have shew'd you seven Ways by which if the Lord prevent not men may come in upon us to destroy the Body Now I come to the next general Thing Viz. Thirdly The Exhortation given Fear not them that can kill the Body And why should not They be feared 1. Fear not in regard of them that shall do it 2. Fear not in regard it is but the Body they kill 1. Fear not them that can kill the Body Fear not the men the persons that shall do it and that for these four Reasons 1. Because they are but men and man at his best estate is altogether vanity Alas They that go about to kill this body what are they themselves but a vain thing a nothing a shadow how ever strong and high conceited they may be yet alas all Nations are but as the drop of a bucket and what is a man that shall soon fade as the grass that he should be feared 2. Fear them not because they are but the Instrument the Rod in the hand of another and they cannot move nor stir a foot or hand farther then they shall be suffered and permitted and ordered They are but like the wheels of a Clock take off the weights and the Clock stirs not Alas though they may threaten and resolve and take counsel never so strongly yet they are not their own Lords they shall do neither more nor less then the hand will make use of the sword and therefore our Fathers in all their sufferings have looked through and beyond the instrument to the hand that rules and acts all I was dumb saith David and kept silence because it was thy doing 3. Fear them not but rather pity them Alas 't is woe and misery enough to all such as shall have a hand in this work They are imployed about a hard service it is their misery they are hackned by the Devil to do this mischief against the Truth As Christ saith of Judas It had been good for that man he had never been born Who ever shall be an instrument in this work alas 't is misâ—ry enough their case may be pitied by us rather then their malice feared 4. Fear them not in this respect because before their plots be ripe they may be cut off and dye and be layd in their graves How many such Cases have been known Haman what a strange plot and how surely had he layd it to cut off the Jews root and branch I but the mischief returns upon his own head before his plot comes to an issue he is cut off himself Alas how soon is it done His breath is but taken away and man turns to his earth and in that very day all his thoughts perish All plots and designs and contrivances come to nothing Remember O my People saith God what Balack consulted and what Balaam answered And yet see how all their designs were frustrate and blasted and came to nothing And in our own Kingdom how many plots have been thus prevented when they have been even ripe for execution So in that Powder Treason when all was fit and but now a candle only wanting to destroy and blow up all yet in the very nick it is found out and prevented Therefore fear them not if God will prevent he can soon do it be they never so strong and desperate and malicious yet He can but take away their breath and alas they may be rotten and stink in their graves before their plots are accomplished When the wicked flourish like the grass and the workers of iniquity like the green herb yet then it is that they might be cut off for ever So that were we but truly principled and instructed we might have our greatest encouragement where we make our greatest fears viz. from the strength and heighth and flourishing of our Enemies when they carry all before them yet Fear them not 2. Fear not them that can kill the Body in regard of the Body which they can kill They can reach no farther then the Body and what is the Body 1. That is but a poor outside a shadow it is but as the cracking of a shell to kill the Body 2. The Body is a perishing thing that will soon dye of it self if none should take a sword against it it will soon dye and moulder 't will fall of it self like the fruit of a Tree let it but alone till it come to be ripe and you need not shake it the fruit will drop and fall of themselves Therefore Fear not them that can kill the Body They kill but a dead man cut down a little grass like Jonas gourd up in a night and gone in a night 3. Fear them not for they kill but the Body and that is not that which is to enter into glory this body is to turn to dust this flesh and blood which you see is not to inherit the Kingdom this Corruptible must put on Incorruption this Corn must dye before it shall bring forth that Body which is to abide God giveth to every seed his own body as it pleaseth Him He will give a Body but not this body this flesh and blood which is sown in Corruption therefore Fear not them that can kill the Body And I could wish that always in all our fears and threatenings from men these seven Considerations might stick by us to keep us up from fearing both in respect of the men themselves and also the Body that only is in their power to kill Alas it is but a poor Cask when they have done their worst that they can touch that which will soon dye alone and save the labour of being killed and should it hold out never so long yet this is not it that is to enter into glory it must break and go to the grave at the last Earth must go to Earth Corruption cannot inherit Incorruption No unclean thing must enter into that City and this is an unclean house a Body of Death and Sin In my Body saith Paul I find no good thing but a Law of Sin in my members rebelling against the Law of my mind and that must dye and not enter into life And thus far you heard the Negative opened What you are not to fear Fear not them that kill the Body c. And how have most of our days hitherto been spent about this body and how are the world all of them lost and drowned in carings and providings about this what to eat and what to drink and what to put on We have been more foolish in this then the Lillies and Sparrows and Ravens they take not these cutting and perplexing cares and yet they are preserved and provided for and what have all our carings brought about to us but sorrows and misery they have not added the least cubit to our stature But now we come to the fourth thing 4. Who then is to be feared Fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell Fear Him fear the Lord He that
walked and been seen and found by them and the remembrance of this enforceth tears being now deprived being now in a strange Land out of this enjoyment Alass if we belong not to this City this Habitation of God if not a stone in this building it had been good for us we had never been born for without are Dogs Then again this House is to condemn the world let men be never so wise and strict and religious yet if they live alone keep all close and live to themselves the world will never be judged and convinced by this but a spirit of love and union to serve another and deny my own will as 't is said of Christ He pleased not himself and Moses chose afflictions with the people of God and Paul though he was free from all yet made himself a servant to all he made himself a servant he chose the service it was his joy to serve others And no man saith Christ takes my life from me but I lay down my life for my sheep And if we shall ever be brought to this to forsake and willingly give up all our enjoyments and liberties and enlargements and choose afflictions choose to bear anothers burthen though I am free when we shall be glad to be counted worthy to suffer for the Name of Christ when we might have ease liberty and honor and pleasures yet to say Farewel all Friends life and liberty farewel all you are nothing to me neither count I my life dear in compare of my God my Truth my Brethren that I may serve in this work and help to build this house This I say wil condemn the world their consciences accuse them that this mind is not in them they live not this life of love and union There are many that cry for corn and wine and oyl enlargements and flourishings in the Truth but all is for themselves to feed their own bellies but all this is too short this is but fruit that may be shaken a mans Soul may be lost for all this and the House of God lie waste But next III. Consider WHAT WILL GOD HAVE THIS HOUSE BUILT OF WHAT ARE THE MATERIALS OF IT All that come are not the Materials No though they make a fair shew though wise and honorable and great in the eyes of men yet this is not enough this House must be built 2. Of living stones stones that wil abide and endure not soon rot and putrifie Better is a living Dog then a dead Lion Not every one that makes a great shew and comes to hear and seems forward No no onely such which have this spirit of life in them to keep them from stinking and corruption to make them lasting stones they are the materials for this house all others will fall off in a day of tryal There were many followed Christ into Jerusalem when in his triumph and Hosanna was sung before him but very few that went out of Jerusalem with him that follow him to Golgotha to his Cross No none but a few pickt and chosen stones that have a spirit of life to make them last and endure no others are for this building but such as the Lord shall choose to it whom he takes out of many David was chose out of all his Brethren he was a fit stone for the use a man after Gods own heart he loves Truth in the inward parts and this mind he sees in David and him he pitcheth on such a company of choyce stones will he have for this house a chosen generation of lasting stones that may make a Tabernacle never to be pulled down more never to be lost The gifts and calling of God are without repentance such â—s God chooseth for materials of this building are such as are never to be lost and thrown away No man can pluck them out of my Fathers hand saith Christ not such a dead stone as Saul proved when the spirit of life was taken from him he mouldred away and came to nothing but living stones a stable enduring and fixed spirited people he looks for that are not ever hanging and waving and reeling to and fro in their minds but such as are tryed stones and will endure the storms not like Ephraim who being armed and carrying Bows yet turned their back in the day of Battel Then 2. Consider In this House are to be vessels of all sorts and sizes some to hold less and some more some to receive much and to give out and supply and fill up others He will have vessels for every service and every use none are to be barren but all useful and helpful to one another and therefore the thing is weighty and need we should consider it and lay it to heart for he will not build his House of any rubbage but onely of living and tryed stones And then all are to be of use all the vessels of his House are for his own service they are not to be looked on and baubled with and made to serve our wills and lusts Remember what befell the King Belshazzar for venturing to call for the Lords vessels to make up his mirth and jollity the hand-writing appears on the wall and makes him tremble 'T is dangerous trifling in weighty matters God will not be mocked But next consider IV. WHY DO THEY PLEAD IT IS NOT TIME TO BUILD THE LORDS HOUSE What Reasons have they These three 1. Their Ignorance hinders Thence their pleadings come It is not time to build c They knew not that the blastings and Mildews and curse that followed them in all their wayes was because this house lay waste they were ignorant whence all this evill befell them they enquired not into it Lord what is the meaning of the hand against me Why go all things thus contrary Why prosper I not in any thing I take in hand They knew not this was the cause of all Ye looked for much and it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it why saith the Lord of Hosts because of mine House that lies wast and ye run every man to his own house Vers 9. and so on And this is a great block in our way our ignorance we enquire not why am I so barren and desolate and perplexed in all my wayes Why goes all so cross to me I meet with nothing but troubles and fears and tormenting thoughts Alas it is because we live Scattered alone and follow our own Counsells our own wills are our own guides and rulers and come not to build the House of the Lord to be counselled and ordered and appointed there Hence is all our misery 2. Love of their ease hindered it was a great deal an easier way to sit at home in their own ceiled houses then to go up to the Mountain and cut wood down and bring and hew and square it to build the Lords House and who would indeed choose to venture to leave all to give up all ease and
