice Reconciliation is that act of Christ which takes off this deadly pursuite Let not this soul die I have died Reconciliation speaks compassion compensation yea advocation one pleads when the Sinner by reason of guilt is speechlesse If crime be crying and must have blood let my blood go for it saith Christ Reconciliation 't is Christ personating a sinner and pleading with a displeased God till he be overcome and think well of one whom he said he would ruine If we sin we have an advocate c. Reconsiliation hath advocation advocation closeth spirits and and things which differ and begets right understanding and so settles amity between such as were at enmity Christ hath slain enmity This friendship which Christ worketh between God and man is intire you have I known of all the people of the earth God knows some above all i. loves some above all other Reconciliation speaks peculiar love God carries a common respect to all he makes the Sun to shine upon the good and upon the bad as a creator he upholds the whole world which is great friendship this speaks not reconciliation Reconciliation speaks fatherly friendship Gods motion is wonderfull he comes very neer or goes very far off every one If he fall out he kills if he fall in he marries Reconciliation speaks conjugall love two united as Father and Son yea two united as Husband and Wife Christ personates a sinner i. stands under his notion in point of sin and wrath and works both off and then he priviledges a sinner he puts his own raiment upon him The King sets Moredeai upon his own horse and gives him royall apparel makes him stand in his own relation as a son We are children and heirs with Christ this speaks reconciliation intire union and friendship You fall out and can never get so far in as you were your hearts are naught you are reconciled yet remember something and for this keep your distance God doth not so Christ mediates and sin is put quite away so that God remembers iniquity no more the offender is laid where Christ is in the bosome of God Reconciliation it hath compensation advocation and remission There is no iniquity in Jacob nothing without nothing withing amisse in that person with whom God is at peace i. nothing amisse is imputed The expression sets forth that peculiar love which shines in Christ upon such as he mediates for they are the beautifullest in Gods eye of all the world Reconciliation speaks full friendship God at peace all is ours he could say so much to Job Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace thereby God shall come unto thee i. all good Job 22.21 Communion follows union if God become a Father Christ will get him to come along with him and feast with you a father goes oft to his children My Father and I will come and sup saith Christ Reconciliation speaks full communication feasting divine friendship is not as humane that works coldly and reaches out but a little lest it should over-do and undo divine friendship works freely because there is no feare of beggering the donor all his care is how to make the recipient receptive enough rich enough God at peace smiles the rayes of this Sun make a very rich Region I cannot tell you the prosperity that goes along with divine peace Secular peace wraps up all secular good in 't divine peace wraps up all good Secular and Celestiall My peace I leave with you Reconciliation is a legacy a legacie that hath all treasure in it In times of peace wealth comes tumbling in Reconciliation is a state of great income a soul sent to from heaven daily and presented with the choycest gifts that heaven will afford Reconciliation it is heaven gates set open and the soul given free egresse and regresse to ask receive and carry away any thing and this not for once but alwayes Reconciliation speaks firm friendship Love in God is not a passion as 't is in you you are off and on for trifles his kindness is everlasting kindnesse With everlasting kindnesse will I imbrace thee God lends his ear to be abused by none concerning any of his children Satan is an accuser of the brethren but God hearkens to nothing which he saith You cannot hearken to accusation but it takes impression and affection flattens which is your weaknesse You have many enemies one saith this of you another that and God hears all and yet lessens not love one whit but heightens it A reconciled person hath one friend sure let the world go which way 't will My love shall never depart c. Whom he loves he loves to the end c. There is no condition so tickle as secular favourites a man is an honour to day and cast out to morrow corruption is strong in all and therefore every little thing by asseth us about No state more sure then a divine favourite Principles within are pure foundation without firm to wit Christ Reconciliation speaks persons beloved for Christs sake love running thorow a sure channell and so becoming sure mercy to the soul God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Not a man in the world which God loves but in Christ which is a firm foundation of love Christ waxeth not old his beauty fadeth not that the Fathers love should decline thereby He is the same yesterday to day and for ever All 〈◊〉 into this that I have said Reconciliation is an intire full and firm friendship between God and fallen man by vertue of which his condition is in all things blessed
he will be at peace with you and you should plead it and build upon it COLOSSIANS 1.20 And having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse c. CHrist had dispensation made to him in order to use God meant to doe much by him and therefore gave much to him Christ had full reception and full imployment of the one you have heard and of the other you are now to heare Christ had all fulnesse all in Heaven and all in earth to reconcile all that are in heaven and that are in earth as full as Christ was God emptied out all he drew out grace he drew out nature to the last drop of bloud that was in him And having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse c. Doct. Observe the condition of this world here God gives and God takes Every condition in this world hath mutation A man weares a Jewel in his breast twentie thirtie yeares fortie fiftie yeares and then 't is snatched away againe The spirit returnes to God that gave it Yea Christ and all that Christ hath return to God that gave him Christ lives and then dies dies and then rises Where is Christ now and all the fulnesse that he hath but in that bosome from whence he came forth Hath not Christ bled out all into the hand of the first Doner 't is a brave condition which they have above there is all giving and no taking away every ones life is everlasting and as the silver coard is so are the Jewels that are hung upon it Above all things are everlasting but here nothing is so no not Christ whilst in this world Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more This world hath and then loseth the biggest blessings seeth me no more This world is a little while rich and hath all and then a great while poore and stript of all Seeth me no more Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation said God to Eli 1 Sam. 2.32 Christ is Gods habitation his speciall habitation yet is an enemy there Sin of man whilst Christ is here The noblest life dies Sin hath brought death over all over Christ Felicitie at first was fixed no mercy Adam had died transgression hath made mutation this is the worme that lies at the roote and gnawes and killes the greenest and pleasantest Goard that growes over us here The sin of the first Adam hath sucked the bloud of the second and not onely his bloud but the bloud of all things else That which followes in the place forecited is here applicable Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation and in all the wealth which God shall give Israel c. Much was made in a little time and marred in lesse Sin hath subjected the whole creation to vanitie the fall of the body of Christ which was so firmly knit is the liveliest demonstration of it in the world Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands but sin hath slaine its millions hath wounded every thing to the heart Christ not excepted he together with all the creation groanes bleeds dies Some things are venemous and deadly within such a limited compasse the destructive propertie of sin is universall it poysons and killes all the world over it changes times seasons Kingdomes worlds hath swept one world away and 't will sweepe another world away Sin makes the Heavens waxe old and passe away yea that which is more firme then the Heavens Christs glorious and heavenly bodie which was not as the Apostle saith of this creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin hath its influence into the mutation of things so hath the will of God Mutation speakes affliction Will of God affliction springs not out of the dust but from the will of God God sets one thing against another and makes fighting between creature and creature between man and man unto death I set all men every one against his neighbour Zach. 8.9 10. I set all men c. That there were men against Christ and took away his life that there were such men against Christ neighbours one in his owne familie c. God set them against him Christ was delivered by the determinate counsell of God Things are set their course divine determination byasseth every state to such an end conditions can be no otherwise then they are Knowne to the Lord are all his workes from the beginning The age of a man is set the age of the world is set it shall be an hundred and twentie yeares saith God Sin provokes justice decrees this makes condition vary necessarily every thing shall die rather then divine justice this overturnes all to keepe up it selfe Angels men the world he which is greater and better then the world Christ The will of God the wisdome of God Wisdome of God hath its influence into the mutation of things here below The being of all things is such that no man may be secure Mutation moulds up time into opportunitie and duty presses hard upon a mans spirit under such a notion it did upon Christ I have but a day to worke in saith Christ things will change quickly night will come and then there will be no opportunitie to worke If Christ made use of motive from the changeablenesse of his condition fallen man may much more God is wise condition is squared to quicken dutie God would have any thing die rather then your grace Were nothing dying holy action would not be lively Man is confident if not powred out from vessel to vessel he settles upon his lees Because they have no changes therefore they feare not God saith the Psalmist Fallen man is pursued in his own way to wit with the falling of things now one thing crackes and anon another thing crackes and these all eccho to one another and speake joyntly and lowdly to the soule that all will crack anon and fall Wherefore looke about thee sinner not a thing not a person comes into thy bosome but breakes there to breake the heart You mourne at the funerall of things groanes beget groanes The bloud and death of things when that cryes and preaches to us if there be any grace if there be any nature the heart cannot but stirre Wisdome hath ordered every thing to preach it selfe to death to you plants brutes men the choicest man that ever was that ever came into the world went out of it againe in his bloud to move and so to save the world Having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse All runs into this All conditions here below have mutation Vse This point preaches submission It hath been a long time of giving and receiving now 't is a time of taking away and peoples hearts rise at it God is dishonoured much by discontentednesse Had we said nothing to prove the point that all things here below are mutable the times in which wee live are a sad demonstration of it View how like himselfe God still moves this shall be our use
the bloud of his Crosse Hanging was used under the old Covenant onel◠for some notorious crimes as blasphemie sacrificing to Devils c. and was used as a second death first life was taken away by some other punishment as stoning or the like and then the body hanged up to render the person as well as the fact abominable to all to God and man which is the meaning of that expression He that is hanged is accursed of God Deut. 21.23 his person as well as his fact is execrable greatly abhorred Thus David commanded Rechab and Barzillah to be punished with a double death for that foule fact of murthering Ishbosheth he slew them and then he hanged them up 2 Sam. 4.12 Such a one was Christ judged to be a notorious malefactor a blasphemer one that had a devill c. and therefore hanged on a tree not slaine first but tortured to death upon the Crosse which was a Romish variation from the rule as in matter so in forme and served in this case onely to vend the height of malice against innocency making not two deaths but a thousand deaths in one The bloud of the crosse speakes three things Divine wrath fully suffered Infinite Justice was offended answerable displeasure brake forth a sea of wrath in the world and Christ in the bottome of it alive and all the waves passing over him I went downe to the bottome of the mountaines saith Jonah All the waves passed over me yet hast thou brought my life the pit These expressions speake Christ he lay under mountaines seas of displeasure he bore the full weight of divine wrath he paid the utmost farthing God is not extreame to marke what 's done amisse in reference to us but he was so in reference to Christ not a sin not a circumstance of sin overlooked of all those millions of sinners and sins undertaken for but wrath weigh'd out exact in proportion to all and laid on Christ and he bore all He bore the iniquitie of us all Justice mingles her selfe with mercy when shee breakes forth upon us in the middest of Justice God remembers mercie but it did not so in reference to Christ Justice went forth in its full strength against him without a dram of mercy mixed with it He was made a curse for us Which words speake no mercy The strength of sin is the Law and the strength of the Law is the curse all the curses written in Gods book without any mercy mixed and all this did Christ beare upon the crosse The crosse was a grand curse a superlative punishment which wrapt up all the misery in it that ever justice made or any creature felt Christs cup had mixture in it but not one sweet ingredient all corroding and speaking full and pure wrath gall and vineger was given him in the pangs of death The bloud of the crosse speakes justice fully satisfied 't is called for this cause a Lutron a ransome Wee were sold under sin and the bloud of the crosse bought us paid the full demands of that power under which we were The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and give his life a ransome for many The bloud of the crosse is a ransome that which gives full satisfaction to an offended God under whose wrath wee lay Wee are bought with a price this price is not gold nor silver but the precious bloud of Christ The bloud of Christ is bloud of price that this is shed is as much as if the bloud of all the creatures in the world had been shed yea more life is our choicest jewel yet all creatures lives put together and put into one bundle of life and presented to God he would not have taken it to ransome one soule no he would not have taken it as satisfactory for one sin Justice offended is infinite the price given for satisfaction must be proportionable or else no satisfaction the bloud of all the world is finite and not proportionable to infinite and therefore God shed his bloud the bloud of the crosse is the bloud of him that was God-man this made the bloud of the humane nature precious bloud as Peter speakes that is infinitely precious of worth to satisfie for all the sins that are or shall be committed in the world because all will rise but to a finite bulke let it swell as big as 't will 't is of price to satisfie for all the sinnes in the world and if there were so many more then there are therefore is that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more repeated twice in the fifth of the Romans Not as the offence so is the free gift the price is another gets thing then that in proportion to which it is given for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many The bloud of the crosse speakes guilt fully expiated actually in reference to Christ as an undertaker and so also in reference to us who are actually in him by faith He bore our sinnes in his bodie upon the crosse saith the Apostle Peter The Leviticall bloud was purging it purified the flesh as the Scripture speakes and pointed at Christs bloud which purifies flesh and spirit i takes away the wrath of God liable to both Without bloud there is no remission but with bloud there is remission full remission the bloud of the crosse takes out all spots The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 There is not a spot in Christ consider him as our undertaker as married to our nature he is all faire Thou art all faire my love c. Joshua had filthy garments but he hath washed them white in his owne bloud so have they which are in him by faith their garments are white with the bloud of the Lambe by garments is not meant the outside onely but outside and inside the whole person They that are washed are cleane every whit Christ speakes of the Spouse as the Spouse speakes of him Thou art all faire c. Vse Sinners doe you consider how usefull Christ is and make use of him The chastisement of our peace is upon him that which belongs to any mans eternall welfare is contrived upon the crosse by Christ he hath bought all into his hand with his bloud which tends to any ones good he has the eare of God the hand of God the heart of God he has Earth Heaven he hath eternall life and can give it to whom he will he hath the keyes of David the keyes of those everlasting dores he is the dore to the bosome of the Father he hath by his bloud entered within the vaile bought all under his custodie Christ is furnished to doe us good and we make no use of him Sinners tumble in their sinnes and fall asleepe and wrath cuts them off ere they dreame of a Saviour There is a
