foregoing Verse According as his divine power hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledg of Him that hath called us to glory and vertue Where four things are layd down in which these precious Promises are fulfilled Life Godliness Glory Vertue These are the exceeding great things promised to be though not yet attained For it is one thing to have a Promise given and another to see the accomplishment of it as Christ saith to his Disciples I will send you the promise of my Father the Holy Ghost was promised before but yet to be sent by Christ 1. The first thing promised to which you are called is Life as the promise was to Sarah That according to the time of Life God would surely visit her and she should conceive c. The Spirit of Life is promised to you though yet the Thing is to be accomplished For how do we lie at present in our graves like Dead men long out of minde how dry and desolate and waste because the Spirit of Life that should quicken and enliven is not come The time of Life is not accomplished but the promise is gone forth that at the set time He will surely visit Sarah and the dry womb shall conceive though Abrahams body be dead and Sarahs womb dead and all seem to work to the contrary For great is the desolation now upon us We are sealed in our graves under death but yet this is the promise That the Dead shal hear the Voyce of the Son of God and live And This is an exceeding large and precious Promise 1. Life implies in it a freedom from death a recovery and deliverance out of its power Alas to Live is another manner of thing then we have conceived it We have gone about and acted and spoke like living men but have we Lived in all this have we been yet ever acquitted and freed from fears of death The Terrors of Death made me afraid saith David Are you not yet kept all your life time under this fear of Death You can never have rest nor quiet because the Jaylor is ever at your heels you are not yet freed from him Death reigned it is said from Adam to Moses now Adam was made a Living Soul He had a life to see and know good and evil but yet he could not come at it could not reach the Tree of life a sword was set to keep him off there But the second Adam is a quickening Spirit He hath life in Himself He was raised up by the power of God never to dye more and this is life indeed Now how many in the World are there that never yet came to be Living Souls to have understanding and light to know good and evil but when brought to that yet there is no freedom from Death Death reigns from Adam to Moses to that farther light which comes in by the Law opened and read to the Soul When the Commandment came saith Paul sin revived and I dyed Death yet reigned And now to be freed from this cruel Tyrant from eternal Death and to be made partakers of Life is an exceeding great and precious mercy Who can value it 2. The Man that is alive is capable of instruction and teaching He can hear and learn from others but the Dead know nothing at all saith Solomon while we lie dead in darkness fears unbelief faintings of spirit so long we know nothing hear nothing we are capable of nothing of the minde of God All is confused and without order in this land of Death What is the reason think you there is such a stupid senceless careless Heart upon you not an ecchoing back as was in Davids Heart When Thou saidst Seek my face My Heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek Why is not this minde and quickness and breathings of Truth in you Why you are dead Death reigns sin hath dominion you are not yet freed from that body of Death For were you but alive it were impossible but you should hear the voyce of the Son of God Truth would touch you and that is the first thing to be done to give you life and then sense and hearing will follow But you are now as unsensible at times as a post in the house and therefore you come and go and come and go and nothing is done why because you are under death It is not yet the time of Life and He will make us know we cannot quicken our own souls Adam would have been reaching to the Tree of Life when his Eyes were opened to know Good and Evil I but a flaming sword is set turning every way to keep the Tree of Life and if ever Adam live again it must be upon other terms He must be raised by another power and that freely of gift For he is now a dead man and cannot quicken his own Soul unless that quickening spirit of Life be put within and here lies the great strait to lie at the mercy of another whether He will ever again give life or not and if he will yet it must be in his own time too and not ours and therefore the Church is at a strait and complains There was none could tell her how long How long we must lie in the dust in our graves before Life shall be given we know not we cannot get it out of his hand Truth would never be good and sweet if we could attain it by our reachings Many may press in to take the Kingdom by violence and stealth but the Examiner will come Friend how came you in hither But of a certain this Promise of Life is given to some of us Hear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken The word is gone forth that you shall surely be visited at the Time of Life and till this be accomplished you cannot be capable of instruction Your reason and thoughts cannot reach it but are to sit silent in your graves till Christ shall call Lazarus come forth and so life be given and put within and this will be an eternal Life never to dye any more Death is no more to have dominion but yet it reigns This is your hour saith Christ and the power of darkness and whilest this government is up and those noises of Hell are within we cannot hear the voyce of Truth till the Soul is freed from the stormy wind and tempest and a calm be made We many times go about to quicken our selves and get life at our own hands and so reach up hopes and conclusions and promises to bear up a while but alass all must down again we must to our center to our graves till the spirit of Life be put in We are asking what we should do and what is our way as if then we could easily turn and do it but alass there is a mistake in the bottom Life must first be given us and we must rest in our graves till then and sit in silence in our darkness and
the Hypocrites hope 4. Another thing that might move Noah to fear might be this lest he should slip over the present instruction and warning given him lest he should neglect the present day and then it may be too late Therefore the Soul that is sensible is afraid a jealousie strikes the heart O what would come on me if I should withstand my Mercy How were many envited to the Feast but because they made excuses and neglected the offer the door is shut and he swears They shall not taste of his Supper But now Josiahs heart was tender when the Judgments were read before him out of the Law it took place in his Soul And Mordecai says to Esther Who knows but thou wert raised up for such a time as this If now thou shewest not thy self thou mayst never have another offer And here the Fear comes in Lest the day slip and can never be recalled again and therefore Christ weeps over Jerusalem O that thou hadst known in this thy Day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Now see doth this Fear touch your Souls Are you struck with an awe of spirit lest you should slip away the present day of Mercy Doth it press upon you That whilest it is called to day you harden not your hearts and then the word go forth You shall never enter into his Rest Truly the venture is hard were our Souls but awakened If thou slip the nick and knowest not the time of thy Visitation He may never speak more of the things concerning thy Peace but that sad conclusion may come Now they are hid from thine eyes 5. Noah might be moved with Fear out of this consideration lest the Flood should take him unawares before his Ark was finished and therefore he sets to the work presently And Noah did as the Lord commanded him so did he lest he should be prevented and not finish his Ark in time and then all his labor and pains are lost this strikes him with fear Now consider doth it take this place upon thy spirit Doth it set thy Soul to the work presently now this very season to say Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Doth it make you look out for a guide to lead you on and counsel you in the work For an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew to man His Righteousness Sure the Idol gods keep the room some base lusts or hopes or promising your selves Peace or else you would be afraid and all that God intends that everlasting good to sure the strait will come That they shall not be suffered to let their eyes sleep nor their eye-lids slumber till they shall finde out an habitation for the God of Jacob. Do these things take place upon you or not if not what is the cause what hinders you are not baptized Are you sensless and carnal living in the flesh upon any seen thing Alass That is miserable the Flood will come and sweep away all of that kinde Whilest they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage unawares the Flood came Or canst thou give a good account what will be thy latter end and canst say with the Apostle We know that if this earthly Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building not made with hands eternal in the Heavens I would you could say that word indeed But O Lord when I think of it what if he should come now unawares this night where are your mindes Are you fit to go out and meet the Bridegroom Are not your Hearts either cavilling or reasoning or murmuring or hunting and lusting after somewhat or fearing and sinking under your bonds But who has a minde prepared to meet the Lord in the ayr and so be for ever with him Thus I have shewed you what the things not seen were of which Noah is warned 1. God tells him All flesh is corrupt 2. That the end of all flesh is come 3. He invites him to build an Ark to save himself And this I applyed to our present condition for Noah is dead and this is written for our instruction I told you how we have been warned in these cases And that 1. By a word that hath cryed long to us All flesh is grass 2. By the proof of our hearts 3. By a voyce of Providence letting out the world and the out-cries of men against us if it be possible to break us asunder and not leave a stone upon a stone Then I told you how the thing took place with Noah He was moved with Fear from five Considerations all which might seize upon us and cause an awful dread and enquiry in our spirits 1. To see what is our confidence and hope that we lean on Is it not born of the flesh And then though it be never so fair-spun a threed though never so wise and sober and patient and meek yet if it spring not from a good root if it be born of the flesh all is nothing You cannot love Him unless it be opened that He first loves you Now many pretend that they love God and prize and honor him do you so but are you sure that he loves you What if he shall answer you in that day when you plead Lord we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets well but for all that I know you not saith Christ Depart from me c. How will your Love to God then stand Have you indeed an Ark prepared to receive you in the great overflowing Deluge in the day of desperate sorrow that shall come to try all that dwell upon the Earth The Day will surely come ere long now are you sure you have that which will carry you through 'T is not your Learning nor Knowing if you knew all Mysteries 't is not your Parts nor Hopes nor mans conclusions will do it Many measure themselves by themselves they are not as they were they are more strict and observant I but what then Will that carry you out And many measure themselves with others and say I am better then such and such I am not like this Publican Well but they that thus measure themselves with themselves and others are not wise saith Paul the root and principle may yet be Self and then what the better Then 2. This might move us to fear That the end of all flesh is come God will not always wink as he hath done in the days of Ignorance if he should we would never come up to any thing And will not this strike upon you an awe That the Judgment lies at the door Death is entring in at the windows and nothing of flesh nor mans Will though never so fairly painted and gilded over will be able to stand Is it not time to fear 3. Have you an Ark prepared to shelter you a sure resting place from all storms if not is there not great cause of fear and trembling I know not
They are not pressing on to the utmost mark where the bullets are thickest and the battel hottest as this chosen generation do according to that right minde that is planted in them They long with Moses if possible that they may go over this Jordan they are ever crying out of their shortness Jacob though Pharaoh reckon him an old man yet he complains his days were few and evil and that he had not reached the age of his fathers in their generations I but he would have reached the greatest attainment That which is of this stock presseth to the utmost mark prizeth that Truth that friend that deals most plainly nakedly and exactly with it it chooses the wounds of a friend and goes where the sword cuts sharpest This cannot the Hypocrite ever endure 5. This Chosen Generation have often still and secret hintings speaking within them That they indeed are of this stock that they do belong to God how ever they are stopping the ear and putting it off Now the children of Hell they hunt and seek for such a voyce that they may be cozened and deluded and the Devil he speaks peace to them and they are given up to beleeve a lye but the Children of God are followed and followed with such a secret whispering in their Souls that rises up without their pumping nay when they run from it it speaks Surely they are my people they are my chosen I will be their God Now either we are not sober and so listen not to hear this voyce or else we wilfully stop the ear and run from it for such a base temper is in man against his own good or else through ignorance the Soul runs wrong when it doth hear it goes to Eli as Samuel did it runs to this and the other thing to know the meaning of it because as yet it is said Samuel knew not the Lord but the time comes the Lord will go on and call Samuel Samuel so long till all the chosen of God that are called according to purpose shall be made to hear and own it distinctly and say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 6. This chosen Generation in their greatest transgressions and iniquities when most guilty and left to themselves yet never find such a witness speaking in them that they shall be cut off utterly for it Now to all the Cains he will peak destruction for that very cause a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be because thou hast killed thy brother and his blood cryes to me therefore thou art cursed c. but to his own he speaks no such thing he shews them not their sin to destroy them nor drive them from him he hath a care of that in all his rebukes So when Nathan was sent to shew David his great sin of Adultery and murther before he had well finished his charge lest such a thought should seise on him as if God would utterly cut him off He addes 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not dye He never says that word to the Soul of any of his own Iniquity shall be your ruine that sin shall utterly separate no saith Paul nothing shall be able to separate nothing not Principalities nor Powers of Hell not the heights or depths of Sin nothing shall seperate from that love of God to whom that portion belongs Now mind and consider and attend whither all along your Journy you find not such Leadings in your spirits as these I speak off 7. You shall know this Generation by this whenever there is a heart in them to return there is a heart in God to receive He stands open and ready at all times there are such breathings in the souls of his people that witness this for him and can set to their Seals that God is true in this particular that he is alwayes open hearted and waits to be gracious Mind whether it be not thus with you when ever your souls are in a sober frame and you can speak truly and not as Job saith the words of a man that is desperate which are as wind when ever you are your selves I say and sober see if there be not ever such hints speaking in you that God is ready continually he waits to receive whenever you will come At what time soever a sinner repenteth c. And if thou wilt return O Israel return to me as if he should say Go to no other if thou wilt return here is a heart open I am ready for thee Return to me O Israel Now let none get up the words and shadow of this that have not the substance that idol will â—ot stand though never so often raised and held up by force yet it will down but you who are indeed the chosen of God and loved of him if I shall ever live to see you brought out and delivered you will know what I have said and be my witnesses how these leadings have been all along your days with you However at the present it be the weak time with you and hour and power of darkness when fears and jealousies confusions and doubtings have their time to rule I but what saith the Spirit still What speaks that seed of life Are not these stirring within Is there not an invisible and strange close in thy soul when God and the Truth in thee meet When Joseph and Benjamin meet what a kiss is there and turning of Bowels Then again dost thou not finde that all creatures are too short all is weary to thee no rest or content to be had there but there is a pressing on through all to the utmost point to God himself thy life and Portion Is it not thus And so for all the other Characters are not these things so Now if you have heard and believed this You can surely witness to it He that believs sets to his seal that God is true and till you shall set to your seals and believe this That you are this chosen Generation and your souls stand setled in it till then you can never enter into the Priests office to go to God with boldness to go in all straights no we cannot go with that weak Prayer Lord I believe help my unbelief till somewhat of this Faith be risen up and stuck to by us Why do we put it off any longer Why are not we now battered Why not this night What hinders If ever we begin we must begin with this little grain though there be but a dim seeing but a half eye open Yet the star must be followed if ever we will come to Christ and the promise is The eyes of them that see shall not be dim Now it is a dim seeing indeed now we see but darkly but however if we did but stick to this dark seeing then we might go and pray for a farther light that it may grow cleerer and cleerer to the perfect day But why are we so loth to believe that this good is intended us It is
