world upside down it was at his rebuke at the blast of the breath of his nostrils that the earth shook and trembled and coals were kindled by it So also he saw that it was God who sent from above out of heaven his holy place and took him out of his troubles out of many waters and delivered him from his strong enemy and he brought him out into a large place and so goes on in that 18. Psalm When the soul comes to be awaked and to see God thus filling all in all to be motion and Agent in all things then he falls down before God and is ashamed and throws down all his own pride and arrogancie all his high conceits of his acting and doing any thing for he sees now it was not he but that it was God in him that did all now down falls all conceit of power and gifts with all strong holds all principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places and he gives All glory to God who dwels so near him In his holy hill of Sion Then he no longer looks without himself but now he hearkens to know what the Lord sayes in him his eye and his ear are now to himwards he will now no longer rule and guide himself nor take his own advice but he sees how he hath gone astray from God and desires now that God onely would guide him for he finds that he is the surest and the nearest Counsellour his eye is altogether now upon God so that he trembles in his presence He sees now we need not say Who shall ascend up to Heaven to bring Christ thence or who shall descend into the grave to bring Christ from the dead for behold the word is nigh thee it is even in thy mouth Christ is in thee in the midst of thee as the Prophets often Great is thy God in the midst of thee O Israel And again The holy One of Israel in the midst of thee And again Iohn Baptist There is one in the midst of you whom ye know not he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire When our eyes are opened by Christ to come to see this even those eyes which were blind from their Mothers womb And when the strings of our tongue shall be loosed then we shall fall down before his presence and confess our own vileness our own nothingness and that we in our selves without him are meer dust and ashes poor drops poor warms And this is not out of formality or custom but unfainedly and really seeing our selves to be so and no otherwise But till this time we go on in our pride and arrogancie we exalt our selves and go on to please our own wils and say who shall bring us downe our tongues are our own we will prevail who is Lord over us we say Tush God sees not he is above can he see through the thick clouds and so we go on in our own waies and follow our own wills and regard not God who is in us and acts all our acts and works all our works for us till then we exalt our selves even into Gods throne and dethrone him as much as lies in us for we say I will and I am Power is mine and Revenge is mine many say so and multitudes more do so they will be Revenged that they will and so appropriate and arrogate to our selves the very attâ—ibutes of God Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. And as Iames Woe to them that say To morrow we will go to such a City and remain a year and there buy and fell and get gain and Isa. 9. 9. Wo to them that say in the pride and stoutness of their heart The bricks are fallen down but we will build with â—â—wn stones Beloved conclude this all power is his and all praise is his and if all be His then what hath any creature to do to take to himself any at all but this great sin of arrogancie is that which runs through the whole world great and small and who sees it and who checks himself for it saying what have I done This is that which rules in the very Devils themselves Nay this is the Devil in us For they think they have a power and so walk according to their own wills and see not that they act by the power of God for God is all power all act and no creature stirs or moves but by him he is their act and their being thoâ—gh not of evil for though God be The orderer of evil yet he is not the Author but men would hence lay the fault on God and excuse themselves And very strange conclusions men have made through mistake that because there is in God an active positive consulted and deliberate reprâ—obation of certain men before their sins were committed yea before the Creation and because also t is said we can do nothing without him for in him we live move and have our being therefore they conâ—lude that the evil of action as well as the Action belongs to Him not understanding to distinguish between the Act and the Evil of the Act no no you are deceived you conclude thus because you cannot comprehend his waies and so you would bound limit and circumscribe the Almighty by your narrow Reason But you must distinguish between the Act and the evil of the Act all Act is Gods but he is free from the evil of any Act. All evil is thine and all good is Gods And therefore Hos. 13. 9. O Israel thy perdition is of thy self but in me is thy help but this I cannot now enter upon we therefore return to our point in hand Till Christ be pleased to discover himself to be there to be in us we are stark blind until He say to our eyes Ephatha be ye opened Else how do we walk and â—et up and down in our pride and arrogancie both to wards God and men and begin to beat and oppress and lord it over our fellow-servants what an â—nseemly thing is it that such worms and nothings as men are should walk so bolt-upright in insolencie and arrogancie boasting oâ—t themselves to be something when they are nothing They will revenge themselves and begin to 〈◊〉 their fellow-servants and reproch even those who desire to do their masters business as well and better then themselves affecting nothing so much as to rule and to be great Is this the carriage of those who have their eyes upon God who they know sees all their pride insolencie and arrogancie or rather is it not clear that this is the carriage of blind men ignorant men that say We see and therefore their sin remaineth And the Lord of such servants will come in an hour when they look not for him and will cut them asunder and appoint their portion with Hypocrites there shall be weeping and grashing of teeth The hainousness of his sin is seen
the 〈◊〉 which is to be smitten and he that doth So â—hall marry Achsah which signifies The Rending or the Tearing of the Vail and so by that means Kiriathsepher the City of the Letter sâ—all be made unto us Debir the Word So that if you put them together you must read it thus in English And A good Heart said He That smiteth the City of the Letter and taketh it to him will I give the rending of the vail asunder and he shall pass into my holy place and enter into my secret Pavilion or into my Tabernacle he shall behold and enjoy the glory of the Holie of Holies as it is promised in that 15. Psalme This is that S. Iohn wept sore for when the Angel 〈◊〉 proclamation in Rev. 5. with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the seven seals thereof and no man in heaven or earth was able to open the book or look therein but at length it was revealed that the lion of the Tribe of Iudah the root of David had prevailed to open the book and loose the seals The Letter is not this sealed book for every one reads that humane abilities will reach the Letter and the Grammatical sense The Letter is not the Tree of Life nor the Waters of Life which god promiseth to give unto us The Letter is not the Secret Place of the Most High Every unclean Beast may hear and read therein and drink of these waters But He that hath the word of God shall live for over How many are and have been exercised constantly in That viz. in the Letter and yet not live but perish for ever Many thousands have taken great pains and writ many Volumes and preacht many Sermons and yet never reacht This Living for ever many have read it heard it preacht it and therein have thought they have done God good service and expect to enter and shall say Lord open to us and yet Christ shall say to them Depart ye workers of iniquity For by them the City of the Letter was never smitten and taken but he that shall be admitted to come into this Sanctuary and to eat of this Manna he shall find and say from a true and feeling sense thereof This is heavenly Manna indeed I find these are waters of life indeed for I find they give life to read hear and pray and the like they give no life they are no service to God without the life and power but kill and slay those souls that rest therein as most men do The words as I told you divide themselves into two parts Onus and honos The burthen he that strikes or smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it And the honour or reward to him that so doth He shall have Achsah to wife but see here it must be a Good heart must do it not a heart that seeks liberty to the flesh To make the knowledge of Christ as a more easie way to sinning to facilitate encourage them to please the flesh No no my Text sayes it must be a Caleb a good Heart such a Heart as seeks not rest in sinning but such a heart as seeks its Rest onely in God such a heart as hungers and thirsts after God Such a one as labours with all his soul night and day and never can be at Rest in any thing below God And then as it follows here Othniel the Lords fit opportunity or in his good timeâ— he struck it and took it Concerning Onus the burden I intimated that it is not sufficient To Read the Scriptures No though we could say all the Bible without Book and understand it according to the Letter It were nothing to salvation If they would read the whole Old and New Testament over every year as I have known some have made it their task yea and made it their boast nay I say more If it were possible they could read it All over every day in the year yet this were nothing for the Devil can do as much what man can come near him in bringing out Scripture upon all occasions As the flesh of Christ Till it was broken and his precious side Pierced and His Blood shed there was no profit could redound to us as he himself said This is my body which is broken for you this Letter of the Scriptures is As the body of Christ till this side of his be Pierced till this Letter be broken till this Rock be smitten there is no water for us Till the Lord give it down from Heaven there is no Manna no bread for us else we may live and dye with the Scriptures and yet hunger and starve and dye but this body being once broken and this Rock smitten and this Side pierced then we shall find a fountain of living waters springing up to eternal life and precious blood gush out and hidden Manna to nourish us so as we can never dye nor perish neither in this world nor in the world to come As you know bread is not food till it be broken whole bread and whole meat goes into the body and through the body into the draught and yields no nutriment to the body The Nourishment and the life and the spirit of it remains untoucht but if it be broken and chewed then the stomach separates the One and the Other The Vertue and the Excrement which divides and conveys to each way its part Truth it is many toss and tumble the Letter and have it much in their mouths and rowl it up and down but never crack it never break it though they seem so to do and make you believe they expound it and give you the sense and the vertue yet how shallow how literal how humane how low how sensual and carnal do they make the Word to be even your Rabbies your Doctors your great Schollars Which shews If that God himself if the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah If the Root of David do not open the Seals t is not all the learning or all the Universities in the world can help us to the Mystery And the Mind of Christ as the Apostle calls it Truth is The worst of men wicked men they feed but upon husks upon Excrements upon the Letter and keep a great stir and a great noise about that they indeed champ that in their mouths but they let the nourishment the vertue and the marrow escape They eat not of the childrens bread that is not for dogs as our Lord saith to the woman of Canaan As in Luk. 15. in the History of the Prodigal there wicked men the worst of men Carnal men they are there compared unto Swine because that any trash any Excrement or the refuse of any thing will serve their turn they feed upon Husks and it agrees well enough to their stomacks that satisfies and they neither desire nor know any better food and as their meat is so are they carnal and fleshly and earthly
sheweth his handy Work dâ—y unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge In these God rides more openly here ye may behold him with open face as it is Ier. 23. 24. Caâ— any hide themselves in secret places from him do not I fill Heaven and Earth sayes God So the Earth is a close Chariot wherein he rides God rides and abides in the close silent Earth though less glorious as to us as well as in the open and more glorious Heaven Psal. 18. 10 11. He made darkness his secret place and his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds he bowed the Heavens and came down and darkness was under his feet T is true he fills Heaven and Earth but in the Earth we cannot see him so open and manifest Sometimes he hides himself in darkness and sometimes he shews himself in light As he is light so he clothes himself with light Psal. 104. 2. like as he was to the Israelites he went before them in a pillar of a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night Exod. 14. 19 20. He in himself is always invisible but in his expressions workings he is more secret more manifest Isa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour For God was both the cloud and the fire that went before and behind the children of Israel and he it was that filled the Tabernacle he was in both though he exprest himself so diversly And when we have put off this Tabernacle of clay that hangs about us then we whom he hath appointed shall see him as he is Yet let me tell you no man can see God as he is not in his Essence no not the Angels in heaven they themselves are not capable of that nor ever shall be but then the scales of Ignorance and blindness shall fall from our eyes and then we shall see his Influence into all Creatures and how this infinite God Flowes into them all as the river of Thames or the Sea by its streams it flows into all the adjoyning Creeks Arms but into every one according to their capacity not according to their own greatness but according to the greatness or littleness of those Creeks So doth our infinite God Flow into all his Creatures yet these expressions are infinitely below him too narrow to set out God to you but something in a way of resemblance I say after this manner doth the Almighty Flow into all his Creatures into Angels Arch-Angels Cherubims Seraphims Into men into beasts birds fish into all creatures yet not according to his own infinite greatness but according as every one can receive him and according to their capacity For if God should fill his creatures or communicate himself to them beyond their capacities he should destroy his creatures As to Moses God shewed him as much as a creature could see and live for if God had shewed him more he had been blinded undone by it for things may be as well invisible by too much light as by too little by excess of light as by want of light As the Sun if it should shine unto us in that excess of light that is in it self and that it were not intercepted interrupted by vapours and by thick and dull aire or if we were nearer to it then we are we should see nothing at all But whatever we see not of God now while we are in the world it is not for want of light in God but for want of light in us because the thick scales and the thick Darkness are still before our eyes and the dark vail is upon our hearts For God is alike apparent in every creature in regard of himself yet the accidents and matter that clothes God in the creature hides him from our sight For if we ask the Sea or the Winds or Beasts or Men of God these all speak dully and darkly of him for thou art now a hidden God from our eyes though thou art in every creature thou art the action motion and being of every creature yet God himself is a hidden a close God As Iacob when he fell asleep and dreamed and when he awaked he cryes out Oh how fearful is this place this is none other but the house of God God was there before but Iacobs eyes were not opened for God is in every place alike and cannot be more in one place then another but till our eyes be opened we can never acknowledge it but as soon as they are open then we can cry nay then we shall cry out for we cannot contain ourselves with Iacob with a holy fear and reverence we seeing the fulness of his presence every where Oh how dreadful is this place this is none other but the house of God and the gate of Heaven doubtless the Lord was in this place and I was not aware Object T is true you may say I see indeed all the creatures are Gods House and his Temple but why doth he call it The Gate of Heaven Ans. Because every creature when our eyes and ears are open it plainly represents speaks out God with a loud voice it leads us to see God himself who is not onely the substance and being thereof but he is the action life and motion thereof it leads us to behold and enjoy the infinite God who is heaven it self Then we shall come to see and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory And then shall we cry out one to another as the Seraphims Isa. 6. 3. And one cryed unto another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Then we shall see him so fill all places and all creatures even as he filled the tabernacle with his presence and glory Insomuch that we shall be overcome by his presence and the excellency of his divine glory Take home this truth with you and the Lord fix it in your hearts meditate and often think on it till you come to see it and believe it That God fills every thing though you see him not And although he be hidden not onely from men but even from the Angels themselves in regard of his Essence yet whatever creature it be how little so ever it be it is the house of God and the gate of heaven for this is Heaven upon earth thus to enjoy God and therefore well may Iacob call it The gate of heaven He fils even the lowest hell and is as wel in the damnedst Lucifer in hell as in the gloriousest Saint in heaven in regard of his Essence because he is in that regard in all places alike But here is the difference the one seeth him not so nor yields unto him the praise and glory of his infiniteness and of his filling all things as the
all Helps All Prophesies tend to him and all actions end in him But in what sense is he here set out In this Vision T is true All actions are from him and all tend to him and end in him but all representations are not fit proper nor useful for all occasions in what sense therefore is this action or representation revealed in this place to Moses I Answer In effect this Vision was the same that Iacobs was the end of it was to encourage Moses in the work in hand Christ Jesus is often in Scripture compared to fire The light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy One for a flame It shall burn and devour his Briers and his Thorns in one day He was and is that Burning fire that burns and consumes every thing but not it self as you know fire doth Though it consumes every thing else yet it cannot consume it self nay indeed I may say Fire it burns every thing and consumes Nothing for fire doth but separate every thing to its own Element Air to Air Fire to Fire Earth to Earth and Water to Water Fire makes a change but there is nothing lost Such a Fire is Christ Jesus in this place who changes and alters things according as he pleaseth He it is that causes creatures to rise out of the Elements and creates them of the Elements and brings them All at his pleasure back again He Creates them and saith when he pleases not only Return again ye sons of Men but to all Creatures Return Return And so thousands of thousands of millions of ceatures have been and are daily Made of the same Elements and having continued their Creators pleasure they must dissolve return whence they came And out of That same matter successively creatures have been and are