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed The Sun that shines upon us shines upon thousands more it casteth over the world and shines upon a world so doth the Son of righteousnesse God was in Christ reconciling a world to himself the expression notes quantity in some sense as well as quality a world of worldly men Vse Bounty should be admired 't is so respecting men why should it not be so much more respecting God He whose hand is open to all all mens mouths are open to speak of his goodnesse Christ is a generall good lame blind halt have favour he keeps a table of kindnesse for all commers he reconciles all things Love is destroyed when the heart is not taken with great goodnesse love destroyed there can be no marrying between Christ and the soul 'T was a great judgement when their maids were not given to marry There is no inclination to embrace Christ when his beauty is no whit admired Vanities destroy affection some souls are sots talk of any thing that is spirituall and their hearts grow not amorous by it but die within them like Nabals the curse of God is in strength here these have made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of darknesse Christ hath no engine to raise love like this to wit his bounty and sweetnesse that he will give every one to drink that is dry that Moses a fair man will marry a Blackmoore that Abraham will lodge a Lazarus in his bosome If goodnesse will not make good if love will not draw love let the soul marry whom he will Christ will have none of him Christ is noble he will gain the heart fully or he will marry no person in the world Persons shall be sick of love or they shall be unmarried to Christ You care not whether persons love you so you can but get their wealth Christ is righteous he seeks us not ours persons not dowry I seek not yours but you He was a friend to the Bride which spake that and spake his heart I know not what hearts you have nor how to wooe for my Masters Son I can say nothing but this he is all love he reconcileth all high low rich poore heavenly things earthly things he takes dust into his bosome and delights in it for ever The contemplation of Christs sweetnesse makes the marriage knot and the solace of the marriage when made When is the soul in heaven but when taken with that love which hath loved him when considering love in its latitude He hath loved me and given himself for me he reconciles all things indeed that would not leave out me Milk and honey is Canaan As the soul feeds upon the riches of love 't is in heaven Man is doubly miserable he is at a losse of satisfying solace and of the right way to acquire it he is taken with creatures and when he comes to lie down in their bosome to solace they vanish and vex a man lies down smiling riseth up howling because that 's nothing which he made so much and this may be the Motto of all earthly beauties That creature is nothing which man makes all Taken with the love of Christ and the longer so the stronger so the more blessed the soul cannot want depth here and tumble it self ashore as it doth when it tumbles in other waters sweetnesse in this way is found bottomlesse O the depth of the riches of the goodnesse of God! c. 'T is a brave thing to dive the depths of kindnesse if there be heaven any where 't is in the bottome of divine love Things have their full solace in their proper element this in reference to the soul of man is the love of God in the extent thereof What did take up Adams soul into Paradise whilest he moved well but the beauty of God the extent of his kindnesse that it reached all that Adam could look upon and all that while had he Paradise in his spirit but when he began to admire the beauty of forbidden things the beauty of Diabolicall fancies then he dyed in his nest presently What takes up those blessed spirits above but the contemplation of the love of God Here lies their full and perpetuall blessednesse that they cannot nor will not look beside love 'T is a very desolate time in which we live many have little left in the world to think upon and yet set not themselves to think of that which might make all to them Such are without solace indeed which have none without nor within how such poor creatures bear up I know not how to keep them up if they sink I know not there is no cordiall in any distresse but the contemplation of the love of Christ and under this notion how large it is This bleeding time makes my heart bleed to think what refreshments to give forth to mourning persons in every corner State is gone friends gone all left me gone this the complaint of thousands Yet he that is all is ready to receive you all and to impart all to you God hath set you free of this world to think of another which is better Make use of the rich proffers of grace and all will do well yet What doth Christ reconcile all things in earth to himself and leave out me Blesse me even me also O my Father so pray Some are froward and will not stir after grace though never so plentifull though Christ will be friends with them yet they will not with him How oft would I have gathered thee and thou wouldst not Take heed of stubbornnesse in sin though Christ shew mercy to thousands yet he will be the death of such a soul I am affraid of some of you lest Satan should harden your hearts against the Lord Jesus Christ Know the disposition of grace Christ treads upon none that stoop Know the season of grace doth Christ knock O then is the time when he would reconcile thee to himself Never let that word of Christ which takes thee be forgotten that 's a kisse of Christs lips to gain thee kisse the Son again Blesse God that he would make any word of his a sword to wound thy hard heart Blesse Christ that hee would come so neer where thou dwellest that he would not once knock but put in his finger by the hole of the dore to make thy bowels yearn after him when he knocks again intreat him to knock all down that hinders his coming in Longing souls after Christ are the blessedst souls in the world who ever die unreconciled to God they will not This point will leave all men without excuse I will touch this and conclude God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and Christ acts according to this latitude he reconciles all things to himself he desires not the death of one sinner Sinners if you die in your sins blame your selves not God you will die as those that exclude your selves as those that
to bring God and the soule together yet Christ undertakes it for them that groane after it I create the fruit of the lips peace to them that are far off Sin wounds and then Satan makes it mortall this must be looked to 't is the worke of Christ to seeke out poore soules which are stray'd away from God and to carry them home to him in his arme We that enjoy the presence of God should joy and blesse him so I conclude this point Alienation is a sad condition it hints lively what the contrary is to wit a fruition of all priviledge a soule in the bosome of God one ever with the Lord which is Heaven In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy 't is so here God present in an Ordinance God present in a Saint God present in a dungeon and there is fulnesse of joy to the soul what ever be to the body Much company spoiles some so doth much solitude others a man is too much alone when without God Society is never too few nor too many when God is one Delight not too little nor too much when God is present If I had never so many enemies I would care but for the company of one to encounter them 'T is enemies we fear now it should not be Fear not I am with thee So 't was spoken to Gideon The Lord is with thee God takes it for granted that he hath spoken enough to setle any heart against any feare when he hath said we shall have his presence Read Isaiah 64.1 2. O that thou wouldest rend the heavens that thou wouldest come down that the mountains might flow down at thy presence as when the melting fire burneth The fire causeth the waters to boil to make thy name known to thine adversaries that the nations may tremble at thy presence Let 's prise much that condition which cannot be undone having Christ with us we have him whose presence can make mountains melt turn any thing to nothing that nihilates our felicity COLOS. 1.21 Being enemies in your mind c. SUch a tree such fruit what a sad state alienation from God is appears by the effects which are here to the life expressed it makes a man all over naught inside outside heart hand it casts all into a resolute posture of defiance against God Enemies in your mind by wicked works or enemies with your mind in wicked works not nillingly but willingly wicked not so in affection only but in action not in one action only but in many actions enemies in their mind in wicked works The words of God are of weight every one hath much in it 't will appear so being distinctly considered which hath been and shall be our method and manner of following of him who is so far above us and will not let one tittle of his will fall to the ground Alienation is here anatomised we must reade lectures distinctly upon distinct parts They are enemies c. We must open this They are enemies with their mindes or in their mindes c. We must reade upon this also They are thus not only in affection but in action in their works We must consider this too and by that time you will see much of a bad condition and it may be something of your own The Land is overrun with enemies against Christ therefore it bleeds and dies 't will be very seasonable therefore to lay open to you what an enemy to Christ is which is our first work here in the Text to follow the words as they lie And ye which were sometimes alienated enemies c. Sin was Gods first enemy a steady pursuit of this renders men and Angels the next The worst man alive as a creature simply as a creature is not accounted Gods enemy but as these noble creatures above all others prostituted themselves to something besides Gods will God had no enemies till sin came into the world as long as all obeyed Gods will there was love and friendship all the world over Sin hath a legall and a Gospel consideration considered according to the former the least transgression of rule the eating of any fruit forbidden enough to render man an enemy and to be pursued so with all the plagues written in Gods Book Sin hath a Gospel consideration and so the naked acting of sin doth not presently denote an enemy but the going on in it as a constant intended and approved course God shall smite the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their trespasses saith the Psalmist Sin is an unwearied course to some what ever rubs they meet with from the hand of God by blows or otherwise yet they step over them all and go on still That 's an enemy the spirit of an enemy is in him Enemies fear no colours blows blood death will not divert their design against one another The expression in the originall speaks not only resolution but delight in sin and there are not two fuller properties more infallibly to expresse an enemy ambulandis dilictis such as walk in sins a mans walk is his pleasure 't is made and contrived of purpose with much art to suit fancy and to give a complacency As the outward man so the inward man has his walks something that with much industry he makes shapes to suit and delight it self and this is preferr'd before all other wayes now if this be any thing dissonant to Gods will this speaks the man an enemy Some words of Christ set out an enemy more generally others more particularly I shall touch both Christ is set as King over the sons of men his Lawes are written and divulged and such as obey him not according to these he calls his enemies Bring those mine enemies which would not that I should raign over them i. such as will not obey my will Some disobey one part of Gods will and some another Christ hath many sorts of enemies but all so called from one ground to wit disobeying of his Lawes The Lawes of Christ are said to be disobeyed when carelesly neglected ignorantly opposed or maliciously rejected Truth is truth with some men and that 's all as one would say it bears little or no price in affection how plain and convincing soever to judgement they see and do not see i. see and do not regard O that thou hadst known in this thy day c. Did not Israel know the will of God yes there was light but no love to it which was as no light in the account of Christ and this went to his heart Such as stab Christ to the heart are surely his enemies 'T is as if Christ had said O that thou hadst regarded and so it notes an ignorance of opportunity a defect in affection and not simply an ignorance of the thing it self Love naught and the heart is so too hatred in the seeds of it lie in such a soul which will spring up with a little more rain A
lay any thing to heart Such was â—abals heart and such is ours stones as wee came from the rocke from whence wee were digd Affections follow sense where nothing makes impression there can be no compassion Wee are dead in trespasses and sin dead folkes consider not who mourne for them who die with griefe for them Faculties hardened the childe will throw aside what the mother which bore him underwent the pangs the screeches the teares of her that traveld in birth with him Abilitie to dutie springs not so much from things without as from things within as the soule is disposed not as the man is ingaged so the partie moves I will demonstrate to you that disposition to this dutie of being throughly and kindly affected with what others undergoe for us is hardly attain'd It springs from goodnesse purely contemplated this is a very high thing to doe Such a one did much for me I did as much for him or I may doe If such be out in flesh I am in purse Now is others goodnesse kild with our owne now is not the love of God nor the love of man thought of and how is it possible that either should be beautifull in my eye In such a spirit love hath her wings cut and no matter to worke upon which is that that gives disposition to the soule to keepe him alive for ever in my breast which hath done any good for me We can doe nothing for Christ nor his people and yet all that is done for us by either we thinke to be deserved 'T is certain that infinite love moulders to nothing in our breast under the notion of our owne merit one way or other though we observe it not If a man lose his state his arme his life for me if I thinke he was bound to it by any thing of mine the life of the action dyes the memory of the man and his kindnesse cannot live long Not an act that Christ doth but we dash it to death against some industry of our own That any creature loves me is all love that any one shews mercy to me whether God or man 't is all mercy I am vilder then the earth below all desert desire as far as hell is below heaven a heart at this height stoopes and takes up kindnesse fully sweetly and keepes it in memory firmely Things taken up as meere love stick otherwise not This is a high and hard thing I may instance this to you in God he merits every thing at our hands we doe and more then we can doe and yet he takes up all under the notion of kindnesse and love and this makes him to remember all we doe and all we suffer exactly I remember the kindnesse of thy youth and the love of thine espousalls All is kindnesse and love which man shews to God And when I was hungry yee did give me this and give me that God looking upon all that we doe for him as gift and as kindnesse this makes him to remember it alwayes 't is hard to get to that pitch which God moves at It springs from love strongly warm'd the heart must lie very neere God which hath this benefit God hath but few that lie neere him Things of life will not live in a dead sea the acts of God which he doth they are very lively and yet these will die if the soule be not suitable which observes them Every degree of divine life is not enough to keepe favours done for us so divinely alive as they should be 'T is more then hinted in the text These Colossians had their Christian life but yet not so as to remember the love of Christ to the life alas who have 'T is hard to melt some things much fuell much blowing and paines used and yet all this must be to dispose the matter fitly to receive a lasting stamp and forme upon it A heart melted with love layes to heart the least paines and kindnesse shew'd to it Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me said Elizabeth to Mary Vse As our hearts are below any duty it should humble us but as they are below things which are very weighty it should humble us much more The doctrine in hand beats hard upon us for melting hearts Christ suffers much for us man suffers much for us but neither considered by us What any Christian suffers for you you are to account it as Christ suffering he makes men willing to die for you to preach themselves dead to pray themselves dead to fight themselves dead and all these dyings the dyings of the Lord Jesus O that there should be so many persons bleeding in the fields for us and so few hearts bleeding at home for them and for our selves The strokes of God are various they are most mortall which kill the soule Our bodies are turned to dust apace and our soules into stones as fast Ah Lord how brawnie how bowellesse how hard-hearted is England become since a seate of war Husbands lose armes legs lives abroad and wife and children let starve at home Our war is very bloudy conscience in every man slaine not a tender heart scarce amongst us to consider the condition of the greatest sufferers for us in the Land Naball had his ease at home his quarters quiet and plentifull but what David underwent abroad to make it so at home did not move did not nor would not Nabal consider 'T is your case Londoners During all these bleeding times Christ hath been Quarter-master for you and so appointed your quarters that you have been very quiet very blessed in peace and plenty but what your brethren undergoe abroad to procure all this for you at home which of you doth lay to heart Vriah refused rest and solace at home because of the sufferings and hardship which the Armies of the Lord were in abroad The backes and bellies of thousands of you speake no such thing Ah Lord what will cure the pride and wantonnesse of this wicked Citie Drunkennesse and surfeiting now Can you laugh when your brethren mourne and when God frownes yee Epicures Can yee drinke wine in bowles and the bloud of your brethren in bowles You should at all your exorbitant meetings thus set fancy at worke The cup at my nose is the bloud of the slaine My curious napkins and table-clothes are the skins of Christians my guests the ghosts of the slaine my mad lascivious songs the groanings gaspings and shreechings of the wounded and dying Canst thou not thinke thus when thou art in the midst of thy jovall society O no 't would spoyle all my mirth 't would be like the hand-writing on the wall to Belshasar Dost thou tender more the spoyling of thy carnall mirth then the spoyling of thy eternall soule The guilt of all the bloud that is slaine will fall upon thee as an unsensible soule Hadst thou rather howle for ever then forbeare mad-mirth a little while If thou wilt not turne
