nothingness of his handmaid he hath brought down the mighty and exalted them of low degree and scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts If you would find God It must be by lessening your selves and taking the creature quite out of your way And if you would think of God to find Him you must not imagine Him under any form but cast away from you all that ever you can say or think for God is nothing that we can say name or imagine And therefore if you speak of any thing or think of any thing either in the heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth and think him like it though it be never so glorious yea ten thousand times brighter then the Sun yet in this you commit Idolatry and make to your self A graven or a formed image All is one for God infinitely transcends all our thoughts and imaginations yea all the thoughts of all the Angels in heaven for none can comprehend God but God â—imself Therefore herein you belye God for he is none of all those things nor like any of those things we imagine For you know He speakes falsely as well He that sayes less then the truth as he that sayes more then the truth As in your publick oaths they are given in this form Thou shalt speak the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth So that he that speaks less then the truth or more then the truth speaks not the truth and he that speaks not the truth speaks a lye So he that thinks or speaks that which comes short of God and sayes such an one is the Almighty He belyes him and hath broken the second Commandment But he that shall Take away whatsoever is competible to any creature whatsoever He comes nearest to God For whatever is competible or agreeable to any creature Is All but Accidents and so The creature blindes us and hides God from us though God be in every creature and as much in one creature as in another yet These Accidents in the creatures hide God from us And those to whom Christ hath manifested the Father They in whom Christ dwells they know that Christ is in them and in every creature but Reprobates know it not as the Apostle saith Know ye not that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Those that be reprobates do not know that Christ is in them but if they be No Reprobates they know it and are sensible of it Christ hath manifested himself to be in them by Revealing to them That God filleth all things They See him Believe him and Feel him to be That Ever Blessed BEING That filleth all in all Who Alone can make them Happy They have seen His Goings out and His comings in His glorious Outgoings in every creature which hath so Endeared and won over their hearts to him so that they esteem him Dearer and more lovely and Amiable then ten thousand worlds and their hearts Can never depart from him or rather He hath so united them to himself by His love shed abroad in their hearts that they can never be Reprobated from him as David saith in Psal. 68. 24. They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my King and my God even in the Sanctuary They see God in every creature Deckâ—d as on his Throne In his Glory and Majesty in his Heaven and in his Holy Temple But as we were saying whatever creature thou lookest upon be it never so glorious That creature by reason of its Clothing by Accidents iâ— blindes and hood-winks us from God for I cannot shew you God nor represent God to you by shewing or setting forth to you any creature but if you take from the creature All that can be felt heard thought or understood then you come Nearest Him As Dionysius in his book of Mystical Divinity who was St. Pauls Scholar mentioned in the Acts He very Elegantly expresseth This very thing we have so often spoke of and I willingly speak of it And the oftener as it comes in my way because I know These things we are very ignorant of generally even among those that think they know All things and yet are ignorant in this Great and Comprehensive truth which is even the very beginning and foundation and Rock of all other truths If you could take from the creature all Heat and Cold all heaviness and lightnesâ— all weight and measure all beauty and ill-favouredness all youth and age all greatness and littleness and all Accidents All manner of fashion and form or Whatever hath a Name or can be imagined then you shall find the High and Holy One in his tabernacle and in his Secret place Even He who is God blessed for ever that is Even God in Christ Iesus Those that go about to find God this way in the way of poverty and taking away they shall find God in Christ Jesus But those that go about to find him in the way of adding or inlarging or setting any creature before them to resemble God God hides himself the more and goes farther off from them And therefore it was I said that God loves Carvers better then Painters So then we have shewed you how Moses delivered onely the Letter of the Commandments and he that made Not an Idol to behold and fall down to it with his body he had not broke this Commandment But the Spirit of this Commandment goes farther then every eye can see and there is more contained in it then we can at first see in the superficies of the Letter For he not onely breaks this Commandment that makes an Image and falls down and worships it for this is but the least breach of it this is but outward and bodily he indeed transgresses against the Letter but there is an inward and more dangerous breach viz. To transgress against the Spirit of it That is He that thinks or believes or affirms That God is like any thing in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth and of this makes himself a God and adores and worships it in his mind This man the Lord will not hold him guiltless for he is a jealous God He that thinks God to be like any thing either glorious or base to be like any thing he hath seen or not seen to be like any thing he hath felt or not felt to be like any thing he hath heard or not heard to be like any thing great or little to be like any thing either present or absent or any thing he can imagine that man hath made him A graven Image and hath fallen down and worshipped it Nay I tell you though he hath neither eyes noâ— hands to make an Image yet he hath both made A graven Image and hath worshipped it Whereto sayes God will you liken me saw you any thing in that day c. and to what will
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
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
the shell of the Letter except we go further and Iesus Christ opens the seals and shews us the life the marrow That which except it be given to us we cannot understand And therefore the Apostle flatly denies all other knowledge 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 16. for saith he the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them Wherefore saith he in the 16. verse henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we had known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more What may be the meaning of this blessed Apostle thus seemingly to sleight the very body of Jesus Christ In all probability he never saw the body of Jesus Christ upon earth in that 33 years he lived here except he had a vision of him as he marched to Damascus when he was smitten from his horse His meaning therefore must needs be If we know Christ after the Letter never so exactly the whole history of him what avails it Our knowledge of Jesus Christ must be internal spiritual experimental to live unto him that dyed for them if a man be not as the Apostle saith in the succeeding verses made a new creature altered and changed according to Christ in the inward man so that he lives no longer to himself but to him that dyed for him so that all old things are past away and all things are become new so that there is by the mighty power of Jesus Christ a new man begotten in us as the Apostle saith My beloved of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in yoâ— This is indeed that Christ that died for us else Christ dyed not for us his cross is of no effect he dyed in vain to us T is not all the knowledge and believing that ever thou canst attain to of an external Christ will do thee any good without a Christ begotten within thee a Christ in experience Hath any man gotten or attained though by much pains and industry any taste any knowledge of Christ otherwise it is but old things old knowledge old learning attained by the power of the old man fot self-ends And all old things must pass away saith the Apostle That knowledge that was conveyed to us by our parents or by our School-masters let it be what it will or by whom it will by all the Catechisms and Books that can be made and that we are able to apply them to our lives according to the Letter t is all but old things old knowledge as the young man in the Gospel he knew the law and had kept all those things from his youth but he failed in point of self-denial he obeyed from old powers and to old ends And although we had all knowledge and all power and all conformity in this regard before Christ be created in the heart it must all pass away This is that knowledge that we cannot depend on This is that knowledge that the Apostle regards not he esteems it Nothing let it be never so glorious and splendent and though all the world hath received it and in their words own it though in practise they renounce it he counts it all dross and dung Why St. Paul what manner of knowledge then is it that thou wilt know nothing besides it And that is the second thing he answers it himself in this chapter Lo if ye are able to understand saith he so that the god of this world hath not blinded your eyes we do speak wisdom even the hidden wisdom of God yet in a mystery not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world which comes to nought indeed this wisdom it tends not to outward pomp not to riches nor honour nor the setting up of men and parts but we speak wisdom to those that are perfect to those whom Jesus Christ hath pulled off the scales from their eyes What mystery is it to know Jesus Christ his death and resurrection outwardly and all the circumstances Will this faith save you No but to those that know no more we are very fools and they can see no wisdom in our words The carnal man knoweth not the Profound the Deep things of God neither indeed can he because they are spiritually discerned But he that can divide these waters shall have dry and firm ground to walk on and over Iordan safely He that can crack the shell those can rellish and digest these precious mysteries And to those they are the preciousest dainties in heaven and earth they are the sweetest excellencies wherein their souls can live and die these are the souls which delight themselves in Fatness undervaluing the world and all things therein as seeing them lean and empty things But to the carnal man and he that will go no farther then the Letter these truths we now speak of are the unrelishablest the tasteless est the sapless est meat you can give them we pour but water in their shoes ye cannot please them worse then when you talk of these things or preach of these things because ye are out of their element t is as unwelcome and as Nauseous as a câ—p of cold water they are sick of such doctrine To tell them that they must be killed and slain their own knowledge their own lives must be crucified they must no longer have their own desires their own wils their own affections but must be content to cross themselves in every thing and to take up their cross dayly and follow Christ else they cannot be his Disciples oh here is vinegar and gall ye are the unwelcomest men to them in the world they cry with the Jews Our soul is weary of this light meat give us somewhat that we can feel give us some ponderous thing some comfortable thing somewhat that our senses may see and feel good Alas this is not the Heaven we look for Can we think it a happiness to be destroyed to be killed and crucified Give us such a Christ and such a Heaven as is good to our outward man who will let us have credit and honour and riches such a Christ that we may believe in who died so many years ago that will save us outwardly such a Christ that will be good to my eyes to my hands and to my feet to my back and to my belly such a Christ as will save us if we do but externally and litterally believe in him and will let us have our own wils and speak our own words and please our affections and save our souls at last I marry Sir Here is a Christ indeed this is such a Christ as all the world would have But give me leave to tell you This is a Christ of thine own making this Christ which thou speakest of
