was this poor woman cut and at last cut of life too O all cut but her soule saved and that I verely beleeve on good grounds and now though here lyes before us her body coffind yet my soule cannot but rejoyce in her soules salvation one thing a little troubles me and another thing would have split my very heart if I did not beleeve it confidently that that a little troubles me is that I should be no more kind to so good a body yet I hope and doe beleeve none no not one of all you can condemne me but my heart doth a little I thought to enjoy her when wee were old and to be so kind to her as we might be all along my advice O husbands and wives is yea I wish you pray you intreat you to look on one another as as parting dying yoake-fellows and if you doe how sweet how kinde how loving will you be when brethren are called to part farre asunder the one to crosse the seas and the other to go a prentise how svveetly will they embrace one the other do ye so I pray ye do so it is a duty well pleasing to God no love but Gods Christs love should be above this mutuall love of wife and husbands love O saith Paul love your wives as Christ loved his Church that is for sincerity constancy I quantity too but that is impossible hovv ever it holds forth that greatnesse of affection that should be betvveen the Wife husband But the main thing as I said before vvhich grievs me to think is how unfaithfull a husband I have beene to her soul and that in these particulars First that I should put up so few prayers them so cold I have been as apt to say I hope God will blesse us in our estates I friends I was as apt to say so and come love let us look to the World as oft as to say look to thy soule and Christ either more worth then ten thousand Worlds O my friends I hope you be not guilty like me in this particular if you be it may trouble you more then you are aware of one day O if I had doubted that her soul had miscaried how heavy heavy would this have been yea how sadly should I have followed her corps to the garve a body miscarrying is not easily born but a soul miscarrying who can bear it O friends love your wives and husbands soules as much above their bodies as ye doe their bodies above their clothes it will do the wife good to think that the husbands soule is in heaven smiling whilst shee and her friends are mourning for the corps in the coffin when my wife was sick and I thought it might be unto death then then I thought how many nights my poor wife would call on mee in the night watch sweetheart husband let us talk of Christ a little le ts have some spirituall discourse pray be not so sleepy but talk to me to which I like a dead man a stock or stone would say nothing many times or else I am weary or sleepy or some such kind of sluggish answere and so neglect a spirituall and sweet opportunity in which I might have done her soul and mine own good David speaks of communing with his own heart in the night season The wives the husbands heart should be as one speaking to one another being alwayes mindful of each one anothers welfare especially in a spirituall sense and indeed this was the main end and reason why I desired leave from you to speak a few words to you my friends and truely if I were now to be coffind for the grave to morrow this should be my advice to you my last and solemne advice to you yea to all of you my friends to take all advantages by night and day to doe one anothers soules good O if that be saved how wil it comfort rejoyce your hearts when you in a melancholly way walke to view againe the grave of your wife your husband how will the heart be lifted up with such kind of sweet thoughts as these though here lies rotting the flesh and bones of my wife my husband yet their fouls are with God and Christ with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God singing farewell all sin and sorrow which now shall be no more Oh hovv do the soules there sing its triumphs over sinne and sorrow death hell and misery devils men and dangers The absence of a friend is not so much a grief as the condition of him in his absence if a friend be in prosperity ye onely mourn for his absence but if yee doubt he is in misery ye mourn double Truly an absent soule doubted to be lost is the greatest trouble yea the greatest that can be in this World I think it I in my conscience really think it and on this consideration my soul did even weep weep till God did further fully confirme my faith in her souls salvation if she should die But I had reason to beleeve this of her before for many a time had I seen her weep for want of Christ for sin and corruption for sinne Blessed are they that mourn for sin for they shall be comforted which I now beleeve she is and beleeving this truely my soule cannot but now rejoyce in her soules salvation whose body lies here coffind I say her souls salvation I doe rejoyce in who never did much work for Christ but brought glory to Christ by beleeving strongly in Christ to the very last moment And that ye may know I do not flatter which I would not for any good in the World in such a case as this I will read you a little of what she beleeved concerning her self and what she spake concerning others the night before she died and of this I will read something to you which I writ down thinking it would be sweet and comfortable to