hath it in the greatest excellency and perfection of it that doth pertingere ad summum gratiae Aquin. 2. Ex parte habentis gratiam in respect of the person that hath it and thus a person is said to be full of grace that hath as much grace as he is capable of Christ is full of grace in both respects that grace which is in him is grace in the highest perfection of it and as much as his vessel can hold 3. That this fulness of Christ is ours and for us John 1.16 Of his fulness do we receive grace for grace Coloss 3.3 Your life is hid with Christ in God Your life that is both your spiritual life grace and your eternal life glory 1 John 5.11 This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son Our life is said to be in Christ in three respects 1. It s hid in Christ as the effect in the cause As the life of the branches is hid in the root so is the life of a Christian in Christ He is our root 2. It is deposited with Christ it is laid up with him committed to his trust and custody with him it is secured and put into safe hands 3. The dispensation of it is committed to him from him it is at his pleasure to be derived to us Of his fulness we receive The Son hath life in himself and he giveth it to whom when and in what measure soever he pleaseth Christian art thou nothing in thy self Thou hast enough in thy Jesus Art thou dark He 's a Fountain of light Art thou dead He 's a fountain of life Art thou poor and low weak in knowledge in faith in love in patience c He 's a treasure of all grace and what he is he is for thee Is he wise he is wise for thee Is he holy He is holy for thee Is he meek merciful humble patient He is so for thee Is he strong is he rich is he full 'T is for thy sake as he was empty for thee weak for thee poor for thee so for thee he is mighty he is rich and full Whilest thou bewailest thine own poverty and weakness Oh bless thy self in thy Lord in his riches righteousness and strength 2. A complication of interests As the head and body as the Husband and Wife so Christ and his Saints are mutually concerned are rich or poor must stand and fall live and die together As the husband conveyes to the wife a title to what he hath as the wife holds of the husband so is it betwixt Christ and his Church they have nothing but through him their whole tenure is in capite they hold of the Head they have nothing but through him and whatsoever is his is theirs His God is their God his Father is their Father his blood his bowels his merits his spirit his victories all the spoils he hath gotten all the revenue and income of his life and death all is theirs For them he obey'd suffered liv'd died rose ascended is set down in glory at the right hand of God He obeyed as their head died as their head rose ascended reigneth as their head and hath in their names taken possession of that inheritance which he purchased for them This is that Jesus which is given to us and thus is he granted and made over to all his Saints in this Covenant of God CHAP. III. The Spirit in the Covenant 3 GOd hath put his Spirit into the Covenant the Almighty the Eternal Spirit the Holy Spirit the spirit of Glory and of God This Holy and eternal Spirit is first poured forth on our head the Lord Jesus to annoint him our Redeemer to furnish and qualifie him for that great undertaking Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon mee because hee hath annointed mee to preach good tidings to the meek c. Isa 11.2,3,4 I will put my Spirit into him the spirit of Wisdome and Vnderstanding and of the fear of the Lord Isa 11.2 And hee is promised to each member Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you To all these hee is granted 1. As a Spirit of VVisdome and Revelation 2. As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification 3. As a Spirit of Truth and Direction 4. As a Spirit of Comfort and Consolation 1. As a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Ephes 1.17,18 To enlighten them to open their blinde eyes and to shine into their hearts to give them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ that they may know what the hope of his calling is and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints To counterwork the spirit of this world whose work is to blinde mens eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4,5,6 This is hee by whom the Father hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 the light that the spitit brings in is a marvellous light and that in three respects 1. It is a marvellous thing that ever light should come into such dark souls That those that were born blinde and upon whom the god of this world had for many years together been trying his skill to thicken their darkness to encrease and seal them up under it that ever such eyes should bee opened and the light of life should shine in upon such hearts this is a marvellous thing When our Lord Jesus in the dayes of his flesh opened the eyes of those that had been born blinde the people ran together and wondred at the sight If you should see stones to live if you should see dead stocks or dry bones to walk up and down the streers if you should see Trees or Houses or Mountains full of eyes this were not more full of wonder than to behold blinde sinners receiving their sight Thou wert once darkness art thou now light in the Lord stand and wonder at thy cure 2. They are marveâ—lous things which this light discovers 'T is a wonder that such eyes should ever see and they see wonders The Gospel is a Mystery full of wonders There are heights and depths and lengths and breadths Wee have seen strange things to day Strange love strange grace wonderful wisdome wonderful pitty patience mercy wonderful providences wonderful deliverances incomprehensible excellencies unspeakable joy and glory 't is a wonder there should bee such things every day before our eyes and yet wee could not see them till now and 't is a wonder that when wee did not see them before wee should ever see them now that those things which wee despised derided mocked at stumbled at as meer foolishness and fancy wee should now see and admire even to astonishment that that Jesus which was to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greeks foolishness should bee to the same men when called the Wisdome of God and the Power of God O the deep things of God!