daily made Trees grow out of the earth and having fulfilled their work and their time they fall to the earth from whence they again arose All things are in a continual change Operation and Distillation Even as you see Water put into a glass put on the fire to still Being close stopt the vapors and the spirits ascend by heat To the very Top and the heat being allayed they fall and descend again Now observe There is a change made but there is nothing lost for being close stopt nothing could go out of the glass Even so Things are Altered Changed by Christ Jesus He makes Creatures of the Elements they Ascend and Descend but he consumes nothing for Whether should they go They cannot go out of the world And nothing They cannot be made but by God himself for All the creatures cannot bring the least Gnat to nothing This is an undeniable Maxime There is required the same power to Annihilate it as there was to Create it All the Kings in the earth cannot bring One creature to nothing if they should burn this body of mine to ashes and scatter the ashes in the air or cast them into the River Yet there is nothing lost of me but onely every Element hath its part to which it Returns Now I say Christ Jesus is this FIRE It is He that burns the Bush but consumes it not It is He as Iob saith that Turns them as wax to the seal You know wax is Altered and changed to any form and change it as often as ye will The Seal the Form you last gave it that stands till you destroy it and give it another So doth Jesus Christ of one and the same Elements doth he make and unmake and remake daily new forms and new impressions and that impression it last had That stands Till he cause it to Return till he unmake it and new make it again And I dare be bold to Affirm That if our great and glorious God should weigh the heavens and the earth now as he did at the making thereof For the Scripture saith He measured the waters in the Hollow of his Hand and comprehended The dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed The Mountains in Scales and The Hills in a Ballance I say it would be found That Nothing were lost For all he hath Created and Raised Made and Unmade Altered and changed All the whole world as he doth continually having raised thereout such infinite millions of thousands of men beasts trees c. and is still in changing and making them New and Unmaking them again yet I say If He Weigh the whole matter of Heaven and Earth of which they are made they would not weigh One Grain less or more then at the first Creation I say It is He that weighs the mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance It is He that measures the waters in the hollow of his hand It is He that Spans the heavens and Measures the earth he it is that alters all things And metes out his workmanship out of the four Elements and yet preserveth the substance thereof so that nothing is lost Behold I make all things new Rev. 21. yet he consumes nothing They all shall wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed And who is it That doth all this but onely Jesus Christ the Son of the Father who works all things according to the minde of his father who is always Changing always Renewing There is not one Creature be it never so glorious be it never so solid but it is still In changing no creature is One and the same not one minute onely God is One God is the Same there is no house no wall no stone no man no Angel no Arch-angel no Cherubim no Seraphim but is still in motion it is still changing Onely Thou O Lord God Blessed for ever Thou alterest not nor changest not Thy years are the same They shall perish but thou sâ—alt indure They all shall wax old and change as a garment and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Though some be so durable that they move not nor change not in our apprehension yet they do As you know the Dial is in continual motion though you perceive it not so Though to your weakness they are insensibly moved yet there cannot be Any thing at Rest and Unchangable but onely God Almighty Now then Moses unto whom God spake in this Sacramental Vision he saw what was the Meaning the Substance thereof t is as if the Lord should say Moses as thou seest me Externally Burn This Bush and consume it not the same am I in thee and in All things else And if I be So Present In every thing and with every thing what needest thou to fear what needest thou to fear thine own inability what needest thou to fear Pharaohs hard-heartedness what needest thou to fear the Peoples believing and obeying thee If I be with thee and with them what needest thou doubt of any thing though thou seest things cross
nothingness of his handmaid he hath brought down the mighty and exalted them of low degree and scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts If you would find God It must be by lessening your selves and taking the creature quite out of your way And if you would think of God to find Him you must not imagine Him under any form but cast away from you all that ever you can say or think for God is nothing that we can say name or imagine And therefore if you speak of any thing or think of any thing either in the heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth and think him like it though it be never so glorious yea ten thousand times brighter then the Sun yet in this you commit Idolatry and make to your self A graven or a formed image All is one for God infinitely transcends all our thoughts and imaginations yea all the thoughts of all the Angels in heaven for none can comprehend God but God â—imself Therefore herein you belye God for he is none of all those things nor like any of those things we imagine For you know He speakes falsely as well He that sayes less then the truth as he that sayes more then the truth As in your publick oaths they are given in this form Thou shalt speak the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth So that he that speaks less then the truth or more then the truth speaks not the truth and he that speaks not the truth speaks a lye So he that thinks or speaks that which comes short of God and sayes such an one is the Almighty He belyes him and hath broken the second Commandment But he that shall Take away whatsoever is competible to any creature whatsoever He comes nearest to God For whatever is competible or agreeable to any creature Is All but Accidents and so The creature blindes us and hides God from us though God be in every creature and as much in one creature as in another yet These Accidents in the creatures hide God from us And those to whom Christ hath manifested the Father They in whom Christ dwells they know that Christ is in them and in every creature but Reprobates know it not as the Apostle saith Know ye not that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Those that be reprobates do not know that Christ is in them but if they be No Reprobates they know it and are sensible of it Christ hath manifested himself to be in them by Revealing to them That God filleth all things They See him Believe him and Feel him to be That Ever Blessed BEING That filleth all in all Who Alone can make them Happy They have seen His Goings out and His comings in His glorious Outgoings in every creature which hath so Endeared and won over their hearts to him so that they esteem him Dearer and more lovely and Amiable then ten thousand worlds and their hearts Can never depart from him or rather He hath so united them to himself by His love shed abroad in their hearts that they can never be Reprobated from him as David saith in Psal. 68. 24. They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my King and my God even in the Sanctuary They see God in every creature Deckâ—d as on his Throne In his Glory and Majesty in his Heaven and in his Holy Temple But as we were saying whatever creature thou lookest upon be it never so glorious That creature by reason of its Clothing by Accidents iâ— blindes and hood-winks us from God for I cannot shew you God nor represent God to you by shewing or setting forth to you any creature but if you take from the creature All that can be felt heard thought or understood then you come Nearest Him As Dionysius in his book of Mystical Divinity who was St. Pauls Scholar mentioned in the Acts He very Elegantly expresseth This very thing we have so often spoke of and I willingly speak of it And the oftener as it comes in my way because I know These things we are very ignorant of generally even among those that think they know All things and yet are ignorant in this Great and Comprehensive truth which is even the very beginning and foundation and Rock of all other truths If you could take from the creature all Heat and Cold all heaviness and lightnesâ— all weight and measure all beauty and ill-favouredness all youth and age all greatness and littleness and all Accidents All manner of fashion and form or Whatever hath a Name or can be imagined then you shall find the High and Holy One in his tabernacle and in his Secret place Even He who is God blessed for ever that is Even God in Christ Iesus Those that go about to find God this way in the way of poverty and taking away they shall find God in Christ Jesus But those that go about to find him in the way of adding or inlarging or setting any creature before them to resemble God God hides himself the more and goes farther off from them And therefore it was I said that God loves Carvers better then Painters So then we have shewed you how Moses delivered onely the Letter of the Commandments and he that made Not an Idol to behold and fall down to it with his body he had not broke this Commandment But the Spirit of this Commandment goes farther then every eye can see and there is more contained in it then we can at first see in the superficies of the Letter For he not onely breaks this Commandment that makes an Image and falls down and worships it for this is but the least breach of it this is but outward and bodily he indeed transgresses against the Letter but there is an inward and more dangerous breach viz. To transgress against the Spirit of it That is He that thinks or believes or affirms That God is like any thing in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth and of this makes himself a God and adores and worships it in his mind This man the Lord will not hold him guiltless for he is a jealous God He that thinks God to be like any thing either glorious or base to be like any thing he hath seen or not seen to be like any thing he hath felt or not felt to be like any thing he hath heard or not heard to be like any thing great or little to be like any thing either present or absent or any thing he can imagine that man hath made him A graven Image and hath fallen down and worshipped it Nay I tell you though he hath neither eyes noâ— hands to make an Image yet he hath both made A graven Image and hath worshipped it Whereto sayes God will you liken me saw you any thing in that day c. and to what will
