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
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
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
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
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
have much of God in them and with them he never sends out these embassadours but he sends the very crown-jewels with them Christ goeth personally among them Three Angels came to Abraham and one of them is Christ as you shall plainly see if you examine the 18. and 19. of Genesis together And so the Psalmist saith the chariots of the Lord are so many thousands and the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place Kings they have some that wait onely upon their person and chariots onely for their person Angels they wait onely upon Christs person where they go one may say as the Psalmist the Lord is among them though men cannot alwayes alike see it and this I think was the reason that Moses was called to put off his shoes when the Angel appeared in the bush because Christ was personally present there among those ministring spirits that were there to signifie good to that people Angels are unexpressable for power for courage and strength they affright all but themselves are affrighted with nothing neither with men nor with devils they will set upon either There is an expression Matth. 13. towards the latter end which demonstrates the strength and courage of Angels admirably They are Christs reapers of the great field of this world The enemy that sowed tares is the devil the tares are the children of the wicked the harvest the end of the world and the reapers the Angels The Angels are they that will make an end of the world that will cut down tares the sowers of them make no more of one then of the other they are such creatures as shall cleanse the world and then burn the world glean the world of all the godly and then burn the rest they can lay such a train that shall blow up the world they are those flames of fire that will set a fire burn all the world at the great day they can take up this world as bigge as 't is and throw it all into hell and hold it there to all eternity They shall be instrumentall about the greatest designe the Scripture speaks of The sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all that offend and shall cast them into a furnace of fire I judge that good Angels are the inflicters of plagues upon the bad and that it is they that make hell to cursed spirits one sparkle of which is bigger then that flame which shall burn the world and judge you then of what courage and strength they are that can take all the wicked men in the world and all the wicked spirits in hell at once by the throat and make them all roar together to eternity All runnes into this that Christ hath an unexpresseable power and strength with him at command to over-rule the visible world Let us bewail the blindnesse of the visible world Would the great men of the world did know how great Christ is Thoughts advance themselves upon no ground pride will be the ruin of thousands a little fleshly dying strength makes men dare heaven this folly will sink men to hell This world is overmatched infinitely and yet proud in its attempts 't is beset with invincible force and yet sees nothing nor does nothing but rebell against all the host of heaven and the Lord of these hostes what strength Christ hath he will put forth against this generation Wicked men fear Christ he will eat you out like a moth else an invisible power will carry the day against you You can onely look upon fleshly strength and you see we have but little of this now so God in his wisdome hath ordered things against us and this makes you bold in your attempts but tremble for verily Christ hath a stratagem upon you when you are confident because you see little power on earth you shall be cut off without hand as the Scripture speaks with an invisible force This is Babylons proper judgement Thou hast trusted in thy wickednesse thou hast said in thy heart I am and none else besides me therefore shall evill come upon thee and thou shalt not know whence it ariseth and mischeif shall fall upon thee and thou shalt not be able to put it off and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly which thou shalt not know Esa 47.11 Wicked wretches glory not whatever your strength be Christ hath an ambuscadoe for you an invisible army which will consume you strangely I have two things to you Christians from this point trust in Christ and admire him Trust in the Lord for with him is everlasting strength Angels never die no work nor no weather kills them or tires them You will be sure Christians of one complete army to lie out for you all this winter which will cost you no money nor need no recrute an army of reformadoes which have been in all the fights that have been in the world since the creation and under such a generall to get skill as is not in the world No men more fearfull then the godly usually I wonder at it you have a wall of fire about you which is better then your wall of earth His ministers are a flame of fire and his ministers are your ministers and encompasse you The Angels of the Lord encamp about them that fear him Fear springs from unbelief and unbelief from unseen means and this is living by sence which if our Father Abraham had so lived in his journey to the mount Moriah and in his journey to Canaan he had broke his heart God hath in this and in many other things shadowed out to Christians how all things respecting the Church of Christ shall be carried in unseen wayes and by unseen powers and therefore commanded living by faith and not by sight and yet every man pleads for a life of sence God works in a way of means say they which is true but these means not alwayes visible As you get by such a life so continue your argument for it Passion is better confuted by the hand of God then by the word of God Unbelief is confuted with standing punishment Lots wife is turned into a pillar of salt and salt is a very tormenting and yet a very lasting thing Admire Christ for he maketh it manifest that he hath an unexpressable power at command to over-rule the visible world he letteth battells go against us for many houres together and cutteth off our arm of flesh and then turneth the day himself by wounded men in an instant no man knoweth how certainly he hath a great command by him which neither enemy nor we are aware of My heart bleedeth to behold how blind we are in talking of men but my heart is more sad to heare how our adversaries curse and take on they say that our Generall deals with the devill or he could not turn about the day so against disadvantage Poore souls some body hurteth them and they cannot see whom
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
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
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 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
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
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
feated so it will abide if sinne be feated in the heart it will abide there till all the bloud of the man be spilt on the ground yea till all that which is ten thousand times more noble then this to wit the soule be lost I will tell you the property of the Word of God in order to such a foule as still keepes his sin t is though sweet in it selfe bitter to such searching piercing tormenting The word of God is quick and powerfull sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing of soule and spirit and this hee spake in order to them which abode in the stubbornesse of their heart and flighted the promise of perfect rest in that Canaan above The heart strongly ingaged to evill truth is very piercing he that so loves sinne that he slightes the rest above he shall have no rest here You cannot imagine the sad boutes and fearfull expectations that unsound soules have and yet this must continue because the breath of the Lord like a River of Brimstone keeps in this Hell as it doth that below The breath of Christ which you spurne against by your spurning lights a fire and shall serve to burne you though it will not to lead you Christ puts to the sword all they which yeeld not burnes and blowes up all that he cannot take Did not our hearts burne within us whilst he talked with us The breath of Christ is hot it burnes within men according to that degree of unbeliefe and resistance it findes in every one without respect of persons Did not our Hearts burne Sinners consider these things and repent sucke in the dying breath of Christ charge folly upon your selves Who is it that speakes to mee what would he have who is it within me that answers and what answers doth it make There are fleshly reasonings and carnall motions take heede of them Everybody will plead for it selfe the body of death will do so which is the death of the soule but methinks the Word of God should silence all If the voyee that speakes to us were considered as such a voyce surely it would In what posture your soules sit in an ordinance is all in all If you thinke I speake these things as a man as Paul saith that it is onely a mans word you will hush your soules asleepe againe as soone as gone from the presence of a man and yet ingenuity would honour mans voyce The beast that spake to Balaam that beast was honoured to speake with mans voyce and that was throwne in Balaams face that mans voyce from a beast would not calme his madnesse The dumb Asse spake with mans voyce But when man is honored to speak with Gods voyce and to forbid your sin and your madnesse therein will you on for all this how much more will this be throwne in your face Consider with what voyce we speak and for how little while this Oracle speakes in this earthen Tabernacle and see how it will worke To day if you will heare his voyce this Tabernacle in which his voyce is and speakes lasts but a day to day if you will heare his voyce sinners doe to morrow the tent will be removed the vaile will be drawne the Oracle will besilent his voyce and our own too will be gone out of our Mouthes and hid from your Eares COLOS. 