and Devils let all now rejoyce now let the Song of Moses be sung again Revel 15.3 Great and merveilous are thy work Lord God almighty just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints Who shall not feare thee give glory to thee and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy and all Nations shall come and worship thee for thy judgements are manifest How glad was Israel when David had slaine and spoiled Goliah O friend this David was a tipe of our David our Christ who hath foyld and slaine all for his Israel Let her therefore be glad and rejoyce in God her Saviour yea let her rejoyce now with Timbrell and Harp let the high praises be had in their mouthes and let them sing aloud his praises who hath now redeemed them from off the earth out of every kindred tongues and nations a people for his praises O Israel created for his praises praise thou the Lord O Jacob formed of God praise thou the Lord O all ye Saints of his praise him day and night O all ye Angels Archangels Cherubims and Seraphims praise ye the Lord for he hath magnified you Seventhly this sitting down in the throne of Christ or Gods glory denotes abiding we bid friends sit down when we would have them abide With us so by this sitting in the throne of Christ it denotes that Christ is willing thou shouldest abide and sit with him for ever I remember Peter having but a glimps of Moses and Elias glory in the mount saith thus to Christ O Master let us build here Tabernacles marke Peters desire was sure to live and die here O precious Christian thou shalt live and never die in this mount Sion where thou shalt see Moses and Elias again yea ten thousand times ten thousand glorious Saints as well as with as many Angels and God and Christ excelling all ten thousand times over and over again now Peter how much better will this be then thy wish to sit down in the glory of this God and throne of Christ One thing saith David I have desired of the Lord That I might dwell all the dayes of my life in thy house to behold the beauty of thy temple this is the wish of every gracious heart as well as Davids but here is more promised far more then this wish namely an abiding not onely in the house of God but a sitting in the glory of God with Christ where thou shalt sit time time out of minde Christ will never bid that soul sit up whom he once sets down in his throne Christ tels his Disciples because I live ye shall live also John 17. As if Christ should have said I cannot live without you and whilst I have a throne I must have your company O christian wert thou to be in heaven a few moments it would be a reward sufficient for all thou didst or ever sufferedst for Christ O happy christian thou shalt sit not onely moments but dayes moneths nay years nay ages yea more then ages as much longer then ages as all ages are longer then one moment one bare moment time shall be no more nor sin be no more nor sorrow shall be no more but thou shalt remain and be for ever with Christ in the throne of Christ O saith Daniel his Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome so may I say his throne is an everlasting throne David saith Though the heavens be changed and rouled up like a scrowle yet thou remainest the same so may I say of this throne O happy christian Princes would thinke themselves happy might they but sit but a few days more then ordinary in their thrones to reign in glory O friends Christ saith He that overcommeth shall sit with me in my throne as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his throne so that thou shalt sit with Christ and reigne as it were within the eternity of Christ O eternity O eternity when I think on thee how is times and worlds swallowed up and lost like little rivers in the ocean how are joyes griefs and sorrowes swallowed up by thee O Eternity like little fishes by the whales here one age passeth and another commeth all mouldering into eternity like flesh to dust here saith Paul we have noe abiding city but we have one to come aluding to what Christ hath promised O that can never be shaken all things here are and must be shaken yea the earth and heavens as Paul speaketh We see it we see it how are all earthly Monarchs shaken now in our dayes O me thinks Christ is now a shaking all powers in the world do not you see it nay do not you see them fall like our ripe fruit truely me thinks I see Christ hewing down Kings and Princes with a voice as loud as thunder crying room room for my selfe and my Gospel O how have these kingdomes been shaking and the mighty men overturned overturned by the voice which is still abroad thundring that the world round about may heare and make room for Christ and his Gospel and all that will embrace it but the heavens must be shaken the heavens that cover this earth and the heavens that covers Gods glory the glory of his free grace in Jesus Christ I mean mans righteousnesse that is now a shaking by the Spirit of the Lord by proclaiming Christ and his righteousuesse to the worst of sinners Men have thought by way of works to find life and salvation neglecting Christ at least in part by resting as it were on two propes Christ and their own works but know this Christ is all and now will be all or nothing at all your former Popish ignorance he winked at but now he wills that all men repent of this sinne self-conceitednesse O! Christ must be all in all but I shall step a little aside the thing I aime at is to tell you what that is that remaines and cannot nor shall ever be shaken by men or devils well heaven and earth must be but these two things cannot be First The righteousnesse of Christ in which he clothes sinners yea the worst of sinners that comes to him and makes them Saints O sinner sinner come to Christ honour him by comming and he will honour thee by giving his righteousnesse unto thee O this righteousnesse is the long white Robe in which all the Saints are clothed Revelations Sinner come and take this Robe come yee may have it come it is free yee may have it come it is free to all yea free to all that will accept it O come then come sinners all sorts of sinners high low rich poore young old bound free but if yee do not come then remember this I say remember this yee shall cry one day to the rocks and mountaines to fall on you and runne to the dennes and caves to hide your naked soules naked for want of Christs righteousness which yee once refused Secondly As the righteousness of Christ cannot be shaken so the throne