And this man would never chuse to have these contrary beings live so near together If the soul be once in the Ministry of circumcision with Peter then it would by no means touch any thing common or unclean But the Promise is That the Lion and the Lamb and the Ox and the Bear shall lie down together and yet do no hurt in all the holy Mountain Yet observe there is a difference made but two of a sort of all the unclean were to be kept but of all the clean seven couple which had this in it to shew That however here sin and righteousness dwell together in the Ark yet there are more for us then against us Seven couple of the clean sort a compleat number of the righteous seed and but some few reliques of sin yet a spawn lives to keep the Soul in awe always lest it should increase and multiply and that there might ever be a crying out against this Body of Death for 't is a wearisom condition at best and full of snares These unclean Beasts cannot but be ill companions for the clean having always a devouring mind if it were possible to destroy them Then in this Ark Noah had a Dove to send out to bring tydings to him how it went abroad which had this meaning in it That who ever have indeed built this Ark attained to a certain estate of Salvation the Holy Ghost is given them to go to God for them in all straits We know not how to pray but the Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities This is the Messenger between God and the Soul in all straits and distresses What time as I am afflicted saith David I will pray unto thee O Lord if you had but a heart to consider it When your house is on fire and the Enemies at hand when you are compassed about with fears and miseries and distresses as you will be and yet no Messenger is at hand to send to enquire of God and know his meaning and what he intends and what the end shall be O how miserable is it to be left alone without this Comforter There are many that set themselves to pray and speak words but alas he hears not any for their much babbling if there be not this Holy Ghost that proceeded from him to go to him He hears not other cries and noyses Though they howl on their beds and abase themselves to Hell he matters not The Father will hear none but his own Spirit and that knows how to get nigh him to hold him fast and plead with him I will not let thee go unless thou bless me And if this Dove return once without the Olive branch yet it hath no rest but goes out again till it obtain a blessing and bring tydings of Peace Now can any of you answer that question of Peters Have you received this Holy Ghost after you believed You have believed indeed I know and it lives in your Consciences that Truth is here and God is amongst us that here are the words of eternal life But now hast thou received the Holy Ghost after this believing Else what a miserable plunge must thou needs be at when straits and Tryals come as thick as Hail and thou hast none to send to God to enquire the meaning none to intercede for thee and plead thy Cause but art left as the whole world to live in darkness and judg all things like beasts which know no farther then they feel in all that befalls them Now I would proceed to speak of the Consequents or Effects which follow this building of the Ark and they are layd down in the words to be these three 1. Noah did it to the saving of his house 2. He condemned the world by it 3. He became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith 1. He saved his house by it it is worth noting It is not said He did it to the saving himself though that was included in it yet a farther thing was in it to save his house The servants of God in all times have had that reward of their labor to save a People That hath been their care and work to seek up the lost sheep to turn others to Righteousness And in this saving of his houshold three Things are considerable How Noah did it 1. He saved his house that great work by being a Hearer first himself He was first warned of God himself and had an ear open to receive and learn the lesson before he can teach his house What I received of the Lord saith Paul that I delivered to you Many go to teach others and were never taught themselves Alas how can their work stand They preach they know not what nor to whom They would be Teachers of the Law not knowing the things whereof they affirm They never heard his voyce at any time nor saw his shape as Christ said to the Jews and how can they save a People They are blind Leaders of the blind and therefore wo to the Preachers that have not first learn'd of the Lord themselves and woe to the People that are left to such Guides for both the wall and the Dawber shall fall together But Noah was first warned of God himself 2. He saves his house by taking charge of them and standing engaged for them as for his own Soul Take heed saith Paul of the flock of whom the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers The Holy Ghost lays the charge upon Gods Ministers and they are made to receive it and wait and tend and look after their People as their own Souls As Judah saith of Benjamin If I bring him not back again to thee let me bear the blame for ever Such a weighty charge they take upon them But where is now in our days such a Noah such a Preacher of Righteousness Many Preach indeed and they take the charge of a People as they say but how long Till another hundred pound a year comes and then they are gone or till some suffering and hardship or inconvenience come and then they are gone They fly at the sight of the Wolf O wicked generation God will find them out But Noah takes charge of his People they are his house his family his life and therefore sticks to the saving of them 3. That is the third thing He sticks close to them and follows on till the thing be done till he hath indeed saved them till brought them into the same condition with himself He will lay down his life for his sheep and this is a true Shepherd indeed that cries out with Moses Nay rather blot my name out of the Book of Life then that this People should be destroyed And Paul he is at a strait and could wish himself accurst from Christ for his Brethrens sake Now to have such a Saviour to stand in the gap to travel for a People and never leave till Christ be formed in them this is the great Mercy and after this sort do the Noahs
receive instruction IV. The next general Thing is the Peoples Promise AND WE WILL HEAR IT AND DO IT And if this be not the thing set down in your hearts and minds if we intend not this to come to doing to be the thing that is called for alas what do we come together for Why do we hear What will come of all our way if we are not truly brought to this mind we will hear and do all that the Lord shall command About this hearing five things may be considered 1. You are to hear who it is that speaks My sheep hear my voice saith Christ and the voice of a stranger they will not hear there is need distinctly to know him that speaks calls and not take every word by road that seems good and true as the world do but to be able surely to discern and distinguish between the voyce of God and the voice of man and the voice of the Devil for the same outward words may be taken up by them all the Devil can speak Scripture to Christ He shall give his Angels charge over thee lest thou dash thy foot against a stone and the Jews the great enemies of Christ they can speak as good words as may be they say to the blind man recovered to his sights Give Glory to God what better and righter word can be spoken But yet how base and wicked was it from them for in the next word they reject Christ as for this man we know he is a sinner Now if we be not made to look into the inwards of words and see what runs in them what Spirit breaths whether God or the enemy or mans own heart if we know not this we know nothing and sure the word now preached to us is as an idle tale and we do not seriously enquire who it is that speaks whether this Doctrine be from heaven or from men whether the Lord speaks indeed unto us I told you the Lord would have you know where you are at the present that you are in a desolate Wilderness where a thousand dangers and miseries lie in the way and it is ten thousand to one whether you get clear through all but fall short in some pit or other Now do you believe this indeed do you think it is the Lords voyce that he speaks his very word to you Alas what a mist do the world live in How do they go to Church and hear and hear year after year and it scarce ever comes into any of their minds once to think seriously what is this I hear whose voyce is it Doth God speak to me of a certain or is it onely the voyce of a man If it be man onely then what do I hearing it is a vain service but if God then why seiseth it no more why do they not tremble under it And this old Taint we retain from them and thus I fear most of our hearings slip away without a serious enquiry who it is that speaks to us whose voyce calls for if we were certainly perswaded that when a word touches our hearts when it reproves and finds us Sinners when it pulls and stirs to arise and be going did we surely know it is God that reproves and touches and stirs within us certainly we durst not so stand out and sleight it as we do If it be indeed the word of God it will not be dallied with It is quick and lively and will work one way or other it will either kill or save condemn or justifie draw to God or drive from him he will not speak in vain therefore in all hearings hear this first who is it that speaks 2. The next thing is to hear what he speaks I will hear what the Lord God will say saith David hear the particular word and message that comes to me for he saith to one Go and he is to go and to anothâ—r Come and he is to câ—me to a third Do thou this and that is to be his work Now in Babel there is a strange confusion and lumber of all together it is a Land without order because there is no King nor governmenr nor setled laws to stand to but God is not the God of confusion his Kingdom is a Kingdom of righteousness peace and order the Lord sets every one to his own work and in his own place Sit thou down here thou art a sinner and guilty buckle thou under the guilt that 's thy place To another he sayes Friend sit up higher be thou incouraged and hope and expect deliverance that 's his place to another he says Enter thou into thy Masters joy for thou art worthy and that is his place he speaks not to you all as in one condition though you may be all sailing in one ship yet for different ends and purposes I now some of you that are like a post in a wall it is as impossible to make you hear a word of truth the ear is so stopp'd charm the charmer never so wisely Now the word spoke to such is to know where they are to own theiâ— shame that 's their place for others that may not be this Highway ground where the word is snatched away and takes no place at all yet there is a stony ground and a thorny ground where the seed grows and flourishes a while but yet all is lost it never comes to perfection Now for every one to know what ground is my present condition in What speaks the Lord to me What is my way and work hear that 3. Hear to whom he speaks that not every one may thrust himself in by violence and catch at a share in every word that is spoken do you press in I but you shall be turned out again as fast The children of the Kingdom that thought they had good right and title to it yet they shall be thrust out There is need therefore to know distinctly whether the Lord speaks to me or not Thou art the man said the Prophet to David thou art the sinner when the word shall come home and the Lot fall upon the particular Tribe the particular man the particular sin Tâ—is distinct way God takes in his deâ—lings when Christ said to the D sciples One of you shall betray me they are all put upon the search and enquiry Lord is it I and is it I Now I have told you all the four sorts of grounds are amongst us there is the High-way ground where the seed takes no place at all and the stony ground where it takes a while but there was a depth of earth a sure â—ooting and that soon withers and there is a thorny ground which may continue long and hold to the last but the seed is all overspread over-â—opped and choaked with the thorns Now these three grounds take in a large compasâ— will you now go away and not enquire this night which of these grounds doth my soul stand in how is the state of my condition
destruction but like the Smiths dog sleep quietly though the sparks fly about your ears the words of the Curse and the words of the Blessing all are alâ—ke nothing seiseth and this is your great misery that you cannot come near your selves to enquire how is it A deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot possibly come to that word to say is there not a lye in my right hand Isa 44.20 But now you that are made sensible and know where you stand and cry for bread to eat somewhat that may cure and heal and satisfie you every where you that are under the sense and pain of this felt-want and misery you clearly know these two things 1. You see how an evill taint hath gone along with you all your dayes from your childhood which you never yet were cured of and if you be not cured it will surely undo you And then 2. We are under the sense of the great thing we are short of of knowing the very inward mind and heart of God towards us how we stand in that eternall favour of his acceptance for till we shall have a clear and full certainty what these everlasting thoughts of God concerning us are whatever else we have had or may have of powers inlargings refreshings and operations of truth yet all will be too short to satisfie and set down our Souls we must still lie as the Lepers here did at a peradventure and hazard with our Lives in our hands They can but kill us c. We know not what the end will be how God will deal whether save or destroy but all our Life long we shall stand in fear of death till we are freed from him that hath the power of Death till we are satisfied by an everlasting witness of good-will towards us and that nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ and to have the sense of this shortness upon us sure it would make us stir and look about us I wonder truly how you can passe over a day a night an hour and let the case lie at such uncertainties and that you are not alwayes crying out with these Lepers If we sit here we dye if we are not freed from this selfish taint from an evil heart that hath ever been nursed up with us that will surely be our ruine and if we are not in that eternall Good will of God favoured and accepted that love which still cover a multitude of sinnes and never fail but save to the utmost if we are not found written in this book of life we surely perish And can we lie in this miserable condition to be outcasts Leprous under a sore Famine beset round with an Host of enemies from within and without for do you not see and know how the world are up and stirred against us if it be possible to break us in pieces from being a people yet have we no sense nor feeling of all this II. I told you a second thing in generall to be considered was not only the present misery these Lepers lie under but the hopeless condition of any way or means to help them They are at their wits ends If we sit here we dye if go into the City we dye if fall into the Host of our enemies we can but dye c. which implies they could promise and expect no other thing And thus are our souls hemmed in with straits on all hands If we sit where we are we certainly know and feel we are short and perish and if we turn back to the world and draw back from the place Truth hath brough us up unto there we are sure to perish and if we go on an host of enemies is before us what shall we do in this Case There are three things which Truth hath surely led us up to and if we go back again and turn in any of those Cases we are sure to fall short and dye 1. As I told you we are brought to a true light and information of our present misery in what a wretched polluted leprous case we stand what a base selfish taâ—nt is with us in all our way how short we are of the life of God and if we shall turn back from this the heart be left to reason and plead and blind it self saying sure I am not so miserable the case is not so bad as I may judge c. and so shuffle away and get off the strait This is to be undone that is certain 2. We are informed in the great thing we want that without a clear and certain witness from heaven sealed upon our spirits of the everlasting thoughts of Good will towards us that nothing else can be enough to stay and settle our Souls this we are come to to see nothing short of this will serve and this there is a true close to and cry for at times in our minds in our inward man However we are led captive yet all along the eye is open to see what we want and if here we shall be left to turn back and reason with flesh and blood and say all reach not to the same pitch why may not we be saved though we are not led up so far as some others if we get off the strait thus and turn to carelessness and security this is the way also surely to perish 3. We are brought to a Proclamation of and have begun to enter into a killing and self-denying way the Proclamation hath sounded to leave all things and take up the Crosse and follow Truth not to please our selves not to take content or sit down in any of the creatures not to have a Kingdom in this world but to walk always as strangers and pilgrims seeking another country this we have chosen according to our Light and this we have professed to the world and if we shall be left to fall back here and say This is a hard saying who can bear it to be ever dying to be killed all the day long c. and so shall turn again to vanity to the beggarly elements to make a Captain go back to Egypt to turn with the dog to the vomit c. I say to be left to this is a certain token of being undone Many of you might have dyed in peace and been truly saved formerly short of this conversation before the Light came up and the thing was called for to leave all but now to resist and withstand the light that arises in your day to rebell against the Lords call this is certainly to be undone and therefore if the Lord help you not out and bring you not up to the next step and buckle your hearts to the dust and make you lie under and submit to the hand and venture your lives and say Let him do what seemeth him good without you come to this you are undone if you shall make a Captain to return into Egypt then remember what befell He sware in his wrath that