well provided But by the way be not deceived to think God comes or goes for he cannot remove from place to place he cannot fill you more then he hath filled you already neither can he be nearer you then he is for he is ONE intire ACT of Being filling all things with his infinity he cannot come nor go nor remove nor be more in one place nor in one man more then in another And yet David bids us Open our gates that the King of glory may come in stand open ye everlasting doors that the King of glory may come in yet this is a certain truth he cannot come in more then he is already come in but the meaning must needs beâ— set open the eyes and doors of your knowledge and understanding Beloved take knowledge of this that the King of glory is within you already As when Elisha and his servant were invironed round about with enemies the mountains round the City full of Chariots and armed men his servant was afraid but Elisha comforts him and tels him there was no cause of fear for they had more with them to preserve and defend them then there was to offend and destroy them for saith he There is round about us Chariots and Horsemen for our defence Elisha his eyes were open and he saw them present but his servants were shut and he could not see them although as near to him then Elisha prayed that his eyes might be opened and immediately it was so and then he also saw the Chariots and Horsemen and fire round about them to defend them they were there before he saw them and his not seeing them did not make them not there So Christ doth not then come into thy soul when thou first seest him there when he works in thee and to thy sight and feeling when he lives in thee but then you come to know him and see him there and then you come to know ye are no reprobates because he dwels in you workingly to your sight and feeling for if you were reprobates yea Devils and the blackest Devils in Hell yet he is in you no place no creature can exclude him the earth and heavens yea the heaven of heavens cannot contain him no nor exclude him nor is he any more in the highest gloriousest Heaven then he is in the lowest Hell then he is in the very Prince of Devils but this they know not they cannot see him in them they are not able to see that he acts in them and by them but they think they act and live and work by their own power and think that they fulfil onely their own wills their own malice and do what they please And this also indeed is the very Devil in man this Disposition when he arrogates to himself the wisdome power or glory of God for all wisdom power glory and all good is all and alone his And as I said if all be his the creature is deceived to think it self hath any but they in whom God lives they see themselves nothings they see God is all in them they see him do all speak all work all think all in them they acknowledge freely they have no wills no affections either Natural or Divine but what are his they execute not their own wills their own lusts but they fulfil the will of him who works in them And to him and not to themselves they ascribe the glory and power of doing all O Beloved If we knew the gift that is in us our eyes our desires would alwaies be upon it Oh how precious is that gift in us could we but see it and know it as our Saviour said to the woman of Samaria O woman if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that speaketh to thee he would have given thee living water whereof if a man drink he shall never thirst and it should be in his belly a spring of water springing up to eternal life Such a Gift such a Power such a Treasure is in every man mark well what I say that were he but acquainted with it he would presently deny renounce himself his own wisdom power parts and solely live upon this gift this wisdom this treasure I tell you you would desire to drink no more of your own waters of your own pleasures of your own wills but you would say as the woman there said to Christ Oh sir evermore give me of that water that I thirst no more that I come no more hither to draw Then you will desire never to draw your comforts from honours pleasures lands c. or from your own wills then you wil acknowledge feelingly and knowingly and not in words onely that you are nothing that you can do nothing but that he is all and in all Beloved look but inwardly and there you shal see the gloriousest things that ever â—e saw there is the City of God the Temple of God the new Ierusalem such things as never eye saw nor ear heard or ever entred into the heart of man as man but as he is a new creature in some degâ—ee Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Selah saith David There is within thee such a glorious Temple 〈◊〉 bedecked and beset with precious stones and rich pearls of Faith Repentance Love Ioy Hope c. all graces which didst thou enâ—oy would make thee rich to Eternity thou woulst never desire any more to taste thine own waters to follow thine own will but woâ—ldst say with David One day in this house of Godâ— is better then a thousand elsewhere Psal. 84. 10. It s better with David to be but a Door-keeper in this Temple then to dwel in the places of self-wil wickedness Here are â—he Beauties of God himself displayed One thing I have desired and that I will seek saith David that I may dwell in thy house all the daies of my life there to behold thy beauty and to visit thy Temple Here dwells wisdom whose wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Never look nor never expect outwardly to find God for God dwells within nor expect not outwardly to hear God for God dwels in his Temple within there he preacheth and there he teacheth for outwardly are nothing but obscurities darkeness thick darkness outward darkness as the right translation renders it where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Outwardly are nothing but accidents and vails and thick clouds whiâ—h hide the everlasting beauties of our God from our beholdings within dwells the King of glories the everlasting Son of the Father who is from everlasting to everlasting even the Alpha and Omega of all the works of God Beloved when you aâ—e still and quiet upon your beds then examine your hearts then ye shall find your beloved when lust and self and flesh are all quieted and asleep so that there is no disturbance nor hurly-burly in
see light Psal. 36. 9. all other light is but darkness till we come to see things by this light we see them all by a False light every thing is of quite contrary colour in the light that we thought it to be in the dark The light discovers every thing as it is but till this light be come into the soul we believe not that we are in Darkness we think we have as true a light as can be will you make us believe we are blind Saith the Pharisee to Christ but say they quite contrary In my light we shall see light however some may be in darkness we are in the light neither can they be perswaded there is any better light then their own light As for example there be several things that live in the two Elements as those on the earth and those in the water those that be in the water cannot see things on land as they are t is true they have a light but it is a false light things are not represented to them as they are because there is water between the sight and the thing but those that live on the land they see things as they are there is no obstacle between them and the things they look on neither can those on the land see things in the water on the same reason So it is in our spiritual estate there be those that live in two Elements in the light of Nature and in the light of Grace those that live in the first they think there is no better light nor there can be no better for think they Are not we the onely men do not we live obedient to the Laws and seek to do justice and equity towards all and pay every man his own do not we live uprightly do not we govern justly and uprightly and according to Gods Laws do not we bridle sin and sinners that they run not into that excess of riot that some do do not we also submit our selves to authority over us and walk honestly in our places and live peaceably with all men These men these are the men I say they live in the water they have but a duskish glimmering light though they thus boast themselves nothing appears truly to them they think themselves in a very good case there is no better light then theirs and those that think there is they are deceived They know that they are in the good way those that will seek for any better light they think their forwardness will quite put out their light And those that are below them they think those are in as bad case They know not what will become of Swearers and Cheaters and Drunkards and Whoreâ—ongers c. If it were possible it should go ill with us what should become of the multitude say they O Beloved all this is False light For If once you go about to measure your selves by others let them be who they will be you will be found too scanty When God shall come to weigh you in the ballance of the sanctuary you will be found too light God will not weigh us by the holiest men but by his own weights he will not judge thee by thy light but by his own light And if once this bright light be lighted up in the soul The light of the candle shall never need to shine in that soul more there needs neither the light of the Sun nor the Moon for the glory of God shines in it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 22. 