in Trinity the Holy Ghost He is The Motion or Reciprocation between the Father and the Son The Act of Love as I may so say or that Bond of Love between the Father and the Son for God is Love saith the Apostle Then God the Holy Ghost is nothing else but that constant love and amity that the Father bears to his Son and that love that the Son bears and returns to his Father again and so Proceeds from the Father and the Son and this is that Holy Spirit of love whereby we are sanctified and conformed to our head Christ and so is The third person in Trinity and after both though in themselves One and the same But know this God cannot communiâ—ate himself to us but by One in Three and Three in One it is impossible but in himself he is but One and cannot be more there is not three things in him for he cannot be multiplied nor divided But BY Jesus Christ God made all things that he hath made as in Ioh. 1. The world was made by him and without him made he nothing that was made In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God There was God In Himself But if God make any creature it follows The world was made by him and without him made he nothing that was made There is God IN the Creatures Christ Jesus And in This Son is all the Fathers complacencie and delight in him he is onely well-pleased he loves Him and Him onely Him and nothing else That is His own image in every creature for t is certain God cannot love any thing but Himself It is impossible His love should go out of himself if it should let me tell you He could not be God Almighty So that in conclusion The sum of All we have said is thus much You can conceive no otherwise but thus if you conceive of it rightly God is in himself Unspeakable Unknowable and Incomprehensible having no relation to Creâ—â—ures nor to a Creator neither in possibility of Creating or being created But Thus it is God the Father hath been pleased to put foâ—th his Son and to send him into the world who is the express image of himself And This image of himself he loves Infâ—nitely indeed nothing else he can love viz. The image of himself in every creature This is His Son and nothing else he can love And it is one and the self same thing in God though to us they be dâ—verse Himself loves Himself and onely Himself now you see here is three things named the Loving the Loved and The Love yet all is but One and the same thing Beloved these are High Mighty Sublime Unexpressible things we have now in hand but if God be pleased to give us this KEâ— I speâ—k of then these things will be easie to us Now having a little disgressed for your sakes that you may the better understand These things we come nearer to our matter in hand mind me I pray you As long as any thing whatsoever lives in us besides Christ As long as those things we brought into the world with us Any thing that is US or I lives Christ is whipt his mouth is stopt he is crucified dead and buried As long as Reason lives Christ is dead As long as our own Wills live Christ is crucified As long as our own knowledge lives he is dead He may knock and knock long enough at the door of our hearts but we will not hear we will not open to him he is as one dead to us we dead to him Our ears are onely open to hear the voice of Nature the voice of flesh and self Oh! here is a way how thou shalt be made rich Here is away how thou shalt come to be Honourable we are deaf except it be to these things Oh! here is a way how thou shalt come to be esteemed a wise man a Famous Professor How thou shalt be set up and esteemed and every one shall speak Well of thee People shall flock to thee for Counsel and thou shalt he The onely man in the City Oh beloved Let me tell you while we hearken and are Taken with such things as these Now is Jesus Christ whipt blind-folded crowned with thorns and smote on the mouth made to carry his Cross crucified dead and buried and a heavy stone rolled upon him that he may never rise again Now is Jesus Christ Taken Apprehended with a strong guard carryed from one judgement-seat to another And every lust cryes Crucifie him Crucifie him they are all willing and give sentence that he shall be condemned that so THEY may still live and rule for They know His life is their death Therefore he is now taken for the Grand Transgressour and why Because He hath broken the Laws of flesh and blood therefore Crucify him Away with him It is pity he should live The Innocent is hereby taken and led Captive and he that was Righteous in all he did is now taken for a Wicked man and a Sinner My beloved Herein Lies The life of the Scriptures Yet do not think that I go about to deny the Letter I hope I shall stand in justification thereof to the death that those things were Externally and Literally acted But this I say still Let us not be content with the Letter Only Friends Bear me Record I say They were All Actually and Really done in the flesh but yet I also say They were To Teach us That the same things are Alwayes In doing I am so far from having such a thought as some ignorantly charge me as if I would make all the Scripture a Fable and meerly Allegorical and no such things done that I wish from my soul Cursed be those lips and for ever be the sealed up even with the wrath of Eternal fire that shall deny in the least the truth of the Letter The truth is Christ was conceived in us as soon as ever we were born as I said before Nay as soon as ever we had A Being Nay it was He that created us and gave us Our Being But now This we must know and believe Christ was born in us at our first Being But that is not enough as to us But He must be manifested IN US and that is To be Born again We condemn those Cursed Jews that apprehended our Lord and Saviour and put him to death And we condemn Iudas for betraying him And we condemn the Souldiers that nailed him to the Cross and that pierced his blessed Side with a spear Oh! we count Them Bloody Villains and we would have them pâ—t to a Thousand death But Let me ask thee What doest thou do when thou followest thine own will and thine own pleasure against his pure commandâ— I tell thee Thou art the man as Nathan told David thou art thâ—t very Iudas The very Traytor that hast betrayed him For when he would live in thee
man alive as the highest and gloriousest Saint But the One he is senâ—ble how Jesus Christ is near him and He knows how he hath been overtopt in him and overmastâ—â—ed by him and therefore he is ashamed and will do so no more But the Other not knowing of thisâ— he goes on according to his own laws and his own will and kills him Again and Again and runs his own wayes and thinks his own Thoughts and pleases himself Rushes upon any thing that tends to satisfie his own will He rushes upon any sin as a horse rushes into the battel as the Prophet speaks without fear He pleases himself and Tickles himself in his own delights cryes Ha Ha and he feels nothing sees no danger what ever men talk of Hell and Death and Bitterness Destruction and Damnation yet he believes none of these things and therefore he goes to the same course again and again But having onâ—e espyed the King Him who stands Behind the Hangings Him whom he hath so often kickt at and crucified then he is amazed at his Horrid Oaths and Blaspheâ—iâ—s of his Pride and Arrogancy against Him of his Envies and Reproches against his Brethren being onâ—e come to a true sight of this He is amazed and confounded in Himself Sayes he Have I been the man that hâ—th put the Son of God to death have I trampled his Blood under my feet I will not any more adde to hiâ— torments no not to gain the world Hath he dwâ—lt so near been my guest and lodged within me been my life and my stay and have I been he that hath starved and famished him have I so often moâ—kt whipt derided crucified him and knew it not Rather then I will do it again I will dye ten thousand deaths All the world shal never make me commit thosâ— Horrid Facts again I will now be ruled by him I will now do his Will not mine own I will now by his assistance live as he will have me live now I am content to deny mine own wisdom gifts parts strength For now I see I am Nothing And so by this means Christ shall be fed nourished and brought up and he shall grow in wisdom and stature and favour with God and man By this means Ye shall bring Christ to the Temple who shall put all the Doctors within you to silence and so non-plus them that not one shall be able to gain-say or answer him By this means you shall find him do all his miracles more truly over again the substance of his miracles as I shewed you before you even you your self us shal see him work all his miracles in thy sight within thee and this shall make thee more run after Christ to see these Divine miraâ—les far more affectionately and with more wondring and with more true love then ever they did in the dayes of his flesh to seeâ— his external mighty works and miracles This was that S. Paul determined and desired Onely to know for he knew this knowledge would never leave him till it had discovered such things such Miracles as neither eye had seen nor â—are heard no nor ever entred into the heart or thoughts of any man things unutterable unspeakable Let others seek after what they will to get glory and splendour in the world and to get those things that the world accounts great matters or any external literal knowledge of Christ though never so glorious though never so received yet sayes he I lay all in the dust for the Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World for all those things shall vanish with them and perish in the using and come to nothing But these comforts will stand a man instead this is such knowledge that it will set one foot in Heaven while the other is upon earth when as other men who rest in the Flesh and in the Letter who know none of these things God knows when they come to dye how many weary winter Cold and comfortless steps they have to fetch that they shall be forced to Fly upon the Sabbath and in the Harvest and have their Oyle to buy when all things are at rest with others and they enjoy a fulness and a harvest and have Oyle in their Lamps at the Bridegrooms Coming for they have given up their wills and their lives to Christ So that Christ and they have such sweet Embraces as if they were in heaven already Insomuch that they are gotten above the world â—and all things below go they Even or Odde with other men they alwayes go Even with them they have gotten above Themselves and their own wills Now Christs will is their will And Christs â—eace is their peace And They have begun â—â—eir Eternal SABBATH and are at Rest in the bosome of Jesus Christ their Blessed Saviour OF SVFFERING AND REIGNING WITH CHRIST ROM 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together In eight Sermons Pâ—eached at Kensington Publique Meeting-place T Is true the Coherence of the Text imports An exception after some vast and immense Priviledges asserted and those priviledges Such whereof a Christian may boast of and triumph in as first of his Sonship Ver. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God have received the Spirit of Adoption Verse 15. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 2. Such is a Christians Priviledge and Sonship that he is delivered and set free from the Spirit of bondage he need never fear more And 3. He hath also received the Spirit of Adoption whereby he can own God and cry to him and call him Abba for he is his Father 4. The testimony of the Spirit of our Father with our Spirit Verse 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God And lastly Of our being made the Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ As in the former part of the Text And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ. Our Text being much like the Exceptions in the Kings general Pardon wont to be given in the end of a Parliament where at the first beginning you would think he had forgiven all and every One but by that you have read it to the end you will find so many exceptions and limitations he hath scarce forgiven any So this out Text is such a restriction or limitation narrowing and bounding all those large Priviledges Immunities and indulgences and tells us in plain terms Except we suffer with him we shall not regin with him for every one is ready to catch at the Priviledges and assume them to themselves but stay as if he should say Although these be very large priviledges yet let me tell you to whom they
