him while Joseph made himself known to his brethren And he wept aloud and the Egyptians and house of Pharoah heard And Joseph said unto his brethren I am Joseph Doth my Father yet live And his brethren could not answer him for they were troubled at his presence And Joseph said to his brethren Come neer me I pray you And they came neer I am Joseph your brother whom ye sold into Egypt This Joseph is a Type of Christ and his discovering himself to his brethren is the manner that Christ takes to reveal himself to his brethren Christ cannot many times refrain himself he cannot forbear but discover and reveal himself to his brethren that have sold him into Egypt he must discover himself to his brethren as Joseph did as Joseph wept to see his brethren so doth Jesus Christ to see his brethren he weeps aloud to see us yea he weeps for joy to see his brethren before he discovers himself to them and afterwards he saith I am Ioseph I am your Ioseph one of your fellow-brethren Doth my Father yet live in you When Christ speaks thus to the soul the Soul cannot answer him because it is troubled at his presence And as Ioseph said to his brethren Come neer so Christ bids us come neer We are ready when we have a discovery of Christ to stand afar off and to be afraid of him and then Christ saith Come neer as if he should say Why stand you a loof off Come neer and to encourage them to come neer he speaks more plainly to them now I am Joseph your brother whom ye sold into Egypt but before he said I am Joseph onely and then the soul comes neer to Christ O how sweet this is Christ shall not no will not onely reveal himself but he can do no otherwise he cannot refrain himself and therefore Christ saith unto them Be not grieved nor angry with your selves that ye sold me into Egypt for God did send me before you to preserve life See how Christ endeavours to take away all grief and anger from his brethren by telling them that God sent him into Egypt to preserve life Selah So that confess him to be in you though you do not feel him within you yet if you believe he is in you you may confess him But what is it to confess him To confess him is to acknowledge him come in the flesh and come within you 1 Joh. 4. 2. Hereby know yee the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 1 Joh. 4. 15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwels in him and he in God Confessing there is acknowledging Phil. 2. 11. And that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father There is the same word So that to confess him is to acknowledge him How Thus thou art within me I do subscribe to the truth of it that it is so even so But yet I cannot confess him saith the soul The word of faith is in thy mouth to make thee to confess that Christ is within thee and to say It is true Lord as I have believed thou art within me There is the acknowledgement of the soul There is not onely a confession of the mouth required of the soul but a belief of the heart likewise that God raised Christ from the dead which I do intend a little to speak to Dead here is to be understood grave hell that state that Jesus Christ was in of whom it was said Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption Psal. 16. 10. It is not enough to confess Christ to be within us but to believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead if we would be saved our Faith must reach further then Christ in us it must reach to the Father also See 1 Pet. 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that our faith and hope might be in God See further in Act. 13. 32 33 34. And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made to our Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said I will give him the sure mercies of David A faith that saves that is a faith that is accompanyed with Salvation is in God as one that raised Christ from the dead for there is in Gods raising Christ Remission of sins and justification from all things as sin iniquity and the like from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13. 38 39. And besides to us there is an imputation of righteousness which was imputed to Abraham if we believe on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead who for this very end was raised from the dead that is to say for our justification Rom. 4. 24 25. God would have us believe in him as one that raised Christ from the dead because in Gods raising Christ he raised us through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead and the uncircumcision of our flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven us all trespasses blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nayling it to the cross and having spoyled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them all A glorious slaughter of all our enemies is to be seen in Gods raising Christ from the dead And then that in Eph. 2. 5 6. In Gods raising Christ we though we were dead in sins yet were quickened together with him and were raised up together with him and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus which was Gods rich mercy and great love and his end in it was That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 4 7. Now God many times suffers us to have the sentence of death in our spirits he suffers us to be pressed out of measure beyond strength insomuch that we despair of life that we should not trust in our selves but in God that raised the dead Quest But you will ask me First How God raised Christ from the dead Secondly What it is to be believe it Answ. For the first how God raised Christ It was 1. By the glory of the Father Rom. 6. 4 9 2. By the Spirit Rom. 8. 11. 3. By his mighty power Eph. 1. 20. The second thing to be enquired into is What it is to believe that God
believeth in Jesus His righteousness consisteth in this in that he can remit sin and yet be faithful in that he can justifie the ungodly and yet be just or the righteousness of Faith is the righteousness of Christ for Faith is called Christ as I said before He is made of God unto us Wisdom Sanctification Justification Redemption Righteousness and the like But what is the righteousness of Christ or in what doth the matter of it consist In the Active and Passive obedience of Christ That is in what he hath done and suffered for us The third thing to be considered is What the voice of the righteousness of Faith is or what it speaketh It speaketh these following things that is to say Say not in thine heart That is Do not speak secretly It speaks this to us our readiness to speak that secretly which haply we would not speak openly that others may take notice of what we say Quest But what should I not say in my heart Answ. These two things following First Who shall ascend into heaven What is that That is to bring down Christ from above We are ready to speak it in our hearts though not in our mouthes Who shall ascend into heaven We want Christ he is not in our hearts surely he is in heaven and our souls are troubled with care for one to go up into heaven to fetch him down into our hearts O how we have endeavoured to fetch him down by prayer and striving As I my self have done O how I have gaped for him to come down from heaven into my mouth and heart when I was many times praying And when I could do no good this way I have been much inquisitive in my spirit for one to fetch him down from out of the skies and out of the deep into my heart Answ. 2. Say not in thine heart Who shall descend into the deep What is that That is to bring up Christ again from the dead For want of a feeling of Christ within us we are ready to say in our hearts though not with our mouthes Who shall descend into the deep We conclude many times in our spirits that either he is in the heavens or in the deep But first we are carried out with much care for one to fetch him from above And if Jesus Christ come not down from thence into our hearts then we conclude he is not there but in the deep and we are very inquisitive who shall fetch him from the dead We think that either he is above us or beneath us among the dead in the grave in hell Sometimes we think he is risen and ascended above and sometimes we think that he is not Thus much for that which the righteousness of faith would have us not say Now we are to speak of that which the righteousness of faith saith What is that First The righteousness of faith saith The Word is nigh thee But what word The word of faith which we preach What word is that Christ Why is he called the word of faith Because he it is that begets faith in souls The righteousness of faith saith That word is nigh thee Oh that God would give us ears to hear it is good news that the righteousness of faith speaks We will hear thee what thou sayst therefore speak Lord The Word is nigh Whom Thee us them him her all Friends Christ is nigh us he is on our right hand and on our left hand though we see him not Job 23. 9. The Word of God is nigh us But why is Christ called the Word of God in Scripture Because as the word of a man is that whereby a man expresseth himself his minde so Christ is called the Word of God in this respect he is the minde of the Father expressed That by which we know the minde of a man is his words that by which we know the minde of God is by his Word So that Christ is the minde of God discovered the Word is God made known revealed This Word was God and was with God Joh. 1. 1. Christ is called the Word of Truth likewise in Scripture Who hath begotten us to himself by the Word of Truth But why is he called the Word of Truth Because he begets Truth in the soul This Word is nigh thee How nigh me Very nigh thee Deut. 30. 