though all in vain but as these men have lived without him all their lives so must they die without him too for I believe he will scarce own thē now who never regarded him before but yet as I said at first so I doe conclude there is comfort yea abundant deale of comfort belongs to thy soule or any soule in thy condition and for this read Isaiah 41.17 When the poore and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them and I will open Rivers in the tops of Hils and Fountaines in the midst of the Valleys and in her Wildernesse make pools of water her waste places Springs of water Marke this sweet and full promise when the poore and needy seeke water and there is none their tongues cleaveth for thirst Friend this Promise is to thee as sure as the Lord lives and such as thee for marke when the poore and needy seek water art not thou poor yes it was thy very objection against thy selfe O saidst thou I am a poore soule and doe not know when I dranke of the water of life and so forth Well thy very complaint doth argue thee a needy soule yea thou seest the need of Christ yea absolute need of Christ for thou seest thy soule undone without him and this need of Christ makes thee so complaine after Christ Well Is it not so yes truly my soule stands in need of Christ and is a thirst as David speaketh Yea it panteth for Christ like the Heart after the water Brooks in a barren wildernesse so panteth my soule after him whom my soule thirsteth for Truly friend you must learne to beleeve that that shall be which seemes most unlikely to be so did Abraham he beleeved in hope against hope and obtained the promise O poore complaining sinner beleeve this promise of God to thy soul so much against hope and reason I say beleeve God will not onely give thee the water thou desirest of him but will open rivers of water in the tops of the Hils and Fountains in the valleys Well friend you see here is Gods Promise to open up to a soul a river of water in Christ who is the hill of our salvation therefore saith David I will looke to the hils from whence commeth my salvation or I will open rivers in the tops of the hils that is I think poore soules that are as far from any springs of consolation as tops of hils are from springs of water but I will open fountains in low grounds or spirits in humble soules that is the vallies here meant O friend beleeve thou this that the Lord will open fountaines of living water by making peace or joy or comfort flow like living fountaines in thy soule I say beleeve this Promise which shall be fulfilled in its season and then shalt thou sing and say Sing yee waste places of the earth for the Lord hath comforted his people by making her wildernesse become a Pool and her wast land springs of waters But why is the Spirit compared to a river I Iohn saw a pure river of water Why is it for these and such like reasons I think First reason is a river is strong and powerfull no stopping a river but it will overflow yee know if yee stop a river it will do so so are the workings of Gods Spirit in his people see in Daniel in whom they would have stopped the Spirit of prayer by the ungodly decree of the King but see how Daniels spirit rises like a River and now he will call upon his God with more boldnesse then before Many would have in our dayes dammed up this river by a Form of prayer but O these men are drownd these foolish men are carried clean away like dry leaves by a mighty Land-flood and what the Spirit is in prayer the same it is in preaching to a strong river see in Peter who was forbid by the Scribes and Pharisees to preach Christ but saith he I cannot but must speak the things of Christ Many have in our dayes paid dear for their boldnesse this way Secondly how powerfull is this river in its conviction when it runs in a way of discovering Sin and wrath who can stand before it truly none it bears down young and old strong and stout yea oakes and ceders as well as strawes Doth this spirit like a flood beare away when it runs in a way of conviction See in the Gaoler who I am perswaded was a stubborn crabbed knave see how he abuseth the poore Disciples over-night even fleaed the skin off their backs well the same night the flood breaks in upon his Spirit and he cryes out what shall I do to be saved to the Disciples Poore souls they tell this fellow notwithstanding their usage how he may escape drowning by wrath and sinne and so Paul was overturned by this river and carried back to Damascus like a dead drownd man yea so suddenly did this river break in upon his spirit that he was turned by it like a straw in a whirlwind Thirdly a river is powerfull in its progress a river is of that nature that it beats down all dammes ye can throw up or else overflow as I said before c. So did the Apostles bear down al opposition from threats and scorns scoffes whips stones and the like Fourthly a river is pleasant and delightful ye chuse a river side to walk by whose streames with silence sweetly glides trinkling along and makes the walk delightfull so is the Spirit in its discoveries especially in such as these First the love of Christ which is seen passing by this river or rather looking in this river where you see his love like a circle and your Souls in the midst where is no way in nor out I say by the Spirit ye shall see such a love a love from eternity to eternity thy Soul looking both wayes like Janus two faces especially forward But as his love so his lovelinesse the spirit streaming in the soul presents Christ over and over to the Soul Christ rides in this river as in a barge of State whose various streams sweetly rowes him up and down The spirits of his Saints like a Princes in her barge of pleasure O how lovely is Christ in the Soul when in his glory discovered to the Soul by the Spirit then is he indeed the fairest of ten thousand the chiefest of ten thousand the sweetest of ten thousand yea altogether lovely Thirdly it shows you your union to which you may see walking by this river yea all your relations to Christ and his to you he the vine you the branches he the head you the members he the husband you the spouse I say this union you may see by the Spirit the strength length glory and sweetnesse of it O saith the Spirit thy union is strong O Christian nothing can dissolve or untie it men cannot Devils cannot sinne cannot nay death it self cannot
his river and therefore friend sit down it is midnight yet in thy soul if the day break and Christ the starre arise in thee thou shalt see this river yea the depth of it in some measure a depth beyond all depths thou ever metst withall Here one depth calls to another like the eccho to the voice Gods decrees and purposes answered by his Sonne These depths are clearly seen by looking into this river and if thy sight be strong indeed then thou shalt see the sonnes of men like precious stones and pebbles lying in the bottome from thence plummed up by Christ to swim a top as in a sea of pleasure Eightly a river is cool and bathing we go to rivers in Summer heats to cool and bath our bodies O come hither and bath your Souls your heated Souls heated with sinne heated with guilt heated with apprehensions too of wrath heated with Satan and temptations truly many a poore soul is heated by sinne and then chased by Satan for his sin so heard that his soul even fainteh well friend my advice is come unto this river for here thou mayest cool and bath thee Ninthly a river is alwayes moving and working so is the Spirit it is active in the souls of Gods people though sometimes not descerned I sleep but my heart awaketh saith the Spouse in the Canticles Thou art dead and dull in praier many times but the Spirit being wakefull sees thee and after chides thee for it sometimes thou art nodding in the creature but the Spirit wakes and jogges thee by secret calling on thee which if thou refusest to heare then he sayes little for the present but sends some afflictions to thee and if that do not do then he sends another and another every one sharper then the former and so makes thee heare to the purpose agine in the tenth place A river is reflective ye may see your selfe or shadowes in a river and by the Spirit you may see your self your face your souls your hearts your natures and affections the heart saith Salomon who knows it truly none but the Spirit and the Spirit dwelling in it therefore by the by Thou that sayest and complainest of a hard and sinfull heart sure it is the Spirit in thy heart that gives thee thus to see it and all its windings from God which are more then the doores of Solomons Temple Secondly it shows you your nature and corruptions which have more sinne in it then there is poison in the world sinne in nature is like an old running sore which cannot be stopped or if it be it breaks out again so sinne in nature stops pride and out comes covetousnesse stop that and out comes pride and prodigalitie stop up that and then back againe to old unwearied father worldling drunkennesse stopt does the like lust runs as long as it can in old filthy fornicators but when it is spent they turne to baudy talkers I have seen old carnall fellows laugh and wiker at their youthfull pranks in the feasts and Iunkets yea such as have had one foot in the grave poore miserable men did they know their own condition the reckoning they must give for every idle word and every sinfull action which Christ speaks in Matthew one thought one serious thought of that would strike us dead as Belshazzar that great King was at the hand-writing in the midst of his feast with his Nobles dinking healths in bowls of Gold his countenance fell his joynts loosened and his knees knockd one against another no more but remember this filthy sinner Thirdly it showes your affections and which way they stream and run a man by nature can never see how wide they run from God and Christ sometimes biasse drawn by a wife a child a husband sometimes by the world and the worlds pleasures profits which like two strumpets entises all not kept by Christ and as dangerously takes them as that strumpet Salomon acquaints the young man with and how her paths go down to hell Again by the Spirit you may see your name in the Lambes book your wedding robe and Supper with your rest and glory in the Throne of Christ O thou foolish man that spendest thy dayes in gazing up and down the world let me exhort thee to come hither for here 's an object worth the seeing and thou O Christian friend let me intreat thee also to looke into this river this clear and Christall river but stay a little me thinks I heare one say what is it to look into this river First it is not to look into your own light for that is blind and hath no reflection at all Secondly it is not to look with anothers light for that is as if you would look by anothers eyes but to be short if you would see this pure living river First come in Gods light to see and then ye shall see is it not a thousand better lights that will show you the greatest light a thousand candles cannot show the sunne nay a thousand torches nor a thousand starres cannot you must see him by his owne light or not at all but first look into this river by the light of God and then it will be a river of pleasure indeed unto thy soul all its streames will be pleasurable and glad thy very heart Psal 46.4 there is a river the streames thereof shall make glad the City of our God Yea all its turnings will delight thy soul Secondly Looke in this river by the light of Christ he is the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world and therefore called the light of lights Iohn 8.12 I that is the right way indeed if ye mean to see if men will neglect God and Christs light then let me tell them they shall never see they shall never finde this well of life this river of life let them look their eyes out let them look their lives out wise men have tryed wise men strived but Oh alasse in vaine for they could never find it but rather more were blinded The Father shewes us the Sonne and the Sonne shewes us the Father No man knowes the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne reveales him no man knowes the Sonne but the Father and he to whom the Father doth the like So likewise the Spirit shewes the Sonne Behold the Lambe of God so saith the Sonne Behold the River of God as in this text and all the world cannot shew us the Father but the Sonne nor all the world cannot shew us the Sonne but the Father Behold this day saith God have I begotten him nor all the world cannot shew us the Spirit nor the River of life the Well of life nor the Fountaine of life but the Sonne therefore saith Christ Buy of me eye salve that yee may see Rev. 3. last v. How blind was Bartholmew till Christ came and opened his eyes just so was thy soule and is thy soule without Christ I am the light