this love of darkness is a strong Armour Love is a strong cord As a threefold cord not easily broken because men love darkness they not onely conceit they are in light when they are in darkness but they love it they will not be removed from it If ye break this cord of love ye break their life you undo them What not love themselves what not love that which all the world good and bad sayes is good what not Honours good nor Riches good Oh how sweet are these things to flesh and blood they are joyned together with inseparable love And except God himself with his Mighty Arm break in sunder this Cord it will never be broken The thirteenth name is Flesh â—al 5. 1â— For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would so called because t is executed exercised in the flesh and Iohn 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit If we speak it is by the flesh if we do any thing hear any thing see any thing it is of the flesh t is true we think speak do but t is through flesh and therefore is flesh and you know what the Apostle saith When we are present in the flesh we are strangers to God whatever action we do If we do it by the flesh and from the flesh Sure it is Flesh and blood shall never inherit the Kingdom of God But what may be the Armour of this flesh His Armour is Provision how do men make provision for the flesh Rom. 13. 14. and in the mean time neglect their souls all their thoughts words actions all their walking sitting lying running 〈◊〉 is To make provision for the flesh and when they think they have made sufficient provision for 〈◊〉 then they are at rest till then never 〈…〉 heart hands feet eyes all are set a work to makâ— provision for this flesh but where where is the man that takes such care and endeavours to make such provision for his soul where is the man that can say or doth say of his soul as that rich fool in the Gospel said of his bodily goods Soul soul now take thy ease eat and drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years Where I say is the soul that can say triumphingly Soul soul now take thy rest take thy Ease be Merry in thy God let him be thy joy thy game and thy gain though thou hast not One penny no matter thou hast treasure enough laid up for ever henceforth never more take thought care for no more God is mine he is Enough and Enough The fourteenth name is Selfness Whoever will be my Desciple let him deny himself Luke 9. 23. not onely deny thy self all those things that are evil it is not meant onely so but deny thy self in every thing even in that is good whatever it be that is well done and is indeed a good action that is good really in it self and thou wouldest Nay and thinkest thou oughtest to think well of it Oh this is well done here I have done a good action Away with these thoughts they are dangerous Run away from these thoughts as Christ did when the Jews would have made him King Own not these thoughts the good actions thou dost are none of thine thou hast nothing thou art nothing nothing is thine but sin thou never didst a good action never thoughtest a good thought Shall I ascribe to my self the glory of doing any thing all action is Gods sin evil wickedness is thine away with it down down proud worm down dust down ashes cast down your crowns before the Lamb and him that sitteth upon the throne and confess all honour all praise all power all might all dominion is his and his alone for ever and ever cast down not onely your weaknesses and infirmities but cast down your Crowns your excellencies your graces that wherein your selves and others think you excel and confess That all the glory and all the strength is none of yours it is all his acknowledge I say as the truth is that you are nothing that you can do nothing and say there is nothing due to me but shame and confusion of face for ever but to God onely be all the Honour Glory Power Praise Majesty and Might And the Armour of this Selfness is love of our selves as the Devil told God concerning Iob Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life This love of our selves we cannot part from He that will save his life shall â—ose it but he that will destroy himself destroy his life shall save his life A very strange paradox to flesh and blood The fifteenth name is Propriety but herein I know I touch your coppy-hold and as our Saviour saith Iohn 8. 45. Though I tell you the truth I know you will not believe me Oh this Propriety is that that is dear to us that is when we ascribe this or that thing to our selves I have Propriety in this thing it is mine and mine onely and we look upon it as a thing we may do what we please with it you think it is your own but know you have nothing but what is given you And it may be you confess that but you think it is given you for your selves and you think you may keep it for your selves No God hath made thee but a 〈◊〉 it is his whatever it be and thou art to â—mploy it for him another hath as much right â—n it as thou if God call for it Therefore thou 〈◊〉 deceived It is none of thine It is Gods But if you will claim it All and you will have All the right in it then I say you must disclaim your â—ighâ— in Christ and I say to you as Peter said to Simon Magus Your money and you perish together Thou hast neither part nor portion in the kingdom of Heaven I but here Propriety hath his Armour and he is armed with the Word of God He that cares not for his family is worse then an Infidel I must â—ake care of my self of my wife of my children Truly Friends through the depravation of reason we have so corrupted the Scripture and so misâ—pplyed it to our own destruction wresting Scripture and picking out some places meerly to serve our own turns and no otherwise But I would to God you had so much care of your wives and children as you should in the name of God go on I do not forbid you to care but walk on in your care and in your callings but consider â—ill you therefore count these things your own â—nd not anothers as well as yours if his necessity call for it Let me tell thee God is not tyed to provide for thee That way
you have as really found done in you as if you had been with Sampson himself and seen him do what is related of him for t is all done in you There be two names more but the time is past and I can but name them The nineteenth name is Sathan for he opposeth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped And his armour is Infidelity The twentieth is the Evil one and his armour is pleasure to do evil So much for this time SERMON V. ROM 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together IF we would know what these sufferings are we are to endure if we would be glorified with Christ said I to endure nay that we should be glad to entertain yea and rejoyce in it is not meant of scorn or scandal or poverty or imprisonment or whipping or death it self for then what shall become of them that never suffer any of these things and yet do suffer with Christ therefore I told you wherein every one must suffer with Christ if they will be glorified with him and that is in two things 1 In Emptying of himself 2 In humbling himself If we imitate him in these though we are not called to the former it is no matter so we be ready in affection and are in preparation to suffer them if we be called to them for those two are the Original of Christs sufferings the foundation the root The Fountain all His other outward and external sufferings are but the effects the leaves and the fruit From these two do all the rest stream and flow as from the Spring their Fountain and Well-Head Well then This Ground-work and Corner-stone being laid Let me tell you it will bear All it will bear any building God shall rear upon it and wanting this foundation though we suffer all poverty all disgrace all tortures that can be named yet we suffer not with Christ and therefore they will not nor cannot bring you to glory with him And Again let me tell you The least mite of sufferings though it be never so smal yea as small as the two mites being but half a farthing the poor widow offered coming from this foundation and fountain it is great and precious in Gods sight for it is from God and of God when as all tortures name what you can are not regarded by him without they come from this foundation and Principle And as I told you there be six degrees in these sufferings or six steps Typified by the six steps that led unto Solomons Throne These six steps we must ascend before we can sit down in the Throne of rest peace and perfection having overcome all our enemies and having brought all into subjection and that all things are put under Christs feet and that he rules in the midst of his enemies And made his Enemies his Footstool The first Blessed step is 1. Condemnation of our selves as worthy to be destroyed 2. Annihilation of our selves reducing ourselves to just nothing That whereas sin hath made us something in our own esteem and it hath built up a tower in us to reach up to heaven Grace may scatter it And confound our language and bring it again to nothing 3. Abdication or for saking all resigning up all to God all that ever we are or have 4. Indifferency to be equally disposed to every thing to want and riches to cold weather and hot to peace and war c. knowing that nothing can be better ordered then it is All being done according to his will 5. Conformity to Christ in all things that what ever Christ would do were he on earth in my case in my calling and condition the same do we 6. Deiformity that is That though you see us move wish affect will rejoyce c. yet it is not we but it is God doeth all it is God that moves it is God that wishes it is God that wills it is God that rejoyces And we are now come after much striving to set out foot upon the first step namely Condemnation of our selves confessing our own vileness and wreâ—chedness for so far as we justifie and approve oâ—r selves so far are we from ascending this first step of condemning our selves Friends I would not have you think my labour lost in opening those several names That kept us from ascending â—hese steps for if ever you ascend these yoâ— muâ—â— see those things all in your selves and they 〈◊〉 be removed before ever you can look towards these steps with so much as a purpose to ascend them If you have not lookt all this while within your selves and lookt to find there The Devil Sin the red Dragon the Serpent Lucifer the roaring Lion Antichrist c. my labour is lost I have but be at the air and spilt water on the ground And it is but a folly to proceed to open these steps for as ye understand not the One so neither can you the Other they are both to you As a fountain walled about and a spring shut up and as a book Sealed And he that after all this is not able apparently to see and confess that all these are in himself he is blind and sees nothing The subject of our Coudemnation Being The strong Man The Old man This Goliahâ— of Gath c. as you may remember we have arraigned and indicted him by several Names because he may not escape and shift off the indictment so that he may be accused arraigned and condemned in every heart here present that if you find him not by one name yet you may by some other either by the name of Adam or the old Man or the Serpent or Lucifer or the red Dragon or the Roaring Lion or the Devil or Antichrist or Sin or by the name of Rebellion or False Light or Darkness or the Flesh or Selfness or Propriety or self-Self-Love or our Own will or lastly by the name of Errour For we shewed you that in Scripture he had all these names with many more if he be not known by any One of these yet by them all you may know him But lest you should think you have no Commission to ride this Circuit and sit as Judge and say Quis me constituit judicem Luk. 12. 