5. But the Armour of this False light is Reason whatever seems good to reason that is good and if you cannot shew them a reason it cannot be good for say they as Nabal said to David who was so wicked a man could not speak to him saith the Text is it reason that I should take my victuals that I have prepared for my Sheep-shearers and give unto strangers 1 Sam. 25. 11. Is it not reason I should take notice of my gifts and graces that God hath bestowed upon me of my wisdom of my understanding of my memory which God hath given me of my labours and attainments above another take heed take heed I pray thee this may cost thee thy life 〈…〉 to cost Nabal his had not wise Abigail come and met David if Gods wisdom doth not come and prevent thy reason and thy wisdom they will destroy thee Object Why is that any hurt to make a difference where God hath made a difference I see I have these gifts above another and I praise God for them what shall I deny the good things that God hath given me no no by no means Answ. But glorying herein will undo thee and besides is this giving honour one to another as the Apostle commands Rom. 12. 10. In honour preferring one another and accounting thy self the least Read that Rev. 18. 23. Thy Merchants were the great men of the earth for by thy Sorceries were all Nations deceived The Apostle commands Not to mind High things but to condescend to men of low estate Nor be not wise in your own conceits The twelfth name is Darkness Why are we in darkness we have the light and have had it these seventy years and 〈◊〉 if any Nation in the world are free from this name we are we have the light as well as you You may indeed go teach this to the Indians and the Salvages and to those that know not God to those that live in the Antipodes that go feet to feet with us they may perhaps believe this Doctrine and oonfess themselves guilty but you shall never make us believe it concerns us Beloved whatever you think That you have the light know it you are in darkness as in Ephes. 4. 18. Having their understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart And as our Saviour saith if the light that is in you be darkness how great is that darkness That is when men boast of light and yet are in darkness when they are proud of darkness how great is that darkness they call good evil and evil good they call sweet sowre and sowre sweet That which men and flesh calls good that they call good what nature and reason sayes is good that is good and onely good but God calls that evil which they call good and contrary that good which they call evil Therefore saith the Apostle Fashion not your selves according to the world call not that good which the world calls good which this corrupt flesh sayes is good saith it wealth is good and health is good and fair weather is good and pleasure is good do not men say the same do not Heathens say the same therefore this is darkness yea Egyptian darkness that may be FELT If you were not overcome with Darkness And the Armour of this Darkness is love of darkness and
Divine Nature he cannot accept or regard them So also if this be so then is there not onely holiness within flowing from A Natural principle of a new Nature but there will be All External glory there is the Ark of the Covenant overlaid all over round about with pure gold to shew that from this spring and fountain cannot but proceed all purity and holiness in our external actions then they cannot but must shew forth the vertues of him who hath called them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Then there is such a power and such a burning desire in the soul they must shew forth their good works that they may glorifie their father which is in heaven neither can this be attained really till we be admitted within the vail True it is while we are in this worldly Sanctuary we may do many External good actions as to our selves and other men And also Good in themselves but they are not done for this End to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them nor to glorifie their father which is in heaven but t is to glorifie themselves and to set up themselves Either for praise or esteem or for fear or for hope of advantage c. they serve not God as the Devil said of Iob for nought not for love of Holiness not for that Excellency that is in its self but to get something by it they use it as men do a bridge to carry them over to some desired place to some self-happiness or advantage and were it not for these the man were dead and you should find if the heart were searched throughly and theâ—e ends hopes and fears removed the man would stand stone-still But the other man he who is ascended and gotten within the Vail He works freely and naturally He cannot do otherwise though there were neither fear of hell or punishment or hope of the reward yet he must work And he will work this is that I still say Let but the heart be set to rights let the man be regenerate and partaker of the Divine nature and then with such a man you need not keep such a stir with Laws and Precepts and Rules and Disciplines He hath that within which will not onely inform and teach but reform and compel by the power of Love For saith the Apostle the Righteous are a law to themselves Beloved this is the service God loves He loves A cheerful giver He cannot abide that which comes forced and grudgingly and as a forced imposed task that by sinister respects they must be held to it but I say this man needs no such thing but turn him loose at all turns he hath an Informer and a Reformer in him Those that are led by the Spirit are not under the Law Gal. 5. 18. but under Grace and under the power of love and of a free mind for the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient This man is no longer under the law but is Dead to the Law that he may live to God and not unto himself for self is in him conquered and dead and Christ now is alive and exalted and set in his throne to reign for ever and ever In the third place there was the Pot of Manna which Manna God gave the Israelites in the wilderness some of which by the providence of God was preserved many hundreds of years together until the time as it is thought and affirmed by some of their last destruction by Titus and Vespatian He that hath gotten within the vail he hath gotten food sufficient to nourish him for ever He shall Never hunger more nor never thirst more as in that of Rev. 21. He that lives according to this new liâ—e he is â—ed with Hidden Manna He eats of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God His comforts are pure and ravishing and full of Everlasting delights his waters Everâ—low â—low and never cease there is in his belly a spring Ever springing up to everlasting life In the next place there was Aarons Rod that budded that was laid up by the pot of Manna Those that are accepted to look into the Holie of Holies Their fruit is alwayes flourishing and green their good works never dye but they ever after bring forth fruit like a tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth fruit in his season his lease shall not wither and whatever he doth it shall prosper and not onely shall they bring forth fruit but Ripe fruit in their age Psal 92. 12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing These men They are never satisfied with God They are never weary they shall run and not be weary nor faint they never have enough of Him his comforts are always fresh to them flourishing and green They are never satisfied with the knowledge of God This is such Manna such Meat The more they eat the more they may The more God communicates himself to them they are the more Hungry the more thirsty the more Vnsatisfied They have overcome and are still Overcoming they go on Conquering and to Conquer they are still conquering and subduing all their Enemies and getting their sins and lusts under their feet And so long as there is Any To overcom and conquer they can never Rest till they have brought All under Every high thought and Every strong hold and Every imagination That exalteth it self against the Power Kingdom and Soveraignty of Jesus Christ. Within the Holies of Holies There was also The Cherubims of glory Overshadowing the Mercy-seat and we may say as the Apostle there Of which things we cannot now speak particularly Those glorious Cherubims they looked face to face beholding one another Overshadowing the Mercy-seat Beloved were you but once come to this sight you should behold God Glorious and Amiable Full of love and mercy and tender Bowels All wrath And All frowns blown clean away We then shall behold in Him Not so much as any shadow of Anger but there will be a most sweet and amorous beholding of one another He wil love and delight in us we shall love delight in him we cannot look so delightfully upon him as he will upon us there will be Nothing but Amorous imbraces and we shall then see How Sure All his mercies are to them that love him and that they are The Sure Mercies of David we shall find in Our Hearts All his promises made good and we shall then call him Our God and Our Iehovah making good and giving Being as to all things So to all his promises that we shall say feelingly Not One hath failed of
