O the unsearchable Riches of Christ that hee that searcheth all things reveals unto the Saints O the hidden treasures they now discover in this deep Mine To you that beleeve hee is pretious a Praise an Honour all Fair all Glorious and you have seen his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Sonne of God full of Grace and Truth Again there are marvellous evils as well as good things that by this light are brought to light Sin with all the hidden things of darkness that lay below in those chambers of death the secrets of the evill heart of man Sin appears a wonder to the savingly enlightened soul Exceeding sinful a world of wickedness There 's Death and Hell and the Devil in every sin unkindness unthankfulness folly enmity rebellion spite and the blackness of darkness What once appeared as a pleasure a delight a beauty or at least if an evill yet but a trifle a matter of nothing is become a plague a terrour a burthen a bondage bitterness shame sorrow and such an high provocation that whereas once hee swell'd and murmur'd and cryed out of rigour feverity cruelty in the least punishment of it now hee wonders at the clemency and patience and forbearance of God that such an affront and provocation had not long since turned the whole earth into an Hell Christian thou complainest thou canst not see thou canst not feel thou canst not mourn thou canst not break under all the guilt that lies upon thee thine heart is hard thine eyes are dry not a tear not a groan scarce a sigh will all this evill fetch out from thee O this blinde and sottish minde O this dead and senseless heart what shall I do what would I not do to get mee a melting mourning broken spirit but I cannot I cannot I cannot see I cannot bleed nor break O beg the light of this Holy Spirit and if the sight that that will present thee with of this wonderfull evill do not rend thy heart and turn thy stomack and open all thy sluces and let out thy soul in sighs and groans in shame and sorrow thou mayest then well be a wonder to thy self But be nor discouraged bee not dismayed do not say this Rock will never break this Iron will never melt I may go sighing for sighs mourning after tears groaning after groans but all in vain it will never bee past feeling past feeling sorrow flies still from mee repentance is hid from mine eyes do not thus discourage thy self wait for this spirit open to it and thou shalt see flowing in such streames of self-shaming self-confounding light as shall flow forth in self-abasing self-abhorring streames of tears 3. These marvellous things are revealed with marvellous clearness That is in comparison of what they are to the purblinde world and in comparison of what they themselves once saw They come to see the glory and the beauty and the reality of the wonderful things of God Wee have seen his glory saith the Apostle Joh. 1. The kindness of God our Saviour appeared But we all with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor 3.18 Out of Zion hath hee appeared in perfect beauty It 's Prophesied Isa 53. of the unbeleeving world that when they should see Christ they should see no beauty in him Strange though hee were all beauty yet they should see him and yet see no beauty That is they shall see him and yet not see him They see not wood for trees What is thy Beloved more than other beloveds VVhat is Christ more than an ordinary man VVhat is the Gospel more than an ordinary Story VVhat is the Spirit What is Truth VVhat is there in this Faith and Love in this Holiness and Righteousness in this Peace of Conscience and Joy of the Holy Ghost VVhat substance is there in them VVhere 's the Glory and wherein is the Excellency of them Which way came the Spirit of the Lord from mee to thee Thou shalt know in that day when thou shalt call to the Mountains to fall on thee and the Rocks to hide thee from the face of God and the Lamb. Wee know whom wee have beleeved Wee know that wee know him Wee speak that which wee know and testify what wee have seen Wee have an Vnction from the Holy one wee know all things God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God Now wee have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God VVee have a clear and certain sight VVee do not see men as Trees walking with our eyes half open wee see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth in its naked lustre and evidence This wee have seen and do testify neither deceiving nor being deceived VVee thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes And as they see Truth and Holiness and Goodness in their wonderful Glory and Beauty so also Folly and Falshood and Sin in its wonderful uglâ—ness and deformiâ—y Sin appears to bee sin to them Rom. 7. Folly to bee folly falshood to bee falshood they see men as men Christ as Christ Truth as Truth Holiness as Holiness and they see beasts as beasts fools as fools sin as sin devils as devils hell as hell They see all things as they are temptations as they are delusions as they are they see what 's under them the hook under the bait the sting in the Locust's tail the warre in the Devils heart carried on under his fawning face Wee are not ignorant of his Devices Sinners cease your wondring at the Saints let them bee no longer for signs and for wonders in Israel cease your wondring at the Saints come and wonder with them Wonder not that they say not as you live not as you run not with you after the same follies and vanities Oh! if ye once come to see what they see you will bee a wonder to your selves Mock not at their blessedness Blessed are their eyes for they see The blinde envy but do not disdain the seeing Say not these men are in a dream or drunken or mad take heed blaspheme not the Holy Spirit call not his light darkneâ—s put not your darkness for light Would you know when these men testifie what they have seen and heard whether they are sober or beside themselves Come and see I say not stand and see you cannot see at that distance you stand come near come in and you shall see see your blindness first if ever you will see the light Oh! bewail your darkness and seek light seek and you shall see it Son of David have Mercy on mee Why what wilt thou man Lord that I may receive my sight Shall that bee thy cry O pitty thy blinde soul O pray
Å¿ Å¿ Prov. 2.3.4,5 and 8.38 Lu. 11.13 I am content to abate the rigour of the old terms t t Rom. 4.6 I shall not stand upon satisfaction u u Lu. 7.42 I have received a ransome and do onely expect your acceptance w w Rev. 22.17 1 Tim. 2.6 I shall not insist upon perfection x x 1 Joh. 1.8,9 Walk before me and be upright and sincerity shall carry the Crown y y Prov. 11.20 Gen. 17.1 Psa 97.11 Yea both the faith and obedience that I require of you are mine own gifts z z Eph. 2.8 Phil. 2.13 I require you to accept my Son by believing but I will give you an hand to take him a a Phi. 1.29 Joh. 6.65 and to submit to and obey him but I must and will guide your hands to write after him and cause you to walk in my statutes b b Ezek. 36 27. I will take you by the arms and teach you to go c c Hos 11.3,4 I will order your steps d d Psal 37. â—3,31 Yea those things will I accept of you as the conditions of Life which viewed in the strictness of my Justice would deserve eternal Death e e Eph. 3.8 with 1 Thess 3.10 Heb. 5.9 with Eccl. 7.20 Grace Grace The voice of the Redeemed AMen Hallelujah Be it to thy servants according to thy word But who are we and what is our Fathers House that thou hast brought us hitherto And now O Lord God what shal thy servant say unto thee for we are silenced with Wonder and must sit down in Astonishment for we cannot utter the least title of thy Praises What meaneth the heighth of this strange love And whence is this unto us that the Lord of Heaven and Earth should condescend to enter into Covenant with his Dust and take into his Bosom the viperous brood that have so often spit their venome in his face We are not worthy to be as the Hand-maids to wash the feet of the servants of our Lord how much less to be thy Sons and Heirs and to be made partakers of all these blessed Liberties and Priviledges which thou hast settled upon us But for thy goodness sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things Even so Father because so it seemed good in thy sight Wherefore thou art great O God for there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee Sam. 7.18 to the end And what Nation on Earth is like thy people whom God went to redeem for a people to himself and to make him a name and to do for them great things and terrible For thou hast confirmed them to thy self to be a people unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God Wonder O Heavens and be moved O Earth at this great thing Rev. 21.4 For behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Be astonished and ravished with wonder for the infinite breach is made up The Offender is received and God and man reconciled and a Covenant of peace entered and Heaven and Earth are all agreed upon the termes and have struck their hands and sealed the Indentures O happy Conclusion O blessed Conjunction Shall the stars dwell wtth the dust Or the wide distant Poles be brought to mutual embraces and cohabitation But here the distance of the termes is infinitely greater Rejoyce O Angels shout O Seraphims O all ye friends of the Bridegroom prepare an Epithalamium be ready with the Marriage song Lo here is the wonder of wonders For Jehovah hath betrothed himself for ever to his hopeless Captives and ownes the Marriage before all the world and is become one with us and we with him He hath bequeathed to us the precious things of Heaven above and the precious things of the Earth beneath with the fullness thereof and hath kept back nothing from us And now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servants and hast left us nothing to ask at thy hands but what thou hast already freely granted Onely the wâ—rd which thou hast spoken concerning thy servants establish it for ever and do as thou hast said and let thy Name be magnified for ever saying The Lord of Hosts he is the God of Israel Amen Hallelujah A SOLILOQUY Representing The Believers Triumph in Gods Covenant And the various Conflicts and glorious Conquests of Faith over Vnbelief By the same Authour CHAP. XVIII The soul taketh hold on Gods Covenant YEa Hath God said I will be a God unto thee Is it true indeed Will the Lord be mine Will he lay aside the Controversie and conclude a Peace Will he receive the Rebel to mercy and open his doors to his Prodigal I will surely go unto my Father I will take unto me words and bow my self before his Foot-stool and say Esay 56.4 O Lord I have heard thy words and do here lay hold on thy Covenant I accept the kindness of God and will adventure my self upon thy Fidelity and trust my whole happiness here and hereafter upon these thy Promises Farewel deceitful world get thee under my feet Too long have I feared thy vain threats too long have I been deluded with thy flattering Promises Canst thou promise me or deny me such things as God hath Covenanted to give me I know thou canst not and therefore I renounce thee for ever from being the Object of my Faith or Fear Nor longer will I lean to this rotten Reed no longer will I trust to this broken Idol Avoid Sathan with thy tempting Baits In vain dost thou dress the Harlot in her Paint and Bravery and tell me Matt. 4.8,9 ALL THIS WILL I GIVE THEE Canst thou shew me such a Crown such a kingdom as God hath promised to settle upon me Or that which will ballance the loss of an infinite God who here gives himself unto me Away deceitful Lusts and Pleasures get you hence I have enough in Christ and his Promises to give my soul full content These have I lodged in my heart and there is no longer room for such guests as you Never shall you have quiet entertainment more within these doors Thou God of Truth I here take thee at thy word Thou requirest but my acceptance and consent and here thou hast it Good is the word of the Lord which he hath spoken and as my Lord hath said so will thy servant do My soul catcheth hold of thy Promises These have I taken as my heritage for ever Let others carry the Preferments and Possessions of this world it shal be enough to me to be an Heir of thy Promises She maketh her boast in God O happy Soul how rich art thou What a Booty have I gotten It is all