14. Who made me a judge I answer We have not onely a Commission but a Promise annexed to it to encourage us to this judging 1 Cor. 11. where the Apostle commands Iudge your selves and you shall escape the judgement of God and Christ himself gives out this Commission annexed with a Promise Iudge your selves and ye shall not be judged But know this also though this work be done in thee it is not thou that doest it but God is judge himself yet God himself judgeth no man but all judgement is committed to the Son Ioh. 5. 22. and not onely the sentence but power and authority to execute that Office belongs to
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
daâ—kness to him He is darkned in the Sun and he is darkned in the Moon and Stars He is darkned in Angels and Archangels in Cherubims and Seraphims and more darkned in men and other creatures But he is in Jesus Christ The SOUL and life of all things There have been great disputes in all ages what the soul of man is whiâ—h I shall not now enter upon but whatever it be be sure of this It is infinitely below God For God is the life of lives the soul of souls He is that Sun and glory that Excellency and Beauty that shines in All creatures He not onely gives to all things life and being but He is Their life and being He fils all things with His Being So as all things are nothing Compared with God and yet for all this For all He is so GREAT And so much ALL yet they see him not comprehend him not Iohn who was the foâ—erunner of Christ confesses that he knew him not For all he was of such Excellency that he was He whose shoe-latchet he was not worthy to stoop down to unloose and yet he knew him not He saw not this Glory and Majesty that was in him For all he was The Messiah The Saviour of the world Lived with him and converst with him in all probability for he was his Cousin German according to the flesh And if their mothers visited one another while the children were but in the womb and for the childrens sake much more after their birth did they come together visit and salute one another besides many other reasons which might be given yet he knew him not all that thirty years till he came to be baptized of Iohn And he saw the Spirit descend upon him like a Dove And it was so with Iohn Baptist who was a Prophet and the immediate Harbinger appointed to bring tidings that the Messiah followed him I say Seeing it was so then do not wonder that men who read the word and teach the Letter of the word all their life long yet never know Christ never be acquainted with his Spirit and His meaning in the literal word Therefore take it not ill if I tell you If any man were able to speak the whole word the letter in every tittle That he could or were able or if it were possible To speak the whole Scriptures in one word or at once yet he may go to the Devil for all that for no man can do so much as He in this regard But I le tell ye if ye had once known Iesus Christ after the Spirit ye would not make such a stir about Forms Disciplines and Externals as if that were the great and onely reformation for all those things men may do and be not One hair better before God For all that the Devil is the Devil still and flesh is alive still and the heart may be set upon the creature still and to this man this word is amiable still I pass not what men say and prattle to the contrary Let us see their humility and self-denial and becoming all to all le ts see their self-judging and judging other men less and themselves most of all let the life of Christ appear in the fruits humility and lowliness of mind not seeking themselves and their own profit and advantage but the profit of many that they may be saved were it so as they pretend what means so much knowing men after the flesh having mens persons in admiration because of advantage what means their seeking greetings in the markets and uppermost rooms at feasts what means Their long prayers under a pretence but t is To devour widows houses and to ingratiate themselves so as to get the praise of men being exceedingly desirous of vain glory and the wealth of the woâ—ld And if they have not these they are dead on the nest heartless and little or no fruit of love comes from them but the contrary Censoriousness and bitterness and hatred and Envyings Were you but once come to the true Vision of God and the Life of Christ you would be Above and slight all these base and carnall things and they would here with the Apostle never more know Men nor the world nor any creature after the flesh that is in their choicest and highest love and esteem but all these things shew that these men are yet below and in the world and not above with God whatever They in Shew express to the contrary Object But it may be you will say to me Sir you so undervalue the letter and the Scripture that we know not what to do we took this to be Gods word what would you have us cast away our Bibles would you not have us worship God according to the letter shall not God be worshipped with our bodies I answer God forbid But I know men of the letter or the Devil in man presently runs into this extreme Either through ignorance and so is through the infirmity of the flesh and weakness of the inward man or else it is out of wilfulness and so of the Devil and one of his great designs to destroy the soul God forbid that I should so condemn the Letter as to bid men neglect good Orders and worshipping God in their bodies and in external worship far be it from me But this is that I say I would not have ye onely do this And I fear ye strive and contâ—nd so much for the letter and the external part of Gods worship that ye neglect the inward and internal altogether for where is the man that is so zealous and so hot for the Internal as he is for the External whereas the One is to be preferred far before the other but we find it quite contrary If we press men to the Inward before the Outward or do but as I desire to do Lift up that Either how cold and heartless are they or else how quarrelsome and malicious are they but this is that I say Strive chiefly for the Spirit and the Hidden sense get this but onâ—e into your hearts and then I will be bold to say Turn this man loose he hath that within will gâ—ide him Then I say let him neglect the outward if he can otherwise you do but hold men to it as a Beare to the Stake by cords of Humane inventions by Self-Love and self-interest by Fears Hopes and Rewards and these poor things without the over-ruling and commanding Natural power and principle of love And when you have done this what great act have you done Do not the Hypocrites the same do not sinners the same do not Heathens the same what great and goodly Converts have you made that you so glory in them Beloved if a man love his wife this love will produce all care and tenderness and all offices of love towards her that may be if he love her let him kill her if he can let him beat her or hurt her if he can
pleasantness of fruit nor any such thing But he is that by which all these have their pleasantness light and sweetness and whatever excellency any creature hath he is not that thing as some have foolishly conceited because God is in them therefore they are Gods c. this declares in such much ignorance and weakness But he is the cause and being of all such excellencies and he himself infinitely transcends whatever can be thought or imagined For he that conceives in his God that there is in him light or sweetness or glory as we accont glory or light or sweetness or that he should be Musick to the ear or some glorious or glittering sight to the eye he that conceives God or Heaven to be any such thing whatsoever he is deceived Beloved I hope though I have some cause also to fear it that you are not so childish as to conceive that there is Musick Viols or Harps or Organs or any such thing in Heaven He transgresses against the first Commandement whosoever he be that apprehends any of these things to be in God or in heaven according to the letter and he is as great an Idolater as he that makes A Golden Calf and then falls down and worships it nay he is a more dangerous Idolater and Transgressor for the other Idolaters were so gross and absurd that very reason condemns them but this is more spiritual and more close Idolatry and therefore more dangerous For the Kingdom of heaven consisteth not in meats and drinks but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. that is it consisteth not in food or rayment in riches or honours or whatever is accounted precious or amiable to the world but saith our Saviour The Kingdom of God is within you and again My Kingdom is not of this world neither cometh it with observation But I say more then al this he that would find God let him be silent and sit in darkness neither to see any thing nor to hear any thing for he that thinks he hears or sees any thing or thinks of any thing that hath any manner of form or thing in his imagination when he thinks of God he is an Idolater As for instance will you see God in a man as he is in a good man so he is also in an evil man God or Christ dwels in them both in regard of Essence both in good and bad but here is the difference Christ lives not is not formed in them as to them in the one but in the other he is as to them the one sees it and knows it and prizeth rejoyceth in the seeing knowing and believing of it the other doth not but is Anathema Maranatha and separated from Christ 1 Cor. 16. 22. Christ lives in every man in regard of himself and is as much in the one as in the other But I say here is all the difference to the one Christ is manifested to the other he is not God lives in al but all know it not A good man hath God in him and he seeth knoweth and believeth it the other do neither see know nor believe it and so rejoyce not in the manifestations of God in them but they believe they have a power will and a Being of their own and this they glory and rejoyce in presume on and live to themselves and sacrifice to their own drags and regard not God in whom they live move and have their being Again would you see God in the Sun Moon and Stars or in Beasts or Trees and in all other creatures Know he is the Life Act Motion of all creatures take away from all or any of these all that may be taken away all Accidents and then that which remaineth is God In the Sun or Moon or any thing else you must first strip it of all visibility and of all form and representation Glorious or Base and then you shall behold God not as that form but as the Cause Essence and Being of whatever is in it Or as in a man take from him highness and lowness for those are Accidents weight and lightness greatness and littleness youth and age for all these are Accidents what remains then but he that was is and is to come the All in all he that is Alpha the first of all and shall be Omega the last of all What remains then but the first begotten of the Father Jesus Christ even him that is the Ancient of dayes he that is above all through all and in all Ephes. 