sinful mirth into mourning God will turne it into howling God loves not revenge yet what he is exemplarily eminent in he cannot endure that men should altogether slight God layes to heart all that we undergo for him in all our afflictions he is afflicted so should we lay to heart all that he and his undergoe for us 'T is the grand medium of conversion this that I touch What will melt the heart if that love which bleeds to death for us be forgotten Sinners Christ hath suffered the wrath of God for you he left more wealth then this world is worth and became poore he left a mansion in glory and took a body of flesh a house of clay and in this house dyed and left you all that you might live for ever in the fruition of all Is all this nothing Will you regard your sinnes more then this Christ Shall your lust live though Christ have dyed The death and bloud of the Lord Jesus will be upon you Can you looke upon pierced Christ and not mourne He will shew you your owne hardnesse of heart in a like carriage he will looke upon the wounds and torments of your consciences in the houre when you make your will and not be affected When mercy cannot bring forth justice becomes the mid-wife and this cryes save the womb save the womb let what will become of the childe if this childe die and bee puld to pieces between the legges yet another may live if the womb be preserved God much eyes the meanes he uses to doe us good he will preserve the honour of these though thousands die which trample upon them What Christ hath suffered for us shall gain and save thousands though it destroy you though you lay not Christs love to heart yet Christ will have a great many to do it When I am lifted up I will draw all men unto me Christ makes means and then blesseth them to their end men eye not this and so die without the benefit of them What Christ hath suffered for us he hath promised so to order as to make it drawing and winning of us that his lifting up upon the crosse and from thence to heaven shall lift up our souls from sins and from thence to him and to the place where he is These words should be believingly urged and then the work of our welfare would go on an end As mercy stoops lowest it takes up us for God to make means and blesse them is mercy stooping very low to take up them that are quite down Doct. There is one point more I would willingly touch ere I part from these words and that is The mortality of all earthly and fleshly things Death passeth over all now The body of beasts flesh the body of our flesh the body of Christs flesh dies In the body of his flesh through death Some worms are small to look upon and yet will penitrate and consume an Oak Sin is such a thing small in the account of men and yet gnawes asunder the strongest sinews the body of Christ transcendently compacted not of this creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.11 as the Author to the Hebrews speaks and yet sin dissolves moulders this stately fabrick From the greater to the lesse we may argue safely If the body of Christ cannot live in respect of sin surely no body else can The body of Christ would have born more then all the world and not have cracked Vanity of vanity all is vanity the body of Christ dies the body of all other things die which stand further off from sin then the body of Christ and the body of man do The body of Christ and the body of man stand in a more immediate relation to sin and the fruit thereof then other things of the creation do and yet sin eats out every body of the creation those that stand furthest off from it the whole world waxeth old waxeth languishing ' thath made its will 't will die in a moment the glory of this world passeth away the forehead of this world to wit the heavens will become wrinckled and wax old Wisdome will have no heaven here Death shall gnaw the greenest goard the strongest mans body and every body that bears respect to it We and our best friends die your fathers where are they My father my father the chariots and horsemen of Israel c. and yet this would not hold him his dearest friend in the world must be gone It shadowed out Christ he is our Father our Father twice as good and as dear as all other friends that is he is the dearest friend man hath in all the earth and yet a fiery chariot fetches up this Father from his children here Christ goes away I go away and yee shall see me no more So said Paul to his spirituall children and it did cut to the quick Justice doth retaliate We killed God in all and so doth he us we did run away from God and left him solitary and he makes every thing run from us husband wife children one dearer then all Christ and leaves us alone The spirit of the Angels which fell was in us when we fell pride and malice would have puld down God we shew'd our will but could not accomplish it upon God but he hath upon us not we nor any thing in our similitude can live if God see but our shadow and Image he strikes at it as we did at his Christ fared the worse for us he dyes for having to do with us Vse What God means in all this should be inquired into What every carnall thing dying and yet carnall affection alive There is demonstration enough without of the mortality of all things but no demonstration of this within us our inward thoughts are that our habitation shall indure for ever England all over is a demonstration of this point that all things are bleeding and dying Christ had rather that a thousand thousands of bodies should die then one soul one thing is aimed at that all things die to wit the death of your lust the life of faith and this is your lesson from this Doctrine Can you receive it Every thing shall live for ever when you can love all in Christ and admire all in Christ and make an advantage of love by all to Christ All the ruines you behold in this kingdom or in the whole creation all the seas of blood wherin the world is at this day are but to wash our hearts that 's very foul which must have all without even Christ himself turn'd into blood to cleanse it 'T is long ere carnall affections be slain every thing must die and its blood be thrown in the face of conscience ere the man will spit out what offends God The stability of all about you bears much upon the rectitude of your affection Take heed how you love husband wife children you may hug them to death with a sinfull love You complain of Cavalleers for
simply considered never ceases they in heaven do Gods will and are proposed as our pattern on earth they are so exact in the observation of it but the painfull observation of Gods will which is by reason of corruption within us and wicked spirits without us this ceases as soon as we step out of this vile body but not before They move to Christ above as Christ doth to them with the same spirit of freedome joy triumph and glory That they may be one as we are There is no sighing and groaning mourning dying to accomplish Gods will above all move there as the Angels with delight every one milks out love from the breasts of Christ and sings over the Pail to behold how full 't is and how free it comes and yet though it cost all these to obey any truth of God here we are not to cease our course Every childe is brought forth with pain but some with more then others it costs life to bring forth some yet it 's horrible wickednesse for any to strangle the birth to prevent the pain Benjamin must be born though it cost Rachel her life She was a shadow of the Church which must bring forth Christ in all his will though we die in travell if you abide throughly of the faith Vse You see how heaven bears break truth and break your back and what groaning will that make no groaning so sad to do as that which is by not doing Gods will Heaven and Gods will are linked together break the link if it be but one link and the jewel falls and is lost Heaven is a Jewel hanged in a golden chain break one link of the golden chain and you lose the Jewel 'T is nothing to desperate souls to make void Gods Law I wonder at them Is it nothing to lose heaven to untwist the golden chain upon which your eternall treasure hangs Transgression stupifies this is the killing quality of sin Sinners mind not what they do when they throw off the will of Christ any part of the will of Christ you throw away your life Heaven lies wrapt up in truth in that truth which you will not submit to Would something would work upon wicked hearts upon the desperate wicked hearts of this age that sin might abate amongst us or else the sword of Gods wrath is like to eat us out Alas for us all I know not what hand of God is upon us wrath findes a great deale of matter among us to work upon and we can finde none When we presse love to Christ and observation of his will every man washeth his hands I do it saith one and I do it saith another Will you lie before the face of the Judge of all the world now he sitteth upon the bench upon the life and death of the kingdome Men are worst which think themselves best if there be any plague that kill thee England 't will be thy Laodicean temper that thou thinkest thou art clean and art not washed from thy filthinesse that thou needest nothing and yet observest nothing Euangelically that looks like a lovely State Our point sets us too high a great deal to speak to this generation it calls for exact observation and we are by the hand of God upon us cast into the quite contrary a generation that had a little conscience but now have none Loosnesse and lewdnesse overspread the multitude brawniness and benummedness the more ingenious good men become bad bad stark naught and stink above ground 'T is worse then blood and death to heare and see in every place where one comes what mire and dirt our troubled waters cast up as if war were a ticket under Gods own hand to dispence with all wickednesse O the oaths the execrations whoredoms oppressions outrages of all sorts that the very highwayes and villages are filled with where ever one comes The stink of your camps enough to kill a good heart at a great distance 'T is sad that the blood and bodies of the dead should taint and poison the living that we should die swearing and blaspheming If there be any tender hearts among you carry these things home and mourn for I am fearfull what they presage The work of this point is not only to winde you off from prophanenesse but wind you up to exactnesse to through walking with Christ We halt the fruit of it is upon us the hand of God will not yet cure it what it may Christ only knowes The heart must have its latitude 't is every ones saying this To hit the white is not needfull one may shoot well that doth not this But can one shoot well that aimes not at this I presse towards the mark I forget what is behinde if by any means I may obtain the resurrection Here is the property of grace in life it owns nothing but perfection makes at nothing else 't is in aim and industry all Christs Men are charmed with their own unsoundnesse the heart secretly sinfully ingaged aim and industry are really correspondent hereunto what ever verball flourish be made to better spirits and persons that stand by here is a man strangling himself in his bed which is a condition that makes little noise every thing is so artificially managed to destruction yet alas it is the common profession of this time How far will these times beare with a profession of Gods will How far will Christs honour and mine consist Here the soul wasts its strength If there be any intense through action now on foot it lies here so to shape the course and posture to the right and left that the man may take in all worldly advantages of both sides along as he â—â—es There is much art in this but 't is all cursed 't were well if the man had lesse policy and more integrity There is much advange in this but it comes to nothing the plague of an hypocrite is upon this condition which will eat a man out if he had all the world There is more of heaven in a plain heart in a moment then this man sees in all his dayes The advantage of through action is this A man gets much of Christ much grace much glory Some mens religion is a principle of jugling with conscience and the world 't is a temptation upon thousands at this day these lose what they seem to have Christ and all grace quite Christ kicks off every Judas quite that kisseth him and kisseth enemies to him too for his own advantage but a soul that cleaves throughly to Christ hath much of him the dispensations of Angels Stephen shined like an Angel owning Christ in the face of deadly and bloody opposers Externall dispensations cannot be stood upon how Christ appears to honour the persons of men that will go to the grave with him is more uncertain they have the face the tongue and the food of Angels when it may do them good and torture devils that vex them Externall concurrence is sure
for the thing though uncertain for the manner Christ doth number our haires at all times but what doth he do then when the head is going to be cut off He doth make all our darknesse light that which is upon nature state person Christ is with us alwayes according to an externall goodnesse one way or other They have Rosemary and Bays or some sweet thing or other in their hand in the view of all that go to the grave with Christ But internally they have much of him indeed that cleave closely to him What a box of ravishing odors did Christ open to Maries soul which did perfume his body and go along with him to his grave Can any one explain the depth of divine love wherewith her soul was filled That was heaven in hell What 's heaven but the love of Christ without measure powred into the heart To hearten on Abraham to follow the commands of God throughly to forsake Chaldea Babel and all the confusion of a blind proud generation and to go to the land of divine ordinance observe how God heartens him Thou shalt have exceeding much of me without and within I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And this promise repeated to him and his â—â—sterity in all straits and dangers Can you measure that love which exceeds all bounds Through action makes through reception through action is a soul giving up all to Christ against all opposition from men When we give all to Christ hee gives all to us and what a deal is Christs all I have all saith the Apostle when he wanted for Christs sake All What all A divine all When you speak of your all i. of all you have it rises sometime to a great deal to many thousands but what Arithmetick will expresse Christs all Shall I call his estate thousands millions millions of millions I shall mis-call it 't was never told never guessed nor never will by all those exquisite beholders and enjoyers above 't is infinite Can any finite creature guesse what infinitnesse is Can you tell the starres all their numbers all their influences Then may you tell all the smiles kisses and embracements which Christ gives to such as follow him to death This is Christs all he sits at the right hand of God embraced with that glory he had with his father before the world was and embracing all with the same glory which are with him COLOS. 1.23 If you continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel TErmes in themselves have been considered their intimation also may be usefully taken up which is that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course The state of man is a hid thing what he is what he will be a man looks well and yet that poison lurks in his body which some yeers hence gathers about his vitals and pales him that friends scarce know the man he is such a changling Nothing lurks so secretly as sin not a man that knowes his heart to the botome 't is deceitfull above all things who knowes it A man smiles upon a holy course this yeere and frownes and breaks out against it next So much is hinted here if you continue in the faith and be not moved away Man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good course Light is a brave advantage to a steady course Demonst 1. We set our compasse by lucid bodies by the Sun and by the Stars and know whither and to what part of the world we are going which setles our minde and makes our journey sweet and our labour and travell lasting Dubitation tires every step is irksome when a man knows noâ— whether he be out or in his way and yet where no dubitation is the soul tires When light unto information when light unto perswasion is made concerning the way and the end the soul is still in danger to turn off If ye continue in the faith i. the truth â—e have understood and believed Pravity at some height will beâ—â—…wn conviction spurn against an Angel in the way turn for Tarshâ—sh when it knowes it should go another way Conviction is a noble advantage to a steady course consolation is a nobler to be convinced of the way and comforted in the way the man hath a coach from heaven to prevent tiring Fruit that is specious to look upon is inviting to appetite but when we bite it and finde it to have no sweetnesse to our taste we throw it away but that which hath colour and taste too we retain firmly we incorporate such substances with our selves we eat them and so keep their vertue so long as we are The Gospel hath these two properties 't is cleer light and glad light They were glad when they saw his starre there was vision and consolation a light of life one would think now none could kill this and yet pravity at some height will put this to death a consolatory light They rejoyced in his light for a season here is light and joy light and life add yet this dies this brisk sparkling wine vapors away all its own spirits and dies This truth lies in the Text too be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel i. that word which makes hope and sets the soul at heaven door and can one be there and not joy Hope sets the soul like Moses within sight of the Holy Land Can a man see heaven and not joy A man may not see heaven and yet joy In whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce c. But can a man see heaven and not joy Can a man enter within the vaile and yet not joy And yet when at the border of Canaan when at heaven doore there is danger of turning back yea when something of heaven is given out at the door some tastes of the powers of the world to come may come to de distasted A vertuous property is inducing and the more generall this property is the more inducing That property is pleasant to one palate which is unpleasant to another that is fair in ones eye which is ugly in anothers but that which is glorious to every eye that sees it sweet to every palate that tastes it this we are doubly taken with and cleave to Such a thing is the Sun of a generall vertue and glory so in every ones eye no man ever saw the Sun but confest it a very glorious body and a very reviving body Such is the Sun of righteousnesse never soul saw or tasted him but confessed him surpassing all the fairest the sweetest of ten thouâ—â—nd Now 't is a strange stomack that disagrees and nauseates 〈◊〉 â—hrowes up that which is pleasant to every palate that hath tasted it as well as to its own when it did eat it And yet such strange changes there are naturally and the like spiritually a throwing up and a throwing off of that which hath had its demonstration