thee to bee with thy Father in the bosome of thy bridegroom the presence chamber of thy Lord and Love would it bee a mercy to thee to weep no more fear no more suffer no more bee tempted no more sin no more to bee uncloathed of corruption and be cloathed upon with immortality and incorruption then bid death welcome Blessed souls when you come a shoare and see the light the love the joy the rest the glory that is on the other side you will then more fully understand what this meaneth Death is yours Hee knew something who said I cannot tell you what sweet pain and delightsome torments are in Christs love I often challenge time that holdeth us asunder I have for the present a sick life much pain and much love-sickness for Christ O what would I give to have a bed made to my wearied soul in his bosome O when shall wee meet O how long is it to the dawning of the Marriage-day O sweet Lord Jesus take wide steps Come over the Mountains at one stride O my Beloved flee as a Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountains of separation O if hee would fold the Heavens together like an old Cloak and shovel time and daies out of the way and come away CHAP. VIII The Kingdome in the Covenant 8. GOd hath put the Kingdome into this Covenant Matth. 5.3 Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Luke 12.32 It is your Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God I might here enlarge in describing the glory of this Kingdome but when I had said all I must at last leave it within the Vail and therefore shall only tell you from the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him c. Ephes 1.18 When by the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation the eyes of your understandings are opened yee shall know what is the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints CHAP. IX All the means of salvation in the Covenant both outward and inward in special the blessing of a new heart LAstly God hath put into the Covenant all the means of salvation And all things on their parts necessary to the obtaining the everlasting kingdome 1. All the outward means of salvation Ordinances Word Sacraments and Prayer Officers Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastours and Teachers Ephes 4.11,12 1 Cor. 3.22 2. All the inward means of salvation Every grace every duty their obtaining the one and performing the other and perseverance in both These are all comprehended in the second part of that great promise They shall be my people Which though it be properly the matter of their own stipulation yet for this also the Lord himself undertakes You shall be my people Two things are hereby signified 1. I will account you and reckon you for mine You shall have the priviledge and the blessing of my people I will set you apart and separate you to my self out of all the tribes and kindreds of the earth and will avouch you for my portion and peculiar possession I will set you as the apple of mine eye as a seal upon mine heart and upon mine arm I will mark you out for the people of my love of you will I take care for you will I provide with you are my delights over you will I rejoyce with you will I dwell and you shall dwell with me for ever 2. I will not only reckon you for my people but I will undertake for you that you shall consent to me accept of me own me follow me and cleave to me as my people I will not only separate you to my self but I will fashion you for my self I will sanctifie you and guide you and teach you and help you I will fulfill in you all the good pleasure of my will I will work all your works in you I will avouch you for my people and you shall avouch me for your God You shall love me fear me obey me I will keep you from falling and preserve you to my heavenly kingdome Particularly the Lord hath promised to give them 1. A new heart 2. An heart to know the Lord. 3. One heart 4. An heart of flesh 5. An heart to love the Lord. 6. An heart to fear the Lord. 7. An heart to obey the Lord. 8. An heart to persevere to the end 1. A new heart Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you This new heart I take it is the genus of all the following graces and therefore the less shall suffice to be spoken of it here A new heart that is not physically new in regard of substance but morally onely in regard of qualities This new heart signifies both another heart and a more excellent heart 'T is said of Caleb Numb 14.24 that he had another heart And this other heart is declared to be a more excellent heart than was in the rest of the people Whilest they either followed not the Lord or but haltingly hee followed the Lord fully Prov. 17.27 A man of understanding is of an excellent spirit There is another heart that is not a new heart Nebuchadnezzer had another but no new heart the heart of a beast for the heart of a man an evil heart grown worse is not a new heart but the old heart grown older We read 1 Sam. 10.9 that when Saul was anointed King God gave him another heart this was a more excellent heart than he had before and yet not the heart here promised He gave to him another heart that is the spirit of government the heart of a King for the heart of a private person a more publick raised heroick heart the heart of a King fitted to the station and office of a King The excellencies of this new heart are not natural but spiritual excellencies as will appear more in the handling of the particular graces promised and are such as fit them for their new state work reward 1. For their new state Christians are made the children of God vessels of honour a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people and God gives them an heart answering the dignity of their high calling 2. For their new Work a Christian hath other work to do than other men whilest their business lies all here below in this earth in their fields and vineyards c. Christians work lies above with their God and their Jesus and within about their nobler and immortal part their work is spiritual and such is the heart that 's given to them 3. For their new reward God intends better things to them a better portion a better hope better comforts joyes delights here and a better inheritance hereafter and he prepares them better hearts to receive these better things he will not put his new
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
the Promise should be a sure Foundation yet thou mayest not build upon another mans ground What though the grace and mercies of God are infinite yet Doggs may not catch at the Childrens bread Thou hast not right nor title to the Promise therefore cease thy pretended claim The Triumph of Faith in the clearness of the Bâ—lievers Evidences But O my soul wherefore shouldst thou doubt Whose Image and Superscription is this Dost thou not bear upon thee the marks of the Lord Jesus I have given up my name to him and taken hold of his Covenant and therefore may claim an interest Esay 56.4 I have accepted the matter and closed with the Mediator and subscribed to the conditions of the Covenant and therefore cannot question but it is mine The Lord hath offered to be my God and I have took hold of his offer Psal 73.25,26 I have taken him as God and given him the supremacy O my soul look round about thee in Heaven and in Earth is there any thou dost esteem or value in comparison of God Phil. 3.8 Is there any thou dost love like him or take that content or felicity in that thou dost in him Phil. 1 20 Are not thy chief desires and designes to glorifie and enjoy him Thou canst not deny but it is truly thus Psal 26.8 and 84 1,2,3 Psal 27.4 and 119.57 Psa 119 38 2 Cor. 5.8 Act. 24.16 with Rom. 6.19 Luke 14.33 Psal 16 5,6 I am sure nothing but God will content me I am never so well in all the world as in his company My soul seeketh him above all and rests in him alone as my satisfactory Portion He offereth to take me as one of his people and I have resigned my self accordingly to him as his and have put both my Inward and Outward man under his Government and given up All to his dispose and am resolved to be content with him as my Allsufficient happiness John 1.12 Besides I have taken him in his own way through Christ whom he hath tendered to me as my Head and Husband and I have accordingly solemnly and deliberately taken him Luke 14.26 to the end Matth. 11.29 Phil. 3.9 2 Tim. 1.12 O my soul dost not thou know thy often debates hast thou not put Christ and all the world into the ballance hast thou not cast up the cost and reckoned upon the Cross and willingly put thy neck under Christs yoke and ventured thy salvation upon Christ alone and trusted him with all thy happiness and all thy hopes hast thou not over and over resolved to take him with what comes and that he shall be enough though in the loss of all things 1 Cor. 1.20 Thou canst not but know that these have been the transactions between Christ and thee and therefore he is thine and all the Promises Yea and Amen to thee through him Act. 20.21 Rom. 2.7 And for the terms of the Covenant I love and like them my soul embraceth them neither do I desire to be saved in any other way then by repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and sincere obedience to his Goâ—pel Phil. 3. â— to the 10. 2 Cor. 5.7 2 Cor. 4.18 1 Thes 1.9 10. Tit. 2.13 Heb. 10 34. 11.35 I am willing to go out of my flesh and do look unto Jesu for righteousness and strength and trust my salvation wholly in this bottome I am content to deal upon trust and venture all in hopes of what is to come and to tarry till the next world for my preferment I am willing to wait till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and have laid up my happiness on the other side the Grave Rom. 7.24 Gal. 5.17 And though my sins be many yet I should belye mine own knowledge if I should say they were not my constant trouble and burthen and the enemies against which I daily watch and with whom my soul hath no peace Psal 39.1 17.3 Mine own heart knoweth that I hate them and desire and endeavour their utter destruction and do resolve against them all and am willing to use all Gods means that I know to mortifie them Psal 119.101,104 Rom. 7.15,16 c. 1 Cor. 9.26,27 1 John 1.9 Rom 6.16 Psal 119.6 Psal 119.5 30,173 Mat. 6.33 2 Cor. 5.9 'T is too true that I often fall and fail yet my conscience beareth me witness that I confess and bewail it and do not ordinarily and deliberately allow my self in any sin whatsoever against my knowledge And though my obedience be miserably lame yet O Lord thou knowest that I have respect unto all thy commandments and do strive to come up to what thou requirest The Holy Ghost is witness and my conscience also that I first seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof and that it is my chief care to please God and keep from sin Psa 18.23 19.13 119.133 Matt. 5.6 Speak Oh my soul Is not holiness thy design dost thou not thirst for it and follow after it dost thou not in thy setled choice prefer the holy wayes of God before all the pleasures and delights of sin Psal 119.14,15,16 111,112 Thou knowest it is thus and therefore no more disputing thou hast sincerely taken hold of Gods Covenant and without controversie it must be thine O my God I see thou hast been at work with my soul I find the prints I see the footsteps Surely this is the finger of God I am thy Servant O Lord truly I am thy Servant Psal 116.16 Psal 16.2 and my soul hath said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord. It must be so Wouldst thou ever set thy mark upon anothers goods or shall God disown his own workmanship My name is written in Heaven Thou hast written thy Name upon my heart and therefore I cannot question but thou hast my name on thine heart I have chosen thee O Lord as my happiness and heritage and therefore I am sure thou hast chosen me 1 John 4.19 for I could not have loved thee except thou hadst loved me first O my Lord discern I pray thee whose are these the signet the bracelets and the staffe I know thou wilt acknowledge them 1 Pet. 1.3 And now blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who of his abundant mercy hath begotten me again to a lively hope Faith makes its claim to all the benefits of the Covenant and stirs up the soul to joy and thankfulness in sequentib And thou my soul believe and wait look through the window and cry through the lattice and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God a a Hab. 2.3 The Vision is for an appointed time wait for it It will come in the end will not tarry b b Jam. 5 7. Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the Earth Be thou also patient He hath long patience and wilt
