the Iewes seeing thou doest all these things Ezek. 16.30 the worke of an imperious whorish Woman So may I say of many Christians how weake are your hearts seeing you doe all these things play the worldlings as doe others play the time-servers as doe others you can turne and winde your lives and consciences as you list ah Lord what strength of God is in such soules You have lost assisting power by your loosenesse and basenesse you had beene better have lost your lives yea ten thousand lives you had beene better have died any death and never have seen that day nor houre in which you began to decline to sinne to greive and lose that power and strength of God which wrought in you Unwarranted courses strip the heart of Divine strength Light will have no fellowship with darkenesse God doth not strengthen to sinne Man stript of God is deadly weake he runnes to any course When God leaves a man man becomes a beast Why you are so easily drawne to sinne you may see by this point the power of God is gon from your soules your Delilah hath cut off your strength your exorbitancy to this and that hath checkt grieved and killed the working of a lively power This heavy stroke is not a first but a last stroke for thine unrulinesse Sampson had many brunts about his Delilah before that deadly brunt that gave him up Thou hast had other punishments for thy Delilah without ere it came to this heavy stroke within hadst thou made a right use of them this last and deadliest stroke might have beene saved Ah! forsaken soules 't is a thousand pities that things had not beene timely lookt to ere they came to such an inward extremity to such a soule-blow to such a spirit-woūd Things thus far run a man recovers not in hast it may be not all a mans life to be as he was and to enjoy divine power working so lively and sweetly as it did Repenting and doing a mans first workes is a likely way to doe well but whether it shall rise to be as well with the soule as 't was that rests wholly upon divine pleasure what divine engagement the soule can plead for this would be worth his best search We finde David praying hard for wonted favour but whether granted that 's doubtfull Strengthening power lost the soule hath lost its soule the spirit of man hath lost the spirit of God God doth not breath in the heart the man cannot live not live a jot better then hee does though reproved by his dearest friends every houre That which did this great mischiefe that which made this soule-death was no small sin it must be sought out and cryed out of above all evills bloud guilt that one sin that killed two Vriahs body and Davids soule O how he cryes out of this sin at the throne of grace This bloudy sin that hath killed thy soule separated betweene God and thy soule this must thou with all fervency cry out upon and with all care renew faith in an ever-bleeding Saviour all will be little enough to keepe thee from bleeding to death by despaire One thing is all if thou canst receive it O forsaken soule thou art made Thou must obey divine injunction believe and expect good even in thy bad state Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities A more deserted state then Israels was and is cannot be yet faith and hope are both by Divine command to be exercised in this forlorne condition with promise of full mercy and he shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquity Psal 130.7.8 Whatsoever thy sin hath been whatsoever the punishment of thy sin is hope in the Lord as the expression here is that is trust in Christ and expect good in this way and he shall redeeme thee from all thine iniquity even from that iniquity which hath killed the working of Gods strengthening and relieving power in thy soule I judge the expressions of the Psalmist to have such wide scope given them of purpose that any deserted Christians whatsoever might suck relief and support from them Power relieving and strengthening is sometimes lost not really but seemingly Cautio est that is according to a tempted soules apprehension this must bee lookt to that so none judge worse of their condition then 't is and lay load needlessly upon themselves Power relieving is consistent with power invading and tempting and yet when this is violent a poore soule overlookes him that stands by him and mournes and prayes as if nothing were his that is Gods God was faine in a temptation to tell the Apostle Paul what hee enjoyed which was all the answer he could have And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee and my strength is made perfect in weakenesse 2 Cor. 12.9 Soule-anguish with strength of temptation and strength of desire to have it removed made him over-looke that mighty aid of God by which he was enabled to stand under all which is many a tempted soul's case he cannot see the reliefe and strength he hath because he hath not totall freedome from the evill he groans under This temptation must be observed God will otherwise bee a loser and man too God will lose the glory of his grace and man the comfort Is it not reliefe and strength that thou art upheld to encounter in any measure with strong temptation That thou art taken from them into the armies of Christ though they not from thee from the evill of temptation though not simply from temptation it selfe This was that power which Christ did principally pray for not to take out of a wretched World and wretched condition but to uphold in it I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World but that thou shouldst keep them from the evill c. Object If I were so relieved and strengthened in my temptations as kept and borne out against sin I should acknowledge a strengthening power of God working in me but alas when I am tempted I am overcome Sol. 1 It is one thing to sin it is another thing to be overcome by sin Christians which thus complaine should well observe how Christ keepes their will and affections a man is lost when these are won and not before The Apostle Paul did eye this in the like conflict what he was in will when nothing in deed He found God in affection though sin in action the heart may be sound when more externall and inferiour parts are not What J doe I allow not what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I and upon this ground comforts himselfe in a sad condition and disclaimes sin as none of his though acted by him Tempted soules must remember this The heart kept all is kept what is done against this by meere strength of corrupt nature 't is sins 't
