conceives pleasant Divine joy moves in the same manner as earthly joy doth but onely pitcht upon a higher object These two wayes divine joy manifests it self to us First union is the principall conduit-pipe through which this joy proceeds A soul united to the Lord hath all from him What an ocean of joy coms into the soul with that appropriating title God is mine For all true joy flowes as naturally from this as the river runs from the Sea and indeed the cause of mans misery in earth ariseth from a not-knowing himself united to the Lord by one Spirit for this union is much more glorious then any relation on earth and carries all sweetnesse and delight with it The knot of union is tied so strong by divine love that what ever is Gods pleasure can never be a Saints paine propriety gives life to a cause when a soul can say God and all in him is mine and for me what joy do you think it will produce Then secondly possession adds much to a divine joy thus faith doth give the soul a possession of him who possesseth all things untill a man hath possession in his own lands he can never fully rejoyce for this aggravates my joy when I have so much as at my command Good old Simeon when he had imbraced Christ in the arms of faith then for joy desired to die that he might fully possesse him Thus a soul when injoying Christ in the arms of faith his sorrowes are gone what joy was there for the lost Prodigall when he was come to his Fathers house As in outward delights those of incorporation are better then those of adhesion so inward joyes they are strongest because they proceed from a fruition of good not a speculative apprehension Now God is such an infinite eternall good that the soul is united to him joy by this dilates and opens the heart whence it is called Latitia which signifies joy to be a spreading passion for the object is so universally good and sweet that divine joy cannot be bound but runs out freely to this glorious object and there can be no locking up of divine joy but it runs forth as the father to meet the lost Prodigall The nature of this joy as one saith is like the water of Esculapius his well which is not capable of putrifaction This I am sure of where the soule joyes in God there can no poison mix with it and there can be no excesse in this delight for heaven is its proper title which signifies a Kingdome of Joy At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Now the excellency of divine joy further appears in two things 1. First it beholds life in eternity for in all naturall things joy doth arise from some kind of life or motion Eternall life is the womb of divine joy that first brought it forth and is the nurse that feeds it and strengthens it Therefore when the soule rightly understands that it shall live with the Lord the spirit is exalted to satiate it self upon life on the contrary take a man that knowes not this life for the most part when he comes to die he is sad despairing for death naturally produceth sorrow as life doth joy Therefore there shall be more joy in heaven at the conversion of one sinner then of ninety nine that need no repentance to intimate unto us that the joy of a dead man raised to life is much increased by the difficulties it met with in conquering death 2. Secondly Divine joy transports the soul beyond a fear of suffering nay the soul thus set upon glory rejoyceth in tribulation it selfe Col. 1.11 Therefore the Saints of old rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer Now affliction is an evill not to be desired yet considering the event all sufferings that they make way for a greater glory thus a Saint in divine joy sees to the end of all sufferings And as a woman in travail forgets her pains for joy that a man-child is born into the world so divine joyes snatches up the soule above all earthly burthens As some Martyrs sung in the fire M. Philpot said the world wonders how we can be so merry in such misery but they consider not that God turneth our miseries into felicitie So Vincentius laughing at the tortures laid upon him said they were his Jocularia Ludicra matters of sport and pastine to him Now another reason why Saints joy in suffering is Christ went as a patterne before us Heb. 12.2 Who for the joy that was set before him indured the Crosse despised the shame Old Latimer tells us that it 's the greatest promotion God gives in this world thus a soul in divine joy calls death no more Marah but Naomi A man in heavenly joy we may ask him quid agis but may as well draw in all the breath of the world as tell what a Saint is about not that there is want of words but want in words to expresse it Therefore it is called unspeakable joy 1 Pet. 1.8 not but that we may speak of it but we cannot describe the dimensions of this joy Thus far of the nature of divine joy An incouragement to joy in the Lord. AS a bird while prisoned in a cage sings little and dolefully but when set at liberty in the open aire it sings sweetly so a Saint is in a cage of an uncleane world where his joy is but sparkling but when in the open aire of Gods sweet Kingdome then the soule will sing sweetly as the singers of Israel Rejoyce then in hope O my soule let thy winter seasons be past over with delight For thy summer is nigh Art thou afraid of death Look into the land of the living and tell me is not death swallowed up in victory Art thou afraid