1.26 Even the Mystery THe carryage of Christ since the fall is here hinted hee doth worke and speake above our reach when he goeth he maketh a path like a Ship in the Sea that no man can finde any thing after him not a step when hee speakes his words are a great deepe a Sea bottomlesse i of such vastnesse in all noble property that no man can mouth them nor utter them after him but stand dumb and silent they are as the title saith here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occludere shut up the Tongue and Lips of man that hee can say nothing Divine prerogative we are to stand upon There is a power opening and shuting things of eternall consequence in order to man in this life This power is purely spirituall action is used to close the Eyes of the dead but it is invissible mans doome is written in the wall and no hand seene nor caracter legible in order to the man concerned though all big and plaine and hee spelled and personated in them because Organs within enervated in which case man hath Eyes and sees not Eares and heares not They that see are made blind but do they know how action is used in this sad worke but can any one explaine it to sence for the time when it was done or for the thing it selfe that is done when went the spirit from me to thee The poore creatures eyes are out but when was it done did the man feele it can he tell the agent or the instrument that did it or what wheele in the Clock is crackt that the motion goes so false The nature of this spirituall occlusive act is this two spirits run their course at last one is finally left and so in the darke and able to see nothing according to the spirituall nature of it so as to stir any noble operation in the soule Faith a Ridle Selfe-deniall a Ridle Regeneration a Ridle a going into ones Mothers belly againe the death of the body of death the Resurrection and the Life all these great things of the Gospell strange things and like the talke of a son to a barren wombe laughed at The sâ—uting up or the opening of the Kingdome of God in order to any is a transaction onely by the spirit cannot enter into the heart of man to conceive but God hath revealed them to us by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things the deepe things of God There is an internall caelestiall vertue coacting with the soule the giving or the suspension of which is mans onely advantage or disadvantage to understand Gods Will the suspension of internall influence keepes the soule spiritually darke what ever other advantages it hath and shuts it out from the Kingdome of Heaven This spirituall occlusive power is feated in Christ For Judgement am I come into this World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Concerning spirituall judicature it is proper to me there is none good at this worke but I saith Christ to cast amist before the Eyes of the minde and to darken the light that is in men this onely I can doe to cast a mist before the Eyes of mens bodies this divells may doe and such men as give themselves to them but to cast a mist before the Eyes of mens soules and to darken the light that is in them and to make the things of eternall Life mysteries and meere ridles this is only Christs work Christ can put out the
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
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
when evil is committed against all means used to avoid it and that case is afflicting but not destroying for 't is the case of the best sometimes The compasse is set to such a haven and all mariners working that way and by force of wind beaten aside As the heart stands to Christ and truth or not so is the man more or lesse carried away some plead against their own hearts as working so and so unruly and side with conscience and Christians as condemning them and wish that as they condemne that which is naught that so they would execute it too and bury it quite that like the body of Moses neither man nor devil might find it to make a resurrection of it again Others plead for an evil engaged affection against Christians yea against conscience and all the art lies to keep along between these two smoothly and well that sinne and the man may enjoy themselves without being notorious both and afraid one of another or both of hell this soul is carried very farre from God if he see it but if not the man is in a desperate condition and yet Christ can bear out of this Does God bear souls heaven-wards load him let him not want imployment cast your burdens upon him Casting our burdens upon God turning off perplexing thoughts making known requests and resting upon God for answers One complains of this and another of that but do you complain of all to Christ that he would give you with his everlasting arms a lift Iniquity is too heavie for the soul and the soul is too heavy for it self when it onely bears it self and makes not to Christ to be born Every thing cracks under the weight of sin our very souls crack under the weight of sinne Sinners thank your selves Why is not Christ of more use with you You would bear all alone that will kill you Christ can carry all alone your souls and the guilt and filth that is in them but none else he did tread the winepresse alone There is art in unloading the soul upon Christ and it lies in this in observing particularly what loads the soul and what Christ hath said particularly to such a case no soul miscarries of being born to heaven that thus does Christians blesse-God he takes much pains with you receive this and I conclude this point Gods arms are as free for you as yours for your children I have often wondred at that expression They shall runne and not be weary but now I see how it comes about we run upon anothers legs Christians that you keep on the way of God so chearfully and so resolutely against all opposition 't is Gods bearing of you blesse him you would wax weary and with-draw to the perdition of your souls else Perseverance in grace is a great deal of pains to Christ though it be little to us When you carry children long in your arms over this stile and over that do not your arms ake Then think of Christ what bearing your souls and your sinnes is and whether it be worth thanks Let him have the burden for the bearing and if it were all gold You pay porters for carrying this and that pay Christ well let him have your souls for the carriage of them Coloss 1.13 Into the kingdome of his dear Sonne CHrist hath double honour from above externall and internall the hand of God and the heart of God and both here one after another to be spoken of Preferment and this as a great favourite A Kingdome and this because dear a sonne of love Into the kingdome of his dear Sonne or Son of his love There is a generall misjudgment of Christ We judged him forsaken of God The Jews generally judge meanly of Christ and so do we Gentiles but all without warrant for God doth not so Christ is high in Gods esteem and hath honour suitable A kingdome here besides a kingdome to come I will make demonstration to you of Christs kingdome here and by such things as are in the kingdomes of men The lambe hath a throne mercy and justice working in power here God sits upon the throne of his holinesse Psal 47.8 Holinesse here speaks mercy and justice and the demonstration of these is Christs throne that upon which he sits Christ hath no other seat nor abiding in this world but as a dispenser of mercy and justice God sits upon the throne of his holinesse Man can sit down upon things without himself but God cannot his own holinesse is his throne the whole world will afford him no rest nor no seat to stay a moment upon but onely what himself doth in it Some are condemned already and by that rule some are saved already some broken in heart and some hardened in heart and all these speak out Christs throne here in the power that doth these sits Christ he sits upon the throne of his holinesse Kingdomes have thrones thrones of judicature and so hath Christ He that rejecteth my words hath one that judgeth him saith Christ All move as if there did none sit and judge but 't is the misjudgment of the world for there is a throne erected here below and not an action done not a word nor a thought but he that sits on the throne judges he hath one that judges him Christs throne is invisible but not a fancie and to many insensible but 't will be the more terrible What is done in the flesh is judged there and what is done in the spirit is judged there within and without you have one that judgeth you senses cannot reach this and pride will not but yet this pulleth not down Christs throne the work goeth on the judicature of a kingdome these Colossians found it they were self-condemned by truth and carried out of themselves to Christ Who hath brought us into the kingdome of his dear sonne Kingdomes have throns of Judicature and thrones of State the Lambe hath a seat of glory in this world Do not abhorre us for thy name sake do not disgrace the throne of thy glory Remember thou break not covenant with us Jeremy 14.21 Dispensation of Justice and Truth is Christs throne of Judicature and so dispensation of Mercy and Truth is his throne of glory by this he sits and abides very glorious in the midst of the Christian world as by the other he sits very terrible in the midst of the wicked Mercy is the most glorious thing that miserable man beholds the least mercy gives Christ a seat of glory in the world every flower in the field every starre in the heavens every grace in your hearts speaks out Christs glorious seat here name a mercy in the world and there sits Christ in glory under this notion is that expression Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Solomons throne had steps to it one higher then another Mercy is dispensed by degrees here higher and higher and the highest are those which reach the heart and make that glorious and
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
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
goodnesse is admirably glorious and beautifull as any other beauty so is the beauty both of inside and outside of every thing belonging to Christ and here loftily expressed and admired Who is the image of the invisible God the first born of everie creature The admirablenesse of Christs person makes the admirablenesse of his action as things are made so they act he is incomparably made and therefore incomparably acts he is made higher then the heavens and therefore of more power and glory in action then they though they be most admirable bodies in the world in operation Christ is in his form more noble then the heavens those noblest bodies according to the nobility of form so is action and therefore are his actions mentioned in that place as all suitable to this supreame form wherefore he is said to save to the uttermost for evermore which action is suitable to his form he is made of an everlasting shape above the heavens these last a great while but he longer because higher and because made above them the heavens can make no everlasting operation because they have no everlasting form but Christ being made above them he acts above them and produceth everlasting things suitable to his form See this argumentation used by the spirit of God himself Hebr. 7.25 26. Wherefore he is able to save them to the utmost that is for ever that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them for such an high Priest became us who is holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heavens Christ is made higher then the heavens and therefore can produce higher effects he is made as high as the Highest and therefore suitable to him in action he redeems from hell from the torturing power not onely of men but of devils Alike place is that Luke 1.32 He shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest as things are in the greatnesse and glory of their birth and formation so in the greatnesse and glory of their action if a Sonne of the Highest he will do the highest things things incomparably great all shall see it and say so if in the image and form of God and equall to him he will do equall to him things which no man can do destroy principalities and powers and lift souls out of hell to heaven This lies along in the story here In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinnes who is the image cf the invisible God c. Complement is to expresse and to gain love Christ is in person and action complete to expresse and gain affection God is invisible and hath no image nor lively expression of himself but Christ what he is for wisdome for power for mercy all these are out of sight and have no expression but in Christ the excellency of an invisible God shines visibly and expressely in him in his person and in his action and this to gain man unto him and therefore is it said after the mentioning of his endowments his name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God