And this man would never chuse to have these contrary beings live so near together If the soul be once in the Ministry of circumcision with Peter then it would by no means touch any thing common or unclean But the Promise is That the Lion and the Lamb and the Ox and the Bear shall lie down together and yet do no hurt in all the holy Mountain Yet observe there is a difference made but two of a sort of all the unclean were to be kept but of all the clean seven couple which had this in it to shew That however here sin and righteousness dwell together in the Ark yet there are more for us then against us Seven couple of the clean sort a compleat number of the righteous seed and but some few reliques of sin yet a spawn lives to keep the Soul in awe always lest it should increase and multiply and that there might ever be a crying out against this Body of Death for 't is a wearisom condition at best and full of snares These unclean Beasts cannot but be ill companions for the clean having always a devouring mind if it were possible to destroy them Then in this Ark Noah had a Dove to send out to bring tydings to him how it went abroad which had this meaning in it That who ever have indeed built this Ark attained to a certain estate of Salvation the Holy Ghost is given them to go to God for them in all straits We know not how to pray but the Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities This is the Messenger between God and the Soul in all straits and distresses What time as I am afflicted saith David I will pray unto thee O Lord if you had but a heart to consider it When your house is on fire and the Enemies at hand when you are compassed about with fears and miseries and distresses as you will be and yet no Messenger is at hand to send to enquire of God and know his meaning and what he intends and what the end shall be O how miserable is it to be left alone without this Comforter There are many that set themselves to pray and speak words but alas he hears not any for their much babbling if there be not this Holy Ghost that proceeded from him to go to him He hears not other cries and noyses Though they howl on their beds and abase themselves to Hell he matters not The Father will hear none but his own Spirit and that knows how to get nigh him to hold him fast and plead with him I will not let thee go unless thou bless me And if this Dove return once without the Olive branch yet it hath no rest but goes out again till it obtain a blessing and bring tydings of Peace Now can any of you answer that question of Peters Have you received this Holy Ghost after you believed You have believed indeed I know and it lives in your Consciences that Truth is here and God is amongst us that here are the words of eternal life But now hast thou received the Holy Ghost after this believing Else what a miserable plunge must thou needs be at when straits and Tryals come as thick as Hail and thou hast none to send to God to enquire the meaning none to intercede for thee and plead thy Cause but art left as the whole world to live in darkness and judg all things like beasts which know no farther then they feel in all that befalls them Now I would proceed to speak of the Consequents or Effects which follow this building of the Ark and they are layd down in the words to be these three 1. Noah did it to the saving of his house 2. He condemned the world by it 3. He became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith 1. He saved his house by it it is worth noting It is not said He did it to the saving himself though that was included in it yet a farther thing was in it to save his house The servants of God in all times have had that reward of their labor to save a People That hath been their care and work to seek up the lost sheep to turn others to Righteousness And in this saving of his houshold three Things are considerable How Noah did it 1. He saved his house that great work by being a Hearer first himself He was first warned of God himself and had an ear open to receive and learn the lesson before he can teach his house What I received of the Lord saith Paul that I delivered to you Many go to teach others and were never taught themselves Alas how can their work stand They preach they know not what nor to whom They would be Teachers of the Law not knowing the things whereof they affirm They never heard his voyce at any time nor saw his shape as Christ said to the Jews and how can they save a People They are blind Leaders of the blind and therefore wo to the Preachers that have not first learn'd of the Lord themselves and woe to the People that are left to such Guides for both the wall and the Dawber shall fall together But Noah was first warned of God himself 2. He saves his house by taking charge of them and standing engaged for them as for his own Soul Take heed saith Paul of the flock of whom the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers The Holy Ghost lays the charge upon Gods Ministers and they are made to receive it and wait and tend and look after their People as their own Souls As Judah saith of Benjamin If I bring him not back again to thee let me bear the blame for ever Such a weighty charge they take upon them But where is now in our days such a Noah such a Preacher of Righteousness Many Preach indeed and they take the charge of a People as they say but how long Till another hundred pound a year comes and then they are gone or till some suffering and hardship or inconvenience come and then they are gone They fly at the sight of the Wolf O wicked generation God will find them out But Noah takes charge of his People they are his house his family his life and therefore sticks to the saving of them 3. That is the third thing He sticks close to them and follows on till the thing be done till he hath indeed saved them till brought them into the same condition with himself He will lay down his life for his sheep and this is a true Shepherd indeed that cries out with Moses Nay rather blot my name out of the Book of Life then that this People should be destroyed And Paul he is at a strait and could wish himself accurst from Christ for his Brethrens sake Now to have such a Saviour to stand in the gap to travel for a People and never leave till Christ be formed in them this is the great Mercy and after this sort do the Noahs
Who are they that have been our Accusers that have secretly informed and raised mischief against us and made an evil of what they have heard and seen amongst us were they not our Brethren such as were in society with us men of our own house and we walked together into the House of God as friends such as have heard and pray'd and joyned with us and yet have gone out because they were not of us These have been our greatest Enemies 4. Children shall rise up against their Parents to put them to death And how hath this proved true in my my own child coming as the main Witness against me He that came out of my bowels he was not ashamed to witness falsly against me and to say to my face He would take a hundread oaths if he might but ensnare me And then Parents against their children This I have proved true also Those that have looked upon themselves as my Fathers in Christ from whom I have first received the Truth such as have travelled and prayed yea and witnessed for me that I belonged to God yet how are these now secretly turned against me and in a treacherous undermining way have wrought and do work what they can to undo me Such a strange unnaturalness is there among men and if the Lord favour us not we know not but they may see their wills accomplished against us and take away our lives We know not what They may be suffered to do against us For This is not our Country our Kingdom is not of this world And it is certain there is malice and envy enough in all these relations against us in Kings Governors Brethren Parents Children therefore beware of men though your Cause be never so just and innocent Secondly What is it to kill the Body How may men do that what ways may they find out to bring this about For though it be not the main thing or that which we should fear if called to lay down our lives yet it may be of Use to be informed in the several ways men may take to destroy our Body if the Lord prevent not 1. This way they may take to destroy the Body by taking away our estates and means that which should maintain and keep up our bodies Our bread may be taken out of our mouths we may be so impoverished by Lawyers and Jaylors and Fines and strange ways that may be found out by our Enemies to waste our estates that we shall not be able to maintain our selves Such dealings some of our Fathers and the Martyrs have met with in their days 2. Men may destroy the Body by raising strange reproaches and scandals and such evil reports against us that all men will be shy of dealing with us all our trading and commerce with men by which our lives are outwardly maintained may be thus taken from us As I heard some say in my own hearing Hang them speaking of Us they are a base reproached people we 'l not buy of them of all others And thus by such scandalous reports as these it may grow to that pass that we may have neither liberty to buy nor sell c. 3. Another way by which men may destroy the Body is by binding our hands that we may not defend our selves who ever set upon us And thus we have been dealt with some of us bound to our good behaviour that we may not so much as strike a Dog to defend our selves and who ever will may come and set upon us and we have no remedy in our hands we may not stir against them for our defence 4. Another way they may take to destroy our Bodies is by lying at the catch to insnare and intrap and make an evil in wresting words contrary to our real intentions and purposes As my own son was not ashamed to say to my face I 'le take a hundred oaths if I could insnare you Now what a miserable case is this if a word should slip either unadvisedly or out of ignorance that this should be catched at and a thing never once thought of nor intended charged upon us even to the hazard of our lives for ought we know 5. They may do it another way as by making an evil in tentering our words beyond their meaning so by tentering out the Law to the utmost exactness and rigour in all points against us so that a man can hardly speak to another or stir any ways in his business but if the Law be reached out and tentered to the utmost he may be found liable to some forfeiture or other You that are strangers this day and come without any ill intent into this House to hear me speak you might be troubled for coming into the House or passing through a Close without leave such strange ways may be to tenter out the Law if the Lord shall suffer men in this to stir against us 6. Men may destroy the Body by raising false Witnesses against us and charge us of that falsly which we are no ways guilty of And thus was Christ dealt with and many of the People of God have been falsly accused falsly witnessed against and so condemned to death And in our late Indictment charged upon us those that have appeared against us what utter falsness hath been in their oaths and witnessing against us and what further they may be suffered to swear against us we cannot tell and at last two false Witnesses came point-blank against Christ and so took away his life 7. Our Life may be taken away by the Law of Man sometimes when we may be no ways guilty by the Law of God So I remember when the Bishops Courts were up some have said to me there You may be Honest and your way may be good and harmless for ought we know but how ever the Law will not bear you out in it We have a Law say they to Pilate and according to that Law He ought to dye And here you see are Ways and Means and Doors enough open if the Lord stand not for us and prevent it by which men may break in upon us and destroy the Body And thus I have spoke to you of two of the general Points from the words 1. Who they be that will kill the Body that Christ bids Beware of Kings Governors Brethren Parents and Children This seems wonderful unnatural that these of all others should do it to be for signs and for wonders in Israel as Christ complains I and the children that God hath given me are for Signs and Wonders in Israel Were it in Turkey or some forreign Land to meet with this usage it would not be so much But Thou my Familiar my Friend we took sweet Counsel together and walked into the House of God as Friends to be Signs and Wonders a scorn and reproach and laughing stock in Israel amongst men of our own house our own Rulers and Brethren and Children this is very unnatural But Beware of men And then I
