will fight and kick with those that would do them good And our Saviours counsel is Cast not your pearls before swine leâ—t they turn again and all to rent you I say again some of the Servants of God have found it so and for goodwil freeness and faithfulness and not keeping back any part of Gods counsel have been ill-rewarded rent and torn for their faithful counsel and it hath therefore been the Serpentine Wisdom of others to hide their talent in a napkin that so they might avoid the cross of Christ and sleep in a whole Skin I remember a speech of R. Moses More Nevochim part 3. chap. 34. Legem accommodatam esse ad totam gentem communiter non ad singulos the Law is fitted for the people in generall for all the Nation and not for particular persons only There was and is many a good man who wants those outward things when those that are evil have them in abundance as well then as now And shall we then say and conclude the word or promises are not true no God forbid Heaven and earth shall pass away before one tittle of his word shall fail Mat. 5. Therefore I say they in the old Testament and also we now mistake because by Moses was promised the Kingdom and the Land flowing with milk and honey temporal peace multitude of children bodily health these were in themselves temporal blessings but they figured out spiritual because these were promised but to the old man under the old Law and those that look no farther now under the Gospel what are they better then the old Jews and the CHILDREN of Israel 3. I affirm I have alwayes holden it a dangerous thing especially of late years to press God with particulars of temporal things as of health wealth honour c. but to leave all those things to the will of God walking on in our duties and calling and leave the success to him But while we are in our childish condition we are still telling God in this regard what he shall do for us and how he shall govern the world and when we would have fair weather and when rain and when a fair wind and so every man would serve his own turn and then I pray thee if thy will be done who shall take care of thy neighbour t is no matter though thousands miscarry and fail of those things so thou hast them it matters not What kind of prayers do you think are these dost thou in thy self think God were wise if he should answer thy prayers that which is for thee as thou thinkest is against multitudes of others and who shall seek their good that wind that serves thy design is as much opposite for others And therefore my advice is be very tender how you press the infinite wisdom of the Almighty Who when he will bless he will turn crosses and evil things as thou esteemest them to be the greatest blessings and therefore let the Almighty Alone in governing the Heavens and the Earth by his power and wisdom he hath upheld supported preserved and ordered the heavens and the earth to our knowledge almost these six thousand years well enough and I le warrant thee he will do it still without thy care or direction Who shall teach him knoledge and Who shall shew him the way of understanding or being his Counsellor hath taught him I remember a speech of Bernard Longe a Deoest animus qui in oratione c. That mind is farre from God or Heaven which in prayer is full of earthly requests And I say for the most part men are mistaken both in the nature and end of prayer which is first to ask things according to the will of God and our end ought to be God and the things of God in which our happiness is involved 4. I affirm it is certainly more excellent to seek the Kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof then to trouble God and our selves with wordly requests I say still distingue tempora distinguish of seasons there is a time when we may take more liberty because we know no better and we think it a great deal of Religion that we will acknowledge God and will come to him for temporal blessings but as the Apostle saith Behold I shew you a more excellent way covet after the best gifts Then doth God best accept thy prayer when thou onely seekest him for himself and not when thou seekest any other thing by or through him this will declare what thou lovest him for whether for thy self or himself what thou most lovest what thou most earnestly prayest for and what thou most weepest for when wanting that thou most lovedst when thou hadst it but to all true believers both in this as in all thinigs God is their end their chief love c. and therefore tis him they seek to enjoy above all things Although it be with the loss of all things Him they esteem Portion enough And to conclude I affirm as it is said of Abishai 2 Sam. 23. 19 there were three most honourable among the thirty but Abishai was the most honourable of the three therefore they chose him their Captain And so say I prayer is honourable in its time season and seeking for temporal blessings according to the will of God but more honourable in seeking graces to adotâ— the soul and inward man but when in prayer we seek God for himself having so much love to him such strong desires after him that we forget and lose our selves and mind onely him as our chief end then say I let Abishai let That Prayer be Captain for that hath done the most honourable of all the chosen Worthies the other have done worthily but this is the more Honourable of all the three for if we had time we might shew you that there can no prayer do more worthily then this for it answers first to the Lords Prayer Mat. 6. 17. Secondly to Christs Prayer immediately before he suffered Iohn 17. Self-denialls in his resignation to the will of his Father and love to his Flock Disciples and Members A most ravishing prayer and such a prayer as no man ever prayed but time will not suffer me now to open any thing about it Thirdly this prayer is most agreeable to the example of the Apostles who under-valued all the world to enjoy the life of Christ insomuch that they esteemed his Cross their Throne and his sufferings their Crown So that by all this we have said you may examine your prayers of what excellency they be consider the matter and end of your prayers whether they be of Flesh or spirit whether in them you seek God or your selves And with the words of the Apostle Rom. 7. 6. I conclude all for this time seeing God hath put it into your heart to seek him and to worship him Let it not be in the Oldness of the Letter but in the Newness of the
nor with Big looks nor Stately carriage nor self Arrogance c. Five of his names we have opened First he is called the Old man 2. Adam which names we opened 3. The Serpent as Esay 27. 1. In that day the Lord with his sore and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent even Leviathan that crooked Serpent he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea And I tell you how much soever we think we abhor Serpents yet Thâ—se Cruel Serpents we live with them we eat we drink we play with them we hug them in our bosomes And the way to destroy and kill this Serpent is by cutting off his head kill him in the head for therein is his life for that is it that is promised in Gen. 3. Let the Serpent but save his head and he will do well enough cut but off the tops of weeds and they will grow again ranker then before they have their life still cut off swearing lying pride covetousness anger revenge any particular sin yet you have left the root still you have saved the Serpents head and therefore though I have preached to you these three years yet ye never knew me To Hazzard a Sermon at the cutting off any one of these particular sins I never set my self to preach against any one individual vice as swearing and drunkenness or whoredome or the like as many do inveighing against some one particular external gross sin many months together Perhaps I might have forced and perswaded you to leave them and so may they but what reall good have they done but I knew if I left the Root behind they would grow again if not the same way yet another way as bad or worse but take away the root and the cause and then the effects would soon cease not in one branch onely but in all The fourth name was Lucifer that is that through our own vertues and excellencies he hath given us the fall and that is a dangerous fall that which we take by our own endowments I do not mean onely natural endowments as ability to pray admirably in words to repeat Sermons to converse and reason excellently but I mean our looking on our own excellencies even those that are excellencies indeed our graces and that which to others makes us not onely seem excellent but we are so in our selves When we look upon what we arâ— how far we have gone on in Christianity how many sins we have overcome and we glory like the Peacock in our own plumes and feathers this is the most dangerous fall if not an irrecoverable one And he is not unarmed as I then shewed you at large and his armour is Innocencie they walk unblameably and the more of this innocencie the more danger and it were better in this case for men to have fallen then to have been innocent for their innocencie hath been their destruction for this is the very sin of Lucifer which threw him down from Heaven Fifthly He is called the red Dragon in the Revelation 12. 3. we read in this place of a woman that was with child clothed with the Sun ready to be delivered of a male child and the red Dragon stood before her to devouâ— the child as soon as it was born Because it was a Man-child therefore he watched so narrowly if it had been of the female sex he had not cared but being a Man-child one that would be the destruction of him and his kingdom it was time for him to look about him And when you read that Chapter of the woman in heaven clothed with the Sun I hope you are not so weak as to imagine that there is any such thing in heaven that there is a woman with child in heaven I hope you are not so babish but it is meant of the soul of man which is to be esteemed far above the Sun and the fabrick of the massie world And when this soul is to be brought to bed of a male child in the New birth this Dragon watches to destroy it this Pharaoh commands strangle them in the birth but be they females of the weaker sex let them live these help to advance Satans Kingdom by all means let them live nourish cherish foster them but for the other destroy stifle them they destroy his Kingdom And the Armour of this red Dragon is Blood therefore he is called the Red Dragon Red like blood God commands the Jews not to eat the blood of any thing for that is the life thereof but t is blood this Dragon seeks t is the life t is blood that nourishes him and this is a sore Armour and we cannot destroy him but we must destroy our selves Ye must destroy your life ye must destroy the blood the life of your lusts the life of your sins the life of your desires the life of your affections the life of your hopes the life of your fears Is not this also a Sore Enemie The sixth name he is called the Roaring Lion so called because of his implacable fury nothing will satisfie him nothing will stop him in his course of sin no benefits no terrors no threats no intreaties neither mercies nor judgments neither rewards nor terrors move him he mocks at all he rusheth through all as the horse rusheth into the battel as Iob saith of the horse ch 39. v. 22. He mocketh at fear and is not affrighted neither turneth he back from the sword And he is not unarmed and his armour is Resolution he will through all nothing shall stop him he is desperate he is without all bounds restraints and limits when God commands any thing he is without command he will be King and Lord himself as Ier. 2. 25. Withhold from following after thy Lovers withhold thy foot withhold thy throat from thirst but thou saidst There is no hope I will go after my Lovers Strangers I have loved and strangers I will love that is ye cannot dam up his way he is like an overflowing Sea no banks no bottom no commands no laws will hold him Sayes he seeing that God commands and I command one is strong and the other is strong I care not right or wrong stand or fall let him that is strongest take all Beloved I know these things you will not own you loath these words Oh far be any of these thoughts from you but let me tell you though you say not so with your mouths yet this is the practise of your lives The seventh name is the Devil In Scripture we find very little said of what God is in himself in his essence because that is too high for us those words we are not able to hear nor to comprehend but very much what He is towards us what God is to us and what he is in his effects and workings in us for he is in his essence incomprehensible to us so is the Essence of the Devil and we find very little yea much less
