so we may say of evil Cvetousness for thy Covetousness is to please thy lusts 9. COMMANDEMENT The ninth commandement Bear no false witness He also is guilty of the breach of this As in the Commandement before he made no scruple of false dealing so here he makes none of false Accusing Iohn Baptist to the Souldiers he puts these together Luke 3. 14. Accuse no man falsly be content with your wages There is seldom any false Accusation against our neighbour but Covetousness is in it And here we may mention as guilty of Covetousness 1. The Flatterer 2. Knights of the Post that will for gain swear any thing 3. Detractors or Defamers And 4. Lawyers First Flatterers spoken of Iude v. 16. Whose mouthes speak proud things having mens persons in admiration for advantage sake They will say as they say Whom they flatter and fain with and fawn upon for their advantage sake Secondly Those pitiful poor creatures that will serve any one with Oaths and False-witness to get money and may well be called Knights of the Post which so hackney out their souls and consciences to such Hellish Monsters Thirdly Defamers Detractors and Backbiters are here reproved as Covetous and Breakers of this ninth Commandement who watch to take up all the spew and vomit of the world to please those they seek a meals meat from or some such small gain And care not who they reproach nor how unjustly so they can but please their Benefactors Lastly Those Lawyers who against their consciences will give counsel in a wrong cause and so bear false witness for their Fee Sake How common is this among Lawyers If like Balacks Messengers to Balaam they bring the Reward of Divination in their hands they will or it shall go hard though they break their brains for it make a bad cause seem good when they know it to be otherewise O hellish practise and common among Lawyers and yet they slight it as a thing of nothing Must we not speak for our Clients say they But they are herein deeply guilty of this foul sin of Covetousness 10. COMMANDEMENT And then for the tenth Commandement I hope you will not say they do not Covet for this is their whole practise and is directly against this Commandement For what can a man have that a covetons man doth not desire if his hands could or durst be as nimble as his thoughts and wishes he would be like Adam Alone in the earth No body should have any thing but He for Adam had all and no body shared with him such are the desires of a covetous man they are boundless As the Conclave answered Pope Benedict the twelfth If he would make more Cardinals he must make another world too for this world was scarce sufficient for them in being which were already made Covetousness enlargeth her desire as hell Look now upon thy self in this glass set it before thee and see if thou hadst no more sins but this One if it be not a mighty sin a massy sin as heavy as a Talent of lead O that thou didst but feel it so It is such a Seminary and Nursery of so many other sins that thou hast need to cry mightily against it with David Incline my heart to thy Commandments but not to Covetousness Psalm 119. 36. Beloved I do not use to spend time thus against any one particular sin because in doing so in most sins I cut off but the boughs and branches but leave the root to grow ranker and stronger I therefore still desire to strike at the root and then the boughs and branches dye and wither of themselves But this sin being so common and indeed Epidemical as I have shewed you and being a Root it self from which so many evil branches spring and grow I thought good to spend this short time though not in my ordinary way of speaking to you if so it may please God to bring any one here to abandon and detest this great and mighty sin of Covetousness Now I come to speak a little in brief to the other parts of this Indictment which I must run over and give you but a touch of what I meant to say Now for the Extent and generality of this dissease It is an Epidemical disease an universal plague from which no sort is free Some sins are peculiar to the place of Kings They having gotten so much power in their hands they would be Monarhs without control whose assertion is That they owe account of their actions to none but God alone and they want not for flatterers and Sycophants to preach such Doctrine in their ears That no power on earth ought to call them to Account for that they are above the law and then Covetousness will make them Make their lusts their Law and they will have what they will have right or wrong but in this Nation they have been still curbed and kept off from this Absolute power by one means or other You know what Iezebel said to Ahab 1 Kings 21. 7. when he would fain have taken from Naboth his vineyard but the Law manacled and restrained him what saith Iezebel Dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel and art so cast down for this thing and wilt fast and eat no bread up and eat and be of good chear I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth And when the Law would not give it him she devised a wicked device causing two sons of Belial Knights of the Post to swear blasphemy against him and so confiscate not onely his vineyard but his whole estate Covetousness will cause even Kings to do this and what not if they have but Power enough 2. Some sins are more peculiar to Noblemen as Ambition Pride desire of Honours and Preferments boasting of their great descent yet there is none of all these but is spiced and mixed if not grounded and bottomed on this general sin of Covetousness for to uphold themselves in their state Thy Princes are as Evening wolves greedy and covetous they all love gifts c. 3. The sin peculiar to rich men is to oppress and grind the faces of the poor through Covetousness To joyn house to house and field to field Isa. 5. 8. therefore the Prophet David gave rich men a good Lesson If riches increase set not your hearts upon them Psal. 62. 12. And we may see the covetous mind of rich men in Nathans Parable 2 Sam. 12. though he had Lambs enough of his own yet he would have the poor mans One Ewe 4. Learned men they are more addicted to credit and applause and to be had in great esteem yet they are not free from this sin of Covetousness It s plain in that story of Balack and Balam who sent Nobles but not without gifts in their hands and when Balack told him I will thee exalt to honour yet he puts that clause in too I would have filled thy house
circumcised in us when we for his sake submit to all humane Ordinances both temporal and spiritual they not being against the Word and command of God For Christ himself though he was not bound to them yet he would do it because saith he on another occasion it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness And our Saviour puts this very question to Peter saith he Peter of whom do the Kings of the earth take tribute of the children or of Strangers Peâ—er answers of Strangers Then saith our Saviour the children are free Though our Lord knew his liberty yet he did submit himself and did not as many do now adayes upon pretence of liberty deny submission to good orders in Church and State But he commanded Peter notwithstanding he was the Son of God and knew infinitely his own liberty and the liberty of his Saints and Disciples more then we or they T is true Peter saith he the children are free yet notwithstanding go to the Sea and cast word Angle and open the mouth of the first fish that comes up and there he should find a piece of silver go and give that for me and thee so then are we circumcised with Christ when we do the same action for his sake although we be free that we may give them no offence as Christ there saith The next action that we read Christ did He came up with his Parents at the feast to Ierusalem and went into the Temple and disputed among the Doctors The same thing doth Christ in the soul for there is within every one of us A many Learned Doctors brought up in Satans University who are very subtle very acute Disputants even the rankest fool amongst us hath a whole University of Doctors within him how subtle how learned then are they in wise men Truly the more wisdome the more dangerous to dispute a man to hell and in this regard the more wise the more remote from the Kingdome of heaven more unfit to be made a fool for Christ how hard is it for such a man to be brought to vnknow unlearn and deny his own wisdom parts goodness c Thy wisdome hath made thee rebel saith Ieremiah and Isaiah We are so full of wisdom to defend our selves in our evil wayes and by custome and practice we have wonderfully profited in this University we have made a large progress in these Schools and have out-stript many of our standing