how they grieved him by their murmuring you would think much if he should be so long a telling England of her present murmuring So afterwards he took eight yeares and then eighteen yeares and then twenty yeares to tell Israel what they did under their Judges and then seventy yeares to tell Israel what they did under their Kings not any publique body that I know of in the Scripture but when God hath come to administer Justice to it he hath taken some yeares to doe it Great houses that have many roomes in them and these very foule cannot be swept presently Secondly as God takes time to administer Justice to publick bodies so he takes time to administer mercy to publick bodies The Tabernacle was long a raising the first Temple which was to exceed that longer the second Temple which was to exceed that much longer and the third which is to exceed all longest of all The tent or Tabernacle which was but small I judge was a yeare a making the first Temple seaven yeares the second Temple forty and six yeares if this had any typicall signification as I believe it had it might well point at this that a publick house for Christ under the Gospell would be long a raising I meane a worship suiteable to Gods Will borne up by publick authority According to what way God will dispence himselfe 't is Justice and duty to waite for him I finde not one hint in Scripture of suddaine raising this last house You shew your selves ignorant men you erre not knowing the Scriptures which are impatient because travailing England is not delivered in an houre in a yeare We have scarce travailed so long yet as the Tabernacle was a building sure I am not so long as the first Temple was a building there is no ground therefore of impatience who have more noble things in hand The son rises more and more and so must up to the perfect day this is the order that Christ will proceed in to bring full mercy into the World will you be impatient that the sun rises no faster that he is not at the meridian as soon as the day dawnes A second principle is this God doth fit for favours and then gives them he doth hew stones for this last Temple We are a generation low in spirit and yet impatient that we have not high things Doe you give children and fools what they desire doe you not instruct and discipline and then give yea and then too what in your wisdom you know good We are utterly below high things affraid of full mercies is it not the feare of some that the Puritan faction as they call them will be too strong the discipline of the Gospell too strict our spirits are base to God and yet we wonder that noble things are not given unto us Doe not men play with their light prefer policy to truth Judge that Christ may weare a party coloured coat mans wisdom mixt with Gods our own inventions and truth weaved together Tell me the best of you all which are so impatient for reformation which amongst you all doth deale so fairely with your light and so simply with your conscience as to render your selves capable of so great a good as you seeme to wrangle for Let things goe how they will you can still shuffle along is not a shuffling condition fit for a shuffling spirit God walkes to you as you walke to him and yet you are impatient he cuts you out a condition with his Sword suitable to your hearts he sees what consciences you have that you stick at nothing why should he remove what you can swallow why should you thinke much to live upon Huskes if you can eate Huskes when I looke upon that cold neutrall indifferent spirit that is in English Christians generally I wonder to heare any complaine that their best mercies are so long a comming You impatiently talke of the Parliament of the Army of this and that one is this and another is that and therefore your misery lives your mercies linger and you die I tell you 't is Englands neutrality that hath brought her to this state that keeps her in this state that will spend her and end her with bleeding if any thing doe A third principle is this inferiour agents are all over-ruled Judas and his bloudy crew move by a supreame councell they could not else have done to Christ what they did and so Christ told them Providence orders all agent and actions to her own end not to such an end proposed by such a man if love be in the breast of the first agent 't is no matter how all other agents act you are to conclude they act well still though you cannot see it no heart could be impatient or wrangle if this principle were but well swallowed Actions and agents may move very strangely in our view and yet very orderly to the greatest good as their supernaturall end I would aske any impatient soule but this what is in the breast of God respecting our cause love or not love if you Judge love to be in God to our cause believe that all agents and actions are ordered by it and will bring forth in Gods time a blessed end A fourth principle is this The imployment of War is a new thing to England a councell of War and a councell of State are two things experience makes Expertnesse 't is weakenesse to fall out which young beginners because not expert every one doth not know how to stick a Hog to the heart at one thrust such must have the liberty to thrust againe and 't is well if they kill him at last Would you have men old Souldiers which never saw the field before let any Chronicle produce braver courage and carriage by young beginners then ours have hitherto shewen both at Kenton and Branford Passion makes uâ— looke over what God doth by us and for us A fift principle is this Gods providence makes up mans improvidence God we see is by so much the more watchfull that we are unskilfull have we cause then to be impatient did not Gods providence make up our improvidence at Branford could so many else have been kept from comming to the gates of your City by so few and so unarmed our men wanted powder and shot and our God shot off for them and for us or else certainly we had had their Cannon thundering about our Ears for a Sabbath peale Many advantages we have given them but they are curst to the adversary they doe not thrive with them they labour in the very fire and blast themselves upon the top of their best advantages When God is al-sufficient in such a redundant sence as this to supply over sight by his watchfull Eye what soule dares to murmure A sixt principle is this Impatience against called instruments to any worke is impatience against GOD and hee will take it so who is Moses and who is Aron that you murmure against them who
