Babylon and the work once hindered and so now sit down and will not venture V. Consider the Miseries that follow them for not building They sow much and bring in little clothe them and were not warmed earn much but all put into a bag of holes a curse in all their ways vers 6 9. This applyed to the present desolation upon us it being impossible for us to prosper without joyning in to be a one People VI. The Priviledges considered which accrue to them that set hand to this work They are these four 1. God promiseth Vers 8. to take pleasure in it This is a great Priviledg 2. Vers 13. he says I am with you saith the Lord His presence goes along 3. He promiseth Chap. 2.19 From this day will I bless you A sure blessing follows 4. He promiseth Zerubbabel Vers last I will make thee as a signet c. In which three great Priviledges considered 1. A Signet hath a neer relation to the hand so He to the Lord. 2. A Signet carries a mans own Arms or some memorable thing in it 3. It is to ratifie and confirm things to make sure such an honor and great priviledges are promised to such as shall set upon this work HAGG. 1.2 3 4 c. Thus speaketh the Lord saying This People say The Time is not come the Time that the Lords House should be built c. SEveral things I would mention to you out of this Scripture 1. I would open what this house is that God complaineth lieth waste 2. What this house is to be built up of of what materials 3. Why do they plead It is not time to build the Lords House yet What Reasons have they for it 4. What misery comes upon them for neglecting this work a blast and curse follows in all their ways They prosper in nothing they set a hand to because of this 5. I would open the great benefits and priviledges that follow upon the beginning to set to this work of building God a house how wonderfully they are prospered and blest and preserved what strange ways God findes out and turns all things that were contrary to help forward his work The Heaven shall hear the Earth and the Earth hear the Corn and Wine and the Corn and Wine shall hear Israel God will turn and order all things for a Blessing I. WHAT IS THIS HOUSE THAT LIETH WASTE AND WHAT TYPES IT OUT Time was when God had his Vine in Egypt his people were in slavery and bondage in a strange Land till their tasks grew too heavy and they cry out under their cruel bondage till at last the cry comes up to Heaven and the Lord can bear no longer but breaks out I have seen I have seen the afflictions of my People Israel and so he sends to deliver them with a high hand and stretched out arm by strange signs and wonders against all the opposition and rage of their Enemies Now when he had brought them through the red Sea and by a visible miracle drowned all their Enemies and saved them with a great Salvation then their hearts were taken and they sing his praise and in their song they make this promise And we will build him an HABITATION and this was never accomplished till Solomons time Though it was in Davids heart and God took it well that it was in his heart yet Solomon was pitched on by God for this work He shall build me an House and here God placed his Name and his Worship and his Presence here he dwelt here he would be sought and enquired of Hither the Tribes came up here their prayers were made and answered c. But after they came once to make an evil use of this House to serve their lusts and own ends contrary to what God had intended it when they come to cry The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and vainly rest on that outside and make an Idol of it as they did of the brazen Serpent in the wilderness then God departs from this House and gives it into the hand of the King of Babylon who makes havock of all and lays it waste and carries away the vessels of the Lords House into Babylon and breaks all their way and worship in pieces But yet still the Lords minde goes on and is the same he is upon it still to have a House built for his Name and Worship to live in and to this purpose he turns the heart of the King to make proclamation of Liberty to the people to return and gives them encouragement and supplies to farther this work but they no sooner set to it indeed to begin and lay the foundation but there are Enemies appear and great opposition is made so that the work ceased and was layd aside till a new stirring arises and God sends Haggai and other of the Prophets to put them upon it to build this House after it had lien waste many years for the people were now brought out of Babylon and dwelt in their own Land but they let the time slip and pass over and had no heart to the work though they might have built it and this is parallel to our condition that linger and trifle away time and put it off though an opportunity be given us again and again and we are often called and invited and entreated to set on this work of building the Lords House to become a one-hearted people no more to serve our selves but one another II. But WHY WILL THE LORD HAVE A HOUSE BUILT a set place of Worship Why will he not leave his Worship to be performed in any place where men please themselves For these three Reasons 1. That this house might be a pattern of the Life to come a type of the Heavenly Jerusalem where they are all to live in love and peace and unity to be all of one heart and one soul moving from one principle to one end without jars and scatterings and wranglings for in the life to come it will not be as 't is now with us every one living for and to our selves and at a distance and loose end from all others But there the morning stars all sing together without jars and envyings and an evil eye there is a peaceable life a Kingdom of love and peace and this God would have a pattern a rude draught of in this World a people brought into some order and conformity of spirit answerable to the Kingdom to come He would have somewhat here of that union and agreement of Soul of that love to care for one another and bear one anothers burthens to honor and serve and prize one anotehr and all in love Paul had a taste of this life He became a servant to all that he might save some and Christ pleased not himself and David cries out O how I love thy Law and the place where thy honor dwells This life to come was pointed out by this outward Temple and all its beauty
I guilty For though it chiefly concern the Leaders and chief ones to consider and take it to heart yet something belongs to all to look after What is my place Where am I to stand Am I faithful in the work entrusted me To be faithful in little things is the way to be trusted in greater Surely surely 't is time to bethink our selves we have no good nor peace in our way though we live and are kept together by a mighty hand yet we live loose and scattered and consume in our spirits Certainly if we could but meet with the very root of all these ill humors and get that cleared then we might hope for cure if we were but once brought to leave the cumber about many things and minde the one thing necessary then we might prosper O Lord that he would sink it on your hearts as God saith here Consider your ways you that are called to for all are not materials for this House not any dirt and rubbish but you that the Prophecy hath taken in That you are living stones and that witness is born It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom will not you build him a House you that he hath bestowed all this cost on you are called upon to begin and set upon the work and lay the foundation of this House that your children may have a pattern to build after and a foundation to build upon We pretend to love our children and Oh how tender are we of them but alass we do what we can to undo them utterly if we come not up to this work to begin a House for the Lord and leave a way behinde us for them to walk in Hence come all our blastings we eat and are not satisfied put on clothes and are not warmed we have no good runs in all we enjoy the life and spirit is stoln from them because there is not a true and single and clear coming off from the world but we stick and linger and put off the time and look back to our old Lovers and hanker and still love our selves and come not forth resolvedly to build this House and thus in stead of leaving a good example a blessing to our children we are like to leave them a curse and a blast if the Lord prevent not The way is open at present there is no outward persecution that hinders but we might build this house in peace but we trifle and dringle and loyter and say It is not yet time Good Lord when shall we say It is time but we plead we have no heart Have we no heart and what is the reason of that We have a heart to our ease a heart to our own wills we have a heart to build sieled houses for our selves to dwell in and shall we dye thus with this old heart and never see a new heart given a heart wholly to follow the Lord But then lastly If any thing will invite and move us to stir VI. Consider THE GREAT PRIVILEDGES THAT ACCRUE TO THEM THAT SHALL SET THEIR HAND TO THIS WORK And they are these four The first is mentioned Vers 8. Go up to the mountain saith God and bring wood and build this house and I will take pleasure in it Now to have the Lord accept our sacrifice and take pleasure in our work what a high favor is it Were it but truly layd to heart That the God of the Heavens and Earth whose all creatures are to command and turn at his Will That I should do any thing may the Soul say to please him in which he will take delight who can express this favor c. 2. Another Priviledg is mentioned Vers 13. I am with you saith the Lord Will he be with them in it that they shall not go nor stir a step in this work but he will go along with them Is not this enough to carry them on If thy presence go not with me said Moses send me not hence I but if that presence go along then send do and command me whither thou wilt What would not a man do that loves God indeed what would not he suffer and part with and undergo to have God always with him to have his Friend his Counsellor Life and Protector to have him always stand by him in all that befals If God be for us saith the Apostle who can be against us what can be too hard Therefore we see our Fathers have rejoyced in prisons in fires in bonds because the Lord was with them and so long affliction is no affliction 3. A third great Mercy is promised v. 19. From this day will I bless you From that day that the foundation of the Lords house was layd Consider it now saith the Lord from this day and upward will I bless you In all thou takest in hand shall a sure blessing follow in thy going out and coming in when thou walkest abroad and when thou sittest at home when thou sleepest and when thou wakest from that very day you shall be helped to set a hand to the work indeed He will surely bless you We have forsaken all and followed thee saith Peter what shall we have Have you shall have enough you that have endured with me in my Temptations you shall sit on Thrones you shall be blest in all your way and what can you desire more 4. The fourth Mercy is mentioned in the last verse I will make thee as a signet upon my hand saith God to Zerubbabel And in that these three Priviledges lie couched up 1. A Signet hath a neer relation to the hand it is worn always and carryed upon the finger 2. A Signet carries the image and superscription either of a mans self or some friend or some weighty thing or other is carved in it 3. A Signet or Seal is to witness confirm and ratifie to make things sure and unalterable that are once sealed with it And now 1. To be thus neer to God as the signet upon his hand to lie so close so nigh him in his heart and bosom and love as his delight his jewel his ornament This is wonderful And then 2. To bear forth his own image and stamp to be like him to own our Father by our faces as 't is said of Moses His face shone when he came from talking with God in the Mount It will appear to all whose we are to whom we belong by the image and likeness we shall hear in us all our words and carriages savoring of God bearing forth his image his minde and heart And then 3. To be as a seal to witness and ratifie the deeds of God to confirm and make all sure This is a mighty honor that man should ever be employed in such a service Whose sins ye remit they are remitted in Heaven and whose sins ye binde in Earth they are bound in Heaven I will make thee as a God said the Lord to Moses to act and order and counsel and confirm
in my place Lo thus shall the man be blest that feareth the Lord he shall be as a Signet upon his hand O then that your Souls were at a strait indeed that you might cry out O who will give me of the waters of Bethlehem to drink Who will help and counsel and direct who will shew me how to begin to build this House of the Lord that I may share in all these blessings and escape all the great curses and stand in that day That the Lord may take pleasure in me and be with me and bless me in all my ways and bear me as a Signet on his hand so nigh himself and make me so like himself so serviceable and highly impowered to act for him O that it were in your hearts to cry this night every Soul apart O that he would count me worthy to help on this building That is the next thing if God will please to give us a heart to cry together and strive with him and not let him go until he bless us till we shall be counted worthy to begin to build and made to say and feel My heart is ready O God my heart is ready That you may say to all Idols Get you hence Friends and relations and ease and honors farewel all let the dead bury their dead you are but dead enjoyments and I am called and must go to build a living House to the Lord God Speaking BY A PROPHET OR Truths way of instructing the Soul SERM. XII June 1. 1651. DEUT. 5.27 Go thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it The Analysis FRom the words in general was considered I. That the way of the Lord in speaking to his people is by a PROPHET And that for these Reasons 1. It is his pleasure his ordinance as for bread to nourish 2. It is a gentle familiar way suitable to their weakness 3. His power and wisdom more appears in such weak means 4. By this he brings his people into an oneness order and government 5. Hence the distinct way of their being saved appears They know who was their own Guide and Leader II. This Prophet is to go NEER TO GOD Go thou neer c. And that implies three things 1. To be free and familiar with God Fear and guilt are removed 2. To stand in an awful and reverent frame of spirit 3. To learn the carriage and minde of God his wisdom meekness c. III. HEAR ALL that the Lord our God shal say to thee Now the Lord speaks three things in general which they should hear 1. The Lord would have them know where they now are 1. Saved out of Egypt brought out of the rude world 2. That no returning back thither what ever come on us 3. Know we are still in the wilderness In which two things 1. To know this is the day of proving our hearts 2. That this is not our Rest we are far from home 2. God would have them know what way they are to go all along by Enemies Amalek and Ammon and Moabites all will rise and stand in their way This they must lay down the way of the Cross 3. Know the end whither they are going what the latter end will be Hence three things considered 1. Know there is surely an End a Rest for the people of God 2. This cannot be till Christ have put down all other Rule and Authority 3. Then is the Kingdom to be delivered up to the Father and God to be all in all this is the end IV. Consider the Promise And we will hear it and do it About this Hearing five things were considered 1. To hear who it is that speaks to be sure to know the voyce of Christ 2. Hear what he speaks thy particular lesson 3. Hear to whom not every one to thrust in but Is it to me 4. Hear when the thing is to be done now or afterwards 5. Hear for his sake that calls so lovingly O that my people would harken All brought home in five particular Uses DEUT. 5.27 Go thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it TWo things I have already mentioned to you out of this Scripture I. Why it is that God will speak to his people by a Prophet why not alone by himself without outward means and help of man No but Go thou neer to the Lord our God for us and speak thou unto us c. and God approves of the thing as good They have well spoken in all that they have said I shewed you five Reasons why this was so 1. Because it is his pleasure his ordinance the way he hath appointed for that purpose where he hath commanded the Blessing and if we neglect that way we can prosper in no other 2. It is a gentle and familiar way suited to mans capacity and weakness God in himself is too dreadful and dazling but a Prophet will the Lord raise unto you out of your Brethren him shall you hear 3. The Wisdom and Power of God is more manifest by using such weak means a worm a nothing That this rich treasure should be put in earthen vessels it makes the glory wholly to appear Gods 4. By this he brings his people into an union an order and government else all would live loose alone and scattered to themselves but now all are brought under one Guide one Shepherd one Interpreter between God and them 5. By this the particular work of Salvation is made more distinctly to appear Of Zion it shall be said such and such a man was born there The particular characters shall be set down In such a place at such a time by such a man from such a word the Soul shall distinctly know all its leadings on Then something hath been spoke of that II. Go thou neer This Prophet is to go neer to God They hit on the right nick God will have it so And that for these Reasons 1. To testifie his freeness and open-heartedness to them To you it is given saith Christ to the Disciples to understand the mysteries of God but to others in Parables They come not so nigh to read his heart and bosom They that travelled with Paul to Damascus they saw the light that shone about him but none heard the voyce That was whispered unto Paul alone Saul Saul why persecutest thou me None else was taken to be delt with in that manner in whom the Word entered and searched and came nigh to the inwards but they that would indeed know the minde of God the inward meaning there is need they should have a heart raised to search and enquire of God privately What is the very thing he intends in all Many enquire no farther then the Scriptures