Insomuch that we have not onely approved and cleaved fast and close to our iniquities but we are grown learned Doctors at it to defend thâ—â— to hold out arguments against the very World of God and the everlasting blessed truths of Jesus Christ which did we but receive and suffer our selves to be overcome by them they would make us for ever happy and Able to make the man of God wise â—nto salvation Beloved examine your selves find you not these things so What mighty learned unwearied Disputes are there held in our souls what strange and strong reasonings insomuch that the Old man carries all before Him and these Lusts these great Doctors bear away the day of it down with the Word down with Law Gospel Christ Salvation Truth all kept under and imprisoned and made to serve with our iniquities as the Prophet speaks And this you know is and hath been of old and still will be My brethren until Jesus Christ be pleased with his Almighty power to come into the soul and command a silence and that he will now manifest himself and comes in with Regal Conquering power Else our lusts make such a hurly burly such a noise such loud clamouring in the soul that Christ cannot be heard therefore he in the first place is fain to put them all to silence answering and convicting every lust and then are we mighty through God to the casting down of strong holds and every imagination that exalts it self against the knowledge kingdome and power of Iesus Christâ— otherwise if Christ come not in thus there is no silencing these Doctors He must put the Minstrels out of doors before he will raise the dead soul. Do you what you can pray fast strive against them yet they know you not they are furious and raging Iesus we know and Paul we know but who are ye Self will not be cross'd will through all knows no banks no bounds no bottom will seek it self set up and exalt it self in every thing there is no overcoming no silencing these Doctors For there is Doctor Pleasure and he pleads take thy pleasure in the life time fill and satisfie thy self with recreations and take thy fill of the good blessings of God Were they not made for mans use and art not thou Lord over the Creatures to use and enjoy them as thou pleasest And then there is Doctor Profit saith he Friend the best way for thee is to get riches for thy self it is no matter how though others pinch for it so thou canst but bring in profit this will do thee good when all thy friends will forsake thee thou mayest then take thine ease come times what wil thou hast goods laid up for many years thou shalt be rich and be a man in esteem in the parish hereby thou shalt be a great man thou shalt be heard before another and thou shalt be looked upon and advanced whereas the Poor they are despised and trampled on scarce suffered to speak for themselves And then comes Doctor Honour and sayes he what need all this stir about Religion canst not thou be content to go the old way thy fore-fathers went canst not thou be content to go that way the State goes that way that Kings and Princes and Great men go then shalt thou walk safely and enjoy thine own and be honoured for a wise man a prudent man do not the most go this way and though thou art not so forward in Religion thou shalt do as well as they There is none but a a company of poor beggerly fellows Tinkers and Coblers and schismatical and conceited fellows that are so hot and they are every where despised as it was said in derision the last day that there was none came running out of the City to hear me but a company of Coblers and slight fellows Although I would not encourage any to slight their own Pastors who teach them truth and labour to build them up in their holy faith and I know there be many able men in the City near them and therefore I marvail what they came out into the Wilderness to see a poor sinful man subject to like passions and infirmities with others a Reed shaken with the wind who hath nothing to give if God enlighten not and if he open not my mouth I cannot set forth his praise whose praise is far above the earth and heavens for if Praise or Profit or Self open my mouth I cannot set forth His praise but if this people come
or no difference at all between them and Sufferers as evil doers And in reading these Sermons we shall finde those things made good and we â—re sure the experienced Christian would not censure us though we thus judge but herein judge even as the Author and as we have found in our own knowledge and experience for he that hath a true sight of his own heart by a reflection of the sight of the bright-shining face of Jesus Christ upon his soul will set to his seal that mans heart is the most cunning and deceitfullest jugler in the world and seal to that Scripture Ier. 17. The heart of man is deceitful above all things who can know it and that none but I the Lord can search the hear and can try the reins Concerning the discerning spirit of this present Author if we shall relate but one passage spoken confidently by him after God had Opened his eyes thou mayest suppose there was 〈…〉 discerning spirit in him as it were to prophesie My friends saith he remember and mâ—rk well my words you now see the Bishops high great and swelling 〈◊〉 all the power both of Church and State into their 〈◊〉 but if ever you live to see a 〈◊〉 Parliament in Eâ—gland explâ—iâ—ing his meaning thus I mean a Parliament having power in themselves so that the King may not 〈…〉 hath at his pleasure break them off which will be â—re long you shall see the utter downâ—â—l of 〈◊〉 This being spoken near two years before ever it came when there was â—o sign of any such thing O Sirâ— replied his friend then present how can such a thing be they have now 〈◊〉 so much power and are 〈…〉 by Law that such a thing will â—hake the very rooâ—s and 〈◊〉 of the Nation perhaps they may have their wings 〈◊〉 and their power weakened and their great Lordlâ—ness taken away but they themselves to be 〈◊〉 taken away seems to be impossible Well saith he yet for all 〈◊〉 take special notice what I say and we both may live to 〈◊〉 it That the very race and function of Bishops will be 〈◊〉 overthrown Not long after he was himself fetched up again by them into their High-Commission and kept there depending till the preparations hereunto began to work viz. The rising of the Scots c. so that he would then say The work was begun and I do observe saith he by their counâ—enances their hearts fail for I see very Lead in their eyes But there his cause was depending even till he fell sick and he lived to see Strafford and Canterbury put under the black Rod and then he was gathered to his Fathers Besides this take knowledge of one thing more when by some religious Lords and men of worth and ability â—illiam Laud the Archbishop was much solicited to give way for Dr. Everard to preach to clear himself as to others so chiefly to the Ministers of England which was offered to be done by a Latin sermon once a week in Londoâ— whereiâ— he would have unfolded his whole judgement and what God had taught him wherein he was never sparing especially when he met with Auditors who were not too wise to learn as he would say usually your bare litteral-knowing men are they esteeming it a very great disparagement to be ignorant of any thing when indeed they are for all their pretended great knowledge really ignorant of all saving truth as it is in Iâ—sus These great men also promised if this request might be gâ—anted they would have undertaken to pay a â—00 l. a year to whatsoever 〈◊〉 he would appoint but it could not be obtained whereby was prevented we suppose as useful a piâ—ce of work as this Age 〈…〉 or is like as yet Take one passage or two more he giving his attendance several Terms at the High-Commission expecting Articles against him which were long preparing and he growing impatient under such extreme delays waited an opportunity and before the Court addressed his speech to the Archbishop saying to this purpose My Lord I am forced to complain I suffering more then is 〈◊〉 for any Subject to bear I have given attendance from Court to Court and from Term to Term above this half year expecting Articles against me If you have any or can make any let me see them and let me not be kept waiting here for nothing and if you have nothing against me let me be discharged or else if you will not let me save my attendance until they be ready and upon the least notice from your meanest Officer I will be ready to appear And I conceive this is but a reasonable motion for this unnecessary charge and attendance is burthensom to me To which motion replied the Archbishop Dr. Everard you need not be so hastiâ— do you suppose we make you wait here for nothing your Articles