14. For the Word is very nigh unto thee Where is it In thy mouth I do not finde him there Though you do not yet he is there Secondly He is in thine heart I do not feel him there and therefore he is not there That will not follow he is there though you feel him not that Jesus which you look for from above and beneath is exceeding nigh to thee even in thy mouth and in thine heart he is as nigh as possible can be he is not far from every one of us Acts 17. 27. We many times disquiet our selves for one to fetch him from above and from the deep whenas poor souls our Christ is within us We are carried out after more Sense then Faith and that is the reason that we no longer then we feel Christ to be in us do conclude him to be in our hearts The next thing to be enquired into is To whom the voice of the righteousness of faith speaketh That is to those who by reason of the want of feeling Jesus Christ within them are carried out to enquire who shall ascend into the heavens and who shall descend into the deep to fetch Christ from thence into their hearts which were the Jews Israel and in them the Saints And the words indeed are spoken to prevent all Objections in them and others against this truth Christ in them And there is not an Objection that they can make or that we and others can make but it is there answered The voice of the righteousness of faith speaks so fully to all Objections that I cannot but subscribe to the truth of what it saith That Christ is in me I am forced to do it by reason I have nothing to say against the truth though my base heart together with the devil is ready to question every truth of God though it be never so plain The words being explicated there will arise naturally this Corollary that is to say That there is an aptitude in the spirits of those who feel not the Lord Jesus within them to enquire who shall ascend into heaven or who shall descend into the deep to fetch Christ from thence into their spirits whenas Christ is within them This is clear from the words The grounds of this Doctrine are two 1. Ignorance 2. Unbelief First Ignorance We are ignorant of the Omnipresencie of Christ that he is present in every place and in our hearts as in every place I have heard many professors subscribe to this truth but yet have denied it a truth in their particular souls Secondly Unbelief We cannot believe that he is in our hearts we will give
Christ a being in every place but not in our hearts The cause of Unbelief is Ignorance we are ignorant of this truth Christ in us and therefore cannot believe it If it be so that there is a readiness in those who feel not the Lord Jesus in them to enquire who shall ascend into heaven and who shall descend into the deep to fetch Christ from thence into their hearts Then say not in your hearts Who shall ascend and who shall descend to fetch Christ from heaven and the deep into your hearts it is the voice of the righteousness of Faith Why do you say so what is the reason of it Because saith the soul I do not injoy him nor possess him within me How do you know that you do not injoy him Because I feel him not I should feel him within me if he were there Poor soul he may be within thee though thou feelest him not and it is thy being carryed out after more Feeling then Faith that blindes thine eyes 2. If it be so This may serve to discover what manner of spirit we are of it discovers the baseness of our spirits that though the righteousness of faith saith Say not in your hearts Who shall go up into heaven and who shall go down into the deep to fetch Christ from thence into our hearts yet we will say so and do say so often in our hearts though we have no ground to say so seeing Christ is within us A second Corollary from the words is this That that Christ which we take care for who shall ascend into the heavens and who shall descend into the deep to bring him into our hearts is within us even in our hearts This is cleer from the words They enquired who shall ascend and who shall descend to bring Christ into their hearts whenas he was within them To prove this truth further we shall bring divers places of Scripture See that in Joh. 15. 4. Abide in me and I in you he speaks to his Disciples that were offended at his fleshly departure from them and that in Joh. 17. 23. I in them and thou in me and then that in 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates That is unapproved or rejected As if the Apostle should say You are reprobates if Christ be not in you and therefore he puts them upon trying proving whether he be in them or no And that in Eph. 4. 6. One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all And that in 1 Joh. 4. Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world speaking of Christ that he is in us and is stronger then he that is in the world which is the devil It is very sweet to consider this well and the right consideration of it will take away the fear that is many times in our spirits of the devil and of Christ not being in us And that in Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me I am crucified and yet I live This is a paradox a strange thing how can a man be crucified and yet live The meaning of it is he was crucified to the world and lived to God And in Psal. 46. 5. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved Friends God will not suffer us to be moved away from the hope of the Gospel but will help and that early when a temptation seizeth upon us because he is in the midst of us And that in Jerem. 14. 9. Why shouldst thou seem to be as a man amazed with us and as a mighty man that cannot save us They ask God this question Yet that is Though it be so thou art in the midst of us thou art neer to us we are called by thy Name that is We are thine and therefore leave us not Just so poor souls many times say to God when he seems to their souls as a man amazed and as one that cannot save them Why art thou so Lord tell us the reason of it notwithstanding this thou art in the midst of us thou art ours and we are thine we are called by thy Name do not forsake us And that in Zeph. 3. 5. The just Lord is in the midst thereof speaking of his Sanctuary he will not do iniquity that is sin Friends the holy Lord is within us see the fifteenth verse The Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evil any more Therefore in the fourteenth verse he calls upon his people to sing Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoyce with all the heart O daughter of Jerusalem Is not this good news Friends why do ye not sing and shout for joy seeing the Lord is within you And in the seventeenth verse he speaks of the same thing The Lord thy God in the midst of thee or he that is thy God is in the midst of thee he is mighty that is he is strong he will save thee nothing shall hinder him neither sin nor devils he will rejoyce over thee with joy that is he will spend his joy upon thee thou shalt have his joy he will love thee and he will rest in that love he will lie down and take his ease in that love wherewith he hath loved thee He will not onely rejoyce over thee with joy but he will joy over thee with singing he will sing and joy over thee thou shalt be the subject of his joy and rejoycing Now in the sixteenth verse it is said In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem Fear thou not I am in the midst of thee and to Zion Let not thy hands be slack that is be not unbelieving The reason why I mentioned all these places of Scripture was that so the Objections might be fully satisfied concerning this truth Christ in them If it be so that that Christ which we take care for who shall ascend into the heavens and who shall descend into the deep to bring him into our hearts is within us that is in our hearts Then Friends be peswaded of this truth that Christ is within you But who is it that saith that Christ is within us The righteousness of faith and the Scriptures say so that he is in us in the midst of us nigh to us even in our hearts O glorious truth O excellent truth This is sweet sweet But you seem to make no difference between Christ's being in all the world and his being in the Saints Yes but I do there is a great deal of difference He is in all the world more generally he is in his Saints more particularly If it be so then this may serve to discover this truth to us O