Souls will be at a strait and thirst after the living God But as yet the Door is open to you what is the reason you are no more upon it They are exceeding great and precious Promises in themselves why are they not precious to us Sure they would had we but a Heart Therefore consider of it it is offered to you and if you shall follow on to know the Lord you shall surely know Him Consider the Door is open the precious Promises are given to you of Life and Glory c. Why then are you passing away your days on such low trivial and dying things Josephs blessing was large reached out to the utmost bounds of the Everlasting Hills and why are we so scant-hearted and low in our desires Why are we not upon these great and precious Things promised and to partake of this Divine Nature and thence be fruitful in the Truth and bring forth somewhat that may stand and live for ever after us THE SOULS TRUE Wound and Cure SERM. II. March 30.1651 HOSEA 6.1 2. Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and He will heal us He hath smitten and He will binde us up After two days will He revive us in the third day will He raise us up and we shall live in his Sight c. The Analysis IN the words were intimated the three days Works of the Father Son and Spirit in their order 1. The Work of the Father to pull down and wound and thither the Return must be to Him that smiteth 2. The Work of the Son to revive After two days He will revive us c. 3. The Work of the Spirit to raise In the third day He will raise us up c. I. In this Returning three Things are considerable 1. They that return must truly know they are out of the way a true sense of that must be And that was here in two things 1. In breaking prison and running from the strait The Princes of Judah like them that removed the bound c. 2. They were out in seeking to cure themselves before the day came Hos 5.13 but a secret moth blasts all The Vses were 1. To look home whether not our own Case have we not removed the Bound run from the strait and not endured c. 2. To take us off of looking on anothers sin and keep close to our own strait lie under our own misery till delivered 2. 'T is considerable in this Return there must be counsel and calling to it Come and let us return else not stir a foot 3. This Return is to the Lord He that had wounded He will heal Many heal themselves but there is a wound too hard And these several ways God takes for healing 1. He removes the ill humor that feeds the sore Sense and Reason 2. He asswages the anguish and smart and pain of the Soul else all in vain 3. He applies a plaister of loving-kindness and mercy 4. He points the Soul to wait for the set time till that come II. The second Work is the Sons He will revive After two days He will revive us c. And that by these means 1. He takes off all bonds and chains fears and perplexities which keep down the Soul from stiring 2. He unswadles and opens Himself I am Joseph your Brother 3. He preaches Peace and Love He the Prince of Peace 4. He revives by preaching the everlasting Gospel the eternal Love and good-will of God to the Soul this enliveneth All was brought home by Vse to see how much of the work had passed on us there all the four Pa ticulars HOSEA 6.1 2 c. Come and let us return unto the Lord for He hath torn and He will heal us c. IN the former Chapter great complaint is made against Israel and Ephraim that they were Revolters that they committed whoredom and will not frame their doings to seek unto their God Vers 3 4. And this is that misery that befalls such as transgress against the Lord that received not the Truth in the love of it that obeyed not counsel the Hand of the Lord will surely meet with such He will teer and wound them There shall be no peace to the wicked When Israel was a child then I loved Him saith God then He was tender and soft and pliable to be ordered but as They called them so They went from them Hosea 11.2 As the Prophets called them indeed to come up and come nigh God then there is a going backward from Him He is bent to a back-sliding heart But Israel and Ephraim shall be sure to be dealt with and made desolate A Time comes wherein God will meet with Him The Pride of Israel testifies to his face therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity v. 5. And this is our case The Pride hath been such we thought we had been Some-body and could live alone of our selves and like the Prodigal have asked to have our portion and we would be gone and shift for our selves But alass all is soon spent with riotous living and desolation and famine have come upon us rendings and teerings perplexities disquiets and troubles in all our ways I will be unto Ephraim as a Lion I will teer and go away I will take away and none shall rescue Hos 5.14 And when thus it shall be in the midst of the Land when this is the Souls condition to be rent and torn by God and then left and forsaken that He cannot be found but He hides Himself though Job go forward and backward to the right hand and to the left yet He is gone and cannot be found He feeds among the lillies â—aith the Church until the day dawn and the shadows fly away As if she should say Alass I am unclean but He feeds among the clean ones among the Lillies that are spotless the Lillies that grow without toyling and caring there are his walks but I am no company for him He is withdrawn from Me until the day dawn c. This is a hard day indeed when the Soul is left in this desolate case there is now need to think of returning The Prophet He feels the need and therefore calls to the People Come and let us return to the Lord. And so all along the Scriptures the Prophets are brought in as sensible and crying under the misery though their People were senceless and careless and stupid How do Isaiah Jeremiah Samuel Hosea and so all the Prophets stand in the gap for their people and call upon them in their desolation to come in and return to the Lord But whom do they call to return not all men not such as never was nigh to the Lord No Onely Ephraim and Israel and Judah his own people that have been once nigh and are backslidden and turned Prodigals from their fathers house Onely to such is the Call and in the worst time of all when torn and wounded and left of God
and choyce and this causes a felt anguish and torture in the Soul when all circumstances come up of sins done seven years since as if but newly acted How Thou provokedst God and broke prison at such a time and slightedst and turnedst back This eats and corrodes and frets the Soul and gives it no rest to hear or hope or beleeve any thing from God And therefore this is the next Thing God doth in going to cure He removes all the guilt and sin and shame and unbelief that lay upon the Soul and lays all upon the scape-goat to be carryed into the land of forgetfulness that though the iniquity of Judah and Israel be sought for yet it cannot be found I will remember their sin no more saith God and this pacifies and asswages the pain and calms the Soul He makes the storm a calm and so brings them to their desired haven c. 3. Another way God takes in healing is by applying a plaister of mercy and loving-kindness Then He speaks kindly and friendly to the Soul comes with words of peace he comes enquiring Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physician there Is not the Lord in Zion is not her King in her The Lord opens to the Soul a soveraign Balm that can heal all sores He discovers his Son the Lord Jesus that seed of Truth that lies within This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Now He comes gently to the Soul and moves and stirs in it not altogether to despair and cut off it self from hope but an enquiry is made in the Soul Is not the Lord in Zion Is there not hope in Israel concerning this thing However desperate the case seems yet hope gets up Who can tell but he may be gracious It is one thing to have Truth manifested to be within the Soul and another thing to have the use and enjoyment of it one thing to have a healing plaister applyed and another thing to be healed In the third day He will raise us up and we shall live in his sight To be raised out of this pit of mire and clay out of this dark dungeon to live in his sight to be brought out of darkness into his marvelous light this is wonderful And how beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tydings of peace These good tydings are a sweet reviving plaister to the dying Soul When just now at the brink of the Pit and the Life draws nigh to the grave then for an Interpreter to come one of a thousand to shew to Man his righteousness to open that seed and principle of Life that is within and so save his life from going down to the pit Is not such a Balm as this able to cure all wounds how doth this calm and quiet the Soul and beget admirings O who would ever think any good should grow here that Truth should lie hid in such a filthy defiled and polluted heart as Jacob breaks forth God was in this place and I knew it not and Hagar I did not think to have met with the Lord here What! when all hope of life is gone yet then to have salvation and deliverance opened out of the Eater to have meat in the midst of all guilt and shame and sin and lusts that oppress and torment yet to have this opened That such a Soul as this is no less then the gate of Heaven where God and Angels are to pass in and out This is a pleasant plaister indeed This heals the dying inwards when it is given in by God not taken up by mans gatherings and conclusions and hopings as all the healings before were 4. The Lord heals this sore by setting a time appointing a day for deliverance and putting the Soul in a posture of waiting till that come so the Angel opens to Daniel Seventy weeks are determined to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting Righteousness And so in the Psalms the Church pleads with God that It is time to have mercy upon Zion yea the set time is come But what is this set time for Zion to be built Why it follows For it pities thy servants to see her stones lie scattered in the dust This is the set time when the hearts of any are raised to pity and take to heart the desolation and ruines of Zion and when the Soul is pitched upon this to lie in the dust lost and scattered and undone as it is till the heart of some or other be raised to pity it It is impossible you should ever be brought forth as children of the Truth unless the Heart of some be turned towards you to be a Father as the Text saith of Elias He shall turn the hearts of Fathers to Children and Children to their Fathers The Soul is layd down here it cannot get up it self but must lie wounded and half dead till some good Samaritan pass by and take it up and this is the greatest tryal and hardest thing to bear that ever could come to mans heart That He must lie thus buckled and submitted to another till his Brother come to pity and take him up And now if the heart scorns and will not come in here to be thus beholding to another it may lie long enough and not yet the time of healing is come If thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it if thou scorn this thing to lie as thou art till the heart of some father be turned to thee thou mayst go long enough without cure But the Soul that God hath indeed pitched upon this as the way for its cure that is ever looking when some shall turn in to pity it and ask how it doth and take it out of the dirt where it sticks fast and therefore it is ever crying out Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Is there none that mindes my sorrows Was ever grief like mine And is there none to pity and lay my case to heart and travel and pray and cry for me Such a breaking out is there not murmuringly nor commandingly but bewailing and crying out out of the sense of misery and longing for cure O that there were some to pity Nothing else can content because it is pitched upon that as the way for its cure all other plaisters cannot reach the sore and therefore it cries for some to help it as the blinde man cryed after Christ Thou Son of David have mercy on me and no rebukes from others to hold his peace and be still can prevail with him but still the cry goes on till the cure is done But it followeth After two days He will raise us up and we shall live c. The second days work now follows the day of reviving no man shall seek the Lord in vain The Prophet here invites calls to come and return and if any shall be prevailed with they shall not lose their labor in the Lord Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Mark the
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
according to the Pattern their elder Brother Christ the Humanity and Divinity joyned in together God with man and in man Christ in you the hope of glory For all others in whom something of God is not are but a meer outside and shadow but where ever in any man this Divinity is joyned in and to the Humanity there is the compact Jerusalem of such members is that City made the Jerusalem from above which is the Mother of us all And 3. These are the City built upon a Hill What is that what Hill It is the everlasting Love and good-will of God that unchangeable purpose which is a Hill too high for any thing to reach and come neer to destroy and undo them though the winds blow and storms beat and floods come yet the House stands because 't is built on a Rock unmoveable as Mount Sion And this is the Jerusalem this the City these the People that Christ weeps over II. And when He drew neer the City Whence consider That the great care and business of Christ is to draw neer this City Jerusalem to come nigh his people This is the thing He mindes above all other things Seek ye first the Kingdom of God That was the great work He layd upon his Disciples to seek up this Kingdom to look up the sons of Peace such as are to be saved It is his meat and drink to do the Will of Him that sent Him And that was his Will That He should lose none that were given Him of his Father All this have I said saith Christ that you might be saved And how contrary is this to the way of the Ministers of the World They seek Livings and Honors and respect they seek a multitude to follow them and to be called Rabbi But Christ the true Shepherd He seeks his own sheep where ever they straggle and wander He follows and searches them up among Harlots and Publicans by the high ways and hedges where ever He may finde the sons of peace there lies his way And this minde of Christ hath been in all his people in their day Not seeking yours but you saith Paul This is the thing Christ ayms at in all his seekings and labors and travels in leaving his glory and crown and ease in taking upon Him the form of a servant was not this the cause of all That He might come neerer to his Brethren Because the children were partakers of flesh and blood He also took part of the same That was the thing He came for to visit his Brethren to gather up Iacob to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel III. How is Christ affected when He comes neer and beholds Ierusalem He wept over it Now weeping is a passion or affection of the Soul being moved and stirred either with joy or grief and boâ—h these have a share in Christs weeping over his People 1. He weeps for joy that He had found the City of a blessing the beloved people His own Brethren His Soul is glad at it and breaks in him for joy So Ioseph when he saw his brother Benjamin his bowels were moved he could refrain no longer but weeps over him for joy But what joy can there be to see Ierusalem in this case killing her Prophets stoning them that are sent to her lying at present in a dead and sensless condition How can Truth be affected with joy to finde a people in this case though truly belonging to God Yes Christ weeps for joy in these three Considerations 1. For joy that however the present case stand with them that they are dead in their graves and now ready to stink in all appearance past recovery yet They are such Dead as He knows shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and live such Dead whose Souls shall not be left in Hell nor they suffered to see corruption He hath met with such Dead where a great Miracle is to be wrought and the glory of God shall be manifest and this is Joy to Truth When He came to Lazarus his grave He wept Why what was the cause He breaks out thus I thank thee O Father that thou hast heard me and I know thou hearest me always Why Lazarus was yet in his grave and the thing not wrought of raising him to Life I but Christ weepâ— for joy to see the thing shall be There was a hope and faith in the thing as if already done He joys that He hath met with one where a cure is to be wrought there is a work and service for Him to do to honor his Father by The beggerly the poor the out-casts that no man looketh after but lie in their graves like dead men out of minde That He meets with these where there is work for Him to do to set the Begger with the Princes of his people this Truth joys at to be employed to help its Brethren We have a little Sister saith the Church and she hath no brests what shall we do for our Sister c. 2. He weeps for joy to think that God hath hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes That God hath chose the weak and poor and foolish things of this world to confound the great and wise and honorable This breaks his heart to see the hungry Soul fed and the rich sent empty away They had their good things in this Life their Heaven and solace and content but Lazarus his evil things I but now he is comforted and the other tormented And this pleaseth and contents Truth to see these equal proceedings of God Therefore I thank thee O Father c. That the proud and scornful are not always suffered to reign and lord it and carry all before them but a day comes of doing right to the meek of the Earth this Christ joys at And certainly it is as great a content to Truth to see the rich and wise and proud and scornful that scorn and trample all under their feet to see these cut off as to see the Begger lifted out of the dunghill to see the poor ones saved 3. He weeps for joy that this Ierusalem how ever she be now against her Prophets and her own good yet the day will come when they shall say Blâ—ssed be He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. They shall be willing and embrace and receive Him in the day of his power they shall be a willing people and this He joys at in hope that he shall see Ierusalem recovered that his people shall not always be scorning and despising and kicking against the Truth that they shall not always be covering and hiding themselves and stand out against their own mercies but the year of Jubilee will come the day will be when God will break the yoke from off their neck and set them free And then saith David I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou hast set my feet at liberty Then all his Love will be
owned and received and prized He shall be welcom to them then even the feet of such as bring glad tydings of peace Then will the Soul say with Abigail Let me wash the feet of the servants of my Lord the King He shall be welcom indeed in that day And this glads and rejoyces and keeps up his spirit to think on this time I had verily fainted saith David unless I had beleeved to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living That bare up his heart There is hope in the latter end saith God to Rachel that thy Children shall come again to their own borders How ever they are now in captivity and lie scattered broken as if utterly forsaken yet they shall return And for these causes Christ weeps over Ierusalem over his people out of joy where ever and in what case soever he finds them yet this joy lives in the bottom I would you might never forget these Particulars But 2. And when He beheld the City He wept Another Reason why He weeps is out of sorrow because He findes them in their blood He grieves to see Ierusalems wickedness to see her hands embrued in blood to see her killing the Prophets and opposing and fighting against her own good There is no other way for Her ever to be saved but by hearing the voyce of her Prophets and obeying them And now to thrust these away saying We will not have this man rule over us for Truth to finde the sons of peace the saved ones in this strange condition hating and striking against their own chief good and best friends This causes a weeping It is a gladness indeed to finde the sons of peace to see a Nathanael an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile one in whom the Spirit of Life the Seed of God is planted Truth joys at this and if this be not in the bottom there is no ground for Truth to work upon No Physician goes about to take a dead man to cure If there be not a Seed of Life there is nothing for Truth to care for and pray and weep over But now where that seed is yet to finde such a Soul or such a people stoning their Prophets to finde his own Children rebelling and standing against Him this causes Truth to weep And when He beheld the City He wept c. Now this Sin hath three Aggravations in it which cause Truth to weep 1. It is an unnatural sin for them to kill their Prophets which came to instruct and inform them in the way of Life Alass in killing your Prophets you kill your selves you murther your own Souls And what murther is so cruel and unnatural as that Who shall save you if you kill your Saviour Him whom God hath sent to be a Saviour and Deliverer If you thrust away this Moses who shal bring you out of Egypt and lead through the Wilderness Nothing so unnatural as for a man to cut his own Throat such a thing is it for any to slight and contemn that Truth which comes to save them 2. It is an ungrateful Sin It is not right nor allowable to render evil for evil to hate our Enemies But to reward evil for good to return hatred for love and mercy and bowels shewed us Am I therefore your Enemy saith Paul because I tell you the truth This is wonderful ungrateful I will send my Son sure they will reverence Him but now after all to take this Son too and kill Him that was sent out of love and exceeding tenderness this