matter of joy And yet there are no other prospects here below take what house what place what advantage you will to look abroad upon things here below you cannot look besides ruine and desolation that this shall be repaired and all these broken cisternes mended and filled and all made to run eternally into my soule this may doe something upon the soule when it can rise and reach so high and this is hope My flesh shall rest in hope Hope is a soule at rest concerning all things within and without concerning spirit and flesh that they shall be all perfectly well The soule of man naturally sits up much now distracted creatures can take little rest this is not well that 's not well all will be worse the world will sinke and I shall be undermost you may guesse by despaire what hope is Despaire is a soule wracking it selfe with what is Job 13.14 and with what will be 'T is one taking his flesh in his teeth torturing and tearing all under his own apprehension of things God is gone he will never returne if he doe 't will but be to send me to my place Hope is the correction of these distempers God is hid he is not gone I shall see him though not now every bone that is broken shall rejoyce every filthy issue in my soule shall be dryed up I will waite upon the Lord that hideth himselfe from the house of Jacob and I will look for him this is hope hope has the command of her selfe but will not have the command of God Shee has every thing that would rebell at her foote but Christ in the highest esteeme of any of his daughters Can he give bread Will he give a crum to me No I shall eate this morsell and die groane this groane and my heart-strings will breake You never heard hope speake such a word shee is a childe that speakes just like her father Our God is not come indeed yet but he will come and he will not tarry though he puls down quickly yet he takes time to build up and this time hastens Despaire looks upon mercy at a stand hope sees it coming and coming a great pace My beloved comes skipping upon the mountaines i Certainly coming and swiftly coming Hope hath but bad externall feeling but all other senses most acute Shee can see a great way heare a great way and the like In a dark day when fogs are never so thick shee can look through them and behold the land that is far off When shee is in the belly of hell shee can look towards Gods Temple When burthens presse that sense hath nothing but torture nothing but devils to shake hands with yet then shee can see a God amongst a thicket of Devils though shee cannot come at him as shee would though I cannot come to him he will come to me where ever I am though thousands incompasse me yet I will not feare that is I will not despaire of one to come to relieve me Hope will carry more burthens then any grace without sinking In perils by sea in perils by land c. In povertie in nakednesse distressed in all kinds with a witnesse but not cast downe Hope is never cast downe shee will cast downe any thing men devils but is never cast down her selfe Hope is a hardie long-lived grace 't will live in famine when ' thath not a bit of bread 't will live in sicknesse in warre in death The righteous hath hope in his death Hope was never knowne to have her heart-strings breake 't is semper vivens Death is the King of feares and yet it pales not the countenance of hope hope walks in the valley of the shadow of death and feares none ill i expects no hurt Hope can fee no ill no hurt in any thing not in death not in the grave that house is something darke indeed but I shall not alwayes lie there saith hope Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave though thou kill me I will hope in thee though thou burie me I will hope in thee I shall rise as Christ did this vile body shall be changed and made like Christs glorious bodie and then set for ever where his is The flesh doth rest in hope Hope is conversant about no ill but about all good and most about that which is noblest 't is appetitus excellentis boni cum fiducia obtinendi therefore is hope so often put for heaven it doth so often goe to heaven and is so much taken up there Looking for that blessed hope and for the glorious appearing of that great God and our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 and so by the Author to the Hebrewes urged To lay hold on the hope that is set before us You see hope is put for heaven and the reason is because so much conversant there Hope feeds delicately shee hath a table below and this is nothing but the word of Christ My soule hopeth in thy Word Shee hath a table above and this is nothing but Christ himselfe and the state he weares above this shee looks upon oft and smiles to her selfe when no soule alive is aware Rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God The two termes of hope are hell and heaven shee goes from the one to the other and in this way turnes the one into the other and this is all her worke shee goes into every house of mourning where Christ is and takes exact notice of every distresse corporall and spirituall and then bids the mourner be chearfull all teares shall be wiped from thine eyes there is a house eternall in the Heavens though this cracke and moulder and there thou shalt sigh no more Hope is that good Angel that carries Lazarus and lays him in Abrahams bosome 't is that grace which makes heavie afflictions light long afflictions short by shewing the soule what they worke about a far more exceeding and an eternall weight of glory Hope can speake nothing but Heaven and glory to a distressed heart I conclude as I began Hope is a glad expectation of good i of all good but especially the highest and the noblest good Drooping hearts thinke of this point how usefull is this grace for you you have taken a house by the borders of hell continually affrighted with evill spirits that walke up and downe in your soules and yet you love to dwell here Terrors take hold sometimes 't is a heavie stroake then the soule refuseth comfort Sense of fin is good but it s a wound of it selfe that must be carefully drest oft with the leaves of the tree of life 't will rankle and kill else Sinner dost thou know thy state Yes Dost thou know it exactly Yes Why whither shalt thou goe when thou diest To Hell Hast thou no hope of any other thing No. Why wouldest thou stand still all this while and let thy soule bleed to death Was there no Balme in Gilead No word in all the booke of God
that might speake matter of hope to thee Despaire in strength is very peremptory in conclusions but never deliberate in examinations of grounds 'T is a soule so tossed and tumbled between Satan and conscience day and night that it hath no power to ponder any thing Pressus ab exemplo discat sperare secunda Thou shalt goe to hell O my soule when thou diest Why I have sinned So did all the Saints that are in Heaven when they were in earth as now thou art did not David sin much in life and yet what a brave hope had he in death Sin enough in life to make him a type of Satan for bloud and unmercifulnesse and yet hope enough in death to make him a type of Christ Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave Yea but some persons sins have a very sad consideration over others have This is a truth but no sin or misery must have any such consideration as to sinke the soule Hold this position all that God doth is to bring us nearer to him If he whip us and strike never so hard or never so strangely 't is to bring us nearer him not to drive us further from him If he strike the body or the soule if he let loose Satan to tempt and let loose the heart to fall 't is to bring the soule nearer to God God doth nothing to drive away thy soule from him nor would he have any thing else doe it and wilt thou doe it thy selfe by every thing thou seest hearest feelest c Despaire makes use of externall senses all together more then of the Bible and construes all things amisse it harpes much upon the intention of God God intends my death he holds me for his enemie fury guides him in all that he doth about me one may run and read his frownes in all his actions Thou frownest alwayes O tempted soule and thou thinkest God doth so Thy soule is precious to Christ he doth not desire its death 't is more precious to Christ then to thy selfe Christ would save it and thou wouldest destroy it he meanes nothing else in the blackest saddest things that are upon thee but love and mercy therefore be not prejudized concerning his intention the saddest things that are upon thee if thou couldest but turne them upside downe thou shouldest see in them the smiling face of God Hold one position more that Gods intentions toward us are accompanied with the readiest means to accomplish them in us Good is long a coming this principle swallowed is destructive to Hope the next step will be this 't will never come Christ long a coming the next crosse makes the soule conclude he will never come Wee may not construe Christ tedious in his motion and yet 't is hard to doe otherwise when much put to it when tryals are sharpest mercy and deliverance is nearest The Heathen rage The Lord of hosts is with us saith the next verse Hold fast I come quickly When 't is as much as ever one can hold tryall being so strong then Christ makes hast and salvation is neare This principle well laid into the soule would make one hope to the end hope to the last man in a battell to the last breath in a sicknesse Jacob comes hindermost of the company Christ comes after all means are done Isaac which signifies laughter is a childe of old age Christ comes out of a withered womb the man-childe that makes us laughter comes out of means given up as barren When Christ throwes a man downe and throwes him very low then is he about to raise him When Christ kills then is he readie to make alive If this were received who could despaire Who would not hope of life when every one gives him over Yea of eternall life Finally hold one position more that Satan and thine own unbelieving heart conspire against thy tranquilitie hope is the joy of a mans life Satan hath none and it addes to his sorrow when he seeth any else have joy it greatens his hell when he sees any else have but a little of Heaven Finall despaire shuts up that cursed spirit and all those that are with him the worme that gnawes me will never die the fire that burnes me is unquenchable the chaines that hold me are everlasting chaines the pit I am in is bottomelesse no possible passage from hence not a drop of mercy falls in here to cole any scorched creature in the space of eternitie this is the tone of Tophet these are the dismall complaints which those restlesse soules below throw out as they role to and fro in that fiery furnace Despairing sinner Satan is fallen in with thy conscience to conjure thy soule into this condition Thou art in hell upon earth as that other phrase is of her that is dead while shee lives Tell me How dost thou sleepe How dost thou eate How dost thou walke How dost thou talke How dost thou looke Is not thy moisture turned into the drought of summer Thy body turned into skin and bones Alas for thee poore soule God never made such a way as this to Heaven 't is Satan and thy owne despairing heart one evill spirit tormenting another just as they doe below and the designe is to seale the soule up for wrath despaire is the black seale of the bottomlesse pit Lay all this together now and doe but thinke how unkindly you deale with Christ for all his love and paines which hath done so much for the tranquilitie of your life to make you hope here and possesse hereafter Christ hath taken upon him your debts there is not a sin that ever you committed not a trespasse against any rule but he will be accountable for it and in your stead and all to make you hope Some friends will undertake for part of ones debt to make one chearfull and this is much love too much to be slighted but then there remaines something behind and that sads and sinkes the heart How shall I pay that Bleeding soule Christ leaves thee no debt to pay no sin to answer for 'T is lively set out in that Parable Luk. 18.32 O wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desirest it shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-servant What should make feare when all is discharged If I did know it were so Dost thou not desire it should be so Wouldest thou not have all right and sweet between God and thy soule rather then any thing Yes Why this may be a demonstration to thee that all is right and even between God and thee Did I not forgive thee all thy debt because thou desirest me God forgives debts to Christ upon exact satisfaction but Christ forgives debts to us upon complaining of them and groaning under them and desiring their discharge upon a heart panting to be clean the voice goes forth from Christ I will be thou cleane Panting languishing soule for mercy thou hast obtained mercy thou desirest to
and so owned though with never so much weaknesse or with never so many temptations yet that it should be effectuall to your salvation the touch of Christs garment did the cure COLOSSIANS 1.23 Whereof I Paul c. 'T Is for some speciall emphasis certainly that the Apostle doth here articulate his person with his name I Paul onely wee are various at guessing at it Some thinke he points at the signification of his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cessare which signifies to cease As if he had said I that am stopped and ceased from destroying the Gospel and now made a publisher of it Divine love can quench hell-fire check violence stop and turne a man when in the height of rage against Christ This bloudy sinner had a remarkable stop by a word of love from Heaven Why dost thou persecute me Upon which his name was changed to print and perpetuate providence from Saul to Paul i one stopped and ceased No cords so strong as love a mad-man cannot break them when catched with them Paul was a mad-man a devill yet catched and tamed presently by a sweet voice from heaven If you would conjure a devill quiet if you would quench hell-fire in any ones breast if you would make cords strong enough to hold a Bedlam imitate Christ speake as one from Heaven in the sweetnesse and strength of the Gospel lay a mountaine of love in the mad-mans way Why sinner Why wilt thou goe over Christ This will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cease his course Others thinke the Apostle points at the signification of his name as a Roman name Paulus from the adjective Paulus which signifies little as if the Apostle had said Of which great mysteries I that am little and poore in gifts in place in esteeme little and base every way yet am made a dispenser and so an expression of great humilitie The more grace the lesse in our own eye The sight of God is humbling his majestie and glory is such that the soule necessarily fals at his feete The lesser and lower in our own eye the greater and higher in Gods all that he raises is out of the dust out of the dust he raiseth seed to Abraham and out of the dust he raiseth officers to look to this seede out of the dust he raised our Saviour and out of the dust he raiseth those Saviours which are in his stead Leaders in Israel He giveth grace to the humble i much grace grace enough for the man himselfe and many more Christ doth plow and sow altogether in low grounds these prove very fertile Mountaines are cursed if proud men be drawne out and set high 't is to be hanged by their preferment as Haman I think both significations may be eyed in this speech and the Apostle considered as one much admiring the way of God throughout that would look towards one so much as to intrust him with the care of all the Churches who a little while since was set against them all and now turned from so great wickednesse yet possessing but little goodnesse to discharge so great a trust That I should be turned is wonderful but that I should be so imployed is more wonderfull The freenesse of God in all his dispensations of grace and place should be matter of admiration Doctr. 'T is a brave eye that can tell all the rayes of the Sunne and all the vertues they worke and command all powers to sit downe and warme themselves in the consideration of them The heart is in frame when taken with goodnesse with all the goodnesse of God Thou hast been very pleasant to me saith David to Jonathan Thy love to me is wonderfull This he spake with an eye to all the love he had received from him which is the right frame of the soule in order to Christ and his Thou hast been very pleasant to me O Christ throughout my course and thy love to me hath been wonderfull to my soule to my body in person in office in every condition They are in a perfect frame above the spirts of just men above are all in a rapture because of all the love that shines upon them there is not a beame over-looked not a beame shines upon any soule in Heaven but 't is observed much and warmes him much our hearts are in frame as they arise to this Heat is the right temper of the soule I wish thou wert hot Heat is active activitie is a soule gathering up all the goodnesse of God and feeding upon it and then is the soule healthy and prosperous and not otherwise The constitution of grace is somewhat as the constitution of nature it feeds upon varietie but varietie of God God in riches God in honours God in every thing if God be missing in any person in any dish at the Table it stinkes Heat hath resolution divine resolution tires not in dutie though never so great Then is the soule well when it faints not in the praises of God Heaven is up-hill and to skim off the creame of every creature and to carry it up to Heaven and to present it to God is hard worke to finde out God in every thing here below and carry him home to Heaven and set him upon his throne and admire him is great labour and yet divine resolution doth this doth it in order to all divine dispensations throughout the terme of mans life and lays not downe the worke no lays not down the worke to all eternitie I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and his great goodnesse towards the host of Israel according to the multitude of his loving kindnesse Esa 63.7 Nothing is so numerous as sin and mercie but yet of the two mercie is more numerous The world hath not so many sinnes in it as mercies and to act divinely in order to all these to play upon a Lute which hath I know not how many strings to string a mans soule with many thousand thousand mercies that befall him and to play upon this sweely all ones dayes and never lay aside the instrument this is a haile constitution and yet all this but dutie divine president is extant Divine presidents of this nature are doubly binding what any Saint of God ever did as a Saint in order to the rules of sanctitie that comes to me with double authoritie to be observed and therefore is the Scripture cited and the cloud of witnesses as another superadded motive Presidents of sanctitie speake not onely the precept to be obeyed but the possibilitie and honorabilitie of the precept to be obeyed Vse Saints should live at this height they have lived at this height this is good argumentation How doe you live Are your soules in health and are you strong How doe you travaile then up and downe after God The Land wherein we live is full of mercies no Land like it Doe you tread upon them or take them up The latter