of men why behold Collos 3.3 thy life is hid with Christ in God lock'd up as a Jewell in a Casket Art thou afraid of finne doth that hinder joy The sting of death which is sinne is taken away Christ hath fully satisfied the father for thee death is but life growing out of it sorrow is joy in its seed budding forth sufferings are but so many lesser Crownes breaking forth into greater glories Why should not a Saint rejoyce in all states look on thy Saviour hast thou not cause to joy in him While I thus beheld the God of Love alas what 's the world to me In its smiles frownes deaths contradictions I compare it thus It is as a picture drawne out by a curious Artist where it is not one colour makes the image comely but all the colours the black as well as the white line the red as well as the blew that makes it delectable Thus all in the world is but a connexion of colours take all together they make a sweet harmony then O soul rejoyce and know that all things work for thy good the dark part as well as the bright part of things whilest thy joy is in the Lord then in every thing thou meetest with thou meetest with a pleasure for thy God doth all things well delight thy heart in the Lord if Satan hurt thy soule vvith his bloud-hounds fly to the rock of Gods love thou art safe fly in all thy distresse by this wing of love to love A Saint filled vvith joy flies to heaven aforehand and hath the svveet fellowship of Gods Angells spirits of just men in this blessed work of joy Paul was thus rapt up to the third heaven O the sweet glorious divine everlasting surpassing viveficating soul-filling spirit-strengthning unknown yet well known joys of glory thy joy O earth is but as the crackling of thorns thou art drossy frothy frenzy in thy joy all thine is but imaginary conceited joy A Christian sees that every thing is but borrowed in the world time will challenge all suddenly the great man rich man noble man voluptuous man covetous man time will challenge you all then whose are your honours riches pleasure profits all die with you but blessed are such as partake of divine Joys I onely can point at this joy but cannot paint it out to you Therefore rejoyce in the Lord alway and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 FINIS
friends but the poor are destitute When a house is on fire men say not I will stay at home because I am rich or an Officer but all run to quench the fire so when there is a fire of an inlightened understanding kindled then we shall see Saints go to a Lazarus as well as to a Dives Knowledge is much improved in these days I wish it be as well practised 2. The second note is the coldnesse of love amongst Professors Many shall be notable quench-coales in this last age Honest Latimer saw love so cold in his time that he thought Dooms-day at hand But alas how dead are Professors now in love And the reason is because mens affections are placed upon Opinion and not upon practice Such a man is of my opinion therefore I love him this is self-self-love Lord what a hellish fire will this kindle May not a man be thy brother and yet not like thee in all things I would ask all Professors this question What is it you love in one another Is it the form or the power of god linesse One part divides from another because they are not in way or that way of worship But consider this is not Christ all and in all I suppose none ought to be so ignorant as to say A man is the lesse a Christian because he is not of the Presbyterian Church so called neither is he the lesse a Christian because he is not of the Independent Church so called If you all hold the Head you are of one mysticall Body and I hope will meet one day meet together as the generall Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven Heb. 13.23 Have fellowship then in the spirit of truth and uprightnesse Basil complains of his time That he saw more union in Arts and Sciences then in Divinity by reason of those contentions that were amongst brethren For men in disputes rather dispute for self then truth Pride will not let men submit though conscience tells them they speak against truth This coldnesse of love demonstrates the change not far off 3. The third note is the working of miracles Matth. 24.24 Men usually admire a thing done beyond their capacity such works have naturally a great force upon mans fancy As the Jewes require a signe so the zealously ignorant shall mightily follow and adore such men Many there are that out of weaknesse of judgment think there can be no preaching because the Apostles did work miracles I answer that miracles were not in any degree essentiall to make a Minister For the Apostles might preach without them onely God was pleased to use them for the first planting the Gospell And although some may expect miracles in these last times which I confesse must come to passe yet I know no place that mentions that God will send any of his people that shall work them but rather they shall be false Prophets as Mat. 13.22 testies The Papists in their Legend of lies tell the People that they are the true Church because they work miracles but they are lying miracles Signes are only for unbelievers and the Kingdom of Heaven cometh not by observation Such then as will not believe untill they see miracles wrought I may say to them as Abraham to Dives Luke 16.31 They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not