4. 6. For beloved there was something of me before I was either hot or cold before I was either dry or moist before I had either weight or lightness yea before I had any manner of shape These things I say being taken away what remains then but he that is I am He that is Alpha and Omega For take away heights and depths things present and things to come and then nothing can separate Christ and us as the Apostle in that case reasons Rom. 8. ult He was perswaded nothing could separate him from Christ neither death nor life nor angles nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heights nor depths nor any other creature should be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord For nothing hinders or separates us from Christ in this case but these things Although I know many men say and teach in a general way sin is the cause of separation which is a truth but too general a truth But this is a cause more particular and the cause of abundance of particular sins Seek therefore to remove the root and cause and then particular fruits effects and branches will wither and dye of themselves For were it not for the vail of Accidents that is between God and us we should see God we might then see God in the Gold and God in the Light God in the Sun and God in the Water and God in the Earth God in the Trees and God in the Flowers and God in every pile of Grasse and God to be All in All were but those things those Accidents removed from our sight for where any thing moves God is the mover nay where any thing hath a Being a Substance he is the Being of that Being the Substance of that Substance if we may call any thing Substance or Being but God For he is the Motion and being of every thing great or little glorious or mean they are all not onely his workmanship as most men teach and believe but he is also their Substance and Being and the Saints They see that the Lord is among them as in Sinai and that he was not more present and glorious in Mount Sinai then he is in all Creatures And further let me tell you this is The Angel of the Covenant spoken of in the Revelation whom these types and shadows
God and you shall behold God Now we come to make some use The first let it be this To teach us charity and love towards all the creatures be they never so base for we have all one Father maker God is in them though he manifests not himself as he doth in thee wherein he is most manifested for how came he to be manifested in thee was it by thy pains or industry or by his good will pleasure he might as well have refused to shine into thee as into another might have made thee in his case whom thou despisest Therefore behold and look upon all the creatures as thy brethren yea they are all more truly thy brethren then if you had been begotten by one father and brought forth by one mother in this regard because Almighty God is the common-Father of all and therefore when thou lookest on any creature though never so base account and esteem it as thy brother for it is a son to that Father of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is 〈◊〉 And therefore however some of our litteral and ignorant Divines do laugh at that of St. Francis that he called every creature his Brother he called the Ox his brother the Ass his brother and all creâ—tures his brothers if it came from an humble lowly mind in him I think him the better Christian for man is apt enough to boast himself and to look upon his endowments but he will fill the hungry the humble with good things I tel you here is such a brotherhood as shall never end the other shall have an end and therefore more cause of love to these then to the other for we are all begotten by one Father the other brotherhood ceases for saith our Saviour You are deceived not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God for in heaven there is no marrying nor giving in marriage but they are as the Angels of God in heaven Vse 2. Le ts learn to know our selves and then we shall learn also to pay the creatures that which is due to them Let us give them all due respect shew no cruelty to them but use them as brothers those creatures God hath appointed for mans use and used so they serve their Creators will and appointment let us use them so though many of them lose their lives for us yet shew as much compassioâ— to them as we may let us not exercise cruelty or our dominion or authority over them beyond what we are allowed do not begin to strike thy fellow-servant shew no rigor or wrath to them no not to the dumb creatures no nor to men When thou seest a wicked man thy heart rises against him thou wouldest have God presently destroy him not knowing thy own heart how bad that is and thou art ready to cal for fire from heaven as the Disciples did but what answer makes Christ to their desire Ye know not what spirit ye are of no no leave them to God Thou wonderest that God doth not send fire from heaven presently and destroy them as he did Sodom or open the earth to swallow them up as it did Corah c. O fools when will ye learn wisdom certainly God knows what to do without thy directions yet vain man will be so wise as to teach God wisdom Isa. 40. 14. and censure his actions But who art thou that contendest with thy maker Isa. 45. 9. Though it be said in Psal. 8. 6. He hath given him dominion over the works of his hands yet know though they were made for thy use they were much more for his they were not made for thee to use as you list nor for thy will and pleasure but to be used soberly according to his pleasure and appointment Vse 3. And lastly learn from hence that there is nothing of Fortune but all comes and falls out by an infinite wise Providence That the name of Fortune is an Idle a Heathenish and a wicked word taking it as the word imports for nothing comes by Chance or Fortune but t is God that guides all And yet knowing the right use of that word it may be used for it is used in the Scriptures saith Solomon For Time and chance or fortune for 't is the same happeneth to all things Though it first arose from an evil ground from the Heathens who because there were such cross events in the world that when a business was brought to the heads and period yet one thing or other oftentimes came between the cup the lip as we say and quite turned all about now hereat they were so amazed and at their wits end they could not tell how this should come to pass except there was a God call'd Forune and therefore they sacrificed to him But I say the ground and mis-use being forgotten it may come in time to be lawful to use it at least by such who know how to use it But what it imports is wicked and is condemned by this Doctrine as abominable We poor creatures stand and wonder at many events in the world here now God calls all the creatures Fools for instance When two dear friends that have been long apart not having seen one another in twenty or fourty years he one falls to come in some great danger his dear friend chanceth to come at a very instant and saves his life here now we stand and wonder it is no wounder at all if we eye God ye are herein but fools and blinde Again for example if you see me strike these two hands together if you saw not my body that guides these we may wonder at it but what wonder is it if you see me strike these two togther so far as you are blind and see not God so far ye wonder for it is as easie with God to do any of these things as for me to make my hands meet I can also by the power and guidance of the soul that is in me lay my finger in the darkest night upon any place about me why because my soul within me guides it so it is as easie for God in any case he being as it were the soul of the creatures can cause the creatures to do whatever is his Will to have done both in Heaven and earth and in the Seas as David saith Thus I have spoken to you of this our Immense Unknown Unexpressible Great God But O my Beloved I have spoken but according to man all this while infinitey short of him himself and therefore never scanty or circumscribe God by these things I have said for he is this and he is infinitly more for if men Men and Angels and Cherubims Seraphims should all joyn together to set out his praise to the utmost that they could conceive or relate yet look further further still for when they have said what they can they have said nothing in comparison of what he is As if a
pale of the Church they will be Teachers and they would fain be accounted great Rabbies and they can expound Scriptures as well as any and if need were or if they durst they can preach as well as any and these people if people will not hear them presently they are ignorant They are so well instructed they can go no whither to learn anything as though al wisdom were born with them when God knows they are as full of ignorance of pride of self-conceitedness as any men in the Town but the Spouse she cryes yea and still will cry till dooms day Tell me teach me she sees her own imperfections and strives after perfection she knows and is sensible with Paul she hath not yet attained And therefore I once again beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ and for your own souls sake leave off this kind of Religion although I would have you to hate even the garments spotted by the flesh We come to the second thing laid down and that is the Poise or weight that she hangs upon her suit she doth in a kind Adjure God I had thought to have gone through this Text at this time indeed I had thought when I began that you I should have waited upon this beautiful Lady our Mother our Mistress from Engedi to Eneglaim from the beginning of the Text to the end but you see here is a word hath bin cast in our way as the Carkases of Amasa and Asahâ—â— which made us to make a stand like the children of Israel at the Red Sea they could not the pass on till waters were dryed up and indeed the Red Sea is before us a whole Sea of matter but we must take what we can leave the rest Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth Here is a true expression of Prayer it is but a folly to pray to God except we can thus put up our prayers to him in this dialect O thou whom my soul lovesâ— Many think that if they can pray to God in setting forth his attributes styling him Most High Most Mighty Most Gracious and it may be adde Hebrew words as O Most mighty Iehovah then they think they have made an admirable Prayer but be sure of this except thou canst come to God truly say from thy heart O thou whom my soul love thy prayers be they never so excellent otherwise they all fal to the ground he accepts them not But when thou comest under this title it is so indeed he cannot chusâ— but hear for then it is the voyce of his Spouse but if you express his Attributes never so largely amply without this yet thou hast prayed no better then the Devil for there is no Attribute but he can inlarge amplifie above any of you all herein he is able to out-strip the best of you And the Apostle saith He that loves not the Lord Iesus let him be Anâ—thema Maranatha accursed from Christ he prayes no better then the very Devils and those that are accursed