though all in vain but as these men have lived without him all their lives so must they die without him too for I believe he will scarce own thē now who never regarded him before but yet as I said at first so I doe conclude there is comfort yea abundant deale of comfort belongs to thy soule or any soule in thy condition and for this read Isaiah 41.17 When the poore and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them and I will open Rivers in the tops of Hils and Fountaines in the midst of the Valleys and in her Wildernesse make pools of water her waste places Springs of water Marke this sweet and full promise when the poore and needy seeke water and there is none their tongues cleaveth for thirst Friend this Promise is to thee as sure as the Lord lives and such as thee for marke when the poore and needy seek water art not thou poor yes it was thy very objection against thy selfe O saidst thou I am a poore soule and doe not know when I dranke of the water of life and so forth Well thy very complaint doth argue thee a needy soule yea thou seest the need of Christ yea absolute need of Christ for thou seest thy soule undone without him and this need of Christ makes thee so complaine after Christ Well Is it not so yes truly my soule stands in need of Christ and is a thirst as David speaketh Yea it panteth for Christ like the Heart after the water Brooks in a barren wildernesse so panteth my soule after him whom my soule thirsteth for Truly friend you must learne to beleeve that that shall be which seemes most unlikely to be so did Abraham he beleeved in hope against hope and obtained the promise O poore complaining sinner beleeve this promise of God to thy soul so much against hope and reason I say beleeve God will not onely give thee the water thou desirest of him but will open rivers of water in the tops of the Hils and Fountains in the valleys Well friend you see here is Gods Promise to open up to a soul a river of water in Christ who is the hill of our salvation therefore saith David I will looke to the hils from whence commeth my salvation or I will open rivers in the tops of the hils that is I think poore soules that are as far from any springs of consolation as tops of hils are from springs of water but I will open fountains in low grounds or spirits in humble soules that is the vallies here meant O friend beleeve thou this that the Lord will open fountaines of living water by making peace or joy or comfort flow like living fountaines in thy soule I say beleeve this Promise which shall be fulfilled in its season and then shalt thou sing and say Sing yee waste places of the earth for the Lord hath comforted his people by making her wildernesse become a Pool and her wast land springs of waters But why is the Spirit compared to a river I Iohn saw a pure river of water Why is it for these and such like reasons I think First reason is a river is strong and powerfull no stopping a river but it will overflow yee know if yee stop a river it will do so so are the workings of Gods Spirit in his people see in Daniel in whom they would have stopped the Spirit of prayer by the ungodly decree of the King but see how Daniels spirit rises like a River and now he will call upon his God with more boldnesse then before Many would have in our dayes dammed up this river by a Form of prayer but O these men are drownd these foolish men are carried clean away like dry leaves by a mighty Land-flood and what the Spirit is in prayer the same it is in preaching to a strong river see in Peter who was forbid by the Scribes and Pharisees to preach Christ but saith he I cannot but must speak the things of Christ Many have in our dayes paid dear for their boldnesse this way Secondly how powerfull is this river in its conviction when it runs in a way of discovering Sin and wrath who can stand before it truly none it bears down young and old strong and stout yea oakes and ceders as well as strawes Doth this spirit like a flood beare away when it runs in a way of conviction See in the Gaoler who I am perswaded was a stubborn crabbed knave see how he abuseth the poore Disciples over-night even fleaed the skin off their backs well the same night the flood breaks in upon his Spirit and he cryes out what shall I do to be saved to the Disciples Poore souls they tell this fellow notwithstanding their usage how he may escape drowning by wrath and sinne and so Paul was overturned by this river and carried back to Damascus like a dead drownd man yea so suddenly did this river break in upon his spirit that he was turned by it like a straw in a whirlwind Thirdly a river is powerfull in its progress a river is of that nature that it beats down all dammes ye can throw up or else overflow as I said before c. So did the Apostles bear down al opposition from threats and scorns scoffes whips stones and the like Fourthly a river is pleasant and delightful ye chuse a river side to walk by whose streames with silence sweetly glides trinkling along and makes the walk delightfull so is the Spirit in its discoveries especially in such as these First the love of Christ which is seen passing by this river or rather looking in this river where you see his love like a circle and your Souls in the midst where is no way in nor out I say by the Spirit ye shall see such a love a love from eternity to eternity thy Soul looking both wayes like Janus two faces especially forward But as his love so his lovelinesse the spirit streaming in the soul presents Christ over and over to the Soul Christ rides in this river as in a barge of State whose various streams sweetly rowes him up and down The spirits of his Saints like a Princes in her barge of pleasure O how lovely is Christ in the Soul when in his glory discovered to the Soul by the Spirit then is he indeed the fairest of ten thousand the chiefest of ten thousand the sweetest of ten thousand yea altogether lovely Thirdly it shows you your union to which you may see walking by this river yea all your relations to Christ and his to you he the vine you the branches he the head you the members he the husband you the spouse I say this union you may see by the Spirit the strength length glory and sweetnesse of it O saith the Spirit thy union is strong O Christian nothing can dissolve or untie it men cannot Devils cannot sinne cannot nay death it self cannot
downe with Christ in the throne of Christ It is said John leaned on the bosome of Christ O loving John O loving Christ to give such priviledge to a bold but loving sweet and humble sinner John John how couldest thou be so bold with Christ thy Lord and Master John t was love within that bosome that drawed thee there to rest and loll as in a lap it was love that drawed thee it was loue that laid thee in that same bosome but yet I say thy privilege far excels in sitting down with Christ in the throne of Christ Christ was in the form of a servant now Lord of all things Christ was then I say on earth with a mean out-side round about him but now surrounded with Angels with his title on his thigh King of kings Lord of lords Christ was then in rags but now cloathed with suns and stars Christ was then God-man unglorified but now glorified of God with that eternall glory of God which Christ had before the world was as Christ speaks John 17. O friends this glory like glistering diamonds sparkles round the heavens dazeling Saints and Angels Well friend is not thy privilidge farre above Johns to sit down with this Christ in his throne and glory side by side as I may so say Fifthly this sitting downe in the throne of Christ and the glory of God denotes honour what an honour is it for a beggar to sit at a Kings table you will say that is a great honour indeed but what is that to thine O gentle sinner to sit with God and Christ in glory Seemes it a small thing saith David to be a Kings son in law O but ye are the King of kings sons and daughters ye are