would of its own nature return a service again this is placed in every man naturally as you may see in the very heathens Our souls are always calling either for a Christ or a Barabbas Thâ—y must worship therefore ye shall find God never commands That thou shalt worship but onely rectifies it and shewes whom they should worship how and therefore the Spouse of Christ cals upon him to direct her if thou do not direct I shall not be able to do any thing pleasing to thee I shall presently be as those that turn aside to the flocks of thy companions she freely consesseth I am as apt to turn aside as they which do I cannot now stand to tell you why the creatures are called the flocks of his companions The soul cannot stand idle as I was saying it is a hard task to serve two masters he shal either hate the one and cleave to the other or else cleave to the one and despise the other If we turn to the creatures we turn our backs upon God he that loves the creatures as who doth not too much let him but examine whether the love of them hath not banished all love to God out of his heart for if thou dost not love God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might thou lovest not him at all he will not be contented with a divided heart As you know God is called Power then God is all power and there is none that hath any power but he if any creature have a part then he hath not all so if any creature have a part of thy love God hath not all and he will then have none at all No woman can love another and her husband too with her chiefest love So no man can love God and the creature too with his cheifest love and no man comes to the Father but by the Son he accepts whatever we do and onely all in his Son nothing pleases him but his Sons actions And he that cleaves to the creature falls when that falls but he that cleaves to the Creator shall stand fast for ever as Mount Sion Beloved behold as Ioshua sayth This dâ—y I set before you life and death blessing and cursing choose whether ye will cleave to the adulterous love of the creature or cleave to the immutable unchangeable Creator I have read of an Allegory among the Jews that they had among them to set forth the condition and state between God and men and it is an excellent one the best I think that ever was Suppose A huge Rock of pure chrystal and round about this rock at the foot thereof a pleasant torrent or rapid River as pure as Chrystal round about the river all manner of pleasant trees bearing all manner of pleasant fruit One standing on the top of this rock a proper tall man without blemish as fair as Absalom and over his head the Sun shining in his full strength and glory Attended with the Moon and Stars making a glorious firmament Now this Sun you may conceive to be God himself and the fair Absalom to be Christ Jesus the image of God the Father and the rock of Chrystal to be this word and in the river is represented all things in motion all changeable things all manner of trees and fruit and all things below but in the chrystal is clearly represented Him that stands on the top as if he were in the very midst of the rock and above him the Sun in his full brightness which is God the Father of whom he is begotten Now when a man shall come to the foot of this rock and there he beholds choice of objects to set his heart and mind upon I say when a man shall come and behold choice of beautiful objects and suppose he had power to choose which he will to set his heart upon In the river he beholds all sublunary thing All things which are in flux and motion and whatever the earth can afford for delight Now let him choose whether he will set his heart upon these things which have their being in their flux and motion that they are never the same but they change as the object changes and if they did not change they could not be As in the Thames the river it is continually in motion and running it is never the same there is not the same water to day that was yesterday for that is run into the sea but is still a changing And if Here we place our affections and take up our delight how unstable and uncertain are our comforts Oh! we think it a great matter to be rich to be strong to be comely and well-featured and composed to be beautiful to be in honor and credit to have great attendance large revenâ—es c. Alas Alas dost thou place thy affections Here in the very lowest and meanest condition of things amongst these transitory flitting things Why all these things are but toys but bables but rattles to please children where is and what 's become of the greatest Monarchs that ever were in the world where is great Alexander and Pompey and Augustus and all those Worthies as the world esteems them are they not all turned and tumbled into the dust are not they and all their glory like a tale that is told and forgotten are they not like a dream like a shadow like a bubble in the water which arises on a suddain and is beautiful but as suddenly down again Beloved then do you examine your selves If you do not set your love your hope your delight upon these things that are ever changing and as I said so changing that if they did not change they could not be which all perish with the using Do they not all fall away as you fall away or fall before you as Houses Lands Riches Goodly and Sumptuous Buildings Husbands Wives Children Good name c. and yet will you set your affections upon such things as these though you see them moulder and fall to dust and nothing before your face But some they come here to the foot of this beautiful Mountain behold and they look higher and they behold the Sun moon and stars and the bespangled glorious firmament and see how they reflect upon the chrystal and wonder at their glory and so they set their affections upon them truly these are better then the former because they set their affections upon Celestial things things that represent the glory of God more then these things below and he is more glorious in them but the other their love is taken up with Terrestrial things earthly and low but both these are short of this true happiness But a third sort come and take a veiw of these various objects they can rest in none of these things And they look Higher till they come to behold that fair Absalom Christ Jesus who is the brightness of his Fathers glory And
loves God he knows him to be so full and satisfying that he never need make him more gods he knows that if the world were ten thousand times larger and pleasanter then it is he knows that God he is so full that he is sufficient for all neither can he make Images to worship them nor to put him in remembrance of him for he hath an apprehension of him beyond all manner of Images the whole Creation is a glasse to him he knows no Image can resemble him as God said to Moses Thou shalt make no image for ye saw no Image since the day I brought you out of Egypt And if he love him can he swear and blaspheme and prophane his name and can he if he love him grudge him one day in seven yea rather he wishes that God had taken seven to himself and given him but one Examine your selves by these things Is the seal of your external love a witness of your internal love it is true God is worshipped in spirit in truth and his love must be shed abroad in our hearts invisibly first but yet that love never rests there but it is like Aarons Rod a budding Rod or else thou art not fit to be a Priest to God if thy Rod be not a budding Rod be not deceived God is not mocked Except this tree put out some fruit some leaves it is dead and there is no sap or life in it for God hath not left himself without witness so that you see if there be not this love in the heart and expressed in the life conversation there can be no acceptance with God thou must come to him under this title O thou whom my soul loveth not as a Mercenary for gain or reward or for what advantage thou shalt get by him but for love to him not to his not as a Servant but as a Son Noâ— for fear neither but for love to him Many Beloved can come to God under this title O thou whom my body loveth thou givest me health thou givest me wealth thou givest me wisdom thou givest me a good report this is but O thou whom my body loves But this O thou whom my soul loves this proceeds forth from him that is invisible generally most men fix their eyes upon the visible blessings of God and they are much in prayer to God for them but know he regards none of these prayers but when his Son in whom he is well pleased when he prays he hears him alwayes but if any other prayes he regards it not Ye pray and it may be daily Thy will be done but yet saith the Husbandman O let me have a good year of increase and the Merchant he prays Thy will be done too but saith he O let the wind blow right for me to send home my shipping and the Tradesman he prays Thy will be done but saith he I desire store of customers to day and good takings what prayers are these think you what submission is here to the will of God mind thy own duty leave the success to him From whence do you think come these prayers O give me my health again O give me my wealth again O give my children again come these from Christ thinkest thou are these his prayers in thee or come they not from the flesh O let my flesh be well housed let my flesh be well clad let my flesh be well provided for away away God is deaf he can hear none of these prayers these blessings he gives promiscuously to every man these do not at all declare Gods love for he as often or oftner gives them where he hates as where he loves These are goods that a man may do good with but the other are goods that make a man good if thou dost good with them coming from this ground from love to Christ within they are acceptable even the least of them but if thou dost never so much good with them without this doing them to be seen of men or for any other by-end then verily ye have your reward ye did them to be seen of men ye are seen of men ye did them that men might think well of you and they do think well of you verily I say unto you you have your reward As the Lord said to the rich Glutton Son thou hadst thy portion in thy life time now he is comforted and thou art tormented Examine thy self do thy prayers come from this root O thou whom my body loves O thou whom my flesh loves or O thou whom my Soul loves for my body for my flesh then it is all one search thy soul diligentlyâ— for the day of the Lord will come and burn up all our deeds all our actions all our dross it will try out the gold the gold will not consume but be more refined but all that is hay and stubble and dross and such like stuff wrought but by the power of the creature and by the power of man even all mens Religion and their religious actions and whatever is of man shall be burnt up for ever Where Christ FEEDETH And where his Flock RESTETH CANT 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions Preached in the Afternoon for Mr. Hodges in the publick meeting-place at High-gate I Told you in the morning that we must not imagine this Book of the Canticles to contain any idle reverence and foolish wanton complements between a man and his wife on whom they either doted but the expressions of entire vehement love between the Lord Christ his dear Spouse Beloved this is the Eternal Everlasting sense the other is but the Letter which is nothing nor may we look upon them as the Dialogue between Solomon and his wife for what are they to us they are dead gone Though the whole Book of the Canticles be in appearance but an Epithalamion or a Love-song between Solomon and Pharaohâ— daughter his wife and consequently may seem to rellish nothing but of sensual love and the effects thereof carnal enjoyments yet know this is but the chaff that covers the corn And herein by these expressions the true Solomons face is vailed as was Moses his face by his vail because we are not able otherwise to behold him Therefore still when ever you hear or read the Scriptures seek to have the Book unclapsed and the seals opened for as it lies printed or written in the Letter it is both clapsed sealed walled about and though it be a fountain yet it is walled about by the Letter none see the meaning save onely they to whom it is given And where-ever you see the Letter speaks rest not in that but look for One greater for behold a greater then Solomon is here Mat. 12. 42. when the