is the ungratefullest sin in the World To refuse Him that speaks from Heaven that can open to you the minde and heart and love and good-will of God this Christ weeps at to finde them in so ungrateful a sin 3. It is a venturous and desperate sin That moves Christ to weep to see the hard venture what to sleep upon the top of a Mast To venture to kill their Prophets and the present offer of Grace and know not whether ever another Prophet shall be sent them or no O what a venture is it God hath truly sent me to you to warn you to come out of Sodom and to tell you God hath purposed to destroy the City and will you venture to linger in it still Had Lot stayd but one hour longer he had been destroyed with them but the Angel layd hands on him and pulled him out the Lord being merciful to him This is the next to that unpardonable sin which David prays against O keep me from presumptuous sins that I may be innocent from the great Transgression The Lord warn and prevent you and lay it to your heart to consider how guilty we are in all these Particulars how unnatural we have been and cruel to our own Souls to murther the Truth sent to gather us and then of all transgressions 't is the most ungrateful What people in all the world have been so kindly dealt with so followed and waited on and born with Line upon Line Instruction and Counsel and Love have followed us and to murther this Truth after all how ungrateful is it And then how desperate have we been and venturous in a Passion like the profane Esau to sell all for one morsel of bread to venture all at a blow and what ever comes on it desperately resolve We will not have this man rule over us Well may God say to us Because I would have purged you and you would not be purged therefore you shall not be purged till you dye Do you hear what is spoke It concerns all you are all guilty the Lord lay it not to your charge I know not a People in the World so venturing all at a cast as we have been Come Life or Death yet there hath been a punctual standing out and slighting the Call of Truth to have our wills Thirdly Another Cause Christ weeps over Jerusalem is to find her in that miserable condition of ignorance that she knew not the Things which belonged to her Peace O that Thou hadst known even Thou in this thy day c. But They knew not the day of their Visitation they knew not their time this Christ grieves at Work whilest it is day whilest you have the Light with you for the night cometh wherein no man can work But they had played in Summer they slighted their seasons and opportunities and knew them not knew not the Things belonging to their Peace Man naturally looks after the things that concern his ease but is not so minding what belongs to his peace But it is this Peace only that must stick by us in a strait in a time of need when ease and enlargements and all fail then will this Peace abide and this Christ weeps for to see their ignorance though it is well in one respect that they were ignorant I obtained mercy saith Paul because I did it ignorantly And had we done what we have done fully knowing we had sinned
that unpardonable Sin and there could have been no mercy for us But What was Jerusalem ignorant of She was ignorant of her Day O that thou hadst known in this thy Day It was the time and day of her Visitation and she knows it not This day saith Samuel to Saul would the Lord have established the Kingdom upon thee had he known the time and stood in that nick but falling there he lost all So the woman of Samaria she looked for the Messias to come and that He would tell her all things but she was ignorant of the present season she knew not that He was the Messias who now talked with her So have we been hoping and expecting and promising our selves great things for the future but have not known the present day and the present mercies offered us For my own part had I known my time and day afforded me I can truly say I had been prevented of many of the miseries mischiefs and miscarries that I have fallen into And how many times have you killed the strugglings and motionings of the Spirit in you and said To morrow we will consider of it and hear and come up to what is called for when alas to morrow is not ours we know not but this may be the day and if this be slipt over by us it may never be offered more but we are reasoning and disputing away the time saying Sure this is not the call and mind of Truth this would make me a scorn and hissing stock to all sure this would undo me And thus we are keeping off our mercies No but we judg amiss He would bring thee to Himself to know the things that belong to thy Peace to have Peace in all thou goest about which is worth all We have now no Peace in all our ways turn whither we will to eating and drinking and trading to all our employments and enjoyments yet nothing shall give rest and ease to them that are to be saved till this Peace be given and this Christ weeps for that this Peace should be no more known nor minded by Ierusalem but the time slipt over and lost and gone whilest we stand and oppose our own Salvation and would never come at it But you will say Is such a Thing in man that would not be saved and come to know the things which belong to his Peace and everlasting good I there is that which opposeth it to the Death if the Lord prevent not But how ever the Soul may be saved in the day of the Lord yet a great Loss may come the inlargements and attainments may be lost But now they are hid from thine eyes c. and much misery sorrows may be brought on our heads as in the Verse following Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and keep thee in on every side and not leave one stone upon another c. Methinks while I read and consider it to whom he speaks to Ierusalem that God should deal thus exactly and be so severe and harsh to his own People this is marvelous and makes my heart ake to think on it and yet thus He will deal with Ierusalem I told you the high nature of their sin to destroy their Prophets is 1. An unnatural sin it is to kill their own Souls And 2. An ungrateful sin against all love and mercy and tenderness a requiting of the greatest evil for the greatest good And then 3. What a venture is it to run such a desperate hazard who that should see this in himself and have the sense seize upon him would not cry out O what have I done I remember it was so with me in my day when Christ was offered to me and my Soul drew back refused the Lamb of God that which I had so long cryed and prayed and longed for yet when offered to me Lo here is my Son that then I should refuse it Lord I said to my Soul what have I done what will become of me what now can save me Then another Cause of Christs weeping over Ierusalem I told you was their Ignorance that They knew not the things which belonged to their Peace and what Things were they Why saith Christ How often would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and you would not They knew not the goodness of the Lord the day of Grace offered that then He was calling and inviting and gathering them to Himself Now this I would bring home to our selves to see how it will parallel with our conditions whether the Lord hath not thus sought to gather us in our day as a Hen gathereth her Chickens In which these several things are Considerable 1. A Hen calleth her Chickens after her she goes before and clocks and clocks to call them together to follow her till she gets them all about her and so hath the Lord dealt with us the Call of Truth hath reached us and brought us together out of several Countries and places and conditions one Call of the Truth hath met with us and brought us together 2. The Hen after she hath gathered her chickens about her she sits down and settles in some place and so hath Truth now it hath gathered us together it hath sat down amongst us it hath taken up a setled place of abode that we are not now wanderlng abroad to find a Truth or a People to joyn with 3. After the Hen hath called her chickens together and sat down in her place the next thing she doth is this she spreads forth and opens her wings to receive and take them in so hath the Truth opened and spread forth the wings of its favor and goodness and entertainment the way is open and free all that will may come under and find acceptance and tendering all that are the chickens indeed that belong to this Hen to this Truth and not of a false brood 4. The Hen receives her chickens under her wings to warm cherish and revive them and that is the end of Truths gathering and opening it self to receive and take us in to fellowship and counsel and unity it is that we might be warmed and helped and relieved and prosper If two lie together there is heat but how can one be warm alone Take a quick coal out of the fire and it dyeth presently And the Holy Ghost says Wo to him that is alone But the Prospering way that Truth calls to is where Brethren live together in unity to come under one wing for counsel and help and direction in all our ways 5. The Hen gathers her chickens under her wings as to warm and cherish them so to protect and keep them out of danger and harms the Kite or some ravenous thing or other soon catches them when they leave the Hen and straggle alone And this is a certainty whilest we stand alone by our selves out of the counsel and care and submission under Truth we are open to a thousand dangers
and miscarriages we lie exposed to all ravenous beasts The Avenger of Blood he may justly take us when we are out of our City of Refuge and this wandering hath been the Cause of all our desolation and misery and sorrows 6. The last thing in the Hens calling and gathering and receiving and warming and protecting her chickens all is that she may nurse them up to perfection to be like her self to be able to shift abroad and defend themselves And this end Truth hath had in all its dealings with us and followings after us and waitings upon us that we might grow up to be like-minded to it self to see us wrought and molded and fashioned into the same likeness that the same mind might dwell in us which dwelt in Christ Jesus c. Now look it over again Have you known these things which belong to your Peace Have you known that all these dealings and calls of Truth and strivings with you were in love and goodness that this was the day of Visitation and have you accepted of this Love See 1. Have you not been called out of several places many miles asunder to come together Hath not the sound of Truth gone forth and reached you and called you to it And 2. Do you not see that the Hen is now sat down that the Truth is pitched and hath taken up a setled place and People and now if we should be broken in pieces and shattered hither and thither to our former scattering in the world would it not be sad and miserable And this I fear may befall us because we have slighted and not taken notice of this day of our mercies Then 3. Have we not known and felt the warmings and cheerings of the Powers of Truth How often have we found our hearts touched within and heat and warmed and turned and yet for all this we are loth to come under the wing but are upon our reasonings and deferrings and scruples Then 4. Have we not known what a shelter and safeguard it is to sit under the wing of Truth what a defence and safety how safe we are under the wings of the Almighty We do not at present so consider this But they that are deprived of this mercy and violently taken away from us by wicked hands They now feel the loss and bitterly complain and mourn under it They find what snares and baits and ravenous beasts lie dayly at watch ready to devour them and if the Lord prevent not beyond our deservings we know not what miseries and sorrows may befall us if a scattering day come And lastly I told you the Hen nurses her chickens to bring them up to be like her self And hath not this been aimed at in all the dealings of Truth with us that we might grow up to be like it self and be moulded into the same Image And we can never grow up whilest we live at a distance from the Hen the place where she sits down to warm and brood and cherish her young ones And therefore at what a strait was David when driven into the Wilderness by his son How doth he cry out That his Soul was athirst for the living God How doth he then prize the Sanctuary the Place and People of Gods Worship How doth he envy the Sparrow and Swallow which could make their nests there when he was forced to live at a distance For there he knew the Blessing was commanded and life for evermore Now these are the Things which belong to our Peace to be gathered under this wing of Truth If we should have all the world and yet no Peace in it what were we the better And this we are called to to know this present day of our Visitation lest the Door be shut and that which follows fall upon us But now they are hid from thine eyes O Lord it makes my heart shake to think upon it to have the Eyes shut and closed up to be left to grope and wander and stumble in darkness and not to see when good cometh and all for slipping the present opportunity not knowing the things that belong to our Peace There are yet two other Reasons behind why Christ weeps over Ierusalem Fourthly He weeps from an unsatisfied Love and Desire after Ierusalem O that thou hadst known even Thou in this thy Day c. At length the fire breaks forth and He can hold no longer but must weep over His Brother Benjamin But why Ierusalem above all that He weeps over Her and cries out for her O that Thou hadst known c. Why Jerusalem was the Beloved One the choyce One of her Mother born out of the Love and Heart of God Thou above all others O that Thou hadst harkened then had thy Peace been as a River c. Fifthly Christ weeps from the sight of the miserable and lamentable condition which he knows is coming upon them not only shut out from the day of her mercies and the things that belong to her Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes and that is not all but now God is departing all woes and miseries are coming upon Her 1. Thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee And then 2. Compass thee in on every side And 3. Shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee And then 4. Not leave in thee one stone upon another And then 5. This added to all the rest Her own guilt which brought all this evil upon her own head Because Thou knewest not the day of thy Visitation If all these Circumstances and Aggravations were opened and seized upon your hearts it would appear a sad condition indeed and all for slipping the time the day of Visitation Christ Buckling TO HIS FATHER OR THE Absoluteness of the Divine Will SERM. V. April 20. 1651. JOHN 6.38 39. For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own Will but the Will of Him that sent me And this is the Fathers Will which hath sent me that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day The Analysis FRom the words was considered I. Who this I spoke of iâ—â— It is the Son of God the Mind the Heart the Will of the Father brought forth This is He that came from Heaven c. II. What doth he come to do Not His own Will but the Will of His Father That Will of God is the sure uncontroulable Rule to which Christ Himself submits Whence three Considerations were proposed 1. To see the ground of all happiness It is this good-will of God 2. All Things must buckle to this Will even the Son Himself 3. This Will of God cuts off all our wills nothing that comes into our thoughts must be at all III. What is this Will of the Father That of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing c. Where two Branches of this Will 1. A People are given to Christ by this Will and that
the womb as 't is said of Rebecca there 's the natural son and the spiritual son there 's the Jew and the Gentile the Jew is a natural branch the Gentile contrary to nature the Son of God and the son of man Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God saith Christ A man viz. the will the understanding the Soul for this house the body that we carry about with us that is not the man where the Son of God dwells as Paul saith He that hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Now where that Spirit is the Father brings that man to be his son to a new birth not to a new birth in the full sence for there 's a two-fold birth first there 's a birth to see the Kingdom and then a birth to enter into the Kingdom of God To the first the Prodigal was brought And this we can truly witness We are born in the house have eaten and drunk in his presence and heard him teach in our streets we have lived at his Table we have had bread enough and to spare having the world at will saith David c. But now we girded our selves in this day with Peter we could walk upon the Sea to Christ and thought our selves safe c. till at last getting up our portion we wandred from our fathers house And this Interpretation I intend to follow For though the other two are true yet if we come not to particulars what 's this to me to hear of a Jew and a Gentile without me or to hear of a Prodigal wandring from his fathers house c. if all this while I be not this man I this Prodigal spoke of I shall now go on to the several Observations rising from the carriage of this Prodigal son 1. The son said to his father c. Hence is considerable the distinct knowing that God of his mercy hath brought him to to know the Truth It 's not said that one said or that a certain man said thus but the son said to his father And herein have we exceedingly made an evil of the goodness of the Lord And it makes my heart tremble to think what want will come upon this Prodigal for it But 2. The second thing considerable in this Prodigal is this And the son said to his father Give me the portion of goods that belongs to me You shal see if you mind it another manner of carriage in him when he returns from his Prodigality Now he is upon his claiming Give me my portion but when he returns home he does not say though greatly pined with hunger kill the fatted Calf but he comes thus I am not worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants In the days of our Ignorance how do we claim our portions looking for a reward as due to us But no greater token that want is coming then this and this is a certain thing that all our losses have come from this and will come whilest you command God and his servants saying Why do'nt he regard me more And so there is a claiming of our portions and taking them out of the hands of Truth and so we thrust our selves out of the house as the Prodigal and say He will be such a hard Master to me I had better have it in my own hand Thus hath there been an evil intreating of the Son of God Now is that presuming and desperate venturing that we are able to go alone But I would you might read all along as you go that those of you who are not fallen if possible might be warned and if you are fallen that you might learn Instruction how to return How did destruction come upon Korah for his evil reaching What are not all the Lords People holy Will you put out the eyes of these men But by and by you shall know saith Moses And indeed how did they know to their woe How did the fire of the Lord consume some and the Earth swallow up others c. Oh that you might take warning But 3ly The father gives him his deresi a sad case And he divided to them his substance When Israel murmured against God complaining of the light Manna and craving for Quails God heard their cries He gave them their hearts lust but sent them leanness of Soul When I consider the cries of our hearts those evil reachings for the Truth it makes my heart tremble lest God may take advantage in giving us our desires We think because we reach after the things of God we do well But when I think what Lot got by desiring to go to Zoar though God gave him his choyce to go yet how did his heart reproach his mouth When he had it he could not abide there but feared to dwell in Zoar Zoar now will not maintain him the time comes when neither wisdom nor knowledg nor discerning will serve the turn Though I had the gift of Prophecy saith Paul and could understand all mysteries If I had all knowledg and faith that I could remove mountains it would profit me nothing if I had not Love 1 Cor. 13.2 3. When I enjoyed the world at will when my bough was green when the dew lay upon my branch all night then I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved thou Lord of thy goodness hadst made my mountain so strong saith David I know thy works saith the Angel to the Church of Ephesus thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear with them that are evil and hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars c. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love As if God should say I know thy gifts have not sprung from the garden of Nature but I have given them they were my Wool and my Flax but you have deck'd your Idols with them therefore they are taken away But he gives a portion to his eldest son that never shall be taken away He saith to him Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine But to the younger son he gives that which may be spent the common Faith as Paul writes to Titus Titus my dear son saith he according to the Common Faith But yet what a loss came to the Prodigal though truly a son Such a loss may the Soul come to to be as naked as a child that is newly born So foolish and ignorant was I saith David as a beast before thee Behold saith God I make the Earth utterly empty without an Inhabitant And then as Christ said you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and shall not see them As a dead man out of mind saith David If we were aware of this it would make us afraid of what we reach after I know many of you have an aspiring mind to be high and accounted eminent