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
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
t t Ioh. 1.16 2 Pet. 1.4 I am the God of hope u u Rom. 15.13 the God of love w w 2 Cor. 13.11 the God of patience x x Ro. 15.5 the Author and finisher of faith y y Heb. 12.2 the God of all grace z z 1 Pet. 5.10 and I will give grace to you a a Psal 84 11. My design is to make you partakers of my Holiness b b Heb. 12.10 I will be a constant spring of spiritual life to you c c Gal. 2.20 Ioh. 14. and 8.12 and 10.10 and 14.6 The water that I shal give you shal be in you as a Well of water springing up into everlasting life The seed of life that I shal put into you shal be so fâ—d and cherished and maintained by my power d d Ioh. 4.14 that it shal be immortal e e 1 Ioh. 3.9 1 Pet 1.23 Col. 2.19 The Unction that you shal receive from the holy One shal abide in you teach you all things necessary for you and as it hath taught you you shal abide in him f f Ioh. 14.16,17 and 1 Ioh. 2.20,27 Keep but the Pipes open and ply the means which I have prescribed and you shal flourish in the Courts of your God g g Prov. 8.34 Psal 92 13. Yea I will satisfie your souls in drought and make fat your bones and you shal be like a watered Garden Esay 58.11 Lo I will be as the dew unto you and you shal grow as the Lilly and cast forth your roots as Lebanon and your branches shal spread and your beauty shal be as the Olive-tree i i Hos 14.5,6 You shal stil bring forth fruit in old age you shal be fat and flourishing Psal 92.14 His Soveraignty to be as it were commanded by us My Soveraignty shal be commanded by you l l Gen. 32.26,28 Deut. 9.14 You shal be my Favourites men of Power to prevail with me m m Hos 12.4 Jam. 5.17,18 All mine Attributes shal be at the command of your Prayers n n Esay 45.11 His All-sufficiency to be the lot of our Inheritance In summe mine Allsufficiency shal be the lot of your Inheritance o o Gen. 17.1 Lam. 3.14 Psal 16.5,6 My fullness is your treasure p p Numb 18.20 Deut 10.9 Psal 16 5,6 My house is your home q q Psal 91.1,9 You may come as freely to my store as to your own Cupboard r r Eph. 3.12 You may have your hand as freely in my Treasures as in your own Purses You cannot ask too much you cannot look for too much from me Å¿ Å¿ Eph. 3.20 Mat. 7.8 I will give you or be my self to you instead of all comforts t t Gen. 15.1 Psal 84.11 You shal have children or I will be better to you then ten children u u Esay 56.3,4 You shal have riches or I will be more to you then all riches w w 2 Cor. 6.10 You shall have friends if best for you or else I will be your Comforter in your solitude x x Esay 51.3 Ioh. 14.26 2 Cor. 1.3,4 your Counsellor in your distress y y Psal 73.24 If you leave Father or Mother or Houses or Lands for my sake you shall have an hundred fold in me even in this time z z Mark 10 30. When your enemies shall remove your comforts it shall be but as the letting the Cistern run and opening the fountain or putting out the candles and letting in the sun The swelling of the waters shal raise higher the Ark of your comfort a a Ro. 5.3 Heb. 10.34 Act. 5.41 I will be the staffe of bread to you your life and the strength of your daies b b Deut. 30.20 Esay 33.16 I will be the house and home to you you shall dwell with me yea dwell in me and I in you c c Deut. 33.12 Iohn 14.23 1 Iohn 3.24 I will stand and fall with you d d Psa 37.17,24 54.4 Esay 41.10 I wil repair your losses and relieve your needs e e Phil. 4.19 Mark 8.35 Mat. 19.27,28,29 Can you burn out the Lamp of Heaven or lave out the boundless Ocean with your hands why the Sun shall be dark and the Sea be dry before the Father of Lights the Fountain of Mercies shall be exhausted Behold though the world hath been spending upon the stock of my mercy ever since I created man upon earth yet it runs with full stream still My Sun doth diffuse its Raies and disburse its light and yet shines as bright as ever Much more can I dispence of my goodness and fill my creatures brim-ful and running over and yet have never the less in my self and till this all-sufficiency be spent you shall never be undone I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Iacob and whatever I was to them I will be to you Are you in want you know whither to go I am ever at home you shall not go away emptie from my door Never distract your selves with cares and fears but make known your requests by prayer and supplication unto me f f Phi. 4.6 I will help when all do fail g g Psa 73.26 Esa 63,5 Psal 102.17 When friends fail and heart fails when your eye strings crack and your heart strings crack when your acquaintance leave you