they cannot rest till they see Him who is in the middle of the creature Him that is in the midst of the Chrystal even HE that is all in all the very bottom and Foundation and the SUM of all and so in and through him they come to behold the SUN over his head in its glory and splendor even God himself Blessed for ever for otherwise God cannot be seen or approched unto but onely through his Son and these Spectators can never fail perish or miscarry because their love is set upon him that cannot change fail or miscarry For they cannot rest till they are united and joyned and made one with him As my eye can never be united to any thing till my sight see and receive it and by that means that thing be united together with my sight so neither can we be made one with God till we see and behold him being united to Him And if once we see him we cannot but love him and this love brings thee into union with God Now love is the knot that must unite us eternally that must for ever kâ—it us together and this knot being once knit it is knit for ever for we being knit and made one with him we can never be lost but so long as God lives so long shall you Here are Christs words verified That which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder but if to the creature you joyn your selves God never made that conjunction God never knit that knot and therefore that shall be put asunder but this knot that God hath knit himself shall never be loosed And further know this that thou being thus joyned to Christ as a true member of his body thou hast full right and title to him and to all his vertues and excellencies riches and glory but otherwise thou hast no title at all for as thou art a particular man thou hast right to nothing of his but as thou art a member of the Church of Christ his love comes to thee by vertue thereof for thou hast nothing to do with heaven or any thing that is Christs but as thou art a member just as a man hath a portion dowry with his wife or a woman any riches or joynâ—ure by her husband she or He hath no right to any part thereof as a single man or a single woman but by vertue of the knot that unites them together so as they are made One even so the dowry the joynture of eternal happiness was not made to Paul nor to Peter nor to thee as ye are single and particular persons but as you are members of his body being united and made one with him as a Branch in the root Beloved it is to the Church that Christ makes all his promises still to the Church still to his Spouse and it is not to any visible Church neither or an Assembly of men and women as particular and separated from his body but to the visible and invisible Congregation of Saints which are his members and make up his body to these are all the promises made and upon no other account can any one promise be claimed Therefore beloved let not the Church be an odious name to you as it is too too much nor let not every particular man think himself the Church for to thee separated from the Church belongs no good thing Now if a man be knit to Jesus Christ by this knot of love I will tell you what will follow Love you know suffers not a man to be his own but he hath given up himself to the thing loved and that rules him and it he obeys So this soul once knit to Christ by this knot of love then he cannot commit adultery with any creature he is no longer his own and therefore whenever ye find in the Proverbs and there read of the adulterous love of that whore that waits in the twilight to trap the young man or of the adulterous love of Potiphars wife to Ioseph in Genesiâ— or the like the intention of the holy Ghost is to set forth unto us the adulterous love of the soul and how our love is carried away from Christ The Creature is the Adulterous woman which takes our love And this love is diversly called in Scripture sometimes it is called hope and sometimes fear somtimes trust c. according to the several objects it is exercised upon As the Attributes of God are one in themselves though differenced to us according to the several obâ—ects they work upon Sometimes he is called Grace somtimes Glory somtimes Majesty somtimes Patience sometimes Mercy sometimes Anger sometimes love not that there are so many several things in God but all these are one act in God As the Sun it causes one colour in the Rose another in the Nettle and it causes the Carrion to stink and the Rose to smell sweet yet one and the same thing in the Sun doth all but it works to the several objects it meets with so it is One and the same act in Religion which is that which joyns unites us to our Creator yet distinguished by divers names as Hope Faith Fear Love Trust yet all one thing in the soul As when it looks upon the promises of God then it is called Faith when it apprehends him to be a just revenging God and that it apprehends that he is angry then it is called Fear and when it beholds the merciful and loving face of God in Jesus Christ then it is called Love again when it Beholds the promises and apprehends God to be faithful then it is called Hope c. and therefore ye are not to apprehend these things as several in God or in your selves but as One. Yet I pray do not mistake me that because I say Love is the cord that unites us to God do not think that I exclude Hope or Fear or Trust or Faith or any other grace do not think that I undervalue the rest far be it from me but only this I say Love doth knit the band more sensibly and more feelingly to us And in all this we must not ascribe any good any power to our selves whoever he be he must acknowledge himself an unprofitable servant and that the work is Gods own work and that you had no hand in it and be sure as ye have set to your seal that God is true so also that this is truth But if thou hast set thy seal to the creatures and that they have stolen away thy heart and thou art in love with them and knit to them made one with them then when thou comest to dye thou hast no refuge to trust to they will all fail thee for they all dye with thee if not before thee however when thou failest they fail and when they fail besure thou failest But if thou art dead to the creatures and art daily dying to them by degrees then it will be no grief for thee to part with
14. Take heed and beware of Covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Besides all this that it is one of those Ingentia Peccata Mighty sins as it is called in Amos 5. 12. appears By The practice of the Saints The danger of the Sin Look over all the Saints which of them do we read of that were defiled with this mire of Covetousness Noah once overtaken with the love of wine never with the love of the world David though once besotted with flesh yet never bewitched with the world but he ever accounted himself a Pilgrim and a Stanger in it then he was far from being in love with it Zacheus he had been A Pinching Prowling Publican and the chief among them griping and grasping what he could get by cruelty and extortion before he knew Christ which is a sin incident to all such meâ— but as soon as Christ entred into his heart when he entred into his house he threw away this sin with disdain Lo half my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I will restore him fourfold If Jesus Christ do not whip this Money-Merchant out of the Temple it will bar even Him himself entrance Now Beloved what 's the reason these forenamed Saints though they had other both infirmities and gross sins yet not any of them tainted with this sin of Covetousness surely it shews that Christ and this sin in the love of it cannot cohabit together if Christ be there this sin must abandon if this be retained Christ is there a stranger And the reason is Grace and Religion may better stand with a sin once acted or oftner so it be not habitual although it be gross and foul as Adultery Incest Drunkenness c. then with an habitual Covetousness for where that sin is it can scarce be other then customary and habitual Therefore Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 3. did so abominate this sin that he challenged all Israel to charge him with it though he was their Governor and Ruler and wanted not for temptations and opportunities Behold I have walked before you from my childehood unto this day and here I am bear witness against me before the Lord and before his Anointed whose Ox have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you And they all answer and bear witness Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand There was a pattern for Kings and Rulers and for Saul their new chosen King but who follows it he presently as soon as he could get the power of oppressing fell to it as God told them he would 1 Sam. 8. 11 12. This will be the manner of the King that will reign over you he will take your sons for himself for his Chariots and his Horsemen and to run before his Chariots and he will appoint them his Captains and he will set you to ear his ground and reap his harvest and to make him instruments of war and for his Chariots and he will take your daughters to be Confectioners Cooks and Bakers and he will take your fields and vineyards and olive-yards and give them to his servants c. and so goes on and ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye have chosen And Beloved what more frequent in all ages then covetous and oppressing Rulers and Governors They take it successively from hand to hand Having once got the power ye shall soon feel it So Ier. 5. 10. He complains that though he was free of this sin yet every one hated him Wo is me my Mother thou hast born me a man of strife a man of contention to the whole earth I have neither lent on usury nor men have leâ—t me on usury yet every one doth curse me So Paul Acts 20. 33. I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel ye your selves know these hands have ministred to my necessities and to those that were with me But what may be yet further the reason why that of all sins the Saints were freest from this sin of Covetousness Surely These Reasons may be further added I. Because they knew that this sin was that which most staineth and blemiâ—â—eth the good report and honest reputation of men professing Christ that men who pretend for heaven should live as men of the world whose portion is in this life and that they should so far blemish themselves and their master to set their mindes and affections on such poor transitory trifles and as if they had not better things to look after or that they served a Master not able to maintain them rather then thiâ— should be fastned on them or their Master They would instead of being in love with them trample them under their feet 2. To inlarge a little of what I hinted before It handeth in greatest opposition to the life and truth of grace for where this sin getteth head it eats out the heart of grace that though it be not quite lost yet scare Any to be perceived the Life being almost quiet extinct if he have life yet none to be perceived by himself or others and therefore saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 10. Love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and peirced themselves through with many sorrows Nay not onely hath it caused some to erre from the faith and so wounded their own souls but some it hath caused to fall quite away from the faith that is from the profession of the faith and turn Apostates 2 Tim. 4. 13. Demas hath forsaken me and hath embraced this present world and yet now adayes where is there a man yea especially among Professors that would be accounted Christians that are free from it but are most deeply guilty of this defiling and dangerous sin of Covetousness And I think in no age ever more Beloved though your hearts were as mountains of rich Mines yet this one sin loved and delighted in will consume and eat out all for ought may be perceived and make you as barren as the barrenest Heath This sin is like the seven lean ears of corn that Pharaoh dreamed of which devoured the seven full ears And like the seven lean Kine devouring the seven fat and were themselves as hollow and lean as before and in Scripture is often compared to Caterpillars Grashoppers Cankers and the Palmer-worm because it doth feed upon the green and flourishing herb of grace till it hath as it were quite eaten it out of the heart therefore David prayes Psal. 119. 36. Incline mine heart unto thy Commandments and not unto Covetousness intimating that those that love