from Christ as we see still when the possessed with Devils came and met our Saviour whâ—t a large confession acknowledgement they make of him I know thee who thou art Iesus the Son of the most High God but Christ many times stopped their mouthes and would not accept their confession All thy prayers the best that ever thou madest without this title of love are but as milstones hung about thy neck and will drag thee to the bottom of the Sea But it may be you bless your selves for all this think your prayers are not so bad as we make them or if they be you hope you shall do well enough hereafter after you dye But know that as the tree falls so it lies as Solomon saith If thou dye in this condition so judgement shall find thee you hope it may be that you shall possess the Crown laid up for you in Heaven as you conceive but I fear you are so glued to the earth you can relish nothing but the earth so that that is it your souls loves And it may be you think it shall be some ponderous thing you shall have in heaven some glorious visible material or some tangible thing You think you shall have some such things as you enjoy here but alas alas thou shalt find that as soon as ever thou art unriveted from the earth And happy were it for thee if it were done here That the Kingdom of God consisteth not in meat and drinks in riches and wealth and the like for the Kingdom of heaven is not a creation but a multiplication And when you come to be received into that Kingdom it will not be demanded What riches have ye what honour have ye but Christ will ask How many loaves have ye if ye are not in possession of some loaves of some part of the Kingdome of heaven before in this world there is none to be given then Not what had you in this world But it will be asked how many loaves have ye â—hat is how many loaves of love How many loaves of Charity how many loaves of faith how many loaves of patience what wilt thou do if thou hast none wilt thou say Stay Lord I will go and buy or I will go and borrow as the foolish Virgins no no there is no body can lend they have none to spare they have but enough for themselves If thou canst not say as here O thou whom my soul loveth never look to entâ—r but ye must look for the answer those foolish Virgins had Depart I know ye not if this love be not the salt that seasons all your actions all your sacrifices he knows them not he regards them not where he sees no love in the actions let it be never so glorious a duty he knows it not Depart from me But try your love to him Try this secret seal by the Broad-seal of love to the creatures to your brethren if you be a living Member you will sympathize in love and fellow-feeling wit the rest of the members for the Apostle saith Love is the fulfilling of the Law the whole Law for take the Commandements first the Commandements of the second Table if a man love father and mother let him dishonour them if he can And so the next Thou shalt not kill if he love the creatures and his brethren he is so far from offering violence to any that he will rather lay down his own life And so the seventh if he love all he will not take the members of Iesus Christ and make them the members of an harlot And love will make him in stead of stealing from any to give plenteously and willingly and to be so far from coveting and taking away that he will rather adde what he can and love can bear no false witness nor covet any thing which is his Neighbours And so likewise for the first Table he that
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
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
can be more true And some others I know there be which will believe none of all these things but they will dwel in the Letter and think all the things spoken thereof are some visible and Ocular glories as the Disciples while they were weak and but babes they pleased themselves with apprehensions of their Master his being a temporal King and that he should sit upon his Throne they all should sit about him and Zebedees children nothing would serve them but That the one might sit at his right hand and the other at his left And such childish apprehensions have many yea most men They please their fancies hopes and imaginations with these things viz. That the glory of heaven shall be onely hereafter and that glory to consist in Thrones and Crowns and Scepters in Musick Harps and Viols and such like carnal and poor things compared to that glory and though they talk and prattle that grace is glory begun and glory is grace perfected yet how farre wide are they in this practise and how harsh and uncouth is this Doctrine to such men but it is the rejoicing of my soul that I speak to some that have seen and felt farre farre more then my tongue is able to express for these things are known not so much by mans teaching as by feeling and enjoying them and by the Teachings of God But indeed and in truth there is so much Litteralness even among great Professors and most Teachers that they are alwayes but at the very Beginning of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ And if those that profess and think themselves able Teachers do stick here and go no further how can they be a means to bring others on toward perfection I tell you Beloved this dwelling in the letter is that which hath been the occasion of so many Errors Rents and Differences as hath been in the Church The truth is known by none but by those that can come to the truth In thy light we shall see light You that are of the truth you have received the Anointing and that Anointing teacheth you all things Not as if any individual man knoweth all things But Ye Ye the Church Ye the Body Ye know all things as I have shewed you at large upon that Text. Take the compleat Body of Christ both past present and to come adde to them the Head then we may not onely say Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee but thou art altogether Amiable and YE know all things Beloved one runs away with one interpretation and another with another as the Apostle saith Every one of you hath a Doctrine a Psalm an Interpretation a Tongue a Revelation But let us mind this Anointing what that teacheth us let us labour to see that we must be All taught of God that we may come to have the Mystery and the Living sense and this will instruct guide lead and conduct us aright and safely that we shall not only SEE these hidden things but we shall know yea know undoubtedly that they are the Truth the life the Way as Christ saith of himself Did men but see things and were led by the Spirit and by the Truth they would not run away with such poor weak carnal and empty notions and interpretations as they do The Book of the Revelation is a most Divine High-flowen Revelation of most glorious and most Divine things and yet because men rest in the Letter as they do in the rest of the Scriptures we see how low and empty and poor they carry on their works what carnal apprehensions men please themselves withal yet I deny not in the least the truth of the Letter far be it from me I do not deny but those things may be fulfilled according to the Letter But therefore shall we rest and dwell there shall we not seek the Truth of all shadows Not that I would have men neglect preaching the Letter or whatever can be found out externally to be fulfilled but let us not rest there but seek for the Anointing for the Spirit promised by Christ that may lead us into all truth even into that truth which Christ spake of when he said I have many things to say unto you but as yet ye are not able to bear them But I will send the Comforter and he shall lead you into all truth And of which Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 3. 1 2. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet are ye able for ye are yet carnal that ye may come to see those things God reveals by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the DEEP things of God for he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man for who hath known the minde of the Lord that he may instruct him but we have the minde of Christ as there the Apostle in that of 1 Cor. 2. expostulates concerning the Hidden Mystery of the Scriptures which we cannot have except it be freely given unto us of God He that is taught these things hath the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God he hath even this Scripture fulfilled in him And the childe grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him Here you may see the reason and what Christ meant when he said Mat. 19. 14. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God And yet Lev. 21. 20. there t is forbid that any Dwarf of the Tribe of Levi should approch to offer sacrifice to God How shall we reconcile Gods Commandment and Christ his practise Truly thus I suppose Christ in that saying holds forth by little children such as are in an humble meek lowly and in a growing condition and coming on to perfection for saith he He that receiveth not the Kingdom of God as a little childe he shall not enter therein But for Dwarfs whose growth is stinted they are at their highest and will never grow taller I mean such who profess themselves tall Christians but are not so much as little children nor cannot endure to grow taller nor hear of new light or a new Birth or that any should know more then they this is hateful to them for they think they have been brought up with the Scriptures they have bin at the University sat at the feet of Gamaliel Exercised in the holy Scriptures from a child studied al points in Divinity searched out the judgment of most Authors Have Epitomized the quintessence of all their judgments and shall we tell these men of new light they cry New lights are old Errors Do you think that these men are true Disciples or fit to be
the holy Spirit to us to lay upon you no other burthen then these necessary things That ye abstain from things offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled c. if you keep your selves from these things ye shall do well Fare ye well Now in these things according to the present infancy and weakness of that Church did as Pauls practise was He became weak to the weak and became all to all that he might win some They saw they could not bear taking away and removing all things at once and so drew them on with cords of love and indulgence in things indifferent It was as much as they at that time could bear to remove that unquestionable commanded Ordinance of Circumcision and because others began to press it as a thing of necessity therefore they in wisdom remove it laying no such injunction on them and this they tell them they shall do well to observe But after this when they had been exercised more in the Truth and they began to see these things were but Pedagogies Paul adventured to wave these things as being things which are not the Truth and Substance And therefore he incourages the Corinthians not to stand upon such things in that 1 Cor 8. 7. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge for some with confidence of the Idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an Idol and their conscience being weak is defiled For saith he in the Verses before An Idol is nothing and there is none other but one God Therefore although it be meat left at the Idol Sacrifices the meat is the same afterward which it was before the Idol defileth not the meat for it is nothing And therefore in 1 Cor. 10. 