and your souls leave you my bosome shall be open to you h h Psa 49.15 2 Cor. 5 1. Luke 16.9,22 I will lock up your dust I will receive your souls His infiniteness to be the extent of our inheritance And mine infiniteness shall be the extent of your inheritance Can you by searching find out God can you find out the Almighty to perfection It is as high as Heaven what can you do deeper then Hell what can you know i i Iob 11.7,8,9 with Psa 50.7 This heighth incomprehensible this deep unfathomable shall be all yours for ever yours I am your inheritance which no lines can measure no Arithmetick can value no Surveyor can describe k k Ezek. 44.28 Eph. 3.8 1 Tim. 6.16 Psa 145.3 Lift up now your eies to the ancient mountains and to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills all that you can see is yours but your short sight cannot ken the moietie of what I give you and when you see and know most you are no less then infinitely short of the discovery of your own riches l l Iob 26.14 Yea further I will be yours in all my personal relations In all his personal relations God the Father to be a Father to us I am the everlasting Father and I will be a Father to you m m Iohn 20.17 I take you for my sons and daughters n n Cor. 6.18 Behold I receive you not as servants but as sons
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
Christ from henceforth unto death Thou wilt have Christ but when Shall this be the Marriage-day VVilt thou from henceforth be the Lords or when shall it be Must it be to morrow first or next moneth or next year or some time or other thou knowest not when May we not take thy promise as they did the Prophecy Ezek. 12. Is it not for many dayes to come is it not of the times that are afar off To morrow thou wilt hereafter thou wilt as good as thou hast said nothing As good thou hadst said never as not yet Speak Soul wilt give thy self to the Lord wilt presently if thou wilt how long wilt thou abide with him wilt thou not endorse on thy Deed of Gift a power of revocation wilt thou not repent not return again from Heaven to Earth wilt be chaste and play the Harlot no more wilt be faithful to the death obedient to the death Is this thy voice I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back As the Lord liveth nothing but death no not death it self shall part thee and me I am perswaded I am resolved that neither life nor death Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall separate me from the love of God or withdraw me from Jesus Christ my Lord. Now Soul gather up all this together stand thou before the Lord the God of all the Earth and this once more say Wilt thou have Jesus Christ for thy Husband dost thou choose him for thy Lord wilt thou cleave to him in love wilt thou lean upon him for righteousness and strength for righteousness to pay thy debts and for strength to pay thy vows wilt thou be subject to him thou knowest the commandments how holy how strict they be Wilt thou obey them in all things wilt exercise thy self to godliness in the strictness of it wilt be a thorow-pac'd Disciple wilt not content thy self with such a cold or lukewarm indifferency in Religion as thy lazy flesh will bear as thy credit thy safety or the temper of the times will bear wilt follow thy Lord fully Wilt thou take up thy lot with Christ be it better or worse shall his Father be thy Father his Inheritance be thy Inheritance yea and his Sufferings thy Sufferings his stripes his bonds his poverty be thine wilt thou espouse not his Crown onely but his Cross too whither ever he goes wilt thou go where he dwells wilt thou dwell wilt say where ever my Lord is there let his Servant be Wilt thou forsake all others all thy sins wilt thou be made clean wilt give up thy sores and thy ulcers thy filthy and fleshly lusts to be purged out does thine heart stand disengaged from every sin is there not any one iniquity concerning which thine heart sayes Let this stay with me wilt search out thy sins wilt accomplish a diligent search sweep every corner search every chamber of thine heart life wilt go down to the bottome of thy great deep to find out what lodges there wilt faithfully endeavour no more to allow thy self in any known iniquity wilt use all Gods means for the conquering and casting them out Wilt forsake the world wilt cast away thine Idols shall thy Mammon be no more a god nor a demy-god to thee shall it neither carry away thine heart from him nor so much as share with him in it wilt thou not bow down to this golden Image nor serve it wilt thou no longer serve thy greedy appetite shall thine heart no longer go after thy covetousness wilt