have and so Many such rewards This is nothing but the Devils preaching and the Devils learning within thee it s no better then the Devils work and thou canst expect no other But the Devils Wages All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He is the God of this world and hath great power given him over the Kingdoms of this world and he can bestow much of the glory of them upon his servants but God He speaks first in the center of the earth He begins first with the heart Preaches within thee reforms first the heart here onely preacheth His well-beloved Son in whom Onely he is well pleased Except Thy actions be The actions of his own Well-beloved Son in thy heart he neither owns nor accepts them they are strange fire to him and you know what became of Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire before the Lord The Lord He Pours precious ointment on this Aarons head and from thence Drencheth his beard and so down to the skirts of his garments so far as the heart is reformed the actions cannot be amiss That soul that is in love with Jesus Christ Beloved where the love of God is shed abroad in the heart it is death to him to that soul to go a whoring with the creatures he can have no peace to commit adulterie with the world That whorish woman he cannot endure Satans preaching hearken to me and I will give thee these and these thing no no his peace lies in hearkening to what the Lord saith in him and he preaches no such doctrine but bids him leave the world for its enmity to him he bids part with these things Take up the cross expect reproches persecutions and death from the world This preaching is of God let thy life be in forsaking the glory of the world though thou livest in the world yet let thy heart thy affections dwell and abide with me Use the world as if thou usedst it not count nothing in the world thine own be thou but as a steward in whatever thou hast Alwaies ready to give an account of all This preaching is from God from Heaven The Devils preaching is quite contrary And when thou hearest such preaching as is contrary to this and such whisperings within thee Conclude it is the Devil and not God and that such preaching and learning will destroy thy soul therefore I say always look to thy heart that It be set right before ever thou expectest the actions can be good if that be not so conclude all that proceeds from it is naught we must look mainly to the center to the Heart that life may come from thence Even as the life in the body by the blood flows from the heart to all the members if not those members are dead so the life of true grace flows from the heart as from the fountain for if either fear or Law or Heaven or Hel reward or any hopes or by-ends Urge the heart To goodness These are but dead works and you shall know it by this do but take away these respects and by-ends and these works Cease take away hope of reward and fear of punishment and this bodie is dead he works no more why because there is no life no heat within to move him tell him I mean he whose heart is set right for God reformed by him tell him he must deny forsake the world he must be emptied of all the glory of the world of all self-seeking self-glorying self-praising why herein is his life his peace his glory but to the other who hath been onely taught by such PRECEPTS as come from men from Self This preaching is death to him but his life and peace and joy is to hear How he shall be advanced esteemed honoured c. how he shall be made rich and great therefore you may easily hence distinguish what preaching and practise is from God and what from Satan and Self Thus much may serve for the first thing to open unto you the meaning of these words All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth to me it seems very plain and clear and I hope to you also that That which before seemed obscure now is made manifest The second ground Christ also as he is man hath all power given unto him as being united to God so also to man and this definition as being united to God is very large and deep as the river at the entrance into the Sanctuary which at the first entrance took a man but up to the ankles and then a little further up to the knees and then to the middle and at last it would quite down and swallow up all it grew into a vast Sea The meaning of the words in this sense we are not able to comprehend or understand but the more we wade into them the more we are drowned and swalloed up Jesus Christ he had the same glory in himself when he was upon earth as he had with his Father before all worlds and he is his well-beloved Son in whom onely he is well-pleosed But as he is man he to Us-ward emptied himself of all his glory And came in the form of a servant he was subject to the like passions and infirmities as we are except sinful and hereby man came to be further made known unto him that is in regard of his humane nature he was hungry and thirsty and weary and suffered death and the like and yet in regard of his Divine nature he held his glory and Union with his Father and it was necessary it should be so in both regards for had it not been so he could not have complyed so with the creatures and felt their wants and necessities and had he not retained his unity with his Father which he could not in regard of himself As God either lose or diminish nor increase he could not have complyed so perfectly with his Father for the salvation of mankind For as he was in the bosom of his Father he was unknowable to any creature he was known onely to himself he was inexplicable not to be unfolded and in this regard the more ye enter into darkness and unknowing the more ye know of him for he is nothing that we can comprehend or understand as we are creatures until we come to be One with him and swallowed up into him But let us observe that Christ never made this boast of himself that All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth till he was ready to leave the earth never till he had been crucified dead and buried and rose again It is remarkable he never all the while He was on earth ever appropriated all power to be his till he was ready to depart out of the earth And Beloved this is for our imitation Christ was no boaster though none might boast more but he was meek and lowly he became a servant to all
pious and precious proverb All things must be comprehended and keep Sabbath there must be no going up no running out nor no work done Seeing God desires not Our works but Our Sabbath and that himself in us Free and None Hindring him a MASTER and a GOD may Work Know Love Praise Pray Hear Crown and Reward HIMSELF in us Beloved without all doubt this is the ONE and Onely thing that pleaseth him And he commands All Flesh that in Divine matters it never Stir it self or desire any thing And therefore it is that I in this Book have Robbed man of all and Rejected him with all his Best Ware and most Precious Riches that he had in Divine businesses viz. Of all his Will Knowledge Wisdom Goodness All these must we Unlearn from all these must we Fast and keep Holy-day as from the Tree of knowledge of good and evil from whence Death is eaten And therefore there is in Heaven meer Peace Gladness Felicity as where there are Eternal Sabbaths and no Will but Gods Will Light Knowledge Art Wisdom in all his Saints whereby he doth Illustrate and Enlighten them And Christians do pray in the Lords Prayer that the same thing may be upon earth and that the will of God may be there done as it is in Heaven where no man Doth Wills Knows Speakes any thing but God who will have and in Christ hath Appointed this Sabbath also upon Earth This God grant unto us all Amen A most clear Glass and lovely Example of our Lord Iesus Christ which as he practised in himself so he propounded unto us to be followed and it may serve for an EPILOGUE or Perclose of this Book out of the 106 page of Iohn Taulerus his Works printed at Colen in Folio 1548. VVHosoever desireth to order his life according to the most Acceptable will of God and to be Partaker of his grace without any impediment ought warily to look into this Instruction following of the life of Christ which containeth all good things and to express it in his life and conversation Therefore every good and religious Christian ought in all things and above all things aâ—d at all times with all the strength of his soul in all his thoughts words and works purely to love and intend for God who is the eternal happiness and blessedness of all men as his own Portion which that he may the better do he shall most strictly observe himself within and in silence hearâ— what the Lord saith within him and avoiding all Imployments and Multiplicity he shall rest with God in unity He shall Shut up all his Senses in quietness Continually Praying and Calling upon God His eye being Fixt on him in all his actions He shall enjoy His Presence in every place time and thing He shall be A perpetual inhabitant of himself and shall Especially love Truth of heart and peace of conscience He shall be milde and Humble in heart as well as in word and be Divine and God-like in his life and conversation Taking Patiently All things at the hand of God He shall Praise Thank Honour and intend him in all his works He shall be always Endued with a certain humble Abnegation ordering of himself to what God wils shall submit himself not only to God but to All creatures avoiding those hateful vices Pride Envy Wrath and Arrogancy Moreover perpetually considering and marking the Goodness and Perfection of God He shall wonder and be astonished at the great love and faithfulness of God toward him and contrariwise at his own Unthankfulness and Infidelity judging himself from his heart The Least and Unworthiest of all men He shall more diligently take heed of his own Sense Estimation and of all the wickedness of his nature neither shall he think More of Himself then he hath from or of Himself which is indeed Nothing He shall alwayes take in hand a certain New life and exercise himself in New virtue and in New Truth He shall be Sober and Sparing in words but Plentiful in Holiness of life and shall desire