limitation it speaks restraint to such a species to such kind of things and no other Creatio est illimitatio fertur ad omnia Creation speakes illimitation boundlesse processe you may have what you wil that stand under the blessing of this power You stand in a capacity of al what would you be that creating power cannot raise you to I am made all things to all men sayes the Apostle making power makes a generall Christian make me to heare joy and gladnesse sayes the Psalmist No blessing too big for making power t wil make joy and gladnesse in the most bleeding soule Heaven in Hell FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Doct. OF power creating and making we have already spoken the persons to whom this is refer'd is our next thing to consider who are noted in this terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us Who hath made us meete c. Love singles out her objects shee chooses her breast and bosome to lie downe in shee does not wantonly and promiscously kisse as shee meets but picks and chooses and so embraces who hath made us meet c. Love workes freely Christ makes many nothing makes him The holy Ghost cannot be bought with money he is in the gall of bitternesse that thinkes so Nobility no more then peasantry wisdome no more then folly to take Christ hee embraces as many of one as t'other more more poore then rich more foolish then wise His will is his pleasure therefore is will cal'd often in Scripture the pleasure of God Whom hee will pleases if 't be a theife an harlot a Publican Christ is a good fortune but never catch't full of beauty but eyes none full of wealth but lookes at none of great inheritance but lookes not at dowry hee marries where hee will whom he will whom he does he makes who hath made us meete Love workes righteously mercy leaves roome for Justice shee can hold al in her Armes but she chooses but few and leaves the rest to bee embrac'd with more rough hands The sunne shines as it can get roome in a little place it cannot bring in all its rayes onely one or two some few but in the open World all Christ hath his course now in an open World All are under sinne hee may put forth all his beames and glories and be righteous here a beame of Justice and there a beame of mercy he may shine upon one part as upon Sodom bloudily upon another part as upon Goshen blessedly Christ is not necessitated to goe about and kisse all in this lower roome as he doth above he may kisse or he may kick kick many and kisse a few and come off righteously he may goe killing and saveing making and marring through this congregation so as to leave the Apostles liberty for mee in speaking of you who hath made us meete c. Love workes very purely purity is choise a Virgin is not for many Pure love lookes upon many but chastely cleaves onely to one Christ singles out a Spouse and cleaves onely to her The Church singles out Christ she is onely for him Christ singles out a Church he is onely for these My beloved is one this is the Language of the Church and this is the Language of Christ both electing in their love and a few serves turne on both sides The Churches love gathers into one breast so doth Christs Him and no other sayes the Church these and no other saith Christ The property of love is to be entire to use many but to choose but few who hath made us meete c. Love workes strongly she contracts her beames that 's her strength The more contracted the sun beams are the stronger in heat Love is love indeed that loves but few one of a Tribe two of a City us of all Colosse three or foure poore persons of such a great famous City and all the rest left and lying under wrath Running in many channels breakes the strength and greatnesse of a streame That love which runnes common is no thing Love and upon the matter no love 't is consistent with all misery both here and hereafter Speciall love workes strongly she travailes to bring forth a Heaven a Heaven fit for man and men fit for it those wombes which bring forth great ones bring forth but few Multitude is made up in magnitude a few kinges are considerable to many thousands of inferiour men one Kindome is considerable to many mannors a few Saints considerable to many wicked Love travailes and works stongly shee brings forth Kinges Kingdomes great things and therefore but few Who hath made us meete c. Love worketh nobly the channels are al earthly and base in which shee runnes here below and therefore shee runnes but in few Nobles will be intimate and frequent with Nobles but with few others with few that are low and base onely with here and there one that they have a minde to preferre 'T is so with Christ he moves nobly hee is intimate with all the nobility above frequent with all those royall spirits but he lookes but upon few here below here and there one which hee hath a minde to advance Christ doth not throw downe himselfe when he sets up man hee ennobles himselfe in every thing that goes forth from himselfe hee so makes great as to make himselfe great he advanceth men and advanceth himself in such advancement Christ doth so speake love and worke love as to make all echo to his owne honour Much amonst few will hold its muchnesse and they will confesse the donor noble and their inheritance great thus doe these here in the Text they admire love Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light Love workes hintingly Christ doth so kisse and embrace in this lower roome where he comes that it may be plainly discerned that he is not a like pleased with all The very going forth of mercie speakes Justice to the wicked she kisses one over anothers shoulder is not that deadly hinting and damnably nodding to him that stands betweene Love comes very neere a man and yet steps over him and kisses the next Two grinding at a Mill one taken and another left two lying in one bed one taken and the other left doth not this manner of loves working speake wrath to standers by hath not mercy in its dispensation a tongue a voice doth shee not give a deadly cast and glote with her eye that shee is not pleased with all that some shall die under a sleight that she never meanes Heaven to this man nor that man what ever they promise to themselves love smiles and goes close by one soule and kisses another why this very transcient smile is a deadly frowne 't is a smile and yet 't is a deadly frowne too the soule