But then For some of you whom indeed I know and who yet lie dead in your graves fast bound in chains and fetters under darkness and fears and sorrows and are no ways able ever to get out to you this promise of Life is made That God will make the dry bones live and raise you out of your graves It concerns you to look after it For he hath promised and will perform He will surely keep his Word unto Jacob and his Covenant to Israel God will say to all that keep us down in chains and bondage Let my People go that they may serve me Let my Captives go free The time will come when he will turn our mourning into joy and fill our tongues with laughter and our mouths with praises when he shall bring back the Captivity of Israel when the Time of Life is come And now it followeth to go on That you might be made Partakers of the Divine Nature All this I have spoken of is to pass upon the Soul before there can be this partaking of the Divine Nature to be joyned in and married to it There may be somewhat of Life and Godliness and Glory and Vertue springing in the Soul but yet it may be but one alone as a chaste Virgin indeed single and loose from all and fit for a Husband but not yet married the House must be thus swept and provided and made fit but yet the King is to come to lodg in it It is yet a farther thing to become fruitful and have children in the Truth therefore the next thing to enquire into is Secondly What is it to partake of the Divine Nature The Holy Ghost is this Divine Nature spoke of Now Christ saith He will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it only to such as ask it such as are at a strait to cry for it and only living men can cry and ask and to them he will give this Holy Spirit God communicates and gives in to the Soul a Holy Seed of his own Nature and Being as really as in the outward generation of a man A seed must first be given and received before ever a child can be brought forth So is it with the Soul a seed of God must be really planted in and sown there somewhat of his own Being and Substance left behind in the Soul to stay abide and grow and spread or else there can never be fruitfulness expected If God only come and go as a wayfaring man and take not up his abode so long we shall never be setled down to any thing truly unmovable but up and down as His coming or going away is As the Spirit came on Saul and came on Balaam so long they prophesied and spake of God and were as it were new men but the Spirit departs again and then they are as other men the same they were before But now to have God dwell in man to take up his abode This is my Rest here will I dwell for ever this is a mighty thing indeed 2. To be made Partakers of the Divine Nature as it implies an abiding and setled planting in of a seed of God so it is secondly a known and felt-thing in the Soul there is a certain close and meet of the man He receives the seed in the man is brought to hear and feel and know that God is nigh 3. This Divine Nature where it is thus given in by God and received by the man it brings forth of its own kind and Image He gives to every seed it s own body Adam begets a son in his own likeness natural and carnal and earthly and selfish having his centre wholly downwards And so the Lord He begets Children like Himself in Patience Love Singleness Justice Meekness c. Where this Divine Nature is sown it will surely grow up into the likeness of its Father it will own its Father in its countenance it will turn the man into the same mind and will and desires and if not so yet do the man what he can whether he will or not this Truth wil act stir and bring forth like it self and in this it will deal plainly and truly and shew the man where he is it will not be bribed to dawb with untempered morter and yet is merciful too tender-hearted easie to be entreated full of all good fruits c. Now then 1. This may be of Vse to enquire what it is we would come to would we receive this Divine Nature and joyn in and be marryed to it It is certain you can never have children nor be fruitful in the Truth unless you are marryed in here Though you should be Virgins and be brought to stand clear and loose from all intanglements yet you can never have children to keep your name alive in Israel you will live and dye alone without you are brought to joyn into this Spirit of Christ Though we may have Fathers and Instructers to care and provide for us yet that Promise cannot take place In stead of fathers thou shalt have childrē whom thou mayst make Princes in all Lands We can never leave a seed after us that may grow up to be Princes in the Truth to make it spread in the world and run and be glorious but at present we are far from this there is a very ill spirit in us not willing to see another thrive and prosper in the Truth We would neither enter in our selves nor suffer them that would How few of us are yet reached out to this Thing to long for and desire to be Partakers of the Divine Nature We would rather starve and live on any Husks any shifts and sharkings then come near God for a Feast our hearts choose rather a Dogs life hunger and ease Hungry indeed we are many times at a want for somewhat but if we can get but a little ease in our want we can bear it and so the strait gets off and this may discover that great ill will that is in us to the thriving and prospering of the Truth c. 2. This may inform you what the End of all is all the Promises of Life and Godliness and Glory and Vertue they all tend to this end That you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature The Door is yet open the Promise and Call is yet after you It belongs to you as it did to Ruths kinsman to marry Ruth and purchase the Inheritance but if you shall slight it and say as he did I cannot redeem it for it will spoil my own Inheritance if we shall answer so No we cannot come so near to partake of the Divine Nature to dwell with God He will be a consuming fire He will cross and spoyl all our wills and delights and designs If we shall thus judg our selves unworthy of eternal Life then Lo He turns to the Gentiles He will turn to another people for sure He will find out some that will be glad to receive Him whose
yet saith the Prophet Come and let us return to the Lord for He hath torn and He will heal c. In this Return these things are considerable First They that return know surely that They are out of the way the Soul must first be made truly knowing and sensible of that when it is met with in its gaddings as Hagar was by the Angel and examined strictly Whence comest Thou Hagar and whither wilt Thou go Thou art quite out of the way in flying from thy Mistress Sarah Return and submit unto her The going out is thus clearly opened and layd upon the Soul But wherein were They gone out of the way that They are called on to return 1. They were out of the way in that they broke prison and ran away from the strait as Chap. 5.10 The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound A bound was set to keep them in a narrower compass that God might the better come nigh to deal with them as it is in Job If They be bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction then He sheweth man his sin and his transgression how he hath exceeded Then is a time when God can come neer to search and dress the sore when the Soul is layd fast from running away when it is held in the Bond of the spirit then the heart is opened the wickedness discovered what a wretched case man is in hopeless and helpless And this is the way God takes to hide pride from mans eyes and lay him low in the dust And how have we gone out of the way in this We have removed the Bond and run away and would not endure the strait nor stick to our conditions to lie so low and wretched and helpless We have flown out from this and said as They No but we are Lords and will come no more at him Here have we turned out and if ever we return we must come in sensibly guilty under this of removing the bound and running away from our conditions living at our hands and own counsels at a distance from God And now here it is needful for all of you to enquire how it stands with you Have you all turned out here in removing the bound or were you yet never in it I know some of you were never as yet in this Bond of the Spirit but have been left to your own wills and runnings of heart and never yet were brought to this narrow compass But some of you I know have removed this bound have got from your sin and guilt and misery when opened to you You have turned your eyes away from your own sore and looked asquint on anothers faults and pryed into their miscarriages have spyed out the mote there but would not see the beam in our own eye but have covered that close and hid it and therfore is the stroke now come upon us God hath found us out though man could not and there is a secret moth hath eaten and consumed us and spoyled all our good because we have run away and would not endure the bond to be put upon us I know assuredly the time when God would have brought some of you to a strait that nothing should have contented you without the knowledg of the Love of God what the eternal thoughts are concerning you and what should become of us in the latter end that we might not live on notions or words or knowledg or operations nor any thing short of this but here have we broke away and would not endure to come at it But 2. They were out of the way in going about to cure themselves before the day came the time of deliverance Chap. 5.13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet He could not heal you such a reaching hath there been after ease and cure and deliverance before the time was come Therefore saith God I will be as a moth and rottenness to Ephraim a secret hand hath followed us as David says I am consumed by the blow of thy hand a secret consumption and mouldring away and coming to nothing and of all deaths this is most miserable to dye so by degrees fall in pieces and melt away to nothing like a snail and thus hath the Lord dealt with us such a wasting and decaying hath been upon us but yet the thing is not layd heart None speaks aright nor says What have I done what is the cause of this desolation Why is the hand against me How hath a secret moth eaten up all our good Time was there was a tender conscience an awe of spirit and fear to offend a watchfulness over all our ways and thoughts and words but now all is gone The Lord hath smitten us and our flower fadeth And now if this were indeed but sensibly upon us it would make us look home and not have our eyes in every corner to pry into one anothers failings but it would be work enough to look on our own guilt to see how we have broke the bonds and got away from owning our shame and lying under our misery and have not stayd till we were washed from our blood but have washed our selves and forced our selves as Saul did to offer sacrifice when we heard but a report of deliverance Behold this is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Yea presently we reckoned all this our own and clambered up to get into the liberty before we were called for our of our prisons and we must therefore down again to our bonds we were but an untimely birth and must not live to see the Sun We tarryed not in our graves till that word came from Christ Damosel Arise Lazarus Come forth but we broke away by force as a Servant runs from his Master and that shews we broke from him in that there is no heart to return we never cared for the Lord nor loved him since but as we have been forced to Him for a little ease and when we have got that we have been gone presently and cared for no more Secondly The second Thing considerable in this Return is from the Call and Counsel of the Prophet Come and let us return c. Being once out we cannot return of our selves without counsel The Soul knows not what to do nor which way to turn being once lost it is in such an amaze so foolish a thing is man and therefore if we are never brought to that strait to cry out for some to counsel and lead and tell us what to do Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved without this there will be no returning For out we are got that is certain and have miserably lost our selves For some of us were formerly truly touched and visited and taken out of the world were made to see and understand the vanity of our former ways and in what a miserable and dangerous estate
made thee He that Rules and Orders all Fear Him but why should we fear him 1. Fear him because we are his Workmanship he is our Maker he is the Potter and we are his clay we had our Being and Frame and mould and all we have from him 2. Fear Him Because he can bring thee down on a sudden He can secretly twist away thy life and all thou hast thou knowst not how How soon was Judas striped and twisted out of all his mercy and presently left to ruine He was but now among the Disciples and lookt upon as one of them for they all questioned themselves as much as him and by and by he hangs himself when he is but left to have his run and therefore saith David Thou holdest our souls in life if he do not hold and maintain and keep up thy life every moment alas thou art soon gone and wilt sink to nothing when thou art in thy jollity and mirth in the midst of thy bouls if a hand writing do but come against thee how soon may thy mirth be quashed the knees tremble and knock together and the face be turned to paleness Alas therefore should'st thou not fear him When I consider Him I am afraid of Him saith Job for He is of one mind and he will bring to pass the thing appointed for me He can turn all upside down in a moment at such an uncertainty stand all our ways and enjoyments when at the best much like a stout resolved Souldier riding up bravely furnished and with a courage to charge in the face of an Enemy but on a suddain a bullet comes and lays him down and all his strength and courage is gone in a moment so soon can this Lord take thee off in any of thy injoyments therefore Fear Him 3. Fear Him because he doth all without let 〈◊〉 controul nothing shall hinder when He begins He will make an end All men and all creatures have a Controuler that can frustrate their enterprises but the great God hath no controuler He gives no account of his matters if he will not favour a man either in Soul or body but lets a blast seize upon him alas the man must fall and all the world cannot help him 4. Fear Him because in thy own Conscience tho◠canst witness Thou hast justly offended Him he hath occasions and advantages enough against thee O Lord how many ways might He justly take thee off might he not stop thy breath when thou sleepest might he not make thy meat to be thy poyson art thou not a sinner in all and liable to Him if He should take advantage therefore Stand in awe and Fear before Him 5. Fear Him because He will certainly bring thee to judgment he wil call thee to an account for all thy ways That which hath been done in secret which no eye saw and no man could ever charge thee with all thy secret thoughts thy covetings and lustings and envyings the secret turnings within He will bring all upon the stage nothing shall pass therefore fear this Judg for Thou knowest not at what hour thy Lord may come And Good Lord if He come in a time unthought of and finde thee froward and fretting and envying and lusting and saving thy life in any creature Alas what then will become of thee if thou beest thus surprized and surprize thee He may For we know not the hour when the Thief will come therefore there is cause to fear 6. Fear Him because there is mercy with Him that He may be feared He will have a reward for them that fear him If thou fear men either they may neglect and not minde to reward thee or else may not be able but the Lord will surely reward them that fear Him and those that wait on Him shall not be ashamed And therefore there is great reason from these several Particulars why He should be feared And now I shall speak of the two other general Points from the words which come in as an enlargement and farther ground of this Exhortation Fear Him that can destroy both Soul and Body in Hell where these two things are yet to be opened What it is to have the Soul destroyed and then what it is to be in Hell Fifthly What is it to have the Soul destroyed what ways doth God take to do that 1. He destroys the Soul by withdrawing the sap which should maintain it when God gives up the Soul to it self and leaves striving and motioning and knocking this is one way by which it is surely destroyed For it will soon dye and sink of it self if it be not followed and hunted and kept up and maintained dayly 2. Another way of destroying the Soul is when God gives it up to beleeve lyes to feed on ashes and that like a canker will soon eat out all the life and power and spirit of Truth The Soul is made uncapable of receiving Truth nothing can enter nor seize Though there be never such a power and strength and clearness in the Word yet nothing can take place and this is the wonder that God speaks I will work a wonder in your days that a man shall not beleeve though it be told him I will destroy the wisdom of the wise And again In hearing they shall hear and not perceive and in seeing they shall not see because a deceived heart hath turned them aside given up to beleeve lyes c. 3. Another way of destroying the Soul is by leaving it alone out of the Nursery out of the heart and care of the People of God that there is none to take it in none to look over it nor enquire after it none to turn aside to ask how it doth Alass this will soon destroy the Soul to be thus cast off and left alone without the care and counsel and pity and encouragement of the Truth to have none to plant nor water nor till it that ground can bring forth nothing but bryars and thorns and so is nigh unto cursing c. 4. Another way God takes when the Decrees are gone forth to undo a Soul is this He shuts out all prayers and intreaties and means that are used to turn his heart to the creature that nothing shall prevail with Him though there should be any to stand up to pray and plead yet He will not hear Though Samuel and Moses and Daniel should stand up yet could not my heart be turned towards this people Put them out of my sight saith God And so to Samuel God answers Why prayest thou any more for Saul I have cast him off And this is a sure way of undoing the Soul indeed If God be against it who can stand for it who can deliver out of his hand 5. Another way the Soul is destroyed by is when God takes away all its gates and fences and lays it open to sin and Satan to have their full course and run without stop or let All the floods of ungodliness and