to be Left and Despised of all men as men He shall much weigh Small sins and shall think The least defect not light He shall take so great care of Himself that he be never frustrated of the presence of God in his soul and that other men may be by him provoked to better things he shall do all his works in the most Perfect manner and shall Satisfie those things which he comprehends in his understanding He shall by his good will do nothing in this life to repent of hereafter He shall have In daily Adversity either within him or without him perpetual patience and in continual Multiplicity A Recollected mind he shall not 〈◊〉 either to Have or to Will any thing Proper in this world but be ready to distribute to others wants nor to have any Election oâ— Choise in things but receive thankfully The goodwill of His Father in every thing He shall admit nothing within himself but God continually He shall diligently Eschew and withdraw himself from all men as men and shall preserve himself Naked and Free from all Inwardly-received Images and his soul Untangled from all Accidents whatsoever that he may continually receive The Influence of His Heavenly Father into his soul. He shall often behold and Exercise himself in the Most worthy Life and Example of our Lord Jesus Christ As in a glass considering well How like or unlike He is unto Him and He shall in himself give an Ensample and Testimony to all men Of A Better life then This He shall be True in all his words Religious and Mature in His conversation He shall contemplate His beginning and Original From whence He and All things flowed forth and shall Strive with all diligence To return into the same again Finally tending diligently What He is whether He Ought what He Doth and for What cause he doth every thing and shall most constantly persevere in virtue and truth even unto Death And all this not by any power of his own but by Christ He alone Working all these things in him and not Himself nor Any His own Industry or Acquiring Another short Instruction taken from the same place in Iohn Taulerus his works pa. 107. VVE shall most certainly Attain The Various and Numerous exercises of this Book yea whatsoever can be written of a Perfect and Divine-like Life viz. by this means if we withdraw our selves from the love of all frail and mortal things if we study to attain an humble Resignation and inward Nakedness and embrace Onely God by faith and love in the bosom of our souls and hide our selves wholly with our Souls Spirit Body Heart and Senses in his Most Holy Humanity and labour by a certain lively imitation to become comformable thereunto and Finally by His life and merits Inhere and cleave continually and perpetually to his Divinity Whoâ—oever is enabled by Jesus Christ to do These things doth doubtless Obtain all
This is the Shadow of that House of Clay Where dwelt a Soule that richly did Display Such Light of Trueth abroad as did Viseal The Book of God and Hidden Things Reveal But hauing left That House now dwels Aboue In those Bless'd Mansions of pure Light Loue. T. Cross Sculpsit M B THE Gospel-Treasury Opened OR The Holiest of all unvailing Discovering yet more The RICHES of Grace and Glory TO THE VESSELS of MERCY Unto whom onely it is given to know the Mysteries of that Kingdom and the excellency Of SPIRIT above LETTER POWER above FORMS TRUTH above SHADOWS In several Sermons preached at Kensington elswhere By JOHN EVERARD D. D. deceased Whereunto is added the Mystical Divinity of Dionysius the Areopagite spoken of Acts 17. 34. with Collections out of other Divine Authors translated by Dr. Everard never before printed in English 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Verse 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect even the hidden wisdom of God in a mysterie London Printed by Iohn Owsley for Rapha Harford at the Bible and States-Arms in Little Brittain 1657. To all those who through the power of Christ in them have attained to esteem it their Wisdom long to be despised accounted Fools by the World 〈◊〉 his sake and the Gospels whose knowledge â—isdome and Guifts hath made them not Great and 〈◊〉 according to the custome of the World but Little yea Nothing in their own esteem who notwithstanding are the True Of-spring of God the Only Right-Wise and Honourable with Him and the Excellent upon Earth TO such only are these Sermons dedicated they knowing what these things mean but not to the Great and wise men of this world For saith our 〈◊〉 All men cannot receive these sayings Mat. 〈◊〉 11. A rich man can hardly enter into the Kingâ—â—me of heaven nor he especialy who is Rich or 〈◊〉 in his own esteem Nay It is easier for a 〈◊〉 or Cable to go through the Eye of a 〈◊〉 Needle then for a Rich man to enter into 〈◊〉 Kingdome of God And saith our Lord 〈…〉 I say unto you Except ye be converted 〈…〉 little Children ye cannot enter therein But whosoever shall humble himself as a littâ—â— child The same saith he mark the word 〈◊〉 no other shall be greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven These onely are they that can Deny theâ— selves in all things and take up their Crosse daâ— ly following their Lord and Master in the samâ— path he hath trod out before them being 〈◊〉 with his own Baptisme they wait upon 〈◊〉 as his serâ—ants and covet to be like him In all his afflictions reproches and death 〈◊〉 meek how lovely how courteous how 〈◊〉 how amiable how gratious was he 〈◊〉 all his behaviour How ready to pardoâ— and pray for his enemies There was no guile founâ— in his mouth He never reproached the vildest sinner how patient meek and loving was he 〈◊〉 them how did he pitty and tender them anâ— weep over them because they were so fast bounâ—â— in Satans chains Only he fell very foul on the 〈◊〉 and dissembling Outside Religion of thâ— Pharisees their gilded seemingly Holy outsides He could never endure Because though therâ— was an unreproveable and glorious outside yâ— within nothing but Stenches rottenness and 〈◊〉 bones like unto gilded and stately Sepuâ—â—chers without but within all manner of rottenâ—ness and loathsome Stenches And he chose raâ—ther to keep company with the grossest sinner the Publicans rather then with these Because themselves and others had so high an esteem of them and thought them righteous by reason of their grave and demure outsides to make others believe it was so or rather better within when it was quite otherwise He sought not Himself nor his own glory but the glory of his Father He endured the Cross despised the shame His life was to go about doing good even to his enemies He would gladly have done good to the proud Pharisees but they could not endure him because he did not reverence and admire them as others did but dishonour them and discover their nakedness and loathsome insides Those that are his servants they in their measure strive to follow their Master in all good things They have the same spirit Full of meekness and tenderhartedness to all Free and ready to do good they love all creatures for his sake they can see no creature in want but their bowels Yearn to help them being much troubled if they have not wherewith to supply their wants These indeed like their Master can Welcome the Crosse yea kisse the Crosse every day and expect bearing of the Crosse in every thing they do whether they be Actions Civil or Spiritual in their Almes or Charities to men or their religious Worship and duties to God They in all bear the Crosse alwaies about them Therefore that of the Papists to me is a pretty Embleme of these mens lives in this regard though they abuse it in an external outward foolish and Superstitious way but the Morral and signification to this purpose is by some very aptly applyed Viz. Every thing they have to do with or what ever they begin or go about The Crosse The Crusifix as they call it must be made upon it when they rise or when they go to bed or whatever they do they will not forget that so is it very truly and really applyed to these men And the more they esteem themselves Blessed for the Papists think themselves Blessed by doing it externally and the fewer Crosses they use the more they think are their curses But in this sence I am sure t is a real truth That these Self-denied Little-Ones know by experience then whom for any to offend it were far better for him That a Milstone were hanged about his neck and sunk headlong to the bottome of the Sea That the more of the Crosse they bare they reckon they are the more Rich the more Happy This taking up the Crosse and Denial of themselves they account it their Life their Portion their Inheritance their Blessing their Crown yea indeed their Heaven upon Earth As for all the things of this world they sit as loose to them as Elijaâ—'s Mantle which as he Ascended fell from him to the Earth to which it belonged These Souls they willingly and freely have departed from the love of this World and expect no love from it but rather Hatred but they having found the Pearl of great price of invalluable price they slight all Sell All for this Pearl For they have resolved and concluded in their souls in good earnest as it is Prov. 4. Wisdome is the principal thing therefore say they I must what ever I
do get Wisdome for all my other Gettings I must get understanding For the Merchandize of it is better then the Merchandize of silver and the gain thereof then â—ine Gold This is that Wisdome which is more precious then Rubies and all the things thou canst desire is not to be compared to her Thou once having this High Esteeme of this Super-Excellent Super-Eminent Life thou wilt search for it as men search for silver and dig for it as for Hidd Treasures For believe it These are of infinite more value These are Everlasting Eternal Durable Riches The other are not so But the men of the world they esteeme silver and Gold and such like to be their Highest Riches and therefore all their Loves Mights and endeavours are to digg for them but these souls are quite contrary and put worth upon things of Worth indeed The violent take this Kingdome by force saith our Saviour Nor can it be gotten other waies This life cannot be obtained without strong Affections to it Not with sitting still nor in a general and formall road of profession it will not fall into our laps nor is it gotten by pattering over a few cold prayers but it must be Esteemed Prized Loved above all things else it will never bee laid hold on none else shall ever come neare it if any other thing take off your Eye or your Love from the persuit thereof you immediately lose the very sight of it He that findeth this life he indeed findeth life Wisdome loveth them that love her and those that seek her early shall find her Riches and honour are with her yea durable Riches and righteousness But he that sinneth against her or neglecteth her hateth his own soul. And this is the finall conclusion he makes Proverbs 8. 36. All that hate me love death yet know it is the Lord that worketh all our works in us â—sai 26. 12. And t is He that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 3. 13. c. These laborious Sermons do sweetly discover this Life This Pearl but till you come to experience them you will finde them full of Pâ—rables and hard Sayings not onely to such as are void of understanding and to the men of this world but to all such though filled with knowledge who are without the true knowledge of God even to all out of Christ for as the Apostle Paul saith The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 13. The worldly wise or men onely literally learned are uncapable of such Doctrines for St. Paul saith of such that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to â—ought the understanding of the prudent and as it were looks about him and cryes out Where is the wise Where is the scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world 1 Cor. 1. 