of the Stars and calleth them all by their names but as they are his Stars so they are numbered by his Arithmetick for they are not according to the number of a man As God saith to Abraham Gen. 15. 5. Look towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them so shall thy seeed be I hope Beloved by this time you begin to see what a numberless number of Chariots and Angels God hath ready prest at his command for any errand he pleaseth to send them on and also how easily our Saviour the great Arch-Angel of the Covenant and Michael Captain of the Lords hosts could have commanded more then 12 Legion of Angels Mat. 26. 53. Beloved I will propound it very briefly to you in two things or two Scriptures wherein ye may a little have a glimpse of God and a smal scantling of God and of God Almighties Arithmetick and if this smal scantling and little glimpse be so wonderful what is his perfection what is himself what is his Essence and glorious Being One shall be from that which David saith Ps. 90. 4. A thousand years with God are but as yesterday or as one day there is no succession of time with him In a thousand years you know are 365000 dayes and all this time is to God but as one day is to us Then who can number dayes with God so who can number Gods Angels his Armies and his Chariots they are to us infinite and numberless as to men we must not nor cannot number them no not according to the number of a man As we must not measure God by mans measure so God numbers not by mans number nor measures not by mans measure for whensoever ye read of God expressed under any Name or Attribute measure him not as you apprehend of that Attribute but as infinitely beyond it as the Ocean to the Drop and farre farre beyond Beloved when we think of God we must go backward from our first principles that were born with us or instilled into us by our Teachers or acquired by our industry and unlearn what we have been learning so long or rather transcend and forget and forsake all that knowledge of him we must be stript from all carnal apprehensions of God so as to measure him by any thing we can comprehend And to teach us this Arithmetick we had need have line upon line line upon line and precept upon precept precept upon precept here a little and there a little before ever we can learn these things for they are farre above us As all the wayes of God are unknowable unsearchable Rom. 11. 33. so all the Armies of God are unsearchable unknowable and the Chariots of God are all the wayes of God And both Chariots and Wayes are his Creatures God hath his wayes in all his Creatures his goings forth and workings in all the Creatures are but the goings forth of himself they are but the displayings of his own wisdom power and greatness Be hmoth is called The Prince of the wayes of God Iob 40. 19. And David saith Ps. 77. 19. Thy wayes are in the Sea and thy paths are in the deep and the Lord hath his wayes in the whirlwinds and in the Storms and the clouds are the dust of his feet Nah. 1. 3. And whatever God is he is infinitely so as he is If he be called good he is infinitely good If Being he is infinite in Being he only hath a Being for if any thing else hath a being he cannot be infinite All things but God are but shadows bubbles soon vanish soon up and soon down and if he be all power and all wisdom c. as most certainly he is then there is no power nor wisdom c. but onely his either in Heaven or Earth and if his be all the glory then no Creature hath any glory if his be all the power Kingdome and glory as in the conclusion of the Lords Prayer then no Creature can claim any and yet how commonly do men ascribe appropriate these to themselves and wipe their mouths and say I have done no evill The second thing wherein I would have you take a scantling of God or of Gods Arithmetick or of his wayes is from that place Dan. 7. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him I could make a strange inference upon his calculation but the bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself upon it and the covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it Isa. 28. 20. Therefore well may we with the Prophet conclude v. 23. Precept must be upon precept and line upon line c. that ye may go backward and be broken snared and taken Beloved ye must be undone and broken as to your selves and your own wisdom parts and then begin again Line upon line and line upon line here a little and there a little for saith he whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall be make to understand Doctrine even them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts For we have hitherto made lyes our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves v. 15. Then Beloved if God be so infinitely great as he is so that he is all greatness all wisdom all power so that he comprehends commands acts all things fils all things in Heaven and Earth Oh! All you the people and children of God look about you and behold your Portion none hath such a God as you none hath such a Protector as you none hath such a Father such a Provider as you have Oh happy Oh happy yea thrice happy indeed art thou that hast but these everlasting arms under thee his right hand to defend thee and his care to provide for thee what needest thou to fear what needest thou to care thou art safe for ever Henceforth let not any proud flesh quarrel at or any doubtful soul wonder at or question our Saviours words saying how can it be that all the hairs of our heads are numbered and that not one can fall to the ground without him for by infinite wayes he is infinitely present with all things in all places But let all that hate or slight this great God tremble at his stupendious presence greatness and power For Nahum 1. 3 4 5. Though the Lord be slow to anger yet he is of great power and will not at all acquit the wicked who hath his way in the whirlewind and in the storm and the cloud are the dust of his feet for at his pleasure he rebuketh the Sea and maketh it dry and dryeth up the Rivers Bashan languisheth and Carmel the flower of Lebanon The Mountains quake at him and the hills melt and the earth is burnt up at his presence yea the world and all that dwell
pale of the Church they will be Teachers and they would fain be accounted great Rabbies and they can expound Scriptures as well as any and if need were or if they durst they can preach as well as any and these people if people will not hear them presently they are ignorant They are so well instructed they can go no whither to learn anything as though al wisdom were born with them when God knows they are as full of ignorance of pride of self-conceitedness as any men in the Town but the Spouse she cryes yea and still will cry till dooms day Tell me teach me she sees her own imperfections and strives after perfection she knows and is sensible with Paul she hath not yet attained And therefore I once again beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ and for your own souls sake leave off this kind of Religion although I would have you to hate even the garments spotted by the flesh We come to the second thing laid down and that is the Poise or weight that she hangs upon her suit she doth in a kind Adjure God I had thought to have gone through this Text at this time indeed I had thought when I began that you I should have waited upon this beautiful Lady our Mother our Mistress from Engedi to Eneglaim from the beginning of the Text to the end but you see here is a word hath bin cast in our way as the Carkases of Amasa and Asahâ—â— which made us to make a stand like the children of Israel at the Red Sea they could not the pass on till waters were dryed up and indeed the Red Sea is before us a whole Sea of matter but we must take what we can leave the rest Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth Here is a true expression of Prayer it is but a folly to pray to God except we can thus put up our prayers to him in this dialect O thou whom my soul lovesâ— Many think that if they can pray to God in setting forth his attributes styling him Most High Most Mighty Most Gracious and it may be adde Hebrew words as O Most mighty Iehovah then they think they have made an admirable Prayer but be sure of this except thou canst come to God truly say from thy heart O thou whom my soul love thy prayers be they never so excellent otherwise they all fal to the ground he accepts them not But when thou comest under this title it is so indeed he cannot chusâ— but hear for then it is the voyce of his Spouse but if you express his Attributes never so largely amply without this yet thou hast prayed no better then the Devil for there is no Attribute but he can inlarge amplifie above any of you all herein he is able to out-strip the best of you And the Apostle saith He that loves not the Lord Iesus let him be Anâ—thema Maranatha accursed from Christ he prayes no better then the very Devils and those that are accursed from Christ as we see still when the possessed with Devils came and met our Saviour whâ—t a large confession acknowledgement they make of him I know thee who thou art Iesus the Son of the most High God but Christ many times stopped their mouthes and would not accept their confession All thy prayers the best that ever thou madest without this title of love are but as milstones hung about thy neck and will drag thee to the bottom of the Sea But it may be you bless your selves for all this think your prayers are not so bad as we make them or if they be you hope you shall do well enough hereafter after you dye But know that as the tree falls so it lies as Solomon saith If thou dye in this condition so judgement shall find thee you hope it may be that you shall possess the Crown laid up for you in Heaven as you conceive but I fear you are so glued to the earth you can relish nothing but the earth so that that is it your souls loves And it may be you think it shall be some ponderous thing you shall have in heaven some glorious visible material or some tangible thing You think you shall have some such things as you enjoy here but alas alas thou shalt find that as soon as ever thou art unriveted from the earth And happy were it for thee if it were done here That the Kingdom of God consisteth not in meat and drinks in riches and wealth and the like for the Kingdom of heaven is not a creation but a multiplication And when you come to be received into that Kingdom it will not be demanded What riches have ye what honour have ye but Christ will ask How many loaves have ye if ye are not in possession of some loaves of some part of the Kingdome of heaven before in this world there is none to be given then Not what had you in this world But it will be asked how many loaves have ye â—hat is how many loaves of love How many loaves of Charity how many loaves of faith how many loaves of patience what wilt thou do if thou hast none wilt thou say Stay Lord I will go and buy or I will go and borrow as the foolish Virgins no no there is no body can lend they have none to spare they have but enough for themselves If thou canst not say as here O thou whom my soul loveth never look to entâ—r but ye must look for the answer those foolish Virgins had Depart I know ye not if this love be not the salt that seasons all your actions all your sacrifices he knows them not he regards them not where he sees no love in the actions let it be never so glorious a duty he knows it not Depart from me But try your love to him Try this secret seal by the Broad-seal of love to the creatures to your brethren if you be a living Member you will sympathize in love and fellow-feeling wit the rest of the members for the Apostle saith Love is the fulfilling of the Law the whole Law for take the Commandements first the Commandements of the second Table if a man love father and mother let him dishonour them if he can And so the next Thou shalt not kill if he love the creatures and his brethren he is so far from offering violence to any that he will rather lay down his own life And so the seventh if he love all he will not take the members of Iesus Christ and make them the members of an harlot And love will make him in stead of stealing from any to give plenteously and willingly and to be so far from coveting and taking away that he will rather adde what he can and love can bear no false witness nor covet any thing which is his Neighbours And so likewise for the first Table he that
