Bed God shall surely Visit you it might at first seem an hard matter to make it out from thence Which notwithstanding will easily and clearly appear if we attend unto and consider throughly that Reasoning and Inference which lies as it were hidden within those very words For though indeed and in truth these words according to the intent and meaning of Joseph when he then spake them were a prophecy and foretelling that God would bring the Children of Israel from out of the Land of Egypt the House of Bondage unto that good Land the Land of Canaan which he had promised and Sworn unto Abram that begat them that he would do But as the Apostle saith by the Spirit concerning what befel the Sons of Jacob and Joseph All those things happened to them in a Figure So what God did and the several things Recorded of them they are a Shew and Representation to us they are a Type and Signification that as the Lord God the Creator and Preserver yea and the Restorer of Mankind did lead forth the Children of Israel from out of Egypt through the Wilderness into the Land of Promise So he did before that time and hath ever since and doth continue to do so at this Day to lead all the Generations yea and single Persons of Men and Women of every Nation Countrey and Language from and throughout this Earth unto the Land of Promise the Heavenly Canaan either to the New Heavâ—n and New Earth where dwelleth Righteousness or else to the Land of Darkness of Dragons and Scorpions where the Shadow of Death and no Light is the Inhabitation of Sin and Misery Where every Son and Daughter of Men and all the descendants from Adam and Eve shall be after that we shall Die and are removed from hence But now I come to that inward Reasoning and Inference which lies couched and included within those words of Joseph and Reader do thou observe it When we Die it is evidently seen that the Soul and Breath vanisheth and goes away and seems to be nothing at all And so the Body or House of Clâ—y putrifies and turns into common Earth and undistinguishable Dust and consequently as good as nothing or as nothing as to a Reasonable and Living Creature Now what is absolutely nothing cannot be properly the Object of God's care and concern and what is not simply nothing or as it were nothing he doth not neither so much mind Because that as God is a Being or rather the Foundation Root Centre and Comprehensive of all Beings he containing all things that are in himself As the Divinely Inspired Psalmist saith His tender Mercy is over all his Works So of necessity it must be his work or being for to engage God's Conservation care and concern about it As we learn from Heb. 12. 26. Every least Word or Particle of Scripture is observable for from out of it may be gathered some Truth and Signification So that when we Read Therefore Sprang there even of one and him as good as Dead Heb. 11 12. From hence we may Reason and infer that when any one is Dead he is then as we commonly say as good as nothing And inasmuch as God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living therefore when Joseph spake thus by the Spirit God shall surely Visit you both himself included when he was just giving up the Ghost as also his Brethren who were to Die a little afterwards hereby must be meant and understood as the last End and Event of things will most fully prove and manifest it that God would both speak unto and also do somewhat for his Creatures after that they are Dead and gone and that is no other but to raise up to Life again what before was Dead and to give it a Being what before had no being or at least as good as no Being Our selves whilst here in life do not usually go into the Grave or into a Charnel House to Visit Dry Boneâ— for when our friends and acquaintance are once Dead if we are perhaps invited and go to their Funeral and accompany their Corps to the Ground there is an end of all Visits as to them And also unless we are Dumb or Mute or Ideots we nâ—ver make a visit to any one but we talk somewhat or another to him And also when we Read of a Duty implied of Visiting and Ministring unto those that are Sick or in Prison Mat. 25. 43 44. We may from thence learn that the end of all Visits unto People seeing that much time is Squandred away herein amongst Rich People to impertinent talk and impertinent purposâ—s should be to be helpful one to another For they in Sickness or in Prison cannot so well help themselves or to edifie one another Either to ask or Minister help shoulâ— be the End of all Visits Though here again the Humour and manner of this Corrupt World is to say unto such as are in Want or Distress Depart in peace be you warm and filled But notwithstanding they give them not those things which are needful to the Body what doth it profit James 2. 