Lord is before thee know it for thy good Study thy God Christian roul over his sweetness in thy minde as thou dost the sweet morsel in thy mouth see what he is and what thou hast laid up in him read over daylie his glorious names walk through those chambers of his presence his glorious Attributes look into the chamber of his power and see what thou hast laid up for thee there go into the chamber of his wisdome and see what that will afford thee look into the chambers of his goodness mercy faithfulness holiness and behold what treasures are laid up for thee in each of these enter into thy chambers they are all thine enter into the chambers set thine eye be there let thy meditation be there let thy soul be there every day there 's thy portion search it out and know it for thy good This is the first thing contained in Fruition Knowledge 2. Delight Fruition is the taking the pleasure of what we have Frui est cum gaudio uti Augustine We cannot enjoy what we do not love and love hath delight We cannot enjoy that wherein we do not joy Delight thy self in the Lord Psal 37.4 I sate me down under his shaddow with great delight Cant. 2.3 If his shaddow be so pleasant what will his Sun-beams be Psal 34.8 O taste and see that the Lord is good Our senses help our understandings we cannot by the most rational discourse perceive what the sweetness of honey is taste it and you shall perceive it His fruit was sweet unto my taste Dwell in the light of the Lord and let thy soul be alwayes ravished with his love Get out the marrow and the fatness that thy portion yeilds thee Let fools learn by beholding thy face how dim their blazes are to the brightness of thy day Let thy delights in God be pure and unmixed delights Let thy spirit be so filled with God and so raised above carnal joyes and the matters of them that it be no damp upon thee to have nothing but God Thy wine is the more sprightful when not mixed with water Live above in that serene Ayre which is not incrassated with earthly exhalations Sickly bodies and so sickly souls cannot live in too pure an Ayr. Be so wholly spiritual that spiritual joyes spiritual delights may be suited to thee and sufficient for thee Do not say I want the joy of the Vintage and of the Harvest I want the joy of the Bridegroom and of the Bride I want the sound of the Milstones and the light of the Candle to make my comfort full Let the joy of the Lord be thy strength and thy life Say with the Prophet Habbak 3.17,18 Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields shall yeild no meat the Flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no Herd in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation This is the second thing in Fruition Delight 3. Satisfaction The quiet or resting of the soul in its portion Therefore the Schools say it is onely the ultimus finis the last end that is the proper object of fruition The carnal world whatever they possess yet they cannot be said properly to enjoy it though they be their gods that they live upon their dragg is their god their yarn is their god their plough and their plenty and their pleasure is their god they burn incense to them though they be their gods that they live upon yet they cannot enjoy them there is no rest for them in their god Psal 25.12,13 What man is he that feareth the Lord his soul shall dwell at ease In the Original 't is shall lodge in goodness The soul is never in ease whilest 't is in want every want wrings it can never take up its lodging where it cannot take its rest His soul shall be at ease shall lodge that is shall take up its rest in the goodness of God and when we finde rest in our beds then we enjoy them Is thy soul lodg'd in God O enjoy thy lodging Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years Return to thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee As it was said to so let it be said by the Church and every Saint This is my rest here will I dwell for ever Here thou mayest find rest when thou hast no other rock to lean upon thou mayest be at rest in thy God in thy most restless state in a weary land in a barren wilderness in a tempestuous Ocean how ever it was in the vision of the Prophet yet thou mayest say if the wind rise the Lord is in the wind if after the wind an earthquake the Lord is in the earthquake if after the earthquake a fire the Lord God is in the fire and where-ever thou findest God thou mayest find rest If thou findest God in a wilderness thou wilt find rest in the wilderness if thou find God in the earthquake or the tempest or the fire even there also thy soul shall find rest when thou canst not rest in thy bed nor in thine house nor in thy land thou mayest still rest in thy God Say Christian say again Return to thy rest oh my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me Though my helps fail me and my friends fail me and my flesh and my heart fails me God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever this is my rest here will I dwell for ever To these I might add a fourth thing wherein Fruition stands The making use of our Portion He enjoys that uses what he hath though the Schools distinguish betwixt frui and uti yet in a sense especially with a respect to our present estate the latter may be comprehended under the former We then enjoy our portion when we have a power and heart to make use of it on all occasions I am thine soul come and make use of me as thou wilt Thou mayest freely I have nothing but 't is for thee thou mayest freely come to my store and the oftner the better welcome have thou not a God lying by thee to no purpose let not thy God be as others gods serving only for a shew Have not a name only that thou hast a God since he allows thee having such a friend use him daily my God shall supply all your wants never want whilest thou hast a God never fear or faint whilest thou hast a God go to thy treasure and take what-ever thou needest there 's bread and clothes and health and life and all that thou needest O Christian learn the divine skill to make God all things to make bread of thy God and water and health and friends and ease he can supply thee with all these or which is better he can be instead of all these
iniquity to bring in everlasting righteousness and so to bring us to God What-ever difficulties there appear in thy way what-ever doubts arise in thine heart from thy sins from thy guilt from thy poverty from thy impotence what-ever objections thy fears may hence put in there 's the blood of the Lamb that will answer all Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 2. As a merciful and faithful high Priest Heb. 2.17 who hath made an attonement for us in the earth and appears for us in heaven who hath made reconciliation for us and makes intercession for us Heb. 9.24 to appear in the presence of God for us we read Exod. 28.12.29 That Aaron as the type of Christ was to bear the names of the children of Israel engraven in stones upon his shoulders and upon his breast-plate when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Our Lord is entred into the Heavens to appear in the presence of God with our names upon his shoulders and upon his heart for a memorial before the Lord there is not the least of Saints but there his name is engraven Here 's my ransome Lord and behold my ransomed ones Here 's my price and my purchase my redemption and my redeemed What-ever accusers there be what-ever charge be laid against them what-ever guilt lies upon them here are the shoulders that have born all that was their due and payd all that they owe and upon these shoulders and in this heart thou mayest read all their names and when thou readest remember what I have done for them and acquit absolve and let them be accepted before thee for ever Remember the tears of these eyes the stripes on this back the shame of this face the groans of this body the anguish of this soul the blood of this heart and when thou remembrest what-ever name thou findest engraven upon this heart and upon these shoulders they are the persons whose all these are and what-ever these are what-ever acceptance they have found with thee what-ever satisfaction thou hast found in them put it upon their account never let me be accounted the accepted if they be rejected never let me be accounted righteous if they lye under the imputation of wicked If they be not righteous in my righteousness I must be guilty under their guilt What-ever I am what-ever my satisfaction is all is theirs for them they plead for them they pray my tears stripes wounds groans anguish soul blood they all cry and say Father forgive them Father accept them Of all cryes there are no such strong cries as the cry of blood and that whether it be against or for the guilty its voice shall be heard on high Thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4. and what followed Wo to those persons against whom blood cryeth but where blood such blood cries for them for pardon for mercy blessed are those souls Christian this blood is for thee it speaks better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12. it pleads sues presses for thy discharge from all that is upon thee Thou hast many cries against thee Sathan cries thy sins cry thine own heart thy conscience cries against thee and thou art amazed at the dreadful noise they make but behold the blood of the Lamb the blood of God cries for thee Thou hast an accuser but thou hast an acquitter thou hast adversaries but thou hast an advocate An Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for thy sins 1 John 2. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.33,34 Nay farâ—her thou hast not onely a righteous but a merciful high Priest that is provided of a Sacrifice and hath an heart to offer it for thee thy name is in his heart as well as on his shoulders in his bowels as well as on his back He hath blood for thee precious blood and he hath bowels for thee pitiful bowels He can have pity and compassion on the miserable Heb. 5.2 if he can finde no other he can finde arguments enough from thy wo and thy misery to draw forth his soul towards thee He is merciful and his mercies are tender mercies he is pittiful and his compassions are tender compassions thou art not so tender of the wife of thy bosome of the childe of thy bowels thou art not so tender of thine own flesh of the apple of thine eye of thine own soul as thy Lord is of thee His spirit is moved for thee his soul melts over thee he bleeds in thy wounds he suffers in thy sorrows his eye weeps his heart breaks over thy broken and undone state fear not his forgetting thee his bowels will remember him of thee He is a merciful and a faithful high Priest No dignity to which he is exalted above thee no distance to which he is removed from thee can make him forget his friends He is gone into the heavens and there exalted far above all Principalities and Powers and set down at the right hand of God He is gone but he hath carried thy name with him as a perpetual memorial for thee Thou art unfaithful shame to thee thou forgettest thy Lord at every turn every business that comes every trouble that comes every pleasure that comes every companion that comes in makes thee forget thy Lord forget his love forget thy duty Oh how small a matter will steal thy heart from him yea stir up tumults and rebellions against him Thy comforts thy hopes thy needs thou hast daily of him will not all prevail to hold him in remembrance with thee Thou forgettest thy Lord but he will not forget thee though thou hast been unfaithful in many things yet he is in nothing 2 Tim. 2.13 Yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself he should not be true to himself if he be not faithful to thee his interest lies in thee thou art his his possession a member of his body fear not if he should be unfaithful to thy soul he is therein unfaithful to his own body If thy case be such that he can help thee if there be any thing wherein he can stead thee if all that he hath his blood his righteousness his interest with the Father will be sufficient for thy help he hath undertaken to procure it for thee and secure it to thee Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it This now is that Jesus that is given unto us as our propitiatory Sacrifice as our merciful and faithful high Priest who suffered on the earth and is gone into the heavens for us standing in his red robes garments rolled in blood with those glorious whites upon the red pardon peace absolution acceptance with the names of his ransomed ones engraven
upon his heart and upon his shoulders This is that Jesus who is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS 3. As our Lord and King A King shall reigne in righteousness in him shall the Gentiles trust Zach. 9.9 Shout O daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh Isa 9.6 The Government shall be on his shoulder God hath more care of his Saints than to leave the government of them on their own shoulder Is not her King in her He is a King to gather them a King to govern them a King to defend and save them to save them from their temporal enemies the sons of violence the men of this evil world from their spiritual enemies to save them from their sins Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Matth. 