are almost ready and 〈◊〉 warrant you you shall have enough of them Replied the Doctor Enough of them my Lord what mean you Do you know Iohn Everard better then Iohn Everard knows himself Enough of them my Lord do you censure me before ye hear my cause I had thought you had sat here to do justice and is it justice to prejudge me whatever tales or informations you may have against me do you know how I may clear my self I wonder at your censure and being somâ—what moved said again shall I have Enough of thâ—m my Lord I tell you I have several things that I know will bear me out That is well said the bishop what are they I le tell you one or two of them the first is my Innocency and another is my Poverty My Innocâ—ncy in that I know what I have either sâ—id or done I know what I have taught and by the help of God I shall be able to make it good however you may misunderstand me for I have well advised and considered what I have dâ—livered publiquely before I durst deliver it as my Masters eâ—rand and embassy Secondly for my Poverty I know poverty is Aâ—mor of proof against the 〈…〉 of this Court. I want thâ—t which is the support of your Couâ—t Money for I must be my own Advoâ—â—te my own Doctor my own Proctor my own Spokesman all you 〈◊〉 looking toward the Doctors and Pâ—octors I have no money for you but some expence I must be at coming by water but for other disbursements I can part with none do what ye will with me and I know you care not for such Customers Well Doctor well replied the Bishop do you know where you are I do and have well considered before I spake Have you Well Messenger take him aside we have other business Pray withdraw He there waiting till the Court was rising the Messenger urging him to go away with him he said what to do Sir you are committed You are mistaken replied the Doâ—tor I will first speak to the Bishop My Lord said he The Messenger would have me to Prison is
place saith he Was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul So say I were the Apostles crucified for you are they those that suffered for you and redeemed you are they those that are the Salt Life Strength and Support to you no no for themselves had need of salting therefore they were not The Salt but they were the Instruments or Ministers which Christ used to convey to us the true Salt and in no other regard were they called The salt of the earth And again Christ saith in the same sense Mat. 5. 14. Ye are the light of the world and again S. Iohn saith and more properly Iohn 1. 9. He is the true light which lightneth every man which cometh into the world and himself saith Iohn 8. 12. I am the light of the world He it was also that was typisied in all the Oblations under the Law and throughout the old Testament He was the True Paschal Lamb He was the true Sacrifice he was that Fire that must alwaies burn upon the Altar Levit. 6. 13. He also was that salt commanded for the salt was never wanting and in the verse before my Text Christ himself cites that place Every sacrifice saith he shall be salted with salt he was that salt which must never be wanting he seasons every Oblation Lev. 2. 13. he is the Salt of the everlasting covenant unto thee and thy seed for ever he was that Salt that Elisha threw into the waters and healed them and those many waters are many people as it is expâ—essed in the Revelation in sum he is the Substance the MIND of the whole Scriptures As he is the fire by reason of burning â—nd because of heat and light so he is the salt that sweetens and savours evâ—â—y thing As he is the light that enlightneth so he is the salt that salâ—eâ—h â—very man He it was thâ—â— was wanting in that people which God upbraideth Ezek. 16. That were cast forth to the world in their blood and filâ—hiness and their navel was not cut and they were not salted at all that is they had not Christ that true salt applyed to them that shoâ—ld have made then savoury to God That which is unsavoury shall it be eaten without salt Iob 16. 4. It is this salt that must season the venison that must be savoury meat for old Isaac it is not your salt no nor your VENISON not the daintiest meat you can provide not the best duties you can perform will please him except they be salted and seasoned by his own Son let them be the best actions that ever man performed never so well purposed never so good and excelling both for the matter and manner of them away with them without This Salt it is onely in his son that he is well pleased Never think that all your prayers your tears your alms c. please him but onely that which is his Sons own action and work in you else they stink and are abominable in his eyes he will not he cannot regard them The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to him The Devil made as true and as large a Confession of Christ as any man can do look upon the words and not upon him that spake them and you would think they were the words of a Saint O thou Iesus of Nazareth Son of the most high God I know thee who thou art even the holy one of God indeed it was extorted and came from them against their wills but Christ accepted it not because this glorious confession was without salt it was not from a sweet feeling experience of him in them but from some self-ends Therefore I have observed that the Devil where he is worshipped to imitate God hath brought in in all his Sacrifices the use of salt nay so eminently true is this that as the Devils cry out and attest unto him though against their wills so by their practice we may note that under salt was hidden that great mystery and secret of all Religion by their great care to use salt thereby to imitate the worship of God as Iosephus noteth against Appion and Ierome against Vigilantius Pliny Plato and others Christ spake altogether in Parables for sayes the Text without a parable spake he nothing unto them yet know he alwayes spake in such parables as were not absurd ones but they had a most fit correspondency and resemblance to the things themselves and those speeches of his which to us seem not congruous had we but eyes to see even every one of them they would be like apples of gold with pictures of silver so aptly and fitly are they spoken as no man can speak like him As there is not a word nor a syllable in all this blessed book of God but is really true so all the words therein they are spoken with infinite wisdome there are Wonders in all Christs words but our eyes are shut that we cannot see the wonders of Gods Law and as Christ spake much in Parables so doth God much in Allegoâ—ies the truth is hid under shadows and Mysteries in the Letter But the reasons as I conâ—eive why Christ is compared to salt are these First There is a healing power in salt Little do you know the vertue that is in salt to cure all manner of diseases for Antidotes against poysons to heal all manner of wounds as some have written thereof at large I do not say salt rudely taken as it is in our common use but salt duly prepared and made â—it to every use nothing more useful nothing more excellent In this regard salt having such an healing vertue for all wounds poisons diseases Christ is more truly salt to the soul then salt is to the body he is precious salt and duly prepared and â—itted for all our diseases no infirmity or malignant disease in us though never so desperate but This Salt will cure it If you have gotten such a wound that you are as a man fallen from an high place upon a heap of stones so that you are bruised all over if you be covered with the leprosie of 〈◊〉 from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet so that no part no member no faculty is free His everlasting mercy and His never failing goodness and his Almighty power is a never failing Medicine that can fit and compound such ingredients that shal answer the disease of every part If there be an utter enmity between God and you in your apprehension so that you have no hope of ever coming into his favour and nothing you can do can prevail with him set but Christ between God and you and he will heal this enmity When he was here upon earth in the flesh no disease could withstand him in the body so I am sure none can in the soul But if you have not Him there is no way but you must dye