time when he reigns after he hath bound the strong man and put down all rule and authority 4. A time of Gods reigning when the Kingdom shall be delivered up to the Father and God be all in all II. About the Devils time of reigning which was chiefly aymed at from the words these several woes observed 1. He is a strong man David and our Fathers complain of their strong Enemy who was too strong for them 2. He is throughout malignant maliciously bent against the root and branch of Truth that the name of Israel may be no more 3. Woe in that he hath a time and power given him to afflict God allows it This is your hour and power of darkness c. 4. He is in possession he keeps the house he is got into the heart out of the heart adulteries murthers c. This is a great woe 5. He hath goods in us finds of his own kinde Pride Envy Deceit Lustings that he can challenge his own goods by right 6. Besides all this he is armed he hath armor His Armor exprest under these three notions 1. A coat of mail to cover him over that nothing can touch or finde him guilty his scales so thick nothing can enter 2. A helmet of brass He can dispute and reason and plead for himself and will never yeeld nor give over 3. A spear like a weavers beam He 'l seem to be for God and Truth and by this spear keeps off all from coming nigh 7. The last woe He is desperate will venture on any desperate designes being thus armed he is safe made without fear III. A time when a stronger then he comes and overcomes him And Christ doth it by these means 1. He takes away all his armor That is first done else no entrance 2. He divides the spoyl sends all to their place as Jer. 15. 1. That which for death to death something utterly destroyed That malignant disposition which is ever bent against the Truth that must dye 2. That which for the sword to sword The sword of the Spirit the Word of God must cut through sloth and lingerings c. 3. Something to famine the ill tempers are starved by degrees 4. Something to captivity the Devil is bound and in prison though not quite destroyed but some Canaanites live c. All brought home in these four Uses 1. To examine how 't is with us whether we feel this reign of the Devil this strong malicious Enemy what goods and possession he hath 2. If we feel it then to inform what a vain thing it is for us to stir to help our selves alass man hath no might 3. To shew our way is to lie down and let all go over till Christ come 4. To encourage that a stronger then he will come Hope against Hope LUK. 11.21 When a strong man armed keeps his Palace his goods are in peace but when a stronger then he comes and overcomes him he takes away from him all the Armour in which he trusted and divideth the spoile I Have sâ—oke to you this last week from those words in Deut 5. where God cries out Oh that there were such a heart in then c. I told you what Heart it was that God requires and longs for to have grown up in them a Heart that will hear and do all that the Lord shall speak A heart always to feare before him and only such a heart I told you would be first suitable to God and the heavenly life secondly profitable and usefull to our brethren and thirdly peaceable to our selves and therefore ouâ— great happiness lyes in this in being brought up to such a heart But now to day if God wilâ— I shall open to you what hinders that such a heart is not risen nor can rise in us though there be longings in God and longings in the soul yet that which doth let will let till it be taken out of the way For this I would have you note that where-ever there is a longing and breathing in God after any of his People to cry Oh that there were such a heart in then there is a certain eccho lyes in the bottome of such a soule that answers this call and longs and pants also Oh that my heart were so direct to keep thy Commandments the longings and cryes are on both hands and why do they not prevaile why is not such a heart presently given no there is a block lyes in the way which will ever hinder till it be removed the strong man armed keeps the Palace and till a stronger then he come till Christ shall rise in the soul and cast him out this heart cannot get up nor arise in us the strong man rules I would in generall observe to you a fourfold time of raigning which succeed and follow one the other 2. A time of the mans raigning 2. A time of the Devils raign 3. A time of Christs raign 4. A time of Gods raign when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and so God become all â—n all I. There is a time of Mans reign when the man hath a great liberty and swinge to turn himself about hither and thither as he please and meets with no let nor cross nor trouble in his way When Peter is young he girds himself and walks whither he lists but when he grows old the case is altered another girds and leads him whither he would not but the man hath his day of liberty when the grass is in its prime and the flower in its full beauty the man can turn him to his ease and parts and inlargments and injoyments of truth and injoyments of creatures and suck sweet every where Thus was Iob in his day when his steps were washed in Butter and the rocke poured out rivers of oil his beauty was fresh in him and he sate as a king in the army under the flourishings and inlargments of truth he could walk and speak and act and choose and refuse exhort and incourage others and all takes and prospers and finds acceptance and here he thinks he is sure Then I said I shall dye in my nest c. And this time of greenness in the truth is yet upon some of you affords the man sweetness and liberty and how long did many of us walk in this posture coming forth delicately with Agag and saying Surely the bitternesse of death is past So have we secretly promised our selves I have forsaken the world and am come off from all the false wayes of worship and have left friends and preferments and am set down to the truth and sure now the worst is over now I am safe and in a good way and here the man sits down on a high seat above all creatures and bonds and snares takes ease and content and reigns with truth as Paul writes to the Corinthians Ye are free and reign as Kings they thought all was sure and the liberty of man would last alwayes I
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
owned and received and prized He shall be welcom to them then even the feet of such as bring glad tydings of peace Then will the Soul say with Abigail Let me wash the feet of the servants of my Lord the King He shall be welcom indeed in that day And this glads and rejoyces and keeps up his spirit to think on this time I had verily fainted saith David unless I had beleeved to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living That bare up his heart There is hope in the latter end saith God to Rachel that thy Children shall come again to their own borders How ever they are now in captivity and lie scattered broken as if utterly forsaken yet they shall return And for these causes Christ weeps over Ierusalem over his people out of joy where ever and in what case soever he finds them yet this joy lives in the bottom I would you might never forget these Particulars But 2. And when He beheld the City He wept Another Reason why He weeps is out of sorrow because He findes them in their blood He grieves to see Ierusalems wickedness to see her hands embrued in blood to see her killing the Prophets and opposing and fighting against her own good There is no other way for Her ever to be saved but by hearing the voyce of her Prophets and obeying them And now to thrust these away saying We will not have this man rule over us for Truth to finde the sons of peace the saved ones in this strange condition hating and striking against their own chief good and best friends This causes a weeping It is a gladness indeed to finde the sons of peace to see a Nathanael an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile one in whom the Spirit of Life the Seed of God is planted Truth joys at this and if this be not in the bottom there is no ground for Truth to work upon No Physician goes about to take a dead man to cure If there be not a Seed of Life there is nothing for Truth to care for and pray and weep over But now where that seed is yet to finde such a Soul or such a people stoning their Prophets to finde his own Children rebelling and standing against Him this causes Truth to weep And when He beheld the City He wept c. Now this Sin hath three Aggravations in it which cause Truth to weep 1. It is an unnatural sin for them to kill their Prophets which came to instruct and inform them in the way of Life Alass in killing your Prophets you kill your selves you murther your own Souls And what murther is so cruel and unnatural as that Who shall save you if you kill your Saviour Him whom God hath sent to be a Saviour and Deliverer If you thrust away this Moses who shal bring you out of Egypt and lead through the Wilderness Nothing so unnatural as for a man to cut his own Throat such a thing is it for any to slight and contemn that Truth which comes to save them 2. It is an ungrateful Sin It is not right nor allowable to render evil for evil to hate our Enemies But to reward evil for good to return hatred for love and mercy and bowels shewed us Am I therefore your Enemy saith Paul because I tell you the truth This is wonderful ungrateful I will send my Son sure they will reverence Him but now after all to take this Son too and kill Him that was sent out of love and exceeding tenderness this is the ungratefullest sin in the World To refuse Him that speaks from Heaven that can open to you the minde and heart and love and good-will of God this Christ weeps at to finde them in so ungrateful a sin 3. It is a venturous and desperate sin That moves Christ to weep to see the hard venture what to sleep upon the top of a Mast To venture to kill their Prophets and the present offer of Grace and know not whether ever another Prophet shall be sent them or no O what a venture is it God hath truly sent me to you to warn you to come out of Sodom and to tell you God hath purposed to destroy the City and will you venture to linger in it still Had Lot stayd but one hour longer he had been destroyed with them but the Angel layd hands on him and pulled him out the Lord being merciful to him This is the next to that unpardonable sin which David prays against O keep me from presumptuous sins that I may be innocent from the great Transgression The Lord warn and prevent you and lay it to your heart to consider how guilty we are in all these Particulars how unnatural we have been and cruel to our own Souls to murther the Truth sent to gather us and then of all transgressions 't is the most ungrateful What people in all the world have been so kindly dealt with so followed and waited on and born with Line upon Line Instruction and Counsel and Love have followed us and to murther this Truth after all how ungrateful is it And then how desperate have we been and venturous in a Passion like the profane Esau to sell all for one morsel of bread to venture all at a blow and what ever comes on it desperately resolve We will not have this man rule over us Well may God say to us Because I would have purged you and you would not be purged therefore you shall not be purged till you dye Do you hear what is spoke It concerns all you are all guilty the Lord lay it not to your charge I know not a People in the World so venturing all at a cast as we have been Come Life or Death yet there hath been a punctual standing out and slighting the Call of Truth to have our wills Thirdly Another Cause Christ weeps over Jerusalem is to find her in that miserable condition of ignorance that she knew not the Things which belonged to her Peace O that Thou hadst known even Thou in this thy day c. But They knew not the day of their Visitation they knew not their time this Christ grieves at Work whilest it is day whilest you have the Light with you for the night cometh wherein no man can work But they had played in Summer they slighted their seasons and opportunities and knew them not knew not the Things belonging to their Peace Man naturally looks after the things that concern his ease but is not so minding what belongs to his peace But it is this Peace only that must stick by us in a strait in a time of need when ease and enlargements and all fail then will this Peace abide and this Christ weeps for to see their ignorance though it is well in one respect that they were ignorant I obtained mercy saith Paul because I did it ignorantly And had we done what we have done fully knowing we had sinned