the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21 9. Come saith the Angel I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife nothing draws the eyes of the people to gaze more then the sight of the Bride and the Bridegroom Was the queen of Sheba so taken with Solomons glory that she cried out O happy are these that tend thee O Solomon Angels and Archangels will be taken with thy glory when this marriage shall be solemnized before the Father It was a question once What shall be done to the man whom the King will honour and delight in But I ask what shall be done to the man whom the King of kings delighteth to honour first he shall be arayed in pure white linnen which is the rigteousnesse of the Saints as in Revel He shall be cloathed with the Sun and trample the Moon under his feet I know the Saints shining forth in Christ are able in some measure to trample these changeable things by living farre above them in an unchangeable God by the Spirit of Christ living in them but so far as they are flesh they are apt to mixe themselves with these things below not knowing their majesty nor glory forgetting their descent but time is a comming that they shall know God know as they are known they shall know God with all his attributes and glory yea they shall know themselves with the glory designed for them Christ sayes John 17. The glory thou hast given me I have given them that we may be one O Father One part of Christs glory is this that the Father hath appointed the Son to judge the world and in this respect Christ will honour his Saints know ye not saith Paul that the saints shall judge Angels and men here they look like poor shrimps as they are cloathed with rags and flesh but when Christ shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory as the Apostle John speaketh O this appearance shall confound the world as soon as Christ hath confounded the world with his own and his Saints glorious appearing to the world then shall he sit downe in glory to rest himselfe as it were satisfied in the finishments of all his works and the Saints shall sit down by Christ as well pleased with Christ and all his works what an honour is this Well this honour all his Saints shall have Thy name O Lord it above the heavens saith David and as his name so his Saints too in seating them above Angels as taken into union with Christ and set down in the Throne of Christ What joy feasting musick is there at your Princes marriage dayes when solemnized O but when the Bridegroome and his Spouse the Bride the Lambs Wife shall sit down to solemnize that eternall match made up in the everlasting purpose and counsell of God the Father long before all worlds or the Foundations of them O what songs then what joy what praises shall Angels sing with lightsome hearts Yea I say Angels and this too shall they count their heaven and happinesse O thou melancholy Saint tossed with afflictions what thinkst thou of this day tell me tell me true sure thou dost not mind this if thou didst thou couldst never complain of wants losses if thou didst mind this day indeed this endlesse day when heaven shall ring with shouts and praises unto the Lord and unto the Lambe by Saints and Angels as with one voice Doth a little Instrument sweetly touchd take and charme the eare and Siren-like kill all other delights at least for present O how shall thy soul be taken yea taken and charmed to heare the Songs of praises unto the Lord unto the Lambe in that same day unto the Lord O that must needs have a sweet melodie in it which must touch and take that eare which made that eare by which weheare If all the skilfullest Musitions in the world should meet with every one the sweetest Instruments that could be thought on with all Solomons Singers yea and ten thousand more to them I say if all these should meet to try their skill and straine their voyces yet would the Songs the Praises of one bare Saint or Angel as farre excell them all for sweetnesse as they excell the Asses braying and if so what sweetnesse will there be when ten thousand times ten chousands of Saints with as many Angels shall all joyne as with one voice to sing their praises unto the Lamb O Christ how blessed is that soule whom thou wilt to sit in thy Throne to hear these Songs to heare these praises Sixtly This sitting down in the Throne of Christ and the Glory of God denotes joy and triumph It is said at Christs birth Angels and innumerable company of Angels was heard to sing and rejoyce Luke 2.13 Glory to God on high peace and good will to men on Earth Shall not this Song be sung again at that day when Christs marriage shall be solemnized a match of the Fathers own making Surely yea and the twenty four Elders shall sing worship God for ever Revel 18.20 O Heavens doe yee rejoyce and all yee holy Apostles and Prophets too At Israels victory it s said Deborah and Barak sung praises but for Christs victory and his Saints over Worlds Men Sinne Death
of Christ cannot be shaken Daniel saith His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and his Throne is an everlasting Throne and is established for ever saith David Well he that overcomes by Christ shall sit by Christ in this Throne How we overcome I tould you at first namely by Christ the Captaine of our salvation an easie way for thee well O sinner resolve resolve thy selfe what thou wilt doe For surely there are two eternities that all must passe into one with Christ in the Throne of Christ and of this eternity and glory all this that hath beene spoken is but as one Grape of that Bunch which the Spies brought from Canaan for Israel to taste in her journey you who are traveling with your faces Zion ward taste if there be not a sweetnesse in this one Grape this one Promise of Christ in sitting down with Christ in the Throne and Glory of Christ but as for thy resolution I know it I know it very well thou art resolved to live more and more to Christ and the honour of Christ who will thus honour thee by seating thee on his own Throne but for thy resolution I faine would have yea thine O carelesse sinner and if it be not for Christ and the honour of Christ mark me well what I say thy eternity shall not be with Christ no nor the Saints of Christ but quite contrary with Devils Zim and Ohim and damned spirits in dreadfull flames and utter darknesse but I hope thou wilt be wise and change thy resolution or else O all that love thee mourne mourne mourne for thee Revel 21. v. 1. And I John saw the holy city the new Jerusalem come downe from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride trimmed for her husband MAny glorious things did this young bosome beloved disciple see in the chap. 20. v. 11. He saw Christ sitting on his throne in Iudicature and in v. 12. The dead both small and great standing before him and the books opened which I conceive to be the consciences of men by which he judges all according to their works and in the 13. v. it is said The Sea Death and Hell give up their dead and in conclusion all was cast into the lake that was not found in the book of life which book of life I conceive to be Christ or the foreknowledge or purpose of God in Christ And now in the 1. verse of this chap. he saw a new