it did for how did he curse the day of his Being c. though he had once spoke well of God The Prodigal sure once thought when he was in his fathers house that he should never be so base as to leave his father and joyn to a Citizen of a strange Country but you see he did it But shall not God visit for such things as these I will surely bring upon them saith God all the days of Baalim when they offered sacrifice to their Idols God is a just God Moses when Miriam was smitten prayed O Lord let her not be as one dead heal her now No saith God she shall be shut out of the Camp seven days till she bear her shame according to the transgression of her Sabbaths when she enjoyed them so many Sabbaths shall she be without a Priest or an Ephod Here 's the Judgment indeed God does not afflict willingly but because you would not hear therefore He cries out O Jerusalem Jerusalem that stonest thy Prophets c. He bewails over you because you have slept away your time all the days of his patience and long-suffering and dayly calling upon you It was possible to have turned his anger away while he was waiting and enduring the frowardness and rebellions but when he saw that Israel would not for all this return therefore saith God will I let go all my wrath And yet be comforted in this He is righteous in all his Judgments and holy in all his ways the ministration of condemnation is glorious And now to accept of the punishment of iniquity this God would have you do for if we wring and wrestle never so in the chain he will be too hard for us But 2. There arises a famine to this purpose to shew us there is no increase in this Land we may carry much in but bring nothing out again Wo unto me said the Prophet that I am constrained to dwell with them that hate Peace When we go into the Land of slanders backbitings envyings c. these are not like the garden of Eden A Land of plenty of all things is this Land where Brethren dwell together in unity But in this going out the Lord will have no fellowship with the stool of iniquity And though a man should have a great substance and gather it all together and carry it into a Land where nothing grows it would soon waste They that go down to destruction they cannot celebrate thy praise there 's nothing grows in that Land You are wondering why you are so desolate and empty so voyd of exercise c. alas there grows nothing in this Land you are gone out of the Land of plenty and can it be expected that men can gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles The time comes that all will be spent and you shall wonder at the desolation that shall come you shall say Where is the Land of Increase that once I was in The Deeps they say It is not in me the Sea saith It is not in me But saith Job Sure there is a place where Gold is found and a vein for the Silver Job 28.14 But as for the place of wisdom and understanding where is it It 's not in the wise world it 's not in sleepiness nor envy nor pride where then where the fear of the Lord grows they that fear the Lord they are the men that get wisdom They have forsaken the Fountain of living water and digged to themselves Cisterns that will hold no water It 's no wonder we are barren because we have not had the fear of the Lord before our eyes Again 3. The famine arises for this Cause that the Prodigal might be pincht out of his place When a General of an Army goes to storm a dangerous place he first considers May it not be taken by starving them out saith he So the Lord deals with his Prodigals they are gone far off from hearing beleeving c. but there comes a want because the Father intends to starve them out This misery befell the son of Josiah he was carried into Captivity and Manasseh being in chains cryed unto the Lord and because he was of those good Figs God brought him out But there is a misery that befalls some as God bids the Prophet Jeremiah that he should not weep nor pray for a people some go into Captivity and shal return no more But here 's the mercy God brought out his Prodigal he was carried into Captivity for his good into a Land of famine nakedness c. to make him remember his fathers house and where this want is there 's no greater token of deliverance The restless Dove finds no footing till she return home to the Ark whence she went out but the Raven went out and returned no more Some are brought into famine for their instruction and some for their destruction There were some invited to the feast and because they would not come God swore they should never taste of his Supper But it was not so with Peter he went a great way off but the Cock did but crow his Conscience was awakened and Christ gave him but a look and that broke his heart for it was that look of Christ that was his deliverance though his Conscience was awakened before It was not so with Judas he went out but returned not again And here lies thâ—â—avour of them God intends good to they shall return Therefore because it hath been thus with us that we are all Prodigals and have gone out and are in a very dangerous way here lies the fear now whether Truth will look upon us with an eye of favour or no The Cock will of a certain crow your Consciences will be awakened and your guilt will fly in your faces but if that were all our cases would be the same with Judas Thus you see the three Causes why this famine is come 1. As a Judgment 2. To shew us that no enlargement no increase of Truth grows in that Country 3. To pinch the Soul home to its Father he must find no rest he must have no bread he is glad to serve swine and would fain eat husks with them but must have none and here 's his mercy that he has none Here 's the difference two Thieves are crucified with Christ the one is saved the other left Therefore consider Though you are all sinners together you don't know whether you shall all return together therefore if the famine be come the great thing is to know the end whether there must be a return for all comes but for this one end that we might return home to our Father And he began to be in want The time will come that the want will be felt hunger that may be felt a hard heart a blinded mind that may be felt then the want will come nigh A mad man feels no want Wh le we have been mad in our huntings after folly c. we have not felt the want
cleanse me from my blood guiltiness The Father is sensible how the Soul stands trembling therefore Make haste bring the best robe make haste to cover his nakedness saith the Father because our guilt is upon us How do we pull charging of sin upon our selves when God charges not and hide our sin when God would charge us but the best robe clears all it intimates the Father had others It 's said of Elkanah he gave portions to all his wives but to Hannah he gave a worthy portion because he loved her I have loved thee with an everlasting Love saith God therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee That where sin abounded Grace might superabound for yet in the worst day the Soul is made to say but my wisdom remained with me The Prodigal in the worst day retained his sonship still though when he returns he is made to confess the thing as it is But first he arises and that 's beyond all that howl upon their beds In their sickness-time and straits they will cry out Oh what a wretch am I but their iniquities are still upon their backs they arise not they dare not approach before God But the Prodigal though he comes bowing and blushing yet he comes knowing and hoping and he never says that word Father I have sinned but the Father saith presently Bring the best robe But 2. I told you this was considerable the Father saith And put a Ring on his hand Do you consider what Rings are used for They are not put on to strengthen the hands but to adorn them But what is the hand for It 's for work O prosper thou the work of our hands saith David Now what must the hand the work be adorned with There are these three ornaments for it 1. The Prodigal must be adorned with Skill as it 's said of David concerning Israel He fed them in the integrity of his heart and guided them with the skilfulness of his hand Psal 78.72 It has taught the Prodigal skill indeed he can say now as David Come â—y Brethren and I can tell you what God has done for my Soul how he delivered me and instructed me now I am made able to divide the word aright There 's great need of skill to know when to speak how to speak to what to speak for what purpose to speak either for edification or destruction All the while before he had no heart to pity strangers till he was fallen amongst thieves c. and now after his coming home he is able to instruct and teach others If there be a messenger one of a thousand to shew unto man his righteousness c. Now he has learnt expereince by his wandering But all the while we were in the house we were Novices we had learn'd no skill how to instruct others for we had learn'd none our selves But now the burnt child dreads the fire when we have run our rounds tryed what is in madness and folly it brings forth skill And who are fit to bring up a people in the wisdom and fear of the Lord but such as have gone down to the deeps as Joseph did First he had been proved and tryed himself he was separated from his brethren as Christ said of Peter Satan hath desired to sift thee and he shall c. but when thou art converted then strengthen thy brethren But 2. The second thing the hand is to be adorned with is Diligence being now once brought from his prodigality he will redeem the time and be more watchful and diligent then ever Be you vigilant for your Enemy the Devil goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour It 's an ornament to the work when it goes on with diligence not sleepingly we say of such a man sure the work is never like to come to perfection The Lord expects a diligent hand in all your services and that beautifies the work but to beautifie a slothful hand is like to the putting a Ring in a swines snout He will not reward the slothful hand but the diligent he rewardeth The Soul that is diligent night and day how to further the work of the Lord therefore Be you always abounding in the work of the Lord saith Paul knowing that your labor is not in vain c. But alass while we are in the Land of Harlots we are ashamed of our work A man that has no meat to eat nor clothes to put on nor a friend to go to to impart his grief what a miserable case is he in such a Land are you in where there 's no growing of any thing that good is nothing but leanness and ill-favoredness because you have outed your selves of all friends But when you shall be brought home then will you say Well I will be diligent Then will you set an high price upon the Truth and say as David O what shall I render to the Lord c. I know how many precious days and seasons you have troden under foot but the time will come that you will be glad to glean them up again and say I will be more diligent to hear and lay up every word and Look The least smile of Truth will be layd up every Mercy will you be made to prize There will be no more a claiming as the Prodigal Give me my portion and saying to me You are bound to preach and look after me and give me this and th' other No there will be a diligent hand prizing and improving to the utmost the least mercy But 3. A third Ring that adorns his hand is the weightiness of employment when the hand shall be employed in things of great concernment When we pass and see a man at work in carving some curious piece and not busied upon baubles and trifles like children that make dirt-pyes we stand and prize the work This will adorn the hand when it shall be employed about things that profit to be about a work which shall abide for ever Let all your words be full of grace seasoned with salt To be employed about such a work which neither fire nor water can hurt this adorns the hand indeed But alass what a little of our work will endure the fire but we shall know the difference I shrink to think what I shall say But must you all go a prodigalling Will you all see your hearts by desperate venturings Indeed Travellers learn experience but they pay dear for it None will know how to distinguish between works and works but they that have traded through them When I was a child saith Paul I did as a child and spoke as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things The Prodigal did foolishly in forsaking his Fathers house and going to Harlots c. but God shall say to him at his return Be not grieved that you sold me c. He has lost nothing by it he is made now to love him the more When God shall say 'T was
not you that sold me c. ' I sent you into the wilderness to learn you experience that when you are converted you might strengthen your Brethren Thus you may see of what use Rings are and this is wonderful that God should so adorn the hand with his Rings To be 1. Skill'd in the works of Truth 2. To be diligent in the work of Truth And 3. To be garnish'd with this to be busied about things of worth to be exercised in things that abide for ever Let all your things saith Paul be done to edification Let nothing be out of strife or vain glory but all for the building of something that shall stand for ever But yet this son is wanting still as if the Father should say What if we clothe him with the best robe and put Rings on his hands yet if his feet be not shod too how can he go Therefore 3. This is the third thing And put shooes on his feet c. Let him be shod with the Preparation of the Everlasting Gospel of Peace The feet are the Affections which are to be wrought upon 1. To go but how why Let all your things saith Paul be done in Love There 's need your feet be prepared to serve the Lord in Love And that our loves might be prepared there 's need of shooes to put on that the feet might be enabled to go upon the bryars and thorns to endure the frost and the snow need to have the Love made strong to endure hardness Love saith Paul suffereth long and is kinde envyeth not seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the Truth c. 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6. It had need be shod indeed When God said to Moses Thou shalt carry this people in thy bosom as a Mother doth her child c. Alass pleads he how can I carry all this people If thou dealest thus with me I pray thee take me away that I may not see my wretchedness He had not Love enough to carry him through There 's need of great preparations if such a service be in hand And now the Prodigal shall be made to endure to bless when he is cursed because he knows now the heart of a stranger We our selves saith Paul were sometimes strangers and aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel hateful and hating one another He having a knowledg into this was made to endure Though the more abundantly I love saith he the less I be loved That there may not be a shrinking here this is one main thing he has need of of the shooes of that which may be a fence a safeguard to his feet that no fiery darts no discontents c. may stop or overturn him But then 2. The shooes are that the Love might run the swifter without fear Withhold thy Feet from being VNSHOD saith God and thy throat from thirst Jerem. 2.25 Thou makest my Feet like HINDES FEET saith David But when the Love is cold then the heart by and by waxeth feeble and faint Ezra was astonish'd and sat seven days so because he had said The Lord was able to save them therefore said he I was ashamed to go to the King for a band of men His Love began to be feeble at last And Job sat astonish'd seven days his Love was cold he could not have offended had that been alive Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing can offend them How do we stand and pick and choose But when we shall be made able to say as Paul I am not onely ready to be bound for the Name of Christ but to suffer death also When so shod then shall we go boldly without fear when the Love is shod with quickness then I shall run the way of thy Commands When thou hast set my feet at liberty saith David then will the Soul readily love the Lord with all the heart and all the soul and all its strength But when it 's not quick and lively there come in the miscarriages For 1. It 's not shod to endure And 2ly then it has not quickness to speed on the work but through reasoning and disputing the case the Love waxes cold And the Prodigal shall be made to see to his cost when he returns home what his Leaden-heel'd Love was But 3. The third thing that prepares the Love is singleness solidness and faithfulness these are the shooes that garnish his feet these are the Affections to be shod with The double minded man saith James is unstable in all his ways When the Prodigal comes home and sees how double he had been before in all his ways now he is made to say It was good for me that I was afflicted for thereby I learn'd thy Law Now he can say One thing have I desired which now I will seek after That I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever to enquire dayly in his Temple c. Now the Prodigal has learn'd this He knows what it is to put his hand to the plow looking backwards Now his Love is singly fixt upon its object but when it was not single how did he soon wander from it He was bare-foot then but when he comes home then the Father puts on his shooes they were not of his putting on but the Fathers done by his command But all along while I am speaking to you and am seeing what divided hearts you come with and the great loss that is come upon you there 's great need to pray to the Father that he would bring the shooes his Love to set the Affections right to love with rightness readiness and singleness for if He bring them not this evil and hypocritical will will be our undoing But saith God You shall finde me when you shall seek me with all your heart and all your soul He will be sought to of the house of Israel And he has not said to the house of Jacob Seek my face in vain But he that offers to the Lord for a sacrifice that which is torn or lame and has a male in his flock He abhors that mans offering He will receive none but that which is without blemish and that will make our works accepted as Paul saith Faith that works by Love and doth all in singleness of Soul That will make every thing acceptable in his sight 4. A fourth thing the Soul is to be shod with is Soberness for there may be a real singleness of spirit and yet a great headiness Therefore saith Paul let your Moderation be seen in all things For if we cannot say as Job The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the Name of the Lord there is not a sober love Therefore Put off thy shooes said God to Moses He was yet over-heady and not fit to walk as you may see in his strait concerning Miriam because God had stricken her with Leprosie he prays Lord heal her now But as if God