raised his Son from the dead There are divers sorts of faith spoken of in Scripture There is a believing from the relation of another Ioh. 4. 42. As the Samaritans did meerly upon the report of the woman but afterwards they believed because they had seen Christ and there is a believing as I said before that is not accompanied with salvation which Simon Magus had and there is a believing that is accompanied with salvation Heb. 10. 39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul This is the belief that is intended here Now that faith that saves is the faith of Christ which consisteth in yeelding up hearty obedience and subjection to this truth that God raised Christ from the dead We have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that hath been delivered unto us Rom. 6. 17. This believing in God that he raised Christ from the dead is nothing but a souls lying down under the power and authority of it and saying It is so It is so Lord Lie down therefore under the power of this truth that God raised his Son say it is a truth and thou shalt be saved it is a truth Lord it is even so thou art saved Quest But you seem to make no difference between confession of the mouth and belief with the heart Answ. Yes but I do Faith in the heart believes this is a glorious truth that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and that Christ is within us Confession with the mouth declares and publisheth nothing but what saith in the heart believes is truth CHAP. II. The Parable of the rich man's flocks and herds and the poor man's ewe-lamb unfolded out of 2 Sam. 12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Vers 1 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David and he came unto him and said unto him There were two men in one city the one rich and the other poor 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds 3 But the poor man had nothing save one little ewe-lamb which he had bought and nourished up and it grew up together with him and with his children it did eat of his own meat and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him but took the poor mans lamb and dressed it for the man that was come to him 5 And Davids anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said to Nathan As the Lord liveth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity 7 And Nathan said unto David Thou art the man IN the first verse of this Chapter there is the Lord sending Nathan unto David with a Parable in his mouth It was the Lord that sent him unto David and that put the Parable into his mouth to declare to David From part of the first verse to the fifth verse Nathan makes known the Parable A Parable you know is to be taken otherwise then is set down in the letter of it and is much like an Allegory The first words of the Parable are these There were two men in one city the one rich and the other poor The City are the Saints see Heb. 12. 22. But ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels And Eph. 2. 22. Matth. 27. 53. Rev. 21. 2 The rich man is David who had exceeding many flocks and herds The poor man is Christ see Eccles. 9. 15. There was a little citie and few men in it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it Now there was found in it a poor man and he by his wisdom delivered the city See likewise 2 Cor. 8. 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be made rich See Psal. 34. 6. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles And in another place he is called The man Christ Jesus Now the rich man's and poor man's living in one city was their enjoying each other and having fellowship with each other in the city of God The rich man's flocks and herds are those exceeding many spiritual blessings that God had blessed David with which are those blessings that God blesseth many of his people with see Ephes. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ The poor man's ewe-lamb is the beloved disciple of Christ as John was see Luke 13. 23. Now there was leaning on Jesus bosome one of his disciples which Jesus loved This ewe-lamb the poor man bought with a price even with that price he bought the rest of his people with 1 Cor. 6. 12. Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits which are Gods And then that in 1 Cor. 7. 23. Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men Jesus Christ did not onely buy this ewe-lamb but nourished it up himself with the milk of himself it grew up together with him that is Christ brought it up with himself as he was brought up with the Father see Prov. 8. 20. And it grew up with his children that is with Christ's children Who are those Such that are of faith and so are blessed with faithful Abraham and are Gal. 3 7 9. Those which are born of the free woman that is born after the Spirit or by promise It did not grow up with Christ alone but with the rest of his children who grew up with him And it did eat of the poor man 's own meat and of the poor man 's own drink which is Christ himself That which nourished the lamb and which the lamb fed upon was the meat and drink of Christ which is his flesh and blood See in Joh. 6. 53 54 55 56. Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwells in me and I in him That which Christ fed this Lamb with was Life and Spirit which is his flesh and blood O glorious food Friends it is the best food Christ hath or that he can feed a soul with Christ did not onely buy this
THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST in Us With the Mystery of the Father Word and holy Ghost or Spirit OPENED Also the Parable of the rich man's flocks and herds and the poor man's ewe-lamb Explicated Likewise the way that Christ takes to undo a man and take away his life Together with a discovery of the neerness of Christs coming and of those glorious things which are to be fulfilled in these later days Set forth and published by Ed. Hide jun. Rom. 10. 6 7 8 9. 2 Sam. 12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. 1 Joh. 5. 7 8. Psal. 87. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Isa. 6. 6 7. Zech. 14. 20 21. Zech. 5. 6 7 8 9. London Printed by Ja. Cottrel for Giles Calvert at the black Spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1651. To the Reader Christian Reader BEfore I was stirred up to set pen to paper in this following Treatise I found in my spirit such a contrariety to it that I resolved within my self I would write no more But within a little while after I found the Spirit of God to have such violent strong and powerful influence upon me that I could not withstand it but write And besides I had no peace and quietness in my spirit till I had unloadened my spirit and finished this Work for I had this dashed into my spirit Write But no sooner was it dashed in but I went and consulted with flesh and blood and so questioned it whether it was from the Lord or no And after some further clearings of it up by the Lord to my spirit I was forced to lie down under the truth power and authority of it Within a while after there were divers places of Scripture given in unto me with the minde interpretation and meaning thereof which I was to write and which I have in this Discourse inserted Two things therefore I do desire of you in the reading of this Discourse First That you would not pass censure upon it till you have thorowly examined and tried what is written lest you pass sentence upon the Truth and so be found an opposer of it The second is this That you would not judge nor take that for Error that doth not sute with your judgements or apprehensions this is the weakness of many Professors in our age if their judgments and lights cannot comprehend a thing they look upon that thing to be erroneous they measure Truth according to their capacity it is not Truth no further then they can reach it this very thing hath made many to withstand Truth As for example our Priests and others how often have they withstood Truth meerly upon this ground Weigh what is written ponder it in your heart and spirit if you cannot comprehend what is written be silent do not resist it it may be you may have a discoverie of that you never had before haply what is written may meet with some of your hearts and spirits Here are waters to the Ancles to the Knees to the Loyns a River that cannot be passed over a Fountain that will never be dry waters to wade in to swim in living waters waters of life healing waters pure waters waters to drown man in to bury man in do not despise these waters wait on them you know not but that an Angel from heaven may come down and put you into them and involve you in them there is one in this Discourse it may be may meet with you if he doth he will rob you of all your goods wit parts gifts understanding knowledge wisdom power he will quite undo you yea take away your life If you meet with one that doth this do not forget to return praises to him wait it may be you may have that great doubt resolved Christ in you whom you have so much expected from heaven from the deep if you have exalt the Lord not me It may be you may meet with some discoveries of the Father Word and Spirit or Water Blood and Holy Ghost and of their several testimonies if you do praise him that lives for ever and ever not me It may be God may meet with you in a parabolical way and manner as he did David and make you pass sentence upon your self in passing sentence upon another and condemn you out of your own mouth that you have sinned if he doth magnifie the Lord not me It may be Jesus Christ may steal like a theef into your hearts by this Discourse with greater power and glory then ever he hath done heretofore if he doth be sure to return praises unto him not to me It may be God may make mention of Rahab and Babylon to you in this Discourse it may be he may call you to behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia tell you that this man was born there if he doth admire the Lord not me It may be you may have a discoverie of that glory that is to be revealed in these latter days and is in this Discourse set down Who would resist and withstand therefore who would not wait seeing there is no safety in resisting but in patiently waiting Then resist rather say Ah Lord there may be Truth in this Discourse though I cannot comprehend it and it is madness in men to withstand and speak evil of that they know not nor are able to comprehend reveal it discover it that I may praise thee then he will discover it to thee Here is no need of the Sun Moon Stars Candle and Temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple thereof and the glory of God did lighten them and the Lamb is the light thereof and there shall be no night there and they need no Candle neither light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them light I look for some to scoff laugh and jeer at me and that which I have written to slight and scorn me and what is written As I am sure the Priests and others will Do slight scorn laugh and jeer at me and what I have written see what you will get by it in the end see what will be the issue of it And I look for others to finde fault with me and speak evil and reproach me and be angry with me for what I have written Others I look should say that I go backward and forward in what I write and contradict my self I look that others haply should say that I write scatteringly meanly and not learnedly but poorly I care not what they say I weigh it not I desire to speak not in the eloquence of mans wisdom but in the plainness of the Spirit and as for their scoffs jeers laughters evil speakings and reproaches I weigh them not likewise they are my portion I rejoyce in them all if there were as many more of them I shall and do count them my Crown and shall and do not think my self worthy of them I know whom I have believed whose I am not Mens not Sins not Satans but the Lords In the