made thee He that Rules and Orders all Fear Him but why should we fear him 1. Fear him because we are his Workmanship he is our Maker he is the Potter and we are his clay we had our Being and Frame and mould and all we have from him 2. Fear Him Because he can bring thee down on a sudden He can secretly twist away thy life and all thou hast thou knowst not how How soon was Judas striped and twisted out of all his mercy and presently left to ruine He was but now among the Disciples and lookt upon as one of them for they all questioned themselves as much as him and by and by he hangs himself when he is but left to have his run and therefore saith David Thou holdest our souls in life if he do not hold and maintain and keep up thy life every moment alas thou art soon gone and wilt sink to nothing when thou art in thy jollity and mirth in the midst of thy bouls if a hand writing do but come against thee how soon may thy mirth be quashed the knees tremble and knock together and the face be turned to paleness Alas therefore should'st thou not fear him When I consider Him I am afraid of Him saith Job for He is of one mind and he will bring to pass the thing appointed for me He can turn all upside down in a moment at such an uncertainty stand all our ways and enjoyments when at the best much like a stout resolved Souldier riding up bravely furnished and with a courage to charge in the face of an Enemy but on a suddain a bullet comes and lays him down and all his strength and courage is gone in a moment so soon can this Lord take thee off in any of thy injoyments therefore Fear Him 3. Fear Him because he doth all without let 〈◊〉 controul nothing shall hinder when He begins He will make an end All men and all creatures have a Controuler that can frustrate their enterprises but the great God hath no controuler He gives no account of his matters if he will not favour a man either in Soul or body but lets a blast seize upon him alas the man must fall and all the world cannot help him 4. Fear Him because in thy own Conscience tho◠canst witness Thou hast justly offended Him he hath occasions and advantages enough against thee O Lord how many ways might He justly take thee off might he not stop thy breath when thou sleepest might he not make thy meat to be thy poyson art thou not a sinner in all and liable to Him if He should take advantage therefore Stand in awe and Fear before Him 5. Fear Him because He will certainly bring thee to judgment he wil call thee to an account for all thy ways That which hath been done in secret which no eye saw and no man could ever charge thee with all thy secret thoughts thy covetings and lustings and envyings the secret turnings within He will bring all upon the stage nothing shall pass therefore fear this Judg for Thou knowest not at what hour thy Lord may come And Good Lord if He come in a time unthought of and finde thee froward and fretting and envying and lusting and saving thy life in any creature Alas what then will become of thee if thou beest thus surprized and surprize thee He may For we know not the hour when the Thief will come therefore there is cause to fear 6. Fear Him because there is mercy with Him that He may be feared He will have a reward for them that fear him If thou fear men either they may neglect and not minde to reward thee or else may not be able but the Lord will surely reward them that fear Him and those that wait on Him shall not be ashamed And therefore there is great reason from these several Particulars why He should be feared And now I shall speak of the two other general Points from the words which come in as an enlargement and farther ground of this Exhortation Fear Him that can destroy both Soul and Body in Hell where these two things are yet to be opened What it is to have the Soul destroyed and then what it is to be in Hell Fifthly What is it to have the Soul destroyed what ways doth God take to do that 1. He destroys the Soul by withdrawing the sap which should maintain it when God gives up the Soul to it self and leaves striving and motioning and knocking this is one way by which it is surely destroyed For it will soon dye and sink of it self if it be not followed and hunted and kept up and maintained dayly 2. Another way of destroying the Soul is when God gives it up to beleeve lyes to feed on ashes and that like a canker will soon eat out all the life and power and spirit of Truth The Soul is made uncapable of receiving Truth nothing can enter nor seize Though there be never such a power and strength and clearness in the Word yet nothing can take place and this is the wonder that God speaks I will work a wonder in your days that a man shall not beleeve though it be told him I will destroy the wisdom of the wise And again In hearing they shall hear and not perceive and in seeing they shall not see because a deceived heart hath turned them aside given up to beleeve lyes c. 3. Another way of destroying the Soul is by leaving it alone out of the Nursery out of the heart and care of the People of God that there is none to take it in none to look over it nor enquire after it none to turn aside to ask how it doth Alass this will soon destroy the Soul to be thus cast off and left alone without the care and counsel and pity and encouragement of the Truth to have none to plant nor water nor till it that ground can bring forth nothing but bryars and thorns and so is nigh unto cursing c. 4. Another way God takes when the Decrees are gone forth to undo a Soul is this He shuts out all prayers and intreaties and means that are used to turn his heart to the creature that nothing shall prevail with Him though there should be any to stand up to pray and plead yet He will not hear Though Samuel and Moses and Daniel should stand up yet could not my heart be turned towards this people Put them out of my sight saith God And so to Samuel God answers Why prayest thou any more for Saul I have cast him off And this is a sure way of undoing the Soul indeed If God be against it who can stand for it who can deliver out of his hand 5. Another way the Soul is destroyed by is when God takes away all its gates and fences and lays it open to sin and Satan to have their full course and run without stop or let All the floods of ungodliness and
this time were not those eternal thoughts of God and that setled Will concerning you discovered to me But now I come to open What this Will of God is And I told you there were two branches of it 1. That a People were given to Christ by this Will of God All that the Father hath given me saith Christ Now there is a threefold giving of a people to Christ 1. He gives Him a people as his children to be nursed and tendred by him and so He speaks to his Disciples several times calling them children Children have you understood these things c. They were but in the condition and state of children though they were men And here God puts Christ in the place of it Mother and Nurse to bring up those that are thus given Him 1. A Mother receives a seed from her Husband which is to be molded and formed and grow up in the womb till it be a perfect child such a seed is given to Christ to warm and cherish till it grow up to the minde of God and have the true proportions of a child and be like its Father And therefore it is said The Promise is sure to all the seed And again A seed shall serve Him it shall be to the Lord for a generation 2. A Mother nurses up her Children when they are born she feeds and tends and oversees them till they are grown up to live of themselves And thus are a People given to Truth that it may nourish and care for and deal tenderly and lead them on till they grow up to be strong men in the Truth How doth a Mother bear and go through all with her child all its frowardness and crossness she takes it up willingly So this Love of Truth to its children it is not easily provoked it is not soon moved but endures all things and waies and hopes all things It spares from it self to give to its children such a Nurse is Truth so tender and careful I have been as a nurse amongst you saith Paul If you perceive not this dealing of Truth towards you it is all but as a Riddle If you are not seeing how tenderly and patiently you have been dealt with all along from your Cradles nothing hard and unbearable hath ever been put upon you but some issue hath been made for deliverance You have been given into the care and nursery of Truth to look after and provide for you nothing more is put upon you but open thy mouth wide and I will fill it c. There hath been one with you to care for you when you have slept and slighted and not considered the day of your visitation You have little considered what it hath cost to enjoy the brests that you may suck at dayly what a living Ministry you are entrusted with and yet waits upon you It reaches all that come neer it none that have come amongst us have gone hence without the power of this Truth convincing and making them acknowledg that of a truth God is amongst us 2. God gives Christ a people as his Brethren when they are grown up to that state as He calls the Church My Sister my Spouse And in being thus given to Christ He manifests these three Things to the Soul 1. He opens that it is of the same stock and kindred with Himself as it is said At the second time Joseph was made known to his Brethren Now that the Soul of man and the Word of Life should be so nigh related as a Brother and Sister this is wonderful It is too high to be exprest by me in words or for you to conceive of But yet there is a generation a people that shall justifie this wisdom that shall know this portion is befallen them That they are of the same stock with the Lord Jesus the Word of Life That they are born from above I am not of this world and these are not of this world saith Christ They are of one World and one Kingdom and one Country Therefore he says My sheep hear my voyce and the voyce of a stranger they will not hear they know not the voyce of strangers They are not of that Country nor language and so can understand no other language but the Word of Life This is opened to the Soul when it is thus given over to Christ as a Sister one of the same stock born from the same Love as it is in Jeremy I have loved thee of old with an everlasting love c. 2. Christ opens to the Soul when it is thus given to him the Priviledges it is to have with Him That it is born to the same inheritance and portion that He himself hath and without this what is all preaching to you if this portion be not made known as belonging to you And none can read this seven-sealed Book but the Word of Life unless He read thy portion to thee thou canst never know it unless He witness to thy Soul as He did to his Disciples The Father Himself loveth you And if he ever open this to you it must be when you are grown up to this stature to be given him as a Sister as Brethren For whilest Children and Babes you have not understanding you are not capable to know it though it be never so often told you O Lord That you were at a strait to have this opened For your lives will ever hang in doubt till this portion shall stablish and settle and put you out of all fears 3. Hence this follows and is opened to the Soul That it is now liable to be marryed to Christ and become his Wife It was a true Type among the people of Israel they were not to marry out of their own stock and kindred All strange wives were forbidden So Christ marries not out of his own line out of his own stock He cannot joyn to the stock of the Devil But such as are his Sister born of one Father sprang from one Love they may become a Wife for Him Those two links are joyned together in the Canticles My Sister my Spouse but if no Sister first it is impossible to be his Spouse I have told you often gold and sand cannot be run together into one lump and it will surely grow up more manifest that all relations what ever will dye and come to nothing where Truth lives in one party if nothing of the same kinde appears to maintain the tye in the other A Husband a Wife a Child all these relations will dye c. if there be not a surer bond to hold fast for ever 3. God gives a people to Christ as a spouse a wife given into his bosom And here two things come in 1. Serviceableness and subjection to the Husband That was the Law given at the Creation Thy Desire shall be subject to thy Husband and He shall rule over thee Christ will now rule and expects to be obeyed He puts the Soul upon service now it must no