25. saith he Whatever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no question for conscience sake Why there he gives the same reason again For the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof I might draw out this point to many more particulars wherein many are misled in these days as concerning eating of blood and using of Temples or Places dedicated to Idols I hope I need give no other Solution at present but that Answer that there the Apostle doth An Idol is nothing in the world there is none other but one God The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Therefore I say eat and use what is prepared for you making no question for conscience sake But through the weakness and childishness of many there hath been great contest about things of this nature And if it be evil to prefer the handmaid before the Mistris and the Shadow before the Substance even of things commanded much more to prefer these things of such indifferency before the Substance which are to be laid aside as we grow stronger which we are not to do by the things absolutely commanded but to use them and not abuse them to use them and not build on them or Rest in them And as it is in things of this nature so it is in the general estate of all Christians First they are servants and under the yoke before they come to be Sons but when once the true Heir comes to age then cast out the bond-woman and her son as the Apostle alledgeth that of Abraham for this very purpose not that they do cast away obedience according to the Law but that they do it upon another account even from love Then t is no longer a yoke but according to that promise Ier. 31. 33. I will write my Law in their heart and so they obey out of love and not for fear There was a time when the highest Chriâ—â—ians were but servants therefore despise not him who is not as tall as thy self but let us in whatever we reprove them pity them and pray for them knowing it was once thine own condition onely when men are self-wise and conceited and think themselves to be great and something when they are nothing these deserve a more severe reproof according to that of the Apostle Iude verse 22 23. Of some have compassion making a difference others save with fear pulling or snatching them out of the fire And the Apostle Paul carries this point high and saith Gal. 4. the beginning and applies it to Christ himself Now I say that the heir as long as he is under age differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all but is under Tutors and Governors until the time apppointed of the Father even so we when we were in bondage under the elements of the world but when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made under the Law to redeem those that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons And Christ himself saith Iohn 8. 35. The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth for ever But what is it to be a servant and what a Son Christ answers it himself Iohn 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you and ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you Servants you know are kept at a distance and know not the secrets of their Master but if you be Friends or Sons its all one you shall abide in the house for ever The inheritance is yours the secrets of the Almighty are yours you shall not onely have the external and outward command but shall see the excellency the glory the pleasure and delight of those Commands that is you shall not onely have the Letter but the Life and shall know whatever the Lord doth you shall not always be servants but shall grow up to be sons and if ye grow not you may well question your selves whether ye shall ever come to the inheritance or no. But I say look to your selves therefore in the name of Jesus Christ for I affirm boldly in his name That faith which is not a growing faith is not a true faith If your faith and light be the same as it was many years ago that you have onely an external faith and your faith is taught onely by the Precepts of men and Christ is not your Teacher and that he grows not in you this is but a dangerous and dead faith As one saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing in the world is barren and saith Christ Considerate Lilia quomodo crescunt Consider the Lilies how that they grow and a grain of mustard seed which is the least of all seed yet it grows the tallest Then â—latter not your selves Beloved that faith that grows not is not true faith and that light that increaseth not is not true light that Christ that grows not in you dwells not in you Beloved look about you this Doctrine falls heavy as lead upon abundance
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
the blessed Apostles and Disciples were brought to Oh! but where are such Disciples now where are your Great Doctors and your learned men Are they Doctors in this School of the Cross of Christ No no nothing less Are They Dead men Are They come to this to let others rejoyce in the heaping up riches And adding Land to Land and making themselves and their posterity great in the world These things should not concern Dead men And saith David again I am as a broken pitcher that can hold no water Just so is This man He is a broken pitcher that can hold Nothing Pour Riches into him Health Wealth Praise Honour or the contrary Whatever ye give to him or take from him He is all one if ye take his Cloak from him he will give you his Coat if ye strike him on the one cheek he cannot revenge He will rather turn the other Curse him and He will pray for you And all this he learns of his dear Saviour JESUS CHRIST And all this He hath attained by being united and by being made One with Him whose practise and Command you know it was so to do and whose Nature and life he partakes of knowing assuredly by experience That there is No other way to find rest to his soul But by forsaking his own will and living Free in the world and Dead unto it and to his own proper will and affections Oh Beloved How Happy and how Free doth such a soul live how at liberty and free from those Chains that most men are fettered with as love of Money and Honours and Houses and Lands Distracted with hopes on one hand and Fears on the other and are never at rest but are like the Troubled Sea tumbled this way and that way rolling to and again and never quiet But this Man is Delivered Set free from all such things What a comfort is it for a man to be made Willingly to leave the love of the world to live free and above all hopes and fears What a comfort is it not to fear death for this man dyes daily not to fear To Answer All our enemies in the gate to look boldly and undauntedly on Death on Satan as knowing them overcome and brought under what a comfort is it to Find See and Feel The life of Christ In Us and that we are in some measure and every day more and more made conformable to our Head And that we shall now for ever Overcome and be at Rest and Sit down with Him upon His Throne even as he is set down upon his Fathers Throne what a comfort is it to feel and see our graces Faith Hope and Patience And the rest to Revive to live and flourish which in former times flagged and dyed what a comfort is this To see That when either the North wind or the South wind blow Let him be in any kind of condition Yet His Garden prospers His Soul flourishes And the Spices thereof flow out and Christ and He To eat the pleasant fruits thereof To this man Nothing is a Rod to him Nothing a judgement Let God do what he will with him He can see no Anger no Frowns in any thing but all that comes is to Him Mercy and Loving kindness This is The Soul That lives with God and lives in God This soul is at Rest And none else But This Soul For he hath in pâ—rt Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven Possession of him Even while he is in the body which possession he knows he shall never be deprived of but shall have the FULL Possession and Enjoyment thereof for ever and ever In His Fathers due Time O my Dear Freinds To What A Blessed Tranquillity AND SERENENESS of SPIRIT Is This Soul Attained These are to Him BLESSED and HALCION DAIES Here end the SERMONS of JOHN EVERARD And All that can be of His Expected Here follow certain brief Collections out of some Sublime and Mortified Authors Translated out of Latin by Dr. Everard Hereunto Annexed to these Sermons as things suitable to His preaching and giving further light each to other viz. To him who is in the light 1. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. These two placed in the midst of this book the other six herefollow 2. The Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God 3. Dionysius the Areopagite his Mystical Divinity 4. Certain grave and notable sayings in Latin and English 5. The saying of a certain Divine of great note and name 6. A lovely glass or example of our Lord Iesus Christ his life taken out of Taulerus his works 7. Another short Instruction out of the same Author 8. A short Dialogue between a Learned Divine and a Beggar THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite Converted by Paul the Apostle who did at Athens believe and cleave unto him ACTS 17. 34. Written to Timothy Translated into English By Dr. EVERARD JOB 36. 26. Behold God is great and we know him not ISA. 55. 6. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. LONDON Printed by Iohn Owsley for Rapha Hartford at the Bible and States Arms in Little Brittain 1657. THE MYSTICAL DIVINITY OF Dionysius the Areopagite Written to Timothy CHAP. 1. What the Divine Mist or Darkness is OTRINITY That art above ESSENCE above GOD above Goodness the Governour of the Christians wisdom concerning God Vouchsafe to direct us to the More-then-unknown More-then-shining Highest-top of Mystical Oracles where the simple and absolute and unchangeable MYSTERIES of Divinity do Hide by the More-then-lightsome MISTINES of Secret-Teaching SILENCE in the Darkest Darkness Even Him that over-shineth That which is More-then-most-Glorious and under that which is utterly impalpable and invisible doth More-then-fill the blinded or Eye-less Mindes with More-then-fair Shinings 2. And these things I pray for but do thou O my friend Timothy by thy most intent study and exercise about MYSTICAL Visions leave and forsake thy senses and all sensible and intelligible things and thy mental operations and all things that are not and that are and after an unknown manner lift up and advance thy self to the Conjunction and Union with Him who is above all Essence and Knowledge for by a free and purely absolute departing from thy self and all things having separated all things and being freed and loosed from all things thou shalt be brought back to the Super-essential BEAM of the Divine Darkness 3. But take heed that none of them that are not Entred or Initiated in our MYSSERIES do hear these things I mean such as are still detained and holden in the things that are and do imagine nothing to be super-essentially above the things that are but presume by their own knowledge to understand HIm that maketh DARKNES his Secret place And if these Divine Institutions concerning Mystical things be above Them what is to be said of such as are yet more strangers and