how pitiful ignorant many professors are of this truth Christ in them How ready are they to disclaim it and put it away from them and not to own it by teason of their not knowing and ignorance of it Friends do ye believe it is it a truth to your souls Then why do you not rejoyce and sing why are ye sad seeing the Lord God in the midst of you is mighty If it be so wait upon God till he reveal his Son in you Paul did not know Christ to be in him before God revealed him When it pleased God to reveal his Son in Paul then Paul knew him to be in him No man knows the Son but he to whom the Father will reveal him Therefore desire the Father to reveal him in you If it be so awake him not till he please Cant. 3. 5. I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the roes and hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love till he please And Cant. 2. 7. he speaks of the like thing We are ready to awake the Lord and stir him up when he doth not please we are not contented that he should awake when he pleaseth If he doth not awake when we would awake him and discover himself in us and to us then we are discontented and troubled at it The Spouse chargeth the daughters of Jerusalem not to do it by the roes and hindes of the field the meaning is The Spouse doth call the very dumb creatures to witness against stirrers up of Christ and we are charged also not to do it And therefore Friends take heed be patient wait wait till he is pleased to make known himself in you If it be so then take heed of conferring with flesh and blood which is men or the fleshly part of the soul when he doth please to reveal himself This we are ready to do and then immediately we question whether it be true or no that he is within us Paul saith Gal. 1. 16 that he consulted not with flesh and blood when he had adiscovery of Christ in him whether it was true or no If ye go to ask flesh and blood the truth of your discoveries it will tell you that all your discoveries of Christ are false Have a care therefore of going to flesh and blood so soon as ever you have a manifestation of Christ in you flesh and blood will make you question all your discoveries of Christ and the reason is because it is an enemy to the soul If it be so that Christ is within us Then let us confess him with our mouthes this is our duty to confess him Whom Jesus Christ How confess him To be within us Where In our hearts That which is required on our parts is I say to confess him to be within us That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus He is in us it is so it is no lye Whether we confess it or no this is the true saying of the righteousness of faith and therefore let us confess him Object But may some say How shall I confess him when I do not know whether or no he is in me Whether you know or do not know it he is there But I cannot acknowledge it saith the soul Why cannot you acknowledge it Because I do not feel him to be within me nay surely he is not within me Why do you say so What makes you say so What makes you think he is not within you I am such a vile wretch saith the soul so sinful so ungodly my heart is so filthy so vain and that makes me conclude and think he is not within me it doth not consist saith the soul with Christs holiness to be in such a vile unclean heart Answ. 1. To this I answer What thou sayest is a cleer Argument to me that he is in thy heart for else if he were not there how camest thou to have such a discovery of the baseness of thy heart Who gave it thee Where hadst thou it Deal seriously with me did not Christ within thee discover it to thee Thou canst not have otherwise a discovery of thy heart but by Christ within thee He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Answ. 2. I answer to it thus I can prove it to you that he is in the worst of sinners See in Hos. 11. 9. I will not execute the fierceness of my anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the holy One in the middest of thee Ephraim was as vile as could be yea as thou canst be we shall see this if we look into Hos. 8. 11. Because Ephraim had made many Altars to sin Altars shall be unto him for sin Idolatry is a great sin in the account of God it is worse then Witch-craft and yet he committed it And then that in Hos. 8. 9. For they are gone up to Assyria a wild ass alone by himself Ephraim hath hired lovers And that in Hos. 6. 10. I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel there is the whoredom of Ephraim And so throughout all the chapters of Hosea the Prophet discovers Ephraims wickedness And he was in Paul the chiefest of sinners before God revealed him in him Gal. 1. 16. So that now I think your objections are answered Selah Answ. 3. And by way of answer to that you do not know him to be in you I say thus That though you do not know him to be in you yet you shall know him to be within you See Joh. 14. 20. At that day you shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in him That day is to be understood when Christ does send the Comforter And that in Joel 2. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the middest of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and none else The time is coming yea it is at hand that you shall know Christ to be in the middest of you and to be your Lord and God you shall know him nothing shall hinder you from knowing of him neither sin nor devils O it is a good word of God praised be God you shall not onely know it but God is willing to make it known to reveal it See that in Col. 1. 17. To whom God is willing to make known Christ in you the hope of glory and all the promises in Christ are Yea and Amen He is very willing to do it See that in Zach. 2. 5. For I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the middest of her Which is spoken of Jerusalem ver. 2. See likewise Gen. 45. 1 2 3 4. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him but he must discover himself to his brethren for he had no power over himself And he cryed Cause every man to go out from me And there stood no man with
and of the earth and of the sea and of every thing in the earth and in the sea that belongs to the Old Creation for it is the proper work of God as he is the Father to Beget and Create Secondly He is called the Father with respect to the New Creation he is the Father as he is the begetter of Christ Psal. 2. 7. and as he is the begetter of souls to himself by the Word of truth in the New Creation James 1. 18. as he is the begetter of us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. and as he is the begetter of us to himself by the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. He is called the Word first with respect to the Old Creation likewise secondly with respect to the New Creation also First He is called the Word with respect to the Old Creation as he is the thing begotten in the heavens and in the earth and in the sea and in every thing in the heavens earth and sea for there is nothing in them but holds forth the power and wisdom of God which is Christ see 1 Cor. 1. 24. For it is the proper work of the Son to be begotten in the Old Creation Secondly He is called the Word with respect to the New Creation as he is the thing begotten in us in the New Creation as he is the life power and hope of glory within us Col. 1. 27. as he is our wisdom justification sanctification redemption and the like For it is the proper work of the Son to be begotten in us He is called the Spirit with respect to two things First as he is a discoverer and revealer of Truth and Glory to us and in us in the Old Creation there is abundance of Truth and Glory to be seen there which we see not nor know every thing of the Old Creation sets forth more or less glory The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work And the devil keeps us from looking after the glory of God that shines forth in the things of the world Now it is the onely work of God as he is the Spirit to discover and reveal that glory and truth that lies hid in every thing in the world Secondly he is the Spirit as he is the revealer and discoverer of truth and glory in the New Creation there is no glory to be seen without the Spirit and there is no knowing of truth and glory but by the Spirit We may seek to finde it out and labour and weary out our spirits and yet not finde it It is not the joyning of every mans Learning together can finde it out Truth indeed will put all learned Rabbies to a non-plus And so for the Glory of God it is unsearchable men cannot finde it out though they joyn all their heads together Where is the wise where is the scribe where is the disputer of this world Tell me what is glory of God and what is Truth You cannot tell me for no man knows the minde of God but God Now it is the onely work of God as he is the Spirit to reveal and make known Truth and Glory to us and in us Again he is called the Spirit as he is the leader of the poor creature into Truth and Glory in the Old Creation Though God as the Spirit discovers Truth and Glory to us in the Old Creation yet Friends we cannot be led into it but by the Spirit though we see never so much Truth and Glory shine forth in the Old Creation yet we cannot enjoy it without the Spirit the Spirit is that which leadeth us into the enjoyment of it which is sweeter then the seeing of it Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come Joh. 16. 