is beastly yet very common The Land is full of mercies and full of nothing but brutes that tread upon them Brutishnesse in a man is sensualitie a sensuall person is one killed with kindnesse one that eats mercies but doth not taste them weares mercies but doth not feele them seeth mercies but doth not understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord nor never will he is cursed to the dust as the seed of the Serpent to goe upon his belly upon his appetite and upon no higher principle through this world to feed onely upon dust and upon no nobler thing for making a God of this world You wonder at the plague and at the sword but this is the greatest judgement in the Land that no man sees the mercie that shines upon him All the judgements that are in the Land are but to cast shadowes upon mercies that you may see them well and carry them and your soules to Heaven together There should not be a judgement more among us did you see mercy as you should there should not a man more die did loving kindnesse live in our hearts The heart of this Land is eaten out with long tillage God now dungs it that things may grow well 'T is so with our soules Our hearts are eaten out with vanities nothing will come up that is divine not spring up as high as Heaven God pluckes up all to pluck up your hearts to Heaven 't will be well if this be effected although it be not till all be dead When all is dead if then a mans soule grow alive to God blessed am I though there be but this one thing alive of all I have England is dead God is burying it Our hearts are quarred with fulnesse and become stones no musick can be playd upon a stone God makes musick to himselfe with justice seeing wee can make none to him with mercie he sets us to throw stones one at another hard heart against hard heart to dash out one anothers braines to kill a companie of men Canini appetitus of a dog appetite whose belly is as the grave and as hell which cry give give but never returne Know the state of the generall and bleed inwardly Doe you see a love returning spirit in any ranke from the highest to the lowest I England am made a mirror of mercie a thousand thousand wounds and yet not dead What pen shall I take and what book Where shall I write this love that it may be ever in Gods eye and mine owne Doe you see such a spirit stirring for the glory of Christ Wee fall in person we fall in purse and we fall and flat in spirit too nothing rises in any man that I see but that which throwes all downe Pride and selfe Ego magnus not ego Paulus I great not I little and low this may be every mans motto Big spirits are the worst in the world to stoop and to take up every thing of Gods and give it to him Big proud spirits admire themselves such as are taken up with admiration of themselves can never be good at this dutie of admiring God Look over all the Kingdome and people in the world and tell me a people more pinned to and doating upon its selfe then we are What a Clergie What Magistracy What an Armie have we So big so acute so perfect as not to be exprest This puts by the other quite what a Christ have we how strong how wise how gracious Do ye heare mens mouths filled with this with admiration of Christ What ornaments doe I weare in my soule or upon my outward man but Christ hath put them on all Know the state of the generall and know your own state in particular Doe you as Paul here admire the goodnesse of Christ in all the goodnesse that is upon you That you are stopped and ceased from wickednesse That you are turned to Christ Yea not nakedly so but turned into noble services for Christ Intrusted with many Talents above your brethren for the good not onely of your selves but many more I would willingly admire this if it were so but alas for me Ob. I am not yet stopped nor turned from my wicked course I am a swearer still a drunkard still a gracelesse uselesse wretch still Why then admire that thou art not in hell Sol. there is no man alive no man of this side hell but hath some mercie yea much mercie to admire say that I a swearer am not yet in hell in the proper place for blasphemers O what a mercie is this That sin and judgement are not closed unseparably all this while in so many yeares O what a wonder is this There is not a greater aptnesse for fire and stubble to close then for sin and judgement in a wicked soule that the cover of the tinder-box should be open and striking of fire a great many yeares and a great many sparkles falling of both sides and some in and yet not take that thou a naked gracelesse soule open to the wrath of God and living in a Land where wrath is powring out by plague sword and other judgements and yet that thou shouldest escape here is a big wonder indeed blind soule canst thou see it No I have no more then others have nor yet so much this cuts the throat of holy admiration How wofully is this creature plagued Others mercies are his judgements he cannot see what he has because others have more Canst thou not see what thou hast thy selfe No hold thy mercies neere thine eyes Canst thou not see them now No. Why then I feare that thou art beside borne-blind mad-blind as those wilfull Pharisees and Scribes this is a sad condition There is no recovery of sight when the eyes are struck out If this be not thy plague there is the more hope for God will take the businesse in hand to make thee see in a more strong way then now 't is done by me if all meanes have not been used alreadie as what a potent course is taken up in this case Hosea 11.3 I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by the armes but they knew not that I healed them I drew them with the cords of a man and with the bands of love and I laid meat unto them God will one time or other take hold upon thy conscience and lead thee about from mercie to mercie and point thee to them particularly one after another O ungratefull soule I did this for thee and I did that I saved thee from breaking thy leg such a time from breaking thy necke such a time from such a desperate sicknesse such a time c. Thus doth God to persons that are asleepe in ingratitude to awaken them and thus he doth to them that are dead Goe and tell David I took thee from the sheepfold c. After that soule miscarriage God set one to talke with him with a witnesse to tell him who raised him and to what and what use was expected of
this in their heart their not obeying is a demonstration of it A sad temptation is strongly seized upon you if it hold you you are lost the fearfull of this sort are shut out There be troubles in every course under the Sunne dost thou find none in disobedience Then the more is to come Bloud and death and hell are at the end of thy way Sinner and yet darest thou to keepe on in it Surely thou art not so much fearfull as wilfull Instruction cures distemper when 't is but of meere weaknesse when the soule waits to turne in with Christ and yet cannot but where it is otherwise lay open as much danger in one way pleaded for as in another way pleaded against yet the man will hold on his course which speakes the soule ingaged by will and not so much overborne by weaknesse and then there is no entrance for right principles I would let these alone which have shut themselves up till Christ breake open doores upon them and speake to a generation more ingenuous Men that are candid love to doe things that will end well then set upon the workes of Christ If thou be a Minister preach Christ faithfully who ever oppose if thou be otherwise of any other ranke practise the will of Christ sincerely what ever thou suffer Things may goe harsh a time but Christ will bring about a season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now I rejoyce that ever I did this and that ever I did that for Christ If Christ doe not bring about such a time here he will above O how joyfull are they above that ever they had hearts to suffer for Christ here below Now I blesse God that I lay in such a prison what a mansion have I to make me amends Now I blesse God that ever I was hungry that ever I was naked for Christ what precious meate and what glorious apparell have I to make me amends 'T were enough if the now of a Christians joy did not come till after this life but shall a Christian have one here Let truth and conscience keepe company in stormes and I think I may assure any man a sweet calme here let men and devils doe all what they can but let these two be parted there will never be a season of joy reall joy the soule is betrayed that hath any other opinion or practice The righteousnesse of action should onely be eyed by us as for other things skin and bones and goods and such like lumber should be all ventured in this bottome I am for Christ if I mourne all the dayes of my life and have not one teare wiped off till I come to Heaven all is one so one should set out setting Heaven at the furthest distance that can be thought of and then a man meets with it often long before he accounted in this prison or in that dungeon where one would look for hell rather then heaven so did Paul Now I rejoyce c. COLOSS. 1.24 Now I rejoyce c. PAul was in prison when he spake these words so considered bravenesse of spirit sparkles in every syllable of the expression Now I am in the mouth of the Lion now I am in the belly of Hell now I am in the face of Devils now I own Christ and triumph in all that I undergoe for his Name Divine magnanimitie wee are to stand upon 't is a soule in all conditions openly very stout and very amiable in the pursuit of Gods will Disadvantages are many in a Christian course in none more magnanimitie knowes none 't is one that can make a Trumpet sound admirably where there is no eccho in a pit in a dungeon in his coffin in his grave he will sing and make his chaines Late-strings among the dead he is alive now I rejoyce You have a Latine Proverb of warre Mars communis warre is of various event sometimes against one sometimes with one so I may say of the warre of a Christian 't is Mars communis sometimes we come off well sometimes we are taken and chained sometimes the battaile is so hot that all run away Magnanimitie stands to it then fights alone shee is oft a prisoner but never a run-away one is enough to wit Christ though all else run away or how ever disadvantaged otherwise yet upon this advantage shee stands to it alone and fights with many yea fights and sings thunders and harpes you have the voice of great thunders and of harpes joyned together Revel 14.2 The servants of the Lord fighting and thundring against Antichrist and yet harping and singing Est virtus omnia ad gloriam ferens A vertue that mouldes and shapes all things good things bad things prisons chaines bloud all to divine triumph Magnanimitie is alwayes very stout but alwayes very amiable when shee breaths and collects spirits she doth not curve her brow frowne and fret and the like but smiles in the face of crueltie it selfe Michal scoffed David and stoned him with her mouth but David smiles and dances Paul in chaines at Rome rejoyceth now I joy In the belly of Hell Jonah prayes yea gives thankes I will sacrifice to the Lord with a voice of thankesgiving salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land Jonah 2.9 10. As the verses goe and are conjoyned one would thinke they did carry this brave sense that as soone as God did behold Jonah in this brave posture of spirit not onely big with prayer but with praises even in the belly of the Whale that then he spake to the Whale to give him up that then he spake to Hell to give up that person to Heaven whose spirit and action was there before There is an amiablenesse of person and an amiablenesse of action and Magnanimitie hath both shee sets the countenance right the eye right and the hand right when shee is stout 't is in the truth and for the truth shee pursues a noble game and abhorres all evill means to catch it to get Earth to get Heaven shee will not be bribed when there is any base carriage in a businesse none more ignorant of any such thing then a Christian truly magnanimous Christian magnanimitie is borne of humilitie and simplicitie and hunts after nothing more then the incouraging of the parents of which shee came but this shee pursues to the utmost Things that are of the truest and highest glory these doth a magnanimous Christian Nervis cunctis incumbere intend with every sinew all things that are simply sinfull or but of meane account come not into his thought 'T is virtus tendens ad maxima a Christian that struggles to be of all Christians the chiefe for humilitie for integritie for faith for love for fruition for emission for taking in of Christ for laying out for Christ A Christian indeed magnanimous is the greatest Merchant-venturer to the tother world that is he is mightie in stocke he hath many millions of
pit out of the mirie clay and set my feet upon a rocke and established my goings Psal 40.2 Horrible pit a vault of hideous noises saith the Originall Christ can bring a man downe to such a condition as if his soule were in a vault where are all manner of hideous and dolefull noises and yet then raise the spirit as into Heaven where all manner of melodious and reviving noises are Vse Afflicted Christians should sucke the sweetnesse of this point Doth the paine in thy flesh rage inward to thy spirit Is the cup thou drinkest of bitter to thy soule yet it is a cup of love 't is no other then of what Christ hath drunke and left the sweet of his lips upon for the next to drinke 't is no other then what he gives to the best of his Misapprehension makes burthens intolerable which is heavier then ever Christ intended to any Saint When any twig in the rod stings the soule when any thing stickes and presses hard upon the spirit the conclusion is wrath made this rod and 't will kill me if I had a thousand lives These are our conclusions meerly ours and Satans Christ hath no hand at all in them Fatherly displeasure is love a God setting himselfe against your sin not against your persons he hath imbraced these with an everlasting love Satan visits much when the soule is in paine 't were well if good hearts did know when he comes his counsels his prescriptions are all desperate when the heart is heavie then he shewes such the nailes of that hand that is upon them how long they be and how hard they pinch and what deepe dints and blacke and blew markes they make i he makes an exact collection of circumstances about every stroake of God with his own comment in the margent As to instance Love doth strike her beloved ones indeed but doth shee strike so strong so long so deep Doth shee strike and not stroake a jot Not with her own hand nor no body else Doth shee wither every other womb of love when shee leaves bringing forth her selfe 'T is a frowne of God 't is a pang of death upon the soule certainly thou canst not recover it saith that cursed spirit One would construe the Devill under a notion of simplicitie in this there may be charitie to the Devill he is so under justice himselfe that he can see nothing else and this is the strength of the torment that is upon him but yet then he is to be judged no fit leader in such a case as this when he hath to doe with spirits in a better station then himselfe The workes of God are wonderfull especially such as reach the soule and need to be read over often ere a man venture to make a positive conclusion upon them that this and no other is the meaning Afflicted Christians you are too rash too venturous paine puts you into passion that 's a very mis-judging condition You judge things before the time this in small matters is no small fault nor of no small evill event but what is it when a man doth thus about the greatest acts that relate to him in all the world The tranquillity of the soul is embarked in a right judgement of things let Satan your own passion any wile whatsoever overturne this and you shipwracke and sinke your consolation irrecoverably therefore studie long pray long waite long ere you draw up a judgement upon that hand-writing that is in the wall against you Doe as that Heathen judge others better able to interpret the hand-writing against you then your selves And if you would have the exact meaning of this strange stroake or that doe as he did send for the most experienced spirituall man in all the world Some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let him rather then thy selfe make a judgement upon that hand that writes bitter things against thee Open thy breast and say Sir doe you see any plague-spot in my breast one cannot look very well in his own breast 't is so high open it fully to another Pray Sir deale faithfully with me Do you see any plague spots in my breast There be spots there are they the spots of Gods people or not How black be they How broad be they How many be they If thou wilt make many curious questions about thy state and drive things to an exact disquisition be sure that thou take one by thee better able then thy selfe to guide thee or thou wilt condemne the innocent and execute thy selfe Judgement setled and something may be spoken to the man to doe him good There are two considerations which may much relieve when trials pinch the soule 't is for some through and noble good to the partie and for some through and noble use for Christ The throne of iniquitie is struck at the head of the Serpent is trod upon powers within are Satans strongholds things which paine and shake these come to Satans bed-side and holds a knife to his throat where he lies tumbles and sleepes The Granadoes which are cast into the soule burne the devill in his bed they burne the branch yea they burne the root of sin 't is an axe to the roote Sin considered as it lies lodged in the heart is the root of it therefore saith the Apostle Covetousnesse is the root of evill it being as it were the heart to all other sinnes Exorbitant affections which lie all within these are the roots of all the sin you act that which is so ordered and steeped as to affect these dis-affected passions strikes at the root of sin Seest thou a man prickt in soule Stand still thou wilt see pride come downe branch and root Seven Devils turned out a floare throughly cleansed drosse purely purged away a man made cleane every whit outside inside all faire in the eye yea in the vote of Christ yea in the vote of Christ to the soule it selfe And now and not till now is a Christian fit for noble service thus throughly dead and thus throughly raised Pride slaine all her children that is loose affections murthered in their bed the meek and pure spirit crowned with a vision of God you may send this dove forth any where he will come home with an olive branch in his mouth Set this soule about what worke you will that belongs to a Christian and he will doe it truly and if it be to cloth the naked to relieve the oppressed hee l powre out his soule or state to the needie and he will doe it with tender bowels because he hath needed them himselfe and hath tasted how sweet they are When the soule goes forth in action then is action done nobly indeed The Lord is with them that uphold my soule says David and we thinke he points at Jonathan when he had scarce any else to cleave to him When every ones heart was as Iron Jonathan loved David as his own soule Jonathan had been put to it he knew what
