of Canticles whose whole language is all love her heart is so full that her lips overflow with the mention of the excellencies of Christ My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest amongst ten thousand His head fine gold his eyes Dove's eyes his cheeks a bed of spices his lips are lillies his hands are gold-rings his legs pillars of marble his countenance excellent his mouth sweet yea hee is altogether lovely this is my beloved and this is my friend O Daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5. Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds Thy righteousness is like the great mountains thy judgments are a great deep How excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord therefore the sons of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works the Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Let all thy works praise thee O Lord let thy Saints bless thee let them speak of the glory of thy kingdome and talk of thy power Let them abundantly utter the memory of thy goodness and sing of thy righteousness O my God thou art all love all goodness all grace all glory O let thy servant bee all praise Let this heart bee an altar and every service a sacrifice let this mouth bee a trumpet and every word a Psalm let my breath bee as incense and every member a censer Let all that is within mee my soul with all its powers let all that is without me my body with all its members shout for joy and sing forth the high praises of God This is the voice of Love And now you have another excellency of the new heart laid open to your view Love An heart to love Christians prize this precious grace prize it and you will write down this word also among the great and precious Promises and if you would prize it aright take your estimate of it from its worth and its want as we use to prize Jewels from their excellencie rarity 1. Prize it according to its worth and excellency Why what is the worth Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would bee contemned The whole world is not of that value to bee a price for love no it must come by gift it 's not to bee bought for money love is worth as much as a soul and that 's more than all the world What shall it profit a man to win the whole World and lose his own Soul love is as much worth as all Religion 't is the soul and the substance of all Religion all the Graces the Duties and Exercises of it are onely valued according to the love that is in them what is knowledge faith hope patience without love what is prayer fasting alms without charity They are worth nothing shall I say nay they are nothing If I had all knowledge and all faith and were all prayer and all labour and all suffering and had not charity I were nothing Love is worth as much as Heaven is worth as Christ as God is worth to us God is love and God is not if love bee not in us Dost thou prize thy substance Is thy house or thy mony or thy lands any thing to thee Dost thou value thy soul Is Religion is Heaven is Christ is God himself of any account with thee Then prize the love of God Without love God is no God to thee Christ is no Christ to thee Heaven is no Heaven for thee better thou hadst no soul no being than no love O prize the Love of God prize and seek prize and pray pray as for thy life as for thy soul as for thy everlasting Kingdome Lord let mee love thee Get love and get all love and thou wilt bee holy love and thou wilt be humble love and thou wilt bee fruitful love and thou wilt please praise and enjoy thy God love and thou wilt fear serve suffer and die for him love and thou shalt live prize love prize it according to its worth And 2. Prize it according to its rarity Things excellent are rated something the more for their scarcity scarcity raises the Market the VVord of God was precious in those daies 1 Sam. 3.1 that is when there was a Famine of the Word when there was no open Vision O were the love of God as precious as 't is rare what a spiritless carkass is the Religion of many Professours what 's become of the soul of it Oh! we freeze in our Duties we freeze in our Devotions wee are almost frozen out of them all if vvee have a Sacrifice left vvhat fire is there to offer it up The God that answereth by fire let him bee God said Elijah the heart that asketh by fire that ascendeth in fire let that bee the heart for God Behold the wood and the fire but where is the Lamb for the Sacrifice Wee may say behold the wood and the sacrifice but where is the Fire to offer it up our Spirits have taken a cold the chill of them appears in all our duties Rabbi where dwellest thou Love where dwellest thou Zeal of God where is thy abode how many houses must wee search how many hearts must wee walk through e're wee finde thine Habitation The Apostle tells the Romans Rom. 10.2 that they have a Zeal of God but not according to Knowledge wee have the Knowledge of God but oh where is the Zeal the Zeal of thine house saith the Psalmist hath eaten mee up but is not that eater eaten The house hath burnt up the fire or if there be any fire left is it not strange fire not the fire of Love but of Lust of Pride or Covetousness or that wilde fire of envy and contention that heats our spirits Jehu was all on fire against the house of Ahab Come see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts That fire was fury not love or if 't was love 't was self-love not the love of God that made all that flame such hearts are like the evil tongue James 3. set on fire of Hell Such heats are not from above but are earthly sensual devilish wee freeze still while wee thus fry our praeter-natural heats have extinguished the super-natural O! how little kindly warmth do wee find in our spirits do wee feel our hearts working upwards ascending in our flames wee all pretend to love but consider are our hearts making out in their strength after God Wee wish well to his Name and Interest wee wish hee were ours wee wish our selves his O if wishing were loving what Christians should wee be But doth the Kingdom of God suffer violence