our feeling to our sight to our apprehension and comprehension but not at all in himself We cannot Honour him no nor dishonour him as to himself he is infinitely Far Above our praises or dispraises neither toucheth him as David saith My goodness extendeth not to him and Iob If I sin it toucheth not him He is neither better or worse by all our works either by sin or righteousness Beloved be sure of this we can neither diminish nor increase his praise in Himself though in regard of â—s we do for though we hold our tongues though we run upon our own destruction yet All as Creatures Praise him if he be not glorified by us in his Mercy he is and will be in his Iustice. It is said in Phil. 2. that he emptied himself of all his glory that is he as it were drew a curtain between Our eyes and His glory not between his own eyes and his glory for he was the same in himself but as to men He drew a Curtain or Vail before his glory for he honoured himself most in that he Emptied himself and therefore he saith here All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth not but that he had the same power before But now All power is given me that is Now men shall see it how in this very thing I honoured my self How in this very thing I manifested my self to be the Saviour of the world And though he seemed to Unclothe and dis-robe himself of all power and glory yet men shall now see and acknowledge that he still At that very instant retained it as much as ever yea manifested it more to them I seemed to lay it down and now to them I will be seen to Take it up again and they shall see that it never departed from me nor I from it But now it may be you will say to me We see you have partly cleared it and made it appear in what sense it is to be understood that All power is given to him in Earth but how is all power given him in Heaven do the Angels add any thing to him or is any thing added to them yea certainly for by the Church these things are More made known unto them for they were not created in such an estate but they may be made better nor are they so perfect but that they desire an increase in their perfection for it is said 1 Pet. 1. 12. The Angels do stoop down to pry into these mysteries therefore their knowledge and perfection is increasing And indeed it is certain They see their imperfections more then man because of the great light they have they are nearer to God who is light and therefore see their darkness and imperfection more then we for we are more dark and further off the light but alas Vain men think they see a great deal and because of their blindness they think themselves such excellent Creatures being thereby puffet up in themselves looking on themselves as Lords of all every thing was made for Him and that Christ was sent Meerly to Redeem him to save him God overlookt as he conceives All Creatures both above him and below him and had respect to none but to him as proud Haman said I onely am in the Kings favour O poor Creatures you are deceived think not so this is onely a fruit of your ignorance of your blindness limit not Gods Church to so narrow a scantling The Dominions of his Church reach infinitely further ther then you are aware of but we must not now enter upon that But hereby you may see that things in Heaven have a revelation and manifestation of Christ unto them and his power is given unto him There as well as on earth if so it be That you do take Heaven according to our general and common Notion of taking Henven which we Vulgarly conâ—eive to be above the Circumference of the Sun and God to be present more especially there but this also is a limiting The bounds of his Church and Kingdom His Kingdom as I conceive is every where and Heaven is where he is for he is Every where Yet I remember I was taught when I was a Child either by my Nurse or my Mother or Shoolmaster that God Almighty was above in Heaven viz. above the Sun Moon and Stars and I thought of a long time afterwards that there was his Court and his Chamber of presence and I thought it a great Height to come to this knowledge but I assure you I had more to do to unlearn this principle then ever I had to learn it and I am afraid too many of us are gone no further then this Childish principle whereupon follow many errours But it is more safe Taking Heaven in the largest sense Eiâ—her as God Filling all places and all things as well above the Sun as below and below as above and so Heaven to be where God is that is ever where for he cannot be excluded from any place but he is not onely in every place but in every place Alike Or else to take Heaven in that sense the Prodigal doth Luk. 15. 18. Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee to take Heaven to be in our souls When God comes into our souls and dwels there that is when he manifests his presence in us and to us then he is said to dwell there not but that he dwelt there in regard of himself as much before but then he is there as in his Temple As in his glory to Us-ward then we see him there In the Beauty of Holiness Then He is compassed about with our praises as it is exprest in that 68 Psalm It is well seen O God how thou goest How thou My God goest when thou art in thy Sanctuary The singers go before and the minstrels follow after in the midst are the damsels with timbrels c. When God is not onely in us as he is in all Creatures but when he is there sensibly to us that we feel him and see him and Rejoyce to behold his Presence and Glory and so we come Thereby to glorisie him more Whenever we come to this Sight then are we come into a degree of the kingdom of Heaven Into Gods Chamber of Presence There we shall see all Creatures all Angels and Saints and the whole Creation compassing him round about with Glories and Hallelujahs Then as to us is He set upon his Throne And till then he is As Crucified As upon the Cross as Buffetted as Spit upon as Emptied as disrohed as Slighted Trod upon As upon the dunghil as separaâ—e from his glory but all this is but as to men not as to Himself as I said before For to him all Angels Cry A loud the Heavens and the Earth and all the Powers therein and all Creatures cry continually Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbaths Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy glory And
the blessed Apostles and Disciples were brought to Oh! but where are such Disciples now where are your Great Doctors and your learned men Are they Doctors in this School of the Cross of Christ No no nothing less Are They Dead men Are They come to this to let others rejoyce in the heaping up riches And adding Land to Land and making themselves and their posterity great in the world These things should not concern Dead men And saith David again I am as a broken pitcher that can hold no water Just so is This man He is a broken pitcher that can hold Nothing Pour Riches into him Health Wealth Praise Honour or the contrary Whatever ye give to him or take from him He is all one if ye take his Cloak from him he will give you his Coat if ye strike him on the one cheek he cannot revenge He will rather turn the other Curse him and He will pray for you And all this he learns of his dear Saviour JESUS CHRIST And all this He hath attained by being united and by being made One with Him whose practise and Command you know it was so to do and whose Nature and life he partakes of knowing assuredly by experience That there is No other way to find rest to his soul But by forsaking his own will and living Free in the world and Dead unto it and to his own proper will and affections Oh Beloved How Happy and how Free doth such a soul live how at liberty and free from those Chains that most men are fettered with as love of Money and Honours and Houses and Lands Distracted with hopes on one hand and Fears on the other and are never at rest but are like the Troubled Sea tumbled this way and that way rolling to and again and never quiet But this Man is Delivered Set free from all such things What a comfort is it for a man to be made Willingly to leave the love of the world to live free and above all hopes and fears What a comfort is it not to fear death for this man dyes daily not to fear To Answer All our enemies in the gate to look boldly and undauntedly on Death on Satan as knowing them overcome and brought under what a comfort is it to Find See and Feel The life of Christ In Us and that we are in some measure and every day more and more made conformable to our Head And that we shall now for ever Overcome and be at Rest and Sit down with Him upon His Throne even as he is set down upon his Fathers Throne what a comfort is it to feel and see our graces Faith Hope and Patience And the rest to Revive to live and flourish which in former times flagged and dyed what a comfort is this To see That when either the North wind or the South wind blow Let him be in any kind of condition Yet His Garden prospers His Soul flourishes And the Spices thereof flow out and Christ and He To eat the pleasant fruits thereof To this man Nothing is a Rod to him Nothing a judgement Let God do what he will with him He can see no Anger no Frowns in any thing but all that comes is to Him Mercy and Loving kindness This is The Soul That lives with God and lives in God This soul is at Rest And none else But This Soul For he hath in pâ—rt Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven Possession of him Even while he is in the body which possession he knows he shall never be deprived of but shall have the FULL Possession and Enjoyment thereof for ever and ever In His Fathers due Time O my Dear Freinds To What A Blessed Tranquillity AND SERENENESS of SPIRIT Is This Soul Attained These are to Him BLESSED and HALCION DAIES Here end the SERMONS of JOHN EVERARD And All that can be of His Expected Here follow certain brief Collections out of some Sublime and Mortified Authors Translated out of Latin by Dr. Everard Hereunto Annexed to these Sermons as things suitable to His preaching and giving further light each to other viz. To him who is in the light 1. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. These two placed in the midst of this book the other six herefollow 2. The Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God 3. Dionysius the Areopagite his Mystical Divinity 4. Certain grave and notable sayings in Latin and English 5. The saying of a certain Divine of great note and name 6. A lovely glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ his life taken out of Taulerus his works 7. Another short Instruction out of the same Author 8. A short Dialogue between a Learned Divine and a Beggar THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite Converted by Paul the Apostle who did at Athens believe and cleave unto him ACTS 17. 34. Written to Timothy Translated into English By Dr. EVERARD JOB 36. 26. Behold God is great and we know him not ISA. 55. 6. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. LONDON Printed by Iohn Owsley for Rapha Hartford at the Bible and States Arms in Little Brittain 1657. THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite Written to Timothy CHAP. 1. What the Divine Mist or Darkness is OTRINITY That art above ESSENCE above GOD above Goodness the Governour of the Christians wisdom concerning God Vouchsafe to direct us to the More-then-unknown More-then-shining Highest-top of Mystical Oracles where the simple and absolute and unchangeable MYSTERIES of Divinity do Hide by the More-then-lightsome MISTINES of Secret-Teaching SILENCE in the Darkest Darkness Even Him that over-shineth That which is More-then-most-Glorious and under that which is utterly impalpable and invisible doth More-then-fill the blinded or Eye-less Mindes with More-then-fair Shinings 2. And these things I pray for but do thou O my friend Timothy by thy most intent study and exercise about MYSTICAL Visions leave and forsake thy senses and all sensible and intelligible things and thy mental operations and all things that are not and that are and after an unknown manner lift up and advance thy self to the Conjunction and Union with Him who is above all Essence and Knowledge for by a free and purely absolute departing from thy self and all things having separated all things and being freed and loosed from all things thou shalt be brought back to the Super-essential BEAM of the Divine Darkness 3. But take heed that none of them that are not Entred or Initiated in our MYSSERIES do hear these things I mean such as are still detained and holden in the things that are and do imagine nothing to be super-essentially above the things that are but presume by their own knowledge to understand HIm that maketh DARKNES his Secret place And if these Divine Institutions concerning Mystical things be above Them what is to be said of such as are yet more strangers and