the shell of the Letter except we go further and Iesus Christ opens the seals and shews us the life the marrow That which except it be given to us we cannot understand And therefore the Apostle flatly denies all other knowledge 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 16. for saith he the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them Wherefore saith he in the 16. verse henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we had known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more What may be the meaning of this blessed Apostle thus seemingly to sleight the very body of Jesus Christ In all probability he never saw the body of Jesus Christ upon earth in that 33 years he lived here except he had a vision of him as he marched to Damascus when he was smitten from his horse His meaning therefore must needs be If we know Christ after the Letter never so exactly the whole history of him what avails it Our knowledge of Jesus Christ must be internal spiritual experimental to live unto him that dyed for them if a man be not as the Apostle saith in the succeeding verses made a new creature altered and changed according to Christ in the inward man so that he lives no longer to himself but to him that dyed for him so that all old things are past away and all things are become new so that there is by the mighty power of Jesus Christ a new man begotten in us as the Apostle saith My beloved of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in yoâ— This is indeed that Christ that died for us else Christ dyed not for us his cross is of no effect he dyed in vain to us T is not all the knowledge and believing that ever thou canst attain to of an external Christ will do thee any good without a Christ begotten within thee a Christ in experience Hath any man gotten or attained though by much pains and industry any taste any knowledge of Christ otherwise it is but old things old knowledge old learning attained by the power of the old man fot self-ends And all old things must pass away saith the Apostle That knowledge that was conveyed to us by our parents or by our School-masters let it be what it will or by whom it will by all the Catechisms and Books that can be made and that we are able to apply them to our lives according to the Letter t is all but old things old knowledge as the young man in the Gospel he knew the law and had kept all those things from his youth but he failed in point of self-denial he obeyed from old powers and to old ends And although we had all knowledge and all power and all conformity in this regard before Christ be created in the heart it must all pass away This is that knowledge that we cannot depend on This is that knowledge that the Apostle regards not he esteems it Nothing let it be never so glorious and splendent and though all the world hath received it and in their words own it though in practise they renounce it he counts it all dross and dung Why St. Paul what manner of knowledge then is it that thou wilt know nothing besides it And that is the second thing he answers it himself in this chapter Lo if ye are able to understand saith he so that the god of this world hath not blinded your eyes we do speak wisdom even the hidden wisdom of God yet in a mystery not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world which comes to nought indeed this wisdom it tends not to outward pomp not to riches nor honour nor the setting up of men and parts but we speak wisdom to those that are perfect to those whom Jesus Christ hath pulled off the scales from their eyes What mystery is it to know Jesus Christ his death and resurrection outwardly and all the circumstances Will this faith save you No but to those that know no more we are very fools and they can see no wisdom in our words The carnal man knoweth not the Profound the Deep things of God neither indeed can he because they are spiritually discerned But he that can divide these waters shall have dry and firm ground to walk on and over Iordan safely He that can crack the shell those can rellish and digest these precious mysteries And to those they are the preciousest dainties in heaven and earth they are the sweetest excellencies wherein their souls can live and die these are the souls which delight themselves in Fatness undervaluing the world and all things therein as seeing them lean and empty things But to the carnal man and he that will go no farther then the Letter these truths we now speak of are the unrelishablest the tasteless est the sapless est meat you can give them we pour but water in their shoes ye cannot please them worse then when you talk of these things or preach of these things because ye are out of their element t is as unwelcome and as Nauseous as a câ—p of cold water they are sick of such doctrine To tell them that they must be killed and slain their own knowledge their own lives must be crucified they must no longer have their own desires their own wils their own affections but must be content to cross themselves in every thing and to take up their cross dayly and follow Christ else they cannot be his Disciples oh here is vinegar and gall ye are the unwelcomest men to them in the world they cry with the Jews Our soul is weary of this light meat give us somewhat that we can feel give us some ponderous thing some comfortable thing somewhat that our senses may see and feel good Alas this is not the Heaven we look for Can we think it a happiness to be destroyed to be killed and crucified Give us such a Christ and such a Heaven as is good to our outward man who will let us have credit and honour and riches such a Christ that we may believe in who died so many years ago that will save us outwardly such a Christ that will be good to my eyes to my hands and to my feet to my back and to my belly such a Christ as will save us if we do but externally and litterally believe in him and will let us have our own wils and speak our own words and please our affections and save our souls at last I marry Sir Here is a Christ indeed this is such a Christ as all the world would have But give me leave to tell you This is a Christ of thine own making this Christ which thou speakest of
the wisdom of God be codemned of folly 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of God for they are foolishness to him And again 1 Cor. 3. 19. The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God for it is written he taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise are but vain And now that which hath laboured to quench the spirit 1 Thess. 5. 19. must now be quenched by the spirit that which the darkness could not comprehend nor love shall now be both comprehended and loved And that which was crucified dead and buried must now rise again and be exalted and sit in judgement Oh! where is he that doth or dare say and pray with David Psal. 35. 24. Iudge me O Lord my God Search me and try my Reins Though I be found guilty and so lyable to all punishments both here and hereafter yet judge thou me But He in whom this Spiritual man is risen he can say so for he knows this judging is but to escape judgement t is not unto death but to escape both Death and Hell T is for the destruction of the slesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus This is the day of Jesus Christ the former day was Our day this is that Great Day of Jesus Christ wherein he will judge all things Suffer then I beseech you the words of exhortation For until this work â—f condemnation be wrought in us we have no need of a pardon we have no need of a Phisician for we are whole And he that thinks this work needless he hath as yet no Saviour Intercessor or Mediator Mat. 19. 12. The whole need no Physitian but those that are sick Christ never dyed for him the precious blood of Christ let it speak better things to whom it will to thee it speaks no better then the blood of Abel till this great act of condemning our selves be in thee Christ dyed in vain to thee If then by all that hath been said of Adam the Old man the Serpent and Lucifer and the rest if still thou wantest Water to thy Mill if still thou wantest Argument or Evidence against thy self if yet thou wantest water in the midst of the Ocean or light in the brightest sunshine vâ—z Cause to set thee upon this work what shall I say I will say as Isaiah saith to the Law and to the testimony either contractedly or at large which sayes Thou shalt love God above all with all thy strength with all thy mind and with all thy might and the second is like it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self See and examine thy self by this Law and see whether there be no cause of condemning thy self It is a Law made for thee to walk by and â—bey by him that made thee who hath power to command thee A Law so full so holy and pure that Moses himself trembled and was amazed at the delivering of it by God being deliveâ—ed with such terror and dread the people were not able to look toward the Mount nay they had much a do to hear Moses deliver it to them And if it were so terrible in the Proclamation of it what will it be in the execution of it upon Rebels in the breach of it Examine thy self by it