19 20. And it is certain that the profound Rabbies and Philosophers require a sign and seek after wisdom that is such as is but humane or sensual carnal and devillish Iam. 3. 15. and therefore if Christ crucified be preached he is to the Iews and most learned men a stumbling-block and unto the Gentiles foolishness And St. Iohn saith of those great and learned men of the Jews that they plainly expressed so much Do any of our rulers believe on him no no they did not nor could not they wanted the seeing eye and hearing eare to know and receive him for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Life Tâ—ese labours then are fit indeed and onely fit for such as are weak in themselves poor and despised of the world yet called of God and precious because they hold out Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and of a truth the great and the wise men nor the learned are not called or very few of them to the knowledge of God by the Gospel and thereupon unfit for such spiritual doctrine nay is it not true as the Apostle saith You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things that are despised God hath chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 27 28. And therefore to you even to all you whose life is hid with Christ in God The seed of Abraham children of faith and of the promises begotten and descended of the bloud and seed Royal is this piece of Heavenly directions presented who are experienced and builded upon the Rock Iesus Christ and who know what that Annihilation Mortification and Self-denial is which is taught in these Sermons and by Christ was also wrought in the Author himself and otherâ— and tends to tâ—e confusion of the Mystical Babel in mens spirits so strongly erected in mens â—earts so that very few yet scarce know truly wâ—at the confounding of that language means in themselves Oh how rare how precious how excellent and sweet is this spiritual practical experimental life but where to be found where are the living Monuments of it and where are the Books of it where are those Choise ones that know it and do it How few in these days though Christians in profession do press towards the mark for the price of the high calling and who act true Mortification How few enjoy those true and sure treasures pleasures raptures riches and possessions which are in Christ How few do discern the true way to that High Rich Supereminent life But indeed few are the Preachers of it and few be the Labourers in this harvest Oh! Therefore seeing the harvest is great and the labourers few how should we incessantly pray that the Lord would send â—orth such Spiritual and Mortified labourers into his harvest But what may be the cause of this paucity or scarceness certainly t is because the practical part and the contemplative also are clean contrary to flesh and bloud unpleasant to the carnal man few men desire to take up much less to bear the cross of Christ which is the onely way thereunto and if men travell not in the right way how can they come to their journeys end themselves or how can they direct or encourage others to enter into it Oh! this great Idol corrupted self is too much served and worshipped Men are lovers of themselves more then of God very few practise now answerable to the Primitive Christians who delighted in self-denial and spiritual love very few prize the cross of Christ in themselves but rather
of man take away Iness as I may call it and selfness and propriety and then there is a fair paper for God to write what Commands he pleases then no Command crosses them You know our Saviour Christ saith Matt. 10. 39. He that will deny himself shall save himself and again There is no man that hath forsaken houses or lands or wife or children or good name for his sake and the Gospels but he shall have a hundred-fold even in this world houses and lands and wife c. Brethren if you did but believe this could you be so over diligent so eager so covetous for the getting holding and saving of them or would ye not rather if Christ should command you eâ—en Run out of Church and burn you houses presently if you knew you should have a hundred-fold for them but whether you believe it or no his word is true and all men shall be â—ound lyars Heaven and earth shall pass away before one tittle of his word shall fail his words were the words of truth it self they could not admit of the least shadow of untruth and those that Christ hath brought to this condition we now speak of know them to be unspeakably true viz. That one hours joy one hours enjoyment of sure secure peace and joy in the Holy Ghost which they have instead of those things is more worth a thousand fold then a thousand years enjoyment of all the wealth and riches in the world nay they find it better to have One minutes enjoyment of this ravishing contentment then to have all the honour all the riches all the attendants or whatever the world could afford them though for ever And if the scales of ignorance which now blind and darken your understanding were but fallen from your eyes you should undoubtedly find it so and till then you will never believe me nay though one should rise from the dead and affirm these things you can look on them but as empty words wind and shadows Yet let me tell you O Beloved were your eyes but opened you would be so in love with this condition nothing could keep you from it you would not say as the sluggard in the Proverbs There is a Lion in the way no no your souls would be restless till you attain thereto I beseech you exaamine your souls and try them whether you are in this condition or you are not let not things hang wavering and weigh down neither side If God be God follow him if Baal be God follow him you will be hankering towards heaven and fain you would be saved but till you be brought to a resolved Resolution to take it by violence there is no obtaining Consider this man in two things 1 Consider what ever God gives he arrogates nothing to himself and counts himself not worthy of any thing neither can he rejoyce in it as his own but as given from God 2 What ever Lesson God sets this man to perform he ascribes the whole power and strength of it to God onely attributing no power to himself while he doth it yet he doth it not but God in him Or if he avoid any sin he confesseth it was by no power no watchfulness no wariness of his own whereby he did it for herein is the misery of all that man will not acknowledge but some power he hath of his own he can do something of himself And herein was the sin of Adam not so much in eating an Apple but that Adam would have and appropriate a power to himself he would be something without God for if Adam had taken seven Apples it had been nothing setting self-will aside and aiming at self pleasing against the Command of God But Adam would have power in himself he would have his own will he would have an essence of his own this was that which ruined him and so also all his posterity to this day and for ever Thirdly Consider This man he takes all well that God doth whether he give to him or take from him all is one to him he is never troubled he suffers no rending in his soul in leaving them neither rejoyces in the getting of them for he knows they are Gods and they are due to him whensoever he shall call for them As an honest man that knows a sum of money is due he having it ready he had as live the owner had it as himself for he cannot account it his own he cannot boast and pride himself in that which is none of his own This is that we call Reducing our selves to nothing To just nothing so that here we have set before you A lively Statue and Portraiure of a sequestered man which hath lost all that ever he hath in this world 1 He receives all as from God and looks on them as none of his own and he not worthy of the least mercy being less then the least as Iacob confesseth Gen. 32. 10. not in word onely but really he is so in his own esteem Not worth the ground he goes upon as we say And then secondly he uses them all to the glory of God and not to the satisfaction of the flesh and his own will and lusts but distributes them as God commands And if he have Wife Children Honours Riches c. he sets not his heart on them And thirdly I should have shewed you but I forgot he is as glad and rejoyces as much in the good of others as in his own good he is not contented to enjoy plenty himself or any good temporal or spiritual but he would have others enjoy the like and is willing to communicate to them Fourthly he is ready to part with them willingly when ever God calls for them And lastly Because as Eliphaz saith to Iob because the consolations of God seem no small thing to him therefore he is indifferent in all these things so God take not his holy Spirit from him and those inward joyes and refreshings from his own presence he cares not let him take from him else what he will Now what is it think you that this man feareth that hath thus overcome and is set down with Christ in his throne he cannot so much as fear death for he dyes dayly And what do you think now can separate this man from the love of Iesus Christ what can â—inder him from boasting and triumphing though not of or in himself but as the Apostle doth Ro. 8. 35 36 37 38 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter nay in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. So much concerning that we come to the third that is Forsaking all things Of what degree and condition soever though not actually it may be we are not called to that but yet to forsake them alwayes in affection to be alwayes in readiness to forsake All if God cal to it Many think they have done this they are ready to say with Peter Mat. 19. 27. Lo master we have forsaken al but Peter was deceived he had forsaken very little and I doubt by that time we are tryed we shall be found very tardy in this very thing But before I go any further I will answer one objection which it may be lies in some of your minds You tell us of these high duties of Condemnation and Annihilation and forsaking all things in the world and indifferency but what is all this without faith they are but splendida peccata golden sins for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and we never heard you name faith in all this I answer Though I never expressed it in words yet it is necessarily implyed for that is the weight of all faith is the ground of all faith in it self is a secret thing it is The Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. that being the ground and foundation you know The foundation that holds all for wheresoever you see a glorious building ye will not imagine but that it hath a foundation though it be hid from your eyes but as it is said Rev. 13. 10. Behold here is the faith and patience of the Saints so say I Behold they can forsake father and mother and wife and children and all yea and their own lives too or else he is not worthy to be my Disciple Luk. 14. 33. Behold Here is a glorious Building Built by God himself as when the Disciples wondred at the building of the Temple Christ takes them off wondring as having no such gloriousness in it because the time should come there should not be a stone upon a stone which should not be thrown down Mar. 13. 