sizes some bigger some lesser two talents five talents ten talents concerning the glory above t is disputed whether it be graduall but concerning the glory of a Christian here it is a resolved thing that it is graduall there is migration in our glory here going from glory to glory from strength to strength Milke and strong meate babes and full age crums and Flagons love and abounding in love Our Kingdome comes our Kingdome here is a comming Kingdome Mercies are all shaped by Love it is the property of Divine Love to higthen dispensation still till shee hath lifted the soule beloved fully into her bosome Grace t is in the beginning little a graiâ—â— of Mustardseed in progresse great in the end all to wit Heaven which is all now doth Love fully possesse her beloved and now she rests and not till now beyond Heaven there is no gradation no step higher Love hath got her full end which is the full possession of what shee makes out to and now rests Love shapes Mercy so as fully to bring about her end and that is to bring the soule shee loves into her bosome to the full fruition of her selfe of whatsoever shee is you may see this demonstrated in Christ the Father loves him and he gives him mercies greater and greater and never leaves till hee hath lifted him fully into his bosome to his right hand i the fruition of all John 5.20 The Father loveth the Sonne and showeth him all things that himselfe doth and hee will show him greater workes then these that yee may marveile My Father hath given me great things already but hee will give me greater for he loves mee and this will drop and drop till it hath dropped out all it will never rest till it hath brought mee into his bosome The love of God carries the same property and proportion to a Christian and this makes the grouth of a Christian necessarily as the grouth of a Crocadile of which it is written that hee groweth alwayes so doth a Christian till hee bee transplanted into Heaven Vse T is trying this point what truth is in you Your graces are not so great but you may have greater if this be not regarded as you taste not grace what tang it has so you understand not grace what order t 'as Spirituall fulnesse speakes a deluded heart hee that hath goods enough enough for many yeares enough to make his felicity for ever and therefore rests is a foole hee knowes not his state what hee has nor what he wants Blinde men 't is observed do not dreame so much as men that see because fancy in the day hath not so much nor so lively impressive imployment to set it at worke in the night but blinde soules dreame more a great deale then they that see This is one of their dreames among many I have enough grace to bring me to Heaven I hope and I care for no more I love not to be pragmaticall Some make a great deale of stir and run mad t is extreame naught this I like it not Answ this is one extreame but there are two extreames and vertue in the midst of them dost thou eye t'other extreame Some die with heate others die with cold Thou seest others too hot may'st not thou be too cold grace in the true knowledge of it is inviting 't is like some Liquids drinking makes thirstinesse and longing for more drinke every degree of grace possessed makes discovery of greater degrees not possessed One Chamber of Christ hath a window looking into another far bigger and more glorious Thou art entered into one thou sayest dost thou looke into another more glorious and long to enter into it if thou be a stranger to these things thou art a foolish Virgin that possibly hast knocked at the doore of Christs house a little but art yet indeed entered into no roome when Christ had opened the nature of spirituall bread unto his followers that they did indeed understand it they fell a longing presently for more what they had discovered much more behind which they wanted and therefore cryed Lord evermore give us of this Bread Vse This point is upbraiding the light which shines upon us is more glorious then that which shined upon our Fathers that which hath beene hid from Ages and from Generations we have made manifest to us wee have mercies according to externall communication of the biggest what have you according to internall communication this will be looked after This is a day of great things a time wherein Christ brings about great things to our doores our fathers day was a day of small things yet if they were judged for despising their day of small things how much more shall you be judged that despise the day of great things t is the Apostles argument to the Hebrewes and must be mine to you Despite is a spiritull act deliberate disaffection to the loveliest things The posture of our spirits wee least looke at and this Christs Eye is most of all fixed upon Externall carriages are all measured and titled from the heart God rules in the inside of his enemies hee unbowells this Generation and Christens it in blood according to its spirit We offer despite to the spirit of grace we tread under foot the bloud of the Lord Jesus can wee tell whether this iniquity will be blotted out till this Generation die The heart fired against truth abides so t is part of that unquenchable fire below God allowes Satan to bee fueler in such a soule till they both come to burne together in hell Love lost Christ cares not for the person let him be what he will if hee be the greatest man in the World he will burne to death in that fire which burnes in his breast against Christ Our love now to be least when greatest love is tendered can you imagine that this iniquity will be quickly forgotten great heare makes great thunders t is so now the Sun of love shines mighty hot and now wickednesse thunders and so will Justice and righteousnesse too believe it COLOS. 1.26 But now is made manifest c. THe word notes two things appareo et splendeo vision and shining vision that is according to Gospel speech still in the letter and in the spirit the understanding of words which one reads by workes which one feeles a voyce behind one interpreting that before one circumcision outward in the flesh and this explained by circumcision inward in the spirit There is a narrative and an operative light that which makes one talke well and that which makes one walke well that which enables one to produce bookes for his authority in discourse and that which enables one to produce his soule and his life for authority here is my soule and my life reade if it be not so as I say let men and Angells all the World reade if they will The Manifestation which our Apostle speakes of here is the latter for he speakes of such
creation was up in an outcry against him Man is the prime creature miserable and yet the prime creature cryd out upon to be more miserable man is not miserable enough yet let me overwhelme and drown all saith the Sea let me not leave a man alive saith the deepe Let me open my mouth and eate up all the men in the world saith the earth Let me breake forth and burne all saith the Heavens There is a strong propensity in all the creation to make an utter end of man without the least compassion towards him in any breast There is a joynt conspiracy in the creation just as there was in Noahs latter time to swallow up all and the creation shall obtaine its will upon all the wicked world at last and when that time comes you shall see what Gospell is in the creation not a dram of mercy shall any wicked soule finde so will Heaven and earth and the deepe conspire And as for the Law that is a Volume which heigthens all this cry and avers the justice of the creation in its cry and cries out for blood stronger then it Not a dram of any compassion to be found in the breast of any thing towards man no not scarce in man to man Acts 21.1 2. The Apostle after he had escaped shipwracke wondred to finde man-friendship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being cast upon the Island of Melita the inhabitants there saith he made a fire for us because of the raine and because of the cold and they shewed us no little man-friendship he wondred having escaped the Sea that the people of the Island had not eaten him up and therefore the words that follow are observable When we came to land then we knew the name of the Island Melita quasi Melifluae insula i. an Island flowing with honey because he had found flowing mercie double kindnesse by Sea and Land The Gospell holds out this man friendship t is a Volume full of compassion to man so doth the Apostle expresse it Titus 3.4 But after that the kindnesse of man-friendship of God our Saviour appeared expressing the Gospell The Gospell is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a volume that holds forth Christ not onely as compassionate but as very facile this way and that is riches of glory indeed Love and kindnesse in order to any but Christ are wrought things there is a great deale of art to make some persons smile and it is so generally in point of kindnesse and mercy there must be a great deale of art used to any but Christ to bring them to it men must be heated and warmed againe and againe to make them beath and bend strait to my purpose but Christ is facile this way Titus 3. But after the gentlenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or facilenesse of God our Saviour appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is gentle and facile towards man ready to be brought on to doe him good in the saddest state the word is so translated Galat. 5. The fruit of the Spirit is gentlenesse Christ gives and forgives very much and he doth it without much 〈◊〉 easily chearfully t is his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will yea and t is his meat and drinke to doe our will so farre forth as it doth conduce to righteousnesse and unto holinesse t is his meat and drinke to give us meat and drinke although it be his body and blood Love comes from Christ just as showers from Heaven and not as water out of a pump I will come as the formes and the latter Raine saith the Prophet and every word of this Gospell and not such another word in any other Book to be found As the formes and the latter Raine i very naturally Love comes from Christ just as leafes out of a Tree those leafes you reade of in the Revelation which are good to heale bud out naturaly and that but an illustration how love comes from Christ it growes and buds out of it selfe where no body can by any art fetch it out and then when buded out smiles and lookes greene upon men truly this is riches of glory indeed and yet thus doe the greatest acts of mercy come from Christ to man The Apostle to the Hebrewes mentions a great act of mercy and he mentions this very circumstance with it to wit how facile it comes But God willing more abundantly to shew his love to man and immutability of his counsell did make an Oath To this great act of mercy solemne swearing to seale and establish man God comes off very willingly or with much strength of affection and so the word is reade sometimes hee was strongly carried this way to sweare to establish and make weake hearts strong God was in such a temper in this very act as he was when he gave up his life J have a sacrifice and O how I am prest together within my selfe till it be sacrificed which expression shewes the great willingnesse of Christ to drinke off that deadly Cup. You have the same word used where the Apostle sayes love constraines mee This is the riches of the glory of the Gospell it holds forth compassion with much strength i bowels sounding very loud The Apostle fastens upon this circumstance to no to the kindnesse that comes from God to be exceeding riches because it goes forth so facile Eph. 2.7 That in Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his grace in his gentlenesse or facilenesse towards us This doth note exceeding riches indeed that Christ should bee facile in kindnesse towards man that arch Rebell The Gospel is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an expression used by the Father of his Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set forth that infinite rest he had in him for person and action as our Mediator t is a terme that notes such large affection as is competent onely to God such as is a Heaven to him The Gospel holds forth Christ in this very frame of love towards man even as one in Heaven when he thinks of bringing man thither which spirit is called a thing of highest glory Luke 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory in the highest things what are those highest things Peace in Earth And what next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest and solace in men which is a high thing indeed and may well be called one of the highest things of glory that God should finde rest in man As God speakes of Christ so doth hee of those that are in him this is my beloved Sonne in whom J 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solace my selfe have had my Heaven from all eternity And such a thing is it now for God to looke in Christ towards sinners it is a Heaven to him t is his rest to lie in the bosome of a sinner to lie in the place where his Sonne lies though in a Manger which is riches of glory indeed riches which make glory T is the pleasure and the grace of
spirit they were such that had not so much as that circumcision which was made with hands much lesse that circumcision which was made without hands by the spirit A Gentile in the spirit is one ignorant without God in the World that is without the knowledge of God it is explained so by another expression like this that at that time yee were without Christ being Aliens Eph. 2.12 And by another expression to them that are without the Law as without the Law 1 Cor. 9.21 that is such as had no knowledge of the Word of God nor did acknowledge any such thing as a rule of life but their own blind traditions and customes Gentilisme is a meere Chaos a little World lying all in confusion darkenesse upon the face of the deepe the understanding which is as the face of the soule blind not able to finde out God in his Word or Workes what in essence or what in existence what hee is or what he doth in Heaven in Earth in the soule of man nor what hee will doe though all these exprest and told of at large a Gentile in spirit is one that cannot see God nor feele after him that can use neither head nor hand no reason nor sense divinely one that fits in darkenesse and cannot stir any power internall or externall towards the true God One that fits in darknesse wich is an expression I thinke in allusion to the Egyptians who had thicke darkenesse such obscurity of darknesse as the originall saith that they saw not any man his brother neitheir rose any man from his place for three dayes mittacheaif de sub se not from under himselfe or not from off himselfe and these were Gentiles and in this I thinke the lively type of all Gentiles who are in such thick darkenesse spiritually that they sit stock still not one can arise from of himselfe to apprehend any thing out of himselfe and above himselfe that which hee worships is himselfe the imagination of his own brain his zeale is seated in blind principles and this is his God that he knowes no God As I passed by and beheld your devotion I found an Altar with this inscription to the unknowne God and these were Gentiles and this blind principle was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innâ—itten or written in them for the Altar was but an emblem of their heart they did hold out by this what was in them to wit a God adored but no body could tell what no not they themselves any further then selfe some carnall fancies hotly pursued and after no other light would they search with braine or sense The Apostle reproves them in this scope though you have not the Word of God yet you have had the workes of God if you had pursued these as blind men that use their hands in stead of their eyes and make a good shift to finde their way you would certainly have found out God to better purpose then this inscription quotes and then relates the story of the Creation viz. who hath made of one bloud all Nations if happily they might feele after him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word notes touching or groaping with the hand not able to imploy understanding nor sense about the Word or Workes of God to finde out God which is just the state of a brute and so are the Gentiles shadowed to be in Pauls vision there were all manner of Beasts in the sheet that was let downe to him but nothing else A Gentile in spirit is one blinde and obstinate he shuts his eyes against some things and none must open them opens his eyes to other things and none must shut them he loveth darknesse better then light and no body must stir nor wake his love till hee please this obstinacy is well exprest by Christ Mat. 18.17 if hee will not heare the Church let him be as a Heathen an Ethnick which is the same word with the Text I stand on if hee will not heare let him be accounted a Gentile a Gentile is a wilfull person Let a man be in Church-state and under-light yet if wilfull in sinne loving darknesse and against light hee is as a Heathen that is he is a Gentile in spirit hee is formerly and really a Gentile onely he is not outwardly called so he is not called so by men but he is so by God The Jewes the greatest amongst them the Scribes and Pharisees that instructed company although of the Jewish Church and eminent in Office yet as obstinate and raging opposers of Peter and his Ministery are cald by the Spirit of God Ethicks and in the second Psalme where the Prophet speakes of Heathenish great ones opposing Christ applied it to them as fulfilled in them Acts 4.25 when they were let goe they reported to their owne company that is to the rest of the Apostles and Disciples all that the chiefe Priests and Elders had said to them and when the Apostles heard it they lifted up their voice with one accord and said O God which hath made Heaven and Earth who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said Why doe the Heathen rage and so forth and there cals them Ethnicks Gentiles and because of this that they were wilfull and raging in their blindnesse and wickednesse against Christ This property also of stubbornnesse was lively shadowed in that Type of the Gentiles forementioned there were such and such kinds of beasts in the sheet that was let down to Paul and wild beasts saith the Text to note that this is one eminent property in an ethnicall spirit wildnesse headinesse obstinacy in his blinde course Spirituall gentilisme is opened have I not done two works at once opened the Doctrine and opened your condition are ye not Gentiles in heart though not so call'd truth should be own'd whether with us or against us or there is no remedy confession of sinne is a necessary Gospell requisite sinners can have no mercy without it if ye lay not open your sinne to God t will lay open you to God Angels and men and a soule laid open by the word is one found out in the fact when God hath found out and seised upon a sinner for him then to deny the fact or seeke to breake away from him as one that breakes bolts by being more boysterous in sin this man will die for it and not have pardon no not hope on 't hee 'l not have his booke there is not the least tender of grace to the soule whilst convictions are strangled but treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath to burne hornets in their nest seeing they will not come out convictions stifled is like Powder in a mine that when sprung it blowes up all and no fire so terrible as this stifled fire for renting and tearing the soule A mans soule discovered by truth God hath found out the man the effect will be this the man will now prove a deare friend or a desperate enemy to Christ the vision