and see how short thou comest of that which is injoyned thee Nay t is a Law given thee by him that gave himself for thee he laid down his life for thee besides how agreeable is it to thy well-being and to the well-being of thy neighbour how agreeable to the principles of nature and reason how hath it been justified in all ages and lastly in observing whereof consists thy life and breath or else thy eternal death as Moses reasons the case in the 28. of Deuteronomy And because you shall not hereafter complain of your not being Catechized I will in this point teach every of you to chatechize himself and do it I charge you till you find matter enough to condemn your selves and before you go about it you had need to pray O Lord open thou mine eyes c. that I may receive my sight Take then the first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods but me I know now when flesh and blood hears this Commandement it thinks it hath shelter enough it can answer this Commandement well enough Have I any other but one true God I worship no other God we are no Papists Turks nor Heathens we are free from worshipping Angels and Saints and Stocks and Stones or any false God I worship onely one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity but withal know you are bound to love him with all your whole mind and strength and alas if you did but see your selves and examine your ways you would find even every man before me for I implead my self and all that hear me this day that according as the Prophet saith Ie. 2. 28. According to the number of your Cities so many are your gods See if thou hast not bent thy heart rather to the satisfying of some lust rather then to the obeying of Gods Commandement whâ—ever sin and lust it is that thou hadâ— but â—desâ—re 〈◊〉 commit when Gods Law hath told thee 〈◊〉 said I charge thee commit it not yet thou hast 〈◊〉 chosen to obey it and hast not regarded Gods Commandment I appeal to thy self That thou hast pleased thy self but Gods Commandments thou hast cast them behind thy back and trodden them under foot Let it be what sin it will whether Pride Gluttony Covetousness Deceit Malice Revenge whoever they are that dare displease God for the satisfying of any lust or sin whatsover thou hast hated righteousness and loved wickedness Psal. 45. 7. thou hast made that very lust thy God What Lord what God what lust hath power to command you and you to obey and to break Gods Law as the Prophet complains Other Lords have ruled over us what doth the Prophet mean there doth he mean when Israel was carried Captive No not onely so those were all but types of the Captivity of the soul although we have not fallen down on our knees and worshipped these sins yet in thy practise thou sayest dayly to them as to instance if it be pleasure thou followest it against Gods Commandement if it be profit thou lovest if it be mony thou esteemest though I say thou hast not fallen down and worshipped it yet thou hast done worse for thou hast given thy heart to them And I tell thee that therein As the Israelites did thou hast worshipped them and said when they had made a GOLDEN CALF These be thy gods O Israel these are they that will help thee and deliver thee it matters not whether thou do it with thy body and in words but thy heart hath fallen down and said Pleasure thou art My God I admire
Divine Nature he cannot accept or regard them So also if this be so then is there not onely holiness within flowing from A Natural principle of a new Nature but there will be All External glory there is the Ark of the Covenant overlaid all over round about with pure gold to shew that from this spring and fountain cannot but proceed all purity and holiness in our external actions then they cannot but must shew forth the vertues of him who hath called them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Then there is such a power and such a burning desire in the soul they must shew forth their good works that they may glorifie their father which is in heaven neither can this be attained really till we be admitted within the vail True it is while we are in this worldly Sanctuary we may do many External good actions as to our selves and other men And also Good in themselves but they are not done for this End to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them nor to glorifie their father which is in heaven but t is to glorifie themselves and to set up themselves Either for praise or esteem or for fear or for hope of advantage c. they serve not God as the Devil said of Iob for nought not for love of Holiness not for that Excellency that is in its self but to get something by it they use it as men do a bridge to carry them over to some desired place to some self-happiness or advantage and were it not for these the man were dead and you should find if the heart were searched throughly and theâ—e ends hopes and fears removed the man would stand stone-still But the other man he who is ascended and gotten within the Vail He works freely and naturally He cannot do otherwise though there were neither fear of hell or punishment or hope of the reward yet he must work And he will work this is that I still say Let but the heart be set to rights let the man be regenerate and partaker of the Divine nature and then with such a man you need not keep such a stir with Laws and Precepts and Rules and Disciplines He hath that within which will not onely inform and teach but reform and compel by the power of Love For saith the Apostle the Righteous are a law to themselves Beloved this is the service God loves He loves A cheerful giver He cannot abide that which comes forced and grudgingly and as a forced imposed task that by sinister respects they must be held to it but I say this man needs no such thing but turn him loose at all turns he hath an Informer and a Reformer in him Those that are led by the Spirit are not under the Law Gal. 5. 18. but under Grace and under the power of love and of a free mind for the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient This man is no longer under the law but is Dead to the Law that he may live to God and not unto himself for self is in him conquered and dead and Christ now is alive and exalted and set in his throne to reign for ever and ever In the third place there was the Pot of Manna which Manna God gave the Israelites in the wilderness some of which by the providence of God was preserved many hundreds of years together until the time as it is thought and affirmed by some of their last destruction by Titus and Vespatian He that hath gotten within the vail he hath gotten food sufficient to nourish him for ever He shall Never hunger more nor never thirst more as in that of Rev. 21. He that lives according to this new liâ—e he is â—ed with Hidden Manna He eats of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God His comforts are pure and ravishing and full of Everlasting delights his waters Everâ—low â—low and never cease there is in his belly a spring Ever springing up to everlasting life In the next place there was Aarons Rod that budded that was laid up by the pot of Manna Those that are accepted to look into the Holie of Holies Their fruit is alwayes flourishing and green their good works never dye but they ever after bring forth fruit like a tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth fruit in his season his lease shall not wither and whatever he doth it shall prosper and not onely shall they bring forth fruit but Ripe fruit in their age Psal 92. 12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing These men They are never satisfied with God They are never weary they shall run and not be weary nor faint they never have enough of Him his comforts are always fresh to them flourishing and green They are never satisfied with the knowledge of God This is such Manna such Meat The more they eat the more they may The more God communicates himself to them they are the more Hungry the more thirsty the more Vnsatisfied They have overcome and are still Overcoming they go on Conquering and to Conquer they are still conquering and subduing all their Enemies and getting their sins and lusts under their feet And so long as there is Any To overcom and conquer they can never Rest till they have brought All under Every high thought and Every strong hold and Every imagination That exalteth it self against the Power Kingdom and Soveraignty of Jesus Christ. Within the Holies of Holies There was also The Cherubims of glory Overshadowing the Mercy-seat and we may say as the Apostle there Of which things we cannot now speak particularly Those glorious Cherubims they looked face to face beholding one another Overshadowing the Mercy-seat Beloved were you but once come to this sight you should behold God Glorious and Amiable Full of love and mercy and tender Bowels All wrath And All frowns blown clean away We then shall behold in Him Not so much as any shadow of Anger but there will be a most sweet and amorous beholding of one another He wil love and delight in us we shall love delight in him we cannot look so delightfully upon him as he will upon us there will be Nothing but Amorous imbraces and we shall then see How Sure All his mercies are to them that love him and that they are The Sure Mercies of David we shall find in Our Hearts All his promises made good and we shall then call him Our God and Our Iehovah making good and giving Being as to all things So to all his promises that we shall say feelingly Not One hath failed of