that unpardonable Sin and there could have been no mercy for us But What was Jerusalem ignorant of She was ignorant of her Day O that thou hadst known in this thy Day It was the time and day of her Visitation and she knows it not This day saith Samuel to Saul would the Lord have established the Kingdom upon thee had he known the time and stood in that nick but falling there he lost all So the woman of Samaria she looked for the Messias to come and that He would tell her all things but she was ignorant of the present season she knew not that He was the Messias who now talked with her So have we been hoping and expecting and promising our selves great things for the future but have not known the present day and the present mercies offered us For my own part had I known my time and day afforded me I can truly say I had been prevented of many of the miseries mischiefs and miscarries that I have fallen into And how many times have you killed the strugglings and motionings of the Spirit in you and said To morrow we will consider of it and hear and come up to what is called for when alas to morrow is not ours we know not but this may be the day and if this be slipt over by us it may never be offered more but we are reasoning and disputing away the time saying Sure this is not the call and mind of Truth this would make me a scorn and hissing stock to all sure this would undo me And thus we are keeping off our mercies No but we judg amiss He would bring thee to Himself to know the things that belong to thy Peace to have Peace in all thou goest about which is worth all We have now no Peace in all our ways turn whither we will to eating and drinking and trading to all our employments and enjoyments yet nothing shall give rest and ease to them that are to be saved till this Peace be given and this Christ weeps for that this Peace should be no more known nor minded by Ierusalem but the time slipt over and lost and gone whilest we stand and oppose our own Salvation and would never come at it But you will say Is such a Thing in man that would not be saved and come to know the things which belong to his Peace and everlasting good I there is that which opposeth it to the Death if the Lord prevent not But how ever the Soul may be saved in the day of the Lord yet a great Loss may come the inlargements and attainments may be lost But now they are hid from thine eyes c. and much misery sorrows may be brought on our heads as in the Verse following Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and keep thee in on every side and not leave one stone upon another c. Methinks while I read and consider it to whom he speaks to Ierusalem that God should deal thus exactly and be so severe and harsh to his own People this is marvelous and makes my heart ake to think on it and yet thus He will deal with Ierusalem I told you the high nature of their sin to destroy their Prophets is 1. An unnatural sin it is to kill their own Souls And 2. An ungrateful sin against all love and mercy and tenderness a requiting of the greatest evil for the greatest good And then 3. What a venture is it to run such a desperate hazard who that should see this in himself and have the sense seize upon him would not cry out O what have I done I remember it was so with me in my day when Christ was offered to me and my Soul drew back refused the Lamb of God that which I had so long cryed and prayed and longed for yet when offered to me Lo here is my Son that then I should refuse it Lord I said to my Soul what have I done what will become of me what now can save me Then another Cause of Christs weeping over Ierusalem I told you was their Ignorance that They knew not the things which belonged to their Peace and what Things were they Why saith Christ How often would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and you would not They knew not the goodness of the Lord the day of Grace offered that then He was calling and inviting and gathering them to Himself Now this I would bring home to our selves to see how it will parallel with our conditions whether the Lord hath not thus sought to gather us in our day as a Hen gathereth her Chickens In which these several things are Considerable 1. A Hen calleth her Chickens after her she goes before and clocks and clocks to call them together to follow her till she gets them all about her and so hath the Lord dealt with us the Call of Truth hath reached us and brought us together out of several Countries and places and conditions one Call of the Truth hath met with us and brought us together 2. The Hen after she hath gathered her chickens about her she sits down and settles in some place and so hath Truth now it hath gathered us together it hath sat down amongst us it hath taken up a setled place of abode that we are not now wanderlng abroad to find a Truth or a People to joyn with 3. After the Hen hath called her chickens together and sat down in her place the next thing she doth is this she spreads forth and opens her wings to receive and take them in so hath the Truth opened and spread forth the wings of its favor and goodness and entertainment the way is open and free all that will may come under and find acceptance and tendering all that are the chickens indeed that belong to this Hen to this Truth and not of a false brood 4. The Hen receives her chickens under her wings to warm cherish and revive them and that is the end of Truths gathering and opening it self to receive and take us in to fellowship and counsel and unity it is that we might be warmed and helped and relieved and prosper If two lie together there is heat but how can one be warm alone Take a quick coal out of the fire and it dyeth presently And the Holy Ghost says Wo to him that is alone But the Prospering way that Truth calls to is where Brethren live together in unity to come under one wing for counsel and help and direction in all our ways 5. The Hen gathers her chickens under her wings as to warm and cherish them so to protect and keep them out of danger and harms the Kite or some ravenous thing or other soon catches them when they leave the Hen and straggle alone And this is a certainty whilest we stand alone by our selves out of the counsel and care and submission under Truth we are open to a thousand dangers
from this compleat soundness We complain because we cannot have our evil wills but when David was delivered O let me never taste of their dainties saith he Thus did the Father receive the Prodigal safe and sound But He received him so Which intimates That no unclean thing shall enter The Child shall be in the wilderness till he know how to refuse the evil and choose the good but we put it off and would never learn saying When God comes indeed we shall be so But we must be brought to choose the thing our wills must buckle to be of his minde not his Will to ours all this curious work was wrought in the dark I was curiously fashioned saith David in the lower-most parts of the Earth c. When the Prodigal came to himself when he first returned the Father received him safe and sound so sure was he fenced about with the Name of the Lord a strong fence indeed The Father findes him in this Name and in this he receives him as Christ saith of Mary She loved much therefore much was forgiven her So safe and sound does the Father receive him Safe in that he is free from all evil nothing can touch him and then safe in that he cannot get away and sound not having an evil tincture of an old rotten heart in him Now he has no mind to return to Sodom I remember in that day I look'd for all my fears that had plagued me and could not finde them the minde was set on fire for God alone Well may the Father be merry now to receive a son that was once forlorn that had neither clothes to his back nor meat for his belly that had no fellowship but Rogues fit for every base Harlots house taking all opportunities of destruction yet he is saved out of all and comes home safe and now for a King to entertain him thus it was a token he was a son indeed for who else could have the face to own such a Father such a case as he was now in but he ventures and calls him Father and the Father own◠him and is glad to receive him in how miserable a case soever he findes him Thus have you seen the progress of all the Prodigal's way Did you see him in his pride and bravery wiser then seven men that can give a reason full of wealth and store having got his portion into his hands and have you seen what he does with it The rich mans wealth saith Solomon is a high wall in his own conceit 't is but in his own conceit But before destruction saith he a mans heart is haughty Prov. 18.11 12. And if you see him a while after where is it all become The time comes he is glad of an husk if he could but feed with the swine but he may not And now he is put to his last shift either to dye with hunger or to return home to his Father at a peradventure whether he will receive him or no he proposes to himself if he might but be received as a servant it was far better to be so then as he was for they had no want but he starved with hunger And because he comes home thus buckled owning his shame confessing he had so sinned and was not worthy any more of the name of a son now his commanding and claiming spirit is layd down but while he comes thus he is largely entertained with abundance of mercies as hath been shewed you Now from all this you may consider these Vses 1. In the first place here might be an Use of Information or forewarning to all those that are sons or daughters of this Father That if possible you might take warning and not gain this loss to your selves by wandering If a man be a Drunkard or Swearer c. yet he will many times counsel his child that he should not follow his way And as Paul said so I say to you 〈◊〉 would you were all as I am except my bonds I would you might never have a minde to wander as the Prodigal did you see what it brought him to And all the Examples you hear of they are all written for your admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come And as you have seen the end of the World so you would see an end of Truth too were it in your power The Prodigal did not spend the Worlds but his own portion you have made an evil use of all the Creatures and will you make an evil use of Truth too O that you might learn instruction and be wise That the days past might suffice in which you have walked perversly that hence-forward you might be warned to keep out of the snare 2. It may be of Use for Instruction to let us know of a certain That where ever Pride goes before Destruction will follow after The Prodigal for his riotous living was rewarded with famine It were well if you would never venture but if you do know of a certain the Famine will overtake you Therefore as Paul saith Forsake not the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is who are thereby hardened Where presumption goes before hardness of heart will follow Therefore it 's no marvel to see us lean and barren it is because that proud spirit has gone before which has brought it on us that promis'd you you should not be poor but sit as a Lady for ever c. We have promised our selves we would be diligent and watchful not envy nor despise any but when the heart is once out it 's hard to come in again When Davids heart had got out to look upon the woman he presently sends for her Husband then makes him drunk then sends him with a Letter to the Army to take his life away and all that he might enjoy his Wife So when the heart is once out how does it heap one lye and mischief upon another O therefore consider how you get out for if you are once gone it 's not such an easie thing to come in again The beginning of strife saith Solomon is like the breaking out of water The gap is made bigger and bigger till at last it cannot be stopt 3. And lastly This may be for Encouragement to all those Wanderers that are gone a long journey and would never think of returning that count God such an hard Master Do but consider his works of old as David did he was encouraged by it and had hope Our father 's hoped in thee saith he and were not ashamed Remember the Prodigal though a poor forlorn wretch yet he return'd to his Father as he was and see what entertainment he found Therefore now enquire with what Principle thou couldst come in Art thou dead and thy fear is thou shalt not be revived again or is thy fear because of a dissembling unsound spirit thou hast which twists about thee do what thou canst Yet see Is thy strait for a single and upright heart Doth
in the Beloved Nothing else will carry it out against the Flood when that comes to overflow nothing then but that everlasting Rock Many are wise and great and honorable and knowing in their generation famous and men of renown but alas when they come to dye they have no understanding but are found like the beast that perish They are to seek their shelter when the storms beat But now to have a portion made over to thee in that Eternal Love that will be a sure Ark in the time of the Deluge this will be the happiness And such a condition as this you have been warned of God and are warned to press after and to rest in nothing till this Ark be prepared for you II. Consider next He being moved with Fear c. The Warning takes place upon him and leaves an impression behind it moves and touches his heart and that from these five Considerations 1. He was moved with fear from that warning to him That All flesh was corrupt a fear seizeth on him and makes him enquire Is it indeed so as the Lord hath spoken Though I see not so clearly that All is so corrupt and vile yet what means this warning from God Surely the case is worse then I yet see it sure I am leaning and hoping in some wrong thing some arm of flesh or other that the Lord warns me thus Hence the Fear moves upon him and makes him look inwards Now doth this come home to your doors Do you enquire whether these things are so or not Alas how is it with me How stands the case between God and Me What means the complaint and cry That All is corrupt Doth the Lion roar and are you not afraid Or do you stand upon your terms with Corah and say All the Lords People are holy We are not so base and vile as you would make us believe If you plead so you shall know shortly as Moses said to them who are the Lords People and who are not The search and dividing will come and if thy money be good thou art not afraid to bring it out Thou wilt not shrink from being enquired into Thou wilt come to the Light if thy works be good But this will be a testimony the case is bad if either there be a snuffing and taking it ill to be put thus on the Tryal or if a shuffling it off and laying it aside till to morrow or if a fear and shrinking and covering the condition close to your selves or if a wilful stubbornness and scorning to come to the Touch-stone If thou be a scorner thou alone shalt bear it that is certain thou shalt be alone by thy self and woe to him that is alone Who ever is in an Error or evil way he is surely alone in it There are not two in the whole world that are fully together in an evil way but some flaw and difference creeps in do what they can for it is a spirit of confusion and division and there is no true Vnion and Oneness but in the Spirit of Love and Truth Therefore enquire if there be not a canker-worm a taint in all thy best things in thy Knowledg Fear Hope Believing Desiring c. if all be not corrupt And will not this cause a Fear 2. He was moved with Fear to consider Is an end of all flesh coming Is a Judgment so near Is it certain that an Account will be called for from me in all my ways and nothing of flesh shall stand and do I sleep in this condition Am I secure and the Judgment so nigh at the door ready to destroy all Hence the Fear moves and works upon the sensible Soul Now enquire whether this Fear touch upon you or not If you are not brought to be knit up to the Lord Christ and be made one Spirit with him you will be sure to be left behind to the perishing world I wonder sometimes how you can have any rest upon your spirits how you can go through your business and eat and sleep and talk or mind any thing whilest your Souls hang at such an uncertainty and thou knowest not what shall become of thee in the latter end If there be nothing but flesh in thee though never so high and fair and refined yet it will come to an end it will not stand in the fire for what is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord Now if thou searchest into thy self art thou sure thou canst find any thing better then flesh another spirit seed of God and then art thou sure that this is thine and shall ever abide with thee and be in thee For if the Spirit be taken from thee as it was from Saul then thou art miserable for that alone must stand in this day Therefore art thou sure thou hast that which will carry thee out through Death and Hell when the Flood comes to drown the whole Earth Now you are at ease and quiet and in health and go and come at will but do you not think a Flood will come and sweep away all flesh Do you not think you must dye and part with all your wills and loves and desires that are not born of God Therefore what need is there this Fear should seize upon you lest you should not be able to stand in that day 3. He was moved with Fear in this Consideration That he is naked and hath no Ark to betake him to The Judgment is at hand the Deluge ready to seize and he hath no shelter nor place to turn to and this makes the case harder to him then the rest of the World which saw not the danger and hence the Fear seizeth Alass his shelter is not yet prepared the Ark not made Now do you search and enquire into this Have you an Ark at hand to receive you or not Are you provided for such a day or no Are you sure you shall stand in the fire and not be consumed Do you know you shall go through with your building and that mock not fall upon you This man began to build but was not able to finish Doth this Fear touch upon your Souls as it did on Noahs There is a Rest for the people of God that 's sure an Inheritance in Light reserved for the Saints But is it your portion or is it not I wonder I hear not that voyce among you to cry out Oh who shall stand when God doth this when the Searcher comes with his fan in his hand with refiners fire and fullers soap when every plant shall be plucked up that my heavenly Father hath not planted This may seem light now and a vain enquiry to many that are high and at ease and think to dye in their nests as sure they could not but mock at Noah in his day What is this Fool doing What need of all this stir to build an Ark what need is there to what purpose I but when the Flood comes where are the Mockers then What is
fire and live in the water That which nothing can shake But so far as the Salvation hath wrought a work indeed the Soul can say with David Though the Earth be moved and the Mountains cast into the midst of the Sea yet in this will I be confident c. So far as I am saved I am saved Death where 's thy sting Hell where 's thy victory This condemns and judges the World That this Ark takes in no water That there should be no staggering in the Soul but like Mount Zion which cannot be moved Wilt thou still hold thine integrity said that cursed Wife I says Job till I dye I will not give up my integrity But the man be he who he will be he never so wise bold and resolute to carry it out who hath not this Assurance by a sure and tryed work in his Soul I dare lay down my life for it there are times of staggerings and doubtings within calling his condition in question do what he can Let him nail his god never so fast yet Dagon must fall before the Ark some searching word of Truth will get in between the joynts of the closest armor and pierce their confidence do what they can 6. Noah condemns the World in this That though he be safe in the Ark and hath attained a sure refuge from the Flood yet this satisfies him not he is not at rest yet but sends forth the Dove to enquire about the abatement of the waters There is a condition beyond a sure and safe condition when Christ himself the Saviour is to deliver up the Kingdom to the Father when He promises to pray the Father to send them ANOTHER COMFORTER the Spirit of Truth to abide with them for ever And this is that Dove which the Soul can now send forth to carry out its requests to God and bring tydings from him And this is that which condemns the World That they have no such intercourse with God they have no such Spirit given to make their requests known by Though they may cut themselves and cry aloud O Baal save us yet no Answer comes there is not this Dove which Noah sends forth that can bring an Olive branch of Peace in its mouth and give a sure intelligence that the waters are abated that the wrath is ceased 7. He condemns the World by the real work of saving his house He prepared an Ark to that purpose to save his house and it did the thing intended He did save them And this judges all the World who though they build much yet they save none The wall and the dawber fall together They flee from their sheep when the Wolf comes and leave their eggs in the dust like the Ostrich But Noah did the thing he did save his house He left them not in the mid way till he brings them into the Ark He travels and is pained in Soul till Christ be formed in them This is that Interpreter one of a thousand that can shew to man his righteousness and never leaves till that be done and this condemns the World That sensual and devilish part will never endure thus to stick to the work to cleave to a people through all gainsayings opposings and ill requitals Many can preach so long as they may have honor and gain and be well thought of but now take away their Money or cross their Wills let them be despised and dishonored and they can presently be gone and leave their people and rid their hands of trouble so that they will stick to none farther then they can serve themselves