read another day when I should think upon her O God not my will but thy will be done Lord what is this that lies so bitter here pointing to her stomack Lord if it be thy will remove it O Lord thou hast removed many bitter paines from mee in my dayes blessed be thy holy Name I rejoyce to hear thy sweet expressions O sweet heart I am full I am full within but so weak not able to speake what I enjoy O that all my friendes in the world were here I would bid them live to Christ and live in Christ but alas they cannot by their owne strength Well I am willing to leave all to goe to Christ indeed I am indeed I am What will all things avail me but Christ the Lord hath not threatned mee with death nor sinne furely the Lord hath been good to me above all women I asked her once againe of her assurance shee seemed a little troubled saying O Lord sweet heart why do you not beleeve me when I have told you so often I have
was Israels victory and he in this was a type of our David our Christ who hath slain and triumpht openly over our enemies upon the crosse And therefore saith Christ to his Disciples be of good cheare I have overcome as in John the 16 the last Secondly We do overcome likewise when we doe by the strength of Christ oppose and overcome the pollutions of the world In this sence saith John Greater is he that is in you then he that is in this world and yet not but that a poor soule may be foyld and seemingly wholly overcome as David but yet David by renewing grace he gets up and fights and like David in conclusion wholly overcomes Saul and his house Again he may be said to overcome two waies First Comparing himselfe with himselfe I was such a sinner and such a sinner but now I thanke God I am no more the same man Secondly Hee may be said to overcome comparing himselfe with the world who lies lives and wallows in all kinde of polutions and defilements Revel 16. there is a blessing promised to such a one Behold saith Christ I come as a Thief in the night blessed is he that keepes his garments undefiled Thirdly What is meant by Christs Throne and by the Fathers Throne surely here is meant both one thing namely the Glory of God I say the Glory of God is the thing meant the eteruall Glory of God is the Throne on which Christ sits on and in which you must fit also Doth Christ sit in this glory of God Christ your Husband Christ your Head Christ your Vine then must you O Christians too for ye are inseperable Where should the Bride sit but by the Bridegroome Where should the Members be but with the Head Where should the Branches be but with the Vine O poore gentile sinner what glory is design'd for thee But fourthly What is meant by sitting down in Christs Throne or Gods Glory First It denotes a cessation or rest so you know Christ is said to enter into his rest as he is set down with his Father in glory And Paul saith there remains a rest for the people of God aluding to that so that to sit down with Christ in his Throne is to sit with Christ in the Glory of God Moses was but a while in the Mount with God and yet his face shined so that Israel could not behold him O how will thy face shine when thou shalt sit down with Christ in the true glory of God Moses saw him in fire smoake and thunder but thou shalt see him in Christ a loving kinde and tender father a father rejoycing over thee even as a bridegroome rejoycing over his bride to do them good saith the Lord in Isai O how well pleased was Jacob when he had his Joseph O friends God will sweetly please himself as I may so say when Christ shall say he are am I and all the Children thou hast given me make them welcome Father they are my sons and daughters whom I dearly loved dearly bought O seeing now I have them I am at rest while they were in the world tossed with afflictions and troubled with temptations my heart was not at rest but seeing now I have them and from those things have freed them I will set them in my Glory where they shall sweetly sing thus Farewell all sin and sorrow which now shall be no more my work and labour is over and nothing now remains but rest and joy and glory O this is a sweet sitting down indeed for a soul tost and tumbl'd with sinne and sorrow to be brought from all to rest for ever Secondly This setting in Christs Throne or Gods glory denotes a welcome unto Christ we bid them sit down that are welcome unto us take them by the hand and set them down by us O friends Christ will one day take you by the hand lead you to the Father present you as his Spouse the Father will take both Christ and yee and set you both down in his own Glory and in that day saith Christ Yee shall know the Father is in me and I in you then shall yee know the Fathers love too as Christ speakes Iohn 17. last v. O Christians yee will never know this love nor your union the strength glory sweetnesse of it till that day commeth but in that day yee shall know the relation your souls stand in to God to Christ You will know him then to be a Father indeed and not in name onely you will finde so much fatherly love and tenderness towards you that your souls shall lye steeping in it like Sugar in wine If a little taste of Gods love now be so sweet O what will it be when you shall lye night and day soaking in it and wholly melted by it into holy praises Here a gracious heart mourns for want of love to God