1.21 'T is a mercy to be under government under government and under protection What would become of us were there no King in Israel Where there 's no King all are kings more kings than men Sathan will be king every lust will be a lord as many kings as there are devils and sins Whither would our unruly hearts carry us How easily would our wily and potent enemies ruine us What tyrannie would sin exercise within What cruelty should we suffer from without Whither should we wander where should we fix What peace what order what stability Whence should counsel and protection and salvation come were there no Lord over us 'T is a mercy to be under government but to be under such a government under a king and such a King such a wise and potent King such a meek and merciful King such an holy and a righteous King O what a wonder of mercy Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an asses colt c. Zach. 9.9 He is just having salvation as a Priest he hath purchased as a King he bestows his salvation He comes not to get but to give not to give Lawes only but to give Gifts unto men and he gives like a King Palmes Crowns and Thrones salvation to his people by the remission of their sins Oh how unthankful oh how foolish is this rebellious world Impatient of subjection shake off the yoke groan under duty under discipline We will not have this man to rule over us Who then shall save you hard to be a Christian strict laws severe discipline no liberty Is this thy complaint that is wo is me I am so limited and hedg'd in on all hands that there 's no liberty left me to be miserable if I will be his I must be happy Let fools inherit their own folly but let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King for the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory the Lord of hosts yea the Lord our righteousness he is the King of glory The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Praise ye the Lord. Come all ye Nimrods ye mighty hunters on the earth come all ye sons of Anak ye seed of the Giants come all ye sons of Belial ye seed of the Adulterer and of the whore come all ye Ishmaelites and Ammonites ye Moabites and Hagarenes associate confederate take counsel together smite with the tongue bite with the teeth push with the horn kick with the heel come all ye gates of hell and powers of darkness thou dragon with all thy armies with all thy fiery darts and instruments of death come thou king of terrors with thy fatal dart the Virgin the Daughter of Zion hath despised you all she hath laughed you to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at you her King is in the midst of her the Lord is her King he will save her 4. As our head and husband He that is given to be head over all things to the Church is given to be the head of the Church Eph. 1.22,23 and of every member in particular 1 Cor. 11.3 Believers are all joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 United in Christ as fellow members united unto Christ as their common head From which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Coloss 2.19 they are married to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband From this Union follows 1. A Communication of Influences 2. A Complication of Interests 1. A Communication of Influences Having nourishment ministred Christ our head is our fountain of life Our head is our heart also out of it are the Issues of life from him we live and are nourished and maintained in life He is our Joseph all the treasures of the holy Land are with him In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge Coloss 2.3 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Coloss 1.19 He is the onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth Here note 1. What grace there is in Christ The Schools tell us that in him there is a three-fold grace 1. Gratia Unionis The Grace of Union The humane Nature of Christ hath received the high grace or favour to be personally united to the second person in the God-head by vertue of which Union the fulness of the Godhead is said to dwell in him bodily Bodily that is personally or substantially in opposition to the types and shaddows of the Old Testament in which God in a figure is said to dwell God is said to dwell in the Tabernacle in the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple but in these he dwelt onely as figures and shaddows of the humane nature of Christ In Christ he dwells not in a figure but personally and substantially As Christ Coloss 2.17 is called the Body in opposition to the types of old which were but the shaddow so bodily here notes not a figurative but a personal inhabitation Christ is the body not a shaddow and God dwells in him bodily that is substantially and not in a shaddow 2. Gratia Habitualis Habitual Grace All those moral perfections wherein stands the holiness of his nature The love and fear of God his humility meekness patience in summe his perfect conformity to the Image and whole Will of God Such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 3. Gratia Capitis or that honour which is given to him to be head of the Church 2. How Christ is said to be full of grace there is a twofold fulness of grace 1. Ex parte ipsius gratiae In respect of grace it self thus he is said to be full of grace that hath all grace and
wise Physician hath respect both to the need and to the strength of the Patient Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth lest the Spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made The Apostle tells the Saints Heb. 10. that they have need of patience and their experience tells them they have need of something to exercise their patience And their needs are different some are knotty pieces and need more others are tender and upon them less will serve The stubborn Childe must have more stripes the shaking of the rod will do more on some spirits then the smart of it on others but all need something Let him onely that is without sin say I have no need of shame and sorrow The Lord will neither over nor under do every one shall have his load and no more No more than they can bear and no less than their need requires The Lord delights not in his childrens tears he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men but yet he had rather they cry then perish Wonder not Christians that your tender Lord puts you to pain and that your pains are so sharp and so many Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things It 's a mercy that he will chastise you may put your corrections among your mercies His breakings of you are his blessings his woundings are your cures and by your own as by your Lords stripes you are healed And when you shall review and read over all his darker providences and behold the wisdome tenderness which is attempered with his severities evidenced in his laying on so much and yet no more than was needful you will then write down with the Psalmist Thou in very faithfulness hast afflicted me O my Lord let me not want thy staff nor thy rod neither a friend nor an enemy neither a calm nor a storm neither food nor medicine if my disease be too strong for my Physick let me have yet a stronger potion if my wanton heart will not yet be tamed put on more fetters an heavier load load upon load weight upon weight and till thou seest let me never say it is enough Let me never be sick of my remedy till I be cured of my disease Let me rather suffer by the hand of a Devil than perish by the hand of a lust Spare not Lord cease not Lord to smite thy servant till thou hast thereby smitten down all mine enemies Peace plenty ease what that I may have to spend upon my lusts to wax wanton against my God hanc pacem nolo Pain trouble want any thing rather than peace upon such terms Correct me O Lord yet in judgment but not in thy fury lest I be consumed and brought to nothing 4. The Cross hath its special comforts 2 Cor. 1.3,4,5,6,7 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation and our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings so shall ye be also of the consolation The comforts of the Cross are often the sweetest and the fullest that the Saints ever taste on this side the crown The first draught is often bitter the green cross is heavy and 't is necessary it should be so As 't is with some medicinal waters it works by its weight it must be an heavy yoke that will tame an unruly neck if it gall not it will not heal 't is the smart of the rod that stills the Childe Think not your burthens will lie easie when first laid on and think not much if they do not The first conflict with temptations may put you to an harder brunt then you are aware It must be so that it may be for your good afterward So my Physick will work I am content it make me sick Tribulation worketh patience that it cannot do unless it pains It is observable that 't is not said the cross worketh patience but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tribulation the pinching of the cross or the pain the cross puts us to this is patience a quiet bearing that pain which the flesh when touched puts us to When we feel the thorns and the nails when the iron enters into our souls when it pricks and smarts then 't will work The green cross is heavy a prison or a wilderness will look uncouth at the first but when your Lord comes in and visits you then the sweet the pleasure comes and the more frowns at the threshold the more kisses you may expect afterwards Christ doth not always meet his Saints in the Porch the Devils Parlour the inner prison is his banquetting house the Dungeon his Wine-cellar there they drink and are satisfied The Stocks and the Rack are the organs that make them the sweetest Musick Many a Saint hath been sadly disappointed at the first hoping to meet with Christ at the door but behold a dreadful fight behold sin lieth at the door all his sins all that ever he did against Christ all his unthankfulness unfaithfulness unkindness rebellion against his Lord stand forth and stare him in the face Christians beware of sin now it will meet you in the day of adversity the cross will tell you all that ever you did I remember my faults this day now I remember all my pleasant things my Sabbaths my Ordinances my Liberty the dear society I once enjoy'd but trifled and wasted away O my pride and my wantonness my idleness my earthliness my hypocrisie wherefore are you come thus to affright and torment me Lord whether am I come O how dreadful is this place Is this my prison-entertainment Are these my prison-consorts O what an hard lodging am I like to have with such companions O the wormwood and the gall a dark habitation a bitter cup indeed is now given unto me Is this the comfort of the cross are these the sweets so much talked of Yet be not dismayed as roughly as thou art handled at the door 't is better within the Devil is going out in this storm thy sins meet thee now but 't is only to shake hands and part after this agony expect the Angels to come and minister to thee Complain not if thou yet find no sweet thou hast not drank deep enough the next draught the sugar may come in the next room thou maist meet thy Lord and then tell me if it be short of all that hath been told
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
it Rule till it hath put all thine Enemies under thy feet till every thought imagination every high thing be made low and brought into captivity to Christ Let not the light of the Lord help thee to do the Devil's Work Let it not bee fodder for thy flesh lest it bee fuel for thy flames Let it not repent thy God nor thee that ever thou hadst such a talent committed to thee Let it neither be loss to God nor the eternal loss of thine own soul Hee that hath appeared on earth in beams of light will bee revealed from Heaven in flames of fire rendering vengeance to all that Know God and obey not the Gospel of Christ Woe to those that neither know nor obey but Oh! what to those that obey not though they Know Christians know the Lord but know and fear know and serve know and honour thy God Know God and know thy self thy sinne and thy misery thy dangers and thy temptations Know and mourn know and bee ashamed know and fear and watch and fight and overcome Know God and know his Will thy duty and thy way thy priviledges and opportunities thy Race and thy Crown Know and do and run and suffer and wait and hope and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Know God but God in Christ God reconciled pardoning absolving accepting through him Know and believe accept adventure upon resign commit thy self to him Know thy God and behold him look upon thy God in his power in his wisdome in his holiness in his goodness in his loving-kindness in his mercy Behold him in his Word in his Works in his Providence in his Saints in thy Soul in his Son Set him before thine eyes look upon thy God and never leave looking till thou art changed into his Image and satisfied with his Visage and when thou art brought up to this then hee hath done for thee what he hath said I will give them an heart to know mee CHAP. XI One Heart 3. ONe Heart Ezek. 11.19 I will give them one Heart Wee read Hos 14.11 Ephraim is like a silly Dove without an Heart Hath no heart at all none for his God that 's as good as none and Psal 12.2 Wee read that Israel had a double Heart an Heart and an Heart more hearts than one but saies the Lord I will give them an Heart and it shall bee but one and no more For the opening of this to let passe the signification it hath as it respects Christians collectively as it respects each particular Christian This one Heart may bee taken as opposed To A wavering A divided A double Heart 1. As opposed to a wavering unstable Heart Jam. 1.6.8 VVavering minded men have almost as many hearts as they live daies or meet with cases An heart that changes with the weather and tacks about with every winde that resolves and repents that chuses and changes that like a wave of the Sea is tossed about with every VVinde This you may call either many hearts or no heart as you will Thus this one heart is a fixed established resolved heart Heb. 13.9 It is good that the heart bee established with grace Grace fixes and establishes the heart brings it to a consistency in it self which before was any thing or nothing 2. As opposed to a divided Heart Hos 10.2 An Heart cut in two as it were some talk that the Devil hath a cloven foot but what-ever the Devils foot bee to bee sure his Sons have a cloven