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
and miscarriages we lie exposed to all ravenous beasts The Avenger of Blood he may justly take us when we are out of our City of Refuge and this wandering hath been the Cause of all our desolation and misery and sorrows 6. The last thing in the Hens calling and gathering and receiving and warming and protecting her chickens all is that she may nurse them up to perfection to be like her self to be able to shift abroad and defend themselves And this end Truth hath had in all its dealings with us and followings after us and waitings upon us that we might grow up to be like-minded to it self to see us wrought and molded and fashioned into the same likeness that the same mind might dwell in us which dwelt in Christ Jesus c. Now look it over again Have you known these things which belong to your Peace Have you known that all these dealings and calls of Truth and strivings with you were in love and goodness that this was the day of Visitation and have you accepted of this Love See 1. Have you not been called out of several places many miles asunder to come together Hath not the sound of Truth gone forth and reached you and called you to it And 2. Do you not see that the Hen is now sat down that the Truth is pitched and hath taken up a setled place and People and now if we should be broken in pieces and shattered hither and thither to our former scattering in the world would it not be sad and miserable And this I fear may befall us because we have slighted and not taken notice of this day of our mercies Then 3. Have we not known and felt the warmings and cheerings of the Powers of Truth How often have we found our hearts touched within and heat and warmed and turned and yet for all this we are loth to come under the wing but are upon our reasonings and deferrings and scruples Then 4. Have we not known what a shelter and safeguard it is to sit under the wing of Truth what a defence and safety how safe we are under the wings of the Almighty We do not at present so consider this But they that are deprived of this mercy and violently taken away from us by wicked hands They now feel the loss and bitterly complain and mourn under it They find what snares and baits and ravenous beasts lie dayly at watch ready to devour them and if the Lord prevent not beyond our deservings we know not what miseries and sorrows may befall us if a scattering day come And lastly I told you the Hen nurses her chickens to bring them up to be like her self And hath not this been aimed at in all the dealings of Truth with us that we might grow up to be like it self and be moulded into the same Image And we can never grow up whilest we live at a distance from the Hen the place where she sits down to warm and brood and cherish her young ones And therefore at what a strait was David when driven into the Wilderness by his son How doth he cry out That his Soul was athirst for the living God How doth he then prize the Sanctuary the Place and People of Gods Worship How doth he envy the Sparrow and Swallow which could make their nests there when he was forced to live at a distance For there he knew the Blessing was commanded and life for evermore Now these are the Things which belong to our Peace to be gathered under this wing of Truth If we should have all the world and yet no Peace in it what were we the better And this we are called to to know this present day of our Visitation lest the Door be shut and that which follows fall upon us But now they are hid from thine eyes O Lord it makes my heart shake to think upon it to have the Eyes shut and closed up to be left to grope and wander and stumble in darkness and not to see when good cometh and all for slipping the present opportunity not knowing the things that belong to our Peace There are yet two other Reasons behind why Christ weeps over Ierusalem Fourthly He weeps from an unsatisfied Love and Desire after Ierusalem O that thou hadst known even Thou in this thy Day c. At length the fire breaks forth and He can hold no longer but must weep over His Brother Benjamin But why Ierusalem above all that He weeps over Her and cries out for her O that Thou hadst known c. Why Jerusalem was the Beloved One the choyce One of her Mother born out of the Love and Heart of God Thou above all others O that Thou hadst harkened then had thy Peace been as a River c. Fifthly Christ weeps from the sight of the miserable and lamentable condition which he knows is coming upon them not only shut out from the day of her mercies and the things that belong to her Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes and that is not all but now God is departing all woes and miseries are coming upon Her 1. Thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee And then 2. Compass thee in on every side And 3. Shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee And then 4. Not leave in thee one stone upon another And then 5. This added to all the rest Her own guilt which brought all this evil upon her own head Because Thou knewest not the day of thy Visitation If all these Circumstances and Aggravations were opened and seized upon your hearts it would appear a sad condition indeed and all for slipping the time the day of Visitation Christ Buckling TO HIS FATHER OR THE Absoluteness of the Divine Will SERM. V. April 20. 1651. JOHN 6.38 39. For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own Will but the Will of Him that sent me And this is the Fathers Will which hath sent me that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day The Analysis FRom the words was considered I. Who this I spoke of iâ—â— It is the Son of God the Mind the Heart the Will of the Father brought forth This is He that came from Heaven c. II. What doth he come to do Not His own Will but the Will of His Father That Will of God is the sure uncontroulable Rule to which Christ Himself submits Whence three Considerations were proposed 1. To see the ground of all happiness It is this good-will of God 2. All Things must buckle to this Will even the Son Himself 3. This Will of God cuts off all our wills nothing that comes into our thoughts must be at all III. What is this Will of the Father That of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing c. Where two Branches of this Will 1. A People are given to Christ by this Will and that
I would have you consider three Things 1. What is the ground and foundation all the happiness and favour that we or any are ever like to enjoy It must only be from this good-will of God What he hath set and purposed for or against any that shall stand What ever his Soul desires that he doth saith Job therefore he adds When I consider him I am afraid of him Have any of you this favour to have a lot and portion in eternal life It is his will that hath done it his good-will his good pleasure nothing can hinder it If He will have mercy who shall hinder Again are any left to destruction to ruine and undo themselves for ever Alas it is this Will that hath left them out and destruction must then needs follow What if God will harden Pharaoh and make some vessels of wrath If he will not shew mercy who shall turn him 2. As this will is the foundation of all that comes to pass so secondly Consider how resolved it is and all must buckle to it even Things in Heaven and Earth the Son himself must be subject He comes down from Heaven leaves his Crown and Glory and must fulfil this Will by suffering All things must stoop to this great Lord so mighty is he such a Lord Paramount so great a Ruler Alas Things come not to pass according to mens thoughts and propoundings but according to this Will of God 3. Then Consider How this Will of God quite cuts off all our wils Nothing that comes into your thoughts shall be at all saith God And again Many are the devises of mans heart but the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand And He cries out against Jerusalem How long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee All our thoughts are vain if our thoughts are to save our selves or if to condemn and undo our selves they are all but vain The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand and the thing is done already before the foundations of the world were layd When we have tryed all and run out all our runs there is but one door to go to in all our needs the Will and Purpose of God and if we find no relief there alas the case is miserable man can never help himself So that the great matter lies there to know what that Will of God concerning us is how that stands what his thoughts are and to be truly informed here and layd submitted to this Will This is all we have to do for the thing is done already In the Salvation of them that are to be saved how contrary are all things to Reason how do they oppose and stand out more then any Had the mighty works saith Christ been done in Sodom and Gomorrah which were done in thee they would have repented them in sackcloth and ashes There would not have been so much opposition from them but yet if he will save he will save nothing shall hinder And so in those that perish though they seek the blessing with tears as Esau did though there be never so earnest a crying and weeping and pleading Lord open to us we have cast out Devils in thy Name and Thou hast taught in our streets yet all will not do if his will be set once and the doors shut then Depart from me I know you not c. If we were but truly informed and principled in this thing it would be a great setling to our minds We have many strange and vain wandring thoughts and troubles for want of a true principling and setting down here that all must come to pass according to this Will Thou wilt perhaps say But I have the Truth in me and that cries and desires and longs Well but the Son himself must be subject the Truth in thee the right desires of thy Soul must submit to his pleasure whether to be answered or denyed The Son himself says Not my Will but thy Will be done And it is said He learned obedience by the things he suffered And if the Son of God the Truth it self which comes out of his Bosom into the world into the man if that cannot alter