present conditions What the Ark types out and what was signified by its three stories c. SERM. VIII The Effects consequent upon Noah's building the Ark How He saved his House by it with Considerations about the way and manner of it How this building of the Ark condemns the whole World and in what particulars How Noah became Heir of the Righteousness by Faith Where is opened what the Inheritance of the Saints is what it is to be an Heir and how the Soul comes to partake and have use of both SERM. IX How all men lay at first in one lump How the difference was put in choosing some and not others What it is to choose with several considerations touching the nature of it What it is to be of the royal Priesthood with the Priviledges belonging to it Certain Marks and Characters to distinguish the chosen Generation from all others c. SERM. X. How and in what respects the people of God may be exprest under the notion of a City Why a little City How 't is said few men are in it and in what Considerations Who the great King is and what his bulwarks with the manner of his raising them The poor wise man who he is where to be found by what certain characters he may be known and how he delivers the City c. SERM. XI What sort of People the Lords house was a type of why God will have a House built What are the true materials of it Why the Soul is backward to this work and pleads It is not time to build with an Explication of the miseries for not building on the one hand on the other the great Priviledges that attend the work SERM. XII That the way God chooseth to make out himself to his people is by a Prophet and for what Reasons How this Prophet goes neer to God and what that implies What the main things are God speaks to his people by this Prophet and would have them know viz. their present place their next Way their utmost End What the true nature of Hearing is with Considerations about it SERM. XIII Four great Dispensations or Times of Mans the Devils Christs and Gods Raign opened What the Souls several Woes are under the Devils raign What the Devils main armour is How and by what means Christ overcomes him and how he divides the spoyl with Application of all SERM. XIV The Lepers present misery opened in its several Branches and parallel'd to the Souls condition Their hopeless Case ever to be recovered hence and where the point of the Strait lay The great Submission wrought in their spirits to venture their lives with Considerations about it parallelling all to the inward work of Salvation SERM. XV. Christs great Submission in being brought to say that word Thy Will be done opened in all its Branches His betraying by Judas delivering up into the hands of Sinners unjust Arraignment ignominious Death Disciples forsaking His Father withdrawing He Dumb under all what all these Cases meant and how verified in the work upon the Soul Precious PROMISES AND THE Divine Nature Opened and Unfolded SERM. I. March 16. 1650 1. 2 PET. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust The Analysis THree things in general were observed from the words 1. What are these exceeding great and precious Promises 2. What is it to partake of the divine Nature 3. Who are They that are to be partakers both of these precious Promises and divine Nature Those that have escaped the corruption of the world through lust First These exceeding great and precious Promises concern four things spoke of in the former Verse Life Godliness Glory Vertue The first great Promise is of Life to have life given from the dead to receive it of God the world are all dead while living This promise of Life takes in three things 1. To be freed for ever from fears of Death now dye no more 2. To be capable of instruction Dead men can learn nothing 3. A fitness for action and employment The Living the Living shall praise c. 2. The second Promise is of Godliness a God-like mind in all like the pattern Just patient merciful holy c. 3. Glory is promised Moses face shone There is a lustre and glory in the Truth which very Enemies must own and bow under 4. Vertue a quick and lively power in Truth no dry thing but a savor of life or a savor of death The Uses were to two sorts 1. To some to enquire seriously what they seek in coming and going life or death whether a need and strait for life Then 2. If a want and stress for life yet on what terms would you have it Is it promised to you else why hope you 3. To consider what you would have life for for ease peace safety to your selves or the service of Truth 2. To others that are indeed in the grave bound in fetters of darkness and sin as if never deliverance should be to minde such that the promise of Life is surely made That Sarah shall conceive according to the time of life c. Secondly What is it to partake of the divine Nature This divine Nature is the Holy Ghost and to partake of this implies 1. An indwelling a setling abode of it not as a wayfaring man but as a well of living waters within 2. It implies a known and felt receiving of this Divinity the man made to know and feel and close with it 3. This Divine Nature where it is given and received is fruitful brings forth of its kinde and image moulds the man into it The Uses were 1. Enquire what we would come to whether ready to receive and be married to this Divine Nature else never expect children 2. To inform that the door is yet open the Promise and Call are yet to us why are we no more minding it c. 2 PET. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises c. THree things in general I would this day open to you 1. What are these exceeding great and precious Promises 2. What it is to be partakers of the divine Nature 3. Who they are that shall be partakers both of the precious Promises and Divine Nature not all men all are not fitted for it but such as have escaped the corruption of the world through lust For there is a great deal in us that seems to be for God which is but lust if well examined the Heart of man is full of cheats and deceitful above measure but God will not be mocked none shall partake of his Nature and Being but such as have escaped lust He will have no fellowship with the stool of iniquity First What are these exceeding great and precious Promises Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises The words have relation to the
foregoing Verse According as his divine power hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledg of Him that hath called us to glory and vertue Where four things are layd down in which these precious Promises are fulfilled Life Godliness Glory Vertue These are the exceeding great things promised to be though not yet attained For it is one thing to have a Promise given and another to see the accomplishment of it as Christ saith to his Disciples I will send you the promise of my Father the Holy Ghost was promised before but yet to be sent by Christ 1. The first thing promised to which you are called is Life as the promise was to Sarah That according to the time of Life God would surely visit her and she should conceive c. The Spirit of Life is promised to you though yet the Thing is to be accomplished For how do we lie at present in our graves like Dead men long out of minde how dry and desolate and waste because the Spirit of Life that should quicken and enliven is not come The time of Life is not accomplished but the promise is gone forth that at the set time He will surely visit Sarah and the dry womb shall conceive though Abrahams body be dead and Sarahs womb dead and all seem to work to the contrary For great is the desolation now upon us We are sealed in our graves under death but yet this is the promise That the Dead shal hear the Voyce of the Son of God and live And This is an exceeding large and precious Promise 1. Life implies in it a freedom from death a recovery and deliverance out of its power Alas to Live is another manner of thing then we have conceived it We have gone about and acted and spoke like living men but have we Lived in all this have we been yet ever acquitted and freed from fears of death The Terrors of Death made me afraid saith David Are you not yet kept all your life time under this fear of Death You can never have rest nor quiet because the Jaylor is ever at your heels you are not yet freed from him Death reigned it is said from Adam to Moses now Adam was made a Living Soul He had a life to see and know good and evil but yet he could not come at it could not reach the Tree of life a sword was set to keep him off there But the second Adam is a quickening Spirit He hath life in Himself He was raised up by the power of God never to dye more and this is life indeed Now how many in the World are there that never yet came to be Living Souls to have understanding and light to know good and evil but when brought to that yet there is no freedom from Death Death reigns from Adam to Moses to that farther light which comes in by the Law opened and read to the Soul When the Commandment came saith Paul sin revived and I dyed Death yet reigned And now to be freed from this cruel Tyrant from eternal Death and to be made partakers of Life is an exceeding great and precious mercy Who can value it 2. The Man that is alive is capable of instruction and teaching He can hear and learn from others but the Dead know nothing at all saith Solomon while we lie dead in darkness fears unbelief faintings of spirit so long we know nothing hear nothing we are capable of nothing of the minde of God All is confused and without order in this land of Death What is the reason think you there is such a stupid senceless careless Heart upon you not an ecchoing back as was in Davids Heart When Thou saidst Seek my face My Heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek Why is not this minde and quickness and breathings of Truth in you Why you are dead Death reigns sin hath dominion you are not yet freed from that body of Death For were you but alive it were impossible but you should hear the voyce of the Son of God Truth would touch you and that is the first thing to be done to give you life and then sense and hearing will follow But you are now as unsensible at times as a post in the house and therefore you come and go and come and go and nothing is done why because you are under death It is not yet the time of Life and He will make us know we cannot quicken our own souls Adam would have been reaching to the Tree of Life when his Eyes were opened to know Good and Evil I but a flaming sword is set turning every way to keep the Tree of Life and if ever Adam live again it must be upon other terms He must be raised by another power and that freely of gift For he is now a dead man and cannot quicken his own Soul unless that quickening spirit of Life be put within and here lies the great strait to lie at the mercy of another whether He will ever again give life or not and if he will yet it must be in his own time too and not ours and therefore the Church is at a strait and complains There was none could tell her how long How long we must lie in the dust in our graves before Life shall be given we know not we cannot get it out of his hand Truth would never be good and sweet if we could attain it by our reachings Many may press in to take the Kingdom by violence and stealth but the Examiner will come Friend how came you in hither But of a certain this Promise of Life is given to some of us Hear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken The word is gone forth that you shall surely be visited at the Time of Life and till this be accomplished you cannot be capable of instruction Your reason and thoughts cannot reach it but are to sit silent in your graves till Christ shall call Lazarus come forth and so life be given and put within and this will be an eternal Life never to dye any more Death is no more to have dominion but yet it reigns This is your hour saith Christ and the power of darkness and whilest this government is up and those noises of Hell are within we cannot hear the voyce of Truth till the Soul is freed from the stormy wind and tempest and a calm be made We many times go about to quicken our selves and get life at our own hands and so reach up hopes and conclusions and promises to bear up a while but alass all must down again we must to our center to our graves till the spirit of Life be put in We are asking what we should do and what is our way as if then we could easily turn and do it but alass there is a mistake in the bottom Life must first be given us and we must rest in our graves till then and sit in silence in our darkness and