the government shall be laid upon his shoulders and then he shall be called this and that c. Transscendent honour shall be put upon him by God and this to gain the like from men they shall call Christ as God hath made him and indowed him as they see the image of God in him his wisdome his power his love Invisible things do not work upon sensible creatures therefore are the invisible things of God made visible in Christ in his person and in his action and this to work and winne therefore are all the beauties of Christ so exactly and so loftily related it is the mystery of the Apostles art here in drawing out God in Christ and telling you who Christ is like that he might draw love to both The fumme of all is this Christ is admirable both in person and action Vse Matter of consolation springs from this point what Christ is in compleatnesse of person and action that he is for us his fulnesse is our fulnesse and we are complete in him person and action this very use the Apostle makes In him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead and then observe what follows and ye are compleated in him Coloss 2.9 10. Christs completenesse is ours what he hath as Christ that is as one anointed he hath it as a designed person in the stead and person of others and therefore may you that beleive say I am complete in person and work and so doth the Psalmist apply this point to his comfort Thou art perfect and makest my way perfect person is comprehended under action the perfection of Christ makes us perfect person and action all together lovely The Lord himself doth approve of this application of him and calls an applicatory beauty our beauty and a perfect beauty And thy renown went among the heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comelinesse which I have put upon thee Weak souls learn to comfort your selves as you should your hearts need never droop for want of holinesse and comelinesse in the eye of God as long as Christ is and he is everlasting and so are all his perfections Pride kills faith you would have an absolute beauty in your selves to commend you to God which will never be pride springs from ignorance and both have a hand in your weak state Weak souls you think duty makes beauty but it doth not it is onely Christ the glorious sunne makes starres glorious Sathan tells penitent spirits that to believe is to presume appropriation is no act of presumption in qualified persons Broken hearts you are commanded to believe Ho every one that thirsteth and every one that is weary come to me saith Christ and you that do not see your uglinesse are wished to come to buy eye-salve that you may see Every state of man hath its proper command and injunction of God upon it men that do not see their deformity the injunction of the Gospel is that such should come to Christ for eye-salve and such as have spirituall sight and sense the injunction of the Gospel is that such should believe that Christ and his comelinesse is theirs and weak hearts you may as well justifie your selves in an act of self murder as in unbelief the one respects the body the other your eternall souls Coloss 1.15 Who is the image c. SCripture expressions are above us where lowest and plainest but how much more where deep and utterred exact to reach the loftiest beings and in such a stile and strain doth the holy Ghost speak here Men over-matched should have help from others your prayers are doubly needed and I intreat that they may be answerably powred forth that our labours may be solid and sweet to the salvation of your immortall souls and to the joyfull giving up of our own account at the great day Christ hath
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
possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning when there were no depths I was brought forth c. Proverbs 8. He speaks you see in reference to the creature and challenged priority of being in reference to them all and therefore called in the Revelation the beginning of the creation of God and therefore here also called the first-born of every creature Birth-right you see by this hath a double consideration naturall and spirituall and both honourable and to beheld up and maintained and so doth the spirit of God here inferre Doctr. Birth-right is an honourable thing and to be holden up and maintained 'T is taken for granted to be honourable and to be maintained and therefore is so used and prosecuted in reference to Christ what is due to him by birth in a spirituall sence is held forth and maintained to wit that he is the first-born of many brethren and what is due to him by birth in a naturall sence is held forth and maintained also that he is the first-born of every creature all his priviledges are protested Right is the priviledge of being and felicity falls as this falls a being without priviledge is a being without felicity and a being without felicity is hell Birth-right contains much 't is a bundle of priviledges bound up by God and man as many as grace and nature affords to make such a being blessed both here and hereafter Consider a man as born and he hath such naturall priviledge from nature and consider a man as new born and he hath such spirituall priviledge from grace That which carries the felicity of life in it it s own worth necessarily calls for standing for if I must stand to maintain my life against deadly creatures which invade it much more that which is the felicity of my life right and priviledge is the felicity of life the felicity of naturall life and the felicity of spirituall life Right not maintained institution is despised all runnes to ruine necessarily for one devours another Priviledge gives not onely felicity but proper felicity that is every one his happinesse so as not to be the least unhappinesse to another Priviledge makes many heavens a heaven for master and for servant a heaven for father and for child a heaven for prince and for people and ones heaven not anothers hell Birth-right is God and nature giving distinct proprietie This temporall good belongeth to this and not to that this spirituall good belongs to this and not to that Propriety confounded Ahabs and Naboths vineyard become one heaven and hell become one children and dogges would fare alike which is sad confusion and which nature abhorres and grace much more What is peculiar and proper to Christ birth-right gives him he is the first-born of every creature Use I am to speak to two sorts of persons from this point to you which have a naturall birth-right and to you which have both a naturall and a spirituall birth-right You which have but a naturall birth-right onely it were well if you did look for more that you were as high in priviledge as Christ that ye had a naturall and a spirituall birth-right he was the first-born of every creature and the first born among many brethren Naturall priviledge makes naturall felicity and this becomes a snare oft times accommodations of nature make men slight grace which was Esaus sinne and ruine birth-right in the spirituality of it he despised obtaining carnall content The more of the world enjoyed the lesse is Christ cared for this is a common plague and consider how 't is with you Are you beloved of God or do you look after it they are his first-born his prime birth which issue out of the wombe of love There is a child and a pleasant child is he not a pleasant child So there are sonnes and first-born sonnes All men are Gods sonnes in some sence We are his off-spring but some are chosen out of the world and have speciall love set upon them they are called a first off-spring a prime birth because born of love their birth being not onely from the hand of God but from the heart of God born of water and the spirit brought forth to the obedience of the Gospel by a spirituall efficacy in the word if this be not your condition your honour is not full whatever your worldly priviledge be and you will soon know it for though you seem to be sons made much of you will quickly be cast off none but first-born are written in heaven and imbraced for ever To the Church of the first-born written in heaven First-born have a propriety in eternall felicity they are written in heaven and others are written in hell they are joynt heirs with Christ which a state worth the looking after You see how all things go here tyrannie tramples your priviledge under foot you are born to much and it comes to nothing but bloud and miserie you dare not go where your revenue lies to challenge your birth-right the sword is so furbisht and set against you had you a state in grace were you a generation of first-born as Christ there were something sure to take too let times and things work as they will The folly of men is great this world is onely prized and men will not be reclaimed which is a destructive thing Let me ask the children of this world doth the bloudy sword make you question your state whether you are the children of God or no born of the spirit to an inheritance eternall immortall that passeth not away New-born are first-born you are as you were in life and you will be as you never were in death Do ye see children of this world how black and bloudy this world is But what 's that to come where your names are written and unto which you are heirs Look about you children of this world your misery gathers every day more and more and nearer and nearer and it will swallow you up and feed upon you for ever if not prevented your birth-right is barely naturall that is such priviledges in such a kingdome and you had need fight hard for these for you have no more these gone and all gone loose what you are born to of flesh and bloud and you loose all fight hard carnall creatures or you will be quite undone else Birth-right is honourable and to be maintained you that have this honour in a full sence in a naturall and in a divine sence as Christ had hold up your honour and maintain it as Christ doth here by his spirit in my text assert your state as Christ doth here and not desert it tell the children of this world what you are children of such men and children of such a God that you are born to such secular priviledge by man and to such spirituall priviledge by God and will maintain it in his way as long as bloud is in your veins