nor change his minde but must submit its Will to the Will of its Father then sure the man who is but dust and ashes he can do nothing in it his prayers and cries cannot alter this Will Therefore what ever thy desires are set upon and how right and single soever they may be yet this is to be looked at in all but What is the Will of the Lord what is his pleasure Christ according to his tenderness He would have all men saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth He desired many things by his own Will but He must come in again and lay all those desires at his Fathers foot and say Yet not my Will but Thine Now are any of you at a strait and pinch to know what shall become of you Here the thing stands it depends onely upon this minde of God and nothing I know can or will ever satisfie you till that which the Disciples ask for be granted you Shew us the Father and that will suffice Christ had been long with them tendering exhorting instructing and bearing up their heads yet that was not enough to them they are at a want still till that word comes from Christ And I say not that I will pray for you for the Father Himself loveth you And this stays them indeed Now speakest thou plainly and no Parable This is more content and satisfaction then all He had ever spoke before to them this is the ground of all your Happiness if your Souls were but surely principled and setled in it But then III. What is this Will of the Father that He comes to do This is the Will of Him that sent me saith Christ that of all that the Father hath given me I should lose nothings There are two things in this Will 1. A people are given to Christ to be his by this Will of God 2. It is the Will of the Father that none of these should be lost but that Christ should raise them up in the last day That they should be recovered how desperate soever the case be with them And thus far I have gone to shew you who this He spoke of is the heart the minde of God sent forth tht Son of God And 2. What He was sent out for and that is to do the Will of the Father to submit to that And I told you how all stands in this Will of God That if Christ Himself would save a man yet He cannot do it without this Will of the Father Therefore He submits Not my Will but thine c. Christ would that all should be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth but He must lay it down at his Fathers Will. And had I no more then my own desires and love towards you to carry me forth I should surely have flagged and left you before
more be its own now at its own hand and disposing The Wife must not please her self but her Husband If ever you come to be Christs Wife you must do something for him Do you look always to live as children to be nursed and tendred and fed and never to do some service for the Truth c. And then 2. If you come to be a Wife to Christ it will be expected you should be fruitful to bring forth children to keep the name of Truth alive after you Will you onely leave a stone behinde you like Absalom to keep up your names Shall it be said of you Here a stony heart lies that dyed without any service done for the Truth He hath left no children behind to speak for him Would you be content to dye in this condition and thus dye you must if you never come to be marryed to Christ you can have no true children without a Husband if you be not given by God into his bosom as his Wife And thus I have opened to you one branch of this Will of the Father in giving a people to his Son Christ and that in a threefold relation 1. In the relation of Children 2. In the relation of a Sister 3. In the relation of a Wife Which are but several steps and degrees according as the growing up of the Truth is c. 2. Another branch of this Will of God is That Christ should lose none of those that are thus given Him And this is the happy thing to be given of God to Christ in any relation If but His in the lowest station if but as children or if higher given him as a Sister though not yet a Spouse yet this is the Happiness That this is the Will of the Father that of all that He hath given me saith Christ I should lose nothing If but His in the lowest degree the case is happy And therefore this is the great and weighty matter to be known as the ground of all Would you know what shall become of you would you know whether you shall be lost or not Why are you given to Christ into his charge and care do you know that Are you his children in the lowest degree His Else if you are not children then you can be no heirs you have no right nor portion with Him and if you be children it will appear the Truth will be stirring towards you nursing and serving and ministring to the Soul dealing gently and tenderly as a Nurse or a Mother that you may not be lost c. About this two things were considered 1. What it is to be lost 2. How comes it that All are not lost since all are Prodigals and wander like the lost sheep why not all lost 1. What is it to be lost It hath these several things in it 1. To be lost is not to be of that stock and kindred which the Lord Christ is sent to gather The great and main thing which is the cause of perishing is the being left to a mans self That is enough to undo a man Thy destruction is of thy self O Israel Men are already sure enough in Hell and destruction if there be not a recovery were but the sense of the thing upon them The carnal minde is enmity to God and is not subject neither can be to his Will And now to be but left here not to be sav'd out ans pluck'd out of the fire this is to be lost not to be of that number not to be that lost sheep which Christ seeks up as he says Ye are not of my sheep And when some plead Oh open we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets yet He answers I know you not you are none of my sheep the Father gave me no charge over you to seek and gather you and therefore Depart from me This is to be lost 2. To be lost is to have the Gospel hid If our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded their eyes c. That is a token of a lost condition when the Soul is blinded that there is neither a knowing of the Mercy nor a knowing of the Judgment I will sing of mercy and of judgment saith David Many they get up Gospel-words and speak of Mercy but they know it not They can live loosely and vainly and carnally and as they lift But the Gospel is for Judgment as well as Mercy That sends a sword The Word of the Lord is quick and lively more piercing then a two-edged sword It cuts and divides and squares and orders And if either of these be hid either the Mercy or the Judgment if this Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 3. To be lost is to be given up to beleeve a lye to be setled down to deceit that nothing of Truth can seize or enter Charm the Charmer never so wisely yet the Ear is stopt I 'l hold my hold says the heart there is such a secret resolvedness in the Soul when it is given up to beleeve a lye And this is to be lost to be left here to feed on ashes on any thing that is short of a sure condition That which will not endure the fire nor stand in the day of Tryal though it may carry never so fair a shew before man If man may judg by his own wisdom of himself He is the bravest thing in the World so long as he may beleeve his own thoughts and feed on a lye But if Truth comes indeed to search and judg him then he will be found the basest thing in the World the most vile and wretched 4. To be lost is to be given up to an evil Eye to think much at the prospering of the Truth and grudg all that is done to and for it A Judas-like spirit that grudged the ointment should be spent upon Christ and thought it too good This evil Eye to grudg at anothers enjoyment this is a certain canker that will destroy us if we are not delivered It is a dangerous thing to take offence and dispute and reason against the Truth to speak evil of the things we know not And to be left to this evil Eye to grudg and think evil and turn Traytor to Truth is to be lost and undone 5. A fifth thing that makes to a lost condition is to be left out of the care and heart of the people of God to have none to look after the Soul nor minde it as the Curse is in the Psalms against Judas his children Let there be none to take care of his fatherless children let them be vagabonds and beg their bread And if there be not some to stand in the gap for you you are in a miserable case to be left without the prayers of the Lord Jesus in his people for you to be left out of the care and cries of that
but to be as an hired servant but while he claims nothing he enjoys something and while he was claiming something he spent all and had nothing a strange way that God takes He sets the Begger that 's taken out of the dunghil with the Princes of his people but the rich he sends empty away That such as lie reaching to be great should be sent empty away and such as lie and say I have sinned I have sinned against Heaven I have hindred this people I am conscious of it I have been a block in the way yet that He should be received this is strange But what is he saluted with not with the remembrance of his sin but bring the best robe which is that everlasting righteousness that clean Love for if the Prodigal does but return he will never go out again and Love covers a multitude of sins Bring the best robe that 's his best robe He hath beheld no iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel Numb 23. He does as Noahs best son did to his father go backward to cover his nakedness so before he can well see him he cries Come bring the best robe You don't know when you shall return thus buckled and bowed owning the thing as it is how the Father will reward you Be not discouraged do but cry out Lord I have sinned what wouldst thou have me to do And though thou shalt say but I cannot speak a word as I ought nor think a good thought yet let not this hinder thee Come as thou art Remember thou hast heard it reported the Prodigal came thus and his father received him better to be an hired servant in the house then a son a great way off better is it to wipe the childrens shooes then to be in a Kings house amongst ravenous beasts All this is written for our learning that we through patient waiting might have hope and return with this saying Peradventure he will receive me though we come forlorn c. yet see what his Prodigal received for God waits to be gracious O that I could but hear the sound of a right word All your complainings rising onely from being tormented c. are nothing to me because you still love to be in them but if there were but a minde to return see what entertainment it would finde Then he had the fatted Calf set before him the musique and dancing O the sweet harmony when God and man are at unity From this time it shall be said of Jacob and Israel What hath God wrought But minde this of a certain That all your forced confessings for fear c. bring no turn in you nor turns Truth to you but where truly the Soul is buckled it ventures and comes in to its Father and is received and this kinde of entertainment the son findes not a word of upbraiding for what he had done Though the servant owed his Lord ten thousand Talents and is not able to pay one peny of it yet in that he lies down at his Lords feet and owns the thing as it is saying Lord have compassion on me all is forgiven him and had he stood here his Lord had quite forgiven him for ever but because he began to lord it over his fellow servant that owed him a hundred pence taking him by the throat saying Pay me that thou owest me and though he fell down and besought him yet he would not have compassion on him therefore his Lord was grieved and cast him again into prison till he should pay the uttermost farthing Matt. 18.24 c. Therefore minde what will be the