This is the Shadow of that House of Clay Where dwelt a Soule that richly did Display Such Light of Trueth abroad as did Viseal The Book of God and Hidden Things Reveal But hauing left That House now dwels Aboue In those Bless'd Mansions of pure Light Loue. T. Cross Sculpsit M B THE Gospel-Treasury Opened OR The Holiest of all unvailing Discovering yet more The RICHES of Grace and Glory TO THE VESSELS of MERCY Unto whom onely it is given to know the Mysteries of that Kingdom and the excellency Of SPIRIT above LETTER POWER above FORMS TRUTH above SHADOWS In several Sermons preached at Kensington elswhere By JOHN EVERARD D. D. deceased Whereunto is added the Mystical Divinity of Dionysius the Areopagite spoken of Acts 17. 34. with Collections out of other Divine Authors translated by Dr. Everard never before printed in English 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Verse 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect even the hidden wisdom of God in a mysterie London Printed by Iohn Owsley for Rapha Harford at the Bible and States-Arms in Little Brittain 1657. To all those who through the power of Christ in them have attained to esteem it their Wisdom long to be despised accounted Fools by the World 〈◊〉 his sake and the Gospels whose knowledge â—isdome and Guifts hath made them not Great and 〈◊〉 according to the custome of the World but Little yea Nothing in their own esteem who notwithstanding are the True Of-spring of God the Only Right-Wise and Honourable with Him and the Excellent upon Earth TO such only are these Sermons dedicated they knowing what these things mean but not to the Great and wise men of this world For saith our 〈◊〉 All men cannot receive these sayings Mat. 〈◊〉 11. A rich man can hardly enter into the Kingâ—â—me of heaven nor he especialy who is Rich or 〈◊〉 in his own esteem Nay It is easier for a 〈◊〉 or Cable to go through the Eye of a 〈◊〉 Needle then for a Rich man to enter into 〈◊〉 Kingdome of God And saith our Lord 〈…〉 I say unto you Except ye be converted 〈…〉 little Children ye cannot enter therein But whosoever shall humble himself as a littâ—â— child The same saith he mark the word 〈◊〉 no other shall be greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven These onely are they that can Deny theâ— selves in all things and take up their Crosse daâ— ly following their Lord and Master in the samâ— path he hath trod out before them being 〈◊〉 with his own Baptisme they wait upon 〈◊〉 as his serâ—ants and covet to be like him In all his afflictions reproches and death 〈◊〉 meek how lovely how courteous how 〈◊〉 how amiable how gratious was he 〈◊〉 all his behaviour How ready to pardoâ— and pray for his enemies There was no guile founâ— in his mouth He never reproached the vildest sinner how patient meek and loving was he 〈◊〉 them how did he pitty and tender them anâ— weep over them because they were so fast bounâ—â— in Satans chains Only he fell very foul on the 〈◊〉 and dissembling Outside Religion of thâ— Pharisees their gilded seemingly Holy outsides He could never endure Because though therâ— was an unreproveable and glorious outside yâ— within nothing but Stenches rottenness and 〈◊〉 bones like unto gilded and stately Sepuâ—â—chers without but within all manner of rottenâ—ness and loathsome Stenches And he chose raâ—ther to keep company with the grossest sinner the Publicans rather then with these Because themselves and others had so high an esteem of them and thought them righteous by reason of their grave and demure outsides to make others believe it was so or rather better within when it was quite otherwise He sought not Himself nor his own glory but the glory of his Father He endured the Cross despised the shame His life was to go about doing good even to his enemies He would gladly have done good to the proud Pharisees but they could not endure him because he did not reverence and admire them as others did but dishonour them and discover their nakedness and loathsome insides Those that are his servants they in their measure strive to follow their Master in all good things They have the same spirit Full of meekness and tenderhartedness to all Free and ready to do good they love all creatures for his sake they can see no creature in want but their bowels Yearn to help them being much troubled if they have not wherewith to supply their wants These indeed like their Master can Welcome the Crosse yea kisse the Crosse every day and expect bearing of the Crosse in every thing they do whether they be Actions Civil or Spiritual in their Almes or Charities to men or their religious Worship and duties to God They in all bear the Crosse alwaies about them Therefore that of the Papists to me is a pretty Embleme of these mens lives in this regard though they abuse it in an external outward foolish and Superstitious way but the Morral and signification to this purpose is by some very aptly applyed Viz. Every thing they have to do with or what ever they begin or go about The Crosse The Crusifix as they call it must be made upon it when they rise or when they go to bed or whatever they do they will not forget that so is it very truly and really applyed to these men And the more they esteem themselves Blessed for the Papists think themselves Blessed by doing it externally and the fewer Crosses they use the more they think are their curses But in this sence I am sure t is a real truth That these Self-denied Little-Ones know by experience then whom for any to offend it were far better for him That a Milstone were hanged about his neck and sunk headlong to the bottome of the Sea That the more of the Crosse they bare they reckon they are the more Rich the more Happy This taking up the Crosse and Denial of themselves they account it their Life their Portion their Inheritance their Blessing their Crown yea indeed their Heaven upon Earth As for all the things of this world they sit as loose to them as Elijaâ—'s Mantle which as he Ascended fell from him to the Earth to which it belonged These Souls they willingly and freely have departed from the love of this World and expect no love from it but rather Hatred but they having found the Pearl of great price of invalluable price they slight all Sell All for this Pearl For they have resolved and concluded in their souls in good earnest as it is Prov. 4. Wisdome is the principal thing therefore say they I must what ever I
Mourners and Rejoycers Isa. 66. 10. Rejoyce ye with Ierusalem all ye that love her Rejoyce for joy with her even all ye that mourn for her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory You shall come to know what Heaven is which is so much talked of and so little known 7. You shall see what our Saviour represented and intended when he said Iohn 16. 21. A woman when she is in travail hath great sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man-child is born into the world And lastly we shall also see what it is St. Paul means 2 Cor. 1. 15. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so also our consolation Aboundeth by Christ So that you see both the Law and the Prophets And Christ and his Apostles do plentifully bear witness to the Text and to both parts of it both for our suffering with Christ and our reigning with him for as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. 19. If in this present life onely we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable But our Life is Hid with Christ in God As then There is a Season to every thiâ—g and an appointed time for every purpose Eccles. 3. 1 c A time to be born and a time to dye a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance a time to lose and a time to get c. So will I enstyle this Text A CHRISTIANS TIME His whole time from the very beginning to the end so that besides or beyond which he hath not noâ— cannot look to have a minute a moment Nay he is not at all when he is not either suffering or being crucified with his Saviour or else in being glorified or reigning with him In both which states he is very safe although he cannot alwayes see it so Or you may call iâ— if you will his Non-age and Full age Gal. 4. 1. when he is under age and differeth nothing from a Servant though he be coheir with Christ who is heir of all things or else his Full-age or partaking with Christ in his Inheritance and glory Or else if that be too long ye may call it A CHRISTIANS YEAR that is his winter and his summer his winter of affliction and suffering and his summer of joy refreshing and consolation Or if that be too long then cal it HIS DAY as Gen. 1. The evening and the morning were the first day and so the fâ—rst day and every day after consisted of an evening and a morning first the evening then the moâ—ning And Luke 19. 42. If thou hadst known in this Thy day the things that belong to thy peace You must observe this order or else a Day is improperly applyed to him because he hath first his Night and evening of darkness and sorrow and then his Morning of joy and refreshing after that NIGHT of sorrow as Psal. 30. 5. Heaviness may indure for a Night but joy cometh in the morning Call it all these or any of these so you pervert not the order that we must be first servants and suffer with Christ before we come to be heirs in pâ—ssession with Christ we must first have our winter first sow our seed c. before we have our Summer and time of reaping From hence take notice of the perpetual and constant method God takeâ— with all his children first he gives them their Evening their Non-age their Winter c. First lets them have their time of suffering their winter of affliction their evening of sorrow Their serving-time first and then afterward cometh their Morning their Summer their Full age Their Morning of joy and consolation and their time of Reigning first Servants then Heirs as you may obseâ—ve in those Types of Jesus Christ which Types set out not only his Person but his Body Ioseph was first sold for a slave and was cast into prison before he was advanced to a kingdom And Mordecai he had his sorrowing and fasting time before he was advanced a tristibus semper sed necessariis incho at Deus as Origen saith And as our Saviour saith Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest But it is quite contrary in the Devils method towards his servants He gives first their Summer first their morning first their good wine but Christ he keeps the good wine last God first plucks up and then plants first pulls down and then builds first kils and then makes alive 1 Sam. 2. 6. And as it is Rom. 5. 15 16. For if through the offence of one many be dead much more the Grace of God and the gift by grace by Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many For if by one mans offence death Reigned much more the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall Reign in life by One Iesus Christ. But wicked men They may rejoyce here but they have their portion but their suffering succeeds and is coming apace as Abraham said to Dives Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy Good things but now he is comforted but thou art tormented Friends you may rejoyce sing and dance and be merry but you have small cause if you consider all you may sup well but you are like to have au hard breakfast You prefer your life and your lovial time before the life and time of the people of God you think they are a melancholy people but judge your selves whose condition is best theirs or yours He that will be my Disciple let him here take up his cross and then his Crown follows whatever He loses parts with denies himself in t is that he may have an hundred-fold with Christ in his Kingdom He now sows that he may then Reap but it is quite contrary in thy condition nothing will content thee but to reap now rejoice now and to be frolick here and then follows everlasting darkness instead of leaping and dancing your feet will for ever stumble on the dark Mountains Beloved these things are worth your consideration which if you seriously do it may be that your spirit may be saved in that day of the Lord do not overprize your contents here but rather use them soberly use them but use them so as if ye used them not there will come a time will abundantly recompence all your suffering Bearing and forbearing But I fear to some this is harsh doctrine as Christ his doctrine was to the young man when he bid him Sell all and he should have treasure in Heaven he went away sorrowful for he was very rich worldly riches glistered more in his eye then heavenly riches