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Persons that cannot reade are set to spell words by works their own works by Gods works God can draw out himself in any attribute to any mans understanding in justice in mercy God can suit action to any person to any condition and so exactly that at first sight every eye shall see himself Divine action is to make conviction Christ worketh so as to convince the world he fitteth his hand to stop any mouth Some are not onely blind but stubborn and dogged and now is man an Asse which was Balaams case and now God opens the mouth of an Asse to rebuke him The Asse rebuked the madnesse of the Prophet An Asse is a dogged wilfull beast and so was Balaam and God suits him in reproof to convince One Asse was upon the back of another and the worst a top and God tooke his advantage as they lay one upon another and useth one Asse to convince the other one is wilfull to go on and the other is wilfull and stops 'T is not easie to convince stubborn souls God must more immediately and more exactly speak then ordinary in this work Divine action suited is an immediate speaking from Heaven and proud hearts fall at the sight of this when nothing else will do it Some must have every thing openly told to their face ere they will be convinced and take shame and God doth use this way with the world to convince them Who shall declare his way to his face and who shall repay him what he hath done saith the Scripture of God in order to wicked men Job 21.31 Justice suited to sinne in word and work speaks sinners sinne to their face that they cannot possibly deny it Sinners look to your selves God will be even with you walk as craftily as you will with the froward he will be froward Some men swell in pride and yet please themselves in their way that they shall carry all before them without controll Lofty hearts you shall find a high and lofty one to deal with you The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and this is the speech of a lofty God Esay 2.12 title is advanced brows bended a souldiers face put on by God when flesh swelleth and groweth proud The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon the proud c. A stern spirit shall see nothing but a stern God Sinne is a lie sinners perish in the heat of their pursuit one fire kindleth another ere firy spirits are aware they are cast into everlasting burning and this is the way of God to fit things one to and for another Tophet is prepared for the King the Kings of Israel made a Tophet for the burning of little ones and God suiteth this wicked action with righteous justice and maketh another Tophet for them you sacrifice your children to the devil and I will sacrifice you as if the Lord had said God maketh burning for burning bloud for bloud tooth for tooth Poore distressed England comfort thy self thy Princes and Nobles make a Tophet for thee they burn thy houses thy goods and sacrifice thy little ones and great ones to devillish men and God will fit them home if they repent not he will make a Tophet for them he will burn their honours their powers and sacrifice all to destruction he will turn them out of all as they turn thee and thine Because thou hast dealt by taking vengeance thou shalt know my vengeance saith God to Edom. In great extremities it is hard to keep poore hearts quiet the spirit woundeth it self when men wound the flesh God is just to me in this and that I was thus and thus Is God just to thee and will he not be just to them that spoyled thee Hath he paid thee home and will he not do it to them that are worse then thee Justice in the exactnesse of it doth but hint her self to the godly it doth but nod upon them as it were but she strikes full blowes at the wicked she prosecuteth her own nature in full strength and maketh a compensation upon these creatures because none made nor to be had any where else Weep not for your selves but weep for them that have spoyled you Heaven and Earth shall reade the justice of God against the bloudy wretches of England and Ireland They that kill with the sword shall be killed with the sword Stand still and be quiet let God alone to suit wicked mens plagues if thou dost not see them paid in their own coyn then do not believe me England justifie Christ he hath fitted one thing to another such a body hath such a head like Priest like people like Prince like people You cry out of your king and I cry out of you Are not Gods wayes equall Say no who dares You will not have a man rule over your bodies according to his will and you let the devil rule your souls as he will Looke into your hearts the best of you all do you not make truth a slave to be at the beck of your reason and at the beck of your lusts you make Christ a slave and he giveth you to be slaves you make your spirituall king a slave and your temporall kings make you slaves Doth not Christ fit you in your kind Our king is so and so misled saith one and siths and whispers take it to thy self so art thou misled by many base lusts every one reapeth as he soweth can a man gather figs of thistles England dost not thou reap as thou hast sowed Hast thou not had the guilt of bloud upon thee a great while hast not thou the guilt of the bloud of many abroad and of many faithfull ministers and Christians at home upon thee which could not swallow thy basenesse Hast thou not made truth bleed this many years and that Christ maketh the bleed a few moneths and a few years is it not fit and right To justifie God is the first step to repentance men that can do nothing but wrangle at divine action forget the main work Do not bite the stone that is thrown at thee but bite thy heart for one is as hard as the other I dare say Pride meriteth much but can bear but little but justice will have its way for all that Men that cannot be silent shall have their mouths stopt misery becometh mortall when impatience groweth strong the burden killeth when the soul will use no shoulders to bear it No life so bitter as that which taketh all ill at Gods hand this is hard and that is hard c. and yet all is no harder then thy heart nor yet so hard God doth not an action without us but to suit it to something within us This point may be usefull respecting time to come and the mercy you look for You look for great things but how are ye fitted for them Christ doth fit one thing to another Great things are already but you prise them
not the doores of Gods house are open but you have no hearts to go in the day of small things is despised and yet you expect great things Israel expected milk and honey flowing and yet could not eat the Manna that was about their tents and did God give them their expectation doth God give great spirituall mercy to full stomacks doth he satisfie the loathing soul The Israelits were judged in the basenesse of their hearts and their bodies fell in a wildernesse Just as they kept their souls Do you not keep your souls in a wildernesse out of the fellowship of the Gospel as the rest of the world do you will be judged where you lie where your souls lie cold and dead their shall your carcases fall and die God is spuing out hovering spirits that are neither hot nor cold but hot and then cold that will and then will not obey Christ Discreet stomacks do not expect great feasts you must have a vomit first you are bid to come into the feast and you have excuses the high wayes and fields shall yield guests to Christ and you shall die in your shame The poore unknown parts of the world possibly may possesse what Christ is now dishing out Simplicity fitteth for great things God maketh such a spirit and then bestoweth all upon it the choycest spirituall favours England thy misery is double were it but single thou mightst soon recover Thou hast no knowledge of God but this is not all if it were means might soon make this but thou hast no truth nor knowledge of God there is no truth nor knowledge of God Some spirits are wanton and they know not what they would have others proud and this and that they must have others politick and they say this we should have but not yet who can expect brave things in the midst of such a base people Christians deceive not your selves with dreams for God is not mocked he will make you open your mouths wide ere he give great things Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 You purse up your spirits and wring and squeez your consciences so that there is no capacitie for the reception of full soul-mercies The new heaven will have a new earth the holy land shall have a holy seed come into it Can you cleanse your selves from all your abominations and can you do this speedily Then may you see the good of Gods chosen but otherwise expect as you are Coloss 1.18 Who is the beginning c. THe Apostle is in a rapture every word speaks admiration of Christ he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is principium praecipuum first and chief The term we are now upon speaks dignity a heart taken with Christ as chief in order to all blessednesse which is a blessed frame He is the head of the body the chief the first born this I think may be the reading of this text Doctr. Divine property sparkles in this expression A gracious heart is taken with Christ as chief No honour no felicity like that which Christ hath and which he gives Some are sonnes Christ is an onely sonne some are kings but Christ is King of kings some are honourable none above Angels but Christ is so To which of the Angels said he c. Some are wealthy Christ hath all the sheep on a thousand hills the utmost parts of the earth some are beautifull Christ is the fairest and so in the eye of those that are best discerning in the eyes of every gracious soul Paul personates all the godly here in admiring Christ as chief Judgement is clear things are discerned as they are where the heart is truly turned to God Bables take fools reall excellencies wise men Gracious hearts are wise none of Christs children are fools all that truly fear him are able to discern things that differ and so call them The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome assoon as a man becomes a disciple of he is made a good scholar Carnall understanding is enmity to truth it scoffs at what it cannot comprehend with its own power Grace hath a higher reach Christs children have spirituall understanding they admire things not by out-sides but by insides not as they are among men but as they are with God Christ is the lowest amongst men but chiefest with God and therefore so with the godly This is wisdome and all wisdome I may apply the latter to a Christian compared with worldly wise men all wisdome is taken with that which shall be all in another world that which is all and shall be all to all eternity He is the beginning the chief Judgement is clear and love is sincere in a called soul he calls things as he finds them and nothing tasts so sweet as the dainties which Christ gives Sense carries you to call things as your palate relishes them according to this you say This is the sweetest dish at table Love is divine in a divine heart and as things rise in the divinity of their nature so divine affection calls them and admires them One Christian hath much grace I tast it in his discourse and he sits high in my breast another hath much more and he sits much higher but Christ hath most of all and he sits highest he is chief Affection is working if it be carnall it tumbles carnall things and sets its mark upon that which is most carnally advantagious this is best this will serve this time and my turn best if it be divine it will do the like it will tumble divine things and that which is most divinely advantagious this it marks this is best this is chief this will best accomplish my soul Paul personates the godly here they call Christ as they love him as they find him in sweetnesse to their souls in his words and works none speak like him to their souls nor none does like him and therefore they crown him and style him chief Vse Christians consider your condition who is chief with you Times are evil the world ensnares justice kills men loose their souls by thousands Ah Lord what tolling and ringing out is there above for sick and dead souls here below Persons sick after the creature their spirits are dead in the flesh some mens palates are quite out of tast this speaks a foul stomach they cannot savour the things of God Words of Christ harsh rules of Christ scorned these call Christ in their hearts base not chief however they call him with their tongue I know no mans heart but Christ knows all as the creature is preferr'd Christ is undervalued as you love your souls look to this Who will shew us any good some can call nothing good but what is carnally good trading is good money is good but nothing else no nothing else indeed not the heart that sayes so Not Christ but the bag was chief to Judas though he heard so much and saw so