benefit of the Prodigals returning see what shall follow it but no man can beget Truth where it is not nor raise it where it is before its time but were you sensible of the reward that shall follow a right turning it were enough to make the worst heart in the world to bow For we propound He is a hard Master No there 's nothing remembred against him but bring the best rob c. There are five dishes which are set before this son for his entertainment 1st Saith the father Bring the best robe 2ly Put Rings on his fingers 3ly Put shooes on his feet 4ly Kill the fatted Calf 5ly There 's gladness Come let 's eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found c. Here will be considered the order next And why not meat for his belly first for he was now almost starved by reason of famine Yet saith the father in the first place Come bring the best robe Wherein you may consider these three things 1. The best robe is brought to cover his nakedness for there 's no standing else before God there 's no disputing with him at all except the sin be covered while there 's any guilt upon the heart there cannot be a neerness betwixt God and man But in all reason he should have had meat for his belly first yet that must not be till he has the best robe the Fathers best Love upon his back because there can be no standing in his sight to speak a word without it For who can stand before everlasting burning And God is a consuming fire Where this Love is not first a covering they will rather cry to the rocks and the mountains to fall on them for who can stand before God in his guilt Therefore first this is most needful to be covered with the best robe But 2. Bring the best robe because the sinner stands with such a shame upon him for while he stands guilty there can be no boldness nor freeness to receive any thing from his Father The poor sinner saith I know not why he gives me this and th' other for ought I know it 's for my greater condemnation for as Solomon saith Some have riches given them for their hurt And how many patterns do we see of it 3. The fear will remain till it be discovered that the sin is taken away therefore saith the Father Bring the best robe for the Father has robes that will wax old which the servants are clothed with I will turn them out of my house saith he and love them no more But after the Prodigal is thus adorned when the Love of God has covered him that he is made able to stand spotless and blameless before him in love now he stands covered in this long white robe he had none of this garment upon him when he went out for then had he never gone but he was covered with that which could be taken from him And you shall know saith God the breach of a Promise But there is Love that cannot be changed a Covenant that can never be broken a Foundation that cannot be shaken and now there 's a boldness to appear before God but so long as any guiltiness remains the Soul is afraid of God I remembred God saith David and was troubled Therefore he cries O
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
Truth that searches and tries and will give us no rest They envyed Moses and Aaron the Saints of the Lord c. The heart is unruly and unsubmitted and its life is torn and rent from it but this is not the giving up not the free-will offering that God looks after He loves a cheerful giver and not of constraint When they offered and would by force have made Christ a King he refuseth and Moses chose afflictions with the people of God his heart chose the thing And if you are yet upon those terms to have a hankering mind upon honor or ease or quiet or any seen things you are not Christs followers and you can never build this Ark of Salvation unless you lay the foundation thus low with Christ all you build though never so fair and beautiful it will not stand without this bottom unless there be a heart to take up the Cross and give up your lives unless you are willing to go through Hell with him Many may abase themselves to Hell I but they make that their Heaven they say not There is no hope the pains of Hell are not indeed felt and endured But Christ was brought to that pinch that his Hope was lost My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If the Fear of God seize upon you you will be jealous every step you take in this work it will put an awe upon your spirits lest you should miscarry in any thing from the pattern How ever the words you hear from me may be rude yet the Knowledg is sure so far as God hath led me and if you pass not through the condition the thing spoke of I am sure the building will not stand The man that thrust himself in without the wedding garment when he was enquired into Friend how camest thou hither he was found speechless But those that were compelled to come in from the high-ways and hedges they can answer Lord I came hither thus I was drawn None comes to me saith Christ except the Father draw him I would never have come of my self I stood out to the last and had I not been compelled and forced I had never been here If you cannot give an account you have passed this way That you have been drawn and haled to it contrary to your wills and been made to lay down your lives with Christ your building will not stand This is the way God takes with his own He turns man to destruction and then he says Return you children of men He will give no other sign but the sign of Jonah the Prophet and this way He passes He goes down to the bottom of Hell He cries out I am cast out of thy sight and the Earth with her bars was aboue me for ever as if he was now quite lost and gone and hence deliverance comes but not before And this first story of the Ark you must build go through the Death if ever you think to attain the second and third Stories the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. It will be afterwards considered II. About the Resurrection Which had three ends in it 1. To shew the mighty power and free Grace in raising when all hope gone 2. That the Man may tread on the neck of his Enemies 3. That the Soul might declare and preach his praise III. About the Ascension of Christ into Glory Three things in it also 1. A taking up of the Soul into the third Heaven from all Earth 2. I heard unspeakable words saith Paul The Decrees of Life opened 3. The Soul is given into Union with the Divinity marryed to Christ Several other things may be observed about the length bredth and height of the Ark the pitching it within and without All which had a meaning of Truth in them Noah's Ark IN THE WORLDS DELVGE OR Truth a Saviour and a Judg. SERM. VIII 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 NOw a proceeding forward to declare the Effects and Consequents of this Ark being built And they were three 1. He did it to the saving of his house a people he had a charge of not himself chiefly 2. By which he condemned the World c. This judges them 3. And became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith I. About Noah's saving his house three things considered 1. He saves them by being a Hearer himself He is first warned of God and preaches to them what he received from the Lord. 2. He takes the charge over them makes them as his own Soul 3. He follows on till the thing be brought about He doth the work He doth save them c. II. Another Consequent of this Ark-building is He condemns the World And that in seven Particulars 1. He beleeves God and is warned and this the World is condemned by they do not so 2. He beleeves though the things not seen as yet The World they are upon their Reason and consult with flesh and blood 3. He sets to build the Ark alone The World look for company of wise and learned and follow them onely this judges the World 4. He builds an Ark a compleat one This judges the World to look after a compleat Salvation they content with broken pieces 5. He builds an Ark pitcht within and without a sure and certain condition to keep out all doubtings c. This the World can never reach 6. Noah not satisfied with the Ark but sends out a Dove to enquire of God The World is condemned by this they have no holy Ghost to enquire of God by 7. He condemns the World by doing a Work He doth save his house They build and build but it comes to nothing none are saved by it III. A third Consequent He became Heir of the Righteousness by Faith 1. What is this Inheritance he enjoys The Lord himself The Lord is my portion an Inheritance that fades not away 2. What is it to be an Heir To have an Inheritance fall by right which cannot be sold nor given away This is wonderful 3. How comes he to this By Faith He became Heir That 's the way the Soul is made to prosper in by beginning with Faith HEB. 11.7 Prepared an Ark to the saving c. I Have been speaking from these words all the last week in which many things have been opened to you at large I shewed you how in all ages God hath had some to whom he hath revealed his minde and secrets And here Noah is pick'd out for the man of whom God thus witnesseth Thee onely have I found righteous in this generation and to him he opens his counsel what he intends to do concerning the destruction of the World and that the End of all flesh was come before him I opened to you 1. What the Principle was he went
in all Ages save the People committed to them Moses he stands up in the gap and the anger is turned away Phinehas he stands up and the Plague ceased David he stands up and takes the sin and the blow upon himself 1 Chron. 21.17 It is even I that have sinned and done evill but as for these sheep what have they done Let thine hand be upon me I pray thee c. Thus he stands up till the destroying Angel puts up his sword till the thing be done he requests for and thus Noah and all the preachers of righteousness prepare an Ark to the saving of their House the people committed to them II. Another Consequent upon Noahs building an Ark is this by which he condemned the world all the world is condemned by it and that in these seven particulars 1. Noah beleeves Gods Word and is Warned God tels him Noah all flesh hath corrupted his way and it repenteth me I have made man wherefore their end is come before me and I will surely bring a Deluge to destroy them all now therefore look to it stay not in all the plain get away from the tents of these wicked men hasten and build an Ark to keep off the danger that thou perish not with them and he believed God 't is said c. But who will beleeve this report now if God Himself should speak or an Angell from Heaven if one from the dead should come we would not beleeve if we beleeve not Moses and the Prophets Now who will beleeve if such a certain word as this be witnessed to them Well deceive not your selves I can surely tell you from God that misery and destruction is certainly coming on if you stick in this condition if you get not an Ark a sure shelter and refuge astrong Tower to flye to you will never be able to stand therefore Knowing the terrors of the Lord we perswade you lay the thing to heart defer it no longer I but who will be warned by all this none of the world will the world within us and the world without that will go on its old way do and say what you can Charme the charmer never so wisely the Blackmore will not change his skin nor the Leopard his spots this carnall and sensuall and Devilish mind within us it wil yet feed on carrion though it be a thousand times warned it will not be warned though it be told and told and told Well this way will surely undo you if you stick on any seen things and come not to give up all and lay down your lives you will certainly be miserable and loose your lives yet this spirit in us will not beleeve but it will put the evill day far off and mock at the making of an Ark. It will plead what need is there of this ado and God he is merciful