1. His wondring was taken up about things of another nature But our Saviour Christ saith there wonder not that I said unto you he that forsakes not father and mother c. he is not worthy of me but I say unto you that he that hates not father and mother and wife and children yea and his own life too cannot be my Disciple v. 26. But Oh this Scripture comes so tart and so thwart to flesh and bloud they cannot endure it they cry out durus sermo as the Papists say concerning the second Commandment it comes so directly contrary to making of Images that there is no way but it must be blotted out of the Decalogue So is it with this Scripture flesh and bloud cryes out down with this Scripture away with it out upon it it is impossible for any man to perform it or else they cry out Oh give it some allay some moderation some interpretation some mitigation else we cannot bear it I if it come in competition with that and other things too that either we must forsake Christ or forsake them here now flesh and bloud can bear with it But say I away away with all these things These fleshly interpretations Do you think Christ knew not what he said Bring thy self to the Word and not the Word to thee All these things are offence unto me Behold as S. Paul saith I tell you A mystery He that loves any thing in the whole world that is visible any thing that is visible in thy wife or visible in thy children or visible in thy father or mother c. I say if thou lovest any thing visible in the whole world let it be what it will be This love it arises from flesh and bloud and it is guided by flesh and bloud and is terminated and ends in flesh and bloud For the body is but the brutish part flesh and bloud is the worser part of man or woman for think but from whence this comes look back and see the pit whence you were digged see the womb in which you were nourished and with what The womb was but made of the dust of the earth and of the same art thou made and thou wert there nourished by by the flesh of beasts Fowl or fish such as thy mother Eate and when thou art brought forth by the same is thy life continued and all is but fleshly and beastlike actions for the brute beasts do as much they eat and drink and seek to maintain life and propagate their kind and delight therein and if thou doest no more thy love is but Earthly sensual and devillish Iam. 3. 15. but if thou wouldst have thy love to be Pure Then learn to separate separate the precious from the vile Jer. 15. 19. if thou separate then shalt thou be as my mâ—uth c. Thou must love that which is divine in them thou must love their internal part Their Souls Thou must love the image of God in them and if thou do not separate herein the precious from the vile Christ when he comes he will do it then and if thy love be set upon the vile thou and it go together for as it began had its original continuance and end in flesh and blood so in flesh and bloud it shall have its reward thou lovedst it and it loved thee And I may say as Christ said in another case Verily verily I say unto you you have your reward Himself did make a separation of the precious from the vile when he was on earth and so he will do when he comes to judgement as when some came and told him when he was in the Temple thy Mother and Brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee he answers who are my Mother and Sisters and Brethren they that hear the Word of God and keep it the same are my Mother Brethren and Sisters He there separated the precious from the vile as if he should say Do you think that I look as men look and that I esteem as men esteem No as Mat. 23. 8. I look upon you all as Brethren for ye are all the children of you heavenly father I look upon that which makes you all Brethren and as you are a compleat body having one Master and one Father I look not upon you as divided but as one for a Kingdom divided against it self that Kingdom cannot stand Belzebubs Kingdom is not divided and shall Gods House shall Gods Kingdom be Therefore he that loves any visible thing his love is but fleshly and you can expect no better then a fleshly reward I but some will say to me t is true we know we ought not to love them as them but we onely love them so far forth as
Let me tell you In this very history There is a good land promised to us as well as to these Israelites and it is by Gods promise confirmed and Ratified to us And though we often doubt and despair murmur and mutiny yet the Lord often and many a time passeth by and pardons our murmurings and unbeliefe and still renews his promise Though we often so far as lies in us Cancel the bonds and the ingagements yet He is a God Rich in mercy Slow to anger and he pardons our Unbelief and his Charter to us and with us is A New granted and renewed every day and Revealed more and more unto us You that are Believers Do ye not find all these things true both to and in your selves Nay are there not Mutiners among us within our souls do you not find These very things accomplished within your own hearts have you not These Whisperers These depravers of the power of God within your selves do not you harbour these Mutiners that say T is true Heaven is a good Country and full of plenty that can be desired there is indeed as the Scripture saith Things such as eye never saw nor as ear never heard nor ever entred into the heart of man And At his right hand there are pleasures for evermore but These Mutiners within us they say withal that This place this land this Paradise is walled about with high and thick walls such as we shall never climb and the Inhabitants are Giants mighty men such as we shall never overcome There is before we come there The strong man to overcome and he is not onely strong but Armed And there is Lucifer the Prince of the powers of darkness and There is the blood Red Dragon spoken of in the Revelation And all these are Giants sons of Anack whom we dare not disturb nor enâ—ounter there is the Old Adam and Self-will and that which is nearest and dearest of all There is I my Self to be overcome as I opened to you upon another Text under several heads All these are as so many Golia's making challenges and proâ—lamations in behalf of the whole army of those numerous Philistims within us And to fight really with these we had rather die in the wilderness or return into Egypt into our old captivity then once adventure against them For saith the heart within for the present we are quiet and let us not further adventure we feel now no evil we can take our own wills and we can follow our own pleasures and we are Lords and none dare controul us in our own wayes if we can be content Though we are told our own wayes and wills are destruction We find not nor we feel no such thing while we served and worshipped the Queen of Heaven we had plenty of all things but since we attempted To forsake our selves and deny our selves and to crucifie our selves we have found nothing but troubles fightings and discouragements Therefore T is but a folly to try any further and labour ourselves in vain let the Country be as good as it will we shall never get thither we will rather venture our souls though we dye in this wilderness God is merciful and we find most ease and pleasure in following our own wiâ—ls and oâ—r own wayes Oh my beloved Find you not all these things within you and ten thousand thousands more of this nature But let me tell you None of all these doubtful distrustful spirits can ever enter this promised land Never did Nor never shall Enter this desired Land for Those enemies as I then shewed which I named in part before they must not onely be fought withal but they must be overcome These Goliahs must be slain and be beheaded before ever ye can triumph in the Dance with the Minstrels and the Damsels Nay let me tell you God hath solemnly sworn in his wrath in Psal. 95. These shall never enter into His Rest but To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down in my Fathers Throne Rev. 3. 21. But Oh ye of little faith why doubt ye How is it that ye have no faith if ye look upon your selves indeed ye are but as Grashopers to these Mighty Giants and Terrible â—nemies within you but if ye fix your eyes on him that hath promised you have no cause at all to 〈◊〉 they shall be but as meat for us And their â—efence shall depart from them and the Lord of hosts is on our side this spiritual Canaan this Heavenly Rest is freely promised by God not for anything in you Say not in your hearts as the Lord saith to the Israelites Because we are better or because we are stronger then the Nations about us we have done or shall do All these things but because the Lord loved you and he would do it for his own Name sake Therefore Onely Believe and none of all these things shall stand in your way These discouragements shall be as meat and Strength to you This inheritance is not gotten or obtained by our strength or our righteousness but it is purchased by his Sons Own bloud and the work is carried on by his Own strength Onely believe If ye can but trust to this if ye can but Rely and Rowl your selves on Him be sure you shall enter This Rest and possess This Good Land And the way to it is onely by being sensible of our own unworthiness and weakness and likewise of his Love and power Relying thereupon These souls shall enter and these onely My Brethren Then of all things take heed or rather The Lord give you watchfulness against this great sin of Unbelief Infidelity and unbelief is the first and main thing to be overcome in the way of Christianity Unbelief excludes us from this Rest Therefore it is That He who is an unbeliever cannot inherit the Kingdom of God All other sâ—ns are but fruits of unbelief â—nbelief disables utterly and Cuts off from the Kingdome of God for so long as we conceive a thing impossible to be done we can never go about it with courage oâ— confidence But He that relies on Gods promise distrusting his own ability yet believing that there is nothing so high but he shall attain it nor nothing so strong but he shall overcome it and onely because God hath promised it Then shall we go on couragiously and victoriously Our own strength or our own weakness shall not much encourage or discourage us But If we doubt and believe not Then shall it fare with us as it did here with these Murmurers We can never enter into His Rest. But now let us go on These things I could not but touch at lying so in our way After that these Israelites had entred and had partly overcome and conquered this Land and had got it into their own possession They began to divide the Land to every Tribe His lot of