But I am afraid he will be gone If Christ do go will he leave his dear ones behind him Doth not the eagle carrie her young so doth Christ I carried you upon eagles wings Coloss 1.18 The first born from the dead THere are two first-born mentioned in this chapter the first-born of every creature verse 15. and the first-born from the dead the one respects being the other respects well-being and Christ is first in both these first in being in reference to all the creation and first in well-being in reference to the new creation the first that came forth from under the power of sinne alive which is the first-born from the dead here meant which the Apostle calls the first-born amongst many brethren elsewhere that is the first in our nature in the state of divine favour Christ broke the ice as we speak in reference to that body of death under which the state of mankind lay and so the first that came forth alive from under the guilt of sinne and the killing justice of God This time is sad so is our text it leads us to behold a world of dead men From the dead c. The term is indefinite and speaks our condition universally We are all by sinne dead without power to please God and liable to wrath for ever and Christ the first that made way out of this condition the first that broke through that displeasure which spoild us all Bodily death is sad soul-death a thousand times more sad we must walk amongst the tombes for an houre we are to rip up the dead to set out the nature of soul-death Demonst 1. Breath is gone the spirit of God is not in a dead soul Union speaks life Sathan not Christ lies in a sinners heart he is alive to sinne affection strong action that is evil action free among the dead Such light hath such motion ghosts walk in the dark wayes of death dead souls walk in Spirituall death is a soul cast out from God a soul cast out from God casts out God the word of God the operations of God a dead soul fights against life quicknings are as stabbings sermons which stirre are conjurings his eyes stare his heart quakes let Paul be gone Felix will be in hell else before the time the words of life are death to a dead soul Felix soul is in departing whilest a world of life was imparted to him nothing will keep life in a dead soul but the departing of Christ and his quickning spirit The dead deny the resurrection they would not be raised out of their grave means that are used this way are to them as conjuring from the dead gastly Christs yoke is easie wisdomes wayes are pleasant so the devils yoke is easie and his wayes are pleasant the dead are at rest in sinne they feel no pain though in the way to hell till they come there Eyes closed this also belongs to the dead in sinne The dead see nothing godlinesse is a mystery and the word of life a parable to a dead soul Confusion covers the dead reason is rebellion doing is undoing and yet the soul thinks all is well Light is darknesse sweet is bitter life is death to a dead soul Jacob is Esau the blind miscall every person and every thing O that thou hadst known in this thy day The sunne brought out of heaven and set at the doore and yet not discerned the dead see nothing in the day time day is night to the dead sunshine darknesse Christ close by yet not apprehended by the dead Christ knocks at the doore the voice though just behind or just before yet not heard our Gospel is hid though this be light more sparkling more shining then all other light Pride buds as the Prophet speaks sinne spreads God frowns hell gapes yet the dead see nothing Spirituall death 't is spirituall understanding quite lost one not able to discern divine things however externally advantaged hold a torch to the eye of the dead yet he sees nothing and if ye could hold the sunne close to the eyes of a dead man yet could he apprehend nothing the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse in it self the wisdome of the Scriptures is even also the same to a dead soul he knows nothing as he ought not the things he gathers and looks upon in wisdomes house Carcase stinking The dead smell lothsome the dead in sins do so Malignity hath got victory the whole state is corrupted all the bloud black and filthy in the dead Temptations overcome what Sathan saith is law and Gospel imaginations evil and all so and onely so evil the whole bulk and carcase of Christianitie stinking to Christ Christians The dead are all dead all filthy from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot full of sores plague-sores and all run and bloud filth is wallowed in Spirituall death is the soul under the rule of sinne sinne ruling the heart sleights truth the heart sleighting truth life is evil and yet pleaded for as good this stinks abominably in the nostrils of God Havvoth pravitates wickednesses Spirituall death is the inward parts very wickednesse the heart given to a harlot a strumpet is base and stinking Affection false and your lungs are rotten the opening of your mouth to God is as the opening of a sepulchre Spirituall death 't is a man abominable to God person action in life in death the dead stink alwayes God hates a wicked soul forever Sinne is everlasting so is justice the soul that lies in it is an abomination from generation to generation The grave and hell do not purifie the dead Spirituall death is a soul eternally lothing and lothed Stretched out coffin'd and buried this is the last property of the dead Dead in sinne are stretched out with a witnesse conscience is racked Conviction is the proper divine operation in a dead soul men under the power of sinne are under the power of wrath here spirituall death is a heart under the mere sence and guilt of wrath Worms eat the dead conscience gnaweth souls that lie in their sinnes The dead are stretched out and buried the dead bury the dead There be black bearers below and they are fetched up when wicked souls depart and thousands of them stand ready to carry the dead to their place This night they shall take away thy soul A dead soul is stretched out carried forth and buried in the night saith the Text This night they shall take away thy soul Dead souls are all buried in the night in utter darknesse The summe of all is this Spirituall death is a soul seperated from God under pollution and conviction untill condemnation Vse 'T is a time of slaughter fields cities towns dipped and dyed in bloud Dead bodies are many but dead souls are more the dead are in every house yea almost in every bed and yet no Lord have mercy at the doore Husband dead wife dead child dead and
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
the world with light and life he hath power over all flesh and he speaks it in regard of instruction Joh. 17.2 Some spirits are very fleshly and very sottish yet Christ hath power over these to make them wise Who so is simple let him turn in hither Prov. 9.4 Wisdome keeps a free-school universally receptive that is for all comers though never so simple yea universally instructive whoever comes thrives Wisdomes house hath seven pillars and sends out maidens every where a complete light and a complete power to impart it to any soul in any place Some hearts are very hard to learn and yet not too hard for Christ to teach he can teach blocks and stones of stones he can raise seed to Abraham Christ hath an inspective power over all he hath the preheminence for sight he is oculis eminentior his eyes runne through the earth and behold all his eye is very strong nothing can be hid from it Some could over-rule such and such things were they but aware of them craft carries it with you ofttimes when power cannot but it cannot do so with Christ he discovers deep things out of the darknesse not a mote in the sunne not a hair on your head but he numbers it knows one by one which is very exact knowledge 'T is like that expression in another case Not a thought in our hearts but he knows it altogether The sunne is the eye of the world and 't is a very fair one and looks far and yet looks not so far as Christ who is the eye of worlds of this world and that world as heaven is called Luke 20.35 Christ looks beyond Luther beyond Solomon beyond Abraham who looked a great way and saw Christ very farre off yea Christ looks beyond Adam beyond all that are or ever were All things are naked before him not onely bodies but spirits whose vastnesse is farre deeper and more then all the creation beside in his book are all our members written yea in his book is written that which hath no members and hardly no terms to expresse to wit our souls the fabrick and motion of them He can tell where Sathan is when hid in a sheepskin he knows his voice when he speaks in a Saint as well as when he speaks in a serpent Get thee behind me Sathan said he to Peter And adde but one thing more and it will exceedingly tend to the glory of Christs sight he hath a presentiall sight not a sight of any one at a distance as we have every thing is full in his eye and fast by him because of the vastnesse of his presence All runnes into this Christ hath an universall preheminence a dominion over all Use Let universall power be universally laid to heart so I come to apply this point our reach is short and shallow and yet according to this we frame thoughts still of him that is above us Thoughts of things above us must be carefully shaped by truth and not by fancie divine majesty will fall else and we shall think of Christ as of our selves Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one at thy self Psalme 50.21 Christ will not bear mens base conceptions of him Christ misapprehended his majesty falls majesty fallen in the heart man runnes wild when men flie out God flies out and now you shall see one underfoot presently Christ or the creature that riseth up against him Tremble proud profane hearts at the universality of Christs power he will have the preheminence over you Sinners propose to themselves what pleaseth them though it displease God and bear out themselves that this shall hold they propose what is amisse and yet promise felicity to themselves and that is more amisse A soul at this height is near falling Christ will have the preheminence of this proud person wherein he deals proudly Christ will be above him Watch your hearts sinners they grow desperately wicked quickly a presumptuous soul denies the universality of Christs dominion to his face and stands upon his guard against all the host of heaven truth shall never command me in this Now the man hath made his will he will die presently desperate hearts have suitable justice they go down quick into the pit Stoop to the universality of Christs commands as God hath set him so do you over all in all things Oppose Christs least commands to the commands of the greatest men in the world follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Moses parents did their duty to Christ in him and kept him alive not fearing the commands of the king Hebr. 11.23 Pharaoh puts forth an universall command every sonne that is born to the Hebrews ye shall cast into the river and Moses parents opposed to this the universality of Christs power and pursued their duty not fearing the kings command What command soever or from whom soever opposing any command of Christ destroyes the universality of his authority and speaks sinfull fear if we obey it The universality of Christs dominion is the great jewell of his crown that which distinguisheth him from all the great ones in the world 't is his Motto King of kings his grand prerogative and yet fear destroyes this quite Let flesh and bloud attend to this nature weak passion strong men transported with pride do they know not what throw down Christ to keep up themselves England thou art unhappy at the practise of this point to raise the Lord Jesus above all to give him the preheminence in all things the Lord grant it be not required of us Is our long bondage so soon forgot Is our present bleeding nothing Can we tell whether we shall live or die Shall we not put Christ inprimis in our will Shall we not give our dying breath to vote up Christ above all are we not low enough yet to set Christ high to give him the preheminence in all things Surely we shall be Let us all look about us and know our duty truth not men must be our rule and blessed are they that can receive this love is bountifull she will give Christ all she seeks not her own she sets Christ as high as God sets him whatever it cost her Affection must have judgement to guide it or else men erre on the right hand and judgement must have love to quicken it and warm it or else men erre on the left hand good men will become very bad and speak and do against their conscience and break their peace to keep a bubble whole their honour with men and the like I know not what hearts you have for Christ I know what hearts we all should have to set Christ at this height my text speaks of Love must be very strong conscience very tender the heart very humble grace very sincere to give Christ the preheminence in all things Cold hearts brawnie hearts proud hearts rotten hearts your plague is great you can never advance Christ to his preheminence and look how farre you are