heare them neither will they believe though one rose from the dead So that where working of such miracles are it is a signe of a false Prophet and I will never follow a man the more because he may have this gift 4. The fourth note is when the Gospell is going through the whole world Mark 13.10 And surely God is beginning much in this work to gather his Saints together More instruments God wil raise for this purpose then ever were since the world began For we see God is breaking down those Lawes and distinctions that hindred many men from this glorious work But I will not absolutely determine the severall wayes God useth to convert men For a man may be converted by the reading some Scriptures or by some thoughts of God that is in a sense a preaching to the heart when God speaks within him saying this is the way walk in it Sure I am that the Gospell shall run and be glorified 5. The fifth note is when the fire of love goes out then the fire of persecution comes in the brother shall betray the brother the nearer Antichrist is to his end the greater will be his rage And this must come to passe For I observe the more zealous any man is for form then power the greater persecutor will such a people be when authority is on their side The reason is Because such men do it out of conscience to God Paul was the greatest persecutor we read of among the Jewes The time shall come when men that kill you shall think they do God good service Iohn 16.2 He that is born after the flesh will persecute him that is born after the spirit Ishmael will trouble Isaac God hath pulled down one horn of this Antichrist I pray God we may not see a sharper rise in its stead when the face of Religion is onely washt but not the heart an outward reformation but an inward deformation Ier. 9.4 Then trust not in a brother for he will utterly supplant it is hardest to reconcile brethren for love causeth jealousie When you shall see the abomination of desolation Mat. 24.15 standing where it ought not surely there is no place where abomination ought to stand This alludes to Jerusalem a place where Christ and his Disciples had preached they offered sacrifice but to their own nets made a shew of worship yet under it acted abomination persecu-and injustice I pray God it may not be so with thee O England to be a professing people talk of holy walking yet in this holy place to act wickednesse injustice oppression self-seeking and covetousnesse to make Religion a skreen to all irreligious practises this is an iniquity to be punish'd by the Judge How abominable is it for one man to pretend his neighbours good yet under that notion to take his lands and livings over his head Many men make use of Religion as a stirrup to get a horse-back into the worlds preferments Lord whether will that man run horse rider and all to destruction Such men have Gods censure you eat my people as bread to shew thy selfe as if thou wouldst feed Gods people yet under it act such abomination as is odious to all as the fisher baits his hook with meat for the fish when he intends onely to make the fish meat for himself This is such an abomination which God intends to pull downe in all as he hath most gloriously begun this work so come Lord is the language of a true Israelite throw it down in me and every one The scarcity of upright unbiassed hearts notes the end nigh a reall friend like Christ who shall
A BEAME OF LIGHT DARTED Thorough the Clouds OR Truth breaking forth from under a Veil By Joshua Miller ZACH. 14.7 But it shall come to passe that at the evening time it shall be light LONDON Printed for H. C. and L. L. 1650. To the Honourable the Commissioners for the County of Glamorgan WHen I observe the vicissitudes and changes God makes upon the world it puts me to a stand how to call men honourable But considering the noble Titles that God himself gives to men in Authority Psal 82.6 as I have said ye are Gods having the most ancient Author I shall not erre to call you Honourable This last age is a time wherein Truth is much increased arid much controverted and that glorious liberty Truth brings in is much abused by mis-construction And indeed the mist is yet so great which makes most men stumble for want of day-light yet our good God hath promised Esa 30 26. That the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold and such as will not see shall see and be ashamed I have more then ordinary ground to believe your zealous affection to Truth which works in me a boldnesse to present this small Book to your view it is but a blossome of the tree of life which may prove sweet to the tast and pleasant to the eye if divinely understood for I judge your minds like to that noble speech of Artaxerxes who said It became a noble mind as well to accept small things from others as to give great things to them Nay God himselfe gives the greatest good to man and accepts the smallest returnes from them so I trust the smallest volume may be read by you as well as the greatest Yet would I not use your names for Patronage not accounting any Booke worth a Patron which hath not Truth to patronize it which if this had not I should be as unwilling to set your names as my owne before it but knowing you are as desirous to know Truth as my selfe to search after it you will do well to follow the wise Bereans to try all things I confesse when I duly