any creature but thou wilt be willing to do as Abraham did by Sarah to buy a field to bury thy dead out of thy sight for they are dead to thee and thou art dead to them and when death shall come to call thee hence thou canst look him in the face with great joy and reâ—oycing and then shalt thou know what is the benefit of eating The hidden manna then shalt thou finde and taste both what it is and how delicious and sweet it is then shalt thou finde that one day in Gods house is befter then a thousand elsewhere then shalt thou finde that God himself will be more to thee then all the creatures put together then shalt thou finde that one day of true love to God one hours enjoyment of the love of God doth give thy soul more joy and content then all the creatures could ever afford thee then shalt thou feelingly say as the Queen of Sheba by Solomon She said to the King It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom howbeit I beleeved not the words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the half was not told me of thy wisdom and prosperity exceeding the fame which I heard I have heard much of the love of God by his Ministers and of the ravishing content that was therein but now I am come to enjoy it I finde they did not relate the tenth part thereof and that it is such love which fastens and knits us together for ever and ever to the unchangeable God through Iesus Christ his onely beloved Son who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person OF EATING HIDDEN MANNA The Heads or Substance of a Sermon preached for Mr. Hodges at his Wednesday Lecture in OLD JURY REV. 2. 17. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it IN a little corner of Asia were these Churches seated unto whom God by the Evangelist Saint Iohn wrote The words I have now read are as David sayes of the blessed man whose tree never withereth but is alwayes fresh flourishing and green planted by the Rivers side such are these words and all the words of God they have not onely a dead Letter but they have a living sense this Tree bears fruit in all Ages in all times As our Saviour Christ sayes what I say to you I say to all men the words of God are so spoken and meant that they are not onely true of that man that time in that place in that age in which they were spoken but they are true and concern as much all men all ages all sexes all places But if ye shall say to me as the Apostle â—aith Rom. 10. 6. Who shall ascend into Heaven or who shall descend into the secrets of God to bring Christ from the Grave or to fetch him down from Heaven behold he is nigh thee even in thy heart c. Behold I am he whom God hath appointed at this time to unfold this word from God now read to you to open to you these sweet promises of mercy and grace but it will be so onely to those whose eyes are open to see them so the promise here made is large I will give him to eat Hidden Manna but it is not without a condition let them be what they will be pretend what they will let your confidence be never so great ye have no interest in this promise without the condition would you eat of the hidden Manna then ye must be overcomers he that overcometh shall eat But give me leave a little to wave the condition the Apostle Iohn saith That there are three that bare record on earth the Spirit the water and the Blood and these three agree in one So say I here is both a condition and a promise and they both agree in one A man cannot eat except he Overcome neither can he Overcome except he Eats therefore let no man think he can Overcome except he eat this hidden Manna and he that eateth doth Overcome as Christ tells the Disciples without me ye can do nothing so without ye eat this hidden Manna ye can do nothing ye can never overcome for in eating this hidden Manna we get strength to Overcome and as we eat we overcome and as we overcome we eat this was your vow made in Baptisme to renounce the Devil and all his works and to fight manfully under Christs Banner against sin the World the Flesh and the Devil thou hast there given up thy name to Christ and hast bid defiance to Satan as much as in thee lieth and hast said I renounce thee Satan and I will be one of thy Souldiers O Lord Christ. There is no man that hath prepared his heart to seek God but he shall be sure to find enemies enough he shall have temptations to wrastle with and to overcome David sayes that he found his enemies innumerable Psal. 118. they compassed him on every side and came about him all like Bees and the Lord himself tells us that all the imaginations of mans heart are onely evil continually Dost thou think then that thou hast no enemies Then let no man say if I found any enemies I would fight with them for I may say to thee as Delilah to Sampson Arise the Philistines be upon thee there be enemies enough even in the chamber within thee lying in wait and if you do not arise and stand upon your guard you shall be overcome instead of overcoming But that you may understand this Text I will lay down three things which will be necessary to unfold it The first is this All these seven promises made here to the seven Churches of Asia though they be diversly exprest yet it is all one thing suppose they be promises of eating of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God or promises that we shall not be hurt of the second death or that we shal have the crown of life or of the white stone with the new name in it or of ruling the Nations with a rod of iron or the receiving the bright morning Star All these promises they are one and the same thing and they are pronounced by one and the same Spirit and let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches wheresoever Christ shall be there shall his members be also and every member shall have a full and plentiful part there shall be nothing wanting to them they shall all have a satisfying part they shall be all as branches that are nourished with one and the same root the same sap goes thorow the whole body that is in the
bold so it is a very strange speech and a home charge but wonder not for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is true boldness as Solomon saith Prov. 28. 1. The Righteous are as bold as a Lion For the Prophet here strikes at head and tail root and branch great and small Prince and People Priest and Prophet The whole house of Israel are here 1 Accused of Covetousness 2 Condemned for Covetousness The accusation is like an Indictment well laid which expresseth 1 The fault the charge which is Covetousness 2 The extent of the fault it was Epidemical from the greatest to the least 3 The Intention they gave themselves to it they did it purposely and voluntarily And 4 The Charge being proved and they found guilty the sentence or condemnation follows which is onely implyed in the word For it being the connexion of this verse with the former wherein is threatned that God will pour out his fury and indignation upon the children and young men upon the husband and wife the aged with him that is full of dayes and their houses and wive should be turned to others I The matter of the accusation is Covetousness But this sin how evil soever and however threatned here and elsewhere in the Scriptures is hardly esteemed any sin at all ye cannot perswade men of the Evilness thereof but you are ready to think and charge us that we Church-men are strange fellows To set up men of straw and then fight against them for our parts we find very few covetous some indeed are Swearers Drunkards Adulterers Lyars Prophaners of the Sabbath these they can see and acknowledge to be sins and would have us preach against them but to keep such a stir about Covetousness they think is a vain thing and time lost for either they are but few that are so or else t is not so great a sin as you make for or else you call that Covetousness which is not Indeed I confess other sins wear the Devils Cognizance and Livery openly but this alwayes wears a Cloak ye shall never see Covetousness without its Cloak as the Apostle terms it 1 Thes. 2. 5. For our last Translation renders it very right Nor a Cloak of Covetousness For this sin is generally in credit in the world and therefore they do not let it go naked but clothe it not with the name of any vice or sin but under tolerable and credible names as Thrift Providence Good Husbandry Honest care of a mans own and Care of the main chance I and so it should seem they esteem it the main chance a covetous man will part with his soul before he will part with his Covetousness and they have Scripture ready to protect and defend them 1 Tim. 5. 8. He that provideth not for his own especially for them of his own house is worse then an Infidel and hath denied the faith And so they bring it in as a duty that they ought to be scraping and covetous We may endeavour to uncase this covetous man by two words one is in the place before named 1 Thess. 2. 5. Nor a cloak of Covetousness its never without a cloak as I said and the other is 1 Tim. 6. 10. its hare called The root of all evil What a world of evils grow up from covetousness as if we had time we might shew In brief it excludes all love and fear of God and all love and pity to men and all care of our neighbours good and so breaks the whole Law it will make him Oppress Cozen Deceive Lye sell a good Conscience for every trifle In short it will make a man turn his back on all Religion to forsake the faith and consequently Salvation as is there exprest and in the foregoing Verses The love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows It is such a sin that if ever God touch the heart about it it will pierce through with many sorrows before ever they can forsake it for saith he They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction It is such a subtil snate so cunningly contrived and so full of fair pretences that let a man be once in love with money he knows not which way to wind out but it wil fetter him even to everlasting perdition and destruction Indeed friends it is a very hard thing to uncase this sin because care and diligence there may and must be and this is its Cloak DILIGENCE is Covetousness his Cloak never off his back whereby it s sheltred against all reproof I suppose and sure it is a man may pray Agurs prayer without Covetousness Prov. 30. 8 9. Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me A Competency of food and raiment this certainly is the limitation and bound of our desires But then will arise another Question What is a Competency or what is sufficient Therefore some in answer hereunto have deâ—ined Covetousness to be an inordinate desire of more and using unlawful means and ways to get it But I conceive this is somewhat too favourably defined for one may be covetous yea deeply covetous and yet get his goods without fraud deceit or oppression c. Aug. de lib. Arbit lib. 3. Chap. 17. Avaritia est plus velle quam satis sit It is Covetousness to desire more then is sufficient which is But daily bread and but This day our daily bread we have no warrant to seek more But we having daily bread according as our Saviour teacheth us to pray in the Lords prayer which includes all things necessary for this life food and raiment and the like without question this is sufficient and the desire of more is Covetousness As our Saviour commands Matth. 6. latter end Take no thought for the morrow saying What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed for after all these things do the Gentiles seek And as the Apostle exhorts 1 Tim 6. 8. Having food and raiment let us be therewith content When this will not content then the desire is inordinate when a man will hunt and seek after that which he dare not warrantably pray for which is but daily bread and why should we seek with carking care for any more for any more for our breath is in our nostrils we are not sure of life not an hour then to what end is all this taking thought and then thou fool whose shall those things be which thou hast provided within this bound we ought to keep our selves for no sooner are we over this pale and bound SUFFICIENT but then we are in the wide wildernes and boundless CHAMPAIGN of Covetousness which consists in two things 1. To be covetous is to let