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
no matter what the instrument be so that it hath but the advantage of divine ordination to such an end All the means that God useth are effectuall to his end because he hath appointed them and not for any cause or reason naturally in themselves If there be no likely power in an instituted means yet it shall accomplish its end because instituted I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ 't is the power of God unto salvation To speak a few plain words of a despised person and think by this to convert the souls of men from their wicked wayes and to bring them to heaven and to wave a lofty strain of humane wisdome more likely to take I am not ashamed to do this this course may seem folly yet certainly it shall accomplish its work 't will be the power of God to salvation because the will of God hath instituted it That Christ should have such a frail instrument and no other to wit a body of flesh a substance capable of death to conquer death withall was of Gods appointment a body hast thou prepared for me and therefore effectuall to such an end God eyes himself in all he doth by us He doth so order action and instrument as may most advance his own glory When the instrument is great God is little we cannot see much of Christ when he takes up much of any thing here below to do his will by Mans argumentation generally is very destructive to the glory of God That hand which is most visible still that did all Saul hath slain his thousand David his ten thousand God none God therefore leaves all which we so much look upon and goes alone and doth work with poor despised ones which we cast off The Stone which the builders refused he must be head Weak and unlikely things to sense are trampled upon by us Can death bring about heaven Can base things bring about glory Thus we reject and refuse things and then God uses them and then he is seen as God The humanity of Christ was the fittest medium in the world to demonstrate the Divinity of Christ by to all the world For such an organ as ours to be made do mighty things made beholders put that question What manner of man Christ was We admire power wisdome and every attribute else when they put forth themselves by poore and unlikely things and not else If means be likely to such an end according to our reason we usually never look at God but bury the glory of all that is done in instruments Enemies to Christ should tremble at this point The kingdome of the Devill is strong men are confident and rage Round-heads shall not live a man of them God suddenly blast this pride with a little power Men despised for valour and skill God makes to drink the blood of despisers so he will do 't is his way Great men and great spirits should abase themselves if they will not weak things Worms Flies Frogs shall devoure a king The heart secretly riseth but the man is openly puld down the ruine of the stout-hearted is very notorious by two circumstances in that it is done openly and utterly that God useth weak means to overthrow strong and so as never to rise more They sank as a stone saith the Text. Doth a stone rise again Jael nails Sisera to the ground could he rise again Ah! what is become of many thousands of the Lords enemies in this Land which were mighty in battell Are they not sunk as a stone pinned to the ground gone to their center to their place whence they cannot return and this by poor despised means With weake instruments God doth through work David strikes down the Philistine and that is not all he is used to make sure work with him he runs and cuts off his head which shadowed out the utter ruine of the kingdome of the Devill by Christ a despised man God is upon a design the world will not believe not a man shall stand before him that stands against him The baiers of the Lord shall be destroyed that is all of them If any ask how this shall be because things are so unlikely I answer The Lord creates evill he can take any thing a hailstone a wounded man and form them into deadly instruments for his enemies The fan in Christs hand 't is but a weak thing a despised company yet he will throughly purge his floore he will out with all that offends When some bad humors are let out they gather and swell again there is no end of action in an evill heart till there be an utter end of the man 'T is sad to behold how enemies gather ino a head again when blasted from heaven we shall prevaile we shall prevaile The Devill befools wise men How can ye prevaile and cannot conquer the weaknesse of God Poor weak things if you cannot conquer an army of men how will you conquer a legion of Angels God hath a reserve which you are not aware of you choose out your stoutest for a forlorn but God his weakest and yet these are too hard for you and yet you feed your fancy that you shall prevaile The Devill is in this would bloody wretches were aware of it that he may have all he would not have a man sit down in an evill way till he come to his journeys end which is Hell the destruction of the body and soul Christ hath many sorts of enemies all should tremble at this point that God doth great things with small means There is a corporall war and a spirituall war in England and both bloody in both Christ will conquer how weak and poor and despised soever his instruments be which he useth When Christ drew out a party to go out against the kingdome of the Devill observe how he furnished him with munition Go saith he and take neither sword nor staffe nor money yet these carried it in the businesse they went about Externall advantages about internall works are much lookt at and much sway with sense what power what honour and wealth goes along with the wayes which are profest Christ takes neither and yet raiseth up his Kingdome in the world sends out men not a whit seconded from secular advantage no power from man but the sword of men against them no honour from men but the frownes of all against them and yet turnes the world thus opposite with two or three upside down These are they which turn the world upside down The world is a vast body and holds very hard in its way and yet this turned upside down by two or three despised ones Thus hath Christ done thus doth Christ do and thus will he Choller is a scurvie humor it burns black mens throats and tongues The Devill hath shot thousands in the mouth if not in the heart in this war between Presbyterians and Independants O how wickedly do some good men talk now and yet Christ will live and every
tittle of his will shall live though bad and good shoot at it Satan hath as large an army in the field now as ever was known bad men good men Satan is got into Judas yea and he is got into Peter Master drive gently drive warily save your skin and avoid the bloody cup and yet Christ will be too hard for both Christ wants wit and wants learning and many things else in the eyes of standers by and yet though so weak conquers God hath chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God should be honoured in his way the Psalmist breaks forth sweetly into blessing God from this ground that God out of the mouth of babes should ordain strength And so Deborah notes it in her song specially and sweetly how Jael a woman did a mans work and used a mans instrument She put her hand to the nail and her righ hand to the work-mans hammer Women are usuall very aucherd at mans work left-handed but Jael is right-handed at it she put her right hand c. and that which was a work-mans hammer is now a work-womans hammer and she blesses God and extols him that â—â—us trode down strength by weaknesse and turn'd a woman into a man and a man into a beast and butchered him on the ground So should we now that children are turned into men little prentise boyes made valiant to cut off the mighty and do the great works of the kingdome and little towns and villages to waste great forces Certainly we of this Land are very much behinde hand with God in honouring and praising of him according to this admirable way of working Things that are precious you will lose none of them you save the very dust of gold The manifestations of God are the most precious things in all the world the very dust of Gods feet in every path of his we should carefully keep we should talk of all his doings how much more therefore of his wonderfull doings when he doth much with nothing and much for nothing for worse then nothing to wit sinfull man How God goes in the Sanctuary and how he goes out of the Sanctuary in the family in the city in the countrey in the army upon what weak legs and with what little toes should be all written down in the heart first and then carried up to heaven for God to reade Our father loves to have his children brought home to him often to see them and their Nurse how well they prosper together You cannot present God with a more taking sight in all the world then with one of his own actions with its speciall circumstances They were under the Law to lay their hand of the head of some offerings that was to point out Christ on whom they trusted Bring an offering to God any action of God with its speciall circumstances and you lay your hand on the head of the offering you point out Christ to all the world as he whom you trusted on in your way and as he whom you would have all else to do the like and on none else and this is very sweet to God he loves to lie high in the breast of all God hath done things in England so me thinks as to be crowned for ever in every English heart by a very noise amongst the Mulberry trees he makes the mighty run and fall Not by might nor by power but my Spirit saith God 'T is by how much God gains in your hearts that you are to measure his love to you in his works With little God doth much for you if with much you do little for him in speaking of him and