all the good things he hath promised we shall say by experience Now we know that heaven and earth shall pass away but not one tittle of his word hath failed We shall then see All Solomons Love-songs fulfilled and never till then And yet Beloved all these things are but dark shadows to the Truth and The Things themselves But to conclude We run over these things for time hastens Those that are brought to this condition To have the vail Rent before their faces They shall see Such things as I am not able to express For eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither ever entred into the heart of man those glorious things which God hath prepared to entertain To Feast such self-denying souls which are both Full Satisfying and Ravishing contentments Beloved these are such things as cannot be enjoyed Seeing them by feeling till the vail be Rent But yet know this t is Othniel that takes this City t is The Lords good time or fit opportunity We cannot take this City nor marry Achsah Calebs daughter when we would but we must wait Gods opportunity when he pleases to give it noâ— in our time but in his time nay we cannot so much as hasten that time When we shall have power to smite Kiriathsepher and marry Achsah no more then a woman in travail by all the means and industry she can use can hasten the time of her delivery We must wait the time Till God reveal for we must take it When he will give it And As He will give it by degrees time after time line upon line and precept upon precept And so We wâ—iting in Gods way He will Reveal and we shall come to understand The Good Will of the Lord One time after another Now A little and then A little line upon line that so you may come To glorifie God your heavenly Father Not that you may bring Honour or Profit to your selves though This be our greatest Honor and profit or take the praise to your selves as though by Your power you had smitten the City or married Achsah And so possessed the Upper and Nether springs the letter and the Spirit Thus to do is not to smite the City You as yet have not smitten it this is not The power of God this is but Your selves this is but by the power of flesh this is but by the power of Satan in us but here is the misery of the Sons of men they are ready to think and believe that they have smitten the City when t is Nothing less they think they know as much as can be known and Glory in this and so look for and give praise and Honour to themselves And if Any go beyond them if they cannot fathom what you say presently they cry out upon it as an Error and no body must know more then they and they must have the honour and praise of all they must and will be sure to keep men within their compass and knowledge always holding them in the letter in the Rudiments in the Pedagogies and in the shadows of Religion and cannot indure nor bear that men should be brought up to perfection to possess those Plerophorias those Full Enjoyments prepared for them that so they may be delivered and set at liberty from under the Law and from the killing Letter From Bondage and thraldom that they may come to receive The inheritance of Sons and Freemen hâ—t so the glory and praise of All may be to God Almighty none to them who hath given power to smite Kiriathsepher the City of the Letter that it may be unto us DEBIR The Word of God and so reveal unto us things Unutterable and unspeakably glorious Even The hidden Manna and the Living Waters to nourish us to Everlasting life Where the Glory of God is the light of that Temple whose brightness you shall see so far as you are able to Receive where you shall have Safety from all your Foes you shall see and behold their Ruine where you shal have the company comfort of all the Saints And God himself shall strive to Fill and if it were possible and Glutt you with happiness Where the City Gates are built with Pearls The streets paved with gold the walls of Precious stones the Temple in this City Is Almighty God Himself and Kings and Princes shall be but Vassals and cast out and nor regarded as such Where the River springs from under the Throne and Hill of God the Water clear as Chrystal The Banks set with Trees of Life Where your Chear is Ioy your Exercise Singing the song of Moses and the Lamb your Duties praising the Subject God the Quire consisting of Angels and Saints the Songs Hallelujahs Rev. 19. 3 4 6. Where there is no more need to fear that your Eyes shall be dimmed with Tears or your Ears Affrighted with Cryes or your Senses disturbed with Pain or the Heart Damped with Sorrow or the Soul Ever Surprized by death VVhere there is All God and No Evil there is No Persecutors None to Claim your Possessions from you None To Envy your Happiness the Rich cannot be Robbed Nor Kings shall not be Flattered VVhere there is Possessions without Impeachments Seigniories without Cares Length of yeares without decay of Strength Love of All without Ieâ—lousie of any Greatness of STATE without Conscience of Corruption Where we shall be Ravished with Seeing Satisfied with Enjoying And Secured for Retaining Beloved All these things are Very true True In the Letter But far more true Taking it All as meant Spiritually There are Such Things as These Buâ— infinitely more Spiritual Divine and Transcending Such things As These and whatever else The Heart of man can Imagine Are but Poor Things to what we shall there Have and Live with and Live in viz. In Heaven The Beginnings whereof are given you Here as an Earnest and First Fruits For Heaven is Nothing else But Grace perfected T is of the same Nature with that you Enjoy Here For He that is United and made ONE with Jesus Christ by Faith Hath A True and REAL Glimpse of those Ravishing Glories And Delights which he shall for ever Enjoy But you must Wave All Carnal Sensual and Worldly Enjoyments And look upon the Highest Chiefest and Rarest here To be But Shadows and Dark Resemblances of those Blessed Good things which we shall then Enjoy For Ever and Ever THE TWO MIGHTY AND Wonderfull TREES OF EDEN In the Garden of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ELOHIM Incognita Vnknown Ever since Man was driven out of Paradise until Admitted to Return in Again viz. THE TREE of KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD and EVIL AND The TREE of LIFE Taken out of A Book Called The LETTER And The LIFE Or The FLESH And The SPIRIT Translated by Dr. EVERARD THE TREE of KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD and EVIL What it is I Will not much contend with them that will have The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil as