representation of all things as a new Heaven and a new earth and of this Isaiah speaks chap. 66. v. 22. and chap. 65. v. 17. and here again Rev. 21. I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth was passed away and there was no more sea which denotes trouble O christian the time is comming when sea and trouble sin and sorrow shall be no more for ever and now in the 2. v. he tels us of the holy city new Ierusalem comming down out of heaven from God prepared as a Bride trimmed for her husband I Iohn saw c. From whence observe briefly that God makes his divine and glorious discoveries to some singular men to Abraham to Moses to Iacob to Daniel to a Paul to a Iohn as in these words Secondly I Iohn saw the holy city too he saw many glorious things and this city amongst the rest From whence observe where God makes one divine discovery he will go on to make more and more still till at last he shewes them his own face and glory and they shall see my face saith God Revel 22. verse 4. Thirdly I Iohn saw how didst thou see by a divine discovery of Christ O all discoveries of this nature are from Christ and the Spirit but when was this discovery to him on the Lords day as chap. 1. v. 10. on the Lords day that is on that day when the Lord Christ took Iohn up in a trance to shew him all those glorious things which he saith Blessed are they that read or hear these things I blessed are they indeed that ever they were born whose eyes and eares Christ hath so opened as to see and understand the misterie herein which the blind bats and carnall world neither doe nor can see till God enlighten them by his Spirit Fourthly I Iohn saw the holy city new Ierusalem the Prophet Isaiah speaks chap. 64.16 of a holy city which lay wast v. 26. of a city which had salvation for wals and bulwarks But briefly the holy city Iohn speaks of here is that new Ierusalem of which old Ierusalem was but a type and yet that Ierusalem which was but a type of this city was the glory of the whole world the only city in the world yea called the city of the great King For first it was the figure of the everlasting city of God and therefore called Salem a place of peace wherein the Priests of God reigned it was setled on four mountaines mount Sion mount Moriah the two chief on mount Sion Dauids house stood and it was called mount Sion because it was a type of the highest heaven or habitation of Almighty God from which throne or habitation he descended in Christ to this lower Ierusalem and became our Redeemer to bring us into the highest Mount his eternall glory in mount Sion the highest heavens And now for mount Moriah it is as much to say the Lords mirrhe as ministers do interpret which signifieth our Lord Christ which is the true mirrhe and a sweet smelling sacrifice unto God yea a stedfast rock and unmoveable foundation whereon Gods Church and Christs members are all built as on a sure foundation as Isaiah 28. and Matth. 16. On this rock I will build my Church saith Christ meaning himself and therefore the gates of hell shall never prevail against it Besides this city had many mountaines round about it mount Olivet was one to which Christ went many times to pray and meditate David saith in one of his Psalmes as the mountaines are round about Ierusalem so the Lord is round about his people and in Ierusalem was Davids house which stood on mount Sion as I said before mount Sion was a great mount in Ierusalem on which David built typing out the Saints safety who are built on Christ Thirdly in Ierusalem was Solomons temple which the Iewes told Christ was fourty yeares a building and this temple was indeed the glorious piece in the whole world for workmanship and riches and in this temple was all the holy things the Ark and the Covenant the Mercy-seat and the Manna the Arke of God was made of Shittim-wood which like the Olivet and the Cipresse are not subject to wormes and putrifaction which did typefie the humane nature of Christ which Dauid saith Psal 16. Thou wilt not suffer to see corruption And in this Ark of Shittim was kept or laid up by Gods appointment the golden pot of Manna Aarons rod and the two tables of commandements as Exod. 25.
this pardon is it not sweet yes saith the sinner sweeter then the honey or the hony-combe O saith a poore soule I blesse God more for this then if he had made me the greatest prince in the world Fourthly it is called a city for her privilidges no city but hath its charter and privilidges at least some distinct from towns and villages O Ierusalem city of our God thy privilidges excell all the worlds who may be compared to thee for privilidges yea peculiar privilidges which no nation but thee can lay hold on nor people in the world neither all the people in the world are Gods by creation but Ierusalem by purchase all the world he feeds and cloaths O Israel who is a people like unto thee shielded by the great God fed by the Manna and watered by the rocks and sheltred by a cloud by day and a pillar of sire by night God in a way of providence keeps all creatures but man especially but Israel and Jerusalem above all who are his choice pieces of silver yea his treasure and jewels now treasure you know men will keep choicer then that which is but ordinary parents will let farthings and counters lie about for their children to play with but who will leave jewels carelesly here and there in common places no men are wise and will lay up their precious stones in choice cabbenets and so doth God he layes his up in his cabbenet of providence and charges his Angels with these jewels or sons of Sion more precious then jewels or choice silver either and in this particular he is said to keep them as a man keepeth the apple of his eye and is as tender over them as a father so saith David as a father pittieth his children so pittieth the Lord them that fear him O happy and blessed people pittied saved and kept by God I will keep thee every moment yea every moment in the den yea every moment in the furnace and every moment in all houres and seasons night and day death and judgement in times of troubles warres and judgement yea closset them in raines I house them like Noah in the Arke and in famine feed them like Elisha by the raven yea what shall I say I will be a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day yea a sun and shield as David speaks and sure defence too And now who art thou that forgettest the Lord thy maker and fearest the man or the son of man who is as the grasse of the field and shall die But in the fifth and last place the Church is compared to a city because the Spirit is as a river feeding of it O saith David He feeds me in green pastures and leads me by the still waters this he speaks of concerning the Spirit if the foundation be removed what can the righteous do There is a river the streames thereof shall make glad the city of God Psalm 46.4 O this Spirit streaming in and by thee presents Christ over and over to thy soul in all his lovelinesse and this must needs make glad the city a people of God Nothing is the Spirit oftner compared to then the waters when the poor and needy seeks waters I the Lord will heare and open rivers in the tops of the mountains this is a