heart one half for God the other for sin one half for Christ the other for this present World God hath a corner in it and the rest is for sin and the Devil Thus this one heart is an entire heart all the powers of it are united within it self and go the same way God hath the whole heart Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name All its springs are in him and thither do all its streams bend their course 3. As opposed to a double heart or an hypocritical heart properly so called Psal 12.2,3 that 's it which is called an heart and an heart an heart in the breast and another in the tongue Our outside is presum'd to be an expression of our inside what wee speak wee pretend to bee our very hearts 'T is the heart in the tongue that speaks the heart in the eye that weeps the heart in the hand that works the heart in the foot that walks no 't is not so with the Hypocrite he shews another heart in his tongue in his waies than that which is within him He hath an heart and an heart one in his tongue or life and quite another in his breast His course speaks him another man than hee is and thus one heart signifies a single or a plain heart To summe up all together this one heart is such as 1. Pitches on one end 2. Has but one thing to do 3. Does what it does 1. Pitches on one end God is its end There it wholly bestows it self I am thine Psal 119. And there only it takes up its rest Psal 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee God is both its work and its wages To please God this is its whole business and to enjoy God this is its happiness This is the mark it hath in its eye this is the scope of all its motions to honour and enjoy God This it wills this it loves this it desires designs hopes labours for that the Lord may possess and be the possession of it Particularly it gives God the place the power of the end 1. The place of the end God is its first and last Hee 's first in the eye and it looks no farther It makes him not onely the chief but in a sense its onely aim It will have no other God and therefore no other end but the Lord. It makes all things else not onely to stoop and stand by but to serve to him Get you hence stand off is its language to all that stands up in his room or stands in his way Evil men what-ever honour they pretend to have for the Lord they do but make him a servant to their other Gods Religion they will take up but 't is onely to serve their own turns to bring about their carnal ends they serve not the Lord but their own bellies saith the Apostle Rom. 16.18 Phil. 3.19 Nay they make the Lord their fellow-servant They serve and their Religion must serve their sensual appetites Hee that will have so much religion onely as he may live upon which is the measure of the most makes the Lord no longer his God but his servant A sincere Christian will set God upon the throne and makes all things else his servants or his foot-stool What-ever will not be serviceable must bee trodden in the dirt Nothing will bee loved and embraced but what will set God higher or bring God nearer to his
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
Let the fear of the Lord be in thee habitually in thy heart but actuate and stir up this holy fear keep up an holy awe a deep sence of God alwaies upon thee let the fear of the Lord be before thine eyes be possessed and swallowed up of this fear all the day long where ever thou art with whomsoever thou hast to do remember thou hast still to do with God A Christian should stand alwaies pro tribunali every day should be as the last day the day of judgment to him So speak ye and so do as those that shall be judged Jam. 2.12 The Judge stands at the door yea and thou mayest see him through every window yea through every wall every wall is a window through which God may see and be seen A Christian when he is as he should be cannot wink God out of sight can look no where but he beholds that eye that strikes an awe upon his spirit This abiding reverence of God what an influence will it have upon the whole course we shall then serve God acceptably when we fear we shall please God That we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear We shall then serve God universally in every thing When we fear we shall watch unto every duty against every sin Gen. 42,18 This do and live for I fear God said Joseph to his brethren as if he should have said Do not you fear to find falshood or any evil dealing from me for I fear God I dare not be false to you you may trust me you may take my word for I fear God We shall then walk before the Lord steadily When we fear we shall fix and hold in an even frame and course Fear will be our Ballast whilest Love fills our Sails Fear will Ballast our Vessell How are slight and frothy spirits tossed up and down Whither do they wander How many hearts and faces and frames have they every day What contradictions are they to themselves The reverence of God upon them would fix them and hold them in a more even and equal poise We should then serve the Lord more Honourably When we fear we shall shew forth the vertues of God before the world so much of the reverence so much of the holiness of God upon us The presence of a Christian walking in the fear of the Lord is as the presence of God the reverence of God upon his heart casts a beam of Divine Majesty into his face and oftentimes begets an awe and reverence of him in the hearts of the worst of sinners they reverence even whilest they revile and persecute him Iohn Baptist who was a man of a just and holy and austere life 't is said of him Mark 6,20 That Herod feared him and observed him The austerity and holiness of his life commanded a respect from an Herods heart Such Christians their waies are a conviction and their very countenances are a rebuke to the wanton world they speak with authority they exhort with authority they reprove with authority and sin often hides it self from them even as from the face of God 2 Especially in our drawing nigh to God Psal 89.7 God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me He that fears God trembles at the word of God And God loves he should Isa 26.2 To this man will I look that trembles at my word That which makes him tremble is that he sees the Word carrying upon it The Holiness The Authority of God He reads the word as the Epistle of God sent down to the world his Epistle Commendatory that sets forth the Excellency and the Glory of God and his Letters Mandatory that charge subjection and obedience upon him he takes every word as comming from the mouth of the holy One of Israel he lies prostrate before the Lord his soul bowes the knee his heart falls down at the feet of the Almighty The word by how much the more it 's considered as the word of God by so much the more awe it works upon him Every look he casts upon his Bible is a looking into Heaven He that fears God fears when he comes to worship reverences his Sanctuary In thy fear will I worship Psal 5.7 That which works this fear is that he looks upon the Duties and Ordinances of worship as The Institutions of God His Application unto God This is that which the Lord hath sanctified behold his Image and Superscription here he hath appointed me to wait for him here he hath appointed to meet my soul now I am going up to the Mount of God the Mount of God is every where where the worship of God is My soul where art thou I am before the Lord of the whole Earth Put off thy shoes from off thy feet the place where thou standest is holy ground I am before the High and holy One the God of all the Earth and upon transactions of Eternal consequence to do my homage to the everlasting King to kneel before the Lord my maker to kiss the golden Scepter to begg my life at his hands to behold his goings in his Sanctuary his wisdom and his mercy and his goodness are all passing before me How dreadfull is this place This is none other but the House of God and the gate of Heaven Gen. 28.17 How dreadfull is this word This is none other but the word of God How dreadfull is this Ordinance This is no other but the door of glory Tremble thou heart at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob. 2. Abhorrence of evill for the Lords sake Here we shall consider its Object Ground 1. The Object of this abhorrence in general is evill Rom. 12.9 Abhorre that which is evil cleave to that which is good Good is the Object of Love evill of Fear Evill is twofold Present or to come The former is the Object of Grief the latter of Fear Particularly the Object of this abhorrence is The wrong of God The loss of God 1. The wrong of God The great and onely wrong of God is sin Sin is the turning away of the heart from God The great thing in all the world which God respects and requires as his own is Hearts My son give me thiâ—e heart Keep thine heart with all diligence Prov. 4.23 Keep thine heart that is Keep it for me keep it clean for God and keep it safe for God see that it be not defiled nor carried away When the heart 's gone all 's gone with it If the VVorld hath gotten hearts if Satan hath gotten hearts let them take all saith God let me have either an heart or nothing and all they are like to have that have the heart The heart where-ever it goes carries all with it VVhere we bestow our hearts we bestow all that we have Sin is the turning away
of the heart This is the very nature of sin The hearts departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 And therefore this is the great wrong of God There is but one thing in the world that God respects and this sin steals away Sin is the insurrection and rebellion of the heart against God it turns from him and turns against him it runs over to the camp of the enemy and there takes up arms against God Sin is a running from God and a fighting against God it would spoil the Lord of all the Jewels of his Crown It opposeth the Soveraignty of God A sinfull heart would set up it self in Gods Throne it would be King in his stead and have the command of all Sinners would be their own Gods Our tongues are our own who is Lord over us God shall not be God where sin is gotten up as Lord. It assaulteth the wisdom of God Vain man would be wise wiser then his Maker It charges the Lord with folly and proclaims it self the onely wise Sinners pretend to know how to choose for themselves and order themselves to their advantage better then God If God would let me alone to my self to be at mine own finding at mine own ordering it should quickly be better with me If every thing might be with me as I would have it my case would be well mended from what 't is now that every thing must go as God will have it All our quarrellings at Providence all our murmurings and discontents at our Lott are our hearts charging the Lord with folly It casts dirt on the holiness of God it disparages the goodness of God it abuseth mercy violates his Justice despises his Power In summe it disgraceth the Throne of his glory and layes his honour in the dust sets the Almighty below the lowest of his creatures Every companion shall be respected more then God every pleasure shall be loved more then God the Devil shall be feared more then God Where is his love VVhere is his fear VVhere is his Honour Nay where were the Lord might sin carry it Sin is the wrong of God and this wrong is the especial Object of this abhorrence A gracious heart would do no wrong he would not wrong his Neighbour he would not wrong his Servant his Enemy no not his Beast that he possesses But Oh should I wrong my God Hath he ever done me any wrong Hath he not been just to me Yea hath he not been ever good to me Kinde pityful patient bountiful Who hath fed me cloathed me kept me succoured me comforted me What friend have I in all the world What Father what Portion what Hope but the Lord What were I What had I but vanity but woe and misery had I not a God I cannot wrong my God but I wrong my self Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul But if I did not if my Arrowes would not recoil could I go out with all this injury and suffer nothing by it Yet he is God whom I wrong he is holy he is righteous he is good he is glorious he is excellent he onely is God and shall I be injurious to him He is worthy he is worthy of all that I have of all the service I can do of all the respect I can give of all the Praise I can offer up if I had a thousand tongues if I had a thousand hands if I had a thousand lives if I had a thousand soules if I had all the Earth for an offring to the Lord all would be nothing to shew forth the praise that is due to his Name as he is God and I his creature and when I owe so much and have nothing to pay shall I steal from him Shall I rise up against him Wast thou not afraid to lift up thy hand against the Lords Anointedi 2 Sam. 1. Shall I not be afraid to lift up mine hand against the Lord himself To kick against God to fight against God Oh the Lord forbid What art thou O my soul What servest thou for If thou canst not tremble if thou dost not turn within me if thou dost not start back at the very thought of so great wickedness 2. The loss of God As was said before He that finneth against God wrongeth his own soul His loss is thy loss and more