ponder how all Writings in this Age are glossed upon by the opinionative phansies of men most speaking not as this Truth requires nor yet as the Author meaneth I then had some thoughts to have kept these things in my breast where they first burned rather then send them abroad to be descanted upon by mans judgement But finding the fire to kindle it must breake forth and having greater arguments from the Author of Truth then its controverter knowing that no Truth is the worse because men disrelish it and from that sweet comfort and delight I had then in writing it I thought it better to lay my selfe open to any censure then to conceale any thing which may by the Divine Power conduce to the casting downe of darknesse in its Principles As for that Trust God hath now after so many contests put into your hands you will do well in all your affaires to looke up unto the Author of this Honour and the end for which he hath thus exalted you and if you act according to his directions which is for truth righteousnesse and a just liberty as I have great hopes God hath now given you this Power for this end that those poor dark Countreys where the light of our good God hath not yet shined that you may be restorers of paths to dwell in furtherers of the Gospell and in doing these things God may fulfill that promise to us by you as to be Nursing-Fathers to these Orphan-like Countreyes and me-thinks I see God pointing out glorious things by you in being active men for good Therefore joyne hand and heart together forget all selfe-injuries or other mistakes And truly then I may boldly say to you even to you without any flattery that your Honour will be more then a bare Title it will be emblazon'd in the divine Heraldrie where your names in no Age shall be rooted out for such is the memory of the just I need not tell you how God in these eight yeares last past hath out of weaknesse brought strength made those things that are not to confound those that are and now he goes Psal 8.2 out of the mouth of babes and sucklings to shew forth his praise you have seen this in some measure already the same God that opens and no man shuts keep open your eyes still least any among you be found to despise the day of small things how my indeavours or rather the Lords leading me in the making knowne those Truths how they will speed amongst others I know not Yet it will be a comfort to me to hear that you bid them welcome For I have learnt not to esteem truth the lesse because frowned upon nor the greater if smiled on but here is my joy and glory to see the Truth of God held forth in the world whether it be received or rejected I feare I have troubled you with too large an Epistle to so small a Book but consider that Love writ it and so read it I beg from my heart that as you are honourable so you may be kept humble and must from the love of God tell you plainly that I rather desire you may lose your Honor then lose or want humility which in some respect is the Crown of blessings Yet in every state I shall sooner forget my owne name then not remember my self to be Your reall Servant ready in any work of God Joshua Miller To the Christian Reader KInd Reader the desire I have that truth may be impartially understood makes me to request thee impartially to read this small Book what thou findest in it hath the face of Christ account it fair beautifull and be in love with it what ever my delight and gaine hath been in knowing writing it I wish thee as much in reading if the golden key of the divine Spirit go along and open what may seem hard to thee then make no question but it will be profitable if thou findest any thing opened that hath in many books been left under a veile give God the glory if thou findest any error consider that the Writer Reader and Printer hath many yet I know none in the booke excepting the mistakes of the Primer which I pray the candidly to correct and let me have thy love though I cannot have thy mind in all things However I must alwayes from the law of Love continue thine in all Christian service Joshua Miller The Contents Chap. I. WHat a Saint Practicall is Chap. II. Whether Repentance precede Faith and which is first to be preached Chap. III. What Prayer is Chap. IV. Whether a justified person ought to pray for the pardon of sin Chap. V. Whether this visible world shall be destroyed or changed and how Chap. VI. Whether all creatures shall be restored to a state of perfection Chap. VII What may be said of the time of this change Chap.
VIII What sure ground we have to believe this change is nigh and that many things must first come to passe Chap. IX Whether we may not expect a glorious rest before the finall appearing and what rest it will be Chap. X. A taste of divine joy and what it is CHAP. I. What a Saint Practicall is KNowledge of the Mysteries and hidden Properties of naturall things is for the most part the study and delight of the earthly man Knowledge of the divine and glorious Mysteries of God in the Gospell is the study and delight of the holy and heavenly man Mr. Venning in ingenuous and godly man hath of late in a small book of his set forth a Saint in the Theoreticall and Practicall Part in seeming contradictions yet very lively and truly I shall cast in my Mite into this Treasury though it be not worth the looking on yet it may challenge to be of the same coin though small 