16. What do all their good and pitiful words signify which cost them nothing People are very free of them and of their fruitless Wishes when they Visit People in Imprisonment or in Distress Or they spend their Time in some vain worldly Talk without dropping one Word of Godly and Divine Conversation But as God is infinitely greater and better than Man so his Visits do as much differ from and proportionably excel theirs in Help and Benefit For whereas Man says and doth not which is sometimes for want of Power and more commonly through Dissimulation or for want of Will God both says and doth Our Good and Gracious God doth most effectually answer the true end of all Visits For he never makes a Visit where it is understood in a way of Love and Friendship for the Scripture also makes mention of God's Visiting in a way of Anger and Punishment as Jer. 5. 9. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this But either he doth some good thing or some helpful thing to those he visits With God to say and to do is one and the same thing For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast For hath he said and shall it not come to pass Yes as surely as he ever sâ—id though most commonly the one may be according to his own Divine Method some Thousands of Years before the other From all which hath been aforesaid on this Argument put together it may be evidently concluded That whereas God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who ordered and decreed him to be put to death in the Flâ—â— but quickned by the Spirit by which also he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison 1 Pet. 3. 18 19. shall surely visit all the Children of Men who
and ingrafted in the Body before we die because the end of Holiness is Everlasting Life 3dly By those Words Set thy House in order is denoted and shewn forth that we set our Souls in order The Phrase set thine House in order is a Metonomy for by the Name of the thing containing is meant the things contained in that House like as when mention is made of the Cup which Jesus a little before He was betrayed took Bâ—ead and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of this Mat. 26. 27. Thereby is intended not the bare outward Cup but the Wine contained in that Cup. And so in liâ—e manner this Phrase of the Spirit of God delivered by the Mouth of Isaiah doth not so much signifie that Hezekiah should set the outward Walls of his Palace or dwelling House in Order but rather his Houshold concerns which were contained in that House nay further that Tenement of Clay wherein Himself did inhabit his Flesh and Body this He should set in Order Nay to come yet closer and nearer to himself He should not so much set the earthly House of his Body in Order this should be done but yet much more He should set the Inhabitant of that earthly House viz. His Soul in Order Now what was commanded to Hâ—zekiah is the Duty of us all severally upon whom the ends of the World are come The Soul is not our House but the Inhabitant of our House and from the like Analogy and Reason of Things by the very same Interpretation and opening out of the Scriptures which the Eternal Spirit in the penning and giving them forth hath designed therein when He expresses the things contained therein by the Word or Name of the thing containing Therefore of necessity the Spirit of God did mean and intend thereby when He saith set thine House in Order set thy Soul in Order because that this Soul of ours is the Principal and I may say the only Thing that is most Immaterial and Substantial which is contained in this earthly House of ours If we compare Mat. 16. 26. For what is a Man proâ—â—â—ed if He shall gain the whole World and lose his Soul together with Luke 9. 25. where instead of his own Soul it is thus written What is a Man profited if He gain the whole World and lose himself Now put both theâ—e places together and from them both it will undeniably follow that the Soul is the Man himself Man fest Reason I will go on to add yet further evâ—n very Sense teacheth the same for we may understand and perceive that the Body is just enlivened and 〈◊〉 sensible but is as it were a meer Trunk or Engine for the Soul to Act in It is evidently seen that the Body upon the Decease or Departure of the Soul from out of it is just like an empty House Tenement or Cottage without any Inhabitant at all in it which as that thereupon doth fall into Ruin and Decay without any one to mind or look after it so the Body yet much sooner Moulders into Corruption Stink and Dust Fear and the Pit and the Snare are upon thee O Inhabitant of the Earth Isa 24. 17. This is a most proper and apposite Expression of the Holy Ghost to call us Inhabitants of the Earth From whence I will go on to Remark yet further that just like as Snails carry their Houses upon their Backs even so we carry about the Houses of our Habitation I mean this little Tenement of Clay the Body all along and every where with us We are wrapt up and covered all over with it And it is a moveable walking House that hath not Foundations Heb. 11. 9. which herein is opposite unto and distinct from that City which hath Foundations there mentioned in the next following Verse And also herein it is opposite unto and distinct from that House Eternal in the Heavens spoken of 2 Cor. 5. 