youth in the infancy of their Christianity these have the title of Souldiers as well as those that live to their full age and to be fathers in Christ and have suffered never so much All is one so we be in a willingness and readiness onely deceive not your selves I know if I should ask any of you of your willingness and readiness you will say you are willing and he is not a true Christian that desires not to be ready to do Gods wil to grow in grace yes yes we are taught that say you in the Lords prayer to pray Thy Kingdom come and thy will be done I I I know well enough you have words enough very good words you have Religion at your fingers and your tongues end it is true we all of us cry daily Thy will be done thy Kingdom come and it may be we have said these words a thousand times over and yet it may be we are of the number of them that say We will not that thou shalt rule over us let us break their bonds and cast away these cords from us Psal. 2. 3. I and it may be we fast and pray and tye our selves to a constant rule which we will by no means omit and yet be like those in the 1. of Isaiah give God very good words draw near with our mouthes and honour him with their lips but yet our hearts are far from him and we will have our own will God nor his wayes neither shall cross us of that And if so be God will but let us have our wills we will then give him service enough in this kind bodily service and bodily exercise more then he would have weary him with sacrifices I and our selves too Brethren what shall we think of those men that daily pray for the life health of the King the extension of his power government and yet do nothing but plot treason are these loyal subjects So it may be you will say with Paul To will is present with me but to do I know not how to perform Rom. 7. 18. I require you therefore as you will answer before God Almighty and his elect angels that your willingness be true and real not pretended that there be as true and as great willingness as there is in a man that is hungry to eat and to be as willing as a thirsâ—y man would drink then if it be so I say as you say as the Apostle saith he will accept the will for the deed moreover he will work the deed It is with God as it is with a man looking in a glass if you go to it it will go to you if you go from it it will go from you if you look proudly it will do so too if you smile on it it will smile on you if you kiss it it will kiss you just so it is with our God with the just man thou wilt shew thy self just and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure Psal. 18. 25 26. if we do but so much as incline to God God will incline to us As soon as the Prodigal inclined and had but a thought to turn again to his father his father was ready to turn towards him for says the Text Luke 15. 18 19 20. While he was yet afar off he saw his son and ran to meet him Having premised these two qualifications like a nail in the sanctuary to Rivet you to your hope we come now to set our feet upon the first step that leads us up to this Throne of Perfection and Rest But here stands A Lion in the way the sluggard said so in the Proverbs to excuse his idleness when there was none but here stands a a Lion indeed A Roaring Lion that doth hinder will hinder till he be taken away He stands continually at the foot of these steps seeking whom he may devour and will suffer no man to come near And he stands compleatly Armed bids men adventure if they dare they come upon their perils All the imitable actions of our Saviour we are to follow though not his miracles as to cure the blind and heal the lame and raise the dead and the like but he hath set us a pattern wherein we should all imitate him for He being Lord of all yet he became least of all although he was God equal with his Father yet he Emptied himself and poured out all his glory and became as a servant submitting himself to death yea to the death of the cross then which description I cannot give you a more plain shorter or more infallible compendium of his sufferings which will assuredly draw after it Being glorified with him Herein ye must imitate him herein ye must suffer with him and Herein ye shall be Glorified together understand I pray you I do not say ye must be poor as Christ was poor I do not say ye must be whipt as Christ was whipt that ye must be crowned with thorns as Christ was this is more then I know I know not what God may do with you in that regard whether he will call you to this or not nay if I should tell you so this were To begin at the wrong end for if you should do All this and undergo never so much the utmost misery that ever man endured upon earth name what death and torture you will it doth not necessarily follow That ye shall be glorified with him As a man in a feaver if you apply never so many medicines outwardly to the skin it will do him no good you must alter somewhat within before ye can cure him so if a man suffer never so much outwardly in his body if you alter not the heart within for all evil is in the heart till that be made clean till there be a suffering there there is no good done till then we suffer not with Christ viz. to be emptied of our selves to be made Nothing to forsake our own will c. these are sufferings indeed all other outward and bodily sufferings are but the shadow these are the substance and the True Sufferings This is to suffer with Christ that so we may reign with him I say herein we must imitate Christ in these two things spoken of Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Iesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross we must be Empty and Humble empty thy self of all thy gifts yea of all thy graces down with not onely your infirmities and weaknesses but throw down your Crowns before the Lamb that sitteth
this love of darkness is a strong Armour Love is a strong cord As a threefold cord not easily broken because men love darkness they not onely conceit they are in light when they are in darkness but they love it they will not be removed from it If ye break this cord of love ye break their life you undo them What not love themselves what not love that which all the world good and bad sayes is good what not Honours good nor Riches good Oh how sweet are these things to flesh and blood they are joyned together with inseparable love And except God himself with his Mighty Arm break in sunder this Cord it will never be broken The thirteenth name is Flesh â—al 5. 1â— For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would so called because t is executed exercised in the flesh and Iohn 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit If we speak it is by the flesh if we do any thing hear any thing see any thing it is of the flesh t is true we think speak do but t is through flesh and therefore is flesh and you know what the Apostle saith When we are present in the flesh we are strangers to God whatever action we do If we do it by the flesh and from the flesh Sure it is Flesh and blood shall never inherit the Kingdom of God But what may be the Armour of this flesh His Armour is Provision how do men make provision for the flesh Rom. 13. 14. and in the mean time neglect their souls all their thoughts words actions all their walking sitting lying running 〈◊〉 is To make provision for the flesh and when they think they have made sufficient provision for 〈◊〉 then they are at rest till then never 〈…〉 heart hands feet eyes all are set a work to makâ— provision for this flesh but where where is the man that takes such care and endeavours to make such provision for his soul where is the man that can say or doth say of his soul as that rich fool in the Gospel said of his bodily goods Soul soul now take thy ease eat and drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years Where I say is the soul that can say triumphingly Soul soul now take thy rest take thy Ease be Merry in thy God let him be thy joy thy game and thy gain though thou hast not One penny no matter thou hast treasure enough laid up for ever henceforth never more take thought care for no more God is mine he is Enough and Enough The fourteenth name is Selfness Whoever will be my Desciple let him deny himself Luke 9. 23. not onely deny thy self all those things that are evil it is not meant onely so but deny thy self in every thing even in that is good whatever it be that is well done and is indeed a good action that is good really in it self and thou wouldest Nay and thinkest thou oughtest to think well of it Oh this is well done here I have done a good action Away with these thoughts they are dangerous Run away from these thoughts as Christ did when the Jews would have made him King Own not these thoughts the good actions thou dost are none of thine thou hast nothing thou art nothing nothing is thine but sin thou never didst a good action never thoughtest a good thought Shall I ascribe to my self the glory of doing any thing all action is Gods sin evil wickedness is thine away with it down down proud worm down dust down ashes cast down your crowns before the Lamb and him that sitteth upon the throne and confess all honour all praise all power all might all dominion is his and his alone for ever and ever cast down not onely your weaknesses and infirmities but cast down your Crowns your excellencies your graces that wherein your selves and others think you excel and confess That all the glory and all the strength is none of yours it is all his acknowledge I say as the truth is that you are nothing that you can do nothing and say there is nothing due to me but shame and confusion of face for ever but to God onely be all the Honour Glory Power Praise Majesty and Might And the Armour of this Selfness is love of our selves as the Devil told God concerning Iob Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life This love of our selves we cannot part from He that will save his life shall â—ose it but he that will destroy himself destroy his life shall save his life A very strange paradox to flesh and blood The fifteenth name is Propriety but herein I know I touch your coppy-hold and as our Saviour saith Iohn 8. 45. Though I tell you the truth I know you will not believe me Oh this Propriety is that that is dear to us that is when we ascribe this or that thing to our selves I have Propriety in this thing it is mine and mine onely and we look upon it as a thing we may do what we please with it you think it is your own but know you have nothing but what is given you And it may be you confess that but you think it is given you for your selves and you think you may keep it for your selves No God hath made thee but a 〈◊〉 it is his whatever it be and thou art to â—mploy it for him another hath as much right â—n it as thou if God call for it Therefore thou 〈◊〉 deceived It is none of thine It is Gods But if you will claim it All and you will have All the right in it then I say you must disclaim your â—ighâ— in Christ and I say to you as Peter said to Simon Magus Your money and you perish together Thou hast neither part nor portion in the kingdom of Heaven I but here Propriety hath his Armour and he is armed with the Word of God He that cares not for his family is worse then an Infidel I must â—ake care of my self of my wife of my children Truly Friends through the depravation of reason we have so corrupted the Scripture and so misâ—pplyed it to our own destruction wresting Scripture and picking out some places meerly to serve our own turns and no otherwise But I would to God you had so much care of your wives and children as you should in the name of God go on I do not forbid you to care but walk on in your care and in your callings but consider â—ill you therefore count these things your own â—nd not anothers as well as yours if his necessity call for it Let me tell thee God is not tyed to provide for thee That way