bonds till we are freed and that is our way if indeed we would know it but how foolish and preposterous are we we would be walking before we are made alive But then 3. A man that is alive as He is capable of Instruction and teaching so he is fit for any employment to speak and walk and act what is set before him He may run the ways of Gods Commandments He may speak well of God The Living He shall praise thee saith Hezekiah The father to the children shall make known thy Truth Then indeed there will be a capableness of that other precious Promise to be partakers of Godliness to walk with God to be of his Councel But now is a dead man fit company for God Can God have fellowship with such as lie stinking in their graves Is there any communion to be had with dry bones Can you have any content and pleasure in a dead mans presence No you must first be partakers of Life before you can partake of Godliness to have his minde and nature and disposition in you God commanded Moses to speak to the people not to break into the Mount to gaze lest they were destroyed We are reaching to come neer and neer and plead for it to be taken in to know the minde and counsels of Truth Alass we are not fit Can we dwell with everlasting burning Can we come neer God and not be consumed Alass we know not what we have desired The old bottles would burst in pieces if this new wine should be put in There must be a new Life given before that new minde can grow Before we â—â—n partake of godliness to have that God-like minde in all things to love Justice and Mercy and walk humbly with our God we must first be Living Men And it is but yet a promise to us though it be exceeding great and precious the Thing is yet to be done and therefore that which concerns us at present is to sit still in our graves in our bonds and darkness and sorrows till He calls us as They told the blind man Be of good cheer for He calleth Thee In the mean time it is in vain and dangerous for us to run and gaze These precious Promises are not made to all I would not have you all thrust in as sharers you may come and gaze for fashion-sake but I know there are among you in whom the love of God is not as Christ said to the Jews I know you have not the love of God abiding in you You come not out of a love to Truth or minde to be instructed but either as to hear a matter of news or to lie at catch to make a mischief Therefore beware what you do God will not be mocked by you It is dangerous tampering in Holy things with a deceitful heart we have payd dearly for it amongst us and He will surely divide between thoughts and intentions and separate betwixt the sheep and the goats He hath indeed promised all things belonging to Life Godliness Glory and Vertue but to whom Whereby are given TO VS saith the Apostle exceeding great and precious Promises TO VS and not to all And 1. That Promise of Life I told you what it was to Live to be freed of all snares and bonds and fears of Death which keep down the Soul a close Prisoner that it can stir neither hand nor foot But none will come in here but such as are close hunted and put out of all their holes and shiftings that they can no ways get Life at their own hand For so long as there is any fhift that we can either get up hopes or prayers or desires or resolutions of our own so long we are not dead men as God saith Thou hast abased thy self to Hell yet hast Thou not said There is no hope And till a man be dead there is no need of raising Him to Life and now to live is to be brought out of the grave and recovered by this free word of Promise You all live and walk and act but upon what terms Is it by this Promise of Life given to Abraham Have your lives been given you Have you been raised up by the same power that raised up Jesus Christ saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and I will raise them up at the last day They shall be raised up and when at the last day not presently The best wine is not brought out first but at the last Day When Christ who is your Life shall appear then shall you also appear with him in glory and this is an exceeding precious Promise indeed to as many as God hath given it but not by any's thrusting themselves in that were never bidden The King will come and look over his guests and finde the man without the wedding garment 2. The second great and precious Promise is of Godliness to have a God-like minde to be Just Patient Merciful Single Holy as God is Holy c. to be knowing and in the light as he is in the light to be fashioned into the very minde of the Father This is godliness that hath great gain belonging to it having the promises of this life and that which is to come to submit thus to be God-like in all things to pray indeed Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven We would have our wills reign and be done in Heaven as they are in Earth We would have Gods minde come to ours and Heaven stoop to Earth There is something yet dear to us that we save and keep alive and would not every where and in all cases be like to God But this is the onely happiness and content to attain this life of godliness for a people to joyn together in one heart and Soul strengthening and building up one another in their most holy Faith provoking one another to good works seeking the good of one another as their own and ready to lay down their lives for their Brother How many people have we seen in our day to change and altar their Gods according to their own thoughts and imaginations as the complaint was against Israel According to thy Cities so are thy Gods O Israel such a changing tossing and variable thing is in the heart of man but where the minde of God is planted and spreads it self forth in the Soul and makes it partaker of Godliness that is a standing principle abiding for ever 3. A third great and precious promise is to be partakers of Glory There is a glory that follows and flows from godliness Moses face shone when he came down from God and the Church in her worst day yet says of her self I am black but comely and Christ yet owns and calls Her O thou fairest among women And I am confident however we are found in our selves weak and foolish and sinners yet we sit in the Consciences of our worst Enemies if they would speak their hearts freely That
sure we are beyond them and honester then They There is something that judges and gets above them do what they can and however they envy hate and oppose and will not stoop under it yet such a glory there is in the Truth such a lustre and shining as will manifest it self and therefore the promise is The Righteous shal shine as the Sun in the firmament 4. The fourth great and precious Promise is to be Partakers of Vertue Now Vertue is either taken for a quick and lively fresh power in any thing as when we say such an herb is full of vertue to smell on or such meat is full of vertue to taste on or else Vertue is some secret hidden power which can neither be smelt nor tasted but yet is perceived As in the Loadstone there is a hidden vertue to draw Iron c. So there is a lively Vertuous Power in the Word of Life it will take some effect or other and not return in vain for either it meets with its own kind in us and that relishes and tastes and finds a sweetness in it as David says Thy Word is sweeter unto me then the honey and the honey-comb It is a sweet smelling savour to that a savour of life unto life but if it meet with the enemy that evil principle in us that curses and rages and rends and teers the child at the sight of Jesus it is a savour of death unto death to That Who ever they are that neither taste a sweetness in Truth nor smell a savour of rest from it yet there is a secret vertue that will cut them to the heart Nabal's heart dyes and faints in him do what he can It strikes a secret blow and gets in between the joynts of the armour There is a living vertue in it and like a potion of Physick it will work one way or other either make better or worse And thus the first thing is opened to you What are these great and precious Promises And before I come to the next thing to open what it is to partake of the Divine Nature I would have this I have said well looked over by you For who of you is yet fit to be marryed to Christ He will not take another mans wife whilest we have a husband living any created thing in whose bosom we lie and take delight and pleasure so long we are not a wife for Christ and if our hearts be pulled off by force only and the way hedged up that we cannot find our Lovers this is not that which pleaseth him neither He will not marry a divorced woman but only a chaste Virgin a Heart that stands loose and clean from all corruptible things such a heart only is a fit Spouse for Christ to be Partaker of this divine Nature But 1. It concerns some of you to enquire what â—it is you seek Life or Death None of you I know will say Death you would all have Life But what then mean the bleatings the cryings and huntings after perishing Things where Death is in the pot Why are you living in the creatures in your own wills and counsels Why are you not at a strait to cry out to be saved if Life be the Thing you seek There are many Seekers in the World the Greeks seek after wisdom and the Jews they seek a sign some seek ease and quiet and rest from their torment some seek wisdom and knowledg and parts to be great and honoured but Death is in all this See then what would you have Is Life the thing you seek for or have you it already If you are partakers of Life indeed then the rest will follow Godliness will then come in a God-like mind to be just single merciful h ly like to the Pattern and then Glory will follow your good works will shine before men and then a vertue will go forth which may be savored and relished in all your words and actions But now do these things appear in us what is it we seek what would we have is Life the Thing would we have Christ to dwell in us No we would not all come so near we would have Christ a great way off at the right hand of God to save us at the last gasp when we come to dye but not live the life of the Righteous But be not deceived it is in vain to come hither if we seek not Life But then 2. Suppose a stress be upon you that indeed you would reach out to the Tree of Life because you are smit to the ground and cannot escape the hand but it will bring you to Death do what you can But now enquire upon what grounds wouldst thou have Life upon what account why dost thou hope or expect it is it promised to thee is the word gone forth from Christ that He will raise thee up at the last day what ground have you to hope more then all the world though you may seek it yet that will not do it neither Esau sought the blessing with tears And Christ saith Many shall seek to enter and shall not be able And Paul saith That Israel obtained not what they sought after but the Election obtained it There is a People which shall surely be Partakers of Life to whom the Promise is made but no other The Promise is sure to all the Seed therefore see how standest thou in all thy seeking and hoping for Life Hadst thou ever a Promise of Life given thee either to thy self witnessed to thy own Soul or given to any of his People for thee that Thou shalt Live c. For a vain thing it is to go and take Promises up out of the Scripture and make them our own Promises made to Abraham and David and the rest what are these to thee unless God make them over and give them to thee as He did to them And then 3. Enquire what would you have Life for would you have it to please your selves to live to your wills to be at ease and be freed from troubles Alas this is not a right seeking of it As Jehu answered the Kings messenger concerning Peace What hast thou to do with Peace So what hast thou to do with Life it belongs not to thee unless there be that end in it to live for anothers service and not thy own Therefore it is of great concernment to know what we are about I wonder sometimes on what uncertain bottoms you stand you know not whither you go nor what you would have in all your hearings but like the picture of a rampant Lyon on the wall come seven years hence and that is still in the same place So I have known some of you these many years to be Seekers and Professors and Talkers but you are still where you were seven years ago as carnal sensual as blind ignorant in the ways of God as much glued to the world and seeking your selves not removed a step nearer God then you were c.