me no man can see the Father but by the Son and he to whom the Son doth reveal him And then he told me further that the father reveals the sonne and the sonne the father and both the spirit and the river by giving of it to the sonnes of men and so indeed he lead me up and down in a mis-maze for I had never in all my life before heard so much talk of revealing and I know not what of the father sonne and spirit and the river for so he called the spirit saying it was a pure clear and living river still talking of I know not how many lights and I never knew but of one here which rules the day So thought I what doth this man mean by his lights but he turned I know not how about to a light of God and a light and life of Christ or in Christ I think he called it saying it was the surest and safest and the sweetest the happiest best and blessedest life of all lives that the soul lived when it lived in God the fountaine of light and life endlesse light and endlesse life For indeed God is the life of our lives the root of our lives the fountain of our lives we live in our own element said he when we live in God and when we live out of him we pilgrime like wander up and down the world begging preservation of every poore creature which is a sad condition for a noble soul yea we bury our selves as in a grave of darknesse which few loves being nothing but wandering and rottennesse earth turning into earth but in one word I wind up all the river is the Spirit the eternall spirit of God by which he doth all in the world yea all his mighty works he binds Kings and looses Captives breaketh nations and binds them up again and as Kings and Nations private men and persons are bound and loosed comforted and wounded and all by this Spirit Oh then doth it concern all high low rich and poore to embrace this spirit for if ye slight him he can smite you wound you kill you and damne soul and body O then come and kisse this enlightning Sonne as David speaks of Christ in his second Psalm lest that he be angry it s said of this Sun that rules the day that it shall one day break forth in such flames of heat brightnesse that it shall scorch and burn up Mountains the spirit will do the same yea every man and woman in one way or other some in love most in dreadfull wrath and vengeance for neglecting and abusing the love grace and mercy which he once freely tendred them which they little minded being like the old world buying felling marrying all the time of Noahs arkes building yea untill the very flood came but then how did they run and tumble O me thinks I see the whole world shifting some to the hills others to the mountains some climbing trees and cedars and getting up to steeples whilst others wade to Noah yea beg and hang upon his Ark crying Noah Noah Noah for pitie take us in but he is secure and minds not all their skreeks and cryes nor their dolefull mourning for their drowned souls this he little minds for he is safe and his Ark arises by the mighty waters in the which he rides more and more steady the higher that they rise carying him at last over hils and mountaines and all kindes of dangers And now he sings this unto himselfe God hath safely housed me God hath safely kept me in a shelter from the raines which the black and melancholy heavens have weeped day and night for the sinnes of men till they were drowned with teares well Noah is yet safe the hangers on the Ark washt off screeks and cries over all swimme up and down the deluge Well the mighty waters doe beginne to beat and the heavens smile by clearing up againe Noah sends out his Dove shee soone returnes he againe doth the like she brings in an Olive branch an Emblem of peace to all in the Ark. Well this Ark is Christ and none there is but he that can safely shelter from all kinde of danger and yet this Ark is open and ready to receive all that will come in at the Spirits invitation but what if they doe not the Spirit will break forth in dreadfull flames of fire drying up the Seas and burning of the Mountaines none no not one escaping but those in the Ark. Well friend minde this Christ is the Ark the Spirit is the River God the Fountaine too of light life and glory shall all be neglected then thou art undone O unhuppy soul ill betide the time and cursed be the day that ever thou wast born Revel chap. 22.4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be written upon their foreheads O Christians from these words give mee leave to speake a little my thoughts for to you is this promise and if God give in the sweetnesse of it to you it will be as a little hony yea as a lick of that Manna which Christ will give to his Saints to feed on Revelations 2.17 And first these words they are a Promise of God to his people who are the persons to whom this Promise is made Secondly The Promise it selfe which is They shall see my face that is the thing O christian promised heare Thirdly For the time that is a comming they shall not yet but they shall from whence denote the certainty of it And truly friends if you did but consider this promise and the certainty of its accomplishment it would be like Moses little stick which did sweeten the bitter water which the Isralites could not drinke before he had throwne in his stick So I thinke it would sweeten any condition a Saint meets with in this world though never so bitter be thou sick be thou weake be thou poore for these conditions are they subject too as well as any therefore hath God made a thousand of such kinde of promises to his Saints to support them here Sometimes he tels them They shall drinke of the River of his pleasure and be abundantly satisfyed with the fatnes of his house Psa 36.8 A second Promise to them is this They shall eat of the Manna that is hid A third They shall see my face I will speake no more of them pray remember these three in all your troubles by faith feed your soules on them they will not onely comfort your hearts but consolate your troubled soules O they will make you well in sicknesse they will also make you rich in poverty they will make you feast in hunger they will make you sing in prison live in death yea triumph over death yea all kindes of death Christians you know this I know yee know it in some measure but what is the reason you doe not make use of these and such like Scripture sweet promises in the times of troubles You will say you
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
and Hebr. 9. And for the golden pot of Manna it was a clear type of Christ who is the true Manna and the bread that came downe from heaven to give life to the world as himselfe speaketh John 6. I am the bread of life saith Christ to the Jewes And for Aarons Rod that lay in this Arke of Shittim wood its blosomes did signifie the sweetnesse of the Gospel and the Glory of Christ and the fruitfulnesse of his Members who bud and blosome continually by his renewing grace Fourthly To this City the Tribes and all the People of God resorted at set times to worship and all the world to trade and trafique it had twelve Gates which were not to be shut day nor night which John alludes to in the 12. verse of this chapter Glorious things are spoken of this City on the wals of this City saith God have I set watchmen which shall never keep silence till Jerusalem be made the praise of the whole earth this is the city which David saith If I forget thee then let my right hand for get its cunning which was his musicall skill by which he charmed the Devill in Saul many a time And this was that city too which melted the heart of Christ to think of its ruine saying O Jerusalem Jerusalem with rouling bowels â—ights and teares O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that make for thy peace which now are hid from thine eyes For this Cities sake saith Isaiah will I not hold my tongue till Sion and Jerusalem be made the glory and praise of the whole Earth I shall speake no more of old Jerusalem the Type but of this new Jerusalem which is the Church and People of God But why is the Church of God called by the name of a City For three or four reasons which I will breifly hint at 1. It is compared to a city for numeration and the variety of this numeration 2. The Church of God is called a city for her visibility for she is not like a candle under a bushell but like a beakon on a hill 3. The Church of God may be called a city for her treasure and riches 4. It may be called a city for her peculiar priviledges which the Church of God hath from all the world like a city from your country townes and villages 5. In respect of her rivers your cities are fed and refreshed by some great river There is a river that the streames thereof shall refresh the City of God Psal 46. vers 5. And first Whereas it is compared to a city it denotes the Church of God are a great and numberlesse people as you cannot number the Inhabitants of a city no more nor lesse indeed can yee number the Church of God O saith God to Abraham In blessing I will blesse thee and multiply thee as the Starres in Heaven or the sands on the Sea shore so that if thou canst number them then shall thy seed be numbered Many shall come saith Christ from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham I sack and Jacob in the Kingdome of God Here is the variety of the Church some comming in from the East and some from the West which is the most remote place that can be and implies them to bee the greatest sinners for Idolatry and Heathenisme yet saith Christ many of these shall come from both places which denotes variety O the long wayes out wayes by wayes and many wayes that Christ brings sinners to this City or Fould which Christ speakes of to the Jewes saying I have other Sheep which I must bring into my Fould when they shall he are my voyce or whistle by my Spirit in their souls and so there shall be one sheep and one fould Christ commands and commissionates his disciples to go and preach the Gospell to every nation tongue and people and therefore saith Paul Iew and Gentile bond or free Scithian or Barbarian Christ is all and in all he hath all in his fould and so he is all to them And as he hath great number of these varieties so his church may well be called a numberlesse people and therefore saith Iohn I saw with the Lamb standing an hundred forty and four thousand besides a great number which no tongue could tell Well let us who were remote sinners not onely in respect of nature and gentilisme but in respect of parentage and families brought into the church of Christ one from popery and popish ignorance another from a cursed drunken and hellish family where God it may be never shined into one soul before he did into thine which mercy cals for as much thankfulnesse at your hands as ever Noahs Abrahams Lots Daniels O for God to appear to Abraham and enter into a covenant of life and peace and to single out Noah from the whole world and lead out Lot yea catch and carry out the lingering man to a Zoar and leave the rest for fire and brimstone did argue abundantly free grace Well friend doe not thou neglect to blesse God whilst thou hast any beeing for doing the like to thy soul by chusing and pulling thee out of sinne nature death and hell O saith Paul I have obtained mercy Secondly she may be compared to a city because of her visibility she is not like a candle under a bushel but as a fire a beacon on a hill your cities are spacious to the eye and so is the Church and shall be more and more for Christ now by his providence seemes to say arise and shine and shake thy self from the dust O captive daughter of Sion shew thy self and let the nations know thy strength power glory and greatnesse that they may be in love with thee and come in fall down and bow their neckes to thy sweet yoaks of obedience to Christ Thirdly the church of God is compared to a city for her treasure you know all the treasures of God are laid up in Christ as a store house to this city and every citizen hath as I may so say is the key of this storehouse by which he goeth and fetcheth out what treasure he will I mean the Spirit by which they may fetch out pardon peace righteousnesse yea any thing they need but still by the Spirit which is the key of David that shuts and no man opens that opens and no man shuts this Spirit saith Christ to his disciples shall take of mine and shew it unto you as Iohn 10. And this he doth to the whole church of God and truely you that know the Spirit knows he brings rich and costly things to your souls many times sometime pardon for sinne and them freely too which could not be bought out by tears and sorrows before he comes O saith the Spirit I have brought thee that for which thou weepest and mournest namely a pardon sealed in Christs blood and a crowne to purchast by Christs merits O sinner what thinkest thou of
dwell for ever as David speaks in another case Secondly a thing may be said to be new in respect of reparation God dwels with his people O when God shall new pollish his temple and repaire all the wants of his people may he not then be said to new make his temple yea his presence with them is the glory of them Thirdly Jerusalem may be said to be new comparatively comparing it with old Jerusalem that was defiled this washed that decay'd and withered this fresh and lovely even as Bride Fourthly Jerusalem may be said to be new in respect of the manifestation God gave to John he never saw this new Jerusalem till now old Jerusalem hee had seene againe and againe but this new and lovely City he never saw before and therefore it was new to him for he had never till now the full discovery of it I shall wind up these former lines by a word or two to what I apprehend and have said of this City this holy City new Ierusalem which Iohn saw comming down from God But some may say your lines would have been more advantages to the Saints and Servants of God if they had beene on some practicall point O christian precious Christian let me tell thee nothing in the world doth more divinely fire the spirits of holy Soules then a spirituall discourse of the holy God and the holy City O did the Earthly christian but minde this heavenly Ierusalem how would his low and base affections loosen from the creatures pleasures and profits hear below or did the ignorant christian but know this holy City new Ierasalem how sweetly would this knowledge feed his soule if he did indeed divinely know this Ierusalem his soule would feed on this knowledge yea it would feed his soul as with marrow and fatnesse And if the fainting christian did but minde this holy City and his eternall rest in it how would hee pluck up his spirits this would be like the hony that Ionathan licked on which did so much revive his spirits O the knowledge of this holy City new Ierusalem it would make the blind christian see yea see and say O Ierusalem Ierusalem the holy City the City of the great King who may be compared with thee for the glory of the Lord is in thee the glory of the Lord is on thee thy Sun shall never set thy day shall never end thy sorrows shall be no more thy joy shall be for ever And now come yee lame christian and leap for joy for the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe will be their God and dwell with them and by dwelling with them wipe away all teares from their eyes so as they shall never sorrow more and death shall be no more for the fountaine of life shall live with them nay with them doe I say it shall live in them and they shall live in it and by it and to it for ever and ever wherefore leap and dance O thou lame soul Truly friends I know no portion in Gods Word like this and that which followes which I shall point at by Gods assistance to raise and cheare christians all sorts of christians blind christians deafe and dumb christians O but how do you call christians deaf blind and dumbe how well enough if they doe not heare with joy these things I think they are deafe and if they doe not see with an eye of pleasure with an eye of joy these things are they not blind I am sure they are little better and if they doe