and their own ends and thus nothing comes of their preaching They bring their people to nothing in the conclusion I have known some Ministers my self that have been preaching these thirty years and not a man converted by them What a miserable case is this But alass they were never taught themselves and how can they teach others But the Noahs they have a charge given them over their people they cannot get from them so easily You shall not see my face unless your youngest Brother be with you said Joseph They must not leave a hoof behinde that belongs to Israel Such a charge as this is layd upon me concerning some of your Souls That if you fall short I shall bear the blame for ever The blood will be required at my hand if I deal not faithfully and bring you home if you are not saved to the utmost But the encouragement to me is That some have gone through this work Noah did save his house his labor was not in vain and the Promise to Christ is He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied Noah is rewarded for his many years labor He saves his house And if the Lord would please after all my twenty years Travel and Preaching but to give me a People that might indeed build this Ark and attain to a sure knowledge of their Eternal Condition That they shall LIVE FOR EVER It would requite me for all if some of you might come forth thus to be Judges of the World and build such an Ark of Truth as that all the Dagons and Idol-worships of the World must fall before it III. The third Effect that follows this building of the Ark is this He became an Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith And about this three things may be considered 1. What is this Inheritance It is a very large Inheritance it is to enjoy the Lord to be joyned and made one Spirit with him The Lord is my portion saith David The Lord is my lot my refuge the lifter up of my head This is a wonderful large Inheritance Great is the Portion of his People Thus shall it be done to the man whom he delights to honor He shall have an Inheritance in Light an Inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away no altering of it When I awake I am still with thee saith David His Inheritance abides sure to him Many have a great Portion to look on they have a great stock of Peace and Knowledg and Hopes and Confidence I but a worm eats through the Gourd in a night Riches make them wings and flee away Thus is the hope of the Hypocrite His house falls when he comes to lean on it His great bulk of confidence is but a heap of chaff which the wind soon blows away But David could say The Lord is my Portion I have enough The Lord lives and blessed be the Rock of my Salvation 2. What is it to be an Heir To be an Heir is to be born with a right and title to an Inheritance to have an Estate fall to one by right so that it cannot be cut off it can neither be sold nor given away from the Heir Now this is wonderful To be born with such a right and title to Eternal Life such a neer Interest in the Lord that nothing can separate from him neither tribulation nor sufferings nor life
Babylon and the work once hindered and so now sit down and will not venture V. Consider the Miseries that follow them for not building They sow much and bring in little clothe them and were not warmed earn much but all put into a bag of holes a curse in all their ways vers 6 9. This applyed to the present desolation upon us it being impossible for us to prosper without joyning in to be a one People VI. The Priviledges considered which accrue to them that set hand to this work They are these four 1. God promiseth Vers 8. to take pleasure in it This is a great Priviledg 2. Vers 13. he says I am with you saith the Lord His presence goes along 3. He promiseth Chap. 2.19 From this day will I bless you A sure blessing follows 4. He promiseth Zerubbabel Vers last I will make thee as a signet c. In which three great Priviledges considered 1. A Signet hath a neer relation to the hand so He to the Lord. 2. A Signet carries a mans own Arms or some memorable thing in it 3. It is to ratifie and confirm things to make sure such an honor and great priviledges are promised to such as shall set upon this work HAGG. 1.2 3 4 c. Thus speaketh the Lord saying This People say The Time is not come the Time that the Lords House should be built c. SEveral things I would mention to you out of this Scripture 1. I would open what this house is that God complaineth lieth waste 2. What this house is to be built up of of what materials 3. Why do they plead It is not time to build the Lords House yet What Reasons have they for it 4. What misery comes upon them for neglecting this work a blast and curse follows in all their ways They prosper in nothing they set a hand to because of this 5. I would open the great benefits and priviledges that follow upon the beginning to set to this work of building God a house how wonderfully they are prospered and blest and preserved what strange ways God findes out and turns all things that were contrary to help forward his work The Heaven shall hear the Earth and the Earth hear the Corn and Wine and the Corn and Wine shall hear Israel God will turn and order all things for a Blessing I. WHAT IS THIS HOUSE THAT LIETH WASTE AND WHAT TYPES IT OUT Time was when God had his Vine in Egypt his people were in slavery and bondage in a strange Land till their tasks grew too heavy and they cry out under their cruel bondage till at last the cry comes up to Heaven and the Lord can bear no longer but breaks out I have seen I have seen the afflictions of my People Israel and so he sends to deliver them with a high hand and stretched out arm by strange signs and wonders against all the opposition and rage of their Enemies Now when he had brought them through the red Sea and by a visible miracle drowned all their Enemies and saved them with a great Salvation then their hearts were taken and they sing his praise and in their song they make this promise And we will build him an HABITATION and this was never accomplished till Solomons time Though it was in Davids heart and God took it well that it was in his heart yet Solomon was pitched on by God for this work He shall build me an House and here God placed his Name and his Worship and his Presence here he dwelt here he would be sought and enquired of Hither the Tribes came up here their prayers were made and answered c. But after they came once to make an evil use of this House to serve their lusts and own ends contrary to what God had intended it when they come to cry The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and vainly rest on that outside and make an Idol of it as they did of the brazen Serpent in the wilderness then God departs from this House and gives it into the hand of the King of Babylon who makes havock of all and lays it waste and carries away the vessels of the Lords House into Babylon and breaks all their way and worship in pieces But yet still the Lords minde goes on and is the same he is upon it still to have a House built for his Name and Worship to live in and to this purpose he turns the heart of the King to make proclamation of Liberty to the people to return and gives them encouragement and supplies to farther this work but they no sooner set to it indeed to begin and lay the foundation but there are Enemies appear and great opposition is made so that the work ceased and was layd aside till a new stirring arises and God sends Haggai and other of the Prophets to put them upon it to build this House after it had lien waste many years for the people were now brought out of Babylon and dwelt in their own Land but they let the time slip and pass over and had no heart to the work though they might have built it and this is parallel to our condition that linger and trifle away time and put it off though an opportunity be given us again and again and we are often called and invited and entreated to set on this work of building the Lords House to become a one-hearted people no more to serve our selves but one another II. But WHY WILL THE LORD HAVE A HOUSE BUILT a set place of Worship Why will he not leave his Worship to be performed in any place where men please themselves For these three Reasons 1. That this house might be a pattern of the Life to come a type of the Heavenly Jerusalem where they are all to live in love and peace and unity to be all of one heart and one soul moving from one principle to one end without jars and scatterings and wranglings for in the life to come it will not be as 't is now with us every one living for and to our selves and at a distance and loose end from all others But there the morning stars all sing together without jars and envyings and an evil eye there is a peaceable life a Kingdom of love and peace and this God would have a pattern a rude draught of in this World a people brought into some order and conformity of spirit answerable to the Kingdom to come He would have somewhat here of that union and agreement of Soul of that love to care for one another and bear one anothers burthens to honor and serve and prize one anotehr and all in love Paul had a taste of this life He became a servant to all that he might save some and Christ pleased not himself and David cries out O how I love thy Law and the place where thy honor dwells This life to come was pointed out by this outward Temple and all its beauty
rest and peace and enjoyments and instead thereof to take up troubles and sorrows and afflictions Oh no the heart shrinks from this here comes in Spare thy self Master and therefore we plead it is not time yet because it is a trouble and perplexity to the man to set upon this work it puts him beside his cushion he must be sure if he begin to build the Lords House to meet with opposition and contradictions from within and from without from the world and from the Devill The more we shall stir to get out of his Kingdom the more will he stir and rage and cast out his floods to destroy what have our Fathers gone through in this work what strange miseries and sundry sorts of death as you may see Heb. 11. What did Paul suffer hunger and nakedness perils by sea perills by Land perils amongst false brethren stripes and Imprisonments and now who will endure this that can avoyd it who will choose afflictions Mans heart will ever plead it is not yet time because it loves Ease and would never see sorrow But 3. Fear hinders them They were yet under tribute to the King of Babylon they were not yet quite freed from their foes they had once begun to build and were hindered and curbed in the work and therefore now fear gets up and they will venture no more having been once crushed and still remaining under the same enemies this seems a just cause to plead it is not time and thus the heart reasons Have I not tryed again and again and been stopped and prevented and beguiled by the Enemy and am I not still in his hands and if I stir I shall soon be met with and pulled back again and here the heart slugs and lingers and thinks it hath cause to fear and keep off but Jordan never parts till the Priest first ventures to set his foot in it there must be a venturing through all lets and rubs in the way if ever we think to come to any thing and see when they do but begin and set upon the work how they are prospered and all makes for them which before might seem impossible and are not these the true reasons we keep off from the work are we not ignorant that this is the cause of all our misery are we not loving our ease are we not fearing our enemies and so give it over and plead it is not time c. But consider V. WHAT MISERIES FOLLOW FOR NOT BUILDING THIS HOUsE A curse and a blast follows in all their undertakings do what they will yet nothing prospers as it is with a man in a deep consumption let him eat what he will though never so good and choice diet yet his Stomack spoils all It turns it into ill humours to maintain the disease till the root of his sickness be taken away and so is it with us notwithstanding all our mercies and opportunities afforded meat is set before us daily daily are we waited upon and called and instructed and counselled yet how do we still waste and consume we thrive not in all but wax leaner and leaner we come and hear and listen sometimes and swallow down a great deal but alas all is spoiled by a bad stomack we spend all upon our Lusts we love to live alone by our selves at our own Wills and Counsells and Wisdom we are not subjected yet in our souls to come to build this house of the Lord to live in Love and Counsell and order one with another c. and this is the moth that eats and destroys and will destroy all our good if the Lord prevent not thus I have spoke to you what this House is why God will hâ—ve it built and of what materialls and then the Reasons why the people plead it is not time and the misery that follow this neglect and now in a word I would speak to that who they are that are chiefly guilty in this thing I cannot so charge you all of being thus guilty but there are chief Heads who are called to this work and they are to lay the first stone the cloud must first remove before the people can journy and in that great sin of taking strange wives for which Ezra pull'd off his hair and sat astonished on the ground 't is said the Princes and rulers they were the chief in this thing they lead on the rest by a bad example they are the sinners such as were bidden to the feast and yet refuse to come and make excuses they are the sinners Now are you all bidden called out to build this house no I know it cannot yet touch nor lie upon all your Consciences that this house is not built but the Princes and Leaders such as have been called both from a word without and a stirring within their own spirits to begin their work and lead the way and lay the first stone that the rest might follow these are the guilty persons that make their excuses when they are Invited I have married a wife I have bought a Farm This and the other stands in my way that I cannot come but if any enjoyment or imployment or relation if any tye shall hinder us from setting to this work when the Lord calls to it then are we miserable I know there are some of you that stand yet clear and have not resisted a call but think you are ready to become any thing that shall be called for from you but some of you there are that punctually and certainly know you are called forth to the work and yet draw back and shrink away and say 't is not yet time to build c. The heart knowingly flies back and shrinks this is the guilt here lies the sin Therefore the first thing to be known by you is whether you are called or not and if called then take heed of reasonings and pleadings with Moses I am a stammerer a man of a slow speech and they will not beleeve that thou hast sent me till at lest the anger of the Lord was kindled for his lingering in it and this is the way of the heart we do not say point blank we will never build the House No but shuffle it off It is not yet time and we know not our way and the enemies are round about to hinder us and so we conclude the case before-hand and keep off the strait that Paul was brought to when he cries out Lord what wouldst thou have me to do What way should I take What is thy minde in all All things go cross there is no thriving nor prospering in out ways but all symptomes appear to signifie a consumption is upon our way we are scarcely kept alive have scarce a bit of bread to stay our hunger Now what is the meaning of all this Sure there is a Cause Therefore need there is every Soul of you should consider your ways and enquire Lord is it I or Is it I Do I hinder this work where am
the outward letters and the light of their Reason joyned together but alass I cannot finde out the meaning of the heart of God concerning me by all this Therefore if there be not an Interpreter one of a thousand that can shew to man his righteousness if there be not a days-man for us that can come nigh to God and enquire his minde and thoughts towards us then are we miserable for alass we cannot go neer our selves who of us can stand before everlasting burning No saith God to Moses Thou canst not see my face and live No self no flesh no evil thing can live in the presence of God the fire is too hot He will have no fellowship with the stool of iniquity If you will come neer God there is need of a heart without all guile and deceit that intends what it pretends Will you be my people indeed saith God Indeed Nothing else will pass He will divide between words and thoughts between thoughts and intentions if there be but a tittle against thee he 'l be sure to finde it out I know thy Works and Love and Patience saith Christ I but yet I have a few things against thee He spies out the least flaw and therefore it is dreadful coming neer him without that garment of Love which can cover a multitude of sins for else alass he may take advantage every moment and consume us 2. This is another end of coming thus neer God That the Soul may stand reverently and with deep attendance of minde as in the Kings presence Were you but aware that God was so neer you sure it would strike a great awe and wariness upon your spirits What is the Lord in this place and I knew it not Is this no less then the gate of Heaven Am I in the presence of the great God and have to do with him in all my words and thoughts hearings O what need is there of an awful spirit Holiness becometh this House for ever Many go to Church it may be twenty or thirty years and never yet were their hearts affected with the least true fear and awe 't is because they come not nigh God in their service but make it a meer custom and May-game but he will have his people come nigh him he will have them stand in his presence with awe and reverence and godly fear he will have their words and prayers weighed and scan'd to a tittle How carelesly and inconsiderately do many venture on praying as men cast bones from them to a dog never think of the thing never look to see what becomes of their prayers but God will have his stand in another kind of posture As the eyes of a maid are unto the hands of her mistress so are our eyes up to thee O Lord He will have them wait and look and attend when ever a word shall drop from his mouth and touch upon them 3. They are to go neer to God for this end to learn his behavior and carriage Be ye holy as I am holy saith God Learn of me saith Christ I am meek and lowly I will go down to Sodom saith God and see whether it be altogether so as the cry is come up unto me Why did not God know Doth he need to go and see No but it is to teach us how to behave our selves in such cases to teach us to be sure and wary and just in judgment before we pass sentence against any to know what we do to learn his tender-heartedness and compassion and forbearance to learn his manners and ways and if ever you are brought neer him it will be for these purposes III. The next thing to be considered in general is AND HEAR THOU ALL THAT THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL SAY UNTO THEE Hear all Every tittle let nothing be lost that he speaks Now there are three general things which the Lord speaks and would have all his people know that stand in the same condition as Israel now did 1. He would have them know where they are that they are yet in the Wilderness yet not at home but far from Rest 2. What is their way to attain it 3. Their latter end what they are intended for what they are to come up unto for else the Soul cannot go on with any strength and courage but will faint and feeble Abraham followed the Lord at first going out not knowing whither he went but it was a mighty power of God that carryed him out to it and afterwards he saw the minde meaning of God plainly and that the Lord delights in he would not have his people grope in the dark always but see and know their way and have the mark in their eye and be wise to understand their latter end 1. The Lord would have his people know where they are They are now brought out of Egypt they have escaped that cruel bondage under Pharaoh This the Lord would have you take notice of how far you are saved and delivered not to pass that over slightly without regarding it 1. He would have you consider how he hath brought us out of the rude world when we lay all together in one lump and why should the Lord put a difference why hath he brought us off of our false hopes and confidences and false ways of worship worshiping Idols the works of our own hands the contrivances of our own wisdom and thoughts and reason as all the world do Why hath he saved us here that what ever become of us we can never again go back to those flesh-pots the Garlick and Onyons of Egypt 2. He would have us know what we are brought to as well as brought from to consider how far he hath led us That we can surely stick to though it should cost our lives whether we can say that word with the three children what ever becomes of us though our God should not save us though we should never attain the thing set in our view yet we will not fall down to this Image we cannot turn again from the worship of the living God to worship Idols This the Lord would have us know and stick to 3. He would have us know that notwithstanding all we are brought off from and all we are brought on to that yet we are but in the Wilderness that is the place and no farther And in this two things are to be known by us 1. That this is the day in which he will prove our hearts Now will he open the fountains of the great Deep the low channells of the earth are now made to appear as Psal 18. Now he discovers what man is what a helpless wretched thing Now he opens the strange wickedness that lay hid in the heart the fire makes the scum rise the fiery trialls the great and sore temptations as God calls them these stir and fetch up all the poyson that lay buried before Now the Lingrings and drawings back the murmurings the ill will the frettings and