But then For some of you whom indeed I know and who yet lie dead in your graves fast bound in chains and fetters under darkness and fears and sorrows and are no ways able ever to get out to you this promise of Life is made That God will make the dry bones live and raise you out of your graves It concerns you to look after it For he hath promised and will perform He will surely keep his Word unto Jacob and his Covenant to Israel God will say to all that keep us down in chains and bondage Let my People go that they may serve me Let my Captives go free The time will come when he will turn our mourning into joy and fill our tongues with laughter and our mouths with praises when he shall bring back the Captivity of Israel when the Time of Life is come And now it followeth to go on That you might be made Partakers of the Divine Nature All this I have spoken of is to pass upon the Soul before there can be this partaking of the Divine Nature to be joyned in and married to it There may be somewhat of Life and Godliness and Glory and Vertue springing in the Soul but yet it may be but one alone as a chaste Virgin indeed single and loose from all and fit for a Husband but not yet married the House must be thus swept and provided and made fit but yet the King is to come to lodg in it It is yet a farther thing to become fruitful and have children in the Truth therefore the next thing to enquire into is Secondly What is it to partake of the Divine Nature The Holy Ghost is this Divine Nature spoke of Now Christ saith He will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it only to such as ask it such as are at a strait to cry for it and only living men can cry and ask and to them he will give this Holy Spirit God communicates and gives in to the Soul a Holy Seed of his own Nature and Being as really as in the outward generation of a man A seed must first be given and received before ever a child can be brought forth So is it with the Soul a seed of God must be really planted in and sown there somewhat of his own Being and Substance left behind in the Soul to stay abide and grow and spread or else there can never be fruitfulness expected If God only come and go as a wayfaring man and take not up his abode so long we shall never be setled down to any thing truly unmovable but up and down as His coming or going away is As the Spirit came on Saul and came on Balaam so long they prophesied and spake of God and were as it were new men but the Spirit departs again and then they are as other men the same they were before But now to have God dwell in man to take up his abode This is my Rest here will I dwell for ever this is a mighty thing indeed 2. To be made Partakers of the Divine Nature as it implies an abiding and setled planting in of a seed of God so it is secondly a known and felt-thing in the Soul there is a certain close and meet of the man He receives the seed in the man is brought to hear and feel and know that God is nigh 3. This Divine Nature where it is thus given in by God and received by the man it brings forth of its own kind and Image He gives to every seed it s own body Adam begets a son in his own likeness natural and carnal and earthly and selfish having his centre wholly downwards And so the Lord He begets Children like Himself in Patience Love Singleness Justice Meekness c. Where this Divine Nature is sown it will surely grow up into the likeness of its Father it will own its Father in its countenance it will turn the man into the same mind and will and desires and if not so yet do the man what he can whether he will or not this Truth wil act stir and bring forth like it self and in this it will deal plainly and truly and shew the man where he is it will not be bribed to dawb with untempered morter and yet is merciful too tender-hearted easie to be entreated full of all good fruits c. Now then 1. This may be of Vse to enquire what it is we would come to would we receive this Divine Nature and joyn in and be marryed to it It is certain you can never have children nor be fruitful in the Truth unless you are marryed in here Though you should be Virgins and be brought to stand clear and loose from all intanglements yet you can never have children to keep your name alive in Israel you will live and dye alone without you are brought to joyn into this Spirit of Christ Though we may have Fathers and Instructers to care and provide for us yet that Promise cannot take place In stead of fathers thou shalt have childrē whom thou mayst make Princes in all Lands We can never leave a seed after us that may grow up to be Princes in the Truth to make it spread in the world and run and be glorious but at present we are far from this there is a very ill spirit in us not willing to see another thrive and prosper in the Truth We would neither enter in our selves nor suffer them that would How few of us are yet reached out to this Thing to long for and desire to be Partakers of the Divine Nature We would rather starve and live on any Husks any shifts and sharkings then come near God for a Feast our hearts choose rather a Dogs life hunger and ease Hungry indeed we are many times at a want for somewhat but if we can get but a little ease in our want we can bear it and so the strait gets off and this may discover that great ill will that is in us to the thriving and prospering of the Truth c. 2. This may inform you what the End of all is all the Promises of Life and Godliness and Glory and Vertue they all tend to this end That you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature The Door is yet open the Promise and Call is yet after you It belongs to you as it did to Ruths kinsman to marry Ruth and purchase the Inheritance but if you shall slight it and say as he did I cannot redeem it for it will spoil my own Inheritance if we shall answer so No we cannot come so near to partake of the Divine Nature to dwell with God He will be a consuming fire He will cross and spoyl all our wills and delights and designs If we shall thus judg our selves unworthy of eternal Life then Lo He turns to the Gentiles He will turn to another people for sure He will find out some that will be glad to receive Him whose
out of the words I. Who are They that will kill the Body They are hinted out Vers 17 21. Beware of men And they are ranked into four sorts 1. Governors Which are set to defend and protect yet beware of these they shall be against you 2. Kings Which are set to defend and protect yet beware of these they shall be against you 3. Brethren Brother shall betray Brother to Death c. 4. Children and Children against their Parents c. This wonderful unnatural yet all made true in our own experience II. What is it to kill the Body what ways may they take to do that 1. By taking away estate and means which maintain the Body 2. By reproaches and evil reports that none will Trade with us 3. By binding our hands that we may not defend our selves 4. By ensnaring and making an evil of our words 5. By tentering the Law to the utmost that no stirring but we may be found offenders 6. By false witness as against Christ when He innocent 7. They may kill by their Law when we clear by Law of God These several ways may They kill the Body if the Lord prevent not III. The Exhortation Fear not them Why should not They be feared that kill the Body 1. Fear them not in respect of themselves For 1. They are vanity a nothing fade as the grass 2. They but instruments the sword cannot cut without the hand 3. Pity them 'T is their woe and misery to do this work 4. Before their Plots are ripe They may be cut off so Haman was and the Powder-Treason prevented in very nick 2. Fear not in regard of the Body which they can kill 1. The Body is but the outside the cask the shell 2. 'T is a perishing thing and will soon dye of it self 3. This is not to enter into glory but must first put on incorruption therefore this but a small thing to kill the Body IV. Whom ought we to Fear FEAR HIM that can destroy Soul and Body And that for these Reasons 1. He is our Maker our Being and all we have is of Him 2. He can bring down and twist away thy life and all in a moment 3. He hath no Controuler none can rescue out of his hand 4. In thy own conscience He hath many just occasions against thee 5. He will certainly bring to judgment and account for all thoughts words actions Therefore there is good ground to fear Him 6. Fear Him because there is mercy with Him VI. What is it to have the Soul destroyed what ways doth God take to bring this about Five several ways 1. By withdrawing the sap when God leaves striving and motioning the Soul dyes of it self if not fed upheld maintained 2. By giving up the Soul to beleeve lyes wholy filled with them 3. By leaving it alone without one to pity pray or care for it 4. By shutting out all prayers and means that nothing shall prevail 5. By taking away all doors and gates that all lusts and floods of ungodliness may break in and mould the Soul into the image of the Devil VII What is it to be in Hell In three Things 1. When the Soul sensibly feels it is excluded from God Many are in Hell and know it not the thing is not opened 2. To feel the torments and pains of Hell the warm that dyes not 3. To have the everlasting sentence of this condition witnessed to the Soul this makes up all the saved ones may be in the two former All summ'd up in a word of Vse 1. If possible to warn some of this woe That They may never come into this place of torment 2. To minde such as shall be saved both by hintings in themselves and witness from others yet see how neer destruction you may come 3. To counsel us to stand in awe always to fear not knowing what we may be left to lest that day come unawares c. MATTH 10.28 And fear not them that can kill the Body and are not able to kill the Soul c. I Would propound these several things to you to be considered of out of this Scripture 1. Who they be that will kill the Body 2. What it is to kill the Body 3. Why should they not be feared that can kill the Body 4. Whom ought we to fear Fear Him c. 5. Why should we fear Him what cause for it 6. What is it to have the Soul destroyed 7. What is it to be in Hell First Who are they that will kill the Body You may see in the Verses before Christ speaks to his Disciples Behold I send you forth as sheep amongst Wolves be ye therefore wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves But beware of MEN for they will deliver you up to the Councels c. And it is farther explained who these MEN be of whom they should beware Ver. 18. And you shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them And vers 21. And the Brother shall deliver up the Brother to death and the Father the Child and Children shall rise up against their Parents and cause them to be put to death So that these MEN are of these four sorts Governors Kings Brethren and Parents 1. Beware of Kings Kings should preserve their People and Solomon saith The Glory of a King is in the multitude of his People And we can truly witness for our selves and God is our Witness that we have been and are as true faithful and loyal to the present Government of the Kingdom as any other who ever yet we know not how their hearts may be ordered to consider of us Such cases have been we know as that Kings have been let out to undo and pillage and kill their own Subjects And though we may yet truly own the many mercies and liberties we have enjoy'd by this Parliament yet who knows how Things may be turned against us such a case may be Christ bids beware of Kings 2. Beware of Governors Now Governors and Rulers are appointed of God to be a Terror of evil works but not of good They were set to be Defenders and Protectors of them that do well to defend to secure to do them right and justice against such as falsly reproach slander or any ways wrong and injure them yet Beware of men saith Christ Governors themselves shall be against you such as should defend and secure you And we have lately had some experience of this how our Governors which should have been our safeguard and protection that they have slighted our Cause and rather inclined to the false accusations of our adversaries then hear us speak the Truth for our selves nay if the Lord had not prevented it we might have been knockt on head and have lost our lives by the rude and envious multitude which were set against us 3. Brethren Brother shall betray Brother c. Beware of Brethren And how hath this been made true upon us also