sit down in here and yet this is not all 't is a place much haunted which is the last particular which speaks the forlornnesse of a place you take but a fancy that this place and that is haunted with evill spirits and you will not sit downe in such a place for all the world this is reall and no fancy concerning your soules there is no place in all the world hell excepted so haunted with evill spirits as the soule of man that room within us Come out of the man thou unclean spirit saith Christ and Christ askt him his name and he said my name is Legion for we are many but how many that the devill himself could not tell or would not Mark 5.9 The invisible world is more populous then the visible you have an innumerable company of evill spirits haunting one soule the numerousnesse of diabolicall spirits infesting the soule is hinted by that similitude of our Saviour comparing them to Fowles that flock to their prey Some fell by the high way and the Fowles came and gathered it up saith the Text Rev. 16.14 There be flocks of Crowes and Rooks and Ravens and black fowle in the aire And then they are called Locusts in the Revelation a creature more populous then any History writes of them that they foresee a famine and then leave such parts and flee in such a mighty company that like a great thick cloud they darken the Sun for a great compas that whole countreys of people see them as they flee and fear lest they will light where they live and devoure all There is another title given to diabolicall spirits to note etheir populousnesse in the pursuit of the soule of man the devill is called Beel-zebub an Idol or God of flies intimating that those evill spirits that haunt our soules here are as thicke as swarmes of flies There is another Scripture that speaks to this point Math. 7.21 This kinde goes not out c. There are it seems divers kinds of evill spirits The result of all is this Christ useth a very forlorne seat in this world There is a necessity of this if he have to doe with us for there are no other seats to be found here It speaks the great condiscension of Christ and should be taken notice of by us and mentioned to his honour Meek sitting upon an Asse Consider or this expression how divine condiscension is observed and extold Had not Christ been very meek and full of humility he had never stoopt so low as to take a dwelling in us the word you translate meek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine word parvus comes from it which signifies little meeknesse and humility is that which doth little one The great God oh how doth he little himselfe to come to live in us how doth he obscure his glory to lie in a Stable and in a Manger brutish filthy places and yet those did but typifie where his internall lodging as God is to wit in a stinking loathsome hellish place the souls of men the highest the perfectest purity to seat himself in the perfect'st impurity The Apostle when he speaks of something a this side this he cals it humbling and debasing himselfe he humbled himselfe to the death yea to the grave yea to a spirituall grave not onely to at base place for his body which was quickly over but to a base place for his soule to wit our soules which grave lasts a great while Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave yes 't is left in our soules and what is this but a grave a place of rottennesse a continent of devills an uppermost though not a neather most hell Can a hell praise God Can the grave praise Christ The Scripture seems to put an impossibility upon what I exhort to I am exhorting the grave to praise Christ that hee would come there if it be possible let the grave praise Christ let your soules which are the spirituall graves of Christ open their mouthes and make a resurrection of him and of his love that lies there Take up Hannah's song The Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth downe to the grave and bringeth up the Lord maketh poore and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up He raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dung-hil to set them among Princes and to make them inherit thrones of glory for the pillars are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them c. Vse 'T is mighty consolatory this point where Christ lodges himselfe yea be it never so filthy or forlorne a place he will make it absolutely blessed before he hath done Doe but observe what he saith O grave I will be thy victory and the Apostle applyes this spiritually and cheares the godly the grave death and hell they are all within you and there lyes Christ and he will be the destruction of all though your soules be as the grave full of rottennesse full of filthy smels a thousand times worse than any grave in the world yet he that sweetned the corporal grave by lying in it he will sweeten this before Christ hath done with the soule he will not leave the least ill favour in it not any thing that is sinne or lookes like it not any evill spirit not any wicked spirit shall fift you haunt you he will make the place where he lyes even as pure and perfect as heaven what is that which kils good people in this world but when the grave opens and they see their misdeeds and smell how loathsome they are you see the grave open you must also think who lies there as it were buried you must as she * Martha look for the living amongst the dead and remember what Christ hath said That he will be the victorie and rest and cheare your soules with this hath Christ conquered the greater hell and will he not conquer the lesser hath he made victory over the grave in which he lay under infinite wait of sinne and wrath and will he not make victory over that grave where some sinnes lye and no wrath Certainly he will turne the grave into a Palace and furnish it royally and so hang it that it shall doe any one good to behold it The soule is Christs in-room and he is very curious about this all appurtinances to it shall be like the possessour of it very exact there shall be nothing called lignum as the Roman Dames were wont to say that is meare wood COLOS. 1.27 Hope of glory DIvine things at a distance have their influence upon the soul a word of heaven sets the soul a longing and looking after it and this is called hope Hope speaks an heire under age knowing his inheritance and expecting possession writings are throughly read propriety plainly found out evidence about the man yea evidence in him to shew Christ in you the hope of glory As corporall nourishment passeth through severall concoctions and
be in-entereth the World sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou fitted mee Christ is fitted and ready to make in entrance and this in-entrance is that which makes peace and hope in the soule Christ centered in the heart is at rest when Christ is at rest in us wee are at rest in him COLOS. 1.27 Hope of Glory T Is hard to open this terme yet it will be meete to make at it a little if one can but get a glimpse of glory by humble industry it will be worth the while a little of Heaven and for but a little while as Paul had when on earth t is very sweet in our sad and forelorne state Glory is absolute perfection as things come short of this they are defective all defect destroyes glory as glory is strictly and properly taken so it is here there be severall glories the utmost of every such a being is its glory That may bee called glory in order to a Plant or a Brute which may not be so called in order to man his being is so vast and so receiving unlesse this vast being be fild up and every veine and rivelet run as many fadome deep as they should and as they did when first made out from the fountaine man cannot be said to be in glory And therefore to speake properly glory is a garment which God only weares and such as sit in his bosome who have there that which is else no where the utmost of such vast beings this is generall We must by the command of our Text speake of glory precisely in order to man and what that is you shall see in Christ who brought mans glory from Heaven for him and in the person and nature of man wore it here though the World could not see it a curtaine of flesh being drawne before it but the Saints then living saw a glimpse of it in him And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth John 1.14 The first Adam lost his glory Christ held it though the World far otherwise and far worse then when Adam lived in it What was Adams glory The Image of God What was Christs glory The same full of grace and truth Were we but full of grace and truth wee should be in glory in Heaven here as Christ was What was Christs glory is our glory his fulnesse was in way of unction and Office and so shewes and assures what is and what shall be our glory Glory is holinesse and joy in fulnesse therefore is Heaven called a holy Heaven Psal 20.6 Christs fulnesse fully imparted grace for grace The soule come to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ The glory of the eyes is to see and to see perfectly and so of the eare and so of every other Organ Sinne hath rackt the soule and pul'd every lim out of joynt bu◠they are set againe by Christ here for a little use but not so as they shall be we go lame and go in paine our very holinesse is halting and afflicting there is no glory in that So farre as we come short of the Will of God habitually or actually wee come short of glory Wee all sinne and come short of the glory of God The expression notes what is glory to wit full congruitie to the Will of God such a congruity as excludes all sinne Our inheritance is undefiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.4 it is unspotted and cannot be defiled the word used in the originall is the name of a pretious stone too which do what you will to it you cannot blemish it throw it into fire t is taken out still more bright and cleare such is our inheritance and state above a glory that hath no in-glory or dis-glory nor nothing can make disglorious can any spot the Sun though they should throw dirt at it not the shaddow of sinne above or imperfection nor can by any diabollical art be made there be that set their mouthes against Heaven Psal 73.9 that blaspheme the Tabernacle of Heaven and yet cannot spot grace and truth here much lesse can it be spotted above Every one goes all cleane above inside outside and nothing can defile either they are of such an amiantous nature there is no having and then losing above Fulnesse of joy this necessarily springs out of the other for as holinesse is so is joy t is the flower that holinesse beares the greene leafes and fruit of the Tree of life If wee could attaine a fulnesse of holinesse here wee should have a fulnesse of joy they are so connaturall if we were in the condition of Christ for the one we should necessarily be for the other Our Saviour is expresly cleare in this Jf yee keepe my Commandements yee shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandement and abide in his love these things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remaine in you and that your joy might be full Could wee walke in Christs Commandements as he did in his Fathers we should live in his bosome here and be embraced with such embracements and raptures as he was If we had Christs holinesse wee should have Christs joy remaine in us and then our joy would be full these things have I spoken to you that my joy might remaine in you that is such a joy as I have that hath no want nor no expression t is so full of glory and so full of sweetnesse for that is the reason Christ gives it such a name my joy because the nature of it is unexpressable in our termes or in any Language amongst the Sonnes of men in a suffering condition when the soule holds tite in obedience through the power of Christ it comes then mighty neere Heaven and then observe what it hath it hath Christs joy joy full and beyond expression joy unspeakable and full of glory Full joy is full of glory 't is the spring of the Yeare all things greene and florishing smiling and singing These things hint their state above and what glory is t is fulnesse of holinesse and joy as the one is proportioned to Christ so is the other we have his stature and his measure in both brim-full Our state here is a state of reception and therefore asking and praying continuall worke their state above is a state of plenitude and therefore praying and asking work quite over aske and you shall receive saith Christ aske that your joy may be full John 16.24 Aske that asking worke and begging worke may be over there be no beggars in Heaven no not for joy though that be a top mercy Defect in joy is from the distance of something that the soule reaches at there is no longing in Heaven that which wee account a mercy here is an affliction there to thirst and pant after such and such Divine things such and
doth cast off former delights utterly upon such a present excellency of delight and joy as doth suffice and fill up the soule now the Word of God got into the heart the voice of the Bridegroom heard in the soule or with the soule it makes a full joy such a joy as beside or beyond which the soule knowes none nor desires none John 3.29 This my joy therefore is fulfilled said John therefore is fulfilled Wherefore why that as a friend of the Bridegroome he could stand and heare the voice of the Bride spiritually heare Christ eare and heart his words take in and take downe the drops that fell from his mouth Though they are but drops that fall from Christs mouth here in comparison of what falls from his lips above yet they are so big that they fill the soule every Grape of this Vine ounce grapes There is a grape in forraigne parts which because of the greatnesse of it is call'd an ounce grape Every grape of this Vine to wit Christ is an ounce grape every drop from his mouth an ounce drop of so much juyce and liquor as fills the soule with joy and the soule filled once then it doth indeed bid farewell to all joyes and all delights parts with all parting things utterly If you finde that the Word is of no spirituall force that it doth not go into your soules Christ in this case must be move'd Divine institutions are not necessarily successefull all meanes are so ordered that the soule in the midst of them should looke up to Christ The word and Christ as well as the creatures and Christ are separable here below though not above and joyn'd together by faith and prayer Many brave things may be spoken to us from the word but we can receive in none unlesse we have a higher helpe then the meere Word which we heare There arose a question between Johns Disciples and the Jewes about purifying John answered the question briefly and pithily A man can receive nothing unlesse it be given him from heaven meaning not extraordinary graces and gifts for office nor ordinary as a Christian John 4.27 Receptions and takings in of divine things these are high things indeed gifts from heaven We may bring many brave things and lay them at your doore at your eares but the taking in of these into your heart this must be given you from heaven And blessed him that had the promises Heb. 7.6 't is more for a person to have the promises then to have meerly the Word preacht to him Abraham was one that had the promises and yet he needed a super-benediction to make all promises blessings to him something from heaven to make all the words he heard on earth heaven to him how much more need there a blessing from heaven attending men which have not the promise as Abraham had but onely the Word sounded to them The spring is in God still therefore let no man mistake himselfe when he looks upon the Trunke The Word is but a Pipe and conveyance of the Spirit All my strings are in thee To have springs in our soules to have words turned into works working words we must with the Spouse look up to God Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to beare it Cant. 8.13 'T is the complaint of many poore soules that the Word is of no power in them that it gets within such and such and they are melted and delated and run out in strength of love to Christ Why tell your sad story to Christ as the Spouse doth the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to heare it such and such can eare and heart the Word cause me to doe so too COL 1.28 Teaching every man DIscipline is suted to the state of sinners some are obstinate unruly in thy filthinesse is lewdnesse Ezek. 24.13 to such belongs warning that is Blaming Warne the unruly saith the Apostle Obstinacy is not a first but a last growth of sinne it notes a sinner of so long standing a senior in sin one almost ripe for wrath The Word must be sharpe and keene when hearts are hard to make their owne way because the heart will not yeeld and give way Reprehension is not to goe alone without instruction whom we warne we are to teach Men are obstinate because ignorant as reprehension is proper to men as unruly so is instruction proper to them as ignorant the one doth but lop sinne the other doth grub it up by the rootes Christ aimes in the Discipline he uses at the rooting up of sinne he hath a double property in his breath he doth blast and then blesse blast by reprehension and then blesse by instruction by breathing in right principles The nature of a Christians cleansing I am to stand upon Gospell purification is full Doct. 1 Christ doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expurgare purge out filth filth is not detected and then cloakt and hid againe dust is not swept together and then laid behinde the doore but throwne out The eternall God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say destroy Their enemies in Canaan shadowed the enemies in our heart which Christ did not onely detect but thrust out he saies to his Spirit and to ours thrust out sin purge out therefore the old Leaven kill and carry out the dead and 't is so Christs words are actions what he bids what he commands his Spirit and our spirits to do they doe opposition is strong between Christ and Satan and yet the spirit of Justice guides him in all that he doth to the most unjust and cursed things in the world Christ doth no other to Satan and sinne than they would doe to him they have killed Christ and thrust him out of the world out of the great world and they would doe so also to him in order to the little world they would kill him and thrust him out of the heart This and no lesse is in the nature of sinne and without possibility of any thing else and therefore compared to Thornes and in a type named children of Belial seeking to de-throne David yea to take away the life of David i. Christ and therefore are but justly served so themselves But the sons of Belial shall all of them as thornes be thrust away because they cannot be taken away with hands 2 Sam. 23.6 Belial signifies perversenesse sine jugo non ascendens things that are without yoak or things that will not ascend such things Christ do's make to descend Christ doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repurgare he doth purge out and then repeat this act for perfection sake 'T is in grace as t is in nature there is in nature an expulsive power and this can repeat it selfe till all that offend be throwne out and nature fully quiet and at rest Grace can doe thus it hath an expulsive power to throw