not sing for joy are they not dumb O christian I say thou art dumb if thou do not come away and sing O but what shall I sing and how shall I sing O Ierusalem Ierusalem thy warfare is accomplished thy sorrowes are over thy enemies dead thy God and thy Father thy Husband thy Christ is alive and he lives for ever for ever for thee for ever with thee for ever to thee let this be thy Song and the burden of it free grace free grace be sure of that but now not knowing but some uncleane wretch may read these sweet lines who lives loves and wallowes in his sinnes I shall not speake many words but one word I would speak to such a one O poore soule goe and weep weep weep seas if it be possible that thou shouldst be still in thy filth thy blood and thy sinnes O poore and unhappy man as sure as the Lord lives if thou be not washed by Christs blood faith and repentance thou wilt be shut out of this city amongst Dogs Sorserers and Whoremongers and Lyers which thou mayest thinke mee harsh for telling of thee but read I pray and consider Revel 22.15 and there it is written with a Pen of Iron what I say which thou wilt one day finde the truth of it and then what wilt thou then doe but mourne mourne bitterly mourne because thou didst not when time was mourne for thy sinnes but please thy selfe with a bare name of a christian when indeed thou wert in thy heart an enemy to Christ and his people But fiftly It is called new Ierusalem because it so farre transcends old Ierusalem I shall hint something breifly 1. In respect of her Foundation 2 In respect of her Builders 3. Her Materials 4. In respect of her Wals and Gates 5. In respect of her Watchmen 6. Her Glory 7. Her Light 8. Her Safety 9. Her Inhabitants But first For her Foundation which was but a common Foundation but thine O new Ierusalem is a choyce and pretious Foundation Christ in thee is the Fonndation of thee Secondly Old Ierusalems Foundation was a decaying mouldering Foundation but thy Foundation O new Ierusalem is the Foundation indeed the sure Foundation the lasting Foundation yea the outlasting Foundation out lasting time and ages therefore he is called the rock of ages the rock out lasting ages all ages and generations past and to come Thirdly Ierusalems foundation was but a single foundation but thine O new Ierusalem is the foundation of all foundations twelve foundations are laid upon thee on which twelve thousand soules have built yea twelve thousand times twelve thousand which if they had not they had been ruind yea soul and body for ever O yee unbelieving and fearfull Saints did you know your rocke and safety if you did though the winds blow and stormes beat yet you will not feare Fourthly Thy foundation O Ierusalem was but of yesterday and to day it is raised but the ancient of dayes is thy foundation O new Ierusalem so that thy foundation was for time before all time past and is and shal be to all time to come yea and longer too the Angel swore time should be no more God hath sworne by himself that thou shouldst be for ever the foundation of Ierusalem above the mother of us all and what shall I say of it O foundation foundation of Gods own
Angels clothed with splendor from the God of glory And now what thinkst thou of it sinner if thou shouldst see a lovely Princes arayed and clothed in golden Tissue lac'd and trimm'd with Jewels it were a gallant sight but O alasse ten thousand of these were all but nothing to set off thy glory O arayed Saint by God and Christ in righteousnesse But when shall I have this glory saith the sinner quickly quickly Behold I come quickly Rev. 22.20 and will then give it thee and all that long for my appearance as Paul saith of his Crowne which he tels you is laid up for him and all that loves Christs appearance But thirdly I meane by Christs sweet knocks Christ telling thee of his Fathers counsell and purpose and of thy being wrapt up in this counsell and purpose of God like time between eternities O friend saith Christ my Father loved thee from all eternity and chose thee to him from all eternity a vessell for his own Glory Name and Fame that thou mights shew in ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace Ephes 4.5.6 O this must needs be sweet indeed for Christ to tell thee of a love before time and a love out lasting time yea all time and ages O when a sinner fits poring of this love in respect of person God the lover in respect of time before all worlds then saith he O Lord God what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and what am I but lesse then the least of all thy mercies as Iacob once said which was of old towards me And why me O Lord God a poore gentile sinner a runnagado sinner who had neither house nor home nor grace nor vertue but hell and sinne and cursed nature and yet thou lovest me more then all and chose me out of all my neighbours kindred house and family wherein were many sweet and many courteous many wise and many knowing but none but I chosen the youngest of them all the poorest of them all the sinfullest of them all yet I obtained mercy for his purpose sake O saith the sinner me thinks I even see how God rould me in his thoughts and all the sonnes of men too saying this shall be a vessell and this shall be a vessell and this shall be another but these I will not use throwing millions by which were as like as any if he had pleased to use them to set his mercy off but he refused both mighty ones and many and chose a little remnant of which my soule was one to set his love upon which hath no height nor depth but over-spreadeth all and leaves no roome to think the ground or reasons of it but onely free-grace which makes the soule still wonder and leaves him at a lost why he should be the man to be exalted so above his fellow creatures which are alike unto himselfe but for free graces sake which onely lookt on him and made him what he is which makes him stud and still to say it is God alone doth all according to his purpose But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting thee with himselfe First In respect of his love which thou art by nature more ignorant of then ever Iosephs Brethren were of him who eate and drunke with him but knew him not to be their Brother till teares and bowels said it was he whom they unkindly sold The sinner doth the like full many a time by Christ when he comes to the heart and tels them of his dreames as Ioseph did his Brethren how they must bow to him and eke submit their soules unto his yoaks of love his sweet and just commands which thing they cannot away with but huncht him for his newes by greiving of his Spirit but Christ now makes a famine by wants and straights and knocks and brings them down by need to save their hungry soules which now doe see the need of Christ his love and righteousnesse which he cannot hide from them but by his sweet knocks acquaints them with his love himselfe like Ioseph with his bowels And in respect of his love which was and is beyond all loves Greater love saith Christ to the sinner hath no man then this to lay downe his life for his friend but mine is greater O unkind sinner an enemy to me who loved thee in thy blood and loved thee in thy sinne and hid thee from displeasure which thou once laidst liable too till I in love did free thee but this thou little mindest nor all my loves for many yeares together in hunger cold and wants in life in death still for thy sake And thus Christ acquaints the soule with his love by his sweet knocks and wider opens the sinners bowels then ever Joseph did his Brethren But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting the soule with his lovelinesse as well as of his love which washed us from our sinnes in his blood Revel 1. v. 5. O saith Christ sweetly knocking at the sinners doore in a woing way Sinner sinner behold me behold me my locks are wet with the dew of the night Cant. 5.1 How long shall I knock and stand for pitty let me in I am the rose of Sharon the sweetest of ten thousand the Lilly of the vallies the fairest of ten thousand How canst thou chose but love me sinner Behold me behold me with the Crowne that my Father crowned me Proverbs And now for my own sake sinner with my crowne and glory let me in I am the fairest I am the sweetest that ever will come woing to thee how canst thou thus deny me O thou hard hearted sinner that ever I met with to stand me out so long who am the rose the lilly and starre of heaven too which twinkles day and night and darkens Sun and Moone which cannot come neere unto me I am so farre excelling for beauty light and luster and yet still undervalued by thee O proud and scorning sinner But yet behold me once againe and if thou canst deny me I will never try thee more nor shall my spirits strive with thee when as it is in vain and thus Christ acquaints the sinner of his lovelines by his sweet knocks But thirdly Christ acquaintes the sinner with his union O saith Christ I am Adam too yea flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone thy brother sister husband friend and father Matth. 12.48 49. Wilt thou deny all these relations and fall below nature then farewell sinner but I am still the same and cannot yet deny my self in no respect to thee O strange unkind and forgetfull sinner of me thy husband head and vine in whom thou livest as in thy root when once thou knowest these sweet relations which are more strong then death and sweeter too then sugred wines the honey or the honey-comb yea and the rose of Sharon the sweetest in the world But what my union is for sweetnesse it is for time and length and this I
is he that readeth and he that heareth But I come to the words and will open them or at least will hint something from them according to my weake and glimmering light And first We have the rise of this River and that is the Throne of God and of the Lambe which I conceive to be his own everlasting glory in which he dwels and lives or otherwise the glorious union of the divine nature which sets up one another as a Throne a Prince the Father sets up the Sonne the Sonne reveales the Father the Spirit sets up and is sent forth by both which is the River Secondly For the nature of this River It is pure He shewed me a pure river of water so saith David With thee is the well of life so pure this River is pure pure indeed First In its nature and rise it proceeded from the pure fountaine of Gods Glory or the Throne of God and the Lambe and so it is pure for nature Secondly It is pure for operation it purifieth where it runneth and so it is like the refiners fire and fullers sope purifying the sonnes of Levi which is by washing them in the blood of Christ and leading them in and by the commands of Christ Thirdly It is cleare yea so cleare as it cannot be compared to any thing but the Chrystall O the Chrystall stone it is the clearest of all stones Diamonds are darke and cloudy many but the Christall stone it is the clearest of all you may see through and through it so cleare is this River you may see through and through all eternities by it from eternity to eternity and mystery to mystery Christ in earth Christ in glory Christ in flesh Christ in spirit and all cleare We with open face behold the glory of God as in a glasse and are changed from glory to glory but by the spirit of the Lord the River from the Throne Fourthly He shewed me a pure river of life I that is the well of life saith David 36.8 Here is the excellency of this river it is a living river and a life-giving river so saith Christ He that shall drinke of this water that I shall give him meaning this river shall never thirst againe but shall have a living satisfaction in it and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water O the worth of this living river this life-giving river endlesse life and glory Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God so may I say of thee O River of God whose streames refresh the City of God Psal 46.4 Well I know yee perceive by this what this river this living river so pure and cleare as Christall flowing from the Throne of God and the Lambe as proceeding from both sent forth by both to water the Paradice of God yea every plant and tree especially those that want most Well are you satisfied what this river means that John tells you is so pure so clear I beleeve you are but take this Scripture too however John 7. v. 37. in the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood up saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water and this spake he of the Spirit which they should receive beleeving in him Hearken O heavens heare O earth give eare O ye inhabitants of the world O what a proclamation is here for you from a sweet and bountifull Christ to a poore and thirsty sinner what the river of life to any one high low rich poor yong old bond free yea any one that will come by beleeving O free O bountifull Christ inviting sinners to a river yea a living river to drinke their fils and yet a drop is more worth then ten thousand rivers of oyle yea the oyle of spices yea the sweetest spices O christian friend here is the well of life indeed here is the fountaine of life indeed here is the river of pleasure I and the sweetest pleasure too lies in this streame for it is the river of life endlesse endlesse life and glory And heare now O ye sons of men how loudly Christ calls poore sinners to come to this Chrystall river in the Scriptures before John saith Christ stood up in the midst of the feast upon the great day where multitudes were gathered and cried out with a loud voice saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink O sweet Saviour of sinners how doest thou scatter life and pardon to all by standing up and proclaiming loudly a river of life to all thoughts of graces and bounty are free so saith Davids Psalm Free indeed when unto all and see the like proclamation Revel 22. v. 17. the 〈◊〉 of God and Christ the heavenly Jerusalem the misery of soules being spoken of by John that are shut out of this glory A proclamation is again made supposing upon the former considerations carelesse sinners will mind their eternall happinesse being concerned 〈◊〉 Well the Spirit and the Bride saith come and let him 〈◊〉 beareth say come and whosoever is a thirst let him come and take the water of life freely freely O friends mee thinks this proclamation cries room room expecting as it were the whole world would now follow Christ for this water of life the river of life and yet where is the man that stirres if a Prince should ride a circuit with an Herald and make a proclamation of lands and livings to all that would accept them How O how then would all men run and tumble O friends Christ proclaimes both lands and livings jewels crowns and kingdomes nay more ten thousand times more a river of life and glory and men will scarcely stirre arise arise sots and heare if you be not deaf and cannot O the Spirit invites and bids you come too the eternall Spirit of God one with God the third person in the Trinity of God shall this eternall Spirit of God one with God comming down from God inviting you in the name of God and for your own soules sake to accept of this river of God sent forth by God for the glory of God shall this invitation he slighted O must not this be a high contempt of God and a great afront to the Spirit of God sent to thee by God so to be slighted O thou slighting carelesse foolish sinner Sinner this contempt of the Spirits invitation may cost thee thy soule thy soule I say thy everliving soule if thou dost not quickly minde it Secondly the Bride bids you come the Lambs wife the Spouse of Christ united to Christ being married with Christ by the Spirit of Christ in faith divine love and sweet obedience to Christ O she hath drunk of this river well may she say come all that will come come she knowes by experience this to be the river of life and pleasure and therefore she saith come away come away or else you die you die and now O every one