who can be against us 〈◊〉 likewise if God be against us who can be for us If a man flye from a Bear what help hath he if a Lion meet him and to flye from an iron weapon and a bow of steel strike him through when God is become thine enemie who dare be thy friend when God shall deny a man comfort then all comforts and Comforters fly from him when the God of all comfort shall deny his creatures power to comfort thee then like Iob if thou lay thee down thou sayest when shall I arise and the night be gone and thou art full of tossings too and fro unto the dawning of the day Iob 7. 4. He seeks for comfort but none dare give when the day comes he wisheth for the night and when the night comes he wisheth for the day and is full of unquietness While a man is in the body the Almighty hath visible Chariots to ride in towards thee In this life he shoots visible arrows Nah. 3. 2. The noise of a whip the noise of the ratling of the wheels of the praâ—sing horses and of the jumping Chariots He striks with visible swords his Chariot-wheels shall rattle against thee in poverty disgrace imprisonments in this life c. these are his rods whatever else seems bitter to us He hath the earth to swallow thee up as it did Dathan and his company and he hath waters to drown thee as he did Pharaoh he hath Whips Racks Strapadoes Halters and the like All these he hath and a 100 times more he useth for the body in the hands of man But adde unto these the invisible torments of thy invisible part And a wounded heart which as Solomon saith and such who have felt it know full well is far above all the rest The spirit of a man may sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear I but now if a man shall say with David Psal. 139. 11. Peradventure the darkness shall cover me and I will flee far hence when I have put off this body I shall then be at rest then dark death shall cover me and it shall ease me and hide me from all these things No no Then hath thy God invisible Chariots in which he rides and invisible weapons which shall pierce thy invisible soul The day and the night are all one to him Psal. 139. 12. When thou hast put on death he hath then also fiery Chariots and Horses still to affright amaze pursue wound and kill with a never dying death And therefore let us learn to fear him who can cast both boâ—â— and soul into hell But let us not fear any 〈◊〉 and I hope especially some among us we have not so learned Christ as either to fear them or trust in them Some saith David Psal. 20. 7. put trust in Chariots and some in Horses but we will trust in the name of the Lord. These are things we should never regard for all the Creatures are but Chariots wherein God rides therefore we should not much heed them but God in them neither men nor things but God onely who acts in them and by them for they can neither do us any good or hurt as of themselves but as they are acted and commanded by God and therefore I say we should neither fear them nor trust in them First Not fear them for so saith our Saviour Mat. 10. 28. Fear not him that can but kill the body c. Not trust in them for saith David A horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man Psal. 33. 17. And again put not you your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help For what is it that we trust to when we trust in them Fear them not saith the Psalmist why for their breath is in their nostrils they are but a puff of breath which is soon past and gone As soon as ever the Gate of our Life is broken down by some disease or other we come to nothing The snare is broken and our souls are escaped and what can such poor creatures do to us either for good or hurt Secondly Trust not in them no not in Princes nor in the son of man whose breath is in his nostrils in whom there is no 〈◊〉 and wherein is he to be accounted of The words are very remarkable and emphatical for when he had said Trust not in Princes one would think he had gone to the highest pich of power on earth for what is greater and who are of more power then Princes yet he addes nor in the son of man whose breath is in his Nostrils that is when a man hath trusted so long to things without himself till he hath no more to trust to and all fail him yet at last of all he will trust to himself and indeed the last trust is in a mans self therefore Christ nameth this before all to deny a mans self and take up his Cross herein daily But let us have our eye onely upon God and say as Elisha of Eliâ—ah and afterward as Ioash to Elisha 2 King 13. 14. so let us cry to God alone O my father my father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsmen thereof for indeed he is the Horsmen and the Chariots So when we look round about us both on the right hand and on our left above or below us let us take heed we rest not in any Creature whatsoever but let us look up and see that God is the strength of Israel his people and let us call upon him and say O my Father my Father the Chariots and Horsmen of Israel and to say with Iehosaphat in any strait O our God we know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee But as I told you there were chariots of divers fashions some that are made open and some made close And of old the Princes and great Ones of the Earth had Chariots of divers fashions and for divers uses so hath God Almighty As he hath Chariots Of Triumph so of Warre And those are both Offensive to pursue Defensive to deliver So also the Lord Almighty hath his Chariots Both Open and close wherein he Rides In some of his Chariots in some of his Creatures God rides more close in some he rides more open In some Creatures God is more apparently seen in others he is more hid But yet I will say as Austin saith of his Iudgements in some he is more hidden in others he is more manifest yet in all he is alwayes just And so say I of his presence in all his Creatures in some he is more conspicuous and apparent in others more secretly but in all alike truly and apparent to the seeing eye The Heavens are an open Chariot wherein he appears more visibly plainly Psal. 19. 1. The Heavens shew forth the glory of God and the Earth
much upon that the most do consent that all the creatures are Angels The word it self signifies especially in this plaâ—e an ambassador or a messenger now all the creatures being so messengers or ambassadors from God they must needs all be Angels But if a man should speak now unto the wisest in Israel and tell them that God sent Angels into every womb there to frame and create the Infant would he not wonder But what if I should say that the very forming-power is an Angel This could not be digested yet it is true for every particular influence in every creature is an Angel observe this that never any one Angel was sent on two errands nor never any two Angels on one errand for all the whole creation do joyntly together sing the infinite praise of their most wise Creator there is not the wickedest man alive but sings and sounds forth Gods praise as much as the holiest though it may be against their wills for if they sing not the praise of his mercy yet they sing as much to his praise the glory of his Iustice. God makes even the very worst of his creaturs sing a part of his praise Ask the craggy Mountains what part they sing and they will tell you they sing the praise of the immutableness unchangeableness of God Ask the flowers of the field what part they sing and they will tell you they sing the wisdom and liberality of God who clothes them beyond Solomon in all his glory Ask the Sun Moon and Stars what part they sing they will say the constancy of Gods promises that they shall hold their course and not alter it Ask the poor received sinner what part he sings and he will tell you he sings the infinite free mercy of a most gracious Father And ask the wicked obstinate sinner what part he sings and he will tell you he sings the praise of his patience and Iustice. And truly my beloved not one creature but sings apart and yet all together all that ever were and that are and that ever shall be put all together yet they do not sing no not the thousand thousand part of this infinite eternal God As the Queen of Sheba when she came and heard Solomons wisdom she confessed that what she heard of him in her own Countrey although incredible yet it was not the tenth part of that she saw and heard so though all creatures sing Gods praise yet All and all if they were a thousand times more then they are yet they all do not yield the thousand thousand part of that honour and praise that is due to him for he hath all perfections in him and he also gives and distributes to the several creatures those several parts and portions they have As I have often told you the perfection of any one species cannot be known by any one individual And so Gods Church is a glorious Church taken not as being in any one member but in the compleat body As the perfections of a man cannot be known by any one man for if one man have wisdom another hath sobriety if one hath patience another man hath temperance so that the beauty of the Church cannot be known by any one member be it never so excellent If Abraham hath faith Iob hath patience if Ioseph hath chastness Moses hath meekness c. so that as you must not look for the perfections of a man in one man for if one be as fair as Absalom another is as proper as Saul if one hath proportion another hath sobriety c. so neither must we look to see the admirable perfection of the Spouse of Christ that is all fair and hath no spot by one member neither by all that are now living upon the earth or that were but look upon all that ever were are and shall be and adde to them their Head Christ and then it is a beautiful Church indeed and in her no spot at all So though every creature express God One one attribute another another and they speak his praise wonderfully yet they come infinitely shorr of him and though altogether they say somewhat yet not the tenth part of him not the tenth part of his Iustice not the tenth part of his patience not the tenth part of his Mercy c. One is sent to deliver a message of his love another a message of his justice another a message of his patience another a message of his liberality and bounty all of several errands and whatever message he sends any creature on he is alwayes just they all do but his will Though they sin and transgress and therein think they do their own will that makes it sin but they all do his wil therefore it is said Ps. 103. 