13. Secondly he is the Spirit as he is the guider of poor creatures into Truth and Glory in the New Creation Friends if there be any Truth and Glory that you possess the Spirit guided you into it for we are so ready to go out of the way of Truth and Glory though it be discovered to us that unless we had some one to guide us into Truth and Glory we should miss of the enjoyment of it though we see it The second thing to be spoken to in the first verse of the words is this What heaven is in which the Witnesses bear record Heaven here is the uncompounded and unmixt state of Saints it is such an estate of glory in which Saints shall be as shall not be mixed or compounded with flesh That state which we are now in it is a mixt state of Flesh and Spirit but that state which we shall be in in heaven is a pure state of Spirit and Glory The third thing to be enquired into is What the Witnesses record in heaven is In which we shall consider four things 1. What the Father's report is 2. What the Word's report is 3. What the holy Ghost's report is 4. How they witness For the first what the Father's report is The Father's report is somewhat concerning the Son What is that See in 1 Joh. 5. 9 10 11 12. If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself and he that believeth not God hath made him a lyer because he believeth not the report that God gave of his Son And this is the report that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life See that in Joh. 5. 32. There is another that beareth witness of me and I know that the witness which he beareth of me is true See verse 37. And the Father himself which hath sent me hath born witness of me But what doth the Father witness of Christ See in Matth. 3. 16 17. And Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him And lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased That which the Father testifies of Christ is That he is the Messiah the Son of God and that he is well pleased with his Son and so with us in his Son Then that in Joh. 8. 18. The Father that sent me beareth witness of me What is that See vers 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them saying I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life God beareth record of Christ that he
that is the gift He that prayeth and he that offers up prayer are all but one incomprehensible being and therefore Christ saith of the Father and himself that they are one I and my Father are one Till we come to understand things thus we shall miss of the truth and run into a thousand errours Thus much for the first verse of the words The first thing to be considered in the second verse of the words is What earth is in which the Water Blood and Spirit witness Earth is the mixt and compounded state of Saints in which they live in this life which is an estate part of flesh and part of spirit part fleshly part spiritually in which state there is such a lusting and fighting of the spirit against flesh and flesh against the spirit that a Saint cannot do many times the things he would but is led captive into the law of sin The second thing to be considered in the second verse of the words is Who they are that bear witness on earth They are three the Spirit VVater and Blood But you will ask me VVhat the Spirit is what the VVater is and what the Blood is The Spirit is God and the Lord is that Spirit Now God is the Spirit as I said before in reference to the discovery of truth and leading into truth or he is called the Spirit in respect of his Omnipresency or because of its Invisibility a spirit cannot be seen The second thing to be spoken to is VVhat the VVater is It is that which came out of the side of Christ when one of the souldiers with a spear pierced his side The third thing to be spoken to is VVhat the Blood is that beareth witness in earth It was that likewise which issued out of Christ's side See both these in Joh. 19. 34. The next thing to be considered in the words is VVhat the VVitnesses testimonies in earth are and in this there are these three things to be considered 1 VVhat the witness of the Spirit is 2 VVhat the witness of VVater is 3 VVhat the witness of Blood is 4 How they witness The first thing to be inquired into is VVhat the witness of the Spirit is or what it testifieth It testifies of Christ See Joh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me and make known me I say The Spirit testifies of Christ it witnesseth Christ to the soul 1 It testifies of the sufferings of Christ 2 Of the glory that should follow those sufferings First It testifieth the sufferings of Christ it witnesseth them to the soul it makes known what Christ hath suffered and the fruit of those sufferings and witnesseth the truth thereof to the soul 1 Pet. 1. 11. Secondly It testifies of that glory which should follow those sufferings VVhat is the glory That glory which Jesus Christ is in at the right hand of the Father VVhat is that See in Joh. 17. 5. And now O Father glorifie me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was which was with his own self Now the Spirit testifies of that glory and witnesseth it to the soul There is always glory following after affliction and the more affliction the more glory Our light afflictions which are but for a moment are not worthy to be compared with that glory which is to be revealed in us All which the Spirit testifies The next thing to be considered is VVhat VVater witnesseth It witnesseth mystically Sanctification Purity VVashing Cleansing doing away sin The third thing to be considered is VVhat Blood witnesseth It witnesseth Salvation Redemption Justification Life though in a mystical sence Object But may some say How can VVater witness Sanctification washing cleansing of the soul And how can Blood witness Salvation Justification and the like seeing the VVater and Blood of Christ was long since spilt upon the ground Answ. I shall answer this by asking another Question How did Abel being dead speak Rev. 11. 4. The fourth thing to be inquired into is How the Spirit VVater and Blood witness They witness mediately that is by means The last thing to be inquired into is How the Spirit VVater and Blood agree in one Thus They witness to one thing what the Spirit witnesseth that VVater witnesseth and what VVater witnesseth Blood witnesseth and what VVater and Blood witness that the Spirit witnesseth which is love If it be thus Then this may serve to inform us of this truth That God hath not left us without three VVitnesses in earth God would not have us be without three by reason that he tenders us so much he knows our frailties that we are ready to be set upon by Satan and to sink in our Spirits for want of VVitnesses he hath given us three to confirm us and establish us in our mixt state of flesh and blood lest we should be discouraged and so faint away in our spirits because of those corruptions and flesh which are within us he hath given us his own Spirit and his own VVater and Blood to bear witness to our souls of loving kindness and mercy sanctification pardon of sin righteousness and the like If it be thus Then do not say you shall not be Sanctified and made clean VVater witnesseth Sanctification and Purity to the soul Do not say you are not nor shall be justified that your sins are not pardoned Blood speaks it that your sins are pardoned and you justified If it be thus Then set to your seals to that which the Spirit VVater and Blood testifie the not receiving what they witness is the cause of abundance of trouble and sinkings of the spirit Listen therefore what VVater and Blood or rather the Spirit in water and blood witnesseth and it will force you to submit to its testimonies and those that have received their testimonies have set to their seals that God is true CHAP. IV. Some sweet Discoveries of those glorious things that are spoken of the city of God out of Psal. 87. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Vers 1. His foundation is in the holy mountains 2. The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob 3. Glorious things are spoken of thee O city of God Selah 4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me Behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia this man was born there 5. And of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shall establish her 6. The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there Selah 7. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there all my springs are in thee THere are in the first verse of this Psalm these things to be considered First what is meant by foundation here Secondly whose this foundation is Thirdly