prophesie of the Spirits powring out to poore and thirsty who do apprehend themselves farre from the water of consolation I will powre out my Spirit saith God by the prophet Ioel and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie that is they shall be enabled to open the Scriptures mysteries But now why is it called a holy city The Scripture speaks of a two fold holinesse First a holinesse of things Secondly a holinesse of persons First a holinesse of things in foure or five respects First things are said to be holy by way of dedication or consecration so the bowls of the temple are said to be holy and all the vessels of the temple too Secondly things are said to holy by way of simulation or figure so was the Arke the brasen serpent Aarous rod and the Manna which did figure and similie out Christ Thirdly things may be said to be holy by way of calling so was the Priests office it was a holy calling be holy ye that beare the vessels of the Lord. Fourthly things may be said to be holy by way of rule or precept so the word of God the law of God is holy as Paul saith though I be sinfull yet the law is holy and just and good though I be carnall Fifthly things may be said to be holy by way of comparation so Ierusalem is called the holy city because the holy God was worshipped in it though it were in it selfe a sinfull city But secondly persons may be said to be holy likewise And first by way of creation so the fallen Angels were made holy and Adam too in his first creation God created man upright but he found out many inventions Secondly persons may be said to be holy by way of calling so the Priests Prophets Apostles and Patriarchs O saith Paul the holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost in them Thirdly men may be said to be holy by the inherent holinesse of God in them having the holy Spirit of God in them purifying of them and now they may be well said to be holy in these respects first comparing themselves with themselves formerly they walked in darknesse and lived in sin and nature but now in light by the Spirit who tels them they are none of their own but redeemed of Christ to whom they live as Paul saith if I live I live to Christ and if I die I die to Christ O happy change from sin and Satan to God and Christ Secondly men may be said to be holy comparing themselves with others whose lives lies and wallows in all pollution Paul speaks of some who were drunkards covetous filthy unclean sinners and such were some of you but now you are washed and cleansed Lastly and chiefly men may be said to be holy by way of imputation having the holines or righteousnes of God imputed to them he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5.21 And in this sence the whole church of God is holy having the holinesse or righteousnesse of Christ imputed to her and in this sence she is said to be holy even as Christ is holy But thirdly why is this Ierusalem called new Ierusalem for three or four reasons First in respect of creation Secondly in respect of declaration Thirdly in respect of reparation First in respect of creation so you call a thing new that is newly made what is so a building is called new because it is newly set up in this respect Ierusalem is called new Ierusalem because God hath set it up for a building for himselfe or habitation for his owne glory where he will
laying choise and precious strong and stable foundation time and age out lasting foundation heaven earth Saints and Angels foundation Secondly It might be very well called new Ierusalem if you consider her builders old Ierusalem was built by Bricklayers Carpenters and such like crafts-men the choysest of them but thou O new Ierusalem by God Christ and the Spirit therefore art thou said by Paul to be made without hands wee looke for a City whose builder and maker is God thy Husband is thy maker the God of the whole earth shall he be called thy God and he onely none laid one stone in thee but he none found a stone but he no nor stick nor straw as I may so say for he found all in his own eternall purpose O saith God this and this shall be a stone to make me a Ierusalem where I will dwell for evermore but these I will not use throwing millions by which was as likely as any if he had pleased to use them to set his glory of But as God found all so Christ beares all We on him are built saith Paul as a spirituall house unto the Lord built by the Spirit for as God findes all and Christ bears all so the Spirit builds all by his Word and Prophets Fourthly Ierusalem was built for the honour of the Jewish nation but thee O new Ierusalem for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who will shew his glory in thee because his love is set upon thee yea thy very gates more then all the dwellings of Iacob Fiftly Old Ierusalems wals and gates was but common stone but thine O new Ierusalem are built of all manner of pretious stones yea thy very gates are pearle O glorious city thy wals thy gates are precious living stones thy pavements are pure Gold Revel 21.18 O King Solomon where is thy glory all thy glory was but a dark shadow of this glory O Ierusalem city of the great King which he hath built for his Jewels and by his Jewels and the Sons of Sion more pretious then choyse Silver to dwell with him Christ and Angels for ever and ever Sixtly It is called new Ierusalem in respect of her watchmen and keepers O Ierusalem God did once set watchmen on thy wals but did they keep thee nay they could not keep thee they could not save thee for thou wast raced even to the ground But thou O new Ierusalem hath God and Christ within thee Angels round about thee well may thy gates be open day and night Revelations the 21. all safety is in thee all protection round about thee who was wont to be frighted from fears within and dangers round about Seventhly in respect of her light thy light O Ierusalem was not to be compared to thine O new Ierusalem thy light was but sun moon and creatures light but thy light O new Ierulem is this sun Suns and glory Angels are the sun of thy Sun and God is the Sun of Angels and glory too O new Ierusalem the glory of this God in thee is the light of thee the increated glory the uncreated glory O Ierusalem that is thy light therefore is thy light the light of lights and the light of life too the glory of the Lord and of the Lambe in thee are the light of thee O Ierusalem therefore is thy light the light of lights and the light of life too Now thou shalt need light of sun and moon no more no more for ever thou moon give place unto the sun thou sun give place unto the Lambe and unto the Lord for they must shine and ye must out for ever and let them shine thy day throughout thy long and endlesse day thy nightlesse day thy time and age out-lasting day It is said Abraham rejoyced to see Christs day O ye seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob rejoyce in this your day for it will make amends for all your nights your nights of sorrow fear and trouble your longest nights your darksome could and stormy ones yea David tells you so saying though sorrow endure for a night yet joy commeth in the morning I this morning hath a noon of joy in it this mornings dawning hath and when