thou abandon thine estate thy pleasures thine honours thy friends and companions so far forth as any of these divide or entice or steal away thine heart from thy Lord When ever they say Come away wilt thou say Get you hence VVilt forsake the Devil wilt fear and flie from and no longer hearken to his temptations wilt no longer regard his promises nor his threatnings his flatteries nor his frowns Coming off from the tents of all these wilt cleave unto thy Lord from henceforth from this day forward and not depart from him for ever Wilt hold on thy course wilt run out thy race wilt be faithful to the death wilt hope to the end for the grace that shall be brought unto thee at the revelation of Jesus Christ What sayest thou If thou sayest no as the Lord liveth thou speakest this word against thine own life If thou refusest to enter into this Covenant thou sayest I will not be the Lords I will none of him I will not live let death and wrath and chains and plagues be my portion for ever I will not be the Lords I will not leave my sins and my pleasures and my companions for his love that is I will be a Fool and a beast and a Devil I will die and will not see life Mistake not thy self be not deceived 't is a matter of life and death that is before thee 'T is whether Heaven or Hell a God or no God a Christ or no Christ a Soul or a lost Soul everlasting life or everlasting Fire shall be thy portion that stands now to be determined by thy consent or refusal look to it be wise this once for eternity Consent and thou art blessed consent and he is thine and with him the Kingdome Thy Lord hath given his consent already view the hand-writing the whole New Testament which is written in blood and sealed as 't is written there thou hast his I will in every line almost visible before thee put to thine and 't is done What sayest thou dost thou consent shall thine heart come in and put to thine hand and subscribe for thee I will Let that be done and then say after me A form of words expressing mans covenanting with God O Most Dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech Thee accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at thy Door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my Wicked practice The Terms of our conversion are either from which or to which But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy Mercy The Terms from which we must turn are Sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottome of my heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but Conscientiously to use all means that
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
for eyes They that see pitty the blinde Wee have a little Sister that hath no breasts wee have a poor Brother yea a world of them that have no eyes What shall we do for our poor brethren in the day that they shall bee spoken for Oh! bee eyes to thy blinde bee a light to thy dark souls let them that dwell in darkness see thy great light Sinners those whom you persecute do thus pitty do thus pray for you Lord that their eyes might bee opened will you say Amen to their prayers or will you say Lord regard not their word wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Christians bee marvels You that have seen marvellous things bee marvellous persons set the world a wondring for some thing Let your light shine let the light which hath shined into your hearts shine forth in all your paths let the Spirit of Light within you bee a Spirit of Glory resting upon you Once you were darkness but now are yee light in the Lord Walk as Children of the light Bee yee holy harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation amongst whom yee shine as lights in the World Beclouded Christian thou goest on bemoaning and bewailing thy self complaining that thou art still blinde the light hath shined into thy darkness but thy darkness comprehendeth it not thine eye is yet but tender at least and thou canst see but little but little of Christ the Sun is but as a sparke to thee but little of sin that Mountain looks yet but as a Mole hill It is neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day thou hopeedst that long e're this thy scales would have fallen off the vail would have been removed but they abide upon thee thou waitest for light but behold obscurity for brightness but thou walkest in darkness thou goest on adding darkness to darkness the darkness of sorrow to the dimness of sight Thou fearest that the Gospel is hid from thee thou doubtest 't is still night because 't is not yet noon with thee But hearken as little as thou seest of Christ doest thou see so much that thou prizest and