that will come come Christ loudly calls you and the Spirit still invites you and the Bride would faine perswade you from her own experience that she hath of this river why will you not then come away and take the water of life you may have it if you will now take it freely so saith the Bride and the Spirit And now friends ye see what this river is how freely you may have it yea you I meane the worst of sinners come away then come away and drinke abundantly come I say for the name of God come and drink For the name of God what is that His goodnesse and his kindnesse his unchangeable goodnesse his transcendent goodnesse his infinite goodnesse O for this his goodnesse sake come and drink for the name of Christ come and drinke For the name of Christ what is that His love his love his bleeding love his dying love his living love his eternall love O for Christ his loves sake sinners come away for the name and sake of the Spirit come and drink The name of the Spirit what is that His freeing name his sealing name his comforting sweet name his leading name his pleading name sake come away O sinner in the name of God and for the sake of God Christ and the Spirit come and drinke O sinner I should invite thee too for thine own soules sake but what is that to God Christ and the Spirits sake but stay me thinks I heare one say what is it to drinke of this river of life First it is to delight your selves in it yea drinke for delight as well as for thirst O then ye sonnes of men why will ye not come hither that your soules might be delighted with draughts of living water Secondly yea drinke to quench your thirst O come and quench your thirst in this pleasant river yea quench all kinds of thirst in your soules your thirsts for profits pleasures and contents come quench them here for here you may and no where else men who have runne to creatures to quench their thirsty soules have found them all a lie and so will you too who run and call for creature waters to quench their feverish soules Thirdly ye drink to coole your selves come hither drinke drinke and then ye shall lay all your heates your worldly heates your lustfull heates your sinfull heats O thou laborious Worldling thy bottle will be empty what shall thy soul then do when death like night comes on thee I say what will you doe O me thinks I heare thee even crying out drink drink or else I die I die Why doe you not give me drink but let me thus lye burning and dying too for thirst of that which once was freely offered to mee but now cannot be bought with prayers teares nor cryes nor all my worldly riches which I once overvalued and thirsted after more then God Christ or heaven have you never heard dying worldlings thus complain surely you have why doe you not that are alive and living come then unto this river and drink of this same water and thee I would too who art heated with lust with burning lust of uncleannesse pride passion and such like fiery distempers burning in thy soul as if hell fire was already kindled in thee O friends those lusts which lye so secret smothering in thy soule will one day breake forth into dreadfull flames burning round about thee Have you never seen a dying sinner dispairing of mercy lie in the midst of these flames burning and dispairing and no friend able to bring him any comfort no not in the least Againe ye drink for comfort to comfort your hearts but poore hearts know this there is no true comfort but in God Christ and the river and unlesse you come to this river of pleasure this soul-comforting water of life ye shall live comfortlesse ye shall die comfortlesse and be damnd for want of it God hath decreed true comfort shall be no where but in himself his Son and river John 15.26 ye know Christ promised his Disciples a comforter and what was that Comforter I pray but the Spirit and the river mentioned O me thinks I might perswade you to this river a drop a drop of it will sweeten any condition art thou poore sick weak what aylest thou man take a drop take a drop of this river I will warrant you comfort but here I would invite and not discourage for a world such poor Christians that are heated with temptations and corruptions that they goe mourning and sighing by reason hereof and Satans temptations filling them with feares and doubts that they cry out like David O I shall one day perish by corruption and temptation such a corruption sayes one and such a corruption sayes another me thinks they grow stronger and stronger and I feare at last will be my ruine O my friend let me tell thee two things and doe thou remember them First no soule is damnd for the presence of sin but for the love of sin marke me I say it is not the presence of sin but the love of sin that damns My second word is this to thee O complaining sinner sinne flutters most when it hath its deaths wound as soon as Christs comes into our hearts he wounds sinne to the heart as I may so say by giving a sight of it a dislike and hatred to it Well thus Christ wounds sinne and it may be now sinne like some fowle whose necke is broken beats the wing and flutters as if it were alive well so doth sinne whose neck Christ hath broken in the soule beates the wing and fluters keepes more sputter now then ever Well friend remember these sputterings are the death pangs of sinne I the death pangs and be but patient thou shalt plainly see them to be no otherwise and therefore doe not fill thy heart with feares of ruine for it shall never be for thou like David shalt overcome Saul thine enemy I meane corruption but in the meane time come away to the river drinke drinke and it will strengthen thee and coole thee O but now me thinks I heare some soule say I would drinke with all my heart but I am an unworthy poore sinner O friend the more poore the more worthy to Christ art thou poore then goe to Christs doore he feeds the poore but the rich he sends empty away Againe Thou art unworthy What dost thou meane by unworthy Thou seest no reason why Christ should give thee the water of life nor the Spirit I beleeve thou dost not I verily beleeve thou art unworty in thy self and cannot see any reason why Christ should give thee the water of life But Friend know there is a worthynesse in Christ and so thou mayst be worthy or any poore sinner who layes hold on Christs worthynesse and so goes to the Father in the worthynesse of the Son for the water of life and the river But to be plaine with thee thou art indeed a proud
sinner thou art proud I say and art ashamed to have this water of life on Christs owne termes freely but wouldst faine buy the river by a worthynesse in thy selfe O let me see thee let me see thy face ô covetous man What wouldst thou buy Christs purchase over his head that is the plaine english of it get thee gone O proud sinner and come againe beggar-like with a Bottle and a Dish that is a a poore empty and unworthy soule this is the way man if thou meanst to speed for truly I think for a sinner to bring any thing of his own worthynesse to God and Christ is as great a sinne as thou canst commit this is an affronting sinne it affronts God and Christ as if they were sellers of the water of life which they can as freely give to a thirsty soule as raine to the thirsty ground What cost or charge or labour is it for God to raine downe showers to water the earth when it lyes gaping for it I say it is no charge or labour to God who hath his clouds and bottles full and a word from God and they straight shower down and doe not give over till they have satisfied the dry ground so truly can and will God raine down this water of life to a poore and thirsty soule gaping for it When the poore and needy cry for water and there is none I the Lord will heare Isaiah 41. But againe I say as at first this is an affront to God and Christ to bring any thing for a paile yea a soule full of the water of life it is the high-way to overturne his free grace which God will have exalted above the heavens and that it might be known in the earth he freely sent yea gave his Sonne unsought uncravd and will he sell the river thinke you that is purchased by his Sonne doe not thinke so it overturnes the glory of his free grace freely offered unto all that freely will accept it and this was Gods designe to make his glory known unto the sons of men which they have little minded I say the designe of God from all eternity was to set up his name his free grace in giving Christ the bread of life and the Spirit the water of life freely to the sonnes of men Iohn 6.48.32.33 and 48.9.10 Iohn 4.20.21 Iohn 7.37 O God delights to make all his attributes known his Justice Power Wisdome But the glory of his grace freely giving Christ and the Spirit This is that which especially he would have exalted in the world and the sonnes of men admire him in God would be admired for his bounty to give so like himselfe a Christ a River of life freely I say God thinks not much to give all this for the magnifying of his free grace that his bounty and himselfe might be admired and we the sonnes of men cry out and say who who is a God like unto thee that pardons iniquity by forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne giving life Christ and the Spirit freely Now I say this was Gods designe Before all worlds and for this designes sake even the glory of his grace Iohn 3. v. 16. he gives his Sonne and Spirit freely Now when a Soul will not come to God nor accept of God his Sonne the Spirit freely but would bring some kind of worthynesse for his Sonne and river thou overturnest this grace shearly overturnest it O what a fearfull thing is this to buy Christs river I tell thee thou buying Christian Christ will not sell one drop for Iewels Gold nor Silver for he bought to give and thou talkst of buying by so much repentance tears and I know not what O but now me thinks I heare some poore soule say I see no worthynesse in my selfe neither looke I after a worthynesse or expect to have a drop of the river of life for any worthynesse of my owne I loath my selfe and condemne my selfe for I finde my selfe wholly carnall fold under sinne and in the selfe condemning way have I like a Beggar waited at Christs doore for the bread and water of life praying and craving Christ for it night and day but I am still unserved and yet I see thousands served who have not waited half so long as I. Well friend Beggers must be so served that they may learne how to wait if you give a Beggar he like a Fidler straight is gone and many have served Christ so sometimes for a creature comfort for a supply of helpe in time of need for a wife for a childe sometimes given by Christ sometimes spared by Christ from death in sicknesse which as soon as Christ hath given them they straight runne away and scarce say I thank you Christ but runne straight away till they know not what to doe for another such like Almes and Friend many serve Christ so for the river of life O they would faine have the water of life and are night and day at Christs doore by prayers sermons c. When Christ hath once served them with a prettie deale of assurance about the river and their soules these beggars straight are gone away into the worlds cares and pleasures where Christ heares no more of them for the river nor nothing else a long time after but this Christ takes very unkindly from them that they should as soon as ever their own turn is served by Christ come no more at Christ till some great necessitie even drives them and it may be Christ sees thee that thou wouldst serve him so too and therefore makes thee wait a little a little do you call it when I have waited whilst many have been served and some that I know very well but I am still unserved Wel friend do not be angry if Christ makes the last first the first last by this they all learn to wait Christs leasure which is a lesson he wil teach his poore who beg for the bread of life the river of life and such things I say he will learne them all I all to wait his leasure first or last But stay my friend it may be thou art served already I have seen beggars well served and yet begging presently after as if they were starved it may be thou doest do so about the river let me ask thee one question and answer me truely have you never had no bread nor water from Christ at no time Yes I must confesse the truth and will seeing you put me to it I was one time very earnestly begging in my closet all alone by prayer and then Christ indeed gave me a good draught of the water of life the bread of life I mean the Spirit which satisfied me for two or three dayes and made my heart very lightsom and chearfull And I will tell you of another time when I was at a sermon where I got a sup and a bit too for he was speaking how freely Christ did give poore sinners the river of life the well of life the