nor come into minde This new heaven and new earth is described there to be such an estate of glory in which the voice of weeping shall be no more heard nor the voice of crying vers. 19. but Jerusalem shall be created a rejoycing and a joy vers. 18. And he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth because the former troubles shall be forgotten vers. 16. For the first heaven and first earth were passed away they shall not be remembred nor come into minde Which first heaven and earth is that state of things in and under which the Saints are now Whose voice then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven Heb. 12. 26. God is now a shaking the old heaven and earth and they begin to fall apace and to make way for the new heavens and earth And there was no more sea That is no more troublesomness confusedness broils waves tempests and storms This John saw and it will shortly be fulfilled And I John saw the holy city new Hierusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband This holy City new Hierusalem is the Church of Christ in her glorious triumphing estate It is therefore said to come down from God out of heaven because it hath all its newness and holiness from God and from heaven by which she is now prepared and adorned for her husband And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Iohn heard a voice from heaven which called him to behold see and take notice that God would tabernacle in men make men his tabernacle He tells Iohn that this his tabernacle is with men he doth not tell him it shall be with men but it is already he dwells himself with the Saints already intimating unto us this that it is so in the counsel of God There is a great deal in that word himself he dwells in us now by the Spirit Ye are the habitation of God by the Spirit but he will dwell himself in his own proper substance being and person God himself shall be with them He is with us now but he shall be with us in greater glory and he will dwell with us Now he is in us and with us for a while and then withdraws himself but then he shall take up his dwelling for ever in our hearts and we shall be his people We are his people now but we shall be so his people as that his name shall be written upon our foreheads that we shall be distinguished from the world the world shall acknowledge us to be his and he shall be their God He is their God now but it shall appear to all then that he is their God And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Here is a further description of Hierusalem's state When God comes to dwell among us himself when he himself comes to be with us he will put an end to all our sorrow and crying and pains yea he will wipe away all our tears so that we shall weep no more he will take away death even that death through fear of which many were all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 15. and we shall live for ever in his sight and the reason is Because the former things are past away And he that sate upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful And he said unto me It is done Here is Christ upon the throne calling us to behold that he makes all things new Friends Jesus Christ is doing of it and he will restore his people into a better and more firm estate then they were in in the first Adam and for the confirmation of this commandeth John to write it as a thing already done Things to come which are decreed in the counsel of God are as certain as if they were past for God cannot change nor alter therefore he saith I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last ver. 6. Now at the ninth verse he saith And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials full of the seven plagues and talked with me saying Come up hither Here the Spirit of the Lord calls up John above himself that so he might see and receive the visions of the Lord I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife that is the Church of Christ in her glorious estate And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain which is Christ that so he might take a view of the spouse of Christ in her glory Which thing holds forth this to us that none can take a right view of the new Jerusalem unless they be taken from earth into heaven And shewed me that great city the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God that is the light wisdom power beauty and excellency of God no less then the very glory of God is the new Ierusalem clothed with And her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a jasper stone which is full of beauty excellency and glory And cleer as crystal that is in respect of its bright shining and glistering light And had a wall great and high which speaks the security defence and safetiness of the City And it had twelve gates which signifieth this to us the hardness and difficulty of enemies to enter in And at the gates twelve angels to keep the gates that none but the righteous enter in And names written thereon which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel that is all the Elect of God both Jews and Gentiles that are not Israelites after the flesh but true Israelites Which holds forth this to us that those that are to enter into the City their names are written upon the gates of the City On the east three gates on the north three gates on the south three gates and on the west three gates Which holds forth this unto us That out of all the four quarters of the earth the Elect shall be gathered See Mat. 24. 31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four windes from one end of heaven to the other or from the uttermost parts of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven Mark 13 27. And some shall be let in at one gate and some at another And the wall of the
me it is my portion Secondly Here is the reason of that saying Wo is me and that is For I am undone that is cut off Thirdly Here is the ground why he said he was undone which is threefold 1. Because I am a man of unclean lips that is because he was vile 2. I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips 3. Because mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts That which we shall raise from the words is this That a true seeing the Lord is accompanied with these things following First It undoes a man Secondly It makes him cry out Wo is he Thirdly It makes him cry out that he is a man of unclean lips Fourthly That he dwells in the midst of a people of unclean lips I. First of all A true discovery of the Lord undoeth a man that is cuts him off from what he is or can do As for Samaria her king is cut off as the foam upon the water Hos. 10. 7. As the foam upon the face of the water is cut off so is that man cut off and beheaded that hath seen the Lord Or it may be meant that Isaiah was cut off in his own apprehensions thoughts Or the word undone may be taken thus An undone man is one that hath nothing to live upon of his own no victuals or cloathes of his own Friends to be undone is to have nothing to live upon of our own as parts gifts righteousness doing working being thinkings conceits self-perswasions high estimation of our selves fancies fictions and the like but to live upon somewhat of another which is Christ There is in a true undoing of a man by the sight of the Lord these things following First There is a striking of a man down When God intends good to a soul the first work that God takes with him is he strikes him down stark dead that he never lives any more to himself or to sin or to the devil but unto God In this manner Paul was struck down as he journeyed with letters to Damascus he came neer to Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 3 4. Much like to this is that in Rev. 1. 17. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead Secondly A true discovery of the Lord takes away a man's sight that he cannot see with his own eyes Friends if God intends us good he will put out our eyes he will blinde us that we shall not see in our own light as he did Paul And Saul arose from the earth and when his eyes were opened he saw no man but they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus See Acts 9. 8. and 22. 11. We would live and see but God will destroy our life and sight if he intend us good Thirdly A true discovery of the Lord takes away a mans strength and breath See Dan. 10. 16 17. And behold one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips Then I opened my mouth and said unto him that stood before me O my Lord by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and I have retained no strength for how can the servant of this my Lord talk with this my Lord for as for me straightway there remained no strength in me neither is there breath left in me It takes away our breathing after God and our strength our power to do this and that to subdue sin withstand temptation and to wrestle with God ond the like We are ready to vaunt and say This is that which we have done by our might for the honour of our majestie but God will if he intend good to us confound our breathings and strength yea all that we are or can do Fourthly A true discovery of the Lord confounds a mans Understanding See Prov. 30. 1 2. The words of Agur the son of Jakeh even the prophecie the man spake unto Ithiel even unto Ithiel and Vcal Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man Our understandings are a great hinderance to us in the knowledge of the things of God and till our understanding of things be destroyed we shall not see into the truth of things Fifthly A true discovery of the Lord destroys our Knowledge We would and do know things and no further then things do sute with our knowledge do we take things to be truth We make our Knowledge the measure of all Truth But a true sight of God will confound it If once you come to see the Lord then you will say you have not the understanding of a man As I was forced to say Sixthly A true sight of the Lord destroys our Wisdom that makes us wise in our own eyes We think we are wise and we need not the wisdom of God whenas our wisdom is foolishness We think we carry our selves wisely but God will destroy the wisdom of the wise We think we are wise to do good and all other wisdom is nothing to our own but a true sight of God will put an end to it Seventhly A true discovery of the Lord destroys all mans Holy walkings Not that I am against holy walkings if they be the holy walkings of Christ it destroyeth all that a man hath trusted in and put confidence in beside the Lord all his natural faith and hope of being saved all his speakings pride selfishness and the like II. A true sight of God doth not onely undo a man but discovers sin to him and makes him cry out that he is a sinner that he is a man of unclean lips that he hath sinned against the Lord Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evil It makes a man abhor himself I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye hath seen thee wherefore I abhor my self and re pent in dust and ashes Job 42. 