to Christ but this want shall be supplyed when the Father and you personally meet which day is a comming and I tell you this till this day commeth yee will never know what the love of God and Christ is Now a drop is sweet but how sweet will it be when it shall be like a flowing Fountain in you O friends in that day yee shall be like as a Vessell that 's set under a Fountain Cock alwayes full and alwayes running over Now saith David thy loving kindnesse is better then life O but then he will say nothing but stand stand pore and admire I admire to al eternity when great and undeserved love is shewn unto us by some one unexpected how do we admire and as it were study and wonder why such kindnesse should be shewn unto us O precious christian thou wilt one day admire indeed to think that such love should be shown to such a dead dog as that good man said before the King so wilt thou say O my God and King what am I that thou shouldest love a poor Gentile sinner to keep me in thy presence to have me in thine eye to set me in thy throne that thou maist talk with me and tell me there thy thoughts of old O great and glorious God why art thou so kind to worme Jacob. Thirdly by sitting down in the throne of Christ or Gods glory it denotes respect and estimation we usually bid them sit down whom we best respect and esteem O happy christian how art thou esteemed of the Son and Father that thou shouldest sit down with them the world hates thee so farre as Christ appears in thee yea it cannot but hate thee so farre I say it hates thee though it love thee other wayes as a friend and kinsman or harmlesse man but I say so farre as thou refusest to comply with their wayes and wink at their faults to speak of their folly to sigh at their joy and mourn at their laughter so farre I say they cannot but hate thee but so farre as thou workest by their example and walkest by
turnd to dust and must give account of this dust to Christ for he shall one day send them to all the winds to pick it up as himselfe speaketh Secondly I Iohn saw the holy City new Jerusalem descending down from God prepared as a Bride She descended or came down from God Observ Nothing comes up to God but that descends from God Flesh and blood saith Christ cannot inherit the Kingdome of God no it is a corrupt thing but corruption shall put on incorruption and mortality put on immortality but this incorruption and immortality too descends from above and therefore I saw her descending down from God the spirit and power of the mighty God may be the thing for which the Evangelist saith I saw new Ierusalem comming down from God out of Heaven But in the third place I saw new Ierusalem comming down prepared or trimmed like a Bride a Bride is trimmed or adorned with new or beautifull garments old spotred garments are ill beseeming the Bride and therefore she never doth aray her self but in lovely ones Well then here is according to my light the meaning of these words and I think the very naturall sence of the spirituall as I may so say or the spirituall meaning of the Spirit of God in these words I John saw the boly city the new Iernsalem comming down prepared as a Bride the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus God man imputed reckoned and given to man by God and put on by the mighty Spirit is the newnesse of it and the adornment of her and this righteousnes of God 2. Cor. 5. and the last yea it is the righteousnesse of God For he was made sinne for us who knew no sinn that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him Well by this mighty Spirit of God is Ierusalem arayed in this righteousnesse wrought out by Christ for her and so given by God for that same purpose namely Ierusalems adornment and now he beholding her in this he must needs say I saw her descending down from God out of heaven trimmed as a Bride When she is trimmed and arrayed by God Christ and the Spirit yea and she must needs be now lovely and Bride-like beautifull doth the spotted moon and twinckling stars adorne the cloudy element and make it so lovely that a David cries out O Lord how wonderfull are thy works Psalme 8. v. 3. then must needs Christ the Sun of suns and angels too to make his Ierusalem beautifull when he shall cloath her with his own righteousnesse as with a garment downe to the ground Ofriends this righteousnesse of Christ is the wedding garment of new Ierusalem and in this garment saith Iohn I saw her comming as a Bride trimmed for her husband Christ the King of kings Saints and Angels surely the kings daughter is all glorious without as well as within for her cloathing is all embroidered gold wrought out by Christ and put on by the Spirit O when the Saints shall wait on Christ up and down the heavens in this garment or righteousnesse of his how princelike will his attendance bee when ten thousands of these shall stand before his throne yea ten thousandmillions of these with as many Angels to them shall all as one joine to sing his victories over sin death hell men and devils in this garment of love and livery of his favour what sparkling beames will passe from one to the other like suns reflecting on each others glory yet all from Christ like Moon and starres in their horizon And now O thou poor and prodigall sinner what thinkest thou of that day when it shall be said bring hither