madness of the heart shews it self when there must be no water given but what comes out of a rock a flint such a strange unthought of way and impossible to reason and that they must have no bread but what is given them new every morning that they can turn them no wayes from their miseries nor to their mercies that they cannot reach out a hand to help themselves but though they dye and starve and perish yet there is no remedy but they must lie at the foot of God and take what he gives and no more this is a day that will prove the heart indeed and what is in it 2. As it is a day of Triall so God would have us know it is not our rest our home there is a great journy to be gone up Elijah why sittest thou here Alass you are far from home you are not come to the good Land yet which brings forth of it self milk and hony and this greatly displeased the Lord that they should here in this wilderness sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play Is this a place Is this a time to sit down in and feast Alass as if God should say you know not how long you shall enjoy any thing what I give you to day I can take away and deny to morrow and then what becomes of you you know not yet my Heart and Mind and Good-will and Eternal Thoughts how they stand towards you and can you sit down here to take content and pleasure in any thing This God would have them and us know in what a dangerous place we are still in the Wilderness 2. Hear all The second thing the Lord would have them hear is what way they are to go And all along they are to pass through their enemies Lands they must go by Amaleck and by the children of Ammon and Moab all along stand enemies in their way to oppose and hinder All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution they must take up their Cross and follow him He could have led them another way a nearer cut to Canaan if he had pleased but he chooses this way to go through the Lands of theâ—r enemies and they must follow him if ever they will come to their journies end they must through the Cross through hunger and thirst and Serpents through sore temptations and sorrows and sins Now this you are to hear if you will hear all hear what your way is and submit to it if he will lead through hunger and drought if he will deny and shut up if he will destroy our next companions if Korah Dathan and Abiram must be swallowed up yet murmur not be not affrighted nor skared but go on still and know the way is through strairs and sorrows Expect no bettter 3. God would have them know their latter end whither they are going he hath given an expected end And here three things are to be known 1. That there is surely a Rest for the people of God that they shall not alwayes be as a rowling stone not always vagabonds and wanderers following the Prince of the Air with those restless tossing Spirits this God would have his people know that there is a Rest there is an expected end a day of freedom when all bonds and chains shall be broken Sin shall not alwayes reign the enemy shall not afflict and torment for ever I would not live alwayes saith Job by any means I am weary of it This God would you should hear but now whilst we are in that horrible pit the pit of noise we can hear nothing but destruction upon destruction one storm and wave comes upon the neck of another there is no respite given no time to swallow the spittle as Job complains so that the soul is as it were distracted to see no way of escape that it is like alwayes to be thus with it But is there not an appointed time for man upon earth Yes God would have you hear and be surely set down in that that there is an end 2. He would have you know when this end is to be It is said when Christ shall have put down all rule and all authority all power then to comes the end a time is to be when Christ shall reign in the world in his glory and his Saints reign with him and all Scepters and Kingdoms shall be made to bow and stoop under him but there is a time of his reigning in the particular souls of his People when all that opposes and offends shall be taken out of the way no end will come till then we shall find no rest in our Souls till the word of Life shall come and put down all other rule and government to bring every thought into subjection every Lust and Hunt of heart all Pride and Envy and self-love all those lords that have ruled over us must down before this end shall be and till this be done there will be nothing but wars and rumours of wars Nation against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome and famine and pestilence and earthquakes nothing but troubles and perplexities and trialls till this end come now to be kept through all these is the Salvation He that endures to the end the same shall be saved 3. What is this end What is the Rest of the People of God Hear and know that and that rest is the sole raigning and rule of God in the soul when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all Now the Heir is under Tutours and Governours now up and now down under fears and faintings and Terrors because the Kingdome of God is not yet come that Kingdom of Peace and Truth God is not yet all in all we are yet stragling after our wills and lustings and covetings to our selves and so can have no peace in all our wayes till we shall be brought under that peaceable Government to submit to that one Lord in every thing to give the Crown out of our hand unto him whose due it is that God may be all in all Now hear all that the Lord shall say not by halves and piecemeals but hear all every word of God is good how many of you content your selves when you have but a little Light to see where you are how your condition stands but alas that is misery if you hear only your shortness that you are in a Wilderness if you hear not of a rest too of an end if you perish and fall short in the mid way what shall then come of all but oh how impossible is it to make any thing seise upon a flint to make a word enter upon an iron heart I wonder sometimes the word should sink no more being it is told you over and over again and yet all passes away as an idle tale but that I know it is impossible to be otherwise till there be a new heart given and an ear bored by God to
fair he should soon be delivered and get thorow the Battel and see an end of sorrow I but he little thought of this day as Job cries out He hath given me over into the hand of the ungodly when the devil has power given to try and afflict and torment to let in what beasts he will to destroy the vineyard O wo indeed when a Leopard is set to watch over the city when the Devil is suffered to keep watch and guard that nothing can stir nor pass in or out without his leave Power is given him he hath a time to lead into captivity at his will But the day will come when he that led into captivity shall be led into captivity himself He that spoiled and wasted and cried Down with it down with it to the very ground A turn will come and then Blessed shall he be that serveth thee as thou hast served us But Oh what havock doth this murtherer make when it is his day How doth he make the earth utterly waste and empty and not a stirring of Truth may live If you minde it we cannot sometimes speak a word nor breathe a groan towards God but he flaps on the mouth presently so cruel is he when the power is put into his hand But now saith Job now I am their song they mock at me the rascal and vile rout whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock every base lowe unworthy trifling lust can now lord it over the soul and make their song on it Oh this is a woful day indeed when the enemy has power to serve himself of the soul without any controuler when he can carry captive at his will this Christ cries out against If it be possible let THIS CVP pass And here David cries out Oh let not the pit shut her mouth upon me 4. Another Wo lies in this he keeps the houe he is in possession ' The spirit that rules in the HEARTS of the children of disobedience There is a rotten and tainted sore within that is seated in the soul and sends forth such an unsavoury stink if it were possible to choak all that is good The Devil hath got the dwelling-place in the heart is in possession it is his house and therefore whence hear you of all your enemies whence come your troubles and perplexities and wars and fightings Come they not from your lusts saith Saint James Is not all the mischief from within Out of the heart come adulteries and murders and thefts an evil eye c. all comes out of the heart Whence come all the pesters and torments out of the air or from another as we often put it off No the taint is within Look not without thee for the enemy nor for the devil no but within IN THE HEART there 's the seat that 's his palace A time indeed is to be of his casting out but at present he keeps the house and therefore neither good can come in nor good come out not a breathing of Truth stir but he presently cries Get you to your tasks to your tasks that 's the word that stops all He would not let a groan live and this brings the soul into great bitterness that neither good can come into it nor a groan go out from it but presently the Devil flaps Christ on the mouth some base taint or guilt comes in and stops the rise and liberty of Truth Alas to have the Devil dwell so neer a man in his bosom this is a misery indeed Here the soul cries out Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with them that hate peace This is the present day and time with some of you your enemies sit chief and Zion is in the dust I beseech you let the Word sink into your hearts for it will have a time to sink upon you all Consider where you are under what rule and government If under the Mans reign still then no marvel indeed you can live loose and free and gird your selves and go whither you will But a time will surely come when you shall know and feel this reign of the enemy For till this Day be over you can never indeed come under the reign of Christ the Day of Christ will not be till there be a falling away first from the Mans reigning and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God this is the time of the devils reign And until this wicked one be revealed whom the Lord Christ shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming till this you will never see that day of Christ nor come under his time of reigning 5. A fifth great Wo is this He hath goods in us his goods are in peace the Prince of this world comes and findes of his own in us though he did not in Christ And that he hath goods in us appears by that unsavoury smoak that always is coming up out of the bottomless pit their throat is an open sepulchre saith David a continual ill savour and stink comes forth As the Church is described to be full of sweets her garments smelling of myrrhe aloes and cassia and all sweet perfumes so in this condition the soul is clothed with nothing but stinking rags and polluted garments The soul that is indeed awake and sensible knows not how to endure its own stinking smell it is almost choaked and overcome with an ill savour which comes from that abundance of rottenness those goods of the Devil and wares of Hell that lie up in the heart so that the poor man knows not how to speak a word sometimes nor think a thought but an evil taint gets in first or last that spoileth all all the thoughts and inwards are so poisoned by the devil Here David cries out My wounds stink and are corrupt In mars heart is that soul sepulchre of dead mens bones full of loathsome rottenness Do you know this have you felt and seen it in your selves There is that cage of unclean birds there is the Bittern the Screech-owl the Satyr there all the beasts of the Forest creep forth there is the Lions den and all the bones he hath gnawn and scattered Our bones are scattered at the pits brink saith the Psalmist All is corrupt and become abominable there are the goods of hell packt together there he lays up envie and wrath and stubbornness and deceit and lyes Now who will believe this report Who thinks his soul and heart to be the devils shop the ware-house of hell But they that feel it feel it and they that know know and the day will surely come to finde out every man How fair soever we may speak and mince the matter and wipe our mouthes yet the fruit will discover the root Samuel will ask What mean the bleatings Though we would hide and cover the Devil never so close and paint
and ransacked I but Christ when he comes he takes away his armour all that in which he trusted and hoped and said Now I am safe I shall sit as a Queen for ever I shall never see sorrow I but all his armour and fence is taken from him and this is a downfal indeed when he is thus found out and nothing can hide nor cover him any longer his coat of Male is taken from him and then Truth can easily enter then nothing appears but the mans nakedness and guilt and shame then the man cries out with Paul I am the chief of sinners then the Word takes place and enters and every arrow sticks Thine arrows stick fast in me saith David Then the man falls under as a poor naked helpless hopeless thing then he is counselled by Christ to buy eye-salve of him and gold tried in the fire and fine linen for he is found wholly naked and blinde and miserable We had thought Christ had ruled in us and we had been for God and the Truth we had thought our zeal and forwardness and speaking for God should have passed currant but take away this armour of the devil and then we are found out to be a wretched deceitful people a lye and deceit appears to be running in all and that there is nothing single for God and Truth without base selfish ends of our own And this is the first work Christ is to do in your souls to spoil this strong man of his armour else no Word of truth can ever come nigh and seize 2. After Christ hath taken away his armour he then seizes on his goods and DIVIDES THE SPOYL the spoyl Why what use can Christ make of his spoyl what can he do with all the devils goods You may see the thing illustrated Jer. 15. where God speaks thus Let that which is for death go to death that which is for the sword to the sword that which is for the famine to the famine and that which is for captivity to captivity 1. That which is for death to death some of these goods are presently to go to death to be utterly destroyed The enemies which you have seen to day saith Moses you shall never see them more The malignant disposition that was so wickedly bent against all prospering of Truth that evil eye that which lay in the way that one step Godward could not be taken that must be utterly destroyed and cut off for ever that abomination must live no more that ill favour that gave a taint and poison to all our ways and thoughts and words that man to Death Christ will say to that unclean spirit Come out of the man and enter into him again no more That enmity of spirit and hatred and ill will to all good the end of that is to be destroyed for ever That Cain-like love that hates its brother and would not suffer the least breathing nor prospering nor looking up of the Truth for according to that evil disposition in you if you minde it the heart rises against all good where-ever it appear though in a childe in a brother in a husband or wife yet the enmity works and hates to see your offering accepted and mine laid by as nothing But before Christ can ever come to reign this must certainly die and a whole turn of soul be wrought and we made naturally to love and chuse the prosperity of the Truth 2. Something must go to the sword That which is for the sword to the sword The Word of God that sword of the Spirit that shall still go on after that great enmity is slain to search and judge and quicken and stir up the man and cut off what hinders that the soul may grow up into the minde of God and as it hath born the image of the earthly so to bear the image of the heavenly as we have given our members servants to sin so to give them up to be servants of righteousness to be as free and voluntary and earnest in the service of the Lord as ever we have been to serve our selves to spend and be spent for the truth this the sword must do cut out a way thorow all rubbish for this minde to arise It must cut away all that sloth and carelesness that sluggish and carnal minde that sits still at home and would not come out to help the Lord against the mighty When Christ shall come to deal with us indeed and use his sword this must all be cut away and the soul pruned 3. Something must go to the famine That ill taint and setled indisposition that has been gathered and contracted by long custom in evil that hankering and lingering after the wickeds dainties all this must to the famine and be worn out by degrees and pined by little and little till it come to die Where-ever the heart is taken and hangs on the creatures on eating or wearing or trading or whatever enjoyments by degrees and degrees a secret moth shall eat and consume all a wasting and consuming famine must cure this evil disease 4. Something must go to Captivity and that is the last enemy to be destroyed the Devil he will yet keep some hold and footing and not be utterly routed so long as there is any dust to be the serpents food so long as the man hath any life beside the life of God I but now Christ shall designe him to captivity he shall be under a hewer of wood and drawer of water a servant to Christ he shall lord it no more He shall be bound for a thousand yeers and that will be the souls greatest happiness to keep him but in his prison that he may not break forth do his mischievous pranks but lie in his dungeon and be an underling to Truth though he still live for some Canaanites will ever live in the land to be the souls trial c. And thus I have opened to you this Day the great block that lieth in our way the bonds and shackles that hold us so fast It is Satans day 't is his hour and the power of darkness the mans Day of reigning is declining and laid aside in most if not all of you the man is not suffered so to bear sway and go at liberty and soar aloft in his minde but there are secret checkings and mindings of a shortness and the black feet appearing make the feathers fall And in some of you it is an empty and desolate Day you are left without much stirring either from God or from the enemy The land is void of both her kings But the greatest and sorest Day which lies sore upon some of us is The reign of the enemy and then wo to the inhabitants of the world Wo to that Land indeed where the Wicked are in Authority I opened to you the several Woes in it And now to make some Use 1. Examine How is it with you Every soul look home do you feel this strong enemy Do you