trust to it trust everlasting truth trust to everlasting strength Fear not for there shall not fail one word of all that I have spoken by all my servants the Prophets If you should hear the Lord speaking thus to you from Heaven what would you say Would not this satisfie you Why search the Scriptures that more sure word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1.19 Read them diligently understond what thou readest and then say if thou doest not there finde the Lord speaking fully to thee the following words CHAP. XVII God speaking from Mount Gerizim Or the Gospel in a Map being a short view of the exceeding great and precious Promises * Mr. I. A. by another hand The voyce of the Herauld O All ye Inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the Earth Come see and hear gather your selves together unto the Proclamation of the great King Hear you that are farr off and you that are near He that hath an ear to hear let him hear I am the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Let every Valley be exalted and every Mountain made low for the glory of the Lord is to be revealed Go thorow go thorow the Gates prepare the way Cast up cast up the High-way gather out the Stones lift up the Standard for the people for the Lord proclaimeth salvation to the ends of the Earth Tydings tydings O ye Captives Hear all ye that look for salvation in Israel behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy which shall be unto all people Blessed newes Prepare your ears and hearts the Lord hath commanded me saying Go unto the people and sanctifie them lâ—t them waâ—h and be ready for the Lord is coming down upon Mount Sion in the sight of all the Nations Not in Earthquakes and Fire not in Clouds and Darkness not in Thundrings and Burnings rending the Mountains and breaking the Rock in pieces He speaks not to you out of the Blackness and Darkness and Tâ—mpest you shall say no more Let not God speak to us lest we dye He cometh peaceably he Law of kindness is in his mouth he preacheth Peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is near Behold how he commeth leaping upon the Mountains he hath passed Mouth Ebal no more wrath or cursing he is come to Mount Gerizim where he standeth to bless the people As Mordecai to his Nation he writeth the words of truth and peace seeking the welâ—are of his people and speaking peace to all his Seed Behold how he cometh clothed with flames of Love with bowels of Compassion plenteous Redemption and multiplyed Pardons O how pregnant is his Love O the rollings of his Bowels Oh how full are his Breasts even aking till they are eased by the sucking of his hungry Children Hearken therefore O ye Children hearken to me To you it is commanded O People Nations and Languages that at what time you hear the joyful sound the Trump of Jubile the tydings of peace in the voyce of the everlasting Gospel that you fall down before the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Arise and come away Prepare prepare you Hear not with an uncircumcised ear you are not upon a common thing Behold the Throne is set the Throne of grace where Majesty and Mercy dwell together from thence will the Lord meet you from thence will he commune with you from the Mercy-seat from between the Cherubims upon the Ark of the Testimony Lo the Lord cometh out of his Pavilion the mighty God from Sion Selah His glory covereth the Heavens the Earth is full of his praise A fire of love goeth before him mercy and truth are round about him righteousness and peace are the habitation of his Throne he rideth on his Horses and Chariots of Salvation the Covenant of life and peace is in his mouth Rejoyce ye Heavens make a joyful noise to the Lord all the Earth Let the Sea roar the Floods clap their hands and the multitudes of the Isles rejoyce Stand forth the Host of Heaven prepare your Harps cast down your Crowns be ready with your Trumps bring forth your golden Vials full of Odours for our voyces will jarr our strings will break we cannot we cannot reach the note of our Makers praise Yet let them that dwell in the dust arise and sing Bear your part in this glorious service but consider and attend Call out your souls and all that is within you Lift up your voyces fix your eyes enlarge your hearts intend all their Powers here is work for them all Be intent and serious you cannot strein too high Come forth ye graces beset the way be all in readiness Stand forth Faith and Hope flame O Love come ye warm desires and break with longing Let fear with all veneration do its Obeysance Joy prepare thy songs call up all the Daughters of Musick to salute the Lord as he passeth by Let the generations of the Saints appear and spread the way with Boughs and Garments of Salvation and songs of Deliverance Deut. 29.10 to the 13. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains your Elders your Officers with all the men of Israel your little Ones your Wives and the stranger that is within thy Camp from the hewer of Wood to the drawer of Water That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn I have done my errand The Messenger of the morning disappeareth when the Orient Sun cometh forth out of his Chambâ—rs I vanish I put my mouth in the dust The voice of the Lord The soft and still voice O my soul wrap thy face in the mantle and bow thy self to the ground and put thee in the clif of the Rock while Jehovah proclaimeth his Name and maketh all his goodness to pass before thee The voice of the LORD HEar O ye ends of the Earth The mighty God the Lord hath spoken Gather my Saints unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice a a Psal 50.1,5 Behold I establish my Covenant between me and you b b Gen. 17.7 By my holiness have I sworn that I will be your Covenant-friend I lift up my hands to heaven I swear I live for ever and because I live you shall live also c c Ioh. 14.19 I will be yours d d Jer. 32.38,40 Yours to all intents and purposes Your refuge and your rest e e Jer. 50.6 Psal 90.1 Psal 46.1 your Patron and your Portion f f Psal 73.26 Esay 25.4,5 your Heritage and your Hope your God and your Guide g g Psal 48.14 While I have you shall never want and
hath it in the greatest excellency and perfection of it that doth pertingere ad summum gratiae Aquin. 2. Ex parte habentis gratiam in respect of the person that hath it and thus a person is said to be full of grace that hath as much grace as he is capable of Christ is full of grace in both respects that grace which is in him is grace in the highest perfection of it and as much as his vessel can hold 3. That this fulness of Christ is ours and for us John 1.16 Of his fulness do we receive grace for grace Coloss 3.3 Your life is hid with Christ in God Your life that is both your spiritual life grace and your eternal life glory 1 John 5.11 This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son Our life is said to be in Christ in three respects 1. It s hid in Christ as the effect in the cause As the life of the branches is hid in the root so is the life of a Christian in Christ He is our root 2. It is deposited with Christ it is laid up with him committed to his trust and custody with him it is secured and put into safe hands 3. The dispensation of it is committed to him from him it is at his pleasure to be derived to us Of his fulness we receive The Son hath life in himself and he giveth it to whom when and in what measure soever he pleaseth Christian art thou nothing in thy self Thou hast enough in thy Jesus Art thou dark He 's a Fountain of light Art thou dead He 's a fountain of life Art thou poor and low weak in knowledge in faith in love in patience c He 's a treasure of all grace and what he is he is for thee Is he wise he is wise for thee Is he holy He is holy for thee Is he meek merciful humble patient He is so for thee Is he strong is he rich is he full 'T is for thy sake as he was empty for thee weak for thee poor for thee so for thee he is mighty he is rich and full Whilest thou bewailest thine own poverty and weakness Oh bless thy self in thy Lord in his riches righteousness and strength 2. A complication of interests As the head and body as the Husband and Wife so Christ and his Saints are mutually concerned are rich or poor must stand and fall live and die together As the husband conveyes to the wife a title to what he hath as the wife holds of the husband so is it betwixt Christ and his Church they have nothing but through him their whole tenure is in capite they hold of the Head they have nothing but through him and whatsoever is his is theirs His God is their God his Father is their Father his blood his bowels his merits his spirit his victories all the spoils he hath gotten all the revenue and income of his life and death all is theirs For them he obey'd suffered liv'd died rose ascended is set down in glory at the right hand of God He obeyed as their head died as their head rose ascended reigneth as their head and hath in their names taken possession of that inheritance which he purchased for them This is that Jesus which is given to us and thus is he granted and made over to all his Saints in this Covenant of God CHAP. III. The Spirit in the Covenant 3 GOd hath put his Spirit into the Covenant the Almighty the Eternal Spirit the Holy Spirit the spirit of Glory and of God This Holy and eternal Spirit is first poured forth on our head the Lord Jesus to annoint him our Redeemer to furnish and qualifie him for that great undertaking Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon mee because hee hath annointed mee to preach good tidings to the meek c. Isa 11.2,3,4 I will put my Spirit into him the spirit of Wisdome and Vnderstanding and of the fear of the Lord Isa 11.2 And hee is promised to each member Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you To all these hee is granted 1. As a Spirit of