out more love more joy then Corne and Wine then any thing can doe 't is so fully soule answering Electing love is a transcendent love stronger then that which is borne to all the Creation besides so it makes a transcendent love a love stronger to Christ then to any thing My love is white and ruddy faire yea fairest of ten thousand A man whom Christ loves cannot see such another as Christ is as the Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my beloved among the Sonnes Electing love is separating I have chosen you out of the World The body in the World but the soule out of it off of it i in esteeme all earthly things dung stinking Earth that which is taking to a carnall man is stinking to a Christian Earth is base to a heavenly soule thick clay a loade yea the very flesh upon the back a load to a divine spirit life this life but a death The best house here but a groaning house in this house wee groane panting after another better built A house from Heaven Christ finds men lost in the Creature but leaves them lost in himselfe I esteeme all losse but Christ A choyce person hath a choyce affection he can put no prize upon any thing but Christ A Christian is the worst bidder for the World in the World A Judas bidds basely for Christ A Paul bids basely for all besides Christ he bids nothing hee esteemes all dung he prizes it at no rate onely worthy of strong contempt The glory of this World takes not a glorious soule I am crucified to the World and the World to me Paul had nothing of the World nor cared for nothing there was as little of the World in his heart as in his hand as little in his spirit as in his purse Divine love is very estranging from worldly things knowes nothing no no person after the flesh A brother is nothing a sister a mother nothing divine things All 't was so with Christ 't is so with a Christian All Christs children take after him Whether chosen of God whether singl'd out by love now speake Whom love hath not singled out wrath now will Justice hath no other Butt to shoot at but a rejected soule Mercy sets her children under her wing Justice killes her children with death yee rejected soules what will yee doe The great Shepheard is separating between sheepe and swine tares shall no longer stand amongst the Wheat plucking up by the rootes is come Bleed under your condition sinners the quarrell at this day in the Land is betweene Christ and rejected persons there should not a stroke be struck more in the Land were it not to cut off that which is cast off Every Souldier is Gods bloud-hound you will see wrath single out the stoutest Goat in the heard and pull him by the throate Justice drinke the bloud of every Judas and make Filii perditionis filii perditi the greatest men in misery as deepe as their merit persons cast off by GOD cut off by Man Justice is going once againe to give every Cain his marke Not a rejected person through the Land but shall feele the power of Gods Wrath. Yee forlorne Soules what will yee doe Shall your sinne finde you out Will you goe on in your sinne till God make your rejection visible and write your doome in your bloud for posterity to reade and tremble Is it a small thing that you have lost your name and honour with men Will you desperately lose your honour eternally with God Yee Malignants yee seede of the Serpent you say you have but a life to lose I say you have Soules to lose You say you will honour the King so doe but honor God too or else the King of Kings will crush you all I conclude this point Duty with a word to Gods chosen ones your Duty your safety lies in this point Love singles out her beloved Who hath made us meete c. You are of this little Number admire love this is the use made in the Text. Give thankes to the Father who hath made us meete c. What knotty pieces hath God hewed and made fit for himselfe That Gods Love should center any where but in himselfe aâ—l the Creation should admire that God will foule his hands to mould and make up Earth for Heaven for ever admire mans love is all from motive Gods love from none God layes out cost on a dunghill and makes it a stately Throne Things which so move that wee can see no spring their very forme set's us into admiration Divine Love moves thus altogether singles out kisses embraces and no spring nor principle but it selfe loves because it loves can you reach this reason No why then admire and adore that love that has your Soules in her Armes to carry them to Heaven Safety Your safety is in this point Whom Love hath singled out wrath shall never wrong The favour of God is a sufficient defence against the frownes of the greatest man Love is as tender to keepe as choyce to take into protection shee commandes men shee commands Angels shee commands the whole Creation to serve her Beloved A man ha's the Munition of Rockes that is in the Armes of Christ A Christian cannot object his sinne to turne of this consolation from him Divine love beganne freely it goes on so it chose out the man freely it chooses out mercies for the man freely A man is Universally made that is chosen out by God to bee happy hereafter happy here happy in every condition here happy Christ leaves none to the hazard of sinnes or times hee secures his choyce as his owne eternall felicity Hee bindes them up as His Jewels sets the Righteous apart As for Himselfe All. Your safety your All is in this point 'T is your Spring of supplies 't is a Fountaine open Free-Love is a Canaan of blessings Milke and Honey Flowing Free-Love 't is infinite mercy set to make you her Heire to bestow all shee hath upon you and yours Would yee have your selves blessed the Kingdome blessed Free-Love hath in it to doe all Free-Love hath a long Arme and a full Hand mercie for thousands and from Generation to Generation FINIS USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Doct. LOve workes freely Christ chuses what persons he pleases to advance Who hath made us c. Love works fully What persons Christ chuses to worke upon hee makes thorough worke in he renders them meete fit sufficient the Originall word will beare all these to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Sinne hath it's fitting and finishing and then it brings forth its end Sinne finished brings forth death c. The Divell is a thorough worke-man where hee layes a foundation he raises up the building till all be fit for himselfe and