thine then his though no thanks to thee the Lord will be no loser at last when sinners have done their worst he can get up his Honour out of Dishonour he can recover his spoils out of the ashes if he had lost all the world he had lost nothing he is all things in himself When Earth and Hell have spent all their malice God will be God Holy Wise Glorious blessed for ever Though such be the malignity of sin that it would not give over till God ceaseth to be God yet God is above too high for sin to reach its Darts fall short of its Mark God cannot God will not sit down a loser by all that sin can do But what dost thou suffer what dost thou lose that sinnest against God The carnal world understand not what nor would make much reckoning of it did they understand it The loss of two pence goes often nearer them then the loss of God But now a Christian knows no other fear fears no other loss let God be secure and all is well Sin will be the wrong of God and the loss of God it may be a total and eternal loss for ought he knows at least if not assured God lost is the soul lost the Kingdom lost this is Hell the loss of God Better have no being better be a Dog or Toad then a man without a God or if he be not utterly lost yet to his present sence 't will be all one as if he had no God his peace is lost his comfort is lost and his soul is often given for lost from whom God is departed though but for a season he can take pleasure in nothing he can find rest no where whose God is out of fight He knows not what a God means who can spare him till Death or Judgment A Christian cannot live a day without him 't is night 't is all dark he knows no day while the Sun is set upon him How grievous do they find this loss who have proved what it is What wilt thou do for me whilest I go childless What can be done for me whilest I go Fatherless Here is my house here are my friends and my lands but where is my God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now I see what this Earth is without an Heaven now I see what ease and pleasure and carnal friends are and how little they can do for me Yea what is prayer What are Sabbaths What are Sermons Sacraments Promises whilest God looks not down Oh I was wont to meet with God here these glasses were my Windows into Heaven and then how pleasant were they to me
tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the Destroyer Now all these things happened unto them for exsamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Mark these things are our examples Are they examples to us and not warnings too Are they warnings to us and must we not by them learn to fear and beware Let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall My soul standeth in a sure place my mountain is so strong that I shall never be moved I am safe enough I am in Christ and shall not come into condemnation But whatever thou thinkest as sure as thou thinkest thou standest take heed take heed lest thou fall That is not onely into the same sins but into the same condemnation that 's the sence of the place Rom. 11.20 Because of unbelief they were broken off thou standest by faith Be not high-minded but fear No need of fear No need of threatnings What may we burn half our Bibles Can we spare so great a part of what is written Have we out-grown the use of judgments assoon as ever we are partakers of mercy Have we out-grown the use of the Scourge assoon as ever we are entred into Christs School Do we finde all too little Mercies Threatnings Judgments to keep our hearts in order And yet is it more then needs There are two Parties in us we are flesh as well as spirit and must not the flesh be frighted Will Love prevail with Lust This Slave sure this son of the Bond-woman must be kept in awe Hath God no wanton children No rebellious children And must these have no other Discipline but stroakings and dandlings Believe it Christians God will not have his terrors lost nor lost to you God will sometimes make his children feel that he is a terrible God He is Terrible out of his holy place Beware you be not presumptuous children There is a threefold Presumption There is a Presumption Upon Temptation in confidence of strength Upon sin in confidence of Mercy Upon sin in contempt of Mercy and Justice 1. A Presumption upon Temptation in confidence of strength Some unwary souls not knowing what spirit they are of supposing themselves too hard for the Devil will be venturing within his reach as if they would dare him to try his skill and power who having forgotten this Prayer Lead us not into temptation put themselves into the Tempters hand the falls of such will teach them to understand their folly 2. Presumption on sin in confidence of Mercy And that either in confidence of mercy already obtained I am in Christ and my sin shall not separate me from him whatever I do I have a Pardon in my hand Or in hope of mercy at last I have to do with a merciful God and therefore may venture on a little farther hereafter I will repent and then I need not doubt of remission 3. Presumption on sin in contempt of Mercy and Justice I will have my sin though I never find mercy I will have my will and my way and run the hazard of what follows I will take my course and come on me what will This last sort who presume to sin in contempt of Mercy and Judgment who are so drunken with their sensual delights and given over to the hardness of their hearts that they neither value Mercy nor fear wrath What do you talk to me of Mercy and Judgment to come Give me my pleasures and my liberties and my mirth and my money think not to make me such a fool to let go the pleasure and comfort of my life for I know not what uncertain fears or hopes Such as these have one foot already in Hell If it be not yet thus with thee thou darest not contemn either Mercy or Judgment Beware thou be not Presumptuous neither in the former sences Be not bold upon Temptations think not that thou art strong to overcome a Temptation when thou art so weak as not to fear it he that fears not a Temptation understands not it or himself But especially beware thou presume not upon sin in confidence of Mercy Grow not over bold upon love or patience Laesa patientia fit furor God loves me therefore I may be bold to take the more liberty the less care the less watchfulness the less fear because so much Love Spit in thy Fathers face because he weeps over thy neck Smite him on the face because thou hopest he will not strike again Tear his Bowels because they are so tender towards thee Be froward stubborn wanton and idle because thou hast found him so indulgent Christians consider whether such wickedness hath not sometimes been found in some of our hearts But take heed you will finde though he be a tender yet he will not be a fond Father where he loves he will be feared Some as bold and as confident as you have felt to their cost what 't is to abuse patience and kindness his Arrowes in their hearts his Terrors in their souls hath made them to know that the God of love is a terrible God And look to it if thou yet wilt adventure wilt be a wanton still froward or idle or heedless still he will either lash thee into better manners or cast thee out as no childe of his but a Bastard and Rebel If thou wilt not take warning by others take heed lest he make thee a warning to them which shall come after Christians know that though God be tender of his Saints yet he is jealous for his Name he tenders them as the Apple of his Eye but not above the least title of his Honour As God will have us love our Neighbour so he will love his childe but as himself First himself and then his childe He will not bate an Iota of his glory to save a world As little offences done to his little ones so little sins allowed by them are as Mill stones about the neck If they allow it in themselves yet Heaven and Earth shall pass away and fall to nothing ere he allow it in them God will not and therefore his children dare not indulge themselves in little sins They therefore fear because he whom they serve is a jealous God 2. Their own ingenuity This fear is from Love and good Nature and is most properly the fear of children Children fear because God is jealous and so do Slaves but onely Children because God is good Children fear because they love Slaves fear although they hate Children fear to be unworthy Slaves onely to be unhappy and miserable There 's nothing more contrary to an ingenuous nature then to abuse goodness and kindness to abuse goodness hath as black an aspect with him as to provoke Wrath. Hos 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in
be put upon it to finde out Arguments to prove Will to be Reason and to determine that what the Will would have done ought to be done facile credimus quod nimis volumus We easily bring our Opinion to our Affection bring our selves to believe that to be right which we are unreasonably willing to have to be tight But if it cannot prevail thus far to gain Conscience to say that 's right which it would have to be right then it will put hard for it to carry it whether it be right or wrong And this rebellion of the Will and so of the Passions against the Reason is the great reason of the souls rebellion against God When Conscience hath lost its Authority Gods Authority is gone Whilest the Understanding and the Conscience are maintained in their due Authority where the Will and Affections are held in their due subjection there the Lord reigneth While Conscience rightly inform'd hath its due God shall have his due Where the Will and the Passions have no more then their due he shall have his own God shall be will'd the more where nothing else is will'd too much God shall be loved the more and feared the more where nothing else is lov'd and fear'd too much The more Anger the more Hatred the more Grief will be spent upon sin if it be not inordinately spent elsewhere Oh how much service might be done and how much quiet would be enjoyed in the heart were this Authority and Subjection maintained and held up We may say of our Affections as men say of Fire and Water They are the worst Masters but the best Servants How much should the Lord have of us were these onely the Executioners of his will If Conscience be commanded by the word and the Will and Affections would be commanded by Conscience what would there then be wanting We should then not onely be abundantly serviceable but all would be serene and sweet and comfortable within us If nothing were will'd but what should be will'd we should ever have our will If nothing were desired but what should be desired and no more then it should be lov'd or desired we should ever have what we love If we were not angry or grieved or afraid but where we ought and no more then we ought what a calm would there be upon our spirits even in such cases wherein the spirits of others are like a troubled Sea that cannot be at rest whose waters cast forth mire and dirt But where there is such disorder such rebellion of the Inferiour against the Superiour Faculties there we are at a perpetual loss both in point of duty and comfort This therefore is necessary if we will be obedient And those that have prov'd what there is in it do understand that this is hard work 2. I shall instance in some few particular duties that are harder then others He that will be entirely obedient must stick at nothing that God will have There 's scarce any thing that God requires but Lust will be quarrelling at as too hard but there are some duties harder then others It shall suffice onely to name them The denyal of our selves The disobliging our nearest friends The loving our Enemies The disobeying all the world in their unrighteous commands Obeying God rather then men returning good for evill Reproving men for sin especially if they be Sâ—periours or such on whom we have dependency The sacrificing our Isaacs yea parting with all that we have Well this also must be considered ere you resolve you will obey But are you for any thing for every thing the Lord requires 4. Circumspection and care Ephes 5.15 See that ye walk circumspectly A little labour will go far with care but will be nothing without it 'T is not he that is hot and busie and active at all adventures he that keeps to his Line and his Rule hee 's the obedient Christian 'T is not so much Action as regular Action wherein the life of Christianity lies He that lives by rule peace be on him and mercy Activity without care is Extravagancie 'T is care that keeps within compass He that is all Action has the more need of caution A Christian must have his eyes in his head as well as a soul in his body He that resolves well in Generals and comes not off in Particulars does but build Castles in the Air. What we ordinarily are pro hic nunc in Particulars will best prove what we are He that is for any thing but this any time but now is for nothing Circumspection notes two things Taking notice Taking heed He that will be circumspect must eye and observe what 's before him must have his eye upon his End his Rule and his Goings must eye duty and sin opportunities and temptations his times and seasons he must take heed as well as take notice must keep a strict eye on himself and hold a strict hand on himselfe that he leap not over a duty nor turn aside to iniquity must set a guard upon himself upon his tongue upon his eyes upon his appetite upon his company upon his habit upon his thoughts upon his passions upon all the motions of his soul and the actions of his body This will require something What not a word but must be weighed Not a look but must be look'd to Not a thought but must be examined Not a sin to be allowed Not a duty to be abated Not a circumstance to be neglected Must all be in Weight and in Measure by Line and by Rule and this alwais too If something might serve if sometimes might suffice it might be borne but to keep touch in every point and that every day this is an hard saying indeed But thus it must be to live as a Christian and to walk exactly accurately precisely is the same thing Duty and sin though they be as far distant as Heaven and Hell yet there is but an hair betwixt them The least latitude is a transgression either all this that is as to the purpose of the heart either all this or nothing Well all this must be considered You will be Obedient but will you be circumspect 5. Spirituality This Obedience must be the Obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 .. It is the very life of Jesus made manifest in our mortal flesh I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Christians Obedience is their walking in Christ Coloss 2.6 All the Acts of it are exerted and performed in the strength of Christ I will go in the strength of the Lord without him they can do nothing but can do all things through Christ which strengthneth them I live yet not I bur Christ liveth in me I work I wrestle I run yet not I but Christ in me as the Apostle speaks of his sins It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 'T