it is stronger then all sinne death men or devils and as long as strong it was from eternitie to eternitie from eternitie intentionally to all eternitie reallie but it is more sweet saith the Spirit then strong or long O the sweetnesse of all unions is but glimpse of this union What is the Father to the Son the husband to the wife but a shadow of Christ to the Soul yea all relations with all the sweetnesse of them and all the sweetnesse in them is but as a drop to this ocean of sweetnesse Christs union with the Saints Fourthly the usefullnesse of Christ to the Soul without me saith Christ ye can do nothing to his Disciples Christ is all in the Soul and all to the Soul A Christian can neither do nor suffer any thing but by Christ by him he can want and abound ye doe all things as Paul speaks through Christ that strengthens him Any work is hard for a Christian in his own strength a difficult work is nothing when the strength of Christ comes in O in his strength will a little David grapple with Goliah and foil him too But as he is strength to the Saints so is he all indeed to them yea all they stand in need of him to be he is a righteousnesse to cover them and an interceder to the Father for them yea what shal I say more he is an everliving faithful high Priest yea our King and Captain our ark where we may safely ride when a world lies round destroyed O Christ O Christ what shall I say of thee our ark our pillar our cloude by day our pillar by night our rock and shadow in a weary land our life our all in all and at all times Fiftly it showes us our advantage by Christ we are justified by his blood wee are sanctified by his spirit and saved by his merit O the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin which the blood of buls and goats could never doe as the Apostle speakes Does Satan lay sin to your charge tell him thou art justified by Christ doth he lay great sins to thee tell him Christ justifieth from all sins of all kinds great and small yea tell him thou art no sinner at all neither doth the father look upon thee as one in his Sons righteousnesse Truely when a poor soule is carried by his power thus to argue with Satan we winde him as a man doth a childe but else he binds and locks us up in bondage fears and darknesse that our very soules are restlesse day and night being filled with doubts and his accusements he is therefore called the accuser of the brethren he accuseth God to man and man to God envying both Sixtly our glory with Christ And first the certainty of it Secondly the greatnesse O saith the Spirit thy glory is sure it s laid and kept too for thy comming but as it is sure and safe laid up by Christ so it is full and large and therefore called by Paul a weight of glory Here we many times admire the light painted shadowes of glory and forget the true substance God hath laid up for us in his Son and heavens Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither ever entred into the heart of man to conceive saith Paul what God hath laid up for us Eye hath not seen sure the eye hath seen Solomons glory yea all the gloryes of this world too O saith Paul that is nothing these things are nothing but painted shadowes and butterflies after which the fooles of this world runs like little children and for the eare too what hath that heard surely of all that hath been true and as much more too by reports of fained gods and glories in the Poets lying stories but were all these things true yet God hath laid up more glorie for the poorest Saints that walks in rags then all that they have wrought thou heard or thought no thou canst not think saith Paul nor no man living what God hath laid up for them that fear him Surely men might fancie more then hath been seen or heard Well saith Paul fancy all that this world hath seen or heard yea fancie another world too with as many joyes and pleasures of this world as griefs and sorrows yet all short and nothing O Christian little doest thou think and lesse the world what God hath laid up in store for thee and all his servants Fifthly a river is advantagious and usefull so is the Spirit it helps our infirmities wee know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit helpeth us with groanes which cannot be uttered O the Spirits groanings in us are powerfull prayers before God for us the promises are made to the Spirit praying in us and indeed those requests we are denyed of God are not from the Spirit but from flesh and blood and therefore it is that they are lost for the most part but the Spirit who knowes the minde of God never drawes forth a Christian to aske any thing but what is according to the minde of God and this he cannot but grant But thou complainest thou art an ignorant soule true the naturall man knows nothing but the spirituall new man in the naturall man knows all things yea the deep things of God as the Apostle speaks a naturall man is said to be a dead man every where in Scripture and the dead saith Solomon knowes nothing hee knowes not he lyes in the grave of sinne and corruption mouldering as it were into dust call him to come forth from wormes and putrifaction yet he stirres not at all even so the naturall man tell him his condition he believes it not call him to come forth of the grave of nature sinne and death he stirres not nor indeed cannot he is bound up so by the power of the Devil sinne and darknesse Sixthly a river runnes silently and makes little or no noise at all have you never found the Spirit running in a Sermon at a praier in a conference but especially in a meditation with little noise it sweetly turning thy very blood in thy veins making thy heart as it were to wamble I know you have many times Truly when this river runnes trickling up and down the Soul making little noise in the Soul yea dipping and diving of her in Divine delights which many talking Christians are ignorant of Seventhly a river is deep so is the Spirit in its discoveries He discovers the deep things of God and Christ and the Gospel which others cannot reach nor fathom by wit nor Learning no it is out of their element I have heard as wise able men at least so counted and are so sure in civill things in lattine Law or Fathers speaking of this river and the nature of it but as much out of the way as any blind man ever was without his guide The maskd man turns and winds but still beside the way the Sinner does the like following carnall reason to find out Christ and
seen the shore again lesse if less could be did your souls think to have seen this day which now you see what I can do and bring about that you might prize my face at last But in the fourth place whereas God doth promise they shall see his face It doth imply that great reward by which he will reward his servants that serve him so that Christians doe not fight as if there was no crown nor worke as if no wages O saith Paul I have fought the good fight I have finished the course and henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of life and not for me onely but for all that love his appearance too And therefore Christian be thou faithfull unto the death and thou shalt have the Crowne of life Revel 2.10 Where Christ promised it unto thee for the incouraging of thee Christminded his owne glorie and so maiest thou as well as Moses see Christ speaks of it yea demands the Crown John 16.1 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now glorifie thy sonne or reward thy son and then it is said I have glorified thee and I will glorifie thee O Friends you are now glorified as you sit by your union with Christ in the glorie of God which shineth round the heavens and makes them to be heavens indeed wel friends this is the glorie into which you must be taken to behold his face and then will not this be a reward a full reward ineeed tenne thousand times beyond all your doings and all your sufferings yea equall unto Christ his merits and to thine hearts desire a Saints desire is to see God and enjoy God nothing doth a Saint desire in comparison of that with our souls have we desired thee saith the Prophet Isaiah yea and this is the desire of every soul everie gracious soul O when the sense of Gods eternall love glorie sweetnesse lies boiling in it how strong doth the desire rise O friends no desire under heaven rises and heaves so like to mighty waters in the Soul as this desire when the sense of Gods love and glorie lies boiling in it and the mightie Spirit stirring of it thunders do not more shake the cloudie aire nor earthquakes move the dungie earth then these desires the soul of man when it is strongly rocking there O saith Moses shew me thy face or glorie while his soul was filled with the sense of it he would fain see it though he died the death for it but God spares Moses his life by hiding him and his glory for the present well-knowing Moses was lesse able for to see this glorie which he requests he might then we to see the Sunne through and through but shall Moses never see this glorie therefore because of weaknesse yes yes he shall he doth he now sees it and so shalt thou O happy Christian ere it be long what was it that took Peter when he had a glimpse of Moses on the Mount but the beames of this glory sparkling on his back like glittering suns and starres Well friends you wish and would but time shall passe and time shall come and you enjoy the thing you wish crave and often breatheth after namely that glory that Moses then appeared in namely on the mount well you shall I say you shall as sure as the Lord lives have it one day have it and be cloathed by it as with a garment down to the ground like the white robe Rev. 19.14 and then like Moses will your appearance be as cloathed with twinkling stars from Phoebus beames And now hearken O heavens and give ear O earth earth earth with all that dwells therin high low rich poor how God will glorifie his Son and his Son his Saints to their hearts desire with men and Angels admirations and astonishments too Well may David say O Lord I have none in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee nay Lord in comparison of thee I scorn crowns and kingdoms yea ten thousand tuns of Jewels marke none in heaven nor in earth saith a David in comparison of thee and thus God rewards a Saint according to his hearts desire when he promiseth to show his face unto them O this reward will make amends for all for all your sufferings for all your sorrows and now in the hopes of this raise your selves your souls in all your troubles and castings down and indeed nothing but this consideration will do it to any purpose for if by the losse of one creature you raise your selves by another What will you then do when all creature-comforts shall be taken away from you which God at first or last will surely doe And then what will ye then do ye all of you whose hearts are bound up in the creatures and things of this life But mourne mourn bitterly like Babylon crying alas alas Revel 18.10 How in one day have I lost all my hopes my creature comforts my friends my children my wife and husband my life and soul and Christ more worth then all ten thousand times over and over againe O unhappy man that I am O unhappy soul how wast thou deluded how was I deceived to think my self happy in a few dying creature-enjoyments O my bewitched soul who deluded thee who deceived thee time was thou heardst of God and Christ and hadst thou then minded him and served him as thou didst thy King thy lust and pleasures hee would not now have left thee as dying Wolsey once said that great Cardinall in his dispaire and horror But thou O precious Christian whose heart and hopes are placed in God shall dying say my hopes my heart and expectation lives for it was not here nor here below in dying things but a living Christ and now my soule shall live with him and because he lives I shall live also John 14.19 ye live in his presence live in his sight and now my soule my happy soule tell thou the world thy friends all that mournes for thy departure thy life thy life for which they mourne its sure and safe it s hid with God in Christ our lives are hid with God in Christ and when he shall appear we shall appear with him also as the Apostle speaks John 1.3.2 O glorious day O day of dayes unthought unminded by most of men now it appears not what we are but then it shall when the dust of this body more precious then the seed of stars and jewels shall be gathered and be carefully picked up by Angels sent forth by Christ from all the winds for that same purpose then my life was hid but now it is found where first it was in God and Christ in my own root and that to my dear souls content and therefore let me go to my home to my father to my husband to my God to my Christ and to my brethren for sure I shall be welcome as Jacob was to Joseph Welcome