for present I conclude and commit you all to the Lord and to the word of his Grace Farewell Where Christ FEEDETH AND RESTETH CANT 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the stocks of thy companions In two Sermons preached for Mr. Hodges at the publick meeting place at Highgate in the Forenoon THIS Text may well be called the request of a fair Lady to her dearly beloved Lord it is clear it is so for though she complains of her self in the verse before my Text that she is black the Sun hath looked upon her yet in the verse following my Text he sayes That to him she is the fairest among women and she cannot be so forward in requesting any thing at his hands as he is ready to accommodate her if she desire to have her name written in the palms of his hands he will do more he will set her as a Signet upon his heart as you may perceive in reading over this Book this Lord here spoken of is such a Lord whose judgment when you know him you cannot disallow for it is Christ Jesus the Lord of life and death and this Lady is the Spouse of this Lord viz. the Congregation or the body of this Saints and Servants and wonder not that I call her a fair Lady for though we see it not yet He her Lord says she is all fair and there is no spot in her And I tell you if we would see the beauty of the Church we must not look upon any one particular member for then we can never say she is all fair ye shall see many spots many wrinkles in them but if you look upon the whole Church then she is all Fair that is the compleat body together As any one species the excellency thereof cannot be known by any one Individual as in a horse the best that is though he may excell in one and many things yet he may want something that is excellent in another if he have strength yet he may want comliness if one have comliness he may want swiftness c. but take all together and then you may judge of the species of a horse and so of a man or any other kind it is a vain thing to judge of the perfections of a man by any one mâ—n one is comely of body another is comely in mind if one be diligent another is wise so if you look upon the whole kind of man and the excellencies of all men put together I say look upon him outwardly inwardly then you must needs say he is a glorious Creature a rare workmanpiece So O Lord Christ wherewilt thou shew us where shall we find that beautiful one thou speakest of that is Altogether fair that is Tota pulchraces amica mea if we look upon any one Member but take the religion of one and the charity of another the zeal of another the faith of another the patience of another and go through the whole body and look upon these as a compleat body and then thou mayest say truly Tota pulchraes amica mea c. There is no spot in thee Thou art all fair my Love And if any one man or member shall claim this beauty to himself except it be as he stands in relation to the body he claims a lye for if ye will claim this Perfection ye must look upon The whole body both all below upon Earth and all that are in Heaven all that ever were and all that are and all that ever shall be and adde to them Christ the head of all then we shall confess that as she requests him not to look upon her as black in any one member so he answers her and acknowledgeth that she is all Fair. This Text then is a request of a fair Lady to her dear espoused Lord whom he hath wasâ—t and purified with his own blood I hope be that is the weakest the meanest in religion will not imagine this Sons to be a Dialogue between two carnal Lovers or as Solomon and his wife complementing together if ye consider them so they are but the eâ—crements of flesh and blood and they shall perish with them But whereto then shall I liken these songs of the Canticles They are like those three Tabernâ—cleâ— that the Disciples would have made when Christ was transfigured one for Moses one for Elias and one for Christ. 1 One for Moses and for his Law that is for the legal and civil life 2 The second Tabernacle is like the Book of Ecclesiasâ—es and the Proverbs leading a man above this life when it condemns this civil legal life reprehending whatsoever is in man as man as wisdom strength power and what ever power there is in him to act and to bring any thing to pass 3 But the third Tabernacle may well be called The Holy of Holies and such is this namely this Book of the Canticles Here Christ answers his Spouse familiarly face to face even in the silence of thunder as it is in Psal. 81. 7. there he calls it the silence of thunder and yet what is more â—ud then thunder the meaning is that to that soul to whom God speaks it is as loud to him as thunder but to them that stand by it is silence and secret wispering because they hear not the voyce of Christ. Beloved this Book is a Mystical Divine High-flown Book the things herein contained are not fit for every ear to hear lest the dead Flie as Solomon saith corrupt this precious oyntment Let the flesh abuse it and turn it to fleshly liberty and for this end the Jews would not suffer their children to read this Book lest the wantonness of flesh should make them abuse it but I hope well of you that you are better instructed so that you will not abuse this Scripture to your own destruction as the Apostle saith Charity bids me judge the best I go on propound them as to the immaculate Spouse of her dear Lord. Ye may observe in the words yet rather for memory then order sake four things 1 The first is her Request Tell me she is in a doubt and cannot be satisfied therefore she desires to be taught 2 The Adjuration or the Poise or weight she hangs upon her request it is not slight weak cold or perfunctory but she is violent in her request follows him with strong arguments Oh thou whom my soul loveth she offers violence to the Kingdom of God to say the truth she doth as it were commit a Rape upon the Kingdome of God 3 The Matter of her Request and that is double she would know where he feeds where he rests at noon 4 The Reason of all this why she would be taught where he rests and where he feeds for why should I be as those that
full of silver and gold and Balaam was covetous for Iude mentions his sin Hired with the wages of unrighteousness 5. Wisemen who wanting the true fear of God they are Diaboli delitiae The Devils delight Fit men for his turn and therefore They as most Fit must be set on work to act for him his Subtil and Cunning devices his Glorious Stratagems His splendida peccata Those glistring sins generosa scelera Noble Projects Honourable policies and Scarlet sins These be His Grave Black and Sage Complotters Cunning Engineers these are the fittest to carry on his Sage and Grave Mysteria iniquitatis Mysteries of Iniquity nay and some of his Mysteries of iniquity must carry a Divine face A reverend shew of holiness and Religion or else they cannot be effected and accomplished And what 's the ground of all this But Covetousness But why should I stand to deal with particulars severally Covetousness is an Epidemical plague common to rich poor it is a disease incident to the several ages of man Childehood Manhood Old age incident to the several Complexions of men none free from Covetousness The Thief in the old Law Covetousness caused him to steal God made a Law for the Thief to restrain him from coveting that which was not his own Exod. 22. 1. If he kill or sell it He should restore five Oxen for one Ox four sheep for one sheep It was not a law then to Hang a man and cut off the thred of his life for Thirteen pence half peny but to make Restitution to the Owner and not as it is now The owner to be bound to prosecute if he accuse and lose all himself and all that can be found of the Malefactors to fall to the King and if the owner take restitution of or to himself to be as lyable to the Law as the Thief himself Yet questionless it is meet that the Restitution should be given in a Legal way and openly and not covertly underhand and secretly as it then was whereby the Thief was known and detected and condemned to make restitution according to the Law it could be wished these things were well considered by those whom it concerns Our Saviour gives a special caveat against this sin of Covetousness Men think O if they had but such a thing as such a man hath Oh how it would content and please them such a mans house such a mans horse such a mans Estate I am now possessed of an hundred a year O could I make it two hundred and then three thousand then five thousand a year and thus the Devil deludes the vain heart of man and steals from him this rare Iewel of Contentment and intoduceth and juggels in the room thereof that Ugly and Gaping Fiend Covetousness Therefore our Lord bids us beware of this devouring foul Fiend Luk. 12. 15. Take heed and beware of Covetousness for though a man have abundance yet his life standeth not in his riches This is such a Taking Evil with the sons of men Christ had need bid them beware again and again some other dangers and evils if they be but seen t is sufficient to make men eschew and avoid them but for this of Covetousness ye must give item upon item and caution upon caution and caveat upon caveat and yet how few Take heed and beware of Covetousnessâ— A word or two of the Intention the third part of this Indictment Are given unto Covetousness This doth very much Aggravate this sin of Covetousness and so all other sins when men in this kinde do not onely peccare but peccatum facere not onely sin but sin with delight this is that which is exceedingly acceptable to the Devil for as God commanded Exod. 35. 5. that they should not onely bring offerings but bring them from a willing heart whether gold or silver or brass or silk blue or purple or scarlet c. or of goats-hair if never so small the free and willing heart was all in all So when men not onely sin but sin with a willing heart when men are not onely Covetous but given up to it are covetous with a willing heart what more acceptable to Satan and what more adominable to the Lord And hereupon when men thus Give themselves up freely to sin so that they choose it and delight in it then God himself gives them up to it likewise and lets them follow after the gods whom they have chosen as 1 Iohn 3. 