the same is the Snare Poyson and Death of all Natural men Therefore As All Works before Faith and Regeneration are Sin and Unclean so also To Read the Scriptures to praise God to fast pray and the like and not onely to torture and kill men or to steal and the like for seeing that whatsoever is not of faith is sin and to the Unclean nothing is Clean but they are Reprobate to every good work It must needs follow that all their Seemingly good life exercises and vertues are sin and nothing but dissimulation So God doth often in Scripture reject the Fasts Holidays Sacrifices Prayers Praises Preachings Gifts and Charitable Deeds of the Pharisees as well as the known and gross impieties of the Publicans the wicked words of men and their Violences Usuries Murthers Adulteries Thefts c. Therefore is Regeneration Principally necessary before which All things are alike sin whatsoever thou canst Think Speak Do leave Undone Read Hear Write Give Love Worship Will Know Have or Be for as to them that Love God all things are to their Good so to them that love the world all things are to their Evil yea God himself is to them Perverse contrary and a Devil and his True word is to them hateful and deadly for it is meet that to the froward all things should fall out Untowardly and to them that are Contrary to God all things should be Cross wherefore as they are not Enough so they are not alwayes good those Sayings Fast Pray Give to the Poor Read the Scriptures c. But these before all things Be Regenerated and Born Again of God and his word and then Thou wilt be Fit to do All things which that New-birth will teach thee which Cannot Sin and whatever thy hand shall find to do thou shalt do it Well for God will be present with thee for then thou being Iust shalt do Iust things It is not enough to do a thing but to do it Well else better be idle and leave doing By this means the good deeds which good men do are not rejected but onely the shew and feigning of good deeds which that Herd of Apes do imitate It were expedient indeed to read and hear all things if a man knew how to read or hear but few there are that have the Art of God to hear and read his word and far fewer that can so pierce into this Thorny-thicket that they be not rent and torn Therefore I will not by these my writings scare any man from any right Art of writing learning or reading but do admonish all men to see they use and do all things rightly and first of all in the word of God to grow Fools and Infants and then at the length we shall know how to read do and Use all things profitably and then we may safely Philosophize even in the writings of the Gentiles or any others and like Natural Birds fly among all the boughs and branches not taken whereas before we could not safely be conversant no not in the Sacred Scriptures themselves without eating Death from God and his word Briefly by this you may See the conclusion of the whole business And be it thus determined Onely the Pious and Regenerate man can and doth use All things Well and with pleasure and profit read all Arts and all Heathen Books to him there can be nothing Prohibited or Corrupt He is a certain clean Bee upon what thing soever He Sits He sucks from it meer Honey and Life yea even from Death and Sin Again the old and Natural man which in Scripture is called flesh and blood can use nothing at all well and to him all Arts and all the Nature of things nay the very Scriptures and God Himself and His Word do bring Death and Evil He can neither Do nor Read nor Know any thing Profitably or Pleasing to God He is Abuse and Poyson it self and an Unclean Spider which Siâ— where it will sucks nothing thence but Poyson Sin Death even out of the Scriptures themselves Out of things Well done out of God and His word So it comes to pass that to the wicked all things are deadly and forbidden such as are good deeds to make or hear Sermons to read the Scriptures to do good to the poor to pray to fast and such like as is before said for to the unclean all things are unclean and hurtful so that it cannot be but the things that to the Good are profitable shall be to them Unclean and deadly Briefly the good man in point of God is never at rest till being Entred into God He have lost his own Pleasure Will Act yea Himself and all His things in God so that wanting Sense Will Desire He doth now as the word requires at his hands Covet nothing so that now God in him freely Wills Knows Desires Doth leaves Undone How What Why and to whom he pleaseth Summarily In such a man God hath freely his Will Kingdom Pleasure Place so that he is not now The man he was but is as A dead man who attributes nothing to himself yea so far that God is in him All things God in him Loves Reads Writes Preacheth Gives Prays Hears Knows and is All things and therefore it is that the great God hath determined to Crown own or Reward Nothing in us but His own work the rest which himself in us doth not Know Read Write Do leave Undone Speak Preach Hear Think are Sin and therefore saith St. Paul Now live not I but Christ liveth in me And I dare not Do nor Say anything which Christ doth not Say or Do in me To this Iudge let every man refer all his life he shall then soon find in what estate all his Affairs are and to whose Service he hath addicted himself and offered his members as a living sacrifice Let him observe himself and understand who it is that worketh in him And That he to whom he liveth and beareth fruit His Servant he is Now the fruits of the two Masters are reckoned up in the Epistle to Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. against such there is no Law and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit c. I would be glad with all my heart if by the help of God I might have so much power as to drive all natural men from their good Deeds Actions Omissions Life Arts Reading Writings and the rest unto God the True Sabbath that lacking both hands and feet and utterly void of will Art Desire they might keep Holy-day from their own works Truly then God which otherwise goeth not forth in our strength would go forth in them with great strength for indeed God must and will go forth and the time is at hand that the heavens must keep Holy day as it is in that
the souls Teacher she is still turning aside to the creatures p. 97. A sweet illustration thereof by a comparison p. 99 c. If we love Iesus Christ love will not suffer us to be our own but his p. 104. The heads of a Sermon on Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to â—at of the Hidden Manna c. ALL the words of God have not onely a dead letter but a living sense in all ages alike p. 109. Overcomers do eat this Hidden Manna and these that eat overcome p. 110. Three things laid down to understand the text 1. All the seven promises to the Churches though diversly exprest are but one and the same thing in it self p. 111. 2. They all imply that which is here began in this life and to be perfected in that to come p. 113. 3. Not one promise to be understood according to the letter yet the letter undeniably true p. 115. As Gods wayes not like mans so not his Covenants nor Knowledge nor Love nor Hatred Election or Reprobation c. p. 118. Mans foolish wisdom would square out God like unto himself else not own him nor his wayes p. 110. Which things should have been enlargâ—d because therein there are so many mistakes but time prevented ib. A Sermon on Jer. 6. 13. From the least of them even to the greatest every one is given to covetousness c. THe whole house of Israel Accused Condemned of Covetousness p. 122. This Indictment includes 1. Fault 2. Extent 3. Intention 4. Râ—proof Sentence p. 122. Covetousness hard to be uncased it ever wears a cloak p. 124 A competency ought to be the limitation of our desires A Question answered what is sufficient or a a competency p. 125 c. Wherein Covetousness consists 1. Eager desires 2. Inordinate love p. 126. The covetous man known 1. By his course of life p. 127. 2. By his Company p. 128. 3. By his Breath ibid. 4. He can dispense with any sin p. 129. 5. He is a man of all arts or no art ibid. The Covetous and Covetousness in Scripture rankt with the vilest sinners and sins p. 131. No Saint read of in Scripture though stained with other sins yet not with this and why ihid c. Covetousness the breach of all the Commandments shewed particularly 136 to 148. 2. Head the Extent t is Epidemical p. 149. How particulaâ—ly to 1. Kings ibid. 2. Noblemen ibid. 3. Rich men p. 150. 4. Learned men ibid. 5. Wise men ibid. 6. Poor men p. 151. 3. Head the intention which is the greatest aggravation They give themselves up to it p. 153. 4. Head the Puâ—ishment of this sin of Covetousness p. 155. First The peculiar plagues are either 1. In his body p. 157. 2. In his goods ibid. 3. In his posterity ibid. 4. In his soul ibid. Secondly in Gods denying them the use p. 159. Depriving them of the possession ibid. Six Remediâ—s 1. Faith p. 163. 2. Sobriâ—â—y ibid. 3. Tâ—mperance ibid. 4. Abandon conceit of contâ—nt in them ibid. 5. Compare if ye are able and view them with the true riches p. 165. 6. Pray for a right knowledge of both ibid. A brief Exposition occasioned by singing Psal. 148. THere is a threefold siâ—ging with the lips with the spirit and with understanding we may sing with lips and with zeal as the Aposâ—le saith of knowledge yet not with understanding p. 167 c. Two things in this Psalm hard to be undâ—rstood p. 168. 1. That David doth exhort unreasonable creatures to praise God ibid. 2. That he calls upon the deepâ— and seas and all vegetative and inanimate creatures to do this dâ—ty ibid. Some Reasons given in answer viz. four p. 169. How even the dumb and deaf creatures sing aloud Gods praise p. 170. Wherein these creatures may be said to have Religion p. 171. Religion of men consists of four parts and how agreeing to the creatures p. 172. 1. A Creed and therein they give testimony to some of his Attributes ibid. 2. Petition p. 176. 3. A Decalogue p. 178. 4. Sacrifice p. 179. Uses 1. To make us ashamed of our backwardness to this duty p. 180. 2. To take notice of the vast circumference of Gods Kingdom ibid. 3. To go boldly to God in the name of Jesus Christ p. 181. 4. To look upon all the Creatures as Angels on Iacobs Ladder ascending and descending according to his commission p. 182. 5. Because it is impossible to find out the â—â—finiteness of Gods praise by all creatures therefore to take notice they all cry Plus ultra look beyond us p. 183. 6. Take heed of abusing any creature t is enough that we may use them ibid. A Sermon on Luke 2. 40. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdâ—m and the grace of God was upon him THe words contain 1. A History 2. A Mystâ—ry p. 187. The History brief and shews onely the truth of Christ his Humane nature Hypostatically united to the Divinity ibid c. That which is more material is the Mystery p. 189. The Letter of the Scripture kills and how p. 191. What imitable actions Christ wrought in the days of hâ—s flesh he works stil spiritually the other though wrought for us yet do us no good except these also be wrought iâ— us p. 193 c. Where we may in pâ—rt take a view of the glory of the great City the Holy Ierusalem spoken of Rev. 21. and what the 12 gates represented p. 196. The Kingdom of God is within us and whereever he is pleased to unvail his glorious presence p. 197. All these things hid to those that stick or rest in the Letter yet the letter not to be neglected p. 200 c. The Apostle his undervaluing Ordinances duâ—ies yea the knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ if they keep us from Christ p. 205. A caution not to make Idols of Ordinances p. 209. Yet high raptures sometimes questionable p. 210. Instances in Baptism p. 211. The Apostles consultation and message to the weak believers Acts 18. p. 213. How the Apostle carries this point very high Gal. 4. 1 2. p. 215. This point pressed in two respects 1. In regard of the Mâ—thods of Satan with men p. 217. 2. From the deception of some pretending to be high in Christianity because much in literal knowledge when indeed they are but Pigmyes and Novices ibid. Appearing in preferring faith 1. Acquired before faith infused p. 219. 2. Implicit before expliâ—iâ— ibid. 3. Formed before all these ibid. 4. In making temporal blessings the main of their desires and prayers though professing the contrary p. 220. After what manner grown Christians pray for temporal blessings p. 222. Four several affirmations by the Author concerning praying for temporal blessings p. 224. Three dâ—grees of the excellency of prayer ibid. Which Honouâ—able p. 229. More Honorable ibid. Most Honorable and that which wears the Crown above all and to pâ—ess to attain the last