ye by its dawning see O then what joy what peace what hope what rest thou canst not tell but doest enjoy thy wish thy would thy onely wish thy onely would which when thou hast thou ever cravest just as the child which suckes and cries and craves but hath Eightly it is called new Ierusalem in respect of her glory thy glory was gates walles temple towers riches strength and numeration of people But for thy glory O new Ierusalem it doth more excell all this then ever Solomons did the poorest Pesant for this read the 60 of Isa Arise and shine for the glory of the Lord is risen on thee the full glorie the true glorie which Moses could not behold and live no man can see my glory and live saith God to Moses but to thee O new Ierusalem when darknes shal cover the earth with al the dwellers therein then shall the Lord arise upon thee and his glorie shall be set and seen on thee yea such a glorie which shall confound the world yea confute the world of madnes and folly the world hath never seen thy glorie O new Ierusalem but when it doth shame shall cover her face and for shame shall kings and princes call to the hills and mountaines to fall upon them O Ierusalem the Gentiles shall walk in thy light then shalt thou see and shine and be astonished at thy own glorie the seas shall convert her treasure and the Gentiles their riches to Midian Ephah and Sheba shall bring their gold and incense unto thee for I will saith God beautifie the house of my glory verse 7. The yles shall waight upon thee the ships of Tharshish shall bring their sons their gold and freely offer to thee because of the name of the Lord thy God the holy One of Israel hath glorified thee Kings shall minister unto thee therefore thy gates shall be continually open they shall not be shut day nor night verse 12. and those kings and nations that will not serve thee shall be utterly destroyed O when will kings and nations minde this prophesie till then they will never submit their proud hearts cannot submit to lick the dust of thee O Ierusalem as David speaks Psalme But they shall submit like Iosephs brethren yea they that did afflict thee shall fall down at the soles of thy feet and call thee Sion the holy One of Israel And whereas thou hast been despised so that men went by thee I will make thee an eternall glory and a joy from generation to generation and thou shalt suck the milk of Gentiles and the breasts of kings yea the breast of Christ as I may so say the King of kings in whose breast lies a sea of sweetnesse where you may suck and smack smack and suck I and so
is he that readeth and he that heareth But I come to the words and will open them or at least will hint something from them according to my weake and glimmering light And first We have the rise of this River and that is the Throne of God and of the Lambe which I conceive to be his own everlasting glory in which he dwels and lives or otherwise the glorious union of the divine nature which sets up one another as a Throne a Prince the Father sets up the Sonne the Sonne reveales the Father the Spirit sets up and is sent forth by both which is the River Secondly For the nature of this River It is pure He shewed me a pure river of water so saith David With thee is the well of life so pure this River is pure pure indeed First In its nature and rise it proceeded from the pure fountaine of Gods Glory or the Throne of God and the Lambe and so it is pure for nature Secondly It is pure for operation it purifieth where it runneth and so it is like the refiners fire and fullers sope purifying the sonnes of Levi which is by washing them in the blood of Christ and leading them in and by the commands of Christ Thirdly It is cleare yea so cleare as it cannot be compared to any thing but the Chrystall O the Chrystall stone it is the clearest of all stones Diamonds are darke and cloudy many but the Christall stone it is the clearest of all you may see through and through it so cleare is this River you may see through and through all eternities by it from eternity to eternity and mystery to mystery Christ in earth Christ in glory Christ in flesh Christ in spirit and all cleare We with open face behold the glory of God as in a glasse and are changed from glory to glory but by the spirit of the Lord the River from the Throne Fourthly He shewed me a pure river of life I that is the well of life saith David 36.8 Here is the excellency of this river it is a living river and a life-giving river so saith Christ He that shall drinke of this water that I shall give him meaning this river shall never thirst againe but shall have a living satisfaction in it and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water O the worth of this living river this life-giving river endlesse life and glory Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God so may I say of thee O River of God whose streames refresh the City of God Psal 46.4 Well I know yee perceive by this what this river this living river so pure and cleare as Christall flowing from the Throne of God and the Lambe as proceeding from both sent forth by both to water the Paradice of God yea every plant and tree especially those that want most Well are you satisfied what this river means that John tells you is so pure so clear I beleeve you are but take this Scripture too however John 7. v. 37. in the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood up saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water and this spake he of the Spirit which they should receive beleeving in him Hearken O heavens heare O earth give eare O ye inhabitants of the world O what a proclamation is here for you from a sweet and bountifull Christ to a poore and thirsty sinner what the river of life to any one high low rich poor yong old bond free yea any one that will come by beleeving O free O bountifull Christ inviting sinners to a river yea a living river to drinke their fils and yet a drop is more worth then ten thousand rivers of oyle yea the oyle of spices yea the sweetest spices O christian friend here is the well of life indeed here is the fountaine of life indeed here is the river of pleasure I and the sweetest pleasure too lies in this streame for it is the river of life endlesse endlesse life and glory And heare now O ye sons of men how loudly Christ calls poore sinners to come to this Chrystall river in the Scriptures before John saith Christ stood up in the midst of the feast upon the great day where multitudes were gathered and cried out with a loud voice saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink O sweet Saviour of sinners how doest thou scatter life and pardon to all by standing up and proclaiming loudly a river of life to all thoughts of graces and bounty are free so saith Davids Psalm Free indeed when unto all and see the like proclamation Revel 22. v. 17. the 〈◊〉 of God and Christ the heavenly Jerusalem the misery of soules being spoken of by John that are shut out of this glory A proclamation is again made supposing upon the former considerations carelesse sinners will mind their eternall happinesse being concerned 〈◊〉 Well the Spirit and the Bride saith come and let him 〈◊〉 beareth say come and whosoever