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil that is he that Committeth himself to sin he is a free and willing servant to sin He hath chosen Sin to obey it and to be his Lord and Master Men â—ust give themselves up unto sin and then God in his righteous judgement gives them up according to their own hearts lust and according to their own choise and desire And is not this a righteous thing with Almighty God judge ye As Moses to Pharaoh God sent him to Pharaoh to let his people go who told him if he would not these and these plagues would follow Pharaoh hardens his heart and would take no Beware no Caveat then the Lord said as it were Seeing it is so seeing he is hardned and he chooses to be so he shall be hardned I will also harden his heart that I may shew upon him my mighty wonders Beloved Do not your hearts Ake while you hear of these things do you not tremble had you not need to take heed and boware of Covetousness especially of the love of Covetousness For if once you are delivered up to this first by your own choosing secondly by God Almighty in his righteous judgement truly you are in a wo case Then it may be said of you as the Prophet Ieremiah concerning the Israelites when they had voluntarily forsaken the Lord Ier. 13. 23. Can the Black amore change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do well who are accustomed to do evil In all which regards take heed and beware of Covetousness for a mans life cansisteth not in abundance But having food and raiment let us be therewith content Fourthly and Lastly for the punishment of this sin here threatned which is onely implyed in this word For with reference to the former verses which I may call as I did at the beginning The Zarah of my Text. The sin goes before and the punishment follows But here like Iudahs two Sons Pharez and Zarah the last put forth his hand first to the birth and they tyed a red thred to his finger saying This is born first but he pulled it in again and let his brother come first So though the punishment offered it self first by this first word in my Text For yet sin being always the forerunner of judgment this word For pulled back its hand and comes now last to the birth namely To be handled and spoken to wherein also I must be very brief
the same is the Snare Poyson and Death of all Natural men Therefore As All Works before Faith and Regeneration are Sin and Unclean so also To Read the Scriptures to praise God to fast pray and the like and not onely to torture and kill men or to steal and the like for seeing that whatsoever is not of faith is sin and to the Unclean nothing is Clean but they are Reprobate to every good work It must needs follow that all their Seemingly good life exercises and vertues are sin and nothing but dissimulation So God doth often in Scripture reject the Fasts Holidays Sacrifices Prayers Praises Preachings Gifts and Charitable Deeds of the Pharisees as well as the known and gross impieties of the Publicans the wicked words of men and their Violences Usuries Murthers Adulteries Thefts c. Therefore is Regeneration Principally necessary before which All things are alike sin whatsoever thou canst Think Speak Do leave Undone Read Hear Write Give Love Worship Will Know Have or Be for as to them that Love God all things are to their Good so to them that love the world all things are to their Evil yea God himself is to them Perverse contrary and a Devil and his True word is to them hateful and deadly for it is meet that to the froward all things should fall out Untowardly and to them that are Contrary to God all things should be Cross wherefore as they are not Enough so they are not alwayes good those Sayings Fast Pray Give to the Poor Read the Scriptures c. But these before all things Be Regenerated and Born Again of God and his word and then Thou wilt be Fit to do All things which that New-birth will teach thee which Cannot Sin and whatever thy hand shall find to do thou shalt do it Well for God will be present with thee for then thou being Iust shalt do Iust things It is not enough to do a thing but to do it Well else better be idle and leave doing By this means the good deeds which good men do are not rejected but onely the shew and feigning of good deeds which that Herd of Apes do imitate It were expedient indeed to read and hear all things if a man knew how to read or hear but few there are that have the Art of God to hear and read his word and far fewer that can so pierce into this Thorny-thicket that they be not rent and torn Therefore I will not by these my writings scare any man from any right Art of writing learning or reading but do admonish all men to see they use and do all things rightly and first of all in the word of God to grow Fools and Infants and then at the length we shall know how to read do and Use all things profitably and then we may safely Philosophize even in the writings of the Gentiles or any others and like Natural Birds fly among all the boughs and branches not taken whereas before we could not safely be conversant no not in the Sacred Scriptures themselves without eating Death from God and his word Briefly by this you may See the conclusion of the whole business And be it thus determined Onely the Pious and Regenerate man can and doth use All things Well and with pleasure and profit read all Arts and all Heathen Books to him there can be nothing Prohibited or Corrupt He is a certain clean Bee upon what thing soever He Sits He sucks from it meer Honey and Life yea even from Death and Sin Again the old and Natural man which in Scripture is called flesh and blood can use nothing at all well and to him all Arts and all the Nature of things nay the very Scriptures and God Himself and His Word do bring Death and Evil He can neither Do nor Read nor Know any thing Profitably or Pleasing to God He is Abuse and Poyson it self and an Unclean Spider which Siâ— where it will sucks nothing thence but Poyson Sin Death even out of the Scriptures themselves Out of things Well done out of God and His word So it comes to pass that to the wicked all things are deadly and forbidden such as are good deeds to make or hear Sermons to read the Scriptures to do good to the poor to pray to fast and such like as is before said for to the unclean all things are unclean and hurtful so that it cannot be but the things that to the Good are profitable shall be to them Unclean and deadly Briefly the good man in point of God is never at rest till being Entred into God He have lost his own Pleasure Will Act yea Himself and all His things in God so that wanting Sense Will Desire He doth now as the word requires at his hands Covet nothing so that now God in him freely Wills Knows Desires Doth leaves Undone How What Why and to whom he pleaseth Summarily In such a man God hath freely his Will Kingdom Pleasure Place so that he is not now The man he was but is as A dead man who attributes nothing to himself yea so far that God is in him All things God in him Loves Reads Writes Preacheth Gives Prays Hears Knows and is All things and therefore it is that the great God hath determined to Crown own or Reward Nothing in us but His own work the rest which himself in us doth not Know Read Write Do leave Undone Speak Preach Hear Think are Sin and therefore saith St. Paul Now live not I but Christ liveth in me And I dare not Do nor Say anything which Christ doth not Say or Do in me To this Iudge let every man refer all his life he shall then soon find in what estate all his Affairs are and to whose Service he hath addicted himself and offered his members as a living sacrifice Let him observe himself and understand who it is that worketh in him And That he to whom he liveth and beareth fruit His Servant he is Now the fruits of the two Masters are reckoned up in the Epistle to Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. against such there is no Law and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit c. I would be glad with all my heart if by the help of God I might have so much power as to drive all natural men from their good Deeds Actions Omissions Life Arts Reading Writings and the rest unto God the True Sabbath that lacking both hands and feet and utterly void of will Art Desire they might keep Holy-day from their own works Truly then God which otherwise goeth not forth in our strength would go forth in them with great strength for indeed God must and will go forth and the time is at hand that the heavens must keep Holy day as it is in that