1. Now what we must do or how to behave our selves to set our selves who inhabit and are contained within this earthly House in Order proceed we to shew according to that measure of Knowledge which our Creator hath given unto us To set in Order in one Sence is a kind of Speech which is used when from out of a great mixed and confused Multitude of Men these are Marshalled and put in order of an Army And indeed it is observed of a well Disciplined Army that it is one of the most orderly things in the World when each Officer and Souldier notwithstanding their vast Multitude knows and stands in his proper Place Rank and File not moving one Hands breadth from out of it to the Right Hand or to the Left and they do move and act nothing without Command or Order And so when we read in Joel 2. 7 8. And they shall March every one on his ways and they shall not break their Ranks neither shall one thrust another they shall walk every one in his Path Observe all this for these things being so written and dictated by his Spirit hereby we are shewn and instructed how God is infinitely pleased and delighted with this thing of Order in his Army and in the very great Camp for so it is there called verse 11. as indeed it is of his Creatures or Created Beings And from hence I would observe and make kâ—â—wn though it may seem a little Digression yet I shall soon again return to our subject Matter that when the Scripture stiles God in manifold Places of the Old Testament the Lord of Hosts It hath a much larger and more comprehensive meaning and signification herein that as He was King in an especial Manner over the Children of Israel for that Government was a more immediate Theocracy then over the other Nations so He was their Chief Captain or General of their Armies or Hosts and that He did fight their Baâ—tels in dispossessing their Enemies from out of it and giving them the Land of Canaan In Truth in this Sence He was the Lord of their Hosts as He did lead forth the Children of Israel by their Hosts from out of the Land of Egypt and gave them Possession of the promised Land And so in another Sence inasmuch as we are to Publish the Name of the Lord ascribe ye greatness unto our God Deut. 32. 3. And forasmuch as an Host or Army is one of the greatest and most terrible things here living on the Eaâ—th therefore when the Spirit or Spiritual Men would ascribe greatnâ—ss unto God they do in this manner express it by his being Lord which signifies Chief Ruler and that He hath Dominion and Authority over them and that He is greater in Power Strength and Multitude than all of them put together But cheifly the largest highest and most comprehensive meaning and signification of these Words the Lord of Hosts seems to be taken from that great Place in Isa 40. 26. Lift up your Eyes on high and behold who hath created
â—hings of this World and of the Flesh we cannot obtain which we would and if we could we cannot hold or continue to have them for we die and go away Or if we could yet they are not worth the holding because as yet God doth not commit unto us the true Richâ—s Luke 16. 11. that is the true and abiding Happiness for it is not to be had in this World but in the World to come wherein we seek and do expect it Here then is the mind that hath Wisdom to draw off our desires not only from the Sin and Evil for we should be perfectly listless and dead as to them And if Christ be in you the Body is dead because of Sin Rom. 8. 10. But also our desires should be drawn off utterly even from the lawful necessary and indifferent things of this World We should be as if we used them not temperate in all things and get above them We are commanded not only to commit any unclean thing But not so much as to touch the unclean thing Which is standing as much at a distance from it as well as we can So the Word of God which is very pure hath provided against all manner of Sin and to abstain from all appearance of Evil to take this care even as to prevent the first beginnings rise and occasion of Sin or Evil. Thus to Hate and Strip off the Garment spotted by the Flesh as is before explained and to lay aside every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset us and to resist unto Blood striving against Sin all those Expressions come to one and the same thing That is to set up again Innocency and Holiness in the Soul after it had by the fall of Adam by whose Transgression many were made Sinners lost and defaced them And this is to set the Soul in Order before we die or before she goes out of the Body It being a taking care that nothing is wanting in her as indeed it would be a very great want if she was not renewed again after the Image of him who created her that is in Righteousness and true Holiness It hath been aforesaid That to set our Bodies in Order was that they might be made free from Sin for an Holy Body is an orderly Body Even so it is here an Holy Soul is an orderly Soul or to get Holiness which is the Image of God ingrafted and implanted in her is to set the Soul in order for then it is meet for his Acceptance who is the Father of Spirits and Lover of Souls Inasmuch as Holiness is the Image of God and every like loves its like With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure What sets the Body in Order as Holiness doth that the same Holiness doth set the Soul in Order also for they are both united in one and make up the same Man and they desire the same end which is Happiness The High way to which is the way of Holiness The Body indeed must go through more Alterations and it shall be raised up again to partake of Happiness of Misery According to this very same Truth and Observation Paul prays by the Spirit And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Faithful is He that calleth you who will do it 1 Thess 5. 