that must not fall to the ground And thus was Noah warned of God of Things not yet seen He had onely a word for it and yet believes So Abraham but a word from God to call him and He goes out not knowing whither he went Consider I. WHAT THINGS THEY WERE THAT NOAH WAS WARNED OF These three 1. He was warned That all flesh had corrupted its way Gen. 6.12 This Word came to him from God first before the thing was so proved and known to him that all flesh was so corrupt nothing at all good in man but the imaginations of his heart altogether evil and that continually Now there is a birth of the flesh that seems very like the Child of God but yet it will not be owned it must not be Heir with Isaac What ever is born of the flesh is flesh it is no better and the best of flesh is corrupt All flesh how fair and specious soever it may seem And the same warning is now sent to you this day That All in you is corrupt before God an evil taint runs in all in the best we do a dead Fly spoyls the whole Box of oyntment In my flesh saith Paul dwelleth no good thing But we plead we do not so see this that we are so wrong and guilty in all Well but Noah is warned of God of things not yet seen not yet so clear to his eyes and he believes the Word and the warning sent and stands not to parl the case with God 2. He was warned that the end of all flesh was come before God that a day of account was coming a Judgment a Flood to drown all flesh God will not always strive and bear but the end comes And this Word Noah believes though nothing as yet is seen but all is well and at peace eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage yet he observes the warning and believes the Word and submits and cleaves to it The warning is given him Depart from the tents of these wicked men left ye perish with them c. and he obeys 3. He is warned of God to prepare an Ark for the safeguard of himself and his house And what a strange and mad thing would this seem to all the rest of the world They could not but laugh and mock at it What doth this man intend is he wiser then all the World and will he go contrary to all to build an Ark when no Flood nor danger appears this seems a mad way to Reason Well but Noah was warned of God and that is enough to him though the thing is not yet seen yet he believes the Word and sets to the work and goes on alone let them say what they will to him and mock on he observes the warning as Gen. 6.22 And Noah did according to all that God had commanded him so did he Now to bring this home to our conditions for Noah is dead and the Word yet concerns us It is certain we have been warned of God as he was in all these three Cases And 1. That all flesh hath corrupted its way we have been warned of God these three ways 1. By a word of true report God hath told you again and again That all flesh is grass that there is no good thing in man How long hath the Cryer cryed this That all flesh is wholly corrupted Though it be never so fair and goodly and the Sepulchre painted yet there is nothing but rottenness and filthiness within The mans fleshly wisdom that which is his guide and Counseller the eyes that he sees with the feet he walks with even that hath been a corrupt taint in all our ways and this hath often and often been told you and yet you go on and pass the Condition over and sleep desperately upon the top of a Mast and go contrary to all that comes to cut down flesh and destroy your wisdom and vain imaginations 2. You have been warned of this by a work upon your own spirits And if you believe not the Word yet will you not believe for the Works sake Have you not been spoyled and ruined by the charms and false flatteries of this whorish woman the flesh all along your days Have you not proved out the thing throughly And yet we plead we do not so see it We would justifie our selves in something according to the flesh But have we not seen have we not felt it to our loss what a treacherous dealer this flesh hath been It is then because we would not see it but blind our eyes and if we stand here pleading we may stick long enough in the mire and see no deliverance if we will first see and not at all beleeve our misery and danger Noah was warned of things not seen and he believes the Word told him Now you call me your Guide and witness that God is with me But how appears it you judg so indeed Would you not live after your own counsels still rather then the Truths Would you not see with your own eyes and not stir a step farther then your own Reason can reach But whose heart trembles when the Word goes forth from Christ One of you shall betray me to say Lord is it I or Is it I Who fears and lays it to heart when the Cryer tells you day by day and complains bitterly under it That All flesh is corrupted Who is touched to enquire Good Lord is it so with me is all in me corrupted all my hopings and resolvings and turnings and puttings off the strait is there a taint in all which way soever I turn me and doth not our experience prove this out to us also Have we not seen an end of all perfection and yet how strangely do we stick to our shadows which we have proved out to be dry and empty and like the foolish Bee light again and again upon the same flower when it can yield no more honey And thus your days may be worn out and spent and come to nothing if you will neither be warned of God nor your own experience to lie down in the dust and abhor your selves in ashes and own your own wretchedness All I speak is to bring you to a strait for help and to see it is not in your selves it grows not in that soyl though you till and manure it never so carefully What is the Reason think you we are not removed not translated into another Kingdom another condition but stick still where we were seven years ago What are we molded and wrought into of the mind and likeness of God We have more light indeed then we had but what hath it brought us to What have we submitted under and parted with of our lives and wills c. We turn like the door upon the hinges so the sluggard upon his bed and if we turn and turn never so often upon a fleshly bed alas all comes to nothing so long as we move upon that centre of fleshly
wisdom and will believe God no farther then we can see him but keep off our misery though we are warned by the voyce of the Cryer and warned by our own hearts to know how deceiveably they have dealt with us yet we will hold our hold and not give up all flesh for corrupt and wretched and cry out In me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing Till this we must welter in our misery no Cure will come 3. We have been warned by Providence of this an ordering Hand of God hath preach'd That all flesh is grass How hath it taken away some of us by Death and how hath the world a late been let loose upon the rest What plots and contrivances are there on foot to break us a pieces if the Lord prevent not What stirings are there and waitings for our halting And what mean all these stirs and hurly-burlies Sure they have an end they come for the destruction of the flesh they come to shew that flesh yet lives that there is a fleshly coming together fleshly hearing and trusting in our outward mercies crying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and so rest in the shadow and come not to the preparing of an Ark indeed And therefore you see how it hath fallen upon some of us to be divided and taken away by force and carried to strange Tryals And think not with your selves that they were greater sinners then the rest No but certainly unless we repent that are yet left together the Hand will go against us and the men of the world shall have their wills to root us out from being a People Therefore if we shall be warned this day to lay it to heart it will be well if the Word and the Work and the present hand of Providence if all make you consider and know that all flesh hath corrupted its way and that out of flesh you must come then it 's well Out of Sodom you must come that is certain and if one thing will not do it another shall We have certainly lived all of us besides the mercies afforded We might have been Teachers of others for the time but alas we have been dull of hearing and have need to be taught into the first Principles of repentance from dead works Therefore there is need now at the last you should be warned That all flesh is grass and this you will grant in a word But come to particulars and there your fleshly wisdom wilâ— be Judg what is right and what is wrong and flesh will never judg it self and so all is kept off from seizing upon the heart for certainly else you could never keep up to live alone as you do upon your own thoughts and counsels without the Lord As it is said God is not in all their thoughts Oh therefore Consider this all you that forget God! And whilest it is called to day harden not your hearts Fall under the mighty hand and own your misery and if you know it not be jealous and enquire with fear What means this voyce of the Cryer ' Am I indeed so corrupt and miserable and know it not Say with Job What I know not teach thou me till the Thing be opened for some way or other this Lesson must be learn'd you That All flesh is grass and the Lord spares none of you and nothing in any of you but All flesh the whole House of Israel have corrupted their way You are all guilty and have turned aside to vain things and have forsaken the Lord days without number and the strait is not yet upon you The Lord make you sensible where you stand But then 2. We have been warned of that too as Noah was That the End of all flesh is come before God How often hath this been told you That He will not always bear His Spirit will not ever strive The Patience will wear out at the last nay it is even expired and if the Lord move you not with fear as Noah was moved to prepare an Ark desolation will surely come the Flood will overtake you some way or other either Death will come and bind us fast from our wills in the grave or sufferings from unreasonable men will come to shatter us asunder and break us in pieces and then whither shall we turn for counsel and help in our straits How may we then prize the days which we now slight Surely one way or other God will take to bring All Flesh to an end And if we have no other hope nor confidence but in the flesh if we stick still in our self-wills and fleshly minds we shall not be able to stand in that day It is not your high looks nor great thoughts that will then carry you out not your knowledg of Scriptures nor understanding of Mysteries none of your carnal hopes nor carnal fears nor carnal reasonings will now stand as they have done formerly but the Flood will sweep away all that is born of the flesh Therefore if we shall be made to judg our selves before-hand and cry out O search me and try me if there be any way of wickedness in me and bow under the Judgment then it 's well for us But if there be such a saying within I shall have peace in the way of my own heart this evil shall not come that is spoke of I shall have ease and rest and dye in my nest saith Job if thus you put the evil day far from you it will surely overtake you unawares in a day when you think not of it when they were eating and drinking and marrying the Flood came c. 3. We have been also warned as Noah was to prepare an Ark We have been minded often both from a Word without and stirrings within to look after a sure testing place a Refuge a shelter that which will keep off all Floods and storms and Tryals Though the Earth be moved into the midst of the Sea yet saith David I will not fear His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord And in another place My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed There is sure such a place whither the Righteous can flee and they are safe In the Name of the Lord in that Tower under his wing in the secret of his Pavilions in his Bosom in his Love when that is opened to the Soul and a mansion given it there Now if thou hast all parts and knowledg and operations and good desires and good resolvings all these will not save thee in the day of the Flood The Waters will get above over all the high Mountains the whole Earth how high soever it be yet if it be of the Earth if it be born of the flesh and the will of man it will not stand But There is a Rest for the People of God Wast thou ever brought into that Hath the Lord Jesus ever shewed thee thy lot and portion in that Eternal Love that thou art chosen there
in the Beloved Nothing else will carry it out against the Flood when that comes to overflow nothing then but that everlasting Rock Many are wise and great and honorable and knowing in their generation famous and men of renown but alas when they come to dye they have no understanding but are found like the beast that perish They are to seek their shelter when the storms beat But now to have a portion made over to thee in that Eternal Love that will be a sure Ark in the time of the Deluge this will be the happiness And such a condition as this you have been warned of God and are warned to press after and to rest in nothing till this Ark be prepared for you II. Consider next He being moved with Fear c. The Warning takes place upon him and leaves an impression behind it moves and touches his heart and that from these five Considerations 1. He was moved with fear from that warning to him That All flesh was corrupt a fear seizeth on him and makes him enquire Is it indeed so as the Lord hath spoken Though I see not so clearly that All is so corrupt and vile yet what means this warning from God Surely the case is worse then I yet see it sure I am leaning and hoping in some wrong thing some arm of flesh or other that the Lord warns me thus Hence the Fear moves upon him and makes him look inwards Now doth this come home to your doors Do you enquire whether these things are so or not Alas how is it with me How stands the case between God and Me What means the complaint and cry That All is corrupt Doth the Lion roar and are you not afraid Or do you stand upon your terms with Corah and say All the Lords People are holy We are not so base and vile as you would make us believe If you plead so you shall know shortly as Moses said to them who are the Lords People and who are not The search and dividing will come and if thy money be good thou art not afraid to bring it out Thou wilt not shrink from being enquired into Thou wilt come to the Light if thy works be good But this will be a testimony the case is bad if either there be a snuffing and taking it ill to be put thus on the Tryal or if a shuffling it off and laying it aside till to morrow or if a fear and shrinking and covering the condition close to your selves or if a wilful stubbornness and scorning to come to the Touch-stone If thou be a scorner thou alone shalt bear it that is certain thou shalt be alone by thy self and woe to him that is alone Who ever is in an Error or evil way he is surely alone in it There are not two in the whole world that are fully together in an evil way but some flaw and difference creeps in do what they can for it is a spirit of confusion and division and there is no true Vnion and Oneness but in the Spirit of Love and Truth Therefore enquire if there be not a canker-worm a taint in all thy best things in thy Knowledg Fear Hope Believing Desiring c. if all be not corrupt And will not this cause a Fear 2. He was moved with Fear to consider Is an end of all flesh coming Is a Judgment so near Is it certain that an Account will be called for from me in all my ways and nothing of flesh shall stand and do I sleep in this condition Am I secure and the Judgment so nigh at the door ready to destroy all Hence the Fear moves and works upon the sensible Soul Now enquire whether this Fear touch upon you or not If you are not brought to be knit up to the Lord Christ and be made one Spirit with him you will be sure to be left behind to the perishing world I wonder sometimes how you can have any rest upon your spirits how you can go through your business and eat and sleep and talk or mind any thing whilest your Souls hang at such an uncertainty and thou knowest not what shall become of thee in the latter end If there be nothing but flesh in thee though never so high and fair and refined yet it will come to an end it will not stand in the fire for what is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord Now if thou searchest into thy self art thou sure thou canst find any thing better then flesh another spirit seed of God and then art thou sure that this is thine and shall ever abide with thee and be in thee For if the Spirit be taken from thee as it was from Saul then thou art miserable for that alone must stand in this day Therefore art thou sure thou hast that which will carry thee out through Death and Hell when the Flood comes to drown the whole Earth Now you are at ease and quiet and in health and go and come at will but do you not think a Flood will come and sweep away all flesh Do you not think you must dye and part with all your wills and loves and desires that are not born of God Therefore what need is there this Fear should seize upon you lest you should not be able to stand in that day 3. He was moved with Fear in this Consideration That he is naked and hath no Ark to betake him to The Judgment is at hand the Deluge ready to seize and he hath no shelter nor place to turn to and this makes the case harder to him then the rest of the World which saw not the danger and hence the Fear seizeth Alass his shelter is not yet prepared the Ark not made Now do you search and enquire into this Have you an Ark at hand to receive you or not Are you provided for such a day or no Are you sure you shall stand in the fire and not be consumed Do you know you shall go through with your building and that mock not fall upon you This man began to build but was not able to finish Doth this Fear touch upon your Souls as it did on Noahs There is a Rest for the people of God that 's sure an Inheritance in Light reserved for the Saints But is it your portion or is it not I wonder I hear not that voyce among you to cry out Oh who shall stand when God doth this when the Searcher comes with his fan in his hand with refiners fire and fullers soap when every plant shall be plucked up that my heavenly Father hath not planted This may seem light now and a vain enquiry to many that are high and at ease and think to dye in their nests as sure they could not but mock at Noah in his day What is this Fool doing What need of all this stir to build an Ark what need is there to what purpose I but when the Flood comes where are the Mockers then What is