the best robe and the gold ring for this my once lost but now found son O what a change will here be when the rags in which thou tendedst hogs shall be taken off and thou cloathed with thy eldest brothers garment brought thee will not thy change be like Ioshuahs in putting off his filthy garment yea truely will it if dust were turned to gold and common stones to jewels nights to dayes and falling Commets to fixed stars and then againe to beaming suns yet all was nothing I say all these changes were nothing to that change that Christ maketh with sinners when hee takes off their sins rags and righteousnesse and puts on his own righteousnesse on them and therefore well might John say I saw her trimmed as a Bride when he had trimmed her with his own righteousnes thou art comely in my comelines saith Christ to the spouse Well reader I hope in this interpretation that thou and I am one and doe agree that this is the beauty of the new Jerusalem that the Spirit means by wedding garment and beautifull adornment And mark because it is this she is trimmed with therefore is she said to be seen comming down from heaven as having none of this bravery but from God Christ and the Spirit Secondly I saw new Jerusalem comming down in an uniform manner shee came not tumbling nor dropping now and then a piece as I may so say nor in a scattering manner but I saw new Ierusalem the whole Church as one single person comming down from God the whole church is but one Bride as I may so say for Christ the Bridegroom neither doth hee look on her any other wayes nor should wee but we are like the silly country people who sometimes take the Courtier for the Prince and the lachey servant for the master so we many times take the son for the Bridegroom and the lasie professor who makes a fait show when as indeed he is but a beggarly time server and hath no true grace nor vertue for the noble and royall Christian though there be not such an outward show in respect of talk and perfection which I speak not against in a sincere heart but as I said before Christ counts his church but one and so the Angel invites saying behold ye the Bride the Lambs wife and so saith himselfe my love my dove she is but one the onely one of her mother And this may justly reprove many in our dayes who will distinguish the Church of Christ into as many parcels as are formes or judgements and congregations every one thinking themselves to be the true Church when as at the best they are but a piece of his Jerusalem as I apprehend and that for these reasons First Jerusalem or the Church of God though she consist of many Iewes and Gentiles called and uncalled yet in truth she is but one church or body of which Christ is the head Secondly every particular person of the whole Church of Christ being arayed and trimmed by God and Christ may be called by the name of one single person and so counted the Spouse of Christ Againe I saw new Jerusalem comming down as a Bride here he makes no distinction of bond or free high or low Independant Anabaptist Presbyterian this or that forme of fellowship but he saw all these as in one
thy comfort when I have learnd them this lesson I do give them back their estates again with interest twenty in the hundred and so I do their parts with the same advantage but O Christ wilt thou do so by mee if I give thee my whole estate gifts and parts Friend I alwayes do so trust me try mee prove mee O Christ I will I will well friend let me tell thee as I am Christ thou shalt never lose by it but shalt have the light of life and glory to the bargain O but what doe ye meane by Christs slow knocks I mean all the good purposes he puts in your soules as to read a chapter go to prayers in the sence of his goodnesse to hear a sermon to lead a new life to serve God better and therefore friends as you vallue Christs company or your own souls looke to these knocks of good purposes by Christs knocking in your hearts Many soules are damnd in the yeare for neglecting these purposes O saith one I was going for to open but I think I was bewitched by my old companions and I too saith another but there came some to buy commodities and kept mee in my shop and I too saith another but my friends began to jear and said I would not now turn fool would I to open unto Christ all the world would but laugh at me to minde him so soon before the worlds profits pleasures which every one almost feekes first of all and then Christ when they die which was one Mr. Carefulls speech to his son Worldling many yeare agoe which I thinke all his sons did very much mind and ever since have practised but Zacheus a convert by Christs knocking at his heart and inviting of himself to dinner But thirdly what do you mean by Christs slow knocks evening meditations telling thee of death and eternity the vanity of the world the emptinesse of the creature the necessity of himself O saith Christ the world is vain by knocking at the soule Solomon hath found it so and all the sons of wisedome too One said it would not satisfie the soule of any man no more then mitigate the paines of the body another said it was changeable like the Moon and weather sometimes in Eclins sometimes clear again not a moneth constant all the yeare about but altering mens conditions who live below the Sun sometimes into sear sometimes into care seldome