for her husband but what is their grief or loss to thine unhappie sinner thou hast lost a father indeed or at least one that would have beene a Father to thee when time was in Iesus Christ yea a sweet and loving Father for them that have found him have found him so to be yea a Father as farr excelling all relations and Fathers too for sweetness as the universall sweetness does the single Pink. Men may talk of losses by wife and children husbands friends and Parents but all is nothing unto thine O unhappie sinner they have lost pebbles but thou hast lost a Iewell yea a God as farre excelling Iewels Crowns and Kingdomes as they for lustre beautie worth and sweetness love and lovelinesse excell straw and stubble chaffe and vanity Yea and lost it too for nothing which must needs cut the soul and split thy Spirit too when it thinks on it O saith a poore Soul I have lost the heaven of heavens for dust and ashes a few dying creatures saith the worlding and I too saith the wanton for my Dalilah this or that sinne which at the last betrayed me Iudas-like in-into mine enemies hands death hell and Devils where I must lie yea weep and wail and see no God no hope no help nor pity for millions of yeares as that young man the Apothecarie once said to his servant in his despair and horrour And if then too there were but any hopes to see God at last it would be some comfort but this everlasting departure and never seeing more is a hell to hell and a hell in hell to think upon which every carelesse sinner will one day find though he now makes a ship of God and thinks there is no danger of finding him or at least finding him when he needs he is so mercifull that if he crie but Lord Lord in a dying houre God is so near and mercifull that he will be straight found I will not lessen his mercie and say absolutely thou shalt not but friend let me tell thee thousands and ten thousands have found it otherwise witnesse Francis Spira and those despairing Sinners which thou seest daily dying so which would give a thousand worlds might they live a little longer O saith one in his burning feaver would I could live to see God a reconciled God in the face of Iesus Christ I would be contented to lie a thousand yeares in this Feaver and I too saith another in this Gout and I too saith a third with his bowells twisted in his belly which pains are all intollerable yet all would fain live in them to find a God before they die O foolish man O foolish sinner what shall I like thee unto but unto that simple man that built his house upon the sands of peradventure I hope and thinke to finde God when I die for all these Puritans be so stritkt though I take my pleasure and live in my sinnes and doe as my neighbours Mr. Custome and the rest well friend I will take thee at thy word peradventure thou mayst But wilt thou venture thy soule thy deare and pretious soul upon a peradventure O foolish sinner hast thou ever another soule to save if this miscarry dost not thou lose all and for a peradventure which may take and yet it is a thousand to one if it doth But with this parable before mētioned I shal conclude now for thy souls sake hearken to me whoever thou art that readest these lines this little book mind me for it is a truth and shall be so when thou and I am rotten that Christ is the rock yea the rock of ages and whoever builds on him shall stand yea stand and stand firme when the windes blow and whistle and raines fall like hailstones driven by the winde and the stormes beat yet thou shalt stand and stand firme in all these stormes and troubles and afflictions and temptations yea in death and judgement too shalt thou stand where millions yea and millious too shall fall whilst thou stands firme on thy rock Christ thy sure foundation and see the face of God too for thy comfort after all these stormes like the Sunne after an April shower or a haven after many weary leagues by day and night like Paul upon the Seas of Creet Acts 28.38 But how thou must build upon this rock know and let all the world know it is by the mighty power of faith wrought in the heart by the eternall Spirit of the mighty God and not by the workes which we doe or can doe by all created power Here followeth a briefe Exhortation which I gave in my owne house at my wifes Funerall to our friends then present FRiends and Neighbours I am beholding to you all for your love and loving presence at this time I have one request to you yea all of you which I hope no one will be offended at It is to joyn with me to speake a word to God after a word to you and to my owne heart which if I know It is not through pride nor any self-seeking end and could this Corps have beene conveniently longer kept I would have had Mr. Sedgwick whom she loved heard and profited by to have preached her Funerall Sermon But seeing it is as it is and my self am more concernd in this then all the world I take leave from you without any more request to you hoping you will take my meaning to be good where my expressions are short and broken for I had neither time nor a quiet mind but a few houres meditation last night when want of sleep had much besotted me But what improvement shall we now make by this my wife your sister friend and harmlesse neighbour Anne Blakes death And to improve it First see what is your end a grave a coffin wil house you all O call in then your thoughts your wide and wandring thoughts and mind your change with seriousness before it comes which will not be long you may be confident Secondly see what you yea all of you must part with at first or last your friends your nearest dearest sweetest friends your sons and daughters your wives and husbands O this grave and death will have them all which once I little minded but now I must and cannot but mind this death this cruell death which hath so haunted me and will doe you ere it be long but I hope he will not be so quick with none of you a sonne a daughter a loving wife in six weeks space O nimble quick cruell death how hast thou stolen my nearest sweet and dearest comforts Odeath where hadst thou this full and large Commission Was it given thee by chance O no I know it was not thou canst not take by that Commission a bird a sparrow much less a daughter sonne and wife O death this Commission it was from the Lord for he gives and takes Iob the first The Lord gives and the Lord takes and blessed be his name O
A Little STREAM OF DIVINE Sweetness FROM The Living Fountaine for the Paradice of God LONDON Printed by G.D. sould by Tho Brewster and Greg Moule at the three Bibles in Pauls Church-yard neer the West end 1650. THE subject and occasion of this little Treatise fainting in the wildernesse of affliction I went to these Scriptures for recovery and on them spent some few meditations which I recommend unto the dead and livings view as vsefull unto both Rev. 3.21 To him that over comes will I give to sit with me in my Throns even as I overcame and am set with my Father in his Throne Rev. 21.2 And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem come down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband Rev. 3.2 Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man heare my voyce and open I will come in and sup with him Rev. 22.1 And he shewed me a pure River of water of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lambe Rev. 22.4 And they shall see my face and his name shall be on their foreheads Doe not look but read and for what you profit let God have all the glory for to your sinfull friend there is none at all due To the right honourable his Excellency THO. Lord FAIRFAX Captain generall of all the forces in England and Wales c. NOble captain Generall will your Excellency once give leave to I dare scarce say what yet I beg as on my bended knee for the Spirits sake leave to shelter these few lines under your greatnesse hoping you will peruse them in a leasure houre not but that your breast hath sweeter things in it in which ye delight your selfe more then in all your victories pomps glory greatnesse which you are crowned with and admired for by all men good bad but the reason why I take this boldnesse is to present my thankfulnesse for your unwearied marches round about this kingdome in all houres and seasons I say for this and your many brave bold gallant charges where Cannons playd like thunder and bullets flew like Haile-stones driven by the winde such was that at Maid-stone and divers more besides but in these Christ did ever keep you with his life-guard of Angels and now hath brought you home from the fields of deadly slaughter to refresh your greatnesse now good men will bring presents or at least their thankfulnes as well as bad men court you for their owne advantage both the former I would doe as well as I can will your Excellency so take it my thankfulnesse it is and a present too like a glasse of Nectar from the Spirits breathings drinke it up my Lord for sure it will refresh you I know you may refuse it expecting the sonnes of Levi should all bring in their flagons full of rich and choycer liquor but they are many of them angry I cannot tell the reason why good men should be so unlesse they are weak and froward and know not what they would have but yet I think you value not the ingratitude of men knowing your reward is with your Lord and Master Christ the King of kings who will one day set you in his throne and glory for you have overcome you my Lord Tho. Fairfax have foyld and spoyld all yea all the mighty ones that have risen against us yea you I say with your gallant Champions have bravely done the thing once over and once again to that and with such expedition that the world round doth wonder for which wee hope though many stars or commets like to stars be fallen yet your honour glory shall endure like to the sun and moon for ever your merits with your Champions be remembred whilst one good man breaths in the nation And now wee who are private christians adde this short title to your Excellency the Saints Captain Generall next under Christ and when my Lord you need us wee are all in readines to pray to fight to live die at your command for Christ and this nation which now sits at rest but for taxes some poor and widdows wants who are all in hopes you will speake a word in their behalfe to those who soon can help them and surely will ere long though murmuring men say no. Well my Lord I say no more but the great Iehovah God Almighty blesse you make his face to shine in and from you al those who have followd you high and low in faithfulnes and unweariednes doing Christs and the nations work this is my wish to you and those who are sent over to the other nation by yours others commands to do Christs work and make him room for his Gospell and to this I wish O all ye Saints that love Christ your king his cause or these nations say Amen Amen as with one voice Your Lordships servant in Christ WILL. BLAKE To the Christian Reader TO the strong and to the weak to the merry and melancholy Christian I recommend these following lines which was pend in a wildernesse of affliction by the Spirits strength and power which hath emboldned me to present them to thy view and the worlds and that on serious consideration and some able Christians importunity But first I will tell thee what I was and now am that thou mayst see Gods goodnesse calling poore creatures out of darknesse to himselfe I was brought up by my parents in my youth to learne hall mary Pater noster the Beliefe and learne to read and where I served my apprenticeship little more was to be found but in that time I speake without any boasting to the praise of Gods grace he shind in some measure into me minding me of eternity and my soules condition which I saw and I still doe to be very sinfull Well I fell to reading the Practise of Piety Mr. Perkins and by these or rather the Spirit I got a little perswading of Gods love to my soule Well my time being out I set up for my selfe and seeking out for a wife which with long waiting and difficulty much expence and charge at last I got Four children God gave me by her but he hath taken them and her all againe too who was a woman of a thousand for good nature In six weeks time which must needs goe neer My eldest Sonne and daughter in a fortnight and my Wife a month after Well thought I if comfort be any where it is in God and so fell to meditating of these Scriptures but no more of this nor another tedious line onely mark Gods dealing with his people in afflictions which is most seen in that furnesse instance Peter Paul Daniel and the three Children Well friends what ever your afflictions or conditions be I know not but in these following lines lyes much comfort which I found in penning and I hope you will in reading for the glory all is yours and the sweetnesse too what is yours you may
downe with Christ in the throne of Christ It is said John leaned on the bosome of Christ O loving John O loving Christ to give such priviledge to a bold but loving sweet and humble sinner John John how couldest thou be so bold with Christ thy Lord and Master John t was love within that bosome that drawed thee there to rest and loll as in a lap it was love that drawed thee it was loue that laid thee in that same bosome but yet I say thy privilege far excels in sitting down with Christ in the throne of Christ Christ was in the form of a servant now Lord of all things Christ was then I say on earth with a mean out-side round about him but now surrounded with Angels with his title on his thigh King of kings Lord of lords Christ was then in rags but now cloathed with suns and stars Christ was then God-man unglorified but now glorified of God with that eternall glory of God which Christ had before the world was as Christ speaks John 17. O friends this glory like glistering diamonds sparkles round the heavens dazeling Saints and Angels Well friend is not thy privilidge farre above Johns to sit down with this Christ in his throne and glory side by side as I may so say Fifthly this sitting downe in the throne of Christ and the glory of God denotes honour what an honour is it for a beggar to sit at a Kings table you will say that is a great honour indeed but what is that to thine O gentle sinner to sit with God and Christ in glory Seemes it a small thing saith David to be a Kings son in law O but ye are the King of kings sons and daughters ye are the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21 9. Come saith the Angel I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife nothing draws the eyes of the people to gaze more then the sight of the Bride and the Bridegroom Was the queen of Sheba so taken with Solomons glory that she cried out O happy are these that tend thee O Solomon Angels and Archangels will be taken with thy glory when this marriage shall be solemnized before the Father It was a question once What shall be done to the man whom the King will honour and delight in But I ask what shall be done to the man whom the King of kings delighteth to honour first he shall be arayed in pure white linnen which is the rigteousnesse of the Saints as in Revel He shall be cloathed with the Sun and trample the Moon under his feet I know the Saints shining forth in Christ are able in some measure to trample these changeable things by living farre above them in an unchangeable God by the Spirit of Christ living in them but so far as they are flesh they are apt to mixe themselves with these things below not knowing their majesty nor glory forgetting their descent but time is a comming that they shall know God know as they are known they shall know God with all his attributes and glory yea they shall know themselves with the glory designed for them Christ sayes John 17. The glory thou hast given me I have given them that we may be one O Father One part of Christs glory is this that the Father hath appointed the Son to judge the world and in this respect Christ will honour his Saints know ye not saith Paul that the saints shall judge Angels and men here they look like poor shrimps as they are cloathed with rags and flesh but when Christ shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory as the Apostle