the Hypocrites hope 4. Another thing that might move Noah to fear might be this lest he should slip over the present instruction and warning given him lest he should neglect the present day and then it may be too late Therefore the Soul that is sensible is afraid a jealousie strikes the heart O what would come on me if I should withstand my Mercy How were many envited to the Feast but because they made excuses and neglected the offer the door is shut and he swears They shall not taste of his Supper But now Josiahs heart was tender when the Judgments were read before him out of the Law it took place in his Soul And Mordecai says to Esther Who knows but thou wert raised up for such a time as this If now thou shewest not thy self thou mayst never have another offer And here the Fear comes in Lest the day slip and can never be recalled again and therefore Christ weeps over Jerusalem O that thou hadst known in this thy Day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Now see doth this Fear touch your Souls Are you struck with an awe of spirit lest you should slip away the present day of Mercy Doth it press upon you That whilest it is called to day you harden not your hearts and then the word go forth You shall never enter into his Rest Truly the venture is hard were our Souls but awakened If thou slip the nick and knowest not the time of thy Visitation He may never speak more of the things concerning thy Peace but that sad conclusion may come Now they are hid from thine eyes 5. Noah might be moved with Fear out of this consideration lest the Flood should take him unawares before his Ark was finished and therefore he sets to the work presently And Noah did as the Lord commanded him so did he lest he should be prevented and not finish his Ark in time and then all his labor and pains are lost this strikes him with fear Now consider doth it take this place upon thy spirit Doth it set thy Soul to the work presently now this very season to say Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Doth it make you look out for a guide to lead you on and counsel you in the work For an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew to man His Righteousness Sure the Idol gods keep the room some base lusts or hopes or promising your selves Peace or else you would be afraid and all that God intends that everlasting good to sure the strait will come That they shall not be suffered to let their eyes sleep nor their eye-lids slumber till they shall finde out an habitation for the God of Jacob. Do these things take place upon you or not if not what is the cause what hinders you are not baptized Are you sensless and carnal living in the flesh upon any seen thing Alass That is miserable the Flood will come and sweep away all of that kinde Whilest they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage unawares the Flood came Or canst thou give a good account what will be thy latter end and canst say with the Apostle We know that if this earthly Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building not made with hands eternal in the Heavens I would you could say that word indeed But O Lord when I think of it what if he should come now unawares this night where are your mindes Are you fit to go out and meet the Bridegroom Are not your Hearts either cavilling or reasoning or murmuring or hunting and lusting after somewhat or fearing and sinking under your bonds But who has a minde prepared to meet the Lord in the ayr and so be for ever with him Thus I have shewed you what the things not seen were of which Noah is warned 1. God tells him All flesh is corrupt 2. That the end of all flesh is come 3. He invites him to build an Ark to save himself And this I applyed to our present condition for Noah is dead and this is written for our instruction I told you how we have been warned in these cases And that 1. By a word that hath cryed long to us All flesh is grass 2. By the proof of our hearts 3. By a voyce of Providence letting out the world and the out-cries of men against us if it be possible to break us asunder and not leave a stone upon a stone Then I told you how the thing took place with Noah He was moved with Fear from five Considerations all which might seize upon us and cause an awful dread and enquiry in our spirits 1. To see what is our confidence and hope that we lean on Is it not born of the flesh And then though it be never so fair-spun a threed though never so wise and sober and patient and meek yet if it spring not from a good root if it be born of the flesh all is nothing You cannot love Him unless it be opened that He first loves you Now many pretend that they love God and prize and honor him do you so but are you sure that he loves you What if he shall answer you in that day when you plead Lord we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets well but for all that I know you not saith Christ Depart from me c. How will your Love to God then stand Have you indeed an Ark prepared to receive you in the great overflowing Deluge in the day of desperate sorrow that shall come to try all that dwell upon the Earth The Day will surely come ere long now are you sure you have that which will carry you through 'T is not your Learning nor Knowing if you knew all Mysteries 't is not your Parts nor Hopes nor mans conclusions will do it Many measure themselves by themselves they are not as they were they are more strict and observant I but what then Will that carry you out And many measure themselves with others and say I am better then such and such I am not like this Publican Well but they that thus measure themselves with themselves and others are not wise saith Paul the root and principle may yet be Self and then what the better Then 2. This might move us to fear That the end of all flesh is come God will not always wink as he hath done in the days of Ignorance if he should we would never come up to any thing And will not this strike upon you an awe That the Judgment lies at the door Death is entring in at the windows and nothing of flesh nor mans Will though never so fairly painted and gilded over will be able to stand Is it not time to fear 3. Have you an Ark prepared to shelter you a sure resting place from all storms if not is there not great cause of fear and trembling I know not
nor death things present nor things to come None can pluck them out of my Fathers hand saith Christ This is wonderful 3. How came Noah to this Inheritance He became Heir of the Righteousness which is by FAITH He came to it by beleeving That is the way how this Portion is made over to all the Noahs even by Faith Though it belongs to them before yet they enjoy but as they receive and they receive as they beleeve Be it unto thee according to thy Faith They begin but with a little flock a little beleeving O ye of little Faith saith Christ but a small grain of mustard-seed A little Faith to set up with and that too of things not yet seen things out of sight out of hand and yet by improving this little how doth it grow and grow and spread to a large Tree What encrease comes of it It leaves not growing till it brings up the Soul and joyns it in to God himself till Noah is made an Heir of Righteousness And therefore O Lord that you were but brought to stick to this small beginning to beleeve the word of Prophecy which is gone forth concerning you How might it grow and encrease to a mighty and large Portion I have thus spoke many and great things to you from these words but the Sum of all hath been to this purpose 1. To shew how short you yet are where you lie and stick in the mire and have no Ark to receive you know not what shall become of you in the latter end 2. That your Souls might be put to a strait to look after such an Ark as Noah prepared such an Assurance and Security as may hold out in a Deluge such a sure certain and unquestionable estate as may stand in all storms and judg all the false ways and rotten shelters of the World And now if the Lord seize not the thing upon your hearts but it slip off like water as many words do then I know you will have no peace in your own consciences and you will never be Judges of the World nor come to Honor Noah was moved with Fear to the building of an Ark but now if that will not do it if Fear move not yet Will not such an Inheritance such a security move you as may be attained to There is a sure place there is a Rest there is a way of Wisdom which no fowl hath seen where no ravenous beast destroys which nothing can reach nor disturb The Lord seize it home upon your hearts to consider it THE Chosen generation AND ROYAL PRIESTHOOD WITH THEIR True Marks and Characters SERM. IX May 11. 1651. 1 PET. 2.9 But ye are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation a Peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of Him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous Light The Analysis I. A CHOSEN GENERATION At first all lay in one lump till the choyce made by God In choosing seven things considered 1. Men weigh and consider before they choose so God pitched on a people to be his with deliberation and advice not at random 2. Men affect what they choose what ever the thing be in it self so the Lord set his love upon a people delighted in his portion 3. Men separate and take out of other things what they choose so God pulls the Brand out of burning takes His out of all the World 4. In choosing that which is chosen hath no hand at all so God chose his people freely nothing in them to move him 5. Things chosen are set apart for some special use so the Lord had an End an use intended for the vessels of honor 6. Men promise themselves something in the things they choose so God expects fruit from his Vine Love and entertainment from his Chosen 7. Men have a special eye and care of things they choose so Gods Eye is after his Chosen in all Tryals and Sorrows II. A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD of the royal race sprung from the Lord himself of that stock Whence three things considered 1. They have an Interest in God can go to a Father not a Judg. 2. Hence great boldness to go to God fear and shame are cast out 3. Hence they prevail in what ever they ask according to his Will All was brought home to Particulars And lest all thrust in seven Notes were layd down to distinguish this Chosen Generation 1. A certain close in their Souls to Truth onely no shadows can deceive them 2. A certain weariness always upon them giving no rest in all enjoyments A want still 3. God is ever their utmost thing All others are content with Parts and Gifts c. 4. This Spirit presses on to the highest and most single way though never so sharp to it 5. This Generation have secret hintings spring at times That they belong to God 6. In greatest falls and sins no hintings as if utterly cut off because of sin 7. A witness always in their Souls That when ever they have a heart to return they shall be received The Father stands ready to receive the Prodigal He waits to be gracious this Hope ever speaks not thus with the Cains or those that belong not to God 1 PET. 2.9 But ye are a Chosen Generation c. GO round about Zion tell her Towers Mark ye well her Bulwarks that ye may tell it to the generation following For this God is our God for ever and ever He will be our Guide unto Death Psal 48.12 And again The Lord hath chosen Zion And again He will surely hear the afflictions of the afflicted and answer their cry Though they may now seem forsaken and forgotten though abjects and out-casts in the eyes of the World disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious So was it with our Lord and Master and so will it be with all them on whom the Father hath set his Love in like manner However the World may look on them or they judg of themselves yet in the Eye of God 't is thus Ye are a chosen Generation c. Now there is great need to distinguish between things and things that the Trumpet may give a certain sound who are this chosen People that are thus beloved for it belongs not to all men I came not but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Many widows were in Israel but onely to one poor widow of Sarepta was Elijah sent And it is not meet saith Christ to take the childrens bread and give it to the dogs Some are dogs as some are children and Peter tells Simon Magus plainly Thou hast neither lot nor part in this matter Lest every one should thrust in there are bounds set not All but YE are a chosen Generation Not every one that says Lord Lord shall enter Not every one that comes and hears and sits in the house among the children is of this chosen Generation of that blessed seed No but in Isaac shall
a wonderful unnatural thing in us But well as Peter saith the long sufferance of God is salvation Shall nothing hinder No gainsayings nor longings but the long-sufferance will stand and knock and wait out all till it be our salvation This will one day be prized There is a chosen Generation amongst you that is certain Now do you hear it Do you believe it When will you open the Door and lay down all weapons and say Well I will never speak against the Lord more But say with Job what I know not teach thou me It is sure you have been the bush in which the Lord hath appeared the fire hath been trying and purging and burning in you and you are not yet consumed but when will you turn aside to see this great wonder When lay it to your heart I must leave and desire the Lord would give you understanding into what hath been said and above all that you may not war nor fight against it in your minds but soberly inquire Is this my lot Is this my Portion to be one of this chosen Generation It will at last cause your souls to admire The Poor WISE MAN And LITTLE CITY Against The GREAT KING And His BULWARKS SERM. X. May 18. 1651. ECCLES 9.14 15. There was a little city and few men within it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the city yet no man remembred the same poor man The Analysis FRom the words was observed I. The Lord ever had a Little City under the Sun A People built together in Unity and Love In three respects compared to a City 1 A City is for habitation so God to dwell in his People 2 It is a place of Free-Trading so God will be free to trade in sorrows sufferings inlargements What he pleaseth with his people 3 It 's a place of safety So God looks to be safe in his People in his Name to be kept from reproach and sufferings II. This is but a Little city and that in three respects 1 It makes but little noise in the world Little notice of it 2 Little in compare of many thousands left But a small remnant 3 Little not easily seen nor found without a diligent search III. There are but few men in it Little or no help in it but a few men left and they tremblers unable to defend it Hence three things considered 1 Few men in it that no flesh might have to glory in saving it 2 All is emptied out of the room that God may dwell in it and be seen that the poor mans wisdome may appear 3 Few in it as no strength to withstand or keep off the lean enemy Every Temptation and snare too hard IV. A great King comes against this little City and builds Bulwarks Great opposition from the devil His Bulwarks are made of Earth any thing that springs thence knowledge parts zeal Hope 's these Bulwarks he can imploy to keep off the Truth V. In it is found a poor wise man and he by his wisdom delivers the City Whence two things considered 1 Where he is to be found In the City not out the kingdom of God within you Christ in you else reprobates 2 How shall this poor man be known How shall you know whether Christ be in you These seven signs were laid down of it 1 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin the man wholly convinc'd that sin is too hard for him He cannot help himself 2 Where Christ is the soul cannot utterly despair it cannot be drowned In the bottom of hell Jonah lookt toward the Temple 3 There is ever a love to that which is of it 's own kinde if God be your Father you would love me saith Christ Truth ever loves Truth 4 Where Christ is ever a light goes along to search and discover all the secret carriages and wiles of the enemy He is a true searcher 5 Where Christ is He will never yield up this City though it cost his life yet with the three children we will not worship the golden image 6 There is a secret looking after God and expecting from him in the lowest day never a whole giving up all for lost 7 Where Truth is It can look through all heaps and swarms of enemies to God that he is still able to deliver and who can tell but he may be gracious ECCLES 9.14 15. There was a little City and few men within it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it Now there was found it a poor wise man c. IN the verses before Solomon speaks of a strange Case which is very contrary to Reason to believe or see into vers 11. I returned and saw that the race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong nor bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance hapneth to them all None of these will carry through by strength shall no man prevail and the wisdom of this world is foolishness and as for Riches they make themselves wings and fly away But well saith Solomon though all this takes not this Wisdom and strength and riches and skill cannot deliver men but they are taken in an evil net like the fishes and snared like the bird Yet for all this there is a wisdom that will stand there is a condition of deliverance to be attained I saw this wisdom under the sun and it seemed wonderful unto me There was a little city and few men in it and a great King came against it and besieged it and built Bulwarks against it and yet a poor wise man was found in it and he by his wisdom delivered the City This wisdom is indeed wonderful and too high for a fool The words in themselves are a metaphor taken up by the Holy Ghost by which he would express himself in things obvious to mans sense and reason and humane capacity and thereby lead the soul into the invisible minde meaning and intent of Scriptures For there is a hidden invisible meaning runs in all the Scriptures which none can read but those that buy eye-salve of Christ to anoint their eyes those who are taught of God and led into the meaning of them by the same Spirit which once breathed them forth The Scriptures are a deep Well and none but men of understanding can draw it out for all others the Well is too deep and they have nothing to draw with they can by no means reach the invisible minde of Christ From the words these things are observable I. That always the Lord had a little City under the Sun In all times he had his people a City built together where his Name lived and this was the strait of all our Fathers in their
or four berries on an uppermost bow a few scattered gleanings after harvest when the vintage is over and it is wonderful hard to spy them out unless it be given you to understand the parable unless your understandings be opened to see into the Scriptures into them many read the letters see them without but cannot pierce into the Spirit and meaning of them None can do this but they to whom the new eye is given none else can ever finde this City It is so little a one so clouded and covered over with reproaches and scandals and meanness 't is such a despised unthought-of thing All the world never once dream that God is bound up in so little a compass that he lives in such a little City They plead Is not God everywhere Is he not with us as well as with you No He is indeed every where but he is not seen everywhere he is known in Zion that little City but all others the great and learned of the world see him not they cannot see invisibly that 's nonsense they 'll say He is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to a few Babes Therefore beware and follow not a multitude to do evil there is great need your whole souls and mindes should be intent and taken up in this thing if indeed you have a minde to find it and to live for ever that you may take no rest nor give any sleep to your eyes nor slumbering to your eye-lids till you have found out this habitation for the God of Jacob. Need there is to keep your eyes fixed and to go weeping and mourning and asking the way to Zion with your faces and hearts thitherward And thus two things in general have been opened to you 1 That God for certain hath his City under the Sun his people in the world however the whole world lie in wickedness and are lost and run the several runs to destruction yet he hath a remnant he hath reserved to himself seven hundred that have not bowed to Baal In the days when Samuel was born it is said The Word of the Lord was precious in those days and there was no open Vision and yet then God will have his Samuel Hannah brings forth this man-child this son in stead of many sons she that was barren hath brought forth seven a compleat number a remnant he will ever reserve 2. It was considered this City was but a little one 1. It makes no great noise nor stir in the world it raises no Armies nor makes Tumults to defend and enlarge it self 2. Little indeed if you consider the vast world the great multitudes and many thousands that fall short and perish It is but a small cloud of a hands bredth in compare to the whole Heavens 3. But little as being hardly seen and found Many shall seek to enter and shall not be able And therefore there is great need were but your Souls sensible of it to cry out with David O lead me and guide me in the way taht I should walk the way that leads to this City of Habitation Now to proceed III. And but few men in it c. The City is but little but that is not all it is weak also there is no might nor strength to defend it self but few men in it and therefore Paul cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. He felt how weak he was and unâ—ble ever to deliver himself And therefore there is nothing for any to glory