of the society out of hearing as not to have the blessing that runs in these In hearing ye shall hear and not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive What a misery is this and are not we thus an outcast outed from the favourable presence of the Almighty outed from the love and hearts of one another the Court of heaven hath excluded us and our own Land casts us out we presently become a burthen to our selves and each other and live only among harlots and thieves and murtherers the strange lustings and iniquities of our own hearts who of you can say that word with spirit and courage Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem Who of us is joyned to ano her Who lives in counsell love and the true one-heartedness Who stands not alone Whose Soul sits not down in its bonds and is turned out to the wide World of temptations trialls and discouragements 2. Another misery of these Lepers is that they are all unclean and overspread with Leprosie not only shut out of the City but they must come near none to have any relief They were to carry a cloth before their mouths lest their breath should touch upon any and so infect them so loathsome and noysome was the disease upon them and how truly is this our present condition How do we spoil and infect one another with our very words we cannot speak the least word but a Selfish taint runs in it and is ready to infect whoever it lights upon either to sink their spirits with faintings about the difficulty of the way or to stir them to frowardness or move Jealousies One mischief or other comes from this loathsome Leprosie that selfish base taint that runs in all so that they as many as are sensible know and the Lord knows that we sometimes know not which way to turn us to speak a word or do an action or breathe a Breath without spreading a taint and infection in it and therefore Job cryes out at the last I will lay my hand upon my mouth I will speak no more I will be among the Lepers and cry unclean unclean Do you not see this thing I speak of Do you not â—eâ—l how you harm and grieve and infect one another and that ever we should be cured and made to speak a word in season to strengthen and help forward one another this seems wonderfull but yet it is possible If he will he can make us clean and Lepers such as we are have been cured but Lepers we are at present wholly polluted and unclean that is certain 3. Yet farther They were now under a miserable Famine you may see at what a strange price an Asses head was sold and Doves dung and how they eat their own children a woman cryes to the King Help O King this woman and I made a bargain to eat my Son to day and her Son to morrow and we boyled my Son eat him and now she hath hid her Son c. 2 Kings 6.28 29. a miserable Famine surely and when Elijah prophecied of plenty that should be to morrow one of the Nobles on whom the King leaned looks upon it as such an impossible case that he says If God should make windows in heaven can this thing be All shews the Famine was very sore in the Land and this was l ke to undo them were there no other miseries at all upon them Famine is the most miserable languishing uncomfortable death that can be They that dye by the Sword saith Jeremy are better then they that dye by the Famine O what a strange force is there in hunger How will it turn all upside down This at last buckles the Prodigall to the Dust when nothing could touch him and how truly is this Famine seised upon us Not a Famine of bread but of the word of the Lord. How doth the countenance fall and wax pale because of the Famine upon our spirits there is no bread to be found to strengthen mans heart no oyl to anoint his face to make a chearfull countenance I could ask all of you How long it is since you met with a word of power and vertue that strengthened and gave life to your souls and set you upon your legs to walk on in your journy chearfully and resolvedly Sure when you awake you will be sensible how lean and poor you are you have had so much hitherto provided and brought to you as hath just kept life and Soul together that you are not quite famished and so had these Lepers they were alive yet through all I but what strange shifts were they put to by the Famine made to eat Doves Dung and boyl their own children strange unnaturall wayes to keep a Life by and do not we use as hard shifts Are not you made often to eat your own children to eat that which is born of your own flesh comes out of your own Bowels your own wisdom and reason and counsell as David cries out How long shall I take counsell in my own heart c. We have no other food to live on now and that we turn to rather then we will starve that which once we scorned and condemned and judged as Job saith That which my Soul refused to touch is made my sorrowfull meat We have no other stay and refreshing then these dry Husks and it is a wonderfull thing that we are not yet dead with such unsavoury meat It was a sore day of Famine with Job when all was taken from him all his friends and children and wife and servants and cattle and he sits on the Dunghill to scrape himself and is cast off by all that he cryes out My breath stinks and is corrupt my breath is strange to the wife of my bosome This is a strange turn for one who had seen so flourishing a day and if you have never known plenty you cannot so sensibly know want but if you have indeed tasted of the rivers the brooks of honey and Butter as Job speaks if you have ever tasted that the Lord is gracious and then come to be denyed that will be the sore Famine indeed Oh how flourishing and green have we been in our young dayes what powers and breakings of heart upon us How could we have run barefoot and broke through all blocks in our way to meet with the truth but now how is all dead and stupid and clung within the inwards are shut up that nothing can go down nor come to the heart to strengthen and nourish but we dye and pine famish and walk about like shadows without any true life and motion It was misery enough to sit by the rivers of Babylon and remember Zion to them that were sensible of the loss they weep to think of Zion but now to be an outcast from Israel and all overspread with the Leprosie too to have a loathsom disease sticking that the breath must be stopt and kept from all society this
they should not enter into his rest and so they that were invited to the Feast and draw back and make excuses see what comes of it he swears they shall not taste of his Supper I could desire you might never come hither to hear unless there be a heart indeed to go on it is not easie dallying with the truth not like going to ordinary Chuâ—hes and meeetings there you may hear many years and never be touched to the heart nor found so guilty for not going on in the Truth but it will not be so here the Word will surely take place and be either a savour of life to life or of death unto death And thus I have opened to you the present miserable condition the Lepers sit in and brought it home to our own case and the case indeed is miserable to sit down in it and if ever we rise it will be a wonderful recovery You that are sat down O consider and think of it for if you are left here it had been good for you you had never been born Then I have shewed you how they were hem'd in with Death if they go back they dye if fall to their Enemies in all appearance they dye I apply'd it to our particulars and shewed you three Things we were brought to from which if we turn back it is no less then Death 1. We have seen the end of all the Doctrines of the world an end of all the ways of false worship 2. We know how we are short and what we want and that nothing but a certainty and clear evidence of the love of God opened and sealed to our Souls and that we may be made like to him nothing else can ever content and satisfie us 3. We are come to receive and entertain the Proclamation of a self-denying way to bid farewell to ease and quiet and self-pleasing and take up the Cross dayly and if in any of these Cases we fall back we are surely undone And now to speak of the last Thing observed from the words III. THE GREAT SUBMISSION AND BUCKLING OF THEIR SPIRITS Come and let us fall into the Host of the Syrians for we can but dye Can but dye Alas and is that little How are their Souls ground to powder and their hopes layd in the dust and they venture with their lives in their hands In this Buckling of the Lepers I would observe to you three Things 1. They rise for they were set down but are made to look about and say If we sit here we dye And must they rise now This is a strange time and case to stir in what when out-casts when Lepers when almost starved when cast off on all hands I now they rise need makes the naked man run They do not stand to dispute the case as our hearts sometimes do Alas I am unclean and an out-cast and filthy and should I now look towards God But if the famine pinch'd you to the heart it would make you up and be going and not reason the case I am ragged and torn and uncomely 't is not a time to look for any message from God whilest the case is thus with me Alas Hunger stands not upon manners and modesty it says Give me bread or I dye The sore famine buckles the heart and makes it stoop to any thing It turns to the hand that smites it falls at the foot and says Let him say and do with me what seems him good Lo here I am 2. In this submission of theirs they fall into the Host of the Syrians they fall upon the sword Now the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God with this it cuts and divides and pierces to the heart and when the Soul is brought to this pinch it bows indeed it accepts of all Let him read and say and do what he will let me hear all his mind the judging part the cutting part that which most strikes to the quick The heart is not now coy and nice and stands upon those terms of picking and choosing it says not This is too sharp and the other too cruel I cannot bear that hard saying or the other dealing No but now to the hungry Soul every bitter thing is sweet Every word of God is good saith Agur. And Paul under this buckling of heart cries out The Law is holy just and good but I am carnal c. Thus the Leper crouches down and lays his neck to the block if the sword will spare it well if not it lies to take the blow I can but dye and with Esther If I perish I perish 3. Consider the carriage of the Lepers in this great strait They rush not on furiously and desperately and say Come all shall be well they take not the Kingdom by force nor do they go utterly fainting and despairing shutting out all hopes of their lives by hard conclusions but with a sober submitted spirit they venture ready to take up what ever befalls bâ—â— whether life or whether death that they leave and conclude not the matter And in this posture doth the Soul truly buckled ever draw near to God And therefore when ever you are upon your hasty conclusions one way or other saying Sure I shall come to nothing or sure all will be well with me you say you know not what both are alike false and come not from a submitted heart that stands in the strait and gives not up all for lost in the worst time How did Josephs Brethren expostulate the case and plead with him when he seemed most harsh to them and though they buckle and own We are all my Lords bondmen we are guilty yet they plead and hang on him and cannot give over but O my Lord saith Judah let thy servant I pray thee speak a word in my Lords ears c. This is a token of a Soul that is at a want indeed Many talk of a Heaven of a God and of an eternal life but 't is but in way of complement they are not at a want indeed their Souls are not fired with a thirst for the living God but want will carry through all Though the Soul be an out-cast and the enemy reproach it and upbraids how ill it hath dealt with God and how can it ever hope for mercy yet nothing can stop or hinder it the needs press it on and the noyse continually rings in its ears If we sit here we dye Now for Use of this Consider 1. Do you indeed hear this voyce in your Souls ever living and speaking and giving no rest If I sit here I dye O that it were the Lords will to thunder it in your ears that you might ever hear it sounding If we sit here we dye Who of you have attain'd to that certainty that are sure you shall never fall short There is a two-fold Death A Death of your good and light and love and enlargements and attainments that may be come to in the Truth and here you
false they were sent to be their Guides and Deliverers to bring thâ—m to the good Land But the Lyars mouth was open and this Christ is made to submit to to have his Life taken from him unjustly and without cause 4. Another Thing Christ submits to when he says Thy Will be done is to be put to the worst and shamefullest death of all The Circumstances aggravate the Death 1. He is crucified among two Thieves as one of that company guilty as they He is numbered with transgressors The Truth suffers as guilty though it be clear as Deceivers and yet true saith Paul Truth suffers between the Man and the Devil they are the two Thieves The Devil he is the great Thief he steals to himself Lordship and Power and to sit in the seat of God and to be Disposer of things He brags and vaunts All this will I give if thou wilt fall down and worship c. Alas they are none of his goods Then the Man he is a Thief too he steals a little hope and ease and rest a little release of his burthen when it presses very sore and this Thief steals for his want to satisfie his hunger and therefore he may be saved with Christ But between these two the Truth must dye as one of that number as a sinner and transgressor We have looked amiss as if the man only and the Devil were to suffer but the Truth in us because clear therefore that might scape No no that must suffer and lead the way to the man or else he alas can never suffer nor go through death But the good shepherd when he puts forth his own sheep he goes before them He suffers first and drinks the first cup. But 2. Where do they crucifie him Out of the City out of the place of blessing and carry him to the place of a skull as one of the Evangelists hath it a field of blood as another calls it but by both it appears to be a loathsom unworthy disgraceful place a place of filth and rottenness Out of the belly of Hell have I cryed unto thee c. No better a lodging for the Soul in this day then the belly of Hell it self and this Christ submits to 3. Yet further The Souldiers part his garments among them And truly this is a very sad case to consider How the Lusts that crucified the Truth yet they will divide its garments and put them on and they 'l be covered with a garb and covering of Truth The wisdom of the flesh that puts in for a share the hasty and eager zeal and affections they plead for a share the strange imaginations they plead a share and all will seem to be Friends to Truth notwithstanding they have but now put it to death yet they part his garments among them And this is a sad case to the sensible Soul that is bereaved of the Life of its Truth and of the garments also that hath lost all such a Soul can cry out bitterly with Mary They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have layd him 5. Yet further He submits to be left and forsaken of all his Friends His Disciples left him and fled Might he but have had them to stick to him in this day of his calamity it had been a great support and stay but they all leave him and are scattered every one to his own And herein lies a sore aggravation of misery if your Souls can read it that now in this woful day when all these woes are upon the back and press the Soul to death almost yet this must come in to add to all the rest That all the good that ever the Soul hath done and thought and laboured in the Truth all is now scattered and leaves it What ever it hath done singly and honestly and out of the good-will sown in its heart towards the Truth all the labours under the Sun now take their leave and seem vanity and vexation of spirit And here Christ cries out I have spent my labour in vain time will come you will forget that ever you had a good thought or a good word or did any thing for the Truth all wil leave you and be gone when now your Souls can sometimes hold on the innocency and single mindedness within and truly pray to be remembred according to that inward cleanness yet a day will come when all this will be laid aside and forgotten I forgot prosperity saith David and in another place he compares himself to the Dead that are forgotten for ever How had Christ once his Disciples about him and ready to his command when he sent out the Seventy two by two and now to be left of all and not one to stand by him this is a hard Trial and if it were not hid from the Soul if it could foresee what a day of Scattering of all its good and labours would come upon it as though they had not been it would discourage and make it flag in all its actings for God if it thought such a day of stripping all were to come They pierced my hands and my Feet saith Christ His Hands that had laboured in the Truth and his Feet that had ran the way of his Commandments These are now nailed fast to the Cross and he is not able to stir them The day will come when your Souls will hate all the Labours you have taken under the Sun when that Strait shall be upon you to crie out My God My God Why hast thou forsaken me Mark what I say for the day will surely come upon you and then all your Works and Labours will leave you All the good that ever hath passed upon you will not stand you instead in that day nor answer that Strait O Lord how is my Soul troubled when I feel how senselesse you are and far off from having the thing seise upon you indeed But it will surely come and then you will remember what hath been told you this Condition will befall you to be left alone as Christ complains Lover and Friend hast thou put far from me and my acquaintance into darkness 6. Another misery greater then all is this His father hides his face from him he seems to forsake him and become an enemy that he cries out my God my God c. My God he can yet say but not my father he hath hid himself from the house of Jacob all the bowels are hid But why must this befall Christ that his father leaves him 1. He hides himself that he may not see the death of his childe the father cannot endure that and therefore he turns aside and hides his face his bowels and tenderness and puts on another habiâ— Cloaths himself with vengeance as with a garment when this work of death must pass then he seems all anger and hardens himself against the cries and tears of his Son then he comes with Refiners fire now the fire that hath no mercy