VVisdome and Revelation 2. As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification 3. As a Spirit of Truth and Direction 4. As a Spirit of Comfort and Consolation 1. As a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Ephes 1.17,18 To enlighten them to open their blinde eyes and to shine into their hearts to give them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ that they may know what the hope of his calling is and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints To counterwork the spirit of this world whose work is to blinde mens eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4,5,6 This is hee by whom the Father hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 the light that the spitit brings in is a marvellous light and that in three respects 1. It is a marvellous thing that ever light should come into such dark souls That those that were born blinde and upon whom the god of this world had for many years together been trying his skill to thicken their darkness to encrease and seal them up under it that ever such eyes should bee opened and the light of life should shine in upon such hearts this is a marvellous thing When our Lord Jesus in the dayes of his flesh opened the eyes of those that had been born blinde the people ran together and wondred at the sight If you should see stones to live if you should see dead stocks or dry bones to walk up and down the streers if you should see Trees or Houses or Mountains full of eyes this were not more full of wonder than to behold blinde sinners receiving their sight Thou wert once darkness art thou now light in the Lord stand and wonder at thy cure 2. They are marveâ—lous things which this light discovers 'T is a wonder that such eyes should ever see and they see wonders The Gospel is a Mystery full of wonders There are heights and depths and lengths and breadths Wee have seen strange things to day Strange love strange grace wonderful wisdome wonderful pitty patience mercy wonderful providences wonderful deliverances incomprehensible excellencies unspeakable joy and glory 't is a wonder there should bee such things every day before our eyes and yet wee could not see them till now and 't is a wonder that when wee did not see them before wee should ever see them now that those things which wee despised derided mocked at stumbled at as meer foolishness and fancy wee should now see and admire even to astonishment that that Jesus which was to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greeks foolishness should bee to the same men when called the Wisdome of God and the Power of God O the deep things of God!
get it Why have recourse to the Covenant there it lies for thee But how shall I get it thence why hath the Lord promised to give it thee take the word from his mouth and put it into thine own turn the word of promise into a prayer Doth he say I will give let thy soul answer give Lord give me this new heart I am weary Lord and thou art weary also of this wicked heart at once ease thy self and me Take away this and give me a better heart Turn the word of promise into a prayer and then turn the word of Prayer into a word of Faith He says I will give let thy Faith say thou wilt give I shall have it since thou hast said thy servant also may boldly say Thou wilt do it Thou wilt give me a better heart Farewell my old sins lusts and companions farewell mine old pleasures and ways now for heaven in earnest now welcome the strait gate the new and living way Old things are past away all things shall become new Turn the word of promise into a prayer turn thy prayer into a word of Faith and God will turn the word of Faith into a word of Command Bee it according to thy word Let there be a new light let there bee a new law let there bee a new power let there no more bee a spirit of fear in this heart but a spirit of power of love and of a sound mind And as when he said in the creation of the great world Let there bee light let there bee a Firmament let there bee a Sun and Moon It was so so when he shall say in the new creation of this little world let there bee light let there bee love let there bee power let us again make man in our image after our own likeness It shall be so The Lord hath said I will let thy Prayer say Do it Lord let thy Faith say thou wilt do it and God will say Amen so be it CHAP. X. An heart to know the Lord. 2. AN heart to know the Lord Jer. 24.7 I will give them an heart to know me The knowledge of God is the first excellency of the new heart As in the old so in the new creation as was said before the first word is let there bee light There is not so glorious a preheminence of day above night as of the knowledge above the ignorance of God As the Firmament without a Sun as the body without an eye so is the soul without knowledge What this knowledge of God here promised is will appear if wee consider It s Object Act. 1. The Object of this Knowledge is God not only the Nature or being of God manifested in his Essential Perfections his Glorious Attributes his Infiniteness Eternity Omnipotency c. In his Personal Relations the Subsistences in the Godhead but God in Christ God in Covenant yea the whole Minde and Will of God all that which God hath revealed to us as our Duty or Happinesse God known in the heart is the