pitched upon such a Noble height Christ hath taken it into his Hand to make it so high Strong desires are glimmerings of Sunne-rising I would have no Soule sad that pants after much grace Certainly the Sunne is risen very high in this Soule already 't will be at the Meridian apace Heaven is not farre off that soule which longs to be fit for it When Christ once began to pray Father glorify mee with thine one Selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the World was glory though so great was not farre off When the poore man would believe the spirit of Faith was neare and the next words are Faith and no more words of unbeliefe If thou canst do this if thou canst doe that heard There is no designe to become fit for Heaven like bringing a mans soule into a passion this way Divine passion makes strong compassion Christ does not quench smoaking Flax does hee quench flaming flax Panting to be fit to live in Heaven where so much holinesse is to live in the presence of God who is all holinesse this is flaming Flax. The fire goes as high as Heaven Heaven will open wide to such a Heavenly heart The Soule would have a sute to weare in the Country which will serve at Court a sute on Earth which will become it in Heaven this is flaming Fax Grace is never checked in its groweth by God but embraced most when it ascends highest God meetes a Prodigall and kisses him doth he not meete a deare child which is almost come quite home to his Fathers House and kisse and feast him A Soule that pants to be fit for Heaven is crope up to Heaven doore certainely CHRIST will welcome this Soule and let him into his desire Thou pantest to be made fit for Heaven why thou art fit Who hath made us fit c. These are said to be fit for Heaven by the Apostle and yet pray'd for by him as yet wanting much grace There 's a Fundamentall fitnesse and a complementall fitnesse for Heaven The lowest dram of true grace gives a fundamentall fitnesse for Heaven A weake hand of Faith on Christ will save a man from drowning a sparke of fire will ascend to Heaven as truely as a flame though not so strongly That there is any sparke in the soule to byasse it Heaven-ward wee should blesse God and blow the sparke by Prayer this is the way to have more A complementall fitnesse is when there is a double Testimony that all is ours from Gods spirit and our own when the soule is sealed with this double seale to the day of Redemption When Faith is strong love strong experience much joy much unspeakeable and full of glory then is the soule complementally fit i fully fit for glory This should be striven unto because it makes large entrance but the soule should not torture it selfe that it cannot with any paines yet attaine so high Some have Heaven here such are fit for Heaven in deede as carry Heaven still about with them 't is but out of one Heaven into another with these Others are made fit for Heaven in hell and come as out of hell to heaven and yet this is great mercy too and every poore low grac'd soule should say so Let these things settle weake soules banish bad objections and make your fitnesse for Heaven in that measure which it is your consolation in these miserable times Swords Guns Weapons of Warre may Wound Lame and unfit you for Earth but let this comfort you you are still fit for Heaven Lame Legs cut Armes bleeding bodies and holy soules will goe to Heaven well enough poore blind lame halt are most the guests that come there Christ had bloudy usage from base Wretches as wee have now speares thrust in his sides deepe wounds so deepe as to let out all his bloud and yet not any of his fitnesse for Heaven Should be enough to us all in these bad times that a mansion is prepared for us and we for it where all losse will be turned into gaine where lost Legs and lost Armes and lost estates will meete their right owners againe and glory in over and above FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.12 Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light TO be partakers of the inheritance c. Thus read 't is interpretation not strict translation yet possibly I may make issue both wayes for your sakes both as you reade it and as 't is to be read in the originall The Text verbatim runs thus fit to a part or portion of a lot of Saints in light 'T is phrased in allusion to Canaan where the people of GOD had their part and portion and this by lot by an immediate providence and by no humane art by the speciall blessing and disposing hand of God and by no merit or means of their own The phrase notes top favors gallant mercies dispensations full of love all love all love to all eternity Doct. The highest mercies are communicable Heaven all that is in Heaven distributive distributive to men like our selves Partakers of the inheritance Love is bountifull shee gives all Participatio sacra est communicatio totius mercy empties her selfe upon her children she empties her pockets she empties closets Cabinets Jewells of price Jewells of glory of eternall glory are given away to her favorites Having given us Christ will hee not with him give us all things Love gives all Christ and all that Christ hath The Apostle argues a maiori ad minus Christ is a greater gift then Heaven and yet he is made communicable and communicable to man to us therefore no marvell that Heaven is Having given us Christ c. Love will make her heart bloud communicable which is more then making heart Jewells communicable Christs giving of himselfe is more then giving any thing without himselfe more then the giving of Heaven and Earth to man Heaven is not noted in Scripture as the height of Christs love but himselfe what himselfe is and what he puts himselfe unto His owne selfe bare our sinnes on his body c. 1 Peter 2.24 And to be with Christ is best of all 'T is not sayd to be in heaven is best of all Abrahams bosome is but alluding to the felicity that is where Christ unbosomes himselfe to Saints The accent of love is fastened upon Christ himselfe and not upon any thing else Christ himselfe is still noted as a greater communication of love then Heaven or Earth or any thing besides him Love opens her purse to her beloved yea she opens her bosome and sets her beloved there Heaven is in Christs bosome Communicatio sacra est ad demōstrandum-Communicantem and Christ opens this to his he makes this communicable Partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred Communication is to make suitable demonstration of infinite love Great love is not