we lay if the Lord stept not in to help us out and whether this would ever be or not we knew not and here we were made to own and bow and lie under our conditions as undone Persons if Mercy help'd not out Thus we lay low for a time under this bond but soon as ever we heard a report of Deliverance and were pointed out to it as John pointed to Christ Behold the Lamb of God c. Here is one that can cure you and bring you out This is the Saviour of the World when a Light came to shew us this we presently reached at it and called all our own and would not lie in our misery till he called us to come till the Lord Himself delivered us but thought now that we saw the medicine lie before us we were wise enough to take it and to cure our selves we thought we could now live of our selves without being beholding to God that our Light and Instruction into the Truth that the sight of Salvation had been enough And here we went out like Prodigals till all was spent and Poverty came upon us as an armed man We got out and promised our selves liberty and ease as Paul saith of some who promising liberty Themselves became the servants of corruption We were the farther off and the more entangled that which Job speaks of If I wash my self saith he mine own clothes shal defile me We have indeed washed and washed our selves but that will not do we put on our own clothes again and we are presently all dirt as bad as ever Here hath been our going out and now we are out we would never stir home again But the Call and Counsel is to us Come and let us return That Charge is layd against us Thou hast forsaken thy first Love remember whence thou art fallen and repent This I speak is a Deep Parable if the Soul be not led in to read the meaning The Hypocrite he cannot know it he will ever be hoping and clambering up some way or other to get life and never endure these bonds though he perish for ever and how many are thus utterly lost And the Sons of God They cannot know this neither until it cost them dear till a dart strike through their Liver They will taste of the Whores dainties of her sweet morsels till they are made to vomit all up again and lose the sweet words We have taken up words of Scripture and Hopes and Promises to our selves but who gave us them The Door was open and we thought we might venture in and take what we pleased But the Spouse could give a better account He brought me into the banqueting house c. Did He thus take us by the hand and bring us in No no we thrust in without the wedding garment we stayd not till the Angel was sent to roul away the stone from the mouth of the Sepulchre till Christ Himself came to loosen the Prison doors and let the Captives go free And now to all you that have thus turned out and therefore have had a blast a mildew a secret moth consuming and destroying all your greenness and liveliness and freshness in the Truth for how dead and sapless do you now lie to you yet is this Counsel given and the Call made Come and let us return to the Lord for he hath smitten c. Lie under the hand and turn to him that smites you And that is Thirdly The third Thing considerable in this Return It is to the Lord who hath wounded that he may heal Many they are wounded indeed but they can heal themselves run to the Promises and wariness and resolvings and they are presently whole But when the Lord wounds indeed with the wound of a cruel one when he rends and teers and goes away then shall no healing medicine be found out when God comes to a strict enquiry once and searches Jerusalem with candles looks into every dark corner and asks for an account of the bottom of the matter if we know what shall become of us for ever how our everlasting Condition hangs whether all we have all the strong reasons and hopes and conclusions from the operations and enlargements and powers of Truth will all these prove our condition good for ever Was not Saul also among the Prophets and was not the Spirit of God upon Balaam and yet both fell short I wonder sometimes how we can pass it over from day to day and not consider what the end shall be but it is because the wound is not deep we have no sense to feel but are like a post in the wall but when He shall wound home indeed and strike the blow to the heart then it will seize it shall not be so easie getting from it then if ever we be cured the same hand must do it that struck the Blow all other Physicians will be of no value but Come let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal c. And He will heal us Now What Ways doth the Lord take to Cure this Wound 1. The first Way to cure a Wound throughly is by removing the ill humor that feeds and maintains the sore else all plaisters and salves applyed to heal are in vain and to no purpose So God deals with the Soul He goes first to the Root to stench the corrupt humor the bitter Fountain that feeds and supplies all the streams Sensse and Reason they have been the ill humor which have fed the sore all along whilest we could wring and wrestle and murmur and complain against God saying Why hath he made me thus Why hath he brought us into this Wilderness to destroy us Who hath resisted his Will Whilest these pleadings and reasonings live 't is impossible our conditions should be mended these will fester and corrupt use what means we will for healing therefore God promiseth I will heal their back-slidings that way He takes when he intends a Cure Whilest we go about to cure our selves and flee upon Horses because they are swift so long the case grows worse with us the wound encreaseth but stand still and see the Salvation of God saith Moses Let him alone and He will never leave till he hath met with the bitter Root that spoyls all our prospering 2. Another way of healing a wound is by taking away or asswaging the extremity of the anguish and smart of the sore else the violence of the pain will let nothing take place So is it with the Soul sometimes there is such an extremity of anguish that perplexes and torments it that nothing of hope or encouragement can come near it When it is made to look over all its rebellions and standings out and provocations what it hath done how it hath grieved the Holy Spirit and refused mercy and brought all this that it now lies under on its own head You may thank your self for this saith the Accuser this is your own will and way
and choyce and this causes a felt anguish and torture in the Soul when all circumstances come up of sins done seven years since as if but newly acted How Thou provokedst God and broke prison at such a time and slightedst and turnedst back This eats and corrodes and frets the Soul and gives it no rest to hear or hope or beleeve any thing from God And therefore this is the next Thing God doth in going to cure He removes all the guilt and sin and shame and unbelief that lay upon the Soul and lays all upon the scape-goat to be carryed into the land of forgetfulness that though the iniquity of Judah and Israel be sought for yet it cannot be found I will remember their sin no more saith God and this pacifies and asswages the pain and calms the Soul He makes the storm a calm and so brings them to their desired haven c. 3. Another way God takes in healing is by applying a plaister of mercy and loving-kindness Then He speaks kindly and friendly to the Soul comes with words of peace he comes enquiring Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physician there Is not the Lord in Zion is not her King in her The Lord opens to the Soul a soveraign Balm that can heal all sores He discovers his Son the Lord Jesus that seed of Truth that lies within This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Now He comes gently to the Soul and moves and stirs in it not altogether to despair and cut off it self from hope but an enquiry is made in the Soul Is not the Lord in Zion Is there not hope in Israel concerning this thing However desperate the case seems yet hope gets up Who can tell but he may be gracious It is one thing to have Truth manifested to be within the Soul and another thing to have the use and enjoyment of it one thing to have a healing plaister applyed and another thing to be healed In the third day He will raise us up and we shall live in his sight To be raised out of this pit of mire and clay out of this dark dungeon to live in his sight to be brought out of darkness into his marvelous light this is wonderful And how beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tydings of peace These good tydings are a sweet reviving plaister to the dying Soul When just now at the brink of the Pit and the Life draws nigh to the grave then for an Interpreter to come one of a thousand to shew to Man his righteousness to open that seed and principle of Life that is within and so save his life from going down to the pit Is not such a Balm as this able to cure all wounds how doth this calm and quiet the Soul and beget admirings O who would ever think any good should grow here that Truth should lie hid in such a filthy defiled and polluted heart as Jacob breaks forth God was in this place and I knew it not and Hagar I did not think to have met with the Lord here What! when all hope of life is gone yet then to have salvation and deliverance opened out of the Eater to have meat in the midst of all guilt and shame and sin and lusts that oppress and torment yet to have this opened That such a Soul as this is no less then the gate of Heaven where God and Angels are to pass in and out This is a pleasant plaister indeed This heals the dying inwards when it is given in by God not taken up by mans gatherings and conclusions and hopings as all the healings before were 4. The Lord heals this sore by setting a time appointing a day for deliverance and putting the Soul in a posture of waiting till that come so the Angel opens to Daniel Seventy weeks are determined to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting Righteousness And so in the Psalms the Church pleads with God that It is time to have mercy upon Zion yea the set time is come But what is this set time for Zion to be built Why it follows For it pities thy servants to see her stones lie scattered in the dust This is the set time when the hearts of any are raised to pity and take to heart the desolation and ruines of Zion and when the Soul is pitched upon this to lie in the dust lost and scattered and undone as it is till the heart of some or other be raised to pity it It is impossible you should ever be brought forth as children of the Truth unless the Heart of some be turned towards you to be a Father as the Text saith of Elias He shall turn the hearts of Fathers to Children and Children to their Fathers The Soul is layd down here it cannot get up it self but must lie wounded and half dead till some good Samaritan pass by and take it up and this is the greatest tryal and hardest thing to bear that ever could come to mans heart That He must lie thus buckled and submitted to another till his Brother come to pity and take him up And now if the heart scorns and will not come in here to be thus beholding to another it may lie long enough and not yet the time of healing is come If thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it if thou scorn this thing to lie as thou art till the heart of some father be turned to thee thou mayst go long enough without cure But the Soul that God hath indeed pitched upon this as the way for its cure that is ever looking when some shall turn in to pity it and ask how it doth and take it out of the dirt where it sticks fast and therefore it is ever crying out Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Is there none that mindes my sorrows Was ever grief like mine And is there none to pity and lay my case to heart and travel and pray and cry for me Such a breaking out is there not murmuringly nor commandingly but bewailing and crying out out of the sense of misery and longing for cure O that there were some to pity Nothing else can content because it is pitched upon that as the way for its cure all other plaisters cannot reach the sore and therefore it cries for some to help it as the blinde man cryed after Christ Thou Son of David have mercy on me and no rebukes from others to hold his peace and be still can prevail with him but still the cry goes on till the cure is done But it followeth After two days He will raise us up and we shall live c. The second days work now follows the day of reviving no man shall seek the Lord in vain The Prophet here invites calls to come and return and if any shall be prevailed with they shall not lose their labor in the Lord Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Mark the
thy Soul choose it however thou art found That 's the thing If thou canst but come in this Name of the Lord then be encouraged that he will receive thee he will make thee a feast of fat things and of wine well refined on the lees He will sit down at Table with thee and say Eat my friends eat abundantly Come and let 's be merry c. for Fury is not in him as we suppose He waits to be gracious and is more glad of one sinner that repents then of ninety nine just persons that need no repentance O therefore return thou Prodigal return say to thy Soul a thousand times over O return to thy strong hold Take hold on the horns of the Altar as thou art and be safe Say not If I were clothed I would come if I were shod and had Rings on my hands and were filled with the spirit of power then I could come But enquire Is there not life in thee Is not the principle quite dead then be encouraged for where there 's life there 's hope the Father will entertain thee But O Lord how long shall we neglect so great Salvation O Lord the thing is too much to expect That ever the sinner should be so received to stand before him spotless and blameless safe and sound But surely the Scripture has not said it in vain nor is that principle in you in vain that gasps and pants after it O therefore minde and consider that we might enjoy this portion and return from our Prodigality and the good Lord bring you in at the right door for there onely will he finde you and where 's that Why in the Name of the Lord. But so long as this pride and envy c lives we would never come to admire and say O the forbearance and long-suffering of our God! We would never clear him and own the thing as it is but this is the door by which the righteous enter and are safe Noah VVarned OF Things not Seen OR Faith piercing into Invisibles SERM. VII April 27. 1651. HEBR. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world and became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith The Analysis FRom the words was observed in general I. What Things Noah was warned of by God And they were these three 1. That all flesh was corrupt how fair and specious soever to sight 2. That the end of all flesh was come though all seem'd quiet and well 3. He is warned to prepare an Ark to the saving of his house None of these things were yet seen but Noah sticks to the Word This brought home to shew we have been warned in all these Cases 1. That all flesh is corrupt We have been warned of that three ways 1. By the Word of the Cryer that hath witnessed it 2. We have proved it over and over again by Tryal in our selves 3. Warned by Providence the world let out against us and the breach begun 2. We have been warned the end of all flesh is at hand often witnessed to us That He will not always wink and bear but call to an account 3. The warning hath oft been to us to provide an Ark a sure resting place and shelter from storms to know our portion in the eternal Love II. How is Noah affected Moved with Fear c. A Fear and awe seizeth on him and that in five Particulars 1. From the warning that all flesh was corrupt All in the man sin a Fear touches the Soul Lord is the case so with me 2. Moved with Fear because the end of all flesh was come Judgment ready to seize the Flood coming this moves a Fear 3. Because he was naked and had not an Ark provided 4. Moved with Fear lest he should slip over the present day and Call 5. Lest the Flood should come before his Ark be finished And this moves the Soul and makes it haste to the work All this brought home to Particulars to enquire whether we were moved with this Fear with much power and searching III. Consider He prepared an Ark the Fear took place The Ark was a Type of Christ It had three Stories which expressed the three Conditions Christ went through and All His must follow 1. A day of weakness sufferings and Death and this lowest story all that will prepare an Ark must first build In this Death of Christ was considered 1. He dyed to all things not only unlawful but lawful just Rights and Priviledges became poor for others 2. He did it willingly and quietly not grudging none took his Life from him This the pattern of the first story of the Ark. 2. The day of his Resurrection to Life that a second story 3. His ascending into Glory answerable to the third HEBR. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with Fear prepared an Ark c. IN all Times God had some to whom He hath been pleased to communicate his mind about what was to befall the world and therefore he saith He will do nothing but he will reveal it to his servants the Prophets and to them the forewarning they have had from God hath not been a slight Thing an idle Tale or a Fable but it hath taken impression As with many of the Prophets how have they cryed out in bitter distress That they were pained at the very heart and their bowels shook within c. at the sight of the miseries which were to come on a People before the thing was done or any present danger in view And so here Noah is warned of God of things to come though not at all yet seen and see what place it took He was moved with fear and that fear was not in vain neither but put him upon a work He prepared an Ark to the saving of himself and his house And therefore where ever we hear of great high words of great discoveries and revealings of God to any which many now in the world pretend to and yet all they speak of takes no place upon their spirits there is no fear nor awe nor dread no paining of heart nor shaking of inwards but they can live still as loosely and vainly as ever after their own fleshly wills this is a token God hath not spoke there but speak a false Vision of their own hearts But God hath in all Ages had some to whom he hath revealed what he hath intended to do to give warning to the world before-hand that when the Judgment comes they may know it comes not by chance and hap but that he hath a hand in it So Christ to his Disciples When these things come to pass you may remember that I have told you And it is often mentioned That such and such things came to pass that the Scriptures might be fulfilled The Word which God had spoke to his servants