lovest and cleavest to him above all as little as thou seest of sin doest thou see so much that thou loathest and shunnest it above all things doest thou walke in that little light thou hast dost thou love long wait cry for the light Send forth thy light and thy truth lift up the light of thy countenance Sun of Righteousness shine upon mee why are the wheels of thy Chariots so long a coming when Lord Make haste my Beloved O might I once see thy face as the Sun looking over the Mountains Is this thy voice are these the breathings of thy soul Bee of good comfort these are the glimmerings and groanings of that Holy Spirit within thee which hath already delivered thee from darkness and will bring thee forth into his marvellous light thou shalt know if thou follow on to know the Lord. Arise shine thy light is come the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Though yet as to thy sense it bee neither clear nor dark neither night nor perfect day in the evening there shall bee light 2 As a Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification hee is given as an Holy Spirit and as a Sanctifying Spirit therefore Sanctification is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 he comes to change us into his own nature to make us partakers of his holiness hee is a Refiner's fire and Fullers sope Mal. 3.2 to purge and work and wash off the filth and corruption of our natures What it is said hee shall bee to the Church Isa 4.4 A Spirit of Judgement and a Spirit of Burning to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion and to purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof a Spirit of Judgement that is in the Rulers of Israel stirring them up to do Justice and execute Judgement that so the guilt of blood may bee taken away Isa 32.15,16 and a Spirit of Burning that is in the hearts of the people of Israel to consume and destroying the inward lusts of their hearts that no more such wickedness bee committed amongst them This hee is to every Saint A Spirit of Judgement to give Sentence against their Lusts to condemn them to the fire these must bee cast out to the fire with them away with them get yee hence yee Sons of the Bond-woman you may not bee Heirs with the Sons of the Free-woman The Spirit of the Lord first discovers and convinces of sin judges betwixt light and darkness grace and sin and then gives sentence away with these Lusts they may not bee suffered to live A Spirit of Burning to execute the sentence to consume them in the fire The Spirit of Sanctification is a spirit of Mortification Rom. 8.13 If yee through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body It is the Spirit that kills the Flesh profiteth nothing The Spirit implants the Soul into Christ gives it an Interest in his death brings it under the influence of his death Christus crucifixus est Christus crucifigens 'T is the death of Christ that is the death of sin these Theeves are Crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Our old man is Crucified with Christ that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should no longer serve sin Hell knew not what they did when they Crucified Christ Death with all its Armies were put to death with him The Spirit raises up another party in the soul a party against a party an army against an army brings Grace in to take up arms against sin Grace doth not onely fight against sinne but is in the very nature of it the death of sinne as the Generation of a new is the Corruption of the old form Humility is pride dead meekness is sinful passion and frowardnesse dead patience is impatience slain The Spirit excites and stirs up the soul against sin sets it a praying against it the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Supplication fetches down Hail-stones and Thunder bolts from Heaven to destroy these Amorites sets a watch against it presses the soul to deal wisely with it to keep it low by cutting off all provision from the flesh restraining and keeping it short of all those fleshly objects which would keep it in heart and so it 's starved to death It is true our greatest wisdome watchfulness abstinence self-denial and all external means alone will fall short of killing one lust it is the Spirit that killeth without it the flesh profiteth nothing all external attempts for the mortification of the flesh are but a fleshly mortification but if yee through the Spirit do mortifie pray in the Spirit watch in the Spirit curbe and keep short and keep under this body still taking in the assistance of the Spirit then it shall dye Christian thou livest in a weary Land and thou hast but a weary