other and so these dayly complaints are in the world Oh! What shall I do I have lost my estate or I have lost my good name or I have lost my dear wife or I have lost my hopeful children Oh! take heed of that of saying so They are taken away And he hath taken them that gave them to thee whose own they are He takes but what is his own and why then dost 〈◊〉 repine but that thou claimest a propriety right in them when thou hast None For did God ever Covenant with thee How long thou shouldst have thy wife or thy children or thy lands oâ— thy health or thy credit or thy honour He never did why may not He then take any of them when he pleases But here now is that faith that overcomes all To look upon God As doing all and therefore to conclude all is well done for in his government there can be no error not the least Error that can be imagined who dare blaspheme so as to imaginne that God can erre and yet in our practise we dayly Accuse him You know David how he behaved himself towards Shimei 2 Sam. 16. 7. when he railed on him Come forth thou man of blood come out thou man of Belial when some would have fallen upon him no saith David let him alone for God hath bid him curse as if he should say I will not run at the stone that is thrown but look through him to him that stands behind this creature Oh what a height in Christianity is that soul come to that not onely can endure but endure joyfully as the Apostles Act. 5. 41. they went away Rejoycing from the councel when they had been imprisoned misused and whipt That they were counted worthy To suffer such things for the name of Christ So when a man simply out of an Awful respect and Reverence of His Almighty God and Father can look upon the carrying away of his goods the burning of his house the ravishing of his wife with dry eyes and with a smooth face I say Out of an Aweful respect to God not out of a senseless stupidity mistake me not but because he dares not find fault with what Gods will is when he so behaves himself in whatever befals him for the Name and sake of Christ That he rejoyces at it That he so carries himself in Gods sight in these things as if he willed them and takes them thankfully as the Apostles did hating murmuring This is something What thou poor worm dust and clay to lift up a thought of murmuring against thy infinite wise Creator Oh tremble before him all ye Nations and let him rule in his own house in peace We daily pray Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done Beloved Gods will is never out of tune but it is thine that is for although thou hast said that Petition a thousand times over yet thou hast never yet learned that Petition till thou hast learned to render up thy will to Gods will as David 2 Sam. 12. 16. when his child was sick He fasted and lay upon the earth but when his child was dead he raised up himself and washed and called for meat Some of his servants wondred at him he answers Ver. 22. When the child was sick I knew not what Gods will was but now God hath declared his will in taking him away why should I grieve any longer I shall go to it it shall not return to me his carriage in it was wonderful That he should grieve for the child when it was alive and comfort himself when it was dead Now we having been so long in the Doctrinal part it is time for us now to look What effects this Doctrine brings about in us Let me tell you He that practises this Doctrine As he hath two eyes in his head so he hath two eyes in his mind and as he hath two feet two hands two ears to his body so to his mind the one is like the compass that stands fixt pitched in the center and the other moves and goes about and doth the work the one is pitcht upon God his will and his decree the other acts and works and goes up and down and doth what he hath to do in the world so that whatsoever fall out still he hath recourse to Gods will and decree There is his place of Refuge and security He doth the works of his calling and actions among men with chearfulness as imployment from God and however things fall out they move not him to lift him up or cast him down 2. This mans eye is not divided between God and Mammon he looks not asquint his eye is alwayes single he brings not God down to these things but he brings all things up to God he consecrates all to God 3. This man he hath resigned up his judgement To God onely He is content to let God rule his judgement he resignes his judgement wholly to him If God condemn him He accounts himself condemned but if men condemn him he can puffe at it He Regards not that So likewise This Man He resignâ— his judgement of others to God He dares judge no man saith he shall I dare to judge no no Psal. 85. 8. I will hear what God will say I will hear his judgement whatever his judgement be that is well that is best and as David saith Psal. 31. 5. Into thy hands I commend my spirit So saith this Man into thy hands O Lord I commend my judgement into thy hands I commend my taste into thy hands I commend my sight I am ignorant and know â—othing but thou knowest what is best for me and to thy judgement will I submit whatever it be 4. This Mans is gotten Above all Heights and depths above all principalities and powers above life and death for he hath tamed and brought under all fears and all hopes that which hath undone and conquered thousands He hath vanquished all his Enemies and doth lay him down and sleep for saith he with David Thou onely makest me dwell in safety Psal. 4. 8. If mountains be tumbled up and down and hurled into the midst of the sea Though the Sea Roar and make a Noise yea though the whole frame and fabrick of heaven and earth crack and heaven and earth should meet together yet He can lay him down and sleep they may kill him but he knows They cannot hurt him If all things be in peace He is a quiet man If all things be in confusion and coming to nothing He is a quiet man too For believe it Till a man be come to This He is never quiet for he that hath any propension to any one thing more then to another can never be quiet therefore this man is equally A stranger to all creatures and he that is disturbed by hearkning to the call of his lusts cannot be quiet He that Hearkens after covetousness If he be a servant to this sin
that he emptied himself of all his glory took upon him the form of a Servant made himself of no reputation and One action from him was sufficient this you will not deny And therefore in all the Scripture you may observe that from the very instant of the Creation the second person in Trinity took upon him a body he had a body from the beginning from the first man and shall have a body to the last man as David saith of him a Body hast thou prepared me consider of this and compare it with the Scriptures and see if this be not more agreeable unto the vastness of the largness of Christ then to confine his body onely to the short time of 33 years He it is that suffers in man in the first man and shall suffer in the last man from the time of his suffering in the first righteous Abel to the last to the last righteous Abel from the time of taking his Kingdom of his Father till the time that he shall render up the Kingdom to his Father it is he that suffers I know when at any time ye hear of Christs Body and of his sufferings you presently fly to that short time that he lived upon Earth to those 33 years that he was visibly seen to walk upon Earth and I doubt many Divines intend no less when they speak of his sufferings they presently have recourse to that time and to Pontius Pilate and Herod and the Iews and intend no more but Beloved Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Christ suffers now as much as he did then and before that as much as he doth now for while any of his members suffers he suffers I appeal to you examine this truth whether this be not more agreeable to truth and to the Scripture to acknowledge this Vast Largness of Christ then to narrow and scant his body to that short time for if ye say he wrought our redemption and satisfied Gods wrath in those whole thirty three years then you contradict your selves for none can deny but any one of his actions alonâ— considered was abundantly sufficient and the Apostle Paul saith That he did fill up in his body the measure of the sufferings of Christ and certainly he that thus suffered in him doth still and shall do so to the end of the world And so I say concerning this request of the Spouse to Christ it is a strange question if ye consider it according to the three thirty years he was on earth in the dayes of Herod for to ask him where he fed and where he rested we know in that regard where he fed and where he rested at that time but she asks where he feeds now and where he rests now to the very very last day and from the first day this is the Spouse her question where he feeds and where he feeds at noon But by the way God forbid that we should go about to deny Christs coming in the flesh for he did come in the flesh and whatever the Scripture saith he did in the flesh is really undeniably true and let his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth that shall deny it But yet give me leave to tell you that is but the History there is a mystery in all the words there is a symbolical truth hid in them that is not obvious to every eye T is true he cured the eyes of the blinde and healed the lame and cured the deaf but that is but the letter the history that dyed with them for they are dead their eyes are shut up and their members are dissolved and returned into their first elements But he by that resembled to us how he hath ever since and before and will for ever cure the eyes of the blind and heal the lame and cast out Devils and cure the bloudy Issue in our souls for the other was but the outside the visible sensible part of his actions and miracles but that which Christ would represent to our understanding by that that is the fixed and eternal truth And so Christ still hath and shall have his food and his resting place And whoever shall eat of this Food shall never hunger again whosoever shall drink of this water that he shall give them shall never thirst again Your Fathers have eaten Manna in the Wilderness and are dead saith he but whosoever shall eat of this manna shall never dye Those actions Christ did then but these actions that those represents he doth alwayes those were visible representations presentations of them which he invisibly and mystically doth now yet as really Not onely I say as truly but more truly The spirituality of those actions never end for put all together that ever Christ raised from death or cast out devils out of and healed c. they were but few he could have healed and cured all if he pleased but that was not the end of his coming but he did so much and enough to manifest God come in the flesh that he will always do the same things to the end of the world Spiritually Where thou feedest what then may be Christs food for even Christ now hath his diet and food though not of figs after which he hungred nor of flesh which he did eat nor of boiled fish which he seemed to eat c. But Christ himself tells us My meat is to do the will of my Father and to finish his work and he tells us where he rests Cant. 6. 2 3. Among the beds of spices among broken and contrite hearts and his delight is to be among his lilies and among his roses in his garden there doth he refresh himself Christ is fed in his members Take heed then ye suffer not Christ to starve within you lest at the last day it be laid to your charge I was a hungry ye gave me no meat thirsty and ye gave me no drink naked ye clothed me not in prison and ye visited me not c. But do you think that Christ is fed with corporal food I assure you this for your comfort that those that feed Christ shall never perish but now to feed the hungry with bread externally to put clothes upon the naked to give drink to them that are A-Thirst to go to them that are shut up in prison this every man may do by his natural power ye may do this and yet give where there is no need you may do this and yet suffer your Saviour to starve This is not a true feeding on Christ no no it is Another-guess feeding that he requires or that he will Reward The meaning is I had a spiritual hunger and a spiritual nakedness this ye did not relieve satisfie and supply when I lay begging knocking at your door for relief in this kinde ye would not hear me and now I will not Hear you You suffered me