suitabley expressed by small things * Magna parvis minima exprimuntur Springs make Chanells Streames Rivers suitable to their strength they make their rent without suitable to their bubling within under ground Heaven is but a suitable expression of the love of a God 't is but a streame suitable to such a fountaine but beames suitable to such a Sun Heaven is but legible writing out of infinite love Were not heaven made communicable infinite love would be but halfe expressed 't would have no sutable demonstration 't would be far more in it selfe then knowne to us 'T is with Christ here in this World as 't is with a Christian a Christians fortune here doth not suite his titles called a King and has nothing Now are we the Suns of God but does not appeare what wee shall be Why we shall be but the Sons of God his meaning is that now title and revenew do not agree nothing in possession that speaks out the Son of a God the Son of a King state and title do not fitly and fully expresse one another so 't is with Christ now his love and his expression of it are short one of another many expressions of love are made here but they all expresse it but brokenly heaven will speake out an infinite love 't will demonstrate it to the life to all the senses at once which is such a demonstration of a thing as here man cannot make of any thing There a man shall have the advantage of all senses together to fathome infinite love he shall heare it see it taste it c. He shall see the fountaine where and how it riseth the Ocean how vast it spreads and how broad it beares Christ demonstrates infinite love fully fitly therfore is heaven made communicable to poore Earthen creatures partakers of the inheritance c. Sacred participation is to make soule satisfaction Communicatio est ad implendum subjectum cui communicatur Every thing lesse then heaven is too title to satisfy the soule All is vanity c. Put all things on this side heaven together and all is empty i in reference to the vast partaking spirit of man it swallows and swallows the whole Creation and makes nothing of all participation of Earth of all the Earth will not satisfy heaven must come in too or else the soule like the Dove remaines utterly restles and crys like the grave gâ—ve gâ—ve There is excesse in the Creature but not proper filling Bee not drunken with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit 't is one spirit that filleth another Abundance of Earthly things may make excesse and turne the soule into sinne but participation of fulnesse in God is that which gives the soule its felicity in it selfe and this is in Heaven Absolute fulnesse is in heaven and this maketh absolute content therefore is our participation here still reaching after more then can be had here All that is dispensed in way of inferior ordinance makes but tasting and longing does but put on appetite to a full meale Heaven is Gods supreme ordinance to give the soule satisfaction * Participando Other ordinances bring in the soule but drops and therefore it still thirsts this supreame ordinance brings in the Ocean the soule in this ordinance is swallowed up * T is Gods letting forth of al to things without him it can breath nothing but blessing as seeing feeling hearing tasting nothing else Sacred participation is made according to Christ s will Communicatio est ad placitum communicantis The pleasure of the King is that we should sit at his Table that we should dip our morsels in the same dish with him eat as he does drinke as he does weare and fare to all eternity as he doth Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where J am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me Iohn 17.24 Christ would not be in heaven alone to eate his morsels alone his pleasure is in choice company though not in any J will that those which thou hast given be with mee The pleasure of Christ is the spring of favors as high as this rises a Christian rises necessarily The naturall Son may have what he will for the adopted Sons the Will of Christ is the rule of Communication all is his to make gifts to his favorites as great as he will These have continued with me in my temptation these shall sit on Thrones the pleasure of Christ Thrones us heaven's us Heaven riseth out of Christs breast It comes out of the belly of divine will Participation is to suite will will is infinite vast therefore is Heaven communicable Great persons do great things to satisfy their will Participation is proportion'd to promise no lesse then the Land flowing with milke and honey is promised Communication is according to obligation Heaven is but little enough to fulfill truth to pay debts Christ hath beene so free of his promise that all he has will but make it good and render him just He hath engaged his own honor his own inheritance all below yea all that he has above upon poore terms but upon our service which is more disservice more sinne then service at best If any man serve me let him follow mee and where I am there shall my servant be Iohn 12.26 We are by promise to have as much wages as Christ to receive as great pay though not in so great command and though but common Souldiers and he a Captaine yet all that serve under him are to have as he has a house full of silver and gold yea a house not made with hands a very vast house a house full a heaven full of Jewells Communication is according unto obligation debts must be payd although never so great Mercy never dies in debt to justice every man shall partake of as much as fit for and promised to him although Christ himself hath no more Communication is according to instigation sometimes Participation is proportioned sometimes according to merit Gods giving is according to Christs deserving not according to ours the best of us should partake of hell and not of heaven if we had our deserts Heaven is great and yet lesse then Christs merit and therefore God himselfe is proposed as a Saints portion and Christs purchase The Lord is my portion he doth not say heaven The Lord which made heaven and can make more heavens yea is more then all heavens upon a glote of whose eye upon a cast of whose countenance stands heaven and hell he is my portion He is so in whom why in Christ by his merit Participation is proportioned to merit merit is vast it challenges heaven more God himselfe Christs merit makes God ours the holy Ghost ours what God is in himselfe ours which is the heaven of heavens that which makes heaven heaven Christs bloud is of more worth then heaven it