5 6. III. A true sight of God makes a man cry out that he dwells among a sinful people O it is a wicked people among whom I dwell and live It makes him cry out of their sinfulness A soul that hath seen God cries out of sin whereever he sees it and of his dwelling in the tents of Sechem It doth not onely make a soul cry out that he is a man of polluted lips but makes him acknowledge that the people among whom he dwells are sinful A man that hath seen the Lord will not onely cry out that he himself hath sinned but that those among whom he dwells have sinned IV. A true sight of God makes a man cry out Wo is him wo and destruction belongs to me for I am undone I am a man of polluted lips for I have seen the Lord Friends if once you come to see the Lord then you will cry out Wo is you wo is you we are undone we
know not what to do How shall we do to be saved Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me That is one of the fiery Angels at the command of God See Psal. 103. 20. It is said It flew It speaks the swiftness with which it went to Isaiah it speaks the haste that it made to him Isaiah being in an undone state Having a live coal in his hand This Seraphim did not fly empty to Isaiah but it had in his hand a live coal it came with somewhat to enliven and comfort Isaiah in this state But what is this live coal And whence had the Seraphim it This live coal is the Spirit And the Seraphim had taken it with the tongs from off the altar which Altar in the type of it was the Altar of burnt offerings where the fire never went out and upon which the fat of the Peace-offerings was burnt See Lev. 6. 12. The Antitype of which Altar is Christ so that the Seraphim had it from Christ The tongs are that with which he took the coal from off the Altar And he laid it upon the prophets mouth or caused it to touch the Prophets lips And said Lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged The coal touching the Prophets lips is nothing but a secret perswasion by the Spirit that his iniquity was done away God no sooner strikes a man down dead and undoes him but he sends a Seraphim with a live coal to tell him good news that his sins are pardoned and his iniquities are done away If it be thus Then this may serve to discover a true sight of the Lord from all false sights of him Friends if it be a true sight of the Lord that you have had then it hath undone you taken away your Strength Breath Understanding Knowledge Wisdom Light Life c. It hath robbed you of all yours made you a meer beggar so that you have nothing of your own to trust to feed and live upon It hath stricken you stark down dead dead to every thing of your own and of the worlds and alive to God it hath crucified you slain you that you no more live but Christ lives in you it hath forced you to cry out Wo is you wo is you for you are of unclean lips and you dwell among a people of unclean lips He that hath an ear to hear let him hear If it be so Then do not cozen and cheat your own souls do not say you have seen when you have not seen him VVhat have you seen the Lord and are not dead and are not undone VVhat have you seen the Lord and are alive Do not lye I beseech you let not a deceived heart lay hold on you do not feed on lyes in this respect If you have not seen him speak the truth and do not decieve your own souls if you have seen him he hath stricken you down dead If you say you have seen him are yet alive then I know not what seeing of him is If it be so Then this may serve to discover the goodness of God that when he hath struck a soul down dead and took away his life from him undone him forced him to cry out that he is undone and that wo wo is he for he is a man of uncircumcised lips and dwells among a people of unclean lips yet that God should not suffer that man to be swallowed up in despair but should cause to flie one of his Seraphims unto him with a live coal in his hand and to lay it upon his mouth to put life into him and say Lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged and should say O man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong As he did to Daniel Dan. 10. 19. This is admirable If it be so Be not afraid to be undone to lose your Life Light Breath Understanding Knowledge Wisdom and Strength O it is sweet sweet do not think much though God by the discoveries of himself to you rob you of all you have leave you a begger Be not afraid of the discoveries of sin do not fear that you shall be swallowed up in despair if God should discover your self and sin to you so soon as ever he hath discovered sin to you undone you taken away your life he will send a Seraphim with a live coal in his hand a coal that hath life in it and will lay it upon your mouth and say to you This hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged Thou art greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong and so fetch life in thee again keep thee from sinking in spirit and being swallowed up in despair And you shall no more live your own life but for ever live the life of God And you shall no more understand and know things and see things in your own understanding knowledge and light but in the understanding knowledge and light of God you shall do nothing in and by your own strength and wisdom nor breathe after God in your own breath but you shall do all things in the strength and wisdom of God breathe after himself in the breath of God Selah If it be so Beg of God a discovery of Christ upon the throne of a risen Christ that it may undo you take away your Life VVisdom Strength Understanding Knowledge Light Strength It is a sweet thing to be undone to be stript of all a man hath to lie naked before God and we to have nothing and be nothing of our own but to have all and be all in God it is the greatest work God can do for a soul and it is the greatest mercy God can shew to a soul If it be so Then O that I had a discovery of a risen Christ of Christ upon the throne saith the soul Do you know what you desire what you ask for Are you contented to be undone to lose all that you have and are Are you willing to have all burnt up in you by that fiery flame that issueth out of Christs mouth Then he will manifest himself to you and you shall know the Lord indeed and in truth in your souls CHAP. VI Some sweet Discoveries of what shall be in the later days out of Zech. 14. 20 21. Vers 20. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses HOLINES VNTO THE LORD and the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowls before the altar 21. Yea every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts and all those that sacrifice shall come and take of them and seethe therein And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts THe words are a Prophecie of what shall be in the later days and of the time in which shall be that which is prophesied
the blood of the Sacrifice and of Sprinkling See 2 Chron. 4. 8. Exod. 29. 20. Levit. 4. 6. Levit. 9. 8 9. Or the Bowls in the letter were those in which they put fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering See Numb. 7. 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79. The Bowls in the spiritual interpretation are the Saints in which the blood of sprinkling is The pots in the Lords house shall be like the Bowls before the Altar in this respect that is to say for multitude as it was in the letter see 2 Chron. 4. 8. He made also ten tables and placed them in the temple five on the right side and five on the left and he made an hundred basins that is bowls of gold Now the pots were not so many It speaks the manifold discoveries of God that shall be in the later days to his people Or it speaks this that is to say The multiplicity of spiritual services that shall be offered to God in the later days The things that are to be enquired into in the last verse of the words are these following First what Judah and Jerusalem are Secondly what every pot in Judah and Jerusalem is Thirdly how and in what sence it shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts Fourthly what is meant by the Canaanite Fifthly when these things shall come to pass The first thing to be spoken to is What Judah and Jerusalem are Judah was one of the twelve Tribes see Revel. 7. 