root And what ever priviledge or benefit Christ hath they shall all receive of his fulness grace for grace they shall all be made partakers of all the vertues of the head but notwithstanding all these promises we are never the better without we have Christ they are all blanks without him all unsavoury it is he that seasons all Yea trust as long as thou canst and believe as much as thou wilt without Christ thou canst never come unto him God himself is nothing to us without Christ As every Iubar and Beam of light that comes from the Sun they are all included in the body of the Sun but they are not communicated to us but by those Jubars and beams that come from the Sun so God is like the Sun and whatever good benefit or blessing we have it comes from God but all these are included in God himself and there is no creature can partake of any good from him but by his Son Christ in those Iubars of light that communicates them to us This light had never come to us but for those beams so God the Father cannot communicate himself to any creature but by the Son he is the first begotten of every Creature he came being sent from the father yet God the Father is not a day not a minute Ancienter then his Son Christ he is called The word spoken in the Hebrewes As he is unspoken so he is the word with God in the bosome of his Father and this word is God as Iohn 1. 1. but being once spoken and utered he is the first begotten of God in every creature The Alpha and Omega in every creature from whom alone we receive grace for grace all the goodness and fulness of God is poured upon the head of this Aaron which runs down not only to his beard but to all the skirts of his garments to all his members God himself in himself to the creature is nothing without Christ He cannot possibly be communicated but by and through Christ. Secondly All these promises to the seven Churches they imply that which hath its beginning in this life and perfected in the life to come saith our Saviour the Kingdom of Heaven is within you if ye find not the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven within you and in this world be assured ye shall never find it in the world to come He that denyes me before men him will I deny before my father which is in Heaven he that enjoys me not in this world he shall never enjoy me hereafter The poor dejected and oppressed soul it longs to taste Christ here nothing will satisfie him but to taste and eat Christ here for if he eat him not here he knows he shall not hereafter as David saith My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come before God What to do Psal. 27. 4. To see his beauty and to taste of his goodness if you see not God here ye shall never see Him hereafter Christ will ask thee as he did the Discsples how many loaves have ye when ye come to dye what Angels food have ye to feed on what Hidden Manna How many loaves of that if ye must say none Lord what a heavy answer will this be to you but if thou hast any if but two loaves if but a little oil in thy Lamp he will then multiply thy loaves and that little oyl the barrel of meal and that cruse of oyl shall never fail And he will say come thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will now multiply thy reward Come now I will feed thee to eternity If Christ shall say to thee How much peace have you if thou canst but say here is a little Lord Christ will say come come I will multiply and increase that peace infinitely what love hast thou if thou hast but any though but as much as a grain of mustard seed come saith our Lord I will cause it to grow and increase and become a mighty tree so that the fowls of the air shall build their nests therein That is I will enlarge it as my self infinitely And which way soever else a man seeks for rest and peace he shall never find it for as all the Creatures so all the action and motion of the Creatures come out from him and they can never rest till they return into him again and therefore he is called the God of Sabbath which signifies Rest in him there is Rest and no where else The soul is the breath of God and it is impossible that it should have a rest for the sole of her foot till it return and this blessed Noah put forth his hand and take her in again Lay up treasure for your selves in heaven would you have treasure hereafter ye must treasure it up while ye are on earth that ye may have the reward and the wages hereafter ye must receive here the pledge the Hire The Portion and the reward comes hereafter Your fathers saith our Saviour have eaten Manna and are dead but blessed is he that eats Manna in the Kingdom of Heaven he that feels Gods love shed abroad in his heart here shall find that love increased thirty sixty an hundred-fold in the life to come here ye feed but are not filled but then you shall be satisfied Thirdly All these seven promises that are here made to the seven Churches there is not one word to be taken according to the Letter but think not strange of such sayings be not startled I would onely quicken up your attention I undervalue not the Scriptures but desire to give them all due honour for do you think that you shall be Pillars in Heaven or that you shall eat trees or the fruit of trees there or that ye shall have rods of iron in your hand or that ye shall be burning stars or as it is in Daniel He that converteth a soul shall shine like the Stars I say there is not one word true according to the Letter yet I say in all the words that ever Christ spake or that is written in this blessed blessed Book of God they are all true there is not the least tincture not the least allay of untruth I say every word every syllable every letter is true bear me witness you are my record but they are true as he intended them that spake them they are true as God meant them not as men will have them As when Christ says my Father is an husbandman do you think or are you so childish to think that God is a husbandman and Christ sayes again I am the vine and ye the branches will you have this to be literally spoken Go to I will speak a paradox to you but I willl unfold it It is impossible for any man either to speak a precise truth or to hear a precise truth for a precise
Covetousness regard none of Gods Commandments as had I time I could shew you how Covetousness is the breach of all the Commandments But I will a little in brief shew How Covetousness occasioneth the breach of all the Commandments I. COMMANDMENT The first Commandment is soon answered for Covetousness is Idolatry that is clear which this Commandment forbids Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupisence covetousness which is idolatry And the covetous is an Idolater Ephes. 5. 5. For this ye know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God But if the Scripture will not satisfie you and you will not believe without a reason and say How can that be that a covetous man is an Idolater and Covetousness Idolatry I answer thus Though thou sacrificest not beasts yet thou sacrificest that which is the chiefest sacrifice which God still calls for and without which all sacrifices are nothing to him namely Thy heart which includes thy minde thy soul thy might thy strength Luk. 10. 27. then which thou wert better sacrifice beasts for in this thou sacrificest thine own bowels Therefore that is a true and remarkable saying and agreeable to Scripture though Apocrypha Ecclus. 10. 9. There is nothing worse then a Covetous man why art thou proud O earth and ashes there is not a more wicked thing then to love mony for such a one would even sell his soul and for his life every one is compelled to pull out his own bowels The fool indeed that is the Atheist saith There is no God Psal. 14. 1. but in some sense the Covetous man exceeds him for he not onely dethrones God and will not have him to be his God but he sets up another in his seat for he saith to the Gold Thou art my hope and to the wedge of gold Thou art my confidence Job 31. 24. What need men love money but that they dare not trust the providence of God but they wickedly say in their hearts though not with their tongues according to the proverb It s good going a foot with a horse in hand So say they to themselves let Ministers talk and prate against Covetousness but its good trusting God with a penny in purse what desperate Hypocrisie and Idolatry is this You know also obedience is due to God and t is better then sacrifice I Sam. 15. 22. How cheerfully do men obey the commands of Covetousness how ready and free to run and go when it bids so that without further dispute thou makest it thy God and whatever is due to God thou sacrificest to Covetousness So that the Israelites in the 32 of Exodus did not more heartily say to the Calf made of their Rings and Ear-rings These be thy Gods O Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt then thou sayest O Covetousness Thou art my strength my help my joy my trust my Rock my Tower thou hast helped saved and delivered me And wilt help save deliver me Though thy mouth confess not this yet this is the plain English of thy practice when thou lookest upon thy money and wealth houses and lands thou sayest These be thy gods O my soul. Beloved never mince the matter for so it is as the Prophet Isaiah saith Isa. 2. 7 8. Thou hast forsaken thy people because they are replenished from the east and they please themselves in the children of strangers Their land also is full of silver and gold neither is there any end of their treasures and their land is full of horses neither is there any end of their chariots And then it follows in the next verse Their land is full of Idols they worship the works of their own hands that which their own fingers have made So that you see whatever a man relies on trusts to depends upon or to its service Dedicates his wisdom strength time parts and the like that he makes His God 2. COMMANDMENT And for the second Commandment That depends upon the first The first Commandment concerns the heart and This The purity of Gods outward worship Is it not lamentable to see how men for this Lucre of Covetousness will vioate the laws of God and of their own conscience and for gain and preferment sake subscribe and submit to any thing to any change in Religion so they may keep in favour and keep their livings and Benefices so that the Apostle may say of them and God rather as he of Demas 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forsaken me and hath embraced this present world If men could be content to forsake as Christ commands Houses Lands Liberties Lives for his sake and his worship they would not so Creep and Cring and Issacar-like stoop down to take up every burthen and every command that men shall lay upon them even against the pure worship of God And if any man speak against these practises presently Up with him into the High Commission or Star-chamber then Demetrius-like Act. 19. 24. They all lay their heads together not for fear That the worship of God should go down but for fear of their gain and their Silver-Trade and with one unanimous voyce cry up their God Great is Diana of the Ephesians pretending for their Goddess Diana but it was because by that Craft they had their wealth It is written my House shall be called the House of prayer but ye have made it a den of Thieves and every man is for his gain from his quarter let men set up and change Religion as they please so They can but have their gain from their places and from their quarter they are well Insomuch that the Keys of the Church which God hath intrusted his Church withal are now become and made very Picklocks and the cause of all this is Covetousness The Devil when he tempted Christ to idolatry he did it by Covetousness All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Mat. 4. 9. An Israelite cannot be familiar with a Midianite but she will woo him to Baal-peor How many are ready to renounce the Almighty slight him and turn their backs upon him rather then slight or part with their wealth their Mammon if not in action and with their knees yet how many in Heart and affection do this daily 3. COMMANDMENT The third Commandment enjoyns Not to take Gods name in vain How ordinary this is every one knows taking his name in vain for their profit an ordinary thing now a days to make bold with the sacred name of God for their gain sake to help away with their Commodities though they swear falsly and all this to serve their god Covetousness nay this is not the worst Religion is taken up by many and made a stalking-horse a colour a cloak for their gain As you