1. He dwells in love and love dwells in him he loves all that bear his Fathers Image a spark or a flame where he beholds his Fathers stamp he receives the person he that loveth not his brother abideth in darknesse 1 Joh. 2.11 2. He is more inwardly holy then outwardly holy he had rather be that which he seems not to be then seem to be what he is not he desires not the face of Ianus but the heart of Jesus 3. He abstaines from evill not because men may see him but God he speaks like Ioseph Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God The sight of God is more in his eye to affect him then the sweetnesse of sin is to allure him As I remember a Monk being tempted to Adultery the Harlot brought him into a secret place and told him none could see them there He answers her who is God is he nothing bring me to a place where God seeth not and I will commit it 4. He estimates himselfe the least of all Saints as Iohn I am but a voice and no more Mar. 1.3 he prefers all men before him yet he aspires to live above the highest Saint he would be more holy then they and yet more humble 4. He walks so exactly as if there was no Gospell yet he dies so comfortably as if there was nothing but Gospell Or thus he so strictly lives as if he were to be saved by his own works yet dies as if there was no Law his language is Pauls Phil. 3.14 I presse forward toward the marke as men run in a race striving for the mastery so doth he 6. He is never satisfied with grace but soon filled with the world Ioh. 6.34 Lord evermore give us this bread not now and then but alwayes he knowes there is more in God then can be desired and yet he desires more then he can attain to Lord feed me with the crums that fall from thy table rather then let me want if I may not tast the finest of the wheat let me have the courser so it be bread it will nourish me Davids language is his As the Hart pants after the water brooks so doth my soule after the living God not a dead letter but a quickning spirit not the title or term of a God but the living Lord nothing below himself will serve his turne unlesse I injoy God in all I want every thing 7. He is more afraid of sin then hell for he knowes where sin reigns not hell hath no dominion and yet he can say 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting Death came in by sin take the cause away and the effect will cease 8. He respects Gods glory more then his owne profit and he will pluck out his right eye and cut off his right hand rather then God shall be dishonoured nothing is dearer to me then him who makes me deare to himselfe 1 Pet. 2.7 to such as believe he is precious or honourable 9. He is more afraid he shall not suffer for Christ then afraid to suffer for him I must saith a gracious heart tread his steps follow him to his foot injoy the Crosse and then I shall know how to weare the Crowne we must fill up the measure of his sufferings behind in the body gold is not pure till it be fire-proof all things must be tried by fire I count all things but losse and dung or dogs meat not worth the looking on my owne righteousnesse must be burnt up that where in I formerly boasted must now suffer losse I am ready not to be bound only but to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus self and legall righteousnesse would pull me back from this suffering but die I must to all such carnall interests I am to be lost to the flesh that I may be found in the spirit as for outward sufferings he expects them also the ashes of holy men are the best compost to manure the Church if I die in fire God will make me out of the ashes he saith to dry bones live 10. He loves all truth for the Authors sake not for him that speaks it that truth which strikes at his sin as well as that which shewes him a Saviour Lord lead me into all truth cut out my dead flesh let not sin rule over me rebuke them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharply or cuttingly that they may be found in the Faith Tit. 1.3 if God doth wound him he knowes it is for his good 11. He counts the highest life in the creature to be the greatest death and knowes he can never live well untill he be out of the world Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection in seeing one thing in the world he hath seen all for all in the world is but the same earth appearing in various formes and figures the world to him is but as the track of a ship at Sea soon made and soon marr'd all its beauty is but skin-deep 't is a Tohu and Bohu in a comely garb 12. He prayes more to have sin cured then to have it covered Lord take away my sin rather then the affliction leave no sore unhealed though I suffer by it yet I would have no sore left running least the dogs of this world feed upon me I would not be meat for such cormorants as Paul 2 Cor. 12.8 besought the Lord thrice against his temptation so doth he he seeks to weare out sin by his warring against it 13. He knowes his happinesse consists not in knowing the nature of God but in being made partaker of the Divine Nature a bare knowing God to be cannot make me to be such as are joyned to the Lord are one spirit 't is spirit-work to know God I must be divine as well as speak so 1 Pet. 2.3 If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gracious notes sweet profitable tast makes judgement I must tast God to be good sweet gracious and then I shall