out of trouble all the yeare about which are so strong in many that they can scarcely sleep either day or night and still after the world which changes like the Moone O happy were it for these soules if Christ would knock or tell them they are dead and buried in cares of the world and so raise them up to live in himself and minde the other death and eternity beyond O death and eternity who mindes yee and yet thou kilst and hourds up all yea all high low rich poore young and old in thy two garners of hell and heaven but the Saints onely there which Christ fetcheth in by his serious knocks Fourthly I mean by Christs slow knocks his night knocks of affliction such as straits wants sicknesse reproach and disgrace O friends Christ knocks at the door of your hearts by all these blessed and for ever blessed is such a soule that heares Christ by these kinde of knocks But what doe you meane by Christs sweet knocks I meane by Christs sweet knocks his telling thee of thy Fathers love the strength and length of this love with thy interest in it O saith Christ my Father so loves thee that he thinks nothing too dear for thee God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son yea and more he could not give for in him he gives himself and all we have and all we need and therefore saith the Apostle Seeing he hath given us his Sonne how shall be not with him give us all things life pardon heaven happinesse and salvation and therefore Christ is called The Guift of God John 7. Hadst thou known the Guift of God saith Christ to the woman of Samaria and indeed to this Guift all is nothing If a Prince should give his favour what was that to Christ If he should give thee houses mannours lordships what was that to Christ If he should give thee crownes and kingdomes what was that to Christ honours mannours lordships crownes and kingdomes are but nothing unto Christ the Gift of God to a poore sinner well might Paul say O the height depth and breadth of this love which he acquaints the soule with by his sweet knocks and of his interest in it too O saith Christ to the sinner It is firmely set upon thee and cannot be removed mountaines may be moved but my Fathers love cannot though the mountaines should be removed yet my loving kindnesse will I not remove Men cannot Devils cannot move it sinne cannot move it If my Children forsake my Law yet my loving kindnesse will I not take away saith God by David Mark my loving kindnesse will I not take away I will onely visit them with a rod O saith Christ once beloved and ever men may love and hate but God cannot he is unchangeable Mal. 3. and so is his love too his love is grounded in his Son and spread in all relations to shew the greatnesse of it the Friend loves as a freind the Bridegroome as the Husband the Father as the Parent but Gods love is all at once yea all and more then all ten thousand times over and over againe to that And therefore saith the Apostle Behold what manner of love is this how great how sweet how deare how neare is this Father Friend and Husbands love As a Bridegroom rejoyces over his Bride so will I rejoyce over my People to doe them good saith the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah Well Friend Christ acquaints the soul of this love by his sweet knocks which even melts it like the Suggar in the Wine But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting thee of the Fathers glory thy interest in this glory Gods glory make the heavens heaven and fils the heavens too and makes them heavens indeed to Saints and Angels and all that doe dwell there Paul had once a glimps of this glory and it was unutterable Moses with the very conceit of it forsook Pharohs court and chose rather to be afflicted with the People of God then to live in his court and glory and be the Sonne in law to that great King of Egypt Paul having once a glimple of it desires to dye and be dissolved that he might enjoy it David cries out saying It is wonderfull yea it fils Heaven and Earth saith he in his Psalms And so it shall thy soul too saith Christ by his sweet knocks at the heart O saith Christ I will fill thee with this glory and wrap thee in this glory and cloth thee head and foot and thou shalt be like Solomon yea like
overflow with joy which we have in thy presence every moment fresh and greene by seeing of thy face which is the joy of heaven and Saints and Angels too with all that do behold thee as wee thy servants do which once did live in darknesse and saw thee not at all but in the shadowey creature which hinted something to us but short of what we see or ever did imagine O saith Paul Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor ever hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath laid up for them that love him this made us think it was wonderfull but now we find it so yea wonderfull indeed beyond all wonders too which Saints and Angels shall ever finde And now in admiration of this wonder we all as one cry out Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Almighty in thy glory Almighty in thy loves and also for delights to us thy poore creatures now swallowed up by pleasures in the beholding of thee O sea of endlesse sweetnesse and sun of all delights and fountaine too of glory what shall we say more of thee thou art the heaven of heavens and glory too of