in after the flesh for Who made thee to differ There is no cause for boasting for none ever prevailed by strength they obtained not the field by weapons of war It is said of David when He had slain the Philistin But there was no sword found in the hand of David And he says of himself I will not trust in my Bow neither shall my sword save me But he goes forth against the great Goliah onely in the Name of the Lord and all the saved ones ever have and will cry out Grace Grace Grace That must do all for this City hath but few men in it and they are poor fearful tremblers such as are ready to dye every moment onely they are kept up by the chin and not left quite to be drowned but alass for help to fight and withstand an Enemy little or none can be expected from them This poor wise man must do all he must save the City by his wisdom if it be ever saved it hath no help of it self 1. Let none of you then whom God hath favored glory according to the flesh for there is nothing at all you have to boast in there are but few men in the City and they poor tremblers not able for service so that if this poor man do not the whole work in every one of you use all your wits and plots and power you will never be able to deliver this City 2. But few men in it there was more once but they wasted and wasted away till but few left Whence you may consider Who ever are favoured of God to be his people this little City He will certainly rout and rout out all the old Inhabitants They shall not live quietly in it He will surely bring all the old Inhabitants down all that is sprung from the Man or Devil He will rout it out and thus is the great company within the Wisdomes and hopes and councels the lustings and hunts of the heart the fears and joyes and love all must be searched and fanned and alas but a little will be left of the great bulk There are but few men in it The Poor mans wisdome could not appear nor be taken notice of if a multitude were in the City they would take some of the work to themselves but they must be turned out that it may appear his own arm brings Salvation and none puts a hand to it 3. But few men in it not any considerable Partee to withstand an Enemy especially such a Great King as comes against it no alas they have no might to stand in any temptation if but an Alarum sounds a rumor that an enemie is indeed coming to set down and besiege Oh what a strange uproar and trembling doth it cause within All the Wisdom and hope and faith and experience how do all give back and are not able to stand to look the Enemy in the face without the Lord appear and be Captain himself whoever of you are indeed this City of God you can witness how weak and unable you are to help your selves unstable as water not able to stand to it in the least Tryall there are but few men in it and as Gehazi cryed out to Elisha when he saw the enemies round about the City Alas Master what shal we do so may we cry out indeed if we did but see the danger For IV. A GREAT KING comes against this little weak City and besieges it and builds great Bulwarks
against it c. This Great King is the same spoken of cap. 4. Better is a poor and wise child then an OLD AND FOOLISH KING that will no more be admonished c. In all Ages this old King the old serpent the Devil hath played these pranks against this little City he will never leave spitting his Venome and Poyson against the Truth to destroy it utterly That the name of Israel may be no more This Haman can have no rest so long as Mordecai lives Poor Mordecai is an eye-soar and troubles and disquiets this Great King and Gallows must be provided to hang Mordecai and D crees sent out to destroy the whole Nation of the Jews for his sake nothing lesse will serve then an utter ruine He will never be admonished this Old King will never take warning though his plots have been again and again disappointed and he hath been taken in his own snare yet he wiâ—l go on to besiege this little City to disturb and perplex and torment and if possible destroy this little Remnant Now I have heard many say that they never were thus troubled with the Devil they thank God He harms not them they never were under his temptations and torture and cruell batterings were they never troubled with him I but this is an Argument they are a friend to him they live in his Kingdom and there all is in peace so long as he keeps the house but if you are ever brought out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Christ if you shall ever be gathered out of the great City Babylon to this little Sion this small remnant if ever plucked out of the world then you shall feel him stirring For this old Serpent hath ever from the beginning of the World been casting out his floods after the Truth if possible to drown and destroy that and the neerer any of you shall be brought to God be sure he will be the more busie you shall have the harder encounters and assaults from the Dâ—vil you shâ—ll then see he will raise his great Bulwarks But what makes he these Bulwarks of out of what matter doth he work them Why whatsoever is of the Earth be it what it will yet if it be but an earthly material he can raise Bulwarks out of it well enough not onely out of gross earth out of dirt and mire not onely out of lusts sensual delights and pleasures but out of the finest earth out of a golden myne he can do it out of wisdom and parts and righteousness and zeal and hope and faith and what not that he cannot raise a Bulwark out of against the Truth Paul had these strong Bulwarks fram'd in him against the Truth in Stephen when he was stoned to death He was of the strictest way of the Pharisees He walked according to his Conscience He was as concerning the Law blameless and yet all these were made Bulwarks for the Dâ—vils service And therefore all your zeal and forwardness and love which seems to be for God see whether the Devils bulwarks be not in all to keep thee off from the Truth for he works himself strangely under ground he hath strange wiles to cheat and cozen by by knowledg of the Scriptures by zeal by forwardness to venture lives and estates for the Truth as we then think by these doth he sâ—â—ly winde in and raise his great Bulwarks and if the Lord help you not and deliver the City he will soonest of all destroy you where you think you are safest and so keep off all Truth from coming neer to touch â—ou and therefore great need you should well minde and consider the sleights for he hath bulwarks of all sorts shapes and sizes Bulwarks of dirt and clay and mire they are strong enough to destroy some Bulwarks of Gold and Silver and Pearls if need be any thing that is but this Worlds material and that takes in a great compass he can make a Bulwark to save himself and undo the Soul by Good Lord what strange devices hath hâ— He 'l put a man upon zeal and forwardness put him to give his goods to the poor and body to be burned and whatever you will if so be under all this he may but make a Bulwark and lurk behinde it to keep himself alive and do a mischief to the Truth Therefore there is need to consider what we lean on for if we are trusting and hoping and lightly promising our selves that God will sure help at last and we shall be delivered when he pleases and so rest in hearing and coming together when nothing is done I say all these hopes and conclusions which we get up to keep off the strait from our Souls and get ease by All these are but the Enemies Bulwarks and certainly intended by him to destroy us and if we be left to shrink away so and neglect the Truth in our day we may never be met with again when the time is once gone Sure the Lord is righteous and will not let the guilty go free though as I told you the last night he is all Love and sweetness in himself if we could but get in to him to his heart now if we could go and meet him thus as a Father and fall down and own our shame how well were it Were it not better then yet to stand out and war for the Enemy against our Brother then to joyn with the Devil in his Bulwarks against the Truth for one of these hands we must needs fall into But this is a hard case saith the Soul Am I so liable to the Devils Bulwarks and lie open dayly to all destruction and misery and is there no remedy Yes there is remedy There is Balm in Gilead V. In this City was found a Poor Wise man and he by his wisdom delivered the City A POOR WISE MAN a Jacob a plain man no such cunning tricks and deceits as the Esaus have and yet by his plain wisdom he can over-reach and supplant and go beyond all the deep plots and cunning of this great King How soon was Paul stopt in the midst of his run when he drove furiously for the Devil Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Not any great weapons are used but a wise word whispered into his Soul and that turns all and strikes the great Champion down to the Earth So Abigail comes to David but with a wise word a soft answer and how doth it prevail and prevent the great destruction intended against Nabals house It is but a word and the stream is turned I come against thee said David to the great Goliah in the Name of the Lord No more but so That Name is enough against the great Gyant and all his armor but a word Why persecutest thou me and that is enough to strike down the stoutest heart in the World if it be but set home What dost thou fight against God Art thou able to stand in his hands Alass what dost
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
where am I how far gone and taken off of my self and where stick I and am loath to give up He that will be wise let him be wise for himself 'T is not your way to put it off to another and say this concerns such a one they are sinners and guilty here and there and so the discouraged drooping Soul puts off hope and reviving and says I it may belong to another but as for me I am cut off c. Zion said my God hath forgotten me c. but our way is quietly and sobâ—rly to listen to whom is the message sent doth the Lord speak to me or not 4. Hear this when the Lord calls to stir when his voice is to be obeyed we hear sometimes and know and are convinced that this is his will that we must come up to such a deniall and take up such a cross and do such a service but we hear not the time when we put it off till to morrow Alass to morrow is not yours you may be dead in your graves by to morrow therefore consider and whilst it is called to day hear his voyce Ask now what is the meaning of the Parable what is his mind concerning thee let not the Sun go down upon your wrath How many of your souls at present stand unreconciled to God an enmity is in your minds now if advantage should be taken if the Sun go down upon you if Truth should depart and you be left to dye in your sins oh how miserable would it be to morrow may never be ours and then are we undone for ever 5. Consider why for whose sake I should hear for his sake that invites so lovingly and waits so patiently and calls so earnestly Oh that my people had hearkened to my voyce O Jerusalem Jerusalem that thou hadst known the day of thy visitation Hear for his sake that comes with intreatings and bewailings and love and tenderness that comes in the still voice gently not in thunder and earthquakes to crush all a pieces and shake us to nothing as he might do but the good-will the love of him that speaks might move us to hear he that after many rebellions and many gainsayings and many withdrawings yet stands at the door and waits and calls and would not by any means the death of a sinner but useth all wayes that he may return and live Hear for his sake that is thus gracious Thus something hath been spoke to the opening of that word and we will hear it and do it it is a very good saying indeed and God approves of it well they have well spoken and if this come not in the last place if we are not brought to do what we hear to be the thing then is all our labour lost as good we had never heard at all and if it come in the first place it is to as little purpose if we set upon doing before we hear then all is in a confusion and lumber we worship we know not what God regards it not and therefore he says I hate your new moons and solemn assemblies my soul loaths your sacrifices and Samuel said to Saul for his blind and hasty venturing to sacrifice Hath the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings as to hear the word of the Lord no to obey is better then sacrifice and these are the two great Rocks that the whole world are split upon one sort will do nothing another are doers indeed but they do they know not what they worship an unknown God Now it is said that he will come to render vengeance on all that know not God they live loosely and do nothing at all and such as obey not the Gospel The Gospel comes to them and they hear and know it I but they obey it not they obey their own thoughts and will-worship they seek and ask I but they ask amisse Israel hath not obtained what it sought after but if ever you would obtain and do any thing which may please the Lord then you must hear first hear soberly what is his will and way 't is a blind preposterous way to do first and then go to hear whether we have done right or not no but hear what he would have thee do and therefore how long have I cryed and waited to hear but that word come from you Lord what wouldest thou have me to do O Lord have we been all this while have not heard yet I to this day we have not soberly and calmly sat down to hear the voice of the Lord we have been like wilde creatures all our dayes that though he hath been calling and going after some of us this twenty or thirty years yet he could not come nigh to speak with us charm the charmer never so wisely till he shall bind us in fetters and hold us in the cords of affliction that we cannot get away and then will he open the ear to discipline I know many of you have had calls again and again and been made to say sure It is the voyce of my Beloved but we would not rise nor hear the call out to this very day not come to do it and if we are not brought to this we are miserable c Thus have I opened to you the several circumstances bâ—longing to hearing and first you are to hear who it is that speaks to know the Lords voyce Now to bring it to use 1 Iâ—quire do you believe that it is indeed the Lord that calls and invites and speaks now to you else why hear you if it be only man that speaks wherein is he to be accounted off What are mans promises what are mans threats buâ— if you are indeed convinced as I know some of you are that it is the Lords voyce then why obey we not if we are fully set down in our consciâ—ncâ—s that it is the Lord that speaks then we must nâ—eds come to one of these two points 1. Either to do and anâ—wer the thing called for from us by God or else 2. To lie under our guilt and shame and accept of the punishment and bow under the hand If the Lord spâ—ak â—o this purpâ—se to any soul why thou knowest not yet the latter end what shall become of thee for ever what â—â—pes bear thee up what livest thou upon why takest thou any câ—nâ—ent in any thing till this thing be opened If this be his voyce why then hear it and obey it own thy condition as it is take thy place quietlâ— when he calls Friend sit down lower Certainly you will all be called to the touchstone God will search and see the bottom of things how they stand the word wiâ—l come to shâ—w our shortness that we are not yet brought to that Reign of Christ all power and auâ—horitâ— and rule is not put down in us but yet our wills and huntings of heart and self-loving Principles live and rule Doth the voyce say thus why hear it and obey it bow under
but saith Paul I would to God you did reign viz. that it were such a reigne as would last and hold Now who spake he to not to the rude world nor to the ignorant but such as he had in his heart to live and dye with such as he had espoused to Christ the match was made but not the thing done they were not wrought off from all things nor wrought up to that one husband into the minde of Christ though out of a light instruction and choice the thing was owned and approved And here the man gets peace and ease and liberty is free from guilt and torments and perplexities the man can goe on either hand if a mind to God and Truth thither he can turn if a mind to the Creatures he can turn thither the door is open and he can suck sweet from every thing his wayes are all washt in butter smooth soft and easie And here saith David my mountain was so strong I said I shall never be moved here the man sits as a King this is his day of reigning But II. There is another dispensation follows a time of the Devils reign this is a sad and wofull change Another king arises which knows not Joseph the man when he was King he knew God and owned truth and joyned it with him in his Kingdom though yet in the throne Pharaoh will sit above the man was uppermost in all But now another king rises that will not know Joseph and he deals cruelly with Israel then the hard Task-masters and cruel burdens come he will know nothing but his own will and lust and cruelty And Wo to the inhabitants of the world when the devil comes down to reign amongst them when Jeroboam reigns that makes Israel sin And how often have our fathers been at sore pinches and cried out in bitterness of soul when this time of the devils reign was upon them It is a woful kingdom indeed a cruel reign And these seven Woes lie up in it 1. One Wo is that he is a strong man How have our fathers owned his might and cried out under it Thou hast delivered me saith David from my STRONG enemy for he was too strong for me And again My enemies live and they are MIGHTY And Hezekiah cries out Lord I am opprest undertake for me And again We have no might against this GREAT HOST Alas when the man compares but himself to him what a Nothing is he to this great Goliah but as a fly a worm a gnat a stripling and he a man of war from his youth And here the heart sinks and dies at the very thoughts of dealing with him Was he but an ordinary enemy that might be matched any ways and the thing but feasible to fight with him then Man would have some hope but alas he carries all before him Shall not one be cast down at the very sight of him as 't is said of the Leviathan who was a type of the devil Iron is counted as rotten wood to him he laughs at the shaking of a spear Who is able to deal with this monstrous Leviathan If ever you but begin to reason and tamper the matter with him you are certainly foiled and worsted he will surely get beyond you 't is in vain to contend with him But let him vaunt and boast and rail on the Kings commandment is not to answer a word that 's the way Truth points us to to be still and lie under and say with Christ This is your hour and the power of darkness Until we can go out against him as David did in the Name of the Lord let us never stir though he come and vaunt himself and reproach Israel fourty days yet there is no other way but with Hezekiah to spread the Letter before the Lord and cry under the misery 2. He is not onely strong but a thorowout malignant enemy maliciously set and bent to destroy all truth exalts himself above all that is called God root and branch he strikes at all he deals as Herod who killed all the children from two yeers old and upward that he might be sure to meet with the childe Jesus and not let him escape So this malicious enemy kills every budding and springing of God in the soul he kills all the light kills the single love kills all the good desires that not so much as a right word or desire or groan may live and in all this his aim is utterly to destroy the Truth the principle of God sown in the soul Alas he cares not else if he can but kill the little spark of the Spirit of life he cares not what else passes by and lives Let us hear and meet together and eat and trade and take ease and content this is not the thing he is set against so but to smite the king of Israel onely that is his plot that was the wicked counsel of Ahithophel to kill David onely and bring all the people back to Absalom Neither small nor great doth he strike at but the King onely he cares not what lives so the Lord Christ the Truth the Seed of life the Heart and Minde of God may die in us Such a height of wickedness is in him that nothing else will content him but the death of all that would be a Lord over him a controuler a King this Herod cannot bear That which sits in the kings gate and will not bow to him that resolved Truth that will not fall down and worship the Idol nothing will content Haman but the death of this though he get Decrees against all the Jews though invited to the Queens banquet and sit next the King yet nothing will content him whilst this Mordecai lives that Seed of God that root of the matter that which will not stoop and buckle to him that he aims at and his fingers itch to cut off this name of Israel for ever And Oh what a Wo is this to be under such a cruel malicious enemy that would not give a moments respite not so much as a little breathing-time for the Truth not a little hope not a little desire not the least stirring of an inclination but he 's upon it presently if it were possible to stop every chink that the smoaking flax might not have the least vent but be utterly extinct and quenched 3. A third great Wo lies in this that he hath a time and power given him of God to afflict and try God allows it and gives him leave to strike Job This is YOVR HOVR saith Christ an hour was given them And God saith I will cause them to pass under the rod. And 't is said in the Psalms He TVRNED the hearts of their enemies to hate them He gives him his time and commission to rend and tear waste spoil and imprison and none can call him to account for it his Commission will bear him out Alas what a day is this In the time when the Man reigned he promised himself