bought heaven and earth too of exact Justice not for yeares or for lives but the fee simple for all eternity We receive as God gives God gives as Christ merits and mediates heaven comes out of Christs wounds to Us Heaven comes out of hell to fallen man Christs descension to hell makes our ascension to heaven we are partakers of glory by his shame and misery By his stripes we are healed c. By his hell we are heaven'd We inherit not hereditarily but made heires and so partake Our participation of glory is a made participation made out of merit merit is vast therefore is our participation so vast as heaven partakers of the inheritance Vse Is' t a time of losse 't is a time of reception equivalent God is more giving then taking away is not heaven more then you have lost upon earth heaven is communicable and yet you complaine what shall you do for house what shall you do for land for enough for you and yours all is gone What is heaven gon then all is gone indeed God shuts one hand that we may looke to the other which is open with greater and better things Mens eyes are not opened by the dealings of God men learne not instruction though God whips to teach that 's your undoing not what you have lost though never so much for heaven would make up that well enough God takes away in earthly things that we may consider and see wherein he is a greater giver do yee make this use of your losse a man loses much when he loseth a state on Earth and loseth with it a heart to looke after a state in Heaven when losses and crosses kil affection Heavenward all is gone indeed gone without hope of recovery Do not the stroaks of God make you looke to him Why then you will be smitten againe Jobs messengers shall come one after another and tell you of the losse of all to see if that will save all Divine rods are order'd to second one another till the soule be as high as it should be or as low as it must be as high as Heaven or as low as hell I would sinners did consider the scope of Gods dealings now and what is before them Heaven and hell is before you now you may be partakers of which you will Heaven is communicable hell is communicable one in one hand of God 'tother is in ' tother Which way any great mans veine lies you observe him Gods veine lies in giving of great things great mercy or great misery he gives no lesse then heaven or hell to every man he makes every man partake of one or ' tother Sinners as you love your soules consider this Wrath workes as love is abused Communicatio plena justice riseth high when high favors are sleighted All is communicable 't will breake the neck of all which make not use of this mans spirit must worke as Gods does when one is open to give 'tother must be to receive Bounty presupposes a ready receiver who is back-ward to take great things and yet who is not back-ward to goe to Heaven Heaven is wholly communicable and yet sinners are wholly carelesse of it Not a peny in Heaven but 't may be yours and yet what heapes of treasure are there Ah Lord what wealthy persons might sinners be and will not Onely their will keepes them poore Paul yours Apollo yours all yours all is communicable Heaven and Earth the Earth and the fulnesse of it so Heaven and the fulnesse of it not a roome not a walke in Heaven but 't is in common for all the inhabitants Not a dish but every ones hand is in it together many hands in a dish is all the feeding above Not a delightfull tune above but every ones heart is set to it not a beame in the Sun above but every ones eye is fixed upon 't not a floure in Christs bosome but all smell to it not a secret but revealed to all All that hath laine hid for this many thousand yeares almost from all here below there 't is knowne to all they above know as they are knowne such great mercy such full mercy rejected what great misery what full misery will it make Justice swells as sinners kick mercy such a heaven sleighted makes such a hell Hell 't is but Justice working suitable to the abuse of so much mercy as may be had in heaven and the soule would not Communicatio libera Heaven is freely communicable and yet sinners have no heart to it Heaven may be had for nothing neither for money nor money worth onely for making fit for it and this too wholly at anothers paines and cost and yet sinners have no heart to it Christ gives much but takes nothing mercy is all mercy mercy is all free as 't is layd out all in an inheritance and lies all round together above 't is all free Love in its utmost dimensions in its heights and depths as it passes knowledge as it makes a heaven yet it keepes its owne essentiall property 't is love and but love heaven is nothing else but a bed of love all delights free There is nothing in heaven bought nor payd for by us of all the costly things that are there There are Jewells about the inhabitants necks such as the World never saw and yet not one bought by the wearer and owner all given freely You have not seene such an inheritance for nothing as Heaven is There be things which cost infinite deare and yet done away for nothing A man may see that which eye never saw and heare that which Eare never heard for nothing God lays out much but looks for no returne his greatest favours goe for acceptation Participation of purchase is pay for purchase an mâ—n will but go to Heaven the place shall cost them nothing though fit for a Prince All Gods motion is free his blessed motion for a time free his blessed motion for eternity free As God makes Heaven he workes for nothing as he makes fit for Heaven he workes for nothing for his greatest layings out hee sets downe nothing at Heaven doore hee sets no bill what rent and fine though there be not such a house of state again in the World God keepes open house below and above too the best dainties and yet no reckoning brought in nothing to be paid no nothing expected There is no thought of heart what this dish might have yielded and what that precious odour might have been sold for Heaven goes freely free gratissimè gratum Heaven given and not a thought against it all the riches of a God layd downe at mans foot and all the heart of God too with it and all the panting above is O that all may not be trod upon Ah sinners what a damnation will this make to set one foote upon heaven and 'tother foot upon Gods heart To trample all his yea and all him too in the dirt heaven and his heart too to