faith let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord Jam. 1.7 And can he think to receive any thing that neither believes nor prayes That neither prayes in faith nor prays at all Phil. 2.12,13 It 's God works in you both to will and to do What then Therefore sit you still and do nothing No such matter therefore work out your salvation with fear and trembling saith the Apostle The promise of God was never intended to make the command of God of none effect God in promising grace promises a power for duty and as he doth not give so we must not receive â—hat power or grace of God in vain Whilst he gives what he requires he still requires what he gives That promise of God ye shall be my people though he undertake to make it good yet it is also the matter of our stipulation And in this promise wherein the Lord assures us what de facto we shall be is included a Precept wherein we may understand what de jure we ought to be In undertaking to give us a new heart a tender and obedient a persevering heart the Lord doth promise both to make us what we should be and to help us in what we are bound to do and gives us at once a clear hint both of our mercy and our duty This is the sence and summ of that Promise The Lord will work all that in us and will help and cause us to perform all that which is required unto salvation and so the Promissum on Gods part doth not make void but establish the Debitum on ours Do we then make void the Law through Faith Nay we establish the Law Though it be certain as to the event that all that 's necessary to salvation shall be accomplished in us God hath undertaken that yet it is altogether as certain that God hath made our loving him fearing him obeying his whole will and our sincerity and perseverance herein so necessary that we cannot otherwise be saved Christians mistake not nor abuse the grace of the Gospel The Lord never meant your mercy should make void your Obligation to duty Redemption from sin was never intended as a toleration of sin He gives not his Spirit in favour of the flesh What he undetakes to work for you was never with a mind to maintain you in idleness Tit. 2.11,12 The grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Though you are saved by grace yet you are still in a sense debtors to do the whole Law Perfect Obedience to the whole Law even to the utmost Iota is still due from you and if it be not in your hearts to pay all that you owe that is if there be any duty commanded in the whole book of God that you must be dispensed with that you will not set your hearts to observe and obey if there be any one sin that you must be excused in and will not part with if there be any the highest pitch of holy Care Activity Industry Zeal for God and Holiness that you will not be perswaded to press hard after this is an evidence of such an unsound heart as hath no part in the Gospel or the salvation thereof Perfection is still due though sincerity will be accepted Sincerity shall be accepted but what is sincerity less then an hearty willingness to be perfect attested by a striving and pressing on to that mark which is set before us O admire and bless the Lord the Lord for grace but do not turn the grace of God into licentiousness Shall we continue in sin because grace that abounded Will ye thus requite the Lord Will ye thus deceive your selves O foolish people and unwise Will you slight him because he hath loved you Kick at him because he hath cared for you Shake off his Yoke because he hath secured you the Crown Will you serve his enemies because he hath saved you from them Will you nourish your diseases because he hath said he will cure you Will you live and not eat Reap and not Plough Will you not eat because he hath given you meat Will you not run because he hath given you Leggs Nor work because he hath given you hands Nor watch because he hath given you eyes Or will you tempt the Lord and call that your trust in him Awake from such madness Christians say not If God will I shall whether I take care or no believe or no repent or no be obedient or rebellious whether I wake or sleep work or be idle my unbelief my disobedience my negligence shall not make the faith of God of none effect But rather since God hath said you shall let thine heart answer I will walk in his statutes Arise O my soul up and be doing work out thy salvation because its God that worketh in thee to will and to do Shake off thy sloth set to thy work run out thy race since God hath said thou shalt not run nor labour in vain And look to it for however thy Idleness or greatest Unfaithfulness will not make void the Covenant of God yet will it make manifest that thou hast no part nor lot in it But to all these glorious things that have been spoken possibly some will reply O if all this be so then happy Saints indeed Happy are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. But will the Lord indeed do all these things for Mortals Will he take notice of Worms Shall such dry bones live Will he set such vile dust as the Apple of his eye Is not this too good to be true Too great to be believed Are we not all this while but in a Dream or a fools Paradise Oh that I were sure the one half were as it hath been told me Too great to be believed As if it must be questioned whether the Sun light because it dazles our eyes But what certainty would you have Is all this too great for the great and Almighty God to do who hath said Isa 55.9 As the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Can he not do it who can do all things Will he not do it when he hath said he will Will the Lord mock Can God deceive Shall his Word yea and his Oath too those two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye can these fail If you should hear the Lord himself speaking to you from Heaven with audible voice My Covenant I make with thee and it is my intent and purpose to perform every word that is written in it according to the plain import and meaning thereof there shall not a tittle fail neither will I alter the thing that is gone forth of my lips Heaven and Earth shall fail but my word shall not fail
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
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
venture on the Truth dare you venture your souls on the Falshood of it Dare you stand forth and say If this word be not a lye let me be damned for ever I am content that the everlasting worm shal gnaw my heart that the infernal fire shal burn my flesh and bones and soul for ever and ever if it prove not at last a meer Forgery and Imposture Do you believe the Scriptures to be true indeed If you do what do they preach to you Do they speak any thing if not this That there is another life and death besides that which is within the kenn of mortal eyes that the other life and the other death are Eternal that upon your being found within or without the Covenant of God hangs your eternal judgment either for life or death that whilst you are in a Covenant with death and in a course of iniquity you are without the Covenant of God and can have no benefit by it that under sin and out of Covenant out of Covenant and out of Christ out of Christ and under Condemnation Are there any things which that word which you profess to believe to be as true and to stand as sure as Heaven and Earth are there any things that this speaks more plainly then these things and such like What and yet secure in a state of sin Aliens from God enemies of all Righteousness and yet in quiet Are you resolved to sell Eternity for time life for death a soul for the pleasures of sin Is this the choice you have made and are you resolved to stand to it Let me have this world my Portion here my good things here and then let me be damned in the other world Let me sin here and suffer hereafter let me laugh here and lament hereafter let me flourish and prosper and live at ease and in honour and in pleasure and at liberty here and let my Prison and my Pain and my Anguish and my Plagues be beneath there let me be torn let me burn let me roar let me die so I may be rich and be merry and rejoyce a while here let time be my Heaven and eternity be my Hell speak in earnest is this your choice or that you may not be put to it to make a new choice will you take upon you to make a new Gospel And dividing what God hath joyned together will you joyn what he hath divided Will you write this for Gospel Holiness and Hell sin and glory Christ and the Curse the Devil and the Crown Let the wicked hold on his way and the unrighteous his thoughts let him still run away from the Lord and be shall have mercy and from his God and he will abundantly pardon Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto death and few there be that finde it but broad is the gate and wide is the way that leadeth unto life and the whole world are going in thereat Blessed are the proud in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that laugh now blessed are the froward the merciless the impure in heart the persecutors for Righteousness sake for great is their reward in Heaven Within shal be the Doggs and the Swine the Whoremongers the Sorcerers the Drunkards the Ruffians the Blasphemers the Gallants the Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye And without shall be the Lambs and the Doves the Holy and the Humble and the Meek and the Merciful and the Upight in heart and the Poor in spirit and Peace-makers the persecuted for Righteousness sake and whosoever loveth truth and maketh God his trust these shal go into everlasting fire but the ungodly into life Eternal Are these the Articles of your Creed Is this your Gospel if it be O what is your Heaven If it be not if the old Gospel must stand Oh where are your souls Are your souls lost and are they not worth the recovery Why will ye dye turn and live Oh when shal it once be As an Embassadour for Christ to whom is committed the word of Reconciliation having hinted to you what 's Law so in the name of the Eternal God I publish to you the everlasting Gospel The Lord God having entred into a Covenant of life with the first Adam for himself and all mankinde in him this Covenant being broken whereby sin hath entred and death by sin and all the world is now becom guilty before God bound over to the vengeance of eternal Fire and under an utter impossibility of recovery by ought that that Covenant can do hath out of his abundant grace made a new Covenant on which whosoever shal lay hold shal be delivered out of the state of Death and Wrath into a state of Life and Blessedness Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do being weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and with him this gracious grant that whosoever believeth in him shal not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 And this is the Covenant that hath been declared unto you This new Covenant is a Marriage-Covenant Hos 2.10 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee to me in righteousness and in loving-kindness and in mercies In it the Lord makes offer and invites you to accept of an Husband and a Dower The Husband is the Kings son the Lord Jesus Christ and with him the lost Kingdom and all that belongs to the Kingdom of God for a Dower Liberty for the Captives the opening of the Prison to them that are bound riches to the poor eyes to the blinde feet to the lame healing to the diseased and life to the dead And whoever among you all who are persons under the Law held by the cords of your sins whose souls are fast bound in fetters of Iron who are willing that your Covenant with death be made void and your agreement with Hell be disannulled and will joyn your selves to the Lord and be brought within the bonds of this Covenant all the blessings of this Covenant are made over and stand sure unto you The Grant is made the Deed is drawn and sealed the Lord hath set to his Seal come you in and seal the Counter-part set to your seal and the Match is made up Christ and with him all things are yours and you are his Accept and live refuse and dye for ever Come on then sinner what sayest thou Dost thou consent Dost thou accept Or as Laban to Rebekah Wilt thou go with this man Let me espouse thee to this one Husband onely let me first tell thee The matter is solemn and thou must be serious 'T is for life 't is for Eternity Consider therefore and let thine heart lying prostrate before the Almighty come in and make answer to these demands which from him and in his great and dreadful Name I make unto thee 1. Wilt thou have Jesus for thine Husband Understand before thou answer The taking