living to him all will end sadly at last If nothing will set an instrument in tune you break it and burn it this makes me feare our state in the midst of hope God is very good to thee England but thou continuest very bad dead inwardly dead spiritually which according to reason one would think should make death corporally Finally this way of God should be trusted in or this God which can thus work should be firmly rested on When extremities are great and little means appearing then our hearts sink now misery is mortall but of our own making for 't is all one with God to save with few as with many Nothing kills the man so long as faith keeps alive and faith can never die if the soul well consider the point in hand that any thing is enough for God to work salvation by I am much in debt but a little oile in the cruce left God can blesse a little to rise to a subsistance and to discharge off all ingagements A little of God is enough to make one very rich very strong very wise very blessed in all conditions let misery be as much as ' twill Some are disheartened from duty because opposites before them are many visible advantages very few these soules lie insnared in their own devices and dye at a distance from God which they have set themselves to keepe their body safe with a little light and an honest heart God can enable to doe much to fight with the Prince of darknesse very learned heads and very malicious hearts Did not God inable many poore women and illiterate men to befoole the bloudy Clergie of the former ages of the world and to hold faith and a good conscience in despight of all Were not them we read of in the Hebrewes out of weaknesse made strong and the point in hand tells us that this is the way of God Resolution should carry on to dutie and then let God alone to carry on in it how weake soever you are or how strong soever your enemies are A great dore was opened to Paul and there were many enemies at it he but one and weake and yet along he would and venter upon Christ to make way through them which makes one weake one stronger then a thousand COLOSSIANS 1.22 In the body of his flesh through death IN severall verses foregoing the extremitie of Christs sufferings is mentioned and yet here againe In whom we have redemption through his bloud vers 14. This is repeated and amplified ver 20. where 't is call'd the bloud of his crosse Here is the same thing repeated but with variation of termes what before was called bloud and bloud of the crosse is here called death Christ did bleed to death for sinners Christ underwent much but it workes but little upon us Often repetition of the same thing is for energies sake that what is not laid to heart at once speaking may be at second often repetition of Christs sufferings speaks lowdly this That 't is a hard thing to be kindly and throughly affected with what others undergoe for us Doctr. Jacob underwent much for Laban so did David for Nabal heat and cold but both coldly remembred such cold carnall wretches they were both Earth hath no sense this is the state of our soules naturally Can a stone
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
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
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
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
of blood of skuls and broken bones among many groning and tumbling to and againe with their bowels out holding up their hands Sir be mercifull I beseech you be mercifull and doe what you can to relieve me No I will not Now says Christ write downe the man for mercilesse What shall I say of this generation they are mourned to and yet lament not I have spoken to them saies Christ I have mourned to them but words teares stirre not when the most speaking things to move compassion move not then are a people written downe for mercilesse They have not remembred the afflictions of Joseph or condoled gnal Sheber over the breaking or the tearing to pieces of Joseph so t is very lively alluding to the state of Joseph whom his father thought to have beene torne with wild beasts When the extremity of misery moves not the least compassion the tearings and rendings of Kingdomes Townes Estates Persons then God writes downe men mercilesse Ye remembred not the tearings of Joseph When persons see the anguish of the soule of Joseph as one with death-pangs upon him and yet compassionate not this is written down We saw the anguish of his soule when he besought us and we would not heare we saw his heart-blood as it were ready to come out and yet we had no heart to pity surely we are judged as mercilesse wretches Genes 42.31 The order of trialls hintes the order of judgements sinners looke to your selves If Saints have their sad boutes their bloudy dayes surely you will have your turne too Men that love their sinnes love not to heare that ever they shall be whipt for them Evill is acted with confidence that it shall never be judged hee that sits in Heaven doth not regard since the beginning all things are as they were I have bin a sinner this twenty yeares and yet all is well This is grosse folly Christ laughes at it but we should mourne that men have no more grace hee sees that your day is comming yea hee sees that you cannot avoid it whilest in this state and therefore makes no more haste to take hold of you A creature that is fast in any Engine we lay we make not hast to come and breake the neck on 't and kill it outright because we know 't is fast and therefore wee come slowly Security is Satans deadly Engine you are fast in the bonds of iniquity justice is sure of you therefore it doth not make haste to come and break your neck and to dispatch you utterly When your day comes it will be a bloudy day indeed a day as long as a yeere as long as eternity a day that will never have night When your prisoning and chaining time comes your chaines will be everlasting your bout will be long mercy makes Justice therefore the longer a comming but if you presumptuously abuse this mercy even this mercy shall be shortned common mercy is shortened to desperate soules as it is lengthned to common penitents when they do but commonly humble themselves that is as poore brutes as in the case of Nineve And therefore you have a day of the Lord mentioned by the Prophet Zephany as hastened the great day of the Lord and hastening greatly to such a Generation of sinners as now I am speaking to Zephany 1.14 The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere it hasteth greatly the mighty man shall cry there bitterly t is a day of wastnesse mens bloud shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung the whole Land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie and hee shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Your day when it comes will be like this day a day of dispatch that will make riddance of you wholly body and soule and if you slight this that I tell you now and goe on in your sinne know that this great day of the Lord hasteth greatly sinners t is neer t is neer But sinners merry sinners can you tell how neere t is How neere your sad day is No you can looke up into the Heavens and when the Skie lookes so and so you can tell what the next day will be and t is so saith Christ There will be stormes to morrow and they are so 't will be a wet afternoone and t is so And observe how our Saviour makes use of all this to a proud secure Generation Yea and why even of your selves judge you not what is right Luke 12.57 you can judge thus and thus and judge right respecting the Heavens why can you not judge thus of your selves Intimating 't were possible if men did but observe themselves their hearts and their lives as they do other things men if they would do this they might be able to give a neere guesse when a storme or a black gloomy day is neere them Looke sinners round about you do you see nothing in your lives that lookes like bloud and death Do you feele nothing in your consciences that speaks a storme a breeding The worme that never dies begins to live crawle and stirre here dost thou feele it knaw terribly now and then what and continue in thy sinne why hell certainly is not far off One may smell some fire sulphurous matter burning one may smell it and if in the next roome one smells it so hot that one can hardly indure the roome The fire below is brimstone dost thou not smell it in thy conscience How hot is the smell so hot as thou canst not indure that roome why then the fire is fast by thou art in the next roome to Hell Consolation issues from this point to all godly people under the Lords hand your turne is come now to pledge Christ hee dranke to you in a bitter Cup a great while agoe and a great many farre better then you have pledged him and you are honoured to do the like 'T is a great honour to drinke of the same Cup that Christ did Can yee be Baptized with the Baptisme that I am Baptised with and this asked when they talked of great honour to fill up that which is behind of his draught let what will be in it things never so bitter t is wholesome t is healthfull life is in our deadly Cup the bravest life springs out of our cruellest death If this be not enough think on this t is but thy turne 't will be over quickly the Cup will be taken out of thy hand and given to another Thou art sad but for a season And now for a season if neede be you are in heavinesse saith Peter there was necessity thou shouldest be in heavinesse for a little time and how long this time and season is the Scripture tells us 't is but a momens and then it resolves it selfe into everlasting consolation COLOS. 1.24 The Afflictions of Christ c. AFflictions are from God immediately or from man God strikes sometimes and uses no hand but his
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
saw her and blessed her yea the Queen and the core thines and they praised her The Church of Christ is here set forth as a choice one for all endowments and glory and as holding forth all this to the admiration of Christ and all beholders The daughters saw her and blessed her the Queens and Concubines praised her COLOS. 