John speaketh O this appearance shall confound the world as soon as Christ hath confounded the world with his own and his Saints glorious appearing to the world then shall he sit downe in glory to rest himselfe as it were satisfied in the finishments of all his works and the Saints shall sit down by Christ as well pleased with Christ and all his works what an honour is this Well this honour all his Saints shall have Thy name O Lord it above the heavens saith David and as his name so his Saints too in seating them above Angels as taken into union with Christ and set down in the Throne of Christ What joy feasting musick is there at your Princes marriage dayes when solemnized O but when the Bridegroome and his Spouse the Bride the Lambs Wife shall sit down to solemnize that eternall match made up in the everlasting purpose and counsell of God the Father long before all worlds or the Foundations of them O what songs then what joy what praises shall Angels sing with lightsome hearts Yea I say Angels and this too shall they count their heaven and happinesse O thou melancholy Saint tossed with afflictions what thinkst thou of this day tell me tell me true sure thou dost not mind this if thou didst thou couldst never complain of wants losses if thou didst mind this day indeed this endlesse day when heaven shall ring with shouts and praises unto the Lord and unto the Lambe by Saints and Angels as with one voice Doth a little Instrument sweetly touchd take and charme the eare and Siren-like kill all other delights at least for present O how shall thy soul be taken yea taken and charmed to heare the Songs of praises unto the Lord unto the Lambe in that same day unto the Lord O that must needs have a sweet melodie in it which must touch and take that eare which made that eare by which weheare If all the skilfullest Musitions in the world should meet with every one the sweetest Instruments that could be thought on with all Solomons Singers yea and ten thousand more to them I say if all these should meet to try their skill and straine their voyces yet would the Songs the Praises of one bare Saint or Angel as farre excell them all for sweetnesse as they excell the Asses braying and if so what sweetnesse will there be when ten thousand times ten chousands of Saints with as many Angels shall all joyne as with one voice to sing their praises unto the Lamb O Christ how blessed is that soule whom thou wilt to sit in thy Throne to hear these Songs to heare these praises Sixtly This sitting down in the Throne of Christ and the Glory of God denotes joy and triumph It is said at Christs birth Angels and innumerable company of Angels was heard to sing and rejoyce Luke 2.13 Glory to God on high peace and good will to men on Earth Shall not this Song be sung again at that day when Christs marriage shall be solemnized a match of the Fathers own making Surely yea and the twenty four Elders shall sing worship God for ever Revel 18.20 O Heavens doe yee rejoyce and all yee holy Apostles and Prophets too At Israels victory it s said Deborah and Barak sung praises but for Christs victory and his Saints over Worlds Men Sinne Death
this pardon is it not sweet yes saith the sinner sweeter then the honey or the hony-combe O saith a poore soule I blesse God more for this then if he had made me the greatest prince in the world Fourthly it is called a city for her privilidges no city but hath its charter and privilidges at least some distinct from towns and villages O Ierusalem city of our God thy privilidges excell all the worlds who may be compared to thee for privilidges yea peculiar privilidges which no nation but thee can lay hold on nor people in the world neither all the people in the world are Gods by creation but Ierusalem by purchase all the world he feeds and cloaths O Israel who is a people like unto thee shielded by the great God fed by the Manna and watered by the rocks and sheltred by a cloud by day and a pillar of sire by night God in a way of providence keeps all creatures but man especially but Israel and Jerusalem above all who are his choice pieces of silver yea his treasure and jewels now treasure you know men will keep choicer then that which is but ordinary parents will let farthings and counters lie about for their children to play with but who will leave jewels carelesly here and there in common places no men are wise and will lay up their precious stones in choice cabbenets and so doth God he layes his up in his cabbenet of providence and charges his Angels with these jewels or sons of Sion more precious then jewels or choice silver either and in this particular he is said to keep them as a man keepeth the apple of his eye and is as tender over them as a father so saith David as a father pittieth his children so pittieth the Lord them that fear him O happy and blessed people pittied saved and kept by God I will keep thee every moment yea every moment in the den yea every moment in the furnace and every moment in all houres and seasons night and day death and judgement in times of troubles warres and judgement yea closset them in raines I house them like Noah in the Arke and in famine feed them like Elisha by the raven yea what shall I say I will be a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day yea a sun and shield as David speaks and sure defence too And now who art thou that forgettest the Lord thy maker and fearest the man or the son of man who is as the grasse of the field and shall die But in the fifth and last place the Church is compared to a city because the Spirit is as a river feeding of it O saith David He feeds me in green pastures and leads me by the still waters this he speaks of concerning the Spirit if the foundation be removed what can the righteous do There is a river the streames thereof shall make glad the city of God Psalm 46.4 O this Spirit streaming in and by thee presents Christ over and over to thy soul in all his lovelinesse and this must needs make glad the city a people of God Nothing is the Spirit oftner compared to then the waters when the poor and needy seeks waters I the Lord will heare and open rivers in the tops of the mountains this is a prophesie of the Spirits powring out to poore and thirsty who do apprehend themselves farre from the water of consolation I will powre out my Spirit saith God by the prophet Ioel and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie that is they shall be enabled to open the Scriptures mysteries But now why is it called a holy city The Scripture speaks of a two fold holinesse First a holinesse of things Secondly a holinesse of persons First a holinesse of things in foure or five respects First things are said to be holy by way of dedication or consecration so the bowls of the temple are said to be holy and all the vessels of the temple too Secondly things are said to holy by way of simulation or figure so was the Arke the brasen serpent Aarous rod and the Manna which did figure and similie out Christ Thirdly things may be said to be holy by way of calling so was the Priests office it was a holy calling be holy ye that beare the vessels of the Lord. Fourthly things may be said to be holy by way of rule or precept so the word of God the law of God is holy as Paul saith though I be sinfull yet the law is holy and just and good though I be carnall Fifthly things may be said to be holy by way of comparation so Ierusalem is called the holy city because the holy God was worshipped in it though it were in it selfe a sinfull city But secondly persons may be said to be holy likewise And first by way of creation so the fallen Angels were made holy and Adam too in his first creation God created man upright but he found out many inventions Secondly persons may be said to be holy by way of calling so the Priests Prophets Apostles and Patriarchs O saith Paul the holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost in them Thirdly men may be said to be holy by the inherent holinesse of God in them having the holy Spirit of God in them purifying of them and now they may be well said to be holy in these respects first comparing themselves with themselves formerly they walked in darknesse and lived in sin and nature but now in light by the Spirit who tels them they are none of their own but redeemed of Christ to whom they live as Paul saith if I live I live to Christ and if I die I die to Christ O happy change from sin and Satan to God and Christ Secondly men may be said to be holy comparing themselves with others whose lives lies and wallows in all pollution Paul speaks of some who were drunkards covetous filthy unclean sinners and such were some of you but now you are washed and cleansed Lastly and chiefly men may be said to be holy by way of imputation having the holines or righteousnes of God imputed to them he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5.21 And in this sence the whole church of God is holy having the holinesse or righteousnesse of Christ imputed to her and in this sence she is said to be holy even as Christ is holy But thirdly why is this Ierusalem called new Ierusalem for three or four reasons First in respect of creation Secondly in respect of declaration Thirdly in respect of reparation First in respect of creation so you call a thing new that is newly made what is so a building is called new because it is newly set up in this respect Ierusalem is called new Ierusalem because God hath set it up for a building for himselfe or habitation for his owne glory where he will
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
you know who I mean in a mysticall way from one to another till all be halfe drunk and then they depart with an equall proportion toward the shot but I will bid these good night and come closse to the matter in a spirituall way for I think it as vain to speak to them now as it is to expect a swallow in winter Well the next thing is the place where Christ knocks which is the door O that is without you know who is without why who is within that the King of glory is without why who is within that Christ stands without sinne Satan the world pleasure profits and they alwayes keep Christ without till he breakes in and whips these buyers and sellers out of his Temple which Christ sometimes doth as well as once those out of Solomons Temple but for present Christ is without Christ the Lord of life and glory who stands with pardons peace and mercy for their soules if he might once be admitted but what if he be not then they are undone for they must die without them and be damned too for the abuse of his patience therefore minde it carelesse sinner before Christ goes and takes his leave for knocking any more which Christ will one day doe when he cannot have admittance for the worlds pleasures profits But sure it is impossible Christ should be without whilst they are within nay it is true enough doe you not heare him knock I heare some body but I doe not think it is Christ you doe not thinke it is Christ sometimes you doe not heare at all for businesse and sometimes you doe not heare for carelesnesse when shall Christ have admittance when when I am for my selfe saith the servant and can tend to open and when I have this or that estate saith the worldling and for every childe a portion so saith the vaine christian or much to this purpose when I have my swing of pleasure I will tend Christ and till then he must wait and thus the servant puts off Christ for freedome and the worldling for estate and the luxurious for his pleasure all abusing Christ and his patience too But if these delayes Christ should take for full and flat denyals what will then become of their immortall soules worth more then crowns and kingdomes or ten thousand worlds because they are immortall and breathed once from God But now must die in their sinnes as Christ told the Jewes and perish too for him and now they had been happy if they had never heard of him nor his knocks neither which seeing they have slighted shall damne them with a vengeance But how doe you know it is Christ that knocks Poore simple soule doe you not know it that seemes thou art not much acquainted with Christ nor his knocks when thou dost not know that when the Servant knowes his Master and the Childe his Parent every thing knowes more then thee the Sheep the Shepherds whistle the Bee his own Hive and the Asse his Masters Crib but my People knowes not me saith the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah But I will helpe thee what I can to learne Christs knocks expecting thou wilt open when he comes againe 't is Christ knocks mark me First I know it is Christ that knocks he knocks thunderingly or loudly 2. I know it is Christ that knocks by his still and soft knocks 3. I know it is Christ by his slow and leisurely knocks 4. I know it is Christ by his sweet and pleasant knocks 5. I know it is Christ by the place he knocks at the doore where he usally comes in and not at a window or a by way But why doth Christ knock so loud and thunderingly He thinkes you are asleepe or dead sure as every man and woman too is by nature and therefore saith Christ The dead shall he are my voyce and live as in John 5.25 This Christ doth not meane of the day of Judgement though that be true that by Christs voyce and power the dead shall one day heare and every man be started from his grave some for glory most for wrath and vengeance or execution like malefactors with chaines of guilt about their necks and consciences binding up their feares about them which heavier laies then milstones O how dreadfull will this resurrection be when millions of ungodly soules shall come to joyne with cursed bodies It is said Iephthah wept and tore his haire when he saw his daughter and the Virgins of Israel come to meet him but surely this meeting of damned soules and cursed bodies will bee much more bitter to thy body who laid in dust silent free from paine happy were it for thy body if it might still live with wormes and mouldring rottennesse and silent darknesse but it cannot be Christ must have thee out and judge thee too for thy ungodly deeds and acts as well as reward his Saints for all their works wrought by his Spirit in their soules But I shall forget my selfe The thing was that I was speaking too Sure Christ knew the sinner was asleep or dead that he did not open and truly a sinner may be well said to be dead till Christ comes to live in him because Christ is the Fountaine of life and therefore if Christ be not in the soule it must needs then be dead at least in a spirituall sence for want of Christ for as the soule is the life of the body so Christ is the life of the soule and therefore when thou keepst Christ out thou keepst thy soule from thy soule O death and sleepy sinner But why doth he knock so softly because he would not fright you Christ would come in a milde and gentle way and not in a furions way which he often doth to many soules who hath long kept him out by delayes and sinnes but Chrisst doth not alwayes doe so You know he discoursed and reasoned himselfe at the Well of Iacob unto the Woman of Samaria and invited himselfe to Zacheus house bringing salvation with him and so did not at all fright the little man though a great sinner the Ethiopian found Christ in his chariot by reading of Isaiah and many a soule doth the like by a good booke reading in a private way where Christ comes breathing life and peace to their soules as once to the Disciples when the doores was all shut and they met in a roome where Christ comes and breathes the holy Ghost on them But Thirdly Why doth Christ knock so slowly that you might consider who it is that knocks and opens to him the Turtle hath a sweet and penetrating voyce but the most slow of any creature you seldome heare her often at one time but she cals her mate once and then is silent for a while and then she sweetly cals againe in a mournfull way even to the peircing of a mans heart as it were with her sweet and serious yet dolourous call but with a pretty distance of time between every call