a noble life as we pretend to when we professe a religious life this life is according to every dram drawne from Christ 't is not from the speciousnesse of our owne action nor from other folkes incouragement This time is full of straits externall ingagements byasse men much about internall and externall things if this temptation were over saith one I would take a better course No thou wouldst not courage to the things that are noble springs not from any earthly advantage if all secular authority in the Land should say they would secure thee for any dammage that thou shouldest suffer in pursuite of such a Religious cause yet would thine owne heart fall off like the Jsraelites from entring the holy Land and thou wouldest as they step back when at the doore ready to enter who though Moses and Aaron bid them to enter yet they fell off so though Parliament and Synod were at thy back and did incourage thee to enter yet if thou have no other incouragement thou wilt not step a step in the wayes of God by the grace of God J am that J am saith Paul let all the men in the World be never so gratious to thee yet wilt thou be as ungratious as thou art to the day of thy death if the grace of Christ do not put Spirit and Life into thee Externall inducement is nothing that mans Religion is nothing that thinks otherwise and 't will prove so to his shame and losse if his eyes be not opened to see it If a man speake meerly of a naturall life that is a life as a man as such a creature then a man may say of externall good things as Hezekiah of health and strength and other outward advantages in these is the life of my spirit but if you speake of Divine Life life to that which is Heavenly in riches honours friends parts in no exernall thing in no internall thing but in Christ is the life of my spirit according to his working not according to my own working shall I worke for God and for his glory Stratagents and wiles is much made use of in these times of woe Satan uses it too stay saith hee till Parliament and Synod put life into thee till they doe this and they do that 't is good to honour authority in that which is proper to such authority but so you may stay till the sword of Gods wrath that is in the Land kill you all Worke according to his working within you and take heed of checking this to waite for others working without you to set you forward strangle the quicknings of the spirit and expect quicknings from men and thou wilt be executed by conscience for the greatest murtherer in the World Our life beares upon the operation of Christ Le ts make Christ the fountaine and then le ts draw as much water of life from him as may bee You see how exact and expresse the proportion is made betweene Christs operation and our life such operation such life we strive according to his working therefore le ts set Christ at worke hard and get as much divine operation and life from him as may be Divine operation is the choysest mercy in the World how full of life is my spirit when in the Hands of God! when hee hath it working and moulding of it commend thy spirit therefore often into his hands send him much worke Spirits are so much imployed and over-wrought in the World that Christ hath little or no work sent him no house nor shop to work in A man no an image stands before God in duty a thing without a soule no spirit sent to God to talk with no soule no child of the soul at home to tell where the Parent is children of the soule I meane thoughts desires all sacrificed to devills at the end of the earth and thus farre from home must abide and never be sent for home who ere come to visit them though it be Christ himself what Divine operation can be in the soule when the soule is so given up to gadd after worldy things Divine operation is a very retired act two great Pears in conference may not be interrupted things in discusse being of such great concernment the Spirit of God and the spirit of man Divine operation it is a vision from Heaven of property like that of Pauls that bindes the soule in order to all carnall objects that may make the minde gad and in this vision as in that is a voyce a still voyce Saul Saul sinner sinner why dost thou do this and that against me but this still voyce is full of life to the soule that stilly listens this operation of Christ silenceth that noyse which is in the soule by the operation of other things and then is there a voyce from Heaven to the soule come up hither O soule thou must be above this and that for the tranquillity and felicity of thy life These are the operations of God in which is the life and Heaven of man All divine operation hath voyce the word and the spirit goe together still Christ workes and talkes makes peace and speakes peace makes war and speakes it to conscience You might know what God is a working in your soules hee speakes it now and then very plaine to conscience you that have eares to heare what the spirit saith the spirit workes and then it speakes what it workes the spirit saith now and then in still weather if you listen now and then you may heare what it saith The spirit and the word go together one moves and quickens the soule by the other Hell-ward or Heaven-ward the one should be much dreaded and the other much desired Divine operation is a thing of the greatest concernment in the World 't is as the spirits in the blood if the Pulse beate and worke not spirits are all wasted death is seized upon the state Sinners I know not how God workes in your soules how hee hath stirred or how he doth onely know this when he leaves pulsation that is ceaseth knocking know that your life is departed the operation and the pulsation of God is the life of the soule the life of the soules is the blessednesse of the soule as I am lively and agile in divine things carried upon Eagles wings to God in all duties so am I in Heaven Get as much therefore of this operation and life as you can I speake this because there is a great difference in Divine operation There is an operation that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will and there is an operation that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all readinesse of minde to will 2 Cor. 8.11 Act. 17.11 they received the word with all readinesse of minde speaking of the noble Bereans There is a great difference betweene Divine operations and this makes a great difference betweene Christian and Christian one farre more noble then an other These were more noble then those of
Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of minde there was not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Willing but all readinesse to will all strength and life of affection to Christ and the Gospell which is the Nobility of a Christian These are the Noble operations that I would have you long and looke after COLOS. 1.29 Which worketh in me mightily Or in power IN-operation simply and in-operation extraordinary are both to be stood upon a little to open this expression unto you the one will open the first part of this expression which worketh in me the other will open the latter part of the expression which worketh in me mightily or in power In-operation simply considered is a supreme act making an eternall impresse upon the soule for life or death Things have their advantage by position so they may be put that every one cannot reach them nor finde them out the heart hath this advantage t is a hidden man an inward creature What you looke upon or touch when you have to doe with a creature of your owne making is flesh and bones but the manhood of this substance or that which makes this substance a man is hidden within so hid that none can reach but by supreme power of its owne or borrowed Among these Nations shalt thou have no ease but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and sorrow of mind Deut. 28.56 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart a stone may be stirred and toumbled sometimes when it is not broken Consider the heart under this metaphor as the Scripture doth for some refractory properties of it and this stone that lies at the center of the little world cannot be stirred nor the foundation of this little world shaken in the least but by a supreme power The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart Those internall operations which make a wicked mans heart shake and tremble sometimes they are from the Lord and when the Lord takes off his hand the stone lies still againe lift and pull whoso will as long and as much as hee will the sinner stirres not which is authority enough that internall operation is a supream act If this be not Job gives further authority and makes a higher instance Consider the stone that lies at the center of the earth the foundation stone of the little world I meane the heart as shaken or as broken and God doth it God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me Job 23.16 When a Christians heart melts and is dissolved take it in a refreshing sense or take it in an afflicting sense supreame power doth it man cannot doe this himselfe a sinner a Saint cannot move the stone in his bosome one jot t is an Almighty act that reacheth the heart of any man the Almighty stirs me within Internall operation is as I have said a supreame act This act makes eternall impresse Internall operation is from a high hand and of high concernment t is of everlasting force the Spirit is called an eternall Spirit not so much in order to being as in order to operation the things that this Spirit worketh in us and for us are life eternall the workman the workhouse the worke wrought in this house are all eternall the Spirit eternall the soule eternall the workes wrought here the carvings or cuttings are eternall unalterable if Christ make but the least dint upon the heart I may challenge all powers in heaven and in earth to even it Operations externall are not eternall not a worke you looke upon without though never so great or glorious but fades and shall be turnd into its fitst nothing but operations internall are eternall what God doth in the soule is to last as the soule if he drop mercy into us this drop shall last for ever though all the mercies without us may be gone in a moment if he drop justice and wrath into us this drop abideth for ever God is called immutable not so much in order to being as in order to action and not in order to all action neither but in order to internall actions such as are done about the soule I am God immutable and change not Change not in what in esse that is granted of all and needs no affirmation no this is not the thing but in operari and about this many doubt I have droped mercy into the hearts of the sonnes of Jacob and it shall never out I have begun a good worke a good internall worke and it shall last to the day of Christ it shall last unto Heaven that is for ever therefore is the Spirit according to his presence and internall operation called the earnest of Heaven and the scale to the day of redemption it makes impresse upon the soule so deepe that abides for ever the worke the Spirit doth in us outstands the gates of hell the Temple that Christ now builds in us not a stone not the least pin of it moulders to all eternity t is so wrought t is so on the other hand what he doth internally in poynt of justice he doth it to purpose All the world on fire without you may sooner quench it then one sparkle of the fire of Gods wrath which he casts into a man this is an everlasting fire an alway punishment as the Scripture speaks Bow downe their backe alwaies pointing at Doeg and Judas and such like wretches that were internally punisht A man internally smitten by the justice of God his backe is broke for ever take Job but as hee personates a wicked mans case forbeare the application of it to himselfe as he doth being then in a temptation let his person alone but take the thing as his apprehension is opened fully in this poynt to his triall for a time and you shall have him speake notably of the property of internall operation in order to evill men God is in one mind when he is at worke in wicked soules one cannot turne him what his soule desireth that he doth Job 23.13 If after great provocation workings and strivings without by words and blowes hee goe to worke within to fit the vessell for wrath if this be now the will of God there is no turning of him nor no turning of the point nor edge of the tooles hee workes with no terminating the effect short of the Authors intention the Trinity in their action internall to expresse this property of it are called agents hitherto The Father worketh hitherto and I worke observe about what works Christ was when he spake thus he was about internall action to wit the curing of the cripple which had laine so long at the poole which was a cripled soule as well as a cripled body Internall operation is of eternall force this is generall and indetermined therefore it followes in the definition t is of eternall force to such an expresse end to life and death that which Christ doth within about
have him p. 291 What the word Paul signifies p. 293 The freenesse of God in all dispensations of grace and place should be matter of admiration p. 294 The Land full of mercies and full of nothing but brutes which tread upon them p. 295 The proper worke of Christians to admire the grace of God p. 298 299 Duty at last is sweetest p. 300 Obedience rejected because of its issue a damnable fault p. 301 What magnanimity is p. 302 303 The great need of magnanimity in these times p. 304 The soules of Gods people as well as their bodies suffer in this world p. 306 307 Comfort when paines rage inwardly p. 309 A man should be very long ere he make a positive conclusion upon some workes of God towards him p. 310 Two considerations which may relieve much when trials pinch the soule p. 311 To fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ c. This opened p. 401 The fury of man implacable ibid. Malicious men fire-shovels p. 402 Christ hath left all his prime businesse in this world to Christians ibid. At what height we are to be for Christ p. 403 None should be secure sin and justice will meet any where in a City walled with Brasse ibid. Christ hath drunke of the bloody cup in his turne the next is this Saint or that p. 404 Gods people are not all in prison at once and why p. 404 405 The order of trials to Gods people hints the order of judgements to the wicked p. 407 The sufferings of a Saint but his turne p. 408 A great honour to drinke of the cup that Christ did ibid. All earth beares thernes p. 409 What oppression is p. 410 How many waies oppression is made p. 411 Great men incident to the sin of oppression p. 412 The greatnesse of the evill of oppression the cause of civill war p. 413 The goodnesse of Christ to be admired as delivering from oppressors p. 414 The Church Militant described p. 415 The misery of the Militant Church to be laid to heart p. 419 How Christians finde their hearts moved to wrestle for the land p. 420 The Crosse keeps off some from the Church Militant p. 421 The Church Triumphant p. 423 All cannot be of the Church Triumphant p. 427 The soule that pants for Heaven spoken to p. 428 What 's done for the soules reliefe must be speedy p. 429 Two things incomparably swift in bringing forth p. 430 Of a sudden sinners are undone ibid. Forbidden fruit agrees well enough with some stomacks p. 431 Family distribution mans blessednesse p. 433 We should not content our selves with common mercies p. 434 They that feed on family favours owe much to God ibid. Christ peculiarly applies himselfe in all his dispensations unto his owne people p. 436 Towards whom Christ inclines we should p. 438 The heart of Christ hanging towards his people they should sucke this Honey-combe p. 439 How the heart of God inclines cannot be gathered by his hand p. 441 Not safe to calculate kindnesse by the motion of outward things p. 442 The word of Christ pure pleasant p. 444 The Gospell rejected p. 446 We are spectators of sin and justice in height p. 447 VVho it is within us that speakes and what answers we returne p. 448 There is a power opening and shutting things of eternall consequence in order to man in this life p. 449 VVhat Christ can doe to a perverse soule p. 451 Sweet to consider that sacred concealments are but for a time p. 452 Mercies have their severall demensions p. 453 Love heightens dispensation till the soule be lifted to Heaven ibid. Growth not regarded speaks unsoundnesse of heart p. 454 We have greater things then our fathers and regard them not p. 455 What the demonstrative light of the Gospell is p. 456 Some have Jobs wish they give up the ghost in the wombe p. 458 The most are finally left ibid. Two things hint a soule finally left p. 460 Gods people shall not be utterly forsaken ibid. A Christian is a hungry thirsty soule and the grounds of it p. 464 465 What is a Christians game p. 466 Growing Christians a great blessing to a Land p. 467 Such as would be strong in affection directed p. 469 What the riches of the mystery of the Gospell is p. 470 Heaven proferd as in Heaven p. 474 Christ and his Ministers to be prized p. 475 What a Gentile is p. 477 The danger of conviction stifled p. 461 Gentiles in heart should be so in name p. 480 Mercy for Gentiles p. 481 Christ in man what it is p. 482 Christ chuseth a very forlorne seat in this world p. 483 Our soules are the spirituall grave of Christ and he will be the victory of this grave p. 487 VVhat hope is p. 488 Our felicity lies in Noble principles p. 450 VVhat glory is p. 491 492 Gospell administration makes exact illumination p. 496 Christ slaine his blood cries in conscience p. 498 The vindiction of conscience p. 499 Divine words put themselves into the mind p. 501 VVhere the word is magisterially in the heart p. 504 VVhat to doe when the word is of no spirituall force p. 506 Gospell purification is full p. 508 I am so filthy that I shall never be made clean this objection answered p. 510 The soule of man is with much difficulty brought home to Christ p. 514 The severall waies the heart hath to keep off the power of the word ibid. VVe should consider well to what our hearts are facile p. 516 How we are to put price upon the soule p. 517 All our perfection is in Christ p. 519 Most in their pursuit after a perfect state mistake p. 521 The employment of a Minister of Christ very laborious p. 524 525 The soule very precious to Christ p. 526 How to ease a Ministers labour p. 528 Bad contention what it is p. 531 Good contention what it is p. 532 The divine nature of contention wherein it lies p. 533 The contention of most voyd of divine property p. 535 Efficiency sufficiency alsufficiency in Christ p. 537 Externall inducements nothing to make one truly religious p. 541 Our life beares upon the operation of Christ p. 542 VVhat internall operation is p. 544 Internall operation of eternall force p. 546 Our greatest maladies are internall and yet cureable p. 547 The greatest good is that which Christ loves p. 549 FINIS TABULAE