God talked familiarly face to face As a man talketh with his friend And Israel so long as they were among the flesh-pots in Egypt they were never acquainted with Quailes nor Manna till a man hath forsaken all and gotten into the desart God may call long enough and knock at the door of our hearts but we will not hear nor open to him But it may be you will say unto me What shall we do then who live far off any desart how shall we finde God Going into the desart is meant forsaking all things in our affections that we have no propension to one thing more then to another that we use these things as if we used them not and that we are as willing to leave them in action if God call for them from us or us from them as to enjoy them if it be his will then are we gotten into the desart with Moses and then God will appear to us then God will Reveal himself and shew us not onely his backparts but shew us his face also if we are able to see it This is also going into the high hilly Countrey with Mary after the Angel had been with her whose salutation was at first so strange to her so when we have forsaken all that ever the eye can see or the ears hear or the heart conceive till we have forsaken houses lands wives children friends and all nay as long as our affections mingle with these we cannot love God aright if he cannot have all but with him we must love these he will have none at all and if he must have all where is any to spare to any thing in the world Therefore I tell you If ye love God ye may not love your health ye may not love your wealth your houses your lands you may not love your wife your childe your good name nay you may not love your lives nay not your own souls nay more then this He that hates not father and mother and wife and children and his own life and his own soul too cannot be my disciple how what not love my father mother wife children what not love these good blessigns of God what not love my body nay what not love my soul nay hate my soul O these are sore sayings no for the love of God cannot be mingled with these if you love your wife as your wife and your goods as your goods and your life as your life and your soul as your soul then your love is divided between God and them then you have played the harlot and the adulterer with them but you must love them for God and in God and as coming from him and to be used for him and if you do so Then I say unto you Love them as dear as you will you cannot love them too much But then I must tel you this will follow if so they instead of separating you from God They draw you nearer to him but if ye love them for themselves then they will draw you from God they will make God and you at enmity they will make a division and separation between you but if your love be set on God it will be also on them for his sake and this is to love not them but God in them Then this will also follow This man can let God do what he will with them either give them to him or take them from him and yet God and he fall not out for whatever God doth to him or with them still he loves God but if ye love them in the other sense then he will say with Lot Is it not a little one my soul shall live could not God have spared me this one thing t is but a little one what may I not love One creature no saith this soul I will let all go so I may enjoy thee I enjoyed thee in them and thee I shall enjoy without them And those that thus joy in them may joy that they did joy in them I say they may joy and rejoyce that ever they did joy and rejoyce in them but the other joy was such a joy that they must sorrow and repent that they did joy for they joyed in the Shadow and that vanished away but the other joyed in the substance in the body and that remained that shall never decay for God is the substance of all things but all things that are visible are but shadows but appearances bubbles soon up and soon down like bubbles in the water And the reason why we are so disquieted in the loss of them is because we take the shadow to be the substance and if that vanish we must needs be disquieted and we are all out of order Then let God give us what He will nothing shall please us why because our Absalom is dead 2 Sam. 18. ult but he that loves them for God and in God he is a quiet man however they change he is the same let God give them to him or take them away from him he is still contented Beloved This is the man that loves them aright and he loves them infinitely more and more dearer then all the world can love his own or that it most prizeth for that love and joy brings them but grief and sorrow but these may joy that ever they had such a joy and he loves God as giving him that love Until we have forsaken all God will never appear to us as he did not here to Moses till he had forsaken All the world and come into the Desart having forsaken flock and all till then God appeared not to him Not forsaken all as some expound it that is say they when the love of God and these outward things comes into competition or when we can enjoy them no longer but I say forsake them all in affection even while we enjoy them for he that will love them till that time may love them so long that he cannot forsake them that is not quietly but he is as it were Rent in pieces to forsake them though in act he may be made to forsake them yet his affections do not but as soon as ever we have forsaken all and have cast all the creatures behind our back so that we stand indifferently affected to all Then GOD will appear to us Then GOD will shew Us miracles as well as Moses then God will speak Familiarly to us face to face as well as to Moses for there are as great miracles done every day as was then but our eyes are blinded we see them not The reason why our old men do not dream dreams and our young men see visions is because we go not into the desart The reason why God appears not To Us is because we do not with Elijah fast fourty days in the desart but we are buried in flesh and blood and in the world we are swallowed up in Sense and Reason We wonder it may be that
Real condemnation of our selves and not onely verbal p. 206 c. In this Condemnation three sorts of men sit Judges 1. The Carnal man p. 209. 2. The Rational man and he 〈◊〉 the Carnal p. Ibid. 3. The Spiritual manâ— and â—e â—udges both the former p. 210. The spiritualâ—ty of the 〈◊〉 opened and the first Commandment set before us as a glass to behold our condition p. 215. Further explained p. 224. Yet for all this guilt the blood of Iesus Christ purgetâ— from all sin if Christ apply it and not onely our selves p. 229. 2. Step Annihilation reducing our selves to nothing what it is p. 231 c. The effects of this Annihilation This Man 1. Receives all as from God p. 237 c. 2. He doth all by the power of God 238. to the glory of God ibid. 3. He rejoyceth in others goods as his own 239. 4. He is not glued to any temporal things but is ready to part with them when God calls ibid. 3. Step Resignation for saking all things in the world of what condition soever p. 240. 4. Step Indifferency to all conditions p. 251. Effects of indifferency This Man 1. He hath two eyes two feet as to the body so to his soul p. 264. 2. His eye is not divided between God and Mammon p. 265. 3. He resigns his judgement to God alone regards not what mans judgement is ibid. 4. He is gotten above all heights and depths principalities and powers c. ibid. 5. He is an Anabaptist his former name is changed and his Father hath given him a new name p. 268. The Author being interrupted came not to preach of the two last steps which is Conformity and Deiformity p. 270. Four Sermons on Josh. 15. 15 16. And Caleb said He that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife c. THe History of Moses sending the Spies to discover the Land of Canaan of the peoples murmuring and mutining upon the ill report raised by the ten Spies of Calebs and Ioshuas faith these things run over and applyed to our selves as concerning as much 〈◊〉 as them from p. 272 to 280. Part of this Chapter and 2 Cor. 3. Compared and answering face to face as the two Cherubims p. 212 c. The words opened and explained p. 287. Kiriathsepher the City of the Letter must be smitten and taken before it can be to us Debir The word then we likewise shall marry Achsah signifying The rending of the vail p. 294 c. The Letter or Ordinances not to be thrown away nor yet to be rested in p. 295. The spirituality of the ten Commandments briefly explained applyed from p. 296 to 319. In what sense the Scriptures are and are not the word of God explained p. 318 c. The text divided into two parts 1. Onus the work 2. Honos the reward p. 334. Those that rest in the letter either are starvelings or dwarfs alwayes children in stature and grow not p. 337. Christs body and actions in the flesh symbolical p. 343. Jesus Christ the substance and soul of all creatures false conclusions hence abandoned and shewing the soul of man is infinitely below God p. 351. An Objection answered about undervaluing the Letter p. 353. The Awfulness of God in that soul that truly sees him p. 357 c. Pilates question what thing is truth answered p. 363. A short view of some Priviledges which are to be enjoyed withiâ— the Holiest of all after we have married Achsah and obtained The râ—nding of the vail p. 364 c. The two Wonderful and unknown Trees of Eden viz. The Tâ—ee of Knowledge of Good and Evil p. 379. The Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God p. 385. How the Tree of Knowledge c. Is the Seed of the Serpent in mans Heart p. 389. That Great Idol a Mans Self 392. Two Sermons on Psal. 61. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy place Part 2. THe parts of the text p. 7. God hath his Chariots of Triumph and Terror p. 8. All the Creatures are Gods Chariots wherein he gloriously rides so many creatures so many chariots p. 11. God in himself alwayes invisible to men and Angels p. 17. All creatures infinitely short of God and the most excellent speak him but darkly and though he fill all creatures yet all cannot comprehend him nor all men and Angels by them p. 18. How God is said to be in Hell and in Lucifer himself p. 21. God not to be found or known by Addition but onely by subtraction p. 23. The Kingdom of Heaven commonly mistaken which consisteth not in meats or drinks or crowns or scepters musick c. or any ocular or carnal glory p. 25. All creatures the Amiable tabernacles of God p. 30 c. Two Scriptures propounded whereby to represent a a small glimps or scantling of God p. 34. None like the God of Iesurun who rideth upon the Heavens in his excellency c. p. 39. What repose of heart the people of God may take in this their infinite God and Father because his everlasting arms are under them p. 44. Angels are Messengers or Embassadours p. 48. All creatures sing aloud Gods praise even the worst and wicked st sing a part and how p. 49. What to think of the Angels above us being out of our sphere we not able to define them p. 52. That God is in all the creatures and though the creatures change yet he is unchangeable p. 53. Yet he is not in every creature according â—o his infiniteness but as every creature can receive him p. 55. 1. use To teach us love and charity toward all creatures p. 57. 2. use To learn to know our selves p. 58. 3. use That nothing comes by chance but all things ordered by providence p. 59. Considerations of the Immenseness and infiniteness of God p. 60 c. Two Sermons on Cant. 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest and where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why c. THe division of the text p. 70. The nature of a soul in love with Christ though he be still filling her yet she is never fully satisfied wiâ—h him p. 71. Things in heaven are neither visible material ocular oâ— tangible c. p. 77. To try whether we have love to God by our love to our brethren p. 78. Many can come to God in prayer under this notion O thou whom my body loves but how few O thou whom my soul loves p. 80. The letter of the word but a dead resemblance of the life within p. 85. They that limit Jesus Christ according to the thirty three years he lived on earth do circumcise and cut short the large vastness of his greatness p. 88. The Question answered what need Christ any rest seeing he is in heaven p. 94. If Christ be not