Spirit inviting thirsty sinners crying come come to me ye weary sinners ye thirsty sinners and so forth and then he was speaking of that of Mat. 5. v. 3 4. Blessed are they that thirst for Christ and mourne for sinne which my soul then did and truely this proved a great deal of comfort to mee But I remember many a time besides this I have had much comfort by the word when ministers have clearly opened the Gospel-promises but sometimes yea many times I hear such sweet Gospel-texts and precious things held from them which hath filled me even as with marrow and fatnesse and I haue even thought with my selfe all these comforts held forth by them belong to mee But as soone as hee had held forth his comforts now saith he I will give you some markes and signes how a poore soule may know this belongs to him I remember I gave great attention to him but before he had done with his marks and signes I had lost my comfort againe by thinking none of it belongs to me for I had not so repented me of my sins as he shewed me True repentance there to be which he said was a turning from all sinne to Christ and a forsaking of all my sinne for Christ and a sorrow for all my sinnes by which I had dishonoured Christ This one mark he did so abundantly branch out that before hee had done with this one mark and signe of that sinner to whom this comfort belongs I had lost my comfort I am sure but he went to twenty more marks and signes I think and at last said if these marks and fignes be in you then these comforts belong unto you but if they be not then you deceive your selves but in the conclusion he said indeed if wee would repent and wash away our sinnes by that like David forsake all our sinnes and bring our whole hearts to Christ and denie the world the pleasures and profits of the world and abundance more which I cannot now stand to name but all this I am sure he bad me and others to do before we did presume to lay hold of any comfort so that whereas I was in hopes of being comforted I was not but rather cast down but at some other time Christ served me freely with comfort from his word for which I blesse his name and thus I have told you what comfort Christ hath given me ere now But yet I will tell you of one or two wayes more by which Christ uses to come and serve mee with comfort giving the water of life to mee One way in Christian meetings commonly called conventicles heretofore but I have in these meetings found much of Christ and comfort to my poore soule at our last meeting I think there was some twenty of us all met in a friends house purposely to discourse of Christ and wait on Christ expecting all comfort from Christ and whilst we were speaking and discoursing of Christ in that place I think verily we were every one refreshed onely by telling how Christ useth to serve us sometimes presently and sometimes not at all but seemed to be angry with us for asking some carnall things so at last wee found many things Christ would never grant to any of us but rather seemed to frown upon us for asking some things which we had all been a craving of him so at that time we considered what might be got by begging and parted but this I do remember a scoffing Ishmael called it a tub preaching And one time which I shall never forget I was walking all alone by Christs doore in a way of meditation of his bounty love and franknesse to such poore fellowes as I and while I was walking thinking nothing God knows Christ stept out and puld me in set me down and himself by me and supt with me we had whole flagons of wine then of which I drank very freely and I dare say I shall never forget this bout So the next day I told half a dozen Christians waiting at Christs door in a sermon how I had sped the day before they bade me thank God saying they had never such good fortune nor such discoveries of Christs love Friend friend I rejoyce to heare these sweet relations of your experience but let me tell you I am ashamed and so may you well be but however I am to think how you complaind nay murmured but now and said Christ had never served you of the water of life but you had waited so long and so long and I cannot tell how long you made me beleeve how Christ had served thousands and not you Friend I am ashamed to thinke how you have abused Christ by your false complaints of Christ surely it is a great sinne in you I pray doe so no more But now mee thinks I heare one say but I am a poore thirsty soule I doe not know when in prayer sermon christian conference either I was so refreshed and therefore what would you have me doe who am even scorcht with heat and thirst I thirst for Christ and would rather have him then the world a thousand times if I know my own heart What would you have me doe dost thou say Let me tell thee first how well I like this complaint of thine Surely by this complaint of thine and the high prising of this river it doth argue his streames strongly running in thy soule Yea let me tell thee my thoughts This I doe beleeve t is from the presence of Christ and the Spirit in the soule that any soule living is drawne forth to desire Christ or the Spirit you know the naturall man desires not the things of God but is dead to every good worke or desire and sure cannot indeed desire any thing in a spirituall way before God workes it in his soule Now friend if God or Christ hath wrought a strong desire after the well of life the river of life the spirit let me tell thee I verily beleeve he hath given it thee already for this desire in thy soule is to me a strong evidence of it I for my part doe firmly conclude when I heare any soule complaine for want of Christ and the Spirit saying of Christ and the Spirit his soule had rather have Christ and the Spirit then all the pleasures profits of the world I say I doe conclude this to be the work of God in the soule This is true a naturall man may have a heart quame and a heart wish to die the death of the righteous as wicked Balaam once said O that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end may be like theirs I say A wicked man may desire to bee ownd of Christ nay more to give all the world for Christ at the last hower when they come to see a necessity and their souls damn'd for want of Christ O how will a carnall man dying mourn and beg and cry for Christ and howl for Christ too
for relations sake O friends there is such a neere relation between Christ and a Christian he is the head and you the members he is the Bridegroome and you the Bride he is the vine and you the branches Christ cannot but bid you wellcome nor the father neither for you are all his children how wellcome is a friend a childe a husband after seven yeares voyage when returned what love what embraces doth then passe between them powring heart into heart as it were How sweetly did Josephs and his brethrens bowels yerne one towards another O friends Christ will one day embrace you in his armes with his rowling bowels like a husband his beloved wife after seven yeares absence and you him with teares and kisses of joy and love How glad was Dide queene of Carthage when she had Aeneas prince of Troy to look on and embrace Well friends time will come when thou shalt have thy Christ to embrace and look on who hath endured more broiles ten thousand times then all Aeneas feigned ones Here Christ to look on is admirable and lovely too in broiles O saith the Spouse Who is this that coms from Bozrah with his garments dipped in blood Isaiah 63.1.2 travelling in the greatnes of his strength Christ the prince and Captain of our salvation comes from the fields of slaughter like some noble champion and hath his bloody armes which doth declare him conquerour so Christ here travels from Bozra a field of slaughter this I take to be the crosse of Christ on which he might be well said and did conquer all the Churches enemies yea naild them to the crosse as Paul speaketh by triumphing over them openly upon the crosse Well in this field Christ slayes the law sinne and death making this saying good O death I will be thy death 1 Cor. 15.55 And now comes in warlick vestures which are dipped in this blood declaring him to be the mighty conquerour Well the Spouse sits and sees him at her window comming from the field which is the Spirit in the soule through which she lookes upon these mighty champions Christ Sinne Death and Devils Well Christ foyls and spoyles all by trampling on all which being done he leaves them dead and comes away to refresh himselfe in glory the Spouse spies him in the way and cries out who is this not that shee did not know Christ well enough but she is taken with Christ in the beholding of Christ thus bravely wins the field which Christ never quited til all foild spoild the day his own Well Is the Soule now so taken with the gallentry of Christ that she cryes out for joy and wonder O then how wilt thou be taken when thou shalt see this Christ againe which heare is promised yea stroak the face of this Champion Christ the Prince of our salvation how will she be taken with him then saying O my deare Christ it was my enemies thou ingaged in Bozra and if thou hadst not conquered my soule and thousands more had been undone for ever but seeing thou didst win the day we will name and stile thee most high and excellent and mighty Conquerour King of Saints Prince and Captaine of our salvation which thou for ever shalt be called by Saints and Angels men and Devils poore drooping sinner what dost thou think of this day and this Christ who is thy Champion thy Captaine and Salvation I say what dost thou thinke O malencholy Christian of this day when thou shalt see the face of this Prince and Saviour wilt thou not make one to sing his prayses to sing his victories over sinne death hell men and devils which Angels now are doing and so shalt thou and this shall be thy reward too a full reward indeed for all thou ever didst or suffredst In the mean time bear up bear up thy head O drooping Christian Christ hath conquered sinne death men and devils and yet it may be thou fearest all O foolish sinner weake in faith men are bound sinne and satan wounded yea death and sinne slaine too and all by Christ in Bozra what meanst thou to be troubled O but Sir Sir me thinks I see sinne alive and Satan loose yea both in me I will not deny but thou mayst think so but all is not true that men doe thinke but grant both these be in thee yet if sinne be wounded and Satan bound one cannot long live nor the other doe much mischeife if sinne be wounded it is to the heart be sure of that And when Christ was wounded there by sinne he straight died well I am sure Christ hath wounded sinne there too and it cannot live long O Sir Sir it is livelier then ever it struggles more then ever O friend that is to me as cleare as the day that sinne is just a dying every thing in nature will doe the like what dost thou see dying willing but a Saint and he I must confesse on this consideration that he shall live with God and Christ and behold the face of God and Christ as in the first words I say on this consideration happily he may with a great deale of willingnesse die But who besides the Saint will will man or beast or fish or foule or any other creature No no the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast beats it selfe and yels though bound and musled man mournes and cries alas alas why must I die and leave my hopes my wife my childe my lands and livings nay friends and all fetch the Doctor quickly fetch the Doctor save me if it be possible I faine would live a little longer and thus he mournes to think on death and when it comes and drawes neere to him then he growns and gasps and grinnes and stares still striving with it while breath doth last Well friend the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast yels man mournes and cries alas what shall sinne doe nothing it were contrary unto nature if it should die without its throwes in thy soule But stay you said Satan was bound I I did so and so he is in two respects Christ hath bound him up from hurting thee Christ hath bound him up from forcing thee First From hurting thee you know if the most notorious theeving rogue in the world lyes bound in a lone womans house hand and foot there was no ground nor cause of feare he is bound hand and foot what can he now doe but curse and swear well she being a weak woman is troubled and frighted notwithstanding but when her husband comes home her feares ceaseth and are gone Well friends know this Christ hath bound Satan for a thousand yeares yea for ever from mischeiving his Saints and Servants and if he be in thee he is bound O no me thinks he is loose he doth so tempt me and accuse me I doe not know what to doe it may be so he doth tempt and accuse thee I did not say Christ had bound Satans tongue no