one shift or other this world will ever finde to be at ease but wo to them that are at ease in Syon c. Noah he is warned the new Heart the sensible Spirit that heares the Word and stands alwayes in awe and trembling that is warned and this is that which Judges the world for they are not 2. Noah beleeves though he be warned of things not seen as yet he disputes not with flesh and blood about the matter but beleeves and this condemns the world who would not argue But what shall we have if we leave all and what need is there of it yet till more danger appears who would build an Ark when no flood is seen and not say with Job No I am well I shall dye in my nest who that is strong and in health and hath all enjoyments about him will then beleeve a change will come Who breaks through all snares and entanglements and says Let me go stand aside all is uncertain all may soon be taken from me this life is a mortal life and all my enjoyments are nothing if the Deluge come therefore strive not to comfort me let me go about the work to prepare an Ark Who breaks through thus resolvedly No the heart stands rather to dispute Sure this man says he knows not what there 's no such danger And thus the time is reasoned out And if you will stand thus pleading till the Flood come unawares and take you yet remember I have told you these things I have dealt truly in warning you And as Christ saith all this have I said that you might be saved But yet you are disputing and reasoning Alas what can I do to help my self And thus we linger and come to nothing Sure all this which I speak to you is as a Tale that is told Lord how I feel the hardness of your heart and that the Word enters not into the stone But sure it is if the Word take no place the Blow shall the Flood will come and destroy this world 3. He condemns the world in this He sets to build an Ark alone He stays not for great and wise ones to joyn with him in the work but builds alone though all scoff and say What will this Babbler say what is this fool doing Will he bring in new Laws and Ordinances and go contrary to all Customs and Orders and Rules of our Fathers and Leaders and wise ones Well but this moves him not Do ye what you will saith Joshuah I and my house will serve the Lord I must go on saith Noah The Soul that is indeed at a strait must go through all Lets and set upon the work It must leave all Relations Father and Mother and Friends and say to all If you will not go with me I must leave you Let the dead bury their dead but follow thou me saith Christ But this is the pleading of all the world Do any of the great ones the Scribes and Pharisees beleeve on him Do the Minsters and godly Divines go this way And here they sit down saying We 'l not be wiser then all men but follow our Teachers Well saith the Soul that is indeed at a strait Go they as they will yet I must go this way there is a press within I know not what shall become of me and 't is time now to look out if neither Father nor Brother if none in the World will joyn with me yet I must go to Zion Alass I am at a strait Alass what shall become of me in the latter end This strait will surely come upon your spirits and run through all enjoyments your eating and drinking and buying and selling nothing shall give you rest And were you indeed here you would not stay for company you would look out for bread to eat were you ready to starve And who ever is thus pressed on through all to build this Ark he condemns the World who all sit down at ease And thus that world in us is condemned by that restless spirit of Truth that is always reaching and crying and pressing forward 4. This condemns the World That Noah
builds an Ark a whole Ark not a piece of one Now the best of the World how do they sit down contented if they get but a broken board or two or a sorry cock-boat They think all is safe then I but when the storms come and the rain beats where is the Cock-boat then Will that secure them and be a compleat shelter Many are contented with a so far saving they are not the same they were they are not like this Publican they have escaped some of the pollutions of the world through lust and this they judg enough Now Soul take thine case No but this will not do What if a people be saved out of Egypt and yet perish in the Wilderness And if there be a saving through the red Sea yet if the Soul enter not into Canaan if it fall short of Salvation if it be not saved to the utmost what will come of all Men preach much against Papists for holding there can be no perfect Assurance in this Life but the best Faith is Doubting And in effect our Divines all hold the same Doctrine They say that in the best there may be fears and doubtings concerning their conditions in times of desertion and tryals But it is not so for had they ever been saved to the utmost they should never doubt that work more If the condition be indeed once made sure it is so without all doubts and scruples 't is clear and unquestionable and can never be shaken in that point more The gates of Hell cannot prevail against it And this sure and unmovable work of Truth is that which will condemn the World If the Lord count you worthy to be the people to rest no where short till the Ark be compleatly built and a sure condition of life attained not to settle on flashes nor true stirrings of spirit nor operations not to rest in a half Salvation but to be saved throughout to the utmost That wil judg and condemn the World You may go far and be mighty in shew get a high nest and reach to the clouds but Lucifer must come from his Throne and go down to the Pit God saith of Ishmael He shall be great also He shall beget twelve Princes This flesh brings forth great and high births but yet it shall not be heir with Isaac it shall not enter and inherit Life Though it may fare deliciously and be clothed in scarlet yet a time of dying comes and then this rich man is found in Hell How many servants in my Fathers house saith the Prodigal have bread enough and to spare I but the Inheritance is not their own The servant abides not in the house for ever Therefore what shall I say to warn you As the Martyr Bishop Latimer said being to preach from those words Beware of Covetousness If I should do nothing but repeat over this Text an hour together it were preaching enough said he to them that could hear So if whole days and weeks I should onely warn you of this Take heed be sure you sit no where short of the mountain rest no where till you have an Ark built a safe condition to stick to in all storms All this warning would be little enough to warn you Thus I have spoke something of the Effects following upon Noah's building the Ark 1. He saves his house 2. Condemns the World thereby And I told you he condemned it in seven Particulars four of which I have spoke to the other are yet behinde 1. He condemned the World in taking Gods Word and being warned The wise man foresees an evil and hides himself but this carnal sensual and devilish spirit this World in us and out of us will never be warned till it be destroyed 2. He beleeves concerning things not seen He disputes not with flesh and blood as all the World do Even children can plead Alass I am young and childish what can be expected from me The strong plead Why no need of such haste I may live long And others plead ' Sure God is not so extream He is merciful and will pass by failings And thus all the World shift it off till the Deluge come And how hardly hath it gone with some of the people of God because of this lingering and disputing spirit Moses reasons and reasons till the anger is kindled against him and Lot lingers in Sodom till he is almost in the burning and thus dangerously have we ventured to dispute and reason till our Day may be over and then wo to us 3. He begins this work alone though there be not one to joyn with him in it and the Soul that is truly sensible of its want and is indeed at a strait That must look out for help if none will go with it to cry for a certainty What shall become of them yet that must That must have bread or it starves So the blinde man he cries and cries after Christ and rebuke him who will yet there 's no stopping of his mouth till the cry be answered And this condemns the World they are for company they follow the wise and learned go with the multitude but alass it never was that the great ones and wise ones of the World were the Followers of Christ not whole Colledges and Congregations No The Prophets of Balaam are four hundred and fifty they go by Troops but onely one poor despised Micaiah for the Lord and he never prophecied good to Ahab but evil This true Spirit is the Troubler of the World and judges them nothings and vanities will content them but this cries for substance for bread indeed it looks after an Ark a certain condition and nothing less will serve it 4. He condemns the World in that he builds a compleat Ark ceases not till the work of Salvation be gone through with and finished till the Soul be conformed to the Death of Christ and to the Resurrection of Christ and to the Ascension of Christ till the Soul be brought to know the heart and counsels of God concerning it Now the World are contented with halves with piece-meals with some broken scraps belonging to Salvation but have not the thing it self are not saved to the utmost They cry for Parts and Light into Scriptures and enlargements and peace of Conscience and ease and they have their peny they agreed for God gives it them but this will not satisfie the Noahs nothing but an Ark. 5. This condemns the World That Noah builds an Ark and pitcheth it within and without a sure shelter that not the least water can soak into it Now as all the World and all their Ministers can never reach to this but some crevise is open some flaw sticks to the best conditions where questionings and doubtings will get in do what they can And this cuts them to the heart That no other condition should be approved of and pass for good and safe but that which is thus pitched within and without That which will stand in the
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