20. Bless the Lord all ye hosts ye Angels that do his pleasure and although it be more properly spoken of those Angels that are invisible in the air in the heavens yet it may well be also applied to all creaturâ—â— for he hath made them very little lower then the Angels onely in the Angels below matter prevails above the form but in the Angels above form prevails over the matter for if our forms were not bounded and fastned to the earth by their matter even we should be as the Angels of God so that we should no sooner think or desire to be in any place were it never so far off but we should immediately be there for how soon can my spirit convey it self in thought thousands of miles but my body cannot be there but by times and succession of gradation and by steps The reason is because the form is imprisoned in the matter earth goes to earth and ashes to ashes and dust to dust naturally because it is its center but the spirit goes upward naturally the higher we go from the earth the more pure the elements and the nearer the earth the more gross the more dull the more sad and lumpish it is impossible that a heavy body should hang in the air for every thing tends and bend to his center if it be a heavy body it will fall downward the water is purer then the earth the air then the water the light then the air the fire then the light and so more and more spiritual till you come to him who is All Spiritual Spirit it self And for those Angels are out of our sight which are said to be in heaven you know there are degrees of them some are Angels some Archangels some Cherubims and some Seraphims 〈◊〉 therefore if you have observed it if ever ye saw Angels pictured they were drawn with compleat bodies from head to foot but yet to shew they are above a man and more spirit therefore they have alwayes wings which shew that they are above us in their Nature and are carried above our element but Arch-angels they are pictured with half bodies cut off at the middle with wings shewing that they are further off
any creature but thou wilt be willing to do as Abraham did by Sarah to buy a field to bury thy dead out of thy sight for they are dead to thee and thou art dead to them and when death shall come to call thee hence thou canst look him in the face with great joy and reâ—oycing and then shalt thou know what is the benefit of eating The hidden manna then shalt thou finde and taste both what it is and how delicious and sweet it is then shalt thou finde that one day in Gods house is befter then a thousand elsewhere then shalt thou finde that God himself will be more to thee then all the creatures put together then shalt thou finde that one day of true love to God one hours enjoyment of the love of God doth give thy soul more joy and content then all the creatures could ever afford thee then shalt thou feelingly say as the Queen of Sheba by Solomon She said to the King It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom howbeit I beleeved not the words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the half was not told me of thy wisdom and prosperity exceeding the fame which I heard I have heard much of the love of God by his Ministers and of the ravishing content that was therein but now I am come to enjoy it I finde they did not relate the tenth part thereof and that it is such love which fastens and knits us together for ever and ever to the unchangeable God through Iesus Christ his onely beloved Son who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person OF EATING HIDDEN MANNA The Heads or Substance of a Sermon preached for Mr. Hodges at his Wednesday Lecture in OLD JURY REV. 2. 17. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it IN a little corner of Asia were these Churches seated unto whom God by the Evangelist Saint Iohn wrote The words I have now read are as David sayes of the blessed man whose tree never withereth but is alwayes fresh flourishing and green planted by the Rivers side such are these words and all the words of God they have not onely a dead Letter but they have a living sense this Tree bears fruit in all Ages in all times As our Saviour Christ sayes what I say to you I say to all men the words of God are so spoken and meant that they are not onely true of that man that time in that place in that age in which they were spoken but they are true and concern as much all men all ages all sexes all places But if ye shall say to me as the Apostle â—aith Rom. 10. 6. Who shall ascend into Heaven or who shall descend into the secrets of God to bring Christ from the Grave or to fetch him down from Heaven behold he is nigh thee even in thy heart c. Behold I am he whom God hath appointed at this time to unfold this word from God now read to you to open to you these sweet promises of mercy and grace but it will be so onely to those whose eyes are open to see them so the promise here made is large I will give him to eat Hidden Manna but it is not without a condition let them be what they will be pretend what they will let your confidence be never so great ye have no interest in this promise without the condition would you eat of the hidden Manna then ye must be overcomers he that overcometh shall eat But give me leave a little to wave the condition the Apostle Iohn saith That there are three that bare record on earth the Spirit the water and the Blood and these three agree in one So say I here is both a condition and a promise and they both agree in one A man cannot eat except he Overcome neither can he Overcome except he Eats therefore let no man think he can Overcome except he eat this hidden Manna and he that eateth doth Overcome as Christ tells the Disciples without me ye can do nothing so without ye eat this hidden Manna ye can do nothing ye can never overcome for in eating this hidden Manna we get strength to Overcome and as we eat we overcome and as we overcome we eat this was your vow made in Baptisme to renounce the Devil and all his works and to fight manfully under Christs Banner against sin the World the Flesh and the Devil thou hast there given up thy name to Christ and hast bid defiance to Satan as much as in thee lieth and hast said I renounce thee Satan and I will be one of thy Souldiers O Lord Christ. There is no man that hath prepared his heart to seek God but he shall be sure to find enemies enough he shall have temptations to wrastle with and to overcome David sayes that he found his enemies innumerable Psal. 118. they compassed him on every side and came about him all like Bees and the Lord himself tells us that all the imaginations of mans heart are onely evil continually Dost thou think then that thou hast no enemies Then let no man say if I found any enemies I would fight with them for I may say to thee as Delilah to Sampson Arise the Philistines be upon thee there be enemies enough even in the chamber within thee lying in wait and if you do not arise and stand upon your guard you shall be overcome instead of overcoming But that you may understand this Text I will lay down three things which will be necessary to unfold it The first is this All these seven promises made here to the seven Churches of Asia though they be diversly exprest yet it is all one thing suppose they be promises of eating of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God or promises that we shall not be hurt of the second death or that we shal have the crown of life or of the white stone with the new name in it or of ruling the Nations with a rod of iron or the receiving the bright morning Star All these promises they are one and the same thing and they are pronounced by one and the same Spirit and let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches wheresoever Christ shall be there shall his members be also and every member shall have a full and plentiful part there shall be nothing wanting to them they shall all have a satisfying part they shall be all as branches that are nourished with one and the same root the same sap goes thorow the whole body that is in the
ascribed to him He gave them favour and he hardened the heart of Pharaoh and He bid Shimei curâ—e David and the like Be assured whatever clashing and dashing thou observest in the world So as to thy thinking all will come to Nought and Miscarry yet be assured He it is that keeps all Guides all from dashing one against another but so far as his wisdom will have it so and it must be so for the accomplishment of his most holy ends O therefore let Vain man and his ignorance Nay his wisdom and his will stoop yea stoop to the very dust before him and leave all to him and be afraid To Censure His doings or to say concerning the Almighty Such an action was not well done Such a man O it were well if he were Removed Oh! he doth a great deal of hurt Oh! let him be cut off Oh! Beloved know God Almighty is a God of Infinite wisdom and art thou wiser then he must it needs be as thou conceivest no no you are deceived submit your judgements to him Expand and give up your selves and all you are and have to his Wisdom and Soveraignity and do not once dare to oppose that Infinite Infinite Wisdom of God in comparison of whose wisdom all the wisdom of all men and Angels put together is but folly before him He chargeth his Angels with folly and the Heavens are unclean in his sight what art thou then Poor Crawling worm to lift up thy self in his presence But thus to see God Doing all This is that Moses saw by the eye of faith in this Burning Bush It is He that Overturns the world It is He that burns every Creature New-forms and New-shapes The whole Universe He is that Great Potter that makes destroys and Re-makes at his pleasure what vessels he pleaseth He maketh vessels of honour and dishonour He alters and changes every Creature New-moulds and New-makes all and yet he destroys nothing And know this and set to thy seal that whatever He doth He cannot but do all things well superlatively well so well as it cannot be better And hereby the Lord will also set His seal to this soul so that He and It are so joyned together and made One that they will never part But he that looks upon the bare vision in the bare letter he cannot see these things What is it to him that Moses saw the vision That is gone and past But dost thou see what Moses saw Dost thou see all acted altered and changed by him Dost thou see Him alone doing all That it is He that Vn-makes and New-makes That it is He that makes men yong and makes men Old That it is He that bringeth to the grave and turneth man to destruction and saith at his pleasure return again ye sons of men That it is He that maketh and formeth man and all Creatures and