is a thirst let him come and take the water of life freely freely O friends mee thinks this proclamation cries room room expecting as it were the whole world would now follow Christ for this water of life the river of life and yet where is the man that stirres if a Prince should ride a circuit with an Herald and make a proclamation of lands and livings to all that would accept them How O how then would all men run and tumble O friends Christ proclaimes both lands and livings jewels crowns and kingdomes nay more ten thousand times more a river of life and glory and men will scarcely stirre arise arise sots and heare if you be not deaf and cannot O the Spirit invites and bids you come too the eternall Spirit of God one with God the third person in the Trinity of God shall this eternall Spirit of God one with God comming down from God inviting you in the name of God and for your own soules sake to accept of this river of God sent forth by God for the glory of God shall this invitation he slighted O must not this be a high contempt of God and a great afront to the Spirit of God sent to thee by God so to be slighted O thou slighting carelesse foolish sinner Sinner this contempt of the Spirits invitation may cost thee thy soule thy soule I say thy everliving soule if thou dost not quickly minde it Secondly the Bride bids you come the Lambs wife the Spouse of Christ united to Christ being married with Christ by the Spirit of Christ in faith divine love and sweet obedience to Christ O she hath drunk of this river well may she say come all that will come come she knowes by experience this to be the river of life and pleasure and therefore she saith come away come away or else you die you die and now O every one
seen the shore again lesse if less could be did your souls think to have seen this day which now you see what I can do and bring about that you might prize my face at last But in the fourth place whereas God doth promise they shall see his face It doth imply that great reward by which he will reward his servants that serve him so that Christians doe not fight as if there was no crown nor worke as if no wages O saith Paul I have fought the good fight I have finished the course and henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of life and not for me onely but for all that love his appearance too And therefore Christian be thou faithfull unto the death and thou shalt have the Crowne of life Revel 2.10 Where Christ promised it unto thee for the incouraging of thee Christminded his owne glorie and so maiest thou as well as Moses see Christ speaks of it yea demands the Crown John 16.1 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now glorifie thy sonne or reward thy son and then it is said I have glorified thee and I will glorifie thee O Friends you are now glorified as you sit by your union with Christ in the glorie of God which shineth round the heavens and makes them to be heavens indeed wel friends this is the glorie into which you must be taken to behold his face and then will not this be a reward a full reward ineeed tenne thousand times beyond all your doings and all your sufferings yea equall unto Christ his merits and to thine hearts desire a Saints desire is to see God and enjoy God nothing doth a Saint desire in comparison of that with our souls have we desired thee saith the Prophet Isaiah yea and this is the desire of every soul everie gracious soul O when the sense of Gods eternall love glorie sweetnesse lies boiling in it how strong doth the desire rise O friends no desire under heaven rises and heaves so like to mighty waters in the Soul as this desire when the sense of Gods love and glorie lies boiling in it and the mightie Spirit stirring of it thunders do not more shake the cloudie aire nor earthquakes move the dungie earth then these desires the soul of man when it is strongly rocking there O saith Moses shew me thy face or glorie while his soul was filled with the sense of it he would fain see it though he died the death for it but God spares Moses his life by hiding him and his glory for the present well-knowing Moses was lesse able for to see this glorie which he requests he might then we to see the Sunne through and through but shall Moses never see this glorie therefore because of weaknesse yes yes he shall he doth he now sees it and so shalt thou O happy Christian ere it be long what was it that took Peter when he had a glimpse of Moses on the Mount but the beames of this glory sparkling on his back like glittering suns and starres Well friends you wish and would but time shall passe and time shall come and you enjoy the thing you wish crave and often breatheth after namely that glory that Moses then appeared in namely on the mount well you shall I say you shall as sure as the Lord lives have it one day have it and be cloathed by it as with a garment down to the ground like the white robe Rev. 19.14 and then like Moses will your appearance be as cloathed with twinkling stars from Phoebus beames And now hearken O heavens and give ear O earth earth earth with all that dwells therin high low rich poor how God will glorifie his Son and his Son his Saints to their hearts desire with men and Angels admirations and astonishments too Well may David say O Lord I have none in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee nay Lord in comparison of thee I scorn crowns and kingdoms yea ten thousand tuns of Jewels marke none in heaven nor in earth saith a David in comparison of thee and thus God rewards a Saint according to his hearts desire when he promiseth to show his face unto them O this reward will make amends for all for all your sufferings for all your sorrows and now in the hopes of this raise your selves your souls in all your troubles and castings down and indeed nothing but this consideration will do it to any purpose for if by the losse of one creature you raise your selves by another What will you then do when all creature-comforts shall be taken away from you which God at first or last will surely doe And then what will ye then do ye all of you whose hearts are bound up in the creatures and things of this life But mourne mourn bitterly like Babylon crying alas alas Revel 18.10 How in one day have I lost all my hopes my creature comforts my friends my children my wife and husband my life and soul and Christ more worth then all ten thousand times over and over againe O unhappy man that I am O unhappy soul how wast thou deluded how was I deceived to think my self happy in a few dying creature-enjoyments O my bewitched soul who deluded thee who deceived thee time was thou heardst of God and Christ and hadst thou then minded him and served him as thou didst thy King thy lust and pleasures hee would not now have left thee as dying Wolsey once said that great Cardinall in his dispaire and horror But thou O precious Christian whose heart and hopes are placed in God shall dying say my hopes my heart and expectation lives for it was not here nor here below in dying things but a living Christ and now my soule shall live with him and because he lives I shall live also John 14.19 ye live in his presence live in his sight and now my soule my happy soule tell thou the world thy friends all that mournes for thy departure thy life thy life for which they mourne its sure and safe it s hid with God in Christ our lives are hid with God in Christ and when he shall appear we shall appear with him also as the Apostle speaks John 1.3.2 O glorious day O day of dayes unthought unminded by most of men now it appears not what we are but then it shall when the dust of this body more precious then the seed of stars and jewels shall be gathered and be carefully picked up by Angels sent forth by Christ from all the winds for that same purpose then my life was hid but now it is found where first it was in God and Christ in my own root and that to my dear souls content and therefore let me go to my home to my father to my husband to my God to my Christ and to my brethren for sure I shall be welcome as Jacob was to Joseph Welcome