day to find this City of the living God They sought a City that had foundations no other would content them They left all other dwellings all other contents delights enjoyments wherein the world live chusing rather to wander in a wilderness where there was no way till they might come to this City of habitation they rested in no place no condition nor honour nor pleasure could hold them till they might come to this City and sit down in their own house O when shall I come and appear before God! saith David Though he had a strong Army now with him of the valiants of Israel and they faithful and ready to venture their lives for him through a whole host yet he is at a strait for the Temple of God for the place where the Lord dwelt and his Name and Power and Truth lived There are many Cities in the world that are easily found Cities of wisdom and fear and rest Cities of knowledge and great enlargements but none of these will serve the true wanderers they seek a City from Heaven whose builder and maker is God Where God dwels And where doth he dwell Why where two or three are met together in my Name there am I in the midst Where Brethren live together in unity where they be of one Heart and one Soul Here he hath commanded the Blessing and life for evermore This is Sion saith God here will I take up my rest I will dwell in it for ever Now in a City three things may be considered 1 A City is an habitable place where many dwell 't is not like a waste Forrest or barren Wilderness but a place of concourse and meeting of people And thus are the people of God his City where He dwells and inhabits and all his train with him Peace Love Joy Singleness Hope Meekness c. this City is full of inhabitants It is said in the Proverbs He dwelt in the habitable part of the Earth and there dayly was his delight and he calls his people out of Babylon Come out from amongst them and ye shall be my people and I will be your God And again I will dwell in them and walk in them They are his habitation where he takes up his abode Time was when he came and went as a wayfaring man that stays but for a night and is gone and thus he is now in many of your souls he comes and goes presently but there is a time and there are a people when and in whom he takes up his abode in whom he settles never to remove more Though he may lie in the bottom of the ship lie covered up and buryed under sorrows and tryals yet he is still there I will never leave thee nor forsake thee that 's the Promise 2 A City is a place of free traffique where men may buy and sell freely without any molestation if they are made Free of the City trade where they will and when and in what they will Such a City hath God in his people such a freedom he hath to deal with them at his pleasure Sometimes he will trade in tryals and sorrows to bring forth the riches of the deeps beneath sometimes he will trade in chearings inlargings and revivings of Spirit Sometimes Gold and Silver and Pearls come out to sale sometimes Camels Hair and blue Silk as he pleaseth but some trade or other is ever going on in his City It is never left wholly desolate but he will be free to buy and sell and trade in what ever he pleaseth such a place as this he hath where he is not bound in or to any thing as we would bind and limit him to our measure we will hear him so far and come up to such a pitch but not a jot further therefore we are not this City yet he dwells not so in us though visits and passes too and fro often for the Spirit of the Lord cannot be bound it will have liberty to stir and act at pleasure he will be free to binde and straighten to loose and inlarge to raise up or cast down as he pleaseth and pleased he is sometimes to run his dearest people through wonderful strange conditions and cases to shew his great power and wisdom and faithfulness in standing to and recovering them out of all that he may bring forth all his rich wares and make his Name manifest but he dwells not in any heart where he hath not this freedom to trade in what he will sorrows and afflictions as well as inlargements and injoyments but in his own City he is free there he can trade in what he will and when he will and how he will they always submit and say Not my will but Thine they ever justifie him Good is the Word of the Lord and with Eli It is the Lord let him do what seems him good 3 A City is a place of safety and security it is expected a man may be safe from theeves and robberies there Such a City are the people of God to his Name and Honour and Truth they are bound to secure them It is expected by God as Lot saith of the Angels that came to him when the wicked Sodomites pressed to the door to do them violence see how earnest he is how he labours What will he not give to save them out of their hands Nay take my two daughters rather take all I have onely let these strangers alone disturb not them For for that very cause came they under my roof that they may be safe Where this City is indeed what will not the soul venture to keep the truth alive and safe that it suffer not and therefore the Church writes of Paul and Silas that they were men which had hazarded their lives for the Gospel nay let all go to keep this Name up I count not my life dear saith Paul to finish this course with joy Now the enemies great plot is to kill this Name of truth that the name of Israel may be no more in the earth that the devil and all his instruments aim at to destroy it root and branch utterly but I have called you friends saith Christ therefore I can intrust you with all my minde and counsels you will be faithful and not betray me not deal as the men of Keilah when David inquired of God whether they would deliver him I they will saith God but these citizens will be more faithful they will not deliver up their David their King the Lord Christ they will die rather then be false to the Lord. Such a City as this will God have such a people he seeks that will build him a sanctuary where he may be safe out of all dangers that will in deed and not in word venture their lives and all they have for his Name Oh that your souls were but taken that the desires and longings were but up in you that you might be such a Citie to the Lord and sing as Israel did when
and garnishings and curious works all was to express what a life is to be attained a life of Glory and Freedom and Peace a life free from all snares and bonds of World or Devil 2. God will have a House built that there may be a certain set way of worship a place whither the Tribes may go up the Tribes of the Lord that every man go not on rudely in a conceited preposterous way according to the thoughts of his own heart Thou shalt not worship in every place which thine eyes shall see but in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his Name therein As there is but one God and one Truth and one Hope so he hath appointed but one way set down one order and rule for all and not left men rudely to the rangings and rovings of their own vain thoughts and conceivings as all the world now take up ways of Religion according to their own imaginations but he hath a Zion a House of prayer a Temple where Brethren live in unity joyn with one heart and soul in offering spiritual sacrifices and there will he be found There he hath commanded the blessing and life for evermore Why could not David worship God as well in the wilderness Was not God there As many now plead Why is not God every where and may not we serve him where ever we will But David cries out and is at a great strait to see the glory of God in the Temple no other place would serve him And why was all Israel once every year to come to this temple to worship What was the meaning of it think you You 'l say perhaps the Law is gone and abrogated Well but what was the end and substance of the Law That stands still Christ came not to destroy the Law but fulfil it to bring about the End of God the thing typed out by the Law Now as 't is said of Israel That the vail was upon their hearts that they could not see to the end of the Law when Moses was read So this hidden end none can reach but to whom God shall open the Parable but this was the end the Temple pointed to to shew that God then had and ever would have an orderly and quiet and sober way of worship in a people joyned together and made up into one heart and one soul and they to worship in spirit and in truth according to his ordering and appointment as that unction received shall teach and not according to mans conceits thoughts and imaginations 3. He will have a House built to be a spectacle and standing witness to condemn the world by For now who will not say that God is to be worshipped I but they worship after their own heart and devices according to the number of their Cities so are their gods as every one conceives and makes a shape of worship in his own thoughts But who knows the minde of God in all their worship Who joyns in to this Body of Christ the true Temples where the Holy Ghost dwells and spiritual services are performed to God It is said in the Acts Of the rest durst none joyn but they magnified the people the way was too strict I it is the greatest Circumcision in the world to mans will to joyn in here to be a member of this building it calls for a whole giving up of a mans own wisdom his own will his own interests no stone in this House must lie loose from another no Soul live apart to it self and for it self but all in love to serve one another and this will condemn all the ways and joynings of men in the worship of God for they all live as Lords love and seek themselves in what ever they do they cannot endure to come up to such a joyning and such an order where no Self may live Though many enter into Church-orders and Church-fellowship yet alass there is no true life nor spirit in it they still live loose as Lords and Rulers one over another there 's no walking in love and meekness and patience to serve others and deny themselves But in this building there is a mutual help and supply in love every member says to another I have need of thee The foundation lies lowest I but it bears up the whole building and what would the foundation be but lost rubbage if not built upon and joyned to the rest of the House All minister and help receive and give honor to other and say For they are worthy O the peaceable Life that is to be attained But we are far short of it at a great distance from that uniting from that supporting that serving that prizing and seeing the need each of other We are brought together indeed but live like loose stones scattered and alone and prize not the mercy given us nor make use of it and this is the reason we prosper not but a blast follows in all we sow much and reap little we labor and strive and tug again and again but nothing comes of it we cannot nor shall ever be able of our selves to withstand the Devil and lusts and entanglements till we are brought to be a one people to receive help from one another this is the way and ordinance of God and here he hath commanded the blessing If we were but once made naked and open-hearted to one another in our tryals and temptations Oh how wonderfully might we be strengthened against the Enemy and helped on in our way and this would clearly condemn the world who in their own Consciences know they are not built up into a one-hearted people singly and truly and heartily to serve one another in love and peace not seeking themselves in all But how we linger and the building of this House is neglected I remember the motioning and stirring to this work was up in some hearts at least twenty years since but the Bishops they got up and crushed all the tender buddings that the work ceased and since this Parliament the Lord hath graciously procured Liberty to be proclaimed a door open for this work and many have begun to build but they prove Houses of their own invention and contrivances not the Lord House but we that are surely called and invited to it and that of God both from stirings within and a call without we make no use of the opportunity offered but plead It is not time to build the Lords House because we have no heart to the work c. Thus I have shewed the Reasons why God will have a House built 1. That there may be a standing place of Worship whither the Tribes may go up where all may meet and agree together in one heart and way Daniel though he be in Babylon yet opens his window and looks towards Jerusalem in his prayers and when they sat by the rivers of Babylon they wept and remembred Zion they called to minde the worship the services the solemn assemblies where God had