1.25 Which is given to me for you c. THere are two occult things in providence which when well apprehended make a serene sweet life to understand still wherefore God takes and wherefore he gives what bitter and sweet meane blindnesse in either loseth God God lost in his dealings the soule loseth it selfe a man knowes not in this case where he is nor what he is whether a Saint or an hypocrite a man or a beast In both these this servant of Christ was acute the perishing of the outward man the flourishing of the inward he could explaine both All things are for your sakes 2 Corinth 4.15 16. there he speakes of what misery he did beare here in the text I stand upon he speaks of what honour he did beare and he understood well the end of both both for the Church of Christ for you i. for the prosperity of Christ in the hearts of all believers Family distribution is with this designe that all the family may be the better for what any one hath An elder child that can tell how to hold a dish hath a great full messe that all the rest may sit round and eate out of his dish Wisdome folds up many things in one many vertues and influences in one Sunne for all the world such a Sunne is Christ set for the fall and rise of many We are in Christs stead and so the savour of life and death to many We are Ambassadours in Christs stead and present Jewels allowed us from our Master to any especially to his Spouse for you i. you that are married to the Lord Jesus Thus I thinke the expression imports As if the Apostle had said Great endowments and gifts are for the Church primarily for others secondarily and subordinately in order to the use and welfare of the Church some way or other Which way the heart of God bends is observable Christ doth peculiarly and principally apply himself to Saints the centre of divine donation is the heart of a Christian all that goes from God to any does but hover till it come here the marrow and juyce of every creature of every gift is squeesed out into this vessell If you see Angels sent forth those glorious gifted creatures you may stand still and prophesie where they will turne in to Abraham to Lot they may goe along by others but they turne in and host here The choice communcations which descend from Heaven they bed themselves in the brests of Gods people they may hang and hover in the braines of others but they enter into the hearts of none but these The life of Christ is the spring of all parts the gifts which you see shine in any they are but springs from this fountaine branches of this Vine and observe which way this Vine creepes about whose house sides it goes with its branches into whose bowles he squeeses their blood T is for you saith he this is the blood of the new Testament which was shed for you My beloved is gone down into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather Lillies Cant. 6.2 After Christ are we directed to goe to carry all excellencies we have where he doth and lay them down all where he is in you and therefore observe that clause Luke 10.6 And if the Sonne of peace be there then stay otherwise away and carry all away with you When things lie in suite and in petition before they come forth thus into actuall exhibitions you shall see the truth of the point in hand demonstrated which way the heart of God bends in all cases of this nature Christ doth especially and peculiarly apply himselfe to Saints Thou wilt make their heart to prepare and thine eare to intend Psal 10.17 speaking of the meeke and humble Observe how peculiarly Christ applies himselfe to some Thou wilt make their heart to prepare if their heart stand not fit to receive noble favours thou wilt make them stand fit if it be not humble enouh hungry enough depending enough thou wilt make it doe all these thou wilt overcome all unaptnesse in these soules yea all unaptnesse in thy selfe If sinne and basenesse in these creatures present themselves in thine eyes and make some impresse and influence upon thee against having to doe with them yet thou wilt make thy selfe to looke towards these yea to heed them intensly saith the originall Thou wilt make thy selfe to intend Mercy pleades with justice when God hath to doe with his and makes him come off yea come down and condescend to stoope and take a lame creature by the hand and lay his eare close to his head and speake incouraging words to put the soule in heart to speak and speed Hester what is thy request and what is thy desire come into my presence I have nothing but is for thee he lends her legs to stand upon countenance to looke upon him spirits and mouth and tongue to speake makes her to prepare and then makes himselfe to forget the confinement of himselfe to other things and to intend her Which is a brave demonstration of this thing I am upon that Christ doth peculiarly and transcendently apply himselfe to Saints You have a like place Psal 18.6 My prayers came into his face into his eares Other folkes prayers come but to Gods eares and there they vanish but the prayers of Gods people come into his eares The expression notes how the eare and heart of Christ are specially and peculiarly applied unto his people Vse Towards whom Christ doth thus apply himselfe t will be bad bending against them for any This generation is very unhappy men observe not which way Christ bends and bend after him but which way the times bend and so bend after these and so what parts and endowments God hath given them are imployed against the people of Christ and not for them One thing should by as us to wit the will of Christ but when this will not any thing will pride covetousnesse malice when a man hath lost his aime he kils a child a friend as soone as an enrmy The scope of divine distribution this should be every gifted mans aime from hence should we take our levell but we doe not Which way doth God looke To what point hath he set the compasse To what part hath he bound me and fraighted me for the Holy-land for Saints must all I have and all I can doe runne into their breasts and put in at their Haven Then thither I must steer and to no other port though greater gaine might be had if this I doe not I make shipwracke of faith and a
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
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
God to save and so is the word translated 2 Thess 2. Where t is used in order to the wicked having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure in unrighteousnesse c. You may imagine how much the Word doth import being used to set out a sinners love and strongest affection to sinne What a pleasure is a wicked mans sinne to him Can you expresse it why so says God t is to mee now to looke towards poore lost man and to sit downe in his soule The Word is used by the Apostle elsewhere 't is my hearts desire that Israel might be saved c. Just as if the Apostle should have said it would be my Heaven that Jsrael might come to Heaven t is my Heaven to thinke that ever they shall have Heaven and O that they might be called and he speakes there but in the straine and spirit of the Gospell the riches of the glory of this mystery that I am opening the heart of God and the heart of Christ now to man Vse You see now what is the riches of the glory of this mystery t is the proffer of mercy to man with much strength of affection a proffer of Heaven in Heaven i as one in Heaven a proffer of Life in Life or with Life and so are all the dispensations of the Gospell typified Revel 4. A throne was set in Heaven to set out the things of Heaven Let poore sinners know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery and inrich themselves by it Blessed are they that know the joyfull sound which words point at Aarons bells his going into the holiest of all made a joyfull sound to them that could understand it it pointed at Christ offering up his life for us and yet doing it as it were with Musick cheerfully and delightfully You have had this mystery explained all along my discourse do you understand it sinners then inrich your selves with it The Sunne is the riches and glory of all the World such a Sunne is the Gospell of Christ desire that this Sunne may shine into the little World if the Sun did not shine in this great World it could not inrich it nor glorifie it The Apostle speakes of this very thing to wit the Gospell and under this Metaphor of the Sun and he uses such tearmes as signifie in apparition and illustration But after that the kindnesse and gentlenesse of God appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is used to expresse the second comming of Christ and that will be bright and glorious indeed 2 Thess 2.8 i in apparition for otherwise it had beene of no force to those effects which he there mentions a like place 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospell It is plaine by these following words that the apparition here spoken of meanes in apparition death could not be otherwise destroyed nor immortality be brought to light And the learned agree that the word notes a mighty shining light that searches every corner of the heart is the light that you have of such illustration hath it brought life and immortality to light i a holy life that never end There is a great deale of light now in the World but when wee looke how it illustrates it selfe we are sad because it comes to no more ordinarily then the light of a comet that falles and the matter that bore it resolving it selfe into a filthy stinck to the great disgrace of the Gospel to the death of brave persons and Kingdomes What is it that makes such bloudy worke in the Christian World now but this that the riches of the glory of this mystery doth nothing in men this hath made a long night to our brethren the Iewes and is like to doe the like to the Gentiles The Gospell being riches prize Christ and his Ministers let them be glorious in your eye which bring glorious things Know which way the riches of glory comes to you it comes but by one gate Which puts me in mind of a story In the County of Saba which signifies a mystery when Frankinsence was brought into the chiefe City thereof it was ordered by the Priests that it should come in but at one Gate upon paine of death to wit that which they had consecrated for that purpose T is of lively use the riches of glory come in but one way by Christ and by the Ministry of his Word and therefore keepe open this Cate if all the money in your purses will do it if all the bloud in your veines will do it let all goe rather then this and the Gospel when this departeth the glory departeth the riches of glory departeth There is but one thing that is eminently accessary to the destruction of the riches of glory and that is hardnesse of heart The Balme-Trees when they had wounded them to get the vertue of them to drop forth they laid Wooll upon which the drops might fall that so they might be sure to save it so to gaine the riches of the glory of the Gospel to save the drops that fall from Christs mouth you must lay soft hearts tender and fleshy hearts otherwise you will die poore and miserable notwithstanding all the riches of glory that are amongst you COLOS. 1.27 Among the Gentiles or in the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethnick This is the word in the originall by which we are called it may be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words which signify a minde accustomed to some thing a heart evill and onely evill that is stout enough and such neither can nor will be made otherwise it speakes a nature of sinne a body of death one in the flesh and led by the flesh I will discribe a Gentile to you generally and particularly t is one uncircumcised in flesh and spirit that hath not the externall ordinances of Christ nor the internall efficacy this is to speake properly and fully a Gentile though where the latter is wanting under the fruition of the former such are called Gentiles For that he hath brought into my sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my sanctuary to polluate it Ese 44.7 they which are called here strangers were Gentiles and their condition is described they were uncircumcised in heart and flesh and this to speake properly and fully is a Gentile one that is beside all culture that that is without the visible Church and without the invisible grace of such estate There is a Gentile in the flesh and a Gentile in the spirit and a Gentile in both The Apostle makes this destinction and in these termes Wherefore remember that yee being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called the uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh which is made with hands Eph. 2.11 They were Gentiles in the flesh as well as in the
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
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
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
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
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