stirring of every Finger of every Toe of every Haire of every one in Heaven a Heaven to behold There is no distinction of habit and act time and place meanes and end in point of felicity as here is as you know there is misery all along in the meanes with us and felicity onely in the end and that uncertaine too and so a little good habitually scarce any at all actually and the like In Heaven there is none of these miserable distinctions but Heaven in all in every quality Heaven in every action Heaven in every time Heaven in every place Heaven in every meane to such an end equally as in the end it selfe Heaven Simili dissimile In things which are but like there is some dislike Light is not universally permanent Our Sunne sets and rises rises and sets so 't is with most parts of the World very few parts have all day and no night all light and no darknesse 'T is not so above our felicity there is universally permanent there is all day and no night to all that upper World the Sunne goes round that glorious Globe without any interposition to any There is no drooping Soule in Heaven no wounded spirit in all the Land above nor never will Our life above is everlasting Shall of the spirit reape life everlasting c. Saith our Apostle There is such inspiration as shall never admit the least expiration in any comforts never faint nor flat no soule growes weary of place company habit dyet imployment every ones Heaven is an eternall Heaven every ones rest an eternall rest Some have beene in Heaven many thousands of yeares and yet not a thought of dislike of any thing there nor the least desire stirring to be any where else but the strong desire of all that all Gods deare ones were there The spirit and the Bride say come Christ and all those members hee has above pant for the rest that all were as they are one as they are one Joy is made as vast as the soule as lasting as the soule and the soule as lasting as Christ There are no broken Cisternes above not one Vessell drops out one droppe of its felicity in the space of eternitie though hee stand brim full No consumption no Disease above every thing lives yea and thrives for ever There is eternall Revelation in Heaven Infinite excellency taking suitable time to lay open it selfe to all others there 's Johns rapture to all eternitie All these particulars gathered up render the meaning of the Metaphor to be this That our felicity above is a full and absolute felicity a transcendent blessednesse suiting such a transcendent being as the soule of man is Vse Now my question to you all is what labouring for absolute felicity for blessednesse to suite your soules for ever 'T is the judgement that lies heavy upon the soules of most men they seeke not after full mercies a perfect blessednesse Feele your Pulse tell mee how your hearts beate how nimble doe they worke out after Earth How slow after Heaven I looke upon some men's Lives and my heart trembles to thinke what will become of their soules al the care is for the body how does Trading goe on How does money come in When is the Question How will 't goe with my soule for ever What blessednesse is provided for my soule to inherite Are your bodies everlasting Is this World everlasting Can any thing but Heaven make an absolute felicitie for you Are not your soules everlasting Can any thing lesse then Heaven make a suitable felcity for them Pravity is misleading but when the Soule is judged for this there is noe turning the man this consideration makes mee shake indeede when I consider how Earthy some men are and how wilfull in their way Speake to them of minding their Soules and beating off their thoughts from this VVorld you are as Vinegar to their Teeth and smoake to their Eyes When corruption thrives in the soule 't is dangerous but when it has got a head Ah Lord The state of that man is desperate Who shal save that man from Hell and bring him to Heaven which is earthy and wil be so still The Creature is seducing much is promised but it s still a lie to the soule the fulnesse of the World makes up no fulnesse to that noble part within If there bee any absolutenesse in things here below 't is in point of vanity they are Vanitie of vantie and vexation of spirit i Perfect vanitie just nothing as our English phrase is Consider all the Word in reference to the spirit and t is a heape of perplexitie A Bush of Briers and Thornes shall all your industry lie to Crowne your soules with Thornes With our Saviours Crosse and Curse Are you not scratcht enough with the World yet Will not your spirits be vext enough hereafter but will you be vexing of them here too Will you begin your Hell in Earth and inure your spirits to tearing and torment before the time Know your soules and what is the felicitie of them and what you doe do in good earnest to attaine it you move as you love Christ concluded that when the Jewish Church sleighted him If you love darkenesse better then light you will never seeke out for light nor for that Inheritance which hâ—s there If Heaven were more absolute felicitie or more transcendent blessednesses then 't is a heart pre-engaged i set upon an other Heaven will sleight Heaven indeede your life lies upon this poynt to looke how and where your love is picht where a mans Treasure is there will his Heart bee if you make money onely your Treasure you will onely bend in good earnest after it If you make not Heaven your chiefe Treasure you will not seeke after it heartilie Heaven has beene shadowed out to you according to the Metaphor in the Text is it now of any price in your Eye Has it gained your love 'T is a transcendent blessednesse are your hearts taken with it as such a blessednesse Till this I shall not looke to prevaile with any soule to seeke out after Heaven to any purpose 'T was the Art that Christ used when hee spake of eternall things first to set out the excellency of them to make that sparkle gloriously in the Eye to stirre love and then answerablie come on to doe good J am the Bread which came downe from Heaven c. J am the Bread of Life c. And hee that shall drinke of the Water that I shall give him shall never thiâ—st c. Many such expressions to take love you shall finde in the Scripture What have wee gained upon your love by all our discourse of Heaven An love bee as it was the man will be as hee was if Heaven be at his doore hee will step beside it into Hell Divine Love is that flame that carries the soule upward where this is not Heaven though all is nothing There is darkenesse And