5. Hierusalem is the Saints of the most High the Lambs wife The second thing to be spoken to is What every pot in Judah and Jerusalem is It is the same as the pots in the Lords house are Every pot that is every discovery of Christ that purifies every Sacrifice and makes it fit to be offered up to God The third thing to be spoken to is How and in what sence every pot in Judah and Jerusalem shall be Holiness to the Lord The meaning is It shall be of a holy use to the Lord of hosts that is of Armies But of what use To purifie and make fit Sacrifices to be put up to him Or it may be taken thus every discovery of Christ shall be holy to the Lord that is there shall be written upon every discovery Holiness for those are truest discoveries that have Holiness written upon them Sclah And all they that Sacrifice shall come and take of them that is of the discoveries and seethe therein they shall boyl their Sacrifices in the discoveries and manifestations of Christ and so make them pure Sacrifices to be offered up to God Mal. 1. 11. The fourth thing to be spoken to is What is meant by the Canaanite The Canaanite may be meant the Merchant he seems to have a special relation to the abuse of Merchandising and selling which was used in the Temple See Joh. 2 15. And when he had made a scourge of smallcords he drave them all out of the temple and the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers mony and overthrew the tables Mat. 21. 2. Or by the Canaanite may be meant the unclean person See Isa. 35. 6. And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pase over it See Rev. 2. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye God will so purifie his people that there shall be no unclean thing in them but they shall be holy and unblameable before him The last thing to be spoken to is When all these things shall come to pass and that is In that day What is meant by that day The day of Gods coming See Zech. 14. the latter part of vers 5. Then shall these Prophecies be fullfilled when Jesus Christ shall appear the second time without sin to salvation If it be thus Then this may discover what shall be in that day there shall be holiness written upon every thing we shall see somewhat of God in every thing even in the meanest things And those things that have been made use of against the Lord shall be turned into an holy use they shall be holiness unto the Lord The pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowls before the Altar there shall be multiplicities of discoveries of Christ that is abundance of discoveries of Christ in the latter days Every pot in Jerusalem shall be holiness unto the Lord there shall be holiness written upon every discovery of God they shall come and boyl their Sacrifices in these discoveries of God there shall no Merchant no unclean thing be in Zion in Jerusalem but all shall be pure and nothing shall hurt nor destroy in Gods holy mountain So that Zion shall be a peaceable and pure estate If it be so This may serve to discover what Zion the Lords house is It is not a Stonewalled house such as your meeting-places are the Lords house is his People in whom he dwells the the foundation of this house is Christ it is founded upon a sure Rock that the winds and storms of corruptions and temptations cannot shake it The Lords house is a spiritual building built by himself to be the habitation of himself by the Spirit If it be thus Then this may serve to inform us of those pure Sacrifices that shall be offered up to God in the latter days Now our Sacrifices are full of dross and mixture of somewhat of our own but then they shall be clean that which shall make them clean shall be those great and large discoveries of God that then will be Now we are troubled and perplexed that we cannot offer up better Sacrifices then we do to God that we cannot worship him as we would do in Spirit and in truth but then we shall worship in the pureness of the Spirit If it be so Then this may serve to discover true discoveries of Christ from false VVhat a many rotten pretended discoveries of Christ we and others have had O how we have entertained falshood instead of truth and lived upon it But a true discovery of Christ hath this Motto written upon it HOLINESS TO THE LORD If your discoveries of God bring not along with them holiness they are delusions of Satan if any discoveries of God come with holiness engravened upon them receive them If it be so Then this may serve to overthrow that doctrine that is newly sprung up which is that there shall not be Sacrifices offered up to God in the new Jerusalem-state That there shall be it is cleer from what I have said Onely there shall be this difference more purer Sacrifices shall be offered up then then now there are then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be more pure and pleasant to the land And that the words here speak of the new Jerusalem-state it appears by the last verse There shall be no more the
manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for you 1 Pet. 1. 20. But we have not followed cunningly-devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were eye-witnesses of his majestie See this in 2 Pet. 1. 16. Now this coming of Christ was to finish transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. Secondly There is a coming of Christ in Spirit See Ioel 2. 28 29. And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams See that likewise in Zech. 12. 10. And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Now all this was fulfilled in part in Act. 2. 2 3. and is yet to be fulfilled And the end of his coming thus was to convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgement See Ioh. 6. 9 10 11. and to teach his disciples all things and to bring all things to their remembrance See Ioh. 16. 26. and to testifie of Christ to them and to guide them into all truth and many other things Thirdly There is a third appearance of Christ which is his appearance the second time without sin unto salvation unto them that wait for him Heb. 9. 28. Which coming of Christ is the last coming of Christ of which I do intend now to speak My God shall come I can say boldly as well as the Prophet My God shall come blessed be his holy Name I can command him and he will be commanded by me And not onely My God shall come but Your God shall come He is not onely the Prophet's God that shall come but My God Our God Thy God and Your God which shall come What my God Yes see Isai. 35. 3 4. Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees say to them that are of a fearful heart that is of an unbelieving heart or hastie heart Be strong fear not behold your God will come your God that you seek for and wait for will come and he shall come What to me Yea to a hastie heart But he will appear to my shame No to your joy and comfort See Isa. 40. 10. Behold the Lord God will come Behold as if he saw him coming Isa. 66. 11. Behold the Lord will come will indeed come The vision is for an appointed time wait for it it will come it will surely come it will not tarry Habb 2. 3. Sing and rejoyce O daughters of Zion for lo I come and will dwell in the midst of you Zech. 2. 10. Say unto the cities of Jerusalem Behold your God Isa. 40. 9. Let the fields be joyful and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth Psal. 96. 12 13. Quest But how shall he come Answ. See that in Psal. 50. 3. Our Lord shall come and shall not keep silence I have a long time saith God holden my peace I have been silent I refrained my self now will I cry like a travelling woman I will destroy and devour at once The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man he shall stir up jealousie like a man of war he shall cry yearoar he shall prevail against his enemies Isa. 42. 14. 13. A fire shall devour before him which is himself See Deut 4. 24. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God understand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and he shall bring them down before thy face so shalt thou drive them out and destroy them quickly as the Lord hath said unto thee Deut. 9. 3. And it shall be very tempestuous round about him Who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like the refiners fire and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of gold Mal. 3. 2 3. Consider that in Isa. 35. 4. Your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompence will come and save you This Scripture holds forth the coming of Christ two manner of ways First He will come with a vengeance against all our sins and temptations and divel and save us from them all Secondly He will come with a recompence he will come with a reward for all those sufferings that we have endured from sin men and Satan he will reward us for all our sufferings Or it may be taken thus He will come with a recompence he will reward with destruction all our enemies for the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King he will save us Isa. 33. 22. And then that in Isa. 41. 10. The Lord will come with a strong hand or against the strong with a mighty hand or mighty power against his enemies against our corruptions and his arm shall rule for him The strength of a man is in his Armes so Gods strength is in his Armes Gods Armes shall rule for him Behold his reward is with him and his work or recompence before him Consider that in Isa. 66. 15. Behold the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwind that is he will come swiftly and fiercely to render his anger with fury upon his enemies and his rebuke with flames of fire that is with the scorching burnings of himself We shall further illustrate the coming of Christ by these things First He shall come in a cloud Secondly He shall come in the clouds Thirdly He shall come with clouds Fourthly He shall come with his Saints and Angels First He shall come in a cloud See Luke 21. 27. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud What cloud In a cloud of darkness As he went up in a cloud so he shall come down in a cloud in the same manner that he went up in the same manner he shall come down See Act. 1. 11. Which also said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the