when he might have been advanced and made a King he ran away from among them he was Far of another Spirit then is now in the world and alwayes was in the world among the men of the world and no greater sign of a carnal earthly low base spirit then to be alwayes seeking the great things of the world to be tickled and itching after the praises of men to lift up our selves to be some-body in the world to desire to sit above and to trample upon their brethren to have the cap and the knee and yet how many of such men forsooth must be the onely gracious and religious men of this age but you see these are far from the life of Christ As far as the East from the West As far asunder as darkness and light Are these the men that brag of Power and Wisdom and Holiness and yet are thus swallowed up in the world love the praise of men and greetings in the Market and the Highest seats in the Synagogues and the uppermost rooms at feasts Their Phylacteries must be broad and long viz. to be known from other men that they may be bowed to and reverenced of all men Are these the Doctors and Teachers of all others Are these the Disciples and Ministers Christ hath sent out to preach to us the life of Christ by their Doctrine and example Judge ye Beloved ye must know that all Christs actions which were imitable while he was here upon earth they were symbolical they shew that he is yesterday and to day and the same for ever for whatever he did then he did but shew and represent to our senses by external actions what he is still Doing in the souls of men and will be to the end of the world For did he cure diseases in the body he did it to shew us how be cured the diseases of the soul Did he heal the blind and cure the lame cast out Devils dumb Devils and deaf Devils yes yet these do but shew what he doth daily when our mouthes are shut up as to things appertaining to God and his glory his power dispossesses this dumb Devil when our ears are shut up and we can hear nothing but what pleases self and flesh and the carnal man Let the Charmer charm never so wisely now Christs power and wisdom in us dispossesses al of his nature he turns the minstrels out of doors to those deceiving pleasures and allurements of the world that in our crosses make us such deceiving musick he saith Give place and He Himself enters aâ—one and brings us to own and delight in him and in what he administers to us Those actions of his he did then upon the bodies of men do but shew what he doth upon their souls for he then cast out but some Devils not all he healed and cured but some of their diseases not all for that was not the end of his coming for had it been so he would have cast out all Devils as well as some and cured all diseases as well as some but he onely by them did teach our dull capacities which else could not conceive what he did in the soul but by representing the same thing Outwardly even by those things which were most equivalent to them Did he resist the temptations of Satan and so made him depart from him it was to shew that he doth the same in those that are his even by himself in his own person and through his own power in â—hem For whatever actions he did they were done by him onely for a resemblance of his internal workings Did he pray whole nights it doth but shew that his Spirit in us makes continual requests and expressions even with sighs and groans which cannot be expressed Did he come before Pontous Pilate and was accused arraigned whipped buffered mocked and crowned with thorns yea he was and this was to shew how our carnal judgements Arraign him and How we whip him and peirce him by our sins mock and grieve his blessed Spirit Was he nailed to the Cross did he dye and was he put to death by the Jews and was he buried and a stone rolled upon him never to rise again they did so and in these and other his actions lies all our hope and our faith this is our Anchor-hold and our trust and whoever shall deny it let his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth Yet these were but symbols and representations of our killing of him crucifying and burying of him daily in our souls by our sinâ— by following our own wils and by our Arrogance Pride and selfness and thereby his life is crucified And also it is to shew how we have daily quenched the motions of his blessed spirit so that it lives not in us but the Old Adam the Old man is alive and Christ the New-man is dead within us And so likewise in the rest of his actions Did he â—ise again the third day and triumph over hell and death it shews How this mighty Lion of the Tribe of Iudah hath and will raise up himself and overcome all his enemies and hath and will put them all under his feet in our souls then after he is once arisen he will appears to al the brethren to five hundred brethren at once where-ever Christâ— is risen he will appear and shew himself If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me as he saith Iohn 12. 32. As you know it is the nature of fire to draw all things to ascend upward to its own center so if Christ be risen and ascended in us he will so display his own glories and beauties in us that he will draw all our affections upto him so that we cannot buâ— eagerly and vehemently desire to be like him to draw all our love to the love of him and all our hatred to hate that which he hateth and all our love to love that which he loveth our hate and love joy and grief and all our other affections to be like his Even as fire also endeavours vehemently to make every thing like it self so doth Christ where-ever he comes with his life light and glory Thus you see that what Christ did for a time in the historie the same he still also doth as truly as really and as constantly in the mysterie he did some things visibly to shew that he doth the same things as truly invisibly he did so much as was enough to manifest himself to be Emanuel and that he was God manifested in the flesh And as I said when Christ was ready to leave the earth then he made this boast of himself and never before did he ascribe this power to himself Even so till we are made one with him till we are made like him and till we can sit so loose to the earth that we are with him ready willingly and freely to leave the earth we can never claim this power till
thou art dead to every creature thou canst never make this boast Beloved if you would have power to remove mountains and to offer violence to the Kingdom of heaven then you are to be thus qualified that thou hast experimentally seen and felt in thy own soul how that thy sins have ploughed and made long furrows upon his back as David saith and how you by your sins have quenched the light that is in you and how in thee he is crucified dead and buried and how thou hast drawn grave-stones of custome over him and how you have buried his light resisted and grieved his spirit in you and that you have found him arise in your own souls that you have really seen and felt all these things actually done within you his birth his life his death his resurrection that as his enemits have overcome and crucified him within you so himâ—rise â—rise gloriously and triumphantly within you and that he hath put down all his enemies under his feet In thee insomuch that thou hast heard him and seen him and felt him crying within thy soul Isa. 1. 24. Ha ha I will now arise I will avenge me on my adversaries Now I that was crucified am now risen again so that you see his glory and the love of him triumphing in you so that now thou canst truly say with David Psal. 27. 4. Now I am so far gotten from and forsaken the world and my self that now I desire but one thing and that will I seek after even that thou wouldest give me thy self unite me and make me One with thine own life that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and visit his Temple You being once come to this pass Really in experience then you also may say All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth for then you are as I may say within an inch of being swallowed up into God and then are you ready to leave the earth and all things therein for this man he is become one spirit with the Lord And if we be one spirit as Chriâ—ts prayer hath purchafed Ioh. 17. 21. That they may be one as thou and I are one that thou mayest be in me and I in them and they in me that the world may believe that thou hast sent me if it be so then Christ himself lives in us and all our words are the words of Christ we have no thoughts but the thoughts of Christ we have no life but Christ lives in us as the Apostle saith I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And then also as the Apostle again saith and so may you say All is yours and not before Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods You being come to this as you may claim a right to all things so you may claim a Power over all things for you are already set down in Heavenly places with Christ himself in the very glory of God the Father who is blessed for ever But yet many there be that wil claim this right and appropriate to themselves this power and life when alas they are farre from it they will assume and presume that this is their condition when indeed and in truth Christ and his life is as yet buried in them He is not risen in them he hath not conquered nor gotten victory over his enemies but he is still crucified and made to serve their sins and their lusts Self-will and pride and arrogancy and vain boasting is still alive in them he hath not as yet Avenged himself on his enemies But pride and covetousnes and love of the world and praise of men these things live in them still and Christ is dead and so much the more dead and crucified in as much as they glory of that which is not conceiving Christ is theirs when as all their wayes are contrary to him and yet they conceive themselves made One with him when as it were far better they had a true sight of their opposition and contrariety to him And therefore thou must know thou art but an usurper to claim this power and right to all things in which thou hast no part For when a man is come to that life we formerly spake of then he is made Lord of the earth and hath then Real dominion over all the Creatures And made little lower then the Angels as it is exprest in Psal. 8. Then thou belongest to and art one with him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords though you see it not A supposition of two drops reasoning together As suppose two Drops apart from the Sea should Reason together and the one should say to the other Whence are we canst thou conceive whence we are either whence we come or to whom we belong or whither we shall go something we are but what will in a short time become of us canst thou tell And the other Drop should ansâ—wer Alas poor fellow-drop be assured we are Nothing for the Sun may arise and draw us up and scatter us and so bring us to nothing Says the other again Suppose it do for all that yet we are we have a Being we are Something Why what are we saith the other Why Brother Drop dost thou not know we even we as smal contemptible as we are in our selves yet we are members of the sea Poor Drops though we be yet let us not be discouraged we belong to the vast Ocean How saith the other we belong to the sea to the Ocean how can that be We have heard of the mighty greatness of the Ocean we have heard that there is the huge Leviathan that sports himself there who is so great and terrible he feareth none whose heart is as firm as a stone and as hard as a piece of the â—ether milstone the mighty are afraid before him who feareth not the spear nor the dart nor the Habergeon who esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood the arrow cannot make him flee-darts are as stubble and he laugheth at the shaking of the spear who maketh the deeps to boyl like a pot and maketh the sea like a pot of ointment so that he maketh a hoary path to shine after him and upon earth there is not his like What that we are of the Sea how can it be We have heard the Sea is great and wide Wherein also are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts there is that Leviathan who is made to play and sport therein and they that go down into the sea in ships and do their business in great waters they see the wonders of the Lord in the deeps there are the huge roaring waves that mount them up to heaven and suddenly they fall down into the depths and their souls melt because of trouble and those great