whole Bible opened The Law opened the Gospel opened Duties Comforts Priviledges made manifest Christ opened in his Sufferings in his Satisfaction in his Spirit in all the Riches of his Glory the whole mystery of Godliness revealed The Heart opened man made known to himself all the depths of the heart all the deceits of the heart all the faculties and powers of the heart with their motions operations inclinations the rectitude or obliquities of them Heaven opened the Crown the Kingdome known everlasting rest glory honour immortality brought to light Hell opened sin known the devil known wrath temptations the curse eternal fire known All this even all that God is and all that hee hath revealed in his Word and Works are the object of this Knowledge of God 2. The Act. To know is to apprehend or understand God and the things of God Jer. 9.24 Let him that glorieth glory in this that hee understandeth and knoweth mee Ephes 3.18,19 That yee may comprehend with all Saints what is the heighth and length and breadth and depth that yee may know the love of Christ This apprehension of God doth not barely note our having received some natural or metaphysical Notions of God and the Truths that are in him But farther it notes 1. An Approbation of him an approving or liking the things that are excellent Phil. 1.9,10 That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all Judgement that yee may approve the things that are excellent 2. Appropriation The knowing of God as a reconciled God a God and a God to mee good and good to mee wise and wise for mee My Lord and my God To know God in Christ reconciled through Christ propitious through Christ this is saving knowledge To know and not possess to see and not eat to know an angry God a wrathful God a God lost to know goodness mercy loving-kindness compassion alsufficiency and to have the heart recurre what is this to thee this is none of thine the damned thus know and dye 3 Affection As Psal 9.10 Those that know thy Name shall trust in thee So those that know thy Name will love thee and fear thee and rejoyce in thee and bless thy Name to know and hate God to know and contemn God to know and fly from God to know and Blaspheme and curse God the Devils thus know and tremble But especially that which distinguishes this saving from common knowledge is Its Power Savour 1. It s Power the Knowledge of God is mighty my preaching was not weak but mighty in you 2 Cor. 13. It hath A Transforming A Fructifying Power 1. A Transforming Power 2 Cor. 3.18 Wee all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image Rom. 12.2 Bee yee not conformed to this present world but bee yee transformed by the renewing of your mindes by the renewing of your mindes the renovation of the minde both is this change and works it farther upon the whole soul this new light is the new creature old things pass away all things become new where the minde is savingly enlightned God known in the soul is God united to the soul Christ revealed in the heart is Christ formed upon the heart there 's life in this light it is no other than the light of life The Knowledge of God comprehends in it and is involved in and Spirits and animates every grace and duty as the same soul in the eye sees in the ear hears in the palate tastes as the same juyce which is in the Olive fatness in the Fig-Tree sweetness in the Oake strength in the Rose fragrancy in the Lillie beauty So the same grace which in the minde is light in the heart is love holy desire holy fear holy joy and one says that as feeling is inseparable to all the Organs of sense the eye feels and sees the ear feels and hears the palate feels and tastes
heart by thine hand Judge of thy light by thy love and thy love by thy life say not that God hath shined into thine heart unless thy light shine thy works shine before men The path of the just shineth Prov. 4. 'T is but a forme of Knowledge that brings forth but a forme of Godlinesse hee that holdeth the Truth in unrighteousness hath not the Truth in truth in him thou sayest thou knowest the Lord but what say thy waies do these speak the same things Action is the best Interpreter of the inner man feel the pulses of thy heart what watchfulness what holiness hath thy Knowledge brought forth hast thou received the spirit who yet walkest in the flesh what Heaven in thine heart and nought but Earth in thy hand Truth in thine heart and Lies in thy mouth Holiness in thy heart Glory in thine heart and in thy tongue nothing but filth or froth What an heart so full and a life so empty how can these things bee Hath the light in thine heart given laws only to thine heart or doth thine heart submit whilest thy tongue rebells and thou kickest with the heel Woe to us Christians that sinners should be so full and Saints to empty that they should speak what they have seen with their Father and we should speak no more what wee have seen with our Father that oaths and lyes and blasphemies and scoffs and cursing should be so rife in theirs and that truth and goodness and holiness blessings and praises should be no more in our mouths that there should be so much guile in theirs and so little grace in our lips that the shade should be more fruitful than the Sun that the good should be only the barren ground that their habitations should be so