up your hearts with all your heart grudge not that the Lord requires but bless God that he will accept of an offering this hath a comfortable signification If the Lord had meant to destroy us he would not have accepted an offering at our hands Judg. 13.23 2. A Thank-offering Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High Offer up your selves in token of yuor thankfulness to the Lord. Be ye both the Priests and the Lambs for the sacrifice Present your selves to the Lord as the accomplishments of his Covenant as the fruits of the death of your Redeemer as the Trophies of his Victory as the spoils which he hath recovered from Death and Hell making a shew of them openly that it may be seen that the promise of God is not of none effect and that Christ did not die in vain Let your Lord Jesus when he comes down into his Garden where he left his blood reap his pleasant fruits and carry up your purified Souls as the signals of his glorious atchievement Offer up your sins to the Lord these unclean beasts will be an acceptable sacrifice There 's more real honour growing up to the Lord from one mortified Saint then from ten thousand Anthems from the most seraphick tongues Offer up your duties to the Lord your obedience for a sacrifice To obey is better then sacrifice then thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle Let your whole life be this sacrifice let every day be a Sabbath every duty an Eucharist every member a Cymbal sounding out the praises of God Offer up the calves of your lips unto the Lord. O let your souls be filled with wonder and your mouths with praise Whence in this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me Oh whence is this to us that the Lord our Father should come and come so near to us Oh whence is it That the Mighty God should indent and come into bond with sinful man that he who was free from all men should make himself debtor to any That the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity should dwell in Houses of Clay and pitch his Tabernacle in the Dust That he who humbleth himself to behold the Heavens should come down into the earth and after what is he come down but after a dead Dog or a Flea that he should make a league with the stones of the gâ—ound with the beasts of the field and creeping things should espouse dust and ashes and gather up vile worms into his bosome should set his heart upon shadows and adopt the refuse of the earth for Sons and Daughters to himself should raise the poor out of the dust and the beggar from the Dunghil should do such great things and should choose the foolish and the weak and the base and the contemptible and bostow on them among all the world these high honors should make them the Head and the honourable whom the world hath made the Tail the filth and the off-scouring of all things should give himself to be the portion his Son to be the ransome his kingdome to be the heritage of bankrupts prisoners and captives Lord what is man that thou art thus mindful of him Soul what is God that thou shouldst be yet unmindful of him How is it that the tongue of the dumb is not yet loosened that the feet of the lame do not leap as an Hart Oh what is that love whence this strange thing hath broken forth This this is the womb that bare thee hence hath thy righteousness sprung forth hence have thy dignities thy astonishing hope and joys arisen to thee this is it that yearned upon thee in thy mercy that reprived thee from death redeemed thee from darkness rescued thee as a brand out of the burning that pitied thee in thy blood washed thee from thy blood spared thee pardoned thee reconciled thee and brought thee an enemy a rebel a traitor into a Covenant of peace with the God of glory Ah contemptible dust that ever there should be such compassionate contrivements and such astonishing condescentions of the eternal Deity towards so vile a thing O love the Lord all ye his Saints O bless the Lord ye beloved ye people near unto the Lord. Alas that our hearts should be so narrow that the waters should be so shallow with us where are our eyes if we be not yet filled with wonders what hearts have we if we have not yet filled our lips with praise Open all thy springs O my soul let them flow forth in streams of love and joy let every faculty be tuned and strained to the height let heart and hands and tongue and eyes lift up their voice be astonished O heavens be moved ye strong foundations of the earth fall down ye Elders strike up ye heavenly Quires lend poor mortals your Notes to sing forth the high praises of God who rideth on the heavens and hath caused us to ride on the high places of the earth and made us sit together in hevenly places shewing forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus Awake up my Glory awake Psaltery and Harps I my self wil awake right early My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for he that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his Name Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his People who hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David who hath laid help on one who is mighty and exalted one chosen among the People and hath given him for a Covenant to them Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name who hath redeemed thy life from death and crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Salvation to our God that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and glory and honour and blessing for thou livedst and wast dead and art alive for evermore Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God for ever Hallelujah Hallelujah FINIS
Lord hath rebounded on his own head Though hee be as Gad a serpent in the way yet you may now tread upon this serpent and it shall not hurt you The strong man is now bound if hee be a god still hee 's a God in chains a prince in fetters he must ask leave of your father ere he can touch one hair of your heads Hee cannot tempt you nor cast a bank against you nor shoot an arrow at you without a commission from heaven The devils are subject to you He is cast out and in your Lords name you may cast him out In my name shall ye cast out devils out of possessed bodies out of possessed souls you may be instruments to bring many a soul to repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are held captive by him at his will Every sinner that is converted by you you have cast out a devil out of that soul Though he be an adversary still yet such an adversary as may be resisted whom resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 And if you will resist hee shall flee from you James 4.17 Stand and your enemy runs Nay more hee is not only a conquer'd enemy but made your servant This viper shall yield you medicine against his own poyson His smitings shall be an excellent oyl his messengers he sends to buffet you his thorns he sticks in your flesh shall be a prevention of greater evils The very destruction he intends to bring upon you shall promote your salvation 1 Cor. 5.5 Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Behold the devil is the Churches servant and such a servant as in their present state they cannot well want The executioner of their censures A Common-wealth may as well want a Jaylour or an Hang-man as the Church a Devil Behold Sathan divided against Sathan the devil without against the devil within the destroyer of souls become the destroyer of sin Deliver such an one to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh Though much against his mind his hand is against his own party Hee 's made to kill his own friends which otherwise would kill the soul Whether he will or no the very tormentour is made a saviour that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christians as much as you feel of the devils malice you could ill want his service there 's many a soul lost and undone by a sleeping that might have been recovered and rouzed by a raging devil His winds shall blow off your chaff his floods shall wash away your filth his earth-quakes shall open your prison-doors his tempests shall drive you to harbour Some men want a tempest to save them from a wrack Nay once more he is not low enough yet he shall be yet brought lower You have assurance of his total and final overthrow Rom. 16.20 The god of peace shall tread Sathan under your feet shortly Rev. 20.10 The devil shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone 'T is but a little while and when he hath done his work he shall be sent to his place where he shall be shut up and a seal set upon him whence he shall come out no more for ever He shall tempt no more vex no more deceive no more destroy no more torment you no more he shall be thrust out he shall be chain'd up the tormentour shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Stand Christians stand your ground a little while follow your work hold up your holy profession hold on your holy course keep your hearts keep your garments keep on your armour keep under corruption resist temptation bear your affliction hold out faith and patience fight against your adversaries watch with your Lord this one hour and behold hee that shall come will come he cometh quickly and hee that is in the world shall bee consumed with the breath of his mouth and destroyed with the brightness of his appearing Hee shall bee cast out hee shall bee cast down and rise no more for ever CHAP. VII Death in the Covenant 7. GOd hath put Death into the Covenant 1 Cor. 3.21 Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or DEATH all are yours Death there is a great purchase you 'l say what advantage is that yes death is advantage To dye is gain For 1. The Commission of Death is changed 'T was once take him Jaylour away with him carry him down to Prison with him there to bee reserved to the Judgement of the great day It is now take him Janitour take him Porter take him in give him an entrance into his Master's joy Death doth but take the Bride when shee is ready and lodges her in the Chamber of the Bride-groom this made death the Apostles desire Philip. 1.23 I desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is far better 2. Death is conquered What does this mean Your enemie is yours other than this your enemy is conquered to you a conquered enemy is made a Tributary death is dis-armed it hath lost its sting when a Serpent hath lost its sting you may take it into your bosome Hee that can say Death where is thy sting may go on and add Thankes bee to God which hath given me the victory A Signet sent from Heaven with a Death's head is a precious token Come Christians bee of good courage set your feet on the neck of this King of terrours 3. Death is at once The destruction of all their enemies when once death hath done its office upon them then farewel Edom and Ammon and Amaleck and Aegypt fare-well the pricking bryer and the grieving thorne then farewel sin and sorrow for ever the Egyptians they have seen and fear'd and felt to day they shall never see again for ever It destroys it self their last enemy by destroying them it hath its welcome and farewell the same moment it is but welcome death and farewel death for ever Death dies with them once dead they dye no more for ever mortality is swallowed up of life death is cast into the lake of fire that is its Region there there they die and dye and dye again over and over for ever and ever but for the Saints it doth but set them on the banks of that good Land whether it cannot follow them our Lord by death by ours as well as his own hath delivered those who for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Christians you may now not onely with patience but with desire expect the assault of this King of terrours What shall tribulation and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword shall sorrows and fears and mortality dye with mee yea shall sin dye with mee then welcome death Lord strengthen me this once let mee dye with the Philistines Would it bee good for