23 24. Good God What comfortable and encouraging Words are here From this Place of being preserved blameless and from what we read in Rom. 6. 22. Of being made free from Sin ye have your Fruit unto Holiness We see hence that Sin and Holiness are as Incompatible Things as Darkness and Light They are perfectly and properly contraries the Nature of which is to expel one another and one succeeds the other for as when the Sun sets and the Light goes off from the Earth then Darkness comes and succeeds And so when the Sun arises again it drives off Darkness from the Face of the Earth so it is as to Sin and Holiness There is no arriving at Holiness without being made free from Sin As again when Holiness goes off or is defaced then Sin succeeds and creeps in of course It is â—onsence and a contradiction to say that People lead an Holy Life and Conversation although they seem outwardly Religious when they are yet in their Sins or when they serve divers Lusts and Pleasures For Darkness may be as truly called Light which would be a great absurdity and impâ—ssibility as to think or say â—uch are an Holy People Woe unto them that call Evil Good and Good Evil that put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness that put Bitter for Sweet and Sweet for Biâ—ter Isa 5. 20. And whereas the divinely inspired Prophet goes on to add Woe unto them that are wise in their own Eyes and prudent in their own sight vers 21. Hereby He seems to meet tacitely with a fort of People which are common and many now in the World They make up nine parts in ten in the visible Church Who do not care nor heartily endeavour to come clearly out of Sin nor yet can they gainsay and renounce Holiness quite inasmuch as glorious things are spoken of it and precious Promises are made and annexed unto it And therefore they are for a kind of Life which is made up as they fashion and imagine to themselves of a mixt medly of Sin and Holiness as twilight is made up of Darkness and Light and thâ—y think that this will serve their turn with God so as they hope for his acceptance of them although they are sinful also because they do love and esteem of Holiness But God answers such by his Spirit Woe unto them that are wise in their own Eyes and prudent in their own sight as to think to compound the matter with God No such matter For He that commanded Thou shalt not sow thy Land with divers kinds of Seeds nor yet make a Garment of Linsey Woolsey when such a judicial Law was given forth of old Time the Holy Ghost hereby signifies even in these days that God will never accept of such a medly or mixt kind of Goodness or Righteousness as is made up of Sin and Holiness which is properly no Goodness or Righteousness at all As it is written But they like men have transgressed the Covenant Hos 6. 7. That is it was like and such as could be expected from them Even so this sort of mixt medly Goodness or Righteousness is like Mans Goodness and Righteousness which is a corrupt and imperfect thing at best and that our Righteousness spoken of in Isa 64. 6. which is as filthy Rags which People are to be stripped utterly off to set their Souls in Order before they die or otherwise God will not accept them For that is an offence unto him and He commands to get behind him what savours of Men. But God hath yet much
most Holy Precise and Religious kind of Life by the Dream of a Night Vision or by a Voice speaking unto him in his Sleep that such an Acquaintance of his naming him by his Name was really damned Now he that had this Vision was an outward Worshipper Religious at the common Rate Standard or Measure as it goes ordinarily in the World with the Generality and Multitude But the other Person whilst he lived was more religious and strict than People usuâ—lly are And if such an one should be really damned for his defects and comings short in matters of universal and inward Religion how should this quicken and exhort others and my self as yet living to the utmost preciseness and circumspect walking in all things For if I may so express it a little preciseness and circumspect walking in all things is much better and beyond the utmost and greatest preciseness and circumspect walking only in some things as the manner of too many is who seem to be Religious But if such an one whom the World accounted very Religious should perish Good God! What will become of us who are not Religious perhaps to the tenth degree as he was This should indeed stir us up so to run that we may obtain as we do desire it and foolish are they who do not endeavour all that they can after it to be in all things what God commandeth us very circumspect and to abound in all Holy Conversation and Godliness as is possible for Mortal Creatures whilst in the Flesh and in this Life to be For truly if we consider throughly the great displeasure God Almighty hath to Sin as is set forth in 2 Pet. 2. 