full of violence and oppression and wantonness and no more mercy and righteousness and sobriety in ours Woe to us that we know so much to so little purpose that we should be bushels to hide and not rather candlesticks to hold forth the candle of the Lord he hath lighted up in us Oh how many dark souls might our candle lead on to the Sun The light that is in Israel might do much to the turning Egypt into a Goshen speak Christians speak what you have seen and testifie what you have believed bring forth out of your treasure pitty the blinde world or at least be more helpful one to another Instruct as you have been instructed convince as you have been convinced comfort as you have been comforted of God Out-vie sinners let not their mouths be so full of cursing as yours of blessing whilest theirs are so full of blasphemies let it be said of you as of your Lord full of grace are their lips Good words are not wind you may reckon them not amongst the leaves but the fruit Whilest you are speaking of the things of God you are therein doing the will of God I confess the Proverb is true The greatest talkers are not alwaies the greatest doers But 't is true also he is seldome a great doer that hath nothing to say There is a speaking which is our doing There is a speaking in a way of boasting to magnifie and set up our selves beware of that and there is a speaking to the use of edifying to build up our brethren When we are thus speaking to instruct to convince to awaken and whet on our own and others spirits to our work wee are then in doing our work Speak Christians and speak often the things that you know onely let me adde let your lives speak also and not onely your lips If you would not bee vain-talkers bee all tongue let your lips speak and your hands speak and your feet speak let your works and your ways speak the wonderful things of God Bring forth what you have received hee that 's all inside and hee that 's all outside are equally nothing The one is a shadow without substance the others substance is but a shadow The one is a deceiver the other a deceived soul The one boasts himself the other thinks himself something but neither is any thing Christians bee full of good fruits and you will make full proof that your wisdome is from above If yee know these things happy are yee if yee do them Weakling Christian that knowest but little of God and callest that little nothing whilest thou doubtest the light hath not shined into thee dost thou walk in that little light thou hast dost thou shine as a light in the world dost thou know how to be holy and humble and harmless and honest dost thou live under the power of those truths thou knowest dost thou fear the Lord and obey the voice of his servants trust in the Lord and stay thy self on thy God thou art a childe of light though through thy trembling heart thou walkest in darkness Having not seen thou lovest and believing thou shalt rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 2. It s favour 2 Cor. 2.14 And maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The Knowledge of God is sweet-sented it casts forth a fragrancy where it comes It hath a gratefulness to the heart leaves sweet impressious on the senses of the Saints They taste that the Lord is gracious As their breathings go up as sweet incense so his beams come down with like sweetness to them As 't was said of Christ so of God Cant. 1.3 The Name of the Lord is an ointment poured forth Why what is his Name Exod. 34.6 This is his Name The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Oh what a bundle of myrrhe what a garden of spices is here enclosed what a sweet smelling savour doth it send forth to them who have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil The Name of the Lord is a precious ointment and the knowledge of God is this ointment poured forth Where God is known in the soul there his sweet savour is shed abroad The thoughts of God are pretious the wayes of God are pleasant to them that understand them His fruit was sweet unto my taste O the ineffable pleasures of Religion the carnal world count it a jejune and insipid thing they cannot taste and no wonder for they do not see the things of God nor can they because they are spiritually discerned Let God be savingly known and then you will find what the savour of his Knowledge is This light is sweet it is a pleasant thing to behold this Sun O my soul let thy walks let thy dwellings bee in this garden of the Lord let the Sun shine and the smell of his spices shall flow forth unto thee O my Lord shed abroad thy sweet ointments let the smell of thy garments refresh my soul Let mee taste and see let me see and I shall taste that the Lord is gracious Vanish all yee