bringeth them back again to their first principles and thereof Creates Raiseth and re-makes new Creatures Dost thou Thus see That the whole Universe is but a Body acted and guided by one soul by one spirit And that it is nothing else but a Carcase moved and led up and down by one spirit And that He is the substance of all and of every Creature the meanest the smallest the vilest as well as of the most glorious Dost thou see HIM in the midst of all this changing and tumbling up and down That it is He that destroys and preserves all things Unmakes Re-makes as the Potter doth and yet the clay is the same but that it is he which is still producing new forms Dost thou see that it is He that doth all these things that it is He that preserves all and weighs all so that nothing is lost For did not he Preserve all entire in themselves every element in its Property and Nature and keep them within their own bounds which is His Excelling glory they would presently devour and Overcome one another Fire if it did predominate were not bounded it would turn all things into Fire it would make all things like it self And so of Water it would turn all to Water and so of the rest But he hath set them their bounds which they cannot pass hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed So that he keeps all things Entire in their own Element and every thing in its Proper place And in all this change or alteration and tumbling of the elements together Herein is His power seen That there is nothing lost nor diminished Dost thou see all this and that it is He that ruleth the Nations and that it is He alone that reigneth and that HE commandeth and ordereth the affairs of Princes all Nations and that all the Kings of the earth are in his hands My times are onely in thine hand saith David And know though thou thinkest That Kings and Rulers and others walk according to their Own wills and contrary to thine and thou art therefore offended yet know They all walk according to my will and pleasure saith God and though thou and they think otherwise and though they have no such purpose to obey my will but to please themselves and fulfil their own wills and not mine yet I have them so in my hand that they shall all in the end serve to my praise glory yea even in that they think they serve themselves and their own ends Poor Ignorant souls Alas when as they glory and pride themselves in their great pomp attendance and command and think that it is They that Rule when as they see not Psal. 66. 7. that it is He that ruleth by his power for ever and ever And Dan. 4. 17. The most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of men He it is alone that doth whatsoever He will and not they wil He sendeth the sword giveth it a Commission The Sword never awakes Till he say awake O sword And t is said of our Saviour That he came to bring peace unto men Luk. 2. 14. Peace on earth and good will towards men And yet our Saviour saith again Matth. 10. 34. I come not to send peace but a sword and vers 35. I am come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in Law against her mother in Law c. what strange contradictions are here What flesh and blood can reconcile these Scriptures yet both very true Again dost thou see That it is he that shall change these our vile bodies and make them like the glorious body of Iesus Christ Phil. 3. 21. Jesus Christ will purifie thoâ—â— that cleave to him and purifie them like unto himself Fire I told you never rests working and purifying till it hath brought All things to be as pure as it self So That Divine Fire Jesus Christ will never leave purifying and cleansing His people till he
he is where he works In his operations He works upon us As the spokes of a wheel upon the Ring and in his possession as upon the Nave As a Spider upon his Web If any one thred be Toucht He presently seizes upon the fly He is not to seek not will miss his prey for He is alwayes either watching or working to destroy Yet for all this As the earth rent with thunder blasted with fire drowned with water shaken with winds must not cannot blame the Heavens because the cause of all these distempers came forth of the Earth at first So if we be Heavily punished by the Devil we may blame our selves For we have taken into our selves of His Nature whereby he hath gotten power over us For could we but say as Christ He hath Nought in me He could have no power upon us Let therefore these spiritual Enemies keep us up as whips do Tops continually with our eyes up unto God That He may help us To leave and abhor all sin which procures and draws down such heavy and spiritual torments And here I must lay down this Maxim As all things aym either at a good or evil end so effectum testatur de causa the effect witnesseth of the cause all things proceed either from a good or Evil cause A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit nor an evil tree good Matth. 7. 28. Now we know WHOSE the good is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is none good but one which is God Matth. 19. 17. and we know likewise who is the Source and fountain of all Evil who is therefore in so many places of Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from whom we are taught by our Saviour to pray for deliverance under that name Deliver us from Evil Matt. 6. 13. All these Actions of this sublunary world whether External or Internal Corporal or Spiritual Visible or Invisible Are divided between these two whom our Saviour calls God and Mammon Matth. 6. 24. S. Iohn Light and Darkness S. Paul Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6. 15. Elias God and Baal 1 Kin. 18. 21. Accordingly Is that Text of our Saviour He that gathereth not together with me scattereth abroad and he that is not with me is against me Matt. 12. 30. So also that Text Rom. 14. 23. All that is not of faith is sin Hence the word of God makes it plain That many Diseases and Evils inflicted upon men are called Devils because coming from him and inflicted by him as Lunacy is called a Devil my son is Lunatick Matth. 17. 15. yet vers 19. t is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Devil came out of him so Mark 9. 17. t is said of one that was dumb that he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dumb Devil so also of one that was blinde A blinde man possessed with a Devil Matth. 12. 22. the like is said of of Deasness or of a Deaf Devil Luke 11. 14. So in the same manner of Crookedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having a spirit of infirmity Luke 13. 11. and yet at verse 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom Sâ—tan or the Devil hath bound and thereupon Luke 8. 2. we finde that Infirmities and Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are joyned together And includes One and the same thing All the plagues of Egypt Flies Frogs Caterpillars Locusts Hail Frosts Thunder-bolts c. Are all called Psal. 78. 49. Evil Angels and so also Iobs blains and botches pass under the same denomination so that as Hippocrates said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every disease as there is something of God in it so may we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something of the Devil in it Now I pray you Resume and take up again what I have formerly delivered God is a God of Order Order implyes plurality and diversity Now as all the Actions of Christ are Mystical So all of the Devils are likewise and as Omnis actio Christi est nostra instructio as every action of Christ is our instruction so is every one of the Devils actions too and therefore as there is Mysterium Evangelii The Mystery of the Gospel Ephes. 6. 19. And the Great Mystery of godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. as also The Mystery of faith 1 Tim. 3. 9. The Mystery of God Revel 10. 7. In like manner there is Mysterium iniquitatis The Mystery of iniquity 2 Thess. 2. 7. And as Paul cries out Rom. 11. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the depth of the Riches and Wisdom and Knowledge of God! so S. Iohn tell us Rev. 2. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Depths of Satan When you consider and contemplate The mercies and miracles of Christ toward mankinde and his mighty works in the flesh Do you onely consider them as His mercies to the Bodies of men Or onely done to them then no no Duc in altum as Christ said unto Peter Luk. 5. 4. Lanch forth into the deep And Let down your Nets for a Greater draught Rest not there Look into your selves also reflect and see what God and Christ did and doth unto the souls and spirits of men even in thy self for as he cureth the one so he cureth and saveth the other He it is that gives light to them that sit in darkness of sin and ignorance and makes them to be Light in the Lord and looseth the Captives which are bound in Spiritual Captivity by Satan and maketh them free men in the Lord He healeth those that are broken-hearted and sets at liberty them that are bruised He opens the prison doors to them that are bound And lets the captives go free He maketh to grow strong in faith to grow in grace and favor with God and men He it is hath sent Redemption unto his people psa 111. 9. But all this not onely to their persons in corporal deliverances but chiefly to their souls and spirits doing the same actions over again in us And herein Is Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever And so also when you consider the malice of Satan do you onely look upon his malice to the Estates of men or to their bodies As His vexing Iobs person with diseases and botches his blowing down the house upon Iobs children or the fire he sent to burn up his sheep or do you onely look upon the Sabeans and Chaldeans or onely upon the loss of the Girgasites swine or upon the Tempests at sea and the sicknesses which he layes on the bodies or estates of men c. O Beloved you will Catch little or nothing here Though you fish All night and though you hear all the Sermons or read all the Books you can get you will be little the better stay not your contemplations or experiences here but Duc in altum Lanch forth mind these workings in you look into your