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
of the society out of hearing as not to have the blessing that runs in these In hearing ye shall hear and not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive What a misery is this and are not we thus an outcast outed from the favourable presence of the Almighty outed from the love and hearts of one another the Court of heaven hath excluded us and our own Land casts us out we presently become a burthen to our selves and each other and live only among harlots and thieves and murtherers the strange lustings and iniquities of our own hearts who of you can say that word with spirit and courage Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem Who of us is joyned to ano her Who lives in counsell love and the true one-heartedness Who stands not alone Whose Soul sits not down in its bonds and is turned out to the wide World of temptations trialls and discouragements 2. Another misery of these Lepers is that they are all unclean and overspread with Leprosie not only shut out of the City but they must come near none to have any relief They were to carry a cloth before their mouths lest their breath should touch upon any and so infect them so loathsome and noysome was the disease upon them and how truly is this our present condition How do we spoil and infect one another with our very words we cannot speak the least word but a Selfish taint runs in it and is ready to infect whoever it lights upon either to sink their spirits with faintings about the difficulty of the way or to stir them to frowardness or move Jealousies One mischief or other comes from this loathsome Leprosie that selfish base taint that runs in all so that they as many as are sensible know and the Lord knows that we sometimes know not which way to turn us to speak a word or do an action or breathe a Breath without spreading a taint and infection in it and therefore Job cryes out at the last I will lay my hand upon my mouth I will speak no more I will be among the Lepers and cry unclean unclean Do you not see this thing I speak of Do you not â—eâ—l how you harm and grieve and infect one another and that ever we should be cured and made to speak a word in season to strengthen and help forward one another this seems wonderfull but yet it is possible If he will he can make us clean and Lepers such as we are have been cured but Lepers we are at present wholly polluted and unclean that is certain 3. Yet farther They were now under a miserable Famine you may see at what a strange price an Asses head was sold and Doves dung and how they eat their own children a woman cryes to the King Help O King this woman and I made a bargain to eat my Son to day and her Son to morrow and we boyled my Son eat him and now she hath hid her Son c. 2 Kings 6.28 29. a miserable Famine surely and when Elijah prophecied of plenty that should be to morrow one of the Nobles on whom the King leaned looks upon it as such an impossible case that he says If God should make windows in heaven can this thing be All shews the Famine was very sore in the Land and this was l ke to undo them were there no other miseries at all upon them Famine is the most miserable languishing uncomfortable death that can be They that dye by the Sword saith Jeremy are better then they that dye by the Famine O what a strange force is there in hunger How will it turn all upside down This at last buckles the Prodigall to the Dust when nothing could touch him and how truly is this Famine seised upon us Not a Famine of bread but of the word of the Lord. How doth the countenance fall and wax pale because of the Famine upon our spirits there is no bread to be found to strengthen mans heart no oyl to anoint his face to make a chearfull countenance I could ask all of you How long it is since you met with a word of power and vertue that strengthened and gave life to your souls and set you upon your legs to walk on in your journy chearfully and resolvedly Sure when you awake you will be sensible how lean and poor you are you have had so much hitherto provided and brought to you as hath just kept life and Soul together that you are not quite famished and so had these Lepers they were alive yet through all I but what strange shifts were they put to by the Famine made to eat Doves Dung and boyl their own children strange unnaturall wayes to keep a Life by and do not we use as hard shifts Are not you made often to eat your own children to eat that which is born of your own flesh comes out of your own Bowels your own wisdom and reason and counsell as David cries out How long shall I take counsell in my own heart c. We have no other food to live on now and that we turn to rather then we will starve that which once we scorned and condemned and judged as Job saith That which my Soul refused to touch is made my sorrowfull meat We have no other stay and refreshing then these dry Husks and it is a wonderfull thing that we are not yet dead with such unsavoury meat It was a sore day of Famine with Job when all was taken from him all his friends and children and wife and servants and cattle and he sits on the Dunghill to scrape himself and is cast off by all that he cryes out My breath stinks and is corrupt my breath is strange to the wife of my bosome This is a strange turn for one who had seen so flourishing a day and if you have never known plenty you cannot so sensibly know want but if you have indeed tasted of the rivers the brooks of honey and Butter as Job speaks if you have ever tasted that the Lord is gracious and then come to be denyed that will be the sore Famine indeed Oh how flourishing and green have we been in our young dayes what powers and breakings of heart upon us How could we have run barefoot and broke through all blocks in our way to meet with the truth but now how is all dead and stupid and clung within the inwards are shut up that nothing can go down nor come to the heart to strengthen and nourish but we dye and pine famish and walk about like shadows without any true life and motion It was misery enough to sit by the rivers of Babylon and remember Zion to them that were sensible of the loss they weep to think of Zion but now to be an outcast from Israel and all overspread with the Leprosie too to have a loathsom disease sticking that the breath must be stopt and kept from all society this
destruction but like the Smiths dog sleep quietly though the sparks fly about your ears the words of the Curse and the words of the Blessing all are alâ—ke nothing seiseth and this is your great misery that you cannot come near your selves to enquire how is it A deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot possibly come to that word to say is there not a lye in my right hand Isa 44.20 But now you that are made sensible and know where you stand and cry for bread to eat somewhat that may cure and heal and satisfie you every where you that are under the sense and pain of this felt-want and misery you clearly know these two things 1. You see how an evill taint hath gone along with you all your dayes from your childhood which you never yet were cured of and if you be not cured it will surely undo you And then 2. We are under the sense of the great thing we are short of of knowing the very inward mind and heart of God towards us how we stand in that eternall favour of his acceptance for till we shall have a clear and full certainty what these everlasting thoughts of God concerning us are whatever else we have had or may have of powers inlargings refreshings and operations of truth yet all will be too short to satisfie and set down our Souls we must still lie as the Lepers here did at a peradventure and hazard with our Lives in our hands They can but kill us c. We know not what the end will be how God will deal whether save or destroy but all our Life long we shall stand in fear of death till we are freed from him that hath the power of Death till we are satisfied by an everlasting witness of good-will towards us and that nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ and to have the sense of this shortness upon us sure it would make us stir and look about us I wonder truly how you can passe over a day a night an hour and let the case lie at such uncertainties and that you are not alwayes crying out with these Lepers If we sit here we dye if we are not freed from this selfish taint from an evil heart that hath ever been nursed up with us that will surely be our ruine and if we are not in that eternall Good will of God favoured and accepted that love which still cover a multitude of sinnes and never fail but save to the utmost if we are not found written in this book of life we surely perish And can we lie in this miserable condition to be outcasts Leprous under a sore Famine beset round with an Host of enemies from within and without for do you not see and know how the world are up and stirred against us if it be possible to break us in pieces from being a people yet have we no sense nor feeling of all this II. I told you a second thing in generall to be considered was not only the present misery these Lepers lie under but the hopeless condition of any way or means to help them They are at their wits ends If we sit here we dye if go into the City we dye if fall into the Host of our enemies we can but dye c. which implies they could promise and expect no other thing And thus are our souls hemmed in with straits on all hands If we sit where we are we certainly know and feel we are short and perish and if we turn back to the world and draw back from the place Truth hath brough us up unto there we are sure to perish and if we go on an host of enemies is before us what shall we do in this Case There are three things which Truth hath surely led us up to and if we go back again and turn in any of those Cases we are sure to fall short and dye 1. As I told you we are brought to a true light and information of our present misery in what a wretched polluted leprous case we stand what a base selfish taâ—nt is with us in all our way how short we are of the life of God and if we shall turn back from this the heart be left to reason and plead and blind it self saying sure I am not so miserable the case is not so bad as I may judge c. and so shuffle away and get off the strait This is to be undone that is certain 2. We are informed in the great thing we want that without a clear and certain witness from heaven sealed upon our spirits of the everlasting thoughts of Good will towards us that nothing else can be enough to stay and settle our Souls this we are come to to see nothing short of this will serve and this there is a true close to and cry for at times in our minds in our inward man However we are led captive yet all along the eye is open to see what we want and if here we shall be left to turn back and reason with flesh and blood and say all reach not to the same pitch why may not we be saved though we are not led up so far as some others if we get off the strait thus and turn to carelessness and security this is the way also surely to perish 3. We are brought to a Proclamation of and have begun to enter into a killing and self-denying way the Proclamation hath sounded to leave all things and take up the Crosse and follow Truth not to please our selves not to take content or sit down in any of the creatures not to have a Kingdom in this world but to walk always as strangers and pilgrims seeking another country this we have chosen according to our Light and this we have professed to the world and if we shall be left to fall back here and say This is a hard saying who can bear it to be ever dying to be killed all the day long c. and so shall turn again to vanity to the beggarly elements to make a Captain go back to Egypt to turn with the dog to the vomit c. I say to be left to this is a certain token of being undone Many of you might have dyed in peace and been truly saved formerly short of this conversation before the Light came up and the thing was called for to leave all but now to resist and withstand the light that arises in your day to rebell against the Lords call this is certainly to be undone and therefore if the Lord help you not out and bring you not up to the next step and buckle your hearts to the dust and make you lie under and submit to the hand and venture your lives and say Let him do what seemeth him good without you come to this you are undone if you shall make a Captain to return into Egypt then remember what befell He sware in his wrath that
false they were sent to be their Guides and Deliverers to bring thâ—m to the good Land But the Lyars mouth was open and this Christ is made to submit to to have his Life taken from him unjustly and without cause 4. Another Thing Christ submits to when he says Thy Will be done is to be put to the worst and shamefullest death of all The Circumstances aggravate the Death 1. He is crucified among two Thieves as one of that company guilty as they He is numbered with transgressors The Truth suffers as guilty though it be clear as Deceivers and yet true saith Paul Truth suffers between the Man and the Devil they are the two Thieves The Devil he is the great Thief he steals to himself Lordship and Power and to sit in the seat of God and to be Disposer of things He brags and vaunts All this will I give if thou wilt fall down and worship c. Alas they are none of his goods Then the Man he is a Thief too he steals a little hope and ease and rest a little release of his burthen when it presses very sore and this Thief steals for his want to satisfie his hunger and therefore he may be saved with Christ But between these two the Truth must dye as one of that number as a sinner and transgressor We have looked amiss as if the man only and the Devil were to suffer but the Truth in us because clear therefore that might scape No no that must suffer and lead the way to the man or else he alas can never suffer nor go through death But the good shepherd when he puts forth his own sheep he goes before them He suffers first and drinks the first cup. But 2. Where do they crucifie him Out of the City out of the place of blessing and carry him to the place of a skull as one of the Evangelists hath it a field of blood as another calls it but by both it appears to be a loathsom unworthy disgraceful place a place of filth and rottenness Out of the belly of Hell have I cryed unto thee c. No better a lodging for the Soul in this day then the belly of Hell it self and this Christ submits to 3. Yet further The Souldiers part his garments among them And truly this is a very sad case to consider How the Lusts that crucified the Truth yet they will divide its garments and put them on and they 'l be covered with a garb and covering of Truth The wisdom of the flesh that puts in for a share the hasty and eager zeal and affections they plead for a share the strange imaginations they plead a share and all will seem to be Friends to Truth notwithstanding they have but now put it to death yet they part his garments among them And this is a sad case to the sensible Soul that is bereaved of the Life of its Truth and of the garments also that hath lost all such a Soul can cry out bitterly with Mary They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have layd him 5. Yet further He submits to be left and forsaken of all his Friends His Disciples left him and fled Might he but have had them to stick to him in this day of his calamity it had been a great support and stay but they all leave him and are scattered every one to his own And herein lies a sore aggravation of misery if your Souls can read it that now in this woful day when all these woes are upon the back and press the Soul to death almost yet this must come in to add to all the rest That all the good that ever the Soul hath done and thought and laboured in the Truth all is now scattered and leaves it What ever it hath done singly and honestly and out of the good-will sown in its heart towards the Truth all the labours under the Sun now take their leave and seem vanity and vexation of spirit And here Christ cries out I have spent my labour in vain time will come you will forget that ever you had a good thought or a good word or did any thing for the Truth all wil leave you and be gone when now your Souls can sometimes hold on the innocency and single mindedness within and truly pray to be remembred according to that inward cleanness yet a day will come when all this will be laid aside and forgotten I forgot prosperity saith David and in another place he compares himself to the Dead that are forgotten for ever How had Christ once his Disciples about him and ready to his command when he sent out the Seventy two by two and now to be left of all and not one to stand by him this is a hard Trial and if it were not hid from the Soul if it could foresee what a day of Scattering of all its good and labours would come upon it as though they had not been it would discourage and make it flag in all its actings for God if it thought such a day of stripping all were to come They pierced my hands and my Feet saith Christ His Hands that had laboured in the Truth and his Feet that had ran the way of his Commandments These are now nailed fast to the Cross and he is not able to stir them The day will come when your Souls will hate all the Labours you have taken under the Sun when that Strait shall be upon you to crie out My God My God Why hast thou forsaken me Mark what I say for the day will surely come upon you and then all your Works and Labours will leave you All the good that ever hath passed upon you will not stand you instead in that day nor answer that Strait O Lord how is my Soul troubled when I feel how senselesse you are and far off from having the thing seise upon you indeed But it will surely come and then you will remember what hath been told you this Condition will befall you to be left alone as Christ complains Lover and Friend hast thou put far from me and my acquaintance into darkness 6. Another misery greater then all is this His father hides his face from him he seems to forsake him and become an enemy that he cries out my God my God c. My God he can yet say but not my father he hath hid himself from the house of Jacob all the bowels are hid But why must this befall Christ that his father leaves him 1. He hides himself that he may not see the death of his childe the father cannot endure that and therefore he turns aside and hides his face his bowels and tenderness and puts on another habiâ— Cloaths himself with vengeance as with a garment when this work of death must pass then he seems all anger and hardens himself against the cries and tears of his Son then he comes with Refiners fire now the fire that hath no mercy