Saints who now will sing thy praise and ever thee admire for all thy beauty sweetnesse and endlesse life and glory which Song shall all joine in and make the heavens ring for ever in thy presence But Lord I do thy glory darken to speak such low things of it one star cannot the heavens show nor thousand suns thy glory much lesse a poor worme hint out those seas of sweetnes which lies hid in thy presence till thou shalt show thy face to wormes dust and ashes created for thy praise But let me winde up all in two words one to the carelesse sinner and another to the Saint who is the man to whom this promise is of seeing his face but what shall I say to thee O happy Christian that servest God more then is said in these words they shall see my face Which doth imply his glory love sweetnesse reward and pleasure which he takes in you This promise is sure enough indeed to beare up thy Spirit against all frownes jeares and scornes that thou maist meet with in the service of this God I say this promise sure is enough to encourage thee And therefore O precious Christian beare up bear up and be not wearie of well doing for in due time thou shalt have thy reward if thou faintest not which is to see his face What will men do for the favour of a prince and yet his favour is but a changeable thing but the favour and loving kindnesse of God abideth for ever it is a favour from everlasting abiding to everlasting running out in divers springs election creation justification and glorification in the highest heavens with Saints and Angels for ever more which is thy crowne reward and wages for all thy work for God and Christ What wilt thou now sit still or wilt thou give over running as one that 's weary and sit thee down with men and sinners in creature vanities which are a lie and doth deceive all expectations and ever will But why should I be jealous of thee O precious Christian sure thou canst not think of seeing his face glory love and sweetnesse but thy resolutions are doubled in thee to beleeve that God will so abundantly reward thee for all thou ever didst or sufferedst for his sake or Name But I shall close up all with one word to the carelesse sinner for whom my soul doth even weep to thinke upon that day when hee shall be banished from the face of this God in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for ever more as David speaks in his Psalmes But in his absence is misery upon misery O said Absalom once Let me see my fathers face though he kill me 2. Sam. 14.32 with what a longing was here now in Absalom to see Davids face who heretofore rebelliously sought his life Well know this O rebellious sinner time will come that thou shalt weep yea bitterly weep as once Esau did for Jacobs blessing so thou for a glimpse of this face glory love and sweetnesse of God yea thou shalt weep and say as Absalom let me see thy face O God though thou kill me and damne mee too But will this prevail no it will not damned thou shalt be but never see his face It is said the wicked shall not see God no nor never shall to their comfort O said Christ once to the Jewes Ye shall seek me but shall not find me for whither I goe ye cannot come Iohn 7.34 God will one day say the same to everie proud rebellious sinner ye shall seek me but shall not find me no though you seek me with bitter teares yet it will be all in vain you may weep like Esau but not prevail though seas and seas again to that be shed with sense of miserie and bitter cries for sight yea one glimmering sight of my face and glorie love and sweetnesse it will be vain yea all in vain You might once but must not see it now no nor cannot for sighs and sobs with teares and cries and then thy soul with heavy heart will mourning say O my unhappie soul what wilt thou now do God will not be seen but is wrapped up in displeasure for ever if this Sunne should do the like how would man and beast mourn though but for a mouth and prize him too when it againe should shine but O my poore soul from thee is hid this Sunne yea this Sunnes Sunne and glorie Angels are this Sunnes Sunne and God the Sunne and glorie too of Angels but what is this to me seeing he hath wrapt himself in displeasure and me in darknesss by hiding of his face Which when David once had a conceit of mark what bitter groanes and sad complaints doth his dolourous soul then make O saith he restore me to the light of thy countenance that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice Mark this good mans expressions at the conceit of the losse of Gods favour O restore it saith he that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce O friend what a sense was here in David of a losse that he should in the sense of it think all his bones were broken Who knows the pain of one broken bone much less of all his bones at once well if thou shouldest know all thy bones broken yea and broken over again is lesse painfull then the losse of this love and favour which is seen in the face of God though carelesse sinners little mind it for the present but when the sense of it shall break in upon thy spirit like mighty seas how wilt thou be drownd for ever hoping or expecting it again O this loss must needs break thy bones yea heart and soul too over and over again The child mourns for his fathers absence but more when he hides his face and so the wife