he hath not nor never will whilst the world stands Satan shall have his tongue loose to tempt some of his Saints and to accuse others for divers good reasons This is one When he cals on thee to commit this or that great sinne thou mayst call on Christ to keep thee from sinne A second reason is this When he accuseth thee for thy sinne Christ would have thee pray and crave his pardon for thy sinne yea beleeve it is pardoned notwithstanding his accusing thee which when thy soule doth by his power and strength in thee it brings much honour to Christ yea very much but I will not stand now to give thee any more reasons why Christ will not tie the Devils tongue But remember these two but the thing I said was Christ hath bound Satan hand and foot and so he hath from doing thee any mischeife fast enough and yet it may be he lyes thus bound in the middle of the floor as I said before and raves and curseth thee and stares at thee in thy house about thy calling and this causes a great deale of trouble in thy soule but when thy husband Christ comes home which will be at noon in his discoveries thy feare will be gone and thou with joy wilt tell thy neighbours I meane thy christian friends Againe Satan is bound from forcing thee if a maid should be tempted day and night to part with her virginity yet if she consent not and the other have no power but by consent what is she the worse or her chastity the lesser no it is rather greater if you will So I say to thee who talkst of Satans temptations what if Satan tempt thee day and night to part with thy virginity or resolution against such and such a sin Well Satan tempts to yeild yea tempts thee day and night doe not yeild by no means if he should goe to force thee Christ will come and helpe thee or at least excuse thee saying thou art yet his chaste and beloved Spouse and will not hide his face from thee for all that But in the fifth and last place whereas God saith They shall see my face It doth imply that great and sweet delight that God takes in his peoples presence God delights in all his workes but especially in his own people O Israel whom I have created God created all things for his praise but Israel especially more then all his whole creation God said of all his works that they were good serving some designe or other but Israel his glory O Jacob my servant and Israel whom I have chosen Isa 44.1 2 3. Feare not O Jacob my servant and Jeshurum whom I have chosen yea thou art chosen before all times and worlds Iacob have I loved saith God before Iacob had a being but he is now brought forth by creation for the glory of his grace that he might shew the greatnesse of his love to them in discovering of himselfe to be their God and Father which he doth in Jesus Christ who is the expresse Image of his Fathers person and so the very face of God as I may so say For in Christ he shewes himselfe to the Saints a Father of love and sweetnesse yea and a God and fountain too of all delights God discovers nothing in his Sonne but love delight and sweetnesse to the sonnes of men So that whereas God saith he will shew his face he meanes he will shew you Christ and in him his love delight and pleasure which when it is once discovered to the soule it so takes the soule that it cryes out O God who is a God like unto thee as Moses once said How great O God is this goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that serve love and feare thee As David once said O God in thy presence is life and thy loving kindnesse is better then life it selfe Psalme And therefore my lips shall praise thee nothing is better then life but his favour is better and sweeter too ten thousand times Doth the favour and smiles of a Prince so take the flattering Courtier that he blesses himself as it were in the obtaining of it and saith he is now a happy man he hath now the Princes eye and eare he more delights in me then all his noble favourites O happy christian favourite of God and Christ the Prince of princes and nations too as well as King of Saints how wilt thou be delighted in these delights of God set on thee and shewn unto thee in his Sonne It is said of him I will make my first born higher then the princes of the earth this is spoken of Christ but it is as true of the Saints in their creation being the cheife of it well God sets up these higher then the Princes of the earth as they are set up in his favour by his Son for his own glory to make himself a name by them Children saith Solomon are the glory of their parents and so are the Saints too of God namely the glorie of his grace by which he gets himselfe a Name and praise in the earth O Israel praise the Lord that made thee of nothing O house of Jacob praise ye the Lord O all ye servants of his praise him day and night for he hath magnified you by his grace in his Son and set you above men and Angels in respect of union and now where would the riches of this grace appear to the world but for the Saints The world is blind and sees no glory love nor sweetnesse in him but they in Christ see all namely a glory beyond all glories a love surpassing all a sweetnesse like a sea and they in the midst which fils the soules with admiration and makes them like David cry out and say how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up in store for them that feare and serve thee God hath laid up in store Jewels Crowns kingdoms nay more his own favour in Jesus Christ which they shall one day see and seeing say as once the queen of Sheba did to Solomon I have heard of thee but not of halfe thy glory So shall the Saints say we have heard much of thee O God and Father and of thy glory but never the halfe that we now see One said thou art a God of love and sweetnesse and another of all delights and pleasures but we never heard halfe we now see and find thee to be to our soules O had the world known thee they would have ownd thee and counted thy favour better then life it self or heaven either for it is thy presence love and favour makes the heavens heavens indeed to our soules O God we met with springs of it in the valley of tears but they were fountaines to us and filled our souls with delights Psal 84. v. 6. But now our joyes are double and fountaines too like seas which breaks up every moment with new and fresh discoveries and makes our soules admire and