that Truth cannot tell where to find you Could it but find you though in a Goal or Stocks amongst Harlots or any where in the dirtiest hole that could be it would be a gladness But to be as runaways every where and yet no where sometime in this Harlots house sometimes in another this is a great woe and sorrow But let 's be merry saith the father for I have found my son again that was lost If you could but come forth and say to the Lord Here I am and declare the very particular place where you lie and stick 't were happy As a man in a mist when quite lost is glad to hallow and call to any to give notice he is lost and tells them where they shall find him But we slight it and say 'T is true I am in a lost condition but what will any telling another do me good We think there must be no crying out But the time will come that you will cry before delivered both to instruct others saying O come not here as the Lepers were to cry out to all O come not to me I am unclean I am unclean and then there will be a crying Can you help me can you tell me which way God delivered you Though the Father sent forth his word to seek up his son yet he came not till he was alive quick and sensible of his wants and this made him arise and go to his father c. The last thing yet remains wherein lies the conclusion of all and it is marvelous to consider how the work hangs together A third Reason why the Father is merry is the safe return of his Prodigal When the other son came out of the field and heard the musick and dancing he asked one of the servants what those things meant Why saith he Thy Brother is come and thy Father hath killed for him the fatted Calf because he hath received him safe and sound And if this should not be all would be an incompleat Salvation still But while I speak the word I sigh to speak it Shall we ever see the day to be thus adorned to have the best robe the shooes the ring and the fatted Calf to sit at the Kings Table and have the presence and favor of the Father to hear that concord between Heaven and Earth that musick and harmony to hear the gladness of the Father and all those holy Angels to see the Earth which is his footstool brought to the Will of the Heavenly to have Heaven and Earth brought together to a meet and close Therefore Let 's eat and be merry 1. Because my son was dead and is alive again 2. He was lost and is found And 3. He hath received Him safe and sound And this is wonderful that one so far gone that had been dead and lost that Lazarus lying four days stinking in his grave should be raised and made a sound man again that there should be no deadness nor confusion nor taint in the Principle of Life but all return sound this will be a wonder That there shall be no taint nor smell of any ill savor in all our words and ways left it will be wonderful indeed to have such a Resurrection There are three things considerable from this word To be Safe 1. That which is safe is well fenced about as Solomon saith The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth into it and is safe Prov. 18.10 But what 's the Name of the Lord He proclaims his Name thus The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means let the guilty go free c. Exod. 34.6 7. When the Prodigal is compassed about with this Name he is safe to purpose with long-suffering gentleness c. and with remembrance of this also That he will by no means let the guilty go free then is he made to give glory to his Father This will be a strong tower where the Soul may be safe 2. To be safe is to be where no harm can come at him In time of trouble saith David he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me Psal 27.5 A pavilion stands in the midst of the Army and what harm can touch one there To be in the City of Refuge there the Avenger of blood cannot come neer Now he is under the wings of his Father no Witchcraft nor Enchantment can touch him And when ever God shall make such a fence about you your estate will be good indeed when thus fenced about with the Name of the Lord. But 3. A man may be said to be safe when he cannot run away to harm himself neither When God makes this Covenant with Israel he saith And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That I will not turn away from them to do them good but will put my Fear into their hearts that they SHALL NOT DEPART FROM ME Jer. 32.40 A man that is lock'd in the Stocks or in a Gaol we use to say such a man is safe because he cannot get away So when God has put his Fear into the heart it 's made as an hook or anchor to the Soul it cannot get away from him But happy are they whom God will bring back again with the Prodigal from the Land of their captivity into his presence There 's the place of rest and quiet there the Father rejoyces over his Prodigal because he has received him safe and sound To be Sound hath these things considerable in it 1. A thing that is sound may be considered thus to be without rottenness without fault firm and durable Now the Prodigal before his return has a heart with a taint in it and 't will be wonderful if ever we shall be brought out clean spotless unblameable c. It 's nothing to keep a man from stealing when he can come at no prize but to have the Babylonish garments and the wedges of gold lie before the Soul and now not to have an Achans heart to covet them here will be the tryal O let me not taste of their dainties saith David The time was he was envious at the prosperity of the wicked But now to see them prosper and enjoy their portions and yet not envy nor cover in nothing to be tainted here will be the wonder But 2. To be Sound is to be compleat and without deficiency as of a Horse that is fit for service we say He is a sound Horse sound wind and limb compleat c. The Prodigal came home compleated as Paul saith That you may be wholly compleat in him not having any spot or blemish or any such thing And My Beloved saith the Church is wholly delectable compleat in beauty O that my heart were so direct saith David that I were sound in thy Law O Lord how far off are we
in all Ages save the People committed to them Moses he stands up in the gap and the anger is turned away Phinehas he stands up and the Plague ceased David he stands up and takes the sin and the blow upon himself 1 Chron. 21.17 It is even I that have sinned and done evill but as for these sheep what have they done Let thine hand be upon me I pray thee c. Thus he stands up till the destroying Angel puts up his sword till the thing be done he requests for and thus Noah and all the preachers of righteousness prepare an Ark to the saving of their House the people committed to them II. Another Consequent upon Noahs building an Ark is this by which he condemned the world all the world is condemned by it and that in these seven particulars 1. Noah beleeves Gods Word and is Warned God tels him Noah all flesh hath corrupted his way and it repenteth me I have made man wherefore their end is come before me and I will surely bring a Deluge to destroy them all now therefore look to it stay not in all the plain get away from the tents of these wicked men hasten and build an Ark to keep off the danger that thou perish not with them and he believed God 't is said c. But who will beleeve this report now if God Himself should speak or an Angell from Heaven if one from the dead should come we would not beleeve if we beleeve not Moses and the Prophets Now who will beleeve if such a certain word as this be witnessed to them Well deceive not your selves I can surely tell you from God that misery and destruction is certainly coming on if you stick in this condition if you get not an Ark a sure shelter and refuge astrong Tower to flye to you will never be able to stand therefore Knowing the terrors of the Lord we perswade you lay the thing to heart defer it no longer I but who will be warned by all this none of the world will the world within us and the world without that will go on its old way do and say what you can Charme the charmer never so wisely the Blackmore will not change his skin nor the Leopard his spots this carnall and sensuall and Devilish mind within us it wil yet feed on carrion though it be a thousand times warned it will not be warned though it be told and told and told Well this way will surely undo you if you stick on any seen things and come not to give up all and lay down your lives you will certainly be miserable and loose your lives yet this spirit in us will not beleeve but it will put the evill day far off and mock at the making of an Ark. It will plead what need is there of this ado and God he is merciful one shift or other this world will ever finde to be at ease but wo to them that are at ease in Syon c. Noah he is warned the new Heart the sensible Spirit that heares the Word and stands alwayes in awe and trembling that is warned and this is that which Judges the world for they are not 2. Noah beleeves though he be warned of things not seen as yet he disputes not with flesh and blood about the matter but beleeves and this condemns the world who would not argue But what shall we have if we leave all and what need is there of it yet till more danger appears who would build an Ark when no flood is seen and not say with Job No I am well I shall dye in my nest who that is strong and in health and hath all enjoyments about him will then beleeve a change will come Who breaks through all snares and entanglements and says Let me go stand aside all is uncertain all may soon be taken from me this life is a mortal life and all my enjoyments are nothing if the Deluge come therefore strive not to comfort me let me go about the work to prepare an Ark Who breaks through thus resolvedly No the heart stands rather to dispute Sure this man says he knows not what there 's no such danger And thus the time is reasoned out And if you will stand thus pleading till the Flood come unawares and take you yet remember I have told you these things I have dealt truly in warning you And as Christ saith all this have I said that you might be saved But yet you are disputing and reasoning Alas what can I do to help my self And thus we linger and come to nothing Sure all this which I speak to you is as a Tale that is told Lord how I feel the hardness of your heart and that the Word enters not into the stone But sure it is if the Word take no place the Blow shall the Flood will come and destroy this world 3. He condemns the world in this He sets to build an Ark alone He stays not for great and wise ones to joyn with him in the work but builds alone though all scoff and say What will this Babbler say what is this fool doing Will he bring in new Laws and Ordinances and go contrary to all Customs and Orders and Rules of our Fathers and Leaders and wise ones Well but this moves him not Do ye what you will saith Joshuah I and my house will serve the Lord I must go on saith Noah The Soul that is indeed at a strait must go through all Lets and set upon the work It must leave all Relations Father and Mother and Friends and say to all If you will not go with me I must leave you Let the dead bury their dead but follow thou me saith Christ But this is the pleading of all the world Do any of the great ones the Scribes and Pharisees beleeve on him Do the Minsters and godly Divines go this way And here they sit down saying We 'l not be wiser then all men but follow our Teachers Well saith the Soul that is indeed at a strait Go they as they will yet I must go this way there is a press within I know not what shall become of me and 't is time now to look out if neither Father nor Brother if none in the World will joyn with me yet I must go to Zion Alass I am at a strait Alass what shall become of me in the latter end This strait will surely come upon your spirits and run through all enjoyments your eating and drinking and buying and selling nothing shall give you rest And were you indeed here you would not stay for company you would look out for bread to eat were you ready to starve And who ever is thus pressed on through all to build this Ark he condemns the World who all sit down at ease And thus that world in us is condemned by that restless spirit of Truth that is always reaching and crying and pressing forward 4. This condemns the World That Noah
fire and live in the water That which nothing can shake But so far as the Salvation hath wrought a work indeed the Soul can say with David Though the Earth be moved and the Mountains cast into the midst of the Sea yet in this will I be confident c. So far as I am saved I am saved Death where 's thy sting Hell where 's thy victory This condemns and judges the World That this Ark takes in no water That there should be no staggering in the Soul but like Mount Zion which cannot be moved Wilt thou still hold thine integrity said that cursed Wife I says Job till I dye I will not give up my integrity But the man be he who he will be he never so wise bold and resolute to carry it out who hath not this Assurance by a sure and tryed work in his Soul I dare lay down my life for it there are times of staggerings and doubtings within calling his condition in question do what he can Let him nail his god never so fast yet Dagon must fall before the Ark some searching word of Truth will get in between the joynts of the closest armor and pierce their confidence do what they can 6. Noah condemns the World in this That though he be safe in the Ark and hath attained a sure refuge from the Flood yet this satisfies him not he is not at rest yet but sends forth the Dove to enquire about the abatement of the waters There is a condition beyond a sure and safe condition when Christ himself the Saviour is to deliver up the Kingdom to the Father when He promises to pray the Father to send them ANOTHER COMFORTER the Spirit of Truth to abide with them for ever And this is that Dove which the Soul can now send forth to carry out its requests to God and bring tydings from him And this is that which condemns the World That they have no such intercourse with God they have no such Spirit given to make their requests known by Though they may cut themselves and cry aloud O Baal save us yet no Answer comes there is not this Dove which Noah sends forth that can bring an Olive branch of Peace in its mouth and give a sure intelligence that the waters are abated that the wrath is ceased 7. He condemns the World by the real work of saving his house He prepared an Ark to that purpose to save his house and it did the thing intended He did save them And this judges all the World who though they build much yet they save none The wall and the dawber fall together They flee from their sheep when the Wolf comes and leave their eggs in the dust like the Ostrich But Noah did the thing he did save his house He left them not in the mid way till he brings them into the Ark He travels and is pained in Soul till Christ be formed in them This is that Interpreter one of a thousand that can shew to man his righteousness and never leaves till that be done and this condemns the World That sensual and devilish part will never endure thus to stick to the work to cleave to a people through all gainsayings opposings and ill requitals Many can preach so long as they may have honor and gain and be well thought of but now take away their Money or cross their Wills let them be despised and dishonored and they can presently be gone and leave their people and rid their hands of trouble so that they will stick to none farther then they can serve themselves and their own ends and thus nothing comes of their preaching They bring their people to nothing in the conclusion I have known some Ministers my self that have been preaching these thirty years and not a man converted by them What a miserable case is this But alass they were never taught themselves and how can they teach others But the Noahs they have a charge given them over their people they cannot get from them so easily You shall not see my face unless your youngest Brother be with you said Joseph They must not leave a hoof behinde that belongs to Israel Such a charge as this is layd upon me concerning some of your Souls That if you fall short I shall bear the blame for ever The blood