to be God as forget to be gracious c c Psa 77.9 While my name is Jehovah merciful gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth I will never forget to shew mercy to you d d Ps 103.17 with Ex. 34.6,7 All my waies towards you shall be mercy and truth e e Psa 25.10 I have sworn that I would not be wroth with you nor rebuke you for the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from you neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on you His omnisciency as our Overseer Mine Omnisciencie shall be your overseer mine eies shall be ever open observing your wants to relieve them and your wrongs to avenge them f f 1 Pet. 3.12 Ex. 3.7 Mine ears shall be ever open to hear the prayers of my poor the cries of mine oppressed the clamours calumnies and reproaches of your enemies g g Psal 34.15 Exod. 2.24,25 Zeph. 2.8,9,10 Surely I have seen your affliction and know your sorrowes And shal not God avenge his own Elect I will avenge them speedily h h Luk. 18.7,8 I see the secret Plots and Designes of your enemies against you * * Jer. 18.23 and will disannul their Counsels i i Esay 8.10 with 29.14,15 Psal 33.10 I see your secret integrity and the uprightness of your hearts towards me while the carnal and censorious world condemn you as Hypocrites k k Job 1.8,9,10,11 2 Chron. 15.17 Your secret Prayers Fasts and Tears which the world knoweth not of I observe them and record them l l Matt. 4.6,18 Act. 10.4 Your secret care to please me your secret pains with your own hearts m m Mat. 25.34,35,36 2 Chron. 34.27 your secret self-searchings and self denyal I see them all and your Father which seeth in secret shall reward them openly His wisdom as our Counsellor My wisdom shall be your Councellor If any want wisdom n n Jam. 1.5 let him ask of me and it shall be given him I will be your Deliverer When you are in darkness I will be a light to you o o Mic. 7.8 I wil make your way plain before you p p Esay 43.19 and 57.14 You are but short sighted but I will be eyes to you q q Esay 42.6,7 and 49.6 I will watch over you to bring upon you all the good I have promised r r Jer. 31.28 with 32.24 and to keep off the evil you fear or to turn it into good Å¿ Å¿ Psal 91.10,14 Jer. 24.5 You shal have your food in its season and your Physick in its season Mercies Afflictions all suitable and in their season t t Psal 23.2,3 1 Pet. 1.6 Esay 27.7,8,9 I will outwit your Enemies and make their Oracles to speak but folly u u Esay 19.11,12,13,14 The old Serpent shal not deceive you I will acquaint you with his devices w w 2 Cor. 2.11 The deceitful hearts you fear shal not undoe you I will discover their wiles I know how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished x x 2 Pet 2.9 Trust in me with all your hearts and lean not to your own understanding y y Prov. 3.5,9 I am God that performeth all things for you z z Psal 57.2 I will forfeit the reputation of my wisdom if I make you not to acknowledge when you see the end of the Lord a a Jam. 5.11 though at present you wonder and reach not the meaning of my proceedings b b Jer. 12.1 that all my works are in Weight and in Number and in Time and in Order c c Ecc. 3.14 If I force you not to cry out Manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all d d Psal 33.4 145.10 Psal 104.24 His Justice as our Avenger and Rewarder My Justice shall be your Revenger and Rewarder e e 2 Thess 1.6 2 Tim. 4.8 Fear not to approach fury is not in me f f Esay 27.4 My Justice is not onely appeased towards you but engaged for you I am so fully satisfied in the sacrifice of my Beloved that Justice it self that was as a flaming sword drawn against you shall now greatly befriend you and that which was an amazing confounding Terror shall now become your relief and consolation g g Eccles 3 16,17 and 5.8 Psal 96.10,11,12,13 Psal 97.1 with 99.1 Under all your Oppressions here shal your refuge be h h Psal 6.9 and 103.6 Let me know your grievances my Justice shall right your wrongs and reward your services i i Psal 146.7 Heb. 6.10 You may conclude upon your Pardons conclude upon your Crowns conclude upon Reparations for all your injuries and all from the sweet consideration of my Justice k k 1 Joh. 1.9 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Thess 14.5 1 Pet. 2.23 the thought of which to others is as the horrour of the shadow of death If you sin despair not remember I am just to forgive you If you are at any pains or cost for me do not count it lost for I am not unrighteous to forget you I am the righteous Judge that have laid up for you and will set on you the Crown of righteousness Are you reviled persecuted defamed Forget not that I am righteous to render tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with me Though all your services and sufferings deserve not the least good at my hands yet as I have freely passed my promise to reward them so I will as justly keep it His Omnipresence as company for us Mine Omnipresence shall be company for you l l 1 Chro. 22.18 Josh 1.5.9 Esay 41.10 Surely I will be with you to bless you m m Gen. 26 24. I will never leave you nor forsake you No Bolts nor Bars nor Bonds nor Banishment shal remove you from me nor keep my presence and the influences of Heaven from you n n Gen. 3â— 21.23 I am alwaies with you o o Matt. 28 20. In your darkest nights in your deepest dangers I am at hand with you a very present help in the time of trouble p p Psal 46.1 and 34.18 I am not a God afar off or asleep or in a journey when you need my counsel mine ear or mine aid I am alwaies nigh unto them that fear me q q Psal 145 18. No Patmos no Prison shall hinder the presence of my grace from you r r Rev. 1.9,10 Act. 16 25,26 My presence shall perfume the noysomest Wards and lighten the darkest Dungeons where you can be thrust Å¿ Å¿ Act. 12.7 Esay 58.10 His Holiness as a Fountain of grace to us My holiness shall be a fountain of grace to you