but saith Paul I would to God you did reign viz. that it were such a reigne as would last and hold Now who spake he to not to the rude world nor to the ignorant but such as he had in his heart to live and dye with such as he had espoused to Christ the match was made but not the thing done they were not wrought off from all things nor wrought up to that one husband into the minde of Christ though out of a light instruction and choice the thing was owned and approved And here the man gets peace and ease and liberty is free from guilt and torments and perplexities the man can goe on either hand if a mind to God and Truth thither he can turn if a mind to the Creatures he can turn thither the door is open and he can suck sweet from every thing his wayes are all washt in butter smooth soft and easie And here saith David my mountain was so strong I said I shall never be moved here the man sits as a King this is his day of reigning But II. There is another dispensation follows a time of the Devils reign this is a sad and wofull change Another king arises which knows not Joseph the man when he was King he knew God and owned truth and joyned it with him in his Kingdom though yet in the throne Pharaoh will sit above the man was uppermost in all But now another king rises that will not know Joseph and he deals cruelly with Israel then the hard Task-masters and cruel burdens come he will know nothing but his own will and lust and cruelty And Wo to the inhabitants of the world when the devil comes down to reign amongst them when Jeroboam reigns that makes Israel sin And how often have our fathers been at sore pinches and cried out in bitterness of soul when this time of the devils reign was upon them It is a woful kingdom indeed a cruel reign And these seven Woes lie up in it 1. One Wo is that he is a strong man How have our fathers owned his might and cried out under it Thou hast delivered me saith David from my STRONG enemy for he was too strong for me And again My enemies live and they are MIGHTY And Hezekiah cries out Lord I am opprest undertake for me And again We have no might against this GREAT HOST Alas when the man compares but himself to him what a Nothing is he to this great Goliah but as a fly a worm a gnat a stripling and he a man of war from his youth And here the heart sinks and dies at the very thoughts of dealing with him Was he but an ordinary enemy that might be matched any ways and the thing but feasible to fight with him then Man would have some hope but alas he carries all before him Shall not one be cast down at the very sight of him as 't is said of the Leviathan who was a type of the devil Iron is counted as rotten wood to him he laughs at the shaking of a spear Who is able to deal with this monstrous Leviathan If ever you but begin to reason and tamper the matter with him you are certainly foiled and worsted he will surely get beyond you 't is in vain to contend with him But let him vaunt and boast and rail on the Kings commandment is not to answer a word that 's the way Truth points us to to be still and lie under and say with Christ This is your hour and the power of darkness Until we can go out against him as David did in the Name of the Lord let us never stir though he come and vaunt himself and reproach Israel fourty days yet there is no other way but with Hezekiah to spread the Letter before the Lord and cry under the misery 2. He is not onely strong but a thorowout malignant enemy maliciously set and bent to destroy all truth exalts himself above all that is called God root and branch he strikes at all he deals as Herod who killed all the children from two yeers old and upward that he might be sure to meet with the childe Jesus and not let him escape So this malicious enemy kills every budding and springing of God in the soul he kills all the light kills the single love kills all the good desires that not so much as a right word or desire or groan may live and in all this his aim is utterly to destroy the Truth the principle of God sown in the soul Alas he cares not else if he can but kill the little spark of the Spirit of life he cares not what else passes by and lives Let us hear and meet together and eat and trade and take ease and content this is not the thing he is set against so but to smite the king of Israel onely that is his plot that was the wicked counsel of Ahithophel to kill David onely and bring all the people back to Absalom Neither small nor great doth he strike at but the King onely he cares not what lives so the Lord Christ the Truth the Seed of life the Heart and Minde of God may die in us Such a height of wickedness is in him that nothing else will content him but the death of all that would be a Lord over him a controuler a King this Herod cannot bear That which sits in the kings gate and will not bow to him that resolved Truth that will not fall down and worship the Idol nothing will content Haman but the death of this though he get Decrees against all the Jews though invited to the Queens banquet and sit next the King yet nothing will content him whilst this Mordecai lives that Seed of God that root of the matter that which will not stoop and buckle to him that he aims at and his fingers itch to cut off this name of Israel for ever And Oh what a Wo is this to be under such a cruel malicious enemy that would not give a moments respite not so much as a little breathing-time for the Truth not a little hope not a little desire not the least stirring of an inclination but he 's upon it presently if it were possible to stop every chink that the smoaking flax might not have the least vent but be utterly extinct and quenched 3. A third great Wo lies in this that he hath a time and power given him of God to afflict and try God allows it and gives him leave to strike Job This is YOVR HOVR saith Christ an hour was given them And God saith I will cause them to pass under the rod. And 't is said in the Psalms He TVRNED the hearts of their enemies to hate them He gives him his time and commission to rend and tear waste spoil and imprison and none can call him to account for it his Commission will bear him out Alas what a day is this In the time when the Man reigned he promised himself
and garnish him over with never so many fair pretences yet he cannot be so whited do what we can but his black 〈◊〉 appear to them that have eyes and can discern Paul was brought to own and discover these goods of the devil he cries out In me dwells no manner of good thing all is corrupt And God saith of Jerusalem As a fountain casts out its water so Jerusalem casts forth her sin Now a fountain casts out water naturally it flows without pumping and continually it never slacks night nor day and 3ly a fountain casts out abundantly no measure of it and 4ly irresistibly who can stop it So the heart casts out sin such a stock and endless store of the devils goods are laid up in the heart Do you believe this 6. Another great Wo is this He is not onely a strong enemy and most maliciously bent and power put in his hand and in possession and hath stuffed the house with his goods but 6ly he is armed too he hath armour to defend and maintain himself and keep off all assaults that are made against him Now his Armour may be expressed under these three Notions 1. He hath a coat of male upon him which covers him quite over that no word of Truth can come to touch and enter into him and finde him guilty though you try again and again and shoot and shoot bullet after bullet yet nothing shall enter his scales are so close to one another that not the least air can come between until the Lord shall direct an arrow thorow the joynts of his armour and come to the heart but it 's out of the reach of any creature to do it his coat of male keeps off all And though you may crush his coat a little sometimes and hurt him a little yet he presently gets up again and shakes himself and he is well the wound is healed for it never came to his heart his coat of male hath a thousand twistings and windings to keep off all guilt from coming so nigh him 2. He is armed with a helmet of brass upon his head his wisdom fences him that he is mighty able to plead the cause and reason and dispute for himself you shall never out-speak nor out-reason him he has so many subtil windings and ways to put off the guilt The fool is wiser in his own eyes then a man that can give a reason He hath a brazen brow that be the case never so clear yet he will not blush nor ever yeeld he is guilty but some way or trick or shift is ever at hand to put it off and save himself from being a sinner some plaister or other he will finde to heal the wound and keep the guilt from sinking to his heart though the case be never so plain against him and though seven a compleat number witness and accuse him yet his helmet of brass keeps off all he will not be guilty 3. He is armed with a great spear in his left hand like a weavers beam and with this he dare challenge all Come neer him who can By this spear he 'll seem to be for Truth and fight the Lords battels with Saul and slay the Philistims And who dare charge him now He is on our side he cries A friend a friend He hath the Watch-word and the Colours he 'll come and build the wall with you and who shall set upon him here He 'll be zealous and forward in the Truth he 'll plead and answer and prove and condemn others for being thus and thus as the Pharisees did Christ And this spear reaches out so far that there is no way to come nigh to reach or once question him Will you speak wickedly for God saith Job to his friends There is a wicked speaking for Truth many times a preaching of Christ out of envie to snare another or finde another guilty and keep up our selves some base selfish end or other lies in it that spoils all Therefore God says He will be Judge himself he will judge between ends and ends between thoughts and intentions The Word of the Lord is quick powerful that pierceth between marrow and joynts that can get between and meet with this enemy when the time is come But the work is wonderful He is so sorely armed all over 1. with a coat of male 2. with an helmet of brass 3. this long spear like a Weavers beam that alas what man shall come near to deal with him 7. The last great Wo is that this enemy is desperately ventrous dares venture upon any strange designes He 'll set on Christ and hurry him about to a high mountain to a pinacle of the Temple into the wilderness This Leviathan is made without fear being thus armed and fenced he cares for nothing Whilst his armour is so close about him he can venture on the mouth of a Canon and is safe enough He can vent out all his malice and poison and rage and do all his mischiefs and none shall touch nor controul him nor come nigh to search his heart He 'll be a friend to God and Truth and his People come not nigh to judge him And this is the armour of the whole world they are thus cheated by the devil and think all is well and right with them and under this covert he can work all his pranks and bring about all his mischiefs and murtherous plots against the Truth And this is a great misery the desperate ventrous spirit of this enemy that rushes on all mischief without fear and dread Now minde whilst this strong man armed keeps his Palace his goods are in peace all is at rest and quiet there 's no trouble nor perplexity no fears the whole earth is at quiet and if it were possible he would never be disturbed nor pitch battel with Christ but keep his goods in peace I but a time comes when a stronger then he comes upon him and then the war begins and the battel stirs and the clashings appear but this is the great happiness that there is one that is stronger then this strong man that can deal with him one that hath all the keys of hell and can open and unlock all the doors one that can take away all his armour in which he trusted and utterly overcome and rout him Then saith Job the poor hath hope and all iniquity stops her mouth And the way by which Christ accomplisheth this is twofold First He doth it as I told you by taking away all his armour in which he trusted He trusted in his armour that that should save him and keep off all blowes He trusted no arrow should ever pierce that and come into his heart and finde him guilty He trusted in his wisdom that he could reason and plead the case and maintain his Way to be right and just He trusted his speaking good words for God and pretending for Truth and his love zeal and forwardness should never have been questioned
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
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