will be required at my hand if I deal not faithfully and bring you home if you are not saved to the utmost But the encouragement to me is That some have gone through this work Noah did save his house his labor was not in vain and the Promise to Christ is He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied Noah is rewarded for his many years labor He saves his house And if the Lord would please after all my twenty years Travel and Preaching but to give me a People that might indeed build this Ark and attain to a sure knowledge of their Eternal Condition That they shall LIVE FOR EVER It would requite me for all if some of you might come forth thus to be Judges of the World and build such an Ark of Truth as that all the Dagons and Idol-worships of the World must fall before it III. The third Effect that follows this building of the Ark is this He became an Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith And about this three things may be considered 1. What is this Inheritance It is a very large Inheritance it is to enjoy the Lord to be joyned and made one Spirit with him The Lord is my portion saith David The Lord is my lot my refuge the lifter up of my head This is a wonderful large Inheritance Great is the Portion of his People Thus shall it be done to the man whom he delights to honor He shall have an Inheritance in Light an Inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away no altering of it When I awake I am still with thee saith David His Inheritance abides sure to him Many have a great Portion to look on they have a great stock of Peace and Knowledg and Hopes and Confidence I but a worm eats through the Gourd in a night Riches make them wings and flee away Thus is the hope of the Hypocrite His house falls when he comes to lean on it His great bulk of confidence is but a heap of chaff which the wind soon blows away But David could say The Lord is my Portion I have enough The Lord lives and blessed be the Rock of my Salvation 2. What is it to be an Heir To be an Heir is to be born with a right and title to an Inheritance to have an Estate fall to one by right so that it cannot be cut off it can neither be sold nor given away from the Heir Now this is wonderful To be born with such a right and title to Eternal Life such a neer Interest in the Lord that nothing can separate from him neither tribulation nor sufferings nor life
ravished my heart with one of thine eyes that is the thing to be beloved to find favour in his eyes Love will bear all things Love is as strong as death Love will save to the utmost and this Lot fal's on some Though Esther be an unlikely maiden one of another Country of mean degree yet she pleased the King and obtained kindnesse of him Chap. 2.9 and vers 17. and the King loved Esther above all the women and she obtained grace and favour in his sight and this is the thing that brings the Crown to her be she what she will Thou art fair my Love my undefiled Though she complains I am black yet he loveth her and Love sees no faults she is comely in his eye this is the portion of the chosen Generation 3. What a man chooseth to himself He taketh it out from other things he gathers it near to himself Thus is it with God He pulls the Brand out of the burning He takes the Poor out of the Dunghill leaves them not there and this is a sure token of choosing indeed where he leaves not a man or woman in their darkness in their bonds in their snares but pulls them out separates the Wheat from the chaff who hath translated us out of darkness into the Kingdome of his dear Son and in the Revelation it is said they were redeemed to God from amongst men and Christ saith because I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hates you He takes his chosen ones out of their chains out of their filth out of a perishing condition cuts them off from the old stock That which he intends for a vessell of honour he takes it out of the Lump he leaves not his own in the same Lump with the rude world Now this is the great thing to be considered whether you are yet thus pulled out hath he made thee indeed to differ from the rude world art thou pulled out of the old Kingdome of Sathan where the whole world dwell in wickednesse though in severall ranks forms and degrees yet in the same Kingdome still not a new Creation made but this will make it appear he chooseth thee if thou canst say with David He plucked my feet out of the Snare he brought me up from the nethermost Hell and saith Jonah yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God that is his Salvation there it appears God is God We would vainly promise our selves as the whole world do to be saved by his love onely and so quietly passe our Lives in our own wills here and go to Heaven when we die but alas if ever saved we must be taken out of the condition we stick in Come out from amongst them my people that ye partake not of her Plagues Many have great words and great knowledge and light I but they are not yet translated out of the old Kingdom they remain still on the same stock but things that are chosen are taken out of the midst of other things and therefore Moses speaks to Israel Was ever such a thing known as that God should go to take to himself a people out of the midst of another people by great signes and wonders c. to take out of Snares and Bonds and Intanglements for God to say Come out of all and be you clean and be my people and I will be your God I shall inquire of you are you thus chosen are you pulled out of darkness and out of death and joyned to all the living Though in never so mean a place ne-never so despised an outcast though but a living dog yet if living if taken out of death and planted into a new Life that is the thing If there be that seed of Life it will ever be stirring and moving and bending like the Needle touched with the Loadstone set it where you will it can never rest untill it come into its right place till the Soul be brought to God Now there is a restless spirit in the Cains and lost ones but that is onely out of Torment the worm that never dyes and this restless spirit never moves towards God but runs from him but to this Centre the spirit of life ever tends to come from and out of all things unto God c. 4. Things that are chosen have no hand in their own choice All that befalls this Chosen Generation is of mercy and free goodness who made thee to differ nothing they could do could ever make a difference but the Case stands thus Two things lie together and a man passing by takes one and lets the other lie the things have no hand in it so is it in this choice of God all is done according to the pleasure of his own will see and read as you go that you may have nothing to glory and boast in nor challenge the least to thy self as if he saw some readiness or activity or towardliness in thee more then in others no he saw nothing but his own pleasure if there be any thing good in thee he put it there you have not chosen me saith Christ but I have chosen you This will make it appear free indeed when you shall be made to see there is no hand of yours in it but of his own good will begat he us No man ever begun first to seek after God but I was found of them that sought me not else no Soul would ever be saved Can a stone move upward no nothing can move to God but what came from God none can go to Heaven but the Son of man which came down from Heaven It is contrary to man who is born from beneath from the Earth to move upward his Centre is below unless he be pulled and drawn and born up and carried upon Eagles wings he falls to the Earth like a stone the natural man cannot please God he neither will nor can be subject to the Law of God and this is that God may have the glory alone in the work of Salvation as he says in Isa It shall be to me for a name and for a praise That he should save such unlikely ones and out of stones raise up children to Abraham this will seem wonderfull I did not think to have seen the Lord here saith Hagar when she had given up all for lost this will make the Soul say indeed as David doth God alone doth all 5. Things that are chosen are set apart for some speciall use a man hath some end in choosing them so was it with God in this choice he had a peculiar end and design to bring about and he chooseth some for that purpose but why are not all the world for this use True they might have been had he put in them the same spirit had he fitted the vessel to that purpose but he spends a great deal of cost and pains upon some he prepares the Vessell for that very purpose to put in new wine Old Bottles
the outward letters and the light of their Reason joyned together but alass I cannot finde out the meaning of the heart of God concerning me by all this Therefore if there be not an Interpreter one of a thousand that can shew to man his righteousness if there be not a days-man for us that can come nigh to God and enquire his minde and thoughts towards us then are we miserable for alass we cannot go neer our selves who of us can stand before everlasting burning No saith God to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live No self no flesh no evil thing can live in the presence of God the fire is too hot He will have no fellowship with the stool of iniquity If you will come neer God there is need of a heart without all guile and deceit that intends what it pretends Will you be my people indeed saith God Indeed Nothing else will pass He will divide between words and thoughts between thoughts and intentions if there be but a tittle against thee he 'l be sure to finde it out I know thy Works and Love and Patience saith Christ I but yet I have a few things against thee He spies out the least flaw and therefore it is dreadful coming neer him without that garment of Love which can cover a multitude of sins for else alass he may take advantage every moment and consume us 2. This is another end of coming thus neer God That the Soul may stand reverently and with deep attendance of minde as in the Kings presence Were you but aware that God was so neer you sure it would strike a great awe and wariness upon your spirits What is the Lord in this place and I knew it not Is this no less then the gate of Heaven Am I in the presence of the great God and have to do with him in all my words and thoughts hearings O what need is there of an awful spirit Holiness becometh this House for ever Many go to Church it may be twenty or thirty years and never yet were their hearts affected with the least true fear and awe 't is because they come not nigh God in their service but make it a meer custom and May-game but he will have his people come nigh him he will have them stand in his presence with awe and reverence and godly fear he will have their words and prayers weighed and scan'd to a tittle How carelesly and inconsiderately do many venture on praying as men cast bones from them to a dog never think of the thing never look to see what becomes of their prayers but God will have his stand in another kind of posture As the eyes of a maid are unto the hands of her mistress so are our eyes up to thee O Lord He will have them wait and look and attend when ever a word shall drop from his mouth and touch upon them 3. They are to go neer to God for this end to learn his behavior and carriage Be ye holy as I am holy saith God Learn of me saith Christ I am meek and lowly I will go down to Sodom saith God and see whether it be altogether so as the cry is come up unto me Why did not God know Doth he need to go and see No but it is to teach us how to behave our selves in such cases to teach us to be sure and wary and just in judgment before we pass sentence against any to know what we do to learn his tender-heartedness and compassion and forbearance to learn his manners and ways and if ever you are brought neer him it will be for these purposes III. The next thing to be considered in general is AND HEAR THOU ALL THAT THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL SAY UNTO THEE Hear all Every tittle let nothing be lost that he speaks Now there are three general things which the Lord speaks and would have all his people know that stand in the same condition as Israel now did 1. He would have them know where they are that they are yet in the Wilderness yet not at home but far from Rest 2. What is their way to attain it 3. Their latter end what they are intended for what they are to come up unto for else the Soul cannot go on with any strength and courage but will faint and feeble Abraham followed the Lord at first going out not knowing whither he went but it was a mighty power of God that carryed him out to it and afterwards he saw the minde meaning of God plainly and that the Lord delights in he would not have his people grope in the dark always but see and know their way and have the mark in their eye and be wise to understand their latter end 1. The Lord would have his people know where they are They are now brought out of Egypt they have escaped that cruel bondage under Pharaoh This the Lord would have you take notice of how far you are saved and delivered not to pass that over slightly without regarding it 1. He would have you consider how he hath brought us out of the rude world when we lay all together in one lump and why should the Lord put a difference why hath he brought us off of our false hopes and confidences and false ways of worship worshiping Idols the works of our own hands the contrivances of our own wisdom and thoughts and reason as all the world do Why hath he saved us here that what ever become of us we can never again go back to those flesh-pots the Garlick and Onyons of Egypt 2. He would have us know what we are brought to as well as brought from to consider how far he hath led us That we can surely stick to though it should cost our lives whether we can say that word with the three children what ever becomes of us though our God should not save us though we should never attain the thing set in our view yet we will not fall down to this Image we cannot turn again from the worship of the living God to worship Idols This the Lord would have us know and stick to 3. He would have us know that notwithstanding all we are brought off from and all we are brought on to that yet we are but in the Wilderness that is the place and no farther And in this two things are to be known by us 1. That this is the day in which he will prove our hearts Now will he open the fountains of the great Deep the low channells of the earth are now made to appear as Psal 18. Now he discovers what man is what a helpless wretched thing Now he opens the strange wickedness that lay hid in the heart the fire makes the scum rise the fiery trialls the great and sore temptations as God calls them these stir and fetch up all the poyson that lay buried before Now the Lingrings and drawings back the murmurings the ill will the frettings and