4 5 6. He spared not the Angels that sinned And how that for one single Act of Disobedience he entailed a Curse on Adam and all his Posterity Of six hundred thousand of his own People whom he had brought out of the Land of Egypt there were but two only which went into the promised Land and Moses himself who before had so often stood in the gap between an enraged God and a provoking People yet He was not admitted into the promised Land of Canaan because he had provoked his Spirit and spoke unadvisedly with his Lips hereupon misgiving and fearful thoughts have arose in my Mind that if Moses such a precious Servant of God unto whom there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Deut. 34. 10. yet if this very Man so familiar with and beloved of God was not admitted to enter into the promised Land for but one unadvised Speech of his Lips much more may I a sinful Creature and so may others also tremble and fear that after I have done all to get into Heaven which is the promised Land yet I may not be admitted there for really my self have and it is well if ye have not also done many more and worse things than to let fall one unadvised Speech of our Lips I have been guilty of an Omission of Duty which as I sensibly perceived at the very time did shut Heaven against me although at the very same time I went to Worship the Lord in the Congregation when at the very same time He commanded and directed me to give forth Testimonies of his Law and Truth unto the Rulers and chief of the People who were then met together in another Congregation for outward Worship But through my neglect and failure herein I had smitings of Conscience and Revelations of his Wrath against me in that manner as here spoken of Have a care of Sins of Omission for 't is these which shut Heaven against us as may be seen from the latter end of the twenty-fifth Chapter of Matthew Truly after all the things we have done in order to God throughout all this our Life after all our Prayers and hearing the Word preached after all our Acts of Publick Family and Private Worship and whatever we have done pertaining to Religion or what is câ—mmonly called good Works yet it is possible and to be feared that we may perish and miscarry for all throughout Eternity Where the Psalmist Prays by the Spirit Remember all thy Offerings and accept thy burnt Sacrifice Selah The Lord fulfil all thy Petitions Psalm 20. 3 5. Thereby is shewn forth and made known unto us that if the Lord should not remember nor accept nor fulfil as we are to strive earnestly with him in Prayer on this behalf and so it is of whatever we have done as pertaining to God and Religion it will not stand in stead nor avail to the saving of the Soul What shall we do then the safest way and rule is that as Christ our Saviour saith after ye have done all things that are commanded say that we are unprofitable Servants We have done only what was our Duty to do So in the Name of God let us do all things whatever we can instantly continually and diligently remember all these three Adverbs for to find Acceptance with our God and to get to Heaven and to say after we have done all this we deserve to be rejected by him and to be cast into Hell My Life for yours I will venture my immortal Soul upon this Point It shall never go one Jot the worse with us for thus speaking For after that the disobedient and Prodigal Child had said Father I have sinned against Heaven and am no more worthy to be called thy Son yeâ— the Father said unto his Servants bring forth the best Robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his Hand to diâ—tinguish him from and to put him into a Condiâ—ion above hired Servants and Shoes on his Feet It is no absurdity and contradiction in things pertaining to God though it may seem as a Paradox and strange Doctrine to the Proud Self-justifying and Ignorant Pâ—arisee to acknowledge and confess for so doth the Church in Isa 64. 6. that our Works are not meet for God's Acceptance and yet God will accept of them washed over with the Blood and covered with the Righteousness of his Son It is a great matter and very desirable but withal it is somewhat difficult to hit upon because that so many miss thereof Who seek to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13. 24. for to please and find Acceptance with Almighty God For we are not to think now as we shall see and know at last that either the much speaking of the Heathen nor yet the Superstition of the Jew nor yet the Mâ—mbling of the Papist over his Beads although all these do therein seek to please God will receive any thing from the Lord as to future Good and Salvation God looks and hath more respect unto the quality than the quantity of our Services how good they are and not so much to the length and number of Words And so it is of all meer formal Prayers Lip-labour when the Heart is far from God with all the