feel how utterly malignant he is and contrary to all good Do you finde it is his hour to be let loose to rend and rear and perplex and torment Do you feel indeed the pains of hell and do the sorrows of death take fast hold as David cries out they did upon him If you finde it not so now nor have ever found it yet certainly a time will come when the enemy will shew himself when the wicked one will get up into the throne and exalt himself above all that is called God a time will come of being hurried and torn and perplexed under his wicked and tyrannous reign when ye shall be made sensible where you are once for whilst you stand sensless as images and posts nothing seizes on you and you never think to see such a Day but whether you feel or believe to see it yea or not yet the Day will surely come and try all that dwell upon the whole earth 2. You that finde and feel this Day it may inform you what a vain thing it is for man to stir or move hand or foot to rescue himself or oppose this adversary Alas what is man to lift up a hand against him one that is so strong and so malignantly bent to destroy one that hath a commission and power given one that is in full possession of the house and furnished with all store of armour and goods in us Alas it is in vain to stir against him Man is too weak 't is all one as if a poor lonesome woman should have twenty or an hundred plunderers in her house ransacking and breaking up here and there alas 't is in vain for her to stand against them they may do what they will unless some other help come and rescue her so vain and impossible is it for any of you to winde out of the hands of this enemy and save your selves if another Saviour one mightier then he deliver you not 3. Therefore in the next place this might perswade you to lie down and submit to your bonds till deliverance come Answer him not a word that is the Kings command the charge of Truth but bear all his threats and vauntings and upbraidings Let all run over as God saith of Zion And thou layedst thy body to the earth for them to pass over Lie in the condition how miserable soever it be till a stronger then thou or he shall come to deal with him This is the peaceablest and most sutable way for our present conditions 4. Yet this must give some hint of hope and encouragement and cause the soul to put in and wait for a lot in this matter since there is for certain such a thing as deliverance to be for some there is a rest for the people of God Our God will come say they and will not tarry A stronger then he is spoke of that is able to deal with him and twist him about at his pleasure and this might give a little encouragement to hope But as for our parts we can do nothing in it we cannot stand against the enemy nor can we hasten the rising of Christ to deal with him Who shall say unto God What dost thou Who shall stir him up before his time May he not do what he will Is he not Lord of all Therefore no way is for us but to lie under and endure and let all the waves go over our backs till he shall command a calm and he uses to come in an unexpected time when all hope of life is gone when but meal and oyl enough is left to make one cake and then the widow concludes to die then comes the word The barrel of meal and the cruse of oyl shall not fail c. Therefore Oh that it was in your hearts to cry with one consent for this Saviour to arise this Deliverer that might turn ungodliness from Jacob All difficulties and impossibilities are nothing to him that which is impossible with Man with God is easie and possible And this might raise up a little springing of hope against all rubs and bars that lie in our way When he comes he is able to deal with this mighty enemy He comes provided His works before him and his rewards with him He will divide the spoyl and take away his armor and send that which is for death to death that which is for the sword to the sword that which is for famine to famine and that which is for captivity to captivity He keeps sure records of all and will surely visit in his appointed time O therefore that we had a heart raised and stirred to cry with one consent for this Coming of his and to give no rest night nor day but cry O come Lord Jesus come quickly till we have an answer and be delivered THE Woful Case of the Lepers OR The Soul at an exceeding Strait SERM. XIV June 22. 1651. 2 KING 7.3 4. And there were four leprous men at the entering iâ— of the gate and they said one to another Why sit we here until we dye If we say We will enter into the City the famine is in the City and we shal dye there and if we sit stil here we dye also Now therefore come and let us fall into the hoast of the Syrians and if they save us alive we shall live and if they kill us we shall but dye c. The Analysis THree things in general observed I. The present condition the Lepers are in And that was opened in five Particulars suitable to the misery of our present state 1. They were without the City out-casts no enjoyment of the Society Ordinances Blessings of the Commonweal of Israel 2. They were all overspred with leprosie might not talk with any lest infect them and how do we taint one another with our selves 3. Farther a miserable famine was upon them women eat their own children so we forced to eat what is born of the flesh our own Reason 4. They are beset with an hoast of Enemies too and this is our case at present the world are up against us 5. The light and sense of all this misery was upon them If we sit here we dye They knew and felt the heavy case they are in All this was brought home to our particular conditions II. Consider their hopeless and helpless Case to use any means to escape If we go back into the City we shall surely dye c. This applyed to our conditions in three things we are brought to something and if we go back Death will surely be in it 1. We are brought to a clear information of the vanity of all the worlds worship and the shortness of our conversation in all points 2. Made to see that all hopes and conclusions without a certain witness from God himself are short and nothing to eternal Life 3. We have professed to all and chose in our Souls a self-denying way to take up the Cross dayly and if now suffered to reason
it burns all alike that comes nigh it and here David cries out Hast thou forgotten to be gracious Hast thou shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure The Soul wonders at this day and is amazed what work is in hand It is hemm'd in wiâ—h darkness and gloominess and all things work against it and God he withdraws and leaves it the Father lays aside all his bowels and falls upon his Isaac to bind him and lay him upon the Altar for a Sacrifice 2. He hides himself that the Son may learn obedience by the things he suffers for nothing in the world seizeth so deep upon the sensible Soul as this absence of God when God is indeed made precious and the Soul hath left all and made choyce of him onely then to be left and forsaken O how it grindes the heart and lays it in the dust The Soul is like a foolish childe that so long as the mother is present joys and fliggers greatly but let his mother depart and leave it and then how doth it pensie and sink and nothing will please it So when all sight of God is gone that the Soul can see no more of him O how doth it seize and buckle to the dust Then the Soul cries to all things Labor not to comfort me let me dye in my sorrow It learns by this want to want all things 3. He hides himself that Death may seize and take place for God should he always be present and uphold with his love and favor it were impossible to dye How have the Saints sung and rejoyced in stocks and prisons and fires nothing could terrifie nor affright why God was present and that kept them up He walked in the fire with the three children and so long the fire cannot burn nor seize at all Martha says to Christ Lord hadst thou been here my Brother had not dyed And certain it is were but God with us we could not be in that darkness and confusion in those sorrows and wants and perplexities that now are upon us but he withdraws on purpose that the blow may seize Do you know what this means and what a bitter cup this will be to drink of when the Philistins are upon you and the Lord he is departed To be betrayed by a neer and bosom friend to be given into the hands of sinners to be unjustly put to death to be numbered among Transgressors and left of all friends that ever stood by us and then to add to all the rest to have God withdraw too and hide all love and favor and stop his ears and seem an enemy O who can express the misery My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Soul cannot get from my God How ever it is delt with though a Father be gone and hid yet it cannot go to another God though it perish 7. The seventh aggravation of this misery to which Christ submits is this He must be dumb and not open his mouth in all these sufferings as a sheep dumb before the shearer He must not complain nor repine nor struggle nor reason the case He must not ask and cry for any ease and favor but be still and let all the waves go over him He may not have so much liberty as the rich man had in Hell he could call out to Abraham for water to cool his tongue but he must be in the fire and yet not cry out but bear it in silence and how hard a lesson is this to have no vent in misery not to complain nor so much as ask pity but this Christ submits to and all your Souls must come to it that shall enter into Life And there are three Reasons for it 1. He must be dumb that he may stand to his word and make that good He had consented and spoke the word Thy Will be done and he should now contradict himself and his heart would reproach his mouth as Job says if he should shrink away and complain for this was to have His Will done and not Gods 2. He must be dumb that he may give no ill example to others He is called the Lamb without spot no flaw must be in the Truth If the Captain turn his back alass this would soon dishearten all his Souldiers If he should complain and murmur who would not learn murmuring and stand to plead for it 'T is certain we learn evil one of another if we see another break out frowardly under a cross we presently learn to be unruly and froward With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward But now he must bear the hand quietly and meckly and patiently to leave a good example for his people to walk in the same steps 3. He is dumb that he may not forfeit all his work and lose all his reward One dead fly spoyls the whole box of ointment And he that keeps the whole Law and fails in one point is guilty of all Not to go quite through with the work is to lose all and to complain and murmur that is to fly from the hand and shrink from the work and that would hinder the reward and be recorded for an evil Amongst all the other good yet this comes in as a flaw In this thou hast done foolishly And thus you may see a picture of Christ upon the Cross but you cannot feelingly know the thing till you shall come to the execution of it upon your selves and feel the same in all these particulars 1. Then for Use consider Do you beleeve ever to see this day or do you think to come in at some other door I wonder where your thoughts are sure you do not beleeve that ever this condition should be yours If you beleeve it you will be searching and enquiring But what is my Judas what is that false bosom companion that will prove my Betrayer where lies that darling-viper Is it in my Understanding my Light Am I holding and boasting of my knowledg secretly Or is it in my affections in the love and choyce and cleavings of my heart to any seen thing and will that be a Traytor to me Where lurks the Thief under what habit goes he Is he betraying with kisses with tenderness and love and inward pleasings of spirit where I least suspect him Is he in my ease and rest and content Is it he that keeps the bag and is the overseer and provider of all things needful for me which seems the neerest friend and most careful for my good Is the Traytor so nigh me 'T is time to entire for certainly if ever you enter into Life you must pass the same way and you will meet with a Judas that will be your death one that lies close and hid and the man little suspects him to be who he is but 't is said of Christ He knew from the beginning who should betray him Truth in us from the first day we can remember hath ever dis-relished him and found an evil savor in all that he hath done or said therefore enquire out the thing for what ever it be whether wisdom or knowledg or honor or ease or outward enjoyments or husband or wife or childe or what ever else yet certain a Thief is got in and lodges nigh all of you in your very bosoms that will betray you 2. If you are informed you must pass this way and no other then let it not seem strange when it comes to pass when a multitude shall be about your ears floods and swarms of ungodliness that agaster and amaze the Soul will appear hidden and unthought of depths of wickedness and all that man may appear to be a meer nothing and Sin may appear exceeding sinful and Grace may appear to be Grace indeed All your fair carriages and wisdom and moderation will be found to be a stinking puddle and defiled If you have found another way to life I would you could declare it but if there be no other sure it will put your Souls to a strait to look about where you are How do you think to stand in that Day when he shall rise to shake terribly the Earth If you are not then found in those everlasting records if not a Name written in the Book of Life if there be not another spirit in you that can go through the fire that cannot dye that it is impossible it should be holden of the grave Then what will become of you in that Day FINIS